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compared with his law; and what he stood exposed unto, without any possible way of escape, but by the blood of atonement; which yet he could not, consistently, have recourse unto: unless first he heartily approved the law, in all its rigour, as strictly just." And herein, as in a glass, we may see the true nature of that preparation which is necessary in order to exercise faith in Christ.

And impartial reason approves it all. For is it fit the sinner should be pardoned, before he sees and owns what he is, and wherein, and how much he has been to blame? Or is it fit, the sinner should be pardoned, till he clearly sees he deserves to be punished? Or is it fit, a sinner should be pardoned, by God the lawgiver, before he sees and feels the law is just, by which he stands condemned; so as to cease complaining; yea, so as actually to approve, justify, and acquiesce in it, as quite right and altogether equitable? Or can a sinner till then see any proper and rational ground for an atonement? Or discern his need of Christ? Or see the true beauty and glory of the Gospel-way of life? Or heartily acquiesce in it?

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Or may not these be laid down as maxims, near or quite self-evident: I must see wherein I have been to blame, and how much, before I can see wherein and how much I need a pardon. I must see, I altogether deserve the threatened punishment; before I can see it altogether free grace, to be delivered from it. I must see it, reasonable, fit, and beautiful, that sin should be so punished as the law threatens; before I can see the law, reasonable, fit and beautiful, in threatening so to punish sin. I must see the law reasonable, fit, and beautiful, before I can be satisfied at heart, that it was ever best it should be executed upon the sinner, or upon Christ his surety. I must see it, to be of infinite importance, that God be honoured, and sin discountenanced, before the severity of the law will appear beautiful, or the death of Christ needful, or the way of life through his blood glorious, or I heartily approve of the law, or cordially acquiesce in the Gospel. I must heartily aquiesce in the Gospel-way of life, or I cannot sincerely, and from the heart, fall in with it.

Now these, and each of these particulars, are essential to the exercise of faith in Christ, for pardon and justification. Nor need any thing further be added, in order to determine exactly the nature of that preparation, which is necessary to the exercise of faith in Christ. Precisely how much of this is wrought in the true convert, previous to regeneration, and goes into the idea of what is called legal humiliation, and how much is consequent upon regeneration and divine light, and belongs to what is called evangelical humiliation, I shall not stand to determine t. But this I desire may be remembered, that there can be no exercise of faith in Christ for pardon and justification, by a new convert, or by an old saint, without these views and tempers at least, for the substance of them ". They are so essential to justifying faith, without them. Which after all that

that it cannot exist

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t It may not be amiss to add here, that previous to regeneration, while the sinner is without any seed of grace in his heart, 1 John iii. 9. dead in sin, Eph. ii. 1. at enmity with God and his law, Rom. viii. 7. he may, through the law set home upon his conscience, by the spirit of God, be made to see and own, as in the sight of God; 1. That there is no goodness in his heart, that he is quite dead in sin, an enemy to God and his law. 2. That he is, in himself, entirely helpless, absolutely lost and undone. 3. That God is not obliged to help or save him, for any thing he can do. 4. That he is in the hands of God, who is at liberty to have mercy on him, or not, as he pleases. 5. That it is a just and righteous thing in God to cast him off for ever.‹.*

But it is after regeneration that other things come into view; such as, 1. The transcendent beauty and excellency of the divine nature.-2. The beauty of the law.-3. The glory of the Gospel-way of life.-All which lay a foundation for4. A supreme love to God, an hearty approbation of the law, a cordial acquiescence in the Gospel, an actual compliance with that way of life, &c.-Besides that, now the justice of God in the damnation of the sinner, and the reasonableness of his acting as a sovereign, in the salvation of those that are saved, appear quite in a new light. They appear even to be glorious, 2 Cor. iii. 7. Matt. xi. 25. u There is the same necessity of these views and tempers, in order to the exercise of faith in Christ, at any particular season, through the course of a man's life, as there is at his first conversion The same reason that makes them necessary to any act of faith, makes them necessary to every act of faith. Indeed, they become habitual to the true believer, who daily lives by faith on the Son of God. For, it may be observed, that those legal terrors, and all those struggles and workings of the sinner's heart, while unregenerate, which are commonly experienced previous to a saving conversion, are left out of the above representation; as being, in a great measure, peculiar to that season, and not essential to any act of faith, but only naturally arising from the sinner's then present state and temper.

has been said, seems too plain and evident, to need any further proof. Therefore,

4. What has been said may serve to determine these following things, concerning the nature of justifying faith.

1. In general, it implies an hearty approbation of the law, and an hearty acquiescence in the Gospel; as being suited to honour God, and discountenance sin. And therefore, more particularly,

2. It implies a conviction, and some realizing sense of the infinite greatness and glory of God; as also a supreme love to God, and regard to his honour. For otherwise, we can never approve the law from the heart; nor will it ever appear beautiful, or agreeable, that God's honour is so much consulted and set by both in the law and Gospel.

3. It implies regeneration. Or, that a new spiritual divine nature, taste, and relish, is communicated to us from God. For there is no principle in unrenewed nature, from which a man may have such a supreme regard to God and his honour, as from the heart to approve the law, in requiring sinless perfection on pain of eternal damnation. The law never appeared glorious to an unregenerate heart. But every unregenerate heart is at enmity against it. Rom. viii. 7.

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A true saint, yea, the most holy man on earth, according to law and striet justice, deserves damnation as much, yea, more than he did at his first conversion, considered merely as in himself. Not that he is at present so bad a man once he was. No, by no means. But because his present goodness makes no amends for any of his sins committed before conversion, or since. So that if he was to be dealt with according to law strictly, without any relation to Christ, he must be accountable for all his sins before conversion, and for all sins since con, version. And the sins of a true convert deserve damnation, as well as the sins of the unconverted. And so, according to law, considered merely as in himself, he runs daily deeper into debt, and so stands in still greater need of Christ and free grace. For that popish notion, that the goodness of a saint makes some amends in the sight of God for his sins, is inconsistent both with the law and with the Gospel. For then a saint might possibly be so good, as to make full amends for all his sins; and so stand in no need of Christ. Yea, the church of Rome think, upon this same hypothesis, that some saints are so good as not only to make full amends to God for their own sins, but that, over and above, they have some to spare for their poor neighbours, who have not enough for themselves. And it is well if the hearts of some protestants are not tinged with this Popish doctrine.

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4. It implies a conviction, and some realizing sense of the infinite evil of sin, as it is against a God of infinite glory. For otherwise it cannot appear as an agreeable, amiable thing in God to punish it with eternal damnation. And so the law cannot be really approved of and liked.

5. It implies true repentance; in that we are thus heartily turned against sin to God, to be on his side, to approve and justify his law, and stand for his honour. For now the rebel is become, and has the heart of a loyal subject. And sø,

6. It implies a principle of new obedience. Yea,

7. It implies the seeds of every moral virtue, and every Christian grace. For they are comprised in a hearty approbation of the law, and acquiescence in the Gospel. And so,

8. It implies, virtually a preparedness of heart, to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ, and be true to him at all adventures. A character absolutely essential to every true Christian. Luke xiv. 25-33. And so, beyond

all dispute,

9. Justifying faith is an HOLY ACT. And yet,

10. It implies, that we have no dependence, no, not the least, on any goodness, of any kind which is inherent in us, to recommend us to God's favour and acceptance. For,

11. It implies that we see and feel, that eternal damnation is, at that moment our proper due, according to law and reason, according to strict and impartial justice. Yea,

12. It implies that we are so far from a disposition to think hard of God, and complain of his law as too severe, that, on the contrary, we are disposed to think well of God, and to think the law to be just what it should be, quite right, altogether right, just, and fair. Yea,

13. It implies that the law, although a ministration of death, appears to be glorious. For otherwise, it cannot appear fit and beautiful, that the honour of it should be secured, by the blood of the SON OF Gov. And yet, unless this does appear fit and beautiful, the Gospel-way of life cannot be heartily acquiesced in.

14. And if the law, although a ministration of death, appears to be glorious, as it is suited to honour God and discountenance sin; the Gospel will appear much more exceed

ingly glorious: as being wisely calculated, not only to answer these ends, to even better advantage than the law; but also to humble and save the sinner, and glorify grace. And therefore, in the exercise of faith, the Gospel-way of life by free grace through Jesus Christ, will be admired, loved, esteemed, rejoiced in, as being full of the manifold wisdom of God; while we behold how satan is disappointed, God exalted, the law honoured, God's authority established, sin punished, the sinner humbled and saved, and grace glorified, all at

once.

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15. Justifying faith, these views and tempers being thus supposed and implied, consists more especially in a cordial compliance with the Gospel-way of life, by trusting in and entirely depending upon Jesus Christ: that Lamb of God, typically slain in daily sacrifices from the foundation of the world; who in the fulness of time bare our sins in his own body on the tree: died the just for the unjust being set forth, as the bullock of old, to be a propitiation for sin, that God might be just: and who is now ascended into heaven, to appear as our great high-priest, in the presence of God: and is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him. So the pious Jew, with an humble and broken heart, laid his hands on the head of the bullock, or the goat, which he had presented before the Lord, to die in his room. The consecrated animal was slain, his blood sprinkled, his carcass burnt, and so atonement was made. Without shedding of blood there was no remission. Even so now we are justified by FAITH IN CHRIST'S BLOOD. i. e. by an entire trust, dependance, reliance on the atonement, merits, and mediation. of Christ, for pardon and acceptance in the sight of God, and for eternal life. This FAITH IN CHRIST'S BLOOD, is St. Paul's definition of justifying faith, in Rom. iii. 25.And,

16. It implies a firm belief of the truth of the Gospel For otherwise a sinner so wide awake, would not dare to venture his soul and eternal concerns thus wholly and entirely upon it, without any other dependence. And lastly,

17. It implies a supreme value for the favour of God

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