The nature of justifying faith in particular, or of faith in the exercise of it, whereby we are justified — The heart’s approbation of the way of the justification and salvation of sinners by Christ, with its acquiescency therein — The description given, explained and confirmed:— 1. From the nature of the gospel — Exemplified in its contrary, or the nature of unbelief, Prov. i. 30; Heb. ii. 3; 1 Pet. ii. 7; 1 Cor. i. 23, 24; 2 Cor. iv. 3 — What it is, and wherein it does consist. 2. The design of God in and by the gospel — His own glory his utmost end in all things — The glory of his righteousness, grace, love, wisdom, etc. — The end of God in the way of the salvation of sinners by Christ, Rom. iii. 25; John iii. 16; 1 John iii. 16; Eph. i. 5, 6; 1 Cor. i. 24; Eph. iii. 10; Rom. i. 16; iv. 16; Eph. iii. 9; 2 Cor. iv. 6. 3. The nature of faith thence declared — Faith alone ascribes and gives this glory to God. 4. Order of the acts of faith, or the method in believing — Convictions previous thereunto — Sincere assent unto all divine revelations, Acts xxvi. 27 — The proposal of the gospel unto that end, Rom. x. 11–17; 2 Cor. iii. 18, etc. — State of persons called to believe — Justifying faith does not consist in any one single habit or act of the mind or will — The nature of that about which is the first act of faith — Approbation of the way of salvation by Christ, comprehensive of the special nature of justifying faith — What is included there in:— 1. A renunciation of all other ways, Hos. xiv. 2, 3; Jer. iii. 23; Ps. lxxi. 16; Rom. x. 3. 2. Consent of the will unto this way, John xiv. 6. 3. Acquiescency of the heart in God, 1 Pet. i. 21. 4. Trust in God. 5. Faith described by trust — The reason of it — Nature and object of this trust inquired into — A double consideration of special mercy — Whether obedience be included in the nature of faith, or be of the essence of it — A sincere purpose of universal obedience inseparable from faith — How faith alone justifies — Repentance, how required in and unto justification — How a condition of the new covenant — Perseverance in obedience is so also — Definitions of faith
That which we shall now inquire into, is the nature1of justifying faith; or of faith in that act and exercise of it whereby we are justified, or whereon justification, according unto God’s ordination and promise, does ensue. And the reader is desired to take along with him a supposition of those things which we have already ascribed unto it, as it is sincere faith in general; as also, of what is required previously thereunto, as unto its especial nature, work, and duty in our justification. For we do deny that ordinarily, and according unto the method of God’s proceeding with us declared in the Scripture, wherein the rule of our duty is prescribed, any one does, or can, truly believe with faith unto justification, in whom the work of conviction, before described, has not been wrought. All descriptions or definitions of faith that have not a respect thereunto are but vain speculations. And hence some do give us such definitions of faith as it is hard to conceive that they ever asked of themselves what they do in their believing on Jesus Christ for life and salvation.
The nature of justifying faith, with respect unto that exercise of whereby we are justified, consists in the heart’s approbation of the way of justification and salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ proposed in the gospel, as proceeding from the grace, wisdom, and love of God, with its acquiescency therein as unto its own concernment and condition.
There needs no more for the explanation of this declaration of the nature of faith than what we have before proved concerning its object; and what may seem wanting thereunto will be fully supplied in the ensuing confirmation of it. The Lord Christ, and his mediation, as the ordinance of God for the recovery, life, and salvation of sinners, is supposed as the object of this faith. And they are all considered as an effect of the wisdom, grace, authority, and love of God, with all their actings in and towards the Lord Christ himself, in his susception and discharge of his office. Hereunto he constantly refers all that he did and suffered, with all the benefits redounding unto the church thereby. Hence, as we observed before, sometimes the grace, or love, or especial mercy of God, sometimes his actings in or towards the Lord Christ himself, in sending him, giving him up unto death, and raising him from the dead, are proposed as the object of our faith unto justification. But they are so, always with respect unto his obedience and the atonement that he made for sin. Neither are they so altogether absolutely considered, but as proposed in the promises of the gospel. Hence, a sincere assent unto the divine veracity in those promises is included in this approbation.