Let the righteous smite me friendly and reprove me.*
Psalms CXLI. 5.
Part I
IN a former treatise I declared, in the plainest manner I could, both my principles and practice; and answered some of the most important, as well as the most common objections to each. But I have not yet delivered my own soul. I believe it is still incumbent upon me to answer other objections, particularly such as have been urged by those who are esteemed religious or reasonable men.
These partly relate to the doctrines I teach, partly to my manner of teaching them, and partly to the effects which are supposed to follow from teaching these doctrines in this manner.
I. 1. I will briefly mention what those doctrines are, before I consider the objections against them. Now all I teach respects either the nature and condition of justification , the nature and condition of salvation , the nature of justifying and saving faith , or the Author of faith and salvation.
2. First, The nature of justification. It sometimes means, our acquittal at the last day¹. But this is altogether out of the present question: that justification whereof our articles and homilies speak, meaning present forgiveness, pardon of sins, and consequently acceptance with God: who therein, declares his righteousness or mercy, by or for the remission of the sins that are past , saying, I will be merciful to thy unrighteousness, and thine iniquities I will remember no more .²
¹ Matthew xii. 37.
² Romans iii. 25.
I believe, the condition of this, is faith¹: I mean, not only, that without faith, we cannot be justified; but also, that as soon as any one has true faith, in that moment he is justified.
¹ Romans iv. 5. &c.
Good works follow this faith¹, but cannot go before it: much less can sanctification, which implies, a continued course of good works, springing from holiness of heart. *But it is allowed, that entire sanctification goes before our justification at the last day.²
¹ Luke vi. 43.
² Hebrews xii. 14.
It is allowed also, that repentance¹ and fruits meet for repentance ², go before faith. Repentance absolutely must go before faith: fruits meet for it, if there be opportunity. By repentance, I mean, conviction of sin, producing real desires and sincere resolutions of amendment: and by fruits meet for repentance , forgiving our brother³, ceasing from evil⁴, doing good, using the ordinances of God⁵, and in general obeying him according to the measure of grace which we have received⁶. But these, I cannot as yet, term good works ; because they do not spring from faith and the love of God.
¹ Mark i. 15.
² Matthew iii. 8.
³ Matthew vi. 14, 15.
⁴ Luke iii. 4, 9. &c.
⁵ Matthew vii. 7.
⁶ Matthew xxv. 29.
3. By salvation I mean, not barely, according to the vulgar notion, deliverance from hell, or going to heaven: but a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its primitive health, its original purity; a recovery of the divine nature; the renewal of our souls after the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness, in justice, mercy, and truth. This implies all holy and heavenly tempers, and by consequence all holiness of conversation.
Now, if by salvation we mean, a present salvation from sin, we cannot say, holiness is the condition of it. For it is the thing itself. Salvation, in this sense, and holiness are synonymous terms. We must therefore say, We are saved by faith . Faith is the sole condition of this salvation. For without faith we cannot be thus saved. But whosoever believeth, is saved already.
Without faith we cannot be thus saved. For we cannot rightly serve God, unless we love him. And we cannot love him, unless we know him; neither can we know God, unless by faith. Therefore salvation by faith , is only in other words, the love of God by the knowledge of God: or, the recovery of the image of God, by a true spiritual acquaintance with him.
4. Faith, in general, is, a divine, supernatural ἔλεγχος¹ of things not seen, not discoverable by our bodily senses, as being either past, future or spiritual. Justifying faith implies, not only a divine ἔλεγχος, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself , but a sure trust and confidence, that Christ died for my sins, that he loved me and gave himself for me . And the moment a penitent sinner believes this, God pardons and absolves him.
¹ Evidence, or Conviction.
And as soon as his pardon or justification is witnessed to him by the Holy Ghost, he is saved. He loves God and all mankind. He has the mind that was in Christ, and power to walk as he also walked . From that time (unless he make shipwreck of the faith) salvation gradually increases in his soul. For so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground.—And it springeth up, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.