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be attended with two difficulties, viz. how this can be said to be by faith alone, without any virtue or goodness of ours, when faith itself is a virtue, and one part of our goodness, and is not only some manner of goodness of ours, but is a very excellent qualification, and one chief part of the inherent holiness of a Christian? And if it be a part of our inherent goodness or excellency (whether it be this part or any other) that renders it a condecent or congruous thing that we should have this benefit of Christ assigned to us, what less is this than what they mean that talk of a merit of congruity? And moreover, if this part of our Christian holiness qualifies us in the sight of God, for this benefit of Christ, and renders it a fit or meet thing, in his sight, that we should have it, why should not other parts of holiness, and conformity to God, which are also very excellent, and have as much the image of Christ in them, and are no less lovely in God's eyes, qualify us as much, and have as much influence to render us meet in God's sight, for such a benefit as this? Therefore I answer,

When it is said, that we are not justified by any righteousness or goodness of our own, what is meant is, that it is not out of respect to the excellency or goodness of any qualifica tions or acts in us whatsoever, that God judges it meet that this benefit of Christ should be ours; and it is not in any wise, on account of any excellency or value that there is in faith, that it appears in the sight of God a meet thing, that he that believes should have this benefit of Christ assigned to him, but purely from the relation faith has to the person in whom this benefit is to be had, or as it unites to that mediator, in and by whom we are justified. Here for the greater clearness, I would particularly explain myself under several propositions.

1. It is certain that there is some union or relation that the people of Christ stand in to him, that is expressed in scripture, from time to time, by being in Christ, and is represent ed frequently by those metaphors of being members of Christ, or being united to him as members to the head, and branches to the stock,* and is compared to a marriage union between

* "Our Saviour compares his mystical body, that is his church, to a vine, which his Father, whom he compares to a husbandman, hath planted; I am

husband and wife. I do not now pretend to determine of what sort this union is; nor is it necessary to my present purposę to enter into any manner of dispute about it. If any are disgusted at the word union, as obscure and unintelligible, the word relation equally serves my purpose; I do not now desire to determine any more about it, than all, of all sorts, will readily allow, viz. that there is a peculiar relation between true Christians and Christ, or a certain relation between him and them, that there is not between him and others; which is sig~nified by those metaphorical expressions in scripture, of being in Christ, being members of Christ, &c.

2. This relation or union to Christ whereby Christians are said, to be in Christ, (whatever it be) is the ground of their right to his benefits. This needs no proof; the reason of the thing, at first blush, demonstrates it: But yet it is evident also by scripture, 1 John v. 12. " He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son, hath not life." 1 Cor. i. 30, "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us ....righteousness." First we must be in him, and then he will be made righteousness or justification to us. Eph. i. 6. “Who hath made us accepted in the beloved." Our being in him is the ground of our being accepted. So it is in those unions which the Holy Ghost has thought fit to compare this union to, The union of the members of the body with the head, is the

the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. To represent to us the union that is betwixt Christ and all true Christians, and the influence of grace and spiritual life, which all that are united to him do derive and receive from him, he sets it forth to us by the resemblance of a vine and branches. As there is a natural, vital union between the vine and the branches, so there is a spiritual union between Christ and true Christians; and this union is the cause of our fruitfulness in the works of obedience and a good life. There are some indeed that seem to be grafted into Christ by an outward profession of Christianity, who yet derive no influence from him, so as to bring forth fruit, because they are not vitally united to him." Dr. Tillotson, 3d. vol. of Serm. p.

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By this it appears that the vital union between Christ and true Christians, which is much more of a mystery than the relative union, and necessarily implies it, was not thought an unreasonable doctrine by one of the greatest divines on the other side of the question in hand.

ground of their partaking of the life of the head; it is the union of the branches to the stock, which is the ground of their partaking of the sap and life of the stock; it is the relation of the wife to the husband, that is the ground of her joint interest in his estate; they are looked upon, in several respects, as one in law: So there is a legal union between Christ and true Christians; so that (as all except Socinians allow) one, in some respects, is accepted for the other by the Supreme Judge.

3. And thus it is that faith is that qualification in any person that renders it meet in the sight of God that he should be looked upon as having Christ's satisfaction and righteousness belonging to him, viz. because it is that in him which, on his part, makes up this union between him and Christ. By what has been just now observed, it is a person's being, according to scripture phrase, in Christ, that is the ground of having his satisfaction and merits belonging to him, and a right to the benefits procured thereby: And the reason of it is plain; it is easy to see how a having Christ's merits and benefits belonging to us, follows from our having (if I may so speak) Christ himself belonging to us, or a being united to him; and if so, it must also be easy to see how, or in what manner, that, in a person, that on his part makes up the union between his soul and Christ, should be the thing on the account of which God looks on it meet that he should have Christ's merits and benefits, from regard to any qualification in him, in this respect, from his doing of it for him, out of respect to the value or loveliness of that qualification, or as a reward of the excellency of it.

As there is no body but what will allow that there is a peculiar relation between Christ and his true disciples, by which they are in some sense in scripture said to be one; so I suppose there is no body but what will allow, that there may be something that the true Christian does on his part, whereby he is active in coming into his relation or union, some of the soul of the Christian, that is the Christian's uniting act, or that which is done towards this union or relation (or whatever

any please to call it) on the Christian's part: Now faith I sup pose to be this act.

I do not now pretend to define justifying faith, or to deter. mine precisely how much is contained in it, but only to determine thus much concerning it, viz. That it is that by which the soul that before was separate and alienated from Christ, unites itself to him, or ceases to be any longer in that state of alienation, and comes into that forementioned union or relation to him, or, to use the scripture phrase, that it is that by which the soul comes to Christ, and receives him: And this is evident by the scripture's using these very expressions to signify faith. John vi. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39. "He that cometh to me, shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me, shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe

not.

All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out, For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." Ver. 40. " And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Chap. v. 38, 39, 40. "Whom he
Search the scriptures, for....

And ye will not come un-
Ver. 43, 44. "I am come
If another shall

How can ye be-
Chap. i. 12.

hath sent, him ye believe not. they are they which testify of me. to me, that ye might have life." in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: come in his own name, him ye will receive. lieve which receive honor one of another?" "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." If it be said that these are obscure figures of speech, that, however they might be well understood of old among those that then commonly used such metaphors, yet they are difficultly understood now; I allow that the expressions, receiving Christ, and coming to Christ, are metaphorical expressions: And if I should allow them to be obscure metaphors; yet so much at least is certainly plain in them, viz. that faith is that by which those that before were separated, and at a distance from Christ, (that is to say, were not so related and united to

him as his people are) do cease to be any longer at such a distance, and do come into that relation and nearness; unless they are so unintelligible, that nothing at all can be understood by them.

God does not give those that believe an union with, or an interest in the Saviour, in reward for faith but only because faith is the soul's active uniting with Christ, or is itself the very act of unition, on their part. God sees it fit, that in order to an union's being established between two intelligent, active beings or persons, so as that they should be looked upon as one, there should be the mutual act of both, that each should receive the other, as actively joining themselves one to another. God, in requiring this in order to an union with Christ as one of his people, treats men as reasonable creatures, capable of act and choice; and hence sees it fit that they only that are one with Christ by their own act, should be looked upon as one in law. What is real in the union between Christ and his people, is the foundation of what is legal; that is, it is something that is really in them, and between them, uniting them, that is the ground of the suitableness of their being accounted as one by the Judge: And if there be any act or qualification in believers that is of that uniting nature, that it is meet, on that account, that the Judge should look upon them and accept them as one, no wonder that upon the account of the same act or qualification, he should accept the satisfaction and merits of the one for the other, as if it were their satisfaction and merits: It necessarily follows, or rather is implied.

And thus it is that faith justifies, or gives an interest in Christ's satisfaction and merits, and a right to the benefits procured thereby, viz. as it thus makes Christ and the believer one, in the acceptance of the Supreme Judge. It is by faith that we have a title to eternal life, because it is by faith that we have the Son of God, by whom life is. The Apostle John in these words, 1 John v. 12. "He that hath the Son, hath life,” seems evidently to have respect to those words of Christ that he gives an account of in his gospel, chap. iii. 36. "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life." And in the same

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