to the E P H E S I A N S. 'By Grace JC are faved through Faith. Ye were Children of Wrath before, ye are faved by Faith. l told you, there was an Alteration of the State of a Man, from being a Man condemned, ac– cording to the Rule of the Word, which God as a Judg will go by; and it is upon believing. · Now what of Salvation cloth Faith then receive, which not before, and to which Works add nothing? Not of Worl{f. I anfwer, The whole Right of Salvation. This is clear out of the Words· when he faith, Throngh Faith, and not of Wor!{f. Upon believing, or with be: lieving (I fhall explain it by and by) the whole Right of Salvation is given us ; but all the Holinefs and Works we have,do not ferve for the Right, but only we are led through them to the Polfeffion of 11. · You have it faid in 2 Thej[.2. r:j. that we are javed through Faith and SantJiftcation: But the Apofile here orders them, how through Faith, and how through Sanctification. He fpeaks in com– mon of both, there; here, fo through Fatth, as not through Sanllification: Not of Worl{f, faith he. How fhall we talve that? This is the dear Dill:inCtion of it: We are taved through Faith, as that which gives us the prefent Right, or that which God cloth then give as a Judg, when we believe, before Faith bath done a whit of Work elfe ; but we are led through SanCtification, and good Works, to the Polfeffion ofSalvation. Dillinguifh the Right and the Pofieffion, and you have clearly the Apoll:le's meaning; for faith he, He hath ordained good Worl{f, that we Jho~tld walk in them, as being alreadJ Javed thro11gh Faith, which he fpeaks before that. But had not we the Right before ? you will fay. Truly, my Brethren, as Copy-holders have the Right to their Land, when their Fathers die; but yet they mull: take it up at the Court of the chief Lord, before they enter upon the afrual polfeffion: So it is here. We enter into Re!l bJ Faitb, as the Apoll:le faith. It is amighty Expreffion, that in AtJs 26. r8. "B, Faith we receive Remijjion of Sins, and an Inheritance. Let any one now go and interpret thofe Words. How is a Man by Faith faid to receive an Inheritance? He cloth not receive the Polfeffion of Heaven by Fai;h; for Vifion, not Faith, gives him that Polfeffion : How cloth he receive it then? I anfwer, In the Right ofit: For upon believing, God as a Judg cloth pronounce this Man an Heir of Eternal Life, and as a Judg, he will own him to be fo at the latter D~y. He had before bequeathed him an In· heritance by the Will of Chrill:, who died to make a Tell:ament ; he had a Right bequeathed him from everlalling; !)ut the aCtual Polfeffion he enters upon by Faith. It is called an Inheritance, wheq he giveth the Reafons why it is by Faith. Jn Rom. 3· you fhall find, that he ufeth that expreilion of an Inheritance : .Abraham, faith he, wtH jujlijied by Faith, that the Inheritance might be by Promife; and in ]obn r. 12. To them that believe he gave Power: The word is, he gave Dig11it,y; as a King doth create a Baron, it is a legal Form and ACt: He gives thema Dignity, and then bell:ows it upol) them. Therefore clearly to me, thofe that foy, that Faith only ferveth for the mani– fefiation of Jull:ification or Salvation, are millaken. Saith P.ml in Grd. 2. r6. (and he fpakeit as guided by the Holy-Gholl:, in the Name of all the Apollles) Even we believed, that we might be jl!jlijied by tht Faith of Cbrifl, and 1101 by tho– Worl{f.uf the Law. If Faith be only the Manifellation of Jullificatlon it fdf, then they believed, that they were juftifi,ed to be jullified ; but fays he, We, /,.potving that .a M~n is not j'iflified by the Works •f the Law, believed, that we might be juffi. fed. Did they know only, that Juftification would never be manifdled by the Law? No, they knew that they could never have :i real Jull:ification by the Law, and therefore, We beliC?Je, faith he, that we might be jliflijied, that is, really, as the Oppofition carries it, AtJs 13. 39· (which being added tdthe other clears it ) By him all which believe are jujlified from all thi11gs, from which they could not •Pp2 k ~ Ser. XXII. L~
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