Serm. CLXXII. SdnE/ifier, .9üftifiea and St er. 477 ral places ; and fometimes by believing that which is the great Argument and Confirmation that ChriJl was the true Meas the Son of God, that is, believing his Refurre&ion from the dead. Rom. 4. 2.4. To whom it (hall be imputed for Righ- teoufnefs, if we believe on him that railedupyefus our Lord from the dead. Rom. t o. 9. If thou ¡halt toile's with thy mouth the Lord jefus, and (halt believe in thine heart; that Godbath raifed him fiom the Dead, thou gait be faved. COI. a. z .. Through the faith of the operation of God, who railed him up from the Dead. Where Faith is. defcrib'd by a Belief of the Power whereby Chrift was railed from the dead. And to mention no more, a Pet. I. 2 I. who by him do believe in God, that railed him up firm the Dead. Now the reafon why the Faith of the Golpel is defcribed by the belief of Cbrifl's Refurre&ion, is, becaufe whoever believes that Chrift was railed from the Dead, cannot brit be fatisfied, that this great Miracle was a fuff- cient atteftation that he was no impoftor, but that he was what he pretended to be viz. the Son of God; and confequently that he ought to be believed and obeyed in all things. And thus muchmay fuffice to have fpoken to this Seventh Obfervation. Eighth Obfervation ; That to believe that yefuw is the ChriJl, the Son ofGod, is truly and properly San&ifying, and Juftifying, and Saving Faith. So the Text tells us, that this Faith gives us Life ; Bat,thefe are written, thatye might believe that jefus is the ChriJl, the Son of God ; andthat believingye might have life through his Name, that is, as I explain'd this Piirafein the opening of the Text, that upon thefe Terms and Conditions, ye might be made partakers of all thofe Bleffings and Benefits, which Chrift, the Saviour of the World, bath purchafed, which arehere fet forth under the name of Life ; it being ufual in the Phrafe of Scrip- ture to let forth to us thofe things which are molt excellent and defirable, by Life, which Men value above all other things. Now the principal Benefits whichChrift bath purchafed, and which we are faid to be made Partakers of by believing, are, a. Regeneration ; under which I include the continuance and progrefs of this work, which is San&ification. 2. Juftification ; by which I cannot find that the Scripturemeans any morethan Pardon or Remiffion of Sins. 3. Eternal Life ; and this I think is principally, tho' not folely intended here in the Text, as I have ftrewo, by comparing the Text with other parallel Texts in the fame Evangelift. John 3. if. That whofoever belteveth in him, jbould not perijh, but have eternal Life. And ver. ;6. He that believeth on the Son, bath everlaJling Life. I fay, I think Eternal Life is here principally intended, tho' this fuppofe the other, Regeneration, and Juftification, before we can attain it, which may allo very well be included here in the term Life. My Keafons are thefe. z. Beeaufe I find in Scripture, that Regeneration and Juftification are expreft by the name of Life. Rom. 6. 4. our Regeneration is call'd newnefs of Life, becaufe before we were dead in Sins and Trefpajles ; And Rom. 5. aB. Juflification is calla juJlsfication of Life, becaufe while our Sins are unpardon'd, and we are un- der the Sentence of Condemnation, we are dead in Law ; but being Juftifiedand Pardon'd, we are, as it were, reftored to Life again. 2. Becaufe in the Phrafe of Scripture we are Paid to be Regenerate, and San&i- fied, and Juftified by Faith, as well as faved. i John 5. i. He that believeth that Jeftes is the ChriI, is born of God. Gal. 2. 20. The Life which 1 now live in the Flefh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God ; fpeaking of the new Life of San ti- fication. And Col. ,. we are faid to be rifen with ChriJl, that is, born to a new Life, by the Faith of the operation of God, that railed up Jefus from the dead g and to be juJlifaed by Faith, in innumerable Places. So that it is very probable upon thefe accounts that the Evangelift here, when he fays, that believing you might have Life in his name, doth intend to take in Regeneration and Juftification, as well as Eternal Life, which is the confummation of all theBleffings of the Golpe!. I come now to the Obfervation, viz. That this Faith of the Gofpel, which I have defcribed, is truly and properly a San&ifying, and Juftifying, and Saving Faith. I. I (hall thew that it is properly a Sanctifying Faith, U. A juttifying and Saving Faith.
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