486 he Condition of the gotpel Covenant, ol,11. for receiving him. left the Metaphor lhoula feduce Meng Sr. yohn had no fóoner ulcd ir, but he tells what he means by it. 7obn t. it, But as many as receivedhim, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name ; that is, believed him to be the Perfòn promifed to be the Huai, and Savi- our of the World ; as appears by the oppofition in the Verfe before, He came to his own, and his own received him not ; that is, rejected him, did not own him to be. the true Mepas: But now if we will Brain fuch a Metaphor as this, beyond the intention of it, and becaufe believing is cail'd a receiving of Chrift, and we receive things with the Hand, and the Hand is an inftrument, will from hence infer, that Faith is an lnitrumcnt of our Juftification ; what may not Men make of the Scrip- ture at this rate ? (ai) I will add this concerning Scripture - Metaphors in general, that where the Scripture ufcth Metaphors which were ,very familiar in thofe Languages in which the Scripture was Writ, and well underftood by thofe who fpoke that Language, but are very obfcure and uncouth to us, and not at all ufed inour Language, as molt of the Scripture - Metaphors are, the proper work of a Minifter is not to iri- fift in fuch Cafes upon Scripture- Metaphors, to darken his Difcourfe by them, but to explain them, and make them intelligible, to tranflate them into Englifb, and in- head of them to ufe fuch Phrafes as People are more familiarly acquainted with, and are tiled in our own Language. For a Man may be a Barbarian that fpeaks to People in unknown Phrafes and Metaphors as well as be that fpeaks in an unknown Tongue ; and the very tame i eafon that obiigeth us to put the Scriptureinto a known Language, doth oblige Men to explain the Do&rings contain'd in it by fuch Phra- fes and Metaphors as are known and ufed in that Language. S. That if this plain and fimple Nation of Jufüfying Faith were admitted, it would fuperfede all thole Controvedies about Juftification, which have fo much troubled the reformed Churches. Thofe who have been curious to enquire into thefe Matters, have reckon'd up at lean twenty leveral Opinions among the Pro- teltantsconcerning Jultrfying Faith. I do not delire to acquaint my fell with rbofe Differences 3 he that would know what Juftification, and juftifying Faith are, fhafl fooner come to underftand the Nature of them, by diligent reading of theScrip- tures, than by reading over all the controverfial Writings of Divines about them g and ifMen would but content themfelves with thofe,plain and frmple Defcripttons, which the Scripture gives us of Faith, there could not be any great difference about it ; this would cut off molt of thofe Difputes which have been commenced upon Metaphors, and figurative Speeches. And here I had thought to have delcended to a particular confideration of the Controverles about Jultifyinie Faith, but I am weary of the work ; and therefore íhalt only make Tome brief Refledtions upon this whole Difcourfe, and then apply it to our ownUfe. But this, God willing, the next Opportunity. S F, R M o CLXXIV. The Condition of the Gofpel-Covenant, and the Merit of Chrift, confiftent. The q j Fourth J O H N XX, 31. Sermonon this Text. But thefe are written that ye might believe that .fetus is the Chrifi, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his Name. T Have in my former Difcourfes on thefe words treated largely of the Nature of Chriftian Faith, particularly as it Sanctifies, Juftifies, andSaves Men. All that
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