CHAP. XXIII. Of Saving Faith and Vnbelief.
THey that believe Jesus to be the Messiah, their King, but will not obey his Laws, and will not have him to rule over them, they are but greater Re∣bels, and God will not justifie them for a Faith, which doth but increase their Guilt, and oppose diametri∣cally the Kingdom and Design of the Messiah, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purifie to himself a peculiar Peo∣ple, zealous of good Works, Tit. 2. 14. And there∣fore St. Paul tells the Galatians, That that which availeth is Faith; but Faith working by Love, and that Faith without Works, i. e. the Works of sincere Obedience to the Law and Will of Christ, is not suf∣ficient for our Justification, St. James shews at large, Chap. 2. Only those who believe Jesus to be the Mes∣siah, and take him to be their King, with a sincere Endeavour after Righteousness, in obeying his Law, shall have their past Sins not imputed to them, and shall have that Faith taken instead of Obedience. Mr. Lock's Reasonab. of Christian. p. 213, 214, 215. None are sentenced or punish'd for Unbelief, but only for their Misdeeds. They are Workers of Iniquity on whom the Sentence is pronounced. Every where Page 94 the Sentence follows doing or not doing, without any mention of believing or not believing: Not that any, to whom the Gospel hath been preach'd, shall be sav'd, without believing Jesus to be the Messiah; for all be∣ing Sinners, and Transgressors of the Law, and so unjust, are all liable to Condemnation, unless they believe, and so through Grace are justified by God for this Faith, which shall be accounted to them for Righ∣teousness. But the rest wanting this Cover, this Al∣lowance for their Transgressions, must answer for all their Actions, and being found Transgressors of the Law, shall, by the Letter and Sanction of the Law, be condemned for not having paid a full Obedience to that Law, and not for want of Faith: That is, not the Guilt on which the Punishment is laid, tho' it be the want of Faith which lays open their Guilt unco∣ver'd, and exposes them to the Sentence of the Law against all that are unrighteous. Ibid. p. 243, 245, 246. Thus Mr. Lock.
OBSERVATIONS.
Of the Expression, Justified for Faith, whereas the Scripture-Language is Justified by Faith, I took notice before Chap. 19. and 21.
Here I cannot but observe how apt Men are to run into Extremes. There are some that say that Unbe∣lief is the only Sin for which Men shall be con∣demn'd; they shall be condemn'd not for their other Sins, but, solely, for this. Mr. Lock, on the other hand, would persuade us, that Men shall not be condemned at all for Unbelief: The Sentence (says he) follows not doing, without any mention of not believing. He alledges for this, St. John 5. 28, 29. St. Matth. 7. 22, 23. 13. 14, 49. 16. 24. 25. 24, &c. St. Luke 13. 26. But, 1. In many of these Places, as St. John 5. 28, 29. St. Matth. 13. 41. (not 14, as it is in Mr. Lock,) and 49. St. Matth. 16. 27. (not Page 95 24. as Mr. Lock,) there is not the least mention of any Sentence, therefore it is manifest that they do not tell us for what Men shall be sentenced. 2. Those who are mention'd, St. Matth. 7. 22, 23. and St. Luke 13. 26, 27. were Believers, and so could not be sentenc'd for Unbelief. I do not say, that they believ'd to the saving of their Souls, or with a saving Faith, a Faith working by Love, and bring∣ing forth the Fruits of good Works; for the con∣trary is most manifest, they were Workers of Ini∣quity, or Unrighteousness: But I say, that they were Believers, they should say unto Christ, Lord, Lord; yea, they were such Believers as not only own'd him for their Lord, but also prophesied, cast out Devils, and did many mighty Works in his Name; and therefore, if they were not sentenced for Un∣belief, but only for their Misdeeds, it cannot be thought strange. 3. Let it be suppos'd that they were Unbelievers, all that these Texts say, is, that Workers of Iniquity shall hear that Sentence, I tell you, I know you not, depart from me. And if it may be hence inferr'd, that they are to be condemn'd only for working Iniquity, then from St. Mark 16. 16. where it is said, He that believes not, shall be damn'd, it may be concluded that he shall be con∣demn'd only for Unbelief; that the Sentence shall follow not believing, without any mention of not doing. But this Inference Mr. Lock will not allow. They are Workers of Iniquity, on whom the Sentence is pronounced, says Mr. Lock, out of St. Matth. 7. 23. They are Unbelievers who shall be condemned, say I, out of St. Mark 16. 16. And if from St. Mark 16. Mr. Lock will not conclude that Men shall be condemn'd only for Unbelief, and not for working Iniquity, why does he conclude from St. Matth. 7. that they shall be condemn'd only for working Ini∣quity, and not for Unbelief? 4. As to St. Matth. 25. 24, &c. which may seem to be more to Mr. Lock's Page 96 Purpose than the former; for this tells us expresly for what Men shall be sentenced to Punishment, which the other do not, (the Judge shall say to those on his Left Hand, Depart from me, ye cursed; for I was hungry, and ye gave me not to eat, &c.) it is enough to say, That if, because the Sentence of extreme Malediction shall be pronounced upon Men, because they did not feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the Strangers, cloath the naked, visit the sick and imprison'd, he can inferr, that Men shall be condemn'd only for their not having done these things, and not for their Unbelief; then certainly, because St. John 3. 18. it is said, He that believeth not, is now condemned, because he hath not believ'd in the Name of the only begotten Son of God, we may inferr, that Men are and shall be con∣demn'd only for their not believing, and not for their not doing. If Men shall be condemn'd only for the Sins mention'd St. Matth. 25. then they must be condemn'd only for Sins of Uncharitableness. Im∣penitence is not expresly mention'd in these Places of Scripture, produced by Mr. Lock, any more than Unbelief. Will he say, that Men shall not be con∣demn'd for their Impenitence? The Truth is, that he may with as much Reason say That, as say that the Sentence shall not be pronounced on them for their Infidelity. Why should Mr. Lock think it strange that Men should be condemn'd for not pay∣ing Obedience to the Command of Christ, who hath commanded all Men every where to believe and repent? Unbelief is a Sin which is the Cause of all our other Sins, which would be prevented, if we did unfeignedly, and with a lively Faith, be∣lieve the Gospel: It is also that which, as it were, binds and fastens the Guilt of our other Sins upon us; they will not be forgiven, unless we believe and repent: And yet, according to Mr. Lock, Men shall be condemn'd for their other Sins, and not for this.
Page 97 I have perhaps dwelt too long upon this, yet I think it not amiss to give a brief Account why I render St. John 3. 18. He that believeth not is now condemn'd, whereas in our Translation it is, He that believeth not is condemn'd already. The Words are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is now condemned, or is now judged, as most worthy of Condemnation. Now that God hath express'd such wonderful Love to the World, by sending his only begotten Son into it, not to con∣demn it, but that by him the World might be saved, (see v. 16, 17.) and now that he is come into the World, and hath wrought such Miracles, he that believes not must be most justly worthy of Con∣demnation, because he believes not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God, being given, that every one that believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life. Now that Light is come into the World, if Men will not believe in the Light, every one will judge that they are justly worthy of Con∣demnation, as our Saviour says in the very next Words, v. 19. This is the Condemnation, (i. e. that which chiefly deserves Condemnation,) that Light hath come into the World, and Men have loved Dark∣ness more than the Light. If this Rendring and Exposition of the Words be receiv'd, Commentators will not need to trouble themselves so much as they have done, with enquiring in what Sense the Unbe∣liever is said to be already condemn'd, since this which I offer is a plain and easie Interpretation, He that believes not, is now condemn'd, (now, after the Son of God's being actually come into the World, after Miracles wrought, and the Gospel preach'd by him,) because he believes not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. This Text then plainly shews the Danger and Desert of not believing, and there∣fore it concerns us to beware, lest as the Israelites, of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 4. did not enter into the promised Land, by reason of Unbelief, v. 6. Page 98 so we be excluded the Heavenly Canaan for our Un∣belief, v. 11,
