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The third thing is Recumbency. The soul having given its consent that the match should be made up, and done it out of choice, now it casts it selfe upon Christ as a man that casts himselfe upon the stream to swim, it makes an holy adventure, it clasps about Christ, and saith, My Lord, my Jesus, which is as it were the joyning of hands. This Act of Recumbency is sometimes in Scripture call'd a com∣ing to Christ * 1.1, sometimes a leaning
upon Christ * 1.2. This is that faith which justifies.
Now concerning this faith, I shall lay down two Rules. 1. That faith justifies not as a formal cause, but purely as an instrument, viz. as it lays hold on Christ the blessed object, and fetcheth in his fulnesse: and in this sense it is call'd a precious faith * 1.3: the worth lies not in faith, but in Christ, on which it doth centre and terminate; Faith in it selfe considered, is not more excellent than other graces. Take a piece of Wax, and a piece of Gold, of the same Magnitude, the Wax is not valuable with the Gold; but as this Wax hangs at the lavell of some Will, by vertue of which a great Estate is confirmed, and con∣veighed, so it may be worth many hundred pounds. So faith consider∣ed purely in it self, doth challenge nothing more than other graces, nay, in some sense, it is inferiour, it
being an empty hand: But as this hand receives the precious Almes of Christs Merits, and is an instru∣ment or channell thorow which the blessed streams of life flow to us from him; so it doth challenge a superiority above other graces.
Indeed, some affirme, that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the very Act of believing, without reference to the Merits of Christ, justifies. To which I shall say but this; 1. Faith cannot justi∣fie as it is an Act, for it must have [ 1] an object: we cannot (if we make good sense) separate between the Act and the Object. What is faith, if it do not fix upon Christ, but fancy? It was not the people of Is∣raels looking up that cured them, but the fixing their eye upon the Brazen Serpent. 2. Faith doth not justifie as it is a Grace. This were to [ 2] substitute faith in Christs roome, it were to make a Christ of Faith. Faith is a good Grace, but a bad
[ 3] Christ. 3. Not as a Work: which must needs be, if (as some affirme) it be in lieu of obedience to the Moral Law. Then we should be justified by Works, contrary to that, Ephes. 2.9. where the Apostle speaks expresly, Not of works. So that it is clear, faith's excellency lies in the apprehending and applying the object Christ: therefore in Scripture we are said to be justified, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, through faith as an Instrument deputed * 1.4; not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for faith as a for∣mall cause.
The second Rule is, that Faith [ 2] doth not justifie, as it doth exercise grace. It cannot be denied but faith hath an influence upon the graces; it is like a silver thred that runnes thorow a Chain of Pearl: it puts strength and vivacity into all the vertues; but it doth not justifie un∣der this Notion. Faith begets obe∣dience: By faith * 1.5 Abraham obey∣ed: But Abraham was not justi∣fied
as he obeyed, but as he belee∣ved * 1.6. Faith works by love, but it doth not justifie as it works by love. For as the Sun shines by its brightnesse, not by its heat; though both are inseparably joyned: so faith and love are tyed together by an indissoluble knot, yet faith doth not justifie as it works by love, but as it layes hold on Christ. Though faith be accompanied with all the graces, yet in point of justifi∣cation, it is alone and hath nothing to do with any of the graces. Hence that speech of Luther; in the justification of a sinner, Christ and faith are alone, Tanquam sponsus & spomsa in thalamo; As the Bride∣groom and Bride in the Bed-cham∣ber. Faith is never separated from the graces, yet sometimes it is alone. And thus I have shewn you the Es∣sentials of faith.
Joh. 6, 37
Cant. 8.5
2 Pet. 1.1
Eph. 2.8.
Heb. 11.
Rom. 4.3