Sermon

(2.) If thefe Metaphors were explained and turned into proper and IX. plain words, they can fignifie nothing elfe, but that Faith which I have been all this while defcribing. For what can any Man understand by refting, and relying, and leaning upon Chrift, but to truft in him as the Author of our eternal Salvation, under which word all the Benefits which Christ hath purchased for us are com*prehended? Now can any Man be faid to truft in Chrift, as the Author of his Salvation, otherwife than by affenting to the truth of the Gospel, and complying with the terms and conditions of it? And what can any Man understand by apprehending, and laying hold on, and applying Chrift, other than this, to make ufe of him for all those ends and purposes for which God hath appointed him? And what those are the Scripture tells us; that he is made unto us of God, Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanitification, and Redemption.

(3.) As for thofe Scripture Metaphors of receiving Chrift, and coming

to him, the Scripture ufeth them Volume but fparingly, and I dare fay, for XII. once that it ufeth thefe Metaphors,

ye

it doth twenty times defcribe Faith by plain and proper words; and where it does make use of these Metaphors, it doth fufficiently explain them. So you find coming to Chrift, is explained by learning of him, Matth. 11. 28, 29. Come unto me all that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your fouls. That is, come to me as Scholars and Difciples to be taught by me; in order to which, it is requifite that we should believe him. Oportet difcentem credere, he that will learn, must believe him that teacheth him, and truft his skill. And fo for receiving him, left the Metaphor should feduce men, St. John had no fooner ufed it, but he tells what he means by it, John 1. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name; that

is,

is, believed him to be the perfon promised to be the Meffias, and Saviour of Sermon the World; as appears by the oppofiIX. tion 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 Meffias. But now if we will strain fuch a Metaphor as this, beyond the intention of it, and because believing is call'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 Inftrument of our juftification; what may not men make of the Scripture at this rate?

(4.) I will add this concerning Scripture Metaphors in general, that where the Scripture ufeth Metaphors which were very familiar in those Languages in which the Scripture was writ, and well understood by those. whofpoke that Language,but are very obfcure and uncouth to us, and not at all used in our Language, as moit of the Scripture Metaphors are, the proper work of a Minifter is not to infift in fuch cases upon Scripture Metaphors,to darken his Discourse by them,

but

Volume

XII.

but to explain them, and make them intelligible, to tranflate them into English, and instead of them to use fuch Phrases as people are more familiarly acquainted with, and are used in our own Language. For a Man may be a Barbarian that fpeaks to People in unknown Phrafes and Metaphors, as well as he that Speaks in an unknown tongue; and the very fame reason that obligeth us to put the Scripture into a known Language, doth oblige men to explain the Doctrines contain'd in it by fuch Phrases and Metaphors as are known and used in that Language.

6. That if this plain and fimple notion of justifying Faith were admitted, it would fuperfede all those Controverfies about juftification,which have fo much troubled the reformed Churches. Those who have been curious to enquire into these matters, have reckon❜d up at least twenty feveral opinions among the Protestants concerning juftifying Faith. I do not defire to acquaint my self with those differences; he that would know what juftification, and juftifying Faith are, fhall fooner come to understand the

Nature

Sermon

Nature of them, by diligent reading of the Scriptures, than by reading over all the controverfial Writings of IX. Divines about them; and if men would but content themselves with those plain and fimple Descriptions, which the Scripture gives us of Faith, there could not be any great difference about it; this would cut off most of those difputes which have been commenced upon Metaphors, and figurative fpeeches. And here I had thought to have defcended to a particular confideration of the Controverfies about juftifying Faith, but I am weary of the work; and therefore fhall only make some brief Reflections upon this whole Difcourfe, and then apply it to our own Ufe. But this, God willing, the next opportunity.

SER,