Justification is another word for pardon. It is the forgiveness of all our sins, and (what is necessarily implied therein) our acceptance with God. The price whereby this hath been procured for us, (commonly termed the meritorious cause of our justification) is the blood and righteousness of Christ, or (to express it a little more clearly) all that Christ hath done and suffered for us, ’till he poured out his soul for the transgressors. The immediate effects of justification are, the peace of God, a peace that passeth all understanding, and a rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
4. And at the same time that we are justified, yea in that very moment, sanctification begins. In that instant, we are born again, born from above, born of the Spirit. There is a real as well as a relative change. We are inwardly renewed by the power of God. We feel the love of God shed abroad in our heart, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us, producing love to all mankind, and more especially to the children of God: expelling the love of the world, the love of pleasure, of ease, of honour, of money: together with pride, anger, self-will, and every other evil temper: in a word, changing the earthly, sensual, devilish mind, into the mind which was in Christ Jesus.
5. How naturally do those who experience such a change, imagine that all sin is gone? That it is utterly rooted out of their heart, and has no more any place therein? How easily do they draw that inference, “I feel no sin: therefore I have none.” It does not stir; therefore it does not exist: it has no motion; therefore it has no being.
6. But it is seldom long, before they are undeceived, finding sin was only suspended, not destroyed. Temptations return and sin revives, shewing it was but stunned before, not dead. They now feel two principles in themselves plainly contrary to each other, the flesh lusting against the spirit, nature opposing the grace of God. They cannot deny, that, although they still feel power to believe in Christ, and to love God; and although his Spirit still witnesses with their spirits, that they are children of God: yet they feel in themselves, sometimes pride or self-will, sometimes anger or unbelief. They find one or more of these frequently stirring in their heart, though not conquering: yea, perhaps, thrusting sore at them, that they may fail: but the Lord is their help.
7. How exactly did Macarius, fourteen hundred years ago, describe the present experience of the children of God? “The unskilful (or unexperienced) when grace operates, presently imagine, they have no more sin. Whereas they that have discretion cannot deny, that even we who have the grace of God, may be molested again.—For we have often had instances of some among the brethren, who have experienced such grace, as to affirm that they had no sin in them. And yet after all, when they thought themselves entirely freed from it, the corruption that lurked within, was stirred up anew, and they were well nigh burnt up.”
8. From the time of our being born again, the gradual work of sanctification takes place. We are enabled by the Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body, of our evil nature. And as we are more and more dead to sin, we are more and more alive to God. We go on from grace to grace, while we are careful to abstain from all appearance of evil, and are zealous of good works, as we have opportunity, doing good to all men. While we walk in all his ordinances blameless, therein worshipping him in spirit and in truth: while we take up our cross, and deny ourselves every pleasure, that does not lead us to God.
9. It is thus that we wait for entire sanctification, for a full salvation from all our sins, from pride, self-will, anger, unbelief; or, as the apostle expresses it, go on to perfection. But what is perfection? The word has various senses: here it means, perfect love. It is love excluding sin: love filling the heart, taking up the whole capacity of the soul. It is love rejoicing evermore, praying without ceasing, in every thing giving thanks.
II. But what is that faith through which we are saved? This is the second point to be considered.
1. Faith in general is defined by the apostle Ἔλεγχος πραγμάτων οὐ βλεπομένων An evidence, a divine evidence and conviction (the word means both) of things not seen: not visible, not perceivable either by sight, or by any other of the external senses. It implies both a supernatural evidence of God and of the things of God, a kind of spiritual light exhibited to the soul, and a supernatural sight or perception thereof: accordingly the scripture speaks of God’s giving sometimes light, sometimes a power of discerning it. So St. Paul. God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. And elsewhere the same apostle speaks, of the eyes of our understanding being opened. By this twofold operation of the Holy Spirit, having the eyes of our soul both opened and enlightened, we see the things which the natural eye hath not seen, neither the ear heard. We have a prospect of the invisible things of God: we see the spiritual world, which is all round about us, and yet no more discerned by our natural faculties, than if it had no being: and we see the eternal world, piercing through the veil which hangs between time and eternity. Clouds and darkness then rest upon it no more, but we already see the glory which shall be revealed.
2. Taking the word in a more particular sense, faith is a divine evidence and conviction, not only that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; but also that Christ loved me, and gave himself for me. It is by this faith, (whether we term it, the essence, or rather a property thereof) that we receive Christ, that we receive him in all his offices, as our prophet, priest, and king. It is by this that he is made of God unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.