The case then is very plain to him that is but willing to understand, viz. that Faith in its essence, is besides the assenting acts, an accepting of an offered Saviour for our Justification, Sanctification and Salvation, and a trusting in him: That this act of Faith being its essence, is the most apt for the use that God in his Covenant hath appointed it unto: because he will give us a Saviour freely, but yet not to be refused and neglected, but to be thankfully and honourably received and used: That this special aptitude of Faith, or its very essence, is the reason why it is chosen to be the condition of the Testament or Gift: That this same essence and aptitude, is that which some call its Receptive or Passive Instrumentality: That this essence and aptitude is not the nearest reason why we are justified by it; for then Faith as Faith, and as such an act or work of ours should justify, and that ex opere operato; and that without or against Gods will. For if Gods will have interposed, the signifier of that will must needs be the chief and nearest reason: Therefore this act so apt b•ing by God made the condition of the Gift or Covenant, i•s nearest and chief interest (I will not call it causality) in our Justification, i• this office of a condition. Therefore in a word, we are justified by Faith directly as, or because it is the conditio praestita, the performance of the condition of the Justifying act; and it was by God made the condition, because it was in its nature m•st apt thereto; which aptitude may be metaphorically called its Receptive Instrumentality: And that thus as it accepteth Christ for Justification, Adoption, Sanctification and Glorification; so it is first the metaphorical instrument of our part in Christ; and but consequently the metaphorical instrument of our title, to pardon, the Spirit and Heaven; and in no tolerable sense at all (how figurative ⟨p. 340⟩soever) is it any instrument of Gods sentence of Justification (which yet is all the Justification acknowledged by the usual defenders of Instrumentality) saving as it may be said to give us a right to it, by giving us constitutive Justification in the pardon of our sins.
The case then is very plain to him that is but willing to understand, viz. that Faith in its essence, is b•sides the assenting acts, an accepting of an offered Saviour for our Justification, Sanctification and Salvation, and a trusting in him: That this act of Faith being its essence, is the most apt for the use that God in his Covenant hath appointed it unto: because he will give us a Saviour freely, but yet not to be refused and neglected, but to be thankfully and honourably received and used: That this special aptitude of Faith, or its very essence, is the reason why it is chosen to be the condition of the Testament or Gift: That this same essence and aptitude, is that which some call its Receptive or Passive Instrumentality: That this essence and aptitude is not the neerest reason why we are justified by it; for then Faith as Faith, and as such an act or w•rk of ours should justifie, and that ex opere operato; and that without or against Gods will. For if Gods will have interposed, the signifier of that will must needs be the chief and nearest reason: Therefore this act so apt b•ing by God made the condition of the Gift or Covenant, i•s nearest and chief interest (I will not call it causali•y) in our Justification, i• this office of a condition. Therefore in a word, we are justified by Faith directly as, or because it is the conditio praestita, the performance of the condition of the Justifying act; and it was by God made the condition, b•cause it was in its nature m•st apt thereto; which aptitude may be metaphorically called its Receptive Instrumentality: And that thus as it accepteth Christ for Justification, Adoption, Sanctification and Glorification; so it is first the metaphorical instrument of our part in Christ; and but consequently the metaphorical instrument of our title, to pardon, the Spirit and Heaven; and in no tollerable sense at all (how figurative ⟨p. 340⟩soever) is it any instrument of Gods sentence of Justification (which yet is all the Justification acknowledged by the usual defenders of Instrumentality) saving as it may be said to give us a right to it, by giving us constitutive Justification in the pardon of our sins.
