"And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved and your house." Acts 16:31
In this text is contained Paul’s and Silas’ answer to the question proposed by the Jailer concerning the way how to be saved; in which these two things are proposed: 1. An act absolutely necessary to attain salvation, namely, that of Faith; believe, they say. And this act is declared by its proper object, our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. The effect that is certain to follow this act is set down, and that is the salvation of him that believes.
Doctrine 1. All are not saved by Christ, but only those who are united or grafted into Christ by Faith.
It is gathered from this Text, that one who is careful how to be saved, is sent to Christ, to believe in him, and so to have union with him by this belief, that he may be saved.
Reason 1. Because although there is sufficiency enough in Christ, and in abundance to save all and any man, yet this sufficiency is not reduced to efficiency, or into an act, unless a due application is made, just as neither meat nourishes, nor medicine cures,
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nor cloth covers, nor silver makes rich, unless they are rightly applied to the party to be nourished, cured, clothed and made rich; so it is in this business.
Reason 2. As the first Adam neither received, nor lost his righteousness and life for any but those who were in some way virtually in him, and afterwards actually descended from him, or were in union of the same blood with him — so also the second Adam Christ does not restore righteousness and life except to those who are in him, namely, those who are ingrafted by Faith and adhere to him by the union of one and the same spirit.73 This is why that effectual vocation74 by which this application of Christ (or this conjunction with him) is brought to pass, precedes not only our glorification and salvation, but also our justification and all sound consolation that we have concerning salvation.
Use. Of Admonition: that we may chiefly care for and go about this, that we may both be and remain in Christ, and live in him — because without this union with him, we cannot come to be saved. The sign or mark by which we know that this or that man is in Christ, is ordinarily according to the appointed means, which is this: if drawing his virtue from Christ, as a branch draws spiritual sap from the stock, he takes care to bring forth fruits to Christ, and in Christ, Joh 15.2-4.75
Doctrine 2. Faith is the tie by which we are first united to Christ, and ingrafted into him.
This doctrine is couched in the Text, in the word believe. For there are three ties of Union which are needed in our conjuction with God
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and Christ: the Spirit, Faith, and Love. The Spirit is that tie whereby Christ lays hold on us, and ties us to himself. Faith is the tie whereby we lay hold on Christ, and apply him to ourselves; and it is always the effect of the Spirit in some measure. Love is the band of perfection whereby we wholly give ourselves to Christ, and consecrate ourselves to his will; and it is the effect of both the former. Among these, Faith is the first bond by which we lay hold on Christ. For though it follows the operation of the Spirit as its effect, in that respect it is called the gift of God,76 and the gift of the Spirit of God;77 yet it goes before both Love and Hope, that are saving.
Reason 1. Because the proper nature of Faith is to be a spiritual hand, whereby we lay hold on and receive that good that is needed for salvation, Joh 1.12 — where to believe is meant to receive, so that the true office and nature of Faith may be set forth.
Reason 2. Because a Faith receiving Christ, also receives life in Christ, and Faith is the principle of our spiritual life, according to these words of the Apostle, The just shall live by Faith.78
Reason 3. Because Christ is not proposed to us to salvation except in the promise of the Gospel. And the proper and immediate end and fruit of this proposal is to make Faith, or to gain belief. And so the first receiving of the promise, as well as the thing about which the promise is made, is by Faith.
Use. Of Direction: that which upon another occasion the Apostle directed, Eph 6.16,79 namely that above all things we be careful to acquire, keep, and increase true Faith.
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Doctrine 3. The adequate object of Faith, as it justifies, is Jesus Christ, as offered in the Gospel for righteousness and life; or the mercy of God in and through Jesus Christ which is thus offered.
This is evident in the Text. The explication is that, although with our understanding we ought to assent to all things that are contained in the word of God — and especially to those things that are contained in the promises of the Gospel — yet the power of justifying us proceeds from no other object, but from Christ alone. And so Faith, though it looks at other objects also, yet it does not justify us, nor absolve us from the guilt of sin and death, except as it looks at Christ alone as offered to us to that end.
Reason 1. Because Christ alone is our Righteousness and Redemption. But our justification consists in the application of this Righteousness and Redemption. Therefore Faith in that respect justifies as it looks at Christ and applies him.
Reason 2. Because if all other things revealed in Scriptures, and to be believed by us, belonged to our justification as objects of justifying faith, then not only the belief of the creation would justify us, but also the belief of man’s falling into sin, and of being dead in it. And so Faith about sin and death would as well justify us, as Faith in Christ.
Reason 3. Unless Christ is looked upon by Faith, Faith itself has nothing in it to explain why it should more justify us than any other virtue, or grace and gift of God, such as charity, temperance, and the like.
Use 1. Of Refutation: against those who attribute justification to Faith, as if it were an act, and part of our obedience, as a condition required by God. For thus the strength and life of justifying Faith is
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destroyed, and Christ is robbed of his glory, and the consciences of Christians are robbed of their solid comfort and tranquility of mind.
Use 2. Of Direction: that we may always set the eye of our faith directly on Christ, or on the grace and mercy of God in him, so that we may draw Righteousness and Salvation from him.
Doctrine 4. Justifying saving faith does not consist properly in any knowledge, but in certain, solid or sound affiance80 or trust.
Justifying Faith is an act and fruit of the experience of Faith; it is not the first affiance and trust that justifies us. Our Doctrine is gathered from this: that the object of Faith in this passage is no intellectual or logical truth as such, but some good, as the object of the practical mind and of pre-election. That is, Faith is the means of salvation, which is a single or incomplex term (as Logicians call it) in these words, on the Lord Jesus Christ; where nothing of or about Christ is the object, but Christ himself. Next, because Faith is said to be busied about this object, as about a prop or stay, so that the heart of a man otherwise destitute of all help and about to run into despair, casts itself upon Christ as a stay, so that it may be sustained and upheld by him. This is intimated by this phrase, believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
By affiance, we do not mean any assent or act of the understanding about logical truth, nor the affirmation or negation of it. Nor do we properly mean the confident expectation of the will which is assigned to our hope, and the confidence contained in it, or arising from it. Rather, we mean that act of the will or heart, which is properly called election or choice, by which we rely on Christ, repose and rest on him, and adhere to him as a fit and sufficient Mediator, by whom we
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