Faith is not the impulsive or moving cause of Justification

John Brine:

It is an act of pure and free grace, without any motive in the creature: Therefore the Apostle faith, “being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7.)” But this benefit would not be of grace, but of works, was our faith the impulsive cause of it: because faith is a work or act of ours, as we learn from the words of Christ: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (John 6:29.)” Salvation is not of works, in any branch of it; “for by grace are we saved, through faith; that not of our selves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9.).” From whence it is evident that Justification, which is a considerable part of salvation, cannot be by works. The grace of God eminently appears in contriving the way of our Justification by Christ’s righteousness, and in fending him into the world to work out a righteousness for us, in which we stand compleat in his sight: Hence we are said, “to be justified by his grace, that we might made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7.).” No other cause can be assigned why sinners are justified in the sight of God, than his free favour and sovereign pleasure, as the effect of which he determined to justify them in the righteousness of his Son.

Plague of his Heart

John Brine,

Faith is a Dependance on Christ alone for Salvation, upon a Conviction of our Misery. A Conviction and Sense of our Misery necessarily precedes the Act of Faith on Christ, as a Saviour. Until we are sensible of our being miserable and helpless in ourselves, we shall not be persuaded, of the Necessity of a sole Trust in another for Help and Succor. They that be whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick. This Conviction is becoming dead to the Law, and it, is effected by a Work of the Law upon the Heart, in the Hand of the blessed Spirit. I through the Law, am dead to the Law, The Mind of a Sinner is impressed with a wounding Sense of his Guilt. His Sins are fit in order before him. And he clearly discerns, that he stands righteously condemned by the holy Law of God, for his numerous Violations of it. Upon which he acknowledges, that it would be just with God to punish him, in particular, with everlasting Destruction from his Presence, and from the Glory of his Power.

In this Work upon him he is convinced the Plague of his Heart, as well as of the Transgressions of his Life. In that divine Light which is communicated to the Soul, he discovers the exceeding Sinfulness of Sin, and the exceeding Sinfulness of his Heart; and the Spirituality, Purity, and Extent of the Law; whereupon, he concludes, that it is absolutely impossible, that one so vile as he is, should ever be able to recommend himself to, or interest himself in, the Approbation of God his righteous Judge, Thus he sees his lost and miserable, and helpless Condition in himself, and dies to all Hope of Life, by his own Righteousness and Works. When the holy Spirit hath in this Manner, convinced a Man of his deplorable State by Nature; and his Heart is overwhelmed, he leads him to the Rock that is higher than he. He makes a gracious Discovery of Christ to the Soul, in his Blood, Righteousness, and in the Fullness of his Grace. And, then the Language of a poor trembling Sinner is: My Sins are many, great, and dreadfully aggravated; but the Blood of Christ hath a Sufficiency of Merit in it to atone for them all.

In myself I have no Righteousness, nor can have, whereby I may be Justified in the Sight of God; but the Righteousness of Christ, is every way sufficient to justify me before God, and to give me a Right to Life, who am worthy of Death. My Heart is impure, and without Holiness I shall never see the Lord. That Treasure of Grace which is in Christ, it is sufficient to make me holy, and meet to be a Partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. Besides, in the Light of this Grace, a Person discerns, in some Measure, how God is glorified; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and all the divine Perfections, Goodness, Grace, Mercy, Wisdom, Holiness, Justice, Truth and Faithfulness, in this Way of Salvation; and herein he rejoices, even though himself should not be a Sharer in it. The holy Resolution of the Soul upon this View of Things, is, to renounce, all other Ways of Relief, which may be proposed to its Consideration, and to cleave to Christ alone, as the only proper Object of his Hope; this it is to flee to him for Refuge, to lay hold on the Hope set before us. And this is that Faith, which is of the Operation of God and is peculiar to the Objects of a divine Choice to eternal Salvation, for which Reason, it is called the Faith of God’s Elect. [source]

It is not “got” but “given!”

John Brine writes in response to a Mr. Bragg:

The grace of faith, by which we apprehend our justification is of the operation of God, it is an effect of powerful and efficacious grace, and not the produce of human power, skill, or industry. It is not got, but given, as is evident from those words of the Apostle:

By grace are ye saved, through faith, that not of your selves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:9.).

And the grace of God is abundantly displayed, in working faith in our souls; over which, as I take it, a veil is drawn by our author in this exhortation of his, “With all your gettings, get faith.” Dead sinners, or such as are void of spiritual life, cannot act spiritually, and therefore it is not in their power to get faith; and as they have no ability to believe, they have no inclination to it, for their hearts are full of enmity agaist God. Besides, if faith is got or acquired by men, they make themselves to differ, and have whereof to boast, for then they have something which they did not receive as a gift of free grace; which is constantly denied in scripture, and will never be owned by the saints.

Again: It may as well be required of sinners to form divine and supernatural principles in their souls, or to create spiritual life in themselves, as to get faith, for the meaning is the same, which is a work proper to God. Moreover, such an exhortation is not likely to debase and humble proud sinners, or to convince them that they are impotent to good; but rather to swell their haughtiness and pride, and occasion them to Imagine they are possessed of a power which they are not: Thereby also, it is not improbable, but many saints, who are sensible of their weakness, and of the strength of unbelief, may be dejected in their souls, because they cannot, many times when they desire it, exercise that faith which is wrought in their hearts by the Spirit of God.