will not be in good liking that eats but once a year but a man must eat once a day at least A Christian should feed on Christ every day make him his ordinary food renewing every day the acts of his faith receive Christ crucified by faith every day If a Christian would consider that God offers Christ unto him every day and thou renewest thy faith and claspest him every day it would be a special way whereby joy should be raised in the soul. It s said in Rom. 15.13 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Thus when thou hast exercised the acts of faith in believing and then upon that rejoycest then its seasonable and true joy and not the counterfeit joy of the wicked when it arises and springs from believing when that procureth it it likewise distinguishes it from all false joys The Apostle tells us Phil. 1.24 Having this confidence I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith It is called the joy of faith because it springs from that principle of rejoycing from the mother grace that your rejoycing may be the more abundant The preaching of the Word whereby faith is wrought brings abundance of joy That place of St. Peter is remarkable 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory yet believing that is yet exercising the acts of faith which we too much neglect If we did exercise these acts every day we should have our Charter of joy renewed every day yet believing ye rejoyce 3. Pray and be thankful praise and thanksgiving are those fruits which fulfill all our joy when thou prayest thou conversest with God thou speakest with him face to face as Moses did He who can pray spiritually and pray hard unto God as Moses face shined when he talked with God so will thy soul thrive praying hard and being thankful there is no greater means then this to get this joy Psal. 37.1 Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright Upon this hangs all our comfort praise alwayes brings rejoycing the one begets the other In Isaiah The comfort there that Gods children receive is the changing of rayment Christ preaching the acceptable year of the Lord to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give to them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness The ground of praise is joy one follows the other Observe God will give us the oyle of joy Christ was anointed with this oyle above his fellows Christ hath fulnesse of joy this oyle doth not come on his Priesthood alone but it trickles down unto the lowermost hemme of his garment I will adde in the last place when a man considers the great things which are given to him by God and what an estate we get by Christ. I have forgivenesse of sins and blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Christs blood is wine and my name is written in the book of life Do not rejoyce saith our Saviour because the Divels are subject unto you but because your names are written in the book of life When I consider that I am not in the black Roll and it is my faith which strengthens me which makes me reckon Christ my chiefest wealth this makes me rejoyce in mine inheritance and in hope of the glory of God When I consider the great reward in the world to come this is a great cause of rejoycing and therefore Gods children long for the coming of Christ it is made Tit. 2.13 a mark of those that shall be saved That they long for the appearance of Jesus Christ looking for and hastning unto the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. And in 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God A longing expectation not only they but we also that have the first fruits of the Spirit groan and long for the coming of it and therefore the last breath of the Scripture is breathed in this Rev. 22.20 He that testifyeth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen even so be it come Lord Jesus there is a sweet Allegory to expresse this in Cant. ult 14. make haste my beloved and be like the Hinde and like the Roe Come Lord Jesus come quickly and come as the Hinde and as the Roe and as a Hart upon the Mountaine of spices Make hast and come quickly be swift and do not tarry and in a better place I cannot end FINIS A TABLE An Advertisement That the Printers mis-paging may be no hindrance to the use of this Table the Reader is to take notice that it refers to the pages as they are figured not as they should be and that whereas after page 431. the numbers take their rise back at 361. and from thence are repeated over again this Asterisk * placed before any figure notes the latter order of pages so figured A ACceptation and Affiance two acts of Faith page 424 Active Obedience See Obedience Aggravations of sin p. 90 A temporary Believer desires Christ only in Affliction p. * 388 389 Assurance no part of justifying faith p. 428. It is attainable p. * 457 Why so many Christians want it p. * 438 B. Baptism what it obliges to p. 54. It hath not its full effect till the day of our death ibid. To believe is a hard matter p. 53.426 To believe is our duty p. 408 Five words or Scripture-wayes that God uses to perswade sinners to Believe in Christ viz. General Proclamation p. 402. Special invitations p. 405. Entreaties p. 406. Commands p. 408. Threatnings p. 409 To Believe is to come to Christ p. * 350 It is exprest by Hungring and Thirsting p. * 372 A Believers case like the Beggars p. * 376 A true Believer distinguished from a Temporary 1. by the ground of his desires p. * 388. 2. by his desiring Grace as well as Mercy p. * 394 3. by his Love to God p. * 395 A Believers priviledge p. * 456 C. GOd Calls sinners to Christ by five words p. 402 Christ's equality with God p. 360. It renders his Humiliation the greater and more meritorious p. 361 Christ's Humiliation the extent degrees and particulars of it p. 363 371 372. Part of his Humiliation to be Gods Servant p. 365. He was a Serant on earth in respect of men p. 367. used and valued at the rate of a bond-man p 368 Christ's sufferings the more meritorious because voluntary p. 374. Christ's Active Obedience in the course of his life p. 375. his Humiliation and sufferings from his Conception to his death described p. 379. c. Christ's death described
taste it and therefore many Christians on serious consideration would not change their estate for the estate of Angels Why because hereby Christ is my husband I am wedded to him he is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh which the Angels are not capable of Our nature is advanced above the Angelical nature for we shall sit and judge the world with Christ judge the twelve Tribes of Israel And what an high preferment is this Nay observe this and take it for a Rule Never beg of God pardon for thy sins till thou hast done this one thing namely accepted of Christ from Gods hands For thou never canst confidently ask any thing till thou hast him For all the Promises of God are in him yea and Amen This may serve for the Object of faith to shew that the primary Object is Christ crucified and God by him We come now to declare 2. The Acts of faith what they are and there is some intricacy in that too There is much ado made in what part and power of the soul faith is We must not proportionate the Act of faith according to our own fancy For it s no faith but as it hath relation to the Word now look how is the Word presented After you heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation Now the Word is presented under a double respect 1. It s presented Sub ratione veri After you had heard the Word of Truth and there comes in the Understanding 2. Then Sub ratione boni as a good word that so we should lay hold on it and here comes in the Will For the Will we say challenges that which is good for its Object Now the Gospel of salvation is a good Word its glad tidings worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners And now as the Word is presented as a good Word so must my Act of faith be answerable unto it See in Heb. 11.13 The act of faith answering hereto These all died in faith not having received the Promises What did their faith to them It made them see the Promises a far off and they were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth So that by comparing place with place it appears that first this Gospel was presented as the Word of Truth they were perswaded of it It is the first Act of Faith to perswade men of the truth of the Word and then as it is a good word they embraced it these are the two arms of faith as true it perswades me as good I embrace it We must not now be too curious in bringing in Philosophical Disputes whether one Vertue may proceed from two faculties whether Faith may proceed from the Understanding and the Will The truth is these things are not yet agreed upon and shall we trouble our selves with things not yet decided in the schools as whether the practical Understanding and the Will be distinct faculties or no The Word of God requires that I should believe with my whole heart Act. 8.37 As Philip told the Eunuch if thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest If with the heart but with what faculties may you say Why I tell thee believe with thy whole heart and what shall I peece and devide the heart when the whole is required Now to come to these two The Word is presented 1. As a true Word 2. Then as a good Word a word like Gospel like salvation 1. As a true Word And the Act of faith answering thereto is called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowledge and Acknowledgement 1 Titus 1. 1 Peter 3. 1 Knowledge that 's a thing requisite Why because if there be a Remedy able to cure a mans disease if he do not know it what is he the better for it Knowledge is so essential unto Faith that without it there can be no faith In John 17.3 the terms are confounded the one put for the other This is life eternal to know thee to be the true God and whom c. to know thee that is to believe in thee because knowledge is so essential to belief as one cannot be without the other thou canst not believe what thou hast never heard of I know saith Job that my Redeemer liveth that is I believe he liveth and hereupon it s said in Isa. 53. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Knowledge is an Act primarily requisite to Faith to be justified by his knowledge is to be justified by faith in his blood this then is the first thing that I know it to be as true as Gospel then comes the acknowledgement 2. The Acknowledgement Joh. 6.69 We know and are assured that thou art that Christ. This is an assurance I say not the assurance of my salvation for that is another kind of thing but an assurance that God will keep touch with me will not delude me but that if I take his Son I shall have life I shall have his favour When God illuminates me I find all things in him when I have him I am made When the Understanding clearly apprehends this then comes the next word it is the Gospel of salvation there being a knowing and acknowledging the Act of the Understanding then comes the Will and it being 2. Propounded as a good word then follows 1. Acceptation 2. Affiance 1. Acceptation which receives Christ. 1 John 12. As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to as many as believed on his name Then a man resolves I will take God on his word and thereupon follows A resting or relying on God which is a proper act of faith I need no other place then Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved But how shall they call on him on whom they have not believed that is on whom they have not reposed their confidence Mark the â—postle How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed That Faith which was in the antecedent must be in the conclusion therefore our faith is a relying on God and so in this place this trust is made the same with faith as it is in the Text in whom you trusted after you had received the word of Truth for our trust and belief there is the self-same word Nimium ne crede colori this Credo is to have a great confidence in fleeting and fading things and so it is in justifying faith If I have a knowledge of God and acknowledgement of him and from my knowing my will is conformed to accept Christ and if when I have accepted him I will not part from him this is faith and if thou hast this faith thou wilt never perish suppose thou never hadst one day of comfort all thy life long yet my life for thine thou art saved Perhaps by reason of thy
and feet But that which he shed in the garden in the cold winter time when he shed great drops great clots of blood thickest blood that pierc'd his garment and ran down upon the ground Consider how much blood he lost when he was whipped and lashed when the spear came to the very Pericardium thus let us weigh his torments and it will be a means to make us much affected with his sufferings for us But this is not all there is another thing yet in the blood this was but the outward part of his sufferings Yet some there are who are against Christs sufferings in his soul If it were so say they then something either in the sacrifices of the old Testament or in the new Testament should signifie it What ever such persons object against it I am sure there was as much in the sacrifices of the old Testament as could possibly be in a Type to signifie it Now that I may make this to appear know that in every sacrifice there were two parts or two things considerable and those were the Body and the Blood the whole was to be made a sacrifice viz. both Body and blood the body was to be burned the blood to be poured forth Now nothing in a beast can signifie the sufferings of Christ in soul better then the pouring out of the blood Lev. 17.11 The blood was the life and this is that which had a relation to the soul and was therefore as in the same place appears poured out as an attonement for the soul And to this in our common prayers there is an allusion viz. Grant us gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy dear son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood And in Isa. 53.12 The Metaphor holds He poured out his soul unto death for us So that whatever some have fondly thought its evident and manifest that Christ suffered both in soul and body both soul and body were made an offering for sin who knew no sin I should have gone further but the time cuts me off FINIS HEB. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly ùnto the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to help in time of need IN handling heretofore the Doctrine of the conversion of a sinner I declar'd and shew'd you what mans misery was and what that great hope of mercy is that the Lord proposeth to the greatest sinner in the world I shew'd unto you the means whereby we may be made partakers of Christ and that was by the grace of faith which doth let fall all other things in a mans self and comes with an open and empty hand to lay hold on Christ and fill it self with him I shew'd you also the acts of Faith as it justifies And now because it is a point of high moment wherein all our comfort stands and in which it lies I thought good to resume it all again so farre as may concerne our practice that we may see what the work of Gods Spirit is from the first to the last in the conversion of a sinner from the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh in which he wallowed and to this purpose have I chosen this place of Scripture wherein we are encouraged by Gods blessed Word that what ever we are though accursed and the greatest sinners in the world and that whatever we want we should come to Gods throne of grace And we are to think that whatever sinnes are or have been committed and though our sinnes are never so great yet that they are not so great as the infinitenesse of Gods mercy especially having such not only an Intercessor but Advocate to plead the right of our cause so that Christ comes and he pleads payment and that however our debts are great and we runne farre in score yet he is our ransome and therefore now Gods justice being satisfied why should not his mercy have place and free course This is the great comfort that a Christian hath that he may come freely and boldly to God because he comes but as for an acquittance of what is already paid As a debtor will appear boldly before his creditor when he knows his debt is discharg'd he will not then be afraid to look him in the face Now we may come and say Blessed Father the debt is paid I pray give me pardon of my sinnes give me my acquittance And this is that boldnesse and accesse spoken of Rom. 5.2 In whom we have accesse by faith Now that I may not spend too much time needlesly come we to the ground and matter in the words Wherein there is 1. A preparative for grace 2. The act it self whereby we are made partakers of the grace of God First the preparatives are two The law and the Gospel and wrought by them The first preparative 1. Wrought by the Law The Law works in a time of great need this is the first preparative for a man to be brought to see he stands in great need of Gods mercy and Christs blood so that the sinner cries out Lord I stand in great want of mercy His eyes being thus opened he is no longer a stranger at home but he sees the case is wondrous hard with him so that he concludes Unlesse God be merciful unto me in Christ I am lost and undone for ever This is the first preparative and till we come to it we can never approach the throne of grace The second is 2. Wrought by the Gospel I see I stand in great need but by this second preparative we see a Throne of grace set up and that addes comfort unto me If God had onely a throne and seat of Justice I were utterly undone I see my debt is extreme great but the Gospel reveals unto me that God of his infinite mercy hath erected a Throne of grace a City of refuge that finding my self in need my soul may flie unto And now to fit us for this Gods blessed Spirit works by his Word to open unto us the Law and our wants to enlighten our understandings that we stand in great need to win our affection and open the Gospel and its comforts Therefore first for the time of need the Law reveals unto us our woful condition to be born in sin as the Pharisee said and yet not able to see it Every man may say in generalities I am a sinner yet to say and know himself to be such a sinner as indeed he is to stand in such need that he cannot do This one would think to be a matter of sence but unlesse Gods Spirit open our eyes we can never see our selvs to be such sinners as we are or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sinne and the weight thereof after his conversion than he did before What are his sinnes greater or more than they were
the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity it 's the most blessed condition as can be it is set down by way of Exclamation O the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity For justification see what it is the Scripture in St. Pauls Epistles speaks of justification by faith and in St. James of justification by works Now it will be useful for us in this point to know whence justification comes it comes from justice Tsedeck as the Original hath it and to justifie so that justification and righteousnesse depend one upon the other for what is justification but the manifestation of the righteousnesse that is in a man and therefore in Gal. 3.21 they are put for one and the same thing For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse had been by the Law that is justification had been by the Law Again If righteousnesse be by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. that is also if justification had been by the Law c. justification is a manifestation of righteousnesse and as many wayes as righteousnesse is taken so many wayes is justification which is a declaration of righteousnesse so that if there be a double righteousnesse there must be also a double justification Beloved I bring you no new doctrine be not afraid of that but I shew you how to reconcile places of Scripture against the Church of Rome and those things which the Papists bring against us in this point It stands by reason seeing justification is a declaration of righteousnesse that there must be so many sorts of justification as there be of righteousnesse Now there is a double sort of righteousness Rom. 8.4 That the righteousnesse of the Law may be fulfilled in us see then there is a double righteousnesse there is a righteousnesse fulfilled in us and a righteousnesse fulfilled by us that 's walking in the Spirit The righteousness fulfilled in us is fulfilled by another and is made ours by imputation so we have a righteousnesse without us and a righteousnesse inhaerent in us the righteousnesse without us is forgivenesse of sinnes and pardon of them which is a gracious act of God letting fall all actions against me and accounting of me as if I had never sinned against him all my life time then there is a righteousnesse within me an inherent righteousnesse And if a righteousnesse then justification for that is but a declaration of righteousnesse And so that which the Fathers call justification is taken generally for sanctification that which we call justification they call forgivenesse of sinnes that which we call sanctification they call justification so that the difference is only in the termes Justification we must know is not taken only as opposed to condemnation which is the first kinde of righteousnesse Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed from sinne if you look to the Greek or to the Margent it is he that is dead is justified from sinne this is not took in the first sense as opposed to condemnation but in the other sense as it hath relation to final grace The perfection of sanctification is wrought in me for where there is final grace there is a supersedeas from all sinne so Rev. 22.11 Let him that is righteous be righteous still the Greek is let him that is righteous be justified still See then the difference between Saint Paul and Saint James Saint Paul speaks of that which consists in remission of sinnes as in comparing the Apostle with David will appear Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Saint James speaks of justification in the second acception You need not flie to that distinction of justification before God and justification before men think not that Saint James speaks onely of justification before men Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac on the Altar What justified by killing his son this was a proper work indeed to justifie him before man to be a parricide to kill his sonne though it were not so before God So Psal. 106. we read how God accounted the act of Phine as for righteousness thus you see how works are accounted righteousnesse in the second kinde of righteousnesse In the former righteousnesse we are justified by faith for in righteousnesse inherent there is a goodly chaine of vertues Adde to your faith vertue c. adde one grace to another Adde to vertue knowledge faith is but one part of the Crown Now this justification in the first sense whereby my sinnes are forgiven is called the righteousnesse of God because of Christ which is God because it s wrought by Christ Dan. 9. he is called an everlasting righteousnesse which continueth for ever world without end for do not think the Saints in heaven have onely the second kinde of righteousnesse for they have the same covering by justification by Christ in heaven that they had before God covers their sins not here onely but there also justification follows them for ever Quest. But now what parts hath justification in it we are wont to say that there are two parts one imputation of righteousness the other forgivenesse of sinnes Sol. I answer for my own part I think Justification is one simple act of God and that it is improperly distinguished as parts but rather as terminus a quo is distinct from terminus ad quem And this I shall shew unto you both by reason and authority that faith is but one act Let none say that I take away the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ No the bringing in of light and the expulsion of darknesse is not two acts but one but there is terminus á quo and terminus ad quem We are accounted righteous and that is we have our sinnes forgiven And the reason is this if sinne were a positive thing and had a being in it self then the forgivenesse of sin must be a thing distinct from the imputation of righteousnesse Scholars know the difference between adversa and privantia white and black are both existent but darknesse and light are not but only a privation one of another Darknesse is nothing of it self but the absence of light The bringing in of light is the suppression of it you must understand sinne hath no being no entity it 's only an absence of righteousnesse the want of that light which should be in the subject which want is either in our nature and then it 's call'd original or in our person and actions and then it s call'd actual transgression Sinne is an absence of that positive being which is as I said either in our nature or works Then thus I will resolve you in another point viz. If sin were a positive thing all the world cannot avoid it but God must be the Author of it for there is nothing can have a being but it must derive its being from the first being God Now how can we avoid Gods being the
not an instrument at all faith only is the instrument â—aith justifyeth me from sinne hereafter as well as before The case is this faith brings life The righteous shall live by his faith as the Prophet Habakkuk speaks What doth then new sinnes do There are two sorts of sinnes one of ordinary incursion which cannot be avoided these break no friendship betwixt God and us these only weaken our faith and make us worse at ease But there are other sinnes which waste a mans conscience A man that hath committed murder adultery and lives in covetousnesse which in the Apostles is Idolatry as long as a man is in this case he cannot exercise the acts of faith we must know faith justifieth not as an habit but as an act applying Christ to the comfort of the soul. Now a wasting sinne it stops the passage of faith it cannot act till it be opened by repentance Physitians give instances for it Those that have Apoplexies Epilepsies and the Falling sicknesse are thought to be dead for the time as it was with Eutichus yet saith Saint Paul his spirit was in him Every one thought him dead yet his spirit is in him however in regard of the operation of his senses it did appear he was dead So if thou art a carelesse man and lookst not to thy watch and to thy guard but art overtaken in some grosse and grievous sinne thou art taken for dead I say not a man can lose his life that once hath it but yet in the apprehension of others and of himself too he may appear to be so As in Epilepsies the nerves are hindred by obstructions so sinne obstructs the nerves of the soul that there cannot be that life and working till these sinnes be removed Now what is repentance why it clears the passages that as faith could not act before now it gives him dispositions unto it As a man in a swound cannot do the acts of a living man till he be refreshed again so here its repentance which clears the spirits and makes the life of faith passe throughout Now when repentance clears the passages then faith acts and now there is a new act of faith faith justifies me from my new sinnes faith at first and at last is that whereby I am justified from my sins which I commit afterwards But this forgivenesse of sinnes what doth it free us from In sinne we must consider two things the fault and the punishment Now consider sinne as it is in it self and as it respects the sinner as acted by him as respecting the fault of the sinner it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law The punishment is death as it respects the sinner it is guilt The sin is not guilt but the guilt the sinners For instance a man that hath told a lye or sworn an oath the act is past but a thing remains which we call the guilt As if a man commit murder or adultery the act is past but yet if he sleep or walk or wake the guilt follows him If he live an hundred years he is a murderer still and an adulterer still the guilt follows him and nothing can take away the murder or adultery from the soul but the blood of Christ applyed by faith First God takes away the punishment There is now saith the Apostle no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit what nothing in him worthy condemnation God knows we are worthy of a thousand condemnations There are two Judges there is a double guilt when a man is brought to the barre first the Jury judge the fact and then the Judge that sits on the Bench he judgeth the punishment one saith guilty or not guilty the other saith guilty then he judgeth him Now when we are justified we are freed from both these guilts sinne when it is accomplish't it bringeth forth death You know the natural work of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it labours with death now God will stop the acts of it that it shall not do that which it is apt to do which is as good as if the sinne were taken away when there were wilde guords sliced into the pot 2 Kings 4.31 it 's said the Prophet took that venemous herbe away i. e. though the thing were there yet it is as if it were not there it shall do no manner of hurt Bring now and poure out and there was no evil thing So in respect of us though there be an evil thing in punishment and if we had our due would bring condemnation yet when we are sprinkled with the blood of Christ it can do us no evil no hurt it 's said in the Scripture that the stars fell from heaven why the starres are of that bignesse that they cannot fall from heaven to the earth but they are said to fall when they give not their light and do not that for which they were put there so though I have committed sinne yet when God is pleased for Christs sake to pardon it it is as if it were not there at all This is a great matter but I tell you there is more we are not only freed from the guilt of the punishment but which is higher we are freed from the guilt of the fact I am now no more a murderer no more a lyar when I have received a pardon from the blood of Christ he frees me from that charge the world is changed with me now Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect If the Divel lay any thing to thee thou mayst deny it Such a one I was but I am justified but I am sanctified A man hath committed High Treason against the King and the King gives him a pardon for the Treason if I call him a Traytor he can have no remedy against me for he is one the pardon takes not away the guilt But if his blood be restored unto him by Act of Parliament then if I shall call him Traytor he may have remedy against me because he is restored fully and is not lyable to that disgrace This is our case though our sinnes be as red as scarlet yet the die shall be changed it shall not be so bloody Thou hast the grace of justification and this doth not only clear thee from the punishment but from the fault it self See in Jer. 50.20 the place is worth gold In those dayeâ— and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve what is the matter what a sinful man and no sinne what when there is search made for sinne in such a man shall it not be found you will say this is meant of the grace of sanctification no I will pardon them that pardoning of sinne makes the sin not to be found What a wonderful comfort is this
in the Accursednesse of it p. 384. in the shame of it p. 385. in the painfulnesse of it p. 386 Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. yet he suffered in his Soul immediately from God p. 389 Whether Christ takes away all the sins of the world p. 395. Christ's being offered for us no comfort unless he be offered to us p. 356 That Christ dyed sufficiently for all is an improper speech p. 356 To receive Christ what p. 399. Christ offered freely p. 397 402. He that hath a will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404 Christ the proper and immediate Object of justifying Faith p. 418. Christ loved and valued above all by true believers p. 427. Christ and the Cross go together in this life p. 426 Christ very compassionate p. * 368 Christ is our Peace p * 454 To be a Christian indeed is no easie matter p. 426 Civil Righteousness See Morality Men deceived by Comparing themselves with others p. 46. and with themselves p. 47 The Conditions of Faith and Obedience required hinder not the freedom of Gospel grace p. 389 416 Confession of sin necessary and why p. * 376 Carnal Confidence as to our spiritual estate dangerous the vain grounds of it discovered p. 43 c. Conscience one of the Tormenters in Hell p. 153 Peace of Conscience See Peace Conviction necessary to Conversion p. 39 80 Conviction a work of Gods Spirit p * 364 Two hindrances of Conversion p. 4 A limited time for it p. 9 10 Crucifying a Cursed Shameful Painful death p. 384. c. The manner of it p. 386. The Curse followes sin p. 98 The Curses attending an unregenerate man in this life p. 120 c. The Curses on his Soul p. 127 The Curses at his death p. 130 Custom in sin hardens the heart p. 28 D. DAy of grace limited p. 9 10 34 35. The folly and danger of neglecting it p. 16 17 Death the wages of sin p. 110. The comprehensivenesse of the word Death p. 119 Death terrible p. 112. The teriblenesse of Bodily Death set forth in three particulars p. 131 c. What the first and second Death is p. 141 The Death of Christ described p. 384 c. Death-bed-Repentance See Repentance Deferring Repentance dangerous p. 16 17. The reasons of Carnal mens Deferring Repentance p. 21 c. The vanity of them ibid. Desires after Christ may be stronger in Temporaries then in true Believers p. * 388 The Devil takes possession of those whom God leaves p. 106 107 The Reason of Christians Doubting p. * 438. E. WHat use to make of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation p. 35 Encouragements for sinners to come to Christ p. 402 Examination of a mans self See Self-Examination F FAith why required to the receiving of Christ since he is a free gift p. 398. Faith consists not in a mans being perswaded that God is his God and that his sins are pardoned p. 402.413 It 's proper and immediate object is not that forgivnesse of sins but Christ p. 418. Faith must have a ground for it out of the word p. 414. What Faith justifies p. * 384. c. Faith jusstifies not as a vertue but in respect of its object p. 419. Faith justifies not as a Habit but as an act p. * 417. The Acts of Faith p. 423. By what sins the Acts of Faith are hindred p. 417. How those obstructions are removed ibid. Faith an instrument to receive Justification not to procure it p. * 424 * 434 Why Faith chosen for an instrument of Justification rather than any other grace p. * 437. A weak Faith justifies as much as a strong p. * 435 yet a strong Faith is to be laboured for and why p * 436. How Faith alone justifies p. * 436 Faith may be certainly known p. * 407. There may be Faith where there is no feeling p. 412 425 * 373 Faith strongest when sense least p. * 451 Encouragements to Faith p. 402 Carnal Fear its sinfulness and danger p. 140 141 Men apt to Flatter themselves as to their spiritual estate 41 Five false glasses that cause this self Flattery p. 43 c. Forgivnesse of sins not a distinct thing from Imputation of righteousness p. 399 c. Forgivness is properly of sins past only p. * 403. It is one continued act p. * 414. and therfore may be prayed for by a justified person ibid. Forgivnesse frees from guilt and punishment p. * 418 419 God forsakes none till they forsake him p. 108 True beleevers forsake all for Christ p. 427 428. Free grace in bringing sinners to Christ p. 398 No Freewill to good p. 404 G TO be given up to our selves a more fearfull thing then to be given up to satan p. 108 109.128 The Gospel not seasonable nor savory till the Law hath been preached p. 80. How the Gospel differs from the Law p. 86 The fulnesse and freedome of the Grace of the Gospel not hindred by the conditions of Faith and Obedience p. 398.416 Guilt of sin taken away in Justification p. * 420. H HArdnesse of heart a hindrance to Conversion p. 2 3 4 Hell for whom provided p. 139 Hell described p. 143 c. That Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. Christians rejoice in Hope p. * 458. The Humiliation of Christ see Christ I IMputation of Righteousnesse See Righteousnesse To be given up to Insensiblenesse a wofull thing p. 129 130 Joy in the sense of Gods love surpasseth all worldly Joy p. 430. It is attainable p. ibid. The reason why many beleevers are strangers to it p. 430 431. Some Joy may be in a Temporary p. * 393. How to try true Joy p. * 360. Means to get it p. * 462 463 Justification what it signifies p. * 396. How the Fathers used the word p. * 732 Justification one simple act of God p. * 400 How we are said to be Justified by Faith and how by Christs blood p. 420. * 422. In what sense we are Justified by Faith according to Paul and in what sense by works according to James p * 398. Impossible to be Justified but by imputed Righteousnesse p. * 402 * 410 411. In the instant of Justification no sins are remitted but those that are past p. * 411 412. A twofold Justification p. * 409 Why a justified person may and must pray for the remission of sins past p. * 413 414. Justification frees from the punishment and guilt too p. * 418 419 420. Justification confounded by the Papists with sanctification p. * 422. The difference between them p. * 423. * 429. No Justification before Faith p. * 440 How we are Justified by Faith alone p. * 439. Judgment in Scripture sometime taken for Righteousnesse inherent p. * 433 How men are deceived in Judging of their spiritual estate p. 43 K KNowledge one act of Faith p. 423 L THe use of the Law p. 79.354 * 366. It is necessary to be
preached before the Gospel p. 80 * 366 Men are under the Law till they come to Christ p. 84 how fearfull a thing it is to be under the Law p. 84 85. the difference between the Law and the Gospel in three particulars p. 86. Love of God twofold p 415. No temporary beleever loves God p. * 396. To be given up to our own Lusts a more fearfull thing then to be given up to Satan p. 108 109 M WAnt of Meditation one cause why most beleevers have so little joy in God p. 430 431. Mistakes in judging our spiritual estates See Judging Morality too much trusted to p. 49. It 's insufficient to bring men to heaven ibid. N NAtural reason not to be trusted to p. 49 Too short to convince of sin thorowly p. 51 Mans condition by Nature described p. 59. The Natural man dead in sin p. 67. His best works cannot please God and why p. 68 69 The Curses attending a Natural man in this World p. 120 c. Two blowes that God gives a Natural mans soul in this life the one sensible p. 127 the other insensible p. 128. The Curses attending him at Death p. 130 c. O CHrists active Obedience mixed with his passive p. 372. Wherein his active Obedience consisted p. 375. c. Wherein his passive p. 378 Partial Obedience a false glasse to judge our estates by p· 48 To designe only our Old age for God is dishonourable to him p. 22 23. Old age most unfit for Repentance p. 25 27 Men apt to have too good Opinion of themselves p. 41. The causes of it p. 43 c. Men deceived in judging of their estates by the good Opinions of others p. 44 P PArtial Obedience see Obedience Passive Obedience see Obedience Peace a fruit of faith p. * 441 * 447. Why many Christians want the sense of it p. * 442 443. * 450 451 The differences between a true and a false Peace p. * 448 c. The Causes of a Carnal Peace p. * 449. * 452 Christ is our Peace p. * 454 Spirit of Prayer what p. * 377 378 1. The Importunity and efficacie of it p. * 379 380 Why a person already justified may and must Pray for the forgivnesse of sins past p. * 413 414 R NAtural Reason see Natural To Receive Christ what p. 399. What Reformation may be in a natural man p. * 390 392 Repentance prevents ruine p. 7 Repentance not in our own power but in gods gift p. 13 14. The sinfulnesse of deferring it p. 11 c. Death-bed Repentance the hindrances of it p. 30 Not to be trusted to p 31. Hard to prove it sound p. 32 Superficial Repentance is vain p. 57 Repentance in what respects necessary to justification p. * 417 Remission of sin See Forgiveness Resting or Relying upon God a proper Act of Faith p. 425 Righteousnesse two fold p. * 397. * 409 Imputative Righteousnesse what it is p. * 402 * 410. Impossible to be justified without it and why p. * 410 411 S. Sanctification a distinct thing from Justification p. * 423. p. * 429 Satan See Devil A difficult thing to be Saved p. 53 Sealing a distinct thing from Faith p. * 428 The Causes of Security p. * 449 Self-Examination necessary to Conversion p. 39.57 a mark of a sound believer p. * 407 Self-flattery See flattery Self-Love how it deceives men in judging their estates p. 43. Sin continued in hastens Gods judgements p. 3 4 5. Sin compared to a weight p. 26. to Cords p. 27. Sin gets strength by continuance p. 28. The Sinfulnesse of Sin set forth in 6. considerations p. 90 c The dreadfull fruits and consequences of Sin It pollutes the Soul p. 100. It makes men loathsom to God p. 104. It brings the Devill into the heart p. 106. It calls for wages p. 110 The greatness of Sin should be no barr against believing in Christ p. 401 406. No Sin overtops the value of Christ's blood ibid. Encouragemets for Sinners to come to Christ page 401 c. Sin not discovered thorowly but by the spirit p. * 364. Sin may be cast away and yet no true Conversion p. * 392 Sin is only a Privation and no positive being p. * 399 * 400 Sins not pardoned before they be committed p. * 403. The guilt and punishment of Sin taken away in Justification p. * 418 c. Spirit of Bondage what p. * 365 Spirit of Prayer see Prayer T A Temporary Faith how far it may go p. * 388 c. How to know it from true faith p. ibid Temporary beleevers desire Christ only in affliction p. * 388 389 They do but only tast of Christ p. * 393. They desire mercy but not grace p. * 394. They do nothing out of love to God p. * 395 The sinfulness of thoughts p. 102 103. The end of Gods Threatnings p. 7. U UNregenerate Men See Natural Our unworthiness should not keep us from coming unto Christ p. 397. W THe Will wrought by God as well as the deed p. * 371 The Will more then the Deed 372. How God takes the Will for the Deed p. * 374 He that hath a Will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404. God alone inclines the Will to receive Christ ibid. A wofull thing to be suffered by God to have our own Wills in this world p. 355. Our Wills must be crossed here or for ever hereafter ibid. The Willingness of Christs sufferings rendred them the more meritorious p. 374 The Word presented to our faith under a double respect viz. 1 as a true Word p. 403 2 as a good Word p. 424 Works spiritually good cannot be performed by an unregenerate man and why p. 67 68 71. In what sense we are said by James to be justified by Works p. * 398 Wrath a Consequence of sin p. 98 Y YOuth the fittest time to Repent and break off sin in p 25 22 29. FINIS Male dum recitas c. * Lord in special forgive my sins of omission see Dr. Ber. Life and death of the Arch. Bp. of Armagh p. 110 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Sheffeild in Yorkshire· James Meath Anagram I am the same See Dr. Bernard page 52. See Dr. Ber. Epist. to the Reader in his life and death c. * See the Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government Received in the Antient Church published by Doctor Bernard in a Book entituled The Judgement of the Late Arch Bishop of Armagh c. * 2 Sam. 1.22 * Isa. 50.4 * 2 Cor. 3.2 * Acts 11.21 * Dan 12.3 * Heb. 2.13 * Tim. 4.12 * Mark 6.20 * Acts 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Mat 7.29 * 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 1 Cor 14.24 25. * Acts 18.24 Collatis scripturae locis Probans nempe sicuti solent artifices aliquid Compacturi singulas partes inter se comparare ut inter se alia aliis ad amussim quadrent Bez. In Act. 9.22 Efficere condescensionem ut sic dicam id est argumentis propositis efficere ut aliquis tecum in eandem sententiam descendat Mr. Leigh Critic sacr In verb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Ser. before K. James Wansted June 20. 1629 page 34 35. * Ecl. 12.10 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * John 16.5 * Psal. 16.3 * Acts 13.12 * Psal. 119.63 * Math. 11 29. * Mal. 2.4.5 6 7 8 9. * Esay 43.27.28 * 1 Sam. 2 30. * Deut. 33 11. * Math. 5.12 and 10.25 * Math 21.44 * Rev. 11.11 * 2 Sam 6.22 * Calvino illustri viro nec unquam sine summi honoris prefatione nominando non assentior Bp Andrews De Vsuris * 3 John 12. * Declarat what books are his what not Dr. Ber. page 20 l 21. * See Dr. Ber. Loc. Citat * See their Epist to the Reader Ibidem * See Mr. Cottons Epist. to Mr. Hildersams Book on John 4. * See Capt. Bell. Narat before Luth. Mensal Colloq * Liber ille â—onvivalium sermonum non est Lutheri nec Luthero approbante aut etiam vivente editus sed est Rapsodia sine Judicio Intellectu consarcinata Polan syntag de canonic Authorit script page fol. 45. * Heb 11.4 * Bp. Andrews serm 7. of Rep. and Fast. * John 3.10.19 Obs. Obs. Obs. Obj. Sol. Obj. Sol. 1. Order of outward things 2. The nature of sin Sin is compared to cords To defer repentance hardens the more The folly of those that defer their repentance till death Obj. Sol. Impediments to repentance on our death-bed Trust not to death-bed repentance It will be hard to prove death-bed repentance to be ound Gen. 6.3 What use to make of Election and Reprobation It 's our wisdom to arm against Satans fallacy and hearken to God in his accepted time 1 Glass Self-love 2 Glass Others good opinion 3 Glass When a man compares himself with others 4 Glasse Partial Obedience· Obj. Sol. Another false Glasse The Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light Superficial repentance will not change the nature of man No morality nor external change of life will do without quickning grace and a new life wrought Quest. Ans. Obj. Sol. Doct. Obj. No natural man doth judge himself so bad as he is The best works of a natural man cannot please God Look to the oginal of duties Look to the end of duty It 's necessary to preach the Law before the Gospel This is the 1 Instance 2 Instance 3 Instance Noâ—e Well Our Remedy or our Redempâ—ion by Christ. Christs humiliation in life and death The second degree of his humiliation that he might become a servant Christ accounted as a bâ—ndman Exam. Joseph for the calcu 14400000. drachms (x) Which were 120000. (z) Have the quotient 120 Drachms Four Drachms went to a Shekel so divide 120. by 4. your quotient is 30. shekels for each man which was the ordinary rate c. Gen. 9.25 John 13.21 Now this Obedience is two fold 1. Active 2. Passivâ— 1. For his active obedience in the whole course of his life 2. For his active Obedience after his Death
Author of sin Why thus it is nothing But what is sinne nothing Will God damne a man and send him to hell for nothing I answer it s not such a nothing as you make it a man is not damned for nothing It 's a nothing privative an absence of that that should be and that a man ought to have As when a Scholar is whip't for not saying his lesson is he whip't think you for nothing indeed he hath nothing he can't say a word of his lesson and therefore it is he is whip't it is for a thing he ought to have and hath not Well if you will say there are two parts of justification do if you please but this I take to be the more proper and genuine explanation Besides it appears by testimony of the Apostle Rom. 4.6 As David describeth the blessednesse of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works c. Saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered The Apostle cites the Prophet David Psal. 42. Mark the Apostles conclusion and how he proves it His conclusion is That man is blessed unto whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works His argument then must needs be thus framed He whom God forgives is blessed But He to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works hath his sinnes forgiven him Therefore he is blessed Now how could this assumption hold if imputation of righteousnesse and remission of sinnes were two distinct acts for not imputing righteousnesse is not to bring in light which keeps out darknesse but observe the Apostle to the Colossians and Ephesians makes this forgivenesse of sins the whole work way foundation of our redemption But here remember I deny not the imputation of righteousnesse for that is the foundation of the other here 's the point How is Christs righteousnesse imputed to me that positive thing which expels the other Not so as if Christs righteousnesse were in me subjectively for it was wrought by his passion as well as his action The Apostle calls it faith in his blood by faith in Christ Christs passive obedience is imputed to me What do you think the meaning is that God doth esteem me as if I had hang'd on the Crosse and as if I had had my sides pierced No that would not stead me or do me any good that which was meritorious and singular in him did reach to us so that the meaning is this as it is in the Articles of the Church of England That for the merits of Jesus Christ God is well pleased with the obedience of his Son both active and passive as that he takes us to be in that state for his sake as if we had fulfilled all his Laws and never broken them at any time and as if we ow'd him not a farthing this is imputative righteousnesse however the Papists may scoffe at it And this kinde of justification must of necessity be by imputation why because when a man hath committed a sinne it cannot be undone again God by his absolute power cannot make a thing done undone for it implies a contradiction The act past cannot be revoked nor the nature thereof changed murther will be murther still c. How then can I be justified the sinne being past and the nature of it still remaining I say how can I be justified in the first sense any other way than by imputation its said in 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself c. This kinde of justification which consists in remission of sinnes cannot be but imputative sin cannot be changed nor the thing done undone But now cometh a greater question If by justification our sinnes be forgiven us what sinnes are forgiven I pray sinnes past or sinnes to come we are taught that in the instant of justification all our sinnes past and to come are remitted which is in my mind an unsound doctrine for if we look narrowly into it we shall finde that in propriety of speech remission of sinnes hath relation to that which is past it s said therefore Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God And remission of sinnes hath relation to those that are past as appears by inevitable reason for what is remission of sinnes but sinne covered Now can a thing be covered before it be blot out mine iniquities c. saith David can a thing be blotted out before it 's written this is the thing makes the Pope so ridiculous that he will forgive sins for the time before they are committed but what do we get nothing for the time to come yes yes when the sinne is past by faith we have a new accesse unto God and having risen by repentance we get a new act not of universal justification but of a particular justification from this and that particular sinne But if there be forgivenesse of sinnes past already and I know that I am justified and my sinnes remitted may I now pray for forgivenesse of sinnes past The Papists say it is active infidelity and as absurd as to pray to God to create the world anew or incarnate his Son again But there is no conversion where there is no praying and there is need of praying for the remission of sinnes past and against sinne for the time to come as I shall shew next time as also consider whether there be any interruption of the act of justification by falling into great sins There 's no man hath a mind more against quierks and quillets than I yet for the opening of these things and staying and setling the mind and clearing the understanding give me leave the next time to clear these things unto you ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. IN this Chapter especially in the beginning thereof I shew'd unto you that the Apostle sets down unto us those special comforts that a man receives after God hath wrought that supernatural grace of faith in his heart so that here is set down The Mother-Grace Justification by faith and then the blessed issues or daughters thereof and those are a free access to God a joyful hope of the glory to come and not only a patient but a joyful suffering of all afflictions that shall befall us in this life Concerning justification by faith I laboured to open it unto you the last day three things may well be considered therein 1. What that faith is whereby we are justified 2. What that justification is we have by faith 3. What relation the one of these hath to the other Concerning the first of these I told you that it was not every faith that justifieth not every kinde of faith that a man can live by There is a dead faith and a man cannot live by a dead thing And there is a living faith and
Again Gods childe not only useth all the means in himself to try himself but he prayeth for the aide of God also he knoweth that his own heart is deceitful and may cozen him but that God is greater than his heart and knoweth all things And therefore he cryeth unto God to try him as Psal. 139. Try me O God and know my heart prove me and know my thoughts look well whether there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting there is an everlasting righteousnesse and an everlasting way that leads unto it about which these are not content to try themselves only but they desire God to try them also and to make them know the uprightnesse of their own hearts and not to suffer them to be deceived thereby Now that I have done with Consider now what that justification is that is obtained by this true lively faith I shew'd unto you that justification is ordinarily taken for an acquittance from a debt It is derived from justice or righteousnesse therefore I shew'd that justification and righteousnesse are taken for one and the self same thing for if there had been a Law given which could c. that is justification had been by the Law Now as there is a double righteousnesse so there is also a double justification Not that I hold there is any other justification as it comprehends remission of sinnes but only one but otherwayes as many righteousnesses as there are so many justifications there are Now there is a double kinde of righteousnesse the one imputed and the other inherent the one is the righteousnesse of Christ an act transient from another which cannot be made mine but by imputation Besides this there is another which is inherent a righteousnesse in us St. James speaks of the one and Saint John of the other One is opposed to condemnation and the other to hypocrisie The soundnesse of the heart is respected of God for righteousnesse in respect of the graces inherent in us Now to give you a touch of the difference between the one and the other and therein to declare the difference between us and Rome Know then that the question between us and Rome is not Whether justification be by faith or no but Whether there be any such thing as justification or no The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there is no such grace as this But concerning the first of these that justification which is by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse I shew'd unto you that imputation in this case is as when a man comes to hold up his hand at Gods Barre as it were and it 's demanded of him what he hath to say for himself why he should not dye and then this justification by Christs righteousnesse is opposed to condemnation Then justification by faith is that when I come to stand before God though conscience say I am guilty of a thousand sinnes yet I may go boldly and plead my pardon which will acquit me as if I had never sinned at any time God was thus in Christ reconciling us the world unto himself not imputing their sinnes unto them Now sinne is a thing past which being done cannot be made undone the sin remains still murder is murder still and adultery is adultery still it cannot be undone again Now how shall this man that is guilty of murder and adultery be made just it cannot possibly be but by not imputing his sinne unto him so that God should account it to him as if it had not been done at all by him he puts it upon Christs account Account The word is used in the Epist. to Philemon where St. Paul saith If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on mine account A mans sins being thus put upon Christs account he is accepted of God as freely as if he had never owed him any thing or as if he had never offended him Now this is done by transferring the debt from one person to another so that we see this imputation of sinne to Christ and of Christs righteousnesse to us is most necessary It must be so And if there were no testimony for it in Scripture yet reason sheweth that there can be no righteousnesse but by Gods acceptation of us in Christ as if we had never sinned there is the difference then To him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted to him for righteousnesse But doth God justifie the ungodly that 's a hard speech we read in the Proverbs He that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. But here we must understand this as we do some other Scriptures we read in John that the blinde see the lame walk the dumb speak It 's impossible for a man to be blinde and see to be dumb and speak all at once yet take the chief of sinners suppose Paul and he was so in his own account but the act of justification alters him God justifies the ungodly that is him that was even now so but by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse he is made righteous that is righteous in Gods account But in proceeding in this point I did reflect a little back God findes a man with a number of sinnes full of sinne and forgives these sinnes now I demanded this how farre doth this justification and forgivenesse extend to sins past alone or to sinnes past and to come And I answered that we must consider this matter two wayes First to justifie a mans person simply and then to justifie a man from this or that particular act The phrase is used in Scripture Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses There is justification from this or that thing There is first Justification of a mans person he that was an enemy is now made a friend he is now no longer a stranger at home but is in the list or Gods houshold Now this we say no sooner doth a man receive it but the self-same houre that he receiveth it the bond is cancel'd the evidence is torn and fastened to the Crosse of Christ and hangs up among the Records whereas before it was an evidence against us and would have layen heavy on us at the bar but now it is fastened to the Crosse as a cancel'd Record the bond is become void Secondly but now when we consider justification from this or that particular act I declared that so a man is onely justified from sins past for it is contrary to reason and Scripture that a man should be justified from sinnes to come For Scripture the Apostle hath it Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through saith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God and it is clear also from the nature
of the thing A thing cannot be remitted before it be committed nor covered before it had an existence nor blotted out before it be written Therefore justification from such or such a fault must have relation to that which is past but for justification for the time to come I will speak anon there I left the last time I have now faith and I believe in Christ I have now relation to him and remission of sinnes past But why then do I pray for it to what end is that Bellarmine objects that it is an act of infidelity to pray for it afterwards but we do it and we ought to do it see Psal. 51. David made that Psalme after the Prophet Nathan had told him his sinne was pardoned See the title of it and we must know that the title is a part of Gods Word as well as the rest A Psalme of David when Nathan came unto him after he had gone in unto Bathsheba Nathan told him that God had took away his sinne Yet he cryeth here throughout the whole Psalme to have his sinne pardoned and blotted out so that though there were faith and assurance yet he still prays for it Now Bellarmine saith this cannot be but doth he dispute against our opinion no he disputes against the Holy Ghost for David having received a message of forgivenesse yet prays Therefore if the Jesuite had grace he would joyne with us to salve the matter rather then through our sides to strike at God But it is a Fallacy to joyne these two together for a man to pray for a thing past it is an act of infidelity as to pray that God would create the world and incarnate his Sonne I answer there is difference between an act done and an act continued when the World was made by God God had finished that work And when Christ took our flesh upon him the act was done but the forgivenesse of sin is a continued act which holds to day and to morrow and world without end God is pleased not to impute thy sinnes but cover them Now this covering is no constant act I may cover a thing now and uncover it again now forgivenesse of sinne being an act not complete but continued and continued world without end and therefore we say the Saints in heaven are justified by imputative righteousnesse Gods continuance of his act of mercy The point then is this As long as we continue in the world and by contrary acts of disobedience continue to provoke God to discontinue his former acts of mercy and our sinnes being but covered therefore so long must we pray for forgivenesse When the servant had humbled himself before his Lord it is said The Lord of that servant loosed him and forgave him the debt but though he forgave him yet he did another act that caused his Lord to discontinue his pardon Matth. 18.33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant as I had pity on thee He had pity on him yet since he doth another act which turns his Lords heart against him therefore he is now cast into prison and he must not come out thence till he hath paid the utmost farthing He had forgave him to day and to morrow and would have continued his forgivenesse if he had not thus provoked him we must pray to God to continue his acts of mercy because we continually provoke him by new acts of rebellion Adde to this The King grants a pardon to a man In all Patents of pardon there is a clause that the man must renew his Patent If forgivenesse may be renewed then those things are to be renewed again by which the renovation of my remission may be wrought God would have me renew my acts of faith and if of faith why not of repentance and of prayer There is a singular place in Ezek. 36.29 35 37. that makes it plain That though God intends to do the thing yet he appoints this to be the means Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them i. e. though I have done it and intend to do it yet will I do it by the means of prayer Howsoever that God had promised Eliah that raine should come upon the face of the earth yet he goes upon the Mount and saw no shew of a cloud The Text saith not what he did but he put his head between his knees Saint James saith he prayed and he opened heaven and brought down raine It was an humble secret gesture A man may be more free in private than in publick He prayed and the heavens opened God had promised it and would do it but yet he would be sought too So we see the mediate cause is prayer so though the Lord will do this yet for all this he will be enquired of It is not with God as with men men who have promised would be loth to be sued to not to break their promise they account that a dishonour to them but it is not so with God God hath promised yet thou shalt have no benefit of it untill thou sue him for it therefore thou must go to God and say Lord fulfill thy promise to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust God loves to have his bond sued out Lord make good this word performe that good word that thou hast spoken God would have his bond thus sued out And as thy faith repentance prayer is renewed so is thy pardon renewed When God will make a man possesse the sinnes of his youth when a man is carelesse this way it pleaseth God to awaken him Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquity of my youth Job 13.26 When a man forgetteth the iniquities of his youth and reneweth not his repentance and hath not new acts of faith and petition then God maketh him to possesse the iniquities of his youth he makes his sins stand up and cry out against him by this means his old evidences are obliterated When a man hath a pardon and it s almost obliterated the letters almost worne out that they cannot be read he would be glad to have it renewed to have a new exemplification Every sinne it puts a great blur upon thine old evidence that thou canst not read it It may be firme in heaven and yet perhaps be blur'd that thou canst not read it and therefore if thou wouldst get them clear'd again thou must go to God by prayer and renew them again so that whether our evidences be blur'd or whether it be that God will make us possesse the iniquities of our youth it is necessary to pray for the forgivenesse of those sinnes which have been before forgiven But now you will say when I have sinned afterward how come I then to be justified Then a man would think repentance only doth it and without repentance a man cannot be justified But you must understand repentance is