that latter namely the use of such a skill is not so directly the drift of this Treatise I having reserved that part if God assist me and give leisure and this find acceptance unto another about the acts of justifying Faith wherein this art now mentioned is to be the maine scope That which I have here endeavoured is to set forth to all sorts of beleevers whether they have assurance or not Christ as he is the Object of our faith as justifying and as the cause of justification to us and so I send forth this as a premise and preparatory to that other And to that purpose I have run over some few Articles of our Faith or Creede as I found them put together in one bundle by the great Apostle namely Christ in his Death Resurrection Ascension Sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession and have handled these no further then as in all these he is made Justification unto us therin having punctually kept unto the Apostles scope By all which you may in the mean time see what abundant provision God hath laid up in Christ in the point of Justification for all sorts of beleevers to live upon Every thing in Christ whatsoever he was or whatsoever he did with a joynt voice speaking justification unto us You may see also that God hath in Christ justified us over and over and thereby come to discerne what little reason you have to suffer your hearts to be carried aside to other comforters and so be spoiled and bereft of these more immediately prepared and laid up for us in Christ himselfe To have handled all those considerations which his obedience unto death affords unto the justification of a beleever and his comfort therein in this small tractate would have made that part too disproportioned to the rest it alone deserves will require a distinct Tract which therefore I have cast into another method and so in this Treatise have toucht only upon what may for the present be sufficient to furnish that part to keep company with its fellows Onely when I had thus presented Christ along from his Death Resurrection and Ascension unto his Sitting in Heaven and there performing that great part of his Priesthood the worke of Intercession I judged it both homogeneall to all these and conducing to the greater encouragement of beleevers in the exercise of their faith to subjoyne that other Treatise How Christs Heart now he is in Heaven stands affected to us sinners here below And a better token take the Arument it selfe if I could have fully represented it how to present unto his Spouse I know not then a true character of her Husbands heart now he is in glory And but for methods sake I would have placed it first it being more suited to vulgar capacities whose benefit I aime at Now in that discourse I confesse I have not aimed to keepe so strictly unto the matter of justification only as in the other I have done But have more generally discussed it and shewne how his heart stands towards us under all sorts of infirmities whatsoever either of Sin or misery yet so as it wil serve for the matter of justification also The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant us according to the riches of his glory that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and that we may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Amen THO. GOODVVIN THE TABLE OR Series of all the Materials in this TREATISE SECT I. A generall Introduction to the whole Christ the Object of Justifying Faith CHAP. I. The scope of the words of the Text That they were Christs originally Christ the highest example of beleeving Encouragements to our faith from thence Pag. 1 Christ an example of Faith explained by two things 2 1. He had a faith for the justification of himselfe 3 2. A faith for the justifying of us 4 Use To draw us on to faith and encourage us therein 5 Especially against the greatnesse of sins 6 CHAP. II. The scope and argument of this whole Discourse 1. A Direction unto Christ as the Object of faith 2. Encouragements to Beleevers in their faith from these particulars in the Text. 9 Christs 1. Death 2. Resurrection 3. Being at Gods right hand 4. Intercession CHAP. III. DIRECTIONS to Christ as the object of Faith How in a three-fold consideration Christ is the Object of Justifying faith 12 1. As in joynt commission with God the Father Faith is to eye both God and Christ in seeking Iustification 12 Yet God the ultimate object of it ibid. Yet Christ under the New Testament the more immediate Object 13 2. Christ the object of faith in opposition to all things in our selves 15 As 1. To Humiliation Wee are not to rest therein ibid. 2. To Dutyes and Graces We are not to rest in them 16 3. Christs Person is the object of Faith in distinction from the Promises ibid. How the Promises are the Object of Faith and how Christ in the Promises 18 Three sorts of promises and how Christs person is the object of faith in applying them all 20 SECT II. Christ in his DEATH the Object and support of Faith for Justification Chap. I. How not Christs Person simply but Christ as Dying is the object of faith as Iustifying 22 Explained 1. By two Directions 1. That in seeking forgivenesse Christ as dying Christ as crucifyed is to be eyed by faith 23 How not Christs Person singly considered in the excellencies thereof but as dying is the object of justifying faith as such 24 Chap. II 2. Direct That faith is principally to look unto the end and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings namely that sinners might have forgivenesse 28 Without this the meditation of the story of Christs Passion is unprofitable ibid. Cap. III 2. By shewing the ENCOURAGEMENTS or matter of triumph that Christs death affordeth unto faith in point of justification 34 The fulnesse of Christs satisfaction in his DEATH 35 How Christs satisfaction may be opposed to the guilt of any sins whatever 36 1. Against the hainousnesse of sin in the generall 37 2. Against any aggravation of particular sins As ibid. 1. Against the greatnesse of the act of any particular sinne 38 2. Against the corruption or of the heart in sinning ibid. 3. Against delight and greedinesse in sinning ibid. 4. Against deliberatenesse in sinning 39 5. Against presumption in sinning ibid. 6. Against the aggravating circumstances of Time Place Persons c. ibid. The conclusion of this Section 40 SECT III. Christ in his RESURRECTION the object and support of faith in point of Justification CHAP. I. Two generall Heads propounded That Christs Is an EVIDENCE of Hath an INFLUENCE into Iustification Resurrection 42 1. An Evidence Christs Resurrection a a visible signe that God is satisfied by his death 44 2. Hath an Influence Though the matter of our justification be the price of Christs Death yet the act of pronouncing us righteous depends on Christs
Personall excellencies cannot properly be called the object of it But the Formalis ratio the proper respect or consideration that maketh Christ the object of faith as justifying must necessarily be that in Christ which doth indeed justifie a sinner which is his obedience unto death For the act and object of every habit or facultie are alwayes suited and similar each to other and therefore Christ justifying must needs be the object of Faith justifying It is true that there is nothing in Christ with which some answerable act of faith in us doth not close and from the differing considerations under which faith looks at Christ have those severall acts of faith various denominations As faith that is carryed forth to Christ and his personall excellencies may be called uniting faith and faith that goes forth to Christ for strength of grace to subdue sinne may answerably to its object be called sanctifying faith and faith as it goes forth to Christ as dying c. for justification may be called justifying faith For faith in that act looks at what in Christ doth justifie a sinner and therefore Christ considered as dying rising c. doth in this respect become the most pleasing and gratefull object to a soule that is humbled for this makes Christ suitable to him as he is a sinner under which consideration he reflects upon himselfe when he is first humbled And therefore thus to represent Christ to Beleevers under the Law was the maine scope of all the Sacrifices and Types therein All things being purged with bloud and without bloud there being no remission Heb. 9. Thus did the Apostles also in their Sermons So Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians seemed by the matter of his Sermon to have known nothing but Christ and him as crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. as Christ above all so Christ as crucified above all in Christ as suiting their condition best whom he endeavoured to draw on to faith on him Thus in his Epistle to the Galatians he calls his preaching among them the preaching of faith Chap. 3. 2. And what was the maine scope of it but the picturing out as the word is of Christ crucified before their eyes ver 1. so he preached him and so they received him and so they began in the spirit ver 3. And thus also doe the seals of the Promises the Sacraments present Christ to a Beleevers eye as they hold forth Christ as was in the former direction observed so Christ as crucified their scope being to shew forth his death till be come 1 Cor. 11. 26. the Bread signifying Christs body broken in the sufferings of it and the cup signifying the sufferings of his soule and the pouring of it forth unto death And hence likewise as faith it selfe is called Faith on Christ as was before observed so it is called Faith on his bloud Rom. 3. 24 25. because Christ as shedding his bloud for the remission of sinnes is the object of it So the words there are Whom God hath ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins And look how God hath ordained and set forth Christ in the Promises under that picture of him doth faith at first close with him And one reason similar to the former may be grounded on the 24. ver of that 3. to the Rom. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ And as I shewed before in the reason of the former direction that all Promises hold of his Person as being Heire of all the Promises so the speciall Tenure upon which forgivenesse of sins doth hold of him is by purchase and by the redemption that is in him So that as the promise of forgivenesse refers to his person so also to this redemption that is in him Thus both in Eph. 1. and Col. 1. In whom we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes His person gives us title to all the promises and his bloud shews the tenure they hold on a purchase and a full price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adequate price 1 Tim. 2. 6. And as sin is the strength of the Law and of the threatnings thereof so Christs satisfaction is the strength of all the Promises in the Gospel In a word an humbled soule is to have recourse to that Christ who is now alive and glorified in heaven yet to him as once crucified and made sinne He is to goe to Christ now glorified as the Person from whom he is to receive forgivenesse c. but withall to him as crucified as through whom considered in that condition he then was in he is to receive all CHAP. II. What in Christs death faith seeking justification is especially to eye and look at NOw then a second Direction for faith towards Christ as dying Direction 2 is Faith is principally and mainly to look unto the end Faith is especially to look at Christs end and mind in dying meaning and intent of God and Christ in his sufferings and not simply at the Tragicall story of his death and sufferings It is the heart and mind and intent of Christ in suffering which faith chiefly eyeth and which draweth the heart on to rest on Christ crucified When a Beleever sees that Christs aime in suffering for poore sinners agrees and answers to the aime and desires of his heart and that that was the end of it that sinners might have forgivenesse Namely that sinners might have forgivenesse and that Christs heart was as full in it to procure it as the sinners heart can be to desire it this draws his heart in to Christ to rest upon him And without this Without this the meditation of the story of his Passion unprofitable the contemplation and meditation of the story of his sufferings and of the greatnesse of them will be altogether unprofitable And yet all or the chiefe use which the Papists and many carnall Protestants make of Christs sufferings is to meditate upon and set out to themselves the grievousnesse of them so to move their hearts to a relenting and compassion to him and indignation against the Jews for their crucifying of him with an admiring of his noble and heroicall love herein and if they can but get their hearts thus affected they judge and account this to be grace when as it is no more then what the like tragicall story of some great noble personage ful of heroicall vertues and ingenuity yet inhumanely and ungratefully used will work and useth ordinarily to work in ingenuous spirits who read or heare of it yea and this oft-times though it be but in the way of a fiction Which when it reacheth no higher is so far from being faith that it is but a carnall and fleshly devotion springing from fancie which is pleased with such a storie and the principles of ingenuity stirred towards one who is of a noble spirit and yet abused Such
Justification First It serveth to a double use to support our faith as an evidence to our faith that God is fully satisfied by Christs death his Resurrection may give us full assurance of it Secondly it had and hath an influence into our Justification it selfe yea and as great an influence as his Death had In both these respects it deserves a rather to be put upon it and Paul had them both in his eye when he writ these words So as first if you ask an account of his faith and a reason of his so triumphant assurance hee alledgeth his Resurrection to confirme it Christ is risen Or Secondly if you would have a reason of the thing how it comes to passe that we who are Beleevers cannot be condemned Christ is risen sayes he He alledgeth it as a cause that hath such an influence into Justification it selfe as it makes all sure about it 1. 1. By way of Evidence By way of Evidence Although Christs obedience in his life and his death past do alone afford the whole matter of our Justification and make up the summe of that price paid for us as hath been shewn so as faith may see a fulnesse of worth and merit therein to discharge the debt yet faith hath a comfortable signe and evidence to confirme it selfe in the beliefe of this from Christs Resurrection after his death It may fully satisfie our faith Faith hath a visible signe of it that God is satisfied that God himselfe is satisfied and that he reckons the debt as paid So that our faith may boldly come to God and call for the Bond in as having Christs Resurrection to shew for it that the Debt is discharged And hence the Apostle cryes Victoria over Sin Hell and Death upon occasion of and as the Coronis and conclusion of that his large Discourse about Christs Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. O death where is thy sting that is Sinne and the power of it for so it followes The sting of death is sinne and O grave where is thy victory Thanks be to God who hath given us victory through Iesus Christ our Lord namely as risen againe for of his Resurrection and of that chiefly had he spoken throughout that Chapter 2. 2. By way of Influence But surely this is not all that it should onely argue our Justification by way of Evidence This alone would not have deserved such a rather to be put upon it if Christs Resurrection had not had some farther reall causall influence into Justification it selfe and been more then simply an evidence of it to our apprehensions Therefore secondly in Justification although the materiale or matter of it be wholly the obedience and death of Christ Though the matter of our Justification be the price of Christs death yet the act of pronouncing us righteous depends on the Resurrection yet the act of pronouncing us righteous by that his obedience which is the formale of Justification doth depend upon Christs Resurrection Ordinarily there hath been no more expressed concerning this dependance then that the Resurrection of Christ justifies by working actuall faith to lay hold upon what Christ hath done in his life and death which is called the applying of it of which more anon But that speech of Paul 1 Cor. 15. 17. seems to import more If Christ be not risen again ye are yet in your sins and your faith is in vaine That is although you could suppose faith to be wrought in you upon the merit of Christs dying yet it would be in vain if Christ were not risen again for your title to Justification it self would be void You were yet in your sins Which is said because his Resurrection was it wherby sins though satisfied for in his death were taken off and they acquited from them Which I take to be the meaning also of that Rom. 4. ult He was delivered for our sins and rose again for our Iustification When the Apostle sayes for our sins he was delivered he means his laying down that which was the price for them a satisfaction for them which his death was And in that sense He dyed for our sins that is his death stands in stead of our death and so satisfies for sin But yet still that upon which the act of Gods justifying us his discharge given us from our sins and whereby he reckoneth us justified that depends upon his Resurrection He rose again for our justification Note that Justification there imports the act of imputation and reckoning us just which he had spoken of in the verses immediately fore-going ver 22 23 24. In a word to the full discharge of a Debt and freeing the Debtour two things are requisite 1. The payment of the debt 2. The tearing or cancelling the Bond or receiving an Acquitance for the freeing of the Debtor Now the Payment was wrought by Christs death and the Acquitance to free from the debt was at and by his Resurrection CHAP. II. For the explanation of both these is shewne how Christ sustained a double relation First of a Surety for us Secondly of a Common person in our stead The difference of these two and the usefulnesse of these two considerations for the explaining all the rest that follows in this whole Discourse NOw the better to explicate both these you must consider how that Christ in almost all that he did for us as the phrase is here and is to be annexed to each particular did stand in a double relation for us unto God 1. Of a Surety bound to pay the debt for us and to save our soules 2. Of a Common person or as an Attorney at Law in our stead And both these as they have a distinct and differing consideration in themselves so those severall considerations of them will conduce to the understanding of those two things fore-mentioned as wayes and arguments to shew how the Resurrection of Christ may support our faith both by way of evidence that the debt is paid and by way of influence that we are thereby acquited and cannot be condemned The notion of his being risen who is our Surety clears the first and that of his rising as a Common person illustrates the other And I shall here a little the largelyer insist upon the explication of these two relations because their consideration will be of use through all the rest that follows to illustrate thereby the influence that his Ascension and Sitting at Gods right hand c. have into our Justification and so I shall carry them along throughout this Discourse 1. 1. To be a Surety what A Surety is one that undertakes and is bound to doe a thing for another As to pay a debt for him or to bring him safe to such or such a place or the like so as when he hath discharged what he undertook and was bound for then the party for whom he undertook is discharged also 2. 2. A Common person what A
meaning whereof is that was justifyed at his Resurrection Iustified in the Spirit and Quickned in the Spirit being all one and we in him Yea and a rather is put upon this rather then upon his death for this act was a solemne discharge from all sin and condemnation it was a legall Acquitance given to Christ for all our sins and so to us also considered as in him His Death was but the satisfaction and payment but this is the first Act of Absolution Yea and this is the Originall Act which is upon Record between God and Christ and our Justification and Atonement when we are justified by faith in Christ is but a Copie fetcht from this Roll and Court sentence then pronounced And such a way and course to ratifie and make Acts good legall even to have them done by another representing ones person is common among men as those instances I formerly gave do shew An Attorney at Law receives a debt or an Acquitance for a debt paid or given for another man and it is as legall as if the man himselfe or Creditour had done it and the Debtour had received the Acquitance himselfe Yea Acts of the greatest and highest concernment are oft-times no otherwise transacted as the marriages of Princes are by Proxy solemized their Embassadours representing their persons and contracting and marrying their wives in their stead which acts are thereby made as irrevocable and irrepealable as if themselves had in person done them And so if we were justified when Christ did rise and was justified our justification then cannot be reversed but stands as legall and warrantable as any act that God or man ever ratified or confirmed And Who then shall condemne Onely A Caution for farther explication sake lest there be a mistake let me adde this That it is necessary that we be justifyed in our owne persons by faith notwithstanding this former Act thus legally passed whereby we lay hold upon what God did thus before for us in Christ to the end that God upon our beleeving may according to his owne rules justifie his justifying of us unto all the world which untill vve doe beleeve hee could not doe For according to the revealed Rules of his Word vvhich he professeth to proceed by at the latter day there is a curse and a sentence of condemnation pronounced against us under which we stand til he shall take it off by giving us faith unto which he hath in the same Word made the promise of justifying us in our own persons as before he had done in Christ Yet still notwithstanding so as although when we first beleeve then only Justification is actually and personally applyed to us yet at Christs Resurrection and in his being then justified this act and sentence was virtually pronounced upon us and so doth necessarily require and exact at Gods hands the bestowing faith upon us that so by vertue of this former act passed we come to be actually justified in our owne consciences and before all the world And so our Justification which was but secretly wrought passed upon us in Christ is never made void but stands irrepealable and so ratified that our personall justification by faith doth alwayes infallibly second and succeed it And to illustrate it a little our condemnation in Adam and this our justification in Christ doe in this hold parallel together That as in Adam we were all virtually condemned In Adam all dye and that legally enough too for thereupon came out that Statute-Law Statutum est It is appointed that all should dye and yet we are not actually in our owne persons condemned till we are borne of him nor doe we personally dye untill we lay downe our flesh Even so is it in the matter of our Justification it was done virtually in Christ and afterwards when we beleeve is actually passed in and upon our selves Now I call this former but a virtuall Iustification even as by the sentence of condemnation passed upon a Malefactor he is called a dead man that is he is so virtually and in Law as we say though naturally he dye not many dayes after but in that respect may be still alive so by Christs being justifyed we are all virtually and in Law justifyed through a secret yet irrepealable Covenant betweene God and Christ who onely did then know who were his And for a confirmation even of this also That God accounts all the Elect justifyed in his justifying of Christ we shall not need to goe any farther then the words of this Text if we doe but diligently compare their standing here with that of theirs in that place out of which they are taken and where we find them first recorded and spoken namely in that 50. of Esay 7 8. He is neere that justifies me who is he that shall condemne Now there as Interpreters agree and as the Context shews those words are spoken by Christ himselfe for ver 5. he speaks of Gods boring his eare to doe his will the same expression that is used of Christ Psal 40. 6. and farther sayes I gave my bâ—… to the smiters and my cheeks to them that pulled off the haire and I hid not my face from shame and spitting all which you may read in Christs sufferings Mat. 26. 27. and 27. 26. And he spake before in ver 4. of Gods having given him the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary which you may read done by Christ Mat. 11. 28. Now those words were spoken by Christ to comfort himselfe against the Jews condemning him as considering that God would justifie him as at his Resurrection you have heard he did Now mark it those very words which Isaiah brings in Christ speaking as of himselfe alone those very words Paul here boldly applyes in the like triumph to all the Elect of Christ Who shall condemne It is God that justifies and this because Christ is dead risen and acquited by God Christ spake those words as a publique person in the name of all his Elect whom he in his death and in his justification represented and for that very respect Paul speaks the like words over again of all Elect Beleevers as being as truly and really intended of them when spoken by Christ as of himself and his owne person He is neere that justifies me sayes Christ who shall condemne namely Me or mine Elect whose persons I sustaine And Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect sayes Paul It is God that justifies who shall condemne for Christ hath dyed and been condemned for them and Christ was justifyed from that condemnation and they in him And because the justification of himselfe which Christ spake of as lookt for from God was to be made at his Resurrection as hath been said therefore Paul here puts a rather upon his Resurrection And farther to establish this as you heard before out of Rom. 6. 10. that in respect of Sanctification
of many things about Intercession And which I would also commend to and leave with poore Beleevers to have recourse unto for their comfort as a sufficient Abundary of Consolation unto their Soules and as a Catholicon or universall Cordiall against all faintings and misgivings of spirit whatsoever In the words observe 1. A Definition of Faith by the lowest acts of it for the comfort of weake Christians 2. Encouragements unto such a Faith opposite to all misgivings and discouragements whatsoever 1. A Definition of Faith and such as will suit the weakest Beleever It is a comming unto God by Christ for Salvation 1. It is a comming to be saved Let not the want of Assurance that God will save thee or that Christ is thine discourage thee if thou hast but a heart to Come to God by Christ to be saved though thou knowest not whether he will yet save thee or no. Remember that the Beleevers of the New Testament are here described to be commers to God by Christ Such as goe out of themselves and rest in nothing in themselves do come unto God through Christ for Salvation though with trembling 2. It is a Comming unto God For he is the ultimate object of our Faith and the person with whom we have to do in believing from whom we are to receive Salvation if ever we obtaine it 3. It is a Comming unto God by Christ which Phrase is used in this Epistle in an allusion to the worshipers of the Old Testament who when they had sinned were directed to go to God by a Priest who with a Sacrifice made an Atonement for them Now Christ is the great and true High-Priest by whom we have accesse to the Father 2. Ephes 18. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a leading by the hand Doest thou not know how to appeare before God or to come to him come first to Christ and he will take thee by the hand and go along with thee and leade thee to His Father 4. It is a comming unto God by Christ for Salvation Many a poore soule is apt to thinke that in comming to God by Faith it must not aime at it selfe or its own Salvation yes it may for that is here made the errand or businesse which faith hath with God in comming to him or which it comes for and this is secretly couched in these words for the Apostle speaking of the very aime of the heart in comming he therefore on purpose mentions Christs ability to save He is able to save Secondly Here are many encouragements to such a Faith as is not yet grown up unto assurance of Salvation 1. Here is the most suitable object propounded unto it namely Christ as Interceding which work of Intercession because it remains for Christ as yet to doe for a soule that is to be saved and which he is every day a doing for us therefore it is more peculiarly fitted unto a Recumbents Faith For when such a soule comes and casts it selfe upon Christ That thing in Christ which must needs most suit that kind of Act is that which is yet to be done by Christ for that soule Now for that soule to come to Christ to die for it and offer up himselfe a Sacrifice as Sinners did use to come to the High-Priest to sacrifice for them this were bootlesse for as it is ver 27. he hath at once done that already And as for what is already past and done such a beleevers faith is oftentimes exceedingly puzled what manner of act to put forth towards Christ about it as for example when it is about to come unto God it heares of an Election of some unto salvation from all eternity made by him because this is an act already past by God the soule knows it to be in vain to cast it selfe upon God for Election or to come unto him to elect choose it selfe And so in like manner when the soule lookes upon Christs Death because it is done and past it knowes not how to take it in in beleeving when it wanteth assurance that Christ dyed for it though it should come to Christ to bee saved by vertue of his death But there is this one worke that remaines still to be done by him for us and which he is daily a doing and that is Interceding for he lives ever to Intercede or to pray for us in the strength and merit of that his Sacrifice once offered up This therefore is more directly peculiarly fitted unto a Faith of Recumbency or of Comming unto Christ the proper act of such a Faith as it is distinguished from Faith of Assurance being a casting ones selfe upon Christ for some thing it would have done or wrought for one Hence Intercession becomes a fit object for the aime and errand of such a Faith in this its comming to Christ as also to be saved is it being a thing yet to bee wrought and accomplisht for me by Christ is therefore a fit marke for such a Faith to levell at in its comming to Christ Those Acts of God and Christ which are past Faith of Assurance doth more easily comply with such a Faith takes in with comfort that Christ hath dyed for me and risen again and doth now Intercede for me and so I shall certainly be saved but so cannot this weake faith doe Come thou therefore unto Christ as to save thee through his Death past and by the merit of it so for the present and for the time to come to take thy Cause in hand and to Intercede for thee it is a great reliefe unto such a Faith as cannot put forth Acts of Assurance that what hath beene done by Christ hath been done for it that God hath left Christ this work yet to doe for us So as the Intercession of Christ may afford matter to such a Faith to throw it selfe upon Christ to performe it for us and it may set him aworke to doe it 2. Now if such a soule aske But will Christ upon my comming to him for salvation be set avvork to intercede for mee and undertake my cause I ansvver it out of those vvords He lives to intercede for them who come to God by him He lives on purpose to performe this vvork it is the end of his living the businesse of his life And as he received a commandment to dye and it was the end of his life on earth so he hath received a command to intercede and to be a common High-Priest for all that come to God by him God hath appointed him to this work by an oath He sware and would not repent Thou shalt be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech and this is the end of his life in heaven That as in the Old Law the High-priest Christs type in this ought to offer up the sacrifice of every one that came unto God by him as HEB. 5. 5. in like manner Christ for it is his calling as you have it
CHRIST SET FORTH In his Death Resurrection Ascension Sitting at Gods right hand Intercession As the CAUSE of Iustification OBJECT of Iustifying Faith Upon ROM 8. VER 34. TOGETHER WITH A TREATISE DISCOVERING The Affectionate tendernesse of CHRISTS HEART now in Heaven unto Sinners on Earth By THO GOODWIN B. D. LONDON Printed by W. E. and J. G. for Robert Dawlman MDCXLII TO THE READER WHat the scope of this treatise it selfe is the Title-page and the Table that followes will sufficiently informe you I shall onely here acquaint you with what was mine in a few words I have by long experience observed many holy and precious soules who have clearely and wholly given up themselves to Christ to be saved by him his owne way And who at their first conversion as also at times of desertion have made an entire and immediate cloze with Christ alone for their Justification who yet in the ordinary course and way of their spirits have beene too much carried away with the Rudiments of Christ in their owne hearts and not after Christ himselfe The streame of their more constant thoughts and deepest intentions running in the channell of reflecting upon and searching into the gracious dispositions of their owne hearts so to bring down or to raise up as the Apostles words are Rom. 10. 8. and so get a sight of Christ by them Whereas Christ himselfe is nigh them as the Apostle there speakes if they would but nakedly look upon himselfe through thoughts of pure and single faith And although the use of our owne graces by way of signe and evidence of Christ in us be allowed us by God and is no way derogatory from Christ if subordinated to faith and so as that the heart be not too inordinate and immoderate in poring too long or too much on them to fetch their comfort from them unto a neglect of Christ yet as pleasures that are lawfull are unlawfully used when our thoughts and intentions are too long or too frequent or too vehement in them so as to dead the heart either to the present delighting in God or pursuing after him with the joint strength of our soules as our onely chiefest good so an immoderate recourse unto signes though barely considered as such is as unwarrantable when thereby we are diverted and taken off from a more constant actuall exercise of daily thoughts of faith towards Christ immediately as he is set forth to be our righteousnes either by the way of Assurance which is a kind of enjoyment of him or Recumbency and renewed Adherence in pursuit after him And yet the minds of many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts that as the Psalmist sayes of God Christ is scarce in all their thoughts But let these consider what a dishonour this must needs be unto Christ that his traine and favourites our graces should have a fuller Court and more frequent attendance from our hearts then himselfe who is the King of Glory And likewise what a shame also it is for beleevers themselves who are his Spouse to look upon their Husband no otherwise but by reflection and at second hand through the intervention and assistance of their own graces as Mediators between him and them Now to rectifie this errour the way is not wholly to reject all use of such evidences but to order them both for the season as also the issue of them For the reason so as that the use of them goe not before but still should follow after an addresse of faith first renewed acts thereof put forth upon Christ himselfe Thus whensoever wee would goe downe into our owne hearts and take a view of our graces let us be sure first to looke wholly out of our selves unto Christ as our justification and to cloze with him immediately and this as if we had no present or by past grace to evidence our being in him And if then whilst faith is thus immediately clasping about Christ as sitting upon his Throne of Grace we finde either present or fore-past graces comming in as Hand-maids to attend and witnesse to the truth of this adherence unto Christ as after such single and absolute acts of faith it oftentimes falls out The Holy Ghost without whose light they shine not bearing witnesse with our spirits that is our graces as well as to our spirits And then againe for the issue of them if in the closure of all we again let fall our viewing and comforting our selves in them or this their testimony and begin afresh upon this encouragement to act faith upon Christ immediately with a redoubled strength if thus I say we make such evidences to be subservient onely unto faith whilst it makes Christ its Alpha Omega the beginning and end of all this will be no prejudice at all to Christs glory or the workings of faith it selfe for by this course the life of faith is still actually maintained and kept upon wing in its full ure and exercise towards Christ alone for justification Whereas many Christians doe habitually make that onely but as a supposed or taken for granted principle which they seldome use but have laid up for a time of need But actually live more in the view and comfort of their owne graces and the gracious workings thereof in duties towards Christ The Reason of this defect among many other I have attributed partly to a Barrennes as Peters phrase is in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and of such things revealed about him as might be matter for faith to worke and feede upon As also to a want of skill whilst men want assurance to bend and bow and subjugate to the use of a faith of meere adherence all those things that they know and heare of Christ as made justification unto us It being in experience a matter of the greatest difficulty and yet certainly most feasable and attainable for such a faith as can yet onely relie cast it self upon Christ for justification yet rightly to take in and so to make use of all that which is or may be said of Christ his being made righteousnesse to us in his Death Resurrection c. as to quicken and strengthen it selfe in such acts of meere Adherence untill Assurance it selfe comes for whose use and entertainment all such truths lie more fair and directly to be received by it They all serve as a fore-right wind to assurāce of faith to fil the sails thereof carry it on with a more full and constant gale as the word used by the Apostle for Assurance imports whereas to the faith of a poore recumbent they serve but as a halfe-side-wind unto which yet through skill the sailes of such a faith may be so turned and applyed towards it as to carry a soule on with much ease and quietnesse unto Christ the desired Haven It notwithstanding waiting all that while for a more faire and full gale of assurances in the end Now to helpe or instruct beleevers in
Resurrection ibid. CHAP. II. A digression Wherein for the explanation of both these is shewne how Christ sustained a double relation 46 1. Of a Surety for us 2. Of a Common person in our stead 47 The difference of these two and the usefulnesse of these two considerations for the explaining what followes throughout this Discourse 48 49 Chap. 3. The first Head The EVIDENCE of Justification which Christs Resurrection affords to Faith explained by two things 1. How Christ was made a Surety for us 2. How his Resurrection as he was a Surety holds forth this evidence 50 sect 1. How Christ became a Surety for Debt Punishment ibid. The Covenant of Grace made with Christ alone as a Surety for us 52 Whereby God requires payment of Christ first 53 sect 2. How the consideration of this becomes an evidence to Faith through Christs Resurrection 54 The Resurrection an evidence 1. That the debt is paid ibid. 2. That God will never claime it from the sinner 55 Chap. 4. The second Head The INFLVENCE that Christs Resurrection hath into our Justification The Demonstration of this hath two branches 1. Bran. The Christ was a Common Person representing us in all that he did did suffered Handled at large but more especially in his Resurrection 56 This is proved 1. In generall By a Parallel with Adam Christs Type herein 57 2. Particularly Adam and Christ were common Persons 1. In their Qualification and estates 58 2. In what they did and in what befell them 59 Christ a common Person in his Death we dying in him as in Adam his Condemnation we were condemned in 60 That Christ was more especially a Common Person in his Resurrection we being considered as rising in him 64 Chap. 5. The second Branch How Christs representing us as a Common Person in his Resurrection hath an Influence into our Justification made forth by two things 66 1. That Christ himselfe was justifyed from our sin at his Resurrection made forth by three things ibid. 1. There was a solemne Act passed from God towards Christ of justifying him from our sins 67 2. There was some speciall time or season wherein this was done 68 3. That this was first past upon him at his Resurrection 69 2. That all Beleevers were then justified by God in this Iustification of Christ as a Common Person representing them 72 Proved 1. From the Common and like analogie this holds with the former instances of our dying in his death c. ibid. All things which God doth to us were first done to Christ for us ibid. 2. From the equity of that Law that in Adams condemnation we were condemned 74 Chap. 6. How our Faith may from hence raise matter of Triumph for its justification Together with an explanation how we are justified by Faith although justified in Christ at his Resurrection 76 Chap. 7. How all this both our justification at Christs Resurrection and the support of our faith there from are sealed up to us in Baptisme The Conclusion How faith may make use of Christs Resurrection in its going to God for pardon of sin 82 SECT IV. Faith supported by Christs being at Gods Right hand Chap. 1. A connexion of this third Head with the two former Two things involved in it 1. Christs Ascension 2. Christs power and authority in Heaven 87 Chap. 2. Shewing 1. What EVIDENCE for our Justification 1. Christs ASCENSION into Heaven affords unto our faith upon that first fore-mentioned consideration of his being a SVRETY for us 91 And this 1. By considering what was the last action he did when he was to ascend namely blessing his Disciples ibid. For in blessing them he blessed all Beleevers 92 2. From the very act of ascending 93 3. From the first entertainment that God gave Christ when he made his entry into heaven 97 Chap. 3. 2. What EVIDENCE Christs SITTING AT GODS RIGHT HAND he having beene our Surety affords to our faith for Justification 99 In shewing 1. That CHRIST had compleatly performed all the worke that was to be done by him for our justification 100 2. That God accepted his satisfaction and was infinitely well pleased with it 101 Chap. 4. Demonstrating 2. What INFLVENCE 1. Christs ASCENSION hath into a beleevers noncondemnation upon that second premised consideration of Christs being a Common Person for us 102 By considering two things 1. The great end of his Ascending and entring into Heaven that it was to prepare a place for us and to bring us thither 103 2. That he entred into Heaven and tooke possession of it in our very names and stead 104 So that we may by Faith behold our selves as in Heaven already 105 Chap. 5. Demonstrating 2. What INFLVENCE Christs SITTING AT GODS RIGHT HAND hath into our justification upon that second consideration of his being a Common Person 106 And this by considering 1. The prerogatives imported in that his sitting at Gods right hand As 1. Soveraignty of power all things being subdued to him 107 2. Soveraignty of Iudgement all judgement and authority being committed to him 109. 2. That these Prerogatives mentioned are his as he is considered an Head and so sits representing us and therefore all his elect shall one day come up to him 111 In what sense we are said to sit with him and in what sense it is Christs priviledge alone to sit at Gods right hand 112 The Triumph of Faith from this ibid. SECT V. The Triumph of Faith from Christs INTERCESSION Chap. 1. A connexion of this with the former And how this adds a further support to faith Two things propounded to be handled out of the Text 1. The concurrency of Influence that Christs In tercession hath into our Salvation 2 The Security that Faith may have therefrom for our Justification 114 Chap. 2. The first Head The concurrencie of influence Intercession hath into our salvation explained by two things 1. Intercession one part of Christs Priesthood and the most excellent part of it 116 Two parts of Christs office of Priesthood as there was of the High-Priests office under the Old Law 1. To offer up himselfe 2. To intercede 117 Without Intercession Christ had not been a perfect High-Priest 119 His Oblation would otherwise have been ineffectuall 124 Chap. 3. 2. The speciall peculiar influence that Intercession hath into our Salvation and Justification And the Reasons why God appointed it to be added unto all the former 125 Which are of three sorts 126 1. Respecting God 1. In generall God will be dealt with like himselfe ibid. 2. Particularly 1. In that it is for the glory of his free grace 127 Which looks to be entreated 128 2. In that Gods justice stood upon such a respect to be performed to it 130 2. Respecting us Intercession being requisite to and the best way to effect our salvation ibid. This demonstrated 1. In generall God would have us saved all manner of wayes 131 And the application of Redemption unto us is from Christs
Intercession ibid. 2. More particularly Our justification depends upon it as 1. The first Act of our conversion and justification depends on it 133 2. The continuance of our justification depends on it 134 3. A full security thereby given that we shall be justified for ever And this 1. Against sins past 135 2. Against our being condemned by new sins 137 Intercession principally intended for sins after conversion 138 3. Respecting Christ Intercession ordained 1. That none of Christs offices should lye vacant 139 2. That Christ might have a continuall hand in every work of our salvation unto the last 140 Chap. 4. The second Head The great security that our faith may have for our Justification from Christs interceding for us Shewed 1. By way of EVIDENCE And this by two things 142 1. The end of Intercession is actually and compleatly to save so as if Christ did not actually and compleatly save those that beleeve in him through his Intercession he were not a perfect Priest 143 2. Christs honour as a Surety is deeply engaged by his Intercession to save us 147 Christ a Surety in his Intercession as well as in his death ibid. 2. The difference betweene these two Surety-ships 148 Chap. 5. By that powerfull INFLVENCE into our Salvation and prevalencie which Christs Intercession hath with God for us Demonstrated 1. From the greatnesse of the person who Intercedes and his greatnesse with God 151 And this shewne by two things 1. His neerenesse of Alliance hee being Gods naturall Sonne 153 2. His filiall obedience he being Gods Obedient Son 159 Two things in Christs Obedience which make his Intercession prevalent 161 Chap. 6. 2. From the righteousnesse of the cause he pleades and that in justice And how forcible the cry of his blood is especially himselfe appearing to intercede with it 163 Explicated by two things 1. How an Intercession and appeale to justice is attributed to Christs blood 164 Illustrated by the cry of Abels blood and how far this exceeds that 166 In what sense Christs blood is said to cry 168 2. Christ himselfe being alive and following the cry of his blood how prevalent this must needes bee ibid. Chap. 7. 3. From the absolutenesse of his power he being able to doe what ever hee askes of his Father 172 Though Christ as he is a King can command all things yet to honour his Father he intercedes for what himselfe commands 173 An Inference from the prevalencie of our Prayers how forcible Christs Prayers much more must needes be 176 Chap. 8. 4. From the graciousnesse of the Person with whom Christ Intercedes For 1. Christ Intercedes with his Father 181 Chap. 9. 2. He intercedes with him who is Our Father also 186 Gods heart is as much enclined to heare Christ for us as Christs heart is tointercede ibid. The summing up of all 192 Chap. 10 The Vse containing some encouragements unto weake beleevers from Christs Intercession out of Heb. 7. 25. ERRATA PAge 37. line 30. for there reade thee p. 47. l. 1. for who is read As. line 7. for thereby the Influence reade thereby both the Evidence and the Influence p. 61. l. 8 shooke hands adde with the Testatour p. 59. l. 6. Adam who came after read Adam who came afore p. 62. l. 19. we conclude adde or argue by reason p. 69. l. 20. for that this God-man was justified reade that God being thus made man is said to have been justified p. 73. l. 3. blot out in us or p. 77. l. 31. unto which he hath read unto which faith or upon which beleeving he hath p. 94. l. 11. for whereof this was the intended type reade which was the intended type of Christs triumph at his Ascension p. 120. l. 14. for should share reade should yet share p. 122. l. 24. for before then Aaron reade by far then Aaron p. 125. l. 8. for all the owed reade we owed p. 147. l. 5. read perfect worke ibid. l. 20. reade the reason is because that p. 149. l. 2. each reade either p. 158. as for which read as that which p. 167. l. 20. besprinkled reade sprinkled p. 196. l. 6. of reade to p. 200. l. 25. competitours reade competitioners SECT I. SHEVVING BY VVAY of INTRODUCTION that CHRIST is the EXAMPLE and OBIECT of Iustifying Faith ROM 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us CHAP. I. The scope of these words That they were Christs originally Christ the highest example of Beleeving Encouragements to our faith from thence THese words are a triumphing challenge uttered by the Apostle in the name of all the Elect for so he begins it in the 33. ver foregoing Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies And then follow these words Who shall condemne namely Gods elect It is Christ that dyed c. This challenge we finde first published by Jesus Christ himselfe our onely Champion Esay 50. a Chapter made of and for Christ ver 8. He is neere that justifies me who will contend with me They were Christs words there and spoken of Gods justifying him and these are every Beleevers words here intended of Gods justifying them Christ is brought in there uttering them as standing at the High Priests Tribunall when they spat upon him and buffeted him as ver 4 5. when he was condemned by Pilate then he exercised this faith on God his Father He is neere that justifies me And as in that his condemnation he stood in our stead so in this his hope of his Iustification he speaks in our stead also as representing us in both And upon this the Apostle here pronounces in like words of all the Elect It is God that justifies who shall accuse Christ was condemned yea hath dyed who therefore shall condemne Loe here the communion we have with Christ in his death and condemnation yea in his very faith if he trusted in God so may we and shall as certainly be delivered Observe we first from hence by way of premise to all that follows That Christ lived by faith as well as we doe Obser In the first of Iohn ver 16. Christ an example of beleeving we are said to receive of his fulnesse grace for grace that is Grace answerable and like unto his and so among others Faith For Explication hereof Exlplained First 1. He had a faith for the justification of himselfe in some sense he had a faith for Iustification like unto ours though not a Iustification through faith as we have He went not indeed out of himselfe to rely to another for righteousnesse for he had enough of his owne he being The Lord our righteousnesse yet he beleeves on God to justifie him and had recourse to God for justification He is neer sayes he that justifies me If he had stood in his own
Formalists among the Jews had who without the Messiah closed with Promises and rested in Types to cleanse them without looking unto Christ the end of them and as propounded to their faith in them This is to goe to God without a Mediator and to make the Promises of the Gospel to be as the Promises of the Law Nehushtan as Hezekiah said of the Brasen Serpent a piece of brasse vaine and ineffectuall like the waters of Bethesda they heale not they cleanse not till this Angel of the Covenant come downe to your faith in them Therefore at a Sacrament or when you meet with any Promise get Christ first downe by faith and then let your faith propound what it would have and you may have what you will of him There are three sorts of Promises Three sorts of Promise and how Christs Person is the object of faith in applying them all and in the applying of all these it is Christ that your faith is to meet with 1. There are absolute promises made to no Conditions as when Christ is said to come to save sinners c. Now in these it is plaine that Christ is the naked object of them so that if you apply not him you apply nothing for the onely thing held forth in them is Christ 2. There are Inviting Promises as that before mentioned Come to me you that are weary The promise is not to wearinesse but to comming to Christ they are bidden Come to him if they will have rest 3. There are Assuring Promises as those made to such and such qualifications of sanctification c. But still what is it that is promised in them which the heart should onely eye It is Christ in whom the soule rests and hath comfort in and not in its grace so that the sight of a mans grace is but a back-doore to let faith in at to converse with Christ whom the soule loves Even as at the Sacrament the elements of Bread and Wine are but outward signes to bring Christ and the heart together and then faith lets the outward elements goe and closeth and treats immediately with Christ unto whom these let the soule in So Grace is a signe inward and whilst men make use of it onely as of a bare signe to let them in unto Christ and their rejoycing is not in it but in Christ their confidence being pitcht upon him and not upon their grace whilst men take this course there is and will be no danger at all in making such use of signes and I see not but that God might as well appoint his owne work of the new creation within to be as a signe and help to communion with Christ by faith as he did those outward elements the works of his first creation especially seeing in nature the effect is a sign of the cause Neither is it more derogatory to free grace or to Christs honour for God to make such effects signes of our union with him then it was to make outward signs of his presence SECT II. CHRIST the object and support of faith for Justification in his death ROM 8. 34. Who shall condemne Christ hath dyed CHAP. I. How not Christs Person simply but Christ as dying is the object of Faith as justifying TO come now to all those foure particulars of or about Christ as the object of faith here mentioned and to shew both how Christ in each is the object of faith as justifying and what support or encouragement the faith of a Beleever may fetch from each of them in point of Justification which is the Argument of the maine Body of this Discourse First Christ as dying is the object of justifying faith Who shall condemne Christ hath dyed For the explanation of which Explained 1. By two Directions I will 1. Give a direction or two 2. Shew how an encouragement or matter of triumph may from hence be fetcht 1. 1. Direction The first Direction is this That in seeking forgivenesse or justification in the Promises as Christ is to be principally in the eye of your faith so it must be Christ as crucified Christ as dying as here he is made It was the Serpent as lift up and so looked at that healed them Now this direction I give to prevent a mistake which soules that are about to beleeve doe often run into For when they heare that the person of Christ is the maine object of faith they thus conceive of it that when one comes first to beleeve he should looke onely upon the personall excellencies of Grace and Glory which are in Jesus Christ which follow upon the Hypostaticall Union and so have his heart allured in unto Christ by them onely and close with him under those apprehensions alone But although it be true that there is that radicall disposition in the faith of every Beleever which if it were drawne forth to view Christ in his meere personall excellencies abstractively considered would close with Christ for them alone as seeing such a beauty and suitablenesse in them yet the first view which an humbled soule alwayes doth and is to take of him is of his being a Saviour made sinne and a curse and obeying to the death for sinners He takes up Christ in his first sight of him under the likenes of sinfull flesh for so the Gospel first represents him though it holds forth his personall excellencies also and in that representation it is that he is made a fit object for a sinners faith to trust rest upon for salvation which in part distinguisheth a sinners faith whilst here on earth towards Christ from that vision or sight which Angels and the souls of men have in heaven of him Faith here views him not onely as glorious at Gods right hand though so also but as crucified as made sin and a curse and so rests upon him for pardon but in heaven we shall see him as he is and be made like unto him Take Christ in his personall excellencies simply considered and so with them propounded as an Head to us he might have been a fit object for Angels and men even without sin to have closed withall and what an additon to their happinesse would they have thought it to have him for their husband but yet so considered he should have been and rather is the object of love then of faith or affiance It is therefore Christ that is thus excellent in his person yet farther considered as clothed with his garments of bloud and the qualifications of a Mediator and Reconciler it is this that makes him so desirable by sinners and a fit object for their faith which looks out for justification to prey and seize upon though they take in the consideration of all his other excellencies to allure their hearts to him and confirme their choice of him Yea I say farther that consider faith as justifying that is in that act of it which justifies a sinner and so Christ taken onely or mainly in his
We who are dead how shall we live in sinne or yeeld unto the least sinne For it might be said Alas we are but imperfectly dead and from an imperfect death could but an imperfect argument have been drawn But the Scripture elsewhere tels us that Christ by his death hath perfected for ever all that are sanctified so Heb. 10. So as in his death they may reckon themselves perfectly dead by faith and perfectly sanctified though yet the work be not actually and fully perfected And all this communion with Christ as a Common person representing them in his death he there instructs them to be represented and sealed up to them by their Baptisme so ver 3 4. How I shall shew afterwards Now as this place holds forth Christ as a Common person in his Death representing us §. 2. so other places hold forth the like of his Resurrection More particularly how Christ was a Common person in his Resurrection and therein representing us In the 1 Cor. 15. 20. the Apostle argues that Elect Beleevers must and shall rise because Now Christ is risen from the dead and is become the first-fruits of them that sleep See the force of this Argument founded upon this notion and consideration that Christ was a Common person representing all the rest and this strongly presented in that expression of his being the first-fruits in allusion to the Rite in the Leviticall Law All the sheaves in a field being unholy of themselves there was some one sheafe in the name and room of all the rest which was called the first-fruit which was lift up and waved before the Lord and so all the sheaves abroad in the field by that act done to this one sheafe were consecrated unto God Levi. 23. 10. c. by vertue of that law The meaning of which Rite the Apostle expounding alledgeth Rom. 11. 16. If the first-fruits be holy all the lump is holy also Thus when we were all dead Christ as the First-fruits riseth and this in our name and stead and so we all rise with him and in him And although the Saints departed are not it their owne persons as yet risen as wee all who are now alive are not in our own persons yet dead yet in the meane time because thus they are risen in Christ as their First-fruits hence in the very words following hee faith they are but asleep He is become the first-fruits of them that sleep because they remaine alive in Christ their Head and shall rise one day because in him they virtually are already risen and this in Gods account in as true and just a sense as we though personally alive are yet all reckoned dead in Adam because in as a Common person had the sentence of death pronounced on him by vertue of which we must dye and this by the force of the same Law even of that which wee have inclucated of being a Common person representing us And indeed so it followes which argues this to be the Apostles meaning ver 21. For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive His argument lies thus Adam was the first-fruits of them that dyed Christ of them that rise Hence therefore we are elsewhere said though in respect to another life to be rise with Christ Ephes 2. 5 6. which is yet more to sit together with him in heaven because he as a Common person representing us sits there in our name and stead as you shall heare when I come to in the Text in the next Section CHAP. V. The second branch How Christs representing us as a Common Person in his Resurrection hath an Influence into our Justification made forth by two things 1. How Christ at his Resurrection was justified from our sin 2. That we were all then justified in him as a Common person NOw then to come to the other branch of the Demonstration namely how this relation to us as a Common Person representing us in his Resurrection hath a reall influence into our Justification And this is the point I drive at and for the clearing of which that large and general discourse by way of digression in the former Chapter was but to make way for I shall absolve and dispatch this Branch by shewing two things 1. That Christ himselfe was justified and that at his Resurrection 2. That he was justified then as a Common person representing us therein as well as that he rose as a Common person and so that we were then justified in him and with him and by this meanes it is that by that Act then done to him our Justification is made irrepealable for ever For the explicating of the first §. 1. As Christ was in his death made sinne for us 1. That Christ himselfe was justified at his Resurrection and so sustained our persons in his satisfying for sin by his death which is the matter of our righteousnesse so in and upon his Resurrection he was justified and acquited from our sins by God Made forth by three things laid together as having now fully in his Death satisfied for them which I make forthby these three things put together First in reason 1. There must have been some Act passe from God when Christ was acquited and justified from our sins by God if that Christ were made sinne for us and satisfied for it there must then some Act passe whereby Christ should be pronounced acquit of our sinnes and fully cleare of them and so be himselfe formally justified in respect of those sins for which he undertook to satisfie For according to the course of all Proceedings if a charge of guilt be formally laid there must be as formall an Act of acquiting and of giving a Quietus est There is no man but for his owne discharge and security would desire it Nor is there any wise man that payes a debt for which he is legally sued that wil not have upon the payment of it as legall an Acquitance Paul when he was cast into prison by a publique Act of Authority he stood upon it to have a publique Act of Release from the same Magistrates and would not goe forth of prison privily though themselves sent to him so to goe out Acts 36. 37. Now God himselfe did lay the iniquities of us all upon Christ Esay 53. 6. and had him to prison and to Iudgement for them ver 8. There must therefore some Act passe from God legally to take them off from him and declaring him discharged to deliver him from Prison and Judgement And De facto it is evident That there was such an Act passed that there was some such Act passed from God for as we read that Christ vvhile he lived and also in his Death was made sin and did beare the sin of many as the phrase is Heb. 9. 28. So we read in the very next words that he shall appeare the second time without sinne which must needs be spoken in a
direct opposition to his having born our sins and appearing then with all our sins laid to his charge He appeared charged with them then but now he shall appeare as apparently and as manifestly to be without those sins for of our sins it must needs be meant and so to be discharged of them as fully as ever he appeared charged with them For it is said He shall appeare without sin and therefore to the judgements of all it shall be made manifest that that God that once charged him with them hath now fully discharged him of them The Apostle speaks of it as of a great alteration made in this respect betweene Christ as he was whilst on earth and Christ as he is to appeare the second time and is now in heaven And this alteration or discharge must necessarily be made by God for he is the Creditour vvho followed the Suit and therefore he alone can give the Acquitance Now secondly 2. There must be some season of time when this discharge from our sins was first made unto Christ from hence it will follow that there must be some time when this alteration was first made and discharge given when Christ from being sin as he was made should become without sinne through Gods acquiting of him and this say I was at his Resurrection It is not deferred as then to be first done when he is to appeare the second time though then it appeares indeed but it is really done before for hee comes then to judge others for sinne Now in reason when should this Acquitance or Justification from our sins be first given to Christ and legally pronounced on him but when he had paid the last farthing of the debt and made his satisfaction compleat which was then done when he began to rise for his lying in the grave was a part of his Humiliation and so of his Satisfaction as generally Orthodoxe Divines hold Now therefore when he began to rise then ended his Humiliation and that was the first moment of his Exaltation His Acquitance therefore bears Date from thence even from that very houre Hence thirdly 3. That this must needs be and was first made to him at his Resurrection we read as that Christ was condemned so that he was justified Thus 1 Tim. 3. 16. God is said to be manifest in the flesh and then that this God-man was justified in the spirit That is whereas God was manifest or appeared in flesh to condemne sinne in the flesh as Rom. 8. that same God-man was also justified in the spirit from all those sins and so received up to glory as it follows there And not to goe far the very words of this my Text It is God that justifies are taken out of Esay 50. 8 9. and as there they are first spoken by Christ of himselfe then when he gave his back to the smiters in his death as in the verses before and vvas put to death as a condemned man he comforts himselfe vvith this He is neere that justifies me who shall condemne And when was that done or to be done but at his Resurrection So the phrase in Timothy imports if you compare it with another in Peter 1 Pet. 3. 18. Being put to death in the flesh and quickned in or by the spirit Paul he sayes Iustified in the spirit Peter he sayes Quickned in the spirit both meane one and the same thing By Spirit is meant the power of his God-head and Divine nature whereby he was at once both raised from the grave and from under the guilt of sin together He was at once both quickned or raised and justified also And that by Spirit they mean his Divine nature the opposition in both places evidently implyes for it is opposed to his Flesh or humane nature Now because he was quickned or raised by the power of the God-head and at that raising him he was justifyed also by God and declared justifyed by that Resurrection as he had been declared condemned by his death Hence to be justified is put for his Resurrection for that was his justification or declaration to all the world that he was justified from all the sins laid to his charge And that other place I cited out of Isaiah hath the same meaning also for Christ there comforts himselfe against the Jews condemning him and putting him to death with the hopes of Gods justifying of him when he should have gone through that work And Christs meaning there is this God will raise me up and acquit me though you condemne and kill me In the other Prophets you shall find Christ still comforting himself against his condemnation at his death with the thoughts of his Resurrection which he fore-saw as shortly to follow after it as here in Esay he comforts himselfe with these hopes of his being justified after their condemnation of him For instance Psa 16. 9. My flesh shall rest in hope thou wilt not leave my soule in hell nor suffer thy holy One to see corruption Which words you know Peter in the Acts doth twice interpret of Christs Resurrection In like manner here in Esay against his death and condemnation he comforts himself with the hopes of Gods justification of him at his Resurrection He is neere who justifies me and he shall help me who shall condemne And further His Resurrection therefore called his first begetting to confirm strengthen this notion because his Resurrection was the first moment of this his justification from our sins therefore it is that God cals it his first begetting of Christ This day have I begotten thee speaking manifestly of his Resurrection Acts 13. 35. And the reason of his so calling it is because all the while before he was covered with sin and the likenesse of sinfull flesh But now having flung it off he appears like Gods Son indeed as if newly begotten And thus also there commeth to be the fuller conformity betweene Christ justification ours For as our justification is at our first being born again And therein a conformity between our Regeneration and his Resurrection so was Christ also at this his first glorious begetting He was under an Attainder before here was the Act of Restitution first passed And as at our Conversion which is to us a Resurrection wee passe from death to life that is from an estate of death and condemnation unto justification of life so did Christ also at his Resurrection which to him was are begetting passe from an estate of death and guilt laid on him to an estate of Life Glory and justification from guilt and so shall appear as the word is Heb. 9. ult as he doth now in heaven without sin for he became to be without sin frō that very moment Thus I have shewn how Christ was justified at his Resurrection Now then in the 2. §. 2. place 2. That Beleevers were all justified in Christ his justification as a Common person representing them I am to
deals with Mercy Therefore all the Grace he bestows on us he is said first to receive it even now when in heaven Acts 2. 33. it is said of him after his going to heaven and that he was exalted c. that he received the promise of the Spirit which Ioh. 14. 16. he told them he would pray for And this is part of the meaning of that in Psal 68. 18. He ascended up on high and received gifts for men sayes the Psalmist The Apostle renders it Ephes 4. gave but you see it was by receiving them first as fruits of his Intercession and asking after his ascending He is said both to give as being all of his own purchase and as having power as a King also both to doe and bestow all he doth and yet withall he is said to receive all that he gives because as a Priest he intercedes for it and asks it Free grace requires this This is the first thing Yea 2. Gods justice stood upon it Secondly Justice it selfe might stand a little upon it though there was enough in Christ his death to satisfie it yet having been wronged it stood thus far upon it as those to whom a debt is due use to doe namely to have the money brought home to Gods dwelling house and laid downe there God is resolved not to stoope one whit unto man no nor to Christ his Surety Justice will not onely be satisfied and have a sufficient ransome collected and paid as at Christs death but he must come and bring his bags up to heaven justice will be paid it upon the Mercie-seate For so in the Type the blood was to be carried into the Holy of holies and sprinkled upon the Mercie-seat And therefore his Resurrection Ascension c. were but as the breaking through all enemies subduing them to the end to bring this price or satisfaction to the Mercie-seat and so God having his money by him might not want wherewithall to pardon Sinners so as the blood of Christ is currant money not only on earth but in heaven too whither all is brought which is for our comfort that all the treasure which should satisfie God is safely conveyed thither and our Surety with it The second sort of reasons why God ordained Christs intercession to be joyned to his Death Second sort of reasons it was best for the effecting our Salvation are taken from what was the best way to effect and make sure our salvation and secure our hearts therein and these reasons will shew the peculiar influence that Intercession hath into our Salvation and therein as in the former First in generall God would have our salvation made sure and us saved all manner of wayes over and over 1 1. In generall God would have us saved all manner of wayes By ransome and price as Captives are redeemed which was done by his Death which of it selfe was enough for it is said Heb. 10. to perfect us for ever 2 2. The Application of Redemption to us from Christs Intercession By power and rescue so in his Resurrection and Ascension and sitting at Gods right hand which also was sufficient Then 3 3. More particularly our justification depends on it again by Intercession a way of favour and entreaty and this likewise would have beene enough but God would have all wayes concurre in it whereof notwithstanding not one could fail a three fold cord whereof each twine were strong enough but all together must of necessity hold Secondly The whole Application of his redemption both in justifying and saving of us first and last hath a speciall dependance upon this his Intercession This all Divines on all sides doe attribute unto it whilst they put this difference betweene the influence of his death and that of his intercession into our salvation calling his death Medium impetrationis that is the meanes of procurement or obtaining it for us But his intercession Medium applicationis the Meanes of applying all unto us Christ purchaseth salvation by the one but possesseth us of it by the other Some have attributed the Application of Iustification to his Resurrerection but it is much more proper to ascribe it to his Intercession and what causall influence his Resurrection hath into our Iustification hath been afore in the third Section declared But that his eternall Priesthood in heaven and the work of its Intercession is the applying cause of our eternall salvation in all the parts of it first and last seems to me to be the result of the connexion of the 8 9 and 10. verses of the 5. Chap. to the Hebrews For having spoken of his obedience and sufferings unto death ver 8. and how he thereby was made perfect ver 9. he sayes And being thus first made perfect he became the Author or applying cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of eternall salvation unto all them that obey him and this by his being become an eternall Priest in heaven after he was thus perfected by sufferings for so it follows ver 10. Called of God an High-priest after the order of Melchisedech And Melchisedechs Priesthood was principally the type of his Priesthood in heaven as was before declared One leading instance to shew that his Intercession was to be the applying cause of salvation was given by Christ whilst he was on earth thereby manifesting what much more was to be done by him in heaven through his Intercession there when he was on the Crosse and as then offering that great sacrifice for sin he at that time also joyned prayers for the justification of those that crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they doe So fulfilling that in Esay 53. ult He bare the sins of many and made Intercession for the transgressours And the efficacie of that prayer then put up was the cause of the conversion of those three thousand Acts 2. whom ver 35. the Apostle had expresly charged with the crucifying of Christ whom ye by wicked hands have taken crucified and slaine These were the first fruits of his Intercession whose prayers still doe reap and bring in the rest of the crop which in all ages is to grow up unto God on earth 3. And more particularly as the whole Application in generall so our Iustification in the whole progresse of it depends upon Christs Intercession As 1. 1 The first act of our justification and our conversion depends upon it Our first actuall or initiall Iustification which is given us at our first conversion depends upon Christs Intercession Therefore in the fore-mentioned prayer on the Crosse the thing he prayed for was Forgivenes Father forgive them You heard before that Christs death affords the matter of our justification as being that which is imputed the ransome the price the thing it self that satisfies And that his Resurrection was the originall act of Gods justifying us in Christ We were virtually justified then in Christ his being justifyed as in a Common Person But
besides all this there is a personall or an actuall Iustification to be bestowed upon us that is an accounting and bestowing it upon us in our own persons which is done whē we beleeve and it is called Rom. 5. 1. a being justifyed by faith and ver 10. receiving the atonement now this depends upon Christs Intercession and it was typified out by Moses his sprinkling the people with blood mentioned Heb. 9. 19. which thing Jesus Christ as a Mediator and Priest doth now from Heaven For Heb. 12. 24. it is said You are come to Heaven and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and as it is next subjoyned to the blood of sprinkling he shed his blood on the Crosse on earth but he sprinkleth it now as a Priest from Heaven For it is upon Mount Sion to which he had said first in the former verse ye are come and so to Christ as a Mediator standing on that mount and sprinkling from thence his blood and so therein there is an allusion unto Moses Christs Type who sprinkled the people with the blood of that ceremoniall covenant the type of the covenant of grace Now in the 1 Pet. 1. 2. The sprinkling of Christ his blood as it is there made the more proper work of Christ himselfe in distinction from the other persons and therefore was done by Moses who was his type so is it also put for our first justification And this sprinkling as it is there mentioned is from the vertue of his intercession And therefore in that place of the Heb. forecited he attributes an intercession unto it as the phrase that follows which speaks better things c. doth imply of which more hereafter Yet concerning this first Head let me adde this by way of caution which I shall presently have occasion to observe that though this our first justification is to be ascribed to his Intercession yet more eminently Intercession is ordained for the accōplishing our salvation this other more rarely in the Scripture attributed thereunto Secondly 2. The continuance of our justification depends upon it The continuation of our Iustification depends upon it And as his Intercession is the virtuall continuation of his Sacrifice so is it the continuing cause of our justification which though it be an act done once as fully as ever yet is it done over every moment for it is continued by acts of free Grace so renewed actually every moment There is a standing in Grace by Christ spoken of Rom. 5. 2. as well as a first accesse by Christ and that standing in grace and continuing in it is afterwards ver 11. attributed to his life that is as it is interpreted Heb. 7. 25. his living ever to intercede We owe our standing in grace every moment to his sitting in Heaven and interceding every moment There is no fresh act of justification goes forth but there is a fresh act of intercession And as though God created the World once for all yet every moment he is said to create every new act of providence beeing a new creation so likewise to justifie continually through his continuing out free grace to justifie as at first and this Christ doth by continuing his Intercession he continues a Priest for ever and so we continue to be justifyed for ever 3. A full security of our justification given thereby forever There is hereby a full security given us of justification to be continued for ever The danger either must lie in old sins comming into remembrance or else from sins newly to be committed Now first God hereby takes order 1. Against the remembrance of sins past that no old sins shall come up into remembrance to trouble his thoughts as in the old Law after the Priests going into the Holy of holies their sins are said yet to have done Heb. 10. 3. and to that end it was that he placed Christ as his Remembrancer for us so neere him to take up his thoughts so with his obedience that our sinnes might not come into mind not that God needed this help to put himself in mind but onely for a formality sake that things being thus really carryed between God and Christ for us according to a way suiting with our apprehensions our faith might be strengthened against all suppositions and feares of after reviving our guilts Look therefore as God ordained the Rain-bow in the heavens that when he lookt on it he might remember his Covenant never to destroy the world againe by water so he hath set Christ as the Rain-bow about his Throne And look as the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper are appointed on earth to shew forth Christs death as a Remembrancer to us so is Christ himselfe appointed in heaven to shew forth his death really as a Remembrancer thereof to his Father and indeed the one is correspondent to the other Onely the Papists have perverted the use of the Lords Supper by making it on earth a commemorative sacrifice to God when as it is but a Remembrancer thereof to men and besides their Priests therein do take upon themselves this very office of presenting this sacrifice to God which is proper onely to Christ in Heaven But God when he would make sure not to be tempted to remember our sins any more nor trouble himselfe with them hath set his Christ by him to put him in minde of his so pleasing an offering So the High-Priests going into the Holy of holies was for a memoriall and therein the Type of Christ And this is plainly expresly made the use of this execution of his Priestly office in Heaven Heb. 8. where the Apostle having discoursed of that part of his office as the chiefe thing he aimed at in this Epistle ver 1. and of the necessity of it ver 3 4 and 5. and excellencie of it in this respect ver 6. he then shews how from thence the new Covenant of pardon came to be sure and stedfast that God will remember our sins no more ver 12. which he there brings in as the proper use of this Doctrine and of this part of his Priesthood 2. 2. To prevent the accusing condemning us by new sinne for times to come As by reason of intercession God remembers not old sins so likewise he is not provoked by new For though God when he justifies us should forgive all old sins past for ever so as never to remember them more yet new ones would break forth and he could not but take notice of them and so so long as sinne continues there is need of a continuing intercession Therefore for the securing us in this it is said Rom. 5. 10. That if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Where we see that his Death is in some more speciall manner said to procure reconciliation at first for sinnes of unregeneracie and to bring us to
are to looke upon our Mediator CHRIST as doing as much worke for us in Heaven at this instant as ever hee did on Earth here suffering but there praying and presenting his sufferings All his worke was not done when he had done here that worke here was indeede the harder piece of the two yet soone dispatched but his work in heaven though sweeter far yet lyes on his hands for ever therefore let us leave out none of these in our believing on him CHAP. IV. The second Head The great security the consideration of Christs Intercession affords to faith for our Justification shewed 1. By way of evidence By two things ANd so I come as in the former I have done to shew what strong grounds of security and triumph our faith may raise frō this last act namely Christs Intercession for us in the point of justification Who shall condemne it is Christ that intercedes And this was the second generall propounded and therein to proceed also according to the Method taken up in the former 1. What assurance by way of evidence this doth afford unto faith of non-condemnation 2. What powerfull efficacy and influence this must be of that Christ intercedes First §. 1. to handle it by way of evidence That Christ intercedes To evidence these two demonstrations is a strong evidence to our faith by two demonstrations 1. From the very intent and scope of the worke of intercession it selfe and what it is ordained by God to effect 2. From the end of Jesus Christ himself who lives in Heaven on purpose to intercede for us Our salvation it is both Finis operis the end of the work and finis ipsius operantis in some respect the end of Christ himselfe the interceder and both these doe lay the greatest engagement that can be upon Christ to accomplish our salvation through his intercession 1. For the work it self Intercession you have seen is a part of the office of Christs Priesthood as well as his dying and offering himselfe now all the works of Christ are must be perfect in their kind even as Gods are of which sayes Moses Deut. 32. 4. His work is perfect for otherwise he should not be a perfect Priest Now the perfection of every work lies in order to its end for which it is ordained so as that work is perfect that attains to such an end as it is ordained for and that imperfect which doth not Now the immediate direct end of Christs Intercession is the actuall salvation of Beleevers Elect and persons whom he dyed for The end of his death is Adoptio juris purchasing a right unto salvation but of Intercession procuratio ipsius salutis the very saving us actually and putting us in possession of Heaven To this purpose observe how the Scripture speaks concerning Christs death Heb. 9. 12. He entred into heaven having obtained Redemption or found redemption that is by way of right by procuring full title to it But of his Intercession it sayes Heb. 7. 25. that by it Christ is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him that is actually to save and put them in possession of happinesse that is made the end and scope of Intercession there and that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the utmost notes out a saving indeed a doing it not by halves but wholly and throughly and compleatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to save altogether to give our salvation its last act and complement that is the true force of the phrase even to effect it to the last of it all that is to be done about it Thus also Rom. 5. 9 and 10. We are justified by his death but saved namely compleatly by his life that is his living to intercede So that the very salvation of Beleevers is it that is the work the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christs Intercession Now what security doth this afford What security this affords for to be saved is more then to be justified for it is the actual possessing us of heaven So then do but grant that Christs Intercession is as perfect a work in its kind as Christs death is in its kind and you must needs be saved The perfection of Christs death and the work thereof wherein lay it as on Christs part to be performed but in this that he should lay downe a Ransome sufficient to purchase salvation for such and such persons as God would save and so the perfection of it lies in the worth and sufficiencie of it to that end it was ordained for it being a perfect sacrifice in it self able to purchase eternall redemption for us and to make us salvable against all sins and the demerits of them and to give us right to Heaven and had it wanted a graine of this it had then been imperfect Now then answerably for intercession the comfort of our souls is that the proper work that lies upon Christ therein is the compleat saving those very persons and the possessing them of Heaven this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper worke thereof To out-vie the demerits of our sins was the perfection of his death but to save our soules is the end and perfection of his Intercession Our sins are the object of the one and our soules of the other To that end was intercession added to his death that we might not have a right to Heaven in vaine of which we might be dispossessed Now therefore upon this ground if Christ should faile of our souls salvation yea but of any one degree of glory purchased by his death to any soule which that soule should want this work of his would then want and fal short so much of its perfection That place in Heb. 7. sayes not only that Christ will doe his utmost to save but save to the utmost You may say Object My infidelitie and obstinacy may hinder it though Christ doth what in him lies Well Resp but intercession undertakes the worke absolutely For Christ prays not conditionally in Heaven If men shall believe c. as we doe here on earth nor for propositions only but for persons and therefore he prays to cure that very infidelity Now as if a Physitian undertakes to cure a mad man if he knowes what he doth he considers the madnesse of his Patient and how he will teare off what is applyed and refuse all Physick hee therefore resolves to deal with him accordingly and so to order him as he shall not hinder that help which he is about to afford him and so upon those tearms he undertakes the cure even so doth Christ when by intercession hee undertakes to save us sinners he considers us what we are and how it is with us For Christ otherwise should not be as perfect a Priest in interceding as he was in dying what unbeliefe is in us yet undertakes the matter and so to save us is the scope and end of this his work which if he
Christ as his instrument to bring it honourably about All the Blessings he means to give us he first purposed and intended in himselfe so Eph. 1. 3 5 9 11. compared out of the good pleasure of his will yet in Christ as it is added there as the means through which hee would convey them yea Christ adds not one drop of love to Gods heart onely he draws it out he brocheth it and makes it flow forth whose current had otherwise beene stopt The truth is that God suborned Christ to beg them on our behalf for an honourable way of carrying it and to make us prize this favour of it the more but so as his heart is as ready to give all to us as Christs is to ask and this out of his pure love to us The Intercession therefore of Christ must needs speed when Gods heart is thus of it selfe prepared to us In Esay 53. 10. it is said The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand If our salvation be in Christs hand it is in a good hand but if it be the pleasure of the Lord too it must needs prosper And it is said of our hearts and prayers that He prepareth the heart and heareth the prayer much more therefore when his owne heart is prepared to grant the suit will he easily heare it When one hath a mind to doe a thing then the least hint procures it of him So a father having a mind to spare his child he will take any excuse any ones mediation even of a servant a stranger or an enemie rather then of none Now when Christ shall speak for us and speak Gods owne heart how prevalent must those words needs be Davids soule longing to goe forth unto Absalom 2 Sam. 13. ult whom notwithstanding for the honour of a Father and a Kings State-policie and to satisfie the world he had banisht the Court for his Treason when Ioab perceived it that the Kings heart was towards Absalom Chap. 14. 1. and that the King onely needed one to speake a good word for him he subornes a woman a stranger no matter whom for it had beene all one for speeding with a made tale to come to the King and you know how easily it tooke and prevailed with him and how glad the Kings heart was of that occasion even so acceptable it was to him that Ioab could not have done him a greater kindnesse and that Ioab knew well enough Thus it is with Gods heart towards us Christ assures us of it and you may believe him in this case for Christ might have tooke all the Honour to himselfe and made us beholding to himselfe alone for all Gods kindnes to us but he deales plainly and tels us that his Father is as ready as himselfe and this for his Fathers honour and our comfort And therefore it is that Iohn 17. in that this prayer so operated on this discourse he pleads our election Iohn 17. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me Thou commendedst them unto me and badest me pray for them and I doe but commend the same to thee again In the High-priests breast-plate when he went into the Holy of Holies were set twelve stones on which were written the names of the twelve Tribes the mysterie of which is this Christ beares us and our names in his Heart when he goes to God and moreover we are Gods jewels precious in his own account and choise So God calls them Mal. 3. 17. Made precious to him out of his love So Isai 43. 4. So that God loves us as jewels chosen by him but much more when he beholds us set and presented unto him in the breast-plate of Christs heart and prayer To conclude therefore we have now made both ends of this Text to meet Gods love and Christs intercession The Apostle began with that Who shall accuse it is God that justifies and he being for us who can be against us The Father himself loves us as he is our Father And then he ends with this Christ intercedes namely with our Father and his Father Who then shall condemn Who or what can possibly condemne all these things being for us the least of which were alone enough to save us Let us now looke round about and take a full view and prospect at once of all those particulars that Christ hath done and doth for us and their severall and joynt influence which they have into our salvation 1. In that Christ dyed it assures us of a perfect price payed for and a right to eternall life thereby acquired 2. In that he rose again as a common person this assures us yet further that there is a formall legall and irrevocable act of Iustification of us passed and enrolled in that Court of Heaven between Christ and God and that in his being then justifyed we were also justified him so that thereby our justification is made past re-calling 3 Christs Ascension into Heaven is a further act of his taking possession of Heaven for us he then formally entring upon that our right in our stead and so is a further confirmation of our salvation to us But still we in our owne persons are not yet saved this being but done to us as we are representatively in Christ as our Head 4. Therefore he sits at Gods right hand vvhich imports his being armed and invested with all power in Heaven and Earth to give and apply eternall life to us 5. And last of all there remaines Intercession to finish and compleat our salvation to doe the thing even to save us And as Christs death Re-resurrection were to procure our Iustification so his sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession are to procure salvation and by faith we may see it done and behold our soules not onely sitting in heaven as in Christ a common person sitting there in our right as an evidence that we shall come thither but also through Christs Intercession begun vve may see our selves actually possessed of heaven And there I vvill leave all you that are believers by faith possessed of it and solacing your soules in it and doe you feare condemnation if you can CHAP. X. The use of all Containing some Encouragements for weake Beleevers from Christs Intercession out of HEB. 7. 25. NOw for a Conclusion of this Discourse I will adde a briefe Use of Encouragement and this suited to the lowest Faith of the weakest Beleever who cannot put forth any act of Assurance and is likewise discouraged from comming in unto Christ And I shall confine my selfe onely unto what those most comfortable words as any in the booke of God doe hold forth which the Apostle hath uttered concerning Christs Intercession the Point in hand Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them words which I have had the most recourse unto in this Doctrinall part of any other as most tending to the clearing