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cause_n apprehend_v faith_n justify_v 2,268 5 9.0045 4 true
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A92854 The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved. Or Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation for sensible sinners. Discovering the quality, object, acts, seat, subject, inseparable concomitants and degrees of justifying faith. The agreement and difference of a strong and weak faith; the difficulty of beleeving, the facility of mistake about it, and the misery of unbelief. The nature of living by faith, and the improvement of it to a full assurance. Wherein several cases are resolved, and objections answered. / By Obadiah Sedgwick, Batchelour in Divinity and late minister of the Gospel in Covent Garden. Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658. 1657 (1657) Wing S2375; Thomason E900_1; ESTC R203520 234,690 315

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righteou●nesse but this is a rotten opinion Because first it makes void the righteousnesse of Chris● by his blood we are justified Rom. 5. 9. By his obedience are we made righteous verse 19. If this doth justifie us then faith as an act doth not unlesse we will be doubly justified Secondly no works of ours before or after grace do justifie us but the act of faith is one of these E●go 3. Correlatively that is with relation to Christ and his righteousnesse and in this respect faith is the onely way one saith well faith doth not justifie as an action but as a passion his Bucer meaning is this not faith apprehending but the thing apprehended by faith doth justifie It is true I must by faith apprehend Christ if I will be saved but it is not the apprehension which saves but he who is apprehended is the cause of my salvation If I were like to be drowned in the water I must put forth my hand to him who stands and reacheth out his hand unto me yet it is not the meer putting forth of my hand which saves me from drowning but his hand which is laid hold on by mine which draws me forth and so I am preserved both must meet but the cause is in him 4. Instrumentally or in respect of office you know well how to distinguish 'twixt actions a man doth as a man and actions which a man doth as an officer If a man be condemned and ready for execution and one comes from the King with the message of pardon the delivering of this message is an act of his employment and office not of his absolute nature as a man only Thus it is with faith it sends out some actions as an absolute grace and it performes others as a grace in office as an instrument designed and deputed It justifies us in this latter respect not that it is the matter or cause which cleares all for us with God but because it is the instrument laying hold on him who doth this for us As the hand is said to cloath the body not that the hand is any cloathing for a man doth not weare his hand but because it is the instrument to put on our cloathing or as the cup is said to quench our thirst not that the mettal of the cup can go down and satisfie that natural appetite but because it holds that wine or liquor which doth quench so doth faith justifie a sinner not as the object not as the cause but as the instrument that is as the hand of the soule laying hold on the Robes of Christs righteousnesse putting on that garment of his and as an instrument receiving and holding and bringing to the soul that precious blood of Christ which onely can immediately satisfie God and appease a thirsty conscience 2. Againe we must distinguish of the manner and peculiar habitudes or respect of things unto salvation some things A twofold reference of things have a reference to salvation by way of proper causality which have in them a meritorious reason for the proper dignity of which a person is justified and saved And in this respect we say that beleeving in Jesus Christ is the only method and way of salvation Not that faith can from its own worth dispute and challenge from God but because Jesus Christ who is the object of faith hath as a cause merited our pardon justification and salvation Other things have a reference by way of order As suppose a man were to be Knighted by the King to obtaine this Knighthood he must come to the Court and stoop down on his knee and so receive that honour This accesse to the Court and humbling on his knee is not a matter of merit or cause but only of order and condition In this latter respect we deny not but good works look towards s●lvation and are required thereto Not as any cause Christ only is the cause but as conditions and orderly steps and wayes which we must tread if we will be saved via ad regnum non causa regnandi Bernard When we say that beleeving in Christ Jesus is the onely way to be saved you must not understand it so as if no other grace were required from a man but faith only but thus There is no other grace which layes hold on Christ who is the cause of salvation but faith only As it was with the father of the Prodigal when he met his sonne falling down on his knees he presently forgave him but before he brought him into his house he did cloath him with other garments So doth God our Father upon our humbling and believing freely confer on us remission of sins for his Christs sake yet before he brings us to heaven he doth invest our souls with the singular graces of his holy Spirit yea though justification be not sanctification yet where God doth the one he ever bestowes and works the other Therefore I pray you remember to distinguish 'twixt these two justification and sanctification The person justified and to be saved Though this be most true that there is no other meritorious cause of our justification and salvation but only Christ and there is no other instrument to lay hold on this but faith yet this is as true that the person justified and to be saved hath more graces in him besides his faith though there be not a co-operation of faith and other graces to justifie yet there is a co-existance of faith and other graces in the person justified Thou must have a good heart as well as a good Christ and an holy life as well as a precious faith or else thou shalt never come to heaven You know that in the body of man there be Eyes to see and Eares to hear and Hands to take and Feet to go of all these which are in the body yet no members are deputed to see but the eyes neverthelesse the eye must not say of the eares I have no need of thee nor the hand to the foot I have no need of thee it is granted that no member sees but the eye eates but the mouth walks but the feet layes hold on but the hands Their offices are singular yet their con-corporation is necessary So no grace but faith pitcheth on Christ layes hold on him as the cause of salvation yet there is need of other graces in the person to be saved There must be love and repentance and godly sorrow and true fear and lively hope and patience and zeal c. The estate is changed only by the blood of Christ but if we will be saved the person must also be changed by the Spirit of Christ. SECT I. THese things being thus premised I shall now give you some arguments by which the truth of the assertion shall appear First there is no other way to be saved but this viz. to believe on Jesus Christ Ergo it is the only way Three things I take as granted Hypotheses First that there is a
from gilt and condemnation And thus is it for ought I can learn altogether used and sensed in the Scriptures which speak of our justification before God viz. for such an action of God whereby after the manner of a Judge he absolveth and acquitteth an accused person Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth verse 34. Who is he that condemneth where you have a manifest Antithesis or opposition 'twixt justification and condemnation now as condemnation is an action of the Judge a sentence of his pronouncing the person gilty and obnoxious so justification being contrary to it must import an action or sentence acquitting and absolving Yea and again as condemnation most improperly and abusively must be interpreted if we expound it to be a making of a man so and so sinful by infusion so is justification unrightly conceited when men make it to be a making of a person just by infusion of holinesse It is observed that in this kinde of justification viz. which is judicial There are foure persons as it were First the Agent One who begins the suit accuseth layeth such and such things to the charge of another the Apostle said it Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge c. Secondly the Patient the person accused and charged with default and offence and gilt Thirdly the Advocate who endeavours to vindicate the party so charged from the accusation either by declaring the innocency of the person or impleading satisfaction Fourthly the Judge who in justification of that person gives sentence for the person accused according to the valid plea of the Advocate and so absolveth him It is thus in the point of our justification there is Satan accusing and something else There is man accused of sinne and gilt there is Christ interposing and pleading as an advocate by his blood and righteousnesse and there is God as a Judge for Christs sake acquitting and absolving and pronouncing righteous and accepting to everlasting life So then the proper and punctual acception of the word justification is not according to infusion but according to absolution and pronunciation It is not Physical as when a man is made whole but it is judicial as when a man is cleared at the bar He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just they are both an abomination to the Lord Proverbs 17. 15. There is the word againe Not I trust to be expounded by way of infusion that is he who makes a wicked man a good man by impression of righteousnesse is an abomination to God but it is to be expounded by way of judiciary sentence that is he who pronounceth of a wicked man in the Court of Justice as if he were just and reputes him as so and accepts him as so This man is an abomination to the Lord. Now take one distinction and then I will to the nature of Justification There is a twofold Justification A twofold Justification One of the cause and this is a particular kinde of acquittance touching such and such things which are laid to a person perhaps sometimes very unjustly Secondly another of the person when he is throughly purged and absolved now in this respect we speak of justification which I think for the nature of it may be thus defined SECT II. JVstification of a sinner it is a gracious and just action of God whereby he imputing the righteousnesse of Christ to a believing sinner absolveth or acquitteth him from his sins and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heire of eternal life There are diverse things considerable in this description 3. Things in this description First Justification immediately belongs to God it is his action It is God that justifieth saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 33. And who can forgive sins but God only Luk. 5. 21. We well distinguish 'twixt officia and beneficia 'twixt duties and 'twixt blessings duties belong to us but blessings belong to God It is God who is offended and therefore condemnation and absolution belong to him to the Judge not to any other hence saith the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5. 19. not imputing their sin You do well to distinguish of the causes of our Justification There is first the prime cause the Author and this is God the Father who gave his only begotten Son for us and set him forth to be a propitiation for sinne through faith in his blood that all who do believe in him should be justified Rom. 3. 25. And who is the Judge absolving all that believe and pronouncing them just in Christ Secondly The meritorious cause so the Son of God our Mediator is said to justifie us both as our surety in paying our debt and laying down the full price of our redemption Isai 53. 11. thereby affording unto us the matter and merit of our Justification and as our Intercessor and Advocate pleading effectually for us that his merits may be imputed to us Hence is it Isai 53. 11. My righteous servant shall justifie many God the Father justifies as a Judge by way of prime authority and God the Son justifies as a Mediator The Son justifies as a surety paying our debt and giving satisfaction to the Father for us to the utmost and the Father justifieth us as a Creditor fully accepting of that price and satisfaction Thirdly The applying cause and thus the Holy Ghost may be said to justifie in asmuch as he conjoynes Christ and the soul by faith together whence ariseth a participation of the righteousnesse of Christ and the pardon of sin by him Once more distinguish of justification it may be taken two wayes either actively as a judiciary sentence absolving acquitting c. and so we say God justifieth Or Passively as a thing apprehended and rested on and so we say that Faith justifieth not as if faith did acquit but as it takes and receiveth the acquittance not as if faith did impute a righteousnesse but because it receiveth and resteth on the righteousnesse of Christ by God imputed to us now when we say that justification is an Action of God it is meet for you to understand somewhat of the kinde of this action For the actions of God are of different sorts Some which are produced within us and make a reall alteration 2. Sorts of actions and change in the soul of man thus sanctification is an action of God that is such an action of God as is altering the inward frame and qualities of the soul of unholy making them holy of unbelieving making them believing of hard making them soft of earthly making them heavenly c. Others are wrought for us but not in us and though they import a change of the condition and state of the person yet properly and formally they imprint no change in the inward disposition And thus Justification is an action of God not an action changing
another thing for thee to be a servant of sin Not who assaults me but whom I love and serve he is my Lord. When the heart goes off from Christ to the approbation and love and habitual obedience of sin now sin is thy Lord But if by faith thou hast sworne fealty to Christ then though all temptations begirt thee though the insolencies of corrupt nature break in upon thee to captivate or to alienate thy heart from service to Christ yet amidst all oppressions yea under all the knocks and buffettings and interruptions by sinne the heart cries out I acknowledge no Lord but Christ him I would obey him I honour I love his I am and I yet hate those sins which yet I cannot conquer SECT V. FOurthly a fourth tryal of true faith is this It makes the heart humble and lowly Every unbeleeving heart is proud and hath high imaginations and stands upon its own bottom It hath no sound experience either of God or of it self But true faith casts a man quite out of himselfe it sees no ground of confidence and excellency from any thing in our selves Faith hath a double aspect 1. One is upon us 2. Another A double aspect of faith is upon God and Christ When faith looks down upon us alas it findes no matter of boasting in the world for either it findes sinnes which should abase our hearts or else imperfections which should curb our pride or wants which should shew unto us our indigence and dependance The Evil which it findes may confound us and the good which it findes may make us ashamed not only because it is so short and defective in what we ought to have but also because we have not answered the giving of that good with just thanks or we have not improved that good to the advantage as we might have done When faith looks upward to God and Christ there it sees all the causes of all our mercy and of all our happinesse have we pardon of sinnes why saith Faith the cause of this is in Gods love Have we righteousnesse why saith Faith the cause of this is in Christs merits Have we any gifts any acceptance any remembrance from heaven why saith faith the cause of this is only in Christs blood All that I have is given me and the cause of all that giving is utterly out of my self so that the soul sits down now and sayes O Lord in my selfe I am nothing nay of my self worse then nothing but what I am I am that by thy grace All I have is thine my bread my health my life my body my soul all thine If any love if any mercy if any Christ if any grace if any comfort if any strength if any stedfastnesse if any performances if a good work if a good word if a good affection if a good thought why all is thine thou only art the cause I am lesse then the least of thy mercies and what is thy servant that thou shouldest look on such a one as I am Thou madest me and thou boughtest me and thou calledst me and thou justifiest me and thou savest me Though faith makes thy condition high yet it makes thy person low Thou shouldst by faith be not high minded but feare Rom. 11. 20. why not high minded because standing by faith Because this standing of faith is not of our selves but in God but in Christ Faith is the foot of the soul but heaven the grace of heaven the strength of heaven is the ground upon which the foot doth stand SECT VI. FIfthly true faith is fruitful James 2. 18. I will shew thee my faith by my works ver 21. Was not our father Abraham justified by works verse 22. seest thou how faith wrought by his works and by works was faith made perfect The Apostle in that Chapter speaks of a double faith A double faith One was a counterfeit faith a shadow as it were which had the looks but not the substance it was a dead faith which hath the limbs but not the soul and life But how did it appeare that this faith was dead did it not speak many good words yes saith Saint James It gave g●od words praeteria nihil no good works It could say to the poore be ye cloathed and be ye warme but gave nothing to cloath or to feed why saith he this mans faith is vaine ●hat is he hath not the true quality of faith and it will stand him in no stead Another was a lively and justifying faith It had in it the true nature and property of faith but how did that appear The Apostle answers by Works You know that there is a great difference 'twixt these two viz. the justifying of a mans person before God and the justifying of a mans faith before the world That which justifies my person before God is only faith in Jesus Christ and that which Justifies as one particular my faith before men not to be a dead but a living faith is the acting of good works Hence that of Paul Tit. 3 8. This is a faithful saying and those things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Right is the speech of Saint Augustine sequuntur justificatum though non precedunt justificandum As in a clock the finger makes not the clock to Austin go but the clock it and yet the motion of the finger without shews whether the clock goes within So although works do not cause or infuse justifying faith nor yet cause our Justification yet they do cleerly manifest whether we have such a faith as doth indeed justifie or not Obj. You will say the work of Faith is to look up and to come and to deal with God only and therefore to breath out good works which respect men seems not to be any testimony of faith Sol. I answer 1. The Apostle there expressely distinguisheth the lively and the dead faith by works as if he said it is so 2. There is if you will let me distinguish so as it were a double act of faith One is proper and personal and this is circumscribed to that Heavenly employment of receiving or presenting in and through Christ Another is Grateful and this is extended to the sending forth of good works Not as if it were a work of superarogation for faith findes the doing of good works under many commands and also the rewards of them under many promises but because faith sees also a sweet and reasonable equity that if God be good to me in Christ I should be good to some for Christs sake And verily as the worklesse person doth not now own Christ by faith so hereafter Christ will not own him by mercy depart from me Obj. But yet you will reply good works cannot be a sure testimony of faith because many evil men may performe them and some beleevers have not wherewithal