one from the other i.e. the Active Obedience of Christ and his Passive Obedience Now I say it is not safe for any to say we are Justified by the Passive Obedience of Christ only i. e. By his Death and Sufferings alone I say 't is very dangerous for any to believe thus For thus I argue Argument That alone by which the Law is fulfilled and God's Justice satisfied by that alone we are Justified But by the Righteousness of Christ that is to say the Righteousness of his Life which is his Active Obedience And by the Righteousness of his Death which is his Passive Obedience the Law is fulfilled and God's Justice fully satisfied Therefore by the whole Righteousness of Christ namely his holy Life and Meritorious Death we are Justified not by his Death excluding his holy Life but his holy Life and bitter Death justifies us and is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification And my Beloved consider 1. That the first part is proved thus There is no Justification before God without a perfect and compleat Righteousness as that which is agreeable to God's holy nature and which is agreeable to his holy Law and this I have already proved that a Man must be perfectly Just or declared so upon just Grounds or he cannot be Justified 2. Consider that there is no perfect Righteousness but that which exactly and fully fulfilleth the Law that is accepted of God and this is done I mean the Law fulfilled two ways 1. By a perfect and perpetual Conformity to the Law not only a perfect Conformity to it for the present but by a perpetual Conformity to it in doing all that the Laws injoyns according to the Tenure of it do this and live or do this and thou shalt be Justified I will defend you from all and every thing that can do you hurt 2. By a full Satisfaction and Compensation to the Sentence of the Law i. e. to bear and undergo the Penalty and punishment thereof which was Death and the Curse and Wrath of God this was our due and this Christ did in our stead as our Surety he did perfectly and perpetually keep the Law while he was on Earth in our Nature for us and he did fully satisfie and make Compensation to the Sentence of the Law he did undergo the penalty and punishment therein denounced which was our due 3. And that it must be thus evident because the Doctrine of Justification doth not make void the Law but establish it See Rom. 3. ult Faith or Justification by Faith doth not make void the Law but establish it The Law is Confirmed i. e. Established by our being Justified by the compleat Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ by the perfect and compleat Conformity of the Lord Jesus to the Law the Law is Established as Holy Just and Good But Christ did fully and perfectly keep the Law and make a full satisfaction to the Justice of God for the Breach of it He in every Precept Type Promise and Prophesie compleatly fulfilled it to justifie us thereby as our Surety Therefore 4. Consider that by the Passive Righteousness or Meritorious Death and Suffering of Christ we are not Justified this doth not justifie us alone that is singly considered and the reasons follow Reason 1. Because it is by his Suffering for us and in our nature as our head Surety and Representative bearing the penalty of the Law he frees us from Hell 2. Because by his Righteousness both Habitual and Actual he intitles us to Heaven neither of which we were capable to perform therefore his Passive Obedience alone doth not justifie for by his Passive Obedience bearing our Punishment he only frees us from Hell and by his Active Obedience in keeping perfectly and perpetually the Law he gives us a Title to the promise of Glory Now it is one thing to be freed from punishment and another to be raised again into the King's Favour and Presence Wherefore 3. As without the Imputation or Satisfaction of his Sufferings we could not be freed from Hell So without his perfect Obedience and Conformity to the holy Law imputed to us we could not be Justified and Saved By the former viz. the Sufferings of our Saviour He hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law and from the Wrath of God being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 And by the latter he makes us Partakers of the promised Blessedness or gives us a Title to or Interest in the promises of Eternal Life by performing for us in our nature that Righteousness which was the condition of the Promise Do this i. e. perform this there 's the Precept and thou shalt live that 's the Promise Now this Life is not only Temporal but Spiritual It is a Life of Peace in the Favour and Love of God a Life of great Consolation in God's Love and Favour Do this and thou shalt live This Christ did therefore the promise is ours he did it for us And God the Father to speak with Reverence is obliged to make good the promise We shall live Therefore 4. Consider as we are Justified from our Sins by the Blood of Christ that we might not be damned So we are just by the actual Righteousness of Christ that we might be Saved or Glorified The first defends us from the Curse and Wrath of God the seconds intitles us to the Mercies and Blessings of God or as we were Reconciled to God by the Death of Christ so we are as well Justified and Saved by the Life of Christ i. e. by that Life that he lived for us while on Earth the Benefits and Blessings of which he pleads now for us in Heaven for it is to this end he lives now for us in Heaven There not only doth he plead his bitter Death and Passion but also his holy Life which was a perfect Conformity to God's Law Vide Rom. 5.10 For if while we were Enemies we were Reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being Reconciled we shall be saved by his Life So it is by his Life that we are saved because he now lives to plead the virtue of his Death and of his Undertakings for us By this you may see the Doctrin of St. Paul is Confirmed Rom. 5.19 For as by the Disobedience of one Man even Adam against the Law many were made Sinners by Imputation so by the obedience of one Man even Christ the second Adam shall many be made Righteous Having thus opened the point that which I am to prove is this viz. That Christ's Death is the Meritorious or procuring Cause of our Justification That Christ's Sufferings did merit this Favour at the Hand of God nor us and defends us from the Curse and Wrath of God Now that which we affirm is this That what Christ did and suffered he did it as a common Head Representative and Surety for all the Elect which are his Mystical Body But there is an unsound Notion spread abroad
viz. That Christ was not a proper Head Representative and Surety but did all as a Mediator only i. e. as one endeavouring to compose the Difference betwixt God and us but the contrary I shall now prove namely that Christ suffered as our Head Representative and Surety First We must prove that he became our Surety Secondly That he died in our stead place and room and these two will magnifie the Grace of God in our Justification And 1. Consider God he is Just so well as Gracious and his Justice required Satisfaction Now some Men amongst us would be Pardoned but not Justified They would have Life in a way of Mercy but not in a way of Righteousness They would have their Debts pardoned and forgiven but they would not have their Debts paid In a word They would come to Heaven but not by the Merits of Christ's Blood tho' they may pretend they believe no coming there but by his Merits yet they understand it in a remote Sâ—â—ce they would I say attain eternal Glory and a deliverance from every thing that is hurtful to them but this they would not have to run in the Channel of Christ's Obedience and Righteousness but in the Channel of their own Obedience But 2. Consider that as God is Just so well as Gracious therefore our Debts must must be paid so well as pardoned or we cannot be Justified and consider Christ is called a Surety in the word of God Vide Heb. 7.22 There our Saviour is called the Surety of a better Covenant By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament i. e. Covenant Beloved a Surety is one that undertakes or engages to satisfie for another It signifies to strike Hand in the behalf of another And 1. For one whose Credit is gone or whose Credit is suspected as being not good therefore a Surety stands in his place and strikes Hands with the Creditor Thus did the Lord Jesus Christ strike Hands with the Father and become our Surety that he might stand Pay-master for us and in our room and stead God the Father foresaw that the Creature that he would make would fall and fore-designed to leave him to the liberty of his own Will at first and fore-seeing the misery that he would plung himself into and yet remembering Mercy and Pity which was a gloâ—ious Attribute in God so well as Justice That he might magnifie his Mercy and not wrong his Justice and that his Justice might be satisfied and his Mercy not impeach'd did enter into a Covenant with his own Son his Eternal Son And his Son strook Hands with him on the Behalf of the Sinner whose credit God fore-saw as lost c. 2. A Surety is to give Stability and Security in Case of Bond and Covenant Not only because Man had plunged himself under God's Wrath therefore Christ shook Hands in the Behalf of the Sinner whose Credit was gone to deliver him from Wrath But Christ strook Hands with the Father and set his Hand to the Sinner's Bond and became oblâ—ged to keep the Covenant in the behalf of the Sinner Christ set his Hand to the Covenant to keep it for the Sinner God fore-saw the Breach of this Covenant on our side and did therefore enter into a Covenant with his Son and the Son strook Hands with the Father that he would keep the Covenant for Man 3. A Surety dâ—th not only undertake for Debts but sometimes for Criminals sometimes Persons are bound as Surety Body for Body and Life for Life and this is a common thing in some Countâ—eys Now Jesus Christ did not only become Surety to pay our Debts as we were Debters but he became our Surety as we were Criminals and Traytors also and so was bound Body for Body Soul for Soul Life for Life in the Behalf of the Sinner 4. If the Party which the Surety engages for fail the Surety is then to make a full Compensation and pay the Debt and die for the Criminal Thus it was here we did fail and were not able to pay our own Debts and because we had heinously broken the holy Law of God and despised the Law-Giver and Contemned and trampled under our Feet his Royal Authority we became Traytors to the Divine Majesty and Jesus Christ he did not only become Paymaster of our Debts but did die in our room and his Life was taken for ours 5. A Surety imports the Obligation to be voluntary for the Law compels none to be bound for another unless they are willing the Law will only force the Man that is concerned if any Man engages for him it is not because the Law compels him but he doth it of his own Will so the Lord Jesus Christ did For what he did was of his own Will he did freely lay down his Life John 10.15 18. I lay down my Life for the Sheep No Man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Which is to signifie to us his willingness his readiness and freeness to yield up himself to the Justice of God to be made a Sacrifice for us But 6. For a Man to become a Surety manifests great Love and great Pity To become a Surety for one that is greatly in Debt there is great Love and Pity but to become a Surety for a Criminal to die in his room this is Love indeed so it is with Christ see Rev. 1.5 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood He loved us and let out all that he had for us and parted with his Life for us Who loved me saith St. Paul and gave himself for me But my Beloved here is a difference our great Surety is separate from all other Sureties for amongst Men the Debter commonly finds the Surety but here there is a great Disparity for our Surety is of God's procuring the Creditor himself procures the Surety but the next thing I am to prove is this viz. That Christ died as our Surety in our very stead and room And. 1. He underwent Death which was the punishment of Sin And because there was no reason nor cause why the Lord Jesus Christ should suffer the Penalty for himself it therefore unavoidably follows he suffered as he stood in our stead charged with our Sins Vide Dan. 9.26 And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself c. Not for his own Sin for he was sinless in himself he was pure and unspotted in himself He was cut off but not for himself but for his People This appears to be so because our Sins was laid upon him our Sins did all meet in his Person Isa 53.6 7 8. The Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all and again in another place He hath born our Grief that which we should have bore our selves He hath carried our Sorrows that which we should have carried our selves He was bruised for our Iniquity for which we should
some Sence the whole Body is discharged And that before the Believer acts Faith in Christ though not in every Sence for if that were not the whole of the Capitulation between the Father and the Son then there is something farther to be considered Now we must have Faith in this Satisfaction therefore it was decreed and design'd that Jesus Christ should die and as he shook Hands with the Father in the Covenant of Grace for I don't know of three Covenants as he shook Hands I say with the Father in the Covenant of Grace or Redemption to die and purchase for all the Elect a Ransom and procure them the favour of God so likewise it was designed by the Father that he should die to procure them Faith and every thing else relating to their Salvation So that the case lies here though Jesus Christ did pay the Debt a great while ago and the Sinner was discharged so far that it was impossible for God to speak with reverence to condemn one of those Souls for whom Christ died Yet these were not capable of Embracing this nor knowing this nor improving this Justification till such time that they had Faith by which they did see into this and apply it unto themselves So it is here like as a Purchase is laid down for Slaves in Turkey the Money is first paid down and accepted of though for a considerable time they may not know that they are Redeemed I say so it is here respecting us in being since Christ's Death there is a difference between the thing done and the Declaration of it So then pray take notice there may be this also considered Suppose a Prince shall declare all the Province shall come in and kiss his Hand though he at the same time will draw and incline them to do it Yet he declares they shall first come 〈◊〉 kiss his Hand and acknowledge his Benefits 〈…〉 to be Justified so it is here Faith kissing as 〈…〉 God acknowledges his Benefits in Jesus Christ and this 〈…〉 in the Soul be the holy Spirit the third Person in the blessed Trinity For as the Father design'd such a number should be savâ—d and gave tâ—â—m to his Son and Jesus Christ the Son of God taketh Charge of them and redeems them so here is the third Person in the Trinity that brings them unto and in to the Son Now the case lies here not only doth the Father Elect and the Son die but the Holy Ghost is concerned in the Revelation of the Mind and Will of God to them so that God hath chosen us in Christ and Christ hath Redeemed us and the Holy Spirit in time comes and shows this to us rectifies our Judgment inclines our Will and makes us willing to cast and venture our Souls on this Satisfaction And this Faith is owning his Grace in the Surety for it was God my Beloved who found out the Surety it was he even the Father that did make him the Head of the Body of the Elect. It was he that did six on this Medium that we should believe before we should be declared Just in our own Consciences for that thing that was done a great while ago must be evidenced and applied to us But thus much as to what Justification is III. I am to prove that Justification is wholly of the free Grace of God through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ which that I may the better do I told you I should open each cause of Justification in order namely 1. The Efficient Cause of our Justification 2. The Meritorious Cause of it 3. The Material Cause of it 4. The Formal Cause of it 5. The Applying Cause of it 6. The Final Cause of all And by such time I have gone through these six Heads you may clearly see the nature of Justification 1. The first or Efficient Cause is God the Father the first Person in the Sacred Trinity and it is his free Grace and love to poor Sinners that is the moving Cause and this shall be proved 1. The way of Justification was found out by the Father it was the Contrivance of his Infinite Wisdom that he might be Just and yet Gracious that Sin might be punished and yet the Sinner acquited that Justice might be satisfied and yet we freely pardoned Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that hemight be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus 2. Consider God is the Efficient Cause for God was at the Liberty of his own Will I mean the Father to choose whether he would find out a way to Justifie and save Mankind or the sallen Angels or leave them both this I say is to be considered 3. Consider God did not foresee any thing in Man which did oblige to it which did induce him to six on this great design he could see nothing in Man Neither was there any thing in us to present to God by which prevail with him to shew us Mercy Rom. 5.7 8. For scarcely for a Righteous Man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us so you see that God look'd on us as we were Sinners he did not foresee us as we were Righteous 4. Consider that God the Father offered or propounded if I may so say with Reverence this way of Justification of the Sinner to his own Son our Saviour in the Everlasting Covenant 5. Had not God the Father found out such a way of his mere Grace and Goodness Mankind had been for ever lost which we nor all the Angels in Heaven could not do We could not sind any Ransom Job 33.24 Then is he Gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down to the Pit I have found a Ransom Where did God find out this Ransom Even in his own Bosom in his own Heart Christ came out of the Bosom of the Father Though Popish Expositors tell us thus I saith the Papist have found a Ransom i.e. I have sound his good Works I have found his Repentance I have found his Tears I have found his Prayers I have found his Alms-deeds and I see that in him which I saw not before for which cause I will justifie him O cursed Doctrin Now others amongst us say he hath humbled himself and I am satified But my Beloved alass and woe to us for all good Works Repentance Tears and Alms-deeds and Humiliation none of these are a Ransom No Christ is our Ransom and the price of our Redemption and this Ransom the Father found out for us Wisdom found him out Free Grace Bowels of Mercy and undeserved Love put Wisdom to work to find out this Blessed Ransom 6. To manifest farther the infinite Grace of God the Father consider the Costliness of our Ransom God had but one only Son in whom his Soul delighted and that lay in his Bosom
have been bruised our selves And he was oppressed the Hebrew word imports he was exacted But 3. This doth further appear because it is said he was made Sin for us who knew no Sin tho' he had no Sin inherent in him yet our Sins stuck to him by Imputation 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made Sin for us that is 1. By a Metonomy of the cause for the Effect he bore the Sins of many i.e. the punishment due to the Sins of many vide 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bâ—re our Sins in his own Body on the Tree c. Nay if he was not guilty of our Sins by Imputation he had never bore our punishments Who his own self bore our Sins in his own own Body on the Tree c. i. e. the punishment so well as the Sin imputed he bore it for us in his own Body on the Tree he was made Sin for us who knew no Sin 2. To hold forth a Sacrifice for Sin he was made a Sacrifice for Sin for our Sin Our Crimes did all meet in him and were all charged on Christ and he was to satisfie for them there had been no need for his bearing punishment if had not Sin in him or Sin imputed to him Now he had none inherently in him but he had the Sins of all the Elect imputed to him Therefore as I say our Sins are charged on him and he satisfied for them not as the Socinians foolishly and simply cavil who say Christ was made Sin to signifie that the World esteemed him a Sinner I say it is not so the 2 Cor. 5.21 overthrows this Sence utterly for as our being made Righteous thro' Christ is not that the World looks upon us to be Righteous but in a Law Sense in God's account we are constituted thro' Christ so to be and so Christ was substituted by the Father in our stead and in a Judicial Sence is charged with our Sins But 4. That Christ's Sufferings was in our room and stead appears yet further because he suffered for us Rom. 4. ult Who was delivered for our Offences c. How Why into the Hands of Justice For what For our Offences Rom. 5.8 Christ dy'd for the Ungodly i. e. He died in the room and stead of Ungodly Men and Women Such that were wicked in themselves see Rom. 8.32 speaking of God the Father saith the Apostle Who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all How for us all Why for all of us that are concerned and interested in the Covenant made betwixt the Father and the Son the Just for the Unjust to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 The just Person he suffered and that in the room and stead of the unjust and that on purpose that we might be Reconciled to God Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us c. 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himself a Ransom for us c. He gave himself he yeilded up himself that he might suffer in our stead and to Ransom and deliver us from suffering I lay down my Life for the Sheep saith Christ John 10.15 I freely offer my self to the stroke of Justice for my Sheep and again saith he This is my Body which is broken for you Alas his Body was broken for our Sins Mark my Beloved it is not for our Good only as Christ did die as some say He gave himself for us that is say they for our Good to purchase or procure an easie Law that by keeping it we might be Justified No no not for our Good only but in our room also For scarcely for a good Man will one dare to die i. e. Die in his room die to save his Life But 5. It further appears that Christ's Suffering was in our room because it is said he bore our Sins Isa 53. Now in all the Old Testament where God threatens they shall bear their Sins it is meant the punishment of their Sins Vide Levit. 20.18 19 20. and 22.9 Least they bear their Iniquity for it and die Now Christ is said to bear our Sins in his own Body our Sins stuck to him by Imputation 6. It further appears Because Christ is said to be a Propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2.2 A Propitiation for our Sins what is that Why one that has made Attonement for our Sins that hath offered a Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable and so made Attonement to pacifie God's wrath like as Jonah when he was cast into the Sea Now Jonah was a Type of Christ Jonah and the Company that was in the Ship was in a groat storm and they could not tell what to do in their great strait but at last they conclude that he that was guilty should die and Jonah was found out and he was cast into the Sea and there became a great Calm Now do you see we are all in a dismal case by nature under the Wrath of God and Jesus Christ is our Jonah and all our Sins stick at him and God's Wrath cannot be satisfied till he is cast into the Sea and he was thrown into the Deluge of Wrath He is I say our Jonah to appease God's Wrath. 7. This doth further appear because we are said to be Redeemed with the Blood of Christ bought with that price 1 Pet. 1.18 19. See 1 Cor. 6. ult to be Redeemed by Blood to save our Lives by one dying in our stead all know the purport of that We my Beloved were in Prison and Captivity and were condemned to die and Christ to Redeem us died in our stead and thus we are said to be Redeemed thus we pay our Debts and thus we satisfie the Law He gave his Life to what end For a Ransom for many 8. By the Sacrifices under the Law it appears that we are Reconciled by Christ's Death and not by our Obedience not by Evangelical Obedience or his Obedience to Evangelical Rules Thus from all it appears that Christ died not for our Good only but in our room and stead also tho' some conclude that Christ died not to fulsil the Law which Man had broken nor to satisfie as our Surety But that he fulfill'd the peculiar Law of the Mediator so far as to bring in easier terms of Life by way of Evangelical Obedience But let me speak a little by way of Application and so conclude at this time 1. O Saint Look up and take a view behold how Justification is by Christ alone O see what Free Grace runs in this Channel 1. That he that was God as well as Man should become our Ransomâ— 2. That rather than we should perish he would die for us in ouâ— room and stead 3. And this he did for us while we were Enemies and 〈◊〉 4 Nothing could move him to do it but his own Love 〈◊〉 Grace and meer Pity But 2. Sinners see what Love this is will you not receive this Christ is not this Christ worthy of your Embrace Is not he worthy of your Love Is
cannot be actually freed till such time as we have actually a Being our Freedom from Eternal Wrath is brought about by Christ by his satisfaction And our deliverance from Sin and Satan Christ merited and procured for us and that long ago tho' my Beloved we are not actually united to Christ thro' Faith therefore tho' Christ hath long ago brought into the presence of God a perfect Righteousness yet it is not proper to say that we are actually Justified till we have a Being and this benefit be actually applied to us It is no more proper to say so than to say an Heir is an actural Possessor of an Estate when he is first intitled to it for tho' Christ did long ago lay down a plenary satisfaction at the loot of God's Justice and we were virtually Justified When he rose from the Dead and virtually Glorified when he Ascended inâ—o Heaven yet we are not actually justified till we have a Being and are in actual Union with the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit What Christ did he did as our Surety who hath espoused our case and our being in actual Union with him brings us to have a legal and personal Right to his Righteousness to Justification and Eternal Life Consider first therefore what it is that is imputed to us in order to Justification which you have heard is the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ Secondly Consider the end and Reasons why this Righteousness is imputed to us and that is 1. The honour of God in all his Divine Attributes for there his Justice is compleatly satisfied and so his Mercy takes place 2. The second end was to answer the just demands and fully to establish the Sanction of God's holy Law we could never be remitted as such as were perfectly obedient unless it was by this way and the Lord Jesus Christ did establish the Sanction of God's Holy Law 3. It was to bring in the pardon of Sin in a Judicial way through Christ's Suffering without which we could not be Righteous no not by the Imputation of the most perfect actual Obedience because that our Sins would ly still upon us therefore the Lord Jesus Christ he takes away our Sins he bears that burthen himself and suffers for it and carries that into the Land of Forgetfulness therefore know also that as we partaking of the sinful nature of the first Adam were condemned as proceeding from his Loâ—â—s so by partaking of the holy nature of the second Adam his Obedience being imputed to us we are actually Justified which is evidenced to us by Faith But now give me leave to speak a little by way of Vse and Applicatiâ—â— 1. Here is a Use of Information you may see my Beloved from hence the Nature Order and Causes of Justification how that our Salvation depends wholly on Christ's glorious Undertaking as the Matter of our Justification 2. That the sin of the first Adam and Death thereby is imputed to you as you proceeded from him till you are Translated in the second Adam and so receive a new nature from him 3. This informs you that till your own filthy Garments be put off this Robe of Righteousness cannot be put on 4. This informs us that we are by nature worse than naked for we are very filthy we are burdened with a Load of Sin and Corruption and Christ must take away the Guilt and condemning Nature of Sin this I say must be Removed so well as we Cloathed c. 5. This informs us that God's imputing Christ's Righteousness is his putting on us this Wedding Garment But Secondly Here is a Vse of Comfort also consider O Believer what comes in what Profit what Advantage what Glory comes in by Justification 1. All you Believers you are acquitted and pronounced Just and Righteous before God 2. You have a full Discharge whatsoever Satan may say or Conscience for want of more light may say you have a full Discharge 3. This is also for your Comfort you are delivered from the Curse of the Law and the wrath of God 4. You appear all Glorious before God without spot or wrinkle for he looks on you in Christ 5. Consider you have an intrest in all that is purchased by our Lord Jesus 6. Finally you shall Eternally be saved and all the powers of Hell cannot hinder you of it But Thirdly A Vse of Terror 1. To such who have not Christ's Righteousness imputed to them for their Sins both Original and Actual are imputed to them 2. You have no Interest with Christ not will not unless his Righteousness be imputed to you through Faith 3. God is a Consuming Fire to all such Divine Holiness cannot but loaâ—h such Divine Justice cannot but consume you if you have no Righteousness but your own Fourthly Here is a Vse of Caution that we all take heed least we err in this great point of Justification O! how prone are we to seek Justification by our own Works but as Christ was made Sin for us so are we made Righteousness in him Now we are not made Righteous before God by Inherent Righteousness but by imputed Righteousness Fifthly Here is a Vse of Counsel Saints go to Christ your all is him take this Counsel and Advice your Mediator he is your Surety go to him don't look into your selves for any thing don't build on your selves for Righteousness but go to Christ he is your Surety and he pleads his own Merits for you 1 John 1.2 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father c. who doth or may plead Father I took Flesh by thy Order I suffered and died in their stead and gave my self a Ransom for them I was wounded to heal their Wounds I bore their Sin and their Sorrow Oh condemn them not O holy Father for their Iniquities did all meet in me and shall they sink who believe in me I have brought in Everlasting Righteousness for them I have wrought out a Righteousness in my own person for them I have procured all the Blessings that they are Intitled to all comes from me Now consider as Christ pleads with the Father his own Righteousness so you are to plead with the Father Christ's Righteousness there is nothing that will stand you in stead in the last day but Jesus Christ and his Righteousness To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all Glory for Ever and Ever AMEN I should now have proceeded to the fourth thing namely to shew you the nature of that Faith which arightly apprehends and applies this Righteousness But I see my time is gone I must therefore leave it to another season if it please God to afford it c. FINIS