iustification The first of these points hath two parts Doct. That Christ in loue iustifieth his people 1. That Christians are iustified by Christ Iesus alone 2. That it is from his meere loue * 1. Part of the Doct. proued That Iesus is the iustifier of the Church is as euident as can be as from hence where the Church calleth him Her bundle of Myrrhe So out of the writings of the Prophets My righteous seruant shall iustifie many c Isa 53.11 Their righteousnesse is of ME saith the Lord d Isa 54.17 Is it not the Angell Christ that takes away from Iosuah the type of the Church his filthy garments that causeth his iniquitie to passe from him and clotheth him with change of rayment Euen with his owne righteousnesse as Zachary sheweth e Zach. 3.3.4 It is plaine also out of the writings of the Apostle By the obedience of ONE meaning Christ shall MANY meaning the Church be made righteous f Rom. 5.19 He made him sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him g 2 Cor. 5.21 If while we seeke to be iustified by Christ we our selues are also found sinners h Gal. 2.17 c. And still the Scripture runnes vpon this that by Christ we are reconciled vnto God cleansed from sinne redeemed out of the handes of our enemies He therefore is our Iustifier and none other not excluding the Father A caueat or the holy Ghost who haue a stroke in this Worke as well as the Sonne As for that other branch of the poynt The 2. part of the Doct. proued that his loue is the ground of this grace the title Well-beloued which the church here giueth him will well carrie it and els-where the holy Ghost confirmes it By MERCY and truth is iniquitie purged i Pro. 16.6 saith the Wiseman Being iustified freely by his GRACE through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ k Rom. 3.24 That being iustified by his GRACE wee should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life saith the Apostle Did not Christ alone satisfie the wrath of the Father The Reason of both the parts of the Doct. together did He not tread the Wine-presse l Isa 63.3 alone What earthly man holpe him in his Actiue obedience to performe a perfect complete and entire seruice to euery iot that the Law requireth What mortall wight nay what creature in heauen or earth ayded him in his Passiue obedience had the whole wrath of the Father due to the sinne of man in full measure poured forth vpon him Speaketh the Prophet of any els but Christ when he saith Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him And would he euer haue vndergone this endured this had it not beene for loue Doubtlesse He would not Very well therefore doth the Church here to acknowledge her Well beloued to be this Bundle of Myrrhe and to giue to him * Obiection Answ and his loue alone the honour of her iustification when as He alone payd the price to purchase it and when as both the passion and compassion is his owne * Fide sola If any shall Obiect that wee are iustified by Faith or by Faith alone therefore not wholly not onely by Christ It must be answered that this is to be vnderstood in another sence Wee are iustified by faith as by an instrumentall cause by Christ as an efficient and fundamentall For no more is faith the primary cause of my iustification then my hand is the cause of the supply of my wants by a piece of money which the mercy of another furnisheth mee with That proposition * Parae ad Heb. p. 460 Solafide excluduntur vero nō causae superiores gratia Dei meritum Christi sed c. Wee are iustified by faith ALONE a speech much vsed by Orthodoxall Writers doth not exclude the causes of Iustification without our selues but it doth include onely but m Quotie dicitur Solafides iustificat ostenditur solamfidē esse vnicum argumentum vnicam facultatem quâ recipitur iustitia Christi Selnec Tract 3. de fid Sacram. Thes 1. one facultie in our selues by which alone wee doe apprehend that righteousnesse of Christ which the Lord doth impute vnto vs for our Iustification Whereupon saith one By faith alone are not excluded superior causes as the grace of God the merit of Christ but middle causes which are coyned by hypocrites as the strength of free will workes merits c. So that by faith wee are instrumentally iustified by the obedience of Christ formally as n Tom 5 in epist ad Eph p. 83. col 2. Zanchius sheweth For in Iustification o Bucer in iustificatione fides nihil dat sed tantum accipit quod accipit eo ipso iustificamur Faith giues nothing but onely receiueth and what it receiueth being Christ and his righteousnesse by that very same thing are we iustified So that it may very well be affirmed that faith iustifieth alone and yet be a truth too which I am in hand withall that by Christ alone wee are iustified Vse 1 And for currant might this Doctrine goe through all Christendome Against the Papists were it not for Antichrist and his Babylonish followers of whom when I thought there came to mind a wise speech of a graue p Tertull. Apol. p. 815. Nisi homini Deus plaeuerit deus non erit homo iam Deo propitiùs esse debebit The Papists deny Christ to be our alone iustifier three wayes 1. By their blasphemous Canons Father to allude to God should be God if man would let him God now belike must stand to mans curtesie for his superioritie So may I say of the Papists Iesus should be Iesus if they would let him the ALONE iustifier of his people if THEY would permit him and belike He must stand to THEIR caruing for the honour of this Worke For they are very bold to rob him of his glory which he deserues and his Bride here giues him and him alone for this grace Neither let any say I doe them wrong For first of all doth not the Councell of Trent q In Decret de iustif Can. 10. absolutely lay downe this If any shall affirme that men are iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ formally let him be accursed And immediately after r Canon XI Si quis dixerit homines iustificari vel sola imputatione iustitiae Christi c. 2. By attributing of iustification to the dignitie of faith If any man shall say that men are iustified either by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse alone or that the grace whereby we are iustified is onely the fauour of God let him be Anathema Secondly doe they not ascribe Iustification to the dignitie of faith What meanes els that
is not this bundle this bunch of Myrrhe Christ his righteousnesse worthy of praises being giuen by him as a speciall token of his fauour to poore miserable and sinfull creatures Did the i Luk. 17.16 tenth Leper returne thankes for the cleansing of his body and wilt not thou whom Christ hath chosen as one out of ten yea of twentie to purge thy soule returne glory to his name Mary Magdalen k Luk. 7.47 loued Christ much after He had forgiuen her much Dauid resolu'd with himselfe that on condition the Lord according to the multitude of his mercies would doe away his iniquities and purge him with Hysop which was an Embleme of his cleansing and cloathing with Christs righteousnesse his tongue should sing aloud of his righteousnesse l Psal 51.2.7.14 verses It is reported of Alexander sirnamed The Great that he acknowledged himselfe to owe more to Aristotle his Master then to Philip his Father because from his Master he receiued his Well being whereas from his Father he had but his naturall being m Pet. Mart. in lib. 1. Ethic. Arist p. 5. In like manner I dare boldly say thou that art a true Christian owest more to Christ thy Master yea thy elder brother for giuing thee through the merit of his owne righteousnesse a spirituall being in grace then to thy naturall Father or Mother by whom thou hast thy being in nature Oh therefore owing so much pay him much I meane loue him much be much thankefull vnto him for this his kindnesse Let thy thankefulnesse to him know no limits set no bounds to thy obedience let not much water quench the flame of thy loue thy zeale let not the very fire it selfe deterre thee scare thee from sacrifice from his seruice Propose the blessed Martyrs for thy patterne The sweetnesse of this bundle haue so affected them that rather then they would any way show themselues vngratefull they haue not spared to be prodigall of their very liues Take oh take then the cup of saluation and blesse his holy name vow seruice vow obedience to him vnto the very death for his free mercy in iustifying of thee requires no lesse deserues no lesse at thy hands Leauing this I come now to the next poynt which is That as Christ alone is the Iustifier of the Church * Doct. so the Church alone is iustified by Christ The true Church alone is iustified by Christ Iustification is a benefit belonging onely to the true members of the Church and to none else TO MEE in my Text implies as much To me the Church alone not to you daughters of Ierusalem * Except you be Eloct not to you aliants and strangers to the Common-wealth of Israell is my Beloued a bundle of Myrrhe a bringer of righteousnesse Aske Paul whom he speakes of when he saith In grace HE that is God hath made VS accepted in the Beloued n Ephe. 1.6 that is iustified through Christ and he will answere that he meaneth VS who are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world VS who are predestinated to the adoption of children * Verses 4.5 intimating none to be capable of iustification but such The same thing the same Apostle proueth in the eight of the Romanes Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified o Rom. 8.30 Now who are predestinated who are the called of God but the members of the Church p Vers 3. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that iustifieth that is it is God that iustifieth the Elect q Zanch. ad Eph. c. 2. p. 8. Tom. 5. i. e. Electosfolos Methinkes that of S. Iohn in his Reuelation is very fit for this purpose where he saith not that he saw the r Apoc. 13.1 BEAST with seauen heades and ten hornes that is the enemies of the Church who vse their wit and authoritie against it cloathed with the Sunne that is with Christs righteousnesse but a Å¿ Apoc. 12.1 WOMAN so cloathed that is the Church alone or the company of the faithfull Reason The reason is plaine for faith which apprehendeth justification by Christ is a gift proper and peculiar to the Church and none else for which cause it is stiled The faith of Gods ELECT t Tit. 1.1 Now if none haue faith but the Church then it must needes follow that none are iustified but the members of the Church How full of terror is this truth vnto all those that are out of the Church I meane not onely those who stand sunning themselues in the Church-yard that sit swilling in Alehouses fulfilling their fleshly pleasures following their worldly profits while the Word is Preaching and people are praying vpon the LORDS day I meane I say not onely them who are thus out of the materiall Temple which is made of Bricke and Stone * And yet I include them also for right Christians dare not doe as they doe but also all others that are no true members of Christs mysticall body who though they heare the Word receiue the Sacraments c. yet are voyde of sauing grace are no spirituall stones of the spirituall building no u Cant. 1.17 Cedar beames in Gods house that is no * For Cedar was vsed in cleansing Levit. 14. Notes of the false Church Propounded by the way to shew whom this terror belongs to purified no sanctified ones in Gods familie To all of them to euery one of them here is I say a ground of terrour For ah poore creatures they are not iustified they haue no share in no benefit by the righteousnesse of Christ. This bundle belongs not to them It is peculiar to those whom they for their Religions-sake hate scorne and maligne It appertaines not to those daughters of Ierusalem spoken of in the fift verse of this Chapter who seeme to be of the Church who brag they are of the Israell of God and yet are not * 1. Particular loue of false teaching and teachers Thou therefore that delightest in false Doctrine and castest the Word of God behind thy backe x Ier. 8.9 thou that with Ahab hadst rather heare an hundred false Prophets then one sound Michaiah y 1 King 22. and with Ieroboam z 1 Kin. 13.4 wilt not hearken to the faithfull messengers of the Lord of Hosts * 2. Neutralitie in religion thou that with the same Ieroboam a 1 Kin 12.28.29 art readie to change thy Religion and manner of worship instituted by God himselfe * 3. Defence and ripnes of sinne thou that with the people in Ieremies time wilt palliate and defend thy sinnes professing thou walkest not after Balaim when as yet the Lord sees thy abhomination in the Valley b Ier. 2.23 being pure in thine owne eyes when as yet thou art not cleansed from thy wickednesse c Prov. 30.12 * 4. Blasphemy thou
Can I say can this chuse but preserue in thee that spirituall ioy the Lord hath implanted in thy soule Giue heed therefore giue heed to these priviledges and againe and againe thinke vpon them So much for the second Rule Thirdly A Christian shall preserue his ioy 3. Helpe to preserue ioy by preseruing his faith Faith is the nostrill of the soule as I told you which sendeth this ioy to the heart from the apprehension of Christs righteousnesse looke therefore how that is enfeebled so will the ioy be extenuated They A Similie that would haue sweet smells haue free passage to the braine to refresh the animall spirits that be there must haue a care to preuent Vlcers from breeding in the nostrills by drying and strengthening the head that no superfluities which are the cause of such Vlcers flow out of the head into the nostrills So thou that wouldest haue the sweetnesse of this Myrrhe the ioy of iustification to haue passage by the nostrills of faith alwayes to thy soule Keepe thy heart with all diligence watch and obserue that that the excrements and superfluities of vnbeliefe doubtings distrust in Gods prouidence fleshly ease giuing way to the loue of earthly things like so many Vlcers may not breed in thy faith and breath our such an vnkinde and stinking Odour as may stop the passage of those comforts to thy soule with which once thou wert wont to be refreshed Fourthly Take heed of sinne against conscience 4. Helpe The getting of a good conscience is as hath beene shewed a meanes to come by ioy And the keeping of a good conscience is a meanes to conserue ioy How did Dauid eclipse his ioy and Peter his when as the one defiled himselfe by adulterie and murther and the other denyed his Lord and Master both against the light of their owne consciences And wherefore is it that some Christians who were once wont to reioyce in the sauing health of the God of Iacob come to be plunged into deepe fits of distresse our of which they cannot so soone and easily recouer themselues but because they are somewhat more bold with their consciences then it is fit on lawfull If thou wouldest walke then continually with the white garments of gladnesse vpon thy soule beware thou doe not wound thy soule by giuing way to any sinne but endeuour to keepe a cleere conscience before God and towardes men holding as the Apostle adviseth the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience o 1 Tim. 3.9 5. Helpe To conclude all In the last place because a worldly and carnall ioy is a great enemie to the spirituall and sith it is as impossible for a man to reioyce as worldlings doe in the world and the Lord as to serue two Masters p Aug de verb. Dom. Ser. 37. Sicut non potest homo duobus dominis seruire sic nemo in hoc seculo potest gaudere et in Domino therefore take heed of a carnall and worldly ioy * A caution Not that I would haue a Christian not take comfort in the outward blessings that God hath lent him For as he hath best right vnto them so he hath most cause to take some comfort in them And not to doe so Salomon calls a vanitie vnder the Sunne q Eccles 5 But not onely to reioyce in impietie against God in iniquitie against man as profane ones doe but also to reioyce in the outward good blessings of God excessiuely or carnally is that which I advise euery beleeuer to beware of If a man should mingle a bunch of Wormewood with a bundle of Myrrhe you cannot make me beleeue there will be so sweet a smell as the Myrrhe alone would yeeld Euen so he that admits any transitorie and worldly thing at any time as an equall Obiect of his ioy with this transcendent treasure of justification let him tell mee be he neuer so deare in the eyes of God whither he depriues not his soule for the present of that abundance of comfort which once the thought of his discharge by Christ did conuey vnto him When therefore thou art to solace thy selfe with the vse of the creatures let thy ioy know a measure least the vnmeasurablenesse of thy worldly ioy lessen the measure of thy spirituall ioy which this Bundle of Myrrhe the righteousnesse of CHRIST IESVS is the ground of These are the Rules by which thou mayest obtaine thy ioy in justification Thinke on them make vse of them And heauens-blessing make them beneficiall vnto thy soule AMEN LAVS DEO
annoynted thy soule with the Spikenard of heaven when both thy faith and integritie of life haue sent forth their sweet sauour to God and to men Vse 2 Let me perswade thee to striue against this euill to take notice of and when God may haue any glory others any good by it make report of what the Lord hath done for thy soule Thou mayst lawfully doe it yea and if need require thou must doe it Yet with this caution avoyding pride as much as may be Not vaine-gloriously as Peter did when he sayd Master wee haue forsaken all and followed thee what therefore shall be giuen vs c Mat. 19.37 For this is a thing God would be displeased with and it is the propertie of worldlings and wicked ones so to speake viz. of that which indeed they haue not and doe not But first in humilitie as acknowledging all to come from God Secondly with a desire to vindicate the Gospell from disgrace when euill mouthes falsely doe reproch thee Thirdly with a desire to reioyce the hearts of thy godly brethren Fourthly to draw on others to a loue of that Word whereby God hath wrought such good in thee And lastly to cleere thine owne innocency when that is called into question After this manner and to these ends thou mayest make profession of thy graces and with the Church thy Mother here tell it abroad to others My Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof MYSTICALL MYRRHE The second generall part of the Text. NOW commending to GODS blessing what hath beene spoken touching the Commendation which the Bride giues her Spouse from HIS Greatnesse I proceed to the prayse of HIS goodnesse or sweetnesse in the next words Vers 12. A bundle of Myrrhe is my well beloued vnto me he shall lie or lodge all night betwixt my breasts IN which words we haue two things to consider 1. What this sweetnesse is for the subiect matter 2. What this sweetnesse worketh for the subsequent effect The thing it selfe is a bundle of Myrrhe in the former part of the verse A bundle of Myrrhe is my well-beloued vnto mee The following effect that it worketh is a resolution of the Church to keepe this sweetnesse in the clause of the Verse He shall lodge all night betwixt my breasts Let vs set vpon the first A bundle of Myrrhe is my well beloued vnto me These words would well admit of a subdiuision if it were needfull But an Interpretation will serue our turne well enough that therefore the kernell may appeare let vs breake the shell by giuing the sense That a R. Selo Author Interpretation who expounds the former Verse by the sinne of Israell in erecting and worshipping the golden calfe and by the displeasure that Iehovah conceiued at it doth expound these words by the Lords pacification or being pleased with Israell after this their sinne As imagining the congregation of Israell to speake thus Though I the Synagogue of the Israelites did cast forth a stinking smell to the Lord by my Idolatry in worshipping the Golden calfe yet NOW he is appeased with me become sweet and gracious vnto mee whereof a bundle of Myrrhe is a symbole and signe But this Exposition is too Iewish He that applyes the former Verse to the times of King Asa Brigâ—stm and to the Vow that the Tribes made in the 15. yeare of his Raigne doth apply these words to the times of Iehosaphat Asa's successor according to the storie written 2 Chron. 17.7.8.9 c. And by the bundle of Myrrhe he vnderstands the sweetnesse of knowledge which abounded in the dayes of Iehosaphat by the care which that good King had to send Priests and Levites with the booke of the Law through the Tribes of Iudah and Beniamin as though Salomon by the spirit of Prophesie should foreshew the Israelitish Church in Iehosaphats time to speake thus to the prayse of God In the dayes of Asa I made a vow vnto thee to serue thee and for such a King as HE was my Spikenard of Religion cast forth a smell vnto thee But now thou hast giuen me sweeter times more abundance of knowledge in bestowing vpon me so perfect so vpright so carefull a King as Iehosaphat is in so much that though I had sweete dayes before yet these that now I see doe as much in meanes excell the former as Myrrhe in sweetnes doth excell Spikenard This meaning doe I like of neither as confining the Text. Others therefore walking in a more spatious field apply it to the Church of euery age or to euery particular beleeuer And amongst them some say one thing some another * Soto Maior Some by the bundle of Myrrhe vnderstand the death and passion of Christ because Myrrhe as they say was vsed in Burialls * Genebr Others the immortalitie of the soule because Myrrhe is an Embleme of incorruption The first reason why by Myrrhe is meant iustification But I had rather vnderstand the benefit of Iustification And that first of all because at this Center the somewhat differing opinions of Interpreters doe meete For when as some expound it of the death of Christ doth not the Church smell the sweetnes of his Death by the benefit of Iustification When as b As Merc. and Piscator doe others doe meane a most excellent and sweet Odour which the Church doth draw from Christ by the nostrils of faith is not Iustification the ground of this smell yea the assurance of Iustification is this smell it selfe Reas 2 Besides I am sure Myrrhe doth symbolize and resemble Iustification very fitly Diâ—scorid li. 1. c. 67. First Myrrhe distilleth from a tree full of prickes much like the Egyptian thorne And whence comes our righteousnesse and justification but from that tree of Gods eternall planting Christ Iesus who was persecuted thorned and pierced for our sinnes Impetigines purgat idem ibid. Secondly Myrrhe is of soueraigne vertue to cleanse the Leprosie of the body so is Iustification to purge our Leprous and sinfull soules Horrores discutit c. id ib. Thirdly It is good against trembling and the shaking of the ague so is justification against a trembling heart and horror of conscience Wee see then what is meant by Myrrhe And Bundle here is as much as a ball of Myrrhe or a bunch of Myrrhe Mystically an Author of righteousnesse or Iustifier is my well-beloued that is Christ so stiled by a loue-title which the Church giueth him because that he setteth his loue strongly vpon her To me that is to me the Church militant * Paraphase I smell the sweetnesse of Iustification out of the bundle of his merits who is my most louing and well-beloued Spouse Our conclusions from hence are these three 1. That Christ alone is the Iustifier of the Church his loue being the cause and ground of it 2. That the Church alone is iustified by Christ 3. That onely beleevers doe smell the sweetnes of this benefit of