in His Justice and Mercy They do what they can that God should neither be Just nor Gracious but He shall be Just in condemning them whether they will or not though He be not glorified in His Grace as to them they setting themselves what they can to let it yet in His Justice He shall most certainly be glorified O! that Men and Women believed how deep their Guilt draws who are found standing in the way of the glorifying of Gods Grace It will be found in some respect to draw deeper then the Guilt of these abominable Sins of Adultery and Murder in the day of the Lord and yet many of you will be found to have done this and to have come short of Righteousness For the 3d. Thâ—t is the Meritorious Cause Take it in this Doctrine That the Meritorious Cause that procures our Justification and with respect to which God Jâ—stifiâ—s a Sinner is the alone Merit and Sâ—tisfaction of Christ Jesus And this arises from the Text on these two Considerations 1. Because this Justification is laid down as an effâ—ct of Christs Soul-travel and Suffering and if Justification be the proper and immediat effect of Christs Sufferings then His Soul-sufferings must be the Meritorious Cause of it we cannot imagine another He purposeth by His Sufferings for the elect that they shall by His Knowledge be Justified therefore they must be Absolved and Justified by His Interposing to tâ—â—â— on their Debt and to His Sufferings must be the procuring Cause of it The 2. Consideration is taken from the words following He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities If Christs bearing of our iniquities be the ground of our Justification or that by which it is procured then His Sufferings must be the Meritorious Cause of our Justification or that on account whereof we are Justified because His bearing of our iniquities can no other wayes be the cause of our Justification but by His interposing to Merit the same to us by His Sufferings Would ye know as if the Prophet had said how Christs Sufferings shall be the cause of our Justification Here it is He shall bear our iniquities and therefore our Justification flows therefrom the Lord by the Prophet hath so knit these two tâ—gether that His Sufferings both go before and are subjoyned to His Justifying of many that it may be put out of question that the Mediators Suffering is the alone Meritorious Cause of His pronouncing the Sentence of Justification and of accepting and accounting uâ— as righteous before Him This is no in so many words professedly controverted or denyed by the Papists with whom we here deal For they grant that Christ by His Sufferings procures Grace and Gods acceptation of our good Works in so far as they are rewarded beyond their condignitie But to make the difference betwixt them and us the more clear we shall put in Four Words in the Doctrine and speak a little to them We say then that Christs Satisfaction is not only the Meritorious Cause of Justification but also 1. It is the nearest and most immediat Cause 2. The alone Meritorious Cause 3. The Meritorious Cause as Contradistinguished from and opposed to our own Works and inherent Righteousnesse 4. It is the Meritorious Cause as inherent in Him and as imputed to us These Four are clear in the Text and may very well be put in the Doctrine 1. Then we say it 's not only the Meritoritorious Cause but the next Immediat Cause causa repinqua as we use to speak in the School of our Justification So that if it be asked what is the Cause or Ground on which God Absolves a Sinner or the next Immediat thing that He hath a respect to in His Justifying of him It 's Christs Merit His Soul-travel and Sufferinâ— Papists deny this and make the next Immediat Cause to be the Grace infused in us that which is called gratia gratum faciens But if ye ask the Prophet what is the Ground I mean the next Immediat Cause on which Justification is deryved to many He tells us that it 's not the inherent Righteousnesse of these who are Justified but that it 's Christ's Soul-travel and His bearing of our iniquities Hence 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is called our Righteousnesse He is saiâ—h the Apostle made of God unto us wisdom righteousness c. Not only by Christ have we a Righteousnesse that makes us acceptable to God but His Righteousnesse is ours and God respecting of us in or through it makes us acceptable 2dly Not only is His Righteousnesse the Meritorious Cause but it 's the only Meritorious or the alone Meritorious Cause and herein Papists and we differ They grant that Christ's Satisfaction is the Meritorious Cause but remotly only as it procures inward or inherent Grace by which we Merit but they will not have it to be the only Meritorious Cause but will needs have our own Works to merit also and that properly whereas the Prophet speaks of Justification as the effect of Christ's Soul-travel only and if so then there can be no other thing admitted for there cannot be two social or joynt Meritorious Causes Therefore throughout the Scripture when the Merit of Justification is attributed to Christ it excludes all other things and is opposed to our own works which is the Third thing 3ly Then we say That Christ's Righteousness is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification as Contra-distinguished from and opposed to our own inherent Righteousnesse or Works and herein also Papists and we differ They grant indeed a Meritorious Influence to Christ's Righteousnesse but that is say they as it makes our own Righteousnesse Meritorious Not as Contra-distinguished from and opposed to our own Righteousnesse but as having influence on it Now these are directly opposed in Scripture I shall only name that one clear place Phil. 3 9. That I may be found in him not having my own righteousnesse which is of the law out that which is through the faith of Christ Where Paul consulting and resolving what he will betake himself to as his Defence at the bar of God We see 1. That it is His Scope and Design that in the day of Judgement he may be found in such a case and posture that he may be able to abide the tryal And 2. That he speaks of Two Righteousnesses the One is his own that is the inherent Grace which he hath gotten and the Works which he hath done The Other is the Righteousness of Christ without him which is by Faith Now when he layes his reckoning he is so far from joyning these two together as Con-causes or Social Causes of his Justification that he opposes them That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousness in him without my own or not having my own c. in him as having given up with denyed and renunced my own Righteousnesse he will not admit of that on any terms in lesse or in more so clearly doth he as to his
their Debt This will be clear if we consider all these Scriptures that make offer of the pardon of Sin for it 's offered not in the condition of Faith in a more general Notion of it but on condition of Faith in him So Rom. 5.22 24 25. The righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. John 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believe in his name Where the Faith that hath the Promise of Justification and the priviledge of Adoption annexed to it is called the receiving of Christ and believing on his name It may also be cleared and confirmed by good reason 1. Faith does not Justifie as it 's cosidered in it self as an Act but as it relates to and units with Christ as the meritorious cause of Justification 2. Neither does Faith Justifie as it looks to every Object which the Word holds forth But as it respects Christ offered in the Gospel whom it receiveth because there is no other thing that can bear the Souls weight and burden Therefore he as offered in the Gospel must be the Object of Faith as it 's saving and justifying 3. The terms of the Covenant and Gods offer clears it also For Gods offer of Justification is not on these terms that a Sinner shall believe his Word in the general but that he believe on His Son whom He hath sent and receive Him as these Scriptures cited before to wit John 3.16.18 and Mark 16.16 Shew where the terms are set down whereon God offers Life to Sinners 4. If we could imagine a man to have all Knowledge and all Faith if Faith Act not on Christ as Redeemer Cautioner and Surety for such as come to Him it will not avail us nor be counted to us for Righteousnesse which may also confirm this truth The Uses of this Doctrine are such as serve both to clear the nature of Faith and to direct us in our practice The 1. Use Then serves to clear the Truth as the Papists corrupt many Truths so they corrupt this Truth concerning the nature of Justifying and Saving Faith in these Three 1. In the Object 2. In the Subject 3. In the Act of it As for the Object of this Faith they make it to be every thing that God reveals and sometimes they take in their own Traditions the reason is because they give not Faith a Causality in Justification nor the capacity and place of a thing acting on Christ particularly but take it in as a common Grace or at the best as a Grace that is Radical and gives Life to other Graces but never as taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse which quite overturns the way of Justification through Faith in Him for Faith that layeth not hold on His Righteousnesse cannot Justifie and their making the Object of Faith to be so broad doth enervat both the immediat merit of Christs Righteousnesse and the exercise of Faith on it 1. Then we grant that there is a Historical Faith requisit as to the whole Word of God yet we say that the Faith that Justifies is properly that Faith that singles out the Righteousnesse of Christ and takes hold of it So that it 's not our believing that the World was made that there will be a day of Judgement nor our believing that a Saviour of Sinners is come into the World and hath suffered c. that Justifies but it 's a closing with a receiving of and a resting on that Saviour a singling out of the Promise that makes offer of him as for instance where it 's said If thou believe on the Lord Jesus thou shall be saved and pitching on that and resting on him holden out in the Promise Faith gives the Soul footing here whereas before it's case was very desperat 2. We may clear what we are to look to as the object of Justifying and Saving Faith by our putting in these Three Words or Expressions in the Doctrine to wit Christ Jesus his Righteousnesse holden forth in the promise of Gods free grace in the Gospel and which are needful to be taken in though it be not alwayes necessary that we be explicit ln the uptaking of them 1. There is need of taking in Christs righteousnesse because it 's our defence at the Bar of Gods Justiâ—e even as a Debitor whose Debt the Cautioner hath payed hath that to answer when he is charged for it that his Cautioner hath payed it 2. There is need to take in this Holden forth in Gods promise in the gospel because though Christ be the Object of Justifying Faith and His Righteousnesse be the ground of the Souls defence before God yet Gods Promise must be looked on by Faith for the use making of Christ and His Righteousnesse and as a warrand to rest on Him and to expect Justification through Him and thus Faith hath Christs fulnesse or His full and compleat Satisfaction for Righteousnesse and Gods Faithfulnesse impledged that the Believer shall be accepted through it And it s on this ground that Faith sometimes looks on God as Able sometimes as Faithful Therefore it 's said Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost and Heb. 11. Sarah judged him faithful who had promised whereupon there is a closing with the offer in the Promise and a looking to obtain that which is Promised as if they had a Righteousnesse of their own and this the Apostle calls the law of faith Rom. 3.27 Because to Justification there is beside the payment of the Debt a Law declaring the man to be absolved requisit and the Sinner having Gods offer and Promise that upon his accepting of Christs Righteousnesse he shall be Justified instructs that his Debt is payed by his Cautioner and that therefore he ought to be and is accordingly absolved And though Gods Promise be not so properly a Law yet the Apostle calleth it so and it is a solid defence to the Soul that is fled to Christ Who may thus reason I have no Righteousnesse of my own but Christs Righteousnesse by Proclamation is offered to me in the Gospel and I have heartily received it and closed with it and God is faithfull to make good His Promise to me and this looks to Christ as He is revealed in the Gospel 3. There is need to put in this word The promise of Gods free grace because hereby the Sinner is made to see whence the Promise came and of what nature it is and gives ground to take hold of the Promise and of that which is made offer of in it the Promise is of free Grace therefore it 's alwayes called the Covenant of Grace So Rom.
becoming ours The Uses are several 1. For information and conviction and we would 1. be informed in and understand well the meanining of this Doctrine when we say that Faith is necessary to Justification and concurreth in attaining of it as no other thing doth that ye may give it it 's right place and may make no confusion of these things that are distinct 1. We deny not Works notwithstanding of all that we have said to be necessary more then we do Faith but the great difference is anent the giving of Faith and Works or Faith as it is a work on equal share in respect of causality in our Justification And therefore we would beware with Papists to attribute a sort of condignity to Faith as if it merited eternal Life which flowes from their ignorance of Gods Covenant For they think that since He commands us to believe and promiseth Life to believing that there is a merit in believing as they fancie there is in Prayer Almes-deeds and others Duties or good Works but in this respect as it is a Work in us the Apostle excludes Faith and makes our Justification free whereas if Faith in Justification were considered as a Work meriting our Justification it should not be free and although there be no Papists in profession here amongst us yet it may be there are some and that not a few that think God is obliged to them because they believe and that expect Heaven and life Eternal on that ground even as when they pray they think they should be heard for their Praying and when they give Almes that they should be rewarded for the same as a meritorious Work 2. Neither do we understand when we say that Faith is necessary to Justification and concurreth in the attaining of it That by believing we are disposed to be holy and so more enabled to Justifie our selves which is also a Popish Error wherein I fear many professors of the Gospel amongst us ly who think they are obliged to their Faith because it disposes them to hear read pray and the like and so enableth them to work out a Righteousnesse to themselves whereby they expect to be Justified This is another fault and Error to be guarded against For though we give Faith a radical vertue to keep Life in other Graces yet so considered it is still a piece of inherent Holiness and pertains to Sanctification and not to Justification 3. When we say that Faith concurres in the attaining of Justification we do not say that it concurres in the same manner that Repentance Prayer and good Works do concur But it may be said here seing we grant that good Works and Duties are necessary what then is the difference I answer in these two 1. Faith is the proper and peculiar condition of the Covenant of Grace and not our Works or Holiness whereof Faith considered as a Work is a part Works is the condition of the Covenant of works for it sayes in this manner The man that doth these things shall live by them but the Covenant of Grace in opposition to it sayes If thou believe with thy heart in the Lord Jesus and confess with thy mouth that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved as it is Rom. 10. What Works is in the one Covenant Faith is in the other Covenant and that as it is opposed to Works and to Faith it self as it is a Work in us 2. There is a peculiarness in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Justification in respect of it's instrumentalness in taking hold of Christ for our Justification or in receiving and resting upon Him as we said before for that end For when Christ is offered in the Gospel Faith flees to Him receives Him takes hold of Him and rests on Him neither Repentance nor Prayer nor any good Work hath an aptitud and fitness to receive Christ and present His Satisfaction to God as the ground of the Sinners defence as Faith hath And therefore it 's so often said by Divines according to the Scripture that Faith is the instrumental cause of our Justification which we shall clear in two or three similitudes which the Scripture makes use of 1 Christ compares Himself to the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wildernesse John 3.14 Man by Sin is stung deadly as the Israelites were by the fiery Serpents Christ Jesus as suffering and hung or lifted up upon the Cross is proposed to our Faith to look upon as the brazen Serpent was proposed to them that were stung and put up on a poll for that end and as there was no healling to the stung Israelites except they looked to it and the cure followed to none but to these who did behold it So Christ Jesus proposed as the Object and meritorious Cause of Justification Justifies none but such as look to Him by Faith and although they were to look to the Brazen Serpent yet their look gave no efficacy to the cure but it flowed from Gods ordaining that as a mean of their Cure even so it is not from any efficacy in Faith considered in it self that Sinners are Justified but it is from Jesus Christ the Object that Faith eyeing Him lifted up as the Saviour of the elect and His Satisfaction as appointed of God for that end doth Justifie and therefore it may well be called an instrumental cause because it is not Christ abstractly considered that Justifies more then it was the Serpent considered abstractly without their looking to it that did cure but Christ considered and laid hold on by Faith and in this respect Faith is said to Justifie even as the e e looking to the Brazen Serpent put them in capacity of the Cure though the Cure flowed from Gods appointment and not from their looking So is it in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Justification A 2d Similitude is that of miraculous Faith We find it often said by the Lord in His working such Cures Thy faith hath made the whole There was no efficacy in Faith it self for producing the Cure but it was the mean by which the Cure was transmitted to the Person under such a disease So it is in believing in order to our Justification It is by believing on Christ that our Spiritual Cure in Justification is transmitted to us and we are said to be Justified by Faith as they were said to be cured by Faith because by Faith it is convoyed to us A 3d. Similitude for clearing that Faith may well be called the instrumental Cause of Justification may be this even as the Advocats pleading may be called the instrumental Cause of the Clients absolving As suppose a man whose Cautioner had payed his Debt were cited to answer for the Debt his Advocat pleads his absolution and freedom from the Debt because his Cautioner hath payed it although the Debt was payed yet the man had not been absolved if it had not been so pleaded on this behalf So the concurrence of Faith in the
Ye are all lyable to appearing before God's Justice-seat Ye are all guilty and by the Sentence of the Law under Gods Curse and Condemned already Because God hath said He that sins shall die We are I say all thus by Nature Use 2. It gives a great commendation to the Grace of God in Christ Jesus it makes Grace wonderfully Glorious That takes the Sinner at this niâ—k and in this pinch We shall not dispute here nor is it needfull nor edifying whether God might have forgiven Sin freely without any intervenient Satisfaction to His Justice seing He hath declared His mind concerning that in His Word Exod. 23.7 I will not justifie the wicked And Chap. 34.7 That will by no means clear the guilty And Gen. 3. The day thou eats or Sins thou shalt surely die This is it that puts Man as considered in his Natural Condition to be as it were in Hell while he is on Earth and puts Him in such a near capacity to the Wrath of God if we may so speak and to the actual undergoing of it That there needs no more but the blowing out of the Breath to put him in the pit yea while He is living he is a Prisoner in Chains till the day of Execution come If Grace reprive him not ye would think much of Grace O! how very much if ye were seriously comparing these two together to be so near Hell and yet as it were to have a Ladder set up for you to ascend to Heaven by And that in such a way as by Christ's becoming a Curse They will certainly never think much of the Grace of God and of the Love of Christ they will never think much of their own hazard nor wil they ever in earnest make use of Christs Righteousness who have not some quick and lively impression and sense of this their Condition by Nature And therefore when ever ye go to Read to Hear to Pray to Meditat c. Take up your selves as naturally arrested before the Court of God and obnoxious to His Wrath This would lay your Pride and make Christs offers in the Gospel lovely to you Use 3. This shews That these who get any good of Christ are much in Christs Debt and Common and have in themselves no cause to boast of it If this be true even of the Elect that they are all once under the Sentence of Condemnation else they could not be Justified and Absolved by Christ Ye that think your selves to be something what have ye to boast of Who hath made you to differ and what have ye but what ye have received It sets you well therefore to be humble and to put a Price upon Christ as the Apostle doth on the same consideration Gal. 2.20 When he sayes Who loved me and gave himself for me That makes Him relish sweetly to the Believer And this is the ground of His Triumph Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. This way of Justification makes Christs death Wonderous Lovely and it is on this that the Song of the Redeemed is founded Rev. 1.5 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever amen And of that new Song Revel 5.9 10. Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood c. It is an evil token when folk can talk at a high rate of their hope of being Justified when in the mean time they have so little estimation of Christ and their hearts are so little warmed with love to Him who is so Lovely to Believers And when they can so confidently make application of His Purchase to themselves and yet cannot tell when their heart was ever in the least measure ravished with the consideration of Christs love neither did it ever relish to them nor were their hearts ever in the least ingaged to Him on that consideration Use 4. All of you who are lying in this Natural Condition and know not what is your hazard who are living in your Prophanity or at best in your Hypocrisee Civility Formality not Regenerat or Born again but have still the same Faith and Love that ye were born with and no other what is your posture ye are not in Christ but lying naked obnoxious to the Wrath and Curse of God condemned already And what if your breath go out in this doleful condition What if a Palsie or Appoplexie overtake you suddenly What if a Stone fall upon you ere ye go home out of this place There is even but that much betwixt you and Hell Ye are lyable to be arrested before the Court of Gods Justice and how will it be with you when ye come there And when it shall be said that such a Person hath broken the Law and therefore Gods Curse is due to him and therefore away with him For he judgeth according to mens works Are there none of you afraid of this Do ye believe it to be a Truth O! that ye did who are lying contentedly and secure in your Natural Condition and yet it does not trouble you Will you yet lye still contentedly in this dreadful state Is it possible that ye can be well in this condition though ye would heap up Riches as the Sand ye cannot look into the Bible nor into your own heart but it curses you Ye cannot look to the Bar of Gods Justice but the Sentence meets you Depart from me ye cursed This is the Truth of God And if ye think there be any here lying still in black nature and we are not sure all renewed think then upon your case O! that ye saw your posture The Hand-writting coming forth on the Wall did not so afright Belshazzar as this Curse would afright you if it were believed And 2ly If this be your Natural Condition and if ye believe it to be truly so we would expostulat with you and even wonder 1. How comes it to passe that so many of you lye still in your Natural Condition and endeavour not a change of your State It will be wondered at by Angels and by all the Elect yea and even by the Reprobat that never heard of Christ That so many heard the Gospel and had the offer of Christ and yet did not stir up themselves to make use of Him Is it not a wonder that Folk can sleep secure under the Curse of God And bless themselves till their iniquities be found to be hatefull To be in this condition and to sleep quietly under it will have a dolefull wakning 2dly How is it that so few take pains to try how it is with them If many of you were lying under a Decreet of
lay down their Arms and come in and if one of them were challenged and called to a Reckoning after his coming in for his Rebellion The ground of his Plea would not be that he never was out in Rebellion but that such an offer was made and that he did hazard his life on it So is it here A Sinner is a Rebel against God by Nature and being in Rebellion hath the Offer of Pardon and Life made to him on condition that he close by Faith with Christs Righteousness and the Sinner doth by Faith give God credit and hazards his Soul on that Whereas unbelief to follow the similitude is as if a Rebell hearing of such a Pardon offered would not think that a sure way to come off but would either plead innocent or take him to some other shift This then is the Faith that I mean of which actually closes with and makes use of Gods Offer of Christs Righteousness for Absolution 3dly Consider the Causes of Justification And there are Three in the Words 1. The Meritorious Cause that hath procured and bought this Benefit is Christs Satisfaction His bearing of our iniquites He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities 2. The Instrumental Cause Condition or Mean or Way how that Benefit is derived to us is Faith called here His knowledge It 's the Faith we spoke of just now Faith taking hold of such a Promise and resting on Gods Faithfulness for the making out of it It 's this which gives the Soul a Title to Christs Righteousness which formerly it had not and makes Christ's Purchase of due to belong to it by vertue of Gods Offer and consequently the benefit of Justification is derived to it by it's taking hold of the Offer which otherwayes it could not partake of 3. The formal Cause wherein Justification properly consists is this even God's Absolving or Judicial pronouncing of the Sinner to be Free and His accounting of Him as righteous on account of Christs Righteousness imputed to Him and taken hold of by His Faith where the Sentence is past we need not curiously inquire It 's like as the Sentence of Condemnation stands in the Word while the Sinner is in unbelief So by believing in Christ He hath Absolution in the Word as John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned And this Sentence of the Word is as effectuall for Absolving of the Sinner as if the Sentence were pronunced in an immediat way or with an audible voice from Heaven by God with the Sinners name and sirname in it And therefore let me commend this with the other places I named before to you that from them ye may learn to take up the way how a Sinner is Absolved and Justified It 's Christ's Satisfaction that makes the amends and is the Meritorious Cause It is Gods Word that makes Offer of that Satisfaction and it 's our Faith begotten and quickned by Gods Spirit that taketh hold of it and Justification it self it Gods Absolving and Accepting of the Person as Righteous in His sight who is fled to Christ's Righteousness And thus though Gods Grace and Mercy be the Efficient Cause that admits of the Ransome yet neither is Grace in us the Formal Cause nor is Grace in God the Meritorious Cause but it 's that which layes down the way how a Satisfaction shall be provided and accepts of it when provided and of the Sinner on account of it when by Faith he betakes himself to it Use 2. Seing there is such a way of Justification provided and by the Gospel brought to light revealled and made manifest as the Word is Rom. 1.17 and 3.21 Since I say that Mystery which before was hid is disclosed and Life and Immortality brought to Light by the Gospel let me earnestly intreat you that ye would make use of this Mean and way of Justification for the obtaining of Absolution before God The end of Preaching as we said is to reveal this Righteousness and the end of the revealling of it is to ingage Sinners to make use of it Of which though we should Preach to you from the one end of the year to the other if ye do not betake your selves to it so as to close with it and heartily to submit unto it it will all be to no purpose For pressing of this Use a little further consider the great concern and moment of this Application and what may induce you seriously to mind it And to this purpose 1. I would pose and put you to it if ye believe that by Nature ye are lyable to Gods Curse and that ye must compear before His Judgement-seat and if ye be found in Nature when ye compear that it will be a Woful and Dreadful Sentence that ye will meet with from God and if withal ye believe this that by Justification ye may have Sin Pardoned be Reconciled to God and have the Curse removed from you and be put in such a State as if ye had never Sinned If I say ye believe these things to be the Truths of God is not this of your Concernment whether ye be made Friends with God and have your Sins Pardoned or not whether ye shall be Eternally Happy or Eternally Miserable whether ye shall get Gods blessing or lye for ever under His Curse If this I say be of your concernment then surely Obedience to this Exhortation is of your Concernment because there is no other way to win to Absolution but this 2. Consider That it 's the very design of the Gospel and of this benefit that is made Offer of to you therein which all the Nations that have not the Gospel want The priviledge being denyed to them God makes Offer of a way to you how ye may be Justified and ye professe your desire to learn it and to get it practically made use of and Improved and as Paul hath it Philip. 3.8 9 10. That ye may know Christ that ye may win Him and be found in Him And it is the Sum of the Gospel as we have it Act. 13.38 Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you remession of sins and by him all that believe are justified This is even the time that the Lord is making this Proclamation that was before Prophesied of and Published by Isaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many This is it that is even now Revealed Declared and made Manifest to you that by Christ Jesus alone Righteousnesse is to be attained And if it be of such concernment that for this very end God hath sent His Sone to die and hath sent this Gospel to declare and make offer of this benefit of His Death unto you It 's no doubt greatly of your concernment to make use of it when it comes to you 3. Consider That if the Lords Proclamation of it have not that effect to ingage you to Christ Jesus for the obtaining of Righteousnesse through Him
Doctrine that ever ye heard it had been in some respect better that ye had heard that it was but two or three that will come to Heaven because the hearing of many's coming thither will greatly aggravat your guilt who neglect so great a Salvation Therefore take two or three Caveats of this Doctrine And 1. Beware of being secure because there are many that shall be Justified There are many moe that will perish compare these that perish with these that will be saved and it will be found that they are but an handful that will be saved and that Swarms and Multitudes will go to Hell Therefore when ye hear that the door is opened to many let it encourage you to enter in but remember this that moe will be excluded and perish then will enter in and be saved The Scripture sayes Many are called but few are chosen even in respect of the called within the visible Church 2. Consider that Graces inlarging of this benefit to take in many will be your greatest challenge and aggravation that shall miss and come short of it Therefore let us as it is Hâ—b 4. fear least having a promise left unto us of entring into his rest any of as should seem to come short of it When this door is opened to us we would by all means fear coming short or not entring through unbelief for it will be worse with us then if the door had never been opened Folk ordinarily think not so much to miss or come short of a Priviledge which but one or two have accesse to but when it is such a priviledge as is made attainable by many the missing of it galleth and tormenteth the more and when many shall come from the East West South and North and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven what weeping and gnashing of teeth will it cause to them who shall be secluded And therefore 3ly Beware of thinking that there is the less diligence or fear required because we say that many will be Justified for though there be many that are Redeemed and many that shall be Justified yet all these come to be Justified through Christ's knowledge And therefore such as are ignorant and prophane can but take little or no comfort hence while they continue to be such Though there be many that are Justified yet none but Believers are Justified and none can warrantably look on themselves to be Believers but such as are sincere students of Holinesse I would not therefore have you laying weight either on many or few's being Justified except by way of Motive but on the way that ye take to come by the end Though a great many moe were saved then will be if ye take not the way of Faith and Holinesse to come to Salvation ye will not get your selves shrouded in the croud but though there were never so few damned ye shall make up the number In a word it 's ground of encouragement to a poor Sinner that would fain be Justified in God's own way it is also ground of shame and confusion of Face to the unbeliever that restrains the benefit of Christ's Purchase and shuts himself out when Grace doth make use of such expressions to bring him in and it will be ground of conviction to all that have so wide a door opened to them and do not strive to enter in It may be many of you think little of this now but in that day when many shal be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven and others shut out it will be known to be a matter of greatest concerment if once we could be induced to be in earnest in this one thing there were a great point gained on the hearers of the Gospel and till it be seriously minded there is nothing that we can do in Religion that will be to any purpose SERMON LV. ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. IT 's a great matter to have the solid impression of Christ's fulness on our Spirits and to be throughly perswaded that there is a Rigteousness to be had in Him yet the Consolation is not full unless there be clearness in the way how this Righteousnesse is applyed and come by and a kindly yeelding to follow that way For though we know that Christ died and that there is a Righteousnesse Purchased yet there are many that are never Justified and that shall never be saved by it And therefore it would not be so much to know that there is such a thing if he had not laid down a way how we may be partakers of it which way can no more fail and misgive then Christ's Righteousnesse can and these Words hold out the way By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many That is through Faith in Christ many shall be made Righteous His Satisfaction shall be accounted the Believers whereby it shall come to passe that they shall be as really Justified as if they had born their own iniquities because His bearing of them shall be accounted theirs We spake 1. of this general that there is such a thing as Justification or God's Absâ—lving of a Sinner who by His own iniquity is lyable to the Curse 2. That this Justification is the proper effect of Christ's Death 3. From the Object of it That they are many yet not all who are Justified many being put as a mids betwixt two extreams neither including all nor only taking in a very few having put by these more general Doctrines we would now speak a little to this great benefit of Justification in reference to the particular Causes that concur to the attaining of it which will lead us to a more distinct uptaking of it there is ground for them all in the Text and therefore we shall put them together that ye may have a short view of this great benefit complexly There are commonly six causes assigned to or made necessary to concur in Justification though we know not well how to expresse them so as ye may take them up because of the ignorance of many of you 1. There is the efficient cause and that is God the party that doth Justifie 2. The end or final Cause and that is His own Glory 3. The Meritorious Cause or that which procures it or the ground on which God Justifies And that is Christ's Merit 4. The inward instrumental Cause by which we get a tittle to and an interest in Christ's Merit and that is Faith 5. The Formal Cause or that wherein Justification consists and that is Imputation of Christ's Righteousnesse to the Sinner upon His acceptation of it and the Absolving of the Sinner by vertue of His Righteousnesse 6. The External Instrumental Cause and that is the Word of God by which this Justification is revealed and wherein God declares and passes the Sentence For the First ye would for clearing of it remember what we spake in our entring on this Doctrine
That this Word Justification is a Legal Forensick or Judicial Word and we are to conceive of God who is the party offended as the Judge and of the Sinner Arraigned and brought before His Tribunal to be Judged as a delinquent the Law gives in the Lybel or Inditement founds the Challenge or Accusation the Sinners Conscience and Actions are as so many Witnesses proving the breaking of the Law and him to be obnoxious to the Curse on that account In this we say that God is the efficient Cause and so we may take the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Actively and efficiently to look to Christ as having this Power as He is God which is proper to God alone as is clear Rom. 8.34 It is God that justifies 1 Cor. 4.4 Though I know nothing by my self yet I am not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord And this is a reason of the former to wit that no other can Absolve but God the party offended who is Judge We mark it for this practical Use which the Apostle makes of it which is to bid us lay less weight upon others thinking well of us or absolving us and on our own absolving of our selves the Lord chargeth some thus Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knows your hearts Paul will not justifie himself for that is Gods place and prerogative How many are there who take another persons testimony for Gods and think that since others love respect and commend them they are in a good condition and well enough but alace is that Person God Except mens testimony be founded on the grounds that are held forth in the Word and if so then it 's Gods Testimony it will not do the businesse nor avail you any thing except there be â— Sentence of Absolution pronounced and â—ast by Him their Sentence or your own will be recalled Though many of you do not down right professe this yet many of you practically fall into it alwayes remember that it is God that Justifies and that His Absolution is different from mens and from your own many may have good thoughts of you and so may ye of your selves when God may have none For the 2d To wit The final Cause it is clear here also by comparing the former verse with the Words going before in this same verse and ye may take it in this Observation That the Glory of God and of the Media or is the end that God hath before Him in the Justifying of Sinners Therefore it is called the Lords pleasure or delight and the Mediators satisfaction because He hath proposed to Himself therein the Glory of His Grace especially and also of others of His Attributs as His end and so hath a kind of longing desire and thirst after it for the Lord being Absolutely Glorious cannot but love His own Glory and being the infinitly Pure Alsufficient Good He cannot but love Himself and His own Glory and therefore for attaining of this end He Justifies and Absolves poor Sinners Now God is glorified here two wayes 1. He gets the Glory of His Grace that is exceedingly magnified thereby as is clear Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace It 's the Lords pleasure to glorifie His Grace and this proves to be to the Glory of His Grace when a Sinner lyable to Wrath is fully Justifyed and Intitled to Heaven 2. He gets thereby the Glory of His Justice and Righteousness which takes in the Glorifying of God's Holiness and Wisdom He is seen here to be a Holy God who will needs testifie His dislike at Sin where ever it is a just God that will needs punish it a gracious God that will pardon and such a wise God as finds out the way how both to punish and pardon without any the least Imputation either to His Justice or to His Mercy and Grace and so He shews Himself to be Infinitly Just Gracious Wise and Holy in the Justification of Sinners These we may see Rom. 3.24 25 26. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ There Justice and Grace shine clearly Justification is free yet there is a Price laid down and a Satisfaction made to Justice and the 26. verse shews the end to wit To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of them who believe in Jesus He hath indeed taken a way how to pardon Sin but so as it is through a Redemption or by the exacting of a Price that He may be seen to be Just who will not pardon Sin without a Satisfaction Justice kythes in this that Christ is put to pay a great Price and that He may be seen to be Gracious He hath laid down a way how the Price that was to be payed by Christ might be imputed to or reckoned on the account of the guilty Sinner and that He might thereby be Absolved And thus Justice and Grace kiss each other in this admirable contrivance And although none almost except Socinians deny the Justice of God in the Justification of Sinners yet as they do Doctrinally in Substance deny it So many of us who professe to abhore their Doctrine do practically deny it also And therefore as the 1. Use of it let me speak a little to unbelievers and ask you what think you will become of you ye must either betake your selves to Christs Satisfaction or ye must resolve to Satisfie for your selves Secure Hypocrits think of nothing but of Grace and that God will alwayes be Gracious and never suffer themselves think of the necessity of a Satisfaction to be made to His Justice and thus they slight and on the matter deny His Justice as if He were not to be Glorified in that Attribute as well as in His Grace and Mercy whereas there is no other way to declare God to be Just in the Justification of them that believe but this which brings them to Christs Satisfaction Use 2. It 's ground of notable Consolation and Encouragement to a poor exercised Soul sensible of Sin whereupon to expect Justification It 's Gods end in Justifying Sinners to set out the Glory of His Grace and is it not much that God should contrive such a way for glorifying of Himself as should carrie along in it good to us yea such a way as should resolve in our good which comes in as a subordinat end to the glorifying of His Grace as the ultimat end may not this be an encouragement to them to seek after Justification on these terms and for this end Use 3. It shews that as many as submit not to the way of this Righteousness and of Justification by Grace are thwarting with God's End they set themselves to hinder and obstruct it even that He should not be glorified
Justification before God seclude his own Righteousnesse and betake himself to Christ's Righteousnesse alone as Contra-distinguished to his own 4ly We say That Christ's Righteousness is in Him and imputed to us or made ours by imputation is the alone Meritoritorious Cause of our Justification and Salvation so as that which He hath purchased is reckoned and accounted the Sinners as if it were His own inherently and personally This I also gather from the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Would ye know as if the Prophet had said how Christ is the Meritorious Cause of Justification Thus it is because He shall bear their iniquities if He hath taken on the burden of their Sins and had their Sins imputed to Him then it will follow by proportion that they are Justified by the imputation of His Righteousnesse to them and there is nothing that the Scripture doth more inculcat then this That we are Justified by the Righteousnesse of Christ without us and imputed to us or reckoned ours we by Faith laying hold upon it and Gods accepting of it for us mak s it become ours and yet there is nothing that we do more particularâ—y erre in and which Papists do more scoâ—n and flout at wholly enervating the way and contrivance of Grace by excluding and shouldering out the Righteousnesse of Christ calling it in derision a Putative or meerly fancied and â—maginary Righteousnesse as if there were â—o reality in it and by bringing in and establishing their own Righteousnesse though it be very clear from this and many other Scriptures that Christs Righteousnesse must be ours by imputation because He â—are our iniquities He became our Righteousnesse by paying of our Dâ—bt as our Cautioner and no otherwayes the Scripture never speaks of His being our Righteousnesse by procuring ability to us to pay our own Debt I shall clear this 4th Branch a little further because it will serve to clear the rest That is thâ—t Christ's Righteousnesse as it is in Him and imputed to us is he only Meritorious Cause of our Justification And if we consider 1 The way of Justification that is used among men this will be the more plain There being two Covenants by the one of which Life was once attainable and by the other of which it is only now attainable 1. The Covenant of Works which absolves a man that never brake it which is as when one among men or before mens Court is declared to be free because he was never oâ—ing the Debt 2. The Covenant of Grace that provides a Cautioner to pay the Sinners Debt upon whose payment thereof had recourse to by Faith there is access in Law to the Sinner to call for absolution even as it is in mens Courts though the principal Debter hath nothing to pay yet if the Cautioner pay the Debt it is the principal Debtors clâ—aring and if he should be again charged to pay the Debt his immediat deâ—ence would be that the Cautioner had payed it already So is it here the Lord hath borrowed and made use of this way that is used among men to make the Mystery of Justification which passeth in the Court of God the more clear to us it is as if one should alleadge that such a Person is owing so much and he should say I cannot be charged with it and upon what ground Not because I was not owing the Debt but because such anone has payed it for me So sayeth the Apostle Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies who shall condemne it is Christ that died c. The defence proposed before the Tribunal of God is Chritis dying and that is as much as he hath payed the Price or Debt who then can charge it on the principal Debtor And the frame and contexture of the words shews that it is a judicial precedour for they suppose a charge or lybel and a sentence and the Meritorious Cause of the Sentence of Absolution is that Christ hath died 2ly If we consider the nature of the two Covenants and compare them together it will be clear the Papists confound the two Covenants For works to them is the condition of both Covenants making use of that place Matth 19.17 2â— Keep the commands if thou will be perfect sell all thou hast and give to the poor quite contrary to the scope of it for therein Christ is putting the man to a thing impossible to himself to bring him to see the necessity of a Mediator and discover his unsoundnesse when he will not forgoe his great Possâ—ssions for him But the Scâ—ipture doth so clearly difâ—ereâ—ce the Covenant of Grace and â—he Covenant of works that they are opposed For the Covenant of works sayeth do this and live and the Covenant of Grace sayeth If thou shall believe with thy heart in the Lord Jesus and conâ—â—sse with thy mouth thou shalt or saved And therefore the account of ones being Juâ—â—ified in tâ—e Covenant of Grace must be different from the account whereon one is Justified in the Covenant of Wâ—rks otherwayes they would not be opposit The Covenant of Works respects inhâ—rent Righteousnesse as the condition The Covenant of Grace respects Faith taking hold of the Righteousnesse of Christ and therefore H s Righteousnesse must Justifie as being in Him without us and as imputed to us it cannot be our Righteousnesse within that Justifies for so it should be the same with the Covenant of Works for though Christ did procure inherent Righteousnesse to us it makes no difference in the condition it self which is works 3ly It will be clear if we consider how the Scripture speaks of Christ's Righteousnesse becoming ours even as our Sins became Christ's and was the cause if we may so speak of His condemnation that is as He became lyable to the Curse that as He stood a Legal Person in our Room He became guilty and lyable to the payment of our Debt For otherwayes it is abominable once to speak of His condemnation and if His Righteousnesse become ours as our Sin became His then certainly His Righteousnesse is the cause of our Justification as it is in Him inherently and in us by imputation only The blasphemy of Antinomians is most detestable and not at all pleaded for even by Papists and therefore we stand not on it here Now our Sin became Christ's by imputation therefore His Righteousnesse must be ours the same way If it then were asked How we are Justified The Text answers He shall justifie many because he shall bear their iniquities The Prophet makes his Sufferings to be the antecedent whereof our Justification is the consequent for His bearing of our iniquities is given as the reason of our Justification this is also clear 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In which words the Spirit of
Faith comes by hearing as it is Rom. 10.17 and hearing by the word of God and in the same Chap. v. 14 15. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Where the Apostle clearly and convincingly inâ—â—rt the necessity of a lawfully called Ministry for preaching of the Gospel and for carrying on the Work of Justifying and Sâ—ving Faith The reason is because if their be a necessity of Faith and if no Faith can â—e without Knowledge then there must necessarily be something to reveal it I speâ—k here of the ordinary way of Gods revealling Himself what He may do â—xtraordinarly towards Dumb and Deaff Persons to Idiots and Young Children I midle not with that but leave it to Himself as a Secret which He thinketh not fit to impart to u I call the Gospel the external mean of promoving our Justâ—fication in Four respects 1. Because it layes before us the Object of our Faith for in it as it is Rom. 1.17 is the righteousness of God revealled c. and Rom. 11.21 22. it 's said Now the righteousnesse of God without the law is manifested c. We would never know the way how a Sinner comes to be at peace with God and to be Justified without the Gospel 2. Because it not only reveals the Object of Faith but it makes offer of it and hereby a Sinner that hears the Gospel hath warrand to imbrace and make use of Jesus Christ's Righteousnesse and to rest upon it and therefore if tentation should say to the Sinner though Christ dyed what is that for thee Faith hath this to reply The Gospel calls me and that warrands me to come to Him and to make use of His Death the Promise as it is Act. 2. Is to as many as the Lord our God shall call And in this respect the Promise is our Right and Evident whereby we come to have a claim to Christ 3. Because God makes use of the Word preached for ingaging of Sinners to Christ and for making them to take hold of Him It 's true that it is not powerful of it self and without the Spirit yet it 's the ordinary mean that God maketh use of Therefore sayeth the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warefare are not carnal though they be weak in themselves yet they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds And in this respect the Gospel not only offers Life but through Gods blessing as a mean begets Life and by the Spirit accompanying it Sinners are ingaged to take hold of Christ and to rest on Him for Salvation 4ly Because this Word being taken hold of and closed with contains the pronuncing of the Sinners Absolvitor of His absolving Sentence when it sayes If thou believest thou shalt be justified and saved upon supposition of believing the Sentence stands good to the Believer Thou art past from death to Life There being no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus The 1. Use Serves to clear that which we hinted at before in naming this for a cause of Justification though it be the external instrumental cause yet it is a Cause The 2. Use Serves to teach you to put a Pryce on the Gospel It 's the bane both of prophane secure Sinners and of a sort of vain and giddy People among us that they prize not the Preaching of the Gospel as the external instrumental Cause that concurres in the Justification of Sinners but if ever ye be absolved ye will be beholden to this preached Gospel I will not say alwayes to the Preaching but sure to the Gospel that is Preached This on the one hand reproves these who will be ready to say that they have Faith who yet never knew the Gospel to do them good and such also who seldom come to hear and who never care for preaching And upon the other hand it reproves these who when they fall a Tottering Reeling and wavering and begine to incline to error cast at the preaching of the Gospel having it may be slighted it before in their hearts whether when Satan once gets them he tosses them in a great measure as he pleases and makes them so giddy by frequent turning about that they scarcely leave to themselves a foot-broad of Scripture-ground to stand upon But as ye respect the glory of Christ the good of your Souls and your absolution before God esteem much of the Gospel For it 's the power of God to salvation And if ever ye ye come to Heaven it will be by this Gospel as the external mean These Nations that never heard it will think you to be most desperatly wicked and miserable who have had it and yet so unworthily slighted it For pressing of this Use a little Take Two or Three Directions in reference to it 1. Walk under the Convictions of the necessity of the Gospel For there is no absolution without it It is true God might have taken another way but on the supposition that He hath appointed Faith to be a mids to Justification and that Faith supposes Knowledge then certainly Knowledge doth suppose a necessity of hearing the Gospel ye will never value Preaching nor any other Ordinances of Christ if ye see not a necessity of them and know them not to be for your good 2. Study to know what is the main End and Design of and what is the advantage that is to be had by the Ordinances many come to the Preaching of the Gospel to hear and learn some Lesson for informing their Judgement some come to get Directions in refâ—rence to some particular Dutie some to get a doubt loosed none of which are to be dissallowed in themselves but rather in so far to be commended but how few come to it as to a mean to carry on and bring about their Justification and to bring them out of Black Nâ—ture into a State of Grace It 's the sum of Pauls Preaching and the end of it as the Divine Historian shews Act. 26.18 To open blind eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in him 3. Aim in your practice to carry on this Design even to put a close to the Treaty anent Justification betwixt God and you when ye come to the Preaching and hears us declare in the name of the Lord that a believing Sinner hath accesse to have his Sin taken away and to be Justified through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse ye would step to hearing this Proclamation made of the pardon of Sin by one of Christs Ambassadors in His Name and accept of embrace and cordially close with it if it were just now at this very occasion 4. This would be the great design both of Preachers and Hearers Of Preachers to follow
that way of Preaching most that layes open the mistery of Faith in Christ and of Hearers to love that way of Preaching best not so much that which fills the head with Notions as that which serves to help to close a Bargain betwixt God and you This was Pauls great design in Preaching as we see 1 Cor. 2.2 and 1 Cor. 1.23.24 He no doubt taâ—ght other things but he compended all in this or levelled all at this as the scope and this was his main Design in his Preaching and Pressing of other things The 3d. Use Serves To make a sad discovery of many of you is this Gospel the external mean of Justification Then see if ye ever knew any benefit ye got by it ye will belike say that ye are in friendship with God but how I pray you came ye by it There is little châ—nge to the better in your Knowledge and as little odds in your Practice ye are as much given to Covetousnesse Tipling Lying Swearing Pride Vanity c. as evâ—r and are these think ye the Fruits of Justification do ye think that to be Justification which is neither from the Word nor conform to it If God would commend this to your hearts I think it might alarm you to more serious thoughts of your Condition I put it to your Conscience if ye can conceive any difference betwixt you and these that never heard the Gospel ye are baptized and hear preachings c. But alace it 's none of these that Justifies they are only useful as they lead you forward to the use making of Jesus Christ Again let me ask you what effect hath Preaching upon you Hâ—th it convinced you of Sin â—o how then can it convince yâ—u of Righteousnesse Therefore if ye would make sure Justification indeed try it by the Word 1. What was it that put you to seek after Righteousnesse and Justification was ye ever convinced of the need of it and if ye have been convinced was it by Preaching of the Word 2. If ye have been convinced of your Sin and misery where sought ye for a remedy was ye led in through the Word to seek a Plaister to heal that wound of Conviction 3. What was it that warranted you to take hold of that Word or that gave you right to it I know that ye will say that it was Christ holden out in the Word that ye did betake your selves to but what weight laid ye on Gods call in the Gospel warranding you to lay hold on the Promise of Righteousnesse and Pardon of Sin through Christ I know there are many who though there had not been a call from God would have confidently stepped forward to the Promise but were ye ever like to Peters hearers pricked in your hearts and made to say men and brethren what shall we do Or being some way pricked was it Gods call holding out the Promise to be to you and your children and to as many as our God shall call that brought you to rest on the Promise God hath designed preaching for this end and ye would try if ever ye was put to it to look to Gods call that gâ—ve you warrand to believe for there is nothing more certain then this that wherever Faith is sicker and well built it 's grounded on Gods call and doth take His Faiâ—hfulnesse for it's Back-bond to say so and warrand More particularly we come to speake of this Word as it respects the inward mean or the inward instrumental cause of Justification which is Faith for there is this order and method 1. The Sinner is convinced and made sensible of Sin and brought to reckon for it in his own Conscience before God 2. There is Christs being holden forth interposing himself to take on Sinners Debt and satisfyâ—ng the Ju â—ice of God for it which is the meritorious Cause 3dly There is Gods Offer in the Gospel holding our Christs Righteousnesse to lost Sinners and calling them to make use of it 4ly Upon this there is Faith's receiving of the Offer and resting upon Christ and His Righteousnesse for Life which to speak so is the inward instrumental Cause taking hold of the external and as I said of Christ in it 5. And lasty follows Gods imputing the Righteousnesse of Christ to the Sinner and absolving him by vertue of that Righteousnesse from the guilt of his Sin as if he had never Sinned In speaking of this inward instrumental Cause Five things would be cleared which we suppose are implyed in the Words 1. The necessity of Faith holden out as the Mean by which Justification is come by 2. The immediat Object of Justifying Faith and that is Christs Sufferings or Jesus Christ as Suffering Travelling in Soul and paying our Debt 3. The Act of this Faith on this Object which is not a bare speculative Knowledge or a meer Historical Faith but something that really Acts on Christ with respect to His Sufferings 4. The effect of this Faith taking hold on Christ and His Sufferings and that is Justification which is not the making a Sinner to be Just by inherent Righteousnesse but the Actual absolving of him from the Guilt of Sin and from God's Curse the changing of his State and the bringing him from under the Curse into good terms with God 5. The manner how Faith concurres in proceeding or bringing about this effect wherein we have this general That Faith hath a peculiar influence in the Justification of a Sinner that no good work nor any other Grace hath There is none of all these things but it is in this miserably declined generation wherein the Devil sets himself mightily to obscure Truâ—h as the Lord by the Gospel doth clear it contraverted I shall only endeavour to clear the positive part and let you see what is Truth in these things whereby ye may be brought to discover and abhore the errors that are contrare thereto The 1. Doctrine than is this That before a man can be Justified and Absolved from the Curse of God due to him for Sin there is a necessity of Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ This is clear from the Words and from what hath been said in the opening of them up If it be by his knowledge or the knowledge of him that many are justified then it cannot be that they are Justified before they come to the Knowledge of Him or from Eternity only in passing take two or three words of Advertisement and then we shall confirm the Doctrine 1. When we speak of Justification it 's in respect of our being absolved and fred not from the pollution of Sin but from the guilt of it as it makes us obnoxious to the Curse the clearing of the effect will clear this more 2. When we speak of Faith it 's not to be understood as it were a Declaration or Manifestation of our Justification Or it is not to be understood of Faith in the hight of full assurance and as it is a plezophory but of
Christ Jesus It 's Gods great mercy that he hath given a Mediator and that the Mediator is come and that he hath taken on our debt What had been our eternal perishing and wallowing in Hells torments with Devils to his sufferings Alwayes this Doctrine saith that there is a necessity of making use of him and receiving of him And therefore either resolve to meet with this sorrow in your own persons or betake you to him that by his interposing it may be kept off you Weigh these two that sorrow death and the curse necessarily follow sin And that Jesus Christ hâ—th died and undergone that curse for elect sinners and then ye will see a necessity of being found in him that ye may be free of the curse Which made Paul make that choise Philip. 3 8 9 I count all things dung that I may win Christ and be found in him Oft-times the allurements of the Gospel prevail not to bring sinners to Chriâ—t but if it's allurements do not prevail will not the consideration of the vengeance of God perswade you However in these two Doctrines ye have in sum this the curse of God following sin and a free and full Saviour holden out to you by whom ye may eviâ—e the curse ye are invited â—o make him welcome Choose you death and life are set before you whereby you are put to it whether ye will adventure to meet with the curse or to make him welcome Now God himself make you wise to make the right choise SERMON XX. ISAIAH LIII IV V. Vers 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IF we had the Faith of that which the Prophet speaks here and the through conviction who it is of whom he speaks we would be in a holy transport of admiration and astonishment at the hearing of it That it 's he who is the Prince of life that was bruised and wounded and that these bruises wounds and stripes are ours were for us and the price and satisfaction for our iniquities to Divine Justice And yet that even he in the performing of all this is vilipended and despised by these whose good he is thus pursuing and seeking after O! how should it be wondered at These words as we shew hold forth these three 1. The cause or end of Christs suffering Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows which is to remove and take away the scandal that might arise from Christs Humiliation described in the foregoing words He was low indeed but there was no guilt found in his mouth It was for no quarrel that God had at himself but he undertook our debt and therefore carried our sorrows 2. The aggravation of mens enmity and desperat wickedness that yet notwithstanding of all this We esteemed him smitten of God and a flicted 3. We have the Exposition of the first part more clearly set down But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. Where more fully he expounds what in the beginning of the 4. vers he asserted We expounded the first part of the words and shew that these griefs and sorrows held forth the due desert of sin called ours because they are the due and particular desert of our sins and that which they procured and that Christ's bearing of them was not only meant of his taking away or removing from us of sorrows and griefs as he did diseases but of his real undergoing of that which we should have undergone even such a bearing as made others think him smitten and plagued of God and such as wounded and bruised him even such as made him become a curse for us and such as procured healing to us All which proves that it was a reâ—l undergoing of sorrow and grief We spoke to two Doctrines from this part 1. That sin hath sorrow necessarily knit to it and never wanteth sorrow following on it 2. That Christ Jesus undertook these same sorrows and really bare these same griefs that sin procured to the Elect or that by sin were due to them That we may proceed to observe somewhat more and for clearer access to the Doctrine we shall speak a word to a Question that may be moved here What is meant by these words our we and us He hath born our griefs the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all by his stripes we are healed And the rather I would speak to this because throughout the Chapter we will find these Pronouns very frequent We know in Scripture our and us are sometimes extended to all mankind so we are all lost in Adam and sin hath a dominion over us all And that part of the worâ—s vers 6. All we like sheep have gone astray may well be extended to all mankind Sometimes it is to be restrictâ—d to God's Elect and so all comprehends only such and all such And in this respect our us and we and all are contradistinguished from many others in the World and take not in all men as Gal. 4.26 Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Which is spoken in opposition to thâ— bond woman and her children spoken of before So that this our us and we are not to be extended to all individual men in the Wâ—rld as if Christ had satisfied the Justice of God for all but it is to be applied to Gods Elect separat in his purpose from others and in Gods design appointed to be redeemed and satisfied for by Christ And the words being thus expounded they lead us to this Doctrine that Jesus Christ in bearing the punishment of sin had a particular and distinct respect to some definite sinners for confirmation of it we shall not go out of the Chapâ—er the scope whereof we would clear a little And if we look thorow the Chapter we will find five grounds to clear these words are to be thus restricted For 1. We are to expound this universal with respect to Gods purpose and Covenant the contrivance of the Elects Redemption and to the death of Christ the execution of it and so these words our us we all are and must be restricted to these and in them we are to find out who they are Now who these are we find clear John 6.37 39. In the 37. v. where he saith All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me And v. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing It 's in a word these whom the Father hath given to Christ and as many as are given will believe And certainly these that are given to Christ to be redeemed by him are the same whose iniquities the Father makes to meet on
we may thâ—nce conclude that he hath loved us and given himself to save us Because he hath humbled me for sin may the serious soul say and givâ—n me this faiâ—h to believe in him and this is his promise which I rest upon that I shall be saved Or thou mayest try thy interest in his Redemption thus Whether am I one of Gods people or not Whether do I walk like them and so go thorow the marks and signs of holiness asking â—hy self What sinceriâ—y is there in me What Mortification What Humility Meekness Love to God and his Children Aâ—d whaâ— fruits of Faith in new-obedience These two F ith and Holiness are the Pillars that bear up the House of Assurance Working and not resting on it believâ—ng and yet not growing vain and light because of it but so much the rather studying Holiness And to go on betwixt and with these two till we come to read God's mind about our Election and Redâ—mption For neither Believing nor Holiness can make any alteration in the bargain of Redemption yet it will warrand our application of the bargain â—nd clear our interest in iâ— as the Apost e Peter plainly insinuats when he thus exhorts Give diligence to make your calling and election sure How is that Will diligence makâ— God alter his decree of Election or make it any surer in it self No by no means buâ— it will assure us of it For by so doing an entrance shall be ministred unto us abundantly into his everlasting Kingdom by giving all diligence to add one grace to another and one degree of grace to another there shall be a wide door opened to us to go in to Heaven by And there is no hazâ—rd in commending this Doctâ—ine to you all even the study of Faith and Holiness thereby to come to the knowledge of Gods Secret Council concerning you And therefore as a third Use of th s point know that all of you that prejudge yâ—urselves of this comfort of your interest in Christs purchase do bring the blame of it on your selves If any shall prophanely object if God hath purposed so many shâ—ll get gooâ— of Christs sufferings and no moe what will my Faith and Holiness do if I be â—ot elected And what can my unbelief and negligence prejudge me if I be elected We shew in the former Use what Faith and Holiness will do and we tâ—ll you here what your unbelief and negligence will do and it 's this it will seclude you from all the blessings of the Covenant and bring you under the sentence of condemnation for as the conditional promise looks to the believer and unbeliever and so it is not Christ's purchase nor the difference God hath made in his purpose of election that is the cause why ye are damned and not justified But ye are damned because ye transgressed Gods Law and when salvation was offered to you through Christ ye would not close with the offer And ye are not justified becâ—use ye bâ—took not your selves to him for righteou nâ—ss but continued in your sin and in seekiâ—g righteousness by the Law For although this universal be not true That Christ died for all men yet this universal is true that they are all justified that by faith flee unto Jesus Christ for refuge Hence these two are put together Joh. 6.37 All that the Father hath given me sha l come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out For I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the Fathers will that sent me If it should be asked what is the Faâ—hers will He answers This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing There are as if he had said some committed to me to be redeemed by me and I will lose none of them And lest it should yet be objected but I wot not if I be given to Christ to be redeemed by him He adds And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life In which words we have two wills to say so both having the same promise and effect the first he relates to the secret paction of Redemption vers 39. And the second is his revealed will pâ—inting at out duty vers 40. And so if any should say I know not it I be given to Christ I know not if I be elected This answer is here given What is that to thee It 's not to be searched into at the first hand and broken in upon per salâ—um and at the broad side That is God's secret will and that which is his revealed will belongs to thee and that is to see that thou believe and if thou believest the same promise that is annexed to believing is annexed to election and they sweetly tryst together and are of equal extent to wit believing and to be given to Christ And therefore let me commend it to you to hold you content with Gods revealed will For it is not the ground of your Faith I mean as to its first closing with Christ That of all given to Christ he shall lose none But this is the ground of it That every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him shall have everlasting life And we may add this word as one motive amongst others to Faith and Holiness that by your studying of these ye may turn over the words of the Prophet here to your selves and say Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows And that of the Apostle Gal. 2. Who loved me and gave himself for me Also that word of Peter cited before His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree And O! what consolation is there The 4. Use of it is to commend the practice of this to the Believer that hath indeed fled to Jesus Christ And to shew the great priviledge that they have who are such The practice of it is that Believers should seek to be established and confirmed in the particular application of Christs death to themselves not only to know that he suffered for the Elect and for Believers but for them in particular that as it is â—eb 4.16 They may come with boldness to the Throne of God and confidently assert their intâ—rest And as it is Heb. 6. They may grow up to the full assurance of hope unto the end We suppose there are many believers that dar not disclaim the Covenant and their interest in Christ who yet are fearful to make this particular application Jesus Christ hath loved me and given himself for me But if they could knit the effects with the cause from whence they came they might attain to it for the man that can say I am fled to Christ for refuge he may also say tâ—at he purposely laid down his life to pay my debt And he is warranded of Christ to make this application of his particular
neither Penance Performances nor any other thing will do it but it 's Lo I come in the volum of thy book it s written of me I delight to do thy will O my God Take this then as another ground of Saving Knowledge that it is our blessed Lord Jesus that satisfies Justice even he who being God was content to become Man and is God and Man in one Person He and he only undertaking the Debt satisfies Justice 4. How does he satisfie Justice Ans He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes we are healed In which words observe these three things 1. In Christs satisfaction for us there is an actual undertaking he becomes Cautioner and enters himself in our room when all other things are casten Angels Men with their Sacrifices thousands of Rams ten thousand rivers of Oil and the fruit of the Body then our Lord Jesus comes in and undertakes Psal 40.7 Lo I come he satisfies for our Transgressions which supposes that Justice could not have sought our Debt of him if he had not undertaken it therefore Heb. 7.24 He is called the surety of a better testament for he comes in our room and place and undertakes to pay our Debt even as if a man under Debt were a carrying to Prison and another able rich man should undertake to pay the Debt although the Debt should ly over for a while unpayed yet the Creditor will get a Decreet on the Cautioner for payment of the Debt when he pleases to put at him so Jesus Christ enters Cautioner for our Debt and becomes lyable to the payment of it 2. Christs performance and payment of the Debt according to his undertaking implys a Covenant and Transaction on which the application is founded which we shew was also implyed in the foregoing words ver 4. He hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows God the Father Son and Holy Spirit are the Party wronged by Sin Jesus Christ considered personally and as Mediator is the Party undertaking The terms are that he shall suffer and satisfie Justice for us and that we shall go free that his paying shall be our freedom that the Debt which he pays for us shall not be exacted off us our selves 2 Cor. 5. ult He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him and here the chastisement of our peace was on him it was transferred from us to him that by his stripes we might be healed by his stripes and blanes health was procured and brought to us 3. Our Lord Jesus in fulfilling the Bargain and satisfying Justice payed a dear price it was at a very dear rate that he bought our freedom He was wounded bruised suffered stripes and punishment So that ye may take the answer to the question in sum to be this our Lord Jesus performed and satisfied for all that was due by us by undertaking our Debt and paying a dear price for Sinners according to the Covenant of Redemption He came under the Law and the Law struck at him as Cautioner and he answered the Laws demands and fully and condiguly satisfied the Justice of God for us As for that Question Whether Christ might not by one drop of his blood have satisfied and such like we think them very needless too curious and little or not at all edifying But if it be asked why Christ payed so much we answer 1. It behoved Christ to pay a condign price to give a condign satisfaction to Justice 2. It was meet that he should pay all that he payed First We say it behoved to be a condign satisfaction For 1. It behoved to be a price equivalent to all that the Elect should have suffered had not he interposed 2. It behoved to be proportionable to the Justice of God for God having laid down such a way of shewing Mercy that his Justice should be salved there behoved to be condign satisfaction for the vindication of Justice which was done by Christs suffering to the full undoubtedly if we consider 1. The excellency of the Person that suffered God and Man in one Person 2. If we consider the nature of his Sufferings that they were exceeding great heavy and pressing And 3. If withall we consider the manner of his Sufferings that it was with much readiness and chearfulness of obedience to the Fathers will That such and so excellent a Person should suffer and suffer so much and suffer in such a way this sure makes a condign Satisfaction and so Justice is fully thereby satisfied and made as glorious as if all the Elect had suffered eternally therefore we say that his sufferings were a condign and proportionable satisfaction to Justice for them whose Debt he payed by this Justice is compleatly and gloriously satisfied Secondly We said that it was meet that he should pay all that he payed and so it is if we consider 1. The excellency of immortal Souls a little price as all that Men or Angels could have payed would have been the finest Gold Silver and precious Stones could not have done it the redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever to wit amongst all the Creatures Psal 49.8 2. The severity of Justice on the just account of Sin called for such a price 3. Gods end which was to make both his Grace and Justice glorious required and made it meet that our Lord should suffer condignly and in his Sufferings suffer much even all that he did suffer And in this ye have an answer to this question why Christ suffered so much as the loss to speak so of his declarative glory for a time outward sufferings and inward sufferings even the bâ—â—isiâ—g and squeezing that hiâ— Soul was under which made him to say that it was heavy unto death and exceeding sorrowful Let not sinners then think it a little or a light thing to get a Soul saved the redemption whereof ceaseth for ever as to us or any Creature Behold herein the glory of Grace eminently shineth forth when there is such a price payed for that which in some respect is of so little worth and also the glory of Justice when so great a price is demanded and payed down for its satisfaction by so worthy and excellent a Person and let none think little of Sin the guilt whereof could not be otherwise expiaâ—â—d the chastisement of our peace behoved to be on him 5. What are the benefits that come by these Sufferings Answer 1. The benefits are such that if he had not suffered for us we should have suffered all that he suffered our selves 2. More particularly we have 1. Peace and Pardon of Sin 2. Healing by his Sufferings so that if it be asked what procured pardon of Sin and peace with God We answer it 's Christs Sufferings Or if it be asked what is the cause of Gods justifying Sinners We answer it 's
of patience and obedience to them But the efficacy of his death was from the beginning of the world He was still in that sense the Lamb slain before his Incarnation as well as since And if it be not meritorious in procuring Salvation to Elect Infants what influence or advantage can it have as to them Either they are not taken to Heaven at all or they are taken to Heaven and yet not in the least obliged to Christ for their being brought thither or if they be obliged to him it is certainly by vertue of the merit of his sufferings for expiating the sins of his people 4. It 's clear from this that in this same Chapter and throughout the Gospel all the benefits that come to Gods people as namely Justification and pardon of sin they are attributed to this as the cause of them as vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many And if all the spiritual benefits that come to us were procured by his death there must necessarily be vertue in it that procured them and it must be a price and satisfaction in reference to the procuring and purchasing thereof that he laid down in his dying 5. It is clear from the end that God had before him in the work of Redemption and in Christ's Sufferings which was to glorify his Justice as well as his Mercy and that neither of them might be clouded or reflected upon now by Christ's death God's Justice is glorified and he is seen to be just in executing his threatning against sin even in the person of his own dearly beloved Son when he became Surety for sinners but if his sufferings had not a satisfaction in them to Divine Justice though there might be some shew of shewing Mercy yet none at all of a satisfaction to Justice but saith the Apostle Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness and that he might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus by this God hath made it manifest that he is a just God that none may preposterously presume upon Mercy nor dare to bourd with sin when it is pursued in the Surety with such severity For Use and Application 1. Do not think these truths to be of little concernment to you as alace they and such like truths of the Gospel are often thought of by many and therefore they are tasteless to them and it 's a weariness to people to hear them spoken of and yet notwithstanding this same truth that we are now upon is a great ground of our faith for if we believe not this that Christ was a propitiation for sin we can have no ground of lippening to him or believing on him but knowing and being confirmed in the faith of this truth we have cordially closing with him ground from it to expect God's favour and to be fred from the curse because Christ as our Surety undertook and accordingly satisfied for us which is the thing that makes his death to be sweet that Christ in his death should demit himself to leave us an example is much yet if we had no more by it it would be but cold comfort except we had it as a satisfaction to Divine Justice to rest upon Though this may be looked upon as doctrinal only yet it comes nearer to our practice then we are aware of and though we have not Socinians in opinion and profession to deal with yet we have two sorts that are Socinians in heart amongst us 1. These that securely sin on still and yet hope to get mercy and who will confess that they are sinners but that for making an amends they will pray and mend their life and they will speak of a number of things but it may be not one word of Christ or of his purchase or of their natural inclination to presume and to slight Christ as if they had nothing yet to look to but a Covenant of works without a Saviour or as if God had removed or would remove the curse threatned without a satisfaction so that Christs satisfaction is not known nor rested on by the multitude of Hypocrites that live in the visible Church and this is easily proven from this that there are but very few who make use of him or stand in awe to sin if it were believed that Justice required and will have satisfaction either of the sinner himself or of a surety in his room and that Christ is the only Surety Folks would either quite their hopes of Heaven or be more in Christs common and that so many mantain the hope of Heaven without a due consideration of a satisfaction to Justice by Christ and without employing of him it declares plainly that they are drunken with this error A 2d sort are these who being wakened in Conscience and sensible of sin yet are as heartless hesitating and hopeless to get peace through him as if he had not satisfied what else does the doubting and despondency of such say but that there is not a compleat satisfaction in Christ's death and that therefore they dare not trust to it otherwise they would wonder that God hath provided such a remedy and yet adventure to rest upon it seing God is as well pleased with it as if they had not provocked him at all or had satisfied his Justice themselves 2ly It serves to let us see what we are in God's common and debt and how much we are obliged to the Mediator when there was a necessity that either he should suffer or that we should perish and that though his sufferings drew so deep as to bring him to prison and to judgment and to put him to a holy sinless anxiety and perplexity that yet he yielded to it and underwent all for our sakes this is our great ground of confidence and the strong stay of the mind of a wakened Believer And should make us wonder at the Fathers love that gave the son and at the Sons love that was so condescending and should make our souls warm towards him who when we deserved nothing but to be hurried away to the Pit was content to enter himself as our Surety and to pay our Debt It should also be a motive to chase souls in to him knowing that where sin is there a satisfaction must be and that there is therefore a necessity to fly to him and to be in him because there is no other way to get Justice satisfied the through conviction whereof is that which through grace not only chaseth the soul to but engageth it to close with Christ and to rest upon him and to give him the credit of its thorow-bearing when it is ready otherwise to sink Now the Lord himself teach you to make this use of this Doctrine SERMON XXXII ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the
other Fruits of it were uselesse it will avail but little to be a Member of the visible Church to be Baptized and to be admitted to the Lords Supper to have Litural knowledge of the principles of Religion to have a Gift of Preaching or of Prayer c. these will not Justifie The peculiar thing aimed at in Christs Death and that which His People aim at and have to rejoyce in is Justification through his knowledge which is alwayes to be understood without prejudice to the study of Holinesse 2. It gives us this Use whoever would have Absolution before God would know that this was the very thing ingaged for to Christ and His intendment in His Death That Sinners believing on Him might be Absolutely and Actually Justified by Him it was not simply to propose Justification to them but that Absolutely they might be Absolved from the Curse of God due to them for Sin And now may I not ask whether this is more encouraging to Sinners to have Christ procuring Justification only conditionally to them or to have the thing absolutely conferred upon them This is a ground whereupon believing Sinners lift up their heads confidently and expect Justification through His Righteousnesse It is this that was promised to Christ and it is this that is the native fruit of His Death without which it will be fruitlesse And this may remove the great obstruction that readily a Sinner when he is serious seeth lying in his way to wit the want of Righteousnesse and the fear of not being Absolved the want of inherent Righteousnesse in himself which makes him lyable to the Curse of the Law when he seeth upon what terms Christ died First To procure a Righteousnesse to them that wanted Righteousnesse And 2. Upon these terms that Sinners through faith in Him might he Justified and fred from the Guilt of Sin as if they never had Sin themselves Considering this to be his intendment according to the terms of the Covenant of Grace what have they or what can they have to skar or fright them from expecting the fulfilling of this Promise Because the contryvance of the Covenant of Redemption is to buy Justification absolutely and not the possibility of it only nor to buy Grace to us whereby to Justifie our selves but Juâ—â—ification it self so as we may be beholden to Him alone for it Again 2dly When we say that the Justification of a Sinner is the proper result of Christ's Death it may be thus understood That the Righteousnesse whereby a Sinner is Justified is immediatly Christ's Death and Purchase as to the meritorious cause thereof to that if we look to what Justifies a Sinner as to the meritorious cause of it the knitting of these two together He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied and By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many doth hold it forth to be Christ's Death and Purchase The travel of His Soul is and must be the ground on which a lost Sinner is Justified before the Throne of God This both confirms what we formerly proposed concerning this Doctrine and also shews that the Justification of a Sinner is not by inherent Holinesse whence comes it I pray that makes a Sinner acceptable before God It is not from habitual nor actual inherent Grace but from Christs Righteousness laid hold on by Faith that grippeth and adhereth to it But from the latter part of the Words we will have more particular occasion to speak to this where these two are knit together By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquity therefore we do now passe it The Object of this benefit is many many ordinarily in Scripture implyes these two things 1. A great number and so it shews the extent of the Object that is that Christ shall purchase and redeem many or by His Death procure Justification to many 2. A restriction and thus many is opposed to all and so the meaning is There shall many be Justified by Christ's Death but not all and therefore as none can from these Words plead for an universality in Justification So neither can they in Redemption for he only bare their iniquities whom by His knowledge He Justifies Looking on these many in these twofold considerations we may take these Observations from it 1. Taking it extensively Observe 1. That the Righteousnesse of Christ is of it self able to Justifie many It 's a Righteousnesse that can Satisfie for the Sins of many or thus That in the Covenant of Redemption there is an intended Application of Christ's Righteousness and Purchase to many 2. That there are many who shall indeed partake of Christ's Righteousnesse and be Justified by it It 's not one or two or a thousand but as it was intended to Justifie many so it shall be actually applyed to many for their Justification 3. Comparing the former Words He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied with these Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Observe That Christ is not satisfied for the Travel of His Soul except many be Justified Or thus It is Christ's Satisfaction how many there be that make use of Him and that by making use of Him come to be justified by Him as afterward we will see These many are all these that believe all these that have this true and saving knowledge of Him and do rightly acknowledge Him The making out of one of these Doctrines will make them all out That Christ's Righteousnesse is able to Justifie many that many shall be Justified by it and that it is His Sâ—tisfaction and Delight that many be Justified and get this good of it It 's said Matth. 20.28 That he came to lay down his life a ransome for many And Rom. 5.15 That the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many and v. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shalâ— many be made righteous Let but these Four things be put together and considered and it will be found that there is no just ground to quarrel these Doctrines 1. The native worth and intrinsick value that is in the Satisfaction of Christ It 's the blood of God of the Person that is God It 's an Offering that flows from a willing and cheerful Giver which makes it the more acceptable He was content with delight to pay the Price there cannot be a limiting or bounding of this Worth and Value because there cannot be any bounding or limiting of the Person that gives the Value to it if it be considered in it self 2. Consider the freeness of the Offer which takes in many Our Lord communicats very freely what He hath bought very dear and it 's done with respect to His taking in of many to take away all exceptions from the poor and needy and from them that want money 3. As the terms are
their own as to the removal of temporal plagues and the taking them out of Purgatory and if they grant that there may be an imputation of the Merits of Saints why deny they the imputation of the Merits of Christ as to the removal of eternal Wrath is there any probability that there can be any imputation of the one and not an imputation of the other 3. They allow an imputation of Christs Merits as to the procuring of the first Grace without all Faith apprehending Him and if by their own Doctrine it be not absurd to speak of Christ's Merit as to the infusing of Grace at first why shall it be thought absurd to speak of Christ's Merit as to the procuring of Glory 4. They grant that there is an imputation of Christs Righteousnesse as to the procuring of Glory in a higher degree though they say that it is a far better Life which comes by our own works and why not as to the procu ing of Glory in a lower degree yea both of Grace and Glory and of every good Thing We have insisted on this the more 1. Because it 's the main foundation of our Faith and the end of it and the great scope of the Gospel 2. Because there are so many mistakes about this and a grosse mistake in this is remedilesse when we come before God Even before the Tribunal of men if we make a wrong defence it hazards our cause So is it here for to have a hiding place in Christ and under the covert of His Righteousnesse is our only defence before the dreadful Tribunal of God 3. Because it serves much to clear this Truth for we would have you knowing that it 's not enough to speak of Christ's Merit as the cause of our friendship with God a Papist will do that who yet leaneth not to Christs Merits alone but to his own at least in part and in conjunction with Christ's and therefore we would now and then speak of this because there is such horrible ignorance of it though a fundamental Truth How many gay honest folks as they are called and accounted are there among us that cannot tell how they came to be Justified or what is the ground which they have to rest on if they were going to die Is it not absurd that men should be called Protestants and live so long under the clear light of the Gospel and yâ—t be iâ—norant of this main point of the Protestant Religion Therefore 1. make this Use of it to inform your selves in the causes of your Justification and to turn them over into Questions and Answers to your selves â—o that if ye ask what is the efficient cause of Justification It 's God the party offended What is the final cause of it It is Hâ—s Glory what is the Mâ—ritorious Cause It is Christ's Merits or His Righteousnesse impuâ—â—d to us what is the inward instrumental Cause It 's Faith c. According to the solid answer given in our Chatechisme to that Question what is Justification It is an Act of Gods free grace wherein he pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in his sight only for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone Where the efficient cause is Gods free Grace Christ's Righteousness the only Meritorious Cause and the only inward instrumental Cause Faith alone The formal Cause Gods pardoning our Sin and accepting of us as Righteous Remember well that it is not Christ's Righteousnesse as having a Merit in it to procure inherent Righteousnesse but as it is imputed unto us and accounted ours that Justifies us Thus ye will remember the difference betwixt Christ's Rightâ—ousnesse and our own and as for the external instrumental Cause it is holden out in these Words of our Catechisme in the discription of Faith as he is offered to us in the Gospel All these Causes must in ordinary dispensation concur to our Justification and the pardoning of our Sins The 2d Use Serves to teach us to be on our guard against the Popish Error of Justification by Works though we here are mercifully keeped free yet the Land is tempted in several corners of it to shuffle by Christs Righteousnesse and to bring in mens own Righteousnesse or holinesse as the ground of their acceptation before God There are some spottings of it with in a few myles to this place and since this Error draws Souls away from that which is their right and only defence before God that is Christ's Righteousnesse it cannot but ruine them which should make you all to look well about you and upon this account to abhor it It as one of the great Delusions of the man of Sin which being once admitted will with your own consent bring you again in bondage to a Covenant of Works Use 3. Follow this way in your practice in your seeking after Justification renunce your own Righteousnesse and lean to Christ's Righteousnesse alone What better are many of us in our Practice then Papists If ye ask many what is it that satisfies the Justice of God Some will answer 1. Their good Prayers or their good Works and if they have done a fault they shall make amends 2. Others will say that they have a good heart to God and they mind well though it 's but little they dow do 3. Others will thank God that they have â—eâ—n keeped from grosse evils and that he hath helped them to pray and to wait on ordinances and though they have no Righteousnesse of their own yet God hath helped them to do many good things and thus all that they lean to is still within theâ— 4. Others will say we warrand you we can merit nothing but we hope through Christ's R ghteousnesse our Holiâ—esse and Prayers will be accepted not as Duties or Fruits of Faith but they think to make these two concur as the ground of their Justification to wit Christ's Righteousnesse and their own performances together And what is all this but black and abominable Popery And yet if we go through the generality of Professors great Folk and mean Folk we will find few but by one or other of these wayes they delude themselves and that but very few have Christs Righteousnesse as the immediat ground of their Justification and Defence before God Be ashamed therefore that ye are so ignorant of this Point and be exhorted to study it as the main thing if ever ye think to stand before God's Tribunal and to carrie your cause be exhorted I say to be clear in this Defence which only will be found relevant before God and nothing but this to wit the Satisfaction of Christ taken hold of and rested on by Faith The 4th Use Serves for notable Consolation to a poor Sinner that hath no Righteousnesse of His own and who without this would never have peace what would any of you think or say if ye had your Prayers and good Works to hold up to God for the ground of your
comprehended the way of a Sinners Justification in the Gospel Covenant and promises and makes offer of it to all that hear of it saying He that believes in the Son shall not perish but have eternal life and all that believe on him shall be justified from all things whereby they could not be justified by the law of Moses This is the external instrumental cause of Justification that holds out the way to Life which supposes the former 4. When this is made offer of in the Gospel there is the oâ—eration of Gods Spirit on the Soul illightning the Mind of the Sinner convincing him of his hazard chasing him to Christ and powerfully perswading him to take hold of His Righteousnesse made offer of to him whereupon the Soul comes to put forth the Act of Faith and to rest upon His Righteousnesse as when it was said by Philip to the Eunuch Act. 8. If thou believest thou mayest justified The Soul answers I believe in Christ the Son of God whereupon it becomes a bargain and this is the inward mean or instrumental cause of Justification 5. Follows Gods imputing to that Sinner that receives Christ as He is offered and rests upon Him by Faith His Righteousnesse and Christs payment and satisfâ—ction to Justice is counted his and according to this his Sins are pardoned for the merit of that Righteousness and he himself is accepted accounted Righteous as if he had never sinned and he hath such a sentence past on him as is held forth in these words of Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered to whom the Lord imputs to iniquity and in these Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus c. Even as before he fled to Christ there was a Curse standing against him And this is an Act of God the Soveraign and efficient Cause To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus as it is Rom. 3.26 which is the final cause We may confirm this either as to the positive part that by believing a Sinner is Justified or as to the negative part that there is no other way possible whereby a Sinner can be Justified but by believing So that this great Effect follows from a sensible Sinners taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse by Faith Ye may look upon a few Scriptures to this purpose as namely Gal. 2.16 Where the Apostle entering in the debate layes down this conclusion Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ as if he had said we have taken this way for the attaining of this end believing that we might be justified The Apostle speaks here 1. Of a Justification by Faith which is opposit to Works and as he ascribes it to Faith so he denyes it to Works 2. He makes it exclusive and will have no other thing to concur in the manner at least but Faith Knowing saith he that a man is not justified by works but by faith 3. He holds out his own and other Believers practice Even we have believed that we might be justified As if he said we took this way of Faith to be absolved before God which by the Law or the Works of the Law would never have been See also to this purpose the Epistle to the Romans 1 2 3 4. and 5. Chapters especially the 3 and 4. In the 3d. chap. v. 25. When he is summing the Doctrine of Justification into a compend he sayes Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins c. Where Christs Righteousnesse is called a Propitiation through faith and Faith is holden out as the Channel in which Justification runs and in the words following the Believer is holden out as the Object of it So Chap. 4. It 's holden out in the instance of Abraham particularly v. 5. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Where the Apostle propones Two wayes of a persons aiming to be Justified The 1. whereof is when a man works or worketh not on that account to be Justified by them and on that account seeks to be Justified and that way is rejected The 2. is when a man hath no works but by Faith betakes himself to Christ's Satisfaction and that way is established for that mans Faith is counted for Righteousnesse and is the ground of his peace before God we gave some Scriptures before for this and shall not therefore now insist There is also good reason why it cannot be otherwayes 1. If we consider what man is in himself ungodly rebellious having nothing to present unto God but when a Righteousnesse is presented to him by way of offer and he is through Grace brought to accept of the offer of Righteousnesse of another nothing can be conceived to be brought to receive it but his Faith and iâ— Christs Satisfaction be his Justification and if it be Faith that takes hold of it we have a clear reason why Justification is attributed as to Faith 2. Consider That this contributs most to Gods end which is to glorifie himself especially in his Grace in the Justification of Sinners even to hold forth the manifold riches of His Grace and nothing contributs to this so much and so well aâ— that which speaks the Sinner to be empty and nothing empties the Sinner more then Faith it being the great Act of Faith to bring the Soul of it's own bottom and to stop all boasting to drive it out of it self to be found in Him Therefore it 's said to be of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 14.16 As if he had said if it were by any other thing it could not be by Grace but Faith claims nothing but the Righteousnesse of Christ to rest on He hath payed the price and made the Satisfaction and that Satisfaction is mine saith Faith because it was offered to me and I have been brought to lay hold on it and the nature of this pleading stops the mouth of the creature and proclaims Justification to be alone the effect of Gods Grace and of Christs procurement 3. Consider That if it depended on any other thing our Justification could never be perfit when we speak of Justification and call it perfite It is not so to be understood as if Faith were perfite but Christs Satisfaction which is our Righteousnesse and which Faith layes hold on is perfite â—hough our Faiths grip be weak Hence it is that the weak Believer is Justified as well as the strong all who look unto Christ though with a weak sighted eye yet Salvation through him as well as Abraham because His Righteousnesse is perfite which weak Faith takes hold of as well as
to God I shall only say further here that though we cannot tell how he interceeds to satisfie our selves fully yet this is clearly held forth to us that whatsoever is needful by his being in heaven we may confidently expect it will be performed from the man Christ from him who is God-man in one Person and so his Intercession with the Father is his actual procuring and doing such a thing and that not as God simply but as Mediator Therefore these two words are put in the forecited expressions Whatsoever ye ask in my name I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son and whâ—m the Father will send in my name That is by vertue of my procurement by vertue of my Sacrifice and Intercession and the sending of the Comforter shews that it is performed by him that is God-man out of the respect he hath to his members and on the account of his Office which he pursues for their edification And so there is enough to answer the question and abounding consolation to his people which is the next Ufe Use 2. To shew the notable consolatioon that flows from this part of Christs Office O! What savourinesse and unsearchable riches are in this part of his name That our Lord Jesus as Intercessour appeares in the presence of God for us We shall speak here to these Five things 1. Wherein this is comfortable or to the extent of it 2. To the advantages that follow on it 3. To the grounds of this consolation which are confirmations of it 4. To this at what times and particular occasions the People of God may and ought in a special manner to make use of and comfort themselves in it And 5. on what terms this consolation is allowed that they grow not vain and proud of it For the First Our Lords Intercession gives a Fourfold extent of consolation that makes it wonderful 1. In it's universality as to the persons to whom it 's extended Not indeed to all men in the World but to all that will make use of it And though it were simply of universal extent to all men in the world yet it would comfort none but such as made use of it And that vanity of the Arminians that extends Christs Death and Intercession to all can truly say no more for so in comfort for they are forced to say that Christ died and intended his death for many that will never get good of him but we say all that he intended should get good of his death do get the intended good of it yea we say that whoever will make use of him shall get good both of his Death and of his Intercession So Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him Though the cause seemed to be desperat and the sentence pronounced Cursed is he that continues not in all things written in the law yet he is able to save them Therefore 1 John 2.2 It 's said If any man sin O! strange word We have an Advocat what an Advocat for any man yea for any man that will make use of him For as we shew before though it 's true that his Intercession is bounded to his Elect yet it 's as true that he refuses no cause that is honestly given him to plead If any man sin we have an advocat He will not say to such poor Souls I will not be for you I have done all that I may but it is gone against me neither will he prig to say so with you he will not say I will have this or that ere I undertake your cause for you but if any man sin If any man see his need and will imploy him whether he be a great man or mean man whether he be poor or rich bound or free whether he be an old sinner that his lived long in security hypocrisie or prophanity or be a sitten up professour whether he be young or old If any of you all that are here will come to him he will not refuse to be imployed by you By him therefore as the Apostle exhorts Heb. 1â— 15 let us offer praise to God continually And as praise so the sacrifices of other duties and they shall be accepted as the offer oâ— the Gospel runs on an universality and excludes none but these that by their unbelief exclude themselves So his Intercession runs on an universality If any man sin and will imploy him he is an Advocat at hand And seing it is Christ and Christ as Intercessour for transgressours that we are speaking of as the ground of Sinners consolation let me in passing desire you to remember that he is pointing at you men and women and if there be any of you that have a broken cause to plead any debt that ye would fain be fred of any Sin to be pardoned or your peace to be made with God here is an Advocat and the very best offering himself to be imployed Such an Advocat as said John 11. I thank thee Father for that I know thou hearest me alwayes This was true while he was on earth and will be true to the end of the world 2. The extent of this consolation appears in respect of all cases as his Intercession secluds no person that wil make use of him so it secluds no case though it looked like a lost cause and though the conscience had pronunced the Sentence God is greater then the Conscience and can louse from it though the Act were past in the Law he can cancel it And here comes in the triumph Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies Will the Devil the Law the Conscience or any thing lay ought to the charge of the man whom God justifies No why so It is Christ that died But that is not all alas may the Soul say How will I get good of Christs death I cannot apply it and make use of it He answers that He is also risen again and sitten down at the right hand of God and there maketh intercession for us to wit that his purchase may be applyed and there needs no more ye will get no more ye can seek no more and that closes the triumph There is no sin before nor after Conversion no sin of ignorance no sin against light no enemy no tentation whatever it be but that word answers all Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Where Christ takes the sinners case in hand who will stand up against him he is too strong a partie If Satan stand at the High Priests hand it 's the Lord that rebukes him Zach. 3. That as it were boasts him from the bar 3. The extent of this consolation appears in respect of the degree and hight of the perfection of the Salvation that comes by Christs Intercession to all that make use of him in all cases Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost
in against us else what needed we to have an Advocat and Intercessâ—ur if our Plea were just and good as from our selves we needed not one to undertake for us the Judge would absolve us but the defects that are in us give access to this part of his Office which supposes us to have infirmities else we needed not an high Priest if we were like Adam in his innocency for he needed not an Intercessour and therefore in the Text it is for the transgressâ—urs that he makes Intercession and 1 John 2.2 If any man sin we have an advocat c. 2. All the weight of Christs Intercession and the grounds whereon he pleads are in himself and therefore none need to stand a back because there is nothing in themselves We have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation Christ hath in him a fulnesse to pay the Debt himself and he pleads on that and on nothing in the creature He sayes not let them be pardoned because they have not sin nor because they have such and such qualifications but because I have been a propitiation for them I have payed their Debt Therefore he is called the righteous because he hath reason for that which he seeks He hath payed for what he seeks and therefore it cannot but be granted 3. There is a freedom in the application of all the application is free Grace every way and that is clear from the parable of the barren fig-tree what could the tree say when Justice pleaded it should be cut down There is nothing in it to procure a delay but the Gardner stands up and bids spare it and he will take pains on it and apply what is needful causes are not here cast back because the partie is poor nor because he hath much Debt on his score No If any man sin he hath an advocat the thing is obtained without money and without price would ye then have a Priest that suits you well ye shall have him and have him freely if ye imploy him to undertake for you he will do it freely and it 's his honour so to do 4. It 's free and effectuall It cannot misgive for who pleads is it not the Son before whom pleads he It 's before his own Father who heareth him alwayes for whom doth he plead It 's for them who are the Fathers own Elect and his also Thine they were and thou gavest them me and all mine are thine and thine are mine It 's for them whom the Father loves as well as he whaâ— does he seek and plead for for that which is covenanted and he pleads for it according to the terms of the Covenant Therefore it 's sure that though heaven and earth may be mixed and overturned yet none can louse a link here It 's impossible but what he interceeds for he must obtain and for whom he interceeds he prevails and that 's for all that imploy him 4ly For Advertisement or caveat It may be asked here may all comfort themselves in Christs Intercession Some will think that were good but in truth it would make the consolation of all unsure Therefore there are Four qualifications of a person that may and only may warrantably take the consolation whereof we have spoken 1. It 's a Person that hath betaken himself to Christs satisfaction for there are two parts of the Priestly Office His Satisfaction and his Intercession and there is no dividing of them nor making use of them but in the right order First he satisfies and then he iâ—terceeds and he must be taken and mâ—â—e use of in this order 1. In his Satisfaction to divine Justice and it 's on this ground that we must found our righteousnesse and plead for absolution and whoâ—ver haâ—e 〈◊〉 thi◠〈◊〉 of his â—â—â—faction may 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—selves in his 〈…〉 â—â—â—ed on his Satisfaction 1 John 〈…〉 he interceeds for these he is a 〈◊〉 and he is a propitiation for all who by 〈◊〉 have betaken themselves to him This is the very hinge of our Consolation 〈◊〉 to take with our Debt and to betake 〈◊〉 selves to him according to the 〈◊〉 lippening for salvation on that ground 〈◊〉 It 's these who are essaying and practising themselves in the duties of holinesse wrestling with a body of death and exercising themselves to Godlinesse that they may warrantably comfort themselves in Christs Intercession as Paul who Rom. 7. being put to it in the conflict with his corruption comforts himself thus I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Though they be sorly harassed with a corrupt nature yet they may expect an outgate through vertue of his Intercession Therefore Revel 8. Christs incense as I have often said and the Saints Prayers go and go up together Lazinesse and security hath not this consolation but if a person be praying and be serious though weak in it he hath an Advocat who when it comes to he asked what shall be thought of such an ones Sacrifice pleads that it may be accepted 3. It 's the person that not only is aiming and minting to do dutie but is denyed to it laying no weight on it disparing ever to get victory over corruption in his own strength or to come by the hearing of his prayers through any worth that is in them and not daring to step forward his alone but leaving all he does at Christs feet to make it acceptable which leads to the 4th thing requisit viz. when persons whether their doing and duties be of worth or not Jesus Christ is made by them the upshot of all they lay weight on him to get them done and to get them accepted when they are done and without him all would be desperat in their esteem this was typified in the peoples giving the Sacrifices to the Priest to be offered and though it were but two Turtle doves or two young Pigions they were brought to the Priest as well as other Sacrifices But such as consider not the enimity and sinfulnesse that is in themselves and adventure to step into God without him cannot lay claim to this consolation which runs alwayes on this ground Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him Seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Is there not then ground of Consolation here and such as there is reason to bestow a preaching upon it to teach us how to clear our selves in it and make use of it and how to chear our selves in it Ye that seclude your selves from this Consolation O! but ye spil and mar a good life to your selves and hazard your own cause that will most certainly go against you because ye put it not in the right hand which the Lord give you wisdom to amend and give us all the right use of this through Jesus Christ SERMON LXVIII ISAIAH LIII XII Verse 12. And made intercession for the transgressours IT were a very great Consolation and a
it 2. We would remember and think upon our condition by nature that upon the one side God is a consuming fire and we on the other like dry stubble and that there is no approaching to Him without a Mediator There were the less hazard of going wrong if folk were walking under the suitable impression of their sinfulness and misery by nature the want whereof makes too much forwardnesse in steping into God without Christ Therefore we commend to you all and especially when ye go to prayer to endeavour to be under deep impressions of your own sinfulness and baseness As we see it was with Abraham Gen. 18. Behold now I have taken on me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes 3. Mind the promise of Gods hearing you through Christ and His promise of leading you in all necessary truth and so to perform duty in this manner Minde I say 1. The promise of hearing that it 's not a promise to hear us simply in what we pray for but in whâ—t we pray for with other requisit qualifications of prayer and with this in particular That it be in Christs Name Hence is Asking in his name so often mentioned John 14. v. 13 14 and 16. v. 23 24 26. To mind that there is a promise of hearing draws a Soul to pray to God and to minde that the promise is made to praying thus qualified to wit that it be in Chrisâ—s Name binds the Soul to this way because otherwise it forfaults the Promise if it observe not the due qualification I fear there are too many who look on the Promise as absolute It 's true Though there are absolute Promises in the Covenant yet there are other Promises that have qualifications and conditions whereof this anent hearing of prayer is one and we are to expect the performance of the Promise when we seek after the qualification and condition 2. Mâ—ne Christs Promise whereby he hath ingaged as to lead us in all necessary truth so in this part of it to put up our prayers in His Nâ—me John 16.24 In that day ye shall aâ—k in my name To consider aright of this promise gives some ground of confideâ—ce to win at the performance of it anâ— holds the Soul in dependence on him and makes it to be quiet in the duty of improving Christs Intercession and indeed this is a main part of Religion Learn therefore to put these things together First think it a mercy that ye have a warrand and access to pray 2. That ye have a promise to be heard 3. That ye have a Mediator to interceed for you 4. That a promise is given you to learn how to make use of Him and that though the use-making of His Intercession aright be difficult and many do misken and mistake it yet that by the eying of the Promise ye may win to the right use-making of it ye would by any means eye the Promise that ye be not mistaken It may be there is a look now and then to liberty and it is good in it self but there may be a defect here That ye look not to Christ to be helped to pray with liberty and to be guided to pray in His Name so as to lay the weight of your being heard on Christs intercession 4ly When there hath been an eying of the Promise not only for the thing we seek but also to be guided in the seeking of it ye would be often taking a review of your selves in and after prayer whether ye be indeed praying and have prayed in Christs Name that when the Soul looks back and sees it hath much miskenned and neglected Christ it may take it self in this evil and disclaim it and settle it self on a right ground In a word there would be looking well on the one side that Jesus Christ be the ground we build on and on the other side that when we eye Christ and build on him we be not afraid to hazard on Him For into one of these extreams we readily run either to lippen and lean to some other thing then Christ or if we see no other thing to lean and lippen to and be necessitate to eye Him we distrust Him and are loath to hazard on Him 5ly And lastly if we consider well we will see good ground 1. To press 2. To incourage us to this way not to be doing duty only as men under the Law but as Christian men under the Gospel with respect to Christs Satisfaction and Intercession And First For pressing it consider that there is a necessity of it in reference to as many prayers as are accepted of God If it be necessary to get a hearing fit 's necessary to pray in Christs Name It a may be many think it to be but an indifferent thing that we have been pressing ll the while that we have been speaking of Christs Intercession but indeed it 's of more moment then our pressing you to any external duty for the external duty of prayer though it must needs be gon about is yet but the carcase this is the Soul and Life of Prayer And therefore let me exhort and obtest you never to saâ—iâ—fie your selves with a legal performance of the most spiritual duties in themselves except ye win to a Christian way of perfoâ—ming them that is That they be done in Christs strength and that ye rest on Him for the acceptance of them It 's as necessary to worship God in and by a Mediator as it is to worship the only true God and not to worship a false or strange God I make no question but most part of the hearers of the Gospel do destroy themselves here by resting on their legal performances and not making use of Christ 2. For your incouragement consider that it is most advantagious and profitable These words in the Promise are broad and full Whatsoever ye ask in my name I will do it And the Promise is frequently repeated in these forecited Chapters of John O! what calmness tranquility peace victory over anxiety what patience in waiting whether when in bonds or in liberty do flow from the exercising of Faith on this ground to wit That we have an Advocat in Heaven with the Father further consider the great ground of confidence that he hath given us that we shall come speed in this way which should stir us up hearten and incourage us to it which wil manifestly appear if we joyn these Two together 1. That this blessed Advocat is our Brother that He was made like unto us in all things except sin that He is a fellow-feeling high Priest that is touched with our infirmities that He refuseth to grant no suits of His People that are for His glory and their good that He saves all to the uttermost that come unto God by Him none could ever say that He refused to take their Cause in hand when they indeed committed it to Him 2. That when a Cause is committed to Him it cannot