Iosephs afflicted of his brethren sold into Egypt and in Egypt for his faith and chastitie and filiall fear of God plaine evidences of his Free Iustification though not as yet cleerly revealed and manifested Rom. 3. 21. Rom. 3. 21. was cast into prison expresly testified by the holy Ghost to be for the tryall and exercise of his faith Psal 105. 19 22. The like is to bee seen in the three Psal 105. 19 22. Children of Israel cast into the hot fierie Oven and of Daniel cast into the Lyons Den and many others to be seen as in a cleer Looking-Glasse in the eleventh to the Hebrewes whose faith by much exercising in troubles was made so strong that they brought forth much and wonderfull fruit Hence of this second sort of afflictions doe arise farre greater prayses than of the first sort as that they fashion us like to the Image of Christ that they are more precious than gold that they manifest and declare the rich graces wrought in us by Justification and the spirit of God For when we see sinne in our flesh and feele crosses and afflictions as it were punishments upon us for the same then to beleeve that the blood of Christ hath made us in the sight of God clean from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. and that we have not one spot or wrinkle of 1 Ioh. 1. 7. sinne in the sight of God or any such thing is a mighty tryall and manifestation of our faith in the blood of Christ and a wonderfull giving to Christ the glory of his death and resurrection Rom. 4. 20. but who and Rom. 4. 20. how few when afflictions come do here stand as Saint Paul speaks Rom. 5. 2. But then if we do so this causes Rom. 5. 2. God to return with all experimentall comforts and blessings unto us as three places of Scripture for confirmation Three Scriptures opened and explained of all this are worthy the opening as three sufficient witnesses by which every word must stand As first Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. where the Apostle saith 1 Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. Being justified by faith that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Wee have peace towards God that is all beating blowes and anger is ceased through our Lord Iesus Christ for saith the Prophet Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastiment of our peace was layed upon him that is all correction and chastisement for all sin needful for the making of perfect peace between God and his justified children was layed upon him and with his strips we are Esay 53. 5. healed wherein we stand and rejoyce under the hope of the glory of God And not only so but we glory in afflictions also knowing that they are not now whippings corrections and punishments for our sinnes as before the blood of Christ had made us clean from all sin for surely a a child hath little cause to glory in his whipping for his faults but hath rather shame and dejection but we glory because now they are changed into a new nature and use namely to work patience that is a quiet contented suffering and enduring to have our faith tryed whether wee will contrary to our present sense and feeling give this glory to Christs blood that hee hath justified us that is made us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely whereby God saith unto us as hee said unto Abraham Now I know that thou beleevest in my Sons blood then this patient enduring of tryall bringeth forth experience that by Gods gracious deliverances from those afflictions his Sons blood hath made us clean from all sin in the sight of God as Ezekiah said being healed of his sicknesse Now I know that thou hast cast all my sin behind thy back Then this experience bringeth forth a sound hope and trust in God that is a flat promising unto our selves from God and a very expectation of all good things and blessings both temporall and eternall And this hope makes us not ashamed that is shall not be frustrated because the love of God in justifying us with his Sons blood being thus experimentally powred abroad into our hearts by the holy Ghost assureth us that if hee spared not his own Son when wee were sinners to justifie us much more being now justified that is no sinners in his sight will hee with him give us all things also Rom. 8. 32. Thus we see how the wedding-garment Rom. 8. 32. of Christs righteousnesse put on in Justification doth not only make us compleat freely in the sight of God Coloss 2. 10. but also the faith hereof being exercised Coloss 2. 10. with crosses and afflictions makes us in our own feeling and experience compleat to our selves more and more The second proofe confirming this yet more plainly is Iam. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. saying Brethren count it a matter Iames 1. 2 3 4 5 6 explained of all or exceeding joy when yee fall into divers temptations or tryalls marke how he baptiseth crosses and afflictions as it were with a new name taken from the change of the nature of them by the Gospel and from the end and use of them calling them temptations and tryals as when it is said God tempted Abraham Gen. 22. 1. so crosses and afflictions are to tempt Gen. 22. 1. and try us whether we will beleeve when we seeme to feele the contrary that his Sonnes blood hath made us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his sight freely But to what end doth he so try us it followes Knowing that the triall of your faith worketh patience that is a quiet and contented waiting by reason that sinne the cause of all evill is done away to see a good issue and the fore-said experimentall use of them and this patient waiting brings forth that perfect work that thus we may be perfect not only inwardly mystically and freely to Godward in Christs perfectnesse Coloss 2. 10. Heb. 11. 4. but also grow perfect Coloss 1. 10. Heb. 11. 4. and entire lacking nothing to our selves-ward and in our own experimentall feeling declaratively and outwardly And if any man lack this wisdome of thus rejoycing exceedingly for these causes in afflictions let him ask it of God but let him ask in Faith that is in assurance that Christ is hiâ— sufficient wisdome and hath made him sufficiently perfect to God-ward in Christs own compleat perfection in that foundation of all experimentall blessings that Christ hath justified him that is made him perfectly wise holy and righteous and so entire and lacking nothing to God-ward and herein waver not because it is Christs own glory for he that wavereth in this efficacie of Christs blood is like a wave of the Sea â—ost of the wind and carried away to the robbing of Christ of
that Justification makes us so sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God seeing David calls it hereupon a great and plentifull Redemption Psal 130. 7. And Paul calls Free Justification Psal 130. 7. The receiving of the abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousnesse Rom. 5. 17. raigning in righteousnesse Rom. 5. 17. unto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord verse 21. And although it is true that the children Verse 21. of God may bee called Saints to menward for their sanctification yet the true cause that makes them Iustification maketh Saints to Godâ—ard Saints in the sight of God is Justification because by it alone they are made thus sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by the blood of Christ only as the Apostle to the Hebrewes plainly testifieth saying Wherefore Iesus that he might sanctifie the people that is make them Saints that is perfectly holy and righteous with his own blood suffered without the Gate Then let us not give this precious name of Saints principally to our own holy walking by sanctification but to the blood of Christ in our Justification because sanctification is so farre from being the cause of making us Saints to Godward that properly it doth but declare that we are Saints to manward wherein men are much and often deceived taking them for Saints which are no Saints But the right rule is that which Luther giveth saying thus When I was a Monk I did oftentimes most heartily Luther in Gal. 5. 18. wish That I might once be so happy as to see the conversation and life of some Saint or holy man But in the meane Luther deceived in his opinion of Saints time I imagined such a Saint as lived in the wilderness abstaining from meat drink and living only with rootes of hearbs and cold water which laboured to attaine such perfection that they might be without all feeling of temptations and sins and this opinion of these monstrous Saints I had learned not only out of the books of the Sophisters Schoolmen but also out of the books of the Fathers as Hieron and such like But now in the light of the Gospel we plainly see who they are whom Christ and his Apostles call Saints not they which live a sole and a single life or in outward appearance do other great and monstrous works or such only as are canonized in the Popes Kalendar for Saints in heaven But they which being called by the sound of the Gospel and Baptized doe believe that they be justified and clensed by the death of Christ So Paul every where writing to the Christians calleth them Saints holy the children and heirs of God and such like Whosoever therefore saith he doe beleeve in Christ whether they bee men or women Alâ— belâ—evers are Saints bond or free are all Saints not by their own works but by the works of God which they receive by faith To conclude saith he they are Saints through such an holinesse as they freely receive not through such an holinesse as they themselves have gotten by their own industry and good works Where we see that he ascribeth all the cause of being Saints unto their Justification although he shewes afterwards That sanctification unseperably follows Justification and declares the same For thus he saith further So Ministers of the Word the Magistrates of Common-Weales Parents Children Masters Servants all are true Saints if first and before all things they assure themselves that Christ is their wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Secondly if every one doe his duty in his vocation according to the rule of Gods Word and obey not the flesh but represse the lusts and desires thereof by the Spirit in some measure though not all in like measure And against the corrupters of this order and doctrine hee pronounceth an Anathema thus And let him bee holden accursed whosoever shall not give this honor unto Christ to beleeve that by his death and word he is Iustified and sanctified and so made a Saint for can we rejoyce in this precious name with greater glory to Christ than to ascribe it to the blood and righteousnesse of Christ and with greater assureâ—nesse and fulnesse to our own selves than to that meanes by which we are made complete and perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Nay if we will rejoyce in that which God speaketh he gives us in this glory of Free Justification yet greater matter of rejoycing not being content in this happy state of his own righteousnesse to call us Saints holy ones and the righteous every where in his word but also being translated by this benefit God calleth the justified by the name of righteousnesse it selfe into Christ hee calls us in a wonderfull vehemencie of our excellent perfection even Righteousnesse it selfe and not simply righteousnesse it selfe but the righteousnesse of God as the Apostle testifieth 2 Cor. 5. 21. saying Hee that knew 2 Cor 5. 21. no sinne was made sinne for us but wherefore or to what end and purpose That we being translated into him might bee made The righteousnesse of God Where we see that the Apostle is not content to say that we are made righteous no nor prefectly righteous but by a vehement speech that which is farre more even the righteousnesse of God being a figurative speech when wee are not content to use the Concrete but to expresse the excellent perfection of a thing we use the Abstract as to say hee is not only patient but very patience it selfe or not only very meek but even meeknesse it selfe so saith the Apostle that wee are made even the righteousnesse of God the Chrysost in 2. Cor. 5. 21. excellency of which speech Chrysostome perceiving bursteth forth with this just admiration saying Qualis sermo quaemens ista commendare poterit that is what a saying is this what understanding can sufficiently commend set it forth For saith he he hath made the righteous one a sinner that he might make sinners righteous Nay he saith not so neither but that which is far more for he is not content to name the qualifying but as it were the very substance it self for he saith not he was made a sinner but sin and hee saith not that we might be made righteous but Righteousnesse it selfe yea and the Righteousnesse of God for it is of God shewing that it hath no spot or stain in it from whence all sinne vanisheth away as also that God wholy performes it thereby declaring the magnificence of the gift What can be spoken more excellently of this passing excellent new creation for further proofe whereof hence wee may see the cause why God having justified Abraham he is not content to call him righteous but even righteousnesse it selfe saying Esay 41. 2. Who raised up Iustice or righteousnesse Esay 41. 2. from the East and
Moon or rather a candle for brightnesse so farre doth our glorifying of God directly to his own eyes the first way by joyfull embracing the greatnesse of his benefits passe the glorifying of him by works to the eyes of men the second way Because the first is meerly passive in us suffering God to glorifie himselfe upon us by working his inestimable benefits freely upon us The second is declarative and active in us by which wee declare the free goodnesse of God freely bestowed upon us The first is inward spirituall and divine wholly tending to the prayse of God first creating as it were the glory of God in us For whereas it is the nature of unbeliefe as Brentius well describes to be very curious and inquisitive and at the smallest appearance contrary to the promise doubts of God speaking it one while making question whether the Word be the Word another while making question of the meaning of the Word another while ☞ looking to the fewnesse and simplenesse of them that hold the Word another while looking at the multitude and greatnesse of them that hold otherwise but ever seeking some witty evasion whereby it may seem to do honestly in not believing the Word of God as it plainly speaks And sorobs God of the glory of his truth and of his power and with seeming wit makes him a liar So on the contrary side faith resting upon the naked and plain word spoken because it seemes contrary to reason and outward sense and feeling it flies to the truth and power of the Promiser making him true in his speaking and able to perform it and so gives him the glory of his Living and Being and true working in us whereby as Luther truly speaks faith is as a man would say the Creator of a certaine Divinity not in the substance of God but in us and so by putting us in possession of Gods bounteous divine benefits doth truly make us divine people And for this first kinde of glorifying God is Abraham so often called in the Word the friend of God But the second kind of glorifying God is outward more fleshly and humane not creating and making but shewing after a grosser manner to the eyes of worldly men that we are made divine persons whereof S. Peter speaks saying By the exceeding great and precious promises you are partakers of the Divine nature But how manifested and declared In that saith he yee flie the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. And this second active kinde of glorifying God because we are Agents in it and doe it by the spirit greatly inclines to the glorifying of man as S. Paul speaking of the sanctified works and holy life of Abraham saith What shall we say then that Abraham our Father hath found concerning the flesh For if Abraham were justified that is made righteous in the sight God by the holy works of his sanctification he had wherein to rejoyce or glory viz. before men but not before God But what saith the Scripture Abraham believed that God himselfe took in hand to make him righteous by clothing him with his Sons righteousnesse whereby he was made spiritually divinely heavenly and perfectly righteous not for mans account which counteth of righteousnesse by halfes but in Gods account whose count is perfect and counts it not righteousnesse except he himselfe alone by himselfe doe make his creature perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his own sight freely This Abraham believed enjoyed the benefit thereof and gave glory to God and therefore was called the friend of God because he glorified him in this principall glory wherein hee will be glorified in the greatnesse of his benefits freely bestowed which especially in his Gospel are correspondent and agreeable to his great and glorious nature and therefore being above humane capacitie and to reason impossible is principally glorified by taking them by faith and this faith seeing and discerning the greatnesse and glory of them makes the true Believer to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 3. But alas here wee may take up Luthers complaint That this knowledge and benefit of Christ to come the Saints of the Old Testament rejoyced more in and so glorified God more for the same than wee now doe when hee is so brightly and comfortably revealed and exhibited unto us Indeed saith hee we do confesse that this knowledge of Christ and of the righteousnesse of faith is an inestimable treasure but wee conceive not thereby such a full joy of spirit as the Prophets and Apostle did But what is the reason hereof Because saith Luther in another place They did not consider so coldly the promises made unto the Fathers as wee doe but did reade them and weigh them with great diligence But they that understand not this benefit of fee Justification whereof the Gospel specially intreateth and so doe prize no other righteousnesse besides the righteousnesse of works works when they heare this righteousnesse of faith pressed and the excellencie thereof advanced they are offended objecting that it is so farre from glorifying God two wayes that it makes men secure and carelesse to all good works But what saith the Doctrine of our Church is the cause hereof Even this as Luther also testifieth Because they understand nothing of Free Iustification or else they understand it carnally for their minds are occupied with other cogitations and fantasticall imaginations of their own works therefore things seeme unto them strange matters and no meanes to glorifie God neither passively by faith nor actively by works but the children of wisdome will imitate the Prophets and Apostles who because they conceived the great glory thereof and felt true joy of spirit for the same therefore saith Luther did they especially Paul so plentifully set forth and so diligently teach the Article of Justification For saith he this is the proper office of an Apostle or as one may say the essence of a Minister of the Gospel to preach among people the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3. 8. especially Ephes 3. 8. the cause and fountaine of all the rest namely Free Justification wherewith as David saith Psal Psal 119. 32. Gal. 5. 1. 119. 32. when our heart is set at liberty Galat. 5. 1. wee will runne the way of Gods Commandements Hence it is that the Prophet Ieremy also set out so magnificently the glory of Free Justification as it should be fully revealed under the time of the Gospel saying I will make them cleane from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against mee and whereby they have rebelled against mee c. Yea saith he in an other place Ierem. 31. I will make a new covenant with Ierem. 31 33. the house of Israel and this shall be the Covenant That I will so forgive their iniquities that I will remember their sinnes no more And it shall bee to mee a name a
despising of God appearing in all that Majesty and a contemning of that high authority of the law-giver so terribly appearing yea the sinner by his lust and concupiscence against the law doth as it were trample under the feet of his affections all that Majesty of God that was manifested in such fearefull thundering and lightening Is it any marvell then that God said unto David Why hast thou despised me in doing that which is evill in my sight 2 Sam. 12. 9 10. 2 Sam. 12. 9 10. Secondly hereby sinne is become rebellion against God as Daniel confessed saying We have sinned and broken thy Commandements and have rebelled against thee Dan. 9. 5 6. But how horrible Dan. 9. 5 6. Rebellion is Samuel declareth saying Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. And thus the Law entring 1 Sam. 15. 23. upon sinne doth make the fault thereof so greatly to abound Rom. 5. 20. that sinne is made out of measure Rom. 5. 20. sinnefull by the Commandement so terribly forbidding it Rom. 7. 13. so that in sinne these six evills Rom. 7. 13. doe concurre first a despising and contempt of the 1 Contemptus majestatis Deiâ— 2 Superba contumacia adversus Legem majesty of God forbidding the least sinne in such terrible thundering and lightning Secondly a proud stubbornesse against the law and revealed will of God 3 Nefanda imaginis Dei conspurcatio destructio 4 Imitatio Satauâ—â— hostis Dei improba proditâ—â—ne defectione 5 Intolerabilis ingratituâ—o 6 Imago Satanae Thirdly an horrible defiling and destroying of the image of God wherein man was created Fourthly an imitation and doing like the Devill the enimy of God by a wicked treason and revolting from God Fifthly an untolerable ingratitude and unthankfulnesse of the creature against the Creator Sixthly that which in it selfe is a foule and abhominable thing that sinne is the very image of the Devill which for men to beare that were made to the image of God nothing can bee more detestable the least sinne for the horriblenesse of it though it be but in thought only defiling us and all our good works and holy walking and making them in the sight of God like a menstruous cloath Mark 7. 23. Esay 64. 6. now if Mark 7. 23. Esay 64. 6. our good works be by sinne so loathsome how horrible then are our evill works have we not just cause to cry out every one of us and say with David Bee mercifull to my sinnes O Lord for they are great Psal 25. 11 The second maine thing to work this true feeling The second maine thing concerning sinne of our lost estate is to look into the multitude of our sinnes which we daily commit in thought word and deed by breaking all Gods tenne Commandements which wee must know not only in a grosse confused generality but take notice of particulars in each Commandement wherein we have offended both in leaving undone that which we should have done and by doing that which we should not have done if not in the grosse act which the world and light of nature condemnes yet in the spirituall breach which as we have heard is horrible before God For the Law Rom. 7. 14. Ioh. 4. 24. is spirituall saith S. Paul And God is a spirit saith Christ and must be obeyed and worshipped in spirit and truth and herein we may see our sinnes to be many and innumerable concerning which although I referre thee to such Catechismes as lay open Gods tenne Commandements at large for the fuller sight hereof yet to sharpen thy stomack unto Free Justification and because the Paschall Lambe must bee eaten with sowre herbs give me leave to give thee a glimse of this pure glasse of the Law that thou maist see some few spots of thy foule leprosie in the spirituall breach of all Gods Commandements As in the first Commandement namely Thou shalt have no strange gods before me containing the inward A pithy opening of the 10 Commandements worship of God though herein differing somewhat from the Gentiles thou confesse but one God which also the Devils doe yet look how many profits and pleasures doe steale away thy love feare trust and obedience from God to the committing of sinne so many idols in this lost state hast thou in the sight of God yea look how many sinnes thou dost commit in thought word and deed in a day so much thou corruptest in thee the pure inward worship of God and so many idols art thou guilty of and so many strange Gods hast thou in the sight of God Secondly in the second Commandement contayning the outward worship of God although peradventure thou makest not grosly to thy selfe any graven Image of God the father nor any Picture of Christ as the Papists doe yet look how often and how many allurements have enticed thee to neglect either the preaching or the zealous hearing of the word being offered either in season or out of season look how often thou hast neglected to bow thy knees in solemne prayer to God three times a day with Daniel David and Peter for the holy Ghost to be given thee look how often thou hast neglected to conferre as the prudent Sergius Paulus did with the faithfull minister and with other faithfull children of God to be resolved of such doubts of the assurance of thy Justification and salvation as may arise in thy minde look how often thou hast neglected either the administring or receiving of the holy Sacraments so many Images art thou guilty of that have stolne away thy heart from the zealous performance of the pure outward worship of God Thirdly in the third Commandement although peradventure thou art not guilty of grosse blaspheming of God yet look what zeale thou wantest in life for the threefold works of God upon thee as namely of Creation Redemption and continuall preservation look how often in word thou hast sworne by thy faith and troth by the fire by the light by bread or any other creature of God so often art thou guilty Christ being witnesse Mat. 5. of taking Gods Mat. 5. 34 35 36. name in vaine look how often thou hast rashly taken up and used the titles of God as Lord and Iesus and Christ who is God blessed for ever c. look how often thou hast unreverently used the properties of God as his grace to practise vanity his mercy to sinne his Judgements to cursing and hast abused his providence in crying out upon luck and fortune and such like look how often in the creatures thou not marking the power of God in making the creatures his wisedome in fitting them to thy necessities his goodnesse in giving them unto thee but turning them from their right use as the drink to drunkenesse thy tongue to lying and such like so abusing them to sinne and vanity so often art thou souly guilty of
death taking away the sinnes of the world he reconciles men unto God as if he should say whatsoever unrighteousnesse there is that may alienate or estrange men from God by Christ it is taken away this is Hoc suâ—mum est beâ—â—sicioâ— um ex quo reliqua pendent the summe of all bessings upon which all the rest depend out of this fountaine doe the streames of all good things flow forth upon us But how doth Christ Object take them away Objectively and passively to us that Answ is we being no agents and doers in this businesse but meere patients because his righteousnesse wherewith he cloathes us doth as perfectly abolish from before God all our sinnes as the Sun beames abolish darknesse out of a dark house as Christ testifieth by the Prophet Esay saying I even I have put away thy transgressions like darknesse and abolished thy sinnes as a Esay 43. 25. 44. 22. Tollendi verâ—â—â— bifariam exponi potest c. Velquod peccata aboleat Marlor ibid. mist Esay 43. 25. and 44. 22. For this word Tollendi may be expounded two manner of wayes either that Christ hath taken upon himselfe the burthen wherewith we were oppressed as 1 Pet. 2. 24. or else quod peccata aboleat that hee doth cleane put out and abolish our sinnes For Christ taking upon him our sinnes they could Luth. serm upon Christs Resurrection not remaine and abide upon him what then became of them they must needs vanish away and be utterly Oportet ea evanescâ—re ac penitus occidâ—re ac in nihiâ—umredigi is instar Christi peccati expâ—rs est abolished and brought to nothing whereby faith worketh so mightily that he that beleeves that Christ hath taken away his sinnes is as cleane without sinne as Christ himselfe And it is no matter that we feele sinne and death still in us as if Christ had not taken them away because Luth. ibid. God thus stablisheth the faith of his power and therefore that there may be place for faith wee feele the contrary for it is the nature of faith to feele Fiâ—â—s ejus naturae est ut nihil sentiat sed missa facta ratione â—laudat oculos c. nothing but letting goe reason shutteth her eyes and openeth her eares to that which is spoken by God and cleaveth to the word spoken both living and dying and thus glorifieth the Word of the Lord Act. 13. 48. which Act. 13. 48. Etsi peccatorum semus in noâ—ts velctus est ideo solummodo â—t nos ad fidem adigat fidem cumulatiorem reddat c. indeed doth the deed And therefore although the feeling of sin is left in us only to the end to drive us to faith and to make faith the more abound yet hath Christ taken away our sins from before God and utterly abolished them For one Adam brought one sinne into the world but Adam unus unum peccatum Iste vero unus non solum illud unum sed cuncts abstubt August Hic mentio sit maculae à qua purgamur Christ being but one hath taken away not only that one but also together with it hee hath taken away all that he found added thereunto Where also is mention made of the blot or staine from which wee are made cleane This blot or staine the Apostle calleth sin that is the breaking and violating of the Law of God which as before is shewed of all things is the most wofull most foule and extremely Heming in 1 Ioh. 1. 7. abhominable wherewith God is horribly angry and is most abhominable both in the sight of God and of the holy Angels This then is the staine or blot whereof Christ by Atque haec est maculae à qua purgamur Heming ibid. taking away our sins doth make us cleane signified given ratified and sealed to the true seed of the faithfull by their washing in baptisme For this is the efficacy of that purging and clensing which is wrought upon us by the blood of Christ Abomni maculae omnium peccatorum Heming ibid. and given sealed unto us in our Baptisme Namely that he makes us cleane not onely from this or that spot of sin but also from all spots of all sins Sive magna sunt sive parva sive multa Hic Agnus tollit universa Luth. Perk. c. Heb. 10. 14. Luth. Serm. in Luâ—e 2. ver 21. That is whether they be great or whether they be little whether they bee many even all past present and to come this Lamb of God taketh away all For with one sacrifice hath Christ made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. This is to preach the Gospel which who so heareth and beleeveth hee truely knowes and acknowledgeth the finger of Iohn and him whom he pointed to even Christ that Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Yea all sin as sins of commission and sins of omission Luth. serm of Originall sin actuall sins and originall sins all are done away For because originall sin is worse and more horrible than any actuall sin because it is the spring Originate peccatum quod sons origo omnium peccatorum sit c. and fountaine of all other sins therefore hath God so ordained that no man shall come to salvation unlesse hee bee pure and cleane from this sinne and therefore hee gave the 10th Commandement wherein he forbiddeth this originall sinne and wills that wee Deus ita ordinavit utremo sa utem consequi nisi hujus pec aâ—â— purus sit c. be as clean againe and righteous as Adam was before his fall but because we cannot performe this thing therefore hath he given his own Son for us unto death that hee might both from this sin and from all sins flowing from this originall sinne free us by his blood and so make us cleane Then hereupon doe arise in us good and holy desires and affections contrary to the former pravitie and corruption as namely humilitie puritie gentlenesse and all other vertues and then all good works are practised and that also with a willing heart The author and cause of all which is this grace of Justification by which alone this originall sin is done away and we made clean and acceptable before God Which Christ actually fulfilled when bleeding out his blood and life upon the Crosse he cryed out it is finished or perfected Iohn 19. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make us cleane from all sinne 1 Iohn 1. 7. Thus doth our good Physitian Jesus Christ most effectually cleanse the spirituall leaprosie of our sins because by his own blood he hath made us cleane from all sinne For that saying of S. Iohn that the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all sin is to be understood as preventing an objection for whereas S. Iohn
said at the beginning of this chapter building upon Davids sharp punishment after he was forgiven and such like examples of executing the pedagogicall severitie their works of satisfactions as also upon the large promises of blessings temporall and eternall made unto legall workings do build their merits and magnifying of works And surely the Apples and Nuts and Cakes and the rod of temporall punishments with which as they themselves do write God did govern Bellarm concio 13. in Galat. 4. Gal. 3. 25. that first people as little children buried by S. Paul Gal. 3. 25. ever since the comming of Christ and now rotten are fit foundations for their childish and rotten buildings not only these I say doe thus play the children againe but also we Ministers of this glory of the Gospel too many among us doe not only limp in our practise and lisp in our speech but even halt downe right being so farre from passing Iohn Baptist in opening the kingdome of heaven that we come not neer him neither in his inward fulnesse of joy in hearing the voice of the Bride-grome that then was come to enrich so royally the Bride nor in outward washing the people from all their sinnes that is in not preaching and opening the glory of Free Iustification as he did much lesse doe we lay out the glory of the third time that doth exceed in glory But contrariwise wee slide back to the legall teaching of the Old Testament from which we not understanding the intent of God in such high commending and sharp exacting of works and legall righteousnesse doe fetch our principall veine of preaching and doe make it our common and chiefest manner of teaching only a little as the old Prophets did to glance at Free Iustification mercy and grace in generall termes but all our maine labour is to command things that are right and to forbid wicked doings to promise rewards to the followers of righteousnesse and to threaten punishments to the transgressors which seemes both in preachers and people a good and plausible course to flesh and blood because it is the teaching of reason and the light of nature Rom. 2. 14 15. described Rom. 2. 14 15. to bee thus in the very Gentiles namely that the Gentiles which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law much more then do they approve allow of the hearing of it For they have the effect of the Law written in their hearts accusing them with fear of punishment for their evill doings and excusing them with hope of speeding well for their well doings this kinde of teaching the people do like and applaud as agreeing with that light of nature but what comes hereof truly wee sow up againe in respect of the former Pedagogie of the morall Law the vaile that was rent in two pieces from the top to the bottome we shut up again the holy of holies we hide darken if not put out the benefits of Christ preaching as if the children of God were not made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Wee confound the Old Testament with the new we bring back the full grown heir to Schoole again to be whipped of his School-master contrary to the expresse doctrine and direction of the holy Ghost saying that after faith is come wee are no longer under a Schoolmaster Gal. 3. 25. And if wee doe not pull off the Gal. 3. 25. wedding-garment over the Brides head yet wee bring forth rods to whip the Queen standing at the right hand of the King in the Vesture of the gold of Ophir Psalm 45. 9. We doe hinder true Sanctification and either Psal 45. 9. with legall threats or rewards doe cause but a constrained hireling sanctitie which is hypocriticall legall holinesse or else doe cause people to run though more cautiously yet the faster into the iniquities and sinnes so vehemently with legall terrors forbidden according to that old true saying nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata wee rush the faster into things forbidden and alwayes desire the things denied us And all this because we doe not first stablish and root them in the assurance and joy of Free Iustification without works for the seeking for further assurance by works though not as causes but as effects makes people set the Cart before the Horse and to confound by the violence of the light of nature the effects with the causes and so to labour after the supposed works of sanctification more than after faith that should give to Christ only the sole glory of our assurance therefore they should first have assurance and then do that which they doe in thankfulnesse for their assurance True it is that I cannot assure thee of mee but by my confession with my mouth Rom. 10. 10. and thankfull obedience Rom. 10. 10. in my deeds But the having of Christ alone and his righteousnesse with his other free benefits depending thereupon must assure me And these are they that are only able to change mens hearts and to amend their naturall preposterous perversnesse and to carry them with all joy and love and zeale as strong as fire and death to glorifie God in all holy and zealous conversation which nothing but the seeing of the bounty of God in these riches freely bestowed with the excellency and unsearchable worth and glory of them powerfully preached with joy and zeale can effect and bring to passe Which for Preachers now to faile in is bad enough But if wee bee offended at the mighty voyces of faith and Justification used by the learned to expresse the glory of this third time and when we dare not for shame deny the glory of Free Iustification thus testified by the common consent of the learned yet will say I dare not say so of Justification as Luther saith that is as Luther truly saith I dare not say my Creed in the true meaning thereof and thereupon to traduce calumniate and to persecute them that use these sayings testified by the learned to be but speeches full of spirituall majestie and glory this is farre worse For this is to bee like the Owle An apt similitude that can see a little if she have but a little glimmering light but if the Sunne be up and shine forth with her bright beames she is strucken starke blind But faithfull Ministers should above others like John the Evangelist not only mount a loft with the Eagle but also be Eagle-eyed to look against such bright beames Solis Justitiae of the Sunne of Righteousnesse without dazzling But if the sayings of the faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries expressing the glory of this third time doe dazzell our eyes let us as the best remedy annoint our eyes with eye-salve that so with the Eagles brood wee may look more directly upon the glorious beames of the Snnne of Righteousnesse lest failing hereof we beat length cast downe out of the Eagles
men they doe nothing else but with their cavills sophisticating and calumniations under a colour of cleering the truth paint over and hide their own ignorance bemuddy the cleer truth disquiet the minds of the simple and trouble mens consciences and so are the true and proper authors of dissention and sects And this Paul complained of not only respecting the present times but also foresaw in spirit that there should bee an infinite number of such in the Church even to the Worlds end for when God sendeth faithfull labourers into his harvest by and by Satan raiseth up his ministers also who will in no case bee counted inferiour to those that are rightly called here straightwaies riseth dissention the wicked will not yeeld one haires-bredth to the godly for they take themselves that they far passe them in wit in learning in godlinesse in spirit and in all other vertues And on the other side the godly although The godly in matters of charity are flexible but unyeelding in matters of faith in matters of charity they are as flexible as a reed enduring all things and suffering all things yet in matters of faith knowing that a little leven doth leven the whole lump they dare not and much lesse ought they to yeeld to the wicked lest the doctrine of faith doe come in danger For alas the faithfull Minister knowes that the Gospel is not delivered unto us that we should thereby seek our own praise and glory or that the people should honour or magnifie us which are the Ministers thereof but to the end that the benefits and glory of Christ might be published and known and that the Father might be glorified in the bounty and riches offered unto us in Christ his Son who thereby enricheth us with his heavenly and eternal good things as for the other they regard not this but to get praise and liking and estimation with the people doe rather sophisticate and wrangle against the benefits of Christ thus provoking one another and envying one another which is a sure token that neither such Teachers nor such Hearers doe live and walk after the spirit but after the flesh and works thereof and so consequently with the Galathians to hold the truth they with the Galathians doe loose the true Doctrine Faith Christ and all the gifts of the holy Ghost and by kicking against the benefits of Christ become worse than the heathens and prove meere ministâ—rs of Satan some of them never failing from time to time to accuse the benefits of Christ not only of error but also of heresie and blasphemie Whereupon comes most truly to passe that Luther saith in the former alleaged place That he that will preach Christ truly and confesse him to be our righteousnesse must be content to heare that he is a pernicious fellow and that he troubleth all things because it cannot be but that Ismael must persecute Isaac and yet Ismael was outwardly and in his own opinion a lover of religion he sacrificed and exercised himselfe in well-doing therefore he mocked his brother Isaac and so persecuted him But Isaac again persecuteth not Ismael Whereupon the same faithfull Dispenser of Gods mysteries concludeth with a weightie saying That who so will not suffer the persecution of Ismael let him not professe himselfe to be a Christian But if those that lie in this literall knowledge bee such meere mocking and persecuting Ismaelites untill God opens their eyes and converreth them let any man judge whether they bee any just cause by their sophisticating and wrangling to stop our faith and to make us to doubt and waver in the excellency of Christs benefits though they excell in all literall learning and in the legall zeale shining as I said before in the righteousnesse and glorious workes of the Law and holy walking never so much THe fifth Remedy to overcome doubting to grow The fifth Remedy against doubting strong in saith is to set often before our eyes the dignity glorious nature and exceeding excellency of beleeving namely that the beliefe that the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely is such a good worke in the sight of God as passeth all other good workes whatsoever nay rather if all the good workes and holy walking that were even done or shall be done in the world were heaped together and compared with this one work of beleeving yet all they joyned together are not comparable to beliefe which is not only testified by Christ himselfe in his answer to the Jewes when they asked him dreaming of workes What shall we doe that we may worke the workes of God He answered and said This is the worke of God that is the work of all workes that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent namely to justifie and make you freely righteous in the sight of God but also many reasons grounded upon the very heart and Essence of the Gospel confirm the same as especially may appear by these three maine priviledges of faith As Three maine priviledges of saith 1 It giveth exceeding glory to God foure wayes to Iustice First for the exceeding honor glory that we give to God the Father that also foure manner of wayes as first this beliefe laying hold only of Christ his righteousnesse as only able and ful sufficient to make us from all spot of sinne perfectly righteous in Gods sight freely makes us as Chrysostome saith to conceive a right and high estimation of God for his perfect justice of hating all sin and loving perfect righteousnesse in that he could bestow no benefit upon us as a benefit excepthe had first given us so wonderfully his own Son to justifie and make us perfectly righteous in his own sight and so we give him the praise honour glory of his justice Secondly if we beleeve and take 2 Of truth fast hold of this benefit that God by washing us in his Sonnes blood hath made us cleane from all spot or wrinkle of sinne in the sight of God freely thus perfectly blessing us Galath 3. 8. we give him the glory Galat. 3. 8. of his truth having so gloriously and manifoldly promised the same and by beleeving doe set to our seale that God is true Iohn 3. 33. Thirdly if so farre beyond Iohn 3. 33. our carnall sense and feeling and outward appearance 3 Of power and all outward likelihood we beleeve that God by clothing us with his owne Sons righteousnesse hath made us cleane from all spot of sin in his owne sight freely truely performing upon us such unlikely to present sense and feeling yea and impossible things wee give him the glory of his omnipotent Rom. 4 19 20. power Rom. 4. 19 20. Fourthly by beleeving that God by cloathing us with the wedding-garment of 4 Of rich grace his Sons perfect righteousnesse hath made us perfectly holy righteous from all spot and wrinkle of sin
also All câ—â—aâ—ures were â—â—thout sin but man was righteous and had the Image of God that we bee made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God is for the full satisfaction of his justice because as God made us at the first not only clean from all sinne as he made his other creatures as the sheep the Horse the Lamb the Birds and such like all which he saw in their kinds to be exceeding good but also above all his other creatures hee made us in Adam perfectly holy and righteous in his own Image and saith by his Law revealing his constant will and nature herein Cursed is every one that continueth not in that righteousnesse in all things So his Justice is not Iustice is not satisfied till man â—eturn to his â—â—â—â—ity fully satisfied untill he behold us not only clean from all sinne but also perfectly holy and righteous in his sight and therefore the Apostle testifieth that as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man must many bee made righteous Rom. 5. 19. Rom. 5. 19. Thirdly it is necessary for the glory of Christ who that he by himselfe may perfectly heale us of the evill and losse brought upon us by Adam it is requisite that hee doe not only free us from all sinne but also that hee make us perfectly holy and righteous in his fathers sight Whereupon ariseth Pauls comparison in the fifth to the Romans between Adam and Christ That as Adam brought upon all his sinne and thereby death So doth Christ to heale perfectly this sore bring upon all his righteousnesse and thereby life Whereby the Apostle testifies That the Gentiles that followed not righteousnesse have attained unto righteousness Rom. 9. 30. Rom. 9. 30. Fourthly it is necessarie that not only our sinne be abolished but also that we be made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God for our behoofe and urgent necessity because as by suffering our punishment and making us by his blood clean from all sin he hath thereby taken away the punishment and all the evils both temporall and eternall that were due to our sins So that we may bee made worthy and meet Righteousness the cause of all good things for eternall life and capable of all the blessings of the Gospel both temporall and eternall it is necessarie that he make us perfectly holy and righteous in his Fathers sight the necessity whereof is plainly expressed by the Apostle Rom. 5. 21. where he saith That Grace doth reign by righteousnes unto eternall life Rom. 5. 21. through Iesus Christ our Lord As if hee should say Grace indeed now reignes to procure all blessings and benefits both temporall and eternall upon us But how By righteousnesse But where shall we have it freely by Jesus Christ our Lord that is that the Grace of God may bee of force to procure unto us all blessings Christ must of necessity first make us with his righteousnesse perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely all which necessities the Doctrine of our Church delivered by the first Restorers of the Gospel in this Land doth seeme to shut up in this one short sentence That it had not been enough to be delivered by his death from sin except by his resurrection Hoâ—â—â—â— of the 〈◊〉 wee had been endued with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse Now then let us proceed to describe what this second part of Free Justification is which is as followeth The second part of Free Justification is a wonderfull The dâ—fiâ—ition of the second part oâ— fâ—ee justification mysticall work and benefit of the Gospel by which we being by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with the wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse are so endued or rather thought not inherently and actively yet Evangelically and passively so mystically formed with Christs own perfect righteousnesse that we have not only all our sinnes together with the imperfections of our sanctification ever whilst we are in this life dwelling in us incomprehensibly swallowed up and utterly abolished as is before shewed in the first part but also we are without the help of any good works to make us righteous made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely Shining now in this life with Christs good works more glorious in perfect holinesse and righteousnesse inwardly in the sight of God than the â—unne shines gloriously in our eyes when he shineth in his brightest hue by which only we are made worthy of and do take possession of all the rest of the benefits and unsearchable treasures of the Gospel as these Scriptures and the rest following doe abundantly prove Seventy weeks viz. of yeeres are determined upon the holy City that is the Church what to doe not only to finish trangressions and so to reconcile iniquities and to seale up and make an end of all sin but also to bring in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. whereupon Daniel 9. 24. the learned Interpreters say thus Here are two benefits rehearsed which should come by the Messiah The first is the taking away of sinne The other is the bringing in and giving of a perfect and everlasting Righteousness For saith another sinne is finished or come to an end iniquitie is clean put out and there is preached to the whole world an everlasting righteousness They which doe beleeve in Christ by faith in him are purified and have gotten and attained an everlasting righteousness But for the better understanding of this description of this second part of Justification let us briefly open those foure points that are used to explaine and fully to cleer a matter as first the efficient The foure causes of this second part of Justification cause of our Justification secondly the formall cause thirdly the materiall cause and fourthly the finall cause all in this head point of salvation very necessary the marking First the efficient cause of our Justification is twofold The first primary efficient cause who is it that undertaketh to justifie and make us so perfectly holy and righteous is God himselfe the Father the Sonne The efficient cause and the holy Ghost these are the first efficient cause of our Justification which evidently sheweth the full ablenesse of these workmen and how easily this work may be brought to passe and wrought upon us and how dangerous a matter it is to extenuate diminish or any way to disparage this excellent work the description of whose working is under a similitude notably expressed by the Prophet Ezekiel saying In the day that thou wast born when I passed by thee I saw thee cast out and polluted in thine own blood and I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live yea even when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee thou shalt live Then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood For I even I
from the former yet he placeth our true Justification and the making of us righteous to God-ward in the former thus saith Zanchie But in another place he shewes that this righteousnesse of Christ is the only formall cause of our Justification and salvation yet more plainly namely upon those words of the Apostle That Christ died in the body of his flesh to make us holy and unblameable and without fault in Gods sight Colos 1. 22. he saith thus Zanchie on Colos 1. 22. Here we have the formall cause of our salvation which is holinesse of life and true righteousness by which it is brought to pass that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without fault and unblameable in the sight of God But this saith he cannot be the righteousness of our works and holiness of life begun in us because that is unperfect as David himselfe said Enter not into judgement with thy servant for no flesh is righteous in thy sight only the righteousnesse and holinesse of Christ is perfect in the sight of God and this being imputed unto us is the â—ormall cause of our salvation Thus it being sufficiently shewed what the formall cause of our Justification making us thus perfectly righteous in the sight of God is now let us mark a little the excellency of it both in the nature and in the operation of it First concerning the nature of it although 2 The excellency of the formall cause is both in the nature and operation that doth shew the excellency of it which is said before namely that it is an obedience and a fulfilling of the Law in all points absolute yea and a perfect everlasting righteousnesse yet the thing that shewes it to be exceeding excellent is because it is a righteousnesse that passeth the righteousnesse not only of men but also as Calvin truly saith even of Angels because it is the righteousnesse of that person that is not only man but also God for which cause it is called often in the new Testament the righteousness of God and amongst other places most emphatically Rom. 3. 21 22. where S. Paul beginning to Rom. 3. 21 22. write of it saith thus But now is the righteousness of God made manifest without the law having witness of the law and of the Prophets to wit the righteousness of God by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that doe beleeve Why it is called the righteousnesse of God Where it is twice together called the righteousnesse of God not only because God is the free giver of it and because God himselfe approves of it as the only 1 Because of the person both God and man righteousnesse pleasing God but also because it is the righteousness of that person that is very God and therefore of wonderfull operation and efficacie as it is plainely testified by the learned Dispensers of Gods mysteries saying thus This righteousness is called the righteousnesse of God not only because it is the free gift of God and because God by giving the same shewes himselfe to be righteous that is faithfull and true and because it is opposed to the righteousnesse of man but also because it is the righteousnesse of that person that is both God and man And therefore a farre more excellent righteousnesse many wayes than that which Adam had in the state of innocency for that was the righteousnesse of a meere man this is the righteousnesse of him that is both God and man Then for the effects The righteousnesse of Secondly the effects of Christâ— righteousnesse Christ is meritorious of eternall life it overcame death subdues the Devill none of which Adams righteousnesse could doe And again Christs righteousnesse is eternal and immutable but Adams righteousnesse was Thirdly immutable but temporarie and mutable Fourthly wee are in Christs righteousnesse Restored to a more excellent Fourthly restoring to an everlasting estate state than wee lost in Adam which was but terrene and mutable but by this Justice and perfect righteousnesse we receive an heavenly everlasting and immutable kingdome Hence it is that S. Paul prized this righteousnesse so highly saying touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law I was unrebukeable But I count all things losse and doe judge them but dung that I may be found not having mine own righteousnesse which is after the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousness which is of God through faith Philip. 3. 8 9. therefore I conclude the excellency of this point with that excellent note of learned Beza that these things being diligently considered doe manifestly declare what is meant by that word the Righteousnesse of God Namely that perfection and high integritie with which whosoever is endued he is presented before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Paul saith Coloss 1. 22. that is so holy that hee is Coloss 1. 22. unblameable and one that cannot be reproved of any fault The third point to be marked in our perfect Justification The third cause is the subject matter and is twofold is the Subject of this righteousnesse or the Matter formed with this righteousnesse and it is to be observed that this subject or matter formed with this righteousnesse is twofold either the subject or matter inherently legally and actively formed with this righteousnesse or the subject and matter Evangelically and freely formed and made righteous with this righteousnesse First the subject or matter inherently legally and actively formed with this form of perfect righteousness is the manhood of Christ â—esus because it is Christ only who comming not to destroy but to fulfill the Law Mat. 5. 18. was to this end conceived of the Mat. 5 18. holy Ghost and being formed perfectly righteous in his mothers wombe was thus borne inherently and perfectly righteous and in the residue of his whole life afterwards fulfilled the whole Law actually workingly and perfectly for which cause the Apostle saith that he was made under the Law Gal. 4. 8. because hee Gal. 4. 8. actually fulfilled both actively and passively the whole Law for which cause also he is inherently and actively called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That holy and just one Acts 3. 14. and Acts. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. the Lamb without spot or blemish 1 Pet. 1. 19. But secondly concerning the subject or matter Evangelically and freely made righteous Two thing doe here offer themselves to bee marked of us first who they bee that are thus Evangelically and freely made Two things to be marked all light and perfectly righteous and secondly the manner how they are thus Evangelically and freely formed and made all light and perfectly righteous in the sight of God Concerning the first we are to observe that none 1 The Elect called are made thus righteous are made thus perfectly holy and righteous but such of the Elect as are effectually called because although all the
Elect shall be justified in their time and none but the Elect shall bee justified for whom he justifieth those he glorifieth but he glorifies none but the Elect yet the very Elect are not actually and really justified but are darknesse and live in sinne and darknesse untill they be effectually called as Paul expresly testifieth saying Whom he calleth them he justifieth Rom. 8. 30. But who are thus effectually called Rom. 8. 30. Namely such as doe marke in the death of Christ the exceeding horriblenesse of the least sinne there being no sinne little in the sight of God and thereupon come to a feeling of their misery and lost state by true terror in their soules for the multitude of their sinnes thereupon making this conclusion upon themselves that if God dealt so sharply with the green tree Christ for the sinne which he had not done but wherein hee was only a surety for others in what a case of burning in Gods wrath and justice is hee that is a dry tree utterly dry of goodnesse and hath as the principall committed and done himselfe so many sins and thus is Christ made unto him first Wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 1. 30. to see his sinnes and therein his lost estate then this Rom. 8. 26. makes him with deep groans Rom. 8. 26. to sigh up to Rom 7 24. Christ for some help in this misery Rom. 7. 24. Which is the turning of his spirituall eye of saith to the true spirituall brazen-serpent Christ as really as the Israelites turned their bodily eye to the bodily brazen-serpent and thus is this Elect effectually called to Christ and then is he justified freely that is most certainly helped and healed by being made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely as certainly as he doth with true groans sâ—gh up to Christ for this help and as certainly as the old Israelites were helped and healed of their bodily stingings by their bodily looking up to the brazen-serpent and thus secondly is Christ made unto him Righteousnesse then followes hereof thirdly Sanctification and fourthly full assurance of Redemption unto eternall glory 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Now secondly for the other point namely the 2 How the Elect are justified made perfectly righteous in Gods sight manner how the Elect are thus justified and made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God is thus The God by the power of his imputation conveying his Sonnes righteousnesse to be in us and upon us doth in his own sight so cloath us body and soul both within and without with the wedding-garment of his sonnes perfect righteousnesse that we have our sinnes hereby not only utterly abolished out of Gods sight but also are Evangelically and freely formed that is are in truth and reipsa in very deed made although not inherently and actively as I said in the beginning the Papists would have it yet objectively and passively perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely This I will cleere more fully with a similitude or two and then confirme it with undeniable poofes First I say as nothing doth effect this but Gods imputation of his Sons righteousness for which cause the Apostle saith Blessed is the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6. Yea hereupon Rom. 4. 6. hee maketh mention of this word Imputing and counting righteous no lesse as I take it than eleven times in that fourth chapter which not only shewes that it is an action wrought immediately by the very thought as it were of God himself only and thereby must needs bee very spirituall and mysticall to us farre above our reason sense and feeling but also it must needs bee wrought upon us very freely without any working of ours So likewise we must mark that this imputing being an immediate act proceeding as it were out of Gods own breast is not a light smal weak imaginary thing like mans imputing as the Papists imaginarily scoffingly conceit but Gods imputation is a lively mighty operative and reall working imputation and counting nothing like ours for man may impute and count a thing to be so or so yet the thing if it were not such before becomes such never the more for our imputing or counting it to be so but Gods imputing counting being Almighty gives a reall being and true existing of the thing before himselfe as he counts it for God did but count that there should be light and there was light and hee did but count that his other creatures should bee and presently they were so as he counted so hee doth but impute his Sonnes righteousnesse unto us and counts us perfectly righteous in the same and this imputing doth so operatively and really conveigh the righteousnesse of Christ to be in us and upon us as Paul testifieth saying The righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not only unto all but also also upon all that doe believe Rom. 3. 22. That though mystically above our Rom. 3. 22. sense and feeling yet not imaginarily as the Papists prattle against us nor yet only outwardly like painted Tombes as they likewise cavillingly object but truly both inwardly are cloathed with the same in the sight of God and richly roabed and decked and adorned in the same as the faithfull soule in the Prophet Esay joyfully confesseth saying I wil greatly rejoyce and be exceeding glad in God my Saviour Why Because he hath cloathed me with the garment of salvation What garment is that why he hath covered me with the râ—ab of righteousness as a Bridgroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with her jewels Esay 61. 10. Hence are the Saints said so often Esay 61. 10. in the Revelation to be cloathed with long white Roabes washed in the blood of the Lamb Hence doth God the Father command his servants the Ministers in the calling in of the Gentiles to the Gospel signified by the return of the Prodigall child to bring forth the best garment and to put it on upon them ministerially as he working with his Ministers doth by the power of his imputation cloath them with it mystically Luk. 15. Luk. 15. 22. Psal 132. 9. Hence it is said Psal 132. that the Ministers powerfully comming forth cloathed not only personally with it for themselves only but also ministerially to cloath the people with it the Saints doe shout for joy because it being objectively and passively in us and upon us doth not only abolish our sins but doth forme us and reipsa in very deed make us not inherently and actively as the Papists hold neither yet imaginatily as they cavill but objectively and passively perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God Now by these words objectively and passively I meane wee doing ☞ nothing hereunto and we working nothing but
and sinne in the same is the spirituall darknesse as it is every where called in the Word of God that blindeth and darkens this house of mens soules as the Prophet saith Esay 60. 2. Behold Esay 60. 2. darknesse shall cover the earth and grosse darknesse the people And againe If we say that we have fellowship with God and walke in darknesse we lye 1 Iohn 1. 6. And againe Hee that is in darknesse walketh in darknesse and knowes not whither he goeth because the darknesse hath blinded his eyes 1 Iohn 2. 11. 1 Iohâ— 11. 2 Secondly Christ Jesus is like the Sun that shines in the Firmament having all true and full light and righteousnesse inherently and actively in himselfe only and for this cause is expresly called by the Prophet Sol justitiae the Sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. Mal. c. 4. 2. saying But unto those that feare my name shall the Sunne of righteousness arise with health in his wings Thirdly his righteousnesse by the power of Gods imputation conveighed to be in us and upon us so effectually cloathing us both within and without is â—â—e the beames of this Sun of righteousnesse beating in upon us and thereby without our mortifying of our selves or any other working or labour of outs utterly abolishing all our sinnes from before God and making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely as the Sun-beames doe utterly abolish the darknesse out of a dark house and make the house all light freely as Christ testifieth by the Prophet Esay 44. 22. Esay 44. 22. saying I and not you with your labour of mortification even I will put away your sinnes as darknesse and abolish your transgressions like a mist and as the walls of the house cannot of their own nature being corpora opaca but cast forth all day long a shadowish darknesse that would obscure and make the house all dark and yet the Sun-beames doe continually all day long swallow up and abolish that darknesse and make the house light freely all day long So our natures corrupted with sinne although they can doe nothing else continually but cast forth to our sense and feeling the shadowish darknesse of innumerable sinnes both in thought word and deed all day long yet this Sun of righteousnesse by the full revealing and exhibiting of free Justification being risen upon us doth shine upon us with that continuall day spoken of Rev. 21. 25. Revel 21. 25. And thus Christs righteousness by the power of Gods impuration cloathing us both within and without doth although mystically above our sense and feeling yet spiritually and truly continually abolish all our sins from before â—od freely and doth make us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely all day long and continually for which cause S. Iohn speaking of the power and operation of Christs blood freely justifying us speaketh in the present time saying The blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us clean from all sinne Where although this work is so perfectly done and wrought at one instant upon the faithfull that he might have spoken in the preterperfect time as the doctrine first Reforming our Church from Popery often times in divers Sermons speaketh to the glory of Christ blood saying The blood of Christ the Sonne of God hath made us clean from all sinne and as Saint Iohn himselfe speaketh Revel 1. 5. saying Revel 1. 5. Christ the faithfull witnesse hath washed us from our sinnes in his own blood yet to shew that this work is so perfectly done that it is ever in present action continually making and keeping us thus perfectly clean in the sight â—od therefore he useth the act of the present time saying that it doth make us cleane from all sinne as the Sun-beames beating into a dark house at six of the clock in the morning have at that instant abolished the darknesse that was there before and have made the house all light and yet it doth make it and doth keep it light all day long so wee being by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with Christs righteousnesse it not only hath made us perfectly cleane from all sinne in the sight of God but also doth make us and doth keep us clean all day long And this is testified by the faithfull Expositors upon that place saying Verbum praesentis temporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth make us clean continuum actum significat that is the Verb of the present time signifieth a continuall action but wherefore because although ever and anon we doe by new sinnes as much as lyes in us even cut off our selves from the love and favour of God yet this continuall and perfect imputation doth continually abolish all our sins and ever and continually retaine and keep us in perfect righteousnesse and fellowship with God which is more plainely testified by the Author to the Hebrewes saying With one sacrifice he hath made perfect for ever or continually them that are sanctified Fourthly and lastly faith beleeving that this wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse doth make us thus perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely is like the windowes and doores of the house letting in this light into the soule whereupon it is said Act. 14. 27. That God had opened the doore of Acts 14. 27. Faith unto the Gentiles because although the Gospel doe shine by preaching never so brightly unto men yet if this door of Faith bee not opened but remaines fast shut up they still abide in the grosse darknesse of their sins but if the door and windowes of faith be opened then the beames of Christs righteousnesse beating in doe abolish all the darknesse of their sinnes from before God and make them all light which sheweth also that it is not faith that justifieth us actively of it selfe as it is a virtue as the Papists hold but passively as it lets in the imputation of Christs righteousnesse into the soule for if the door of the house be wide open and yet there be no Sun as being not yet risen to shine in the Firmament that may cast in her beames into the same the house abideth still dark though the doores and windowes be open never so wide but if the Sun shine and cast her beames upon the house and then the doore and windowes thereof be open then doe those doores and windowes by passive receiving in the light make the house all light even so doth faith by receiving the imputation of Christs righteousnesse make a man all light in the Lord and yet not inherently to his sense and feeling and actively for then his sanctification should be perfect which is not so in this life but in that he is made all light that is perfectly righteous by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse â—â— is all light indeed both without and within but yet mystically light that is above sight sense and feeling and altogether objectively and passively light in
Prophet Malac. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his sonne Mâ—l 3. 17. that serveth him not as the Papists conceive for their sanctification sake and goodnesse of their works nor yet sparing them as other semi-Papists childishly conceive for their good will and good endeavours because they doe like a childe the best that they can and because their imperfections be but infirmities nor that hee will as he hath now more fully revealed in the Gospel accept of the imperfect works of his children whilst they are imperfect seeing he hath now revealed by his sonnes death what an horrible thing the least imperfection is in his sight that they are so loathsome as a menstruous cloth in his sight causing him to take his full stroak at them in his sonnes blood to wash away and abolish the imperfections of them out of his sight but because in new tincture of his Sons blood and righteousnesse hee hath made them perfectly holy and righteous in his own sight freely therefore hee likes and accepts them For that Justification makes not only our persons but also our works perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God is not only evident by the former Scriptures but also testified by all the best faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries who say with one consent after this manner Postquam facti sumus Christi participes non ipsi solum justi sumus sed opera nostra justa reputantur coram Deo that is after that we are made partakers of Christ not only we our selves are righteous but also our works are reputed and counted righteous before God what not righteous indeed but only imaginarily reputed and counted righteous Nay but because Gods counting is not a bare imaginary thing but a reall working of the thing as he reputeth and counteth therefore as wee our selves are so reputed and counted righteous that coram Deo reipsa justi sumus wee our selves are in truth just that is perfectly righteous before God so also God so counts our works perfectly righteous before himselfe that they are reipsa in very deed and truth perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely that is not in the worth and perfection of our doing them by sanctification but in the making of them perfectly righteous in Christs righteousnesse by Justification But what is the reason that our works that as they Quest proceed from us are so full of spots and staines are made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God The learned answer thus Propterea scilicet quia quicquid Answ est in illis imperfection is obliteratur Christi sanguine that is Therefore verily because whatsoever imperfection All the imperfection of our works is done away by the blood of Christ is in them is done away and abolished by the blood and righteousnesse of Christ And by this meanes only doe our works please God and for this cause only all the large promises made in Gods Word unto our works are truly verified and fulfilled upon us meerly because wee doing them in comfort faith and thankfulnesse that we are justified all our works are thereby justified as well as we and made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that they fully please God and pull down all blessings and benefits whatsoever both spirituall and temporall freely upon us only for and by Free Iustification thus perfectly blessing both us and our works As it is cleerly testified by the foresaid learned Dispensors of Gods mysteries saying thus Qui enim jam Christi Iustitiâ sunt induti ii non sibi modo propitium habent Dominum sed operibus quoque suis c. That is for they that are cloathed with Christs righteousness have God pleased and favourable not to themselves only but also to their works the spots and staines whereof lest they should come in any reckoning are abolished with Christs purity unde nullis sordibus infecta opera justa reputantur that is from whence our works are counted righteous seeing they are tainted with no spots of uncleannesse and foulnesse and by this meanes and not otherwise doe mens works please God This learned Calvin also prosecuteth in the 7. 8 9 â—â—d 10. Sections of the 17. Chapter of the third book Calv. in the 7. 8. 9. 10. Sections of the 17. Cap of the third Book of his Institutions of his Institutions with cleer demonstrations saying thus when the blot and fault of imperfection is abolished which is of force to defile our good works the good works which the faithfull doe both are and bee taken for righteousnesse yea after this manner for a full and perfect righteousnesse And thus wee may saith he truly say that by only faith not only wee but also our works are justified that is as I have proved before made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely and so truly pleasing God Holy faith justifies our works And this the holy Ghost in the example of the sacrifice of Abel doth plainly and expresly teach Heb. 11. 4 saying By faith Able offered unto God a more excellent Heb. 11. 4â— sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous where wee see that not only Abel himselfe was just and righteous that is excellent but his gifts were excellent and that also excellent to God-ward God himselfe as the Text saith testifying of his gifts that they were excellent which Title they could not have with God except they were in truth perfectly holy and righteous in his sight not for the perfection of Abels doing them but freely because as also it is said of Noah hee was made heire of that righteousnesse which is by faith verse 7. This is the righteousnesse of Christ which is so mighty in operation that by it God not only as Calvin speaketh pretioso justitiae suae colore nos tingit that is with the precious tincture of his own righteousnesse doth be-die us our own selves but also with the same precious tincture doth be-die all our good works and wholelife and conversation making not only us our selves but also all our works perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely and yet not by these works made with this tincture perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God to deserve heaven as the Papists fondly conceit because a Christian hath heaven freely by the Free Justification of his person before hee hath moved himselfe to doe any good work because hee is as Christ testifieth translated from death into life by beleeving only Ioh. 5. 24. But the works of the Beleever Iohn 5. 24. are with this tincture and die made thus perfectly The works of the Beleevers are made perfect that they may be a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God holy and righteous in the sight of God freely that they may thus be a welcome and acceptable sacrifice of prayse and thansgiving before God
saying thus Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most High that is as Luther well expounds it Vnder Free Iustification which none can work upon us but the most high God and indeed is the secret of secrets to the blind world He shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty that is hee shall bee protected and defended under the most comfortable shade of Gods most loving providence who is of Almighty power to preserve and keep him So that the faithfull soule saying unto the Lord in confidence of this reconciliation by Free Justification Oh my refuge and my Fortresse my God in him will I trust Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter which is the Divell and all his instruments and from the noysome pestilence of their contagious practises He will cover thee under his wings of Frâ—e Justification and thou shalt bee safe under his feathers of his gracious providence and protection his truth of perfect reconciliation shall be thy shield and buckler c. as it followes in the whole Psalme For hee shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes thou mayst have some crosses and troubles But thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon shalâ— thou trample under thy feet Why Because by faith of free Justification hee hath set his love upon mee therefore saith God will I deliver him I will exalt him because he hath known my name He shall call upon mee and I will heare him I will bee with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation is not this a joyfull perfect excellent and blessed reconciliation Hence likewise is the whole 121. Psalme verified upon us Psal 121. testifying that the creatures that have mighty operation in mans body and are high above our reach shall yet notwithstanding doe us no harme saying The Sun shall not smite thee by day nor the Moon by night the Lord shall preserve thee from all evill yea hee shall keep thy soule the Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy comming in from henceforth and forever What would wee have more Yea hence are all the other comfortable excellent protectors spoken of every-where in the Word of God verified upon us whereupon the Prophet saith Psal 5. 11 12. Let all them that trust in Psal 5. 11. 12. thee rejoyce and tryumph for ever and cover thou them and let them that love thy name rejoyce in thee why Because thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous which none are before God but by free Justification and with favour wilt compasse him as with a shield defending and keeping him from all hurt to the least haire of his head Matth. 10. 29. 30. can we possibly wish a greater Matth. 10. 29. 30. and perfecter and more protecting reconciliation But as this first part of Justification doth thus protect and defend us from all evill and hurt So the second part brings upon us by this perfect reconciliation all manner of good things that are truly needfull and necessary for us as God himselfe testifieth Ierem. 32. 40 41. saying I will make an everlasting Ier. 32. 40. 41. covenant with them that I will never turn away from them to doe them good Yea saith he I will delight and rejoyce over them to doe them good Hence is the whole Psal 23. verified upon us namely That the Psal 23. Lord is our Shepherd because he is made such unto us only and truly by free Justification And therefore can we lack nothing Hee will feed us in green pastures and lead us forth by the waters of comfort Hee restoreth our souls and leads us by Justification freely in the pathes of righteousnesse for his name sake Therefore he concludes Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the daies of our life Hence it is that Christ said Take no distrustfull cark and care for your belly what you shall eat nor for your body what you shall put on For after all these things doe the Gentiles with such doubtfulness and distrusting care seek after But your heavenly Father knowes that you have need of all these things But seek yee first the Kingdome of God If you ask how I answer By making your selves sure of his righteousnesse which by making you perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely is only able to reconcile and set you in perfect peace with God and then all these things shall be cast upon you Matth. 6. Whereupon we see the truth of that Matth. 6. 33. saying of David Feare the Lord yee his Saints but how are we Saints Two manner of wayes as is shewed before First by Justification that makes us perfect Saints to God-ward freely and Secondly by sanctification that makes us Saints to men-ward in sincerity Well what then For saith hee They that feare him lack nothing The Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psal 34. Which perfect reconciliation with God Psal 34. 10. Iacob found so effectuall that hee said boldly unto his Brother The Lord hath had mercy on me and therefore I have all things Gen. 33. 11. And Luther upon the Gen. 33. 11. voyce from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased shewes that this rich mercy and perfect reconciliation with God by which we have all things was testified by God himselfe at the Baptisme of his Sonne to be without measure exhibited saying thus Nothing else was heard seen here but love Incredible sweetnesse good will and the infinite and incredible favour of God towards us nothing but unmeasurable and bottomless goodness and placability all the whole vast heaven seemed not to distill drops but to poure and raine down whole showers and floods of most sweet honey and sugar and to power down meer and infinite favour of God abundantly upon us that we may think of and expect nothing else from him but the best good things and most rich mercy and wel-pleasing reconciliation yea saith he againe For this one cause would God sound these words from heaven with his own voyce that he might perswade us certainly and that we might infix it deeply in our minds That in Christ and for Christ his beloved Son omni nos beneficiorum genere cumulare velit c. That it is his will to lade us with all manner of benefits and embrace us as was signified in receiving the prodigal child with a true fatherlike and well-pleased affection of love to cover us with the best garment nourish us make merry with us and defend and save us and to drive away all things that goe about to deprive us hereof Which words of Luther although they seeme for sweetnesse and fulnesse of honey and sugar to be incredible yet wee need not doubt thereof because S. Paul himselfe
the first and sixth Chapters to the Rom. but also by the example of Nicodemus who at the first was neither regenerate nor knew nor could learne what it meant which made him to come unto Christ by night being ashamed to come in the day but after that Christ had taught him Free Iustification by the similitude of the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wildernesse freely healing us Then he was a new man enflamed with zeale to defend Christ before the faces Iohn 7. 50 51 52. of the Rulers even at mid-day Iohn 7. 50 51 52. For Christ first makes us righteous by the knowledge of himselfe in the holy Gospel and afterward he createth a new heart in us bringeth forth new motions and giveth unto us that assurance whereby we are perswaded that we please the father for his sake also he giveth unto us a true judgement whereby wee prove and try those things which before we knew not or else altogether disliked So that take a kettle of A plaine comparison cold water which we would have to be hot it would be a foolish part to set it beside the fire and then charge it to be hot and to threat it that else it shall be spilt but put fire under it then will it begin to be warme but if it grow not hot enough put more fire under and if there lie a green stick or block that keepeth away the heat yet put under more fire and then it wil burne up the block and make the water throughly hot So our soule is this block our affections are like to water as cold to God as may be but if we call unto people for Sanctification zeale and works the fruits of the same only with legall terrours not putting under the fire of Iustification we shall either but little move them or else with a constrained sanctity make them worse hypocrites twofold more the children of hell than they were before Mat. 23. 15. but if we put under the Matth. 23. 15. fire of Christs love in freely and gloriously justifying us this burneth up all lets and maketh us hot indeed and zealous to good works Tit. 2. 14. Tit. 2. 14. Againe how inseparably Justification as the cause Iustification Sanctification inseparable and Sanctification as the effect goe both together may be represented by this Similitude Take a piece of carrion as bigge as the top of ones finger that smelleth very foule and wrap it up in a great piece of musk the musk not only taketh away the foule sente from mens nostrills smelling then nothing but musk but also causeth the carrion it selfe by little and little being overcome of the more forceable cause to lose its owne bad sente and begin to smell sweet of the musk So we being wrapped by the mighty power of Gods imputation in the righteousnesse of Christ it doth not only take away the stink of sin Ioel 2. 20. from the Iâ—eâ— 2. 20. no strils of God but also maketh us by little and little to leave this corruption and sanctifieth us more and more to all holinesse of conversation So that our works doe not purifie us but when as before we are pure justified and saved we work those things which may bring profit to our neighbour and honor to God This joyfull knowledge of Justification is that Freeing truth freeing truth whereof Christ spake saying you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Iohn 8. 32. Iohn 8. 32. Cal. 5. 1. For by the Law is the knowledge of sin by faith is the obtaining of the grace of Justification is the healing of the fault of sin by the healing of the soule is the freedome of will by the freedome of the will is the love of righteousnesse by the love of righteousnesse is the doing of the Law All these things which I have knit thus together have their testimonies in Scripture The Law saith thou shalt not lust faith saith heale my soule for I have sinned against thee The grace of Justification saith Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee and thou hast healed me freedome of will saith I will sacrifice a free-will offering unto thee the love of righteousnesse saith The Law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and Psal 119. silver the doing of the Law saith I have sworne and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Lawes How Iustificatus per siâ—lem qu mâ—do â—otest mâ— juâ—â—e deâ—nceps operari can a man then being justifed that is made just and righteous by faith choose but work justly and righteously This is the liberty wherein Paul also testifieth wee are made free saying Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. He speaketh not of Gal. 5. 1. a civill liberty much lesse of a carnall and fleshly liberty Luther ibid. whereby people of the world will doe what The true Christian liberty they list but of a spirituall and divine liberty reigning in the conscience there it resteth and goeth no further and it is a freedome from the Law sin the dispeasure of God death hell and damnation Yea this Christian liberty swalloweth up at once and taketh quite away the whole heap of evills the Law sin death Gods displeasure and briefly the serpent himselfe with his head and whose power and in the stead thereof it placeth righteousnesse peace everlasting life and all goodnesse Now since enimies are overcome and we be reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne it is certaine that wee are righteous before God and whatsoever we do pleaseth A happy change him by which meanes the schoolmaster-like bondage and terrours of the Law are changed into the liberty of the conscience and consolation or joyfull newes of the Gospel revealing the righteousnesse of Christ wherewith we are both justified and quickened Yea this joyfull knowledge of Iustification is the meanes whereby we put on Christ two wayes according to Christ put on two wayes Luther in Gal. 3. 27. the Law and according to the Gospel according to the Law as it is said Rom. 13. Put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ that is follow the examples and virtues Rom. 13. of Christ doe that which he did and suffer that which he suffered as Peter saith Christ hath suffered for us 1 Pet 2. 21. leaving us an example that we should follow his steps But the putting on of Christ according to the Gospel A new creation consisteth not in imitation but in a new birth and a new creation First to God-ward by putting on by 1 towards God faith Christs innocency his righteousnesse his wisedome his power his saving-health his life and his spirit Thus is Adams old coat cast off and abolished before God and we apparelled with remission of sins righteousnesse peace consolation joy of the spirit salvation and life
Then besides this renewing by the holy Ghost to this heavenly righteousnesse and life 2 to men-ward there ariseth in them also by this new birth to men-ward a new light and a new flame there arise in them new and holy affections as the fear of God true saith assured hope c. There beginneth in them also a new will And this is to put on Christ truly and according to the Gospel Now when wee have first by faith inwardly put on Christ as a Robe of righteousnesse and salvation then A threefold respect of a Christian doe wee put him on outwardly as the apparrell of example and imitation Thus must every true Christian bee considered in a threefold respect first what he is with God or before God secondly what hee is with himselfe or to his feeling and thirdly what hee is to his neighbour First with God or before God he is the Woman cloathed with the Sun that is shining perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God and every way full and compleat wanting nothing by reason of Iustification Secondly with himselfe and to his own sense and feeling hee is like one of those antient healed Leapers under the old Law healed indeed but having the remnants of the old scurfe to rub off by Sanctification Thirdly with his Neighbour hee is like one of those hot coales of the Altar burning with the holy fire of zeale and casting out the light and heat of Faith and love to the heating of others Again it is the joyfull knowledge of Justification Luth. in Gâ—â— 3. 10. which maketh a man of a coâ—rupt bad Tree to become a good â—ree first perfectly good to the eyes of God by Iustification and so bringing forth the good fruit In Gal. 2. 18. to the eyes of men of Sanctification For Christians are not made righteous in doing righteous things but being first freely made righteous by faith in Christ then they doe righteous things So that good works ought to bee done not as the cause but as the fruits of oâ—e freely made righteous and when we are made righteous then we cannot but doe them for after that a man is once justified and possesseth Christ by faith and knoweth that he is Righteousnesse and Life doubtlesse hee will not be idle But as a good tree he will bring forth good fruit for the believing man that is the justified man hath the holy Ghost given him as it is shewed before to dwell in him but where the holy Ghost dwelleth hee will not suffer a man to bee idle but stirreth him up to all exercise of pietie and godlinesse then I doe indeed good works I love God I pray and give thanks to him I exercise charity toward my neighbour Therefore weighty is that saying of Christ either make the Tree good and the fruit Matt. 12. â—3 The â—iâ—â— of the Mâ—nistâ—â—â— good or else make the Tree evill and the fruit evill That is let the Ministers chiefe aime be to fill the peoples hearts with joy that they are freely made perfectly good Trees in the sight of God by Iustification and the people bee sure that they are first such in the sight of God indeed or else they shall bee sure to have but little good fruit by Sanctification some Homil. oâ—â— Aâ—nes deâ—â— choack-peares peradventure that may look faire without but be all rotten within Again the joyfull knowledge of Iustification is the receiving of the most great and pretious promises by which we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Peter 1. 4. the very forgetfulnesse of which pretious 2 Pet. 1. 4. promise namely that wee are purged or made cleane from our old sinnes is as Peter saith the cause 8. 9. of all idle unfruitfull and blind professing of the Gospel of Christ 2 Pet. 1. 8 9. for this joyfull and Iustification is as the bâ—anâ—â—â— of â—â—e Sunnâ— glorious benefit of Iustification being the bright beames Solis justitiae of the Sun of righteousnesse Iustification iâ— aâ— the beams oâ— the Sun Christ Jesus and shining into our dark hearts doth sanctifie and regenerate us to the Image of God again even as the Sun beames shining upon silver or upon a clear looking-glasse doe cause the very silver or glasse it selfe to cast forth some glimmering beames and this Paul testifieth saying That the ministration of righteousnesse doth so exceed in glory that we beholding as in a mirror or looking-glasse This glory of God with open face are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. Whereupon S. Iohn directly saith thus My little children let no man 1 Ioh. 3. 7. deceive you he that doth righteousnesse actively that is doth cast forth the beames of Sanctification is righteous passively that is justified with Christs righteousnesse as the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus who shineth upon him with his beames of Iustification is righteous 1 Ioh. 3. 7. But if the Sunne of righteousnesse be so clouded from us that the beames of Justification which exceed in glory bee by want of preaching or receiving it stopped that it shineth not into our dark hearts then our soules can return back again no beames of Sanctification Thus wee see how this joyfull knowledge of Iustification the worth and glory of the same being discerned seene and enjoyed with a true and right faith maketh both Pastors and people to shine forth with bright shining beames of great glorifying of God And thus also we put a difference between a counterfeit Difference between a true and conterfeit faith faith and a true faith the counterfeit faith is that which heareth of God of Christ and of all the mysteries of his incarnation and our redemption which also apprehendeth and beareth away those things which it heareth yea and can talk goodly thereof and yet there remaineth nothing else in them but ignorance of the worth and excellency of Christs benefits yea none are so blind as such as God testifieth by his Prophet saying Who so blind as my servant Esay 42. 19. 20. whereby there remaineth nothing else Esay 42. 19 20. in the heart but naked opinion and a bare sound of the Gospel for it neither reneweth or changeth the heart it maketh not a new man but leaveth him in Id. in Gal. 5. 13. the vanity of his former opinion and conversation And this is a very pernicious faith the morall Philosopher is much better than the hypocrite having such a faith these understand the Doctrine of faith carnally Grace turned into wantonnesse and draw the liberty of the spirit into the liberty of the flesh this may wee see in all kinds of life as well of the high as of the low all boast themselves to be Professors of the Gospel and all brag of Christian liberty and yet serving their own lusts they give themselves to covetousnesse pleasures pride envie and such other vices no man doth his duty
or Positions FIrst the horrible filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous Nature and so defiles a man before God Mark 7. 20. that God cannot but abhoâ—â—e â—urse and deâ—est the creature that hath any sinne in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Deut. 27. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Rom. 5. 12. Hab. 1. 13. Job 15. 15. 16. And this true meaning of the Law and right understanding thereof this revealing the infinite pure and righteous Nature of God and the horrible filthinesse of sin is to be diligently taught and continually preached of all faithfull Ministers in every mixt Congregation Esay 58. 1. 2. Secondly that the best good workes of the most sanctified children of God as they though moved thereunto by the holy Ghost do them are sin because of their originall corruption and by breaking the tenth Commandement in them thereby they are so slaine that is truely humbled by feeling themselves and all their best workes to be so shut up under sin that they daily bewail that they can performe no obedience nor do any good worke before God in any of all his Commandements as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 7. 9 10 11 12 13 14 18. 24. Galat. 3. 22. Rom. 4 5. Phil. 3. 8. 4. Esay 64. 6. Thirdly that the onely remedy to heale this our wofull misery by sinne thus seen and felt to hang fast upon us in this life this only remedy is Free Justification whereby God by the power of his sonnes perfect righteousnesse Esay 61. 10. that all our sins being utterly abolished not out of us 1 John 1. 8. 10. that there may be place for faith Heb. 11. 1. Rom. 4. 18 19 20. to 25. but yet truely abolished form before God or out of Gods sight Colos 1. 22. Wee and all our workes are of unjust made just before God that is so perfectly and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely that as the expresse Word of God teacheth and the Protestant Writers abundantly testifie God doth not and by reason of his actuall power can see no sinne in his justified children freely I say by faith only without workes and our perfect workings And I say by faith onely without workes because faith onely sees this and faith onely enjoyes this and thus we and all our workes both naturall workes civill workes or morall workes and religious workes are perfectly pure and cleane in Gods sight Acts 15. 8 9. Titus 1. 15. and doe fully please satisfie and content God because we are fulfillers of the whole Law of God in his fight for the righteousnesse of the Law is thus freely fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. Thus by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. thus God forgiving all our sins is ever well pleased and at perfect peace with us for being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. and are freely made and adopted the sons and the daughters of the living God Rom. 9. 26. And thus are truely blessed Rom. 4. 6. for As many as are of faith of Free Justification are blessed with faithfull Abraham Galat. 3. 8 9. and shall be certainely glorified for whom God justifieth them also he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And thus we see how perfectly by Christs stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. And all this Protestant Doctrine of Free Justification and these two parts of the same are cleerely and abundantly taught by these and such like Scriptures Esay 43. 25. Esay 44. 22. 23. Iohn 1. 29. Heb. 1. 3. Heb. 9. 13. 14. 26. 1 Iohn 1. 7. Revel 1 5 6. Dan. 9. 24. Rom. 3. 21 22. Ephes 5. 26 27. Rom. 5. 17 18 19 21. Revel 3. 18. Colos 1. 22 23. Rom. 8. 4. Colos 2. 10. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 9. 30. Esay 61. 10. Phil. 3. 8 9. Tit. 1. 15. Heb. 11. 4. Fourthly that this true faith of Free Iustification contrary to the judgement of Popish and carnall reason unseparably brings the holy Ghost to dwell in people Galat. 3. 2. Acts 10. 44. Acts 13. 38 39. 52. which holy Ghost infallibly inflames our hearts with true love Galat. 5. 6. and makes the true beleevers in right zeale of Gods glory and in true thankfulnesse to break off from sinne and to mortifie by true repentance their former profane life and ungodly conversation and brings forth a declarative obedience righteousnesse and readinesse to every good worke now made good workes indeed freely by Free Iustification and so brings forth a sincere and though an unperfect yet a free and cheerfull walking in and keeping of all Gods will and Commandements declaratively to manward which is true sanctification And thus is the Law not destroyed by Free Iustification but established Rom. 3. 21. and written in the hearts of true beleevers and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law two manner of wayes first perfectly making their hearts perfectly righteous freely to the full content and satisfying of God by faith as it was said before of Free Iustification as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 10. 4 5 6 10. Acts 15. 8 9. Heb 8. 10. Secondly it is written in their hearts and they are fulfillers and keepers of the Law inchoatively actively and declaratively to manward by love and true sanctification as these Scriptures teach Galat. 5. 13 14. Rom. 13. 8 9 10. Yea this true faith of Free Iustification deeply truely and soundly learned is a thing of perfect vertue and wonderfull operation strength and power to bring forth all good motions inwardly and all good workes out wardly or else it is not the true lively justifying faith but the blinde dead faith that leaves men in sinne death and double damnation as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. and 6. whole Chapters teach Titus 2. 11. to 15. 1 Iohn 3. 3. to 10. Ephes 2. 10. Ephes 4 5 6 whole Chapters Rom. 12 13 14 15 whole Chapters Iames 2. 14. 17. to 26. Matth. 5. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 9. 5. That all such Ministers as doe not diligently teach and cause people diligently to observe and keep this established true Protestant doctrine but do deny sophisticate and wrangle against the same must needs be like the false brethren amongst the Galathians in the dead faith doting about questions and making controversies about the Law and works and cannot but seduce the people from Christ that is from the simplicity of the faith that is in Christ Jesus to depend and hang for assurance of their salvation upon the Law and works and cannot but be troublers of the Church Gal. 1. 7. and of peoples consciences distracting them into Popery Arminianisme Anabaptisme Familisme Brownisme and all manner of Sects and Schisms about works because by a carnall understanding of Free justification they cannot but rest in the light of reason morall virtues and religion of nature described Rom. 2. 14 15. varnished and deceitfully gilt over with the titles of Grace Graces