By this justification I mean That act of Gods grace wherby through the imputation of our sins to Christ and Christs righteousness unto us God the father doth pronounce us righteous in his sight This is justification And this is done by the Righteousness and the Blood of Christ only as the Material and Meritorious cause 'T is done only by Faith as the Instrumental cause so we are said to be justified by Faith alone Yet not so as that a man is justified by faith which hath no works for all justifying faith is full of works but these works do not come into our justification As now a mans servants they have him to bed Servants have their Master and Mistris to bed tend upon them to bed but they do not go into the bed with them They are with them again in the morning they bring them water and necessary things but they do not come to bed to them Now saies Luther Justification is that bed where Christ and a Beleeving soul lies though good works Duties and Prayers tend upon Christ and where ever there is faith there are these yet this bed of Justification is kept free and entire and only for the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and they come not to bed they come not into this work Or if you will thus Ye know that when an Israelite was stung in the wilderness by a fiery biting serpent he was then to look upon the Brasen serpent and by the beholding of the Brasen-serpent he was cured the looking of his eyes cured him He had other members there was the Arms and the Legs and other members that did accompany the Eyes but though there were other members that did accompany the Eyes it was the seeing of the Eyes that did cure the person And so though works do accompany faith and there is no saving justifying faith but works accompany it yet it is only the beholding of this Brasen-serpent by the eye of faith that does cure the soul as to the point of Justification When Abraham went up into the mountain to offer up his son he spake to his servants to stay below Gen. 22.5 Stay you here till I come again at the foot and the bottom of this hill and so they did Servants he had but they stayed below And so when a man goes up into this hil of justification this high mountain he takes only his faith with him and he sayes unto all his works and unto all his duties stay you below at the bottom of the hil and there they attend So that faith justifying faith though it hath alwaies works yet they come not into this matter of Justification 'T is Faith alone that justifies This by way of Explication Quest 2 But Secondly You will say How may it appear now that this free-justification of a poor sinner by Faith alone is the original of all our Holiness and Spiritual life Answ 1 Thus it appears by contraries Contraries have contrary Consequences If the Law and Justification thereby be no friend but a real enemy unto all our Grace and Holinesse then Justification by faith alone is a friend to it But now take the Law and you shall find that justification thereby is no friend but a real enemy unto all our Holiness and the power of godliness What greater enemies had the world ever to the power of godliness than the Jews were and they sought to establish their own Righteousness and to be justified by the Law And now a dayes What more bitter more fel enemy unto the power of godliness than a Moral Civil man Why Because though he do not understand himself yet he doth secretly seek his acceptance with God by his own doing and good meaning A man can never live to God that lives in himself So long as a man seeks Justification by his own doing working he lives in himself Therefore saies the Apostle Phil. 3.9 I desire not to be found in mine own righteousness to be found in it Hope is the Spring of action The Plow-man plowes in hope he sows in hope Hope is the Spring of action Now if a man seeks to be justified by the Law or the works of the Law there is no hope for all works are imperfect and if no hope saies the soul why should I work as good never a whit as never the better That cannot be the Principle of our grace and holiness which can neither Convert a man nor mortifie his sins nor quicken one to what is good nor comfort or free him from temptation Now I pray What is it that Converts a soul to Christ is it the Law or the preaching of the Law Nay Joh. 16.9 saies our Savior I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin But where do I receive the Spirit Saies the Apostle in the next chapter the 3. of the Galatians O ye foolish Galatians this would I know of ye Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Not by the preaching of the Law And as for Mortification of sin Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle in the 8. of the Romans The Law is weak What the Law could not do being weak God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh So that the Law cannot mortifie sin the Law cannot do it And as for our Quickening unto what is good Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle The Law is a dead letter and the Law is the ministration of death And can that which is a dead letter and the ministraction of death quicken us unto what is good certainly it cannot And as for our Temptations and freedom from them Does the Law do that Ye know the Apostle triumphs Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And who shall lay any thing to may charge shall the Anger and Wrath of God shall Satan or mine own Conscience I will not be much afflicted saies he why for It is God that justifies He does not say for it is Moses that justifies but 't is Christ that died and God justifies not Moses Sampson ye know found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon not in hives at home or trees abroad but he found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon So does a poor tempted soul find all the honey-combs of comfort in the body of the dead Lyon of the tribe of Judah not in his own hive I have read of a certain man that was much in prayer fasting and reading and the Devil came to him and told him Friend Why doest thou Pray so much and Reade so much and Fast so much 't is all to n purpose for thou shalt go to Hell at the last thou shalt never go to Heaven Saies he As for that I leave that to God it is not my Question whether I shall go to Heaven or Hell but my Question is How shall I serve God
obedience Thirdly The more a man does agree with God and the Law the more fit he is to walk with God and observe the Law when a man is justified by faith then he is agreed with God Amos 3.3 Can two walk together unless they be agreed Now when a man is justified by faith he is Reconciled to God reconciled to the Justice of God reconciled to the Anger of God reconciled to the Law of God the Law is his friend Now before a man was justified the Anger of God was his enemy and the Justice of God his enemy and the Law his enemy but now being justified he is reconciled to God reconciled to his Anger that is satisfied by Christ reconciled to the Law that is satisfied by Christ thus he is made a friend to God he is agreed with God and with the Law and so he can walk with God and so he is the more obedient But Fourthly and especially thus As by Works and seeking Justification by Works a man is Estated in the Covenant of Works So by Faith and seeking Justification by Faith alone a man is Estated in the Covenant of Grace When a man is Estated in the Covenant of grace God is engaged to give grace unto him to make him Holy For that I pray do but reade what ye have in that 36. Chapter of Ezekiel at the 25. verse and so downwards Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I wil give you an heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them First I pray mark here That the Lord does promise Remission of sin although it be never so great I will sprinkle clean water upon you and wash ye from all your filthiness and from all your idols wil I cleanse you But saies a poor doubting soul Though the Lord do thus wash me I am so foule and so unclean that I am afraid I shall never be cleansed Yes saies the Lord I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean But though I be clean and cleansed from my guilt and my sin pardoned yet notwithstanding I have such a naughty filthy heart as I shall foul my self again See what follows A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Oh! but my heart is so hard like a stone that I shall resist this mercy of God Nay saies he And I will take away the stony heart cut of your flesh I will take away the Resistance the stony heart out of your flesh But though it be so as long as my nature is unchanged I shal never do that which is right Saies God I will change your nature for you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh I wil make such a change in you That whereas before Naturally ye were as hard as a stone now I wil make you as soft as flesh But though the Lord do thus change my Nature yet notwithstanding I shall never be able to order my conversation aright I shall never be obedient Mark what follows I will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes I will make you obedient saies God Oh! what streams of mercy are here But I pray mind the Fountain whence these flow They al flow from this fountain of Free-remission The first is I will sprinkle clean water upon you and cleanse you from all your idols I will forgive you freely I but though this be set first it may be this is not the Cause of the rest how shal it appear that this Free-remission is the Cause of all our holiness Then I pray look into the 8. chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrews where this Covenant of grace is repeated at the 10. verse For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel saith the Lord I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest Why for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more So that Remission is the Cause of Sanctification I will thus and thus sanctifie saies the Lord For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more this is the Cause of all that Now I say When a man is once estated in this Covenant of grace the Lord ye see is engaged then for to make him holy And as by works and seeking Justification by works a man is estated in the Covenant of works So by faith and seeking Justification by faith alone a man is estated in the Covenant of grace and so the Lord is engaged for to make him holy So that thus you see now This Free-grace of God Justification of a poor sinner by faith alone it is no enemy but a real friend unto all our Holiness and Spiritual life No wonder therefore that the Apostle saies And now I live Applyca By way of Application If all these things be so Then here we see the reason why men are no more Gracious no more Heavenly no more Holy no more Spiritual in their lives because they think not of this they study not this they never had the true sence of this Even because they do not stand cleer from their own Duties and their own Doings as to the great matter of Justification and acceptance with God Is the Free-remission of sin and Justification by faith alone the Fountain and Original of all our Holiness Then why stand ye gazing upon your own Duties upon your own Prayers and Mournings Would ye live I know you would Skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life But would you live Spiritually would you live an Eternal life that life that never dies that Communicative life that life that is better than you should have had in the State of innocencie Then do you stand clear from all your own Doings and Duties and Workings as to this great matter of your Acceptance with God the Father Do ye think that Jesus Christ will present a Duty or a service unto God the Father that steps into his room and place and Office What is the Place and room of Christ He is our Saviour and the Mediator between God and man that stands between God and man for to cause Acceptance with God the Father if then you Pray Hear Reade Mourn and think
and live to God Had he now sought Justification in a away of works and by the Law could he have ever bin able to have answered to this temptation Ye may see what the Apostle saies in the 7. chap. of his Epistle to the Romans he gives you a Similitude thus As a woman so is the sould of every man So long as a woman is married unto one man she brings forth children unto him and not unto any other but is dead unto all others but when that man dies she is free to marry and she marries another and she brings forth children unto him Now saies the Apostle at the 4. verse Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God So that so long as a man is married to the Law he can never bring forth fruit unto God Now then thus lies the Reason If that the Law and Justification thereby be no Friend but a real Enemy unto all our Holiness then contraries having contrarie consequences Justification by faith alone is a friend and no Enemy unto our Spiritual life and Holiness Seondly This also will appear if ye consider the paralel between the first and second Adam Christ is our second Adam Now saies the Apostle in the 5. of the Romans As by the sin of one death came upon all men to condemnation so by the Righteousness of one life comes unto many Well but how came condemnation upon all men by the sin of one The first Adam he was a common person he did stand for all mankind when he sinned all mankind sinned and therefore assoon as any one is born the sin of Adam being imputed to him judicially that imputation is the original of all the Unholiness that is among the children of men So our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being our second Adam he is a Common person stands in the room of al the Elect he was obedient not for Himself but for Them Christus non meruit sibi Obeyed not for Himself and he died not for himself but for them righteous for them When therefore a man is born into the world is regenerate by faith then all that Righteousness of Christ the second Adam is imputed to him And this imputation of his Righteousness by faith is the original of all that Holiness that is in our lives thus As al the Unholiness and Wickedness that is in the world does flow from the imputation of the first Adams sin So al that grace and holiness that is in the world does flow from the imputation of the second Adams Righteousness Now by faith alone this Righteousnes is imputed and does become ours and therefore Justification by faith alone is the principle and original of all our grace and holiness Thirdly If free-remission of sin and the sence thereof be the cause of our Holiness then Justification by faith alone must needs be a friend unto it For these Two Free-remission of sin and justification by faith alone go together and are ordinarily taken for one And therefore in the 3. of the Romans The Apostle having said as the 24. verse Being justified freely by his grace he saies at the 28. ver That a man is justified by faith and saying That a man is justified by faith he saies That a man is justified freely by grace these are put together Now Free-remission of sin and the sence thereof is the Cause of al our Holiness Ye know what the Apostle saies Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God hath appeared unto all men teaching us to deny Vngodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly in this present world All Holiness comes from thence The apparition of grace Free-remission of sin And ye know what it is that doth hatch the Chicken 't is not the fire that does hatch the Chicken nor is it the cold water that does hatch the Chicken but laying of the eggs under the warm feathers of the living Hen. Come to a man or woman that hath many eggs that are yet not Chickens within a month or two these are al become living Chickens Say you How comes it to pass that all these are now living Chickens What! did you lay these eggs unto the fire No for then they would have been roasted What! did you lay these eggs in the cold water No then they would have rotted but I laid them under the warm wings of the living Hen and so they are become chickens So you come to a living soul a living heart and you say Friend how came you to be thus enlivened and quickned a month or two ago I heard you complaining of your dead heart Oh! my heart is dead but how came you to be thus enlivened and to be thus quickned Did you go and lay your heart against the fire of the Law No that would have scorch'd me and tormented me What did you go and lay your heart in the cold world No that would have rotted me How then Truly after all my fears and after all my doubtings I went and laid my cold heart under the warm wings of Divine-love and so it came to pass that I am thus enlivened and I am thus quickened as you see this day for the which I blesse the Lord for ever Three things there are that do make up a gracious Conversation Repentance for sin past Mortification of sin present and the Obedience of faith or Obedience Now as for Repentance look I pray what is said in the 7. Chapter of Luke and see what is the Cause of that You reade there a story of a great Sinner that became a great Penitent at the 37. verse Behold a woman in the City which was a great sinner and she came and stood behind Jesus at the 38. verse weeping and began to wash his feet with tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head She wept much Why for saies the text at the latter end of the Chapter she loved much But why did she love much She loved much because much was forgiven her So then Remission is the Cause of Repentance And have ye not so much expresly in that 16. Chapter of Ezekiel and the last verse I will establish my Covenant with thee that thou maiest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done So that this shame and repentence comes from pacification And as for this matter Luther had so great a fight into it that saies he before I was justified by faith alone and saw into this matter of Free-remission I look't upon that word Repent as a terrible word I did even hate that word and I wish't that there had been no such word in all the book of God but after once that word justitia was opened the righteousnesse
Faith laies aside all its own Righteousness Page 202 As temptations encrease so also shall faith encrease Page 206 Faith riseth above nature Page 209 Faith commends Christ above all other graces Page 210 The strength of faith doth not lie in the assurance of our salvation Page 212 See Justification Fall see Perfection Froward Froward spirits do little good in a common wealth Page L. 30 G Grace Growth in grace how it is known Page 17 Gracious The reason why men are no more gracious Page 39 The Saints should live gracious lives Page 114 See Quality God Gods willingnesse to hide his people in time of his anger Page L. 11 See Faith promise anger Godly Every godly man is a living man Page 3 Godly men reflect upon their own actions Page 8 Difference between wicked and godly men Page 112 Godly see Preachers Gospel How the Gospel causeth Self-denial Page 58 Gospel see Learned Growth see Grace H Heaven see Kingdom Hide Whom the Lord will hide in times of danger Page L. 14 Holy The reason why men are no more holy Page 39 Holiness see Original Justification House God hath 3. houses 1. A house of instruction Page L. 7 2. A house of Correction Page L. 7 3. A house of destruction Page L. 7 Humble see Beleever Humility Christ is an example of humility Page 60 Hypocrite What a Beleever hath more than an Hypocrite Page 85 Hypocrisie It is an evil thing to call Duties by the name of Hypocrisie Page 113 I In-Being What the In-being of Christ in a beleever is Page 76 The In-being of Christ in a beleever is hard to be understood Page 77 Limitations concerning the In-being of Christ in a beleever Page 78 In-being see Benefit Christ Incertainty Gods people must trust in him in incertainties Page L. 18 Injustice see Oppression Infinite The infinite love of Christ manifested Page 114 Justification The cause of our Justification Page 26 Justification by faith is a friend to Holiness Page 28 Justification by the works of the Law is an enemy to Holiness Page 29 How Justification by faith advanceth our holiness Page 36 Our Justification may be hidden from our sence Page 43 Visible Characters of Justification laid down Page 44 How a man may stand cleer to himself in Justification by faith alone Page 46 K Kingdom How the Kingdom of Heaven is taken in Scripture Page C. 1 L Law see Faith Justification Law how taken in Scripture Page 34 The preaching of the Law cannot make a man deny himself Page 52 Learned Learned men are most opposite to the Gospel Page 199 Living see Duty Life Life is the greatest good Page 4 How vegetative life is in Sants Page 5 How sensitive life is in Saints Page 6 How rational life is in Saints Page 7 Life see Spiritual Wicked Motion Little There is nothing little between God and man Page 41 Love The infinite love of Christ to man Page 87 Love see Infinite M Man see Godly Meditations Practical Meditations for beleevers Page 112 Meek Meek men do much good in the earth and why Page L. 30 Mercy Difference between Gods Mercy and his anger Page L. 5 Mercy see Temptation Mystery Mysteries that are in self-denial Page 57 Monument Monuments of praise erected and why Page C. 13 Morral Difference in self-denial between morral men and Christians Page 55 Mortification Whence mortification comes Page 33 Motion All motion comes from life Page 9 N Nation see Wrath Nature see Faith Natural see Perfection Notion Vnder what Notion the Lord looks vpon the sins of the Saints Page 13 O Obedience Obedience whence it comes Page 24 Objections against the smalness of obedience answered Page 42 Observations Waking observations for sleeping people Page C. 20 Oppression Oppression and injustice reign still in this kingdom Page L. 22 Ordinances How Ordinances are needful Page 100 Original What the Original of all our holiness is Page 28 P Papists How Papists deny themselves Page 55 People Why godly people are exposed to danger Page L. 12 Gods people are often left at great incertainties Page L. 16 Why Gods people are so often left at incertainties Page L. 18 Perfection There is some natural perfection still left in man from the fall Page 9 Pleasant The pleasant lives of the Saints Page 12 Prayers The Saints may have no present answer of their prayrs Page 204 The Saints duties when they have no present answer to their prayers Page 205 Prayer see Temptation Preachers Godly Preachers ought to be sent out and why Page L. 9 Preservation see Angel Present see Prayer Profession see Saints Promise Gods dealing sometimes seems to run cross to his promise Page 206 True faith finds out a promise in the refusal Page 208 Q Quallity The quallity of a gracious man Page 54 R Rational see Life Religion Men lose Religion by seeking after Religion Page L. 29 Repentance Repentance whenee it comes Page 33 Righteousness How Righteousness must be sought Page L. 24 Righteousness see Faith S Saints It is a desperate thing to oppose the Saints and why Page 112 Wherein Saints and carnal professors agree Page C. 2 Wherein Saints and carnal professors disagree Page C. 3 A shelter for Saints in the midst of a storm Page L. 13 Saints see Conversion Comfort Life Pleasure Self How self creeps into all actions Page 63 How self acts in man Page 10 Self-denial Self-denial what it is Page 50 Every beleever is a self-denying person Page 49 Tryal of self-denial Page 64 Self-denial is a hard duty Page 70 How self-denial may be attained Page 71 Self-denial see Beleever Law Moral Mystery Gospel Security A caution against Security Page C. 11 Sence see Justification Sensitive see Life Sleep see Desperate Sleepers Two sorts of sleepers their difference and events Page C. 21 Spirit The Spirit of Christ is in every beleever Page 98 The Spirit is the free gift of God Page 104 Spiritual What spiritual life is Page 3 Duties flowing from spiritual life Page 20 How to get spiritual life Page 23 Strength see faith Sudden see Christ T Temptations Temptations may rise higher after prayer Page 206 Temptations sometime come about Election Page 206 When Temptations come about Election the best way is to lay aside dispute and fly to prayer Page 206 Temptation see Faith Thankfulness An exhortation to thankfulness Page C. 16 Truth No truth to be dispised Page L. 27 U Vegitative see life Union Union of Christ with beleevers Page 75 Uncertainties What to do in uncertainties Page L. 24 W Wicked Wicked men are not in the state of life proved Page 8 Wicked see Godly Witness Three that bear witness in Heaven opened Page 85 Wonderful see Dispensation World The danger of the world Page 19 Wrath Gods wrath is not yet pacified towards this Nation Page L. 20 FINIS
taken from us and we have not a better life what a sad condition shall we be in Wherefore I beseech ye in the Lord labor to get another life this Spiritual life that shall never be taken from you and the Lord give you hearts to do it Quest But you will say How should that be done Answ Come unto Jesus Christ whatever thou beest man or woman now come unto Jesus Christ Saies the Lord Christ They will not come unto me that they might have life John 5.40 There are Three things that keep men from Coming to Jesus Christ one thing is Mens Negligence men think they can repent afterward and they may have Christ afterward and so for the present they neglect coming to Jesus Christ Sometimes nay alwaies Vnbelief keeps men off from comming to Jesus Christ For as faith brings Christ and the Soul together So Unbelief keeps a man from coming to Jesus Christ And another thing is Vnwillingnes to part with all for Jesus Christ The young man ye have read of in the Gospel went away sorrowful when Christ said to him Go and sel al to come to Christ so he did not come to Christ upon that account And so when we come to men and women and say You must come to Christ and leave all your former Company Nay say they I can have Christ better cheap upon better terms and I cannot leave my Company and my merry meetings and so they come not to Christ But I beseech you in the Lord Come unto Jesus Christ Oh! what ever thou hast been Come unto Jesus Christ that you may have life Object I know many will say I have been long dead in my trespasses and sins and I fear there is no hope of life for me Answ Now mark what I say to that and so I wil end al. There are Three mentioned in the Gospel whom Christ raised from the dead One a Maid that lay in her fathers house and Christ came in and took her by the hand and said unto her Arise Another was a Young-man that was carried out of his fathers house and was laid out upon the Hearse and Christ came and said unto him Arise And the third was Lazarus that had been four dayes dead and stank again and Christ speaks to Lazarus and he comes forth And these Three saies Austin shews those that Christ wil raise up from the dead again The first the maid that lay in her fathers house notes that sort of sinners that commit Secret sins never come abroad never come into act The second the son that was carried out of his fathers house and laid upon the Hearse notes that sort of sinners that sin openly Swearers and Drunkards whose sins are abroad And the Third that of Lazarus notes that sort of sinner that hath lien so long in the grave that he even smels again Now I pray further observe this That when Christ came to raise Lazarus then Christ prayed but he did not pray when he raised the other two and he groan'd over him he did not groan over the maid nor over the young-man but he groan'd over Lazarus to shew the difficulty of raising a poor sinner from the dead that hath lien long in his sin And therefore if there be ever a poor soul here that is dead in his sins Oh! go to Christ while thou art young and fall down before him and say Oh! Lord I have a dead heart of mine own Oh! let me have life from thee But whether thou beest young or old here is yet hope Lazarus raised as well as the young-maid young-man Lazarus that lay til he stank again in the grave and therefore yet there is hope though thou hast lien long Wherfore in the Name of the Lord I beseech you all Come unto Jesus Christ this morning If there be ever a poor dead soul in this Congregation as may be some there is some Drunkard crept in some Swearer some Unclean wanton Well if there be ever a dead soul in this Congregation now go to Christ that thou mayest have life and I say to thee Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and the Lord Jesus give us life SERMON II. Preached at Stepney July 9. 1648. GALATIANS 2. part of the 20. vers Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me YE heard the last day that two things especially are observable from these words First That every godly gracious man is a living man is in the state of life lives a spiritual life And this I have spoken to Doct. 2 Secondly That our justification by faith alone is no enemy but a real friend unto this our Spiritual life Nevertheless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and now I live but now I live As if he should say I never did live before but now being justified by faith alone and having the experience of this great Truth Now I live At the 16. verse he had said That a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ Whereupon it was or might be objected If a man be not justified by the works of the Law then is he free from the Law then is he dead unto the Law then may a man live as he lists Nay not so saies the Apostle at the 19. verse For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God quite contrary That I might live to God I am dead to the Law Yea and though I am crucified with Christ yet now I live and I never did live till now but now I live This very principle of justification by faith alone is the fountain and original of all my spiritual life And thus indeed you shall find for if you look into those three Epistles of Paul To the Romans the Galatians and the Hebrews ye shall find that the Apostle does give this as the rise unto all his Exhortations unto Holiness of life In the latter end of the Epistle to the Romans the Apostle does exhort unto holy practises and to a godly conversation but in the begining he does state and prove this Doctrine of Justification by faith alone So in this Epistle to the Galatians So in the Epistle to the Hebrews As if the only rise of all our Holiness and Godly Conversation were this Our Free-justification through the Blood of Christ by faith alone For the opening and cleering of this great Truth I shal spend a little time in the Explication of the terms First Justification by faith alone Secondly I shall labor to demonstrate this Truth unto you That Justification by faith alone Is the Fountain and Original of all our Holiness and Spiritual life Thirdly Answer to some Objections Fourthly Labor to shew ye What there is in this Free-justification by faith alone that may can or doth advance our Holiness Quest 1 What is meant by this Justification by faith alone Answ That I may be understood by the meanest
Sanctified in a large sence but where do ye find in al the Bible of any Hypocrite that Christ is said to be in him really united unto an Hypocrite No this is the great Priviledge of a beleever only Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory Fourthly If Jesus Christ be really united unto each beleever by his Spirit Then a beleever shal never die again spiritually die again I have read of a Woman that when her Husband was dead she would eat and drink the ashes of her Husband have his bodie burnt to ashes and so eat and drink the ashes of her husband and being asked the reason because saies she I mean to part with him no more I have parted with him once already when we were one but now I will be made one with him in another way and I will part no more with him So if Christ be in a Beleever really in a Beleever Christ really united unto each Beleever by his Spirit Then Christ and that Beleever shal never part again that Beleever shal die no more for the same Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead dwelling in a Beleever shal also raise up a poor beleever yea though he fal into the grave of sin he shal never die spiritually again upon this account Fiftly If Christ be really united unto al beleevers by his Spirit Then they may come with boldness unto the throne of grace and with unlimitted expectations of mercie from God the Father and from Christ Jesus The nearer ye are unto any Person the more boldness ye have towards him and the larger will your expectations be from him If a man marry his Servant whilst she was his maid she was not so bold nor could expect so much from him when she becomes the Wife then she is more bold and can expect more because now she is nearer A Child may have more boldnes and expect more from the Father than the servant and the servant that is within doors more than the servant that works in the field but the Wife that is nearest she is most bold comes with most boldness into the presence of the man and hath the largest expectations from him because she is nearest to him So the nearer that the soul of a beleever does get unto God the more boldness he may have when he comes to God and the largen expectations of mercy from him Now if Christ were in a beleever only by the Habit of grace and Christ in the soul were nothing else but the Habit of grace here were yet a great distance from Christ but now if Jesus Christ be really United unto each Beleever by his Spirit here is a close Union indeed And therefore upon this account every beleever may come with boldness now and with Unlimitted expectations of mercy from God the Father being brought thus neer that Christ Himself is really in the beleevers soul And what a Glorious and Blessed Condition is every beleever in now upon this account Applyca First Here I would stand admire and call upon you all to admire the Condescending Glorious and Unspeakable love of Christ It was infinite love in Christ to condescend so far as to come down into our Nature when he was incarnate but as if he were not neer enough to us then he comes down into the heart of a beleever by his Spirit When Christ was upon the Earth we were in him as in a common Person Now Christ is in Heaven he is in us by his Spirit What Glorious Condescending love is here If a Father Portion a Child set him up in a good Trade and the child decay through his own folly the Father will not Portion him again possibly he may help him but he will not give him ordinarily parents do not give so great a Portion to help him up again somewhat the parent will do but not so much as at the first The Lord of Heaven he put a great Portion into our hands at first and we decayed and broke and behold the Lord does not only give us as good a Portion as we had at the first but infinitely better for now the Lord Christ is United unto each Beleever now he comes and dwels in the soul of a beleever by his Spirit The Psalmist wondered and admired at the love of God to Man Psal 8.1 4. O LOrd saies the Psalmist how excellent is thy Name Lord what is man Why Lord what is man that thou visitest him He wondred at the love of God that would visit man But behold a greater love than so to visit poor man for Christ is come down into the soul of a beleever he is come into him by his Spirit not only come to visit him but Christ really United unto each beleever by his Spirit What Glorious and Condescending love is here Secondly Upon this account no Wicked man should dare to oppose any of the children of God Why because Christ is in them Christ not only in his Graces but Christ really in all beleevers by his Spirit And will a man dare to speak evil of him that is one with Christ or to defile the Temple of the Lord and the dwelling place of the Lord 1 Cor. 3.17 He that defiles the Temple of the Lord him will God destroy Take heed what you do if there be any opposers here Thirdly What abundance of Comfort is here unto all beleevers Christ is in you of a truth not only by the infusion of his Grace but Christ really in you by his Spirit It is some comfort to a sickly man that he hath a Physitian alwaies in the house with him and to a woman that is neer her time of travail that the Mid-wife is in the house with her What comfort is it then unto a poor soul that Christ is alwaies in him really in him by his Spirit You that are beleevers will not this content you He is too Covetous whom God cannot suffice He hath all things that hath him that hath all things Now every beleever hath Christ Christ really in a beleever by his Spirit not Notionally not by the Habit of grace only but Christ is really United unto each beleever by the Spirit Here is Comfort Comfort Comfort unto all those that are beleevers Object But I fear that Christ is not in me I do not find or perceive that Christ is in me and therefore I can have none of the comfort of this Doctrine were Christ really in me by the Spirit Christ would be working in me but I do not find these workings of Jesus Christ in me and were the Spirit in me it is quick lively and powerful I should do great things for God but alas I do nothing for him and therefore I fear that the Lord Christ is not in me of a truth Answ 1 First I grant That where Christ comes into the soul he does cause the soul to do great things for God greater than it could do before So it was with
Zacheus so with the Jailor so with Paul and so with divers others But then ye must know That a work is great or small according to the opposition that it does meet withal Though a Work or Duty be small in it self yet if it meet with great opposition and break through it it is a great work It was no great matter for the poor Woman to give one or two mites into the Treasury but she having no more and it being all her livelihood it was a great matter It is no great matter for a man to pray and to pray constantly and to frequent the Ordinances but when a poor creature shall meet with all opposition from his Relations then it may be a great matter to do this It is no great matter comparatively for to stay ones soul upon Jesus Christ But in the time of temptation when ones soul is full of Fears and a man does look upon Christ as his enemy then to cast himself into the arms of Christ and to stay the soul upon Christ then this is a greater work So that the work is great though small in it self it is meet with great opposition and break through all But whosoever you are that make this Objection fearing that you are not in Christ and so have not the comfort of this Doctrine Give me leave to propound Three or Four Questions to you First Who and what are those and whose servants are they that do come into and go out of your souls are they not the retinue and the servants of Jesus Christ Ye say such a man or a Noble man lives here for his servants go in and out daily And what Words come out of your mouth and what Words go in at your ear whose servants are they ordinarily are you ever better than when you are thinking or speaking of Jesus Christ hearing from Christ Certainly if his servants do most ordinarily come in and go out the Master is within Christ is within Secondly Do not ye find your souls in some measure Naturallized unto the Work of Christ the Things of Christ and the Work of Christ in some measure Naturallized unto your souls Adam ye know was the first man the father of us all we were in Him as your Root and he in Us as his Seed and his Works they are Naturallized to us We being in him as in the Root and he being in us as in his Seed his Works are Naturallized to us It 's Natural to See and to Hear and to Speak it 's natural for a man to Sin Sometimes ye have a Wicked man hating of a Godly Gracious man and he can give you no reason for it I cannot tell why saith he but my heart is against him But I 'le tell ye why and what the reason is The Old Man is in him the Old Adam is in him and the work of Adam is Naturallized to a Wicked man and he can give you no reason many times why he does so because the Work is Naturallized to him So on the contrary The Lord Jesus Christ is our second Adam and beleevers being in him as in their Root and he in them as in his Seed his Works also are Naturallized unto a beleever in a great measure that a beleever sometimes his heart does stand unto the good Work of God and he can give you no reason for it why I should love this or that Godly man I can give you no reason but so it is my heart stands towards him The reason is this because that Christ the Second Adam is within and so his Work and Things are naturallized unto the soul and in some measure is it not so with you Thirdly Whoever you are that make this Objection Did ye ever find perceive or think that Christ is in you It may be now ye are under some present Fear Doubting but were you never perswaded of this In-being did ye never think or were ye never perswaded that Christ was in you Yes sometimes I have and sometimes I have not again Sometimes I do think that Christ is in me of a truth and sometimes I do not Then look into the 14. chapter of John ye shall see what our Savior promises I will pray the Father at the 16. verse and he shall give you another Comforter And what then He describes him in he 17. verse And at the 20. saies he At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you At that day It may be for the present you cannot say that Christ is in you you in him and he in you but did ye never think yet in all your life that Christ was in you Yes once or twice or sometimes I confess I did think that Christ was in me and I was strongly perswaded too that Christ was in me but now I have lost those perswasions But how came ye to be so perswaded at that time that Christ was in you Thus it was with me My heart was Dead Hard and I could not pray I thought that God and Mercy was gone that I should never see the face of God again and all on a sudden when my soul was in this sad condition I know not how but all on a sudden a strange and unspeakable comfort came upon my soul and my soul stood up as it were from the dead and then I had that perswasion that Christ was in me Well soul be of good comfort this was Christs time that was Christs time and though now for the present thou canst not say that Christ is in thee I tell thee from the Lord that time shall come again and Christ will send the Comforter again and then shalt thou know that thou art in the Father and Christ is in thee and thou art in Jesus Christ for what he said unto those Disciples he said unto other of the Disciples Wait but a little and thoug I be absent for a little time I will send the Comforter and then shall you know although you do not know now yet there is a time when the Comforter shall come and then shalt thou know that Christ is in thee and thou art in Jesus Christ Fourthly Although for the present you do not find those workings of Christ in you and those powerful operations of the Spirit which should argue this same In being Yet do ye not find some workings of grace in your soul according unto that Place Room and Station that you have in the Body of Christ The soul ye know is in the body yet the soul does not put forth such power in one Member as it puts forth in another the soul does not act in one Member as it does in another it does not put forth so much strength in the little Finger or in the Thumb as it puts forth in the Arm The soul does not act in the Eye as it acts in the Mouth neither does it act in the Tongue as it acts in the Ear Should