Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A35583
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Movnt Pisgah, or, A prospect of heaven being an exposition on the fourth chapter of the first epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, from the 13th verse, to the end of the chapter, divided into three parts / by Tho. Case ...
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Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.
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1670
(1670)
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Wing C837; ESTC R10699
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286,764
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418
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it up every drop leaving nothing behind for his Redeemed but large draughts of Love and Salvation in the Sacramental Cup of his own Institution saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood 1 Cor. 11.25 Math. 26.8 for the remission of sins This do ye in remembrance of me Thus my B. look upon Christ as a Mediator in which capacity only he Covenanted with the Father for the Salvation of man-kind and there was not so much as a shadow of any receding from or repenting of what he had undertaken 3. As for the Elect whose Salvation lay at stake there was no doubt to be made of their free consent to the Contract For though they were not originally consulted à parte antè yet as soon as in their several ages and successions they come to be acquainted with the compact between the Father and the Son and begin to understand how deeply they are concerned in it they do not only give in their own affirmative vote but falling down on their faces they break out into joyful acclamations Rom. 7.24 and sing We thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord and again Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1. Cor. 15 57. 4. Lastly The whole Astipulation between the Father and the Son was solemnly Transacted in open Court in the presence of a publick Notary the Holy Ghost Who being a third Person in the Glorious Trinity of the same divine essence and of equal power and glory makes up a third legal Witness with the Father So the King writes Teste Meipso 1 Jo. 5.7 and the Son They being after the manner of Kings their own Witnesses also For there be three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Behold what can be desired more to make commutations of parties in publick contracts authentique in Courts of Justice than Consent of all parties the Allowance of the Judg and Publique Record And if this self-same commutation of Pennance must be allowed of by those who are for justification by way of satisfaction only Bellar. de justific li. 2. ca. 7. Sec. 4. Stapleâ—on c. Their own argument will serve to prove the necessity of imputation of Christs active obedience to the Law for justification because Nothing say they can satisfie for sin which is an infinite wrong to God but that only which is infinite in value By the same reason Nothing can give us right and title to Eternal Life which is an infinite reward but that which is of infinite worth why should it seem incongruous in this other branch of justification sc by imputed Righteousness Surely God would have the Active as well as the Passive obedience as near the same required by the Law as might be that he might dispence with as little of the Law as was possible It only admits one Objection more and that is Object This Doctrine seemeth to reduce the Law again into Office and to put the crown of Justification upon the head of works against the universal suffrage of the holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament To which I reply Answ This doctrine neither destroys the Law with the Antinomian nor establisheth it as a Covenant of works with the Papists But As the great Office of the Lord Jesus Christ was to reconcile all things Colos 1.20 whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven Ex. gr God's Justice and God's Mercy God and Man Jew and Gentile Man and Himself So herein hath our blessed Lord and Mediator magnified his infinite Wisdome and Power in reconciling the Law and the Gospel in this great mystery of Justification wherein the material cause of our Justification is still the Righteousness of the Law so that the Law hath no cause to complain Christ hath done it any wrong And the other Causes are supplied by the Gospel Ex. gr The efficient cause Christ his fulfilling the Law Rom. 10.4 The formal Cause God's Imputation Rom. 10.4 The Instrumental Cause so our Divines phrase it Faith And the moving Final Cause the exaltation of free Grace Rom. 1.20 Accordingly we find the Righteousness of Justification to take its various denominations that is to say In respect of the Material Cause it is called the Righteousness of the Law In respect of the Efficient Cause the Righteousness of Christ Rom. 5.17 1 Cor. 1.30 In respect of the Formal Cause the Righteousness of God the imputing it Rom. 3.22 Phil. 3.9 In respect of the Instrumental Cause the Righteousness of Faith Phil. 3.9 And in respect of the moving and Final Cause we are said to be justified freely by Grace Rom. 3.24 Tit. 3.7 In a word The Law as it was a Covenant of works required exact and perfect obedience in mens proper persons this was legal Justification In the New Covenant God is contented to accept this Righteousness in the hand of a Surety this is Evangelical Justification Thus hath our blessed Lord reconciled The Law also The and also The Gospel also I have done with the Second Accompt I come now to a Third Accompt The Necessity of a Sinner 3d. Accompt The necessity of a Sinner The state and condition of a Sinner doth necessarily require a Righteousness should be imputed to him for his Justification and that to a two-fold End 1. The Setling of solid Peace in his Conscience 2. The Securing of his Appearance in the day of Judgment 1. A positive Righteousness is necessary for the setling of solid Peace in the Conscience of the Sinner The Peace and Comfort of a poor sensible Sinner can never stand firm and stable but upon the basis of a positive Righteousness This is one of the great Arguments whereby the great Apostle in his Christian Caâ—chism so some of the Fathers were wont to call the Epistle to the Romans doth invincibly prove Justification by Faith chap. 5.1 The argument lyeth thus That way of Justification which tends most effectually to settle Peace in the Conscience of a poor Convinced Sinner that must needs be God's way of Justification But Justification by Faith is the most effectual medium to this end Ergo. The first Proposition is founded upon that blessed Truth which the Holy Ghost witnesseth Heb. 6.18 19. the willingness of God that the Heirs of Promise may have strong Consolation the result thereof is this that what-ever medium is aptest to beget strong Confidence and Assurance in their hearts God is graciously pleased to make use of it for their abundant satisfaction The second Proposition namely that Justification by Faith in the sense before explained is the aptest medium to establish solid peace in the bosom of a poor sensible Sinâ—â—r may appear by comparing Works and Faith together Send a poor Sinner to his own Righteousness which is of the Law sc his own good works Holmess Fasting Prayer or the best Service that ever he did for
3.13 This Obligation he fulfill'd by Doing That he sustained by Dying 7. Prop. This double Obligation could not have befallen the Lord Jesus Christ upon any natural account of his own but upon his Mediatory account only as he voluntarily became the Surety of this new and better Covenant Heb. 7 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that the fruit and benefit of Christ's voluntary subjection to the Law redoundeth not at all to Himself but unto the persons which were given him of the Father Joh. 17. whose Sponsor he became for their sakes he underwent the Paenal Obligation of the Law that it might do them no harm he being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 and for their sakes he fulfilled the Praeceptive Obligation of the Law Do this that so the Law might do them good This the Evangelical Apostle clearly asserts Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Weigh the Text. Christ is the end of the Law the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not finis destructivus to destroy the Law such he had been indeed had he come to have brought in any other Law in the room of this holy and perfect Law Mat. 5.17 but saith he I came not to destroy What end then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christus Finis legis i. e. eompletiâ— legis Remâ—g why Finis perfectivus the perfection and accomplishment of the Law not to destroy but to fulfill sc the end of the Law for Righteousness i. e. to the end that by Christ his active Obedience God might have his perfect Law perfectly kept that so there might be a Righteousness extant in the Humane Nature every way adaequate to the perfection of the Law And who must wear this Garment of Righteousness when Christ hath finished it surely the Believer who wanted a Righteousness of his own for so it follows for Righteousness to every one that believeth that is that every poor naked Sinner believing in Jesus Christ might have a Righteousness wherein being found he might appear at Gods Tribunal but his nakedness not appear but as Jacob in the Garment of his Elder Brother Esau so the Believer in the Garment of his Elder Brother Jesus might inherit the Blessing even the great Blessing of Justification This leads me to an 8th Proposition and that is 8. Prop. Faith which is commonly called the condition of the new Covenant is not in its self a new Righteousness but as it were an instrument or hand to apprehend and apply the Righteousness of the first Covenant as fulfilled by the great Sponsor Rom. 8 3. Perfectionem habet Legis qui in Christum credit and Surety on the believer's behalf That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us sc in our Nature to our justification Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth 9. * As imitation of Adam only made us not Sinners so imitation of Christ only makes us not Righteous but imputation Down of Justifit Prop. This Mediatory Righteousness of Christ for his Personal and essential Righteousness falls not at all under this consideration can no way become the Believer's but as the first Adam's obedience became his Posteritie's who never had the least actual share in his transgression sc By an act of Imputation from God as a Judg. The Lord Jesus having fulfilled the Law as a second Adam God the Father imputeth it to the believing Sinner as if he had done it in his own person I say not God the Father doth account the Sinner to have done it but he doth impute it to the believing Sinner as if he had done it unto all saving intents and purposes Thus Abraham the Father of the faithful was justified his Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness his Faith i. e. objective the Righteousness which his Faith apprehended sc Christ his fulfilling of the Law as the Surety of the New Covenant And so are all the Children of Abrahams Faith justified also unto whom it shall be imputed also if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus from the dead Who was delivered for our sins and was raised again for our justification 10. h. and last Prop. The believing sinner appearing at the Tribunal of the great God and pleading his Righteousness thereupon standeth rectus in curiâ and is pronounc'd Righteous in the Court of divine Justice Thus the Sinner is brought in as it were in a way of judicial Process Isa 45.24 holding up his hand at the Judgment Seat the Judg on the Bench bespeaking him thus Sinner thou standest Indited for breaking the holy and just and good Law of thy Maker Rom. 3 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is verbum forense Sign Legally proved and hereof art proved Guilty Sinner what hast thou to say for thy self c To this the Sinner upon his bended knee Confesseth Guilty but with-all humbly craves leave to plead for himself full satisfaction made by his Surety It is Christ that died Rom. 8.34 And whereas it is further objected by the Judg I but Sinner the Law requireth an exact and perfect Righteousness in thy personal fulfilling of the Law Sinner Where is thy Righteousness The believing Sinner humbly replyeth My Righteousness is upon the Bench in the Lord have I Righteousness Christ my Surety hath fulfilled the Law on my behalf to that I appeal and by that I will be tried This done the Plea is accepted as good in Law The Sinner is pronounced Righteous and goeth away glorying and rejoycing Righteous Righteous In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified and shall glory If this be not the Righteousness whereby a poor Sinner is justified sc the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled by a Mediatour on behalf of Gods Elect I would gladly enquire What is become of the Do this in that first Covenant Is it indeed abolished Then hath Christ destroyed the Law destroyed it I say not fulfill'd it at least in one great and main design of it Secondly If so I would fain be satisfied what succeeds in the room of the Fac hoc to supply the office of a justifying Righteousness what can First Not surely Inherent Righteousness that being quidimperfectum and an imperfect Cause can never produce a perfect Effect which some observing have had no other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 left them Bell. de justif li. 2. ca. 7. S 3. but in down right language to affirm Habitual Righteousness to be perfect whom we shall leave to the confutation of fire in the last day Secondly Eph. 2.12 Nor can it be Adoption The terminus à quo in Adoption is a state of alienation from God The verminus à quo in Justification is a guilty Malefactor as to Absolution and of want of Righteousness as to the Condition of the Covenant Thirdly Much less can faith in its own nature considered supply this office For if faith