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
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
sight and for no other end but that wee that were soule in the sight of God might not bee found foule in the sight of God and that we that were unrighteous might not be found unrighteous in the sight of God but only righteous but if we be found in the sight of God both faire and foule both righteous and unrighteous then Christs becomming a sinner for us is frustrated and made voyd but because he becomming a sinner but a time for us hath thereby made us meerly and only righteous for ever in the sight of God as the Apostle Heb. 10. 14. testifies Heb. 10. 14. saying With one offering he hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified hereby Christs becomming a sinner for us is not frustrated but hath attained his full and due end and this is the true meaning of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 21. saying Hee that knew no sin was 2 Cor. 5. 21. made sinne for us why and to what end That we being translated into him might be made he saith not both sinners and righteous in the sight of God as Christ was but the righteousnesse of God that is as the figurative abstract imports nothing but righteousnesse and only and meerly the righteousnesse of God for ever for which cause Daniel prophecied that Christ by his death Dan. 9. 11. 23. should make an end of sin and bring in an everlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9. 11. 24. Thirdly this comparison is misapplyed and deceives because it is grounded upon a wrong instance The beleever is made righteous as Christ at his refurâ—eâ—tion of time for wee are not to compare the manner of our being made righteous in the sight of God to the the time case and condition of Christ whilst he hung dying upon the Crosse when he was both a sinner and righteous but to the time case and condition of Christ when he was risen againe from the dead when he had quite abolished our sinne that by Gods imputation lay upon him and having shaken off our sinne as Sampson had shaked off his new ropes was only perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God by virtue whereof he had shaken off death and was risen againe Because although hee merited our Justification by his passion and death yet he did fully accomplish the same by his resurrection as S. Paul testifies 1 Cor. 15. saying If Christ be not risen yee are yet in 1 Cor. 15. 17. your sins Therefore the contrarie holds true Christ being risen wee are not in our siunes that is wee are by his resurrection made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in Gods sight freely And yet more Rom. 4. 25. plainly speaks the Apostle Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered to death for our sinnes and is risen again for our Iustification that is his rising again hath fully accomplished our perfect Justification thus making us like to himselfe as he was in his resurrection that is only perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely And thus doe the Dispensers of Gods mysteries the faithfull Expositors compare the manner of our being made righteous by Christs resurrection in the sight of God Whereupon Luther saith thus Christ rising againe the third day from death now liveth for ever and Lâ—th in Gal. 3 13 there is neither sinne nor death sound in him any more but meere righteousnesse life and everlasting blessednesse then faith layeth hold upon this innocency and this victory of Christ whereby by faith only we are made thus perfectly righteous Look then saith he how much thou dost beleeve this so much thou dost injoy it If thou believest sin death and the curse to be abolished they are abolished For Christ hath overcome and taken away these in himselfe and will have us to beleeve That like as in his own person there is now after his resurrection no sin nor death so there is none in ours seeing he hath performed and accomplished all things for us Hereupon also doth Calvin say that the ministrie of Iohn Baptist being a meane or middle between the Prophets and Apostles although hee passed all the Prophets in saying Behold the Lamb of God that taketh Calv. inst lâ—b 3. cap 9. sect 5 The ministerie of Iohn Baptist a middle between the Prophets and Apostles away the sinne of the world wherein he shewed forth the Sunne of the Gospel yet saith he because he did not expresse that same incomparable strength and glory which at length appeared in his resurrection therefore Christ saith that the least in the Kingdome of heaven is greater than hee must not Preachers therefore take heed that they doe not darken much lesse drown this incomparable strength and glory that so farre passed Iohns ministry now accomplshed in his resurrection But alas how few are there among us that know what this incomparable strength and glory of Christs resurrection is much lesse doe we cause people to presse with violence above Iohn into the kingdome of heaven by laying forth above him this incomparable strength and glory Now concerning the other reason That as God Object beholds us in Christ so hee beholds us perfectly holy and righteous But as hee beholds us in our selves so he sees us sinners at leastwise in the imperfections of our sanctification To which I answer that God doth behold us two Answ God beholds us two manner of wayes manner of wayes first Physice as we are his creatures in whom wee live and move and have our being and so God alwayes beholds us in our selves and seeth us meerly his creatures as to eat and drink and move First Physicè and such like secondly hee beholds us Theologicè Secondly Thologice two manner of wayes first in our selves secondly in Christ as he beholds us in our selves we are corrupted and sinfull by the fall of Adam which is our cursed and lost estate before our Justification and conversion wherein we are out of Christ and members of the Devill and vessels of wrath and damnation which when a man seeth hee desires nothing more than to be Justified that he may be delivered out of that wofull estate whom when God hath taken pitty of and Justified then hee is translated out of himselfe into Christ out of the old Adam into the new Adam out of the wild bitter Olive into the sweet Olive and true vine Christ Because hee is translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of the curse into blessednesse out of death into life and out of damnation into salvation and so delivered out of his former misery so that hee that holds that God beholds us both in Christ and in our selves must needs bee an utter and monstrous hypocrite because first he sees not what an horrible thing it is to be in our selves out of Christ being most true that Luther saith horrendum est de Deo extra Christum cogitare that it is an
new life to the eyes of men Yea more although our inherent righteousnesse of sanctification flowing thus from our Justification be imperfect in it selfe and makes all our actions imperfect in righteousnesse yet so mighty is this originall righteousnesse as Luther calls it in respect of the secondarie inherent actuall righteousnesse of our The exceeding efficacy of our originall righteousnesse that is Christs sanctification That as the Sun-beames lying continually in a house that can cast forth continually nothing but shadowish darknesse doth continually swallow up that shadowish darknesse and makes both the house and all things in the house all light so doth the glorious Sun of Righteousnesse Christ Jesus by the power of his imputation so cloath us with his own righteousnesse that continually swallowing up and abolishing the imperfections of our sanctification doth make and continually preserve and present us and all our actions that were darknesse in themselves to be all light in the Ephes 5. 8. Lord Ephes 5. 8. that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne continually in the sight of God freely Which comparison between Adam and Christ although it is proposed as equall to shew the truth reallnesse and verity between them as vers 19. where the Apostle saith that As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners So by the obedience of one are many also made righteous Yet in other places is the working of Christ shewed to be farre more rich plentifull and abundant in making us perfectly righteous than the working of Adam in making us sinners so that the Apostle to expresse the plentifull working of Christ above Adam doth not stick to use the words Abounding in the work of Christ above Adam lesse than foure times in the later part of that fifth chapter saying That although through the offense of one many bee dead Yet much more doth the grace of God and gift by Grace abound unto many yea although the Law entred in upon sinne and made sinne to abound and to be out of measure sinfull yet grace in Iustification abounds much more so that saith hee they which receive the abundance of grace and this gift of righteousnesse doe even reigne in life by this Iustification of life But that saying 2 Cor. 5. 21. is more admirable that He which knew no sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. was made sin for us that we being translated into Christ might be made the very righteousnesse of God The Abstract importing as I said before that we are made so perfectly completely and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely That we are nothing else but meer righteousnesse in the sight of God And hath Christs work passed Adams making of sinners in swallowing up and utterly abolishing all our sinne from before God as if Iosephs barnes had swallowed up the leane kine in Pharaohs vision and made us so richly plentifully and abundantly righteous in the sight of God and shall we be troubled more with the feeling of Adams work upon us than be filled with joy with the exceeding glory of Christs work upon us should we not by such regard of sense and feeling that is of old Adam and weaknesse of faith greatly dishonour the God-head of Christ in the second Adam This comparison between Christ and Adam doth Luther also strongly presse for the strengthning of faith saying thus For as we cannot deny but that wee are all sinners and are constrained to say that through the sinne of Adam we were all lost were made the enimies of God and guilty of eternall death for this doe all terrified hearts feele and confesse and more indeed sometimes than they should doe so can wee not deny but that Christ died for our sinnes that he might make us righteous for he died not to justifie the righteous but the unrighteous and to make them the children of God and Inheritors of all spirituall and heavenly blessings therefore when I feele and confesse my selfe to be a sinner through Adams transgression why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousnesse of Christ especially when I heare that hee loved me and gave himselfe for me This did Paul most stedfastly beleeve and therefore he speaketh these words with so great vehemencie and full assurance which He grant unto us in some part at the least which hath loved us and given himselfe for us The third help to strengthen our weak faith to beleeve above our sense and feeling that we are made thus perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Is for the inconveniences and evills that otherwise will follow this distrust briefly and plainely expressed by Luther saying thus Except thou dost beleeve above thy sense and feeling and confesse that thou art thus righteous in the sight of God thou dost great injury to Christ who hath made thee cleane by the washing of water through the word who also died upon the â—rosse condemned sinne and killed death that through him thou mightest obtaine righteousnesse and everlasting life these things thou canst not deny except thou wilt openly shew thy selfe to be wicked and blasphemous against God and utterly to despise God and all his promises Iesus Christ with all his benefits and so consequently thou canst not deny but that thou art righteous Now concerning the other part of the objection Object namely that we feele so great unworthinesse in our selves that wee dare not assume so great glory to our selves that we are made so perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous in the sight of God as that wee are only and meerly the Righteousnesse of God in his sight To which I answer againe with Luther that there Answ be two great causes beside the malice of the Devill why we doe not beleeve and so receive this precious gift First the inestimable greatnesse of the gift is the cause that we do not beleeve it and because this incomparable treasure is freely offered therefore it is despised And secondly because as Luther truly saith in another place the doctrine of the Gospel speaketh of farre other matters than any Book of policy or Philosophy yea or the very Book of Moses himselfe to wit of the unspeakable and most divine gifts of God which farre passe the capacity and understanding both of men and Angels whereby the inestimable A threefold remedy against feare of applying so great riches greatnesse of Gods bounty in the gift engenders in us an hardnesse to beleeve it But for this there is a threefold Remedy able to strengthen us effectually in faith The first is expressed by Luther saying after this manner We must not weigh so much how great the thing is that is given and how unworthy we are of it for so should the greatnesse of the gift and our unworthinesse terrifie us but we must principally consider first the greatnesse of the giver and secondly that
Colos â— â—2 13. of the Saints in light Coloss 1. 12. 13. 5. The meâ—nâ—s of our glorâ—h atioa Fiftly and lastly this free Justification is the only immediate cause and meanes of our finall glorification and of setting us in the right and assurance of eternall lise Therefore doth the Apostle say Whom God justifieth them he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. Hence it is also Rom. 8. â—0 Rom 5. 18. that hee doth call it the Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. Because to the Enjoyers of it by faith it doth freely and undoubtedly bring life and eternall salvation which the same Apostle againe testifieth when hee saith Grace doth reign indeed but how By righteousnesse or through righteousnesse unto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 21. As if he should say Rom. 5. 11. Grace indeed doth infallibly bring eternall life and yet by this only meanes that men of necessity bee first justified and freely made perfectly holy compleatly righteous before God or else grace it selfe reigneth not unto eternall life Hereupon S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost in Rom. truly thus For where righteousnesse is there necessarily doth everlasting life goe withall and also infinite other Radix vitae Calv. ex Marlo Sicut â—eccatum non nisi mortâ—m parere potest ita donum illud Dei nâ—fâ—ra scilicet justificatâ—o vitae aeteâ—nae beaâ—iâ—â—dinem nobis a â—sertivel si mavis quemadmodùm mortis causa pcccatum est c. good things even as where there is sinne there is death for righteousnesse is more than life seeing it is the very root of life Herewithall agree the modern Expositors saying thus As sinne cannot but bring forth death so that gift of God namely our Iustification bringeth upon us all blessednesse and eternall life or if you had rather thus As sinne is the cause of death so the righteousnesse which is freely given us by Christ hath restored unto us eternall life Faith therefore of Free Iustification is sure of eternall life and so sure that it glorieth and rejoyceth in eternall life because Free Iustification only doth make us fit or worthy or sufficiently meet Luther in Gal. 1. 6. to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light by which only God hath delivered us out of the power of Id in cap. 1. 17. darkness and hath translated us into the kingdome of his Colos 1. 12. 13. deare Son Colos 1. 12. 13. For thus are we translated out of sinne into righteousness out of Gods wrath into his well-pleased favour out of cursednesse into blessednesse out of death into life for when sinne is taken away in the place thereof commeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath reconciliation and grace and free and well-pleased favour in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation CHAP. XVI Of the other foure fruits or effects declaring the Vtility and Majesty of Free Iustification THe third maine point shewing the Majejestie The third effect is Peace and loy in the conscience and Utility of Justification is That whereas the want or the ignorance of it is the losse of all true peace and joy in God so the right knowledge and apprehension thereof is the lively spring of joy and of a good conscience bursting forth into a joyfull confession and glorifying of God both in heart and tongue See this is that sweet Song of Mary Luke 1. 46 47. Where she saith My soule magnifieth the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for seeing the imperfections of our Sanctification are in this life so great That all our Righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath If wee know not assuredly that by this glory of Justification all our sins which simply of themselves as the Image of the Devill God so cloatheth are quite and clean abolished from before him and that wee are perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God wee cannot have but rather doe disanull that Peace and great joy unspeakable and glorious That Justification by such perfect abolishing of all our sinnes from before God and free making as so perfectly rigteous in the sight of God doth hereby bring unto us For which the Gospel is expresly called joyfull newes from heaven without which joy we are not sure that we are delivered out of the kingdome of Satan which is sinne and death but by this joy the faithfull soule the true Bride of Christ may feele it selfe to be entred with Christ into the Eride-Chamber which is the kingdome of heaven For the kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost And whosoever in these things serveth Christ are accepted unto God and are approved of men Rom 14. 17. 18. But if thou ask how Rom. 14 17 thou maist attaine so great righteousnesse as may bring such peace and joy The Apostle answereth That being justified that is freely made perfectly holy and righteous by faith we are so compleatly righteous and become so just and saved That having no need of any works hereunto at all but through faith only obtaining true righteousnesse sufficiently Wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. For seeing only sinnes doe breed displeasure between Rom. 5. 1. Sola pe cata simultâ—tem pariant â—â—st uaâ—ex impiâ—s peâ—ateribus c. Phil. 1 7. Incredibi'e gaudiuâ— Marlo in Rom. 5. 1. God and man after that of ungodlinesse and sinners we are made just and righteous from hence it must needs bee that forthwith true peace doth presently arise and this peace that is to say quietnesse and tranquilliâ—y of minde and securitie of conscience which doth passe all understanding Phil. 4. 7. and doth breed in the hearts of the faithfull incredible and wonderfull joy indeed the Law sinne and failing in works terrifieth the conscience oppresseth it with feares and heavinesse of spirit and plucketh it from the assurance of righteousnesse of life and all goodnesse Luth. Gal. 4. 2 3. therefore let us not suffer the Law in any case to beare rule in our conscience especially seeing it cost Christ so great a price to deliver the conscience from the Schoolmaster-like slavery of the Law let the godly learn therefore that the Law and Christ are Why the Law is not to beare rule in the conscience two contrary things whereof the one cannot abide the other for when Christ is present the Law may in no case rule but must depart out of the conscience Idem in Gal. 5 22. and leave the bed which is so straight that it cannot hold two as Esay saith and give place only to Christ Let him only reign in righteousnesse in peace in joy and life that the conscience may sleep and repose it selse in Christ the Bridegroomes bosome without any feeling of the Law sin and death for the fruits of the The voyce of the Bridegroome spirit are not only love but also joy
ingenuously acknowledge my weaknesse herein This meditation I say being an effectuall meanes to apprehend it deeper and deeper and to encrease thy knowledge and faith in it especially when thou feelest thy conscience pricked and troubled with sinne will even breath the spirit of God and life into thy soule as Paul testifieth saying Received you the spirit by hearing the Law Or by hearing of faith viz. of free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. And so will be as it were the soule of thy soule to revive thee to eternall life yea thou shalt feele that thy often meditating in this heavenly gift like Naamans seventimes washing of himselfe in the River Iordane will assure thee clearer and clearer that all the spirituall leprosie of thy sinnes is washed away cleane out of Gods sight By which renewing as it were thy Baptisme thou mayst be anew strengthened with the spirituall inward seale of joy and gladnesse Ps 51. 7 8. Neither let thy unworthinesse of so great a benefit deterre thee from taking it because it is given thee freely I say freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in thee to deserve it nor no unworthinesse in thee to hinder thy free taking of it but only pittying thy misery doth give it thee freely to this end to declare the glory of his free Grace and to heale freely all thine unworthinesse and to make thee freely worthy of all the other benefits and blessings of God both temporall and eternall Thus Christian Reader if Christianly passing by all my weaknesses in handling this glorious free benefit yet if thou shalt here finde that the learned Writers collected have said some thing that may edifie thee in thy most holy faith then shall I be well content and fully satisfied Commending thee to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build further I with all my poor endeavours doe wholly rest Thine in true Christian affection JOHN EATON The Contents of this Treatise according to the order of the Chapters CHAP. I. OF the necessity of Free Iustification and of the right and joyfull knowledge thereof shewne 1 Because of Gods extreme hatred of sin 2 Because Iustification is the summe of the Gospel 3. The foundation of the Church both before and since the comming of Christ 4 The strongest Armes against assaults of the Devill pag. 2. 3. infra CHAP. II. OF the nature of Free Iustification as 1 What it is pag. 7 2 Who are capable of this glorious benefit ibid. 3 How it is wrought upon us pag. 20 Three maine things revealed in the word of God concerning sinne pag. 8. infra A pithie opening of the tenne Commandements pag. 11 A fivefold punishment belonging to the least sin pag. 17 That wee are two manner of wayes made righteous p. 22 CHAP. III. OF the parts of Iustification as 1 Of the first part p. 24 2 Of the excellency of this first part described by six Emphaticall Scripture phrases expressing the same where the said Texts are opened and explained p. 29 CHAP. IIII. OBjections against this first part of Iustification especially against the fifth emphaticall Scripture phrase expressing the excellency of this first part of free Iustification answered and the faith thereof described and cleered pag 43 1 The distinction and difference of the Objectors is to bee marked ibid. 2 Their objections from places of Scripture are answered as first Sins we have in us 1 Ioh. 1. 8. and who can say his hart is pure for in many things we sin all Iam. 3. 2. Ergo God who is Almighty and searcheth the hearts and reines seeth them in us Can any thing bee hid out of his sight pag. 47 Secondly He that made the eye shall not he see Psal 94. p. 52 3 God knoweth the sinnes of his justified children infinitly more perfectly than they themselves doe as you your selfe confesse Ergo hee seeth them in them because knowing and seeing are all one in God All which places are fully discussed and cleered Two reasons shewing how knowing and seeing in God may be said to differ p. 68 How God knowes the sinnes of his children and of Reprobates p. 71 CHAP. V. WHerein other Scriptures objected are cleered and answered as 1 That all things are open and naked to Gods eyes c. Heb. 4. 13. p. 73 2 God knoweth our sitting down and rising up and understandeth all our thoughts Psal 139. p. 76 3 Against thee have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Psal 51. 4. p. 80 Paul complaineth of sinne and saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Ergo. p. 87 5 If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Ioh 3. 20. p. 88 6 God saw sin in the justified Church of Corinth and punished them for the same 1 Cor. 11. And also in divers of the Churches of Asia Revel 2. 3. Ergo the children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God sees no sinne in them p. 92 7 Paul had remnants of sin in him and prayed thrice against the same that it might depart from him 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. Ergo the children of God are not made by Iustification so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God that God sees none in them p. 84 The maine essentiall difference between the Law and the Gospel p 83 How the Iustification of a Church and of a particular man are different p. 92 CHAP. VI. WHerein is contained an answer to the second rank of objections of such examples of David and others as were justified persons and yet God saw and took notice of sin in them and corrected punished some of thē for the same p. 97 A distinction between the time of the Law the time of Ioh. Baptist and the time of Christs death upon the crosse p. 98. infra Two reasons why sinnes were not punished in Iohn Baptists time p. 104 A threefold prerogative of the New Testament p. 110 CHAP. VII COntaining answers to the third rank of objections expressing certaine Reasons proving that the justified children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that God sees no sin in them as 1 God doth correct with crosses and afflictions yea and punish his justified children for sin ergo p. 120 Where are discussed two severall sorts of crosses 1. Legall 2. Evangelicall p. 121. deinceps Together with the uses of Evangelicall crosses p. 127 3 Scriptures explained p. 129 Twelve Absurdities arising from the confounding of the aforesaid crosses p. 135 CHAP. VIII COntaining answers to three other objected Reasons as 1 If wee bee made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that God sees no sin in us what need we to pray daily in the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses p. 147. 154 2
to God or thy neighbour although thou consent not to it but dost check and reprove thy selfe for it or if thou dost any of these good duties with any spice of vaine-glory or with any other by-respect and not in perfect zeale of Gods glory and good of thy neighbour thou art guilty of lust and concupiscence and breach of this tenth Commandement which defiles both thee and all thy good works and holy walkings and makes them all like a menstruous cloath that is abhominable in the sight of God Esay 64. 6. Maist thou not in a due examination Esay 64. 6. of thy conscience in these premises both of the horriblenesse of the least sinne before described and now in the multitude of them cry out with the Lepers under the old Law I am uncleane I am unclean maist thou not truly cry out I am a Leper I am a Leper maist thou not justly say with S. Paul the Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sinne maist thou not in a feeling of the multitude of thy sinnes say with David My sinnes have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number than the haires of my head therefore my heart hath failed me O Lord touch our hearts with the sight of our manifold sinnes But adde hereunto the third and last maine thing The tâ—iâ—d and last maine thing revealed concerning sin is the fiâ—efold punishment revealed in Gods word concerning sinne and it will shew thee thy full misery in this lost condition namely the fivefold punishment belonging to the least sinne as First the everlasting curse of God saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. In which definitive sentence of God thou must mark the perfection of his justice against the least sinne namely that hee must needs curse the creature that hath the least sinne in his sight for who knowes not but that if a man could continue in all things as God created him he should not have the least sinne in the sight of God but bee perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God but if he have the least sinne in the sight of God he doth not continue in all things and so is certainly accursed or else God should bee changeable and false seeing one jot or tittle of this word cannot passe away untill it Math. 5. 18. be fulfilled Mat. 5. 18. the reason whereof the Prophet Hab. expresseth saying God is of purer eyes Habak 1. 13. than to see sinne hee cannot behold wickednesse but he must needs destroy the sinne or else the sinner from before him Secondly upon this curse of God follows hardnesse of heart as God denounceth saying So I gave them Psal 81. 12. up to hardnesse of heart and left them to walk in their owne counsels Whereby if thou beest not under this curse thy selfe thou maist see the greatest multitude round about thee both of high and low rich and poore young and old to lie under this plague of plagues even hardnesse of heart that is to have by the dead faith no sense and feeling of this their cursed estate and lost condition and fearfull misery by sinne as the Apostle testifieth saying Being past feeling they commit sinn even with greedinesse Ephes Eph. 4. 19. 4. 19. whereby under this hardnesse of heart they live like Pharaoh but to heap up unto themselves as treasure wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration Rom. 2. 5. of Gods just judgements Rom. 2. 5. Thirdly hereupon all manner of miseries and afflictions to body goods and name are ready to attach and seize upon us to admonish us as they did Pharaoh of this cursed estate as it is expressed Deut. 28. saying The Lord shall send upon thee cursing Deut. 28. 20. trouble and shame And the Lord will smite thee with a consumption and with the fever and with a burning ague and with fervent heat yea hee shall smite thee with the botch and with the Emerods and with the scab and with the itch that thou canst not be healed Yea the Lord will smite thee with madnesse and with blindenesse and with astonying of heart c. verse 20. to the end of the chapter Fourthly uncertaine death is ready for the least sinne to strike us we knowing neither the time when nor the place where nor the manner how as God saith Deut. 28. 66. Thy life shall hang before thee as Deut. 28. 66. it were upon a twine thred and thou shalt have just cause to feare both day and night for thou shalt have no assurance of thy life And againe This night shall the Devils fetch away thy soule So is every one that by Justification is not rich in God Luke 12. 20 21. Luke 12. 20 21. Fifthly and lastly when death which is so uncertaine is come then followes the full execution of the justice and wrath of God in hell fire and everlasting torments because we being accursed by the least sinne God saith Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Matt. 25. 41. Math. 25. 41. Verse 48. And these shall goe into everlasting paines ver 48. O fearfull sentence more terrible than was ever any thunder-clap that beat the poore creature all to pieces may wee not now see with feeling horror what lost wretches we are by sinne is there any to turne us unto for help in this case God is angry with us all his creatures are ready at his beck to execute judgements upon us what can we doe then but only sigh up to Christ for help who infinitely gratiously saith come unto me all yee that feele your selves weary and heavy laden and I will ease you which he doth by no other means but by free Justification the manner whereof how he worketh it upon us to ease and refresh us is as here followeth This heavie laden conscience thus sighing up to How Iustification is wrougâ—t upon us Christ for help and ease being like the wounded Israelites looking up to the brazen serpent first God imputeth to such his sonnes righteousnesse as the holy Ghost testifieth saying Blessed is the man to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6. But Rom. 4. 6. because Gods imputation is an immediate act of God himselfe it is not a weak imaginary thing as the Papists blasphemously scoffe like mans imputation but it is of such a strong and powerfull reall working and effectuall operation that it conveyeth as the Sunne conveyes his beames into a dark house that perfect righteousnesse of Christ to bee as S. Paul Rom. 3. 32. saith in us and upon us so powerfully that we thereby are made of unjust just before God but how not inherently and actively but objectively and passively as the dark house
purged and made so cleane from all sin that God doth see nothing else in the whole world of true beleevers but a meere cleansing and righteousnesse This is the wedding garment whereby the Church of Christ is from the soale of her seet to the crown of her head so Ornala est ab imo pede usque ad verticem ut nihil malâ—â—um in ea conspiciatur nulla macula deformitatis appareat sed Coram Deo c. Luth. 95. ver 9. 13. adorned that no sinne may bee seene in her nor no spot of deformitie may appeare but yet before God not in the sight of men For God seeth no spot in her because hee seeth nothing in her but his Sonnes righteousnesse wherewith his Church is cloathed and whereby shee hath salvation life and glory for seeing shee hath put on Christ himselfe to God-ward by Justification and to man-ward by Sanctification although shee hath some sin in the imperfections Brightman in Revel 3. 4. of her Sanctification that the Devill seeth and every one of us in our consciences doe feele it Luth. ibid. Psal 51. Id Diabâ—lus cernit sed Deus non videt but God sees none for by reason of Christ with whom shee is cloathed shee is all faire without spot or wrinkle as Christ himselfe testifieth saying Behold thou art faire my love behold in mine eyes thus cloathed as thou art with my righteousnesse thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee Cant. Hall in Cant. Cant. 4. 7. 4. 7. Whosoever therefore have not confidence in this Quicunque igitur in hoc uno non fiduâ—t quod per mortem Christs c. Peccata sublaâ—a sunt ne peccanostra videre possit Proculdubio periere Luth. Psa 130. 6 one point that our sins are so taken away by the blood of Christ that God doth not see our sins in us without doubt they are damned as long as they continue to rob the blood of Christ of this honour and his wedding garment of this glory The sixth and last Scripture phrase expressing in the highest degree the almost infinite abolishing of all our sins out of Gods sight is this that wee have so perfectly none before him that hee himselfe testifies that he doth not so much as Remember any sin in us And this is wonderfull sweet for if a Father doe forgive his child some great fault the child indeed is freed from blowes and beating But if his Father do but Remember it the very remembrance of the fault breeds some discontent and sower looks but then is the peace and love and loving countenance of a Father towards his child full and compleat when hee doth not so much as Remember any fault So doth God say I even I am he that so utterly abolish and put away â—hine iniquities that I will not so much as Remember thy sins Esay 43. 25. Which saying is also true Esay 43. 25. not only quoad effectum as I said before in respect of the effect of their sin as that he doth not remember them to punish them but also quoad causam in respect of the sinne it selfe for first every one will easily grant that God truly remembers no sinne in his Sons righteousnesse from all eternity then secondly that we being hereby of unjust made just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely in that righteousnesse only now as God looks upon us in this justified estate he remembers no sin in us not simply but as we are in this new glorious estate because there was never any sin in it as some King marrying a poore maiden and having cloathed her in sumptuous and princely apparell may be said now to remember in that sumptuous attyre no beggary in her any more And thus doth the Prophet say In those dayes viz. of Christs Kingdome and at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for but there shall be none and the sinnes Ierem. 50. 20. Luth. in Galat. cap. 1. 4. of Judah but they shall not be found Ierem. 50. 20. Because Christ hath put away the sinnes of the whole world and hath fastened them unto the Crosse and put them so cleane out by himselfe That according to Pauls Divinity there is no Luth. in Galat. 3. 13. sinne no death no malediction any more in the Church Because Christ appeared in the end of the world Heb. 9. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad abolitionem peccati that is to the abolishing evacuating or utter vanishing away of sinne Heb. 9. 26. And therefore that there is no more sinne c. in Luth. in Galat. sap 3. 13. the Church since Christ now raignes we daily confesse in the Apostles Creed when we say I beleeve that there is an holy Church which is indeed nothing else but as if we should say I beleeve that there is no sinne in the Church of God for they which doe beleeve in Christ are no sinners Rom. 5. 8 9. but are holy Rom. 5. 8 9. and righteous lords over sinne and death and living for ever But faith only seeth this for we say I beleeve there is an holy Church But if thou beleeve reason and thine owne eyes thou wilt judge cleane contrary for thou seest many things in the godly which offend thee thou seest them sometimes to fall into sinne and to be weak in faith and to be subject unto wrath envie and such other evill affections therefore saist thou the Church is not so holy I deny the consequence for if I look upon mine owne person or the person of my brother it shall never bee in Gods sight so absolutely holy but if I behold Christ who hath sanctified and made cleane his Church then it is altogether holy for he hath taken away the sinnes of the whole world And therefore doth S. Iohn testifie that in Christ that is in his body the Church is no sinne 1 Iohn 1 Iohn 3. 5. Non de Christ persona hic â—git sed de tolâ— corpore Marl. ibid. 3. 5. for here he speaks not of the person of Christ but of his whole body totum enim Christi corpus purum esse oportet for the whole body of Christ must needs be pure and cleane So that true Divinity teacheth that there is no Luth. Galath cap. 3. 13 sin in the Church any more Because as I said before and doe repeat againe for the better marking by Christs dying upon the Crosse he hath purged and made us so cleane from all sinne in the sight of God that God doth see nothing else in the whole world of true beleevers but a meere clensing and righteousnesse Now because true divinity teacheth that there is no sinne in the Church any more hereupon it is that God testifieth that hee doth remember our sinnes no more saving thus Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new
oppression and bondage of the Law did flie to the succour of the Gospel then twinklingly and glimmeringly shining a farre off yet we deny that they were so endued with the spirit of freedome and assuredness that they did not in some part feele both feare and bondage by the Law yea in such measure that in comparison of us they were both children and under the testament of bondage and feare Nay S. Paul is not content to liken them to little children under the Schoolmasters rod But also to men shut up in prison and to servants under an hard Apprenticeship eagerly longing for their freedome by the comming of Christ that might fully reveale the making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Galath 3. 23 24. Thus was Gal. 3. 23 2◠the glory of Free Iustification hid and vailed under the severity and rod of the Law whereby they seemed not justified but rather as the Apostle saith as slaves and servants ever for their defaults under the whip and more like malefactors in prison than sonnes and heires of such glorious benefits as is the fulnesse of Free Iustification And such were the children of the Old Testament The second time comming betweene the Law and ◠the time of Iohn Baptist the Gospel was the time of Iohn Baptist continuing unto the death of Christ and was more glorious than the time of all the Prophets before by reason of the glory of his ministery for although he revealed sinne terribly by the Law so that the Scribes and Pharises that thought themselves so holy and righteous were glad to be washed of him yet because he pointed with his finger to the Messiah that was now come and preached yea and sealed by Baptisme a more full exhibiting of free Iustification saying looke how truely I wash your bodies with water so truely is the Messiah come among you ready with his blood to wash away all your sins for you may behold and see among you the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world Iohn 1. 29. Whereupon although Iohn came short of Iohn 1. 29. two points that made the ministery of all the former Prophets very glorious as first to foretell things to come and secondly to confirme the same with miracles whereof Iohn did neither yet so glorious was his ministery that among all the Prophets borne of women arose not a greater Prophet and Minister than Iohn because by his pointing to the Messiah now come and present he did not only preach and seale by baptisme a fuller exhibiting of the glory of free Iustification but thereby also the former legall severity that then lay upon the children of God and the school-masterlike governement began to slacke and cease for although Iohn laid open culpas their sins and the danger of the same belonging to the wicked and so divided and applied the Law rightly yet de poenis that is concerning any punishments inflicted upon Gods children we read none but rather many judgements and punishments by Christs miracles were healed and removed away Whereupon though Peters foule fault of denying and grosse forswearing his Master and others sinnes were in that middle state taken notice of yet no punishments were inflicted upon them for the same for Ambrose saith of Peters denyall and tears we do read but of any satisfaction or punishment we read not no not when the ungratefull Samaritans Luke 9. 53 54. though afterwards converted refusing to receive Christ Iames Iohn would in a legall rigour have had fire to come downe from heaven to consume them yet would Christ inflict none whereof two reasons may be yeelded first because the upshot and fulnesse Two reasons why sinnes were not punished in Iohn Baptists time of all punishment of all the sinnes of the Elect was now going to be acted and executed in the death of Christ upon the Crosse drowning all punishments and Schoole-master-like whippings inflicted in former times And secondly because the Bride that was a childe before and under the rod now the fulnesse of time being come Galat. 4. 4. was as one Galat. 4. 4. growne to full age no longer under a schoole-master but preparing to attire herselfe in the wedding-garment of that righteousnesse which her Bridegroome had now actually wrought Mat. 3. Herein to marry her Mat. 3. Hos 2. 29. unto himselfe in righteousnesse for ever Hos 2. 29. And this expiring of the schoole-master-like whippings vailing and darkening free justification Christ himselfe testifieth saying The Law and the Prophets prophecied untill Iohn since that time the Kingdome of God is preached and every man presseth into it Luke 16. 16. Matth. Luke 16. 16. Matth. 11. 13. 11. 13. for what was the prophecying of the Law or what else did the Law prophecie and what did the Prophets agreeing with the Law principally preach to the children of God then but as if they had not been justified a severe exacting of righteousnesse with large promises to the doers of the same as if they were to merit the favour of God and his blessings temporall and spirituall but with threats of wrath and anger and sharp punishments to his children failing in the same and not only threatning these things but also executing the same sharply upon them as wee heard before this was the prophecying of the Law untill Iohn being the meere schoole-master-like government that ceased with Iohn which the Apostle to the Galat. testifieth more fully saying But after that faith that is Christ the object of faith is come we are no longer under a Schoole-master Galat. 3. 25. upon Gal. 3. 25. which words of the Apostle the exposition of the learned Interpreters is worth the marking saying thus Iam Paedagogii munus expirâsse nec locum ampliùs habere diseriè affirmat that is now the Apostle flatly or expressely affirmeth that the office of the schoole-mastership is expired and hath place no more Not but The Law is to preached that the Law is to be preached as hereafter shall bee further shewed but that the former legall whippings of the old people of God under the old Testament driving them as little children to obedience by feare thereby vailing and darkening free justification was now expired and ended which the said learned interpreters expresse more largely thus But we Jewes and people of God under the old Testament were in times past children under the Law as under a schoolmasters ferula But Christ being exhibited and come now being by faith growne to full age wee are under the schoolemastership of the Law no more as not needing that legall schoolemastership being emancipati by our full growne age The Law therefore hath the use of that direction no more and therefore it ought not to be joyned and mingled with faith After this manner doth the Apostle lay forth not only the use of the Law but also shewes why it ought to bee but for a
time hitherto these witnesses Now when the rising Solis Iustitiae of the Sun of righteousnesse had dispelled the mist of this pedagogie Iohn Baptist being filled with joy in hearing the voyce of the Bridegroome began so to open the Kingdome of Heaven by preaching and sealing by Baptisme such a cleere manifestation of free justification that not only unperfect Apollos that knew but the Baptisme of Iohn only became servent and zealous in the way of the Lord Acts 18. 25. but also many others were so replenished Acts 18. 25. with joy and zeale that they even pressed with violence into the Kingdome of Heaven and the violent tooke it by force Mat. 11. 11 12. And such were the children of Mat. 11. 11 12. the middle time in the time of Iohn Baptist But now thirdly the third time from which Christ Thirdly the time from which Christ groaned out his blood and life Iohn 19. 30. groaned out his blood and life upon the Crosse crying out it is finished Iohn 19. 30. namely that both Culpa the sinne it selfe and reatus the guilt and poena the punishment and all by the full exhibiting of the wedding-garment by this infinite meanes of his owne death upon the crosse are so utterly and infinitly abolished and such an everlasting righteousnesse is so fully brought in upon Gods children and his glorious resurrection manifesting this righteousnesse to bee so fully wrought upon us that this time is most glorious of all yea as the Apostle saith Exceeding in glory 2 Cor. 3. 9. 10 11. For now is fulfilled and finished that 2 Cor. 3. 9 10 11. Zechat 13. 1. Prophecy of Zechary saying In that day there shall bee a fountaine opened to wash away sinne and uncleanesse Why were not the sins of Gods people washed away before that day that the Prophet speakes of Yes but whereas they had before vessels as the Brazen Sea and such like to wash in signifying their spirituallwashing then at that day of Christs death the full flowing fountaine of Christs blood should so abundantly wash them cleane from all their sins that they should from all their uncleanesse be made in the sight of God whiter than snow Now is fulfilled and finished that Prophecy of Daniel saying Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people to finish transgressions and to make an end of sins and to make a reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse Doth the Prophet promise here no more than the people of God had before those seventy weekes what a kinde of prophecy were that yes although all the children of God had as Calvin saith a little sip taste of all these graces by which they were saved yet the full fountaine and flowing streame of them were after those seventy weekes of yeares at the death of Christ poured out upon the holy City of Gods Church in a more excellent manner and in a more abundant measure And this the Prophet Ieremie also testifieth to be proper to the time of Christ saying thus in those daies and Ierem. 50. 1â—â— at that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for but there shall be None This None spoken as God speakes in truth is a glorious condition but when shall this be even in those dayes and at that time that Daniel before spake of namely at the death and resurrection of Christ wherein as Calvin speakes The flowing store of Christs riches are disbursed unto us Hence come those mighty voyces of the dispensers of Gods mysteries before set downe full of spirituall Majesty and glory passing the Ministery of Iohn Baptist Namely first of Luther saying And that there is no more sinne in the Church since Christ now reigneth marke here is the third time specified since Christ now reigneth wee daily confesse in the Apostles Creed when we say I believe that there is an holy Church which is indeed nothing else but as if we should say I believe that there is no sin in the Church of God for they which believe in Christ are no sinners but are holy and righteous Lords over sin and death and living forever But faith only sees this c. So likewise doth Calvin magnifie this third time saying Now therefore under the new Testament God doth not so much as remember our sins because there is now made one cleansing for them all once making us perfect for ever Otherwise the Prophet should say in vaine or to no purpose that this should be the benefit and glory of the new Testament that God will not so much as remember our sins any more Ierem. 31. 34. Hence from the glory Ierem. 31. 34. of this third time is that saying of Luther That whosoever have not confidence in this one point that his sins are so perfectly taken away and utterly abolished out of Gods sight now by the blood of Christ that God doth see no sin in us without doubt they are damned viz. so long as they continue to rob this third time of her glory and Christ of this full revealed efficacy of his blood And what should I stand to recite any more of the witnesses of the glory of free justification before set down seeing as one saith of Luthers speeches so I may say of all their testimonies before expressed that they are sayings of high contemplation of Christ and mighty voyces of free justification full of spirituall Majesty describing the glory of this third time which Saint Paul saith doth exceed in glory and wherein as Calvin truely saith the least Minister doth now in his Ministery Calv. Institut lib. â— cap. 94 Sect. 5. excell and passe Iohn Baptist because he could not thus expresse this same incomparable strength and glory which after Iohns time appeared in his resurrection which glory Peter doth generally describe to consist 1 Pet. 1. The glory of the new Testament consists in three things mainely in three things First that the old Prophets did diligently search into this glory but found that the full streame thereof should not bee administred unto them but unto us Secondly that it should consist in the sufferings and most wonderfull actuall death of the very Son of God Thirdly in such glorious effects ensuing the same that the very Angels stand in admiration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the glories that follow upon those actuall sufferings of the Son of God For now the vaile of the Paedagogie before mentioned is rent into two pieces from the top to the bottome Mat. 27. 51. Now the way to the holy of Math. 27. 51. Heb. 9. 8. holyes before shut up is gloriously opened Heb. 9. 8. Now the Queen comes forth cloathed with the vesture of gold of Ophire being all glorious within Psal 45. 9. 13. Psal 45. 9 13. and enters with joy and gladnesse into the Kings palace verse 15. that is into the Kingdome of heaven here Verse 15. set up on earth by Christ which is
of them in the spirituall breach of each Commandement both by commission and omission and thirdly the five fold punishment that God daily executeth in ☞ one place or other we must preach it as nigh as I said as possibly we can with the same majesty that God spake it in thundering and lightening and terrible earth-quake and flaming fire reaching up to the midst of heaven for which right nature of it it is called the fiery Law Deut. 33. 2. that so it may bee to secure Deut. 33. 2. ones and unto them that are under it the lightening of Gods wrath the thundering of his anger the messenger of death the hammer and ratling of hell to break in pieces the hard stones that lie secure in the least sin Now when the preaching of the â—aw shewing the horriblenesse of the least sin in the sight of God and the fearefulnesse of Gods wrath for the same hath thus humbled and terrified and killed men then they flie willingly to Christ by faith and sighing up to him he by his full satisfactory punishment heales all their soares by making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely then this also sanctifieth them and makes them full of comfort joy love and zeale of glorifying God in all holy and godly conversation by zealous doing and cheerfull walking by love in all Gods Commandements which is the true Evangelicall Repentance continually walked in that Christ is said to give by turning away every one from his iniquities Acts 3. 26. And hitherto of legall crosses and afflictions Act 3. 26. Now on the other side Evangelicall crosses arise 2 Evangelicall Why Evangelicall crosses are not to correct and punish for sin of the Gospel and are laid upon them that are thus truly actively and declaratively converted not to correct and punish them for their sins as before for this were to mingle to mixe and confound the Law and the Gospel this were to deny Christs satisfactory punishment because it is therefore fully satisfactory because we have thereby not one spot or wrinkle of sinne nor any such thing in the sight of God Ephes 5. 27. Ephes 5. 27. It is therefore fully satisfactory because by his death upon the crosse he hath made us so holy that we are without all blame and without all fault in the sight of God freely Colos 1. 22. yea this were to deny that of unjust wee Colos 1. 22. are made just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely And briefly this were to deny the expresse words of S. Paul saying That after â—â—ith is come that we are made thus perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God we are no longer under a Schoolmaster Galat. 3. 25. But the Evangelicall crosses Gal. 3. 25. The use of Evangelicall crosses are two First triall of faith and afflictions upon the justified and converted have also these two uses first to try their faith and secondly to exercise that faith that hath made them so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely First I say for the triall of their faith to try them how they will sticke to the assurance of this truth of God and power of Christ in this worke of the wedding garment wrought upon them by his blood when the feeling of sin in the flesh and these crosses and afflictions comming as it were in the neck of the same would to sense and feeling perswade them to the cleane contrary viz. that the blood of Christ hath not made them cleane from all sin 1 Iohn 1 7. and 1 Iohn 1 7. that Christ hath not made them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely unto which temptation if we yeeld what is this but to deny Christ and his blood Secondly they serve to exercise encrease make 2 To exercise and encrease our faith strong and to give us an experimentall feeling in our selves of that faith that hath made us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely For it is true that the faith of Gods children is weak and will sometimes stagger and droope and their sanctification will be like the Moone as it were in the wane and faile as Abrahams did sometimes but because they are cloathed with the Sun as shall be further shewed hereafter in the second part of Justification that is because the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse wherewith they are cloathed never failes them therefore although the said weaknesse of their faith and other imperfections of their sanctification be covered and utterly abolished from before God with the perfection of Christs faith and compleat sanctification wherewith they are cloathed and thus being translated into Christ they still abide compleat in the sight of God Colos 2. 10. Yet by these crosses Colos 2. 10. faith to themselves-ward and to their owne experience and feeling is made more strong and raised to apprehend more fully from faith to faith that wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse that hath made them to stand so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely which power of Christ in thus justifying them makes them to say with Saint Paul in their greatest afflictions When I am weake then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. because when they feele 2 Cor. 12. 10. crosses and afflictions upon them which properly are the effects of sin and of one not justified in the sight of God it makes them to examine themselves whether they be justified and to looke better and deeper into the worth of it and to apprehend it more strongly and to cling the faster unto it with prayer to God for the vertue and comfort of it And finding in their consciences that they give to Christ the glory of his blood by beleeving that they are justified it makes them to rise up in great joy in the very midst of those afflictions and this greater joy encreaseth and brings forth more abundantly all experimentall graces of sanctification that gives experience both to them selves to others that they are made perfectly holy righteous from al spot of sin in the sight of God freely and so blessed and saved for ever this is that which is meant Ioh. 15. 1 2 3. Where Christ saith Now are you Iohn 15. 1 2 3. clean through the Word that I have spoken unto you c. That is now already by my word of Free Iustification are yee made perfect good trees in the sight of God freely but it remâ—ineth that this faith of yours be exercised with many crosses afflictions that so it may be made strong and bring forth the good fruits of Sanctification the more abundantly This is to bee seene in the lives of Abraham Isaack and Iacob and very cleerly in
correct and punish them for the same must needs trouble the consciences of Gods children except they be hypocrites exceedingly because the corrections of a loving Father have some respect to the hainousnesse of the fault committed and correcteth accordingly therefore seeing the least sin is so infinite an horrible thing in the sight of God so infinitly detested of him that if for one small motion of sinne but meerely to chastise and correct us for it he should lay us in hell fire and there let us lye a thousand yeares and afterwards deliver us any man may see if he be not an hypocrite in the sight of sin that it were but a moderate and small correction for one sin if it be but the coldnesse or spice of vaine-glory in one good worke much more then if a man be not a grosse hypocrite to count his many sins to be corrected very small how can hee chuse but feare and looke every houre for most horrible temporall plagues meerly to correct and yet in mercy to chastise him for all his innumerable horrible sins that God sees in in him but these miscillane Christians never knew what an horrible thing the least motion of sin is in the sight of God and therefore feare not horrible corrections for them untill they come for dallying with Gods Justice and for their unbeliefe and robbing of Christ of the glory of the chastisement of our peace Esay 53. 5. to beare it themselves they come to bee Esay 53. 5. chastised and corrected in hell where I dare warrant them they shall have correction enough and nothing but just and due correction for their sins Eightly whilst the light of nature and reason thinks to provide the better greatly to further the care and diligence of holy walking with fear of corrections and whippings and lashes of crosses and afflictions which fleshly and Papistical wisedome is the very kore of this soare she doth indeed greatly hinder true sanctification and the Evangelicall true Repentance and holy walking both in the whole and in the parts of the same First in the whole most evidently for seeing the least sin is the plague-soare of the soule making us sick and unable to doe any spirituall duty pining away even unto the death of hell and nothing can heale us of the same but free justification by making us by the blood of Christ perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely and thus by his stripes wee are healed and truely made whole Esay 53. 5. and seeing Esay 53. 5. sanctification is but the lively stirring about that comes of this healing by justification can we then stirre lively in the duties of sanctification before wee feele our selves healed of the deadly sicknesse of our sins by Justification was Naaman the Syrian so religious towards the true God so loving to the Prophet so meeke gentle and liberall to his servant before he felt himselfe freely healed of his Leprosie and shall not the perfect healing of us from all sin a thousand times worse Leprosie doe the same much more in us when we are once come to see by faith how perfectly holy and righteous we are made from all spot of sin the spirituall Leprosie in the sight of God freely and that also not in the water of Iordan but in the laver of the blood of Christ Againe did the sinfull woman in the Gospel wash in true Repentance the feet of Jesus Christ with her teares and kisse them so often in such love untill by perceiving that much both for matter manner and measure was forgiven her she loved much Luke 7. 47. Then for the parts of sanctification and Repentance Luke 7 47. Two parts of sanctification 1 Mo tificanon and first mortification seeing the least motions of sin even in thought only are such horrible poison of hell so poisoning us and all our holy walking of sanctification that as Christ saith they defile all unto damnation when we see that nothing can make us spiritually clean from them except the Son of God be killed to temper for us with his blood so precious an Antidote or confection as is justification only able to make us mystically perfectly holy and righteous from them all in the sight of God and so first makes our inside of our cup even of our mindes and consciences passively pure and clean in the sight of God freely Titus 1. 15. or else these wormes of our soules Titus 2. 15. even the very stirring motions only will as truely and certainely kill us as they killed Christ doe we not then begin to see in the streame of Christs blood washing us from them the vilenesse of these evill thoughts and leasts motions and begin to hate them as the venemous vipers of our soule either eating out our heart or the heart of Christ Jesus and thus hating the evill thoughts and first motions of sin doth not this make us much more to hate and crucifie the grosse acts and outward practises of the same So for the second part of sanctification called vivification being Secondly vivification a quickening with joy love and zeale of Gods glory by cheerefull walking in all his commandements Did the tenth Leper returne with such joy did hee praise God with such a loud voice and did hee fall downe and worship Christ so fervently before he felt himselfe healed of his Leprosie which was as the learned shewes a true tipe and figure of our free justification Vid. Maâ—lo in Luke 17. or did the children of Israel stung in the Wildernesse with fiery Serpents goe powerfully and cheerefully and couragiously against their enimies untill by looking upon the Brazen Serpent they felt themselves perfectly healed of all their poisonous stingings which is the liveliest figure of the efficacy of our free justification of all Thus we see how the lessening of the glory of our justification extinguisheth the vigour of our sanctification both hindering our joy lessening our love and quenching our zeale that otherwise by the exceeding greatnesse of Christs benefits would exceedingly abound Esay 61. 3. Titus 2. 14. Esay 61. 3. Titus 2. 14. 9 Ninthly this Doctrine that God sees sin in his justified children to correct and punish them for the same expells the filiall feare and brings in the slavish and servile feare and makes his children to serve him with eye-service for whereas the filiall feare is to avoide the evill that the childe knowes to dislike and displease his father and to doe the good that pleaseth and liketh him not for feare of blowes punishment and beating if his father should see him but with a single eye like nature loving inclination and dutifull affection of love and reverence though his Father neither saw him nor would punish him for the same But on the other side the servile feare looks only to the masters eye and avoydeth evill doing and doth the commanded good duties either for his wages or for
so it is the only meanes sanctified with the bloud of Christ to cause people to abound in all godly and zealous conversation And thus have I somewhat the more largly hunted and taken this little Fox Can. 2. 15. because Cant. 2. 15. it is so nourished not only by the Papists that presse it exceedingly out of the examples of the old Testament against the perfection of Free Iustification maintained by Protestants but also some of us Protestants by lisping the language of Ashadod doe goe about with the same to undermine the very root of the Lords Vine that is Free Iustification by going about to prove as we see here by it that we are not by the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely full-sufficient of it selfe the more it is rightly knowne to constraine us with all joy to holinesse and righteousnesse not by feare but by love and Evangelicall zeale as strong as fire and death Cant. Cant. 8. 6 7. Tit. 2. 14. 8. 6 7. Tit. 2. 14. CHAP. VIII Containing Answers to three other Reasons Objected THe second reason objected is this we pray daily in the Lords Prayer forgive us our trespasses but he sees those trespasses and sinnes in us which he forgives ergo we are not made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And againe thus If God have by the wedding-garment made us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his sight so that that phrase is true that God sees none in us what need we to pray unto him daily to forgive us our trespasses the Papists a little otherwise in words but all one in effect do bend these objections against our assurance by faith that our sinnes are forgiven saying thus If your faith be an assurance that your sins are forgiven what need you daily to pray to God to forgive you your trespasses for this were needlesse if we were before assured of pardon and salvation Now because this matter of prayer is an exceeding weighty point for what can be more weighty than a right acceptable prayer in the sight of God therefore is this point the more fully to be handled and so much the more because these Objectors would by these objections give an appearance that they never yet made a good prayer to God and no marvell because as it is an easie matter to pray and that sometimes earnestly by the light of nature so it is an hard matter and rare to pray rightly by the light of grace For the very Gentiles by the light of nature understood that God did know and see their sins and also they prayed to God for mercy and forgivenesse of the same and that earnestly Ionah 1. 5. Ionah 1. 5. 14. 14. but they left out in the name of Christ and therefore their earnest prayers were but much babling Mat. Math. 6. 7. Object Answ 6. 7. But we will some say doe pray in the name of Christ To which I answer that yet many doe think when they say for Christ his sake that they doe pray in the name of Christ yea and earnestly also as they are perswaded in their owne minde and yet is their prayer but hypocriticall made rather in the light of nature in them and in the custome and religion of their countrey and in a legall zeale than truly in the name of Christ such are the prayers of the Papists such also are the prayers of the Anabaptists such are the prayers of the Familists such are the prayers of the Brownists and of many other hypocriticall Protestants among us making long prayers of many requests out of the word of God by a good memory yea and very zealously sometimes by the legall zeale all which are perswaded that they pray earnestly in the name of Christ when yet indeed and in truth they are done but in the selfe-deceiving hypocrisie of the legall zeale and so are no good prayers before God But peradventure you will say how then may wee Quest When our prayers be sincere and good before God know that wee have or doe make good prayers to God that are not wrought meerly by the seeming sincerity of the light of nature and in the legall zeale I answer when wee come in the name of Christ Answ consisting in two points rightly which is not in a meere verball but in a reall manner and consisteth in these two essentiall and infallible points First if we have by the unchangeable nature and truth of God revealed in that sentence Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things and by the death of Christ such a true sight above the Gentiles what an infinite horrible thing the least sinne is in the sight of God that we dare not as the Gentiles did and men in the light of nature still doe presse and rush into the presence and sight of God in the least sinne and so give him the true glory of his justice Because as the first Protestant Dispensers of Gods mysteries that rightly make the justifying faith the first entry unto God doe truly say if he be justly condemned of the contempt of his Princes majesty that dares presse into his sight and presence defiled with foule filthy and loathsome dung that is exceeding loathsome in his Princes sight how much more is he to be condemned of filthy hypocrisie in the sight of sin that dares presse and enter into the sight and presence of God foule with the least sin in him and upon him that is a thousand times more filthy and loathsome in the sight of God than the loathsomest dung that can be to the eyes of a Prince and so rob God of the glory of his justice and infinite hatred of the least sinne Secondly that he may not as hereby justly hee might run away with Adam from God and from Gen. 3. 8. prayer he must in his prayers come in some faith hope and comfort of his Baptisme wherein God said unto him in the power of his owne ordinance Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes in calling upon the name of the Lord Iesus Acts 22. 16. for when Acts 22. 16. a Christian feeles himselfe fallen into some sin as the only meanes to raise him up againe must be to returne by faith unto the efficacy of his Baptisme by considering the horriblenesse of the least sinne that he being an infant could not be admitted into the favour of God and fellowship of his Church and children except he were first washed from all his sins and then considers how freely when he was not able in his infancy to send up one groane or sigh unto God for his originall filth not to think a good thought of God yet even then to save him freely Christ opened his side and poured out upon him his heart blood to wash away all his sins past present and to
axiome in true Religion that bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur Iustificatum that is good works of prayer or any such like doe not goe before a man be justified but they follow after a man is before justified Whereupon Luther agreeing with Austin Captivitate Patylonica Tom 2. pag. 71. b. saith promissio Dei non impletur orando sed solùm credendo Credentes autem oramus quodlibet opus bonum facimus that is the promise of God justifying us is not fulfilled by praying but only believing but when wee beleeve then wee pray and doe any other good work And thus as I said at the first have I handled this point the more fully because it is exceeding weighty THe third Reason objected is this The holy Ghost Third Reason Objected is God and shewes us our sinnes and shall not hee being God and shewing us our sins much more know and see sin in his justified children ergo the children of God are not made by Christs wedding-garment so perfectly holy and righteous that they have not one spot or wrinkle in the sight of God freely To which I answer that the holy Ghost being true Answ God knowes the sins of all men infinitely more perfectly than they themselves doe but in his justified children sees them abolished for although men themselves know something of sinne and of the wages thereof which is death by the light of nature whereby they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 20 31. 2. 14. 15. Rom. 1. 20. 31. 2. 14. 15. Yet none comes to know and see them rightly and effectually except the holy Ghost doe shew them their sins But to shew his children their sins he useth two glasses and puts them into the hands of his Ministers for that purpose the one is the glasse of the Law the other is the glasse of the Gospel Now whilst his children are unconverted the holy A twofold representation of sinne Ghost both knowes their sins and also sees them in them and wills his Ministers to hold out unto such constantly the glasse of the Law that they may see the Leprous faces of their soules in the same wherewith the spirit working open the eyes of their conscience Gen. 3. 7. to see better then by the light of nature that Gen. 3. 7. the foulnesse of sin is so horrible that he must needs curse the creature that hath the least sin in his sight saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law Gal. 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. and to see the unchangable truth of this definitive sentence that Heaven and Earth may passe away but one jot or tittle of this sentence cannot passe untill it is fulfilled and to see the horriblenesse of Gods curse due to the least sin thus the holy Ghost shewes us our sins whereby they begin to see their Leprosie to bee very foule and their miserie most fearefull for one sinne much more for many sinnes whereby they are so terrified and so effectually humbled that they desire nothing more between heaven and Earth than to be healed of this their deadly Leptosie and hellish poyson of the lest sin this is the holy Ghosts and not the light of natures first shewing us our sinnes Now when this first work is thus wrought then the spirit wils his Ministers to hold forth likewise constantly before their faces the glasse of the Gospel wherein they hear that nothing can heale them of their spirituall Leprosie and wofull miserie but the blood of the Son of God which they apprehending the spirit also doth by imputation cloath them with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousuesse wherewith he abolisheth first out of his own sight all their sinnes and then gives them the eye of faith whereby they also see their sins utterly abolished out of the sight of God the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever And yet they seeing with this eye of faith no lesse image and Idea in this glasse than the gaping wounds and goared bloody side of the Son of God hanging upon the Crosse and streaming out his blood and life to wash away and abolish all their sins as they see them thus utterly abolished so the spirit shewes them hereby the horriblenesse of their abolished sin more in the blood of Christ than before when they saw them not abolished in the glasse of the Law as if a father his sonne having committed some A smile act of theft should not be content to chide beat and all to rate him saying he should be hanged and were worthy to be hanged but also lead him out strictnesse of justice so requiring and shew him a man hanging as his pledge and surety and dying for him upon the Gallowes this sight must needs pierce his affections and although it shew him his foule fault abolished yet hee sees therein the vilenesse of it more than before so although the spirit of God doe shew us in the death of Christ our sinnes abolished out of his sight yet hee maketh us thereby both to discerne in our selves and with S. Paul in the seventh to the Romans to bewaile in our feeling for the exercise of our faith those sins which before wee counted but small or no sins and to see the exceeding vilenesse of them farre more by viewing them in the blood of Christ by which they are abolished out of Gods sight than if they were still abiding in the sight of God and although the sight sense and feeling of these sins be by a greater light in the Law never so strong in their own selves as sometimes it is stronger than it should be being reâ—dy to cast the children of God down into despaire Yet as before whilst they were under the Law the spirit did by the glasse of the Law simply shew them their sins with the curse and wrath of God due to the same so now being under the Gospel and under grace he doth not simply shew them their sins as before but it is the true office and true work of the spirit to shew them their sins abolished out of Gods sight that is as hee himselfe doth see them cloathed with the wedding-garment abolishing their sin and making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God and in his own sight freely and thereby enters into them himselfe as fit Temples for himselfe to dwell in and also knits them as meet and fit members into the body of Christ so doth he open their eyes of faith to see contrary to their Reason and to their strong contrary sense and feeling that Testimonie of Christ to be true and verified in in them viz. Thou art faire my Love behold thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. 1. 7. And that Cant. 4. 1. 7. this is the testimonie of the holy spirit unto the children of God under
so perfectly just and righteous in the sight of God freely that we are faire yea and all faire and there is no spot in us Cant. 4 7. all Cant. 4. 7. which is by Gods speaking it really so indeed spiritually in the sight of God and yet we see and feel nothing but soulenesse and spottednesse And this object and matter of faith is expressed in the Text in these words Verse 17. Before God that quickneth the dead and calleth Verse 17. those things that be not as though they were the meaning whereof is this God calleth that is worketh effecteth causeth maketh that thing to have a true reall being before himselfe by speaking it which to Beza in Rom. 4. 17 quae â—ccâ—t essicit Deus apud quem jam sunt quae alioqui reipsa non sunt ut qui vel verbâ— quid vis possit ex nihilo efficeâ—e sense sight and feeling is not and yet to have by his call as true and reall a being before himselfe as though it were and had an outward being to sense sight and feeling therefore doth Beza rightly thus expound those words saying What God calls those things he effecteth before whom those things are already which otherwise indeed are not as he that can with his word make what he will of nothing Secondly followes the battel of faith in which the 2 The battell of Abrahams faith order of nature and sense and reason grounded upon naturall causes doe shew a flat contrariety and impossibility of the matter spoken and promised against Piscat in Rom. â— 18. Contra spem scilicet quam coâ—e peâ—e poter â— exconsideratione naâ—â—raererum which faith opposeth the meere word and power of God speaking and this battel of faith is expressed in the next verse in these words verse 18. Which Abraham above or contrary to hope beleeved under hope according to that which was spoken that is contrary to hope namely which he might conceive by the consideration of the nature of things But under hope namely which Subsâ—e scilicet quam concipere poterat ex consideratione potentie Dei loquâ—ntis 3. The victory oâ— Faith he did conceive by the consideration of the power of God which had spoken Thirdly followes the victory of faith by which it shutteth her eyes and considereth not nor lookes upon but as it were winketh at and turnes quite from and forgetteth the order of nature and naturall causes and things that doe to reason sense sight and feeling shew a contrariety and impossibility in the matter promised spoken and resteth wholly and only upon the Word promise and power of God speaking whereby visible things that to reason are contrary to the promise doe become as things of nothing and having as it were no being and invisible things spoken by God become to be the only things that Quicquid in se ipso ac circa se intueri poterat promissionis coÌ„plemento adversabatur have substance and ground with us and this victory of faith is expressed in the next verse in these words verse 19. That he not weake in faith considered not or would not thinke of his owne body which was now dead nor Ergo ut locum Divin 8 veritati saocret ab ils quae in conspectu erant animum yetraxit quasi oblitus est Calv. Marlor in Rom. 4. 19. the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe c. that is whatsoever he could behold either in himselfe or about himselfe was against and contrary to the accomplishment and fulfilling of Gods promise and therefore to give place to the truth of God he wholly withdrew his minde from the things which he saw and felt and did as it were forget himselfe because it is truely said of another Interpreter of Gods mysteries That seeing the Cum tanta sit potentia Dei aequum est c. power of God is so great that quickens the dead it is meet that we believe him even when he promiseth things impossible to nature and to the judgement of our reason Fourthly hereupon followes the Triumph of faith 4. The â—â—iumph of Faith yeelding to God only upon the foresaid grounds of his truth and power his full glory of truely sufilling upon us that which he hath spoken whereby he hath ascribed unto him the glory of his truth and power and we have the blessing and benefit thereof for ever and this triumph of faith is expressed in the next verses in these words That he doubted not of the promise of God by unbeliefe but was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God Being fully assured that he which had spoken it was also able to doe it All which the Apostle flatly testifies must be imitated of us in the case of Free Iustification by Christ who was delivered to death to abolishour sinnes out of Gods sight and is risen againe for our full justification Rom. 4. 15. The manner whereof Rom. 4. 15. Luther is notably expressed by that Hercules of Gods glory upon the song of Zachary saying thus In what place soever the borne of salvation Iesus Christ is exalted there is no accesse neither for sinne nor death wherefore a Christian is both foule and yet without sinne How comes this to passe after this sort Beloved you have often heard that God leaveth in us an appearance and feeling whilst we live here both of sinne death and the Devill God suffereth these to remaine and taketh them not quite away from sense and feeling for this appearance must continue that we may perceive and feele that we are nothing else of our selves but sinners subject to sinne and Satan But all this is but a certaine outward appearance before my sight and the sight of the world which know and judge no otherwise but that sinne and death are present and yet under this appearance lieth hid innocency life and Faith is the substance of things not appearing dominion and victory over sinne death and Satan for because faith is the evidence and substance of things not appearing therefore that faith may have place it is necessary that all things which are beleeved be hid but they cannot be more deeply hid than under the contrary object sense and experience But when as we see all our sinnes laid upon Christ and to be victoriously conquered of him by his resurrection and doe confidently beleeve this then they are dead and brought to nothing for being laid upon Christ they must not remaine so but are swallowed up in the triumph of his resurrection So saith S. Paul Christ was delivered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our Iustification that is by his death he hath taken upon him our sins and thereby utterly abolished them out of the sight of God as the Sun-beames abolish darknesse and by his resurrection hath made us perfectly righteous so that a true Christian may be bold to say Lord God maker of the whole world it
mayst glory safely that thou art perfectly good godly holy and righteous in Gods sight Esay 45. 25. Esay 45 25. Yea God cannot deferre or delay where there is this sincere heart that trusteth in him alone all other things being left looking only to the naked word of God there God cannot hide himselfe but revealeth himself commeth unto such an heart and maketh his abode there as the Lord saith Ioh. 14. 21 23. I will come Ioh 14. 21 23. unto him and will dwell with him Now what can be more joyfull than for a man to give credit to the naked word of God And as to be plucked from it by no affliction or temptation so to shut his eyes against every assault of Satan to become a foole that hee may be wise 1 Coâ— 3. 18 19. The obediences of the Gospel that is to lay aside humane sense understanding reason and wisdome and to say daily in his heart God hath spoken it he cannot lie this is true mortifying of our selves and right obedience to the Gospel and I say that nothing is more joysull than such a faith THe third meanes to overcome all doubting is The third remedy against doubting much and often to meditate upon our baptisme yea as often as we feele that we have by any sin pierced and wounded our soul with the sting of death for the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15. 56. so often must we call 1 Cor. 15. 56. to minde especially these foure things wherein the very essence and vertue of our baptisme consisteth First that God in baptisme gave unto us his Sonne 2 Foure speciall things to be considered in Baptisme in the likenesse of water signifying that Jesus is no Jesus unto us but as he hath first and before all things with his blood washed away out of the sight of God all our sins as S. Iohn saith Revel 1. 5. And hath washed Revel 1. 5. us from our sinnes in his blood and by cloathing us with the obedience and righteousnesse contained in his blood doth so perfectly deck and adorn us as fit Brides unto himselfe with that wedding-garment of his own righteousnesse that he doth not only of unjust make us just but also preserves us as is before shewed in the same above our sense and feeling ever and continually perfectly holy and righteous from all spot or wrinkle sin or any such thing in the sight of God freely Ephes 5. 26 27. because as the Apostle testifies with one sacrifice upon the Crosse hee hath made Ephes 5. 26. 27. pefect for ever and continually all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. For saith Luther the blood of Christ Heb. 10. 14. Christs blood as pâ—rging sope and niter hath in it such sharp salt and such purging sope and niter as that it takes away from before God and abolisheth all foulnesse and all spots so that in one moment it consumes sin and death takes them away and utterly abolisheth them And because wee must mark that at the time of our baptizing it is not the man or Minister that doth baptise us properly But it is God the Father Sonne and God properly is the Baptizer holy Ghost that is the true right and proper baptiser of us the reason whereof is because it is not the work of the Minister that baptizeth outwardly nor the Baptisme of man but the Baptisme of Christ and of God for the minister or man doth nothing in The Minister â—â—ly is â—n the nâ—mâ— and place of God his own authority but stands by Gods appointment in the place and steed of God and supplies the roome of God whereupon we ought to receive our baptisme at the hand of man no otherwise than if Christ himselfe or rather as if God himselfe did baptize us with his own hands and therefore we must take heed that wee doe not so divide Baptisme as to attribute the outward baptisme to man and the inward to God but we must attribute both to God and count of the man or minister baptizing us but as the instrument like the axe in the Carpenters hand God himselfe using it to square thee himselfe to the glory of his grace by the which God sitting in heaven doth reach down his own ordinance of Baptisme comming meerly from himselfe out of heaven as his hand and doth poure water upon thee with his own hands and doth pronounce that hee hath washed thee clean from all thy sinnes speaking unto thee in earth himselfe with his own mouth by the voyce of the Minister And this the very words used in thy Baptisme doe make cleere unto thee when the Minister pouring water upon thee said I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen That is I wash thee clean from all thy sinnes but how what in thine own name and power No for alas that were able to doe no such work and just nothing but as the Brazen-Serpent healed the Israelites that is in the meer ordinance name and power of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as if he should say that which I doe I doe it not in mine own strength name or power but it being none of my work but standing by God own appointment and ordinance in his place and stead and supplying his roome I wash thee in the name and power of God that thou mayst count no otherwise of it than if God had done it visibly himselfe This sense is full of comfort and an effectuall help of faith for a man to know that hee was baptized not of man but of the Trinity himselfe by man who standing in his stead did the work signified as truly in his name and power as if God himselfe had been the very outward and visible agent and worker But I say because God himselfe is all in all the proper workman in our baptisme therefore in his outward signe of washing by water he doth although inwardly and mystically to himselfe yet so throughly wash us with the blood of Christ that it is as much when any one is baptized into faith as if he were visibly washed not with water but with the purging blood of of Christ And hereupon both for the Agent God and for the meane of Christs blood is Baptisme such a magnificent work and hath such vertue and so great power as the holy Ghost by S. Paul restifieth that it is indeed the laver and washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. That is first it makes Tit. 3. 5. New â—reâ—tâ—ras two wayes us new born creatutes to Godward by Justification by abolishing all our sinnes out of Gods sight and making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely whereby we are adopted the sons of God and secondly it doth renew us by the holy Ghost to bee new creatures to menward by sanctification whereupon
the winde and tossed to and fro Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord a double or doubtfull minded man is unstable in all his wayes I am 1. 6 7 8. Fearefull examples Iam 1 6 7 8. ever to be set before our eyes to make us strive against Fearfull examples of doubting doubting much more to take heed of wrangling against the excellency of Gods mysteries are First Peter who whilst he rested upon the word 1 Peter Come went safely upon the waters but when he looked at the outward swelling of the windes and waves and began upon the likelyhood of them to prevaile to doubt presently he began to sink Mat. 14. 30. so Math. 14. 30. 2 Zachary Secondly Zacharias when he began to consider outward appearances and likelyhoods of impossibilities of that which the Angel had spoken by reason of his owne old age and his wives impossibility to naturall reason to conceive and thereupon doubted of that which was from heaven spoken was presently strucken dumbe Luke 1. 20. Luke 1. 20. Thirdly the Prince that looking upon outward and 3 The Prince present unlikely hoods and thereupon with the other old unbeleeving Jewes Psal 78. 41. did limit the power Psal 78. 41. of God and so did run into doubting and unbeliefe was trodden under foot of the people and died 2 King 7. 17 20. The reason whereof is concluded by 2 Kings 7. 17 20. God that the just by faith shall live but if any withdraw himselfe namely by doubting and unbeliefe my soule saith God shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. Heb. 10. 38. 38. But we are not they which by doubting and unbeliefe doe with-draw our selves unto peâ—dition and follow not the righteousnesse of works and preposterous holy walking according to the law of righteousnesse as the Jewes did Rom. 9. 31. but follow faith unto the Rom. 9. 31. conservation of our soules verse 39. and therefore Verse 39. briefe but wise and faithfull like Luther â—o him that hath an eare to heare is that saying of Luther namely De libertate Christiana that the first and principall care of every Christian man ought to be in this especially That setting aside all confidence in Gods sight of holy walking he strengthen his faith more and more and by daily encreasings grow in knowledge Whereof not of works but of Christ Jesus and of him crucified for him being so delivered to death to abolish from before God his sinnes and risen againe to make him freely righteous which is the admonition of Peter 2 Epist 3. 18. for as much as none other works doe make a true Christian The same advice giveth Christ himselfe the Lord of wisedome who in the sixth of Iohn when the Luth. ibid. Iohn 6. 28. Jewes asked a question what they should doe to doe the works of God excluding the multitude of works and their preposterous holy walking according to the law of righteousnesse Rom. 9. 31. wherewith he Rom. 9. 31. perceived them to swell and to be puft up in themselves seeming humble yet full of pride Luke 18. 11. Luke 18. 11 did prescribe unto them one only rule saying This is the work of God to beleeve on him to make you freely righteous Rom. 10. 3 4. whom he hath sent for him Rom. 10. 3 4. hath God the father sealed thereunto whereof riseth such a necessity of beleeving and resting only upon this before God that Christ maketh this the short and long of all That he that believeth viz. That the blood of Christ the Sonne of God doth make him cleane from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely 1 Ioh. 1. 7. and is Baptized that is hath this 1 Ioh. 1. 7. my washing of him clean from all sin with my blood sealed unto him putting him out of all doubt hereof by Baptisme shall be saved but he that beleeveth not this shall be damned Mark 16. 16. This is Christs short Mark 16. 16. and long But why is he damned that believeth not this The reason hereof is the horribleness of unbelief notably expressed by the learned Calvin saying thus No injury more grievous can be offered unto God the Father 〈◊〉 in Ioh. 3. 33. sheweth the horriblenesse of unâ—eliefe and unto Christ his Sonne than when the joyfull newes of his Gospel is not beleeved for the truth of God is not acknowledged But God cannot bee spoyled of his truth but his whole glory Majesty are abolished Therfore look how much the faith of the godly maketh to the glory of God so much on the contrary doth the unbeliefe of the wicked not believing in Christ make to the grievous reproach of God Not that their wickednesse doth hurt the truth of God but that in respect of them or as much as lies in them they accuse and condemn God of falshood and lying But peradventure some man will say What is this Quest unbeliefe that is thus horrible before God not only in the effects of it hitherto described but even in the essence and being of it in it selfe I answer That this is plainly expressed by the learned Answ Beza saying thus Significat hoc loco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Beza in Rom. â—â— 20. that is unbeliefe in this place signifieth Absence of assent or agreement to the word spoken and uttered by God such as is of them to whom the words of the Gospel except they be brewed to agree with humane reason are vel ludibrio vel offendiculo that is either toyish as a merriment or else an offence to them as absurd foolish and hurtfull so that the power of God promising so great so difficult and so unlikely a thing is utterly rejected as if hee did promise that which is impossible to himselfe or else they doe despise nullifie and set light of his will revealed in the same as speaking one thing and willing an other thus running into all those eight inconveniences and evils spoken of before because most true and weighty and therefore worthy often to be thought upon is that testimony of Luther saying thus As there is no honour De liberâ—ate Christianae like unto the opinion conceived of truth and righteousnesse wherewith we doe reverence willingly obey and most highly esteeme of him whom we doe beleeve for what are we able to ascribe to any person more than truth righteousnesse and goodnesse of all parts perfect and absolute And contrariwise it is a detestable reproach to conceive a secret opinion of a man to be false faithlesse and wicked so stands the case between God and the soule of man by beliefe for as long as it beleeveth stedfastly in God that promiseth it doth account him in that which he speaketh even above reason sense and feeling to be true and righteous than which opinion can nothing bee more acceptable to God This is the highest honour of
made cleane Acts 10. 15. let no man count unclean Act. 10. But guiltie-making sinne only causing condemnation being thus perfectly taken away and utterly abolished who shall condemn them Why not Why Because it is Christ who is dead for them that is Christ hath undergone by death all condemnation both temporall and eternall that they should have borne and by washing them in his blood hath made them in the sight of God from all their sinnes whiter than snow Nay rather Christ is risen againe namely to justifie them that is to make them perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely Who is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for them That is there stablishing an everlasting reconcilement unto them For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling them that were unclean made them clean concerning the flesh and made them clean from all their sinnes before the Lord Heb. 9. 13. Levit. 16. 30. How Heb. â— 13. much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without fault to God by making us cleane and from all sinne whiteâ— than snow purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. Whereupon Chysostome Heb â— 14. Câ—rysostome in Rom 3. 25. tryumpheth well saying If the slaying of beasts did wash away sinnes much more this blood if the Type and Figure had such force much more shall the truth it selse performe the same thus is the Prophecie of Daniel now powerfully and compleatly fulfilled That transgressions are finished perfect reconciliation for iniquity is made and sinnes are made an end of and everlasting righteousnesse is brought in Whereupon the faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries doe excommunicate justly saying Anathema ergo sit qui dixerit Christum non omnia fidelium peccata delevisse that is Cursed therefore is the man who shal say that Christ hath not utterly abolished all the sins of the faithfull Whereby the children of God have no more conscience for sin Heb. 10. 2. Heb. 10. 2. Seeing God himself testifieth saying Their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 10. 17. Heb. 10. 17. Now where there is such a perfect remission of these There needs no more offering or suffering for sinne verse 18. Because with one offering hath Christ made perfect vers 18. continually and forever all them that are sanctified or made holy Heb. 10. 14. And thus much of the first Heb. 10. 14. part of Free Iustification serving for the perfect and infinite abolishing of all our sinnes from before God by the blood and righteousnesse of Christ seene and apprehended and enjoyed only by faith Now it remaines that wee proceed to the second part of Free Iustification as followeth CHAP. X. Of the second part of Free Iustification making the true Beleever compleatly sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely COncerning which second part of Free Iustification how necessarily unseperable it is from the former part although the learned Writers give many reasons thereof unto whom for larger considerarion I referre the Reader as namely to Doctor Willet in his Hexapla upon Dan. 9. 24. and to Polanus his Partitions in the common place of Justification and to Master Downam in the first part of his The second part of Iustification is inseperable from the former part for foure Reasons Christian Warfare in the Treatise of Justification and to such others yet for brevities sake I will specifie only foure principall and maine reasons why this second part of Free Iustification is of necessity unseperable from the former part as First for the propertie of Contraries because as it is the nature of all contraries mutually to expell one another so that two flat contraries cannot possibly intenso gradu dwell together at one time in the same subject especially in privative contraries so it is principally true concerning sinne and of making the child of God perfectly righteous in the sight of God As to instance in privative contraries If the Sun break into a dark house and abolish all the darknesse in that house the house is made of necessitie all light and if the house be made all light there is no place for any darknesse but all the darknesse is abolished so likewise is it in the case of our Justification If God by the power of his imputation so cloath us with his Sonnes righteousnesse that it makes us in his sight perfectly holy and righteous then all our sinnes must needs be abolished out of his sight if it put away all our iniquitie like a mist as the Prophet Esay saith 44. 22. abolish all our sinnes like darknesse out of Gods sight then it leaves us of necessitie only and perfectly righteous in the sight of God Which S. Paul plainly testifies opposing these two contraries one against another and shewing how perfectly they expell one another and cannot both stand together in the same subject saying thus Yee were once darknesse there is one contrarie expelled that is the sinfull state of nature abolished and quite done away from before God signified by the word once or in times past But now are light in the Lord There is the other contrarie remaining and raigning in them that is Free Justification making them by an emphaticall figurative speech put in the Abstract for the Concrete even light it self that is perfectly holy righteous in the sight of God not by their doings and holy walking but in the Lord. Thirdly walk saith he as the children of light there is sanctification unseperably following and shewing that we that before our Justification were darknesse that is meere lumps of sin and nothing else but sin inthe sight of God are now by Justification changed and removed out of that condition and are made the clean contrary even light in the Lord that is nothing else but righteousnesse in the sight of God Thus saith Luther They that are called by Christ are translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of sorrow into joy and glad tidings of the Gospel out of Gods wrath into his favour out of death into lise Because saith he again In the place of sinne succeedeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath reconciliation in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation Thus doe Contraries not dwel together in one and the same Subject but sinne being abolished by Christs righteousnesse this wedding garment makes us and leaves us only and perfectly righteous in the sight of God which the Doctrine of our Church taught by the first Restorers of the Gospel in this Land doth plainly thus expresse saying That by virtue of Christs blood shed upon the Crosse we are not only cleane purged from our sins but also made righteous again in Gods sight The second reason why it is necessarie that not only our sins bee abolished out of Gods sight but
am he that putteth away and abolisheth thine iniquities and will remember thy sinnes no more Esay 43. 25. Ierem. 31. 34. Aâ—d not only so But Esay 43. 25. Ierem. 31. 34. also I cloathed thee with broydred work I girded thee about with fine linnen and covered thee with silk I decked thee also with ornaments and I put bracelets upon thy hands and a chaine on thy neck thus wast thou decked with gold and silver and thus wast thou perfect through my beauty which I put upon thee All which as a learned Writer treating of Free Justification truly saith signifieth that God purgeth us with the blood of Christ from all sin and adorneth us with the rich robe of his own righteousnesse and thus hee and none but hee by himselfe alone makes us in his own sight perfectly holy and righteous freely Yea how absolutely God resumes this work wholy and only into his own hand is notably expressed Why God only worketh righteousness by the Apostle with Gods intent and reason why hee so reserves this work only in his own hand saying That hee may shew declare or manifest at this time what his righteousness namely wherewith hee justifieth us farre passing the righteousnesse of men or Angels That he might be just that is declared to bee just in that none can please him but such as are righteous in his sight with such a perfect holinesse and righteousnesse and that he only may be a maker of him righteous that beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3. 26. and hence Rom. 3. 26. it is that this righteousnesse wherewith we are made so perfectly holy and righteous in Gods sight is so often by S. Paul called the righteousnesse of God both because â—od alone worketh it uâ—on us and because it alone makes us approvedly righteous in the sight of God as where S. Paul saith Rom. 3. 21. 22. But now is Rom. 32. 22. 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 do beleeve Upon which place the true Orthodox exposition of Chrisostome is worthy the marking who faith thus Paul expresseth two great matters in this place both that thou art made righteous and that also without the Law thou attainest these good things moreover he said not simply righteousness but the righteousness of God declaring the gift to be the greater for the dignity of the giver and the promise easily to be effected and done Another reason why God reserves this work in his own hand to be wrought only by himself is because it is too great and too glorious a work for any meere creature to doe it or to have any hand in it for what work can bee more excellent than to make a creature righteous in the sight of God seeing also it is the cause of removing all evill and the procuring of all good unto the creature and this is testified by Augustine saying Quid magnificentius quà m justificare impium hoc est ex impio justum facere that is what is more magnificent than to justifie a wicked man that is of a wicked man to make him just and righteous And therefore the conclusion of Zanchius upon this point is most true saying Solus etiam est qui potest c. that is It is only God alone that of a man conceived of uncleane seed can make him cleane Iob 14. 4. especially say I Iob 14. 4. in this case of making him above sense and feeling perfectly righteous in the fight of God freely The second efficient cause of our Justification together The second efficient Cause of our â—ustification with the meritorious meanes more immediatly working and effecting the same is Christ as he is the Mediator both God and man who as it is Revel 1. 5. washing us from our sinnes in his owne blood and Revel 1. 5. procuring unto us thereby a perfect righteousnesse cried out upon the Crosse It is finished that is the prophecie of Daniel prophecying that seventy weeks of yeers should be fulfilled before iniquity should be sealed up and finished and sin made an end of and abolished and everlasting righteousnesse brought in is now accomplished and finished but how By the slaying saith Daniel of the Messiah so that it is Christ and the blood of Christ that hath by himselfe purged us from our sins and made us righteous freely Heb. 1. 3. and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 1. 3. we are justified freely by his grace but how through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 24. his Rom. 3. 24. blood alone justifieth us and therefore very aptly speaketh Augustine saying there have been are and shall be many just men just us autem justificans nemo nisi Christus that is but both just and also justifying and making others righteous there is none but Christ Vpon the truth whereof ariseth that unlike likenesse between Adam and Christ which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 5. wherein none must participate Rom. 5. nor be any Agent or doer with Christ namely that as by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made perfect sinners before they have done or thought any evill work as namely Infants which are perfect sinners before they begin to speak or think any evill all their evill actions afterwards but shewing how evill one man Adam hath made them so by the obedience of one man Christ are many made perfectly righteous before they speak or think any good work all their good works of Sanctification done afterwards but shewing how perfectly good Christ hath made them to Godward freely Whereupon the exposition of Chrysostome upon that place is very proper saying Chrysostomes Exposition thus As Adam unto all that came of him although they had not eaten of the tree became the author of sinne and death So Christ unto all that are of him although they have not lived righteously became a procurer of righteousnesse and life even that righteousnesse which by his Crosse he freely gives unto us all hence he is called Iehovah our righteousnesse that is the only cause making us righteous and also Melâ—hisedec The second maine point to bee considered and Secondly the Formall cause marked in our perfect Justification is the Formall Cause or the very forme it selfe making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God wherein two things are to be marked first what it is secondly the excellency 1 What it is 2 The excellency of it of it for the first namely what this formall cause forming us perfectly righteous is we must observe that it is the perfect obedience both active and passive of the Mediator Christ which being made under the law he performed in fulfilling the whole law for us perfectly whereof Christ spake when â—e said unto Iohn the Baptist Let it be so now for thus it
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
chapter but only of free Justification saith thus For as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many what be counted righteous no but made righteous The Antithesis or rather likenesse in contraries is very plain that as the first Adam infecteth all that come of him with such originall corruption that every little Infant before it hath done or thought any evill is not barely counted a sinner but by his first birth is truly made a true and reall sinner so the second Adam so truly endues with his own righteousnesse all that come of him that every little Infant before it hath done or thought any evill being justified is not barely counted but truly made righteous herein only lying the difference That the little Infants is by the first Adam made so inherently sinfull with originall sin that it cannot but actually practise the same afterwards in life and conversation but by the second Adam it is mystically above sense and feeling that it may bee by the faith of Gods power made so truly and really righteous to God-ward that it cannot but in time by discerning Christs love inherently and actively declare the same afterwards to men-ward by sanctification Hence is that saying of Chrisostome before cited That as Adam unto all that came of him although they had not eaten of the Tree became the Author of sinne and death So Christ unto all that are of him although they have not yet lived righteously became a maker of them righteous even with that righteousnesse which by his crosse he freely gives unto us all Herewith accordeth the Doctrine of our Church taught by the first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us saying more plainly thus That wee by the virtue of Christs blood shed upon the Crosse are cleane purged from our sinnes and made righteous againe in the sight of God What doe the Doctrine of our Church and first Restorers of the Gospel say that we are barely counted righteous no but that we are made righteous againe alluding without doubt by the word againe unto the state of Adam in Paradise that as truly as the first Adam made us sinners when before his fall we had no sinne in sight of God So the second Adam Christ hath not come any whit short of his work also and done lesse upon us but hath made us though mystically yet truly perfectly holy and righteous again from all spot of sinne in the sight God freely this also do other faithfull Expositors that were the first Restorers of the Gospel testifie plainly unto us adding also reasons why it must needs bee so that Christ by conveying his righteousnesse into us doth indeed and truth make us righteous in the sight of God saying thus For seeing before the Tribunall Seat of God it is esteemed no righteousnesse except it bee the perfect and absolute obedience of the Law as Christ alone is thus righteous so by conveying his righteousnesse into us and upon us nos justos reddit that is he makes us righteous Let us here marke three reasons plainly expressed why wee must of necessity bee not barely counted Three Reasons why wee are made righteous but indeed and truth made righteous in the sight of God First because before the Tribunall Seat of God that is in the truth of his Justice which alwayes reigns as it were in his breast it is esteemed of him no righteousnesse except it bee the perfect and absolute righteousnesse of the Law therefore no bare counting righteous will serve the turne Secondly because God doth by the power of his imputation convey this perfect and absolute righteousnesse of Christ into us for so these learned Expositors testifie that the manner of this work is suam justitiam in nos transferendo that is by conveying his righteousnesse into us and upon us this is that mysticall cloathing before spoken of Thirdly because nos justos reddit that is as they may be truly understood either God by his powerfull imputation conveying his righteousnesse into us doth make us righteous or else more immediately that the righteousnesse of Christ so mystically conveyed into us doth make us righteous whereupon these said learned faithfull Expositors doe plainly conclude upon the foresaid first alledged proofe of Scripture thus Quotquot ergò ex Deo nati c. As many therefore as are born of God and therefore ordained to eternall life justi constituuntur are made righteous non modò propter sed per unius obedientiam that is not only for but also By the righteousnesse of one man Christ That is not only for the righteousness inherently and actively in Christ but also by that righteousnesse objectively and passively conveyed into us and so though myâ—â—ically yet truly making us perfectly righteous in the sight of God THe second proofe of Scripture proving that wee Scrip. 2. Ephes 5. 25 26 2. are not barely counted but truly made righteous in the sight of God is Ephes 5. 25 26 27. where the Proâ—ing we aâ—e not only counted buâ— are iâ—deed righteous in Gods sight Apostle saith that Christ gave himselfe for his Church what to doe to sanctifie it and hath made it cleane by the washing of water through the word but for what purpose and intent hath he made it clean by shedding his blood for it Namely that he might make it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Marke how he saith not That he might count it a glorious Church but make it to himselfe a glorious Church And whereas some have objected that the word Object might importeth that this place is to be understood of our making righteous by our sanctification by which we shall be made so righteous that we shall have no spot or wrinkle in the life to come I answer that Answ although our sanctification bee now unseperable from our Justification and yet will not be perfect untill the life to come and then it shall be so perfect that wee shall not have one spot or wrinkle of sin to our selves and own sight sense and feeling yet notwithstanding all Interpreters that I have read doe understand the place to be meant of Justification also by which it is verified upon us that we have not even in this life one spot or wrinkle of sinne in the sight of God freely and Six reasons proving the true meaning of that place of Scripture I think that this place is properly and chiefly to be understood of Free Iustification for six reasons apparent in the Text. First for the scope of the place which is to exhort Christian Husbands to deale with their Wives as Christ hath already dealt with them as by a pattern perfectly done upon them Secondly our sanctification is wrought by us and by the spirit of God enabling us thereunto but this example is appropriated to Christ a lone in giving himselfe to shed his blood to effect it which
Antagonists doe evidently prove both by Scripture and by the common consent of the ancient Fathers as Chrysostome Augustin and others That as Christ was truly made an Host or Sacrifice for sin which is the effect of sinne so the cause thereof went before which was because by the power of Gods imputation Christ so truly took our sinnes upon him and was so really in the sight of God cloathed in the same that although not inherently and actively How Christ was made a sinnâ—r for so he was alwayes and ever the Lamb of God without spot or wrinkle but yet really he was made a true sinner and so God having made him by his imputation really a sinner in his sight did count him a sinner and did rend and teare him upon the Crosse and dealt with him in wrath as if he had committed our sinne himselfe and dyed with bearing our sinne in his own body upon the Crosse as Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 24. 24. And yet notwithstanding to avouch our Saviour Christ to bee so a sinner is not as the Papists collect and cavill to say that hee was averted from God the slave of the Devill and Sonne of Perdition because these are consequents only of inherent corruption and sin whereof Christ was inherently utterly free but as hee passively was made a sinner and passively tasted of these things as the Author to the Hebrews speaketh and as he truly cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Whereupon that saying of the ancient Dispensor of Gods mysteries Oecumenius is true saying thus Christus vehementer peccator erat c. that is Christ was greatly a sinner as who did take upon him the sinnes of the whole world and make them proper to himselfe and so was truly made a sinner for that Christ was a sinner saith he heare the Apostle saying Hee made him sinne for us Which words of the Apostle Luther hearing with the right eare overthrowing the whole world of sophisticall Papists by proving that in plaine places of the Scripture speaking in the maine points of our salvation the plaine proper and grammaticall words of the Scripture are the true proper sense of the Scripture saith upon these words thus These words of Paul are not spoken in vaine That God made him sinne for us which knew no sinne that wee in him might be made the righteousnesse of God 2 Cor. 5. 21. And again that place of Esay 53. saying God layed upon him the iniquity of us Esay 53. all we must not make these words lesse than they are but leave them in their own proper signification For God dallieth not in these words but speaketh earnestly and of great love to wit that Christ this Lamb of God should beare the sinne of us all But what is it saith he to beare the Sophisters answer to be punished very well But wherefore is Christ punished Is it not because hee hath sinne and beareth sinne Yes hee hath and beareth all the sinnes of all men in his body not that hee himselfe committed them but for that hee received them being committed or done of us and layed them upon his own body thus was he made a sinner for us and hereupon became as the Apostle saith a curse for us But some saith hee will say It is very absurde and Object slanderous to call the Sonne of God a cursed sinner I answer if thou wilt deny him to be a sinner and to bee Answ accursed deny also that hee was crucified and dyed for it is no lesse absurde to say that the Sonne of God as our faith confesseth and believeth was crucified and suffered the paines of sinne and death than to say that he is a sinner and accursed But if it be not absurde to confesse and beleeve that Christ was crucified between two Theeves then it is not absured to say also that hee was accursed and of all sinners the greatest and why Because saith he we must as well wrap Christ and know him to be wrapped in our sinne in our malediction in our death and in all our evills as hee is wrapped in our flesh and in our blood For unlesse saith he further hee had taken upon himselfe my sinnes and thine and the sinnes of the whole world the Law had no right over him which condemneth none but sinners only and holdeth them under the curse Thus mighty is Gods imputation of our sin upon his Sonne Christ and as Christ by the power of Gods imputation though not inherently and actively yet objectively and passively was made in the sight of God really a sinner and cursed so on the other side are we by the power of Gods imputation of his Sonnes righteousnesse made though not inherently and actively yet objectively and passively really righteous and blessed as Chrysostome testifieth saying Hee made the just a sinner that he might make sinners just that is perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely THe fourth place of Scripture proving that wee Scrip. 4. Heb. 10. 14. Proving that we are not only coâ—nted but truly made righteous are not barely counted but truly made righteous in the sight of God is Heb. 10. 14. Where the Apostle saith that Christ with one offering hath made perfect for ever them that are sanctified that is such as are put apart unto salvation and declare the same by sanctification although their sanctification bee very unperfect yet by Justification God doth not imaginarily count them righteous but perfectos reddidit hath made them in the sight of God perfectly righteous continually and forever where we see that we must not with the Papists draw Gods imputing of his Sonnes righteousnesse unto us to an humane imaginarily counting righteous but reduce our imaginary counting to be an Almighty a reall making us righteous yea and perfectly righteous in the sight of God And therefore very aptly upon this place doth the Doctrine of our Church in the third part of the Sermon concerning prayer doctrine of our Church and the first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us say in the third part of the Sermon concerning prayer speaking against praying for souls in Purgatory after this manner The death and blood of Christ if we apprehend it with a true and stedfast faith purgeth us and cleanseth us from all our sinnes in the sight of God For saith Saint Iohn The blood of Iesus Christ hath clensed us from all sinne Also Paul saith We be sanctified and made holy mark how he saith not counted holy but made holy by the offering up of the body of Iesus done once for all Because as the said Doctrine of our Church saith in another place If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and righteous to forgive us our sinnes and to make us clean from all sinne and not only made holy but also Paul addeth more saying With the one oblation of his blessed body and precious blood he hath made perfect for ever and
perfection And moreover they are ungratefull and unthankfull that they seek from elsewhere that which being in Christ they now have already And what have we now already Even that which these learned Expositors testifie in another place namely upon those words of the Apostle That I may know him and the virtue of his resurrection saying thus For in this virtue of his resurrection all things are bestowed upon us As First justitiae acquisitio the attaining of righteousnesse Secondly abolitio peccati the abolishing of sin Thirdly liberatio à reatu freedome from all guilt and punishment Fourthly mortis victoria victorie over death And Fifthly spes beatae immortalitatis assured hope and expectation of blessed immortalitie And what can a man wish more And therefore sound is the conclusion of these faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries upon those words of the Apostle For in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily saying after this manner Nulla igitur aliare post Christum nobis opus est c. that is After we have gotten Christ we have need of no other thing for he that hath Christ hath all things In Christ wee have all thâ—â—gs and hee that by faith is ingraffed into him hath no need to seek for wisedome or righteousness or perfect freedome from elsewhere per eundem enim plenè perficitur justificatur that is because by him he is fully justified and made fully perfect that is as I say still perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely And this is Christs full satisfaction that is wrought fully in us and upon us by Christ which many talk of but few understand even as little as they know what is meant by Gods forgivenesse for because God made man perfectly holy and righteous at the first and thereby a complete creature his justice is not satisfied untill he sees his creature as perfectly holy and righteous Gods iustice is not satisfied â—ll he see us perfectly holy and righteouâ— in his sight as he made him at the first but none can undertake to bring this to passe but Christ and therefore he undergoing for us and overcomming that punishment of Gods justice that wee should have borne and conveying by the power of his imputation that justice and perfect righteousness that he fulfilled for us to be in us and upon us in Gods sight hath thus by his death fully wrought by himselfe alone whatsoever the perfect justice of God requires to be in us and so hath fully satisfied the justice of God by making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely And thus we being in Christ made as the Apostle saith complete in the sight of God the justice of God is fully satisfied so that although the death of Christ satisfying for us be without us in Christ yet the virtue fruit and power of that satisfaction is in us making us perfectly holy and righteous and fully complete in the sight of God freely And therefore it is well observed of the faithfull Dispensers of Gods mysteries aforesaid saying concerning the death of Christ after this manner Quoties de morte Christi loquitur Scriptura fructum pretiumque illius in nobis statuit that is as often as the Scripture speaketh of the death of Christ it doth place and set the fruit and price thereof in us because say they by it First à sordibus nostris mundati sumus we are made clean from our foulness Secondly restituti in justîtiam we are restored into righteousness Thirdly Deo reconciliati wee are reconciled to God Fourthly per eam redempti by it wee are redeemed Fifthly janua vitae aperta the gate of life is opened unto us And Sixthly and lastly vita acquisita est everlasting life is gotten and attained Can we ask any more to bee full complete and sufficiently righteous in the sight of God seeing in the two first points consisteth full satisfaction to God namely that by the death of Christ we are made cleane from our sins and restored into righteousness And therefore it is aptly said by that reverend Antagonist against the Papists Doctor Abbot against Bishop That our justification Doctor Abbotâ— against Bishop is our satisfaction before God For declaration whereof saith he it is to be observed That sin consisteth partly in commission partly in omission partly in doing that which we ought not to doe partly in not doing that which we ought to doe satisfaction for sin must serve to acquit both the one and the other It must take away what we have done and supply what we have not done or else it cannot be called a satisfaction But so doth our Justification it abolisheth though mystically yet truely all our sins from before God and so as it was said before makes us clean from all our spirituall foulness and secondly restores us into righteousness so that we are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely and so the justice of God in us is fully satisfied because we are made complete in the sight of God and sufficiently righteous But that we may not â—ow too long in this sea of happiness let us proceed to the next place of Scripture THe fourth proofe of Scripture therefore proving 6 The fourth Scripture proving the perfect condition of the justified children of God is Hâ—b 10. 14. that we by being cloathed with Christs righteousnes are not onely truely made righteous but also perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely is Heb. 10. 14. where the Apostle saith For by one offering hath Christ made perfect for ever them that are sanctified If they be once by him alone made perfect for ever who may presume to add any thing to these persons Nothing can be added to our righteousnesse to make them one jot more perfect in the sight of God For the better understanding whereof let us marke the circumstances of the place which doe much enlighten the matter For comparing the Sacrifices of the Old Testament with that one Sacrifice of Christ offered up by himselfe in the New Testament he sheweth That although the blood of Buls and of Goats being but types and figures and shadowes of the good things to come are of such force as sprinkling the unclean did sanctifie them to the purifying of the flesh so that the sacrifice being done and performed they went away clean from all their sins yet notwithstanding those Sacrifices were so weak that they could not bring perpetuall and continuall quietnesse of conscience so that when they felt themselves to slip again and to fall into new sins and infirmities they were fain to bring new Sacrifices to renew their peace of conscience and why because it was impossible that the blood of Buls and of Goats being but shadowes of the truth should take away sin and make the commers thereunto perfect for so the figures and shadowes should goe away at least in outward appearance with the
glory belonging and reserved as due unto the substance it selfe But when Christ the truth it selfe came signified by those figures and did fully exhibit himselfe to performe fully the truth that was represented in those figures Then the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God did so fully purge and purifie our consciences from dead works to serve the living God that now there is no need of any more Sacrifice for sin because God doth not so much as remember our sins any more Heb. 10. 17. 18. And Heb 10. 17 18. why because with that one offering of himselfe hee hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified The new Testament passing the Old in foure circumstances Where let us marke the full perfection of the New Testament above the Old here compared the one with the other and the New passing the Old in foure circumstances First he saith not inchoatively and imperfectly as it is said of the Old Testament that it made nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. but perfectly Secondly he saith not that he will make perfect but he hath made perfect signifying that this perfect making of us righteous in the sight of God is already perfectly done Thirdly not for a season to be by intercourses often renewed with new Sacrifices as the Papists doe counterfeit in their Masse but perpetually and continually And Fourthly not onely for long times as whole yeers and such like but for ever and ever as the doctrine of our Church speaketh Thus hath Christ made all his children and Church righteous quarto modo that Christ hath made us righteous quarto modo is omnes solos semper first omnes all that are sanctified secondly solos only they that are sanctified and thirdly semper he hath made them perfectly righteous continually and for ever Hence he is called Melchisedec that is the King of righteousnesse because he makes all his subjects thus righteous secondly none but his subjects only thirdly all his subjects are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God only and for ever And therefore did the Prophet Daniel ch 9. 24. prophesie of Christ That at his comming he should not onely make an end of sin but also bring in an everlasting righteousnesse that is making the children of God perfectly righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God for ever and ever Hence we see the reason why the learned doe pronounce the justified children of God to be not only fully and completely but also sufficiently righteous before God For if the child of God be thus completely and perfectly righteous in the sight of God then he is sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but if he be not sufficiently righteous then is he not perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God But that the justified child of God is above his sense and feeling even sufficiently righteous in the sight of God is plainly testified by God himselfe 2 Cor. 12. where 2 Cor. 1â— we may see that Saint Paul feeling the remnants of corruption hanging upon him and not only doubting as the circumstances of the place shew that he was not sufficiently righteous in the sight of God but also grieving at the same and therfore praying thrice that is oftentimes to God against the same God answered him saying My Grace viz. of Free Justification the Grace of graces called often the Grace of God and gift by Grace Rom. 5. is sufficient for thee that is makes thee Rom. 5. sufficiently perfectly righteous from all spot of the remnants of thy corruptions in my sight freely and then adds the reason why he should be content with this rich grace of Free Justification saying For the power of my grace of Free Iustification is manifested and made perfect in thy weaknesse because if thou hadst not weaknesse and corruption in thee thou shouldst have no need of my grace of Justification but in that I make thee from all those infirmities which thou seelest to hang upon thee sufficiently and perfectly righteous in my sight freely herein my free Grace of Justification is greatly magnified and glorified Which reason did so greatly content Saint Paul that he said Very gladly therefore will I rejoyce rather in mine infirmities what simply no but that the power of Christs grace making me thus sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely may dwell in me Thus we may see how true that saying of Calvin is of Justification in another place That Justification finding us naked of our own righteousnesse doth so cloath and enrich us with the righteousnesse of Christ that the saying in Luke 1. 52. is fulfilled Hee filleth the hungry 〈…〉 53. with good things for Paul hungring after his owne inherent righteousnesse when his own inherent righteousnesse could never have made him sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God is sent away filled with the power and rich grace of Christ making him sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely Which treasure saith Luther Esaiah inwardly considering did in the tenth of his Prophecy say The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousnesse as if he had said Faith which is a briefe and summary fulfilling of the Law tanta justitia credentes replebit that is shall replenish the Beleevers with so great righteousnesse ut nulla alia read justitiam opus habeant that they shall not have need of any other thing to make them more righteous Rom. 10. 10. Which Paul also doth testifie Rom. 10. saying For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse whereby he hath no need of works to make him righteous in the sight of God sed omni bono repletur vereque filius Dei efficitur that is but is replenished freely with all goodnesse and truely made the Son of God Iohn 1. 12. Iohn 1. 12. Yea that the true Beleever is made sufficiently and perfectly righteous because he is by Free Justification thus freely replenished with all righteousnesse in the sight of God is likewise plainly taught and cleerly testified in the doctrine of our Church taught by the Doctrine of our Church in the Sermon of the resurrecâ—ion first Restorers of the Gospel in this land saying in the Sermon of the Resurrection of Christ after this manner It had not been enough to be delivered by his death from sin except by his resurrection wee had beene endued with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse whereby the true righteousnesse looking downe from heaven is in most liberall largenesse dealt by the holy Ghost upon all the world by whose assistance wee be replenished with all righteousnesse c. Doubt not of the truth of this matter how great and high soever these things be it becommeth God to doe no little deeds how possible soever they seeme to thee And no marvell
That is This Kingdome verily is the Kingdome of Christ whereby he himselfe by his spirit and beliefe of the Gospel reignes in the minds of his Elect but how justificans eos salvans justifying and saving them which gift of God even Esay testified to be so great Vt universam creaturam ad exulâ—andum gratulandum provocet that he provokes all creatures to rejoyce and exult for joy saying Rejoyce yee heavens for the Lord hath done it shout yee lower parts of the earth Burst forth into praises ye mountaines For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and will be glorified in Israel but how hath he redeemed Iacob and how will he be glorified in Israel namely by putting away our transgressions as Esay 44. 22. 23. clarknesse and our sinne as a mist Esay 44. 22 23. Proinde hoc regnum Christi rectè caelorum regnum vocatur c. Therefore this Kingdome of Christ say the learned Expositors is rightly called the Kingdome of heaven Viget enim in eo coelestis potentia omni terrenae incomparabiliter praestans that is for there reignes in it an heavenly power and passing incomparably all earthly excellencie whereby wee are freed from sinne and death and doe enjoy eternall peace and the abundance of all good things not seeing our King but yet worshipping him reigning in heaven fide animi with the faith of our soule believing his Gospel But what is it to believe his Gospel these learned Dispensers of Gods mysteries answer saying credere Evangelio est gratuitam justitiam amplecti that is to beleeve the Gospel is to embrace the free given righteousnesse making us perfectly and thus gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And this is the Kingdome of God whereof Christ spake when he sent forth his seventie Disciples Luk. 10. saying Goe your wayes and say unto them Luk. 10. The Kingdome of God is come neere unto you But into whatsoever City yee shall enter if they will not receive you Goe your wayes out into the streets of the same and say Even the very dust which cleaveth on us of your City we wipe off against you And it shall be easier for Sodom than for you Notwithstanding know this that the Kingdome of God was come neere unto you verse 9. 10 11. verse 9. 10 11. O good Lord if the sentence was so terrible in the mouth of the seventy Disciples before Christ had dyed to effect this how fearefull must it needs be now after he hath groaned out his blood and life upon the Crosse saying It is finished and how happy and blessed are they that are Members and Citizens of his Kingdome but such Citizens were the Ephesians when the Apostle said thus unto them Now therefore yee are no more Strangers and Forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes 2. 19. For yee Ephes 2. 19. are not come saith the Author to the Hebrews with the people of the Old Testament unto the Mountain that might not be touched nor unto burning fier nor to blacknesse and darknesse and tempest the sight whereof was so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake But yee are come unto the Mount-Zion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels c. The glory whereof made S. Paul to burst forth in such great thanksgiving for the Justified and converted Colossians saying Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet or worthy to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light But how hath hee made us so meet and worthy Quest Answer even in that he hath delivered us from the Answ power of darknesse and out of this present evill world as he saith to the Gal. 1. 4. And hath translated us into the Gal. 1. 4. Kingdome of his deare Son by the forgivenesse of sins Whereby saith Luther we are translated out of sinne into righteousnesse out of Gods wrath into his perfect favour out of death into life For saith he when sinne is taken away in the place of sinne succeedeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath grace and reconciliation in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation Is not this a blessed Kingdome and are not they in a truly blessed state and condition that are Citizens in this Kingdome for when a man is translated out of sinne into righteousnesse who sees not All blessedness accompaineth the righteousness of Christ that all blessednesse must needs follow thereupon especially being so perfect a righteousnesse making us so perfectly holy and gloriously righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Hence it is that Christ is called Melchisedec That is the King of righteousnesse and peace and why but because he makes all his Subjects above their sense and feeling that it may be by faith of his power perfectly holy and gloriously righteous in the sight of God freely and so abounding in Peace and Joy for the same Such a new people saith Luther writing against the Jewes upon Daniel 9. 24. and such a new Ierusalem is the holy Christian Luth. on Dan. 9. 24. Church gathered of Iewes and Gentiles Hi certâ— sciunt c. These certainly know that by Jesus Christ peccatum esse plenè abolitum that their sinne is perfectly abolished all prophecie and promise is fulfilled and an everlasting righteousnesse is brought in For he that beleeveth in him all his sinnes are sealed up made an end of and abolished est in aeternum Iustus and hee is made everlastingly righteous and for ever for which wee need not runne to Jerusalem For saith he in another place In this Kingdome of Lâ—thâ— on his Arga. before the Galath heaven we be made righteous by the Christian righteousnesse which nothing pertaineth to the righteousnesse of the Law or active righteousnesse But this righteousnesse is heavenly which wee work not but which by grace is wrought passively in us placing us in the Kingdome of heaven where is no Law no sin no remorse or sting of conscience no death but perfect joy righteousness grace peace life salvation and glory And thus is the Kingdome of heaven Righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. CHAP. XIII The Faith of Iustification strengthened NOw because the two soresaid enimies of Free Justification namely naturall reason and unbeliefe will bee objecting something against this second part of Free Justification to the darkning and if it can to the utter frustrating of the same Let us now add something for the strengthening of Faith against such objections and they are only two that I have at any time heard of the first objection and last refuge of unbeliefe is this Yea I am perfectly righteous and a sinner also in Object Oâ— unbeliefe the sight of God for as God beholdes me in Christ he sees me perfectly
righteous but as he beholds mee in my selfe he beholds mee a sinner at leastwise in the imperfections of my sanctification for as when Christ hung dying upon the Crosse God saw him a sinner by the imputation of our sinnes unto him and yet notwithstanding saw him perfectly righteous also in himselfe so doth he see us perfectly righteous in Christ and sinners also in our selves To which objection I answer First generally that the scope of this Objection is Answ to make the Arke and Dagon stand together which by no meanes will be but more particularly I will first shew the weaknesse and falsitie of the two reasons taking away the Pillars whereon it resteth and then shew the absurdities of the position it selfe And first of the later reason which because it seemes to bee drawn from the Apostle appeares to be the stronger and therefore I will shew the true meaning of the Apostle that we must hold too and then wherein it is stretched upon the tenter-books to conclude that which the Apostle meaneth not For first although it is true That as by the Almighty power of Gods imputation Christ was cloathed and as Luther truly saith inwrapped in our sins as he was inwrapped in our flesh and blood So we by the same Almighty power of Gods imputation are cloathed and inwrapped in Christs own righteousnesse whereupon concurres this following agreement That as Christ by Gods imputation As Christ was truly a sinner and cursed so is a Beleever truly just and blessed in him and by him putation was made not an imaginary sinner but really a true sinner for us and so truly and really suffered the curse of God and true rending and tearing upon the Crosse even unto true and reall death for true sinne that God saw truly upon him so we likewise by Gods imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto us are made not imaginarily as the Papists cavill but really and truly righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and so truly and really blessed not to an imaginary life for an imaginary putative righteousnesse as the Papists cavill but to a true and reall inheritance of everlasting life for Christs true everlasting righteousnesse that God sees truly upon us and wee made truly perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by the same As this I say is the scope of the Apostle wherein wee agree so in other points stretched further there is great difference and utter dislike especially in three things overthrowing this reason because Three reasons why Christ was both a sinner and righteous at one time otherwise than we are it is streched further than the foresaid scope of the Apostle For First that Christ might be a true and perfect Mediator and Redeemer it was necessarie that our sins being imputed unto Christ and he hereby made a sinner It was necessary I say that God at that very present time should in him see also a everlasting righteousnesse like a sea swallowing up a spoonfull of Inke and utterly abolishing our sinnes layed upon him whereby he might bee able to cleere himselfe from our sinnes and so free both himselfe and us from sinne the curse and death that was upon him for otherwise hee could not bee a perfect Mediator and Redeemer and therefore it was necessary that God should see him at the same time both a sinner and yet endued with a greater and everlasting righteousnesse putting out and abolishing all our sins by Gods powerfull imputation layed upon him but there is no necessity of the like in us but contrariwise we being now by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with the wedding-garment of that perfect and everlasting righteousnesse of Christ and thereby translated out of the kingdome of sinne and darknesse into Christs Kingdome of righteousnesse and light God sees our sinnes abolished by a double meanes first by Christ abolishing them in and from Our sinnes are abolished by two meanes himselfe by his death and resurrection and secondly hee sees them abolished in and from us by that perfect and everlasting righteousnesse of Christ wherewith wee are cloathed and made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely For if God should not see our sins by his Sons righteousnesse utterly abolished out of his sight and so we not made only meerly the righteousnesse of God in his sight then our sins should stand unabolished as check-mate with the righteousnesse of Christ that is invisibly upon us as if some darkness were so grosse and thick that God could not see his Sun beames of force to swallow up and abolish the same so we make by this conceit Christs righteousnesse not able to abolish them utterly out of the sight of God which to say or think were grievously derogatory to Christs perfect and everlasting righteousnesse But because Christs righteousnesse wherewith wee are mystically cloathed is of more force utterly to abolish our sinnes out of Gods sight than the Sun-beames comming with her full force into a dark house is able to abolish darknesse therefore saith Christ to his Spouse complaning of sinne and darknesse to her sense and feeling Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art not both faire and The Bâ—leever cannot bee both faire and foule in Gods sight soule as I was upon the Crosse but thou art all faire my love before me by the power of my righteousness there is not one spot in thee And the Elect vessell put a part to dispence this great mysterie shewes the reason hereof saying we have not one spot or wrinkle or any such thing in the sight of God Ephes 5. 27. why Because Ephes 5. 27. the righteousnesse of the Law is though not inherently and actively as the Papists would have it yet Evangelically and passively fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 4. but for Rom. 8. 4. the righteousnesse of the Law to be fulfilled in us in the sight of God and yet for God to see one spot or wrinkle in us and so wee to be both faire and soule in Gods sight are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flat contraries that overthrow one another and cannot stand together whereby wee may see how true that saying of Luther is who as Master Foxe testifies came forth in Pauls Luther came in Pauls veine of preaching veine of teaching and said By Christ dying upon the Crosse he hath so purged our sinnes out of Gods sight that God doth see nothing else in the whole world Luther in Caâ— chap. 3. vers 13. of true Beleevers but a meere cleansing and righteousnesse A second reason and difference why Christ was both a sinner and righteous in the sight of God otherwise than we are is taken from the end why Christ was made a sinner and righteous for he was made a sinner but for a while untill his sea of righteousnesse had swallowed up and utterly abolished our sinnes out of Gods
it pleaseth God freely to give us this unspeakable gift unto us I say which are so unworthy Now if it be the pleasure of a great noble man to give to a poore man a great gift he doth not refuse it how great soever the gift bee because it is the great mans pleasure that he should have it so likewise saith Christ Luke 12. 32. Feare not little flock it Luke 12. 32. is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdome mark how he saith first it is his pleasure and secondly to give unto you saith he a Kingdome to whom to you unworthy which are his little flock If I then be little and the thing great nay rather of all things the greatest which God hath given unto me I must think that he also is great and only great which giveth it If he offer it and will give it I consider not mine owne sinne and unworthinesse but his fatherly good will towards me which is the giver and I receive the greatnesse of the gift with joy and gladnesse and am thankfull for so inestimable a gift given freely unto me to me I say unworthy by the hearing of faith A little glimmering of this bounteous nature of God and our duty in taking his free-given benefits we have in King Alexander the Great who when a servant and souldier of his that had served him in conquering the world whereof he was now Monarch being a poore man came to King Alexander and besought him that he would bestow the value of twenty pounds upon his daughter that was now to be married the King presently commanded the value of a thousand pounds to be given him and when the poore man acknowledged that it was too great a gift for him so poore a man to receive the King answered That although he thought it too great a benefit for him to receive yet it was not too great for him to give and therefore hee should take it and have it Which the poore man seeing to be his pleasure that he should have took the bounty of the King was glad thereof and went his way thankfull for the same Now is this King Alexander nothing and as it were but an Ape in imitating that bounteous nature of God who giving righ gifts and benefits unto us agreeable to his exceeding greatnesse to make us rich and blessed shall not we freely take that which of his exceeding bounteous nature he freely offers but â—ooking upon our owne unworthinesse shall we resist his pleasure and refuse his rich bounty Very effectually therefore is this point pressed by the doctrine of our Church in this case of free Justification where in the Sermon of Doctrine of our Church in the sermon of the Resurrection the Resurrection of Christ having taught That it is not enough to have by the death of Christ our sinnes done away but also by his Resurrection we are endowed with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse freely replenishing us before God with all righteousnesse presently to strengthen faith it addeth this salve against doubting saying Doubt not of the truth of this matter how great and high soever these things be it becommeth God to doe no little deeds how impossible soever they seeme to thee Pray to God that by faith thou maist perceive this great mystery of Iustification wrought by Christs Resurrection that thou maist certainly beleeve nothing to be impossible with God But if thou doubtest of so great wealth and felicity wrought upon thee O man call to minde that therefore thou hast received into thine owne possession the everlasting verity our Saviour Iesus Christ to confirme to thy conscience the truth of all this matter The second Remedy against the feare of applying so great wealth and felicity wrought upon us by Christ effectuall to strengthen our faith is to remember the sixth thing proposed to be spoken of in the beginning of this second part of Justification namely the End why God freely bestowes upon us so great wealth and felicity not ayming chiefly at our glory herein but to declare and manifest his owne glory by magnifying upon us his free grace and rich bounty and therefore we must freely take by faith which is the hand of the soule this rich bounty of God that so this glory of his free grace may be magnified upon us and that we may be passive instruments of his glorious doings and rich bounty wrought upon us by himselfe only and alone For doth hee not greatly manifest his owne perfect justice and righteousnesse in that none can please him but such only as are perfectly holy and righteous in his sight and that none can be such except he himselfe above their sense and feeling take in hand to make them such in his owne sight freely to the praise of the glory of his grace Yes verily and therefore is it so flatly testified by the Apostle saying Rom. 3. 24. 25 26. wee are justified Rom. 3. 24 25 26. freely by his grace in his Sonnes blood why or to what end to shew saith he at this time his righteousnesse that he might be just and the Iustifier of him or the maker of him just that is of the faith of Iesus Which glory of glories to be proper to God only is notably expressed by Esay 44. 22 23. the Prophet Esay 44. 22 23. saying I will put away thy transgression as darknesse and abolish thy sins as a mist Rejoyce yee heavens for the Lord hath done it shout yee lower parts of the earth hurst forth into praise O Mountaines c. For thus hath God redeemed his people and thus will he be glorified in Israel Because when we take this benefit by faith and rejoyce with this joy for the same we give him truly the glory of his grace and rich bounty And therefore we must mark that which few mark Two wayes of glorifying God namely that there are two wayes of glorifying God one primary and immediate to Gods own eyes and another that is secondary and mediate that is to the eyes of men the first immediate way of glorifying God to his own eyes is to take by faith and to believe him on his word that those rich benefits freely promised are wrought upon us which to reason are impossible for greatnesse incredible and yet embrace the same with joy And this kinde of glorifying of God is spoken of Rom. 4. 20. where it is said that Abraham doubted not of the promise of God by unbeliefe Rom. 4. 20. but was strengthned in faith and gave glory to God The other kinde of glorifying God which is secondary to the eyes of men is by works testifying our faith to the eyes of men and is spoken of Matth. 5. 16. saying Let your light to wit of faith so shine before men that Matth. 5. 1. they may see your good works of Sanctification and glorifie your father which is in heaven But look how farre the Sun passeth the
wonderfull The first excellent fruit and effect hereof is this 1 First Illumination That the right knowledge of free Justification doth truly enlighten us and brings us into a wonderfull light For first it brings us to see what an infinite horrible Also it makes us to see the horriblenesse of sinne soule filthy thing the least sinne is in the sight of God in that we see by the same that we cannot be but most foule loathsome and filthy in the sight of God untill we be made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God which yet none can work and bring to passe but only he himselfe which horrible foulnesse of the least sin although the Law doth terribly lay it open in that definitive sentence Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. that is cursed is every one that hath the least sin in Gods sight for who sees not that if a man doe continue A description of Gods unchangeable nature and wâ—l against sin as God created him in all things he should not have the least sin in the sight of God but if hee have the least sin in the sight of God he doth not continue in all things and so is certainly accursed Yea the sentence is as much as if God had said Cursed is every one that is not perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God And yet who marks it or if any doe mark it it drives them but into despaire and being loath by selfe love to prognosticate so hard things to themselves desire to forget it or endeavour to put it away by vaine and idle imaginations as if it were not the description of the loathsomenesse of sin in the sight of God nor a description of Gods unchangeable pure nature against sin but a pretended severity of the rigour of the Law which they hope to escape though they be not found fulfilling it in the sight of God and so would make God changeable and false which is impossible seeing heaven and earth may passe away but one jot or tittle of this definitive sentence of the Law cannot passe Math. 5. 18. away untill it is fulfilled And thus men dally and trifle Men dally and trifle with thâ—â— fearfull sentence with this fearfull sentence untill they come to bee enlightened with Free Iustification whereby God himselfe takes in hand to make them perfectly holy and righteous in his owne sight freely then they come to see willingly what an horrible thing the least sin is in the sight of God then they acknowledge the truth and unchangeablenesse of that definitive sentence Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things then they seeing that nothing could make them so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God but the crucifying of the Sonne of God they begin truly to crucifie that which they now see to be the Crucifier of the Lord of glory Secondly it brings us to see not only the foulnesse 2 The perfection of Gods Justice of sin but also the perfection of Gods justice against sinne and his implacable displeasure and anger against the same in that he cannot be reconciled from this displeasure or anger except he see his creature perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his sight Which although the foresaid definitive sentence of the Law seemes to doe yet because it smites terrour and despaire into them it makes men to strive to forget it and to fly from God and to runne into more sin untill they see Gods love in making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in his owne sight freely and then they come to acknowledge cheerfully the perfection of his justice and the justnesse of his displeasure and anger against the least sin because they see by the death of his Son to make them cleane from all sin that there is no sin little in the sight of God Now they come to see the truth of that saying of David Thou art not a God that loveth wickednesse neither shall any evill dwell with thee Psal 5. Psal 5. 4. 4. Now they come to see the truth of that saying of Habak Thou art of pure eyes and canst not see evill thou canst not behold wickednesse but thou must needs destroy the sinner or sin from him that sees by it his misery by making him perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in thy sight freely And that free Justification thus declares and manifesteth the justice of God and brings people thus profitably to see the perfection of it and glorifie it is testified plainly by S. Paul Rom. 3. 25. 26. saying The righteousnesse of God by the faith Rom. 3. 25 26. of Iesus Christ is unto all and upon all that doe beleeve freely justifying them that is making them perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely but to what end To declare saith hee his righteousnesse namely that it alone pleases him that hee might thus see himselfe to bee just and the justifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus Thirdly the right knowledge of free Justification 3 The meaning of the tenth Commandement brings a man to see and understand the tenth Commandement and thereby the spirituall meaning of all the ten Commandements which men though wise and learned and very religious both in their owne opinion and judgement of others doe not understand as is to be seene in the Scribes and Pharisees whom Christ was faine in the fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of Matth. in the spirituall meaning of the Law to chatechise like young children in all the ten Commandements But when a man understands free Iustification rightly then he understands the tenth Commandement and sees how horrible grosse sins in the sight of God the least breaches thereof are which the blinde world counts nothing and sees all his best works and holy walking to be by reason of that tenth Commandement but as a menstruous cloath and so kills him in making him to see that he is a damnable 1 By the help and assistance of the spirit of God lost sinner in the spirituall breach of all the ten Commandements A notable example hereof is S. Paul who whilst he was a Pharisee he walked diligently and 2 God being mercifull to pardon small matters zealously so holily and righteously in all Gods Commandements that in his owne opinion and in the judgement of others concerning the righteousnesse of the Law he was unrebukable Phil. 3. 7. But when Phil. 3. 7. he was once justified and understood rightly the glory of the same then he understood the tenth Commandement and then he cried out that the Law was spirituall but although his life was then most of all sanctified yet he felt himselfe
which he made when he gave the ten Commandements neither doth hee now appeare in that forme and manner wherein he appeared cum Testamentum illud vetus conderet when he framed the old Testament and made his Covenant with the people of Israel by his law given by Moses upon Mount Sinai when the heavens were be-clouded and darkned with thick black clouds when nothing was heard but thunderings and lightnings so terribly and horribly sounding that the Mountaine being strucken smoked and the earth trembled every-where there was terrour every-where feare palenesse quaking horror and trembling so that Moses said I feare and quake Not after this manner I say doth God shew himselfe here but after a farre other and contrary forme and manner for here appeares nothing but light cleerenesse and brightnesse here all things are pleasant and joyfull Hic nutus vultus aspectus Dei amaenissimus blandissimus that is here the beck countenance and look of God is most pleasant and smiling here the heavens are opened here all creatures seeme Heaven opened and all creatures leap for joy to laugh and to spring and leap for joy in that the majesty of God doth so humble it selfe as to descend and come downe to us that there may appeare no disagreement between God and man and to give himselfe to bee beholden of us in a forme and manner longè amabilissima blandissima gratissima most lovely most gentle and most favourable By which manner of appearing he not only testifieth omnem suam iram sopitam sedatam esse that is all his anger and displeasure to be pacified and asswaged but also in ejus locum infinita immensa gratia c. in the place thereof is succeeded infinite and unmeasurable free favour a well-pleased father-like and ardent affection of love towards us inexhausta copiosaque misericordia and an abundant and bottomlesse mercy and peace is upon us This is the Christian liberty spoken of Gal. 5. 1 2. See Luther Gal. 5. 1 2. But the reason why all anger and displeasure of God Justification is the only ground and cause of reconciliation is so utterly abolished from us and why we are restored into such perfect peace and full favour with God againe ariseth and is wrought as I said only by the two parts of free Justification For first seeing all anger and displeasure of God ariseth only for sinne as the Prophet Esay testifieth saying Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot Esay 59 1. 2. save neither is his eare heavie that it cannot heare But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you When Christ himselfe hath separated our sinnes from us and from all our works as is before shewed as farre as the East is from the West by utter abolishing them out of his Fathers sight Where are they then to separate between God and us And when Christ hath by his blood made us and all our works clean from all sinne so that wee and all that wee doe are from all spot of sinne in the sight of God whither than snow where is there any place then for the displeasure and anger of God to come upon us Whereupon the Apostle saith to the Colossians thus And you that were in times past mark in times past Strangers and enimies to God And why enimies Because your minds were set on evill works being most true that Augustine saith Nec inimici eramus Deo nisi quemadmodum justitiae inimica sunt peccata that is neither were we enimies to God otherwise than as sins are enimies to righteousnesse hath he now reconciled that is seeing all these make-bates are abolished now all displeasure all anger and emnity is utterly abolished from between God and you and you are set in the compleat love perfect peace and full favour of God again and are blessed before God Oh happy state and condition But who wrought this and by what meanes is so glorious a work brought to passe The Aposte answereth because Christ in the body of his flesh through death makes you so holy that you are unblameable and without fault in Gods sight Colos 1. 21 22. Where we see that as sinne only is Colos 1. 21 22. the make-bate between God and man So when by Free Justification they are made without blame and fault in Gods sight This and this alone quencheth all the displeasure and abolisheth all the anger of God and reconciles us to God for take away the fuell and the flame utterly ceaseth And because none can take away sinne from before God but Christ only therefore none can be our peace-maker but Christ only but because hee takes it away perfectly from before his Father Therefore is hee a most perfect Peace-maker between God and us Whereby wee may see the truth of that joyfull saying of Luther upon those words pronounced by God from heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased saying after this manner Truly with no praises could Christ bee more glorified nor extolled more magnificently for by this voyce hee is set in a most illustrious dignity and high glory for in these words Hee is proclaimed and declared the true King of peace a true Priest working perfect atonement Christ is the true King of peace and the Heire and Lord of all things who alone pacifieth his Father and brings to passe that hee is well-pleased with us Moreover in these words God the Father testifieth that hee is of a right fatherly and well-pleased minde to them that believe in Christ to these he declares and here opens himselfe wholy and leaves it witnessed unto our consciences that he is not as before offended with us for our sins but now is become a most loving and etiamsi per imprudentiam infirmitatem carnis cespitavimus that is although we trip unawares and by the infirmitie of the flesh yet a most indulgent and so well-pleased a Father unto us ut nec velit nec possit nobi◠irasci c. That if we give to his Son his glory that hee doth justifie us and so cleave to him with a sound faith hee neither will nor can bee angrie with us for his Sonnes sake in whom hee is at perfect peace and throughly well-pleased with us Again secondly As by the first part of Justification Second Reason abolishing all our sinnes out of Gods sight all displeasure and anger is abolished and done away so by the second part of Justification making us perfectly righteous in the sight of God are we perfectly reconciled to God and set in perfect peace and perfect favour with God again and truly blessed And this is plainly testified by the Prophet Esay 33. 14. saying Who amongst us Esay 33 14. opened shall dwell with the devouring fier who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting burning The answer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that walketh in
to the true Christ who hath by Justification by his blood and by his spirit of Sanctification eso wonderfully knit us into his own body That he makes us happy and blessed only in his own selfe alone for ever that we need not to hearken after any false Christ for more happinesse any other way Why Because to assure us that hee doth communicate both himselfe and all his riches unto us he communicates also unto us his very name That as a wife as Calvin saith is intitled with the name of her husband so is the Church and true children of God truly intitled with the name of her husband Christ And again saith he In hoc verò sita est nostra consolatio quod sicut Christus pater unum sunt ita nos cum eo unum sumus Vnde haec nominis communicatio ita Christus that is Herein consisteth our consolation that as Christ and his Father are one so wee are one with him from whence comes this communicating of name so is Christ But the sweetnesse and comfort of this consolatior consisteth herein That as every one is married by his true Justifying faith particularly to Christ so he must apply this union to his own selfe in particular without which it becomes unfruitfull and unprofitable yet not swarving hereby from the former doctrine but a making of that which is generall to all to bee thine own in particular by applying it to thine own selfe in particular Thus did Paul saying I live not now then Paul belike is no Paul but who lives then Christ lives in me that is as Luther expounds it I live not in mine onw person nor in mine own substance but Christ lives in me Indeed saith he the person liveth but not in himselfe and therefore he saith I live not now but Christ lives in me Is est mea forma Hee is my forme more neerly joyned and united to me than the colour or whitnesse to the wall Christ therefore saith Paul thus joyned and united unto mee and abiding in me liveth this life in me which I now live Now Christ living in me I am dead to the Law that is He abolisheth the law to me damneth sin destroyeth death At Christs presence the Law sinne and death doe vanish away For it cannot bee but at his presence all these must needs vanish away for Christ is everlasting Righteousnesse everlasting Peace Consolation and Life and to these sin the terror of the law heavinesse of minde hell and death must needs give place So Christ living and abiding in me taketh away and swalloweth up all evills which vex and afflict mee This union and conjunction then is the cause that I am separated from my selfe and translated into Christ and his kingdome which is a kingdome of grace righteousnesse peace joy life salvation and glory yea by this unseparable union and conjunction which is through faith Christ and I mark this particularity I are made as it were one body in spirit Hence it is for this particular application of applying this close union to our selves in particular did Origen say as we heard before quod per unum Christum fiunt multi Christi that by one Christ there are many Christs because they are transformed to the Image of him who is the Image of God But Luther upon Pauls foresaid application describes the manner of this particular application with fuller demonstration saying thus Quare fides purè est docenda c. Wherefore faith must be purely taught namely that thou art so entirely and neerly joyned unto Christ that he and thou are made as it were one person which cannot be severed but is perpetually joyned together so that thou mayst boldly say Ego sum Christus I am Christ that is to say Christs righteousnesse victory and life are mine And againe Christ may say Ego sum ille peccator I am that sinner that is his sinnes and his death are mine because he is united and joyned unto me and I unto him For wee are so united together by the spirit that wee are become one flesh and one bone For so saith the Apople Ephes 5. Wee are members of the body of Christ of his Ephes 5. flesh and of his bones So that this faith doth couple Christ and me more neere together than the husband is coupled unto his wife The fourth excellent benefit of Free Iustification is 4. Adoption our most glorious adoption whereby wee are made the true sonnes and daughters of the living God Therefore doth S. Iohn say As many as received him namely to justifie them by his blood and death Ioh. â— 1â— To them he gave the prerogative or dignity to be the Sons of God as verily and truly as ever they were the Sonnes and Daughters of their naturall Parents And the Apostle Paul testifieth That Christ hath redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sonnes And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts to cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 5 9. also S. Iohn crying out in admiration Gal 4. 5. 6. of this great dignitie saith Behold what love the Father hath shewed towards us that we things of nothing Psal 144. 4. Should be called the Sonnes of God! And Psalm 144 4. now are we the Sonnes of God But it is not made manifest what we shall be but wee know that when he that is the Sonne shall appeare we shall be like him 1 Ioh. 3. 1. 2. 1 Ioh 3. 1. 2. Yea we are so truly made the children of God that we are become also heires of eternall life so saith the Apostle Tit. 3. 7. Wee being justified by his free grace Tiâ— 3. 7. are made heires according to the hope of eternall life and againe Rom. 8. If we be children we are also heires Rom. 8. even the heires of God and fellow or joynt-heires with Christ But neither is this high benefit conferred upon us except we be first justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous by his grace according to that saying of a learned Dispencer of the mysteries of the Gospel which is this If we bee Sonnes then are wee justified in Gods sight freed from sinne and indued with righteousness so fully reconciled unto God seeing the Lord infinite in Iustice would never admit any into such an high degree of favour who were yet polluted in their sins and destiâ—ute Nemo sit hâ—râ—s sautis â—teâ—nae 〈◊〉 sitâ—u 〈◊〉 fide Pic. in Heb. 11. 7. of righteousness Whereunto agreeable is also that saying of Piscaâ—oâ— nemo fit haeres c. No man is made an heir of eternall salvation but first he is made just and righteous by faith Thus God by the meanes of Free Iustification having delivred us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdome of his deare Sonne hath made us meet to be pratakers of the inheritance
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