another being Gods whip of five strings with which he lasheth the children of men in one place or other daily and continually which are these five 1. First the curse of God Deut. 28. 15. to 20. If thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God namely which he spake in thundering and lightning and flaming fire but dost break his commandments that is dost do the least sin then all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee cursed shalt thou be in the town and cursed in the field cursed shall bee thy basket and thy store that is thy abundance that seemes to thee a blessing shall be to thee accursed cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land and the encrease of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep cursed shalt thou bee when thou comest in and cursed also when thou goest out The Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation and trouble in all that thou settest thy hand to do c. 2. The second punishment is hardnesse of heart that is no spirituall sense or feeling but little caring for this curse of God upon us for sin and a sleight regarding of free justification which is the onely remedy and means that should heal us of this sinne and curse Matth. 13. 15. For this peoples heart is waxed grosse and their ears are dull of hearing and with their eyes they have winked lest they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and should understand with their hearts and should bee converted and I should heale them But my people would not heare my voice nor Israel would none of me So I gave them up to the hardnesse of their hearts and they have walked in their own counsell Psal 81. 11 12. whereby thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart heapest up like a treasure to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the just judgment of God Rom. 2. 5. 3. The third sort of punishment for sinne is all manner of miseries crosses and afflictions to body goods and name which are ready every moment to strike us but to what end to knock for us and give us warning to be sure that we bee freely justified and have on the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse as it is expressed Iob 33. 19. to verse 26. A man is chastened with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong paine so that his life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meats His flesh is consumed away and his bones that were not seen stick out his life draweth neare to the grave c. But if there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto a man his righteousnesse that is his justifying righteousnesse by Christ then God is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down into the pit I have found a ransome 4. The fourth punishment of sinne is that uncertain death is ready every moment to strike us wee knowing neither the time when nor the place where nor the manner how death will strike us as God himself saith Deut. 28. 66. If thou breakest my Commandements and so dost sin thy life shall hang in doubt before thee c. Thou shalt have just cause to feare both night and day for thou shalt have no assurance of thy life For God said to the rich man Luke 12. 20. Thou fool this night will they that is the devils fetch away thy soule from thee and then whose shall these things bee which thou hast provided So is every man that is not rich in God that is which hath not on the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse which only maketh us rich in God Pro. 8. 18. 5 The fifth and last punishment for sinne is when death which is so uncertain is come then follows the full execution of Gods justice in hell fire there to endure easlesse and endlesse torments for ever and ever Therefore saith Christ the Teacher of true wisedome I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that are not able to doe any more But I will forewarne you whom you shall feare Feare him which after he hath killed hath power also to cast into hell yea I say unto you feare him Luke 12. 4 5. for then he shall say Depart yee cursed which all are that are not justified into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels and these shall goe away into everlasting paine but the righteous only that is only they that are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely with Christs righteousnesse shall goe into life everlasting Mat. 25. 41 46. Thus ought these three maine things that the Law teacheth concerning sin to be daily and diligently pressed upon sleeping consciences secure in the least sin untill the most upright honest yea and most sanctified man in works may feele himselfe slaine by the Law especially by the tenth Commandement as Paul was Rom. 7. 9. saying For I once was alive without the Law but when the commandement thou shalt not lust or covet that is thou shalt not have the least motion to any sinne came that I understood it sinne revived that is I saw my best good works to be sinne which I took to be no sinne before but I died that is I saw my selfe lost and damned by that beautifull sinne which I took to be a good work before God and no sinne And the same Commandment which was by obeying it ordained unto life I found by breaking it in my best good works to be unto death For sinne that is originall corruption dwelling in me taking occasion or force by the commandement deceived me that is made my best good works as I did them sinne when I took them to be no sinne and by it that is by the commandement disobeyed and broken slew me that is made me to see and feele my selfe to be in my best and most sanctified good works a lost and damned creature Because sinne that is originall corruption dwelling in me that it might appeare sinne did work death in me by that which is good that is by that turning that into sinne by defect which was done by the good and holy Law of God that sinne by the commandement disobeyed might become out of measure or exceeding sinfull Hereupon and for this cause doth the most sanctified childe of God truly enlightened and slaine by the Law by this right understanding of this tenth commandement see and feele that which is spoken of by Paul Rom. 3. 9. to 19. to be most true in himselfe and in his best sanctified works namely That there is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh God they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become abominable and unprofitable There is none that doth good no not one Their throat is an open
ingratitude of such doth suffer blind zealous leaders of the blind zealous multitude often times every where to swarm and abound whereby both Preachers and innumerable people fall into the pit of destruction as Christ the truth it selfe testifieth and denounceth Matth. 15. 14. Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch to wit of destruction And these are the traytours that under colour of greatest friendship with God and of lying in his very lap by working out their salvation in distrust in free grace and in trust in their workes and well-doings doe break our peace with God in this land doe betray whole Kingdomes and Countries into their enemies hand Because they truely know not free justification that only makes our peace with God as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. 1. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God c. this place being an exposition as it were of that saying Num. 23. 21. spoken then but prophetically inchoatively and typically at the lifting up of the brasen serpent saying God seeth no iniquity in Jacob and he seeth no transgression in Israel This is to bee justified by faith Then followes the peace and reconciliation that wee have therefrom Therefore the Lord his God is with him and the joyfull shout of a King is among them that comes onely by free justification which prophesie is now by Christ the substance signified by that brasen serpent fully wrought and completely exhibited and brought upon us in the new Testament saying And yee which were in times past strangers and enemies in your minde by evill works hath hee now reconciled How or by what means In the body of his flesh through death by making you so holy that you are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without all blame and without all fault in Gods sight if you continue rooted and grounded in this faith of free justification by Christs blood and death and be not moved away from this hope of the Gospel Col. 1. 21 22 23. But contrariwise Christ weeping over Ierusalem denounced that their enemies should lay their city and them even with the ground and not leave a stone upon another that should not bee cast downe why because they knew not the things that did belong to their peace that is they knew not their reconciliation by Christ they knew not his righteousnesse to justifie them which only makes peace with God but these things were hid from their eyes Luke 19. 41 42 44. Therefore did the Prophet say For Zions sake I will not hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake I will not rest untill the righteousnesse thereof breake forth as the light for then the safety and salvation thereof will be as a burning Lamp And when the Gentiles or people see thy righteousnesse and the Kings thy glory thou shalt be a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a Royall Diadem in the hand of thy God It shall no more be said unto thee forsaken neither shall it any more bee said unto thy Lands desolate But thou shalt bee called Hephziah that is my delight is in her for the Lord will delight in thee Esay 62. For thy people shall bee all righteous they shall possesse the Land for ever the graffe of my planting shall be the work of my hands that I may be glorified Esay 60. 21. Because as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many to the end of the world be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. whereby if by one mans offence the displeasure anger of God and death reigned by one much more they which receive that abundance of grace and that abundance of the gift of that righteousnesse shall reigne in reconciliation well-pleasing of God peace and life through one that is Jesus Christ That as sinne had reigned unto displeasure wrath and death even so might grace reigne by righteousnesse unto reconciliation peace and eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 17 21. But contrariwise they that are not justified by faith have no peace with God but by their dead faith are fourefold traytours namely traytours to Christ and his Gospel traytours to his Church children traitors to their King and countrey and traytours to their own bodies and soules seeming great friends to all these but betraying every one of these with a Iudas his kisse Because although they seem in this dead Faith and blind zeale of the Law and works to be lifted up in as high a faith and happinesse as any can be yet if they do not come out of this dead faith when they dye be it sooner or later they cast down themselves into greater damnation than if they had never professed Gods word and the Gospel of Christ at all as Christ testifieth Matth. 11. 23 24. saying and thou Capernaum that art exalted into Heaven namely in professing Gods word shalt be thrown down to hell for if the mighty works which have beene done in thee much more being professed to bee received and beleeved of thee had been done in Sodome it would have remained untill this day But I say unto you it shall be more tolerable or easie for the land of Sodome in the day of judgment than for thee And again Wo be unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye compasse sea and land that is take exceeding great pains and labour to make one Proselyte that is one zealous Professour as you say of the pure word of God and holy worship of God and when he is made you make him twofold more the child of Hell than your selves Matth. 23. 15. And thus much of the dead Faith gilt over with the legall zeal of works and confidence of practising repentance humiliation and all holy duties by a supposed universall obedience to all Gods commandements and yet all is but a false legall bastard sanctification 3. But now thirdly which most of all discovereth this dead Faith and blind zeale of the good workes of the Law to be meer superstitious hypocrisie whereof Christ giveth warning to his Disciples saying First of all beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Luk. 12. 1. If the old matter of the pure Gospel be uttered but after a new manner otherwise than these like blind mill-horses are accustomed to run round in or if their literall knowledge dead Faith and blind legall zeale be any way a little crossed or but touched although a faithfull Minister must needs teach novè but not nova that is after a new manner but not any new matter yet these humble ones just like Nicodemus Ioh. 3. in that new manner of speaking do rise up against Christ and count the old mysteries of Christ and of his Gospel to be nova novelties new doctrines as these said when Christ himself began first to preach the old revealed will of his Father What thing is this What
dead who was delivered to death for our sinnes to no other end than to abolish them from before his father Heb. 9. 26. whereby the blood of Iesus Christ the sonne of God doth make us clean from all sinne 1 Iohn 1. 7. And is risen againe for our full and perfect justification This is the true lively and justifying faith This faith makes us not bastardly children but the true kind proper and naturall children not of Abram but of Abraham This is the faith by which we are truly blessed and as truly saved as Abraham himself as Paul testifieth Gal. 3. 8. 9. saying The Scriptures that is the spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached the joyfull newes unto Abraham saying In thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed So that they which be of this faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham And what can we desire more than to be blessed Now because this free justification or the having on this wedding garment cannot be beleeved and enjoyed by this justifying faith but by looking into the gaping wounds of Christ bleeding out his blood and life to effect this free justification upon the beleever Therefore onely this justifying faith smites the heart of the beleever with the true love of Christ and of God in Christ which reflecteth back from God generally upon all men as they bear the image of God yet resteth principally upon the Church and houshold of faith and maketh the true beleevers to abound in every good work doing good unto all men but especially unto the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. and that not of constraint corruptly and hypocritically but cheerfully sincerely and ioyfully because both Christ and the Kingdome of God and the Kingdome of heaven by this true lively iustifying faith is within us Luke 17. 21. Into which Kingdome of heaven no unclean thing can enter Rev. 21. 27. Because this Kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And the more this faith of free Justification and of having on this wedding garment encreaseth the more this peace and joy in the holy Ghost encreaseth For the which it is called the garment of ioy and gladnesse Esa 61. 3. And the more this peace and joy encreaseth the more the foresaid love encreaseth and enflameth the heart to walk freely cheerfully and zealously in all Gods will and commandements declaratively to manward and to doe our vocatious and all good workes freely of meere love without hope of reward or fear of punishment which is true sanctification which causeth us to live here among men as Christ himselfe lived that is not onely doing all things but also cheerfully suffering all things to edifie one another in our most holy faith that onely saves us Iude 20. And to the glory of God our reconciled and well pleased father in Christ as St. Iohn 1. Epist chap. 2. vers 6. testifieth saying He that saith he abideth in Christ ought even so to walke as hee hath walked Thus much of the true saving faith Thirdly of this justifying faith that worketh by love there followes inseparably a true right Evangelicall zeale of Gods glory whereby we feeling how by our originall corruption and by breaking the tenth commandement and thereby the first commandement and all the rest in our best good works whereby that saying of Saint Iames is true in our best good works That whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all we finde both our selves and all our works and best actions to be so shut up under sin Gal. 3. 22. that being truly humbled with a vile esteem of our selves and all our best good works we do grant not with lip and tongue only as many bastard Protestants do but do feele in our hearts in deed and truth that all our righteousnesse even of sanctification is as foule stained filthy rags Esay 64. 6. Whereupon our hearts are so inflamed with such an high prizing and onely esteeming of the wedding garment of Christs obedience and righteousnesse perfectly iustifying us and all our works That not onely every true Minister of the Gospel but also every true Christian ceaseth all contention about works and is carried with a zealous affection to know nothing among Gods people save Iesus Christ and him crucified to iustifie them 1. Cor. 2. 2. by which they are made such true burning coals of Gods Altar so enflamed with this holy fire of Christs love from heaven that they cannot chuse but enflame and kindle all others that come neare them caring for nothing but to be found our selves and to cause others to be found in Christ that is not having our owne righteousnesse in esteeme which at the best is but mans glory before men only Rom. 4. 2. but in the most precious robes of Christs righteousnesse making both us and all our workes perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in Gods sight freely by faith onely without workes and so do truely know Christ and grace and faith and works rightly as these and such like Scriptures teach Yea doubtlesse I count all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win or gain Christ and bee found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3. 8 9. neither doe I passe of crosses and afflictions at all nor doe I count my life deare unto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioy and the ministery which I have received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospel that is the ioyfull newes of the grace of God Act. 20. 24. That I might be the Minister of Iesus Christ toward the Gentiles ministring as the worship of God the Gospell that is the ioyfull newes of God That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the holy Ghost So that from Ierusalem and round about unto Illiricum I have by Christ working in me caused to abound the Gospel that is the ioyfull newes of Christ Rom. 15. 16 19. Yea so I forced my self to preach this ioyfull newes not where Christ was named lest I should build upon another mans foundation But as it is written to whom hee was not spoken of they shall see and they that have not heard they shall understand vers 20 21. All which againe is as briefly as notably expressed by the established Doctrine of our Church out of Saint Basil saying thus This is a perfect and whole reioycing in God when a man advanceth not himselfe for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth himselfe to lack true iustice and righteousnesse and to be iustified by onely faith in Christ And the Apostle Saint Paul saith he
doth glory in what in the contempt of his own righteousnesse and that he looketh for the righteousnesse of God by faith Sermon of salvation second part Which established doctrine of our Church is lamentably lost of too many Professors among us now a dayes In stead whereof must needs come in the contrary doctrine and religion of reioycing in and greatly esteeming our owne righteousnesse but of small ioy and little regarding of Christs righteousnesse perfectly iustifying us Thus much of the right zeale of God 4. The fourth and last point and main thing to be considered concerning this dead faith is What is the speediest course and most effectuall meanes by which wee may come out of this dead faith into the true lively and iustifying faith and by which we may call others out of the same which speediest course or most effectuall meanes consisteth but in two maine things throughly marked and deeply considered 1. The first is to look so truely into the pure and infinite righteous nature of God that we cleerly see in the two looking-glasses both of the Law and of the Gospel the horrible filthinesse of sinne to be such that God cannot but curse and throw out of his favour and liking the creature that hath any sinne in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Deut. 27. 26. Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to do them Mark Cursed that is cast out of my love and favour for ever Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Matth. 25. 41. is every one that continueth not in all things that is that hath the least sinne in his sight For if we have the least sinne in Gods sight wee doe not continue in all things and so must needs be accursed of God or else his righteous nature must needs be changeable in his definitive sentence against sinne which cannot bee Fearfull examples hereof are First the Angels who although they were most glorious creatures for pure holinesse and righteousnes yet as soone as they conceived but one sinne but in thought onely God spared them not saith Peter that sinned but cast them down into Hell and delivered them into chaines of darknesse to be reserved unto condemnation 2 Pet. 2. 4. Another fearfull example is that of Adam who by one sinne onely brought upon him by subtilty did cast himself into death and destruction and all his posterity even infinite millions of men and women into infinite millions of sins and miseries as Paul expresseth Rom. 5. 12. saying As by one man sin entred into the world and by sin death so death goeth over all men in that all have sinned whereby through the offense of one many bee dead vers 15. Because the iudgement came by that one offense upon all men to condemnation verse 16. Now the reason why God cannot but curse and cast away out of his love and favour the creature that hath any sinne in Gods sight is because the horrible filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous nature that God cannot but detest hate abhorre and count abominable the creature in whom he seeth any sinne or that hath the least sin in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Behold the heavens are unclean in Gods sight how much more is man filthy and abominable who drinketh iniquity like water Iob 15. 15 16. Thus we see that sinne doth make the creature spiritually foule filthy loathsome and abominable in Gods sight though no curse or punishment should follow upon the same as Christ himself also testifieth Mark 7. 20. to 23. saying That which commeth out of the man that defileth the man For out of the heart of man come evill thoughts adulteries fornications murders thefts covetousnesse wickednesse deceit lasciviousnesse an evill eye blasphemies pride foolishnesse All these evill things come from within and these defile a man Therefore did the Prophet Habakkuk say God is of pure eyes and cannot see sinne and cannot behold iniquity but he must needs destroy either the sinne or the sinner from before him But for this purpose was the sonne of God made manifest that in the faithfull hee might destroy sinne the worke of the Devill 1 John 3. 6. Because he was made manifest to take away our sinnes For in him is no sin vers 5. But unto the unbeleeving Jewes the Prophet saith Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his eare heavie that it cannot heare but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hindred good things from you Esay 29. 1. Jer. 5. 25. And for the deeper sight of this evill of sinne hear three things which the Law teacheth concerning sinne and deeply to be considered and daily and diligently to be pressed upon secure consciences As first The horrible encrease of the evill of sinne because the least sinne by the Law forbidding it Exod. 19 20. chapters in fearfull thundring and lightning and terrible earthquake flaming fire reaching up to the midst of heaven Hereby the least sin I say is made out of measure sinfull Because the least sin is encreased to disobedience and disobedience is rebellion that is spirituall high treason against the highest Majesty as Samuel testifies of the disobedience of King Saul 1 Sam. 15. 23. And as the Prophet Daniel confesseth of his sinnes and the sinnes of his people saying We have sinned and done wickedly yea we have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and thus saith hee againe have wee rebelled against God Dan. 9. 5 9. But rebellion saith Samuel is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is stubbornnesse and stubbornnesse is wickednesse and idolatry Thus did the Law enter upon sinne making the offense thereof to abound Rom. 5. 20. And thus the least sinne by the Commandement forbidding it in such terrible thundring and lightning becomes out of measure or exceeding sinfull Rom. 7. 13. And this is the first thing that the Law teacheth concerning sin 2. The second thing which the Law teacheth is the multitude of our sinnes that the most honest and most religious among us are guilty of against every one of the ten Commandements especially by the spirituall breach of the Law as Christ expoundeth the same in the fifth sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew which made Paul to see that his whole nature was nothing else but a meer contrariety to the spirituall meaning of the Law saying The Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. And which made David to cry out saying My sinnes have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up yea they are mee in number than the haires of my head Therefore my heart hath failed me Psal 40. 12. 3. The third thing that the Law teacheth concerning sinne is the fivefold punishment belonging to the least sinne which God executeth daily and hourly upon one
sufficiently commend it or set it forth For saith he the righteous one he made a sinner that hee might make the sinners righteous nay he speaketh not so sleightly neither but that which is farre more For he said not hee made him a sinner but sinne that we might be made he saith not righteous but righteousnesse yea and the righteousnesse of God For this is of God because it is not of workes For the former righteousnesse of good esteem in the Church was the righteousnesse of the Law and of works but this is the righteousnesse of God Because it is necessary that no spot bee found in it and from hence all sinne vanisheth away Thus hee teacheth the magnificence both of the gift and giver 3. Thirdly to look the better into the nature of this benefit we must consider deeply the excelent parts of this wonderfull benefit which are these two chiefly 1. First that this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth though mystically that is above our reason sight sense and feeling that we may live by faith in the truth and power of God speaking and not by sight sense and feeling Rom. 4. 18 to 25. yet freely take away and truly abolish not out of our flesh 1 Iohn 1. 8. but utterly abolish from before God and out of Gods sight all our sinnes as these and such like Scriptures teach Iohn 1. 29. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world For I not you but even I being Sol iustitiae the shining sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. will do away your iniquities like darknesse and abolish your sinnes like a mist Reioyce ye heavens for the Lord hath done it Shout ye lower parts of the earth break forth into praises O mountaines For thus hath the Lord redeemed Iacob and thus will he be glorified in Israel Esa 43. 25. and 44. 22 23. For by himself hath Christ purified and made us cleane from our sins and is set at the right hand of the highest Maiesty Heb. 1. 3 Because if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himsellfe without spot to God purge purifie or make clean our consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 13 14. Therefore did hee now once in the end of the world appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to abolish to doe away or to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9. 26. For Iesus Christ is that faithfull witnesse and that first begotten of the dead and that Prince of the Kings of the earth who hath loved us and hath washed us from our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1. 5. whereby the blood of Iesus Christ the sonne of God doth make us cleane from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Now the sonne having thus abolished our sinnes from before God or out of Gods sight Col. 1. 22. Hereupon doth the father pardon remit and forgive all the punishment and evill that is due to those sinnes which his sonne hath freely done away and truely abolished out of his fathers sight according to that testimony of David Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Psal 32. 1. Hereupon is all the anger of the father and all his displeasure discontentment death and all other evils ceased upon the justified person before God the father And thus much briefly of the excellency of the first part of free justification 2. The excellency of the second part of free justification is That this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth not only make us present us righteous in the sight of God but it also maketh us perfectly and completely and sufficiently holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith onely without workes or without our perfect working Yea so sufficiently and completely and perfectly holy and righteous that though mystically yet wheresoever we sit or walk we shine gloriously holy and righteous in the sight of God freely as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man shall many be made righteous whereby if by the offense of one death reigned by one much more they which receive the abundance of grace and that abundance of the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life through one even Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 17. Therefore did the Angel Gabriel prophesie to Daniel that after seventy weeks of yeares not onely sinne should be finished and transgression made an end of and reconciliation made for iniquity but also everlasting righteousnesse be brought in upon the faithfull Dan. 9. 24. Thus is this righteousnesse called not only an abundance of righteousnesse and an everlasting righteousnesse but also hence it is said to make us complete before God even complete in him which is the head of all principalities and powers Col. 2. 10. Hence it is said to make us perfect as with one sacrifice he hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. Hence it is said to make us and present us to God a glorious Church as he hath made us pure or clean by the washing of water through the word to make us to himselfe a glorious Church not having now at this present time as the Greek and Latine Participles signifie one spot or wrinckle of sinne or any such thing but to bee so holy that wee are unblameable or without blemish before God Eph. 27. Because in the body of his flesh through death he makes us or presents us so holy that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without all blame and without all fault in Gods sight if we continue rooted and grounded in this faith upon which place Chrysostome saith He hath not only freed us from sin but also he hath made us honourable and glorious in Gods sight Hence it is that this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse was signified by the vesture of the gold of Ophir that maketh the bride of Christ a Queen and all glorious within that is spiritually and mystically saying At thy right hand doth stand the Queene in a vesture of the gold of Ophir and shee is all glorious within Psalm 45. 9. Hence is the Church and every true beleever made that great wonder in heaven that is under the time and state of the Gospel called every where in the New Testament the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 11. 11 12. and chapter 13. But what is this wonder A woman that is in generall the whole Church but in particular every true beleeving soule which is as truely by faith married to Christ as any woman can be married to her husband Ephes 5. 30. But what of this woman Amicta sole cloathed with the sunne that shineth in
26 27. Rom. 5. 17 19. Rev. 3. 18. Col. 1. 22. 2. 10. Rom. 8. 4. 9. 30. Heb. 10. 14. And mark how I say not only we our persons but also all our works both naturall civill and religious and all our sanctified actions which by their imperfections are in themselves foule and filthy are by free Justification made so pure and clean yea so perfectly holy and righteous and thereby so acceptable and perfectly well-pleasing to God that they are all as I said both naturall civill and religious actions like the excellent sacrifice of righteous Abel and works of Enoch Noah Abraham as these and such like Scriptures teach Heb. 11. 4 5 6 7 c. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 13. 16. Act. 15. 9. Hos 14. 2. Heb. 13. 15. Phil. 4. 18. Heb. 13. 20 21. This is the Kingdom of heaven set up here on earth by Christ so much spoken of in the Gospel Matth. 11. 11 12. Matth. 6. 33. Rom. 4. 17 18. this is to know Jesus Christ whom the Father hath sent Iohn 17. 3. Now God will have this benefit of Christs righteousnesse justifying both our persons and works to be received and enjoyed by faith only for divers Reasons First that it may be free only for taking it by faith Secondly that it may be to the praise and glory of his grace Eph. 1. 4 5 6. Thirdly that he that glorieth may glory only in the Lord Christ Esay 45. 25. 1 Cor. 1. 30 31. Fourthly that none may boast but be humbled in his best works of sanctification Eph. 2. 9. Rom. 7. 24. Fifthly that the promise of inheritance of Righteousnesse and Life might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 16. Sixthly and especially because none shall be saved but the true children of Abraham as these Scriptures teach Rom. 2. 28 29. Rom 4. 11 12 16. Gal. 3. 16. 29. But none are the true children of Abraham but such as walk in the steps of the faith of their father Abraham Rom. 4. 12. Therefore it is exceeding needfull yea only necessary to know what those steps are hereof the Apostle doth diligently describe unto us the justifying faith of Abraham Rom. 4. 17. to 22. that we may not be ignorant except wee will be wilfull in our owne just damnation what those steps of Abrahams faith were which were these foure The first step is the foundation and ground of Abrahams faith namely that he beleeved in him that quickens the dead and calleth those things that be not as though they were verse 17. that is he makes the things that be not to have as true a being before himselfe by his call or as he cals them as if they had a visible being to our eyes and so faith is a true substance and being of things that are not seen Heb. 11. 1. This is the first Step. The second Step is the battell of his faith namely that Abraham against or contrary to hope beleeved under hope according as it was spoken So shall thy seed be verse 18. that is contrary to all hope of what he saw and felt in himselfe in that he was as good as dead to the having of children and yet he beleeved under hope of Gods word according as it was spoken not that hee notwithstanding his deadnesse to children should yet have three or four children but thou art so fruitfull before me that thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven for multitude In this was the battell of his faith in that against hope he beleeved under hope The third step is the victory of his faith namely that he not weake in faith considered not but pulled back his eyes from his own body now dead and thereby impossible to reason to have children and also considered not the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe who was more unlikely to have children than he neither did he doubt of the promise of God by unbeliefe but was strengthened in faith and thus got the victory in his faith verse 19. The fourth step is the triumph of faith namely that he gave glory to God that is confessed in his heart the truth of God speaking though he spake impossible things to reason and present sense and feeling and also glorified the power of God as all-sufficient to doe impossible things as hee had spoken it Being fully assured that hee which had spoken though it seemed never so impossible must needs be true of his word and also was able to doe it Because hee hath power enough to do all impossible things to reason and so gave glory to God vers 20 21. and therfore it was imputed unto him for righteousnes vers 22. Now this was not written for Abraham onely that it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse vers 23. but also for us to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse that trust in the death of Christ for the abolishing of our sins and in his resurrection for our free and full iustification whereby as the true sonnes and daughters of Abraham wee do imitate in our free iustification Abrahams faith and so doe walke in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham thus or after this manner First is the foundation and ground of our faith of free iustification namely to beleeve in God that by imputing his sons righteousnesse quickens them that are dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 5. How by making us that are not iust and righteous to be by his call as truly and perfectly iust and righteous in Gods sight as he calls us as if we did see and feele our selves perfectly holy and righteous in outward sense and feeling and this is the foundation and ground of our free iustification which causeth the substance and very being of free iustification to be in us Rom. 3. 26. though we doe see no such things with bodily eyes Heb. 11. 1. 3. Secondly followes the battel in our faith of free iustification that wee contrary to all hope of what we see and feel in our selvs whereby we see and feel our own righteousnesse to be as filthy menstruous rags Esa 64. 6. do yet beleeve under hope of Christs righteousnesse that we of uniust are made iust before God that is our bodies and souls are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely without works according to that which is spoken As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. according as it is spoken The bloud of Iesus Christ the Son of God doth make us clean from all sin 1 Ioh. 1. 7. this is the battell in the faith of our free iustification that against hope we beleeve under hope Thirdly followes the victory that we not weak in faith doe not consider but pull back our eyes from the free consideration of our bodies which we feel dead in sinne Rom. 7. 24. nor yet consider the deadnesse of our natures by