cannot admit Againe the heauenly Ierusalem is a place so pure that no vncleane thing nothing that worketh any abomination may haue any doings there Reuel 21. There is then no place for vs therein who are so besmeared and stained with sinne that whatsoeuer wee turne our selues vnto is before the Lord no better than abomination And this in generall may suffice touching this doctrine For we are dead 1. Here spiritually But now for as much as wee are not as soone as we come forth of the wombe cast into hell know therefore that euery one of vs are first come short of this glory in regard of spirituall and heauenly life of the which there is not by nature the least sparke remaining in vs we being starke dead in our sinnes as often the Scripture expresly speaketh Ephes 2.1 You were dead in sinnes and trespasses and Mat. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Liuing men then who are void of this spirituall life are no better in the Lords account than dead men who when they burie others dead as touching this bodily life it is as pretty a pageant as to see one dead corps carry or accompany another vnto the graue Yea let men frolick it and ruffle in pleasures and not onely liue in their conceits but liue brauely and deliciously yet euen in this condition they are but dead and the more thus they liue the further are they plunged into death as Paul saith 1. Tim. 5.6 of the widow Our naturall life being but a shadow of life that shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth It is but a conceit a name of life that naturall men haue it is but a goodly vizour drawne ouer a dead and rotten corps Thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead saith our Sauiour to the Angell of Sardi Reuel 3.1 Notwithstanding heere the Lord doth let his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall on the vngodly together with his owne and these dead soules enioy many documents of Gods fauour and bounty whereby they neither seeme nor indeed are so wholly and vtterly separate from happinesse as they shall bee 2. Subiect to the bodily death Wherefore there is a second staire by which all of vs if the Lord succour not descend yet further from this blessed life and this glorious conditiō that is in death when a dissolution of soule and body commeth Then the body is committed to the earth where it feeleth no good at all as in life it did nor any euill and the soule is gathered to the spirits of apostate angels and reserued to eternall condemnation in chaines of darknesse Iude 6. Lastly 3. To death eternall there is yet one lower descent in the day of iudgement when as soule and body at the resurrection which is both of iust and vniust being reunited shall be separated for euermore from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1.9 and shall be cast into vnquenchable fier where the worme of their consciences shall neuer die but vncessantly vexe and torment them for euer And so we will in one handle the vses which are to be made of both these instructions Vse 1 First then we are to treasure vp these instructions in our hearts Is to furnish vs with matter of confession in our prayers that they may serue vs from weeke to weeke and from day to day to direct vs in our prayers for the confession of our sinnes wee haue all by rote and can vtter the words of Saint Iames though otherwise than hee speaketh them In many things we sinne all Iam. 3.2 But rare is that man that truly vnderstandeth what it is hee vttereth wherefore let these things be still present with vs that we may vnderstand fully and explicate in particular our corruption and misery To doe it feelingly and particularly when wee come before the Lord to make our confessions and prayers For to confesse our selues sinfull and miserable not know how wherin we are so surely is nothing else but with those wicked Iewes wherof the Lord complaineth For slight and generall confession is vnprofitable Isa 29. to draw neere to him with our lips while our hearts are far from him and to commit that from which Salomon dehorteth Eccles 4.17 viz. To offer vp the sacrifice of fooles babling with our tongues what we mind not And a mocking of God or vnderstand not Nay it is a plaine mocking of God vnto his face thus without knowledge and consciousnesse of our sinfulnesse in particular and the seuerall branches of it to confesse our sins Who would not take himselfe abused by such a debtor that should confesse that he were indebted to him if he knew for what but therein hee must pardon him For he could not call to mind wherein nor why nor how he should owe him any thing Such a flouting confession doe we make to God of our sinnes when in generall termes wee acknowledge them but in the meane while our heart doth not smite vs for any in particular nor can wee tell wherein we are so sinfull Wee must then bee well acquainted with this our miserable condition the knowledge whereof will helpe much to enlarge and excite our hearts to a feeling confession thereof and a more earnest crauing of Gods mercy for the cure of it And to driue it home vnto our harts To remedie which we must consider our state in sinne when we confesse that we are thus tainted in soule and body with the leprosie of sinne let vs seriously consider that we are in a most fearfull and lamentable estate To be fearfull and lamentable It is a fearful thing to haue a noysome disease a stinking or running sore on any part of the body but how much more lothsome and fearfull is it to be couered with boyles and scabs as was Iob and to haue nothing sound in the whole body but as the Prophet speaketh from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head to bee laden with wounds and swellings and soares full of corruption Such a lamentable sight should we see in this ougly leprosie of sinne wherewith wee are infected if we could discerne it whose poyson and contagion goeth beyond the most fearfull and noysome diseases of the body And most contagious For be a disease contagious it is and not without cause terrible yet cannot it infect where it toucheth not but a pestilence oh how dreadfull is that accounted what running and flying from it is there which can only yet infect the aire and neere and neighbour places to the hazard of such as dwell at hand and thereabouts But this plague of sinne hath wrought vpon the whole creature to infect the very heauens and make all things subiect vnto vanity that as the garment and house which were infected incurably with the leprosie the one was to bee burned with fier the other razed downe and
and meeknesse But now what reason doth he giue why such kindnesse and courtesie should be vsed toward others Marke that in this 3. verse for we our selues saith he were in times past disobedient vnwise c. plainly shewing that nothing more engendreth mildnes and gentlenes toward others than to set before vs what we our selues haue been 2. To long for our dissolution Secondly in the relicks of sinne to remember our miserie will make vs sigh and grone for our heauenly tabernacle and desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ As Dauid being very much a-thirst did long to drinke and said Oh that one would giue me of the water of the well of Bethlehem 2. Sa. 23. So Saint Paul hauing wel considered of his slauish and irksome case through sinne abiding in him and continually molesting him doth conceiue an earnest desire and breaks out into most passionate wishes of his full deliuery Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death 3. To tast our saluation by Christ the more pleasant Thirdly it will make vs taste the benefit of Christ more pleasantly When did Paul come thankfully as it were to take the cup of saluation in Christ Iesus euen then when he looked vnto it through the body of death And therefore after his former exclamation hee annexeth this thanks-giuing I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And certaine it is that as the Paschall Lambe did relish the best when it was eaten with sowre herbs so by these remembrances which humble and breake the spirit our saluation by Christ is made much more comfortable and sauoury Vse It is then to be blamed in Gods children It reproueth those that neglect to call it to mind if they doe not exercise their thoughts in a frequēt meditatiō of their naturall misery there are diuers who being aduanced from a lowe estate to great preferment forget their base parentage nor will once looke downe to the dung-hill from whence they were raised but what doth ensue in such persons but strange pride and insolencie out of which they domineere cruelly ouer their inferiours disdaine and set themselues against their equalles and to their ruine at length set at naught him that aduanced them not acknowledging his former fauours and thinking that they can now sit fast without him It is a faireway to spirituall pride Gods children are in danger of nothing more than of spirituall pride with the which the diuell when all other of his traines faile hopeth to blow them vp by dazling their eyes with the view of their perfections and present happinesse And to prepare them thereunto and make way for this stratagem this he doth driue at to make them forget what they were of old and little to thinke of their former miserie to which if he can bring them then with ease and readily will succeed vncharitable censures and proud disdain of others inferiour to them in grace contentious emulations toward those that match them or goe before them yea a sleight esteeme of Gods mercy and grace whereby they were deliuered Great aduantage therefore doe they giue the diuell against them who loue not to keep in mind and humbly to recount their wretched state by nature euen when through Gods mercy they bee freed It followeth And are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom he hath proposed a reconciliation through faith in his blood Euen as the way to Sion was by Sinai so vnlesse wee desire rather to bee carnally secured than truly comforted wee must passe by the diligent view of our most wofull plight wherein by nature wee are enwrapped to the consideration of the good things which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him These words then vnfolded will plainly declare what I propounded to shew in the second place viz. the very thing which belongeth to our happines I cannot cast them more conueniently for our capacities than into these three members The parts First that there is restitution for all sorts of men from this misery in these words All are iustified Secondly the grounds or causes of this restitution and these are two first the mercy of God in these words freely by his grace secondly the redemption in Christ whereof hee speaketh thus through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Thirdly the instrument whereby these are applied to vs in vers 25. through faith in his blood These three poynts we will handle in order Doct. 4. We are restored from this misery That there is a reparation of mans lamentable condition is not necessary to dispute since it is a matter nothing controuersall The Apostle Gal. 3.22 euidently saith that all are by the Scripture concluded vnder sinne But why that they might lie in this condition Nothing lesse but that the promise through the faith of Iesus Christ should bee giuen to them that beleeue And it were woe with vs if this case were any whit doubtfull I will therefore in stead of arguing whether there bee a restoring yea or nay set downe the order of our restitution For though this word Iustified doe not signifie directly euery parcell of our happy estate yet it being opposed to our miserable estate doth it selfe signifie some part of our deliuerance from it and by necessary consequence implieth all that concurreth thereunto First therefore let vs know 1. By iustification that for man guilty before the tribunall seat of God for the sinne hee committed as he was in Adams loynes and many aduerse sinnes in his owne person there is iustification that is Whereby God acquitteth vs from sinne nothing else as Paul euery where vseth it but an action of God as iudge of all the world whereby he doth acquit his creature of whatsoeuer crime might be laid vnto his charge holding him for iust and innocent yea and according to this iustice which he imputeth to him hee doth most graciously entreat him And accepteth vs to life by acception to life euerlasting This is the very import of this word as is gathered by these two arguments First it is a word iudiciall as may bee seene 2. Sam. 15.4 Oh saith Absalom that they would make me a Iudge in the land that euery one who hath any matter or controuersie might come to mee and I would doe to him iustice that is pronounce him quit cnd cleare him as his cause requireth Secondly the opposition requireth the same for condemnation is set against it as the contrary Rom. 8.33.34 It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne And this may be considered as the first degree in our reparation and is precisely signified by the word it selfe which though it be distinguished from these that follow otherwise a wholesome forme of words and doctrine cannot be kept yet it must not be separated 2 By sanctification Secondly therefore the Lord whom hee thus iustifieth he
sendeth into their hearts the Spirit of his Sonne Gal. 4.6 that spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 I meane that promised spirit which doth regenerate them throughout so that though they were by nature darknesse Jn all parts yet they now become light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 though they were rebellious such as could not bee subiect yet now they come to delight at least in the inner man of their mindes in the Law of God though their affections were prophane and vnsanctified yet now they are renewed to that image which is in holinesse so that their ioy is not fixed in outward things as wisedome strength riches but in this that they know the Lord to be their God in Christ Ier. 9.23.24 and that their names are written in heauen Luk. 10.20 their loue is setled on God their hearts speaking with Dauid Psalm 73.25 What haue I in heauen but thee and whom in earth in comparison of thee So also their feare and hope is turned from the world and things temporall vnto God and matters euerlasting And though before what euer they did was sinne yet now they doe those good workes which the Lord hath prepared for them to walke in And thus the life of glory is againe restored For this their sanctification is the beginning of glory so that euen while they are on earth Which is a beging of glory they haue euerlasting life He that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Ioh. 3.36 And Rom. 8.23 wee are said to haue here the first fruits of the spirit The first fruits and the whole lumpe differ not in substance and kind but in the measure and circumstance What were the first fruits of corne oliues or any other fruit of the earth offered to the Lord vnder the Law but a part and a prime part of the whole haruest and so the sanctifying graces of Gods spirit which wee receiue on earth are parts and beginnings of our glorious life in heauen from which they differ not in kind but in measure and degree Now when Gods faithful ones depart 3. By glorification begun in death they goe neerer to the fulnesse of this glory as whose soules goe into Paradise as our Sauiour speaketh to the thiefe Luk. 23.43 and whose spirits are gathered to the spirits of iust and perfect men in the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.23 But at the resurrection of the iust Consummate at the resurrection then shall this life of glory bee consummate their bodies being made conformable to the glorious body of Christ Iesus Phil. 3.21 the Lord being glorified in his saints made maruellous in all them that beleeue 2. Thes 1.10 Thus farre then it goeth well that wee who were condemned persons and had our faces couered as being ready to bee carried away to execution should bee iustified that wee who were drie wood fruitfull onely in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse should become greene trees planted in the true temple of the God-head Christ Iesus and so be made to beare good fruit abundantly euen to abound in euery good worke that wee finally who were dead should liue Now it is some comfort for any man labouring of a desperate disease to heare say there is cure for it But come to one whom some griefe incurable as it is reputed doth hold and tel him there is remedy for him as he will be glad to heare it so hee will hardly beleeue it wherefore he will aske what be the ingredients or simples of which that medecine should be made that by this meanes the force of these well considered he may see if it bee likely to doe the deed yea or no. So in maladies spirituall which no power in heauen or earth but that which can subdue all things to it selfe can correct To say there is a salue for these sores is somewhat comfortable but it will not presently passe for currant You will therefore aske in the first place how this should come to passe for man is full of sinne and the Lords eyes are too pure to behold nothing but filthinesse When there is nothing then in him which may moue God vnlesse it be to iudgement how should the Lord come to-restore him very well Looke on the next words We are iustified freely by his grace Though there bee nothing in vs yet the Lord of his free grace doth iustifie vs. Doct. 5. This then is our lesson that the grace of God that is We are iustified freely by Gods meere grace God himselfe of himselfe in great fauour and riches of mercy bowing downe to succour his miserable creature altogether vndeseruing God I say thus meerly mercifull doth iustifie vs. So the Apostle teacheth euery where Tit. 2.11 The grace of God bringing saluation vnto all men hath appeared So Ephes 2.8.9 We are saued by grace not of workes where it is to bee marked how the meere grace of God not excited by any workes but working of its owne accord hath the whole stroke in our saluation For workes are secluded from working any whit therein And although these speeches be plaine enough to cleere the poynt yet loe how it is affirmed more plainly 2. Timoth. 1.9 Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace c. Our saluation is of grace and what grace not such as doth follow vpon any goodnesse inherent in vs or works foreseene which should come from vs but onely vpon the intent and purpose of God within himselfe This is a truth which was well knowne in the time of the old Testament By mercy and truth saith Salomon Prou. 16.6 iniquitie shall bee forgiuen and by the feare of the Lord men depart from euill What mercy and truth is heere meant what that of man toward man no surely It cannot bee fitly vnderstood but of Gods meere grace whereby he promiseth good things to men and his fidelity in performing most constantly what he promiseth from which we obtaine this fauour to get our sinnes couered and pardoned As the reuerence of Gods Maiesty doth cause his children to eschew euill so his mercy toward them being in Christ a most mercifull Father vnto them doth bestow on them the pardon of their sinnes And what else meant the Saints of old but to ascribe all to Gods mercy when they did alwaies make their request to God and craue of him to haue respect vnto them not for their owne sake but for his mercies which last for euer his kindnesse and goodnesse his names sake c. That God may haue the glory of our saluation For Gods glory is most deare vnto him neither can he endure therein to haue any partner Wherefore in the businesse of our saluation hee doth so worke that man may haue no matter of reioycing out of God who doth all this worke in himselfe and out of man that who so reioyceth might reioyce onely in the Lord 1. Cor. 1.31 Vse 1 This doctrine serueth first
on his Crosse 1. Pet. 2.24 Wherefore hee which was most iust and righteous offering himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes who are vniust and bearing the punishment which our sinnes deserued hath paid our ransome 1. Tim. 2.6 and redeeming vs by this meanes is become that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world and thus hee being made vnrighteousnes for vs by these his sufferings and if there were any further thing for vs to doe doing it also for vs. For he is the end of the Law Rom. 10.4 and in him we are compleat Colos 2.10 we are made in him the righteousnesse of God 2. Cor. 5.21 Christ is therefore in Ier. 23.6 called Iehouah our righteousnesse Malachy calleth him the Sonne of righteousnesse chap. 4. vers 2. because hee is first made vnto vs righteousnesse of God and then doth make vs righteous vnto God This doctrine hath three vses Vse 1 First whereas the Lord doth so iustifie vs of grace It sheweth the agreement of Gods iustice and mercy in our redemption that we are also made iust in the redemption of Christ we may see and contemplate that admirable mysterie how the Lords iustice and his mercy doe kisse each other There is all iustice vnto Christ whose soule felt the anger of God in that extremity that his body affected heerewith did sweat clotty blood who was broken euen with hellish torments by the hand of God for our sinnes and was humbled to the death of the Crosse There is all mercy to vs it is mercy that the satisfaction of Christ should be ours that all that he did should be accounted as done by our selues It is mercy that Christ himselfe the satisfier should bee giuen vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Paul Rom. 8.32 He hath gratified vs with his Sonne hee hath bestowed him freely on vs. Vse 2 Secondly this may be a comfort to a distressed conscience Jt sheweth where we may fetch righteousnesse to iustifie vs. For often beholding and feeling our filthinesse and corruption that is in vs wee are ready to think that we haue no iustice wherwith to stand and appeare before the Lord. But loe beloued here is righteousnesse enough for thee and for me and for the whole multitude of beleeuers we are righteous in Christ our Redeemer Yea but haply it will sticke somwhat with thee how thou shouldest be righteous with an others righteousnesse If a priuate man indeed should die How anothers righteousnesse may iustifie vs. hee could but satisfie for his owne sinne Gal. 6.5 Euery one in this order beareth his owne burthen But the case is otherwise with Christ for he was not a meere man but God in nature glory and maiesty equall with the Father and hee being not a seruant but the Sonne by nature was sent and made subiect to the Law that he might redeeme vs which were vnder the Law Gal. 4.4.5 And what Christ did or suffered he did not as a priuate person but as a publike in the name and behalfe of Gods elect and not of himselfe but as appointed therunto of God It was not for himselfe but for the faithfulls sake that Christ did sanctifie himselfe Ioh. 17.19 and God it is who doth make him righteousnesse vnto vs 1. Cor. 1.30 It is of force amongst men what one man doth in anothers name chiefly where there is a common agreement that it shall bee so And why may not it be thus in our iustification before God for if the iustice of God preuailed so farre that through the offence of one many shal be dead Rom. 5.15 much more shall his mercy cause that grace and the gift of grace that is righteousnesse which is by one man Iesus Christ should abound vnto many For the iustice of God serueth and ministreth to his mercy as Rom. 11.32 God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe but to what intent doth Gods iustice this that so they should remaine so no but that place might bee made for mercy as it followeth that he might haue mercy on all Vse 3 Thirdly seeing the Lord doth make vs righteous in Christ his redemption It teacheth vs to renounce our owne righteousnesse let vs abandon our owne righteousnesse in this case counting our best deeds as menstruous garments reckoning all as drosse and dung to winne Christ that is to be found not hauing our owne righteousnesse but that which is through faith This righteousnesse is not the righteousnesse of meere man but of God and to bring ours hereunto were as foolish as to helpe the shining of the sunne with the light of some small spattering candle or to bring a drop of muddy water to a cleere chrystall ocean Now there remaineth one thing further to bee handled For though a remedy against an infirmity be found out though euery matter be knowne which concurreth to the confection yet vnlesse this be taken inwardly or applied outwardly nothing will be effected so beloued vnlesse the grace of God the redemption of Christ bee laid to vs after a sort and receiued all is in vaine Then this is the question in the third place how the remedies are to bee vsed and receiued The answere to this question is to be fetched out of the 25. verse and is contained in these words by faith in his blood Doct. 7. Which doth teach vs this doctrine that wee are euery one to apprehend the grace of God in the redemption of Christ to iustification We are tu embrace Christs redemption wrought for vs by faith by hearty and vnfained faith Faith hath been alwaies requisite as the instrument to take Christ our righteousnesse that so we might in Gods sight be iustified This is taught vs euery where Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the saith of Iesus Christ should bee giuen to all And Ioh. 3.16 So God loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth on him should haue euerlasting life Where we see faith to be brought in as the instrument without the which neither the promise can bee appropriated nor saluation attained So Act. 16.30.31 Which is the instrument to receiue it when the question is made what shall I doe to be saued it is answered by the Apostle beleeue on the Lord Iesus thou and thy houshold and you shall bee saued And truly the righteousnesse of Christ hath not been of more ancient time giuen to men than faith hath beene appointed the receiuer heereof Wherefore it is called the righteousnesse of faith because it is receiued by faith as our righteousnes which God imputeth to vs. If we should search the register of the Scriptures a cloud of witnesses would compasse vs about for the confirmation of this poynt But by the way it seemeth more necessary to answere what may be obiected For aboue we haue taught you will say that the grace of God cannot stand with any thing in man How then will you aske