the firmament that is clothed with the glorious robes of Christs perfect righteousnesse making her wheresoever she sitteth or walketh to shine as glorious in Gods eyes as the sunne shineth glorious in our eyes when shee shineth in her brightest hue Thus hath Christ made his Church to himselfe a glorious Church Ephes 5. 27. And hath the moone under her feet that is the righteousnesse of the Law directing the feet of her walking and conversation here before men and shining by sanctification declaratively to man-ward Matth. 5. 16. as the moone shineth and giveth light that is man walking in the dark night of this world and yet hath this moone of sanctification on under her feet as of small esteeme in comparison of the glorious sunne of Christs perfect righteousnesse with which she is clothed Phil. 3. 8 9. And hath a Crowne of twelve stars upon her head that is hath the doctrine of the Gospel taught by the twelve Apostles and all faithfull Ministers likened to stars Rev. 1. 16 20. in highest esteem as her chiefest ornament or crowne And thus we see how Christ who knew no sin was made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God by true faith in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. And thus much bee briefly spoken of the excellency of the two parts of free iustification 4. Fourthly and lastly for the right understanding and powerfull laying forth of the excellency of free Justification we must deeply consider and diligently lay forth the excellent effects and precious fruits of free Justification which are briefly all needfull blessings both temporall and eternall but chiefly and especially these sixe following 1. First that by this free Justification we are reconciled to God and so restored into his love and favour again that all anger and displeasure of God being ceased and abolished towards us God is well pleased and at peace with us as it was notably prophesied by the Prophet saying I will heale their backslidings and I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him Hosea 14. 4. But how came wee to bee thus healed why Christ was wounded for our transgressions Christ was broken or bruised for our iniquity The chastisement of our peace was laid upon him and with his stripes we are healed Esay 53. 5. Therefore saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. 2 The second excellent effect is that by the very hearing meditating and reading to search into the truth and learning of this benefit of free Justification the holy Ghost is freely and experimentally given unto us to dwell in us and to take up our souls and bodies to be his blessed temples to dwell in us as these and such like Scriptures teach Received ye the spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith that is of free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. For whilst Peter was preaching of the death and resurrection of Christ justifying and freely saving Gods people even whilst he was speaking the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word Acts 10. 44. Therefore saith S. Paul Know you not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you 1 Cor. 3. 16. and 6. 19. For if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. For when Paul preached the resurrection of Christ that from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses by Christs resurrection every one that beleeveth is justified Then the beleevers were filled with joy and with the holy Ghost Acts 13. 39. 52. 3. The third excellent effect of Free Justification is that the justified person is by the holy Ghost thus dwelling in him so united and truly married as a glorious Bride and Queene so effectually unto Christ that he is made a very member of Christ flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Therefore did the Apostle say Know yee not that your bodies are the members of Christ Yea he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 15 17. For saith Paul As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of the body though they be many yet are but one body even so is Christ for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be bond or free and have beene all made to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Now therefore ye are the body of Christ and members for your part vers 27. Yea I say so truly and effectually that wee are members of his body and of his flesh and of his bones Ephes 5. 30. Oh how truly doth the Apostle call these benefits thus freely wrought upon us by the blood of Christ unsearchable riches Eph. 3. 8. God make us to search into them deeper 4 The fourth excellent effect of our free Justification is that hereby we are adopted and made the true children even sonnes and daughters of the living God Therefore doth St. Iohn say As many as received him namely to justifie them by his blood and death to them he gave the prerogative or dignity to bee the sonnes of God For Christ hath redeemed us from under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of sonnes And because we are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into our hearts to cry Abba father Gal. 4. 5 6. And therefore S. Iohn crying out in admiration of this great dignity said Behold what love the Father hath shewed toward us that wee things of nothing Psal 144. 4. should be called the sonnes of God And now we are the sonnes of God but it is not made manifest what wee shall be but wee know that when he which is the son shall appeare we shall be like him 1 Iohn 3. 1 2. 5 The fifth excellent effect of this free Justification is that by it wee are made assured heires of eternall glory For so saith S. Paul That we being justified by his free grace are made heires of eternall life Tit. 3. 7. For if we bee children we are also heires even heires of God and joint heires with Christ Rom. 8. 17. For whom God justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And therefore is free Justification called the justification of life Rom. 5. 18. Wherefore Paul testifieth thus I reckon that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8. 18. 6. The sixth excellent effect of free justification is that by it we are made as the upshot and fulnesse of all that our hearts can wish truly blessed For saith Saint Paul David pronounceth that man or that woman to be a blessed man or a blessed woman to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6. whereof hee testifieth further to the Galathians saying The Scripture that is the Spirit of God speaking
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
sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feet are swift by anger and malice to shed blood destruction and misery are in their wayes and the way of peace they have not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes And whereas the naturall man in the dead faith will by his civill honest and supposed sanctified life put all this away from himselfe to such as are profane and grosly wicked saying that this is spoken of them that are meerly and wholly in the estate of nature and that so peradventure he might have been such a one but now thanks be unto God he is not such a one yet the true sanctified children of God that are truly enlightned to see the spirituall meaning of the Law doe grant and truly feele that by their daily and continuall spirituall breaches of the Law they are truly such indeed as Paul here describeth so shut up under sin both they and all their best sanctified good works Gal. 3. 22. that there is not one that doth good no not one Whereby they feele that every mouth even of the most sanctified is stopped and all the world is found subject to the judgement of God A cleare example of the truth hereof is Paul himselfe who although he was one of the most sanctified amongst men yet he cried out saying The Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sinne for to will is present with me but I finde no meanes how to performe that which is good Rom. 7. 18. And thus feeling in himselfe with the Prophet Esay that all his righteousnesse of sanctification was as foule menstrous filthy rags Esay 64. 6. because in all his good works he brake the tenth Commandement and so as much as lay in him did destroy himselfe in all his good works Hosea 13. 9. Even death it selfe being in the pot of his most sanctified good works and best actions therefore hee cried out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. This is to bee slaine by the Law this is to understand the Law rightly especially the tenth Commandement And this is the first means to come out of this dead faith and to call others out of the same being throughly marked and deeply considered 2 The second meanes to come out of this dead faith and to call others out of the same is truly to understand and open unto others the excellency of free justification That as the spirit hath convinced us and all our best works of sinne by the looking-glasse of the Law so the spirit may also convince us of free given righteousnesse Joh. 16. 8 9 10. namely that wee and all our works are of unjust made just that is perfestly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith only without works And mark how I say not simply free justification but the excellency of free Justification must be diligently looked into and deeply considered in foure principall respects 1 First in the most excellent and glorious causes of it being the glorious work of the whole Godhead wherein God the Father in giving his sonne and God the sonne in pouring forth his blood and life and God the holy Ghost in applying it to us and in cloathing though mystically yet truly our souls and bodies with this wedding garment and in creating the new eyes of faith to see these spirituall riches doe all work severally and wonderfully to effect the same upon us and that also freely onely by free grace that is God respectign no goodnesse or worthinesse in us to deserve the same but rather that we feele our wretched misery nor respecting no evils or unworthinesse in us to hinder the free taking of his rich grace That it might be to the praise of the glory of his free grace wherewith hee hath made us freely accepted in his beloved one Eph. 1. 6. And for this cause doth God bestow this benefit upon us that is upon the young children of Christian parents usually and ordinarily in our baptisme even when wee were little Infants God pitying our misery when we could not pitty our selves and washed us from the spirituall blood of our originall sinne Ezek. 16. 6 9. with the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires of eternall life Tit. 3. 5 6 7. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having made us pure and clean by the washing of water through the word That hee might even when wee were little senselesse Infants and thereby as good as double dead to all sense and feeling in trespasses and sinnes and by nature the children of wrath make us to himselfe a glorious Church not having now at this present time as the Greeke and Latine participles signifie one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing but are holy and without blame Ephes 5. 26 27. Because wee are made thus perfectly pure and clean before God not onely from that one offense of our originall sinne but also from all the many actuall sinnes of our whole life even in our baptisme even when we are Infants that is utterly helplesse in our selves that all this blessednesse may be the more freely upon us And that as Saint Paul saith Although the iudgment was by one offense unto condemnation yet the gift is not so but the free gift is of many offenses to iustification Rom. 5. 16. So that if by one mans offense death reigned by one much more they that receive that abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life by one that is Iesus Christ vers 17. And thus wee see that as there is no difference of young or old but all have sinned and are deprived and come short of the glory of God so all that receive this free gift of righteousnesse are justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 23 24. And thus much of the excellent causes of free justification briefly touched 2. Secondly wee must consider deeply the excellent nature it self of free iustification in that it is the head and chiefest benefit of the Gospel whereby by the power of Gods imputation we are so clothed with the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that of uniust we are made iust before God that is so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by faith alone without works That as St. Paul speaketh wee are made the righteousnesse of God in him that is in this faith in him The excellency of which benefit was so rightly marked and so diligently considered by Chrysostome that he thereupon breaketh out into these words of ioy and admiration of the same saying Qualis sermo what a saying is this what heart or understanding can
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