forgiven till it be committed it must be past before it can be forgiven But the Apostle might use this speech in reference to sins past before his coming to shew the efficacy and power of Christs death that it was not the bloud of Rams and Goats but that of Christ which could expiate our offences My intent is to speak of the benefit first and then the Causes the Benefit is Justification And for the better understanding of this consider the Propositions following which will be subservient to clear the nature of it although the more exact opening of the word and the nature of it is to be looked for when we come to speak of imputed righteousnesse First It is of great consequence to have this Doctrine kept pure Luther called it Articulus stantis aut cadentis Ecclesiae as if this were the soul and pillar of Christianity Pighius though a Papist calleth this the chief par◠of Christian Doctrine confessing that it had been obscured rather then cleared by their own Writers yea this Doctrine about Justification is that which discerneth the Orthodox from Pagans Papists Socinians and Arminians Now there are divers reasons why we should keep the Philistims from throwing in earth to stop up this pleasant spring As 1. because herein is the grace and good favour of God especially revealed Therefore the Gospel is called glorious because God did not so much exalt and manifest his excellency in creating the world as he did in providing of a Saviour and pardon for a poor sinner Hence it s called the riches of his grace rather then of power or righteousness We are therefore sollicitous whatsoever the Antinomians say to the contrary that the doctrine of Gods grace in Justification may be fully improved to the uttermost and that every broken heart may be put into a ravishment and admiration of it We bewail those times of Popery when the name and efficacy of Christ and his Grace were obscured by the works and pretended righteousnesse of men 2. It is very necessary to keep this pure because of the manifold truths that must fall if this fall if you erre in this the whole truth about Originall sinne Free-will and Obligation of the Law will likewise perish 3. It is of great influence into practice for what doth the heart smitten for sin and filled with the displeasure of God but run to this Doctrine as the City of refuge This is the water that their souls pant after this is the bread that their fainting stomacks would gladly feed on now if this water be turned into mud if this bread be made into stones by the corrupt Doctrines of men how must the soul perish for want of sustenance Secondly Satan hath endeavoured severall waies the corrupting of it You may judge of the preciousnesse and excellency of it by Satans malicious endeavours to suppresse it Herod not more diligently seeking to take away the life of Christ when he was in his Cradle then Satans instruments were busie to stifle this truth in the infancy Chemnitius relateth that he did saepè cohorrescere many times tremble when he thought of a speech which Luther would often say and it was ominous That after his death the Doctrine of Justification would be corrupted And indeed when those first Reformers had made the body of this truth in all the severall parts of it like that of Absalom comely and beautifull without any blemish there presently rose up many perverted in minde and set upon it as those theeves upon the man going to Jericho leaving it wounded and half dead There are errours about the very nature of it making it to be the infusion of righteousnesse in us for which God doth accept us Thus they speak of Justification as Aristotle would about Physicall motions Some take away the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse some take away the satisfaction of Christ some make Faith to be accounted for Righteousnesse some make such a Justification that thereby God shall see no sin in those that are justified whatsoever they do Thus in the nature parts instrument consequents and subject there are manifold errours and hereby Satan bringeth much mischief to the Church for by this means our lives are spent in disputing about this benefit when it were farre more comfortable to be enjoying of it And when Satan could not overthrow the truth by mingling of our works with the Grace of God as in Popery then he bendeth himself to errours on the right hand by setting it up in such a seeming way by amplifications of it that thereby all repentance and godly humiliation shall he quite evacuated Even as when he could not by his instruments the Pharisees disprove the Deity of Christ then he sets instruments on work to confess that he was the Son of God thereby to get in some errours Thirdly God in this way of Justification goeth above our thoughts And certainly when a Christian will set his heart to think about this truth he must lay this for a foundation that in this matter of Justifying Gods thoughts and his thoughts do differ as much as heaven and earth so that the doctrine of Christs hypostaticall union is not more above our thoughts and expectation in the truth of it to be believed then that of Justification is above our hearts in the goodnesse of it to be embraced It is in this case with us as with Sampson who found honey in the carkase of a Lion this could not be expected how it could come there had he found it in some holes of a Tree in the Wood where Bees will sometimes hive themselves there had been some probability but here is none Thus thinketh the soul troubled to finde this honey of Justification in the death of Christ how unlikely is it If I should look for it in the works I do in my holinesse and righteousnesse that is wrought by my own hands this were according to rules of righteousnesse And this is the ground of all that dangerous errour in Popery they look upon it as against the principles of reason that we should be accounted righteous any other way then by that which is inherent in us and this made Luther professe that when he did rightly understand the doctrine about free remission of sins yet he was exceedingly troubled with the word Justifie for that old opinion had much soaked into him that it must be to make righteous as sanctificare is to make holy or calefacere to make hot some positive quality to be brought into a man which he might oppose against the judgement of God And hereby you may see that it s no wonder if the people of God are so difficultly perswaded of their Justification if they be again and again plunged into fears about it because this way which God taketh is above our thoughts It is a great matter to deny our own righteousnesse and to be beholding to Christ only for pardon Fourthly As the
Gods grace are to be effected Thus Rivet vind Apol. p. 127. If therefore any of our Orthodox Authors have acknowledged a remission of sins before faith it hath been in a particular sense to oppose the Arminians who maintain a reconciliability and not a reconciliation by Christs death and not in an Antinomian sense as is more largely to be shewed in answering of their Objection brought from Christs death for enemies and sinners Indeed some learned and worthy men speak of a Justification before faith in Christ our head as we are accounted sinners in the first Adam or common person Thus Alstedius in his supplement to Chamier pag. 204. when Bellarmine arguing against the holiness of the Protestants Doctrine and bringing this for a paradox above all paradoxes That I must be justified by faith and yet justifying faith be a believing that I am just and righteous which is saith Bellarmine besides and against all reason He answereth among other things That Christ and the elect are as one person and therefore an elect man is justified before faith in Christ as the principle of righteousnesse before God and then he is justified by faith as an instrument perceiving his justification in that righteousnesse of Christ So that faith as it goeth to the act of justification is considered in respect of that passive application whereby a man applieth the righteousnesse of Christ to himself not of that active application whereby God applieth to man the righteousnesse of Christ For this application is only in the minde of God To this purpose the learned Zanchy in his Explication of the second Chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians upon those words vers 5. And you being dead in sin he hath quickned together with Christ doth in the first place distinguish of a two-fold quickning One whereby we are freed from the guilt of sinne and invested with a title or right to eternal life The other from the power of sinne whereby we are made spiritually alive to God The former is Justification the later Sanctification Now saith he this two-fold blessing is to be considered in Christ and in our own persons In the first respect God did quicken us in Christ when by his death sinne being expiated he freed from guilt all the elect that have been and shall be considering them as members in Christ their head In the later respect God doth it when having given us faith he gives us also remission of sins and imputeth Christs righteousnesse to us And afterwards the fore-quoted Author making this Objection to himself How Christ could be said to be freed from the guilt of sinne who had no sin He answereth The person of Christ is considered two wayes First in it self as God-man and so Christ was not bound by any guilt Secondly as appointed head and so representing our persons In this respect as God laid our iniquities upon him Isa 55. So when they were expiated by his bloud then was he released from the guilt of those sins We might instance in other Authors but these may suffice to certifie that some orthodox and learned Divines do hold a Justification of the elect in Christ their head before they do believe yet so as they acknowledge also a necessity of a personal Justification by faith applying this righteousnesse to the person justified Therefore although this Doctrine passe for true yet it will not strengthen the Antinomists Although even the truth of this opinion may modestly be questioned unlesse by being justified in Christ our head we mean no more then that Christ purchased by way of satisfaction our Justification for us and so virtually we were justified in Christs death and resurrection But the learned men of that opinion speak as if God then passed a formal Justification upon all though afterwards to be applied that are elected even as in Adam sinning all his posterity were formally to be accounted sinners Now this may justly admit a debate and there seem to be many Arguments against it First If there were such a formal Justification then all the elect were made blessed and happy their sins were not imputed to them for so in Adam when accounted sinners they are wretched and miserable because sin is laid to their charge And if the elect before they believe or repent were thus happy how then at the same time could they be children of wrath and so God imputing their sins to them Can God impute their sins to them and not impute them to them at the same time It is true if we say That Christ by his sufferings obtained at Gods hand that in time the elect should beleeve and be justified this is easily to be conceived but it is very difficult to understand how that all our sins should be at the same time done away in Christ who is considered as one person with us and yet imputed to us Secondly I do not see how this Doctrine doth make our justification by faith to be any more then declarative or a justification in our conscience only and not before God and so by believing our sins should be blotted out in our sense only when they were blotted out before God by Christs death already And so our Justification by faith shall be but a copy fetcht out of the Court roll where the sentence of Justification was passed already whereas the Scripture speaks to this purpose That even before God and in his account till we do believe and repent our sins are charged upon us and they are not cancelled or blotted out till God work those graces in us Therefore this opinion may symbolize too much with the Adversary and indeed none of the meanest Antinomians speaks of an original reconciliation which was wrought by Christ on the cross without any previous conditions in us and urgeth that parallel of the first Adam in whom we all sinned before we had any actual being as also that Text Col. 3.1 where we are said to be risen with Christ Thirdly It is difficult to conceive how Christ should represent any to his Father thereby to partake of the heavenly blessings which come by him till they do actually beleeve and are incorporated in him for they are not his Members till they do believe and till they are his Members he cannot as an head represent them It is true God knoweth whom he hath elected and to whom in time he will give faith whereby they may be united to Christ and so it 's in Gods purpose and intention to give Justification and Sanctification to all his elect but these being mercies vouchsafed in time and limited to such qualifications in the subject I see not how they can be said to be justified in Christ before they do believe otherwise then virtually and meritoriously It is true we are all condemned in Adam because that was a Covenant made with him and his posterity so that the issues thereof fell upon them by a natural and necessary way but
way of Justification by faith in Christ ariseth because of our imperfection and sinfulness remaining in us and therefore is justificatio viae not patriae a justification of us in our way not when we come to our home Fourthly Although pardon of sin be compleated at that great day yet this is not to be understood as if Gods pardon of any sin were imperfect and something of sinne did still remain to be done away No those expressions of forgivenes of sin in the Scripture denote such a full and plenary pardon that a sin cannot be more remitted then it is But because we commit new sinnes daily and so need pardon daily Therefore it is that we are not compleatly pardoned till then As also because the perfect pardon we have here shall then solemnly and publikely be declared to all the world These things thus premised I come to shew the grounds or particulars wherein our pardon of sinne is thus compleated And first In our sense and feeling For howsoever God pardon a sinne perfectly yet our faith which receiveth it is weak This Jewell is taken with a trembling and shaking hand Hence it is that we have not full faith and confidence in our spirits We may see this in David though Nathan told him his sinnes were forgiven him yet his faith was not so vigorous and powerfull as wholly to apply this to his own soul and therefore he had much anguish and trouble of heart afterwards But now at the last day all these fears diffidence and darknesse will be quite removed out of our hearts There shall be no more disturbance in our souls then there can be corruption in the highest heavens we shall then have such a gourd as no worm can devour Our souls shall not then know the meaning of sitting in darknesse and wanting Gods favour There will then be no complaints Why hath the Lord forsaken me Well may Gods children be called upon to lift up their heads when such a redemption draweth nigh and well may that day be called the times of refreshment seeing the people of God are so often scorched with the fiery darts of Satan Secondly Pardon of sin will at that day be perfected Because all the effects of pardon will then be accomplished and not so much as any scars remain the wound will be so fully healed Although God doth fully pardon sin yet the effects of this are delaied many chastisements and sad afflictions are to be undergone howsoever death it self and the corruption in the grave must seize upon justified persons now these are the fruit of sin and howsoever the sting of these be taken away yet they are not wholly conquered till that last day Then therefore may we justly say Sin is pardoned when there shall be no more grave no more death no more corruption but all shall be swallowed up in immortality and glory Thirdly Then and not till then may we say remission of sins will be compleated because then shall no more iteration of pardon be Here in this life because the root of corruption abideth in us there are daily pullulant branches of sinnes and so frequent guilt is contracted whereby as we have daily sores so we need daily plaisters It is with originall corruption in us as in that Tree in Dan. 4.14 15. although the branches be cut off yet the stump is still in the earth and that sprouts out too fast by the temptations that are alwaies by it Hence it is that we alwaies pray Forgive us our sins and because of thâ—se failings the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 writeth to and exhorteth the godly Corinthians who were already reconciled to God to be further reconciled to him But then this Petition shall wholly cease then there will be no serpent to sting us nor will the eye of justifying faith to look upon the brazen serpent exalted be necessary any more The Lord will not only wipe away the tear of wordly grief but also of godly sorrow at that time Then and not till then will it be true That God seeth no sin in his children Then will the Church be without wrinkles or any spot within her In this respect it is the Church of God pâ—aieth so earnestly for the Bridegrooms coming For this it is They look for and hasten in their praiers that day Fourthly At that day will pardon of sin only be compleated if you consider the nature of justification For what is that but an overcoming the accusing adversary and clearing of us against every charge Now this is most eminently and fully done in those last assizes The Syriack word to justifie is also to conquer and overcome because when a man is justified he overcometh all those bils and indictments which were brought in against him now this is manifestly done in the day of judgement when God shall before men and Angels acquit and absolve his people and if the Apostle say in this life Rom. 6.7 of a godly man dead in Christ he is justified from his sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of sanctification that sin doth not conquer him but he sinne how much more will this be true at that day when all the guilt and filth of sin shall be totally removed Oh what a glorious conquest will that be over sin hell and the devil when the Judge of the whole world shall pronounce them free from all sinne and command them to enter into his glorious rest Having thus cleared the Doctrine one Question may be briefly touched upon Whether the sins of Gods people shall be manifested at the day of judgement and God for Christs sake then acquit them There are learned men for the affirmative They shall be published and there are learned men for the negative Those that are for the affirmative they say indeed godly mens sins shall not be examined for their ignominy or confusion but only that the goodnesse and grace of God may be made the more illustrious For this they urge these Arguments First Those places of Scripture which speak of the universality of the reall objects and personal Of the reall as when it 's said A man must give an account of every idle word Mat 12.36 2 Cor. 5.10 an account must be made for every thing done in the body For the universality of the object personal 2 Cor. 5. We must all appear before the Tribunall seat Again They urge the opening of the book which shall be at that day and that is nothing but the manifesting of the consciences of men Furtther Many wicked mens sins and godly mens are mingled together and there cannot be a judgement of discussion preceding that of condemnation unlesse godly mens sinnes also be produced In summe They think this conduceth more to the setting up of Gods justice the exaltation of his mercy neither say they will this breed shame to the godly for in heaven they shall remember their sins committed on earth but without any grief
yet his love and wisdom put him upon that remedy which neither men or Angels could have excogitated so that God doth not let sin go unpunished only he provideth a Ram to be sacrificed for Isaac a Mediator to come between his wrath and us It is true reason as we see doth much gainsay this mystery but we may say mulier ista taceat let this woman hold her peace in the Church of God Though therefore God cannot but execute justice upon sinners yet his justice did admit of a temperament whereby God doth proceed to see the sins of his people to hate them but yet to punish them upon Christ 7. Prop. There is a great deal of difference between Iustice as it is an essential property in God ad intra and between the effects of it ad extra These latter come much under the liberty and freedom of God which appeareth in the variety of his judgements upon wicked men some being consumed one way and some another so that it is meerly at his pleasure whether he will stir up more or lesse wrath Ps 2. there is a little anger of his spoken of but you may read a remarkable expression Ps 78.38 He turned away his wrath from thâ—m and stirred not up all his wrath Here you see the anger of God subject to his free-will If the effects of Gods justice should flow from him as burning from fire or drowning from water the whole world were not able to endure before him who is a consuming fire How could it come about that the wicked do so overflow with prosperity in this world if so be that God did necessarily punish and destroy which are effects of his Iustice So that there is a great difference between Iustice taken for an attribute and Iustice for the effects God cannot but be alwayes just the former whereas there is a liberty in the latter As in man the power of laughing is an essential property in him yet the act of laughter ariseth in some measure by the freenes of his will Hence it is that Gods essential Iustice doth not receive more or lesse but the effects of his Iustice may be more or lesse If many men be in the same sin and God doth punish some of them with a remarkable temporal judgement we may not say God dealeth more justly with these then the other yet we may say the effects of his Iustice are greater upon some then others 8. Propos Christ satisfied God as a just Iudge not as a Father provoked and by this means though punishments are taken away yet afflictions for sin are not and this doth directly answer the whole Question whereas it is demanded seeing Christ fully reconciled God to us and thereby all punishments are taken away why not as well all afflictions If he hath removed greater will he think much at the lesse The answer lieth fully in this Christ by his bloud and satisfaction undertook that the justice of God should never fall upon us to punish us not that he should never be angry with us a Father to chastise us By this redemption it s Christs will that God should not as a just Iudge require compensation of us not that as a provoked Father he should not scourge us for our sins when committed The reason is clear because fatherly anger is an â—ffect of love but punishment the fruit of hatred And thus now you see why God will not see sin to condemnation because Christ hath made up that yet he will see it in believers to angry castigation because Christ did not interpose there it is therefore no derogation to Christs death no injury to his sufferings if notwithstanding them God doth afflict for sin even his own children 9. Propos By reason of this anger of God against sin even still abiding those afflictions which come upon believers are from a conveniency with the justice of God Although we cannot say rigidly That if God did not chastise believers for their sins he were unjust yet we may say his afflicting of them is beseeming his Iustice partly because he hath prescribed this law to himself 1 Sam. 7.14 Even as to wicked men upon their obstinate sinning to punish them so upon his own if they offend to chasten them and partly by afflicting of his people for their sin he demonstrates the hatred of it unto the world Although therefore God do not alwayes chastise every godly man but sometimes by their repentance these very chastisâ—ments are either prevented or removed yet when God doth thus break out in his anger against them this is becoming his just nature and the world thereby seeth how he is displeased with it One of the Articles which Arminius relateth as laid against him was that he should hold The temporal afflictions of believers were not chastisements but punishments properly so called To this he answereth pa. 103. Resp ad Artic. 31. That the calamities inflicted upon David for his sin in the matter of Vriah may be called punishments properly and that the Text seemeth to be better explained so and yet withall that there will be no favour to the Popish opinion for he grants That Christ satisfied both for eternal and temporal punishments but yet God when he takes off the spiritual punishment may for a while reserve the temporal as though Christ hath taken away the jus the power and right death hath over us yet he hath not quite destroyed actual death but all this is a meer itching to innovate needlesly in Religion for if Christ have satisfied for temporal death then though it be not removed presently yet it cannot abide as a punishment strictly LECTURE XIII MATTH 6.12 And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors THis Text shall be the last because the noblest to prove that God seeth sin in those that are believers for if they be bound to pray that God would forgive them their debts therefore they are involved in debts and in deep humility they are to acknowledge this withall desiring the cancelling or blotting them out so that as the Church anciently used this place against those Pelagian Doctrines which dreamed of a perfection in this life and immunity from all sin no lesse doth it overthrow those novel Assertions of being without sin though not inherently yet as to Gods eye and account What Terâ—ullian said of the Lords-Prayer in general is most true of this Petition Quantum substringitur verbis tantum diffunditur sensibus it is as comprehensive in sense as straightned in words so in this Petition you have few leaves of words but much fruit of matter It s like Christs Mustard-seed which by a good Interpreters managing will grow into a tall tree The material things that belong to remission of sins I shall inclose as pertinent to my purpose In the words you have the Petition it self Forgive Secondly The Subject Vs Disciples and Believers He that thinketh himself without sin that very thought is
sin in the beleever is in the sight of God 69 17 How Gods anger manifesteth it self upon his children when they sinne pag. 75 18 What kinde of sins God is displeased with 79 19 How God manifesteth his displeasure against his people in spirituall and eternall things 82 20 How the Antinomian would prove that God doth not see sinne in a justified person 88 21 How the Antinomian distinguisheth between Gods knowing and seeing of sin ibid. 22 How seeing is attributed to God 89 23 How Gods knowledge and ours do differ ibid. 24 How the Antinomians are contrary to themselves 93 25 How farre Gods taking notice of sinne so as to punish it is subject to the meer liberty of his will 95 26 How freedome may be extended to God 96 27 How the attributes of God and the actions of them differ in respect of freedome 97 28 How Gods justice essentially and the effects of it differ 100 29 How Christ satisfied God 101 30 How afflictions on Beleevers can agree with Gods justice ibid. 31 Why sins are called debts 105 32 What in sin is a debt ibid. 33 What is meant by that petition Forgive us 113 34 Whether we pray for the pardon it self or for the sense thereof only 4 Reasons proving the affirmative 116 35 What is implied in the petition Forgive us our debts 121 1 In the subject who doth pray ibid. 2 In the matter praied for 126 3 In the person to whom we pray 128 36 How sin a considered 130 37 How all sin is voluntary 132 38 Whether sin be an infinite evil 138 39 What remission of sin is 139 40 Why repentance and faith is pressed as necessary 146 41 How our repentance consists with Gods free grace in pardoning of sin 147 42 How many doe mistake concerning repentance p. 150 43 Why God requires repentance seeing it is no cause of pardon 157 44 Why repentance wrought by the spirit of God is not enough to remove sin in the guilt of it 161 45 Why repentance should not be as great a good and as much honour God as sin is an evil 163 46 What harm comes to God by sin ibid. 47 What kinde of act Forgivenesse of sin is and whether it be antecedent to our faith and repentance 166 48 Whether justification precede faith and repentance 176 49 Whether infants have actuall faith and are Beleevers 181 50 How we are sinners in Adam 185 51 How an elect person unconverted and a reprobate differ and what kinde of love election is 188 52 Whether in that petition Forgive us our debts we pray for pardon or for assurance only 196 53 Why God doth sometimes pardon sinne not acquainting the person with it 200 54 What directions should be given to a soul under temptation about pardon of sin 203 55 Whether a Beleever repenting is to make difference between a great sin and a lesser 205 56 What is meant by covering of sin 216 57 How God by pardoning sin is sâ—id to cover it 217 58 Whether the phrase of Gods covering sin imply that he doth not see it 219 59 How sins being in justified persons can stand with the omnisciency truth and holinesse of God 220 60 How God doth see sin in beleevers when they have the righteousnesse of Christ to cover it 221 61 How a face is attributed to God 226 62 What sins Gods children may fall into 230 63 How the sinnes of Gods people and of the reprobate differ 234 64 How farre grosse sinnes make a breach upon justification 236 65 Why the guilt of new grosse sinnes doth not take away justification p. 245 66 Whether God in pardoning doth not forgive all sins together 246 67 Wherein the compleatnesse of the pardon of sin at the day of judgement consists 262 68 Whether the sins of Gods people shall be manifested at the last day 264 69 Whether we are justified in Christ before we beleeve as we are accounted sinners in Adam before we actually sinned 186 70 Whether reconciliation purchased by Christs death doth necessarily inferre justification before faith 190 OF JUSTIFICATION LECTURE I. ROM 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace c. THE Apostle in the words precedent laid down two Propositions to debase man and all his works that so he might make way for the exaltation of that grace of justification here spoken of The first Proposition is that By the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified in his sight where two things are observable 1. That he cals every man by the word Flesh which is emphaticall to beat down that pride and tumor which was in the Jews 2. He addeth in his sight which supposeth that though our righteousnesse among men may be very glorious yet before God it is unworthy The other Proposition is that All come short of the glory of God Some do make it a Metaphor from those in a race who fall short of the prize Whether by the glory of God be meant the image of God and that righteousnesse first put into us or eternall life or which is most probable matter of glorying and boasting before God which the Apostle speaks of afterwards is not much materiall Now the Apostle having described our condition to be thus miserable he commends the Grace of God in justifying of us which is decyphered most exactly in a few words so that you have in the Text a most compendious delineation of justification First There is the benefit set down being justified Secondly The efficient cause Gods Grace and here we have a two-fold impulsive cause one inward denoted in the word Freely the other outward in the meritorious cause Christs death which is further illustrated by the appointment of God for this end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some understand this of Gods manifestation as if it were spoken to oppose the propitiatory in the Ark which was left hidden some to the whole polity in the Old Testament which in the Legal shadows and the Prophets predictions did declare Christ Others upon better ground refer it to the Decree of God This death of Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denoteth both the action it self as also the effect and benefit which cometh by it Chrysostome observeth that it is called redemption and not a simple emption because we were the Lords once but by our sins became slaves to Satan and now God doth make us his again In the third place you have the instrumentall cause Faith in his bloud this is that Hysop that doth sprinkle the bloud though it be contemptible in it self yet it is instrumentall for a great good and hereby is denoted That Faith hath a peculiar nature in this work of Justification which no other grace hath for none saith Love in his bloud or Patience in his bloud Lastly here is the final cause To declare the righteousnesse of God for the remission of sins past Some observe those words sins past as implying no sinne is