And how can any conceiue it otherwise to bee made ours but as by faith it is apprehended of vs Heere the Papists say that Christ is our righteousnesse How Christ is our righteousnesse Not by sanctification two waies First because he meriteth the pardon of sinne which is reckoned ours Secondly because he worketh righteousnesse in vs. Answ It is very true that Christ doth sanctifie vs notwithstanding hee doth not make vs righteous before God by this inherent righteousnesse For wee are the righteousnesse of God not in our selues as we should be if this infused righteousnesse were the matter of our iustification but in him 2. Cor. 5.21 And Phil. 3.9 But by imputation when Paul doth oppose the righteousnesse which is of Christ and of God to that of the Law which also he doth call his owne as being inherent in him hee doth cleerely shew that Christ is not our righteousnes by that righteousnesse which the spirit doth beget in vs for that is legall but by another righteousnesse resting in his owne person and not transfused but imputed to vs. Reason 2. Secondly Faith and workes in this matter of iustification are alwaies opposed Ephes 2.8 9. Rom. 2.27 But now if faith iustifie vs as a worke they are not then opposite but may well stand together Reason 3. Thirdly when we say that faith doth saue iustifie and purifie vs if we vnderstand this of the inward act of beleeuing wee are made our owne Sauiours and sanctifyers For it is cleere that wee saue our selues when from our selues doth proceede that act by and for which we are saued Reason 4. Further the least true faith though it be vnperfect doth iustifie It cannot then bee that it doth this by its owne value For how should a weake and small faith that is as a graine of mustard seede be of equall value to a greater measure of the same when things of the same kinde differ in value according to their quantitie as there is much odds in worth betweene a mite and a massy wedge though both be of the purest gold Wherefore this excellent worke of iustification must be ascribed vnto the thing beleeued on that is Iesus Christ which a small and weake faith doth as truely apprehend and possesse vs of as a stronger Reason 5. Lastly it was an errour which the Gnosticks held that their faith did iustifie for the excellency of it Vses 1. It cleereth obiections about this doctrine First this doth serue to cleere some obiections about this doctrine For to some wee seeme not well aduised to exclude workes from iustification when faith is an habite and worke of the soule as is loue and other graces of the spirit and others may think that wee prize faith at too high a rate to make it that which doth giue vs righteousnesse and procure vs title to that super excellent waight of glory It vvere somewhat that these say if we did reach that faith did iustifie as a worke or should make faith it selfe our righteousnesse vvhich formally doth so present vs to God But that is farre from our minde It is Iesus Christ onely that is our righteousnesse it is onely his obedience by and for which we are righteous before the Lord. Faith hath no further hand and stroke in this weighty worke then as it doth looke to Christ lay hold and possesse vs of him that wee may haue him vvith his merits to present to GOD in our behalfe 2. It comforteth the weake in faith Secondly this doctrine doth not a little comfort those that are weake in faith Weakenesse of faith is a want that many of Gods people doe bewaile in themselues and for which they do wel-nigh despaire of themselues And it is a worthy grace to be strong in faith as was Abraham For by it the heart is stablished against all assaults and is filled with peace and ioy in all estates and the more our faith is the more doe we abound in the assurance of our iustification and the pardon of our sinnes Notwithstanding let not any be out of heart for the small and scanty measure of his faith if he haue true faith It is not the excellencie and great measure of his faith that doth make him righteous before God Since faith is not our righteousnesse But Christ but â—hrist whom faith doth receiue and apprehend which a weake faith can doe as well as the strongest Say not then my faith is weake and feeble Is it a true and sincere faith which renouncing all other matter of righteousnesse doth depend and cast it selfe on Christ for pardon of sinne and saluation Be then of good comfort thou art as fully and perfectly righteous before God as he that hath the strongest faith in the world For thou hast Christ who is righteousnesse and perfect righteousnesse to euery one that doth beleeue euen as well to him that beleeueth with a feeble faith if a true one as to him that beleeueth with a strong faith Who is apprehended by a weake faith as wel as a strong Euen to saluation Looke not then on thy faith but consider him that is Iesus Christ on whom thy faith doth looke and repose it selfe and know that he is righteousnesse alsufficient to thee They that did looke on the Brazen Serpent but with one eye yea but with halfe an ey were as well and fully cured of the deadly stings of the fiery serpents as those which beheld it with both If the Prince bee disposed to bestow on sundry male factors their Pardon or some precious Iewels vpon Beggers they are as fully acquitted from their sinnes and made as rich by the possession of that Iewell which accept of these albeit with shaking and trembling as they that receiue them with lusty and strong hands Euen so is the case heere Hast thou but a dimmish faith yet such a one as doth looke vp to Christ and onely to him for saluation Hast thou but a weake trembling faith yet such a one as thou doest reach out to receiue Christ that rich Pearle of heauen and the pardon of thy sinnes offered in him and doest claspe it about him with all thy feeble strength Make no doubt but that thou art iustified in the sight of God doest stand clearely acquitted from all thy sinnes and shalt be healed of all their deadly stings It is the possession of the Iewell not their strong holding of it that doth make those beggers rich and the Kings Pardon that doth discharge Malefactors from the danger of the Law so they be willing to accept and pleade the same And so it is not our strong Since the true possession of him saueth vs not our strong hold of him or weake faith that is our righteousnesse and discharge before God but Iesus Christ and his obedience This onely is required on our part that we accept him offered vs in the Gospell and relye on him for full righteousnesse and redemption which
some present that they were not of his sheepe That is wilsome say because they would not beleeue Ans Nay rather because they were not his sheepe they beleeued not as there appeareth And at the last iudgement we shall know that there is difference betwixt goates and sheepe Some third signification then is to be inquired which wee shall see by comparing 1. Iohn 4.14 and Mat. 1.21 to be the people of God whom hee saueth in the world and to note no more Hee is the Sauiour of the world But it noteth Gods people in the world saith Iohn and who or what is this world that he saueth All men Not so but his people as in Mathew is expounded Thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from their sinnes Which all are not But all are Christs people Answ If his Kingdome of power be considered it is true but not so of his kingdome of grace His people in this regard are described T it 2.14 1. Pet. 2.9 But onely the Elect. to bee a peculiar and chosen people Diuers Faâ—hers call the dispensation committed to Christ Oeconomia which noteth a domesticall regiment ouer the hous-hold of faith And thus Austen often construeth the word world pro mundo seruandorum mundo redemptionis For the world of the saued ones the world of the redeemed to which is opposed mundus damnandorum et perditionis the world of the damned or lost wretches And so on the seuenteenth of Iohn verse 23. that the world may know c. Thaâ— is saith Camerarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those which are saued in the world Called the world for three causes And there are three reasons why the Church of God the bodie of Christ which only belongeth to saluation is called by the name of the world 1. They haue their particular vniuersalitie For all kindes and all times haue made vp this number Secondly now the fulnesse of time approached that the Church was to become Catholique in regard of place The whole world after a sort was to goe into it not the Iew and Grecian only but euen thâ— Scythian and Barbarian too Thirdly in respect of their state before they are effectually called and actually made the sonnes of God For before this they walke after the course of the world Ephes 2.2 So then the true meaning of these words is this God so loued his people chosen to saluation through the world that he gaue his Sonne that they should not perish but haue life euerlasting The which vvords fitly cast themselues for matter into these three points Three points of this Scripture 1. The speciall loue of God toward his God so loued the world Secondly the effect of his loue that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne Thirdly the end that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might haue life euerlasting First I will giue the instructions which offer themselues to our consideration in the two first members Secondly I wil come and peruse the words more particularly Doct. I. God doth beare a speciall loue to his The first doctrine is intimated in the first word So. So God loued the world For heere is insinuated so much That the Lord regardeth his with an especiall fauour To vnderstand this the better wee must see how the comparison standeth God loueth all his creatures and hateth as the Wiseman speaketh nothing he hath made For to loue is nothing but to will well and to doe well to any Now the Lords goodnes is ouer all God is generally good to all creatures More specially to Man For in him we liue euerything hath life motion and being from him Act. 17.28 He doth preserue the very beast Psa 36.6 But much aboue all other creatures doth hee loue mankinde The arguments whereof are Foure signes thereof First his long sufferance toward vs Secondly his indulgent grant of the vse of his creatures whereof we haue made our selues iustly vnworthy Act. 14.17 Thirdly that Christ took not the nature of Angels but hath assumed into one person with his Godhead the seede of Abraham Fourthly that hee doth vouchsafe the Gospell of his Sonne to all mankinde But though his mercie is ouer all and aboue other creatures shewed vnto man yet the loue vvherewith these are embraced But his loue toward his elect is most entire aboue al. compared vvith that loue wherewith he hath his children accepted through Christ is called hatred and therefore CHRIST setting down this doth by this word So make a distinction of this kindnesse and loue from all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul who sounded deepely both our miserie in our selues and happinesse in Gods loue when hee commeth to consider this loue to his in CHRIST doth raise his stile as if no vvords were sufficient to expresse it as may bee seene Ephes 1.6 But specially Ephes 2.4 7. where this his kindnesse toward vs in Christ is called great loue rich mercie Yea and more the exceeding riches of Gods grace Most rich And speaking of Gods loue in Christ for this and the loue of Christ because God was in Christ may and doth sound all one as Rom. 8.35 The question being asked Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ The answere is nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ verse 39. making them to bee the same speaking I say of this loue he doth wish the Ephesians might be able to know the same though indeed passing knowledge Pasâ—ing knowledge Ephe. 3.19 where he maketh it to be a loue incoÌ„prehensible much more vnspeakeable It is therfore compared with the loue of a Father Psa 103. Most affectionate 13. As a father hath coÌ„passion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him And preferred before the most tender bowels of a mother Esa 49.15 Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet I will not forget thee And as it is most rich and aboundant so it is a loue no lesse sure and constant And constant for it hath for its ground onely the good pleasure of God Rom. 9.11.15 and therefore shall neuer change nor can be altered Vses 1. From gods loue to vs we must learne the loue of our brethren For the vse hereof First Gods example in morall duties is euery where made to vs a patterne of imitation Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.26 Wee therefore from this loue of God toward vs must learne to loue one another as Iohn doth vrge it on vs 1 Iohn 4.11 Beloued if God loued vs nay so loued vs that is with so admirable and superaboundant loue wee ought to loue one another For what are wee too good to loue there where God himselfe doth loue and that with maruellous loue aboue all creatures or doth God bestowe such singular loue on any man who is
time which hee ordained When the holy men of God looked vnto this time with what ioy were they replenished As it is said of Abraham that he saw this day of Christ and reioiced thereat Iohn 8.56 And if the contemplation of it before hand made them to reioyce How much more should wee reioyce in this grace of God and in this day of saluation vnto whom it is risen and who enioy the comfortable and blessed presence of it 3. An exhortaâ—ion to imbrace the present grace offred vs. Thirdly it is a ground of exhortation to vs that wee put not the grace of God from vs. Euery one that beleeueth shall be saued That is no condition no not of the greatest excepted of whom this is not required To beleeue Look to me all â—ee Nations of the earth and be you saued Be men what they will be neuer so rich noble and great they must looke and goe to Christ if they will haue saluation What happinesse is this then that â—hrist is come vnto vs and this grace is offered vs It is iust with God that wee perish if on any worldly confidence we neglect this saluation and do not with both armes embrace and lay hold of it being thus brought vnto vs. Doct. 6. The onely obiect of our faith as it iustifies vs is Christ Now it followeth euery one beleeuing on him This doth teach what is the obiect of our faith that is Iesus Christ whom onely faith doth looke vnto and respect as it doth make vs righteous in the sight of God which other Scriptures plentifully confirme To as many as receiued him hee gaue this priuiledge to bee the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Iohn 1.12 A worthy honour to be made the Sonne of God which faith onely can aduance vs to and that onely as it doth beleeue in Christ and receiue him And so Acts 16.30 31. What saith the Iayler must I doe to bee saued Beleeue doth Paul and Silas answere him But on whom on the Lord Iesus And Acts 26.18 that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified through faith in mee It is therefore called the faith of Christ because Christ is he whom faith doth apprehend to righteousnesse and life according to that in the twenty sixt Verse of this Chapter Hee that beleeueth on the Sonne of God hath life And righteousnesse is euery vvhere tied vnto faith euen to faith in Christ whom onely it doth and can looke vnto as it iustifieth vs. It is true that a iustifying faith may worke a miracle may beleeue an historie but it doth not iustifie vs as it is occupied this way neither in these things doth it onely eye Iesus Christ For there are those who may beleeue the history of the gospell yea and worke miracles also who were neuer iustified as wee may reade Mat. 7.22.23 But this matter will bee better cleared if we consider what it is to beleeue on Christ The papists say it is to giue credit to the doctrine touching Christ his person offices passion and merits we say it is confidence of mercy in Christ Which faith is a confidence of mercy in Christ touching pardon of sinne and life In handling of this point I will first cleare the truth then answer what may bee obiected against it This then that faith is an affiance of mercy is proued by the nature of the phrase secondly by the interpretation of scripture thirdly by reasons As is manifest by the phrase The phrase to beleeue on Christ notes confidence assurance as may easily be conuinced For so these three phrases Credere de Christo credere Christo et credere in Christum To beleeue concerning Christ to beleeue Christ and to beleeue on Christ must bee distinguished that the former two include a bare knowledge and assent and may be where there is no iustification but the last containeth confidence in it and euer doth iustifie This phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answereth to these Hebrew phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or batach in construction with beth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For these referred to God are all one â—sal 18.22 vsed sometime in way of exegesis and exposition the one to the other That these answer to this greek phrase is apparant both by comparing the Syriacke and by the translation of the Septuagint who so translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the 28. of Esay verse 16. as Paul citeth it Rom. 10.11 Looke now how the Scripure expoundeth these phrases 2. By the Scriptures expositioÌ„ In the 50. of Esay 10. you haue one expounded Trust in the Lord the meaning whereof is giuen vs in the next words and rest vpon him So Esay 31.1 the same phrase to trust is expounded by staying euen as a man would stay himselfe on a staffe wherewith he is vnderpropped So also Ier. 17.5 To trust in man is to make man his arme letting the hart go back from God In Psal 62.7 To trust on the Lord is to place our strength in the Lord. And Psal 37.5 To trust in him is for a man to roule himselfe and his actions on him If to beleeue on God were to holde dogmatically this or that reuealed of him then this beleefe were common to other things with him and wee might as well beleeue in creatures as in God For what doth let but that we may without sin holde and assent to those dogmaticall truthes which are taught concerning them Adde to these things the iudgement of Augustine on the 77. Psal * Hoâ— est credere in Deum credendo ad â—aâ—ere ad benè cooperandum bona operant Deo Aug. in psal 77. This saith he is to beleeue in God By beleeuing to cleaue vnto him And more largely on Ioh. 7. tract 29. b Si creditis in eum creditis ei non autem continuâ— qui credit ei credit in eum c. De Apostolis possumus dicere credimus Paulo sed non credimus in Paulum credimus Petro sed non credimus in Petrum c. Quid est ergo credere in eum credendo amare credendo diligere credendo in eum ire eius membris incorporari Augustine in Iohannem cap. 7. tract 29. If ye beleeue in God ye also beleeue God but not forthwith doth he beleeue in God who beleeueth God Againe we may say we beleeue Paul and Peter but not wee beleeue in Paul and Peter What is therefore to beleeue in him it is by beleeuing to affect him by beleeuing to loue him by beleeuing to goe into him and to bee incorporated into his members In which sense words also Lumbard * Credere in Deum est credendo amare credendo in eum ire credendo ei adhaerere et eius membris incorporari Lomb lib. 3. distinct 23. doth expound the same phrase lib. 3. dist 23.