wrought by that Law The full sence of Justification is that it signifies to make just by the Law of Faith and then to judge to be just upon tryal So the sence is we are made just by the Ministry of the Law of Faith working Faith in us and not by the Ministry of the Law of Works And we are judged to be just upon tryal upon the exercise of Faith believing in God who raised Christ from the dead or believing in Christ who was delivered for our Sins and rose for our Justification or believing in the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ Rom. 8.33 and not by the Works of the Law according to the Law of Works Justification considers Faith in its relation to the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ and the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ in relation to Faith Touching Sanctification There is a Sanctification before Justification which signifies a Dedication to God to be made righteous by Christ in the Means of Grace 1 Cor. 6.11 Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified There is a Sanctification after Justification which signifies the Spirit of Adoption upon the compleating of the Work of Justification 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification Sometimes Sanctification comprehends the Work of Justification as often in the Epistle to the Hebrews cap. 10. ver 10. and there is a Sanctification included in Justification Rom. 4.25 Rom. 5.1 Touching Baptism All Infidel-Sinners of what Nations Sex Age Condition soever have right to come to Christ by Baptism for Salvation as they are of Mankind upon the account of the general Atonement in the Nature of Man All that are baptised have right to the Teachings and Government of Christ's Ministry upon the account of their Baptism that they may be made new Creatures All that walk orderly under the Means of Grace have right to have good Hope through Grace that is to have an assured perswasion of Remission of their Sins and Adoption to Eternal Life from the Testimony of their Consciences enlightned by the Spirit of God according to the revealed Word That they love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Ephes 6.24 for our blessed Saviour saith He that keeps my Commandments is he that loves me and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him John 14.21 Touching Preaching the Gospel They that preach to Infidel-Sinners must exhort them to come to Christ in the Baptismal Engagement from the consideration of the National Atonement that he hath made and his great love to Mankind They that preach to baptised Professors must exhort them to look on themselves not as Infidel-Sinners but as dead to Sin and alive to God by Profession and Engagement They that preach to baptised Prodigals must exhort them to return to God from the consideration of the danger of Apostacy They that preach to baptised persons walking orderly in the Faith ought to exhort them to walk comfortably rejoycing in the Lord under the assurance of Forgiveness of Sins and hope of Eternal Life Touching the Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is a Festival-remembrance of Christ's Sufferings and entring into Glory When our blessed Saviour said Do this in remembrance of me it was a word of institution and the word This related to the taking Bread and a Cup of Wine blessing distributing eating and drinking And when he said This is my Body which is broken for you it was a word of explication of the signification of Bread and the word This referred or pointed unto his Body then present as it did in these words Destroy this Temple and upon this Rock and there is an emphasis in the Article joyn'd to the word Body which signifies This is that Body of mine and so relates to the Body the Father gave him to suffer in Heb. 10.5 and the Body which he promised to give for the Life of the World and to be the Bread of Life John 6.51 And when our blessed Saviour said of the Cup This is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for the remission of Sins He doth sufficiently clear his Sufferings from a reputation of making satisfaction as a guilty Sinner for Adam's breach of the Old Covenant Touching the explication of some Texts of Scripture according to Paul's Rule of interpretation viz. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 I. Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death The word Thou in this place comprehends both Sexes and the Posterity of both Sexes in case of punishment which the Apostle affirms in Rom. 5.12 but to conceive that it comprehends a Surety to pay Adam's Debt if he sinned seems not agreeable to the Scripture which saith The Soul that sins shall dye For as Man cannot sin by a Deputy so it seems he cannot be punished by a Deputy Our blessed Saviour is called a Surety Heb. 7.22 but it is of the better Covenant for confirmation of it being of free and absolute Grace II. Rom. 3.25 That he might be just That these words are not meant of the Vindictive Justice of God in punishing Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead but of the Justice of his Promise of Forgiveness in the New Covenant appears by the scope of ver 24 25 26. being to set forth the absolute freedom of the Grace of God and comparing them with 1 John 1.9 God is just in forgiving Sin to those that confess Sin III. Isa 53.6 And the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquities of us all That these words do not signifie the Wrath or Vindictive Justice of God translating the Guilt of all men or any man on Christ to suffer as a guilty Sinner in their stead but sets forth the Wisdom of God in ordering Christ to conflict with the injurious dealings of all sorts of men and the admirable Faith and Patience of Christ in conquering without any guilt of Sin seems manifest from the precedent and consequent expressions comparing them with the History of Christ's Sufferings and our Saviour's own explication in the History Now is your hour and the power of darkness IV. Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That these words do not declare the Wrath of God against Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead but are a Prayer of Faith of a righteous man conflicting with a natural fear in a sense of great tryal appears in that 1. These words are the words of David who used so to expostulate with God and with his frail Nature in the power of Faith in the time of his Tryals Psal 13. 42. 2. The rest of the 22d Psalm is an Exposition of the first Verse and describes the long and fierce Conflicts and glorious Conquests and that was not a conquering of God but of the Devil and his Instruments 3. God promises not to forsake Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness
an aggravation of Punishment of a Second Death after the Resurrection of the Body and those that received the Grace of God in vain were under the same condemnation but those that received this Grace were under the Law of Grace Thus Abel was under the Law of Grace but Cain and all the Cainites a degenerate Seed were under the Law of Works and judged thereby in the Flood and after the Flood the way of Mercy by the Mediator was renewed to all Mankind Gen. 4.7 If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted but if thou doest not well Sin lyeth at thy door i. e. if thou sacrificest well as thy Brother Abel did in coming to God in the way of his Mercy by a Mediator thou shalt be accepted but if thou comest in the way of thy own Righteousness as thou didst thy Sin remains unpardoned and thy Person unaccepted 2 Thess 1.7 8. the Lord Jesus shall come in flaming Fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Of the Fourth End The fourth End of Christ's suffering these things and entring into Glory was to succour and relieve the Redeemed in all their Sufferings which they ought to suffer and are not redeemed from As it was the will of the Father that Christ should suffer in the Body or Human Nature denying himself and taking up his Cross in obedience to him in order to the perfecting the meritorious Work of Redemption for his Church so also it was his Will that Christ should exercise his Church in Self-denial in taking up the Cross and following of him as his Discipline over them to perfect his ministerial Work in them as the Captain of their Salvation and the Bishop of their Souls Col. 1.24 I rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church And 2 Tim. 2.10 I endure all things for the elect's sake Note that when the Apostle speaks of suffering for the Elect and for the Body of Christ the Church it is for their edification and when he calls his Sufferings the Sufferings of Christ he means those Sufferings whereof Christ is the Author for these Expressions of Paul the Cross of Christ the Sufferings of Christ the Faith of Christ and the Righteousness of God when they are spoken and mentioned in reference to Man do signifie that Christ is the Author of the Cross and of Sufferings and of Faith and that God is the Author of Righteousness and the genitive case in such expressions notes it to be genitivus efficientis and is of the same signification as if the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were prefixed as will appear by comparing 2 Cor. 5.18 21. and Rom. 11. ult Our Blessed Saviour after his Sufferings enters into Glory that he may be able to succour those that suffer for Righteousness sake 1. By sympathizing with them 2. By giving them an Example what to suffer and how to suffer 3. By supporting their Spirits in the Power of Faith and Patience 4. By seasonable Deliverances 5. By rebuking their Enemies 6. By receiving them into the fellowship of his own Glory Here follows a brief Sum or Scheme of the whole The Redemption of our Saviour is described by his suffering these things and entring into Glory Christ does not redeem first meritoriously and then by Grace but freely by Grace and by Grace both meritoriously and ministerially The Work of Redemption and Reconciliation perform'd by Christ 1. Is general with respect to all Mankind 1. In continuing their Being 2. In preserving them 3. In exercising Patience towards them 4. In blessing their Labours And 5. In making them capable of Salvation in the Means of Grace or in making Salvation possible to them or in putting them into a salvable state 2. Is national As to the Jews as they were redeemed from Egypt and Babylon 3. Is personal viz. Of the Elect to a certainty of Salvation in the Means of Grace Now Personal Redemption respects I. Personal Sins Christ redeems in respect of Sin 1. Not from the Being of Sin 2. But from the Dominion of Sin 3. And from the Accusation of Conselence upon the guilt of the Dominion of Sin And II. Personal Sufferings Christ redeems 1. From Sufferings of Eternal Wrath. 2. To Sufferings As his Discipline to perfect the Work of Grace For Sin by way of Correction 1 Cor. 11.31 For Righteousness sake by way of Tryal Acts 14.2 2 Tim. 3.12 And 3. In Sufferings as 1. The Captain of Salvation And 2. The Bishop of Souls The sum of all in one Proposition is this viz. God the Father out of his love to Mankind fallen into Misery did freely without any antecedent penal Satisfaction to Vindictive Justice by Adam himself or his Surety resolve to shew Mercy to Man by a Mediator in a way of rewarding Justice to which end he made many precious Promises both to the Mediator as the Captain of Salvation and as the Shepherd and Bishop of Souls and to Man as receiving the Mediator and his Atonement in Faith and Repentance The accomplishment of which Promises is the compleat Work of Man's Redemption Some Reconciling PARADOXES to be enquired into Touching Christ's Sufferings and Satisfaction ADAM and Eve were one Flesh or Nature but two Persons Gen. 2.24 Christ suffered in the Flesh or Nature of Adam but not in his Person but Christ as a distinct Person suffered for Adam's Person and for the Persons of all others Male or Female who believe the Atonement made in our Nature either as promised in the beginning of time Gen. 3.15 or as performed in the fulness of time Rom. 4.24 25. John 3.16 Christ did not satisfie Vindictive Justice as a guilty Sinner for Adam's Transgression but he satisfied Rewarding Justice as a victorious Sufferer Phil. 2.5 6 7 8 9. There is a twofold Satisfaction as I may so say instead of a better word in the Law of Grace the Satisfaction of a Saviour and the Satisfaction of a Sinner The Satisfaction of a Saviour is in Christ's Death Resurrection and Intercession the Satisfaction of a Sinner is in relation to Christ's Ministerial Work he must deny himself take up his Cross and follow Christ Touching Reconciliation and Redemption There is a Reconciliation or Atonement of all Mankind made in the Nature of Man with a possibility of Eternal Salvation in the Means of Grace And there is a Reconciliation or Atonement received in or by the Persons of Men with a certainty of Salvation in the Means of Grace Touching Justification This Sentence We are justified in our Persons by Faith alone is to be understood according to the full sence of Faith and Justification The full sence of Faith is that it signifies the Law of Faith and the Grace Act or Work of Faith
and will hold thine hand and I will keep thee And our Saviour believed this Promise John 8.29 He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone And 4. Our Saviour himself expounds these words when he saith The Spirit is ready but the Flesh is weak and the Apostle when he saith That Christ in the days of his flesh made strong Cries unto God and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 V. Gal. 3.13 2 Cor. 5.21 He redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith He was made Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in or by him These two places are of parallel signification and are frequently misinterpreted and misapplied being taken to signifie the Justice of God in his Proceedings towards Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead and subject to the Curse of the Moral Law which Curse is mentioned Gal. 3.10 when the scope of both places is apparently to set forth the Wisdom and Grace of God in ordering and over-ruling the unjust Sentence of Men according to the Judicial Law in making Christ a notorious cursed Sinner to the manifesting of his Grace and Wisdom in bringing the Blessing of the Spirit of Regeneration upon us Gentiles for Christ in our Nature avoided the moral Curse in fulfilling the Law and God the Father did not agree with the Rulers of the Jews to judge Christ a Blasphemer a False Prophet and an Enemy to Caesar they judged him a Sinner God judged him his beloved Son and his righteous Servant they made him a Curse but God made him a Blessing VI. 1 Cor. 5.21 That we might be made the Righteousness of God in or by him That these words are a description of the Work of Regeneration and the Work of Faith in us by Christ the very repeating of the words do sufficiently shew but it 's evident by these circumstances the New Creature v. 17. and to be reconciled to God v. 20. and to be made the Righteousness of God by Christ in this Verse are parallel Phrases God and Christ in this sentence are two distinct notions God signifies the Father and Him signifies the Mediator and so the Righteousness of God cannot signifie the Righteousness of Christ And that the word made signifies created and not imputed and the word in him signifies by Christ appears by Paul's positive Expressions Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created by Christ And that the word Righteousness of God signifies the Righteousness whereof God is the Author in opposition to our own Righteousness whereof we are the Authors appears by the aforesaid place Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship and 2 Cor. 5.18 And all things are of God And here in this 21. Verse are no comparative terms by as and so but positive 1. The End that we might be made the Righteousness of God 2. The Means by Christ or his Ministry 3. The Motive to be perswaded by Christ from the consideration of his honourable Sufferings VII Levit. 16. The Law of the scape-goat This is usually alledged for God's laying our Sin upon Christ as a guilty Sinner how fitly will appear by what follows The High-Priest presents two Goats at the Door of the Tabernacle before the Lord then he casts Lots on them and one is the Lord's Lot and the other is the Peoples the Lord's Lot is slain and the Blood sprinkled before the Mercy-seat the Peoples Lot is presented alive before the Lord and the Priest in the name of the People lays both his Hands on the Head of the alive Goat confessing their Sins and then sends away the alive Goat who bears or carries away their Sins into a Land of Forgetfulness This is a most lively and full representation of Christ's Redemption both in the meritorious and ministerial work and of the transactings of Christ with the Father on one hand and with us on the other and of the reconciliation of our Nature and the reconciliation of our Persons And this is plainly interpreted by St. Paul who saith We must believe in him who raised Christ from the dead and then our Faith will be accounted to us for Righteousness because Christ was delivered for our Sins the Lord's Lot and being declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection and being presented alive before the Lord he rose again for our Justification or to make us righteous by believing in him Hence we may observe The order of Divine Grace The description of Divine Grace 1. The Order and first the reconciliation of our Nature as the Lord's Lot then the reconciliation of our Persons as our Lot 2. The Description of Faith and Justification 1. Of Faith Faith is the laying both Hands on the Head of Christ as risen from the dead with Confession of Sin Rom. 10.10 the Hands of Belief of the Heart and Confession of the Mouth 2. Of Justification of our Persons It 's a sending our Sin into a Land of Forgetfulness and receiving of us among the number of the Righteous when we lay both Hands on the Head of Christ risen from the dead confessing our Sins and embrace him as our Head VIII Rom 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed to him for righteousness This place is abused 1. by applying the word worketh not to the Work of Faith as well as to a legal Work which is not a Work of Grace 2. By taking the word justifieth for justifying in Judgment 3. By making those words God justifieth the Vngodly a single sentence not joyning what is before and what is after to it The true sence is gather'd by comparing this Verse with the four precedent Verses and the 23 24 25. following and then it will appear that this Verse belongs to the explication of Abraham's Faith and the Apostle applies it to us in v. 23 24 25. so that to believe on him that justifieth the Ungodly is to us the same thing as to believe in God who raised Christ from the dead who rose again for our justification i. e. to make us righteous as it 's phrased Rom. 5.19 which is the same thing as of ungodly to be made godly IX James 2.24 A man is justified by works and not by faith only This place receives much light by comparing it with Paul's Pattern of sound words in 2 Thess 1.11 We pray that our God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power Hence are these remarkable Observations as 1. That Faith is a Work wrought in us according to the good pleasure of his Goodness by the ministry of the Gospel 2. That Faith is a gradual Work begun and fulfilled begun in form fulfilled in power begun in the baptismal work fulfilled in the sealing work
Eph. 1.13 3. That a Christian doth not walk worthy of his baptismal calling unless he endeavour after the Power which is Faith working by love to GOD and to Man in Deed and in Truth 4. That the Power is attainable by constant Prayer to our God Now it 's beyond all dispute that St. James agrees with St. Paul in the Faith as the Apostle of Christ and therefore when he says Not by Faith only he means not by the form only or the notion and profession of Faith only and when he saith by Works he doth not mean Works of the Law which Paul excludes but Works of the Power of Faith as the Instances in Abraham and Rahab shew which Works Paul includes And when he says a Man is justified by Works he means as Paul doth a Man is not only made just by Faith by the Ministry of Faith but he is also accounted a just man in the sight of God on tryal of his Faith when the power of it appears in the truth of the Work Touching the distinction of the Righteousness of our Persons into inherent and imputed This distinction seems not according to Scripture for that which was imputed to Abraham for acceptable Righteousness in the sight of God was inherent in him and it 's said Faith was imputed unto Abraham for Righteousness and not Righteousness imputed to Abraham's Faith This distinction may seem to be rectified thus Inherent Righteousness is spoken of in Scripture in reference to GOD and to Man 1. In reference to God his Righteousness is his Mercy and his Truth his Mercy in making Promises his Truth in performing Promises which is his rewarding Justice and inflicting Punishment for contempt of Mercy which is his revenging Justice Psal 98.2 3. Psal 103.17 2. In reference to Man inherent Righteousness is imputed or not imputed 1. Inherent Righteousness imputed or accounted by God for acceptable Righteousness is the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 13. 2. Inherent Righteousness not imputed of God for acceptable Righteousness in his sight 1. Is Pharasaical Righteousness Mat. 5.20 Or 2. Philosophical Righteousness Galat. 5.6 Tit. 3.5 Ephes 2.8 9. Which is also called our Righteousness Isa 64.6 our own Righteousness of the Law Phil. 3.9 the birth of the will of man John 1.13 the Flesh Rom. 4.1 And the Righteousness of Faith is also called the Righteousness of God by Faith Phil. 3.9 the Righteousness of God by Christ ministerially 2 Cor. 5.21 and Righteousness regnant Rom. 5.21 and the New Creature Gal. 6.15 which consists in a new Heart with Forgiveness Jer. 31.31 Touching the measure of Knowledge in a weak Christian If a Christian sincerely believes that God forgives his Sins for Christ's sake he humbly seeking for Mercy and do also believe the love of Christ in giving himself a Sacrifice and Offering of sweet-smelling savour unto God and be willing to follow God and Christ as a Child according to the measure of Light he hath received or may receive he may walk comfortably and joyfully in the assured hope of Eternal Life although he know very little of the method of Divine Grace or it may be misunderstand much This is gathered from the compendious expressions in Eph. 4.32 and Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye courteous and tender hearted forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake forgave you Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour unto God And we know but in part and prophecy but in part Touching the Righteousness of Christ The Righteousness of Christ the Mediator is an incomprehensible Mystery but according to our manner of conceiving the Righteousness of Christ may be said to be inherent imputed and communicated or imparted or applyed 1. Inherent is the same with the Father in Mercy and Truth I and the Father are one 2. Imputed is the Righteousness of Christ's Person imputed to the Nature of Man in his Person making his Sufferings meritorious 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which is broken for you Here the Son of God owns the Body or Human Nature and the Sufferings in Man's Nature to be his Acts 20.28 John 16.14 Gal. 2.20 3. Communicated Isa 45.24 They shall say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 54.17 Their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. Jer. 23.6 They shall call him the Lord our Righteousness Psal 96.12 In righteousness shall he judge the world and his people in truth Touching admitting to the Lord's Supper The requiring admittance to the Lord's Supper upon declaring Experiences is dangerous and unknown to the first Churches The safe way of admittance is upon owning the Baptismal Faith and Engagement not denying it by Works Acts 2.41 42. Touching Election There is in Scripture a threefold Election or three degrees of it 1. Election in the Divine Purpose Eph. 1.11 2. Election in the Baptismal Calling 2 Pet. 1.10 Col. 3.12 as there was Election in the Circumcision Calling Deut. 7.7 This is called the Spiritual Beginning Gal. 3.3 the Beginning of the Good Work Phil. 1.6 and the Doctrine of the Beginnings of Christ Heb. 6.1 3. Election made sure confirmed sealed witnessed earnested by the peculiar Spirit of Adoption 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Mat. 22.14 1 Pet. 5.10 Revel 2.17 THE CONCLUSION TO THE READER THIS kind of Writing may be excused from the Words of our Apostle in Phil. 1.10 That you may discern things that differ and in 2 Tim. 2.16 Studying to divide aright the word of truth For the Church is much dis-edified by false and impertinent Distinctions And it is excusable upon this Subject from what Dr. Owen says in his Book entituled The Doctrine of Justification by Faith through the imputed Righteousness of Christ In Page 38. of that Book he saith This is the substance of what is pleaded for That Men should renounce all Confidence in themselves and every thing that may give countenance thereto betaking themselves to the Grace of God by Christ alone for Righteousness and Salvation There is nothing said here contrary to this Saying of his and what is said different to his Sentiments is excused by what he says in the last words of his Preface to the Reader his words are these Whereas saith he the principal design of this Discourse is to state the Doctrine of Justification from the Scripture and to confirm it by Testimonies thereof I shall not esteem it spoken against unless our Exposition of Scripture Testimonies and the application of them to the present Argument be disproved by Just Rules of Interpretation and another sence of them be evinced Thus he Nothing is supposed to be said here that will be offensive to any that are not too much addicted to a Party which Humour is under a severe Reprimand by our Apostle 1 Cor. 4.8 Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God ye did reign that we might reign with you FINIS