any thing like it for a time they quickly recanted and recalled it Mat. 11.16 19. But whereunto shall I liken this Generation It is like unto Children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners But wisdom is justified of her Children And John 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light And ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light I have been greatly refreshed and comforted in you all by the grace of God bringing Salvation to you and which ye have not received in vain But as ye have heard him and been taught of him as the truth is in Jesus Christ this grace hath taught you effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works And am still comforted in the remembrance thereof And that these poor labours of mine in the Ministry of this Gospel hath had any effect upon your Souls either in drawing you to Christ or confirming or comforting you in Christ at any time is and will be my rejoycing above all the esteem I have in your hearts and all the help I have received from your hands by your Free Kind Liberal ministring to my necessities from time to time and that my temptation which was in the Flesh through these necessities and wants and reproaches for Christs sake ye despised not but received me and embraced me I will not say as an Angel of God or even as Christ Jesus But one far greater than I can own my self to be I can truly say I have rejoyced much more because of the Grace of God given to you than in all the gifts to me though I had need of them all and do acknowledge them to be more and greater than I am worthy of But Christ is worthy for whose sake only ye have counted me so Mar. 9.4 And whosoever will offend one of those little ones that believe in me It is better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the Sea And though I put not your names to this my Book for reasons above mentioned yet I hope they are all of them in the Book of Life And this small Treatise which is but a taste of some more that may follow in due time if the Lord please I do more especially Devote and Dedicate to the Use and Service of you all and yours not doubting that whither I live or die you will find out it or it will find out you by some providence or other I say I Dedicate it to you not for Patronage or Protection but for Debt for it is much due to you who have been my fellow helpers in the Gospel some of you for mâ—ny years And two things I have to say to you all and leave here upon record as the greatest testimony of my thankfulness love and care to and for you in the Lord. Namely First That you beware and take heed of of a loose conversation and that ye use not your liberty at any time or in any thing for an occasion to the Flesh or to the World For we are not debtors to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.12 13. And Jam. 4.4 Ye Adulterours and Adulteresses Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity against God Whosoever therefore will be the friend of the World is the enemy of God 1 John 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 16. For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World 17. And the World passeth away and the Lusts thereof But he that doth the will of God abideth tfor ever The power of Christ's Death is within you therefore let your Old Man be crucified with Christ That henceforth ye may not serve Sin and let the World be crucified to you and you unto it otherwise you cannot glory truly in the cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature You cannot be alive with Christ through Union with him but you must be dead and die continually both to Sin and to the World Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound Secondly That you shine as lights in the World and be as the Sons and Daughters of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of Life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain Phil. 2.14 15 16. Do all things without murmurings and disputings That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine or shine ye as lights in the World Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain And our Lord hath said Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven If the time will come when ye shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of your Father Math 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Who hath ears to hear let him hear Surely ye should shine as lights more in this State of imperfection and whilst you are in this World and thereby show you are not of it Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of Life and to enter in through the Gates of the the City 15. For without ar Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie To the Church or Congregation which is at Cambridge unto which I stand as a Pastor or Overseer in the Faith Fellowship and Order of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And to many others my Constant or Occasional hearers of whom I am perswaded such things as do accompany Salvation Blessed be God Dearly Beloved I Do greatly rejoyce in
fit them to destruction And after the hardness and impenitency of their hearts to treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God as Rom. 2.5 6. And thus have we done with the Doctrinal Part I proceed to the Application Use 1. Hence we may infer and be informed that no Man can be justified by the light within him and by his obedience to that light there hath been a Generation of Men amongst us that have made a greater noise about the light within and which they say is in ever Man in its measure and degree and that by harkening to the light within and obeying the same a Man may be righteous yea become perfect and as they have affirmed to be without Sin but let us a little examine the matter and we shall quickly find the falshood of this boasting and confidence for this light as they call it is either true or false if false and not warranted by the Holy Scriptures then it is not light but darkness and as our Lord saith Mat. 6.23 If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness But we will suppose that this light which they speak of and affirm to be in every Man be true light in its measure and degree and if it be so then at best it can be but the light of Gods Holy law as the works of it is written in the Conscience of a Man It can pretend no higher and then no Man that can pretend to the highest degree of that light and of obedience thereunto can possibly become righteous and be justified in the sight of God thereby For then a Man might be justified by works of the law contrary to the clear light of the Holy Scriptures But forasmuch as no Man shall or can be righteous and justified before God by the law and the deeds or works thereof in whatsoever manner or degree they can be performed by him It is most clear certain and plain that no Man can be justified in the sight of God by the light within nor by all his obedience thereunto 2. Hence we may also infer and be certainly â—formed that no Mâ—n can be justified in the sight of God by Morality or Moral Vertue Morality or Moral Vertue is nothing else but obedience and conformity to the Moral law contained in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments though generally it is restrained to the Duties of the Second Table And many of the Heathens who knew nothing of instituted Religion and Worship which depend only upon Divine Revelation have attained unto divers Moral Vertues and have therein excelled many called Christians and many amongst the professors of Christianity have made little pretence unto or Conscience of instituted worship further than the bare name of Religion yet have been found amongst Men more Morally honest and vertuous than some others that have had a greater name fame for Religion and thereby have attained more reputation and esteem amongst Men than multitudes of loose pretenders to instituted Religion Yet when all due encourgement and praise is given and allowed to Moral Virtue and Honesty where-ever it is found It must be affirmed and is certainly true that no man under the Heavens can be Justified in the sight of God by Moral vertue for then a man might be justified by the deeds of the Law and that by the deeds of the Law in one part of it only i. e. by the deeds of the second Table when the deeds of the first are omitted But for as much as by the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified in his sight it followeth as a necessary and undeniable consequence that moral vertue cannot justifie a man nor that any man can be justified by moral vertue in the sight of God and although there have not been wanting amongst the Philosophers of old and amongst false Christians of latter times who have by Disputing Preaching and Printing both with their Tongues and Pens endeavoured to exalt magnifie and cry up Morality against the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the righteousness of Faith yet have not been able to prevail in that attempt 3 dly Hence also we may as certainly infer and be informed that those that are justified in the sight of God are not justified by inherent grace and sanctification 'T is a great and a blessed truth that all that are justified are also sanctified as Titus 2.11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World We will suppose that the Grace of God is taken for the Doctrine of the Grace of God in Christ which hath appeared to all men i. e. to Jew and Gentile by the Gospel that bringeth Salvation i. e. the glad tidings of Salvation and Salvation it self when it is believed and embraced in the heart of any man by Faith Now this grace of God doth teach us 1 st Doctrinally when it is received only by a common and not saving Faith as Historical or Temporary Faith is such Faith as Devils and wicked Men and Hypocrites may have as James 2.19 20. Mat. 13.20 21 22. When it is thus received it teacheth us Doctrinally i. e. the Light of the Gospel of the Grace of God that teacheth men the Doctrine of Salvation the righteousness of Gods Justification by Faith in Christ teacheth us also To deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Which particulars do expresly contain the whole and compleat Sanctification of the Heart and of the Life i. e. in Mortification of Sin and all manner of Holy and Godly walking conversation amongst men in this World So that if any person pretending to this Doctrin of Justification righteousness by faith in Christ be otherwise than a Truly Holy Mortified and Sanctified person he is self-convict and left without excuse as the Gentiles were by sinning against and walking contrary to the light of Nature So these loose Christians by sinning against and walking contrary to the Light of Grace the fault is not in the Grace of God but in their own selves who hereby proclaim to all the World that they have received this Grace or Doctrine of the Grace of God in vain 2 dly But then when this Doctrine of the Grace of God is imbraced sincerely and with a saving Faith such as is the Faith of the operation of God as Col. 2.12 And the Faith of Gods Elect as Tit. 1.1 And Like pretious Faith 2 Pet. 1.1 Then it doth effectually teach and certainly work by the same Faith all that Sanctification and Holiness of Heart and Life here mentioned And so again 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and
THE True Light Shining in Darkness And dispelling the Mists of Errour arising from the Darkness of Man's heart c. promoted by the Prince of Darkness against the Truth of God in the matter of our JUSTIFICATION Shewing That by the deeds of the Law or Man 's own Righteousâ—ess no flesh can or shall be justified in the sight of God The First Part. By THO. TAYLOR the meanest and unworthiest of the Servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ and now Pastor to a small Congregational Church in Cambridge Rom. 1.21 22. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that Readest this small Treatise upon so great a Subject as the matter of mans Justification before God know that thou art concerned to consider seriously and weigh well in thy mind what is here written without prejudice forasmuch as thou art the man to whom this word is sent either for the informing and undeceiving thee in this matter if thou be'st deceived Or for the confirming thee in the truth and strengthning thy Faith in Christ. If thou be'st already by the teachings of Gods holy Spirit one that knowest him that is true and arâ— in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 5.20 And we know the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal Life And it is immediately added Little Children keep your selves from Idols And though there be many Idols in mans heart yet this is one of the greatest and most dangerous and hardest to be departed from a mans own righteousness if it be but as it were by the works of the Law And as we know that an Idol is nothing but the Image and Likeness of that which it is not So verily this mans own righteousness is nothing a meer Imagination of Mans own heart exalted against God which is not nor cannot be in Gods sight and so it should be in thine Abominable to thee and abhorred by thee as it is to him Job 15.14 15 16. What is man that he should be clean And he which is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteh no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water And 9.30 31. If I wash my self with Snow-water and make my hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own cloaths shall abhor me And Luke 16.15 And he said unto them Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongsâ— men is abomination in the sight of God Read therefore this small Treatise pray tâ— God that thou mayest read it without prejuâ—dice To help thee so to do as much as in me lieth I declare unto thee three things namely 1. That I am not ingaged in Spirit worldly interest or design with any party now engaged disputing and contending one against other about these matters further than for the truths sake and so far as the truth of the Gospel obligeth me to defend and bear witness to the same as it may be found to lodge and dwell on the one side or on the other in any part of it And perhaps it will sufficiently appear that I am not of that party that may boast much of this Doctrine which is most true in it self and yet did not give proof and assurance of hope that themselves are sincere and sound in the Faith of Christ. The Doctrine may be true in its self and yet their Faith in the receiving of it be but a dead and a vain Faith which will never save them as James 2.17 18 19 20. Even so Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone Yea a man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well The Devils also believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead And ungodly men still though boasting of the Grace of God in works yet denying indeed the only Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ by turning the grace of God into lasciviousness Jud. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. And too many such Professors we have now who in Spirit and Practice Course of Life and Conversation practically deny what they verbally profess as they had there Tit. 1.15 16. Unto the pure all things are pure But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and Consciâ—nce is defiled They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate But let not this offend thee for truth is truth still and will be for ever Hebrews 13.7 8. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Phil. 3.17 18 19 20 21. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their Belly And whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashon'd like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself 2. Here thou wilt find no carnal weapons as Oratory enticing words of mans wisdom excellency of speech fierie if not perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth No reasonings after the Flesh and the Wisdom of the World which cometh to naught But evidence and demonstration of the Spirit with power 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. For though we walk in the Flesh i. e. in the body we do not war after the Flesh i. e. after the carnal mind which is corrupt and weak For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong
because reconciliation supposeth a breach first made by sin now the breach made betwixt God and Man by sin was not from Eternity but in time and therefore reconciliation could not be from Eternity and without reconciliation by shedding of blood there is no remission as Heb. 9.22 i. e. No Justification to the Church of Gods Elect for Remission of sins is their Justification Part. 3. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity destroyeth and overthroweth the true Doctrine of Justification it self also which is another fundamental point of the Christian Faith and therefore this Doctrine of Justification from Eternity cannot be true Now the true Doctrine of Justification is that Act of Gods Grace passed or put forth upon the person Elect whereby of a guilty ungodly and unrighteous person before he is really made and doth become a righteous person in Gods sight through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ given unto him I say he is made and doth become a righteous person in Gods sight and that really and not by opinion only as some would imagine and here are two things to be cleared as namely 1. That every man in this World is really made and doth become a guilâ—y and condemned person in Gods sight by the first sin of Adam justly imputed to him by the Law so Rom. 3.9 10 and again ver 19 20. which the Apostle plainly affirmeth by a comparison of the two Adam's Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners c. ver 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came or it came upon all men to condemnation in Gods sight So that 't is plain the many ver 19. is all men ver 18. even the Elect of God as well as others 2. That as in the first Adam all men did become and were really made sinners in Gods sight by the just imputation of Adam's sin to them by the Law even so in Christ many as v. 19. or all men as ver 18. i. e. all that believe are justified i. e. are made and do become righteous in Gods sight through Faith in Christ by the righteousness of one or by the obedience of one justly imputed to them by the Law of Faith and Grace So that as before Justification every man was really a guilty and unrighteous person in Gods sight So now that Faith in Christ is come every man that believeth is justified and doth become and is made a righteous person in Gods sight So that Justification maketh a real change of State from a state of sin and unrighteousness and death to a state of Grace Righteousness and Life Now therefore he that is Justified from Eternity was from Eternity in a state of Grace Righteousness and Life and never was in a state of Sin Unrighteousness and Death he never was a Sinner Ungodly and condemned in Gods sight and Sin had never raigned in him unto Death in whom Grace had raigned unto Life through Righteousness from all Eternity but the contrary is true in all them whom God Justifieth as Rom. 4.5 Now to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness and Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the Ungodly and v. 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord So that we who are now Justified by Faith in Christ were without strength were ungodly were under the reign of Sin unto Death but he that was Justified from Eternity was never any of these and therefore no man was or could be Justified from Eternity there is a contradiction in the things themselves and therefore this Doctrine is inconsistent with the truth for Sin did not reign unto death in any from Eternity but in Time therefore Grace could not reign through Righteousness unto Life in any from Eternity but in time Part. 4. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity destroyeth also the Doctrine of Adoption which inseparably followeth Justification and is another inseparable point of the Christian Faith I say Adoption followeth and is an inseparable companion of Justification by Faith in Christ he that is Justified by Faith in Christ is also adopted and taken into the number of Gods Sons or Children by the same Faith as Gal 3.24.25.26 That we might be justified by Faith v 24. But after that Faith is come v. 25. Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus by the same faith by which any man is Justified by the same Faith also he is Adopted and made a Son or Child of God and so again Gal. 4 4 5 7. Now no man was Adopted from Eternity and therefore no man was Justified from Eternity And he that was Adopted from Eternity was never a Servant but a Son was never a Child of Disobedience a Child of Wrath as Ephes. 2.2 3. but a Child of God from eternity and then there never could be any Predestination to the Adoption of Children as Ephes. 1.5 that the Adoption of Children had been from eternity Part. 5. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity denieth destroyeth and overthroweth by consequence the truth and doctrine of discrimination or making a difference betwixt the state of Nature and the state of Grace which the holy Scriptures do every where establish The state of Nature according the Scriptures is a state of Sin and so of Death and Condemnation as hath been already shewed But the state of Grace is a state of Righteousness and so of Life and Justification as hath also been declared through Faith in the Son of God Rom. 9.30 and Rom. 10.4 John 5.24 and 1 John 4.14 Now he that saith he was Justified from Eternity saith that he was in a state of Life from Eternity and by consequence never was in a state of Sin and Death for Justification is Life as Condemnation is Death Rom. 5.18 but most certain it is that all were dead and in a state of sin and condemnation before they believed on Christ even the Elect of God as well as others as 2 Cor. 5.14 And the death of Christ for all the Elect doth prove that they were all dead and in a state of Death Jews and Gentiles for else Christ needed not to have died for them and the love of Christ doth constrain all them to acknowledge that they were dead and therefore are debtors to Christ for their Life and Justification through Faith in him and so no more to live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again The words are most plain and the sense most genuine For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again Therefore seeing they were once dead