for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143. 2. Dan. 9. 18. Tit. 3. 5. 7. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags c. Isai 64. 4. 6. God reveales to a soule Christs righteousnesse and the soules interest unto it Joh. 16. 14. To comfort the soule and cause the soule to love God againe he doth not comfort us in the sight of our own righteousnesse before he declares and comforts the soule in the righteousnesse of Christ Righteousnesse in him That righteousnesse which justifieth us before God as it is not ours so it is not in us but as it is Christs righteousnesse so it is in him In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength in me you shall have righteousnesse and strength Isa 45. 23 24 25. The cause or forme of our justification is by a reciprocall translation of our sin unto Christ and his righteousnesse unto us both which is done by God for us That we might be made Whatsoever Jesus Christ hath done and suffered was for those whose sinnes were laid upon him who are stated in him Ephes 1. 4. and are fully pardoned by him Rev. 1. 5. By the obedience of one man viz. Christ many are made righteous Rom. 5. 19. By his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. In him God considers his to be in Christ before they had a beeing in themselves Ephes 1. 4. and he never lookes upon his children out of him for they are never out of him They dwell in Christ Joh. 6. 56. and shall ever live Joh. 9. 25. and be found in him Phil. 3. 8. Christ and all true beleevers are so united together that they are but one one body one spirit bone of his bone oh what union is like to this that is so reall full and intire wonderfull glorious spirituall eternall and infinite 1 Cor. 6. 17. Gal. 5. 30. c. Joh. 15. 5. Joh. 17. 22 23. If our faith in Christ were as strong as our union with Christ wee should ingrosse and possesse all that is in heaven and nothing in the earth could trouble us The state of a beleever in Christ as considered in him is an estate of perfection We are complete in him Col. 2. 9 10. 13. As Christ is so am I as I am so is Christ Joh. 1. 17. What is Christs is mine what is mine is his Christs righteousnesse is mine I am all righteous I need no more nor no other righteousnesse as I am in Christ I am as righteous and as acceptable as Christ God seeth no sin in me because there is none for I am all faire there is no spot in me Song 4. 7. Song 2. 10. Ephes 5. 25 26 27. For as he is even so are we in this world 1 Joh. 4. 17. Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Isa 38. 17. As far as the East in from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us Psal 103. 12. Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy Citie to finish the transgressions and to make an end of sinnes and to make reconviliation for iniquitie and to bring in an everlasting righteousnesse to seale up the vision and prophecy and to anoynt the most Holy Dan. 9. 24. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse Isa 61. 10. All Saints are alike clothed with Christs righteousnesse the meanest the weakest as the best and is as acceptable by it as the best oh they are all alike perfect righteous and glorious as they are in Christ oh here is strong consolation for thy fainting heart to refresh it selfe withall Drinke O friends and make yee merry O welbeloved yea drink drink abundantly in this fountaine that is bottomlesse and therefore can never be drawne dry Song 5. 1. In the most perfect Saints as they are in themselves there is much sin 1 Joh. 1. 10. and God doth see it yet God cannot condemne them to wrath for it no more then God can condemne Christ for it who shall appeare without sin Heb. 9. 28. They being in him who hath suffered for it and Justice neither will nor can exact the payment of a debt twice now it 's justice in God to justifie Rom. 3. 25. yea God is as just in pardoning a sinner by the bloud of Christ as he is just in condemning any and now thou hast a full pardon by justice as well as mercy therefore drinke freely Song 5. 1. For us That which is spoken in generall to beleevers every beleever is to apply it to himselfe in particular so Paul he loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. For us for me The word and promise of God that it is for me is that which my soule should fix its eye upon and by faith for ever relie upon and be a full satisfaction to my soule knowing that the word and promise of God is the onely ground of my faith and is securitie sufficient for my salvation As soone as the soule is convinced that Jesus Christ is made sin for me and that I am made the righteousnesse of God in him all the soules doubts feares objections vanish and Christ is beleeved in and lived upon with thankfulnesse and joy Jesus Christ being made sin for me is as good for me yea better for me then if I had never sinned as much better as a spirituall body is better then a naturall as much better as the image of the heavenly is better then the image of the earthly yea as much better as strength is better then weaknesse and as heaven is better then earth 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. to 55. But saith a discouraged soule I cannot beleeve the Lord Jesus was made sin for me Why not for thee Because my sins are greater then others be for my sins have all the aggravations upon them that can be For mine are many So were theirs in the second and third Chapter of Jeremiah yet notwithstanding God pardoned them all as appeares Jer. 3. 21. to 25. But my sins are great and hainous So were theirs and so were Manassehs as appeares 2 King 21. 4. 9. 11. 16. and so was the womans Luk. 7. 47. and so was Pauls 1 Tim. 1. 15. yet God pardoned them all as he hath done others But my sins are against the Gospel So was Pauls he persecuted them that professed the Gospel and made havock of the Church entring into every house haling men and women and committed them to prison Act. 8. 3. And Christ died for them that slew him Act. 2. 23. 38. But mine are afâ—er many mercies So was Solomons who sinned against God after the Lord appeared unto him twice 1 King 11. 9.
can desire Christ above all things in the world if they might have their choice unlesse Christ have their hearts and they dearly love him and beleeve in him for Christ is precious to them that beleeve 1 Pet. 2. 7. and to none else So the seat of faith is in the heart which is in the understanding and will but more principally in the will so that if our wills be renewed our hearts are renewed Rom. 8. 5 6. Paul saith To will is present with me good I would doe so then with my minde I serve the Law of God Rom. 7. 18 19. with 21. 25. it appeares that the will is one with the minde and the heart is one with them these three are one and alwayes goe together and are alike spirituall Christ saith Where your treasure is there will your heart be also Mat. 6. 21. that is the mind and affections and by affections in Eph. 3. 2. is meant the heart for the heart and affections are one thing There be them that beleeve and yet they know not whether they beleeve or no so that it is possible for them to call their faith unbeliefe as the blind man did Mark 9. 24. Lord help my unbeliefe which must not be understood of unbeliefe for it is not a lawfull request to pray that sin may be increased for unbeliefe is a sin and the ground or cause of the soules departing from God as Heb. 3. 12. Many mistake faith some have thought comfort joy or ravishments of soule with God to be faith and so have concluded because they had not them they had no faith It is not mens beleeving but the object of faith that gives faith its denomination or name for there be divers kinds of faith there is a naturall faith as Luk. 8. 13. and a divine faith or the faith of Gods Elect Titus 1. 1. Faith and its object is not to be separated because faith and its object is one and the same it is too strict therefore to give a distinction or definition of faith without its object He that beleeveth that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God shall be saved All is included in this he that beleeves this must 1. Know Christ to be the anointed Luk. 23. the Saviour of his people from their sinnes Mat. 1. 21. 2. To beleeve in Christ to rest upon him to live or stay upon the Lord Pro. 3. 5. To beleeve in him Rom. 10. 9. 11. Psal 17. 6. To cleave to God Deut. 30. 20. Joh. 23. 6. Acts 11. 23. Psal 119. 30 31. to hope in him Psal 147. 11. 3. To own and confesse Christ Simon said Thou art the Christ the Sonne of the living God Mat. 16. 16. Rom. 10. 9. Any man may say that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God yea the Devils confesse this I know thee who thou art Jesus Christ the Sonne of God therefore this cannot be the faith of Gods Elect and so not the faith of the Gospel 1. There are three things to be considered in the nature of faith first illumination secondly for the soule to trust in Christ for pardon and life and the third is the application of him The first is when a man consents to the Word that it is true and this is called faith and this the Devill doth Thou beleevest there is one God thou doest well the Devill doth so James 2. Mark 5. 8. Acts 16. 17. The second is to beleeve that Jesus is the Christ which implies a seeing and knowing all to be in Christ for life and salvation and so to rest upon him for it he that thus beleeves in Christ is brought by Christ over to Christ and so centred upon him that he will never goe from him Joh. 6. 58. My soule wait thou on God for my expectation is from him Psal 62. 5. and this no Devill never did The third is to beleeve with an application of Christ as their own in particular therefore to beleeve in Christ is more then an illumination or a saying so or reformation for where faith comes old things are done away and they are new creatures there is a light set up in that soule now they know all is by Christ and that there is no way or meanes of life but by Christ and close with Christ and rest upon him Secondly the Scriptures cleerly prove that to beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God is the faith of the Gospel for the Word of God is the ground of faith and the soules salvation depends upon the truth of what God saith and faith looks onely to what God saith and rests upon it and sets to its seale that God is true And that so to beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God is the faith of the Gospel I prove by these Reasons 1. Because this is the faith which the Apostles preached and witnessed unto and the faith which is recorded unto us in the Scriptures Acts 18. 28. 1 Joh. 2. 22. 2. Because none can say knowingly that Jesus is the Lord but by the Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 3. 3. Because upon the profession of this faith Christ builds his Church Mat. 16. 16. 18. 4. Upon the profession of this faith the Baptisme of Christ is dispensed as Act. 8. 37. 5. They who have this faith dwell in God and God in them 1 Joh. 4. 15. 6. This faith flesh and bloud cannot reveale but God reveales it to the soule Mat. 16. 16 17. 7. Such are borne of God whosoever beleeves that Jesus is the Christ is borne of God 1 Joh. 5. 1. 8. This is the faith that overcommeth the world 1 Joh. 5. 4 5. 9. Because such as have this faith are pronounced blessed Mat. 16. 17. and shall never dye Joh. 11. 25 26. 10. Because he that hath this faith shall be saved If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9. Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life whosoever beleeveth in me shall never dye beleevest thou this shee said unto him yea Lord I beleeve that thou art the Christ the Sonne of God c. Joh. 11. 25 26 27. To beleeve this Record implies an assent that it is truth with a resting or hoping to have interest in it to be made one with it is faith though it be a lesser degree then a full and certain assurance of life by him for himselfe in particular see Isa 45. 21 22. Those in Mat. 5. 3 4 5. who mourne and hunger and thirst after Christ are blessed and shall be satisfied though they want the application of Christ therefore besides the illumination which wicked men and Devils may have as well as a beleever there is a two-fold act of faith the first is a direct act to beleeve Christ is in whom is life c. this is to beleeve the Record God hath given concerning his Sonne and that he
condemne him and doth not Christ lose the end of his death to dye for their salvation who yet perish or is it justice to require the payment of one debt twice is there remission of sinnes in Christ for every man but no righteousnesse no everlasting life for them did Christ purchase salvation but not the application of salvation which is necessary to salvation how doth it appeare Christ purchased salvation or enough for salvation or is the death of Christ of an uncertain event is Christ appointed to death to purchase a possibilitie of salvation but not salvation it selfe with the application of it then Christ shed his bloud to save man and yet no man saved by it for if it depends upon mans beleeving of it why may not all of them perish as well as any of them And if it be so if man please Christ shall lose the end of his death but it clearly appeares that all those for whose sinnes Christ dyed are justified by his bloud and shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 8 9 10. B. 3. 4. but this subject is handled at large by John Spilsbery in his book intituled Gods Ordinance if the Sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed Joh. 8. else not But upon second thoughts they affirme that Christ never dyed for the sinne of unbeliefe and that finall unbeliefe is the unpardonable sin Answ It cannot truly be denied but unbeliefe is a not beleeving Christ which sinne is most immediately and directly against Christ which sin is pardonable with all manner of sin and blasphemy which Christ saith shall be forgiven unto the sons of men as appeares Mat. 12. 31 32. therefore not beleeving in Christ is not the unpardonable sinne also Such as beleeve have been guiltie of unbeliefe which is pardoned in them and if the sin of unbeliefe which is none of the least sinnes is pardoned without the bloud of Christ to the Elect who beleeve why might not all other sinnes in like manner be so pardoned to them and then shall not the bloud of Jesus Christ be shed in vaine because by their reason their sinnes might have been pardoned without it as well as their unbeliefe And seeing without shedding of bloud there is no remission Heb. 9. 22. let them declare how unbeliefe can be remitted also if the bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin then from unbeliefe also 1 Joh. 1. 7. Also if finall unbeliefe were the sin against the holy Spirit that is unpardonable then it could not be cōmitted before death There is a sin unto death if thou see thy brother sin c. But if a man could not commit this sin before he dye he could not be seen so to sin 1 Joh. 5. 16. which sin is described Heb. 10. 29. therefore finall unbeliefe is not this sin here spoken of To conclude Christ dyed not for the sinnes of all the world for Christ saith He layeth downe his life for his sheepe Joh. 10. 15. You beleeve not for yee are not of my sheepe vers 26. Yet as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Acts 13. 48. see Joh. 17. 2. 19. 24. 29. The end of Redemption is application Phil. 1. 29. Joh. 6. 37. 39. The Scripture saith He tooke upon him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. and how Abrahams seed is considered appears Gal. 3. 16. 22. 29. Such as are Christs such as beleeve are Abrahams seed And seeing all Adams posteritie cannot be considered to be Abrahams seed in no sense therefore there is no ground to cōceive that Christ dyed for the sinnes of all the seed of Adam as they affirme That all men under the Gospel have not sufficient grace given them for conversion FOr the word sufficient grace how can we conceive that grace to be sufficient in power which is not sufficient in performance of the worke for seeing conversion follows not how is it sufficient to conversion is that sufficient to conversion that never attaines it is that medicine sufficient to cure such a disease which being taken doth not cure it Sufficient and effectuall is all one And seeing many were never converted it must of necessitie follow that sufficient grace was never given unto them for if sufficient strength be put to move the earth motion must needs follow The reason why they came not to Christ was because the Father did not draw them Joh. 6. 44. and inwardly teach them God must give a heart to perceive and eyes to see for miracles cannot doe it Deut. 29. 3 4. Joh. 12. 37 38. The arme of the Lord must be revealed They say it was because they would not beleeve Wee answer They neither would nor could the Lord saith they could not beleeve Joh. 12. 39. Therefore man cannot finally hinder his conversion for whom God will save no power of man can destroy Man in his first conversion is wholly passive we cannot worke it in our selves nor hinder Gods working of it because we are dead in sinnes Ephes 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. Ephes 5. 14. and spiritually blind Rev. 3. 18. Eph. 4. 17. 6. 8. Mat. 6. 23. Luk. 4. 18. Joh. 1. 5. Acts 26. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Our hearts stony and destitute of goodnesse Ezek. 36. 26. 11. 19. Gods worke in converting us is a raising from the dead Eph. 2. 5. Col. 2. 12. Rev. 20. 6. Joh. 5. 21. 25. A restoring the sight to the blind Luk. 4. 18. A new birth Joh. 1. 13. 3. 3. Another creation of him Eph. 2. 10. Psal 51. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 5. 15. The giving of a new heart Ezek. 9. 19. So that man cannot prepare himselfe to conversion God regenerateth man that he may beleeve The tree must first be good before it can bring forth good fruit How can they that are evill speake good things Mat. 12. 34. It 's an error therefore to thinke that mans conversion to God begins in some act man performes and not in a worke first wrought in us by God They alledge Isai 55. 11. to prove the word and the Spirit goeth together Ans Not to make it powerfull in the conversion in all They reply Act. 7. 51. Yee have alwayes resisted c. Ans True in resisting the outward means but it cannot be proved that they resisted in the inward work of God upon their hearts From Mat. 25. 29. they affirme that he that useth nature well shall have grace This text is to be understood of the gifts of the Ministery in the improvement of them the increase is in the same kinde nature and grace are not so Also it 's plaine grace hath not been bestowed upon such as used nature best as appeares by the rejection of the Sidonians and Capernaits who were better fitted for nature Therefore the well using of
great a God as our God thou art a God that doest wonders and his footsteps are not knowne vers 14. 19. If God in his greatnesse were knowne and the wonders he doth knowne and his footsteps the way he goeth knowne men would admire him and rejoyce at that for which they now mourne When thou art tempted to unbeliefe set before thee the evill of this sinne in it selfe and the effects of it Learne to know and distinguish between the voyce of Christ and all other voyces that thou maist say It is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh and hearken unto it Song 5. 2. Christs voyce is peace to his Luk. 24. 26. Thy sinnes are forgiven Luk. 7. 48. I will remember them no more Heb. 10. 17. Therefore that voyce that tends to hinder the peace of the Saints suits with Satan and is not the voyce of Christ I will heare what the Lord will speake for he will speake peace to his people Psal 85. 8. Satan also speaks in the soule saying Is not this a delusion is it likely to be from God hast thou a heart fit for Christ and because this last voyce is more sutable to reason the soule is ready to close with it and to conclude against God and his own soule that the voyce was not from God but a delusion of Satan mistaking Christs voyce to be the voyce of Satan and Satans voyce to be the voyce of Christ which is a miserable mistake Therefore learne to know the severall colours sounds and voyces which are for God and which are for Satan 1 Cor. 14. 7 8 9 10 11. Or else you will mistake and come unprepared to the battell 2 Cor. 7. 5. Learne to know and distinguish between the voyce of the Gospel and the voyce of the Law the Law saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to doe them Gal. 3. 10 11. When there is any worke required to be done upon paine of punishment or upon promise of eternall life it is the voyce of the Law the Law requires a doing of something for life Mâ—ses describes the righteousnesse of the Law that the man that doth these things shall live by them Rom. 10. 5. But the voyce of the Gospel is otherwise that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. And to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 10. 5. see 9. verse to 13. and that his mercy is above what we can aske or thinke Eph. 3. 20. So the promises of liâ—e they are free without condition and the Gospel declares what God workes in us and freely gives unto us I will love them freely Hos 14. 4. If some persons did listen more to the promise which is the voyce of the Gospel and not unto the voyce of the Law or the voyce of corruption they should enjoy more peace and lesse trouble Meddle not with the threatnings in the Word so as to apply them to thy selfe because they belong not unto thee they are no part of thy portion they have nothing to doe with a beleever nor he hath nothing to doe with them the threatnings are for them that are under the Law but wee are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6. 14. A beleever having sinned through weaknesse applieth the threatnings against that sinne to himselfe not considering that Christ hath satisfied for the sinnes they commit Christ being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. Be sure yee judge not your state by false principles as to be bad for the want of that which if thou haddest it would not prove thy state good as knowledge memory Pâ—â—ls sensiblenesse of sin c. Nor judge thy state bad for the having of that which if thou wert freed from would not prove thy estate good as passion temptations discontentednesse c. If this Rule were observed some should not be so troubled as now they are Take heed you be not overwhelmed with sin therefore eye not so much thy infirmities Beware of such a minding of sin and such a complaining of it either to Gods or man as may discourage oppresse and trouble thy soule for this is sinfull Davids experience might teach him this I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed I am so troubled that I cannot speake Psal 77. 3 4. 8. Therefore hearken not to thy faylings corruptions doubts feares for as they are all against God so they are all against thy soule There is no grace no mercy from them therefore what thou seest and feelest see not consiâ—er not forget and what thy sense sees not see Faith is the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. Walke by faith not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. Eye Christ onely mind him meditate upon him and his rich and free grace fetch all thy comforts from him who is made to thee Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. If thou attendest only to God in his promise thou shalt finde Rest Psal 116. 7. O beleever eye not so much thy selfe or thy sinnes as Christs full and perfect satisfaction which was offered and accepted for all thy sinnes Heb. 10. 14 15 16 17 18. Oh therefore live and rest thy soule upon thy sweet Lord Jesus Christ alone place all thy confidence in him Doest thou not heare God say to thee Cast away all thy feares and come to me I will settle thee comfort quicken uphold thee and be better to thee then thy selfe can be I will be all in all unto thee Know the happinesse and perfection of the state of a beleever in Christ he is cleane from all sin by the bloud of Christ 1 Joh. 1. 7. They are removed from us Psal 103. 12. A beleever in Christ is accepted of God in him as perfect righteous and comely as Christ is for Christ saith to his Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee There is not any sin a beleever can commit can be a ground sufficient to question the love of God nor ought they to cast away their confidence in God for any thing they doe or can befall them nor ought they to cause any unquietnesse of spirit in them Heb. 10. 19 20. 22. 25. For now there is none that can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect as Rom. 8. 1. Oh meditate on this truth until thy heart be over powered with it and thou injoy the sweetnesse of it and ever mind it seriously thy full freedome and sweet libertie thou hast in Christ Gal. 5. 13. Learne to distinguish between thy Justification and thy personall Sanctification the first is perfect and compleat in Christ the latter is in our selves and is weake and imperfect and uncertaine as appeares Rom. 7. Let us looke off our sinnes and looke upon Gods sweet promise who saith Their sinnes and iniquities will I remember