control vile affections subdue and yield your Spirits to God You also are Priests first offering up your selves and then offering up Prayers and Praises to God Under Christ's Priesthood of Attonement there Springs up another Priesthood of Gratitude and Thanksgiving As on Christ the Altar God presents the Flesh and Blood of Jesus as Sustenance to us So on the same Altar we offer our Souls and Bodies and all Spiritual performances as precious Sacrifices to God Justification is joined with strength to resist and overcome Sin Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord I have Righteousness and strength Jesus at once Satisfied for Sin and also curcified our old Man Rom. 6.6 Christ ruined the Natural Life of the First Adam he destroyed that Life and Body that is the Subject of Sin and the Members by which it is executed The animal Life is a great Temptation to Sin we are enticed by the Pleasures Profits and Honours that belong to it Christ therefore abolished it as an imperfect Life in himself that he might destroy it as a Sinful Life in us He pulled away the Earth in which this weed growes and pulled down as Sampson the very house in which our Lusts as Spiritual Philistines dwell as the first Adam's corrupt Nature passes with the guilt of Adam's first Sin so the new Nature of Jesus Christ passeth to Souls together with his Righteousness In the same Testament that Christ doth dispose Remission of Sins he doth also Bequeath a new Heart Ezek. 36.25 26. If God blots Sins out of his Book he will write his Laws also in our Hearts If he Reverse the Sentence of Death passed on us he will breath the Spirit of Life into us Those that are sprinkled with Christ's Blood are Redeemed from all Iniquity and consecrated to God As a Redeemed People they are obliged to be first Fruits to God Revel 14.4 and as a Regenrated People they are enabled to be First-fruits to God Jam. 1.18 Where Christ washes with his Blood he doth also anoint with his Spirit Are we adopted John 1.12 Have we power and right to be called the Sons of the living God Hos 1.10 Are we the Children of the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6. last Justification is alwayes attended with Adoption Those that receive a white stone that is are absolved acquitted Justified from all their Sins they have also in this white Stone a new Name Revel 2.17 What is this new Name but the Name of a Child of God Adoption is an Amplification of our Justification We are not only pronounced as Righteous and owned as Friends but reputed and accepted as Sons and Daughters are nearly Related and greatly endeared to God Are you the Children of God not by Hagar the Bond Woman but by Sarah the Free Woman Do you serve with a free Spirit and not as slaves that have no delight in God and could wish his Law were totally abrogated 5. Do you love God and Christ Luk. 7.47 She loved much because much was Forgiven her When great debts are Remitted Heinous crimes are Pardoned deep Spots and Stains are fetched out this calls for highest and hottest Love He that covereth Transgessions seeketh Love Prov. 17.9 Then surely God and Christ have sought our Love by covering our Sins Psal 32.1 2. Our Iniquities are many ways aggravated and so are of a Scarlet and Crimson Dye Isa 1.18 And for this deep dye to be washed and fetched out and for them to become as white as Snow and Wool this is wonderful Mercy For a Sinner to be as much accepted with God as if he had never Offended and Transgressed Our Sins as Commited against God are Talents and as they have been multiplied 't is a debt of Ten Thousand Talents and for this whole debt to be freely Forgiven 2 Col. 13. And for the Blood of Christ to be the clean Water to purge away Sin Ezek. 36.25 Revel 1.5 this must needs warm and inlarge the Heart heighten and inflame the affections towards God If you do not give your Hearts to God if you do not set your Love on Christ it is a plain Sign that you have not Tasted of the Grace of God or experienced the Kindness of Christ in Forgiving your Sins 6. What free access have you to God and what joy and Delight have you in him Are your Consciences so perfected that is so perfectly purged that you dare to draw nigh to God and that with confidence Heb. 7.19 Heb. 10.19 It is a great thing to have boldness to enter into the Holiest Place and to approach to the Highest Majesty Heb. 12.23 Jisus Christ died to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 Dare we to come to God the Judge of all as being assured he will not Condemn us Heb. 12.23 Do we rejoyce in God through our Lord Jesus Christ having now received the Atonement Rom. 5.11 Do we rejoyce in what God is to us in what he hath done for us and in what he farther designs towards us Can we Feast on Mount Ebal Deut. 27.7.13 14 15. where the Curses were Proclaimed Can we there Triumph because Christ Jesus hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Are we so Justified in the Lord as to glory Isa 45. last In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be Justified and Glory Can you Glory over all Accusers and Accusations Do you glory in the Person in whom and in the Righteousness by which you are Justified there is no exception against the Person that Justifieth and there is no flaw or defect in the Righteousness that is imputed Surely shall one say in the Lord I have Righteousness so it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a full and compleat Righteousness in Christ as Christ Rising from the dead did carry away our Sins so he propagates a new Nature to the Redeemed Is our Justification matter of greatest joy to us Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord and joy in my God for he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness 7. Do you much Praise and Bless God for Reconciling and Pardoning of you Psal 103.12.3 Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Bless his Holy Name who forgiveth all thine iniqutites O Lord I will Praise thee For thou wast angry with me but thine anger is turned away and thou dost comfort me Isa 12.1 In the times of the Gospel it is said Men shall shew forth the Praises of the Lord Isa 60.6 The time of the Gospel is as a Pleasant and Delightful Spring The Winter is past the Rain is over and gone the time of the Singing of Birds is now come Cant. 2.11 12. The Spring is as it were a mediator between the extreme cold of Winter and the excessive heat of Summer and so is a fit Emblem of the times of the Gospel in which Christ is Revealed as a Mediator between us that are so cold as
Captain of our Salvation is the mighty God Isa 9.6 no Enemy can stand before him or prevail against him no Disease is so strong or malignant but the great Physitian can cure it no Dross cleaves so close to us but he can separate it from us Christ is a refining Fire to his People and a consuming Fire to their Enemies As the first Adam corrupts and defiles inevitably so the second Adam can renew cleanse sanctify irresistibly And infallibly he can speak so as to cause the Deaf and Dead to hear Isa 29.18 John 5.25 He can woo so as to cause himself to be loved and chosen he can draw so as to make Sinners to run to him at first Isa 55.5 and to run after him ever after Cant. 1.4 The spirit of Christ is mighty in its Operations it acts as a spirit of Power it causeth Men to pass under Christ's Pastoral Rod and brings them under the Bond of the Covenant Ezek 20.37 It causeth Men to approach to God and dwell in his House Psal 65.4 It causeth Men to walk in God's ways and to keep his Statutes Ezek. 36.27 This word Cause is observable and emphatical and signifies the spirit's mighty and effectual way of working It doth not only propose Arguments and sollicite the Souls of the Elect in a moral way but renews the Will changes the Heart effectually inclines men to yield to and follow after God The event is not pendulous and uncertain and suspended on Man's free-will but Christ undertakes that his Sheep shall hear his Voice and he will bring them to his Fold John 10.16 4. Christ's Salvation is a full and comprehensive Salvation Luke 1.71 That we should be saved from the Hand of our Enemies and from all that hate us Sin the World and Death are our Enemies 1. Sin is our Enemy Our Lusts do Satan's work if he should stand still James 1.14 15. A Man is tempted and drawn away by his own Lust This is a Body of Death Rom. 7.24 it deforms our Souls as much as Death deforms our Bodies it makes them corrupt putrify and stink in the Nostrils of God it renders us as unactive for God as a dead Carcase is unserviceable to Man it defiles and enslaves our Souls lets us only do dead works Heb. 9.14 such works as are the fruits of spiritual death and the seeds of eternal death Where it prevails and reigneth it causeth us continually to go a whoring from God and to rise up in Rebellion against him it causeth us to lead a life of Vanity here and prepares us for a life of Misery hereafter 2. The World is an Enemy We need the Armour of Righteousness on the Right Hand to secure us from the danger of Prosperity and the Aamour of Righteousness on our Left Hand to guard us from the evil of Adversity 2 Cor. 6.7 Height of Prosperity and depth of Misery Rom. 8.39 are dangerous snares and may prove mortal Enemies to us if Grace doth not prevent The World's Musick is to draw and its Furnace is to drive us from God Satan takes his Bait and fetches his Weapons from some thing in the World How doth it blow up and inflame our Hearts fire and fuel our Lusts How many are made to forget God and to think they have no want and need of him in their Plenty and Abundance Psal 50.22 Job 1.14.15 Job 22.17 Jer. 3.31 3. Death is an Enemy to God's People 1 Cor. 15.26 it strikes them dumb and deprives them of the use of their Tongues in praising God which is their Glory Saints as well as others when they die go down into silence Psal 115.17 Isa 38.18 Death disables us from working for God in a body of Flesh it gives a Quietus est to one half of us and dischargeth it from the service of God The Temple in which the spirit dwelt is now pulled down and sinks into Dust and Ashes and Death that deprives us of so great and glorious an Inhabitant in our Bodies and takes us off from such noble service with our Tongues and Members must needs be our Enemy But Christ saves from these Enemies Sin shall not Reign Rom. 6.14 and in due time it shall cease to be sin and shall be utterly extirpated out of the People of God As Israel's Freedom was begun in the death of the First-born of the Egyptians and was compleated in the drowning of Pharaob and all his Host in the Red Sea so the liberty of Saints is begun in destroying the reign of beloved sins that are the first-born of the Old Man and shall be compleated by the total extirpation and destruction of all sin We are Baptized into the Death and Burial of Christ Rom. 6.3 and we must be made Partakers of the saving Benefit of both Sin shall not only die but also be buried A Dead Man hath lost his Command in the House yet his Carcase may remain in it but when he is to be buried his Corps is carried out and he ceaseth any longer to be in the House So sin shall not only cease to reign but also to be in the soul we shall be washed and free from every spot and wrinkle Ephes 5.25 26 27. 2. The World is foiled and overcome by Christ Joh. 16. last It could not divert or draw him from doing his Father's work and will and this conquered Enemy shall not have strength to captivate and destroy Believers they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.1 Our victorious Saviour hath purchased conquering Strength and merited Victory for us in the midst of all snares and temptations We are more than Conquerors through the Lord Jesus that hath loved us Rom. 8.39 3. Christ will save his People from Death after this Enemy hath not only swallowed them up but digested them Christ hath abolished Death already in himself and will abolish it also in all his People Hos 13.14 he threatens Death that holds the Rod over and threatens the whole World he menaceth Death that he will be the plague of Death a mortal Disease to it He threatens the Grave that he will destroy it and in due time Triumphant Saints shall sing this Song O Death where is thy sting O Death what hast thou gotten by killing our Bodies they are alive again O Grave where is thy Victory what hast thou gotten by taking away all the shape of a Body and crumbling it into Dust 3ly This Body is now restor'd our Particles of Dust are gathered together and formed into a Body like the glorious Body of Christ 1 Cor. 15.55.57 Phil. 3.21 Christ will in Living Saints at the last day swallow up Mortality of Life 2 Cor. 5.4 and in dead Saints he will swallow up Death into Victory Isa 25.8 2dly There are those that hate Saints and so wicked Men and Satan do they hate them because they bare the Image and live the Life and uphold the interest of God but the wicked cannot kill the Souls of the Saints
Rom. 7.18 As Jacob did Travel towards Canaan yet he halted on one Foot as he Journied on Gen. 32.31 So though Saints do walk with God and hold on their way towards Heaven Job 17.9 yet they halt on the Unregenerate side and part With my Mind I serve the Law of God ' but with my Flesh the Law of Sin Rom. 7. last This is a wonderful Mystery of the Gospel that Believers are perfected as to the Conscience Heb. 9.14 Heb. 10.14 Though the Sacrifices of the Law could not make them that brought them perfect as touching the Conscience Heb. 9.9 they did Shadow Pardon they did Typify Reconciliation but they could not confer and bestow Pardon and Peace But this is the Excellency and Perfection of Christ's Sacrifice that it doth Purge and Perfect Conscience though the Soul and its Faculties are not perfected by a Compleat Inherent Righteousness yet Conscience is Perfected and hath no more ground to Accuse and Condemn than as if there were no Corruption remaining no Sin dwelling in us O what a Mystery of Grace is this that Conscience should be perfected and yet the Soul remain imperfect in Grace 8. Our own Inherent Righteousness is so defective and comes so short of a full Conformity to the Law that we cannot dwell at home but must fly unto and inhabit in the City of Refuge Though the Old Man be wounded in every Member in the Saints yet it is not Maimed no one of our Members on Earth is perfectly cut off 3 Cor. 5. And therefore we must not stay at home or dare to be found in our own Righteousness Phil. 3.9 As the Man-slayer was not to continue at his House Numb 35.15 22 24 25. He was in hast to leave it and fly to the City of Refuge and there to abide till the Death of the High-Priest Tho' a Man did without Enmity Hatred or Design but by meer Chance Kill his Neighbour yet he must not abide at Home Then we that have sinned knowingly and that with the bent and purpose of our Hearts have Transgressed a Righteous Law set before us do much more need Jesus Christ as a City of Refuge We are in more danger of Revenging Justice than the Man-slayer was of the Avenger of Blood O! how much Mercy is it that we have a City of Refuge to fly to tho' we have sined greatly and heinously When Jesus Christ our High-Priest died when the Temple of his Body was destroy'd John 2.19 then was this City of Refuge built up It is wholly Inhabited by Creatures that have been Guilty of Heinous and Innumerable Transgressions O what encouragement is this that there is yet Room in the City of Refuge to receive Guilty Creatures that fly to it And what great need have we of it not only for our Acts that are meer Sins but also for the best of our Duties and Performances There is Iniquity that cleaves to our Holy Things Exod. 28.36 37 38. We need an High-Priest not only for our Deformed Facts of Sin but for our Beautiful Acts of Worship by reason of the Dross that is in them our High-Priest did bear the Iniquity of our Holy Things they lay Heavy on him And can we purchase Heaven by those things that we need a Pardon and Jesus Christ endured a Heavy Punishment for If the Man-slayer did come forth and was found without the Borders of the City of Refuge the Avenger of Blood might kill him Numb 35.26 27. So if the best of Saints should go forth of Christ the City of Refuge and think to dwell at Home by trusting in their own Inherent Righteousness God's Revenging Justice might destroy them therefore it is our wisdom and safety to abide in Christ 1 John 2.28 Little children abide in him Because we are but weak little children not grown to perfect strength and full stature in Grace we are still to abide in Christ The Apostle Paul seems to me to refer to that expression of the Man-slayer's being found without the Border of the City of Refuge Numb 35.26 where he expresses it as his Great Design and Desire to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 The Man-slayer and the Avenger of Blood might converse freely and comfortably together without fear of danger in the City of Refuge So a God of Vengeance and a Believing Sinner may have sweet Communion with each other in the Lord Jesus That Just One died for the Unjust to bring them to God not as Guilty Malefactors to be punished but as Reconciled Friends to be Embraced 1 Pet. 3.19 By the better hope we draw nigh to God Heb. 7.19 Noah though a sincere and Just Man was not to stay in his Tent or House but to leave it and enter into the Ark that he might not be Drowned by the Waters of the Flood so we must go out of our selves fly to and trust in Christ as God's Ark of Salvation that we may be deliver'd from Destruction by the Deluge of God's Wrath. 9. We do not ascend up to Heaven by a Lofty Tower or by a Proud Babel of our own Building the Top of our highest Structure cannot reach Heaven as those Foolish Builders thought theirs would do Gen. 11.3 4. Our Sins are increased and grown up to Heaven Ezra 9.6 If our Trespass be grown up to Heaven as Ezra acknowledges if our Sins affront provoke and dare God to destroy us How shall our Righteousness grow up to Heaven to enter into it and take possession of it We de serve by our Iniquities to be thrown down to Hell and do not Merit by our Righteousness to Ascend up to Heaven If Men could fly to Heaven by the Wings of their own Works or get up thither by the Ladder of their own Righteousness What need was there that God should provide and set up a Ladder to Heaven for us Gen. 28.12 13 14 15 16 17. Jacob was Travelling to Padan-Aram and in a Dream God minds him of the Great Journey up to Heaven and discovers to him a Ladder the Foot of which did stand on Earth and the top of which did reach Heaven By this Ladder was signified both the Person of Christ that was to be God-man and so at once to stand on Earth and reach to Heaven and the Office of Christ that as Mediator was to Reconcile God and Man and so joyn Earth and Heaven together The Foot of this Ladder stood in Bethel which signifies the House of God In the Church Christ the Mediator is Revealed and Preached At the top of this Ladder is the Gate of Heaven Gen. 28.16 17. Heaven is only accessible and open over this Ladder to those that climb and ascend up by it This Ladder is now Compleat in all the Rongs or Parts of it the Foot of the Ladder stood near the Head of Sleeping Jacob this might point that the Ladder is Raised from Christ's Sleeping the sleep of Death Jesus is now not only Born and hath Died but is Risen again and
Jehovah our Righteousness OR THE JUSTIFICATION OF Believers BY THE Righteousness of Christ only Asserted and Applyed IN SEVERAL SERMONS By Samuel Comlyns A. M. A Minister of the Gospel in Marleborough LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Sign of the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercer's Chappel To the Most Illustrious WILLIAM Duke of Bedford Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ May it please Your Grace I Cannot forget your Grace's Kindness and Bounty to me in a Troublesome time of Persecution from Man and a Dark-day of Visitation from God when by a Disease I was brought near the brink of the Grave In Gratitude I offer your Grace a Discourse of that Everlasting Righteousness which we have in Christ and of that Eternal Salvation we enjoy by him Some may be wrapt up in the Skirt of Providence as the Hair in the Skirt of Ezekiel's Garment Ezek. 5.3 4. for a few years yet at last be brought forth and be cast into the Eternal Fire of God's Wrath 2 Thes 8 9. It will be sad to have a Reprieve for time and then to feel a dreadful Execution for Eternity but through the Righteousness of Christ God may not only as a Patient Creditor forbear us for years but as a Righteous Judge justify and discharge us for ever Diogenes Laertius in vita Socratis tells us That Apollodorus brought Socrates a Rich Garment to put on and Die in I here Present to your Grace the Glorious Garment of Christ's Righteousness both to Live on and to Die in Our blind Ancestours at a dear rate purchased a Monk's Habit to be Buryed in but I here tender to your Grace the Beautiful Habit of our Great High-Priest to Adorn and Secure your Soul for Time and Eternity The builders of Spiritual Babel are strangely confounded in their Language they deny the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness yet promise their Benefactors that they will Communicate to them the Merits of their Order Sir Edwyn Sands in his Religion of the West Relates That he heard a Capuchin Preach and that in his Sermon as a high act of Charity he said That he would divest himself of all his Merits and put them on the Congregation that heard him but he himself would stand before God as the greatest Sinner of them all But what a high strain of Pride is this to deny the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and yet allow the Imputation of their own Merits to others as if Sackcloth could Adorn but not the Son of Righteousness Tucquet in his Spanish History informs us That Philip the Second King of Spain was when Sick directed to take a Crucifix in one hand and a Candle Consecrated to the Virgin Mary that is worshipped at Monserat in the other hand and in this posture to meet Death the King of Terrors But is it not infinitely better that the Lively Picture of Christ Crucified as drawn in the Gospel should be before the eyes of our Minds and the Son of Righteousness be grasped and held fast in the Hand of Faith that Death may be disarmed of its Sting and divested of its Terror The Doctrine of Justification asserted in this Treatise is opposed by many Socinians deny the Death of Christ to be the Price of our Redemption Others seem to over-look the Active Obedience of Christ as it were not the matter of our Righteousness The Apostle saith That Christ was made under the Law to Redeem us Gal. 4.4 5. This expression made under the Law is not to be Restrained to Christ's being made under the Curse of the Law the Phrase is otherwise taken in the same Chapter Gal. 4.21 You that desire to be under the Law Surely the Jews did not desire to be under the Curse of the Law but under the Commands of the Law as a Covenant We are poor and weak as well as guilty Creatures we need not only that Christ by enduring the Curse on the Cross should reverse the Sentence of Death but also that he should obey the Law and so take it off from us as a Covenant of Life If the Sentence of death should be abrogated for the time past and the Law stand in force as a Covenant of Life for the time to come our State would be hopeless and desperate Some account Faith to be too small and mean a thing for us to be Justified by as Naaman thought Washing in the Waters of Jordan to be too slight a Meanes to cure him of his Leprosy 2 Kings 5.11 12. and therefore by Faith they understand all Obedience to the Gospel that flowes from it as when the Jews lost the Spiritual meaning of the Sacrifices as they did Typifie Christ Isa 53.10 they thought the Offering of a Beast to be a cheap Sacrifice therefore they would arise higher and Offer the First-Fruit of their Body for the Sin of their Soul Micah 6.7 So when some consider not or over-look the Office of Faith as it is an Instrument to receive Christ and his Righteousness for Justification they debase Faith as a mean thing and Introduce all New Obedience as the condition of Justification This is to make a Gospel Justification like a Legal Justification wherein Men's own obedience was the Matter of their Righteousness and the condition of their Justification The Wrath of God is Revealed from Heaven against us for our Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness Rom. 1.18 And how might our hearts sink if the Righteousness of God were not Revealed in the Gospel for our Comfort and Support * Cartwright Some distinguish between the Righteousness of the Law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.4 Phil. 3.9 The Righteousness of the Law is in some Measure fulfilled in Saints as they have Graces and do Actions in some measure conformable to the Law but yet the Scripture denies and disavows Christians having the Righteousness that is of the Law that is such a perfect and compleat Righteousness as the Law requires for Justification But it is the Righteousness of God that we must fly to and take hold of for Justification It is this Righteousness that gives us ground to conclude that God will turn again and have compassion on us Micah 7.19 and that he will not return to destroy us Hos 11.9 God will not execute the Fierceness of his Anger but express the Heat and Height of his Love in adopting us into his Family setting us at the Table to Feast and placing us in the Throne to Reign with Christ Luke 22.29 30. Rev. 3.21 We cannot break through an Host of sins and get to the Fountain of Life or venture into the Presence of God that is a Consuming Fire if we are not Armed with this Righteousness That your Grace may continually come into this Righteousness as your Fortress and Castle Live on it as your most precious Food and generous Cordial and at last be found in it as your Glorious Garment is the
us that he who hath imposed righteous Commands on us and hath denounced for our disobedience righteous Threatnings against us should to secure and preserve us or be made Righteousness to us This is admirable and wonderful that Jehovah should provide a Laver to wash us and work out a Righteousness to cloath and adorn us This is such a rare and stupendious thing that the Son of God by this gracious Condescention to us by this merciful Provision for us hath acquired a new honourable and everlasting Name The Words afford us two Points of Doctrine 1. That in Christ's Days Judah and Israel Jew and Gentile shall be most eminently and signally saved 2. That Jesus Christ is and shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Doct. 1. That in Christ's Days Judah and Israel Jew and Gentile shall be most eminently saved For the prosecuting of this Doctrine 1. I shall shew you what Days are meant and intended by the Days of Christ 2. What this Salvation is that shall be given forth in his Days 3. Why Salvation is by way of Excellency said to be bestowed in his days and then more eminently communicate 1. What days are meant by the Days of Christ Ans The Days that begin from the incarnation of the Son of God and continue and run on to his second coming these in Scripture are called his Days Psal 72.7 In his Days shall the Righteous flourish and these days are Long days for it followeth and an abundance of Peace there shall be as long as the Moon endureth So that the days of the Messiah do run parralel with the Moon as to their duration God had promised to him that he should prolong his Days and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his Hand Isa 53.10 It is a wonderful Condescention that he whose goings forth were from everlasting and was ancienter than days should take an Humane Nature and live a life in it that should be measured by days The Time since Jesus Christ was exhibited and manifested to the World is called his days 2. What is this Salvation that Jesus Christ bestoweth I shall shew you 1. The Nature 2ly The Properties and Adjuncts of this Salvation I shall first explain the Nature of it This Salvation hath two parts 1. A Privative 2. A Positive part 1. A Privative part It is Salvation from the most dreadful Evils 1. It is Salvation from Sin Matth. 1.21 thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins 2 Tit. 14. he gave himself to redeem us from all Iniquity His Blood is the precious Red Ink to blot out our Transgressions and the most wonderful Red Seas to drown the Spiritual Egyptians the Host of our Iniquities in Christ was but baptized in the deep Waters of sorrow and sufferings but he drowned for ever all our sins God made war with Christ to make peace with us Zech. 13.7 God saves by Remission of Sins Luke 77. and by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.4 5. God made him an instance of Severity that we might be eternal Monuments of Mercy 2. Christ saves from wrath Jesus delivers from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. last Being justified by his Blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 The Apostle doth not mention whose wrath but means the wrath of God This wrath is so formidable and terrible that all other wrath is as nothing doth not deserve the Name of wrath it is but a false or painted Fire a Bubble an empty Name and sound God can array all the Creatures as his Hosts in Heaven and Earth to fight against Sinners He can awaken and stir up Conscience to accuse and condemn the Sinner and so make him both a Burden and a Terrour to himself God can remember and set all our Trangressions before our Sight and fix our Eyes on this dreadful and dismaying Object that they shall never divert or look off from it God can pursue Sinners with punishment in this world and meet them with more dreadful vengeance in another World he can strike and support the Criminal at once he can blow up the Fire of his Anger and preserve the Souls and Bodies of Sinners to be eternal Fuel to it he can make extremity and eternity of Misery to meet in the same Person It is amazing wrath to make a bundle of Tares to subsist and continue in the Furnace for ever to be immortal Fuel to an eternal Fire It is from this dreadful wrath that Jesus Christ saves his People 2. There is a positive part of this Salvation 1. Jesus Christ saves and quickens us The Dead hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live John 5.25 As God breathed the Breath of Life into Adam's formed Body and he became a living Soul Gen. 2.7 so Christ breathed on his Apostles and said Receive you the Holy Ghost John 20.22 the Life of Saints is a Beam of and a stream from the Life of Christ Eccl. 2.20 How noble is their Life They live by Christ's living in them through the Spirit they are ingrafted into Christ are Branches of the true Tree of Life they are in him who is the true God and Eternal Life 1 John 5.20 2ly Christ saves them and builds them Zech. 6.12 13. The Branches should grow up out of his Place and he should build the Temple of the Lord we fell and were ruined in and by Adam and we lay in Ruines and Rubbish till Christ doth lift up his Feet to our Desolations doth with Pity behold and in Mercy raise up our Ruins Satan dwells in and rejoices over these Ruins Those that are pulled down with respect to God may be said to be built up with respect to Satan as Ruins of a House are of no use to us so ruined Creatures are altogether unprofitable to God Rom. 12. O this is great Mercy for Satan to be dispossed and ejected and for Souls to be framed as a holy House and to be built up as a Spiritual Temple for God to inhabit and be worshipped in Those that are God's Temples are animated by his Spirit and are filled with his Glory at once they are framed to be a Habitation for God and fitted to be Inhabitants with him in the Heavenly Jerusalem 3. Christ saves waters and improves our dry Ground our Barren Land Isa 44.3 God saith he will pour water on him that is thirsty and Floods on the dry Ground And God thus explains the meaning of this Metaphor I will pour my Spirit on thy Seed and my Blessing on thy Off-spring We are by Nature a wretched dry and barren piece of Ground we did ly upon improvement to none but to the Heavenly Husbandman it was the second Adam only that could enrich such a hungry and dry Ground he that can give the Spirit as Rivers of Living Water John 7.37 38 39. He invites Sinners to come and drink
Thirsty Souls may here drink in the very Fountain of Grace the Spirit and so be enabled to send forth Spiritual Rivers to stretch and solace others Christ can cultivate and manure the Wilderness cause it to be well watered Isa 35.6 7. and so to become a pleasant Eden a delightful and fruitful Paradise to God as God had a River in the Clouds to improve and enrich Canaan Psal 65.6 Thou visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly enrichest it with the River of God which is full of Water So Christ hath a better River with him in Heaven and this River he sends down and lets it in and turns it over our dry and barren Land When Hannah was delivered from Barrenness she calls this God's Salvation and rejoyceth in it 1 Sam. 2.1 4. Christ saves and anoints and and perfumes his Redeemed People Ezek. 16.9 I throughly washed away this Blood from thee and I anointed thee with Oyl Here is plain allusion to those precious and sweet-smelling-Oyls that great Persons were anointed and perfumed with Ester 2.12 Psal 23.5 Christ doth not only wash away the guilt of Sin with his Blood but also anoints his People with his Spirit and its sweet smelling Graces Believers are called Christians because they partake of the Ointment of his Spirit 2 Cor. 1.21 And the Church is said to ascend as Pillars of Smoke perfumed with Myrrh and Frankincense and all the powders of the Merchant Cant. 3.6 Christ doth not only take the stink of our Sins from the Nostrils of God by his sweet smelling Sacrifice Eph. 5.2 but also perfumes us with the sweet Odours and Powders of his Graces The Ointments the Garments of Saints cast out a sweet smell Cant. 4.10 5. He saves and cloaths us Rev. 3.18 he puts white Raiment on us that the shame of our Nakedness may not appear He takes from Sinners their sordid Garments and cloaths them with change of Raiment Zech. 3.3 4. We could not provide any Wedding Cloaths for our selves if Jesus did not give them to us and bestow them on us To her was granted to be cloathed in fine Linen white and clean which is the Righteousness of Saints Rev. 19.8 Jesus Christ doth not only cover us with the Robe of his Righteousness but also adorns and beautifies us with his new Nature we are made Partakers of Christ Heb. 3.14 We have a Spiritual Understanding we have the Mind of Christ 1 John 5.20 and the Bowels or Affections of Christ Phil. 1.5 We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 13.14 his Mind must be put upon our Mind his Will on our Will his Affections on our Affections nothing of our own should be seen or appear but all the Faculties of our Souls should be covered with the Livery of Jesus Christ This Apparel wears fresher and will last to Eternity 6. Christ saves and adopts John 4.12 To as many as received him gave he power to become the Sons of God He was so far from envying us or grudging of us this Priviledge of Adoption that he vailed his own Sonship under the form of a Servant he was made under the Law and died that we might receive the Adoption of Children Gal. 4.4 He doth not only save Criminals from Execution but also makes them Heirs of a Kingdom and an eternal Inheritance James 2.15 Heb. 9.5 2dly I shall now shew you the Properties and Adjuncts of this Salvation 1. It is for the present mostly a Spiritual Salvation our Soul 's live Isa 55.3 our Souls find rest Matth. 1.28 our Souls are saved 1 Pet. 1.9 our Souls do delight themselves in Fatness Isa 55.2 But the Bodies of Saints are often in this World exposed to Poverty Hardships Imprisonments grievous Sufferings and cruel Deaths and these Evils do cloud the Saints Adoption and vail their State of Spiritual Salvation This caused the Heathens as Lactantius tells us to say De Justitia that Virtue was an empty thing If Men had not Riches Honours exemption from Sufferings freedom from outward Evils and Victory over Enemies but Christ hath not made the Earth and Plenty of Worldly Enjoyments as a Jointure to his Spouse the Church but tells his Disciples that in the World they shall have Tribulations John 16. last that those that will live Godly must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 there is an irrevocable Sentence passed on the Old Man on the natural Body that it shall return to the Dust and this Sentence must be executed Gen. 3.19 2. This is a Righteous Salvation this is intimated in the last part of the Verse Judah shall be saved and that by him who is the Lord our Righteousness God is just in punishing sin on Christ that he may be just in pardoning it to us Rom. 3.25 26 27. God will not tare Believers in pieces according to his Threatning Psal 50.22 Because the Vail of Christ's Humane Nature his Soul and Body was divided and rent in twain Heb. 10.19 God may in a righteous way build up Sinners out of their Ruins because the Temple of Christ's Body hath been destroyed and pull'd down to the Dust Jesus Christ though a Tree of Righteousness was cut down that many Branches of Righteousness might spring out of this precious Root he was sowed in the Dust that he might be multiplied and many might from this holy Grain spring up to Everlasting Life John 12.24 God cloathed himself with the Garments of Vengeance and loaded Christ with sorrows that he might cloath us with the Garments of Salvation c. Isa 1.10 As the living Sparrow was dipt in the Blood of the slain Sparrow and so let fly Lev. 14.5 6 7. so we have liberty in a righteous way by being dyed in Christ's Blood Jesus Christ can marry us because his Soul and Body were divorced to reconcile us to God And he can repair and restore the beautiful image of God to us because his Visage was marred more than any Man's and his Form more than the Sons of Men Isa 52.14 This is the excellency and glory of the Christian Religion above all the pretended Religions in the World that it sheweth how God may pardon sin in a condecent manner in a way becoming of himself and not reflect on his Holiness reproach his Justice or wrong his Law Heb. 2.10 It became him of whom and for whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings Such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 God is more honoured and his Law exalted by the sufferings of Christ than if we had fell under the Curse and lain in Hell for ever 3. This is a powerful Salvation God laid the help of Sinners on one that is mighty Psal 89.19 God hath raised up for us an Horn of Salvation Luke 1.69 one that is able to pierce through and to push down all the Enemies of our Salvation The
of the World then the power of Christ is spread as a Tent over us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 12.9 Christ the Captain of our Salvation can be present with and mighty in all his Soldiers and ride in triumph through the World on poor Worms He that hath wounded the Head of the Old Serpent and broke the strength of Satan is able to foil all his scatter'd Forces that yet remain Rev. 6.2 He rideth forth Conquering and to Conquer and turneth the Battel even to the Gates of Hell Isa 28.6 Christ the true David doth succour his People out of the Heavenly City 2 Sam. 18.3 and send to his Fighting Soldiers the Supplies of his Spirit Phil. 1.19 8thly Christ is alive and lives for evermore Rev. 1.18 And Christ doth not live idly but to make intercession for all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 He lives to execute his Testament sprinkle his Blood and apply his Redemption Paul reasoneth thus Rom. 5.10 If we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more shall we be saved by his Life Christ hath gone through with the most hard difficult and painful part of his work he gave his Life a Ransom he poured out his Soul unto the Death and will he neglect or omit the easiest part of his work He may live and save us he needs not to bleed again to go forth into any more Storms or to be set up as a Mark of God he may sit in his Throne he may wear his glittering Crown and reign in his Glory and do al the rest that is requisite to accomplish and compleat our Salvation Because Christ liveth his People shall live also John 14.19 Christ liveth and therefore his Interest shall not die in the World Our Redeemer liveth to quicken our Spirits Job 19.25 26. Now by his Spirit to receive our departing Souls and to revive our dead Bodies Christ is alive to woo his Spouse Cant. 8.8 and marry her Romans 7.4 to assault and subdue his Enemies Isa 42.13 14. Rev. 6.2 I shall come now to the use of the Doctrine Vse 1. Shall Men be most eminently saved in Christ's Days then we may be inform'd of the wonderful Mercy of God of the admirable Grace of Christ that we have such days of the Messiah The days due to Sinners are days of Punishment days of Vengeance Luke 21.22 A day of Evil a day of Destruction is properly called a Sinners day Psal 37.13 The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his Day is coming Ezek. 21.25 And thou Prophane Prince of Israel whose day is come when Iniquity shall have an end By these Passages of Scripture we may see what days Sinners deserve and what days they might have looked for If God had dealt with the World according to the rigour of his Justice the Threatnings and Curse of his Law there would have been no other days but the days of the first Adam In his days Sin reigns unto Death and Death reigns Rom. 5.14.21 How terrible would it have been if there had been no other days but days for Sin and Death to Reign in It is through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we have an Accepted time and a day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 Otherwise Men would do nothing else but sow the Seeds of Woe here and reap a full Harvest of Misery hereafter They would sin in this World and suffer in the World to come they would walk contrary to God in time and God would walk contrary to them to Eternity Vse 2. If Sinners are saved most eminently in Christ's Days O then examine your selves whether Christ's Salvation be applied to you whether God doth cloth you with the Garments of Salvation Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord that hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation Have you obtained the Salvation that is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.10 Try your selves by proposing to your own Souls these following Questions 1. Were your Eyes ever opened liberty of sight makes way for liberty of Soul the opening of Mens Eyes is the first step that Christ takes towards their Salvation Isa 42.7 He is appointed to open the Blind Eyes to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in darkness out of the Prison-house As those Jews that were born in Babylon if they were not better inform'd would account Chaldea to be the Native Country of their Fathers and that they had always dwelt there and so be contented to stay in the Land of their Captivity They therefore needed to have their Eyes opened that they might know that Chaldea and the other Countries under the Babylonish Empire were the Land of their Captivity That God in wrath had slung them out into this strange Country Jer. 10.16 That their sins had driven them hither and scattered them among their Enemies Even so Sinners need to have their Eyes opened that they may know whose they are and where they are Men do not acknowledge and consider that they are under the Law of Sin the power of Satan and the wrath of God Sinners do not know themselves to be Condemned Men and Women shut up under a Sentence of Death and reserved to the Day of Wrath and Execution Job 21.30 Men are as careless and unconcerned as if they had not degenerated and fallen from God as if their Natures were not corrupted and depraved as if Mankind never knew a better state but were always as vitious loose and wicked as now they are Could Sinners be so quiet yea be so merry and jovial as they are if they knew they were God's Prisoners and that the Day of Judgment and Vengeance was at hand Consider therefore how it is with you did God ever open your Eyes and let in Light into your dark Prison Did you ever feel the Chains of Guilt that are about you the burden of Iniquity that is upon you Have you ever applied the Threatnings and Curse of the Law to your own Souls and so have in the bitterness of your Souls cried out that you are undone None are fit to be Christ's Patients but such as are broken in Heart or are capable of Christ's Comforts if they be not first Mourners in Zion Isa 61.1.2 The Prodigal came to himself and was sensible of his Misery before he took a Resolution that he would arise and come to his Father Luke 25.17.18 Did you ever see your worst and most dangerous Enemies to be within you Have you been made sensible of your vain Minds hard and whorish Hearts and carnal Affections 2. Were you ever effectually called 2 Tim. 1.9 He hath saved and called as with an holy Calling Hath God called you so as to save you from your unbelief and impenitency Hath God spoken to you with a strong hand Isa 8.11 Hath he laid the hand of his Power on your Hearts The Angels spake to Lot with a strong hand they did not only exhort him to hasten
about their Eternal State Hope is an Anchor cast within the Vale as soon as they set out and begin their Voyage they may cast their Anchor into their Port and Haven and so have their Hearts established Heb. 6.19 2. Those that have hope of this Salvation are supported under Afflictions and Persecutions 2 Tim. 18.9 Partake thou of the Afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God who both saved us and called us As if Paul should say Murmure not at faint not under the Afflictions of the Gospel for God hath saved you from the greatest Enemies and from the worst Evils and all your Afflictions shall turn to your Salvation Phil. 1.19 They shall further advance promote it they shall refine Saints from their Dross wean them from their strange Land and cause them to long more after their Father's House and Heavenly Country Have they any Reason to be discontented whom God loves 1 John 4.59 and that are Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 and of the Kingdom James 2.5 3. These may die with comfort they have hope in Death Prov. 14.32 That which doth shipwrack others shall land them safe on the calm Shores of a Blessed Eternity that which impoverishes others shall enrich them Though Death doth pluck off the Rags of Mortality yet God shall cloath them with Robes of Glory When their Bodies drop down into the Pit their Souls shall be taken up into the Palace when their Flesh feeds Worms their Spirits shall feast with Saints and Angels though God doth kill them yet they may trust he will be their Salvation Joh 13.15 16. When the Eye of Sense shall be shut so that Saints shall no more see Worldly Objects yet then God will shew them his Salvation Psal 91. last They shall see God's Salvation from Sins Temptations Troubles Afflictions they shall see a freedom from Spiritual and Temporal Evils and also be translated into an Eternal Kingdom Christ will receive their departing Souls and be their Guardian and Trustee till the Resurrection O it is sweet when God adds to the Mercies of Sixty Seventy Eighty Years the enjoyment of a blessed Eternity It is Salvation that must crown Old Age with Glory Death is the critical time the Soul must then see Life or Death a Heaven must shine from God's pleasing Countenance or Hell be rained from his angry Face O how sweet is it then to see the truth of God's Promises in the enjoyment of an Eternal Salvation 4. Those interested in this Salvation shall be saved in the Day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.6 when Sins will find out others and Vengeance will take hold of them then Believers shall be saved O what unexpressible comfort will it be to point out Jesus Christ at the Great Day and to say This is our God we have waited for him and he will save us and we will be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation Isa 25.9 This is a Salvation that will for ever set Souls beyond Gun-shot out of the reach of all Dangers Evils Enemies They shall then fully receive the end of their Faith even an Eternal Salvation 1 Pet. 1.9 Christ will appear unto Salvation to those that look for him Heb. 9. last Then Saints shall be Heirs in full possession of Salvation Heb. 1.14 They shall be redeemed from all Evils or possessed of all goodness be exalted to the Kingdoms and be placed in the Throne I shall lastly give you some Directions how you may be saved 1. You must be enlightned and convinced of your Danger you must see the Evils you are under and the Danger and Destruction you are exposed to Few do think themselves to be condemned to Death and to be sick unto Death That they are Children of Satan and Enemies to God They will not believe that they are captivated by the Devil enslaved by Sin and chained to the World The Scripture teaches us that Men are held Rom. 7.6 and that they are led 1 Cor. 12.2 they are held in the Snares of Sin and led by Satan Their Lusts are Bonds their depraved Wills and corrupt Affections are the Chains that the Devil leads them by Men discourse see or discern what are the true Evils that they should be saved from they are not sensible of the blindness and vanity of their Minds the deceit and desperate wickedness of their Hearts That their Wills are perverse and rebellious and the greatest Enemies to God and their own Souls They will account that Troubles Afflictions Reproaches Wants and Death are Evils but they do not perceive that their greatest Evils and worst Enemies are within themselves A Root of Bitterness an evil Treasure a Body of Death a Fountain of Iniquity that is in their Souls But Sinners must know what first cleaves to them abide in them do defile and deform their Souls and testify against them before God Isa 59.12 Our Transgressions are with us and as for our Iniquities we know them Yea Men have no liking of that which is the true Salvation Saints are said to love God's Salvation Psal 70.4 but a Carnal Creature doth not love but loath God's Salvation to be delivered from his false Notions his vain Thoughts his corrupt Opinions his inordinate love of himself and of the Creatures to be taken off from his sensual Pleasures carnal Delights to be brought to give his Heart to God set his Love on Christ to delight in Spiritual Future Invisible things this is a Salvation he dreads and hates and if he could go to Heaven with this vain Mind and carnal Heart it would be a place of Exile and of Punishment to him You must see your Danger that you are as Isaac bound laid on the Altar and ready to be sacrificed as a whole Burnt-Offering in the Flames of Wrath. You must hear the just dreadful Sentence Matth. 18.25 The Lord commanded the Debtor to be sold and Payment to be made It is dreadful to be sold into the Prison into a Place of Eternal Bondage Your Heart must be broken your Spirit wounded your Soul burdened under the sense of the guilt and filth of Sin else you will not have a due value of the Doctrine and Promise of Salvation 1 Tim. 1.15 We must account it worthy of all acceptation more valuable than all the Riches Pleasures Honours of the World If a Man were sinking and drowning he would not regard a Bag of Gold or a Box of Diamonds but prefer a Cord cast out to save him a Boat to take him in more than all the things of the World Believe that your Condition is exceeding bad and dangerous Lot's Wife looked back as one that doubted whether Sodom would be destroyed and Lots Sons in Law could not believe that the danger of Sodom was so great and its Destruction so near Gen. 19.14 So Sinners believe not that to be Carnally minded is Death that they that live after the Flesh shall die that they that are far off from God shall perish Psal 73.27
of Christ 1. It is a new Name that Jehovah the Son assumes if Adam had not fallen broken the Command defaced the Image extinguished the Life of God in his Soul there had been no need that the Son of God should have assumed this Name It doth not suit the state of Man standing but the condition of Man fallen and that in order to recover and raise him up If the Law of God had remained written Holiness and Righteousness had countinued flourishing in our Souls we should have been stiled the Friends of God and have needed no attoning Sacrifice to reconcile us to God But now we are destitute and void of Righteousness and so do need that Jehovah should take this Name and become our Righteousness It may be enquired whether Christ doth not point at this Scripture when he promises to write his new Name on victorious Believers Rev. 3.12 That this Name shall be openly legible and visible on them and that they shall have the honour and benefit of it to Eternity 2. This is a Name proper and peculiar to Jehovah the Son and cannot be extended or communicated to the Father or Spirit The Father is said to beget us again 1 Pet. 1.3 And to create us after his own Image Ephes 2.10 Ephes 4.24 And we are said to be born of and sanctified by the Spirit John 3.6 1 Cor. 6.11 But yet neither the Father nor the Spirit are said to be our Righteousness Our Saviour Christ is both the sole Worker and Subject of that Righteousness whereby we are Justified 3. This is a Mysterious Name it is asked by Agur who knows the Name of God's Son Prov. 30.4 Indeed we should never have been acquainted with this secret Name of the Son mentioned in the Text if the Scripture had not revealed it to us The Righteousness of God for our Justification is a great and deep Mystery most Remote from the Sentiments of the Natural Man and if Christ had hid it in his heart we should for ever have been ignorant of it Psal 40.9 10. The Son that wrought it doth also declare and Preach it to the World Would it not have looked like an unreasonable Presumption and have been reputed intollerable Pride for us to call Jehovah our Righteousness Could we ever have aspired to or hoped for such a thing had not the Scripture given Christ this Name and taught us this Doctrine What an amazing Mystery is this that when the Law of God requires us to work out a perfect Righteousness and perform a compleat Obedience for our own Justification that now the Son of God himself hath wrought and brought this Righteousness that he that might have exacted Righteousness of us should give Righteousness to us that he who as a Law-giver obliges us to a full Conformity to his own Law should become a Subject to his Father and a Servant to his own Law O! how surprizing is this that he who Teaches us Duty should himself learn Obedience Heb. 5.8 and become obedient to Death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.7.8 If Christ had not been made under the Law Gal. 4.4 he could not have been made Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 4. This is a most Honourable Name to Christ this is promised both as an Honour and as a Reward to Jesus Christ that he should justifie many Isai 53.11 How glorious is this to Christ that he is the Righteousness of the whole Church that he provides a Garment wide large and long enough to cloath his whole Body He appears in a Garment down to the Foot Revel 1.13 that can cover and adorn all his Members Though he be but one Man yet many may be justified by his Obedience Rom. 5.19 Though he be but one Sacrifice yet his Blood is shed for many for the Remission of sins Matth. 26.28 As the first Adam could defile thousands more if the World should so long continue so the second Adam could justifie thousands more if they did fly to him and trust on him God is as well satisfied as if the Curse had been executed on them that believe and they are as safe as if the Law of God had been Abrogated for them Believers are clothed with change of Rayment Zech. 3.4 This one Garment is styled change of Rayment it is as effectual to Clothe and adorn us as if every time we contracted New Guilt or Spotted our selves we were furnished with a new Garment this Righteousness of Christ is the only Righteousness of Men for Justification since their Fall It is an everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 The Glory of it never fades the Virtue of it is never Exhausted it is a Righteousness that hath lasted through all Ages and will be effectual to the end of the World It is so large a Patrimony so rich an Inheritance that as Noah was so all Believers may be Heirs of the Righteousness that is by Faith Heb. 11.7 and this is glorious to Christ that he hath so filled up the Breach by his own dead Body and made it stronger than if the Wall of our Innoceny had never been broken 5. This Name of the Son of God is most comfortable to us How woful is our Natural State there is none in it Righteous no not one none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.10 11. All are under fin Rom. 3.9 all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Rom. 3.23 They have failed in the Race of Obedience and are fallen short of the Prize of Glory And O how Refreshing and Reviving is this to hear that the Son of God brings near his Righteousness Isai 46.12 The World is a Sea of Wickedness an Ocean of Impiety Where could Righteousness be found or how could it be attained But this is a most surprizing and refreshing Truth that the Son of God Incarnate should be an Isle of Innocency and Righteousness standing up in the midst of a Sea of Corruption Theodoret in one of his Orations concerning Providence observes this as a wonderful Work of God to Create Isles as so many Inns in the Sea for Ships to apply themselves to rest in and receive necessary supplies from But this is more Grace and Mercy that we that are void of Righteousness laden with Iniquity and ready to sink into the Deep and Bottomless Sea of the Wrath of God may by Faith saile and swim to this blessed Isle of Righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ and there find rest and safety from the Tossing and Threatning Waves of Divine Displeasure It is dreadful for sin to be always and ever before the Lord Psal 109.14 15. but it is most sweet and comfortable for Christ's Blood to be sprinkled on the Thrones and to be always before the eye of God We were in darkness and horrour and ready to sink under desperation and then doth this Sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 his glorious beams do scatter the thick and black clouds of our Iniquities Isai
44.22 Sin did reign so as to bring us under the guilt of Eternal Death But how comfortable is it that Reigning Grace should succeed Reigning Sin Revenging Justice might next follow after Reigning Sin but it is Grace that now reigns through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life Rom. 5.21 Our Iniquities were as deep Waters gone over our heads there was no wading through them they were a heavy burden too heavy for us to bear Psal 38.4 they were ready to sink us down into the deep Sea of the wrath of God but in this Righteousness of Jehovah we may be lifted up and exalted Psal 59.16 As Jesus Christ once gave himself a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God Ephes 5.2 to God the Father continually gives Christ most precious and fragrant Incense on the account of his Obedience and Sufferings always to plead before the Father Revel 8.3 much Incense is said there to be given him to offer with the Prayers of all Saints Christ's Obedience and Sacrifice makes an everlasting Perfume in the Heavenly Sanctuary It is said of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They earnestly catched at they greedily laid hold of they strongly grasped the Righteousness that is by Faith This is the only Cord cast out to us sinking and drowning Sinners which we should catch hold of to keep us from perishing for ever 6. This Name of Christ shall continue last be victorious in the World over all the Reproaches Slanders and Defamations cast on Christ the blind Malignant World called Christ a Glutton a Wine Bibber a Friend of Publicans and Sinners Matth. 11.19 they charged him as a Blasphemer John 10.33 36. because he said he was the Son of God and so made himself equal with God John 10.33 they stiled him a deceiver Math. 27.63 The Jews did black Christ all that they could they raised Mists yea thick Clouds to obscure and hide his Glory yet all this should not prevail this Illustrious Name of Christ should wade out of all these Ecclipses and scatter all these Clouds Notwithstanding all the endeavours of the World to obstruct his Honour and cloath him with shame yet he should by Multitudes in all Ages be owned acknowledged and called Jehovah our Righteousness 6. This Evidences that the Mighty Power of God did go along with the Gospel of Christ that though the Jews at this day do stile him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hanged Man and the Gentiles as Blasphemous Porphyry did call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Crucified Sophister yet all these Reproaches should be wiped off and this glorious Name of Christ should shine out through all these thick Clouds of Infamy he should be known and called The Lord our Righteousness I shall observe and insist on this Doctrine foom these latter words of the Text. Doctrine That Jesus Christ is and shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness The Prophet in the Name of the Lord promises That the Lord would raise up to David a Righteous Branch one that should be most Holy and Just in his Humane Nature and that this Righteous Branch the Messiah sprung from David according to the Flesh should be called Jehovah our Righteousness this intimates he should be Man and Jehovah too in one Person and as such he should be owned and acknowledged Four things are to be spoken to for the prosecution of this Doctrine First What Righteousness of Jehovah the Son is here meant and understood Secondly To Evidence and Demonstrate that Jesus Christ God-Man is our Righteousness yea our only Righteousness for Justification Thirdly How this Righteousness of Christ is made ours Fourthly Who they are that shall call Christ by this Name The Lord our Righteousness 1. What Righteousness of Jehovah is here meant To this I shall Answer First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively First I Answer Negatively It is not the Essential Eternal Righteousness of the Son of God as Osiander the Lutheran affirmed but this cannot be For 1. This Righteousness is incommunicable it is proper to the Divine Nature and cannot pass or be derived to a creature To say that this Righteousness is given to Believers is to deifie them rather than to justifie them that is most certain that in this sence God will not give his Glory to another Isa 42.8 2. This Righteousness is an Adversary contrary to us at Hostility with us God according to it hates the Wicked and abhors the Workers of Iniquity Psal 5.4 5. He is a swift Witness against them Mal. 3.5 A Terrible Judge to them and a Consuming Fire in the execution of his Vengeance on them Deut. 4.24 As God is Holy he lothes unclean Souls and as he is Just he hates guilty Creatures If another Righteousness had not been found out God would rise up against them as an Enemy and break out on them for their everlasting destruction Secondly I Answer Affirmatively This Righteousness of Jehovah is not a Righteousness possessed by the Son from Eternity but acquired in time It is not the Righteousness that was his Patrimony as a Son but his Purchase as a Servant by the sweat of his Brows by the travel of his Soul by the effusion of his Blood by the expense of his Life This was wrought by the Son of God Incarnate by the Mediator in the form of a Servant as Joshua the Type of Christ is called the Minister or Servant of Moses Exod. 24.13 Exod. 33.11 So Jesus Christ was made under the Law Galat. 4.4 It is said Isai 53.11 By his Knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many This is very observable God himself asserts That by his knowledge his righteous servant should justifie many and that by virtue of his service in bearing the Iniquities of his People Jesus Christ did exactly perform what as a Servant he had undertaken and so he was Righteous Here we may observe a wonderful Mystery that Jehovah is said to be our Righteousness yet God's righteous Servant also is said to justifie These two things sweetly conspire in our Justification God's servant did perform Obedience and suffer on the Cross He that took our Nature and was a Servant in it was only capable of doing and dying for us As Man he must be subject and suffer but yet as he is also Jehovah he gives an infinite Price and vallue to his Obedience and Sufferings The same Person was God-Man as Man he served and performed the Obedience by which we are justified Rom. 5.19 but as God he gives an infinite worth to his own Service So both Jehovah is our Righteousness and yet God's Righteous Servant doth also Justifie Christ's Righteousness consists in Two things First In his Obedience to the Commands of the Law Secondly In his Subjection to and enduring of the Curse of the Law Jesus Christ took debitum officii the debt of Duty as well as debitum poenae the dept of Punishment And suitably unto this object of our Faith is thus expressed 1. Our Faith is
said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Righteousness of God so the word might be render'd and this Phrase the Righteousness of God seems to be taken and be proved from my Text Jehovah our Righteousness 2. Faith is said to be in the Blood of Christ Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth for a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood All the Garments of Christ are said to smell of Myrrh Aloes and Cassia Psal 45.7 As Christ's Garments are expounded to be his Graces so they may also be interpreted to be the Actions of Christ that flow from those Graces Garments signifie Actions so it is said they washed their Robes white in the Blood of the the Lamb Rev. 7.14 So these Garments point out the Active Obedience of Jesus Christ It is said also That Christ gave himself an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God Ephes 5.2 Zanchy on the place observes the Emphasis of the Apostles words that Christ is said to be first an Offering and then a Sacrifice There were Offerings of First-fruits and Fine Flower and of such things as had not life but living creatures were offered up in Sacrifice and then their blood was spilt and their lives taken away Christ's being an Offering may point out the Holiness of Christ's Life and his being a Sacrifice did signifie his Sufferings and his Death How satisfactory and refreshing is it to us to Read and Hear of the sweet smelling Garments of Christ and the sweet smelling Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus It was foretold of our Lord Jesus Christ that his Ears both his Ears should be opened Psal 40.6 one Ear was opened as he was Man to hear and obey the Commands of the Moral Law and Christ's other Ear was opened to listen to and comply with that peculiar Commandment that was given to him As Mediator to lay down his Life Joh. 10.18 Innocent Man owed but a single debt to God and that was Obedience to his Law but Fallen and Guilty Man is bound to God in a double Bond. He owes God Obedience as he is a Creature and he owes God Glory to be raised out of his Sufferings Misery and Torments as he is a Guilty Creature Therefore Sins are called Debts Matth. 6.12 because the Transgressors of the Law for Non-payment of the Debt of Obedience contract another and New Debt and that is an Obligation to endure Punishment As they wrong and rob God by their sins of Omission and Commission so they are bound to make Restitution to God by their eternal Sufferings and Torments 1. Jesus Christ was to obey the Commands of the Law Joh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Jesus Christ was to Glorifie God in the Nature of a Creature in the Form of a Servant he was to be a perfect Pattern of Piety and an example of Righteousness on Earth where there had not been a full and exact Instance of Righteousness and Obedience fince the Fall Eccles 7.20 There is not a just Man on earth that lives and sins not The Earth hath been full of violence and wickedness before God Gen. 6.13 How much was it then for the Glory of God and the Honour of his Law that there should be a Man Perfectly Holy and Just on Earth A Virgin-Soul among Whores and Adulteresses A Diligent Servant among Drones and Lazy Loiterers A Loyal Subject among Rebels and Enemies How little Honour had been given to the Law if only the Penalty of it had been inflicted and its Curse been executed but the Commands of it had never been obeyed and fulfilled Is it for the Credit or Glory of an Earthly Prince to have no Obedience paid to his Laws but only the Penalties annexed to them to take hold of and be executed on all that are under his Jurisdiction And shall God's Laws never be obeyed Shall the Penalties of them only be executed As a Foreign Prince if he Travels through the Territories and Dominions of another King doth owe him a Topical Allegiance and must needs be subject to his Laws so the Son of God though he was a Rightful and a Glorious King yet Travelling through the Dominions of his Father in the nature of a Creature to Redeem Captives must needs be subject to the Laws that God gave to all Mankind The High-Priest under the Old Testament was an eminent Type of Christ he was bound to wear a Plate of Gold joyned to his Mitre on his Forehead Exod. 25.36 37 38. This did intimate and teach us that the true substantial High-Priest was to be Perfectly holy and absolutely devoted to God Tho' God may spy Faults and observe Blemishes and Spots in the best of Saints yet he may look to the Forehead of Jesus our Great High-Priest and there read nothing but Holiness to the Lord. The Law of God was perfectly impressed on Christ's Heart and fully expressed in his Life He loved God to the Height of utmost Perfection He loved Men even his own that were in the World with the most pure ardent and intense Love John 13.1 he was so intent so fixed in Exalting and Magnifying God that when his Soul was troubled in the prospect of his Sufferings yet he Pray'd thus Father glorifie thy own Name John 12.27 28 29. As if he should say However I am clouded and eclipsed whatever bitter Cup I drink whatever heavy Burden I bear yet Father glorifie thy own Name As the First Adam ruined us by his Self-seeking so the Second Adam raised and Recovered us by his Self-denyal and Christ's Love to his People was stronger than Death He leaped over Mountains of Difficulties and brake through Hosts of Enemies and Sufferings to Redeem them He did forget himself for a time that he might remember us to eternity He veiled his Glory and Majesty to manifest his Love to us We are all as an unclean thing Isa 64.6 but Jesus Christ is that Holy Thing that was Born of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1.35 he came into this World without a Foreskin on his Heart and therefore was that Holy Seed that was Figured and Typified by Circumcision Phil. 3.3 And we may Glory in him on this account The Fountain was pure from his Conception and Birth and the Stream that did flow from it was ever after clear and clean It was requisite that Christ should be Holiness to God that he might be made Righteousness to us 2. Christ's Sufferings may well be accounted a part of his Righteousness For 1. They were the Fulfilling of the Law given to him as Mediator that he should make his Soul an Offering for Sin and pour it out to the death Isa 53.10 12. Joh. 10.18 As the Moral Law belonged to Christ as a Man he could not possess our Humane Nature in Purity or order his Conversation with Beauty without submission to it so the Ceremonial Law belonged to him as a Jew and he was obliged to die as
but as likely to be pernicious and fatal to him as they would be to him instead of Christ and so rob him of an Interest in him which would be a Ruining and utterly undoing loss to him Paul saith farther Yea doubtless I account all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Phil. 3.8 The Apostle seems to me to refer to that Scripture Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justifie many When Paul knew that excellent Righteousness that Christ had provided for the Justification of the Ungodly this made him to Contemn Loath and Cast away his own Rigteousness as a Man that flotes on a broken Plank or a piece of a Shipwreck will cast it away when he meets with a whole Ship that will take him in and carry him safe to the Shore 6. We are shadowed from the Scorching Wrath of God and secured from the Storm of Divine Vengeance not by our own Righteousness but by the Obedience and Righteousness of Christ The Church saith she sate down under the Shadow of Christ with Great Delight Cant. 2.3 Mr. Terry in the History of his Travels in the East Indies observes That where the Heat is exceeding great as it is in the East Indies there the Trees do bear far larger and longer Leaves than in these parts of the World and that thereby they afford a stronger shadow against the vehement heat of the Sun Since the Fall we need a strong shadow against the Scorching Wrath of God and it is our Lord Jesus Christ the Tree of Life that hath such broad and long Leaves as to afford a most sweet Cooling and Reviving Shadow When the Israeites Travelled through the Black Burning Sands of Arabia where in some places there grew no Trees to shadow them God did by a continual Miracle of his Grace for Forty years spread a continual Cloud over them Psal 105.39 and this was designe for a Covering to secure them from the fiery burning heat of the Sun that they might not Faint under it and be killed by it Lithgow that did Travel through Arabia doth inform us that the Heat is so great by the Reflexion of the Sun-beams on those Sands that he saw two Germans that were of their Company and in their Caravan to drop down dead being overcome by the Heat of the Sun This History instructs us how absolutely necessary God's Cloud was which he spread over them It was not the Tents of the Israelites that were sufficient to keep off the Burning Heat else God would not have provided this Miraculous Cloud so it is not the Tents of our Works or Righteousness that can keep off the Scorching Wrath of God but it must be the Righteousness that the Clouded Son of God wrought out in the state of his Humiliation and Abasement As those that went from under the Shadow of this Cloud were presently Scorched by the Sun so those that wave and decline Christ's Righteousness must needs sooner or later feel the Burning Wrath of God That Cloud that Skreen'd the Israelites from the Beames of the Sun was it self still exposed to the burning Heat but the Cloud did not feel it But our Lord Jesus Christ that is our Shadowing Cloud had a tender Sense a sharp feeling of the Wrath of God for a time that he might be a lasting and perpetual Cloud to protect and secure us from it As the Israelites continually for near Forty years Travelled under the Shadow of this Cloud so we must all our days Journey under the Shadow of Christ and his Righteousness I have Read in Varenius his Geography of this Great Wonder of Providence and Mercy of God to the People in the East Indies that they have their Winter when the Sun is over their heads and their Summer when the Sun is most remote from them Then the Sky is continually clear and the Sun shines so hot that in some places they keep their Fairs and Markets and do their Business in the Night and sleep in the Day But when the Sun is in the Zenith and just over their heads then they have perpetual Clouds and much Rain and that if it were not for this the Country could not be tolerably inhabited by reason of the Great Excessive Heat So were not the Lord Jesus the Mediator as a perpetual Cloud over us to shadow us by his Righteousness the most Holy Souls could not possess and inhabit a cool and comfortable place in the Church It is Christ and his Satisfactory Sufferings that is the Tilt and Covering of the Chariot in which we Ride with Christ to Heaven King Solomon that is Christ made himself a Chariot and the Covering of it was Purple A Chariot must have something over it to keep off the Wind Rain and Scorching Sun The Covering of this Chariot was Purple that is Cloth of a Purple Colour and this signified the Obedience of Christ which was signally expressed in the shedding of his Blood His Righteousness was as Cloth died in Purple Blood as Christ paved his Chariot with Love a soft Seat for Doubting Trembling Souls to sit on so he Tilted it over with Righteousness Died in Blood that Believers might be safe and have a sure Covering that would keep off the Scorching Heat of God's Wrath. We cannot move towards Heaven till we get up into Christ's Chariot so we cannot Travel safely but under its Purple Covering this must be our Protection all our days Though the Church be a Garden open towards Heaven to receive Influences of Grace from thence yet it Rides in a Chariot that is Covered and guarded from scorching Beams and dreadful storms from Heaven 7. We are not secured from Revenging and Destroying Justice by any Good or Righteousness that dwells in us but by the Blood of Christ Sprinkled from without and applied to our Consciences Exod. 12.22 23. The Destroying Angel did not pass over the Houses of the Israelites and spare their First-born because of the Righteousness of the Persons within but because of the Blood sprinkled from without The Israelites were Idolaters in Egypt Ezek. 23.2 and therefore were not worthy to be delivered from thence but fitted to be destroyed there It was therefore the Blood of the Paschal Lamb an eminent Type of Christ that was their Security from Destruction Judicious Calvin thinks that God alludes to this in Isa 66.19 God saith I will set a Sign among them that is on those Jews that should escape the Wrath of God and Destruction by it And what is this Sign but the Blood of Christ applied to the Soul for we are said to be Justified by his Blood and so to be saved from the Wrath to come Rom. 5.9 it is not our Inherent Righteousness that will protect us from Revenging Justice The Spirit that dwelleth in us even in us Saints James saith lusteth unto Envy James 4.5 In me even in this flesh of mine dwelleth nothing at all that is good saith Paul
is Ascended to Heaven sits at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for us that we may see and share with him in his Glory and be with him for ever John 17.24 The Apostle Paul hath as it were pointed at all the Rongs of this Spiritual Ladder and shews us it is compleat Rom. 8.33 34. Though Satan stands at our right hand to accuse us for our Sins as he did Joshua for his Filthy Garments Zech. 3.3 yet Jesus Christ is at God's Right Hand to Plead and Interceed for us Our Sins Cry and Satan Accuses but the Blood of Jesus the Mediator Speaks for us Heb. 12.24 God that is infinitely Wise Holy and Just saw our need of this Ladder else he would not have provided it by the wonderful abasement and grievous Sufferings of his Son we cannot get up to Heaven by our own Righteousness Many of the Elect continue several years in an Unconverted Estate all these years are lost and so the Ladder is too short to reach Heaven their Righteousness doth not begin soon and early enough when they are Converted there are many stops and Interruptions of their Obedience The Ladder when it is begun it is much broken many Rongs or Rounds of the Ladder are wanting Who can possibly climb or ascend up to a high place where there are many Rongs or Rounds of a Ladder broken This will put a stop to them much more are we then unable to Ascend to a Heavenly Habitation and Glory by the Ladder of a broken Righteousness and by Duties or Works so interrupted blemished and Defective 10. We do not purchase a Heavenly Kingdom or Inheritance by our Works of Righteousness but we as Heires possess it by the Testament and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 9.15 We are Heires not by our Doing but by Christ's Dying Job complaines that God made him to possess the Iniquites of his Youth Broughton Renders the Hebrew word Thou makest me to Heir the Iniquities of my Youth Job puts this Construction on all his Afflictions and Sufferings that God made him in them to Heir the fruits of all his youthful sins If God should deal with us according to our deservings by bitter and sharp Afflictions we might Heir the Sins of Youth and riper years and not only Heir them in Temporal Evils but in Eternal Punishments How much therefore do we need to be made Heires of Glory by Christ's Testament This is very observable that Isaac the Son of the Free-woman a Type of the Children of the Covenant of Grace is declared Heir while he was but an Infant and had done no Works of Obedience or Service to oblige Abraham his Father Gen. 21.8.10 Sarah speakes of Isaac as the Heir yea the Sole Heir of Abraham while he was but an Infant and Hagar and Ismael after many years service were turned out and cast off and that with a very poor pittance a little Bread and a Bottle of Water Gen. 21.10 14. Hagar and Ismael were utterly cut off from any hope of Enjoying Abraham's Rich Estate So many that do live Civilly Morally and add some Tincture and Sprinkling of Religion will yet come short of Heaven for as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse Gal. 3.10 That is those that mainly cleave to and Build on the Works of the Law for Justification are under the Curse by reason of the defects that are in their Works Rom. 9.30 31 32. Israel that followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 1. They sought it by Works that had but the shadow shew and appearance of Works but were not Solid and Substantial Isa 1.13 Bring no more vain oblations or empty Sacrifices that had only bodily service but there was no Spiritual Worship in them no Faith in the Messiah to come no Mortification of the Old Man did attend them Revel 3.1.3 Thou hast a name to live but I have not found thy Works perfect before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were not filled up with Spiritual Worship and gracious acts of the Soul they were Specious and Glorious before Men but vile and Contemptible before God they might be Pretious as to the Matter of them but were vile and base as to the Form of them as the Present and Offering that the Philistines made to the God of Israel even Golden Mice They were Pretious as to the Matter of them being of Gold but contemptible as to the Form of them for they were but Mice Sam. 1.6.4 So the acts of Natural men may be good as to the matter of them as Praying doing Justly with all yet may be vile as to the Form of them because all doth flow from a Mercenary Spirit and is designed for their own Honour and applause or 2. Men may be said as the Jews to seek Justification as it were by the Works of the Law because though they may Complement God and pretend they are beholding to God's Grace for what they are and do as the Pharisee said God I thank thee that I am not as other men Luke 18.11 yet they put the greatest weight and stress upon their own Works and Righteousness for their Justification before God So the Pharisee did make an Inventory of his Spiritual Riches and drew up a Catalogue of his Good Works I am no Extortioner not Unjust or an Adulterer or as this Publican I Fast twice a week I give Tithes of all that I Possess This was the Foundation that he did build upon for his acceptance before God this was his plea at his Bar and Tribunal so that indeed they seek Justification as it were by the Works of the Law they give little to Grace and most to Works these are the Foundation of their Confidence and carry the main stroke with them but Christ Teacheth us other things he tells us that when we have done all that is commanded us we should say we are unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 There is a double sense that may be given of this Phrase 1. We are unprofitable servants that is to our selves we have laid no obligation on God we have earned no wages no reward from him 2. We are unprofitable servants that is if God would deal with us according to the defects and Sin that cleaves to our best services he might deal with us as with unprofitable servants Math. 25.30 Cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Therefore Men must not trust to their own best Works for the obtaining of the Heavenly Inheritance God doth freely give the Kingdom to his Children Fear not little Flock it is your Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12.32 And Jesus Christ doth freely bequeath it Luke 22.28 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I bequeath to you a
Kingdom Christ's Testament doth make both Children and Heires 1. Saints have their new nature from God's Gracious Covenant so they are born of the Covenant that promises a new Heart and Spirit Ezek. 36.26 and on this account are said to be the Children of the promise Rom. 9.8 And they have the Eternal Inheritance from the same gracious Covenant and so are stiled the Heires of promise Heb. 6 17.11 We cannot obtain a blessing by our own Righteousness and Works but by the Sacrifice and Death of Jesus Christ Levit. 9.22 23. This Text of Scripture is observable when Aaron had offered Sacrifice then he was to Bless the people in the Name of the Lord the form of Blessing is expressed Numb 6.24 25 26. The Lord make his Face to shine the Lord lift up the light of his Countenance upon thee When Christ was Sacrificed God hid his Face from him and did forsake him Psal 22.1 Christ's Sufferings purchased and procured this Blessing for us That God's Face may shine on us and the light of his Countenance may be lifted up upon us Jesus Christ bare the Curse Galat. 3.13 He was made a Curse that the Blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles Galat. 3.14 God promised to Abraham That in his seed all the Nations of the Earth should be Blessed Gen. 22.18 Christ was the Seed meant and intended Galat. 3.8 There could be no Blessing without Redemption from the Curse and we could not be Redeemed from the Curse if Jesus Christ did not endure it There are blemishes and defects in our best Works and they deserve a Curse and therefore cannot earn and merit a Blessing but we must seek it in Christ they that are of Faith are Blessed with Faithful Abraham Gal. 3.9 It is not said they are Blessed with working Abraham but with Faithful believing Abraham Abraham himself did not get the Blessing by Working but by believing He did not find that in his own Heart or Life that would warrant him to Glory in himself before God The same way that Abraham got the Blessing all his believing seed must attain it Object But here it may be Objected Is it not said Psal 112.1 Blessed is the man that Feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments and Psal 119.1 2. Blessed are the undefiled in the way that walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies and seek him with their whole heart Answ No man since the Fall did ever earn a Blessing by his obedience to the Works of the Law therefore Calvin excellently observes Rom. 32. ver 1 2. that all such passages are grounded on the Blessing we have by the free and full forgiveness of our Sins Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is the man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord Imputeth not Iniquity Paul asserts that David describeth the Blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputeth Righteousness without Works saying Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven Rom. 4.6 7. No man is blessed for any Righteousness or works of his own but as the person is a Believer in Christ and freely Justified by Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 Fearing God walking in his Law keeping his Testimonies are sweet Indications and Comfortable Characters who the persons are that are Blessed But it is the Forgiveness of Sin that is the true cause of our Blessedness The Mercies that God bestows are not conferred by our Covenant as if we had earned and merited them but by his Covenant as the Fruits of his meer and pure Grace Observe well this distinction which God makes between our Covenant which is a Covenant of Works and his Covenant that is a Covenant of Grace and that Good things are given by his Covenant but not bestow'd by our Covenant Weigh well the Importance of this Scripture Ezek. 16.61 62. 12. We enter into Rest by Faith in Christ and not by our own Works Heb. 4.3 We that have believed do enter into rest It is not said We that have wrought Righteousness do enter into Rest It was the Speech of Fisher Bishop of Rochester Fides Faeta Justificat sed ante partum * Treat of Justiffcation Faith that is impregnated with Good Works doth Justifie but yet before it brings them forth yet Faith doth not Justifie as it is adapted fitted or disposed to bring forth Good Works but as it respects Christ eyes his Righteousness and Obedience The Faith big with Good Works doth Justifie but not because it is so or as it is such but by virtue of its respect to Christ and the Free Promise Noah by Faith entred into the Ark and rested there it had no Rudder or Helm for him to handle and manage no Sailes for him to trim no Rigging for him to look after he did nothing to Stear or Sail the Ark up and down but he sweetly rested by Faith in the Ark He believed God would Stear and Guide it that it should not be broken dashed to pieces sink or miscarry Noah in this Temporal deliverance from the Flood saw and apprehended an Eternal Salvation from the Flood of Divine Vengeance in and by Christ the true Ark of Salvation and that blessed rest and security that is attained by Faith in him Hence the Apostle saith That Noah became Heir of the Righteousness that is by Faith Heb. 11.7 he did believe that by the Righteousness and Obedience of the Messiah to come as an Ark he should be saved from the Wrath to come This is much to be observed that the Sabbath Instituted in Paradise was the Seventh in order after Six Working days and was suited to Man's State of Innocency and did most properly belong to the Covenant of Works that Promiseth a Blessed Life and Rest after perfect Works of Righteousness wrought by us Rom. 10.5 The man that doth those things shall live by them But the Christian Sabbath is the First Day of the Week before our Six Working days and therefore is suited and fitted to the New Covenant that Promiseth a Rest to the Consciences of them that believe before uhey do Works of Righteousness Those that are Justified by Faith have peace with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 Calvin doth think that God pointed at this in such a severe and rigid injunction of the Sabbath He that would not have us to be weary in well-doing Galat. 6.9 yet commands us to cease from our own works Nonne eo ipso pronuntiat omnia oper a nostra mala esse And Isaiah teaching us that the Sabbath is violated Quando invenitur nostra voluntas Isa 58.13 When we find our own will and pleasure doth shew a necessity of ceasing from our own Wills and Works in our Justification Calvin thus Discourses in the 1st and 6th Book against Pighius concerning Free-will we are Justified not by shewing our Good Works but by our Evil Works being hid and covered
God by Isaiah tell us Isa 48.8 Thou wast called a Transgressor from the Womb. God might call us Backsliders Revolters Rebels and Enemies And is not our own Name both reproachful dangerous and pernicious too if we keep and retain it Is it not then absolutely necessary that we should lose our old Name and put on the Honourable and Glorious Name of Christ that we may be Justified in it 1 Cor. 6.11 The Apostle Paul hath this expression Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus The Apostle seems to me plainly to refer to the Name of Christ in the Text and to this Name as communicated to and put on the Church Jer. 33.16 in this Name of our Husband must we be Justified If our old Name stick on us and cleave to us we must surely be Condemned in this Name and the Wrath of God will abide upon us But Christ's Name will draw Salvation on us and procure a Blessing for us As a Husband must Cloath his Wife so Christ spreads the Skirt of the Robe of his Righteousness on and over us to hide our Shame and cover our Nakedness Ezek. 16.8 as a Husband is a cover to the Wife he protects her from Debts Arrests Law-suites so the Spouse of Christ is under Covert he secures her from the wofull effects of Sin and Wrath. 4. It is by Faith that we become interested in and related to Christ as a Surety Heb. 7.22 Christ is the Surety of a better Covenant and Testament If Jesus Christ had not undertaken to stand under feel and endure the curse of the Old violated Covenant of Works Deut. 27. last Gal. 3.10.13 and to Merit for us the Blessings of the New Covenant as a Priest of Good Things Gal. 3.14 Heb. 9.11 God would never have made a New Covenant or Tastament it is built on Christ's Suretyship as a Foundation Christ in this dissers from all other Testators that he Bequeaths nothing in his Testament but what he Merits by his Sufferings and purchases by his Death For whom is Christ a Surety And to whom doth the Benefit of Christ's Suretyship redound but to those that Believe on him their Ransom he paid their Debt he discharged As the Payment of a Surety is imputed to the Principal Debtor so the Payment of Christ is imputed to all Indebted Sinners that come to Christ and receive his Righteousness Rom. 5.17 it availes and advantages no others but God reckons Christ's Obedience and Satisfaction to every Believer Some have conceived * Witsus de Faedere that the word Imputation is borrowed from Arithmetick and keeping of Accounts God doth as it were keep a Book Isa 65.6 Behold it is Written before me Our Sins Transgressions and Provocations are as Debts set down in one Page of this Book and the Obedience Sufferings and Satisfaction of Christ is set down as it were in another Page of God's Book When God accounts the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ to us this Ballances the Account this Crosses the Book and makes all even between God and us God sets Christ's Obedience against our Disobedience his Righteousness against our Unrighteousness because we come into this Righteousness by Faith and trust on his Blood Psal 69.27 Rom. 3.25 God now saith Poor Souls let it be to you according to your Faith you trust in Christ's Righteousness 2. Pet. 1. so let it cloath and cover you and secure you from all your sins and the Curse of my Law As Christ is one with us in Nature as a Man so he is one with us in Law as a Surety Christ did put his Name into our Bond and was as a Surety bound in our Obligation that in a Righteous way he might blot our Sins out of God's Book and Insert our Names into his own Testament Jesus as a Surety vailed his own Innocency covered his own Personal Purity and Righteousness took on him our Sins became Heir of our Punishment and Curse that he might hide and cover our Sins and we become Heirs of his Righteousness and Blessings As the Sentence of Death passed against and was executed on Christ our Surety so we partake of Justification of Life and reign in Life through Jesus Christ Rom. 5.18 21. God punished our sins in Christ and God rewards Christ's Obedience and Sufferings in us Our Sins were punished in Christ's Condemnation his Obedience is rewarded in our Justification There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of Righteousness and for this there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free forgiveness of many Offences Rom. 5.16.17 This Glorious Name The Lord our Righteousness being put on us the Reproachful Chains of Guilt do fall off from us 4. Who is it that shall call Christ by this Name Answer 1. Such as know Jesus Christ John 5.20 He hath given us an understanding to know him that is true By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 that is many by knowing of Jesus Christ shall be Justified Faith is called Knowledge because those that truly know Jesus Christ cannot but trust in him Psal 9.10 This is very observable that Christians are said to be Justified by the Knowledge of Jesus Christ it is not what we know in our selves or by our selves it is not by the knowledge of what we are or have done that we are Justified we must purely look off from our selves and wholly fix the eye of Faith on Christ Such as know the Insufficiency of their own Righteousness and the All-sufficiency of Christ's Righteousness do call him The Lord their Righteousness 2. Such as fly to Christ lay hold of him and do know their own Union with Christ and Relation to him such will say Surely in the Lord we have Righteousness Isa 45.24 A true Believer disclaims disavows and denies Righteousness to be in himself and Glories in this that he hath Righteousness in Christ 3. God may be said to call Jehovah our Righteousness when Jesus Christ is of God made Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 God the Father that Loaded Christ with our Sins Isa 53.6 he Clothes us with his Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly Rejoyce in the Lord for he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness God gives Jesus Christ and with him gives his Righteousness Rom. 8.32 Quest Is not Repentance requisite in order to Pardon Isa 1.16 17 18. Wash you make you clean put away the euil of your doings cease to do evll and learn to do well Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll He that confesseth and forsakes his sin shall find mercy Prov. 28.13 Let the sinner forsake sake his ways and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and be will have mercy upon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 Answ Repentance is necessary in its place
as an Antecedent not as a Cause or proper condition of Pardon Faith precedes in order of Nature and Repentance infallibly follows when we see the wonderful Grace of God that he stops and heales the Breach our Sins have made with the Dead Body of his Son quenched the Fire of his Anger with the Blood of his Son made War with him to make Peace with us Sheathed his Sword in his own Son that he might Draw it out Sheath it and for ever lay it asleep towards us This Grace of God softens hard Hearts melts the Rebellious and Obstinate Wills of Men. When we believe that God will repent of his Righteous Enmity against us this indures and inclines us to Repent of our unjust and wicked Enmity against him When we are perswaded that God is ready to heal us Matth. 13.15 this swayes us to desist from wounding him in his Authority and Glory when God declares he will turn from his Anger this influences sinners to change their mindes towards God and to turn from their Provocations and Rebellions against him How can Men possibly Love God or subject themselves to him if they Believe he is inexorable inflexible will Retain his anger pursue his Controversy and take Vengeance on Offenders for their former Transgressions If God will never open his Prison if he will shut up his Bowels against and pour out his Fury on Transgressors this will harden them against God But when they see God is not implacable this causes them to relent and induces them to return to God Jer. 3.22 God saith Return ye backsliding Children and I will heal your backslidings They Eccho to God Lo we come unto thee For thou art the Lord our God They believed God would forgive Iniquty and this influenced them to depart from Iniquity As God puts it away he will not impute it 2 Sam. 12.13 So we must put it away and not obey it Isa 2.16 17. As God will not remember Iniquity with anger so we must not remember it with delight when God casts Sin behind his back Isa 38.17 We must set no wicked thing before our eyes Psal 101.3 Repentance in Scripture is said to be to God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.21 By Faith we first return to our Lord Jesus the great Shepherd 1 Pet. 2. last and then by Repentance we return to God the Father Jer. 3.22 As by Faith we receive the Righteousness of Christ Rom. 5.17 So by Repentance we Recognize the Rights of God the Dominion he hath over us as his Creatures and the advantage he hath against us as Sinners As Faith abases us in that we must fly to Christ for Righteousness so Repentance doth lower stoop and empty us that we must have Recourse to meer pure Mercy for our Pardon Faith humbles as to the matter for which we are Justified and Repentance humbles us as to the manner in which we are Justified as we are Justified by the Obedience and Redemption of Christ so we are also Justified freely by the Grace of God the Father Rom. 3.24 A Sinner then advances and magnifies Grace when he is cast down in himself when a Sinner seeth the Plague of his heart the Spiritual Leprosy of his Soul the Filthy Fountain of Iniquity that is in his Nature he abhors himself for the evil Treasure that is within and loathes himself for all the evil things that have been brought forth out of it The offender is now ashamed to lift up his Eyes to Heaven Luke 18.13 He blushes and is ashamed to look God in the Face Ezra 9.6 Innumerable evils now Compass the Sinner about his Iniquities take hold of him that he cannot look up Psal 40.12 As we are Justified by Faith so we Justifie God by Repentance 1. In his Commands Rom. 7.12.14 The Commandment is Holy Just and Good Holy with respect to God Just with respect to Man Good with respect to our selves 2. We Justifie God in all his threatenings Psal 51.3 4. David did acknowledg his Iniquity that God might be Justified when he did Speak and be clear when he did Judg. Whatever God had spoken against David however he had Judged him and his House by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.10 11 12.14 Whatever Judgments he had denounced as a War to rise out of his own House and the defiling of his Wives the death of his Child yet David doth Justifie God in all this Guilt did seale up his Lips shame did cover his Face he could enter no Action against God complain of no wrong done by him If God should cut down Barren Trees if he should Execute Condemned Creatures if he should Bury those in the Bottemless Pit that have been long Dead in Sin they confess they cannot spot him with Cruelty or blot him with Injustice Repentance is so far form lessening of or detracting from Grace that it commends heightens and exalts it that God should Justifie a Sinner that Arraigns himself and judges himself to be Guilty of Innumerable Transgressions and worthy of Eternal Death that God should cover those Sins in Mercy that were laid open and represented as exceeding Heinous and Sinful by the Transgressor himself the poor Publican could not plead but only petition he could mention no Righteousness of his within or good Works without he had nothing to look or fly to but Mercy only God be Mercyful to me a Sinner It is observable he doth not say My God be merciful to me a Sinner but God be Merciful to me a Sinner Adam accused Eve Eve accused the Serpent and so thought in some measure to excuse themselves but the Publican charged himself only I am the Sinner he accuses no other though Sinning yet presumptous Israel saith My God we know thee Hos 8.2 But this Publican pleads no relation to God claims no Interest in him yet he ventures to cast himself into the Arms of Mercy to lye down prostrate at the feet of Mercy And was not this Free and Rich Grace to cleanse a Spiritual Leper to wash one that accounts himself a Lump of Guilt and Filth To bind up a broken heart to Raise a Spirit bowed down and ready utterly to sink under a weight of Guilt To take away Filthy garments and to bring forth the best Robe to Cloath a naked Soul to kill the fatted Calf to Feast a Famishing Sinner If the very Redemption of Christ if his Attoning Sacrifice doth not detract from God's Free Grace Rom. 3.24 * Vid. Bolton on the place Surely the Sacrifice of a Broken Heart doth not Wrong or Rob Grace of its glory it was the express will and Law of God that on the very day of Attonement when Sacrifices were offered for Typical Expiation of Sin that the Israelites afflict their Souls Levet 16.29 Much more when we Beleive that Jesus Christ hath made a real Attonement for our Sins we must deeply afflict our Souls for our Iniquities that kindled the Wrath of God against us that procured so
Grace and of our Justification A Condition properly taken is Influential into Right if performed it giveth Right unto the benefit promised if not performed there is no Right and therefore is a cause saith Mr. Petto in his opening of the Old and New Covenant Page 216. Faith as he saith giveth no Right John 1.12 It receives Jesus Christ and in him a Right and Title to the Blessings of the Covenant but it doth not give one Faith is not reckoned the least of that Righteousness whereby we are Justified but a means for the Applying of Jesus Christ who is our Righteousness The Covenant as to that Priviledge of it Justification is not so absolute as to be without all means yet may be absolute without any condition properly so called * Petto Page 217. Believing doth not now take the place of doing in the Old Covenant for then it must be our Righteousness unto Justification whereas that which Justifieth is called the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 10.6 Phil. 3.9 therefore Faith is distinct from that Righteousness it self and is not the least Atom of it * Page 198 199. Therefore not our Believing but the Obedience of Jesus Christ is that which cometh in the Room and Stead of that doing for Life intended in the Law Rom. 5.19 Christ is the Lord our Righteousness but to note that it lieth wholly out of our selves that it is not by any of our performances but in another even in Jesus Christ it is said to be by Faith as a means of Application Faith though necessary doth receive a Title from Jesus Christ doth not give one * Pag. 201. We do not claim Salvation in the Right of any act of ours not upon the Rent of Faith we hold and claim upon the Obedience of Christ Jesus alone Rom. 5.18 19 21. If Faith be a proper condition and not an instrument let it be considered 1. Whether we are not then Justified by Faith as a work Now the Scripture distinguisheth and opposeth Working and Believing Rom. 4.5 Therefore surely Faith is not considered as a Work in Justification In a condition the dignity and perfection of the Work is properly to be attended to but an instrument respects the Excellency of the object hence a weak Faith Justifies as much as a strong Faith because we are not Justified by our own act but by the object that we look to Calvin in his Antidote against the 6th Session of the Council of Trent saith Neque et enim quicquam nostrum fides affert ad Deum sed quod ultro affert nobis Deus recipit Faith brings nothing of ours to God but only receives what he offers hence saith he it is that Faith though imperfect doth possess a perfect Righteousness because it hath no other respect but to the free Goodness of God 2. A condition is properly to be done before we have a Right to the benefit promised but Faith receives Christ immediately and feeds on him In our very Believing we are put into Possession of Christ and have the Son 1 John 5.11 12.3 To have a Right is a less benefit than we have by Faith for a Man may have a Right and not have Possession but be put to sue it but by Faith we receive the Testimony of Christ and receive Christ himself John 1.32 33. 1 John 12.4 That which is promised in the Covenant cannot properly be a condition of the Covenant In those words They shall all know me from the greatest to the least Faith seems to be promised Jer. 31.34 Faith is a manner of knowing of things upon the Testimony of another and Faith seems to be called Knowledge Isa 53.11 Besides it seems too high a thing for us thus to plead with God Lord we have performed the condition of the Covenant and therefore justly claim the benefit as due to us Surely it seems most humble for us and most for the Glory of God's Grace and of Christ's Righteousness that Faith should be considered rather as a Beggar 's hand than as a Working hand the hand Faith is not a Working hand to earn and gain a Righteousness but a Beggar 's hand to receive a gift we are said to receive the Testimony of Christ John 3.33 to receive Christ John 1.12 To receive Righteousness Rom. 5.17 To receive the Atonement Rom. 5.17 To receive the remission of Sins Acts 26.18 All these Expressions seem to point at Faith as an Instrument rather than as a condition We receive Christ as our Righteousness as our Food as our Ransom as our Medicine in the first direct acts of Faith these things do not come after believing but are received in and by Believing as a Beggar makes an Alms his own by receiving it And though we own a contrite Repenting Sinner to be the subject of Justification yet we cannot own that Repentance doth receive the Righteousness of Christ this belongs to Faith alone or that Repentance is a condition that puts any worth into us as our act of Obedience but rather that God requires it because it empties impoverishes and wholly drives us out of our selves to God's free mercy and to Christ's Atoneing Sacrifice God requires a broken Heart not for any worth in the matter of contrition but because by contrition all conceits of self-worthiness are expelled and the contrite man renounceth his own Works worth and merit and despiseth his own doings as a broken Vessel Such an one is most fit to receive the Grace and free pardon of God as Mr. Dickson well expresseth it on Psal 51.17 A Malefactor though never so Penitent is not thereby qualified to be Justified from that Capital Crime he hath committed but if just compensation be made and full Satisfaction be given to the Law as Christ hath done this may be pleaded to prevent Death Repentance is also promised in the Covenant Ezek. 36.26 A new Heart also will I give to you and a new Spirit will I put within you I will take away the Heart of Stone and give you a Heart of Flesh and therefore cannot be a proper condition of the Covenant of Grace Faith and Repentance in their own Nature do both renounce themselves as Righteousness or qualifications to make us meet to be Justified the Obedience that Christ as a surety hath performed is the proper condition on which the Covenant of Grace is built Hath Christ performed the perfect condition of the new Covenant and yet set up imperfect ones to be performed by us to give us a right to the Covenant and its Blessings 2. Some Brethren do inlarge the object of Justifying Faith and make Christ as King as well as Priest the Object of Justifying Faith or that we must receive Christ as King as well as Priest as a condition of our Justification Answ We own that the Faith that Justifieth doth receive Christ as King but we deny that it closeth with Christ as King as it is Justifying Christ as King subdues us to God
mortifies our Lusts writes his Laws in our Hearts but these things relate to our Sanctification not to our Justification Christ as Priest only hath a proper influence on our Justification as such he was made under the Command and endured the Curse of the Law The taking of Christ for our Lord the choosing and accepting of him as our King is the root spring and begining of our new Obedience Our very Subjection to Christ is an imperfect and a defective act of Obedience we do not fully Submit to Christ There is a Negative vote there is a Rebellious party there is a Law of Sin in our Flesh And can we look on a weak imperfect act of our Obedience as giving us right and title to the perfect Obedience and compleat Righteousness of Christ Choosing and taking Christ for King is certainly a work of ours and if we are Justified by it as a condition Are we not Justified by a Work of our own Is not this to bring in our Works in the root and principle of them into Justification And must we not beware that though we have Works in our Superstructure yet we have them not in our Foundation 3. Some set up that which they call an Evangelical Righteousness of our own consisting in the fulfilling the conditions of the new Law or Covenant and that it is this that entitles us to the Righteousness of Christ which they call our Legal Righteousness Our Brethren I hope do not mean that our own Evangelical Righteousness is our immediate Righteousness and the Righteousness of Christ our remote Righteousness Surely Christ's Righteousness is our immediate only perfect Righteousness for Justification By a new Law I hope they do not mean a Law that requires less duty than the Moral Law or makes those imperfactions to be no Sins that the Moral Law doth condemn as Transgressions All our new Obedience cannot be any proper condition of the Covenant because the performance of it is the Fruit of God's performing his promise to us Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit into them and cause them to walk in my Statutes and to keep my Judgements and Commandments Our Obedience is defective and imperfect And can this be the condition of our Title to Christ's Righteousness Persons must beware that they do not Legalize the Covenant of Grace yea set up an easier Covenant of works 2. Vse If Jehovah be our Righteousness then we may be informed of three things 1. Of the wonderful wisdom 2. Of the exact Righteousness 3. Of the admirable Grace of God 1. We may learn the wonderful wisdom of God that he hath Reconciled two things that seemed contrary and utterly inconsistent That the Just should be Condemned and the Wicked Justified Prov. 17.15 yet both these God hath accomplished without any stain to his Holiness reflexion on or reproach to his Justice Jesus Christ that knew no sin yet was made sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that Just one died for the Unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 What was more remote from the thoughts and hid from the minds of Natural Men than that the Son of God should stoop from Heaven to Earth be not only clothed with our Flesh but also be burthened with our Sins and the weight of our Curse That he should come under our Iniquities that we might come into his Righteousness The very finding out a Surety and the constituting of a Mediator is a deep design of Infinite Wisdom That another should expiate our sins and pay a Ransom for our Souls 2. We may be informed of the exact Righteousness and inexorable Justice of God How just is God that he would not be appeased without an Atoning Sacrifice that he would not dismiss Prisoners or release Captives without a Ransom or Justifie without an Obedience Rom. 3.24 25. Rom. 5.19 The Debt must be exacted of Christ the Storm must fall the Curse must be executed on him else he could not be our Righteousness Christ was set forth for a Propitiation that God might be just and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. God's Sword did awake against Christ else it could never have been laid asleep towards us Zech. 13.7 Our Sins were laid on Christ our Iniquities took hold of him our Reproaches whereby we reproached God did fall on Christ Rom. 15.3 he could not be spared the Cup could not pass from him God could not release or exempt his own Son from Sufferings The Lord Jesus was so bound by his own undertaking as a Surety that he could not use his own Tongue to plead for and vindicate himself he could not exert or exercise his own power to restrain his Enemies or to rescue himself from them It was just that God should bruise Christ as he became our Surety it is now just that God should Pardon those that fly to Christ 1 John 1.9 There was a Redemption of Transgressions by the Death of Christ Heb. 9.15 Some think this Phrase the Redemption of Transgressions is borrowed from that Hebrew Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goel hadam the Redeemer or Avenger of Blood Our Transgressions were Redeemed by being avenged in the Death of Christ Sin would have for ever laid on us if it had not been bought off by the Blood of Christ God is said to Justifie the Ungodly Rom. 4.6 but it is because Jesus Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5.6 God would not have been at peace with us if the Chastisement of our peace had not fallen on Christ Isa 53.5 3. We may be informed of the admirable and astonishing Grace of God that Jehovah the Son should become our Righteousness This Righteousness of Christ is not derived to us doth not descend upon us as Adam's sin doth Adam was a Natural Head we were nearly related to him as the Father of our Flesh as the Root and Fountain of our Nature and so we must needs be involved in his Guilt and wrapt up in his Transgression it is our Patrimony and Inheritance for we are by Nature Children of Wrath Ephes 2.3 But Christ is a Supernatural Head a Second Adam constituted by meer Grace We were wholly strangers and no way Related to him but by pure Mercy His Righteousness is wholy a Gift Rom. 5.17 We were born under Adam's sin but it is by Faith that we come into Christ's Righteousness Guilt is spoken of as that which is past By the Disobedience of one many have been made sinners but Justification is spoken of as Future By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.19 that is when they fly to him and are found in him O what Grace is this that sinners should be cut out of their Natural Stock and be grafted into a Supernatural Stock that we should not be condemned for our own sins but be justified by the Righteousness of another That God should Rain Vengeance on him and Righteousness on us That Jesus Christ should be cast into Prison himself Isa 53.8 that he might call us
out of Prison Isa 49.9 that he should be wounded to heal us and be bruised to bind us up Isa 53.9 10. Isa 61.1 that a Vail should be cast over Christ's Innocency by our Iniquity taken on him that a Vail might be cast over our sins by his Righteousness imputed to us There was an Offence committed that might have remained on us and have destroyed us But O what kindness is this that there should be a Free Gift of Righteousness to relieve and justifie us Rom. 5.15 Christ Redeemed us from Destruction by devoting himself to Death for us in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to Redeem in the Arabick Fada fignifies to Devote ones self to Death This Fada is the same word with the Hebrew Phada and by comparing the two significations of the word in the two Languages we learn this excellent Truth †Vid. Oriental Lexicon That we are Redeemed by Christ's devoting himself to Death for us What we our selves should have fully wrought out that Christ hath bought and freely gives us Dan. 9.24 Rom. 5.19 O how should we admire God Who is a God like to him glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 Yet who is a God like to him pardoning iniquity and passing by Transgression and Sin Mic. 7.18 19. As he is Holy he hates sin yet as he is Gracious he pities Sinners His Holiness doth not hinder or obstruct his Mercy 3d. Vse Examine your selves whether you can truly call Jehovah by this sweet and comfortable Name Is he your Righteousness Are you invested with this Righteousness and discharged from your Sins Put these following Questions to your selves for Trial. 1. Did you ever come to your selves Luke 15.17 Did you ever feel your selves to be bound with Cords of Guilt laden with Iniquity ready to sink into the Bottomless Pit Men must be Condemned before they are Justified be cast down before they are lifted up apply the Curse to themselves before they apply the Blessing hear the Sentence of Death denounced against them by the Law before they partake of Justification of Life by the Gospel as the World was first without the Law and then the Israelites were under the Law and then Christ came with Righteousness and Peace So every Justified Sinner is first without the Law he is alive and full of hopes because he is without the Law Rom. 7.9 he knows not the Spirituality of the Commands of the Law nor the Severity of its Threatnings he hath a Calm and Peace because he never imputed his Numerous sins to himself or bound his Heinous Iniquities on himself The Soul is a dead Sea without motion towards God and yet is a calm and quiet Sea without dread and fear of God But when God intends good to the Soul first the Commandment comes Rom. 7.9 and then Sin Revives and a Storm is raised in the Soul but in due time Faith comes Gal. 3.25 and then the Soul is calmed and quieted being Justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 If you were nevere burdened you cannot be eased if you were never broken you cannot be bound up if you were never mourners you cannot be Comforted if you never tasted the bitterness of Sin you cannot tast the sweetness of the Grace of Christ and experience his purifying Blood and his reviving Righteousness If you are Justified How did you come by Pardon and Peace Can you call them Naphtali that you got them by wrestling It is said Israel shall be Justified and saved Isa 45.17 last Jacob wrestled with the Angel for a Blessing his Conscience might accuse him for Fraud and Lying in procuring the Blessing from blind Isaac yet he held the Angel fast said he and would not let him go except he did Bless him Gen. 32.26 And for this his Name was changed and he was called Israel Gen. 32.28 When we find Sin stirring in us when Conscience accuses the Law curses God according to the first Covenant condemns To Believe on Christ for Righteousness is as Peter's walking on the Sea in a storm If we have ever felt the smart of our wounds the Schorching heat of God's Wrath the Burning Poyson of the old Serpent in our Consciences If 〈◊〉 were ever arrested arraigned condemned shut up surely in the anguish of your Souls you have cryed out We are destitute of Righteousness and where shall we find it we have contracted guilt and provoked Wrath And where shall we be Found 2. Were you ever divorced from and dead to the Law and Covenant of Works as your First Husband and then Married to Christ we are first joined to the Law and the Covenant of Works as our First Husband and it makes us a jointure of Life upon condition of perfect Obedience The Apostle compares the Law to a Husband but the froward Heart of Man is not subject to this Husband The more the Commands of the Law are urged on it the more it contradicts and Rebels The motions of Sin are said to be by the Law Rom. 7.5 but the Fruits of Righteousness are by Jesus Christ Phil. 1.11 The Law cannot Sanctifie or Justifie us this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.3 the thing that is impossible to the Law Have you therefore been divorced from and become dead to the Law Rom. 7.4 as it is a Covenant of Works Have you despaired of finding righteousness in your selves and of obtaining a Blessing from the Law and so have looked and fled to Jesus Christ †Heb. 12.24 as those that have been pursued by sin and the wrath of Ged Paul saith Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a Man is not Justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Even we have Believed in Jesus Christ that we might be Justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law For by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be Justified 3. Are you Sanctified Justification and Sanctification always go together as in the Natural Body the Blood and Spirits do flow out together so the Blood and Spirit of Christ are always joined John 19.34 Blood and Water Signifiing the Spirit came together out of Christ's Side He comes by Water and Blood 1 John 5.6 else he would be but half and imperfect Saviour As the same day that the Waters went off form the Earth and were gathered into the Sea the Earth was adorned with Grass Herbs Flowers Trees Gen. 9.11 So when a deluge of Wrath goeth off from the Soul it is presented adorned with the grace of the Spirit and called a Tree of Righteousness Isa 61.2 Those that are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus are also Justified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 If God Loves the Soul he makes it Lovely If Christ washes you he also makes you Kings and Priests Revel 1.5 6. You are no longer Vassals to your Lusts but as Kings rule in your own Hearts You check vain thoughts
Criminals are sowed up and sealed up in a bag to be produced at the Trial of an Offender so are the Sins of Men Job 14.17 So many Sins as Men have committed and are unpardoned so many witnesses have they provided against the day of their Trial. Jer. 14.7 O Lord our Iniquities testifie against us Read Isa 59.12 Our Sins are not only as dead records but as living witnesses not only as matter of accusation but as accusers they cry to Heaven to kindle wrath against us and pluck down vengeance on us Gen. 18.20 21. Sodom's Sins did cry to Heaven against it Little do Sinners think that they are daily filling Gods Book with complaints and accusations and filling his Treasury with Wrath and piling up Fuel to burn and Torment themselves It is nothing else but the speaking Blood of Christ that can stop the mouths of these witnesses and silence the clamours of their Sins 7. Every Sin deserves Eternal death Rom. 6. last Death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wages of Sin The word signifies Soldiers wages Luke 3.14 They that cleave to Satan as their General that stay in his Tents Fight on his side against God shall have Eternal death as wages paid to them Tribulation is due to the Body Anguish to the Soul and Conscience of every Transgressor Rom. 2.9 God will repay fury Isa 59.18 he will render anger to his adversaries Isa 66.15 8. Consider there is Judgement to come Heb. 6.2 God seeth all Mens Provocations Hos 5.3 Prov. 15.3 Jer. 13. last And he will be a swift witness against them Mal. 3.5 God hath not in vain Registred the Sins of Men the Book of God and the Eye of the Soul shall be opened no Sin shall be forgotten Amos 8.7 all shall be brought to light Eccles 11.9 1 Cor. 4.5 and be brought into Judgment Eccles 12.14 There will not only be a Resurection of Bodies but a Reviving and Remembrance of Sins If your Sins are not pardoned but remain before God's Face Psal 90.8 They will shortly be reviewed by God and set in order before your face Psal 50.21 If you inherit the Sins of your whole life Job 13.26 you will be Heires of Shame Misery and Eternal Torments 2. Motive Consider what great advantages we have in these times of the Gospel as to a participation of this Righteousness of God 1. It is now wrought out and perfected Jesus Christ hath been a Faithful High-Priest Heb. 2.17 And a Righteous servant Isa 53.11 God devolved the greatest trust on Christ and he undertook took the hardest and most noble work even to make Restitution to God for the wrong we had done him and to make Reconciliation for us to appease the Wrath we had provoked and to divert form us the Punishment we had deserved The Jews thought of old that their High-Priest was trusted with their greatest concerns and for fear he should be a Sadducee or out of heedlessness neglect any part of his Office on the day of Atonement they used Solemnly to swear him to a full and faithful discharge of his Office in the great Work of that day But our Lord Jesus Christ was by fervent love to his Father and his People Heartily and throughly engaged in this great Work he undertook and hath fully discharged it He glorified God on Earth he finished the Work he gave him to do John 17.4 He would not dye till he could say all was finished John 19.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How honourable a word is this to Christ And how Comfortable a word is this to us Jesus Christ as the slain Goat did bear our Sins and as the Scape-Goat he did bear them away As God did lay Sins on Christ Isa 53.6 so he purged them Heb. 1.3 and put them away He hath been a most Righteous servant to God his very Sufferings that in a Moral sence were Punishments yet in a Legal sence were Righteousness Jesus Christ is perfected himself Heb. 5.9 And he hath by one Offering for ever perfected us Heb. 10.14 There is signal evidence and demonstration that Jesus Christ hath finished his Work for he could not else have confidently commended and committed his Soul to his Father Luke 23.46 He would not else have been welcome to him and Received by him John 16.10 The World was to be convinced of Christ's Righteousness by this argument that he did go to the Father and they did see him no more on Earth How could he have ventured into the glorious Presence of God if he had not Righteously performed what he undertook Would not the Father have sent him back again into the World if he had omitted or left any thing undone But Christ saith he should be seen on Earth no more in the form of a Servant to do any Work in a state of Humiliation 2. The Father Raised him up from the Dead 1. Pet. 1.21 He Released our Surety out of the Prison of the Grave which he would not have done if the debt had not been fully paid Therefore an Angel came down from Heaven to roll away the Stone from Christ's Grave Matth. 28.2 This was an Officer from the great Judge of Heaven and Earth to free our surety and to evidence that God was satisfied and did allow Christ's Resurrection 3. The Father exalted Jesus Christ by his own right Hand Acts 5.31 And gave him Glory that we might be encouraged and emboldened from thence to act our Faith and hope in God 1 Pet. 1.21 4. Jesus Christ is sat down at the Right Hand of God in the Heavenly Sanctuary Heb. 1.3 Heb. 12.2 What an honour was this to our High-Priest to sit down in the true Holy of Holies When the High-Priest under the Law might not sit down in the Typical Holy of Holies And Christ's siting down did shew he had done his Work and might now take his rest This the Apostle makes the great difference between Christ and the Priests of the Law If they stood dayly Ministring and Offering Sacrifices that could never take away Sin But Christ When he had Offered one Sacrifice for ever be sat down on the Right Hand of God Heb. 10.11 12. The Priests of the Law did go on in their Ministry they stood Offering Sacrifices their Work was never at an end they could never sit down But Christ hath Finished his Work and therefore is sat down and expects that all his Enemies shall be made his Footstool Heb. 10.13 5. Jesus Christ as he is released so he Preaches the opening of the Prison to us Isa 61.1 God's Prison is not Forced or Broken but opened in a Righteous way our Ransom being paid Matth. 20.28 Christ therefore now comes to the Prison-door and saith to the Prisoners Come forth you that were hid in Prisondarkness now shew your selves and appear with boldness and confidence in the Heavenly Sanctuary Isa 49.9 2. The Righteousness of Christ is now brought Dan. 9.24 To bring Everlasting Righteousness Eternal Redemption is now
found Heb. 9.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ hath found that and brought that which is the great Foundation of our Faith and Hope 1. Jesus Christ hath brought this Righteousness near to us Isa 46.13 I bring near my Righteousness it shall not be far off The Saints of the Old Testament saw the Promises a-far off Heb. 11.13 But we see Eye to Eye Isa 52.8 The Manna came down from Heaven and lay about the Camp of Israel Ezod 16.14 It was near to them and prepared Food for them and easy to be gathered by them So Christ Typified by it saith I am the Bread that came down from Heaven that a Man may eat and not dye As this Bread was in Heaven it was high above-us and far off from us but now it is come down from Heaven it is near to us it is easie to come at So the Rock is smitten and the Spiritual Water flows out follows us is near to us 1 Cor. 10.3 4. As God clave the Rocks and gave Israel drink as out of the Great Depths Psal 78.15 The Water was deep in the Earth but it bubbl'd up and gushed out of the Rock plentifully as if a great deep Sea or the deep Waters that did lye low in the Earth did now rise and spring up and break out at the clefts of this Rock The Israelites could not come at those deep Waters that lay in the Bowels of the Earth till God did cause them to ascend and made a vent for them So the saving Mercies of God were a great Deep we had neither Bucket nor Rope to reach them or to come at them they were far off from us But Christ now being smitten this Rock now being cleft deep Mercies ascend flow forth follow us come near to us Christ's Righteousness is brought so near to us that we may easily come at it and enjoy it as the Manna was prepared Bread some derive the Word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manah he hath prepared this was Bread that God provided without their labour they did not Plow or Sow for it So Christ is God's Salvation that he hath prepared Luk. 2.29 30 31. As the Manna was Rained down near to the Israelites Camp so Christ's Righteousness is brought near to us we may gather receive it take it to our selves by Faith It is not difficult to obtain Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and be saved Isa 45.22 Is not that easie to be had that may be obtained by a look the word of Faith is nigh to us Rom. 10.8 Christ's Righteousness is not remote or a-far off but brought very near to us and easie to come at And is not our Spiritual Drink near and easie to be had The Rock in Exod. 17.6 was to be smitten but the Rock mentioned Numb 20.8 was only to be spoken to and it should give out Water Jesus Christ Typified by these Rocks was to be Smitten but once to Die but once That which now remains to be done is not to Smite but to speak to the Rock by the Prayer of Faith and it will give forth Spiritual Drink to us Rom. 10.12 The Lord is rich to all that call upon him that is he is not only rich in the Possession but also rich in the Distribution and Communication of Grace he is not only Rich for himself but for us and those that call on him that speak to this Rock do receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness Rom. 5.17 They that call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Joel 2. last 2. This Righteousness is brought near to God The Blood of the Typical Sacrifices was not carried into Heaven it was too mean and vile to be brought thither But the Blood of Jesus Christ is carried into Heaven it self Heb. 9.23 24. Our High-Priest is entred thither and hath carried his Blood into Heaven to present it to and plead it before God The very Throne of God as the Mercy-seat of old the Type of it was sprinkled with the Blood of the Typical Sacrifice Levit. 16.14 is sprinkled with the Blood of Christ As Christ brought his Righteousness into the Church as a Cordial to Revive us so he brought it into Heaven as a Plea before God As it is said The Burnt-offerings should be continually before God Psal 50.8 and did burn day and night on the Altar it was never without a Fire and a Sacrifice burning on it So Christ's Sacrifice is now always before the Lord Jesus Christ still represents it to and pleads it before God It is dreadful for our Sins to be continually before the Lord Psal 109.14 15. but it is sweet for Christ's Sacrifice to be always before the Lord by virtue of this our Prayers may be nigh to God day and night 1 Kings 8.59 till he Answer and Fulfil them 3. This Righteousness of Christ is established to continue for ever Heb. 10.9 God takes away the first even the Sacrifices of the Law to establish the second even the Sacrifice of Christ This Sacrifice is fixed as the one and only atoning Sacrifice it is never to be removed or to give place to any other God hath Sworn Christ to be a Priest Psal 110.4 God will never repent or change He will never put Christ out of Office or substitute any other in his place It is the higest pride to clash with God and for any to go about to establish their own Righteousness as the Jews did Rom. 10.3 and so to oppose God's Establishment And as this is Pride so it is pernicious Folly because nothing can establish the Heart or Conscience but the Grace of God through the Atoneing Sacrifice of Jesus Christ Heb. 13.9 It is good for the heart to be established by Grace 4. This Righteousness is now openly revealed to us Jesus Christ is evidently set forth as Crucified before our eyes Gal. 3.1 God's Salvation is prepared before the Face of all People Luke 2.31 This is the Glory of the Gospel that the Righteousness of God is revealed in it Rom. 1.17 And the Righteousness of God is now manifested without the Law Rom. 3.21 We have now received the Atonement Rom. 5.11 God hath now reconciled us Col. 3.2 there is a great Emphasis in the word now The Righteousness of God is now manifested we have now received the Atonement God hath now reconciled us It intimates that this Righteousness is now wrought out manifested and exhibited that God should be Righteous in Justifying us without the Works of the Law performed by us and without the Curse of the Law executed on us is a deep Mystery and a great Secret But Christ hath not hid this Righteousness of God in his heart but he hath declared and preached it Psal 40.9 10. This is such a Mystery that we should never have known if Christ had not declared it Surely it is most wonderful that God in the nature of a creature should be subject and obey that
explicit acts of Faith be put forth What is become of a state of Justification Was David under Condemnation and the Curse while he lay long in a stupid state Surely he was a Justified Man or else he was out of Christ and fallen under the Curse It is said that God hath given Believers everlasting life 1 John 5.11 and that he who believeth hath everlasting life John 5.24 Is the Sentence of life Rom. 5.18 revoked by new acts of sin Is this gift of life retracted Is the blood of Christ wiped away from the Conscience by new Transgressions We read that the blood of Christ purgeth away sin 1 John 1.7 but never that sin purgeth away the blood of Christ and wipes it off from the Conscience Let not any here mistake me I am no Patron of Sin I do not plead for careless and loose walking if any indulge the Flesh they shall feel to their smart and cost that God hath Fatherly Anger Justice and Severity and the fruits of it are terrible God hides his Face suspends the comfortable and quickning Influences of his Spirit so that the heart is hardened Isa 63.17 the Church thus complains Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy Fear Jesus Christ withdraws himself and leaves the Soul in a dark doubting and disconsolate state Cant. 5.45.6 There are also sharp Temporal Afflictions laid on believers as that the Sword should not depart from David's House and that his Concubines should be defiled by Absalom 2 Sam. 12.10 11. yea there may be much Trouble and Terror of Conscience because Unbelief is strengthened by this new Guilt contracted and the Spirit of God is grieved and doth not powerfully apply testifie and seal Pardon till explicit acts of Faith and Repentance be put forth Yet I must assert this with the Scripture That Believers do not again a second time or more receive the Spirit of bondage to fear Rom. 8.15 The Spirit in the Word doth not testifie to a Believer that he is a Condemned Man in a state of Hostility with God and that God is his Enemy as it testifies to Unregenerate Men. Besides this is much to be considred that a Believer doth not Sin according to the New Man but according to the remainders of the Old Man It is not the new Graft that bears corrupt fruit but the old Stock Rom. 7.17 Now it is no more I that do it but Sin that dwelleth in me The New Man hates Sin consents to and delights in the Law of God as good Rom. 7.15 16.19.22.25 I my self serve the Law of God He that is born of God committeth not Sin He cannot Sin because born of God 1 John 3.9 How then can guilt redound on the whole person when the New Man that is the predominant party doth not Sin If it be said that Sin committed redounds on the person according to the Old Man this will amount to no more than Fatherly anger and Temporary Chastisements that fall on the Old Man that must decay be pulled down to the dust and perish but they shall not hinder the Salvation of the person according to the New Man It is true that Christ doth direct us dayly to pray for Pardon of Sins Matth. 6.12 And David did earnestly and frequently sollicit for Forgiveness Psal 51.1.7.9 But these Scriptures may be thus understood that Believers for it is of them only that I speak do deprecate the Fruits and effects of Gods Fatherly anger both in Temporal and Spiritual Judgments They petition for the turning away of God's Fatherly displeasure the removing of outward Afflictions and Spiritual Punishments the return of the sweet sense of Gods Favour the lifting up of the light of his Countenance on them the shedding abroad of his Love in them The removing of Temporal and Spiritual Judgements is both a proper and excellent Pardon If any be otherwise minded let them Answer a little Piece of Mr. Gilbert's written on this Subject Justified persons have a sure and strong standing in the Grace and Favour of God Rom 5.2 By Faith we have an entrance into this Grace in which we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Justified persons are Established firmly in the favour of God Though Hagar and Ismael were cast out of Abraham's House Gen. 21.10 12 13. yet Isaac the Child of the promise was still retained God loves Believers with the same love that he loves Christ with John 17. last And God's love to Christ is not mutable and changeable but fixed and certain Justified persons may therefore challeng all accusers Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that Justifieth Is there any higher Judge Is there any other Superiour Tribunal to which the person may be cited and his cause drawn It is Jesus Christ that Died and Rose again He was arrested and is released and discharged He was Baptized in a deep Sea of Sorrows and Sufferings yet was not drowned but Swam out to the Shores of a Blessed Eternity Yea he is ascended into the Heavenly Sanctuary to plead his blood and Represent his Righteousness And will not this stop the mouths of all gain-sayers and Silence all accusers We may now draw near to God the Judge of all as being assured he will not only Justifie us but also plead our cause against those that wrong us Christ now being ascended he lives to execute his own Testament and bestow his own Legacies Acts 5.31 To give Repentance and Remission of Sins The Mercies of the new Covenant are sure Mercies Isa 55.3 Acts 13.34 35. Because Christ is Dead and Risen again to give them Faith Jesus Christ in Heaven asks for the Travel of his Soul and the Purchase of his Blood and cannot be denied He interceeds with Authority There was a Crown of pure Gold about the Altar of incense Exod. 30.3 to intimate that our High-Priest doth interceed effectually and with Authority John 17.24 Father I will that those thou hast given me may be with me that they may see my Glory The Apostle Paul proposeth a Farther Question Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ and he thus answereth it himself I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death things present or things to come shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Love of God is fixed the Heart of God is centred on Jesus Christ and shall never depart or remove from him Christ is the strong and everlasting bond whereby Gods Love is secured and assured to us What greater security can God give us than his Oath to perswade us of the Immutability of his counsel God hath twice sworn that the Heires of promise might have strong Consolation God saith thus to the Church I have sworn that I will not be Wroth with thee that is to destroy thee nor Rebuke thee so as to disinherit thee Isa 54.9 And as God hath Sworn to secure us from the
Some conceive that the Apostle alludes to those that are bit wit an Asp if that Serpent doth prick them they doze slumber and die away The Old Serpent did not only Poyson us by his bite but also stupifie us that we might not be sensible of our danger Some are so deep asleep that though they are pricked yet it will not rouse them up even so many are in such a profound sleep that though God pricks them daily with his Threat'nings yet they are not awakened to a serrious Consideration and dread of approaching destruction God threatens it as a sore Judgement to the Jews that the Prophet Ezekiel should be dumb and that he should not be a Reprover to them Ezek. 3.26 And how long was he dumb it was till Jerusalem was taken and smitten Ezek. 33.21 22. It was but the Evening before a Messenger came with these bad tidings that Ezekiel's mouth was opened and he was no more dumb Ezekiel was dumb till the Judgement denounced was executed on the Jews and then it was too late to warn and Reprove them And wilt thou provoke God to lay thee under such a Spiritual Judgment Shall Conscience be dumb and not Reprove thee til Divine Vengeance fall on thee for thy destruction Take heed that thou dost not fortify and intrench thy self in Natural Religion Morality and Formal Duties and so bear the Siege and storm of powerful Preaching God complains of the Jews by Zechary that they made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone least they should hear the Law The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies a Stone that keeps it self from being broken though it have knocks yet it preserves it self Even so the Heart of Sinners keeps it self from being broken under the many Admonitions and Reproofs of the Word Beware that such a Heart be not found in thee Do not make light of or a mock at Sin Do not put the thoughts of thy Iniquity and of God's Wrath far from thee Sin lies at the door if not sooner it will arrest thy Soul when it goes out of the Body Gen. 4.7 Solomon saith That he that rolleth a Stone it shall return upon him Prov. 26.27 So if you Presumptuously roll away your Sins from you God will Righteously return them upon you God's Threat'nings are not an empty sound Sinners shall know to their cost that God hath not said in vain That he would poure out his Fury on them Ezek. 6.10 The day of Vengeance is in God's Heart Isa 63.4 The Cup of Fury is in his Hand Psal 75.8 Though there be a mixture of all fatal and deadly ingredients yet it is without any mixture of Mercy Rev. 14.10 The storm of Vengeance hangs over the Heads of Sinners Though it is said that now God's Judgments are far above out of the sight of Sinners Psal 10.5 yet they shall be so visible that their eyes shall see their Destruction Job 21 20. thy breath is in thy Nostrils Isa 2. last and may soon go forth the Judge stands at the door and may quickly enter in James 5.9 Wilt thou run on the point of God's Sword Wilt thou venture into Eternal Burnings 5. Beware and take heed of Carnal Reason that is enmity to God and to the Righteousness of God As the Israelites slighted the Bread that God gave them from Heaven did account it as no Bread Numb 21.5 There is no Bread and then they call it light Bread as if there were nothing solid in it or as if it did afford no substantial nourishment yea Numb 11.6 they complain that their Souls was dried away as if they did grow lean weak and feeble by reason of this poor and low sort of Food So Carnal Reason misrepresents the Righteousness of Christ as if it were nothing solid or substantial The Blasphemous Papists call Imputed Righteousness Putative Righteousness as if it did only spring up in and were born from the Fantasies of Protestants Proud Nature thinks the Righteousness that is wrought and brought forth by our selves to be the only substantial and valuable Righteousness but the Spiritual-minded as Paul do account the Righteousness of God the Righteousness that is by the Faith of Christ to be the most Rich Possession and valuable Food of the Soul Phil. 3.8 9. My flesh saith Christ is Meat indeed and my Blood is drink indeed John 6.55 This is the true Bread John 6.32 6. Beg the Spirit to convince thee of sin John 16.8 9. to cut thy stock that the Graft of the Free Promise of Righteousness may be let into thy heart to raise a Storm in thy Soul that all thy Carnal Confidence and Fleshly Righteousness may be Ship-wrackt In a great and dangerous Storm Mariners will throw Silks and Satins over-board rather than perish themselves Confidence in thy best Works must be cast out that thy Soul may be preserved and brought to the desirable Haven of Christ's Righteousness As the Angel that was the Son of God Wrestled with Jacob and put his Thigh out of Joynt Gen. 32.25 even so Christ by his Spirit must powerfully Wrestle with us to Mortisie our Carnal Confidence and put our Thigh out of Joynt We are apt to trust in our selves that we are Righteous as those Luke 18.9 While we thus trust in our selves our Bone is in Joynt we are at ease and have a Carnal Feace but our Bones must be put out of Joynt that we may have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 Our Heaven of Religion and our Earth of Morality must be shaken to pieces before we will come to Christ Hag. 2.6 7. we must see our selves cast away or else we will not enter into Christ as an Ark of Salvation 7. We must fly to and trust on Christ for Justification Gal. 2.16 17. as God is said to pardon Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34.67 so it is said of Christ That he came to finish the Transgression to make an end of Sins and to make Reconciliation for Iniquity God Pardons but it is through Christ He remembers Iniquity no more Jer. 31.34 but it is because the clean Water of Christ's Blood is sprinkled upon us Ezek. 36.25 We must look off from our selves and look only to Christ there is not any thing Inherent in us or performed by us that is our Righteousness we are not Justified by what we find in our selves but by what we know in Christ Is 53.11 not by what we have done but by what the Lord Jesus Christ hath suffered Christ's Obedience and Righteousness is contradistinguished from and opposed to our Inherent Righteousness Phil. 3.8 9. we are not to stay in our selves but to be found in him We are to be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Christ did not Merit or procure that we should have a Righteousness of our own and in our selves to be Justified by We are to renounce our own Righteousness as filthy rags and to trust only on Christ's Righteousness as our next
Hos 11.9 it is an Allusion to the Angels entring into Sodom to find out matter of Accusation against the Sodomites Gen. 19.3.5.18 But as God blots out Sin for the present so he seeks not out occasions for the future but when God blots out our Transgressions only our Good Deeds are Remembred and shewed Mal. 3.16 17. A Book of Remembrance was Written for Good Thoughts Words Actions when Sins are expunged and forgotten for ever Our sins are removed far from us as far as the East is from the West Psal 103.12 but our Good Works do follow us to testifie our Sincerity and to obtain a Reward Revel 14.13 God will never remember our Iniquities Jer. 31.34 but he will never forget his People Isa 49.14 15. nor forget the least of their Services If it be but a Cup of cold Water given to a Disciple of Christ it shall not be forgotten but Rewarded Matth. 10. last the greatest Sins are forgotten and not Revenged on us the least Service is Remembred and Rewarded in us John 5.29 They that have done good shall come forth to a Resurrection of Life Tho' they did many evil things yet they shall be blotted out and covered and they shall be pardoned as if they had only done good and nothing but good God is Righteous to forgive us our Sins 1 John 1.9 But God is not unrighteous to forget our Labour and Service of Love Heb. 6.10 6. What Praise doth this deserve that our Justification is so inseparably joined with Glorification Rom. 8.30 Whom he hath Justified them also he Glorified Justified persons cannot miscarry or Perish The Righteousness of Christ is called Everlasting Dan. 9.24 and this Everlasting Righteousness is the Foundation of an Everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 Because the Blood of Christ is still fresh therefore the Covenant of Grace and the way to the Heavenly Sanctuary is still new Heb. 6.8 Heb. 10.19 they that do wash their Robes white in the blood of the Lamb do enter into the Heavenly Sanctuary and are before the Throne Rev. 7.14.15 As Jesus Christ being first Justified Isa 50.8 1 Tim. 3.16 was soon after Glorified John 17.5 And now Father glorifie me with thy own self So sin being blotted out what remains to shut out Justified Persons from the Kingdom and Glory of God Not to see God is the greatest loss and penalty Where Sin is Forgiven How can such a Penalty remain 7. Bless God that Jesus Christ is Revealed to thee and bestowed on thee as the Lord thy Righteousness How many Thousands of Persons yea how many Nations do not hear of this Glorious Righteousness of Christ are utter strangers to this pretious Name of his and have no Interest in this Righteousness of Christ The Soldiers took Christ's Coat and four of them did cast Lots for it but only one of the four did obtain it John 19.23 24. So I may truly say that scarce one in four of those that are called Christians do get this Spiritual Garment of Christ's Righteousness to put on and wear It as a sweet Expression of Augustin's on Psal 31. Ego Sorte perveni ad tunicam Christi I by Lot came to the possession of Christ's Coat O happy Souls on whom the Lot of free Grace falls and that get and possess this Coat of Christ's Righteousness Ephes 1.11 in whom that is in Christ we have obtained an Inheritance In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we obtained an Inheritance in Christ by Lot The Apostle doth humble himself and other Christians and Magnifie God he did not deserve a Portion in Christ but the Lot of Grace fell on him The Ephesians did not earn any thing but the Lot of Grace fell on them O Admire God Glorifie Christ that you should sit under the shadow of his Righteousless when others are exposed to the Schorching heat of the Wrath of God that your Iniquities should be covered when the Sins of others are naked and open before God that your Transgressions should be blotted out when all the Wickedness of others stands upon record against them till the Judgement of the great day That you as Noah and his Family should be born up and carried above the Waters when others like the Men of the Old World do sink into the deep and Bottomless Sea of the Wrath of God O what Mercy is it that God should Cloth thee with the Garment of Salvation and cover thee with the Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 when others have no Ragg to hide their Shame but will be abhorred by God be loathed by Angels and Saints to Eternity O what Grace is it that thou like Aaron art hid in a Cloud of Christ's Incense Levit. 16.13 when others Stink in God Nostils and shall be covered with a black storming Cloud of anger for ever O that Jesus Christ should die for you as a Lamb and then seek you out as a Shepherd to Cloath you with the Fleece of his Righteousness and to feed you with the Flesh of his Sacrifice when others Famish their Souls by the Neglect of Christ's Feast and Poyson their Souls by doting on and glutting themselves with Carnal dainties Sensual and Sinful delights O what Grace is this that Jesus Christ should as a Surety undertake for your debts and as a Sacrifice bear and bleed for our Sins That as a Fore-runner should take up possess and prepare a place for you in the highest Heavens that by your Iniquities deserved a place in the lowest Hell Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain to receive Blessing Honour Glory and Praise Revel 5.9 Debters are the Redeemed Reconciled and Justified to Render and ascribe it to his and Time and to Eternity THE Humble Sinners Supplication for Pardon Opened and Applied IN A SERMON PREACHED On the late FAST June 26 1696. By Samuel Comlyns M. A. a Minister of the Gospel in Marleborough London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercer's Chappel 1696. To the Right Honourable the Lord JAMES RVSSEL Son to the Duke of Bedford Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ My Lord EVery awakened humble Soul should with the Publican cry earnestly God be merciful to me a sinner Without a pardon God's Armoury cannot be shut or his Treasury opened God cannot take us for his Inheritance Exod. 34 9. Times of refreshment cannot come to us from the presence of the Lord if our sins are not blotted out Acts 3.19 If our Consciences are not purged from dead works with the clean water of Christ's Blood we cannot now walk in peace go out of the world with comfort enter into the heavenly Sanctuary with confidence How therefore should pardoning mercy endear God to us ond engage us to God We are naturally without strength to help our selves and are also ungodly and so provoke God to withhold and deny his help to us We had robbed God and an Arrest should have
seek for Israel and Judah's sin I Answer Satan the Babylonians the Enemies of the Church of God The Chaldeans said they did not offend in Killing and Captivating the Jews because they sinned against the Lord Jer. 50.7 And as their sins brought them into Captivity so they thought they would still have held them in Bondage they sought for their sins to hold them in perpetual slavery and to keep the Yoke on them Satan resisted Joshua the High-Priest and seems not only to charge him but also to accuse the Jews and therefore Christ the Angel saith The Lord that chose Jerusalem rebuke thee Zech. 3.1 2. The filthy Garments are taken from Joshua and his Iniquities did pass away Zech. 3.4 And God promiseth to remove the Iniquity of the Land in one day Zech. 3.9 and so though the Babylonians sought the Jews sins yet they were not found 5. God himself will be a hiding-place to those from whose sins he hides his Face Psal 119.114 Thou art my hiding-place and my shield Psal 143.9 I flee unto thee to hide me * The Judge himself is a Hiding-place As the Secret of God is with their Souls to comfort them Psal 25.14 so the Secret of God is on their Tabernacles Job 29.4 to protect them They are the most likely Persons to be hid in the day of Wrath Zeph. 2.3 yea God hides them in the very Grave Job 14.13 O that thou would'st hide me in the Grave until thy wrath be past We must come to God to hide us from his own Wrath. As the Souls of Saints are hid in Heaven from eternal evils so their Bodies are hid in the Grave from Temporal Sufferings The Grave that is a Prison to the Wicked to reserve them in for Eternal Vengeance is to Believers a Hiding-place from Temporal Afflictions 6. If God hide his Face from our sins we shall see his Face in Ordinances here and in Glory hereafter 1. They shall see God's Face in Ordinances here David longed to see God's Power and Glory as he had seen it in the Sanctuary Psal 65.2 They may call on God and he will be gracious to them and they shall see his Face with joy Job 33.26 2. They shall see his Face in Glory Revel 22.4 They shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Forehead As for me saith David Psal 17. last I will behold thy Face in Righteousness 3. We have in these days of the Gospel great Incouragements strong Inducements to prefer this Petition God did for a time cloud and hide his Face from Christ did cut him off and blot him out of the Land of the Living Psal 22.1 Isa 53.8 Jesus Christ entred into deep waters Psal 69.1 2. the floods of Sorrow Reproach and Sufferings did overflow him and now we may cry to God out of our depths Psal 130.1 Out of the depths have I cried to thee O Lord out of a depth of Guilt Trouble and Anguish Jesus Christ came into the Depths and we may confidently cry to God to raise us out of our Depths The Blood of Christ as to Worth and Merits is a deep Sea and we may trust on God through Christ to drown our sins in the depth of this Red-Sea Micah 7.19 Thou wilt cast-all their Sins into the depths of the Sea Christ hath provided Spiritual Red-ink enough Though Christ shed his Blood but once yet God may 1000 and 10000 times over dip his Pen in the Blood of Christ and blot out all our Sins we Commit It was painful to Christ to shed his Blood but it is pleasant to him to wash Souls in it A dark night came on Christ but we may wait for the dawning of a Comfortable and Joyful Morning Psal 130.5.6 The Righteousness is brought by which we may be Justified the Blood is shed in which we may be washed from all our Sins 1 John 1.7 Men did hide their Faces from Christ under his Sufferings as a ghastly ungrateful object Isa 50.3 Being so Buffeted Spit on Crowned with Thorns but we may lift up our Faces to him being now Justified by the Father Seated in his Throne and Crowned with Glory I shall speak something by way of Direction both how we may obtain the blotting out of our Sins and how we ought to walk sutable and answerable to so great a Mercy 1. We must see and know our Sins be sensible of them afflicted for them burdened under them Psal 51.3 I acknowledge or as others Render the Hebrew word I know my Iniquity Isa 59.12 As for our Iniquities we know them Why did the Psalmist so earnestly beg that God would blot out his Transgressions and wash him from his Iniquities He renders this reason of his petition I know my Transgressions that is how much they offend and provoke thee and how much they defile and deform me He that is not burdened will not cry to be eased he that is not wounded will not sue to be healed he that beholds not his debt will not press for the cancelling of his bond And we must see Sin and abhor and detest it and forsake it Shall we seek to God to put it away as Evil and yet we harbour it in our Hearts and indulge it in our practice as good It must be hid not only from the Eye of God's vindictive Justice but also from the Lustful Adulterous eye of our Souls 2. You must see Christ and Believe on him John 6.40 He that seeth the Son and Believeth on him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life The Curses of the Law are Amen to those that are out of Christ Deut. 27. last But the Promises of the Gospel are Yea and Amen to those that are in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 If Christ had not carried our Sins upon the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 we must have born them and they would have sunk us down into the Bottomless pit Though God doth pardon and put away Sin Judicially as a King 2 Sam. 12.13 yet it is Jesus Christ that puts it away Meritoriously as a Priest Heb. 9.26 As you know your Iniquities so you must know Christ to take them away Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my Righteous servant Justifie many for he shall bear their Iniquities He did bear them for a time that they might not be bound on us to Eternity 3. We must earnestly desire God not only to hide his face from our Sins but also to turn our eyes from beholding vanity Psal 119.37 How sweetly do these two petitions harmonize and agree Lord hide thy Face from my Sins and turn away my eyes from beholding vanity Lord sheath thy Sword towards me and lay thy ax to the root of in-dwelling Sin Lord forgive all my wrong steps and wandrings and Lord order my steps in thy word and let no Iniquity have Dominion over me Psal 119.133 Lord blot my Sins out of thy Book mortifie them in and root them out of my Heart I have wandred from thee I have