or accept them in their Worshiping of him A guilty Conscience and an unsanctified Heart is always hypocritical and playeth false and loose in worshiping God hence Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water and the heart must first be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and body washed with pure water by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ before any Man can worship God in Spirit and in Truth and I do and dare too affirm it from the Word of God that there is not a true and spiritual Worshipper of God in all the World but such as are so inwardly sprinkled and washed with the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ all others do worship God carnally and hypocritically not in Spirit and in Truth not sincerely and inwardly Oh therefore you that are in Christ see look to it that you worship God in the Spirit and in Truth for else there is none in all the World to do it 3. To worship God in the Spirit is to worship him in and according to his own holy Institutions Ordinances and Appointments and not according to Humane Inventions not according to Mens Traditions there is neither Spirit nor Truth in that Worship that hath not the stamp of Divine Authority upon it Voluntary Humility and Will-worship and all things of mans devising in the Worship of God and that hold not the Head Christ Jesus can minister no grace or spiritual nourishment to the Members and Joynts of the Body Eph. 4.16 compared with Col. 2.18 19 20 21 22 23. A little Leaven will leaven the whole lump and a little Superstition and Will-worship after thâ— Doctrines and Commandments of Men 〈◊〉 render the whole Worship vain and fruitleâ—â— to your selves as well as displeasing provokeâ—ing and unacceptable to God and so wheâ—â— all the ends of Worship are lost it becomâ— altogether vain as Mat. 15.9 But in vaâ—â— they do worship me teaching for Doctrine tâ—â— Commandments of men and who hath â—â—â—quired these things at your hands will 〈◊〉 day dash in pieces the confidence of all sucâ— Worshippers and evidence the vanity as weâ—â— as the impiety of all such Worship Humanâ— Traditions and Impositions of Men undeâ— what name or pretence soever whether of Eâ—â—clesiastical or of holy learned and judicioâ— persons or the Authority of the Civil Magistrate are not sufficient to warrant us iâ— our worshiping of God No no we muâ—â— to the Law and to the Testimony and iâ— they speak not according to this Word therâ— is no light or morning in them And wheâ—â— men have once rejected the Word of thâ— Lord what Wisdom is in them yea whaâ— Holiness is in them what Learning is in them yea professing themselves to be wise they are become fools and why then should you that are in Christ follow them or be led by them wherein they do not follow Christ or are led by his Word and Spirit 'T is time for us to leave them who have left the Head Jesus Christ and have gone a whoring from under their Gods What though all the World wander after and worship the Beast yet those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life must not comply with them Rev. 13.7 8. Ye that are in Christ are the Temple of the Living God for God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. And again Rev. 18 4. And having therefore dearly Beloved these promises viz. of God's receiving us and of being a Father to us and our being his Sons and his Daughters as before Let us cleanse our selvet from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 And let it be considered by you that if you be rejected of the World for not worshiping with them after their Rudiments ye shall be received of God in Christ as the true Worshippers that worship him in spirit and truth i. e. that worship him in Christ sincerely and according to his own Institution and whether it is better to please God or Men to be rejected of Men and to be received of God or to be received of Men and rejected of God judge ye for to be jâ—stified by Works and our own Righteousness and to worship God by Humane Inventions are equally hateful and abominable with God tho' highly esteemed amongst Men Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate And Luk. 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst Men is abomination in the sight of God And for us to think within our selves that we can be justified in the sight of God by our own Works or Righteousness or that we can worship God by Humane Inventions or Mens Traditions is to think that God is altogether such an one as our selves for which certainly he will reprove us Psal. 50.21 22. And there is a secret yet strong connexion betwixt these two grand Errours viz. to be justified by Works and to worship God by and after our own Inventions for they commonly go together and stand and fall together And those that are corrupt or loose in the Doctrine of Justification are accordingly as corrupt and loose in Worship And therefore when a Professing People grow loose in the Worship of God 't is an ill Omen and just ground of godly jealousie and fear that such are unsound and loose in the Point of Justification Hence Gal. 4.8 9 10 11. And that they are not fast knit by a sincere Faith unto Christ the Head Col. 2.19 20 21 22. Let us therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have no confidence in the flesh and worship God in the Spirit then and not till then are we the tâ—ue Circumcision then and not till then do we walk after the spirit and not after the flesh As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him And the God of Peace shalâ— be with you Amen The Second Part of the True Light Shining in Darkness To give to us the knowledge of Salvation to guide our feet into the way of Peace OR The Righteousness of God Manifested opened and declared as the True and only Matter of our Justification before GOD through Faith in Jesus Christ. Being one Sermon or Doctrine of five more remaining upon Rom. 3.21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Preached first in and about the City
Angels to have conceived thereof 1 Cor. 2. v. 9. But as it is written eye hath not seen â—or ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart â—f man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him which is quoted out of Isa. 64.4 For since the beginning of the World men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him And doubtless this Righteousness of God by Faith in his Son is one and not the least of those things and these words of the Prophet neither hath Eye seen O God besides thee doth not only exclude the Eye and Wisdom of Man but of Angels also So that it is the Eye of God only that hath seen and his Wisdom alone that hath contriv'd this wonderful thing And it is therefore called not only the Wisdom of God as 1 Cor. 1.24 but also the Wisdom of God in a Mystery as 1 Cor. 2.7 And the hidden Wisdom ordained before the World for our glory And the Wisdom which none of the Princes of this World knew as verse 8. For had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 3. Parti This Righteousness is also thâ— Righteousness of God and he is the Authoâ— of it As his Infinite Power hath effectâ—â— and performed it in and by his Son Jesuâ— Christ as his Infinite Grace alone hath deâ—signed and conferred and his Infinite Wiâ—â—dom alone contrived and declared so also 〈◊〉 Infinite Power alone hath effected and brougâ—â— it forth and therefore Christ in bringing in this Righteousness is called The Wisdom 〈◊〉 God and the Power of God 1 Cor. 1 2â— And admirable indeed it is and worthy 〈◊〉 serious and particular consideration to observâ— how the Infinite Power of the Godhead mâ—â—nifested it self and wrought in Christ fâ—â— effecting and bringing forth of this Rightâ—â—ousness and this we may consider in 〈◊〉 particular Instances thereof As namely 1. Inst. In the bringing forth of hâ—â— Son Jesus Christ into the Humane Natureâ— what an emanation and irradiation of thâ— Divine and Eternal Power of the Godâ—head was therein manifested to the admiâ—ration and wonder of Angels and Men Namely 1. In that a Virgin should conceive anâ— bring forth a Son as the Prophet had foretold Isa. 7.14 This was impossible with men but things that are impossible with men are easie with God And therefore here was a manifestation of the Divine and Infinite Power in effecting that by its own immediate operation which in the course and order of things as to men was impossible 2. In that a man should be brought forth of the Seed of the Woman and partaker of Flesh and Blood i. e. of all the Infirmities of the Humane nature and yet without sin this also was a further manifestation of the power of God And as things stood with Adam after the fall was altogether as impossible as that a Virgin should conceive For Adam being first corrupted and the Humane Nature depraved by Sin it became impossible in the way of ordinary Generation which God had ordained for the propagation and continuation of man in the World that ever any particular man or person of mankind should be born of a Woman and in that respect be truly the Seed of the Woman who was first in the Transgression and yet be clean from the corruption of the Humane Nature and be without Sin as Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing â—ut of an unclean Not one That is not one amongst all the Creatures 'T is above and beyond the Power and Energy of any Creature in Heaven or Earth to effect such a work To bring a clean thing out an unclean And so again Job 15. â—â— What is man that he should be clean Aâ—â— he which is born of a Woman that he shoâ—â—â— be Righteous But here behold a Miracle iâ—â—deed A wonder of Divine Power and Eâ—â—ficacy A man one in the Humane Nature and brought forth in the fulness of Timâ— that is perfectly clean and free from all thâ— Original and Inherent Corruption of Maâ— Nature and one which is born of a Woâ—man and yet Righteous Righteous above what Adam was in Innocency and abovâ— what the Angels of Heaven were in the staâ—â— of Original Purity one more holy thaâ— Saints more holy than Angels and yet â— Man with all the Infirmities of Mans Nâ—â—ture and yet born of a Woman a cleaâ— thing indeed brought out of an unclean And therefore this holy this clean and harmless Son of Man and separate from Sinners was not brought forth in a way of ordinary Generation but by the immediate Energy and Power of the Most High working iâ— a miraculous and extraordinary manner aâ— was expresly declared by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee therefore alsâ— that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God and therefore his generation was peculiar to himself the miraculous and extraordinary manner of which Thoughts are wanting in us to conceive and Words much more to express as it is written Isa. 53.8 And who shall declare his Generation And surely herein that old Serpent the Devil was greatly deceived and disappointed of his expectation for as when he tempted Cain to Murder Abel he thought he had thereby made all sure the Seed of the Woman in the Person of Abel being now cut off But little did he think then of another Seed appointed by God to the Woman instead of Abel whom Cain slew but when Seth was born the mystery of God was revealed to the Faith of the Woman and the Confession of her Mouth plainly declared the Faith that was in her heart as to another Seed in whom the Genealogy and Line was to descend down even unto Christ as Gen. 4.25 For God said she hath appointed me another Seed instead of Abel whom Cain slew So also in the first Temptation here was the subtilty and malice of the Devil to cut off and murder all Mankind at once for understanding that this glorious Creature Adam was brought forth as a publick person and by the Covenant Gâ—â— had made with him was to stand or 〈◊〉 the common Head and Root of all Mankiâ—â— designed and in his Serpentine Wisdâ—â— concluded that if he could prevail upâ—â— this Adam to sin and transgress tâ—â— Covenant he should at once murder 〈◊〉 whole Race of Mankind murder him 〈◊〉 them in him spiritually and eternally 〈◊〉 well as bodily and having effected this hâ—â— rid murder he now triumphs over Adâ—â— and all Mankind as a mighty Conquer in the spoils he had made of so glorious Creature supposing he had now made all sure that God himself according to his owâ— Law was not able to deliver this Captâ—â— Adam and the Spoils of Mankind out 〈◊〉 his hand Little did the Devil then think
to all Eternity as 2 Thes. 1 10. When he i. e. Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony was believed among you in that day So that it will be the matter of admiration to the Saints themselves when they come to the perfect knowledge of this Power of God towards them That ever the testimony given concerning Christ by the Prophets first and the Apostles afterward the Prophetical and Apostolical Testimony Our Testimony was believed among you And thus you see the mighty Power of God which wrought in Christ in performing and effecting this Righteousness for us and also as it works in us that believe that by Faith in Christ we might partake of this Righteousness of God Now therefore it appeareth that God is the Author of this Righteousness as his Infinite Free Grace in Christ hath designed and conferred it his Infinite Wisdom hath contrived and his Infinite and Eternal Power hath performed and wrought it out in Christ for us and in bringing down this Righteousness by Faith in Christ to us And so much may suffice to have been spoken to the first General Head Namely That God is the Author of this Righteousness in a special and peculiar manner as it is his work of the new Creation and is therefore called the Righteousness of God 2 Head And secondly it is called the Righteousness of God because it is the Righteousness of the glorious and wonderful Person Christ Jesus who is God Man and whose name alone is Emanuel i. e. God with us or in our Nature this glorious Person whose name is Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace and yet is the Son of Man the Child born to us and given to us Isa. 9.6 was brought forth in our Nature and in our stead to bring in everlasting Righteousness as hath already in part and shall be more fully shewed in its proper place and he hath done it he hath finished the work that the Father gave him to do Joh. 17.4 and therein he glorified the Father and the Lord is well pleased for his Righteousness sake Now this Obedience which he hath performed to the Law for us both in that part of it which we call Passive and also in that part which we call Active makes up to us and for us this everlasting Righteousness and therefore this Righteousness which he in his Person wrought out for us is called the Righteousness of God because it is the Righteousness of that Person who is both God and Man in two distinct Natures one Person for ever hence it is that in this wonderful Person what is more properly appertaining to one Nature is oftentimes ascribed to the other as Act. 20.28 To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Here the Blood of Christ is called the Blood of God though in propriety of speech it was the Blood of Man i. e. of the Humane Nature for the Godhead is impassible and cannot suffer but by reason of the Union of the two Natures in one Person that suffered it is called the Blood of God even so the whole and compleat Righteousness of Christ both in his Active and Passive Obedience though properly it was not the Divine Nature that obeyed and fulfilled all the Righteousness which the Law required but the Humane Nature which was made of a Woman and made under the Law yet the Person who thus obeyed and fulfilled all Righteousness for us being God and Man his Righteousness which â—e performed to the Law for us in the Humane Nature is called the Righteousness of God as in the Text but now the Righteousness of God and Rom. 10. v. 3. have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God and then it is added for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth So that this Righteousness of God which the unbelieving Jews submitted not themselves unto is plainly the Righteousness of Christ i. e. of that glorious Person who is God-Man or God in our Nature Emanuel God with us and so an infinite dignity and merit is found in this Obedience this Righteousness of Christ from the glory and dignity of his Person and herein is also another part and that no small part of the Mystery of Godliness that as God was manifest in the Flesh or Humane Natrue so God thus manifested in the Flesh i. e. the Humane Nature should being thereby made under the Law become obedient and fulfil all the Righteousness of the Law for us and in this respect is also this Righteousness of God manifested as the Person that performed it was God manifested in the Flesh or Humane Nature 3 Head And then thirdly This Righteousness is also called the Righteousness of God in opposition to all Righteousness of Man either of the first Man Adam or of all other men in the World pretending to a Righteousness of their own and by the Works or Deeds of the Law as they are or can be performed by them And as it hath been shewed the Holy Ghost casteth a contempt upon Man when he calls him flesh as Rom. 3.21 There shall no flesh be justified in his sight i. e. by the Deeds of the Law or his own Righteousness and also casteth a contempt upon all a Man 's own Righteousness and Works in that he calls them flesh and the putting confidence therein to be putting confidence in the flesh as Phil. 3.3 4. So the Holy Ghost doth put a glory upon this Righteousness of Christ when he calleth it the Righteousness of God and the putting trust and confidence therein our rejoycing in Christ Jesus and so this Righteousness which is by the Faith of Christ unto all and upon all them that believe is the Righteousness of God in opposition to all Righteousness of Man or a Man 's own Righteousness And as the Apostle speaketh of the true i. e. the heavenly Tabernacle Heb. 8.2 which the Lord pitched and not Man so he speaketh of this Righteousness which Jehovah hath provided in his Son Christ for us and not Man and therefore is Christ called Jehovah our Righteousness by the Prophet Jeremiah c. 23. v. 6. Not Adam our Righteousness or a Man our Righteousness but Jehovah or the Lord our Righteousness and so it is frequently expressed in the holy Scriptures the Righteousness of God in opposition to and contempt of that Righteousness which is of Man or which is our own Righteousness so Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God Here is Gods Righteousness mentioned again and again in opposition to their own Righteousness And so also Phil. 3.9 Not having on mine own Righteousness but the Righteousness which is of God Where the Apostle calleth it Gods Righteousness in opposition unto and
glory of his Grace wherein or in which Grace he hath made us accepted in the Beloved We were not so by Nature or by our own Works and Righteousness but we are made so by Grace through this Obedience or Righteousness of his Son who alone is the Beloved and that you may see 't is through this Righteousness that we are made accepted and stand before him as righteous 't is added in v. 7. immediately following In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins for though forgiveness of sins or non-imputation of sins is only expressed which is but a part of our Redemption and Justification yet imputation of Righteousness is also implied and necessarily inferred as Rom. 4.6 7 8. The Apostle doth infer the imputation of Righteousness out of David Psal. 32.1 2. Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin for unto this man the Lord doth impute Righteousness without Works as v. 6. for else the Apostles Argument were of no force and that the Lord is not well pleased with or accepteth any person as righteous but in and through this Righteousness of his Beloved Son apprehended by Faith is also as clearly testified in Heb. 11.6 For without Faith it is impossible to please God Where he proves that Enoch was a Believer and an Heir of the Righteousness that is by Faith because he had before his Translation received this Testimony that he pleased God which he could not do without Faith nor can any man else under the whole Heavens be able to please God without this Faith for the Scripture faith it is impossible And thus have we finished the doctrinal part namely That the Righteousness which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe is the Righteousness of God 1. As God is the Author of it 2. As it is the Righteousness of that wonderful Person who is God-Man 3. In opposition to a Man 's own Righteousness And 4. As God is well pleased with it The Use of this Doctrine is by way of Inference and hence we may infer 1. That this Righteousness which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe is a perfect and compleat Righteousness The perfection of this Righteousness is argued from its Author which is no less than God â—â—mself and that as it is the design and gift of his own free and Soveraign Grace in Christ and as it is the admirable contrivance of his Infinite Understanding and Wisdom and also as it is the effect and product of his Infinite and Eternal Power manifested both in Christ and also in and towards them that believe as hath been shewed Now if it be the Righteousness of God in such a special and peculiar manner as it is the Foundation of his New Creation and making all things New in Christ and that the New Creature is raised and stands before God in his Son Christ upon this Foundation of Righteousness by Faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law Then certainly it is a most perfect and compleat work of God For He is a Rock and his work is perfect as Deut. 32.4 And sure I am that none can come after God to mend what he hath so curiously wrought either by adding to or taking ought from it And if the question be put as Eccles. 2.12 What can the man do that cometh after the King Much more may it be put What can the man do that cometh after God And the answer is at hand i. e. just nothing at all he cannot take ought from or add ought unto that which God hath done No no Man cannot add one cubit to his Stature or make one Hair of his Head White or Black as Luk. 12 25. and Mat 5.36 And this is the perfection of Gods works of Creation and Providence that there nothing can be added to or taken from that which God made No that which is crooked cannot be made strait that which is wanting cannot be numbred All Created Wisdom and Power in Angels or Men canâ—not reach the works of God so as to add the least thing which God hath left out or diminish that which God hath put into it And as all Gods works of the First or Old Creation were perfect in their kind Gen. 1.31 And God saw every thing that he had Created and Made and behold it was very good And the goodness of the work lay in the perfection thereof according to its kind every Creature being wrought after the counsel of his own will which is his rule in working Ephes 1.11 Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will And being wrought in a tendency and subserviency to his own glory which is his end in working All things that God had made answering exactly in their kind to the perfect rule of his will and pleasure and to the perfect end of their Creation viz. The Glory of their Great Creatour and Benefactour This was their goodness this was their perfection and in this respect they were all very good and perfect as they were the works of God He is a rock and his work is perfect Now if it be thus with all Gods works of the First or Old Creation how much more must it be so in the works of his New Creation in Christ which do as far exceed and are as far above the works of the Old Creation as Heaven exceeds and is above the Earth Now this Righteousness of God by Faith in his Son Jesus Christ is the glory of his Grace in Christ 't is the curious and admirable contrivance of his Infinite Wisdom 't is the product and work of his Infinite and Eternal Power all the Divine attributes shine forth together in joynt lustre and glory in the face of Christ and the work of Righteousness by Faith in him Oh! what a perfect work then must this needs be that is and shall be the admiration of Angels and Men to all Eternity As hath been shewed And the perfection of this work of Righteousness by Faith in Christ will appear if we consider it is wrought exactly after the Counsel of his own will i. e. the will of his own Soveraign Grace in Christ and it answereth perfectly his highest end i. e. his own glory It gives all the glory to God in and by his Son Jesus Christ and cuts off all boastingâ— and glorying from man as hath been declared And therefore there must needs be a glorious perfection in this Righteousness of God unto which nothing can be added by man or by the Sons of men and in which there is nothing wanting Now the perfection of this Righteousness of God is expresly declared in the holy Scriptures and celebrated to the Faith of Gods Elect being proposed as an object not only most true and so worthy of their firm assent unto it as it is