to the Righteousness of Christ is because they see a Righteousness in themselves and conclude to be Justified by Inherent Righteousness But it is only such Persons that see their Misery by reas on of their Apostacy and the want of perfect Righteousness in themselves that fly to Christ 3. You must consider the Greatness Power Holiness Justice and Righteousness of God as well as his Mercy and Goodness Sinners they meditate on his Mercy and Goodness and they forget his Justice his Wisdom his Power and his Faithfulness They don't consider that God is a faithful God but they think if they do but melt he must forgive them They little consider that God is a wise and just God and that these Thoughts of theirs are but vain They little consider that God is most pure and holy they do not meditate on the holy nature of God which would presently inform them that God cannot accept of one into his Bosom that is unclean and impure II. This brings me to shew you what Justification is And 1. To Justifie doth not here intend to declare a person innocent or that he hath never sinned or is not guilty of the Fact That is not the meaning of it as you may see Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that Justifieth the Ungodly c. or that defendeth the Ungodly it is not to make the person faultless for all have sinned and are guilty before God in themselves And to justifie them doth not annihilate their Sin so as to proclaim them innocent in them selves and without inherent Sin 2. Neither is Justification a meer and bare Pardon and Forgiveness of SIN 3. Consider none but such Persons who be Inherently Just or made Just can be Justified If God be said to justifie the Ungodly it is because they are made Just tho' they are not Just in themselves yet they are made Just thro' the Imputation of anothers Righteousness 4. Consider none that were once unjust can be made just again or acquitted without Satisfaction made to the Justice of God And 1. What can do this Sorrow for offence will not make compensation to the Justice of God This will not satisfie the Law when the Thief is brought before the Judge for him to shed Tears the Judge will not set him free because he mourns and weeps 2. The Confession of the East is no Ground in Law for Absolution therefore when the Apostle saith If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins c. 1. Joh. 1.9 we are to consider First it refers to God's Promise and Faithfulness He is Just and Faithful to forgive us our Sins in his Son for he hath promised this and all things else in Christ and he would be unjust if I may so speak with Reverence if he was not so good as his word Secondly That which is the Ground of it with respect to Justice is the Blood and Merits of the Lord Jesus Christ For the Lord hath received Satisfaction by the Death of the Mediator By the Death of our Trustee who stood our Room and bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree Now this would reflect on his Justice if he did not set the Sinner free for whom he had received satisfaction so that it is just with God to forgive us our Sins i. e. he approves himself just in forgiving our Sins But 3. Remission of Sin doth not make a Man who was guilty to become guiltless I say Remission of Sin in respect to Pardon so considered doth not make a Man who was guilty to become guiltless a Thief tho' pardoned is a Thief still Forgiveness discharges only from Penalty 4. The suffering the Penalty doth not make him that is unjust to become Just therefore thou wilt not be Just nor Justified though thou dost suffer the penalty A Thief burn'd in the Hand is a Thief still tho' he hath suffered the Law tho' it dischargeth him it doth not justifie him 5. Therefore in order to Justification there must be a plenary Satisfaction for the fault done Nor is this plenary satisfaction always to be made by the offending Party it may be done by the Surety and so it is here 6. God only who is offended knows best what Satisfaction comports and suits with his Holiness and Justice We must not be Choosers in this great case We must not think nor set down this will satisfie God's Justice if we cry and call for Mercy that this will do it Or if I Repent of my Sins that will do it We must have a care what we say God only who is offended knows best what Satifaction suits with his Holiness and if he in Christ declares himself well satisfied shall we seek out another way When God declares that he is well pleased in no other way Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 7. And lastly Therefore to be Justified is to be acquitted and declared Just through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ or that Satisfaction that he hath made to divine Justice It is God's pronouncing of us Just 't is not his making of us inherently so but his pronouncing of us Just and Righteous through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Justification is taken in Scripture namely to declare a Man Just that is Justification in a Gospel sence and that is Condemnation for a Man to be declared Unjust through the Fall of the first Adam So now we are declared even every Bellever Just through the Imputation of the Righteousness of the second Adam and that is by the Lord Jesus A Plain and Familiar DISCOURSE ON Justification c. SERMON II. ROM 3. xxiv Being Justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ DOctrine That Justification is wholly of the free Grace of God through or by the Imputation of what Christ hath done for us or his perfect Righteousness I shall now proceed to the next thing namely to prove to you that Justification is taken in Scripture to declare or pronounce a Man Just or Righteous upon Tryal which includeth pardon of Sin but is more than bare Pardon of Sin Vide Deut. 25.1 If there be a Controversie between Men and they come unto Judgment that the Judge may judge them then they shall justifie the Righteous and condemn the Wicked What make him inherently Just No that is not the meaning of the Holy Ghost but they shall pronouce or declare him acquitted And shall Condemn the Wicked i. e. they shall pronounce or declare him Wicked he doth not say they shall pardon the Righteous for that is not to justifie him nor doth the Text mean the infusing inward Righteousness into him to be Justified no more than their making the Wicked wicked I say it is not infusing Wickedness into the Wicked that makes him wicked nor their infusing
viz. That Christ was not a proper Head Representative and Surety but did all as a Mediator only i. e. as one endeavouring to compose the Difference betwixt God and us but the contrary I shall now prove namely that Christ suffered as our Head Representative and Surety First We must prove that he became our Surety Secondly That he died in our stead place and room and these two will magnifie the Grace of God in our Justification And 1. Consider God he is Just so well as Gracious and his Justice required Satisfaction Now some Men amongst us would be Pardoned but not Justified They would have Life in a way of Mercy but not in a way of Righteousness They would have their Debts pardoned and forgiven but they would not have their Debts paid In a word They would come to Heaven but not by the Merits of Christ's Blood tho' they may pretend they believe no coming there but by his Merits yet they understand it in a remote Sâ—â—ce they would I say attain eternal Glory and a deliverance from every thing that is hurtful to them but this they would not have to run in the Channel of Christ's Obedience and Righteousness but in the Channel of their own Obedience But 2. Consider that as God is Just so well as Gracious therefore our Debts must must be paid so well as pardoned or we cannot be Justified and consider Christ is called a Surety in the word of God Vide Heb. 7.22 There our Saviour is called the Surety of a better Covenant By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament i. e. Covenant Beloved a Surety is one that undertakes or engages to satisfie for another It signifies to strike Hand in the behalf of another And 1. For one whose Credit is gone or whose Credit is suspected as being not good therefore a Surety stands in his place and strikes Hands with the Creditor Thus did the Lord Jesus Christ strike Hands with the Father and become our Surety that he might stand Pay-master for us and in our room and stead God the Father foresaw that the Creature that he would make would fall and fore-designed to leave him to the liberty of his own Will at first and fore-seeing the misery that he would plung himself into and yet remembering Mercy and Pity which was a gloâ—ious Attribute in God so well as Justice That he might magnifie his Mercy and not wrong his Justice and that his Justice might be satisfied and his Mercy not impeach'd did enter into a Covenant with his own Son his Eternal Son And his Son strook Hands with him on the Behalf of the Sinner whose credit God fore-saw as lost c. 2. A Surety is to give Stability and Security in Case of Bond and Covenant Not only because Man had plunged himself under God's Wrath therefore Christ shook Hands in the Behalf of the Sinner whose Credit was gone to deliver him from Wrath But Christ strook Hands with the Father and set his Hand to the Sinner's Bond and became oblâ—ged to keep the Covenant in the behalf of the Sinner Christ set his Hand to the Covenant to keep it for the Sinner God fore-saw the Breach of this Covenant on our side and did therefore enter into a Covenant with his Son and the Son strook Hands with the Father that he would keep the Covenant for Man 3. A Surety dâ—th not only undertake for Debts but sometimes for Criminals sometimes Persons are bound as Surety Body for Body and Life for Life and this is a common thing in some Countâ—eys Now Jesus Christ did not only become Surety to pay our Debts as we were Debters but he became our Surety as we were Criminals and Traytors also and so was bound Body for Body Soul for Soul Life for Life in the Behalf of the Sinner 4. If the Party which the Surety engages for fail the Surety is then to make a full Compensation and pay the Debt and die for the Criminal Thus it was here we did fail and were not able to pay our own Debts and because we had heinously broken the holy Law of God and despised the Law-Giver and Contemned and trampled under our Feet his Royal Authority we became Traytors to the Divine Majesty and Jesus Christ he did not only become Paymaster of our Debts but did die in our room and his Life was taken for ours 5. A Surety imports the Obligation to be voluntary for the Law compels none to be bound for another unless they are willing the Law will only force the Man that is concerned if any Man engages for him it is not because the Law compels him but he doth it of his own Will so the Lord Jesus Christ did For what he did was of his own Will he did freely lay down his Life John 10.15 18. I lay down my Life for the Sheep No Man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Which is to signifie to us his willingness his readiness and freeness to yield up himself to the Justice of God to be made a Sacrifice for us But 6. For a Man to become a Surety manifests great Love and great Pity To become a Surety for one that is greatly in Debt there is great Love and Pity but to become a Surety for a Criminal to die in his room this is Love indeed so it is with Christ see Rev. 1.5 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood He loved us and let out all that he had for us and parted with his Life for us Who loved me saith St. Paul and gave himself for me But my Beloved here is a difference our great Surety is separate from all other Sureties for amongst Men the Debter commonly finds the Surety but here there is a great Disparity for our Surety is of God's procuring the Creditor himself procures the Surety but the next thing I am to prove is this viz. That Christ died as our Surety in our very stead and room And. 1. He underwent Death which was the punishment of Sin And because there was no reason nor cause why the Lord Jesus Christ should suffer the Penalty for himself it therefore unavoidably follows he suffered as he stood in our stead charged with our Sins Vide Dan. 9.26 And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself c. Not for his own Sin for he was sinless in himself he was pure and unspotted in himself He was cut off but not for himself but for his People This appears to be so because our Sins was laid upon him our Sins did all meet in his Person Isa 53.6 7 8. The Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all and again in another place He hath born our Grief that which we should have bore our selves He hath carried our Sorrows that which we should have carried our selves He was bruised for our Iniquity for which we should
Eternal Death and Wrath Why the Sentence of Eternal Burnings should not pass on thee What hast thou to say What hast thou to Plead Consider my Beloved what you would say 1. Would you fly to the Law Thither the Poor Jews fled for Refuge but Christ told them that that would Accuse them instead of Excusing them By the works of the Law shall no Flesh having be Justified If you had kept it all the Days of your Lives if it were possible and had never broke it actually yet the Imputation of Adam's guilt had bound you over to eternal Wrath if this were not prevented by the Grace of God Then where would go I say for the Law accuses you and cries for Vengeance because it is broken Sinner what dost thou say Thou can'st not plead the Law for thy Conscience will accuse thee that thou hast not kept that Or 2. Will you plead the goodness of your own Hearts What is that you will plead if God should call you to an account If he should ask thee I say what thou hast to say for thy self what will you plead that your Hearts are good as some Ignorant Creatures have done That you have as honest Hearts as any Men though you do not make that Show Alas The Heart of Man is deceitfull above all things and saith the wise Man He that trusteth to his Heart is a Fool This will fool thee at last and the Lord he searches the Heart and he knows what a deceitful Heart thou hast and wilt thou set the stress of thy Salvation on the Rottenness of thy wicked Heart he will find out the Rebel if he searches the Family he will find out the Achon he will find out all thy Sins and discover the naughtiness of thy Heart there is no Place to hide thy Villany in there is no corner so secret as to hide thy cursed Evils from him nothing can hide the cursed Plagues of our Hearts from Gods Eyes therefore those that trust to their own Hearts will miserably deceive themselves Or 3. Will you plead the good deeds you have done Will you plead your Prayers and say Lord I have many times kneelled down and cryed to thee Will you plead your Religious duties Will you plead your observation of Ordinances Why alas You are mistaken it is not your Religious duties that are performed from a wicked Heart that will do it Nay Religious Duties performed from a right Principle will not defend you from God's Justice because your Doings cannot satisfie God's Justice for your horrid Crimes and Rebellions against him Or 4. Will you cry for Mercy and Pardon Lord pardon me I commit my self to thy Mercy I throw my self on thee Lord have Mercy upon me and open unto me Will this I say be a Plea Mercy Mercy Mercy O! this is that the Sinner thinks is the only Plea nothing but Mercy Lord for I am guilty Therefore the Sinner concludes he 'll cry Mercy But pray take heed you do not miss it here you must consider upon what account God pardons our Sins You are grievously mistaken if you think he 'll pardon your Sins because you cry Mercy You must consider I say on what account the Lord receives Sinners into his Favour for the Justice of God brings in his Plea My Justice is despised my Name is dishonoured and I must have satisfaction my Faithfulness that must be satisfied for I have said and I will not lie that the Sinner shall surely dye for the Breach of my Law The holy God hath vow'd Psal 95.11 such is his pure nature that he will have satifaction for the Wrong done to him His Mercy cannot take place till his Justice is satisfied While his Justice is broken his Mercy cannot be Reconciled Therefore in this case there must be Satisfaction and it is not crying Peceavi that will satisfie his Justice nay God will have Blood and without Blood thy Sins cannot be remitted thou art guilty of Death and thou must dye There can be no satisfaction given to God's Justice by acknowledging thy Fault nor by weeping or pouring out an Ocean of Tears for the Lord saith in his word that the Sinner must be Justified or not pardoned John 3.16 Rom. 5.1 The Sinner must be Justified or Condemned And the Law stands up and puts in his Plea against the Sinner and saith I am broken in pieces by this Rebel for he never observed me nor took any notice of me Thou holy God hast appointed me as the Canon and Rule that this Creature should have Steer'd all the actions of his Life by but he hath slighted and disregarded me and I must have satisfaction for thou hast said Cursed is every One that continues not in all things that are written in the Law to do them Now therefore you see that satisfaction must be made or the Sinner must be damn'd 5. It is necessary to Consider also that since we must be Justified so well as Pardoned we must of necessity then plead guilty and our plea must not be Mercy for the sake of Mercy For that is to beg as a good Man says and not to plead nor were it at all to be Justified but only forgiven I say to be pardoned without satisfaction is not to be Justified but only forgiven We must therefore be acquitted and Justified And how or after what manner shall we do this Let us consider whither this can be done by any thing that is in us can Faith Justifie us in the sight of God Can our Repentance do it Can habits of Grace as one words it do it Do these acquit us Do any Works of Righteousness which we have done do or can do justifie us O Consider my Beloved if it be not the Obedience Righteousness Satisfaction and Merits of the Lord Jesus it must be something else It is either something done by us or something wrought in us or something done without us by the Lord Jesus that Justifies us it is either a Righteousness wrought in us or it is a Righteousness wrought by another and Imputed to us it must be one of these Secondly the Debt must be paid either by laying it down our selves or by having a Surety that will lay it down for us Therefore if you would understand the Doctrine of Justification aright so as to place your Consciences and your Persons in a due manner in the presence of God and et his Bar. Then 1. You must have the sence of your Apostacy from God on your Hearts you must not only have the notion of it but you must have the Feeling Apprehensions of it upon your Hearts 2. You must have the Apprehension of the want of that Righteousness in your selves that will Justifie you before God I say If you would fly to that Righteouness that Justifies the ungodly then you must first come to see the want of that Righteousness in your selves that will Justifie you in the Sight of God The Reason why Persons fly not
to the Giver 2. It doth denote God's dealing with us according to that which is so made ours even by Imputation God deals with us about this Righteousness in the same manner as this Righteousness is made ours by Imputation not by infusing Grace into us Beloved there is an Imputation Foederally or by Virtue of a Covenant Relation by which one Person is constituted as a common Head So the Sin of Adam was and is imputed to all his Posterity because Adam was constituted as a common Head and did personate all his Posterity and thus Christ the Second Adam being appointed our Covenant Head his Righteousness is accounted to all his Seed 2 Tim. 1.9 there we find that the Lord Jesus is our Head and he is intrusted with our all who hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling here Justification goes before Vocation Well but may some say It was for our Works no not according to our Works how then Why according to his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began given us in Christ how so Why Christ was first our Covenant Head and was constituted from Eternity there was an Eternal Compact between the Father and the Son and the Father gave us to his Son and Christ did purpose to act and do for us that by which we are Justified now I say this was given us in Christ When was it given us in Christ When was it stor'd up in Christ and promised to Christ for us Was it when he came into the World after he was born of the Virgin Mary No it was before the World began that it was given to us in Christ and he is God and he was from the beginning John 1.1 2 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Christ I say was constituted and appointed by the Father as our Covenant-head therefore as he did engage in the Eternal Compact before time so he did faithfully perform what he had promised to the Father in time He made compleat satisfaction for our Sins yea bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree Pray see Phil. 18. where St. Paul writing to Philemon concerning Onesimus saith thus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on my Account Now do you see we have wronged God we have broken his Law and now the Lord Jesus Christ comes in and saith to Justice if he oweth thee ought put that to mine Accompt so saith St. Paul If he oweth thee ought or hath wronged thee put that on my Accompt Well Paul if it be put on thy Accompt thou must pay all the Debt Well saith he I Paul have written it with my own-Hand I will repay it v. 19. So the Lord Jesus entred into Convenant with the Father for us and did it as it were say I will repay it and he did so and made a full Satisfaction to Divine Justice for the Sins of all the Elect so we have a notable passage of Judah's to Jacob his Father concerning Benjamin Gen. 43.9 I will be Surety for him then Judah thou must expect that he will be required at thy Hand Well Well at my Hands thou shalt require him if I bring him not again c. Now do you see the Father gave to Christ all that shall be saved and Jesus Christ he stands in our room and is our Surety and Christ like Judah saith as it were to the Father thou shalt require them of me If I bring them not to thee vide John 6.37 All that the Father giveth unto me shall come unto me so John 10.28 I give them saith he Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hands Pâ—ay take notice the Lord Jesus Christ is our Surety and hath us all in his Hands and he hath engaged with the Father for all his People he takes on him the Persons of the whole Church that hath sinned and answered for them Beloved as the first Adam's Sin was Imputed to all his Posterity so the Righteousness of the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ is imputed to all his 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be Sin for us who know no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Here are two things to be considered 1. The Non-Imputation of Sin to us for as our Sins stuck to Christ by Imputation so we are discharged from them by Imputation of Christ's perfect Righteousness and this is a blessed State for those that are Interested in this Righteousness of Christ have 1. No Sin imputed to them tho' there be Sin inherent in them yet there is none imputed to them 2. Another thing is to considered even the Imputation of the perfect and compleat Righteousness of Christ for as there is the non-Imputation of Sin so there 〈◊〉 the Imputation of a perfect Righteousness so then God doth not look on us as guilty of any Sin for that was put on Christ but he looks on us as perfectly Righteous thro' Christ's perfect Obedience so the great thing we are to know is this viz. how we come to have actually the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us and 1. We must consider this is according to the nature of that eternal Covenant between the Father and the Son 2. We should consider Christ as he and his whole Mystical Body are but one Now when as you marry a person his Riches are yours so when you have actual or personal Union with Christ by the Holy Spirit then his Righteousness is actually yours and you are then freed from all your Debts I do not say but we were virtually free before the Lord Jesus did lay down a plenary Satisfaction long ago for all the Elect yet are not we actually free from Sin nor actually or personally Justified till we are actually united to Christ For to say that we are actually Justified and actually possess'd of this thing and the o her thing before we have a Being is as much as if we should set a Seal to a Blank paper Now therefore consider I say that when we have actual Union with Christ by the Holy Spirit then his Righteousness is actually ours and we then are actually freed from all our Debts and this is evidenced to us by Faith which is the Fruit of the Spirit True this was given us in Christ our Head before the World began the Father did strike Hands with the Son in that Eternal Compact and there was an agreement that this should be ours but Christ was nor exhibited in the Flesh till in time tho' he was a Lamb slain from before the foundation of the World in the purpose of God yet in time was he exhibited and in time did actually keep the Law and did suffer Death for the Breach of it then we were virtually Justified and freed from God's wrath and intitled to Glory but we could not nor
cannot be actually freed till such time as we have actually a Being our Freedom from Eternal Wrath is brought about by Christ by his satisfaction And our deliverance from Sin and Satan Christ merited and procured for us and that long ago tho' my Beloved we are not actually united to Christ thro' Faith therefore tho' Christ hath long ago brought into the presence of God a perfect Righteousness yet it is not proper to say that we are actually Justified till we have a Being and this benefit be actually applied to us It is no more proper to say so than to say an Heir is an actural Possessor of an Estate when he is first intitled to it for tho' Christ did long ago lay down a plenary satisfaction at the loot of God's Justice and we were virtually Justified When he rose from the Dead and virtually Glorified when he Ascended inâ—o Heaven yet we are not actually justified till we have a Being and are in actual Union with the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit What Christ did he did as our Surety who hath espoused our case and our being in actual Union with him brings us to have a legal and personal Right to his Righteousness to Justification and Eternal Life Consider first therefore what it is that is imputed to us in order to Justification which you have heard is the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ Secondly Consider the end and Reasons why this Righteousness is imputed to us and that is 1. The honour of God in all his Divine Attributes for there his Justice is compleatly satisfied and so his Mercy takes place 2. The second end was to answer the just demands and fully to establish the Sanction of God's holy Law we could never be remitted as such as were perfectly obedient unless it was by this way and the Lord Jesus Christ did establish the Sanction of God's Holy Law 3. It was to bring in the pardon of Sin in a Judicial way through Christ's Suffering without which we could not be Righteous no not by the Imputation of the most perfect actual Obedience because that our Sins would ly still upon us therefore the Lord Jesus Christ he takes away our Sins he bears that burthen himself and suffers for it and carries that into the Land of Forgetfulness therefore know also that as we partaking of the sinful nature of the first Adam were condemned as proceeding from his Loâ—â—s so by partaking of the holy nature of the second Adam his Obedience being imputed to us we are actually Justified which is evidenced to us by Faith But now give me leave to speak a little by way of Vse and Applicatiâ—â— 1. Here is a Use of Information you may see my Beloved from hence the Nature Order and Causes of Justification how that our Salvation depends wholly on Christ's glorious Undertaking as the Matter of our Justification 2. That the sin of the first Adam and Death thereby is imputed to you as you proceeded from him till you are Translated in the second Adam and so receive a new nature from him 3. This informs you that till your own filthy Garments be put off this Robe of Righteousness cannot be put on 4. This informs us that we are by nature worse than naked for we are very filthy we are burdened with a Load of Sin and Corruption and Christ must take away the Guilt and condemning Nature of Sin this I say must be Removed so well as we Cloathed c. 5. This informs us that God's imputing Christ's Righteousness is his putting on us this Wedding Garment But Secondly Here is a Vse of Comfort also consider O Believer what comes in what Profit what Advantage what Glory comes in by Justification 1. All you Believers you are acquitted and pronounced Just and Righteous before God 2. You have a full Discharge whatsoever Satan may say or Conscience for want of more light may say you have a full Discharge 3. This is also for your Comfort you are delivered from the Curse of the Law and the wrath of God 4. You appear all Glorious before God without spot or wrinkle for he looks on you in Christ 5. Consider you have an intrest in all that is purchased by our Lord Jesus 6. Finally you shall Eternally be saved and all the powers of Hell cannot hinder you of it But Thirdly A Vse of Terror 1. To such who have not Christ's Righteousness imputed to them for their Sins both Original and Actual are imputed to them 2. You have no Interest with Christ not will not unless his Righteousness be imputed to you through Faith 3. God is a Consuming Fire to all such Divine Holiness cannot but loaâ—h such Divine Justice cannot but consume you if you have no Righteousness but your own Fourthly Here is a Vse of Caution that we all take heed least we err in this great point of Justification O! how prone are we to seek Justification by our own Works but as Christ was made Sin for us so are we made Righteousness in him Now we are not made Righteous before God by Inherent Righteousness but by imputed Righteousness Fifthly Here is a Vse of Counsel Saints go to Christ your all is him take this Counsel and Advice your Mediator he is your Surety go to him don't look into your selves for any thing don't build on your selves for Righteousness but go to Christ he is your Surety and he pleads his own Merits for you 1 John 1.2 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father c. who doth or may plead Father I took Flesh by thy Order I suffered and died in their stead and gave my self a Ransom for them I was wounded to heal their Wounds I bore their Sin and their Sorrow Oh condemn them not O holy Father for their Iniquities did all meet in me and shall they sink who believe in me I have brought in Everlasting Righteousness for them I have wrought out a Righteousness in my own person for them I have procured all the Blessings that they are Intitled to all comes from me Now consider as Christ pleads with the Father his own Righteousness so you are to plead with the Father Christ's Righteousness there is nothing that will stand you in stead in the last day but Jesus Christ and his Righteousness To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all Glory for Ever and Ever AMEN I should now have proceeded to the fourth thing namely to shew you the nature of that Faith which arightly apprehends and applies this Righteousness But I see my time is gone I must therefore leave it to another season if it please God to afford it c. FINIS
he not worthy of your Heart and Lives and your all That parted with his Life and his all for you 3. Shall he die for your Sins and will you hugg and love your Sins Shall he bear your Sins And shall he be press'd down to death for your Sins and will you hugg that Knife that did let out the Heart Blood of your Saviour Will you make much of those things that are the Enemies of your Lord Jesus Christ Pray consider this A Plain and Familiar DISCOURSE ON Justification c. SERMON IV. ROM 3. xxiv Being justified freely by his Grace thro' the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ DOctrin That Justification is wholly of the free Grace of God through or by the Imputation of what Christ hath done for us or his perfect Righteousness I shall now speak of the Material and Formal Causes of our Justification Matter and Form I told you most not be divided And my Beloved the matter or that which Justifies us according to the word of God is the Righteousness of Christ Ques But some may Query What Righteousness is this that you say is the Righteousness of Christ Is it the Righteousness of Christ as he is God Ans To which I answer no it is not the Righteousness of Christ as he is God 1. Because that is the Essential Righteousness of the God-head and if we were Justified by that we should also be deified 2. It is not the Righteousness of Christ as he is God because the essential Righteousness of God being his Essence cannot be communicated to any Creature 3. If it were by the Righteousness of the God-head then it would follow that it is the Righteousness of the whole Trinity and then it may be as well said that we are Justified by the Righteousness of the Father and by the Righteousness of the Holy Ghost as by the Righteousness of the Son But 2. It is therefore positively the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator namely as he is God-Man the Righteousness he performed for us in the days of his Flesh while he lived for us upon the Earth this is by St. Paul call'd the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of the Righteousness of God went about to establish their own Righteousness c. I will give you the Reasons why it is called the Righteousness of God And 1. Because this Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ which is his Active and Passive Obedience which he acted and suffered for us in our room and stead I say this Righteousness is called the Righteousness of God because it was a Righteousness found out by the infinite Wisdom of God and that to this very end and purpose that we might be Justified and defended from divine Wrath and the Curse of the Law to which we had made our selves liable by our Sins It was I say a Righteousness found out by the Infinite and all-wise God for us after we had lost our original Righteousness 2. Because it is the Righteousness of him that was truly God so well as Man He being in the form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God and therefore saith he I and the Father are one 3. Because it is not the Righteousness of a meer Creature the Lord Jesus was God as well as Man and therefore his Righteousness is not the Righteousness of a meer Creature but the Righteousness of God-man therefore it is called the Righteousness of God that it may be distinguished from the Righteousness of a Creature and because it is not our own Inherent Righteousness I say therefore it is call'd the Righteousness of God because it is to be found only in God man but to us it is Imputed and not Inherent it is not our Righteousness which are meer Creatures therefore it is called the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being Ignorant of the Righteousness of God and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God Why what doth he mean by the Righteousness of God You 'll see in the next words ver 4. For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth therefore God's Righteousness here is that that was fulfill'd by Christ while he was upon the Earth How so Why because Christ did perfectly and compleatly keep the Law maintain its Sanction and Holiness how do you prove that may some say Why it appears by the very next verse v. 5. For Moses describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the Man which doth these things shall live by them Now this is equivolent to the forgoing verse Christ Jesus he is the end of the Law for Righteousness because he did do those things perfectly and compleatly did he keep the Law and so brought in a Righteousness by his Obedience for our Use and Advantage 4. It is called the Righteousness of God because it is a Righteousness approved and accepted as well as appointed by the holy God God the Father hath accepted this Righteousness he is fully satisfied with it he is well pleased with his Son Jesus Christ i.e. in his Obedience and Conformity to his Will therefore it is called the Righteousness of God because it is a Righteousness that pleaseth God and that God accepteth of for the Good of us and in the Behalf of us But further to prove the third thing viz. That the material Cause of our Justification is that Righteousness by which Christ did fully and compleatly answer the demands of Justice to every Jot that it is this Righteousness and not Inherent Righteousness How do you prove that say some That it is not Inherent Righteousness Why if we are Justified by Inherent Righteousness then it would follow 1. That the Formal Cause of our Justification is by infusing a Righteousness and not by Imputation it would follow then that a Righteousness implanted in us and not imputed to us is the Cause of our Justification 2. It would then follow that if we were Justified by Grace Inherent it would be by a Complication of Graces and not by Faith only which would antiquate that Text Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that Justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness But this would be I say not only Faith but the Grace of Love and the Grace of Humility and the Grace of Long Suffering the Grace of Meekness and Temperance together with the Grace of Faith 3. If it were by a Righteousness Inherent in us then it would follow that Faith would not be Imputed or accounted to us for Righteousness in respect of the object Jesus Christ but Faith would be accounted to us for Righteousness as a holy Act or divine Grace in us together with other Graces 4. If it were by a Righteousness Inherent then also it would follow that Works may as well be said to be our actual Righteousness to Justification as Inherent Grace How