will save justifie us but his Righteousness laid hold on brought home applied by Faith that so all might see be convinced of the necessity of faith whereby the soul goeth out to Christ layeth to his Righteousness and might not satisfie themselves with a Notion of Christ his Righteousness never applied by Faith but be enduced to lay hold on him by Faith to the end they might have an interest in Christ's Righteousness the same being upon their faith bestowed upon them and reckoned upon their score The expression is most emphatick to hold forth the necessity now of faith according to the Lord 's Soveraigne appointment as if thereby Christ's Righteousness their faith were become one thing as being wholly inseparable in this affaire so that it cometh to one whether by faith we understand the Grace as acting upon connoting the Object or the Object as acted upon by the Grace of Faith as in that expression the Righteousness of faith Rom. 4 13. Faith may either be interpreted to be Christ as said hold on by faith so the meaning will be through the Righteousness of Christ laid hold on by Faith faith may be the same way explained in the following vers 14. 16. for if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void i. e. if the grand heritage come by the Law by obedience to it the Gospel holding forth Christ to be laid hold on by faith is made void as to this end and againe vers 16. therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace i. e. it is of by Christ laid hold upon by Faith that it might be by grace Or faith in all these may be interpreted to be faith as acting upon the object Christ his Righteousness the consequence force of the words will be found to be the same whether of these wayes we explaine the matter As when speaking of the Israelits stung in the wilderness it were all one to say they were healed by the brazen serpent to wit looked to or they were healed by their look to wit upon the brazen serpent for still it will be understood that all the vertue came from the brazen serpent or him rather that was typified thereby yet so as it was to be looked upon that their looking was but an Instrumental mean thereunto and when a mean thereunto must include the object looked unto We hear it sometimes said of persons miraculously cured that their Faith made them whole while as the vertue came from the object acted upon by faith as Peter fully explaineth the matter saying Act. 3 16. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong Thus we see how this matter may be saifly must be understood when the vertue and efficacy of the Principal cause is attributed to the Instrumental cause And yet lest any should stumble at the expression pervert it as many do to day the Apostle abundantly Caveats against this by telling us so plainely so fully so frequently of the Righteousness of God which is had by faith through faith as we have seen never speaketh of a Righteousness had because of faith or for Faith nor saith he that faith is our Righteousness while treating of Justification CHAP. XXV Faith is not our Gospel-Righteousness OUr Adversaries to strengthen their Assertion of the Imputation of Faith in a proper sense to the exclusion of the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ have other two Positions which they own maintaine One is that our Faith or our act of beleeving is the whole of our Gospel-Righteousness And the other is That Christ hath procured that it should be so by procuring the New Covenant whereof this faith is made the Condition To this last we shall speak something in the next Chapter of the other here How much Mr. Baxter doth contend for our Faith 's being called accounted our Gospel-Righteousness is known The forenamed Author of the discourse of the two Covenants is very plaine pag. 48 c. where he is explaining what God's counting Abraham's faith to him for Righteousness is There he tels us that he takes it to signifie thus much to wit That God in a may of special grace or by vertue of a new Law of grace favour which was established by God in Christ Gal. 3 17. that is in reference to what Christ was to do suffer in time then to come did reckon his practical faith to him for Righteousness that is that which in the eye of that new Law should passe in his estimation for righteousness subordinat to Christ's Righteousness which procured this grant or Law And thereafter pag. 40. he tels us That it is an act of God's special favour by vertue of his new Law of grace that such a faith as he hath described that is a faith taking in all Gospel Obedience as we saw above comes to be reckoned or imputed to a man for Righteousness through God's imputing it for righteousness to stand a man in the same if not in a better stead as to his eternal concerns as a perfect fulfilling of the original Law from first to last would have done Christ's Righteousness being presupposed the only Meritorious Cause of this grant or Covenant Thereafter pag. 50. he tels us there are two things which constitute make up the Righteousness of the Law of Grace first that which consisteth in the forgiveness of sins 2. the righteousness of sincere obedience And in inference to both he saith faith is imputed for righteousness be vertue of the Law of Grace for saith he faith as practical is imputed to a man for righteousness as it is that all that which is required of him himself by the Law of Grace to entitle him to the righteousness which consisteth in remission of sins And then as to the second he saith pag. 52. That faith is imputed for righteousness which is practical or productive of sincere obedience without which properâ—y it is not a fulfilling of the Law of Grace as a condition of the promised benefites consequently cannot justifie a man in the eye of that Law for as he addeth there must be repentance forgiving men their injuries faith must be such as worketh by love then he tels us that Abraham was justified by his works Jam. 2. All which abomination of doctrine perversion of the right wayes of the Lord we are not here to examine It is enough in reference to the clearing of what is now before us under consideration that we see here a plaine dâ—lmeation explication made of that Gospel which Mr. Baxter said this Treatise would lead us into the knowledge of which is the very same upon the matter with that Gospel which Socinians Arminians hold forth joyning herein with Papists as we saw in part above Chap. XVIII towards the beginning we shall at
hath more rational apprehensions there about and yet will not have Christ's Righteousness to be that Formal Righteousness upon the account of which we are Justified Yet notwithstanding we need not owne it for such an Instrument or such an Instrumental cause as Philosophers largely treate of in the Logicks Metaphysicks knowing that the Effect here wrought is no Natural Effect brought about by Natural Efficient Instrumental Causes Only we say the Scripture affirming that we are justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giveth us ground to call Faith if we will use such termes to expresse our mind an Instrument seing these expressions pointe forth some special interest influence that Faith hath in Justification no other Influence or Causation can be allowed to it conforme to the Scriptures but that which we express in our ordinary discourse not in a strick Philosophical sense by an Instrument And that so much the rather that hereby is pointed forth that which is the maine ground designe of using this terme viz. the Application of the Righteousness of Christ which is made by Faith as a meane or mid's laying hold upon without which we cannot be Justified according to the Gospel And though in these borrowed expressions from Causes metaphysical accuracy be not intended yet the true meaning intendment of the users of these termes being obvious it is but vanity to raise too much dust thereabout unless difference about other more Principal Questions in the matter of Justification enforce it as indeed all such as place the Formal Cause or reason of our justification before God in our own Inherent Righteousness and not in the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us received by faith must of necessity deny all interest of faith here as an Instrument or as any thing like it because having all their Righteousness within them they have no use for Faith to lay hold-on bring-in one from without There things may satisfie us as grounds of this Denomination 1. That in justification we are said to be receivers do receive something from the Lord not only the Passive justification itself expressed by our being justified but of some thing in order thereunto as of Christ himself the Abundance of Grace of the Gift of Righteousness the atonement the word of promise yea every thing that concurreth unto justification or accompanieth it we are said to receive Ioh. 1 12. Col. 2 6. Rem 5 11 17. Act. 2 41 10 43. 26 18. Heb. 9 15. 2. That the only Grace whereby we are said to receive these things is Faith receiving is explained to be beleeving Ioh. 1 12. Act. 2 41. comp with vers 44. we receive forgiveness of sins by faith Act. 26 18. 3. That the Surety-Righteousness of Christ is that only Righteousness â—pon the account of which we are justified before God not any Inherent Righteousness within ourselves hath been evinced above 4. That this Righteousness of the Surety must be imputed unto such as are to be Justified or reckoned upon their score hath also been evinced 5. That this Surety-Righteousness of Christ must be laid hold on by us in order to our justification hath been showne must be granted by all that acknowledge it to be the Righteousness upon the account of which we are Justified 6. That the Scripture saith expresly that God justifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith through faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith Rom. 3 24 25 28 30. Gal. 3 8 2 16. and that even when justification is denied to be by works So that Faith must have a far other interest in must otherwise concurre unto our Justification than any other Works or Graces and therefore must be looked upon as having some peculiarity of interest and influence here and this peculiarity of interest can not be otherwayes better expressed so as the matter shall be cleared then by calling it an Instrument Not as if it did concurre to the produceing of the effect of justification by any Physical operation as Physical Instruments do but as a medium mean required of us in order to Justification according to the free pleasure of God who disposeth the order methode of his bestowing of his Favours upon us aud the Relation Respect that one hath unto another as he seeth most for his own glory and for our good and that such a mean as concurreth therein and thereunto according to what is said in such a way as we be can best understand by calling it an Instrument for we can not allow it to be called any way meritorious or any formal disposition of the soul or Preparation unto the Introduction of an Inherent Formal Cause of Justification as Papists say nor can we allow it to be called such a proper Potestative Condition as some would have it to be as we saw in the forgoing Chapter 7. That no real inconvenience can follow upon the owning of Faith for an Instrument in justification for Justification is not here taken simply strickly for that which is properly God's act but more largely complexly including other things requisite unto Justification such as the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which Faith as the Instrument or hand of the soul layeth hold on bringeth-in for this end that the man being clothed therewith may be acquitted before the Tribunal of God Pardoned accepted of as Righteous And howbeit it be God that justifieth as to this act of God justifying Faith hath no real interest or influence yet the Scripture saying that God justifieth by Faith and through faith we must acknowledge some interest that Faith hath in the work Effect as when the Scripture saith that He purifieth the heart by faith Act. 15 9. the purifying of the heart is God's work and yet it is said to be done by Faith which is our work It is said Heh 11 11 that through faith Sara herself received strength to conceive seed vers 33 34. that some through faith subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire c. all which were the works of God yet while they are said to be done by faith faith must have had some interest influence in these effects So in working faith in the soul which is God's work alone the Lord useth the preaching of the Gospel and ministers the peoples hearkning listning to what is preached as meanes midses thereunto though preaching hearing be mens work yet God useth them for his ends and as he sendeth Preachers to preach moveth persons to hear that thereby he may according to his own will pleasure work Faith in then so he worketh Faith in souls that he may thereby Justify them Nor is it of any weight to say that if Faith be an Instrument it must work as an efficient cause because the Instrumental Cause belongeth
faith Ans. It may be so but their meaning is not I conceive to give an equal share of Interest Power Office in about justification unto Repentance with that which they acknowledge Faith to have but either their purpose is hereby to show the inseperable connexion that is betwixt faith Repentance or to show that they speak of that faith which is attended with this necessary Grace of Repentance doth effectually work the same or both rather So that their true meaning is to give the due privilege interest unto that saith which can prove it self to be real true justifying faith by effectuating Repentance never to be repented of and thus they withall satisfie an Objection or question that might be made if they had mentioned faith alone for it might be enquired How shall we know whether our faith be of the right kind or not Now their joining of Repentance with faith doth shortly answere this question Repentance being a concomitant and a fruit of true faith more sensiblie felt obvious to their perception might be to them a vive perceptible expression of true justifying faith Obj. 12. But seing faith by some is called that which doth morally qualifie the subject to be a fit patient so be justified why may not Repentance have an equal share in this moral Qualification with Faith I Ans. If we should make faith to have no other Interest in justification than Repentance hath or may be yeelded to have we may easily grant that Repentance hath the same equall Interest with faith but it is denied that faith hath no other Interest but as that which doth morally qualifie c. drieness in wood may qualifie it for the fire yet the wood may be long so before it become the subject of fire so may it be with moral qualifications many a man may be morally qualified to be a fit match for such a woman or a woman for such a man yet the marriage Relation never be made up betwixt them But this cannot be said of faith whereby the marriage is made the person is actually justified not a bare fit patient to be justified CHAP. XXX Whether Love purpose of Obedience or perseverance be Conditions of Justification BY what is said in our foregoing discourse we may know what is to be answered unto these Questions so that we need not insist long in the discussing of them Some of late lay downe for a ground and hereby give occasion to discuss these and such like questions that whatever is or may be called aâ— the Covenant of Grace is upon that account may be called the Condition of Justification thus confounding the whole order of the Gospel making all duties required of such as are in Covenant ordained of God for other ends uses to be required as Conditions of entering in Covenant and to have the same use and end in unto justification which faith hath contrary to express Scripture saying that we are justified by faith not by works of Righteousness which we do and contrary to the whole methode of the Gospel grounds laid down therein for an acceptable performance of obedience As to Love Papisit's make it the forme as they speak of faith not in it self simply considered but in order to Justification Salvation thereby saying that faith without Love is dead And it is true that true saving faith worketh by Love and that faith cannot be called Saving or Justifying which doth not excite unto acts of Love and many may deceive themselves with a faith that will not be found when tried to be of the right stamp as the Apostles Iames teacheth But yet they put no specifick difference commonly betwixt this dead faith faith informed for both as to what is essential intrinsik to faith which they hold to be an assent unto all things revealed by the Lord unto men upon the account of the Veracity and Authority of the Revealer are one the same so as one and the same faith may be sometime dead when to wit not working by Love sometime lively when formed with Love But of these things we need not here speak only we see that with them Love is in a manner more necessary unto Justification than faith must be looked on as a necessary condition thereunto even as that without which faith can do nothing And to confute this here is but vaine seing it shall serve nothing to our purpose because with them justification is the very same we call Sanctification But others who have more sound and distinct apprehensions of justification tell us That love is the condition of justification because a condition of the Covenant of Grace as if all the duties of such as are in Marriage Relations were conditions of making up the marriage Relation Others who distinguish betwixt Faith Evangelick Obedience as betwixt consent to a mans Soveraignity obeying him as Soveraigne as doth Mr. Baxter Confess p. 89 90. Yet say that Love is comprized in Faith and is some degree of Justifying Faith not properly a fruite of it because the wills apprehension of a thing good or earnest willing accepting it is the fame with Love so is the wills Consenting Electing accepting all this being in Faith Love must be comprehended in it Yea they say that as Love Faith are propounded in the Gospel as of the same necessity so they are necessary in Justification concurrent in apprehending Christ. So spoke Mr. Baxter in his Aphorismes And in his Confess p. 34 35. he saith Though Charitie as it respecteth other objects is no part of faith yet as it respecteth an offered Saviour it is as much essential to faith to receive Christ with Love as it is essential to a Saviour the object of faith to be good for us for good as good is received by love Nor was it ever the Intent of the Holy Ghost to take faith in Christ in so narrow a sense as includeth not Love to him when it is saving Faith that is spoken of In reference to all which we need say but those few following things 1. The Scriptures do plainly enough distinguish betwixt Faith Love They are reckoned as distinct fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. Love joy-faith yea Faith is said to worke by love Gal. 5 6. we heare of the work of faith and labour of love 1. Thes. 1 3. we heare of Charitie out of a pure heart of faith unfaigned 1. Tim. 1 5. And the grace of our Lord saith Paul 1. Tim. 1 14 was exceeding abundant with Faith Love which is in Christ Iesus We hear of the brestplate of Faith Love 1. Thes. 5 8. 2. The Scriptures do plainly tell us that we are Justified by Faith as we heard but never saith that we are justified by love And sure as it is best for us to regulate our expressions according to the Lord's
which is not by a dead faith or by a faith that cannot produce works of Obedience or by such a faith as devils have but by a faith that is working making the soul prompt ready to yeeld all Obedience unto the Lord and this is the true meaning of the words as was showne above and the whole scope of the place evidenceth Will Mr. Baxter say that by a dead Faith and by a Faith that cannot save and by a Faith that is in devils is attended with no Christian Love we are brought into a justified state at first No sure and yet this is the faith that Iames opposeth unto works or rather unto a working faith whereby we are justified first last as was Abraham vers 21. whose faith was such as it wrought with his works and by the same was manifest to be what it was the true saving faith of God's Elect. And sure this Faith of Abraham and the faith that wrought in Rahab was another sort of Faith than is the Faith of devils or that Faith that is but a dead carcase Mat. 6 14 15. speaketh of Remission of sins And I suppose it will not be said that every one who forgiveth his neighbour doth thereby and thereupon obtaine Remission of his own sins at the hands of God otherwayes Heathens wicked persons may be said to have their sins Pardoned before God because they may forgive others some wrongs done unto themselves If it besaid that such cannot forgive others a right not having a principle of grace and not being in Christ. True but then we see that it is not this forgiving abstractly considered that is spoken of here but a Forgiving flowing from faith principled thereby and so the meaning of the place is That without such a Faith in Christ as principleth prompteth to Pardoning of others we can expect no pardon of our own sins from God not have ground to suppose that we are indeed pardoned of God our forgiving of others then is here mentioned as the native Effect evident Signe of Faith as our Commentators manifest upon the place speaking against the Papists See Pareus Gualter others Pareus particularly disproveth the Papist's gloss sayeth that our pardoning of others must follow upon God's pardoning of us as he cleareth from Mat. 18. and will not have our forgiving of others said to be the causa sine qua non of our obtaining Remission from God This place then saith That while we cannot finde in our heart a readiness cheerfully heartily to forgive others we have no ground to imagine that our sinnes are pardoned for all such as are pardoned of God have this Christian disposition flowing from faith in Christ They may have this as to the seed root but till it grow up to yeeld this fruite they want the evidence of their faith consequently of pardon 1. Ioh. 1 9. meaneth such a Confession of sins as is accompanied with the making use by faith of the bloud of Christ that cleanseth from all sin vers 7. and with a running to the Advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is a Propitiation for sins Chap. 2 1 2. Most wicked persons as Saul may make confession of their sins but not so as to run to the fountaine the blood of sprinkling And by a Confession that is not accompanied with this acting they can attaine to no Remission before God And therefore faith only acting in humble Confession to the glory of God to the taking of shame to themselves is the condition of Pardon of Continuance of Justification as to this Revel 22 14. is also abused by the Papists to prove their second justification to be by works The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hereused doth not alwayes denote right or jus for it sometimes signifieth meer freedome liberty power to do such or such a thing as 1. Cor. 9 4 5 6. And so here the words import that such as do his commandements are blessed for thereby they have free access unto the tree of life unto Christ their objective blessedness which is the same with that which is commonly said viz. that Works of Obedience are the way of the Kingdom but not the cause of reigning It will not suite with the Gospel to say that by our works of obedience we buy a right to the tree of life even in part or in subordination to Christ's blood for Christ hath purchased the whole Right nothing of ours must be joined as a part of that price otherwise must we have a proportionable share of the glory to ourselves Nor can it be said that by our works of Obedience we obtaine a Right to Christ to his Merites for before we have a Right to Christ we can do no works of Christian Obedience and Christ alone hath bought to us both Grace Glory But our works of Christian Obedience though they cannot precede our Right to yet they may go before our Possession of the Inheritance purchased now Right Possession are different things But in fine we say that this place speaking of the possession of glory is not apposite to the purpose now in hand for Justification is different from Glorification Rom. 8 30. And of justification as continued are we here speaking Ioh. 15 3 4 5 6 8 9 10. Verse 3. 9. can prove nothing in reference to what we are upon Vers. 4. sheweth that there is no fruitfulness in Grace but by a constant abiding in sucking of sap by faith from Christ the true Vine which none denieth Verse 8. sheweth that by fruitfulness in good the Father is Glorified thereby a demonstration is given to the world who are indeed the true disciples of Christ vers 6. holdeth forth the dreadful punishment that attendeth Apostates but we hope true beleevers are secured against full final Apostasie Vers. 10. proveth indeed that keeping of Christ's commands is a mean to keep the sense of our being beloved of Christ fresh in our souls to enjoy the fruites of his Love of Beneficence but saith nothing of good works being the Condition of our Continuance in the state of justification unless we will also say that Christ's obedience was the Condition of his Continueing in the State of Justification 1. Ioh. 2 24. c. proveth that full final Apostasie from the faith truth of the Gospel will indeed cutt off from all Interest in Christ from benefite by him But as true beleevers are secured from this as vers 27. cleareth So this will only prove that continuance in Faith is the Condition of continuance of Justification Mat. 18 35. Only proveth and so confirmeth what was said to Mat. 6 14. that such as do not from their hearts forgive their brethren their trespasses can have no ground of Assurance that God hath forgiven them theirs ... our Cruelty Unmercifulness towards our Brethren may give us sufficient ground to doubt of
decretis Publicis Politicis Ecclesiasticis fuit sancita roborata Sic ergò habent Articuli quos in Anglicum Sermonem versos exhibemus X. Of Free-will This is the condition of man after Adams fall that by his own Power and good works he cannot convert and prepare himself to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore without the grace of God which is by Christ preventing us that we may will and to operating while we will for doeing works of Pietie which are acceptable and well pleasing to God we can doe nothing XI Of Mans Justification Wee are only reputed Righteous before God for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ by Faith not for our works and merits For which cause the Doctrine of our being Iustified by Faith alone is most wholsome and full of consolation as it is explained in the Homilie about mans Iustification at more length XII Of Good Works Good works which are the fruits of Faith and follow the Iustified although they cannot expiat our sins or endure the severity of Divine Iustice Yet they are pleasing and accepted by God in Christ and necessarily flow from a true and lively Faith So that plainly by them a vive faith can be known as a tree can be judged by it's fruit XIII Of works before Justification Works which are done before the Grace of Christ and the influence of his Spirit since they do not proceed from the Faith of Iesus Christ are not at all acceptable to God neither doe they merit the grace which many call congruous Yea because they are not done according to Gods will and command we doubt not but they have the nature of sin XVII Of Predestination and Election Predestination to life is the eternal purpose of God whereby He before the setling of the foundations of the world by his Counsel hid indeed as to us Immutably decreed those whom he had chosen in Christ out of mankind should be delivered from the curse and destruction and as vessels made to honour brought to eternal Salvation by Christ. Hence those who are gifted with this notable favour of God are called in due time according to his purpose His own Spirit working they obey by Graces call are Iustified freely are Adopted to be the sons of God and made consorme to the Image of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ they walk holily in good works and in end by the mercy of God they come to eternal happiness As the pious consideration of our Predestination and Election in Christ is sweet pleasant and full of ineffable consolation to the truely Godly and to those who find in themselves the efficacie of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the deeds of the flesh and members which yet are upon the earth and by force drawing the mind to things above both because it does much establish and confirme our Faith of obtaining eternal Salvation as also because it vehemently kindles our love toward our good So it is a very destructive precipice to curious and carnal men and who are destitute of the Spirit of Christ to have alwayes the sentence of Gods Predestination proposed to their view whereby the Devil either presses them to despair or into equally pernicious security of a most impure life Thereafter the Divine Promises most be so imbraced as they are generally proposed to us in the holy Scriptures and the will of God which we have expresly revealed in Gods word is to be followed by us in our actions Atque hi quidem sunt Ecclesiae Anglicanae de Gratia Iustificatione Articuli convenientes utique cum aliarum Ecclesiarum praesertim Ecclesiae Scoticanae doctrina â—ti ex hujus Confessione Art III. VIII XII XIII manifestum est THE LIFE OF JUSTIFICATION Through faith cleared from Gal. 3 11. For the Iust shall live by faith CHAPT I. The Introduction the text the ground of this following discourse opened-up THe Doctrine of Iustification cannot but be acknowledged by all whose thoughts are taken up about an interest in everlasting felicity to be of great concernment debates or Controversies about the same cannot be esteemed vaine fruitless Digladiations Disputes about a thing of naught seing in this lyeth the Ground of all our Hop peace Eternal Salvation a Mistake or Errour as to the Theorie in this matter followed with an answerable corresponding practice I meane as to what toucheth the heart Substance of this Divine Mystery may yea must of necessity prove not only dangerous to Souls but even inevitably destructive Wherefore it cannot be justly accounted blame worthy that Churches particular persons who woule be faithful so accounted unto the grand-interests of Souls contend with alle earnestness for the faith once delivered to the Saints in this particular this being the true Basis of all Religion of Christianity without which there can be no access to nor Communion with God No peace with God nor true peace in owr own Consciences no life of Comfort here nor true hope of Salvation for ever here after No change of State nor saving change of liâ—e conversation in a word no life of Grace here nor of Glory hereafter And what then must follow upon the corrupting of this Truth upon Erroneous Apprehensions practices herein is aboundantly obvious to all such as have not sinned away all sense consideration in these matters Wherefore it is no wonder that Satan hath in all ages laboured by one Instrument or other upon one occasion or other and under one pretext or other to corrupt the pure streames of this wholesome Fountaine of Truth in one Measure or other in one particular or other that by such Mediums Arguments as he knew would be most taking seem most plausible at these Several times upon these Several occasions What way how far the corruption of this Truth was advanced in the Antichristian Church is yet known what ground their errour in this gave un to such as began to be enlightened in the knowledge of the Truth to separate from them to appear against them is manifest and what Effaies the Devil made about the beginning of Reformation or shortly after to darken this Truth by Questions Disputes even among such as hold the Truth fast as to the maine and what since by Several New Opinions or new Modes and Methods as they were called and given out to be vented and improven by Several Artifices to seeming different Ends he hath effectuated to the hardening of some in their Misapprehensions to the Corrupting of the Hearts Mindes of others and also the Staggering and Shaking of not a few may be called to minde with grief and sorrow Not to mention the bold attempt made by Socinians to overturne the whole Grounds of Christian Religion and to take away at once all the pillars of Gospel-justification The devil began early in the breaking up of the clear day of Christianity to darken this
sap life influence from the head much more must this be the way of getting the first change made from death to life And this way or not much different of argueing in this same debate we see the Apostle followeth Rom. 4. where from what was said of Abraham a considerable time after he was a beleever he proveth justification by faith without works or that Abraham was justified by faith not by works The Import then of the Testimony is that this life whereof beleevers are made partakers is begun continued carried on by faith therefore it is not by the works of the Law but by faith that they are justified brought into a state of life If it be true that without faith even belevers cannot be supported nor in case to live as becometh to the glory of God to their own peace Comforth in new Trials Difficulties much more is it true that without faith those who are in nature in state of Enmity to God cannot live the life of justification with it alone they can shall Before we come to speak particularly to any Truthes deducable from the words we shall premise some few things considerable CHAP. II. Naturally we are inclined to cry up Selff in Justification THe Apostle as we see in all his writtings about this matter is very carefull to cleare the question of justification so as Man may have no cause of boasting or of glorying in himself upon the account of any thing he hath or he hath done in order to justification that hereby he might cast a copie unto all such as would approve themselves faithful unto the Lord in being co-workers with Him in the Gospel that he might so much the more set himself against that innatelusting of heart that is in all naturally unto an exalting crying up of Self in the matter of their justification before Acceptance with God and especially we finde how zealously how frequently with what strength multitude of Arguments he setteth himself against cryeth down that which men do so naturally with such a vehement byasse incline unto to wit justification by their own works or by their own obedience to the Law to the end their innate pride may have ground of venting it self in boasting glorying before men From this we may premit in short the consideration of these Three things to prepare our way unto the clearing-up of the Gospel-Doctrine in this matter First That there is a corrupt byasse in the heart of men by nature a strong Inclination to reject the Gospel-Doctrine of free justification through faith in Christ to ascribe too much to themselves in that affaire as if they would hold the life of justification not purely of the free grace rich mercy of God through Jesus Christ but of themselves either in whole or in part in one measure or another Secondly That it is the duty of all who would be found faithful Ambassadours for Christ after the example of the Apostle so to preach forth the Grace of God in this mystery to explaine the same as corrupt Nature within such without as are byassed with mistakes about this matter are led away with proud carnal self conceits may have no apparent or seeming ground of boasting nor be confirmed in their natural prejudices Mistakes therein Thirdly That in very deed free Gospel-justification is so contrived ordered as that none have any real ground of boasting or of glorying in themselves or of ascribing any part of the glory thereof unto themselves as if they by their deeds works did contribute any thing to the procuring thereof It will not be necessary to speak to these at any length but only briefly to touch upon them to make way unto what followeth to be said on this weighty subject which is of so much concernment to us all As to the First of these to which we shall speak little in this Chapter thereafter of the rest in their due order it is too too apparent to be a truth from these grounds following I. This is most manifest from the many Errours false opinions that are Vented Owned Maintained with so much Violence corrupt zeal all to cry-up Self in less or in more to cry down Grace Hence so many do plead with great confidence for an Interest of our works in our justification Such as Papists who quite mistake the nature of true justification Socinians Arminians Others who side with these in less or in more will plead for a justification by our inherent Righteousnoss or works of Righteousness which we do Others that will not plead for such an early Interest of our works in this matter will plead for faith as our Gospel-Righteousness affirme that the very act of our Obedience in us is imputed for a Righteousness to us is accounted such by God so hath the same place in the New Covenant that compleet perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant of works made with Adam which as shall hereafter appear driveth us upon the same rock II. It is manifest likewise from the large frequent Disputes about this matter that we have in Paul's Epistles If there had not been a great pronness in man by nature to cry-up himself to set up his own Righteousness in matter of justification why would the Spirit of the Lord have been at so much paines to speak so to cry down Self our works in this matter as He is in these Epistles of Paul if He had not seen the great necessity thereof by reason of this strong Inclination that men Naturally have hereunto We must not think that any thing is there spoken in vaine or that the Spirit of the Lord would have left that Doctrine so fully cleared wherein our works are so expresly excluded if there had not been a necessity for it if it had not been as necessary in all after ages of the Church as at that time when first written Whatever the truth be that is so frequently pungently inculcated in the Scriptures we may saifly suppose that as the faith practice of that truth is necessary so there must be much reluctancy of Soul in us to receive the same to close with it and a strong Inclination to beleeve practise the contrary III. In the Infancy of Christianity we see what a strong Inclination there was to cry-up works what we do the Law as the only ground of justification or at least to have a share with Christ in that Interest which gave occasion to the penning of these Epistles of Paul where this matter is so fully clearly handled particularly that to the Romans that to the Galatias unto the speaking less or more hereunto in almost all his other Epistles And this Inclination to the crying up of works the Law in Opposition to the pure Gospel-way of
it may look more conforme to their works when their works are no way conforme to it So likewise they are ignorant of god of His Holiness Righteousness because they see that if He be Such as the Orthodox say He is according to His Word they cannot stand before His justice therefore they deny His justice altogether as do Socinians or Imagine Him to be all Mercy c. so imagine Him to be altogether such an one as themselves therefore are not very zealous for any other righteousness than what may come most readily to hand they themselves can make up with their own diligence care never remembering that the justice of God must be satisfied therefore deny all Satisfaction as do Socinians or suppose Christ hath satisfied for all procured a New Covenant or way to life wherein we may bring what we have it will be accepted there is no more to do Nor remembering that we must have an Interest in Christ by faith ere we have any Interest in His Merites Satisfaction that the whole of our Salvation is so contrived as Man may be abased Christ only exalted III. A vaine conceite that all things in Religion must be just as we apprehend them to be our blinde corrupt byassed Reason Understanding must be the Supream judge Determiner of all these Mysteries Hence the Socinians down-right say that 〈◊〉 the Scripture say what it will how oft it will they are to beleeve to receive nothing but according to their Reason so that what their blinded Reason cannot comprehend they may will reject And others who possibly will not so plainely lay down this ground Yet in stead of conforming their judgments and Apprehensions to the word of being led by it do frame a conception of the Matters of God in their own heads then cause the Scriptures comply with their Apprehensions by Interpreting them accordingly So that following a corrupt guide here they cannot but incline to that way which suiteth most with that corrupt Principle be most averse from compliance with the Mystery of God which is most opposite there-unto IV. Natural corrupt self love is another evil Principle concurring to this effect by its malignant Influence We love to cry-up ourselves to have something of our owne to boast of to glory of before men and hence we cannot naturally comply so sweetly with that way which taketh away all boasting leaveth no ground for man to glory in any thing save in the Lord such is the way of faith of Gospel-justification Rom. 3 27 4 2. V. A vaine groundless high conceite that people have of themselves of what they do as if there were worth excellency in it to oblige God to bestow upon them what reward they think meet not knowing that when they have done all they can they are but unprofitable that they have nothing but what they have received that for any good they do they are more beholden to God than God is beholden to them that the best of their actions are so defiled that they could not answere for one of them nor stand if God should enter into judgment with them strickly mark iniquity Psal. 130 3 143 2. VI. Pride of heart is another malignant cause of this Aversation Unwillingness to comply with God's way of this strong Inclination to the way of justification by Works This was it which led the jewes away from Christ the end of the Law for righteousness they would not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10 3. because they would not bow themselves to take on this Righteousness therefore they were at so much paines labour to establish their own to cause it stand Proud man would work enjoy the reward of his laboures will not willingly hearken to any other way he will not be beholden to free Grace nor ascribe glory to the Lord Mediator but will still be at the old way of the first Covenant at work wages that he may have it to say he hath erned purchased the crown of life with his own hands industrie Therefore from this we should all take warning to look about us to guard against this strong violent torrent that is ready to carry us headlong to our ruine to be jealous of our treacherous hearts Hence also we may see whence it cometh that the Gospel getteth so little footing among many how nothing less than the mighty power of God will be able to prevail with a Natural Soul cause it comply with the Gospel-way of justification submit it self unto the Righteousness of God hold on Christ by faith Further We need not wonder to see so many riseing-up in all ages against the Gospel of the Grace of God corrupting the Gospel-Doctrine of justification seing blinded unmortified Man is not in case to be cast in its mould nor willing to embrace it untill he be broken broken over againe CHAP. III. The Doctrine of justification should be keeped pure with all diligence what dangerous expressions should be shunned WE come next to speak a word unto the Second particular mentioned to wit That all who would be found faithful Ambassadours be accepted of the Lord should endeavoure both in practice in Doctrine to keep this doctrine of the Grace of God pure unmixed particularly guard against the giving ground or occasion to proud Nature to cry-up Self in the matter of justification by any expression used in the explication thereof We see here elsewhere how careful Paul is in this Matter using such expressions as may most emphatically exclude man all his paines set free grace on high that God alone may be exalted for here elsewhere he debaseth man excludeth all his works even the works of the best of men even his works who was the father of the faithful he crieth up Christ as all free grace as beginning carrying on all consonant to what the Prophet Esaias said Esai 45 24 25. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness strength or as it is in the Margine Surely he shall say of me in the Lord is all righteousness strength Even to him shall men come In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified shall glory So that such as look to Him as it is vers 22. come to Him as it is vers 24. have all their righteousnesses in the Lord from Him and in Him alone are they shall they be justified shall glory not at all in themselves So Ieremiah Chap. 23 6. expresseth the matter very emphatically holding it forth as one of Christ's glorious comfortable Titles of honour that He shall be called the Lord our Righteousness thereby Importing that all the Saints their righteousness in order
within it or because of one work of righteouness done by it so glory in it self not in the Lord for though it were granted that faith were the gift 〈◊〉 God yet that would not sufficiently keep down pride seing such as plead for justification by good works will also grant that these good works come from the Grace of God are wrought by the Spirit yet such a justification would lay a foundation of boasting of glorying before men some would have more ground of boasting than others because of their stronger faith And justification by this way would as well be opposite to justification through Christ His Imputed righteousness by Grace as justification by good works for faith here would not be considered as bringing-in laying hold on a Righteousness without the Righteousness of Christ imputed but as a commanded duty as a piece of obedience to the Law would as well make the reward of debt ex congruo ex pacto as if justification were by works 8. It is of the same Nature to say That Paul excludeth the works of the Law but not the works of the Gospel for the same ground of pride boasting glorying should be laid that would be laid by pleading for the works of the Law because these are still works of righteousness which we do so opposite in this matter unto mercy Tit. 3 5. And Paul to exclude all boasting glorying before Men opposeth faith not considered in it Self but as laying hold on the Righteousness of Christ as carrying the Man out of himself to Christ for Righteousness unto works not Gospel-works unto works of the Law And sure we cannot say that none of Abraham's works were Gospel-works or works required in the New Covenant seing even then he was a beleever when the object of his faith or that which he laid hold on by faith in the Gospel which was preached unto him was said to be imputed unto him for righteousness And is it not plaine that if justification were upon the account of Gospel works that God should not then be said to justifie the ungodly seing he who is clothed with a Gospel righteousness cannot be called or accounted an ungodly person And yet faith looks out unto laith hold upon a God that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4 5. In a word the asserting of this would be the same upon the matter with asserting of justification by the works of the Law for what ever is required in the Gospel is injoined by the Law so is an act of obedience to the Law which is our perfect Rule of Righteousness all our obedience must be in conformity thereunto 9. It must also be accounted dangerous for puffing-up of Self to say That we are justified by our Inherent Righteousness for then the Man could not say that all his righteousnesses were as filthy rags Esai 64 6. Nor could that be true which is Psal. 143 3. for in they sight no man living should be justified to wit if God should enter into Iudgment with him Why should Iob have abhorred himself Chap. 42 6. if he had a righteousness within him had been justified by the Lord upon the account of that inherent righteousness And had not Paul as good ground as any to assert his justification by his personal inherent holiness righteousness Yet we hear of no such thing out of his mouth but on the contrary his accounting all things but less dung that he might gaine Christ be found in His Righteousness hath a far different import How proud might man be if he had it to say that he was justified in the sight of God by works of Righteousness which he had done or by his own inherent righteousness 10. Nor will it much help the matter to say That this Inherent Righteousness is not the price laid down but onely the Condition or Causa sine qua non or the like for still man would hereby have some thing to be proud of to glory of before men because he would have it to say that his own Inherent Holiness was as well the ground of his justification the Condition thereof as Adam's obedience would have been the ground of his justification And who knoweth not that Self can wax proud be puffed up upon a smaller occasion than is this And is it not strange that Paul never once made mention of this distinction Shall we think that Paul denied Abraham to have been justified by works because Abraham looked upon them as the meritorious cause not as the Condition only of his justification or that Abraham indeed did so or that Paul included them as the condition of his justification when he said he desired not to be found in his own Righteousness meaning not his own righteousness as a price or as the Meritorious cause of his acceptance Why should David have spoken so absolutely said Psal. 143 2. enter not into judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified seing even though God should enter into judgment with His servants they should be justified as having fulfilled the condition And why should he have said Psal. 130 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities ô Lord who shall stand seing though the Lord should mark iniquities yet where the Person hath fulfilled the Condition hath a Personal Inherent Righteousness to hold up as the fulfilling of the condition required he is in case to stand in judgment to plead for his justification absolution upon the account of his performing all the condition required And would not vaine man have great ground of boasting here 11. Neither yet will it prevent this boasting to say That this Inherent Righteousness is but a Subordinat Righteousness whereby we have right unto the Merites of Christ which are the Principal Righteousness answering the demandes of the Law for if man have any thing in himself that can be called a Righteousness though but a Subordinat Righteouness yet such a Righteousness as giveth right ground to justification though that justification be also called only a subordinat justification conforme to the New Covenant the Condition thereof he will soon boast account his justification not of free grace but of due debt conforme to the covenant And though this be called only a Subordinat Righteousness yet proud Self will account it the Principal because upon it dependeth all his justification for thereby not onely hath he a right unto Christ's Merites but unto justification it self this being called the proper condition of the New Covenant wherein justification Adoption c. are promised as they say upon this condition And will not proud Man see that he hath a price in his hand a complâ—â—â— Righteousness conforme to the Covenant to presente unto God where-upon to seek expect the reward of debt according to the covenant And so much the rather should we abstaine from
first to convince them of their Sin and Misery by setting home the Law wekening their Consciences as Paul doth Doctrinally follow this method when he is about to cleare-up explaine the truth about Gospel-justification in his Epistle to the Romans where in the first place he convinceth all of Sin both jewes Gentiles Chap. 1. 2. 3. concluding vers 23. That all have sinned come short of the glory of God vers 9. he giveth an account of his foregoing Discourse saying we have before proved both jewes Gentiles that they are all under sin And againe vers 19. that every mouth may be stopped all the world may become guilty before God Now this work of Conviction layeth the sinner low before God for thereby the Man is discovered to himself to be undone in himself to be under Sin Wrath under the Sentence of the Law having his mouth stopped having nothing to plead for himself neither by way of Extenuation nor of Apology having nothing in himself wherewith he can come before the Lord to make Atonement for his Transgressions to make Satisfaction to justice And thus the man is made to despare in himself as being irremediably gone undone if free grace prevent him not II. Whereupon the man is made to renounce all his former grounds of Hop Confidence all his former Duties good works civility Negative Holiness what else he placed his Confidence in formerly Yea all his Righteousnesses are as filthy rags accounted as loss dung So that he hath nothing within himself as a Righteousness that he can expect to be justified by before God but on the contrary he findeth himself under the Curse that what he thought before to be his Righteousness is now by the light of the Law the discovery he hath of his natural condition founde to be sin iniquity before God therefore to be so far from bringing any reliefe unto him that thereby his anxiety is made greater his case more desperat III. The way of Gospel-justification is so contrived the wakened man whom God is about to justifie is now convinced of it that Man must be abased for he is now made to see that he is empty poor hath nothing to commend him to God no Righteousness of his own to produce nothing within him or without him except the alone Righteousness of Christ the Mediator Cautioner that can stand him in stead Nothing of his own must here come in reckoning neither alone nor in conjunction with the Righteousness of Christ for what is of Grace must not be of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace Rom. 11 6. Christ must have all the glory he who glorieth must glory alone in the Lord. And therefore is Christ made Righteousness unto us 2. Cor. 1 30. is become the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 6. And all His must say That in the Lord they have righteousness Esai 45 24. IV. Nothing that preceedeth faith no motions or workings of the Law no legal Repentance the like have any infallible connexion with justification nor are they any congruous disposition thereunto or a Condition thereof there being no promise made that all such as are convinced awakened have some legal terrours works of the Law upon their Spirites shall certainely be justified experience proving that several who have had deep convictions Humiliations have with the dog returned to their vomite become afterward worse than ever doth also confirme this So that after the deepest legal Humiliations works of Terrour outward Changes the like Effects of the Law though when they are wrought by the Lord intending bringing about the Elect sinner's Conversion justification they have this kindly work upon the heart to cause the Soul more readily willingly listen to the offers of Salvation Mercy in the Gospel to submit to the termes Method which God hath in His great wisdom mercy condescended unto as to the actual Conferring bestowing of the blessings purchased by Christ for His own chosen ones justification is an Act purely of God's free Grace undeserved of them on any account an act of His meer mercy Love So that they are justified freely by His grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3 24. V. Unto this justification their good Works are not required upon what somever account for good works must follow justification not preceed it They must be first accepted through Christ before their works of holiness can be accepted The whole Gospel doth most plainely exclude works of the Law under whatsoever Notion Qualification or Restriction as we manifested above shall more manifest hereafter Yea all works upon what somever account are excluded as opposite to justification by faith through Jesus Christ. The man who had no more to say but God be merciful to me a sinner went home justified when he who said God I thank thee I am not as other men nor as this Publican c. did miss that Privilege Paul hath so directly plentifully proved that no man is justified by works that we need say no more of it and therefore in this matter of justification man hath no ground of boasting but must glory in the Lord alone VI. As without a Righteousness no man can be justified before God because His judgment is alwayes according to truth He will pronunce no man Righteous who is not so or who hath no Righteousness And as no man hath a Righteousness of his own in himself that will abide the trial of God's judgment for if He should enter into judgment with any that liveth they should not be able to stand before His judgment seat be justified but all who are justified are in themselves ungodly void of all Righteousness that can ground a sentence of absolution from the Condemnation of the Law So it is the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator Cautioner which is to them the only ground of their absolution justification this Surety-Righteousness of Christ is imputed to them by God they are clothed therewith being considered as clothed there with are pronounced Righteous by the Lord the righteous judge dealt with as such So that all the Righteousness which is the ground of their absolution from the Condemnation of the Law is without them in another who was appointed their Cautioner therefore all appearance of any ground of boasting in themselves is quite taken away by the Law of faith Rom. 3 27. the reward is now wholly of grace not of debt Rom. 4 4. VII Though faith faith only be required of us in order to our having Interest in Christ His Righteousness to justification therethrough Yet this leaveth no ground of boasting unto man or of glorying in himself for it is in it self a plaine solemne Declaration of the Beleevers Sense
justification by faith to cry down justification by the Law or by the works of the Law which some false Teachers were perswading those Galatians to beleeve he adduceth a passage of Scripture which saith the just shall live by faith thereby giving us to understand that the just man or the justified man is a living man for the just liveth And it is too narrow to interprete this life of eternal life this would make the Apostles argument very obscure we must therefore undeâ—stand it of a life begun here which shall certainely end in glory this is most consonant both to the Prophet's scope to the scope of the Apostle here Whence we may gather That in justification by faith there is a real life obtained by justification the soulâ— is brought into a new state of life by it such as were really dead are really made alive This may be further cleared from these particulars following I. Such are said to be born again Iob. 3 5. not only by the Spirit which may import Sanctification but also by Water which may import Iustification wherein iniquities are pardoned the Soul is washen from its guilt through the bloud of Jesus Christ represented by the Water in Baptisme Thus are they also put into a new state being delivered from the Power of darkness and translated into the Kingdome of His dear Son Col. 1 13. Christ now owneth them as His Satan hath no more power and jurisdiction over them their guilt being removed and their sinnes being pardoned for because of sin hath Satan as a jailour had power over them as so many prisoners but sin being taken away in their justification they are loosed from his bondes and delivered from his prison and power We see Paul was sent Act. 26 18. To open eyes and to turn from darkness to light from power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sinnes c. 2. Hereby they are brought into a State of Salvation and being out of harmes way they are said to be saved being now in a State of life and Salvation through Jesus Christ Ephes. 2 5 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and how was this It was by Christ together with whom they were quickened when before they were dead in sins trespasses v. 5. So Tit. 3 5. Not by works of rigteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost But how was this work of Salvation begun See vers 7. That being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hop of eternal life So that as justification maketh way for Adoption so it bringeth Souls into a saife state a state of Salvation so as they in a sense are already denominated saved that is brought out of the state of death and put into a state of Salvation Thus are they also said to be quickened together with Him i. e. Christ having forgiveness of all their sinnes Col. 2 13. This will be further clear if we consider how 3. Those who are justified shall certainly be saved not only in respect of the Decree and purpose of God but in respect also of the Gospel constitution and the declared will of God Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus And all such as are in Christ Jesus are justified as the Gospel cleareth And againe more clearly vers 30. And whom he justified them he also glorified The connexion betwixt these two is indissoluble So doth the Apostle not only assert but he confirmeth this Rom. 5 9. Much more being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through Him And againe vers 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive aboundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness That is who welcome embrace and receive the rich offer of grace and the rigteousness of Christ freely and graciously presented in the Gospel to all that will accept thereof shall reigne in the life by one Iesus Christ. So likewise vers last That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. 4. They who are justified are brought into a state of blessedness and therefore may well be said to live or to be made partakers of a life Rom. 4 6 7 8. Even as David also describeth the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin See Psal. 32 1 2. If then they be brought into a state of blessedness they must be a in a state of life for death and blessedness are inconsistent 5. They are said to be redeemed and consequently brought out of the state of death wherein they were Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgâ—veness of sins according to the riches of his grace In by justification is this forgiveness of sinnes whereby they are made partakers of a redemption See Col. 1. 14. Where the same is asserted by the Apoâ—â—le For further clearing of this let us see wherein this life consisteth and then we shall not only see that it is really a life but also that it is a special and excellent life To this end therefore let us consider these following particulars 1. Hereby they have Remission and pardon of their Iniquities as was now cleared and is manifest from Rom. 3 24 25. Being justified freely by this grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for the remission of sins that are past c. And by this Remission and pardon of sins they have a freedom and exemption from the Curse and wrath of God that was lying upon them and to which they were obnoxious by sin and guilt Orginal and Actual which they were to be charged with that being the penalty threatned in the Law even death and the Curse of God for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them Gal. 3 10. Deut. 27 26. O how excellent a life is this to be delivered from the wrath of the Almighty sin-revenging God and from the Curse and malediction of the great Legislator and dreadful Judge How rightly may they be said to live who are freed from the sentence of death to which they were liable from the penalty of the broken Law of the great God of Heaven and Earth and from that doom that all who shall not share of this rich privilege of Remission shall be made to hear at length depart from me ye Cursed c. A person guilty of death and lying in chaines looking for nothing but the sentence doom to be
death destruction if the Lord should enter with them in jugdment and mark iniquity Psal. 130 3. 143. 2. Yet the judgment of the Lord being alwayes according to truth Rom. 2 2. Such as He pronunceth Righteous and absolveth from the sententence of the Law as such must be Righteous for to justifie the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17 15. And seing they are not neither can be Righteous in themselves nor have a Righteousness of their own which they can present to justice and in which they can appear before God who is a righteous Judge they must needs have a righteousness from some other and this is a Surety-righteousness the righteousness of the Mediator and Cautioner Jesus Christ Imputed to them and received by faith and being clothed with this noble rob of Rigteousness with Christ who is the Lord our Righteousness and beareth this Name and Title Ier. 23 6. And who is made of God unto us Righteousness 1. Cor. 1 30. They may be looked upon as living indeed In the Lord have they righteousness and upon this account in the Lord are they justified and shall glory Esai 45 24 25. This is the Righteousness of God without the Law which is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets the righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve Rom. 3 21 22. This is that faith or object of faith that was imputed to Abraham for righteousness Rom. 4 3 5 9. And the righteousness that God imputeth without works vers 6 11. This is the righteousness of faith through which the promise is vers 13. This is the righteousness that shall be imputed to all who beleeve on Him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the deed vers 24. This is the free gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ that hath abounded unto many Rom. 5 15. This is that aboundance of grace and gift of righteousness which beleevers receive whereby they reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 17. And that righteousness of one by which the free gift come upon all beleevers unto justification of life vers 18. And the obedience of one by which many are made righteous vers 19. And that righteousness through which grace reigneth unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord vers 21. This is the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in us by Gods own Son whom He sent in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8 2 3. This is Gods righteousness to which the Jewes would not submit but went about to establish their own righteousness for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10 3 4. It is that righteousness which is of faith which the Gentiles have attained who followed not after righteousness which Israel did not attaine to though they followed after the Law of righteousness because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone Rom. 9 30 31 32. By this are Believers made the righteousness of God in Him who though He knew no sin yet was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5 21. This is that righteousness which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3 7 8 9. which Paul desired only to be found in and that in opposition to his own righteousness which is of the Law and for which he did account all things which formerly were gaine to him to be loss dung Now what a noble life of faisty and Security is this for a poor naked sinner void of all righteousness and thereby exposed to the lash of the Law to the Curse and wrath of God to be covered with a compleet and perfect righteousness consisting in full satisfaction to all the demandes of the Law both for doing and suffering with which the Self condemned sinner may now with boldness and confidence think of approaching unto and appearing before the Tribunal of God who can express the Serenity of Soul the inward peace calmness and Quietness of mind the Joy Cheerfulness and Exulting of heart that followeth here upon How is the Drooping Sincking Dead and discouraged Soul that hath any sense or feeling of this revived quickened And how beit the sense of it be away as oft it happeneth yet the change that is hereby made when the Lord imputeth this righteousness of Christ causeth the Soul by faith to embrace it and accept of it is as a Resurrection from the dead 5. They have as a benefite necessarily following upon and inseparably accompanying this justification the noble and rich privilege of Adoption For to as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the Sones of God Joh. 1 12. And all those that are justified receive Him and His righteousness and rest upon it Being thus redeemed from under the Law they receive the Adoption of Sones Gal. 4 5. And being justified by His grace they are made heirs according to the hop of eternal life Tit. 3 7. And by this as their State is demonstrated to be a State of life so the many and exceeding great and rich yea incomprehensibly glorius and excellent favours Advantages and Privileges that lye in the womb of this comprehensive Privilege shew their life to be an excellent life for 1 Being thus adopted they have a new Relation unto God as their Father and they are His Children taken into His Family they have His name put upon them they are called by His name or His name is called upon them Ier. 14 9. Then is that word make good 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Then is He their God in a peculiar manner and they are His People Ier. 31. 1. Then have they written upon them the name of Christs God and the name of the City of His God and His own new name in its earnest and beginnings Revel 3 12. O! what a life is here to stand thus related unto the great God what an honourable life and Privilege is this for such who were by Nature Children of the Devil 2 Being thus Adopted they have a Relation to all the Children of the Family and are united unto them as members of the same Familie as Brethren or Sisters of the chosen Family They are then among those whom Christ hath gathered together in one Ephes. 1 10. And belong to that Church which is His Body the fulness of Him that filleth all in all vers 22 23. They have a relation now unto the Church Triumphant as well as to the Church Militant whence that is in part verified Heb. 12 22 23. But ye are come unto Mount Zion and unto the living God the heavenly Ierusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly Church of the first born which are written in
against true Gospel justification or the justification of a sinner upon the account of the Imputed Righteousness of Christ against the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to this end that the sinner may be absolved pronounced righteous accepted as such But the Scripture seeth no Inconsistenry or Repugnancy here but an harmonious sweet accord betwixt the Lord's causing people their iniquities passe from them His clothing them with change of raiment Zach. 3 4. And the Apostle joineth both as inseparable yea he declareth the necessity of both saying Rom. 3 21 22. That now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all upon all them that beleeve where upon it followeth vers 24. that they are freely justified by His grace But then what need is there of Remission might one say doth not this quite take away all Remission No for he addeth vers 24 25. through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath setforth to be a propitiation through faith in His bloud to declare His righteousness for the remission of sinnes that are past Yea the forgiveness of sinnes establisheth confirmeth the Imputation of righteousness where by we are justified for thus speaketh the Apostle Rom. 4 6 7 8. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin Where we see that non-imputation of sins is so far from shutting out Imputation of Righteousness that it confirmeth it proveth it is in separable from it must necessarily presuppose it for we being sinners can have no Absolution untill the Satisfaction of Christ be applied to us made ours by Imputation where this is imputed by God the soul must be absolved from all that can be laid to its charge Therefore in justification as we are declared righteous by reason of the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us received by faith so have we thereby a full remission of all our sinnes Paul tels us 2 Cor. 5 19. That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them And what giveth he for the ground of this See vers 21. for saith he He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him 12. It is also observable in this mysterious business That though our jestification be an act of God's free grace wherein only upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ Imputed to us by God not upon the account of any thing in us or done by us He pardoneth our sins accepteth our persons as righteous Yet this is not with an exclusion bur rather with an Inclusion of faith which is a Receiving a laying hold upon a Leaning unto the righteousness of Christ imputed to us Soâ—inians others are utter strangers unto this mystery make use of their wit here to plead against the imputation of Christ's Righteousness the onely ground of our justification because faith is required of us in order to our justification and 〈◊〉 as they say it self 〈◊〉 to us as our Righteousneis upon the account of which we are justified They suppose that if Christ's Righteousness be imputed to a person he thereupon acquite pardoned of all his sinnes that person must be righteous pardoned Justified whether he beleeve or not the Righteousness of Christ must be his before he beleeve But leaving the debating of that Question whether faith properly taken that is as our act done in obedience to the command of God be Imputed to us as our righteousness untill we come to the next part of the words I shall only now say as to the other thing here alleiged That they as ignorant of the Gospel feigne an opposition in things among which the Gospel pointeth forth to us a perpetual harmonious agreement upon the other hand they will patch up a reconciliation agreement betwixt those things which the Gospel setteth at perfect Opposition variance for Paul better acquainted with the Gospel with the nature of Gospel-justification than they tels us yea he proveth it by many Arguments That by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be-justified consequently not by faith as one deed or work of the Law And he maketh mention of the righteousness of God without the Law saith that that righteousness of God is imputed to upon all them that beleeve And notwithstanding of this he tels us that this Righteousness is by faith of Iesus Christ imputed to all that beleeve exclusive of others Rom. 3 20 21 22. And againe he tels us that as we are justified freely by bis grace yet it is through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His bloud vers 24 25. And againe vers 26 as God is declared in this matter to be just so is he the justifier of him only that beleeveth in Iesus Moreover vers 27. he mentioneth the Law of faith as opposite to the Law of works in that it excludeth boasting concludeth againe vers 28. That a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law and vers 30. that God justifieth by faith through faith Yet we never hear that he faith we are justified for faith or upon the account of faith Further That faith is required in order to justification is clear from Rom. 9 31 32. where it is said that Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not attained to the Law of righteousness because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law This also is fully proved by the same Apostle in this Epistle to the Galatians knowing saithe he Chap. 2 16. that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. And to pointe forth this Interest of faith yet not as imputed for our righteousness when properly taken the same Apostle Phil. 3 9. calleth that righteousness which he opposeth unto his own righteousness which is of the Law a righteousness which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith By all which many other passages mentioning our justification by faith which might be cited we see that the Lord hath so ordered the matter that faith should have an Interest in justification as an Instrumental cause or some such thing for to contend about words is not much to edification as may fully denote pointe forth the Emphasis of the Scripture expressions herein such as are to be found
it accompanying it with other things as to the Nation of the jewes because for this end was the law as a law given by the law-giver that Subjects might walk according to the same and that they might become thereby righteous and have a right to the reward promised by fulfilling this condition of the Covenant Now when these ends or this end putting these together as one were onely attained by what Christ did and suffered the jewes who stumbled at this stumbling stone rejected this righteousness of God could never be justified by all their own acts of obedience to the law how zealously so ever they should have sougt after a rigteousness thereby Except 6. The 5. we passe because he laith no weight on it him self The plaine direct meaning is that the law that is the whole Mosaical dispensation was for that end given by God to the jewes that whilst it did continue it might instruct and teach them concerning the Messiah who was yet to come and by his death to make atonement for their sinnes that so they might beleeve in Him accordingly and be justified and further that in time that Nation might be trained up prepared for the Messiah himself and that Oeconomy perfection of worship service which He should bring with him establish in the world at his coming Ans. What was said to the two foregoing Exceptions may serve for an answere to this for what ever truth may be in this yet it is no true sense exposition of the place because Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth so to the Gentiles as well as to the jewes whereas this gloss limiteth restricketh all to the jewes 2 There is nothing here keeping correspondence with what is said vers 3. touching their going about to establish their own righteousness and refuising to submit unto the righteousness of God 3. The righteousness of the law described by Moses here cited vers 5. hath no interest in the Mosaical Oeconomy as given for the mentioned end to the jewes 4 If Christ made an atonement for sins was to be beleâ—ved in accordingly by such as would be justified then that atonement was to be made over unto them reckoned upon their score to the end they might be justified upon the account thereof 5 The Text saith that Christ was the end of the law for righteousness so was to bring in everlasting Righteousness as well as to make atonement for sins Dan. 9 24. 6 The perfection of that service worship which Christ was to establish at His coming was a clearer manifestation of the Gospel of the Grace of God whereby the Righteousness of God or the Surety-righteousness of Christ was imputed unto Beleevers received by faith in order to justification as the whole Gospel declareth He laboureth to confirme this gloss with two reasons 1. Because the jewes sought Righteousness self justification as well from the observation of the Ceremonial as of the Moral law 2. Because Christ is held forth as the end of this dispensation 2 Cor. 3 13. Gal. 3 24. Ans. As to the first of the reasons we have often replied to it already And the second will not prove that there is no other interpretation of this passage that can have place And beside That whole Oeconomy did pointe out and lead them to the Messiah that in Him they might find that which they were seeking after by their own works all in vaine even the Righteousness of God which will sufficiently cloth all beleevers and both keep them from wrath due for sin give them a right to glory So that even this sense if rightly understood doth rather strengthen than hurt imputed Righteousness Eightly 1 Cor. 1 30. Is excepted against by him pag. 162. c. To which we may adde vers 29. 31. Which will help to cleare the matter That no flesh should glory in His presence but of Him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption That according at it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. All the work of God in and about His chosen ones is so contrived that no flesh should have ground to glory in the presence of God but that he who glorieth should glory in the Lord and therefore He hath made Christ to be all things to them that they stand in need of in order to their everlasting enjoyment of Himself and particulary Christ is said to be made of God to us among other things which our necessity calleth for Righteousness answering His Name the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS Ier. 23 6. And a Righteousness he cannot be made unto us any other way than by clothing us who are naked and have no righteousness of our own with a Righteousness that is by Imputing to us His Righteousness that we may thereby become Righteous be looked upon as such and so be accepted of God justified Except 1. Christ is no other way said to be made righteousness then He is said to be made Wisdom c. Therefore we may as well plead for the Imputation of His Wisdom or His Sanctification there is no more intimation made of the Imputation of the one then of the other Ans. This is but the old exception of Socinus part 4. de Servant Cap. 5. And of Volkel De vera Relig. Cap. 21. p. 566. And it standeth upon this onely ground That Christ is made all these particulars to us here mentioned after one the same manner and what that manner is should be declared of necessity it must be a very general one otherwise it shall not agree to all these particulars Therefore Socinus hath devised a very general manner of way saying in the place cited That all this signifieth nothing else than that we have attained to that by Gods providence through Christ that we are become wise holy redeemed before Gods that therefore Christ is said to be righteousness to us because through the providence of God by Christ we have attained to be just before God But this general way maketh us not one white wiser Volkelius in the place cited giveth us no relief but only tels us That Christ is said to be made all these to us because he was the cause of all these because God by his meanes made us wise holy will at length redeem us Bellarm. condescendeth to tell us that He is said to be our Righâ—eousness because He is the efficient cause thereof But how that is he doth not explaine But Bellarm. next answere is to some better purpose Christ saith he is said to be our Righteousness because He satisfied the Father for us and doth so give and communicat that Satisfaction to us when he justifieth us that it may be called our Satisfaction Righteousness 2 Such as oppose us here do must necessarily so do
speak of this matter as if Righteousness Sanctification were one the same thing so give us here a most needless Tautologie And others who will not yeeld to imputed Righteousness yet will grant a difference betwixt Righteousness Sanctification must tell us distinctly how He is the one how He is the other to His chosen ones 3. Wisdom Sanctification are of a different Nature from Righteousness for Righteousness cannot be here taken for Inherent Grace Holiness for then it should be the same with Sanctification so there must needs be here a Tautology withall no perfect enumeration of the several great things we stand in need of Christ is made to be unto us of God seing they are different there is ground to say that He is not to us Righteousness the same way that He is Sanctification Sanctification is wrought in us by His Spirit but so is not Righteousness for if we had a Righteousnes wrought in us we should be justified by vertue thereof upon the account thereof if we be justified by a Righteousness within us we are justified by our own works by the law contrary to all the Apostles disput contrary to what preceedeth followeth the words under consideration for then he who glorieth might glory in himself not in the Lord alone 4. Al these particulars here mentioned we must have or finde in Christ as the Aeâ—â—â—opik version hath it each according to its Nature And withall we must be made partakers posâ—essors of them all according as the Nature of the benefite will admit therefore as Christ is forthcoming to His chosen ones for Wisdom so as they may really become wise for Sanctification that they may become holy for Redemption that they may be redeemed so is He forthcoming to His own for Righteousness that they may be justified for though Righteousness justified be not one the same as our Excepter often alleigeth yet they have constant respect to other and are inseparable in our case If then we finde a Righteousness in Christ for justification that Righteousness must be made ours this being a Righteousness that is not our own before it be made our own it must be imputed to us that we may be there by justified He addeth Suppose Christ were made Righteousness unto us by Imputation yet this special manner of his being righteousness to us must be made out by other Scriptures than this as because a rich man hath silver gold jewels in possession it will not follow that he hath silver in one chest and gold in another jewels in a third Ans. Christs being made Righteousness to us who have no Righteousness of our own in order to our justification saith that the Righteousness we have from Him can be no otherwayes ours than by Imputation for it cannot be wrought in us else it should be the same with Holiness Sanctification And therefore the similitude of gold silver jewels is not worth a straw in this case because the dissimilitude is obvious Except 2. The meaning only is this That Christ is made ordained of God to be the author or sole meanes by way of merite of our justification Ans. 1 According to his former exception it will follow hence that He worketh not Holiness Wisdom in us by His Word and Spirit but only is the meanes thereof by way of merite for he will have Christ to be all these particulars to us one the same way 2 This differeth little from the answere of Schlightingius cont Meisnerum p. 250. who saith It is enough that Christs righteousness be the cause of our justification Christ may be said to be made righteousness to us because his righteousness redoundeth to our good and justification 3 It is not said that Christ is made justification to us but it is said He is made Righteousness to us though it is true that He hath merited our justification yet when He is said to be made of God Righteousness to us it is apparent that He bestoweth a Righteousness upon us in order to justification or He must be Righteousness to us ere we be justified how shall we partake of His Righteousness if not by Imputation 4 Christ can not be the Author or sole meanes by way of merite of our justification till we have a Righteousness that is He must be the sole Author Meanes of a Righteousness for we must not say That He hath merited that we shall be justified without a Righteousness it being an abomination to the Lord that even a terrene judge should justifie one that hath no Righteousness If then He hath merited that we shall be justified by having a Righteousness that Righteousness must be within us or without us if within us then He hath merited that we shall be justified by the works of righteousness which we do by the law by the works of the law contrary to the whole Gospel If without us then it must either be Christs own Righteousness or the Righteousness of some other It cannot be the Righteousness of any other as will easily be granted and if it be Christs Righteousness it must be imputed to us to the end it may be ours and we justified thereby and this is the thing we press He addeth to confirme this sense That Righteousness is very frequently used for justification Ans. Thus he gaineth nothing for 1 That will not prove that it is so used here 2 And though it did Import justification here yet seing there is no justification before God without a Righteousness it would say That Christ were our Righteousness too or that He merited a Righteousness for us and what is that Righteousness that He hath procured that we shall have in order to our justification Is it the Righteousness of our own works Then He hath merited that our works shall merite justification why not also glorification Is not this to overturne th◠〈◊〉 Gospel He addeth 2. Righteousness or justification which Beleevers have in or by Christ is still attributed unto His death Sufferings never to His active obedience Ans. But he hath forgetten what is said Rom. 4 25. Who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification Sure His Resurrection was neither His death nor His Sufferings He hath forgotten also what is said Rom. 5 19. So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous And to be Righteous and to be justified is all one with him as we have oft-times heard Except 3. This will not say That Christs active obedience only is imputed or that he only by his active obedience is made righteousness to us Ans. I plead not for the sole Imputation of Christs active obedience but for the Imputation of Christs whole Surety Righteousness that is His compleet obedience Suffering or of what He did suffered in answering all the demands of the law
dying riseing from their Interst in His dying and riseing their union with Him in all that as being one person in law with Him so as virtually riseing with Him and now sitting with Him who is their common Head Representative All which doth abundantly confirme the Doctrine of Imputation which we plead for He addeth finally But on the other hand as there is no such expression in Scripture as this we have fulfilled the law with Christ so neitherâ— if there were would it make any thing at all to salve the truth of the proposition under question for what if we should be said either to profess such a fulfilling of the law as holds proportion with Christ's fulfilling it or really personally to fulfill the law after such a manner Ans. The expressions already mentioned do sufficiently evince this union and communion that beleevers have with Christ in His mediatory work which is a solide ground of Imputation of the same unto them as the foundation of their partaking of the benefites flowing therefrom for there cannot any shew of reason be given for the one which will not hold good for the other also And it is said but not proved that these the like expressions hold forth no more but one or both of these two things alleiged yea the scope of the places and the Import of the words hold forth much more as is said Arg. 12. Whosoever is a sinner so continueth whil'st he liveth cannot be justified other wayes than by the Imputation of Christs Righteousness But every man Christ excepted is a sinner c. Therefore c. He excepteth pag. 219. c. If there be no other meanes of justifying the condition of the whole world is hopless for there is no such Imputation Ans. The contrary hath been shown shall be more demonstrated hereafter He addeth Without Imputation there is another door opened What is this Those that truely beleeve in Iesus Christ being not under the law but under grace are not liable to condemnation for their daily sinns 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. Ans. True but what then How come they to be under grace not under the law Is is not by vertue of the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto them unto their Justification because of their Interest in Christ as Mediator as their Head Husband Surety Interessour Advocat He addeth So that for the dissolving taking away of all guilt there needs no Imputation of the active obedience of Christ. The propitiation which He is unto them by His blood Intercession hath done this service to them before this Imputation is supposed to come at them Ans. We plead for the Imputation of His whole Surety Mediatory work say that it is wholly imputed that at once not one part now and another at another time Nor do we say that Christs death did procurâ— one thing His obedience another thing but that in by both He as Surety performed what the law required of us thereby procured all to us that we stand in need of to make us happy Thus have we vindicated the Arguments which this Author thought good to make any answere unto others might be mentioned but we shall forbear mentioning of them till some other occasion CHAP. XI Objections taken out of Scripture by Mr. Goodwine against the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto Justification Answered HAving in the foregoing Chapters proved both from Scripture Reason That Christs Righteousness is imputed unto Beleevers unto justification having vindicated such of them as were excepted against by Mr. Goodwine we shall now come examine the Arguments by which he oppugneth the Doctrine of Imputation in the first part of his Treatise of justification Where he marshalleth his Arguments under two heads viz. of Scripture Reason He beginneth with his supposed Scripture proofs Chap. 2. c. As to the first of which largely prosecuted Chap. 2. we shall speak to it afterward when we come to speak of the Interest of faith in Justification for thereunto it doth more properly belong being rather a proof of the Imputation of faith in a proper sense as our Righteousness unto justification than of the Non-Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ. Leaving therefore the examination of this to its proper place we come to see what other Scriptures adduced by him against the Truth hitherto asserted do say in this question under debate that the more willingly because Mr. Baxter in his late book against D. Tully referreth us to this man for Arguments First he adduceth such passages as absolutely exclude the works of the law from justification as Rom. 3 28. Gal. 2 16. Rom. 3 20. We spoke something to this matter while we were mentioning the Mysteries remarkable in justification yet we shall here consider what he saith He thus reasoneth pag. 55. If a man be justified by the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto him he shall be justified by the works of the law because that Righteousness of Christ we now speak of consists of these works Ans. The vainity falshood of the Consequence is obvious nor doth the reason added make any supply It is true the Righteousness of Christ did consist in works of obedience required by the law yet though this be imputed to us it doth not follow that we are justified by the works of the law â—â—ccording to the Scripture sense of that expression for the Scripture meaneth works of the law which we do in our own persons Tit. 3 5. And the whole Scope Drift purpose of the Spirit of the Lord in all these places cited in all others evinceth this and all the Arguments mentioned in Scripture against justification by the works of the law demonstrat this to be the true and only impoâ—â— of that expression as cannot but be plaine to any considering person Yet he hath 4. answers and he addeth several other things which we must examine He saith I. Where the Holy Ghost delivereth a truth simply indefinitly in a way of a General Universal conclusion without imposeing any necessity there or else where to limite or distinguish upon it for men to interpose by distinctions limitations to overrule the express meaning of the words is to usurpe authority over the Scriptures Ans. I grant to adhibite distinctions or limitations which the Scripture giveth no warrand for to over rule the express meaning of the words of the Holy Ghost is to exercise an unlawful authority over the Scriptures savoureth of audacious profanity And I judge that there are not afew of such distinctions limitations to be found in his Book making him fall under the lash of this censure But to assert such a general and universal sense of a Scripture expression as neither will agree with other Scriptures nor with common Sense Reason yea which so directly crosseth the whole Gospel and destroyeth the Scope Cohesion
Many such particular duties might here be mentioned but I shall only pointe at a few to which others may be reduced 1. Such as live this life of Gospel Justification should beware of intertaining thoughts of pride or of boasting of any thing they have freely and graciously received and particularly they should guard against boasting in this matter that they are preferred to others and brought out of a state of death when others are left yet to lye thereinto This whole matter is so contrived and so wisely framed that no ground of boasting either before God or man may be left unto Man but that every one may celebrate the praise of Free Grace Therefore Justification is not by works or by our obedience to the Law for then the justified man being justified upon the account of his own works or of the works of righteousness which he hath done should have ground of glorying though not before God yet before Men as having by his own sweating working doing obtained that which others by their laziness negligence not doing have come short of Paul tels us this expresly Rom. 4 2. If Abraham were justified by works he hath to glory but not before God and this is further confirmed vers 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt So that if Justification were by works Justification it self all the Consequences thereof should be due debt unto the worker and his reward and so as the hireling may boast of his labour when he gets his hire reward so the justified man if justification were by the works of the Law might boast of his own paines diligence as having received but his reward and that which was due to him of debt and not of grace But now that all mouthes may be stopped no flesh might glory or have ground of boasting in themselves and before others the Lord hath contrived a far other way of justification to wit by Faith alone whereby the Man goeth out of himself renunceth all his own Righteousness prosesseth himself poor naked miserable a plaine dyvour and utterly non-solvendo layeth hold on a compleet alsufficient Righteousness in Jesus Christ and so hath no ground of boasting or glorying even before men for it is nothing that is in him or that he doth that is that Righteousness upon the account of which he is Justified but only the Righteousness of Christ without him It is not his faith not his works nor his Righteousness but Christ's Righteousness is equally imputed to all beleevers to the weakest beleever as well as to the strongest and so the strongest beleever hath no ground of boasting before the weakest Where is boasting-then saith the Apostle Rom. 3 27. It is excluded by what Law Of works nay but by the Law of faith 2. Upon the other hand let all such glory in the Lord and in his free grace gracious workings Let them say when they reflect on this matter not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thee be glory seing the matter is so contrived as that all the justified may see that God may only have the glory of all that none ought to share with him that he alone should weare the crown all his glorified ones should most cheerfully cast their crownes down at his feet But of him saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1 30 31. are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth Let him glory in the Lord. Christ is made all things unto for his people they have all of God through him that no flesh should glory in his presence as it is said vers 29. Let all such therefore as are made partaker of this rich honourable Privilege comply sweetly cheerfully with this designe of God to have God alone exalted and the mouth of all flesh stopped that he who glorieth may alone glory in the Lord. 3. Let such as are thus advanced minde the great duty of holiness and of growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ The way of faith is not to make void the Law but it doth establish it Rom. 3 31. as Christ is made of God unto is Righteousness so is he made Sanctification As he is Priest to reconcile us to God and become Righteousness to us so is he a King to cause us walk in the Lord to subdue our spiritual enemies and so become Sanctification to us It is the language of the flesh of corruption to argue from this Change advancement unto a liberty to sinne Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound will the flesh object But the Apostle answereth Rom. 6 2. c. God forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein It is repugnant to the nature of that state whereinto now they are broâ—ght to give way to sin Therefore the justified should minde what they are called to what new grounds new advantages new helps new encouragements they have unto holiness that they had not before all plainly fully set down by Paul Rom. 6. eise where 4. How should they commend cry up the free grace of God and that love that visited them when they were lying in their blood and no eye pityed them They were ungodly without strength yet Christ died for them Rom. 5 6. and the Lord did justifie the ungodly even them who had no righteousness of their owne nor nothing to commend them unto him Rom. 4 5. Yea where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5 20. Not only had they nothing more then others to commend them unto God but even they had less and â—et God through free grace set his Love upon the less worthy for saith Paul 1 Cor. 1 26 27 28. ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God hath chosen the weak things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things which are That no flesh should glory in his presence Should not the thoughts of this raise their wondering cause them speak to the commendation of the rich and free grace of God 5. Let such as are brought into this state of life wherein they have peace with God and are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ carry as persones no more strangers unto him as forraigners but as now madenigh by the blood of Jesus therefore let such remember that through him they have an access by one Spirit unto the Farher being now fellow-citisens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2 13 14 18 19. Rom. 5 2. Therefore should improve this advantage both for their own good and for
the good of others should exercise communion fellowshipe with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ so walk with him as agreed with Him have their conversation in heaven Hath the Lord brought them into his houshold yea admitted them to his presence that they may kisse his hand stand before his face continually in the lower chamber of presence and should they carry as yet estranged from him Is He at peace with them and should they have jealous thoughts of him Is He reconciled unto them and should they carry as keeping up some grudge against Him 6. Such should account this state whereinto now they are brought their only blessedness here below Even as David saith Paul Rom. 4 6 7 8. also describeth the blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin Here is the poor self-condemned sinners blessedness that he hath a righteousness imputed to him who had none of his owne and who thereupon hath his iniquities forgiven covered not imputed And such as are made partakers of this blessedness should account it their happiness that how ever it be with them as to outward things in the world yet they are now brought within the Covenant and are covered with the mantle of Christ's Righteousness and have all their iniquities covered cast into the midst of the sea so that they shall never be reckoned upon their score 7. This should be aground for them of glorying in the Lord in the hardest condition they can be into in the world being thus justified they should glory in tribulations knowing that they can suffer no loss o◠disadvantage thereby but on the contrary reap much good and advantage for tribulation worketh in such as are thus justified and at peace with God patience and patience experience experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost Ought they not then to carry under all oppressions persecutions hard usages of men upon the account of owning Christ his Interest as persons that are upon the gaining hand and reaping much spiritual advantage being now brought through grace into such a state of life And how would they hereby glorify God in the world 8. The consideration of their present state of life should cause them triumph in the midst of all difficulties temptations that they shall meetwith in their way as knowing that the life of justification whereof now they are made partakers shall continue and that it shall end in the life of glory for whom the Lord justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8 30. Who shall then lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Who shall then separat such from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or persecution or distress or famine or nakedness or perill or sword Nay in all these things they are more then conquerours through him that loved them Rom. 8 33 34 35 37. Hear how Paul concludeth that matter for himself others vers 38 32. for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Should not therefore such carry as persons that cannot be made miserable How much doth the Apostle insist on this and cleare it from this ground Rom. 5 9 10. saying much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And againe vers 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. There being then a sure ground of confidence assurance of life of compleet salvation laid in justification all such are called to rejoice in hope of the glory of God Rom 5 2. And to have confidence in the Lord that he will perfect what he hath begun to rest assured that all they which receive abundance of grace of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ. Rom. 5 17. 9. Yea particularly the consideration of their many sinnes should not discourage them or cause them despond for being now justified all their bygone sins are pardoned shall not be by the Lord laid to their charge againe however the memory of them may humble them cause them run to the fountaine of the blood of Jesus all their future sins shall be pardoned according the Gospel grounds after the Gospel-methode so that they shall not prejudge them of their promised possession of glory and life everlasting Now the free gift is of many offences unto justification Rom. 5 16. There is a sure way laid down in the Gospel whereby all their sins shall be taken away and the very body of death shall be killed more more dayly so that they shall not finally perish what ever Satan body of death within shall do to prejudge them of the promised inheritance Hence the Apostle inferreth from his foregoing discourse Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to then which are in Christ Jesus 10. Such as are thus justified should follow the example of Paul Phil. 3 7 8 9. and so account such things less for Christ which formerly were gaine yea count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord yea account them but dung that they may win Christ and be found in him Here should their heart delight be about this should their whole occupation be to win and gaine Christ more to know him the power of his Resurrection and the followshipe of his sufferings to be made conformable unto his death vers 10. that hereby Christ may be their gaine their glory their all How jealous should they be of their deceitful hearts that nothing be admitted to share of the glory due to Christ or to possesse any of that room in the heart that is due to him He should have the throne for He is well worthie of it And whatever cometh in competition with him be it within us or without us should be rejected that He alone may be exalted in our souls 11. Such as have been made partaker of this royal life of justification through a Crucified Christ laid hold on by faith should labour to keep this doctrine pure both by word deed so far as they can that 〈◊〉 grace of God that so eminently shineth forth therein may not be darkned by mens erroneous apprehensions
alter many a time in one day But the Lords thoughts are not as our thoughts nor are his wayes as our wayes Esai 55 8 9. His sentence judgment remaineth the same how alterable so ever ours be He is in one minde though we be in many Propos. 4. Hence also it is manifest that Iustification is an Instantaneous act that is it is not a work that is carried on by degrees but a sentence pronunced by the Lord the Righteous Judge once for all Though hereafter they still need renewed pardons so may have moe sinnes actually pardoned this yeer than they had the last yeer yet Justification as relating to their state is no progressive work We hear not of a grouth in Iustification as we hear of a growth in Sanctification for as for that word Revel 22 11 he that is Righteous let him be Righteous still or let him be justified still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not import a growth or progress in Iustification but a continuance in that state beside that others read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Ar. Mont. The complut edition as also the Syriack Arabick Versions This relative change that is made in Iustification is like the relative change that is made in Adoption now the act of Adoption is an Insantaneous act and not a work that is carried on by degrees nor doth it admit of a grouth so that an adopted childe of God can not be more the adopted childe of God this yeer than they were the last yeer though the sense and clear Perception of the one and of the other may doth admit of degrees is not so full clear alwayes at the first as it may be afterwards Propos. 5. Hence it followeth That justification is equal in all that is that all who are justified are alike justified none more than others as none are more Adopted than others speaking of these who are made partaker of the privilege None can be said to be more a son than another so none can be said to be more justified than another who is also justified the Lord's sentence absolveth all equally from all their sins who beleeve and admitteth them all equally into a State of Favoure and Reconciliation They equally passe from death unto life they have equally peace with God they have all an equal imputation of the Righteousness of Christ or a share therein none more or less then others though the faith which laith hold on the Righteousness of Christ be not a like strong in all for it is faith in the same kinde in all and the promise is to the kind and not to the measure or degree of faith It is no where said that we are justified by a faith of such a measure or degree but by faith importing that how weak so ever saith be if it be faith of the right kinde it inteâ—esseth a soul in Christ in his Righteousness whereupon he is justified It is true one may have many moe sins pardoned than another Yet both being Pardoned Iustified they are equally absolved from all that could be laid to their charge he that was the greater sinner is not more liable to the Law then he who was the least offender for the sentence of Pardon or Absolution doth equally free both from all hazard of Condemnation as when two persons are pardoned the one whereof hath committed many crimes worthie of death the other but one they are both equally pardoned freed from prison and from the sentence and set at liberty So also when two persons are pardoned the one whereof hath a greater debt remitted the other a lesser they are equally pardoned the one is not more discharged though discharged of more than the other but both are alike discharged of all their debt freed from all trouble of Law upon the account of their debt So in Iustification all who are justified how great so ever the difference be among them as to the sinnes whereof they were guilty are alike justified because alike freed from the accusation and curse of the Law alike made partakers of the Privileges of Persons pardoned have alike interest in the Favoure of God Right to glory As to what difficulty may arise from the consideration of after sinnes we shall speak to that afterward Propos. 6. The State of Iustification is perfect at the first or Iustification is perfect and compleet to all ends and uses This is clear from what is already said for if Iustification be not an act privilege that admitteth of degrees or of increase and doth not grow more and more dayly it must be perfect at first or adequate to all ends and purposes for which it is appointed or have that perfection that is competent to it It is true it is not so perfect as that it can never be out of sight or as if the sense feeling of it might not grow or become greater nor yet is it so perfect compleet as it thereby the justified person were freed from all sin or all the consequences of sin in this life for it is not hereunto appointed nor granted for these ends But in these respects and for these ends it is may be said to be perfect I That all their former sins are pardoned how many how hainous so ever they have been for then all their sins are cast into the depths of the sea Micah 7 19. are not found Ier. 50 20. In those dayes in that time saith the Lord the iniquitie of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none the sins of judah they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve He taketh away all iniquity Hos. 14 2. Then he imputeth no iniquiâ—y Psal. 32 2. but covereth forgiveth sins without exception Rom. 4 7 8. Thus he redeemeth Israel from all his iniquities Psal. 130 8. He forgiveth their iniquitie remembereth their sin no more Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. 10 17. He cast all their sins behinde his back Esai 38 17. Hereby is remission of sinnes without any exception Rom. 3 25. Mat. 26 28. Mark 1 4. Luk. 3 3. Act. 2 33. 5 31. 10 43. 26 18. Eph. 1 7. Col. 1 14. He forgiveth all trespasses Colos. 2 13. and forgiveth all iniquity Psal. 103 3. 2 These sins once pardoned blotted out and cast behinde God's back are not againe laid to the charge of the justified persons once forgiven alwayes forgiven It is true Satan may renew the charge and use false summonds against the Beleever it is also true that after-sins may waken feares bring old sins againe to remembrance the Lord may let them see their former debt not to charge it upon them but to bring them on their knees to humble them the more to cause them cry for and seek out new extracts of the Pardon received yet the sinnes that God once pardoneth he never writteth down againe upon
the score of Beleevers as if he had recalled the former pardon granted for he remembereth their sin no more Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. 10 17. And for future sins by vertue of their State they have access to seek for pardon and have ground 3 The Righteousness of Christ which is a perfect Righteousness is fully and perfectly communicated and imputed so as thereby they become the Righteousness of God in Christ 2. Cor. 5. last He is their whole Righteousness in order to Iustification and wholly their Righteousness as made of God Righteousness unto them Ier. 23 6 1. Cor. 1 30. And with this Righteousness they are wholly perfectly covered to expect it as found hid there Phil. 3 9. are made Righteous Rom. 5 19. 10 4. 4 They are now wholly Reconciled unto God and have Peace with Him and not by halfes or in some certain respects only as if in other respects they were still Enemies or in a state of Enmity Being justified by faith they have Peace with God Rom. 5 1. once they were enemies but now they are reconciled vers 10. by Christ they have now received the Atonement vers 11. once alienated enemies in their mindes by wicked works but now reconciled Col. 1 21. once a far off but now made neer Ephes. 2 13. the enmity being staine vers 16. No more strangers or forreigners now but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God vers 19. Then is the Lord pacified toward them for all that they have done Ezek. 16 63. 5 They are compleetly translated into a new Covenant state not halfe the children of Saran and half the children of God not halfe in Nature and halfe in the state of Grace not half translated halfe not Ephes. 2 13 19. Col. 1 21. not halfe quickened with Christ and halfe not Ephes. 2 5. They are not now halfe without Christ or aliens from the common wealth of Israel or strangers from the Covenants of promise c. Ephes. 2 12. There is a perfect change as to their state 1. Cor. 6 11. 6 They are secured as to final Condemnation There is no condemnation for them Rom. 8 1. being beleevers they shall not perish but have eternal life Ioh. 3 15 16. He that beleeveth is not condemned vers 18. See also Ioh. 3 36. 6 47. They are passed from death unto life Ioh. 5 24. 1. Ioh. 3 14. being discharged of all guilt of eternal punishment which formerly they deserved by their sinnes And all this holdeth good notwithstanding of their after sins which as we shall shew do not annull or make any such breach upon their state of Justification It is true these sins must also be Pardoned will be Pardoned but yet when they are pardoned their Justification as to their state is not hereby more perfected as to these respects formerly mentioned It holdeth good also notwithstanding of what shall be at the great day for that will put no man in a new Justified state who was not Reconciled to God before It is true there will be many additions as to the Solemnitie Declaration Consequences Effects thereof in that day but not withstanding hereof the state of Justification here as to what respecteth its grounds the essential change it maketh together with the Right that beleevers have thereby unto all that in that day they shall be put in possession of is perfect may be said so to be Propos. 7 By what is said it is manifest how in what respects this life of Iustification differeth from the life of Sanctification 1 Sanctification maketh a real Physical change Iustification maketh a Relative change And thereby they come to have a new State or Relation unto the Law unto God the judge 2 Sanctification is continueing work wherein beleevers are more more built up daily Iustification is an act of God or a juridcial sentence Absolving a sinner pronunceing him free of the charge brought in against him and not liable to the penalty 3 Sanctification is a groÌ„wing and increasing work admitteth of many degrees is usually weak and small at the beginning Iustification doth not grow neither doth it admit of degrees but is full compleet adequate unto all ends here 4 Sanctification is ever growing here and never cometh to full Perfection before death Justification is perfect adequate unto all ends as we shewed 5 Sanctification is not alike in all but some are more some are less sanctified But Iustification is equal in all none being more justified then others 6 Some measures degrees of Sanctification which have been attained may be lost againe But nothing of Iustification can really be lost for we are not here speaking of the sense and feeling of Justification which frequently may be lost but of Justification it self 7 Sanctification is a progressive work Iustification is instantaneous as was shown 8. Sanctification respecteth the Being Power Dominion of â—in in the beleever and killeth subdueth and mortifieth it Iustification respecteth its guilt demerite taketh away guilt and the obligation to punishment or obnoxiousness to the paying of the penalty 9 In justification a man is accepted upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him and received by Faith But in Sanctification grace is infused and the Spirit given to perfecte holiness in the fear of God 10 In Iustification there is a right had unto life and unto the rich recompence of reward upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed whence they are said to have passed from death to life But in Sanctification they are made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light 11 Unto Iustification nothing is required but faith in Christ whereby the soul may become united to Him have a right to his benefites But unto Sanctification all the graces of the Spirit are requisite and all the exercises of the same all diligence is required and an adding of Vertue to Faith of Knowledge to Vertue of Temperance to Knowledge of Patience to Temperance of Godliness to Patience of Brotherly kindness to Godliness of Charity to Brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1 5 6 7. Propos. 8 Hence it followeth also thar there is no ground to assert a first a second Justification as Papists do meaning by the first an Infusion of an inward Principle or Habite of Grace which is no Justification nor part thereof but the beginning of Sanctification and by the Second another Justification which with them is an Effect or Consequent of the former having good work which flow from the foresaid infused principle of grace love for its proper formal cause This Justification they say is by works where as the former is by faith and yet this second they make to be an Incrementum an increase of the first and for this they say the church prayeth when she saith Lord increase our saith hope
Spirit of God Inclining Drawing Perswading Causing the heart beleeve are real strangers to this grace whatever great Enduements Gifts or ordinary effects of the Spirit they may be possessed of The author of a Discourse of the two Covenants a book recommended to us by Mr. Baxter in his preface prefixed thereunto as a Treatise which will give us much light into the Nature of the Gospel pag. 24. tels us that man himself is not wholly passive in this change or what goes to the making of it but is so far active in it as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance to be his own act Whereby he sufficiently discovereth an Arminian designe yet so qualifieth his expressions as may abundantly show he intendeth to evade For he will not say that man is not at all passive in this change but only that he is not wholly passive and yet he dar not say this confidently but must adde or what goes to the making of it and how much he may comprehend under this who can tell But if man be not passive he must be active How far then is he active So far saith he as to denominate what he doth by God's assistance to be his own act That the act of Faith is mans act is most certain for it is he that beleeveth but the question is what change is wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God before the act of faith be exerted and what hand mans labours and endeavours have in the infusion of the new Principle the Divine Nature Is not the man purely passive in the receiving of the effect of that creating act or in the work of Regeneration That the Lord prescribeth the use of ordinary means wherein the man is to waite for the free gracious working of the Spirit is true but there is no connexion made by the Lord by any Law or Constitution betwixt the use of these meanes and the gracious work of faith nor betwixt ordinary Light Conviction and the like common effects of these meanes and Saving Grace Yet he tels us afterward that if man do but what he can do through the assistance of God's common providente in whom we live move have our being God is most ready through his good pleasure or out of the goodness of his will pleasure to work in him both to will to do savingly to carry the work quite thorow But what Scripture doth teach us this Sure I am that Phil. 2 12 13. with which he ushereth in this discourse giveth no ground for this for that is spoken to such in whom the work of Salvation is already begun and who are commanded to work it out to say that the case is the same is to overturne the whole Gospel and present us with pure Pelagianisme is there as sure certane a connexion betwixt mans work of nature God's gracious works of Grace as is betwixt the work of grace Begun Carried on His adducing afterward p. 25. the commands to make ourselves a new heart to repent c. to enforce this is but the old Pelagian argument brought againe upon the stage to which I have said what I hope will befound Consonant to the Scripture in my book against the Quakers But this man discovereth himself more plainly afterward pag. 28 where after mentioning some acts of men which cannot be called acts of super-natural grace he tels us if men will but go thus far as they can out of a real-desire to â—e happy I should make no question but that the Spirit of God would yeeld them his assistance to carry them quite through in the work of conversion Beside that connexion whereof he maketh no question though the orthodox have hithertill denied it writting against Pelagians Iesuites Arminians we may observe this here That nature can carry the work of conversion quite through having only the assistance of the Spirit of God and what difference is there then betwixt Nature Begun Grace for begun Grace needeth the assistance of the Spirit of God to work Salvation quite thorow and Nature needeth no more where are then the Infused Habites Is Regeneration only brought about by assistance Need they who are dead no more but Assistance If this Author help us to clearness in the doctrine of the Gospel it must be the Gospel that only Pelagians Iesuites Arminians Quakers owne but not the Gospel of the Grace of God revealed to us in the Word which telleth us of something more requisite unto the Conversion of a sinner to the bringing of him to Beleeve Repent than the Cooperation of God's assistance as he speaketh pag. 25. mans endeavours He tels us pag. 26. that there is a promise of divine assistance to Man using his â—ndeavours in doing what he may can do towards the performing the condition of the Covenant But he showeth us not where that promise is to be found and pag. 17. he talks of an implicit promise and this he very wonderfully inferreth from the Gospel that was preached to Abraham for thus he speaketh for God in promising blessedness to the Nations through Abrahams seed therein promised all that was absolutly necessary for him to vouch safe to make them blessed without which they could not be blessed And if so then he therein implicitly promised to assist the endeavours of men to perform the condition of the promise without the assistance of whose grace they cannot savingly beleeve repent obey Whence it would seem 1 that all men are comprehended within this promise and 2 That no more is promised in reference to the Elect than to the Reprobat 3 That the promise of faith Repentance is but a promise of of Assistance 4 And this promise of Assistance is not to assist Grace but to assist Nature 5 That the promise of Faith Repentance was but an implicite promise This is a sufficient taste of this Authors Pelagian-Gospel 4. We proceed This work of the Spirit upon the soul whereby the man is brought to a closing with and to a resting upon Christ is ordinarily wrought by the word for faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of God Rom. 10 17. The Lord hath established that great Ordinance of Preaching for this end and for this end he blesseth it unto his chosen ones we meane not this exclusivly as iâ— the word could no other way be-blessed for he blesseth as he seeth good for this end the Reading of Meditation on the word also though the grand special mean be the Preaching as we see Act. 2 37 41. 8 26-30 26 18. The Lord it is true may send wakenings by his Judgments by other like Occasions may blesse the private Endeavours of Parents friends by their private Instructions Admonitions yet all these are no way prejudicial unto but rather contribute to the confirming of the privilege of the word as the Principal Mean
we were justified upon the account of it as our Righteousness God should not be he who justifieth the ungodly as he is expresly stiled Rom. 4 5. And the reason is because he cannot be called an ungodly person who hath a Righteousness inherent in him which is his own which the Lord accounteth to him for a Righteousness he is not unrighteous whom God accounteth Righteous he whom God accounteth Righteous cannot be called ungodly so that if God account Faith to us for our Righteousness putting it up upon our score as our Righteousness when God justifieth us as Righteous by vertue of our faith or as clothed with faith as a compleet Righteousness he cannot be said to justifie such as are ungodly But now the Scripture tels us that God is one that justifieth the ungodly that is one who hath no Righteousness inherent in him upon the account of which the just righteous God can justify him but one that must have a Righteousness from without Imputed to him upon the account of which he is Justified and accounted Righteous in Christ though unrighteous ungodly in himself our Faith cannot be said to be imputed to us as our Righteousness 8. If Faith as our act of obedience were imputed to us as our Righteousness Paul could not say as he doth Rom. 4 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness without works for then Righteousness should not be imputed without works but a prime special principal comprehensive work for with our Adversaries here faith is in a manner all works or comprehendeth them as we heard towards the end of the foregoing Chapter should be imputed as our Righteousness not a Righteousness without works 9. Free pardon of sins will never prove the man blessed unto whom God imputeth Faith in a proper sense for his Righteousness as it doth prove him blessed unto whom God imputeth Christ's Righteousness or a Righteousness without works And the reason is because faith is no satisfaction to the justice of God therefore can not be our Righteousness upon which we are pardoned justified Now the Apostle argueth thus Rom. 4 6 7 8. Even a David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven whose sins are covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin 10. The Righteousness imputed is something distinct from our Faith is not our faith it self for the Apostle saith Rom. 4 23 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him c. If Faith it self were the Righteousness imputed these words could make no good sense Shall we think that the meaning of the Apostles words is nothing but this Faith shall be imputed if we have faith or our Beleeving shall be imputed to us if we Beleeve This looks not like one of the discourses of the Apostle 11. The imputation of our Beleeving as our Righteousness cannot ground our Peace with God not have we by it access into this grace wherein we stand nor can we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God nor glory in Tribulation for it is obvious how weak a ground that were for such a great building But the Righteousness of Christ laid hold on by Faith can be a sufficient basis for all this Rom. 5 1 2 3. 12. Faith as our work of obedience is not the grace of God and the gift by grace which must be imputed to us as our Righteousness upon the account of which we are to be justified as the offence transgression of Adam was imputed to his posterity as the ground of death passing upon them and of judgment or guilt to condemnation But is only our receiving of that abundance of grace and of the gift of Righteousness Rom. 5 17. But that which is imputed as the ground of Justification as Adam's disobedience was imputed as the ground of their Condemnation is the Righteousness of the Second Adam of whom the first was a figure vers 14 15 18 19. 13. When the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 5 21. for he made him sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him his meaning cannot be that our Faith is the Righteousness of God or that we are made the Righteousness of God upon that account of having faith for the Apostle is holding forth here a comfortable commutation which God maketh betwixt Christ us as the ground of that ministrie of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them mentioned vers 18 19. And therefore as Christ hath some thing that was properly ours imputed to him by God that is Sin or Guilt which he had not in himself so we must have something as the native fruit effect of that that is properly Christ's imputed to us of God that is his Righteousness which we have not in ourselves And beside this Righteousness of God is that whereupon Reconciliation is founded as is manifest comparing vers 19. with 21. But who will say that our Reconciliation unto God is founded upon our Faith as if that were our Peacemaker our Atonement Satisfaction as if that were Christ in whom God was reconciling the world unto himself Was Christ made sin that the imperfect grace of faith might be made a compleet Righteousness become our compleet Righteousness 14. When the Apostle saith Rom. 9 31 32. That Israel hath not attained to the Law of righteousness because they sought it not by faith he must meane a Righteousness that is distinct from Faith and therefore he cannot meane Faith it self for if he meaned faith it self as our work the words should have this sense they sought not Faith by Faith and therefore they did not attaine to Faith Shall we impute such jejune insipide expressions to Paul or rather to the Spirit of God speaking in by Paul 15. The same Apostle tels us Rom. 10 3 4. That the jewes being ignorant of God's righteousness going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God And by this Righteousness of God he cannot meane Faith for their faith had been their own so their own Righteousness if Faith had been Righteousness but he must meane the Righteousness of Christ which faith laith hold on for he addeth for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth So that it is the Righteousness of him who is the end of the Law that is that Righteousness unto which they should have submitted themselves by Faith it is not Faith it self but a Righteousness which is had from Christ who is the end of the Law a Righteousness
proper a sense as can be spoken of or applied to a Creature And even though we speak of Faith in the orthodox sense as being the gift of God yet seing it floweth nativly from the new Nature given in Regeneration is said to be mans faith his act all this difference will not exclude all occasion of boasting glorying before men more then Abraham's works would have done if he had been justified by them And yet the Gospel-way of Justification perfectly excludeth all boasting being so contrived in all points as that he who glorieth may only glory in the Lord. Argum. 5. If Faith be imputed unto us for Righteousness then are we justified by that which is Imperfect which it self needeth a Pardon seing no mans Faith is perfect in this life But there is no Justification to be looked for before God by that which is Imperfect but by that which is Perfect Therefore c. He excepteth These words then we are Iustified by that which is imperfect may either have this sense that we are justified without the concurrence of any thing that is simply perfect to our justification or that somewhat that is comparativly imperfect may some wayes concurre contribute towards our justification In the first sense the proposition is false in the later sense the assumption goeth to wreck Ans. This distinction is to no purpose for it doth not loose the difficulty in regard that the argument speaketh of a Righteousness as the formal cause or as the formal objective cause of Justification or as that upon the account of which the person is Pronunced Declared to be Righteous and Justified and so is levelled against Faith concluding that it cannot be our Righteousness or the formal Objective cause of our justification as it is said and supposed to be by such as say that it is imputed to us for Righteousness for it is made by them to be all the Righteousness that is imputed to us that because of its Weakness Imperfection He addeth in application of this distinction The truth is that the Imputation of faith for Righteousness presupposeth somewhat that absolutely perfect as absolutly necessary unto justification Had not the Lord Christ who is perfect himself made a perfect atonement for sin there had been no place for the Imputation of faith for righteousness for it is through this that either we beleeve in him or in God through him it is through the same atonement also that God justifieth us upon our beleeving that is imputes our faith unto us for righteousness Ans. This presupposal doth not helpe the matter for notwithstanding thereof Faith it self is made the only Imputed Righteousness and faith is not considered as an Instrument receiving Christ's Righteousness and the Atonement there through but as a work making the reward of the Atonement to be of debt ex pacto and not of free grace and so to have a worth a merite in it Our Adversaries will not grant that this presupposed Righteousness of Christ whereby the perfect Atonement was made is imputed unto us for this is expresly denied and beside they say that it was equally made for all and so is equally imputed to all so far as that thereby all are put into such a state as notwitstanding of the former breach made they may now upon the new termes of Faith receive the promised reward And thus it is manifest that with them this imperfect thing saith is that for upon the account of which they are justified As for example that we may hereby illustrate cleare the matter if we should suppose that Christ had by his Atonement delivered all from wrath due for the former transgression of the Covenant and had put them into the former state wherein Adam was before he fell procured that God should take a new essay of them and make promise of life unto them upon the old termes as some who plead for Universal Redemption say God might have done had he so pleased after the Atonement was made in this case might it not be said that every person that should now be Justified upon the performance of these termes were justified by the performance of the Condition as by his own Righteousness that this new Obedience were all the Righteousness he had declared to have when justified should he not be justified upon the account thereof solely And was he more obliged unto the Atonement of Christ than others who did violate of new these Conditions And seing now Faith is put in the same place and made to have the same Force Efficacy shall we not now be Justified by this one act of Obedience as we would have been in the other case by perfect Obedience And if it be so is it not manifest that we are justified by a Righteousness that is Imperfect that all the presupposal of a perfect Atonement doth not availe 2 When it is said that it is through the Atonement made by Christ that we beleeve in him or in God through him it must be granted that Christ hath purchased Faith that either to all or to some and if to all then either absolutly or upon condition if to all that absolutly then all should have faith if upon condition we desire to know what that condition is If not to all but to some only then Christ cannot be said to have died alike for all 3 as to that he faith viz. That it is through the same atonement that God imputeth our faith to us for righteousness justifieth us upon our beleeving it being the same that others say who tell us that Christ hath procured faith to be the condition termes of the new Covenant we shall say no more now than that we see no ground to asserte any such thing here after we shall give our reasons Argum. 6. If faith be imputed to us for Righteousness then God should rather receive a Righteousness from us then we from him in our Iustification But God doth not receive a righteousness from us but we from him in Iustification Therefore c. He excepteth by denying the consequence upon these reasons 1 Because God's imputing Faith for righteousness doth no wayes implye that faith is a righteousness properly so called but only that God by the meanes thereof upon the tender of it looks upon us as righteous yet not as made either meritoriously or formally righteous by it but as having performed that condition or Covenant upon the performance whereof he hath promised to make us righteous meritoriously by the death sufferings of his owne son formally with the pardon of all our sins Ans. All this can give no satisfaction for 1 If no Righteousness be imputed to us in order to Justification but Faith and if faith it self be hereby made no Righteousness then we are justified without any Righteousness at all God shall be said to pronunce them Righteous who have no Righteousness
this occasion trouble the Reader with some more of their expressions that we may see that the doctrine which is now so much cried up followed after is nothing but old Socinianisme so owned professed by such as do not deserve to be called Christians Socin de Servat lib. 4. c. 4 7 11. God justifieth the ungodly but now converted penitent after he hath left off to be ungodly the justified are not ungodly in themselves neither are they so called yea they are not sinners which is more they do not now sinne And so faith works that is obedience to the commands of Christ as the forme of faith doth justifie us before God by them through them per illa ex illis he justifieth us Smalcius disp 4. c. Frantzium Regeneration all other good works Love Prayer Obedience Faith Charity c. are so far from being effects of justification that without them justification can no way really exist for God justifieth no man but him who is compleetly adorned with all these vertues â— yea the study of good works walkeing before God were the cause though not the chiefe of the justification of Noah Abraham others who are said to be justified by faith Socin ubi supra de Serv. lib. 1. c. 4. Faith doth not justifie by its proper vertue but by the mercy goâ—d will of God who justifieth such as do such a work imputeth it for righteousness With Paul to have righteousness imputed is nothing else but to have faith imputed to be accounted just faith is so imputed to us as that because of faith we howbeit guilty of many unrighteousness are esteemed perfectly righteous or God so dealeth with us as if we were perfectly righteous who can doubt that the Apostle meaneth no other thing than that we are not righteous before God because our works require that as a due reward but because it hath so seemed good to the Lord to take our faith in place of righteousness so that we receive the reward of grace by which we are declared righteous before him More might be adduced for this end as it might be shown also how herein the Arminians conspire with them against the orthodox And as for the judgment of Papists in this point it is likewise known It will not be necessary that we insist in disproving that which hath been so much witnessed against by the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians upon these heads It will suffice I suppose if we give a few reasons why we cannot acquiesce in the doctrine proposed by the forenamed Author 1. Hereby works of obedience are exalted to the same place are allowed the same Force Influence Efficacy into Justification with Faith whereby all the Apostles disputes for Faith against Works for faith as inconsistent with exclusive of works are evacuated rendered useless So that the Apostle hath either not spoken to the purpose or hath not spoken truth either of which to say is blasphemie The Apostle argueth thus we are Justified by faith therefore we are not Justified by works This man reasoneth on the contrary we are justified by faith therefore we are justified by works because by a faith that includeth works as if the Apostle had meaned a Faith that was dead had no affinity with works 2. Hereby he confoundeth all these duties which are required of Beleevers or of such as are in Covenant with God with that which is solely required of them in order to their first entering in Covenant or into a state of Justification as â— one should say that all the marriag-duties required of such as were already in that marriage state were conditions of entering into the marriag-state 3. Hereby he confoundeth Justification with Glorification making all that Faith sincere obedience which is required in order to actual Salvation Glorification to be necessary before Justification And thereby must say that no man hath his sins pardoned so long as he liveth but if he be sincerely obedient he is in the way to a Pardon to Justification He cannot say that by a practical Faith he only meaneth such a true and lively Faith as will in due time produce these effects for as that will not consist with his explication of that practical Faith so it would crosse his whole designe The just man in the eye of this new Law as he saith p. 49. is every one that rightly beleeves repents sincerely obeyes because that is all that it requires of a man himself to his Iustification Salvation Where we see that with him Justification Salvation go together have the same conditions and he that is just must be one that hath these Conditions and he who hath not these Conditions is not just in the eye of that new Law and if he be not just in the eye of that new Law his faith cannot be accounted to him for Righteousness nor he Justified 4. The man hereby confoundeth the two Covenants or giveth us a new Covenant of Works in stead of the Covenant of Grace for this practical Faith which includeth all obedience hath the same place force efficacy in the new Covenant that compleet Obedience had in the old And this Gospel is but the old Law of works only with this change that where as the old Law required Perfect Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation this new Covenant of works requireth Sincere Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation And so thus we are Justified saved as really by upon the account of our works as Adam would have been if he had continued in obedience to the end this Faith and sincere Obedience is as really to all ends purposes as effectually and formally our Righteousness as Perfect Obedience would have been the Righteousness of Adam And thus the reward must as really be reckoned to us of debt not of grace as it would have been to Adam if he had stood And as faire a ground is laid for us to boast glory though not before God as had been for Adam if he had continned to the end The evasion he hath to make all this of grace saying p. 49 50. And yet every beleevers justification will be all of grace because the Law by which they are justified is wholly of grace was enaâ—ed in meer grace favour to undone man is not able to help him for it was wholly of undeserved grace love that God did so far condescend to Adam to all mankinde in him as to strick a Covenant with him a promise of such an ample reward upon his performance of the condition of Perfect Obedience to the end yet notwithstanding this Law was wholly of grace was enacted in meer grace favoure for neither was the Lord necessitated thereunto nor could Adam say he had deserved any such thing at God's hand the reward
loath to advise trye whether thereby more of their weight is laid on Christ or on their own faith And on the other hand let any serious exercised Christian be enquired see if their practice agree with this doctrine If it be said That there is no such hazard so long as Faith is not considered here as abstracted from its Object Christ but is considered with a respect thereunto I Ans. 1 We have seen what a poor general respect faith by some of our Adversaries is said to have to Christ whereby it is made nothing but a meer historical faith the Author of the Discourse of the two Covenants p. 31. saith that even that faith that had not the Messias in the promise is imputed for Righteousness 2 As for such as confesse that justifying faith hath a special respect to Christ his Righteousness we would know whether it hath this respect that it peculiarly refugeth the soul there from the storme of wrath and bringeth in thence Christ's Righteousness or cartieth the man out to it that he may lean upon it plead the same as the only ground of his Absolution from the sentence of the Law And if this be granted then it is manifest that the beleever hath no Righteousness but Christ's Surety-righteousness where withall he desireth to appeare before God this is it alone to which he leaneth through which alone he hopeth for Pardon Acceptance without the least reflecting act of soul upon his own Faith 3 But againe if so faith must stand alone as acting thus in a peculiar manner on Christ which no work else is fitted to do therefore Faith Works must not be joyned together nor must Faith be considered in this affaire as comprehending all Obedience in it as we see they say 4 But when Faith is made our Gospel-Righteousness in whole or in part howbeit they say they consider Faith as acting on its object Christ yet it is manifest that it is then considered with relation to its object in a Physical or metaphysical manner as all acts specified from their objects may must be considered but not in a theological sense as required in the Gospel to bring-in the Surety Righteousness of Christ to leane the soul thereupon as its only Righteousness for when it is said to be our whole Gospel Righteousness it is considered as a moral vertâ—e as an act of Obedience in us constituting us Righteous in a formal sense according to the new Law which is hereby fully in all points performed obeyed much more when works are joyned with it doth it with works put on a far other respect than to be the hand receiving the Atonement the gift of Righteousness But saith Mr. Baxter against Mr. Cartwright p. 179. In regaiâ—d of that justification which is from the accusation of the Law of works I say faith is but a condition no otherwise justifieth but because it is made that condition by a New-Law per legem remediantem we must be judged by that Law therefore when the case is whether we have performed the conditions of that new law or not then faith is materially that Righteousness by which we must be justified against all accusations of Non-performance Ans. 1 I doubt if such as never heard a report of Christ shall be judged by the New-Law far lesse by it alone 2 God will not call in question a Beleevers faith nor accuse him of Non-performance Nor will the Gospel or New-Law do it so that the Beleever needs not plead his performance in reference to a Justification at the tribunal of God 3 When Faith is made a Condition by a New-Law thereby become the beleevers Righteousness this Righteousness is the Condition and is therefore a Righteousness because made a condition by that new Law yea elsewhere ibid. pag. 106. this Righteousness is said to be compleet perfect as all Righteousness must be we see what weight is laid upon it And when there is no other Righteousness properly imputed to us for as for that Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which he would yeeld to as the only sound sense it is but what Iesuites Socinians Arminians yeeld to we cannot be satisfied with who seeth not how this matter is framed so as all the weight of the soul must be laid upon this personal Righteousness especially when it is made another Sort of Condition than we can acknowledge it to be as shall be seen afterward and when it is the immediat ground of our Right to Pardon Justification Adoption c. for Christ's purchase was to him general common and no more for one than for another and to all conditionally If it be said What hazard is there so long as Christ's Righteousness is held to be that which satisfieth for the breach of the Covenant of Works is full Satisfaction to justice and which hath purchased the New-Covenant and the new easie termes our Righteousness in performing the new easie termes whereby we come to have Right to life all the benefites purchased by Christ is no way prejudicial unto that nor robbeth not Christ's Satisfaction of the least of the glory due to it I Ans. The hazard still continueth for hereby 〈◊〉 Gospel Righteousness be it Faith alone or Faith Works together is made the immediate sole ground of our Right to the benefites for what Christ did was general common and He by what he did made no particular purchase of any good unto any but procured the New-Covenant and the new grant of life upon the easie termes alike unto all the satisfaction which he made unto the Law giver for the breach of the old Covenant was not as a peculiar Cautioner for any in particular but was equally for all as much for the damned as for the saved So that our Right to the benefites cometh purely wholly from our performance of the New-Termes which Christ is said to have purchased Therefore though our personal Righteousness hath no interest in purchasing the New Covenant or in making satisfaction to Justice unto that end yet Justice being now satisfied equally for all and the New Covenant being purchased alike for all our personal Righteousness is that which must bear the glory of our interest in the benefits the Obligation where in we stand to Christ upon that account is the same that others are under who reap none of the benefites which we reape by our New Righteousness And here it is also manifest that Faith if that should be made the Gospel-Righteousness alone without works in order to the justification of a sinner is not conceived to act upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness that the soul may put on his Surety-righteousness thereby answere all challenges of the broken Law but is conceived as our Work and as our Performance of the New Conditions and as such is rested upon leaned to Whereby man
than Justification c. And though it be true that in this case what is inconditione non est in obligatione as to the actual possession yet we cannot think but the holy Just God having received satisfaction from the Mediator in behalfe of such for whom it was laid down is under an obligation as we may conceive and speake unto the Mediator to cause him see of the travel of his soul to give him his seed and those he purchased and in due time to call them effectually work Faith in them then Justifie c. Adopt them c. thus bestow all the benefites purchased upon then in the time methode wisely determined But if Mr. Baxter understand by this jus actuale that is constituted upon the performance of the condition a plaine and simple Right unto the benefite we can acknowledge no such Condition lest we render the death of Christ void for in him alone have we all our Law-title Right to all the blessings of the Covenant to Faith all that follow upon it That we may put an end to this we shall first shew in what sense we cannot admit Faith to be a Condition then shew in what sense we do admit the denomination As to the first we say 1. We cannot admit it to be a Condition in their sense who will have Justification so to depend upon it as on a Procuring Cause some way or other meriting at least ex pacto or ex congruo as Bellarm saith that benefite as a Reward for this destroyeth the Freedome of Grace that shineth forth in our Justification overturneth the whole nature of the Covenant of Grace spoileth Christ of his glory and doth man to come in as a sharer in the glory of that purchase 2. We cannot admit it to be a Condition in their sense who take a new Obedience with it for this taketh away the special Use of Faith and its special End in laying hold on refuging the soul under the wings of the Surety-Righteousness of Jesus Christ This changeth the nature of the Covenant of Grace maketh it a new Covenant of Works giveth ground of boasting of glorying before men yea maketh the reward of Justification and what followeth thereupon to be of debt not of grace And such a Condition in the Covenant of Grace we cannot owne 3. We cannot admit it to be a Condition in their sense who make it strickly a Potestative Condition placeing it in the power free will of man to beleeve or not as he will for as this overturneth the whole Covenant of Grace and exalteth proud man so it parteth at least the glory of Redemption betwixt Christ Man giveth man ground to sing to the praise of his own Lord free will to say he hath made himself to differ he oweth but halfe thanks hardly so much to Jesus Chaist for all that he hath done and suffered in order to the purchasing of Salvation 4. We cannot own it for a Condition in their sense who make it or it our new obedience together our Gospel-Righteoâ—sness that Righteousness which only is properly Imputed to us Reckoned upon our score as the Righteousness upon the account of which we are Justified for thus the nature of the Covenant of Grace is changed God is made to estimate that for a Righteousness which is no fulfilling of the Law Christ is made to have procured that it should be so that his own Surety-Righteousness should no otherwayes be imputed 5. We cannot account Faith a Condition in their sense who ascribe to it or to it with works the same Place Use Efficacie in the new Covenant that Perfect Obedience had in the old Covenant of Works for this maketh the New Covenant nothing but a new Edition of the old and shooteth Christ the Lord our Righteousness far away who is should be our immediat Righteousness that in him we might be found hid secured from the dint of the Law-Curse and with all giveth proud man too palpable ground of boasting contrare to the whole Contrivance of the Gospel-Covenant 6. We cannot owne it for a Condition in their sense who reject it and disowne it for an Instrument or an Instrumental Meane in our Justification because they deny that particular and special Use which it hath in our Justification so pervert its whole Gospel-Nature It s special use work in Justification being to lay hold on the Lord Jesus his side jussorie-Righteousness to carry the Man out of himself as renuncing his own Righteousness every thing that is not Christ his Righteousness that as poor empty naked he may lay hold on rest upon the Surety-Righteousness of the publick person Cautioner Jesus Christ for thus Christ his Righteousness are put by and he getteth not that rent of glory that is only due to him the soul is made to leane upon something beside this Rock of ages 7. We cannot admit it for a Condition in their sense who will have us hereby to have gotten a legal Title or Right unto Justification other benefites according ... following the same seing this puts the crown upon Mans head as having by his deed acquired a jus Law-right unto these blessings which become hereby a reward not of grace but of just debt We acknowledge all our Right Title to all the blessings of the Covenant to be from Christ the only purchaser of him must we hold all that all may be of free grace he even he alone may have all the Glory having redeemed us with his precious bloud purchased the whole Inheritance of grace glory for us 8. We cannot account it a Condition in their sense who plead for Universal Redemption because thereby Christ is only made to have purchased something to all alike that Conditionally no more grace glory for Peter than for Iudas but Peter by his own Paines Industrie by his Faith New Obedience did purchase the whole personal and immediat Right unto the blessings which he enjoyeth and hath received no more from Christ than what Iudas had so hath no more ground of exalting him for Redeemer than those have who perish seing what he purchased was common to all no more for one in particulur than for another for this setteth the crown upon mans head who hath saved himself by his sweating paines labour and spoileth our Lord Redeemer of his glory 9. Nor can we account it a condition in their sense who will have the whole or principal part of what Christ purchased to be the New Covenant the Termes Conditions thereof as if Christ had been a Cautioner for none in particular but had so far redeemed all as to have brought them into such an estate wherein they might now work won for themselves run fight for the prize according to
justified CHAP. XXIX What Interest Repentance hath in our Justification IN reference to the clearing of this Question about the Interest of Repentance in Justification it will not be necessary to speak much of Repentance it self the premitting of a few things will be sufficient unto our purpose The Hebrew word which is rendered repent is of a general signification for it signifieth to return whether from a place or from the distemper of our minds or from our former courses so denoteth a motion or change of the body from one place to another or of the mind from any purpose or of the whole way walk and in special it sometime signifieth a change of the whole man to the better both as to his Mind Resolution and Deportment thus denoteth a mans turning unto God And accordingly we read in the New Testam of the Prodigals coming or returning to himself or to his right mind wits and we heare of Repentance towards God In the N. Testam there are two greek words the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importing such a change as it attended with after care the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying such a change as denoteth after-wit or after thought Some do so difference these two as that they say the last signifieth so to sorrow for what is done as to amend it called by the latines Resipiscere therefore properly is meaned of a good saving Repentance wherein the penitent returneth to his right wits so as to reforme amend what hath been amisse and the other denoteth properly care anxiety solicitude after something done called by the Latines poenitere and this may be used in an evil sense as denoting properly no change of minde or carriage to the better but simply such a trouble anxiety for what is done as maketh them wish it were not done whether the thing done was good or evil But in the New Test. we finde not this difference constantly obsérved for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken both in a good sense for a good Repentance saving Mat. 21 32 29. and for a common Repentance that is not saving Mal 27 3. where mention is made of Iudas repenting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that cometh therefrom import a good saving Repentance except Heb. 12 17. What this word denoteth when used of God either affirmativly or negativly we need not here enquire It is more for our purpose to consider that Repentance may be taken in a threefold sense 1. for a common work of legal sorrow through conviction of hazard because of sin whereby the man may rew be grieved be sorrowful for what he hath done and wish he had not done it as Iudas repented of his wickedness This may be and yet not be attended with Pardon of sins And as to such in whom the Lord purposeth to carry on the work of Condition Humiliation untill it come to real Conversion and an Union with Christ though it may be called a conditio sine qua non of Justification Pardon in such in regaird that usually if not alwayes the Lord premitteth some thing of this as to some sensible measure or other unto his more gracious workings yet this Common Repentance hath no proper interest in justification cannot be called a Condition thereof far less a Cause seing in it self it hath no certain connexion with justification though it be an antecedent in the justified yet it may be and often is where no justification followeth being in many nothing but the sorrow of the world that worketh death 2. Cor. 7 10. But 2. There is a Repentance that is only peculiar unto such as are already Justified Pardoned following upon flowing from the sense and intimation of Pardon expressed by Self-abhoring Self-lothing Melting of heart and Tenderness the like so Ezek. 16 63. That thou mayest remember be confounded never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee c. So Ezek. 36-25 26 27 28. comp with vers 31 See also Ier. 31 19 20. Neither can this be called or accounted a Condition of Justification Remission because it manifestly followeth not only Justification Remission itself but also the sense and intimation thereof therefore cannot go before it But. 3. The greatest difficulty is anent that work of Repentance which is a saving work of the Spirit going a longs with Faith ariseing from the sense of sin committed and the apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ causing spiritual kindly griefe sorrow and indignation at themselves and their sinful wayes with an hatred of sin a fixed purpose to forsake it and to turn to the Lord this is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures Now this Repentance may be considered two wayes first as it is in these in whom the Lord is working a work of Conversion whom He is translating out of dearkness in to the Kingdom of his dear Son and Secondly as it is in such as are already brought in to a justified state after new sins committed As to this last we will have a fit occasion to enquire afterward how or what way it is required in reference to Remission Pardon of after-sins The first falleth now under consideration because we are speaking of Justification which holdeth forth a change of state as was formerly explained That we may therefore proceed the more distinctly in this Inquisition we must fiâ—st take notice of the several senses of the word or of the termes equipollent in Scripture and see what is properly denoted there by And 1. Sometime it denoteth most griefe sorrow or that which is called contrition or that part of Repentance as Luk. 10 33. where it is explained by sitting in sackcloth ashes Ier. 8 6. No man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done Thus it may also be taken 2. Cor. 11 21. that I shall bewail many which have sinned already have not Repented of the uncleaness fornication lasciviousness which they have committed Here I say it may be looked upon as mostly denoting this part of Repentance though not as excluding the other parts 2. Some time it denoteth mostly a change of former courses wayes whether of errour as 2. Tim. 2 25. If God per adventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the truth or of Conversation called Repentance from dead works Heb. 6 1. So 2. Chron. 7 14. it is called a turning from their evil wayes from sins Ezek. 18 21. It was said to Simon Magus Act. 8 22. repent of this thy wickedness See Rev. 2 21 22. 3. Sometime it denoteth the whole work of Conversion turning unto God Act. 26 20 that they should Repent turn to God where the latter expression is but exegetick of the former So also Act. 3 19. Repent ye therefore be converted where both expressions
same purpose Rom. 10 4. tels us that Christ was the end of the Law in his doctrine having taught that Righteousness of living which the Law itself taught but in a more excellent spiritual effectual manner Which is a very Socinian like gloss but no way suiting the words nor the scope of the Apostle as the very reading of them may evince the following words vers 7 8 9 10. may put beyond all question His citeing thereafter pag. 146. Rom. 7 4. Gal. 2 19 20. is to no purpose for in neither of these nor any where else doth he cry up holiness performed in any manneâ— whatsomever as a Condition of Justification and this our Author should show or he doth nothing for we are not against the necessity of holiness but see more Sure more Comfortable more Heart quieting more Divine and more Gospel-like grounds whereupon to presse holiness than any he discovereth in all his book or can according to his principles His 3. ground is p. 147. That Regeneration or the new creature as including Evangelical Obedience is opposed to works of the Law in the business of mans Iustification as well as Faith is as well as the grace of God it self is And this he thinketh to prove from Gal. 6 15. as Schlightingius the Socinian did before him cont Meysner p. 148. But one thing is to be proved to wit that the Apostle is speaking this in order to justification and so contradicting all the former disput he had which neither Reason nor Religion will allow us to think nor do the words nor any Circumstance of the words nor any thing of the scope or of the threed of the Apostles discourse give the least countenance hereunto His 4. ground p. 148. is also from Schlichtingius ubi supra That Evangelical obedience as well as faith together with faith is opposed to the works of the Law in reference to Iustification Salvation Gal. 5 6. Ans. He supposeth here that Circumcision is the same with the works of the Law while as these that were crying it up at that time took it only for a privilege which might be keeped together with Christianity and therefore the Apostle told them vers 3. which they did not take notice of that by their taking on that badge of circumcision they made themselves debtors to do the whole Law 2 All that is required in reference to Salvation is not required in reference to Justification 3 Faith working by Love denoteth the right the livly Faith which only is Justifying Saving but bringeth not in all Evangelick Obedience under Love as sharing with faith in the same prerogative of justification as was shewed above His 5. ground p. 149. is That Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to the works of the Law in reference to Iustification And this he confirmeth by 1. Cor. 7 19. borrowing it from Schlightingius the Socinian where only two things are wanting to make this passage a confirmation of his Assertion one is that by Circumsion here is meaned the keeping of the Law and what shall then be understood by Uncircumcision The other is that the Apostle is speaking this in reference to Justification contrary to the whole context His 6. ground ibid. is That faith itself is an act of Evangelical obedience Unto which we need say nothing here having said so much above to shew that Faith in the matter of justification is not considered as an act of Gospel-obedience but as an Instrument laying hold on the Righteousness of Christ the Cautioner His 7. ground is p. 152. That by Gospel-obedience Christians come to have a Right to Salvation Revel 22 14. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liberty as it is translated 1. Cor. 8 9. Power or privilege as it would seem to import 1. Cor. 9 18. elsewhere is no proper Right for all that can be called proper Right the Saints have it through the purchase of Jesus Christ his blood his blood alone hath bought the inheritance to us And hereby we see the true tendency of this Man's doctrine even to give us heaven as that which we have bought with our labour obedience that is to give us heaven by a new Covenant of Works which Christ hath procured to be made with us But this Right is but a liberty to take possession of the crown of life purchased by Christ promised at the end of the journay in the way wherein the Lord hath appointed us to walk towards the possession thereof And can only prove what we deny not to wit the necessity of Holiness in order to the actual injoyment of life But what saith this unto justification He will not have us put any difference betwixt them alledging that such as do are more curious nice in distinguishing than Paul was And why so Paul cals Iustification the justification of life Rom. 5 18. Therefore Justification Glorification is one the same have every way the same conditions Ans. It followeth not He citeth next Rom. 8 30. which clearly maketh them distinct What more He i.e. Paul proves that men shall be justified by faith because it is written the just shall live by faith Gal. 3 11. with him to be justified blessed are all one Gal. 3 8 9. Rom. 4 7 8 9. Ans. What that from Gal. 3 11. can be made to prove by him I know not And as for the next it will prove as much that is just nothing He might as well inferre that Poverty in Spirit Mourning Meekness Hungring Thirstâ—ng after Righteousness Mercifulness Purity in heart Peacemaking Suffering of persecution were all the same with glory because of what is said Mat. 5 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Yet he proceedeth at this rate tels us p. â—54 That Paul useth Righteousness or Iustification life as Synonimous termes Gal. 3 21. Ans. As if Justification were not a state of life unless it were the same with Glory We have shown above what a life it is And saith he Iustification Condemnation are put in direct opposition to eachother Rom. 5 18. 8 33 34. Ans. And what then In short saith he Salvation as well as justification is promised to beleeving Ioh. 3 16. Act. 3 31. Heb. 10 39. therefore both must be the immediat effect of faith Ans. Himself answereth all this by adding if we take Salvation as begun here in this life as the Scripture represents it to be Ioh. 5 â—4 1. Ioh. 3 14. 5 12. He would further prove it from Iam. 2 14. As if in one Chapter the Apostle could not speak both of Justification Salvation unless he would make them both one thing But though there be a life begun in Justification that shall at length end in Glory we see no ground to say for all that he hath brought forth that they are so the same as to require the same previous Conditions How profitable so ever Mr. Baxter account this Treatise
of God Gal. 2 20. Yet faith receiveth him as God manifest in the flesh 1. Tim. 3 16. as the word made flesh Ioh. 1 14. as the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16 16. Ioh. 6 63. as the Immanuel God with us Esai 7 15. Mat. 1 23. Luk 1 31. 2. Faith taketh him wholly as to his Offices as a Prophet as a Priest as a King Faith embraceth him as that great Prophet Act. 3 22. as the Word of God that came out of the bosome of the Father to reveal his mind counsel for our Salvation Ioh. 1 17 18. Faith receiveth him also as Priest offering up himself to God a sacrifice for sins and making Satisfaction to the justice of God as Interceeding with the Father Ephes. 5 2. Heb. 2 17. 7 25. 9 14 28. Hence we hear of Faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. And Christ crucified is proposed to Faith to receive feed upon And in order to Justification Pardon faith as we shall hear hath a special eye unto the Surety Righteousness of Christ. Faith also receiveth him as a King to subdue their souls to himself to make them Subjects to swey his scepter in their souls to subdue all their spiritual Enemies to Support Rule Guide Defend them by his Spirit Esai 33 22. Act. 5 31. Psal. 110. through out 3. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Relations he hath taken on in reference to his people to wit as an Husband Ephes. 5 30 31 32. as an Head Ephes. 5 23. 1 22. Col. 1 18. as the Chief-Corner stone Ephes. 2 20. 1. Pet. 2 4 5 6 7. as a Vine Ioh. 15 1 2 5. As a Witness Leader Commander Esai 55 4. as a Light Esai 42. 6. 49 9. Faith receiveth him under whatsoever Title Denomination he is held forth for the comfort of his People 4. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Work imported Ends designed by these Offices Relations Denominations which he took upon him under which he holdeth forth himself 5. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Furniture Qualifications whereby he was fitted for the discharge of the duties belonging to the Offices which he did execute both in his Estate of Humiliation Exaltation for throughing perfecting of the work which he undertook to do so that Faith receiveth him as the Anointed of the Lord as having the Spirit of the Lord upon him as having all Fulness all Power Authority even the Spirit without measure Esai 61 1. Luk. 4 18. Ioh. 3 34. 1 14 16. Col. 1 19. 2 3 9 10. Mat. 28 18. 6. Faith receiveth him wholly as to all the sinners Necessities Cases Wants Straits Difficulties which they either are or may be into from first to last All the Vessels must hang on Him as the nail that it fastened in a sure place Esai 22 24 25. Faith eyeth Him Him alone seeketh the upmaking of all in Him alone as knowing that in Him only sinners can be compleet Col. 2 10. out of his fulness must they receive grace for grace Ioh. 1 16. Therefore is he held forth as fournished with all richly that we stand in need of as a Store house Treasurie of all necessaries as having Eye salve Gold Rayment what we need Revel 3 18. 7. Faith receiveth Him with all the Sufferings Crosses Inconveniences that can follow Faith taketh up the Crosse followeth Christ. Mat. 10 37 38. Mark 8 34. Mat. 16 24. Luk 9 23. Next I say That Christ as revealed held forth offered in the Gospel is the object of Saving Justifying faith And so 1. He is received as the result to speak so of the wonderful Contrivance Designe of free Grace Love Goodness Mercy Wisdom concerning the glorifying of God in the Salvation of the chosen ones in through Him faith here observeth closeth chearfully with that gracious Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah or God Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Son in order to the Salvation of poor man through the Sones becoming Mediator God-man becoming Cautioner for such as were given unto Him and coming in their Law-place and suffering for them and their debt c. Faith closeth with and embraceth this foundamental Ground of Salvation in all its Parts Ends Meanes and so receiveth Christ as standing in such a place and as engageing to through such a designe of Love free Grace so far as the Beleever cometh to know understand the same to be revealed We may consider to this end Esai 53. through out Ephes. 1 3. forward Rom. 3 21-27 and other places there see how Christ is held forth 2. He is received as the great Gift of God Ioh. 4 10. as the Soveraigne Mean through which all the great designe of Grace is brought about in a glorious manner as the authorized Ambassadour of God and messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3 1. as the grand Effect of Love Grace Goodwill Tu. 3 4. Ioh. 3 16. as fore-ordained and set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. and as made of God unto us wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption 1. Cor. 1 30. He is received as the Power of God and as the Wisdom of God 1. Cor. 1 24. as He in whom God was reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2. Cor. 5 19. and as made sin though he knew no sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2. Cor. 5 21. that is as the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 6. Thus faith in receiving Christ as thus held forth in the Gospel eyeth God the Giver the Sender the Maker of Christ to be sin and eyeth God as the Justifier of the ungodly in him Rom. 4 5. and as the Reconciler of us to himself by Christ 2. Cor. 5 18. as forgiving sins and granting Redemption through Christ's blood according to the riches of his Grace wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom prudence Ephes. 1 7 8. Here is the incomprehensible riches of the Mercy Grace of God Father Son Holy Ghost eyed as the Object according to their peculiar methode order of working in this grand affaire 3. He is received as offered held forth in the Promises Thus was he embraced of old as the promised Messiah and as the substance of all the Promises which the Fathers of old saw a far off Heb. 11 13. Ioh. 8 56. That promise made to Abraham that in him all Nations should be blessed was the Gospel Gal. 3 8. and contained a bunddle of promises vers 16. And the faith of this was that faith by which Abraham was justified Rom. 4 16-22 Hence all the promises are made good in and through him and they are all yea amen in him 2. Cor. 1 20. And he is
the Substance of them all for they either hold forth his Person or his Work or some thing of Him or some thing from Him according to the Various Exigencies Necessities of his people 4. He is received as the grand meane of declaring setting forth the glorious Attributes of God which the Lord will have manifested in and by this noble designe of the Gospel for Faith sweetly acquiesceth in this designe of God's to preach forth his Excellencies Vertues in this manner and therefore receiveth Christ as offered held forth in the Gospel for such a glorious End so receiveth him as the great Gift of Love Ioh. 3 16. as the mean whereby the Righteousness of God is declared Rom. 3 25. and his Grace Ephes. 1 5 6. and as the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1 24 Ephes. 3 10. Thus Faith seeth the glory of God shining with a peculiar splendour in the face of Jesus Christ 2. Cor. 4 6. 5. So is he received as the grand only Meane to bring about all the great Ends designed of God and desired by them so that in the receiving of him all these ends are closed with and expected such as Remission of sins Justification Acceptation Adoption Sanctification Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost yea life and Immortality full Redemption Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Act. 26 18. Rom. 3 25. 4 6 7 8. Ephes. 1 11 12 13 14. Rom. 5 1 2 3. 1. Pet. 1 3 4. So that Faith eyeth here by way of end all that Grace Glory they would have and can desire to make them up 6. And in a word He is received as the grand meane to Interest them in God Father Son Holy Ghost as theirs to bring them nigh unto God and in Covenant with Him and to enjoy the several Effects Benefites of their Workings They come to God through Him as the only way to the Father Ioh. 14 6. They close with the Father as their God and Father through Him and with the Holy Ghost as their Sanctifier and comforter through Him who sendeth the Spirit from the Father Ioh. 15 26. 14 26. All these several things belong unto the adequate full Object of that faith whereby beleevers become Justified Adopted Sanctified shall be at length finally Saved for they shall receive the end of their faith the Salvation of their souls 1. Pet. 1 9. Yet to prevent mistakes we would adde some few considerations 1. By all this we do not meane that all these Objects or Various parts or Considerations of the one adequate compleet Object are expresly and distinctly conceived laid hold on by every Beleever when they act faith on Christ or come unto God through him according to the Gospel-command But that these things belong to the full Object of Saving faith and are implied therein so that whoever beleeveth savingly beleeveth these several truthes according to the measure of the Revelation of God and of their Capacity Information So that a more full explicite beleefe of these particulars is now required under the Gospel than was required under the Old Testament when â—his Revelation was not so full and plaine as now and more is required of such who have had clear information of Gospel truthes than of others who have wanted that Advantage and more also is required of such as have large Capacities Understandings than of others who are more Rude of a narrower Reach 2. Wherever any of these truthes are rightly beleeved and heartily closed with all the rest are implicitly also received for they cannot be separated the whole contrivance is such a noble piece af divine art of infinite wisdom that all the several pieces are indissolubly knit together Hence what ever piece it be that the beleever first doth directly explicitly close with or under whatsoever notion Christ at first be embraced according us the beleever cometh to more distinct apprehensions of other pieces or parts of this contrivance so his heart complyeth with and he cordially embraceth the same 3. We may be hereby helped to understand the several and various expressions used in Scripture to pointe forth faith acting on its object for however these be not alwayes one and the same but different yet the same whole object is implicitly understood and these particulars expresly mentioned must not be considered abstractly or alone but according to their several place in the grand designe and with respect thereto as when the object of faith is said to be He who justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4 5. and to be Him who raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead vers 24. and in that same Chap. the object of Abraham's faith whereby he was justified is the Promise that God would make him a Father of many Nations c. vers 17 18. c. all these must be considered with respect unto Christ the grand medium who was appointed to be a Saviour to all Nations and was to die rise againe after satisfaction made to Justice and in and through whom alone God will Justifie the poor sinner that is ungodly in himself With reference here unto must we understand the Publicans saying God be merciful to me a sinner and the saints under the Old Testam their so frequent fleeing to the Grace Mercy Bounty of God for all this was with respect to the only Soveraigne way that the Lord had condescended upon whereby to shew forth and manifest his Mercy Goodness Grace to sinners In the New Test. we finde more express mention made of Christ as the object of faith as Iesus of Nazareth the true Messiah who was promised Ioh. 20 31. 1. Ioh. 5 9 10 20. Ioh. 1 45. Act. 13 38. or as Lord God Ioh. 20 28. as the Son of David Mat. 15 21. 9 27 20 30. 21 42. As the Son of God Ioh. 9 35. as the Christ the Son of God Ioh. 11 27. Act. 8 37. as come forth from God Ioh. 16 30 27. as the Lord Iesus Act. 16. 31. as raised by God from the dead Rom. 10 9 as one that died rose againe 1. Thes. 1 14. as sent of God Ioh. 17 8. that Iesus is the Christ. 1. Ioh. 5 1. So that under all these and the like one and the same thing for substance is pointed forth though some particular in that grand designe of grace is more expresly immediatly pointed at yet that particular is to be understood with reference to the whole and the whole is to be included So also when God is mentioned as the object of faith either absolutely 1. Pet. 1 2. Tit. 3 8. Heb. 5 1. 1. Thes. 1 8. or in Reference to Christ whom he sent Ioh. 5 24. or through whom he is beleeved in 1. Pet. 1 21. or the like the matter must be thus understood 4. Hereby also may the Various Explications of this object of faith given
truth we lay down these grounds both from Scripture Reason as 1. The words of the Text whereupon we are do evince this for it is said the just liveth by Faith And as was cleared at the beginning of our discourse the words as used by the Prophet Habbakuk from whom they are cited are spoken of such as were already Beleevers Justified and pointed out the way how they were to have a life in an evil time and how they were to continue or be keeped in that State of Favoure with God whereinto they were brought to wit by Faith for the just shall live by his Faith and accordingly the same words are cited by the Apostle Heb. 10 38 39. Now the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul. Where living by Faith is opposed to drawing back to wit through unbeleefe and as drawing back is unto perdition so beleeving is to the saving of the soul therefore the Continuation of this life of justification unto the end even unto the final Salvation of the soul is by Faith This life of justification as it is begun by Faith as the Apostle evinceth Rom. 1 17. and in our present Text citing in both places these same words for that end so it is continued by Faith as the only condition thereof And to say that the particle only is not here added therefore other Works of Obedience must be or may be adjoyned here in this matter notwithstanding it be said the just liveth by Faith were in effect to destroy the Apostles Argument in our Text where he useth this same expression without the addition of only to prove that we are not justified by the works of the Law Therefore as this assertion that the just liveth by faith proveth justification by faith without the works of the Law so the same proveth the Continuation of Justification without the works of the Law as the Condition thereof 2. The Grounds Causes of Justification mentioned by the Apostle Rom. 3 22 24 25 26. hold good al 's well in the Continuation as in the first beginning of justification for there as well as here the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve for there is no difference Justification first lastly is free by his grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set fort to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood And there is not the least hint given that the matter is altered in the Continuation of justification 3. As the beginning of justification is so contrived as all boasting is taken away so must the Continnance thereof be conceived to be But if works be admitted as Conditions of the Continuance of Instification though they be denied to be the Condition of the Beginning thereof all boasting shall not be excluded contrary to Rom. 3 27. for if a sinner after that he is Iustified by the merite of Christ at first should have it to say that for the Continuance of his justification he were beholden to his own Works he should surely have matter of boasting in himself in so far at least Papists think to evite this Argument against their Second Iustification by works by saving that all these good works are not of themselves but of the Father of Lights But this shift will not help for all these works are not the Righteousness of Christ but are works of Righteousness which we do are excluded in this matter as occasioning boasting or giving ground thereunto as the next Argument will more fully cleare 4. Abraham is said to have Righteousness imputed unto him Faith imputed unto Righteousness and so to be justified by faith not only when he was first justified but many yeers after even when he offered up Isaac his son Rom. 4. Iam. 2 21 23. So was he justified first last as to have no ground of glorying and therefore not by works Rom. 4 1 3 4. But it will be said that the Apostle Iames saith expresly in the place cited that our father Abraham was justified by works when he had offered his Son Isaac on the Altar I Ans. Not to engage in the whole explication vindication of that Passage of Scripture here which is of late to good purpose most satisfyingly done by the learned Doctor Owen I only say that Abraham's being justified by works was such as thereby the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness c. vers 23. Now if Abraham had been justified by works properly so taken the Scripture had not been fulfilled which said he was justified by Faith but the contrary had been made good to wit that works were imputed to him he was justified by them as by his Righteousness But the meaning is that Abraham was justified by faith a true faith that proved itself such in time of a trial by works of obedience particularly by obedience to that command whereby the Lord tried or tempted him Gen. 22 1 2. and by such a Faith as wrought with his works was perfected or discovered manifested to be real after the trial of the fire Iam. 2 22. It is a good direction that the learned Camero giveth here Op. fol. pag. 83. That we should hóld fast the scope of the Apostle Iames to this end that we should take notice of the Apostles Proposition and of the Conclusion thereof The Proposition is set down vers 14. What doth it profite my brethren though a man say he hath faith have not works can faith or that faith save him Whereby we see that the Apostles scope is to prove that that Faith which the man supposeth he hath who hath no works is not that Faith by which we are Justified saved that because it is unprofitable to poor indigent brethren in necessity vers 15. 16. is dead vers 17. 20 it can not be shown by works vers 18. it is a Faith that devils have vers 19. All which what followeth is cleared from the Conclusion vers 26. for as the body without the Spirit is dead so faith with works is dead also 5. It will alwayes hold true that God is he who justifieth the ungodly so justifieth him that worketh not but him to whom saith is counted for Righteousness Rom. 4 5. But if the Continuance of Justification were by works works were counted for Righteoulness in order to the continuance of justification God should not continue to be the justifier of the ungodly but should justifie the ungodly at first thereafter justifie the Godly whereof the Text giveth not the least hint 6. The Instance of David cleareth this also
Rom. 4 6 7 8. for David is there Psal. 32. speaking of himself long after he was first justified and yet his words saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven c. prove Justification by faith without the works of the Law which is the Apostles scope the end for which he adduceth this prove and we must not think that any of his probations are impertinent but this they could not prove if the â—ontinuance of justification were by works not by Faith only as is manifest for who can inferre that the beginning of Justification is by Faith alone from this that the continuance of justification is by works but when the Continuance of Justification is by Faith alone it followeth manifestly that the beginning of it must be by faith alone Yea it is hence also manifest that Pardon of sins committed after Justification is not had by works but by the imputation of Righteousness without works for saith Paul David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works And how did David describe this When he said blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven c. 6. Paul tels us Rom. 5 2. that as by Christ we have access by Faith into grace so in the same we stand rejoice in the hope of the glory of God Access into this grace must import the State of Justification as this is by Faith so is the standing abiding therein and consequently the continuance of Justification and there is no word of works here at all in this whole affaire 7. Paul likewise confirmeth this in his own Experience Gal. 2 20. where he tels us how and what way he lived unto God being dead to the Law to wit by the Faith of the Son of God and as this was true of the life of Sanctification so much more of the life of justification both as begun as continued for the whole life of a Christian now crucified with Christ living unto God is here spoke to And this is in opposition to the works of the Law as is cleare from vers 16. from the following vers 21. 8. The same is confirmed by the doctrine of the Apostle Ephes. 2 8 9 10. for by grace are ye saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them This Salvation taketh-in both the Beginning Continuance End of our life of Justification all this is by Faith alone expresly it is said not to be by works and that lest any man should boast which confirmeth our third argument these works are works of Gospel-obedience and he tels us of another end use of these than to be the Condition of the Continuance of our Justification even to be the way we should walk in according to the fore-ordination of God and carry as his workmanshipe created thereunto 9. We have the Apostles own practice againe set before us to cleare this matter Phil. 3 9. where he tels us what was his maine designe work not at first only when he was Justified but long thereafter to shew what was his constant designe should be to the end even labour to be found in Christ renuncing his own Righteousness and to seek to be hid under covered with that Righteousness which is through the faith of Christ which is of God by Faith So that as he beleeved in Jesus Christ that he might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law Gal. 2 16. So here he sheweth that he will continue in this exercise to the end 10. We may adde to these that passage of Paul Tit. 3 5 6 7. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us and this Salvation sure will take-in the Continuation of justification by the washing of regeneration renewing of the holy Ghest which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Lord that being Iustified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life And when he willeth Titus in the following verse to affirme that they which have beleeved in God may be careful to maintaine good works as being good profitable unto men he addeth nothing of their being the Condition of the Continuance of our justification as sure he had a faire occasion to do if the matter were so but he had fully excluded them from all interest therein vers 5. We may adde to these a few Reasons 1. Is it not considerable in this point that Paul speaking so frequently disputing at such a length of justification clearing so many things about it Yet in all his discourses thereupon he never mentioneth this Condition to wit works of obedience of its continuance And which is also considerable though he oftentimes press to holiness useth many Arguments to that end Yet he never maketh mention of this place office it hath in about the Continuance of justification which sure is supposed by the Assertors to be a mighty argument unto the constant exercise of Holiness 2. We have proved above that justification at first is by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ received by faith and we have shown that Faith in Justification specially eyeth the Righteousness of Christ resteth thereupon If then our personal Obedience be brought in to be the Condition of the Continuance of Justification Christ's Righteousness is quite laid aside from having any Further interest therein and the Beleever is never after the first time to act faith upon the Righteousness of Christ and the reason is because works do not act so upon the Righteousness of Christ as Faith doth neither have they that capacity to do so But how absurd is it to think or say that the Beleever hath no more to do with Christ's Righteousness And how contrary is it to the fixed resolution of Paul Phil. 3 9. And how inconsistent with the whole scope of the Gospel which is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that beleeveth and wherein is the Righteousness of God revealad from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith Rom. 1 16 17 If it be said That this cannot militate against such as take-in Faith with works I Ans. It will militate against such for works cannot act upon the Righteousness of Christ as faith doth therefore if faith works concurre as conditions in one the same manner Faith is not here considered as acting on the Righteousness of Christ but only as a work another moral vertue and so the Righteousness of Christ is quite excluded 3. Beleevers by Faith in Christ are compleatly justified as to their state have all their bygone iniquities pardoned and they are accepted as children in his Favour Ioh. 1 12 they are made
as to our case He that by his cattel or otherwise hath made spoil in his nieghbours Corne hath given him full satisfaction for the spoil done to his contentment is as good a Nieghbour deals as justly honestly with him as he that never trespassed in that kind upon him How impertinent this is as to our case any may see or he must say that there was no reward promised to Adam upon his perfect obedience that that word do this live had no place in the Covenant made with him The Satisfying Nieghbour deserveth no reward nor was there any reward promised to him upon Condition of his being a good Nieghbour He addeth The essence nature of justice or righteousness is suum cuique tribuere to give to every man his own i. e. that which is his own in a way of equity right is due from us unto them Ans. But that which Adam was obliged to give to God as his owne was glory by faithful constant obedience that he might receive the reward to the glory of God's faithfulness goodness Now when Adam dishonoured the Lord by disobedience robbed him as it were of his Authoritie as just righteous Governour a satisfaction for the wrong done excluding positive full obedience unto the Law is not a giving to God all that is due to him Now saith he when we have enjured or damnified any man in any of his rights or things belonging to him there is nothing more due to him than that which is his own i. e. that which is fully valuable to the injurie we have done unto him Therefore he that tenders a valuable consideration or satisfaction for an injurie done to another is just according to the height utmost exigency of justice consequently as just as he that never was injurious or did wrong Ans. All this is to no purpose as to our question for it is not betwixt God us noâ— was it betwixt God and Adam as it is betwixt one man another God is to be considered as a supreme Law-giver Ruler enjoyning obedience to his Lawes under penalties and promising rewards unto the obedient Now when his Lawes are broken he is doubly enjured the breaker is obliged unto punishment and also forfeited of his expectation of the reward When satisfaction is made and withall no compleet obedience to the Law the person is by the satisfaction made only exeemed from the obligation to punishment but hath thereby no right to the reward promised untill the Law be compleetly obeyed His 2. Conclusion is There is no medium between a perfect absolution freedome from all sin a perfect compleet righteousness But he that is fully discharged freed from sin ipso facto is made perfectly compleetly righteous Ans. The same distinction which we made use of in the other Conclusion will helpe us here If by perfectly compleetly Righteous be meaned one that is liable to no punishment it is true that he who is fully discharged freed from sin is made perfectly righteous but if by perfectly compleetly Righteous be meaned one that moreover hath a right to the recompence of reward that is promised than it is false freedom absolution from sin respecteth only the guilt dissolveth the obligation to punishment in that respect is a perfect compleet Righteousness i. e. the person so absolved is as free of punishment or of obligation thereunto as if he had never sinned but having sinned he cannot by this dissolution of the obligation to punishment be ipso facto made as perfectly compleetly Righteous as he would have been if he had never transgressed but had perfectly keeped the Law for if he had perfectly keeped the Law he had obtained full right to the reward which now he hath not and which no pardon or discharge as such can restore him unto Let us hear his reason Nothing saith he can any way diminish or prejudice the perfection of Righteousness but only sin as no thing can hinder the perfection of light but darkness in one degree or other So that as the aire when it is free from all degrees of darkness must of necessity be fully light so he that is perfectly freed from all sin must of necessity be fully perfectly Righteous Ans. This would make us beleeve that he is here speaking of sin itself and not of its guilt and demerite and so the opposite hereunto must be holiness which expelleth sin in a manner as light doth darkness or as one quality doth its contrary But then he is fighting all this while against his own shadow for we are speaking of the guilt of sin which also must be properly understood and nothing else can when he spoke of absolution freedom from sin in the Concluâ—on If he speak here of sin in respect of guilt demerite his simile doth not quadrate and opposite to this guilt he should set Righteousness or obedience with its merite and if any will do this they shall easily see the mistake for though a man hath not transgressed yet he hath not eo ipso right to the premium for in order to this moe dayes work may be required than one or halfe of one dayes work far less can the Pardon of or satisfaction for this transgression give a man right to the reward He addeth It is impossible to conceive a man defective in any part of Righteousness yet withall to conceive him free from all sin sin Righteousness being in subjecto capaci contraria immediata as Logicians speak Ans. Defective in Righteousness may be either understood in respect of the meer duty or command or in respect of full right to the reward In the first sense such an one cannot be free of all sin but taking it in the second sense he may as for example when one is to work eight dayes in dressing a garden then to receive the reward promised if he fail in his work any of the dayes to be punished this man so long as he worketh 2 3 4. 5. dayes cannot be charged with sin nor said to be defective as to his duty and yeth he hath not full right to the reward untill he hath wrought Eight dayes but is defective in some part of his Righteousness as to this reward And according to this may we understand that logical axiome Further he saith The Scriptures themselves still make an immediat opposition between sin Righteousness To finde out a third estate between sin Righteousness we must finde out a third Adam from whom it should be derived Ans. The state of sin of Righteousness whereof the Scripture speaketh admitteth indeed of no medium or third betwixt them and the reason is because we are all now borne in a state of sin are obnoxipus to wrath remaine so untill we be translated into a state of Righteousness which is not by meer pardon of sins but
Merites of a Mediator he argueth against justification by the Law the works thereof And according to the Apostle's Methode do we argue 3 To cover Justification by our own inherent Righteousness having the same place in the New Covenant which inherent Righteousness Obedience had in the old by these fine words Faith a Practical beleef of the Gift acceptance of it with thankful penitent obedient hearts is not such ingenuous dealing as the Importance of the matter requireth But this will be clearer by what followeth But saith he the true way of Righteousness was to become true Christians that is with such a penitent thankful accepting practical beleefe or affiance to beleeve in God as the giver of Salvation in Christ as the Redeemer his Spirit as our life Sanctifier and to accept Christ and all his procured Benefites Iustification Life as purchased by his Sacrifice Meritorious Righteousness given in the New Covenant on this Condition and so to give up ourselves to his whole saving work as to the Physician of our souls only Mediator with God This is the summe of Paul's doctrine on this point Ans. Not to speak of this matter here which is elsewhere done I shall only say that we are not enquiring after the true way of Righteousness but after the true way of Justification before God And enquire where the Apostle teacheth that all the Righteousness required unto justification must be within us none at all imputed as this Summe holdeth forth Where he teacheth that this faith including works all obedience is the only meane of justification Where he teacheth that this inherent imperfect Righteousness of ours is the immediat ground and meritorious Cause ex pacto of our justification Salvation Where he teacheth that Christ's Righteousness is no otherwise ours than as purchasing the New Covenant wherein our own personal Righteousness is made the Potestative Condition of our Justification Salvation And yet these and several other Particulars of this alloy doth Mr. Baxter hold forth as taught in Scripture as hath been seen elsewhere CHAP. V. Works excluded in Justification are not works only done before Faith nor perfect works required in the Law of Innocency nor outward works only THe other Evasion which such as plead for the Interest of Works in Justification fall upon to evite the dint of the Apostle's argueing concludings against Works is That by the works of the Law which Paul excludeth from justification works are meant which are done before Conversion Faith by the strength of Nature not the works of grace done after This is the Evasion of Bellarmine others But against this we have these Reasons to propose 1. When the Scripture saith we are justified by faith the meaning is that so soon as a soul beleeveth in Christ by a true Faith he is justified before God But this opinion saith That a man is not justified when he beleeveth in Christ No not untill he performe Works of Righteousness after he hath beleeved And thus we may conceive a man to be a beleever yet not to be justified which is contrary to the Gospel 2. If we were justified by the Works of Regenerat persons we should be justified by works that are imperfect and consequently by an imperfect Righteousness for these works being made our Righteousness if we be justified by them as our Righteousness we must be justified by an imperfect Righteousness for they are not perfect neither as to parts nor as to degrees Esai 64 5. 1. Ioh. 1 8 10. 1. King 8 46. 2. Chron. 6 36. Eceles 7 20. 3. Regenerat persons have renunced their own Righteousness in the matter of justification before God therefore they judged that they were not justified thereby And this is registrate in the word for our Instruction example that we may learne also to renunce our own works in this business The Antecedent is clear from these Instances 1 David saying Psal. 130 3. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity o Lord who shall stand And in opposition to this he betakes himself to free Remission saying vers 4. But there is forgiveness with thoe So Psal. 143 2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified So that if God should enter in judgment with the best even with his servants they could not expect to be justified by their works even by their best works So when he saith Psal. 32 1 2. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered c. he renunceth all justification by the best of his works for Paul Rom. 4 6 7. giveth the meaning hereof to be that David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works 2 Paul also renunceth his Righteousness in this matter that several times for he saith 1. Cor. 4 4. for I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified And he speaketh of himself while in the State of Regeneration So Gal. 2 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ not by the works of the Law And Phil. 3 9. he desired to be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law No man can think that by his own Righteousness here he meaneth only works done before he was regenerate 4. The Instances whereby Paul proveth Justification by Faith without the works of the Law confirmeth this that works after regeneration are excluded as well as works before for 1 Abraham was a regenerat man when his saith was said to be imputed to him Rom. 4 1 2 3. compared with Gen. 15. for before this time Gen. 12 1. he obeyed the call of God by faith Heb. 11 8. See also Rom. 4 9 10 11. 2 David another Instance of Justification by Faith was also regenerat when he was justified as Paul cleareth Rom. 4 6 7. by the imputation of a Righteousness without the works of the Law 5. The Apostle excludeth simply the works of the Law from being the Righteousness of any in point of justification And we have no warrant to except or distinguish where the Law excepteth not nor distinguisheth The works of Regenerat persons are works works of the Law as well as any other And Paul doth absolutely simply exclude works the works of the Law from being the ground of justification 6. By what reason can it be evinced that the Law or the Works of the Law signifie works before Regeneration or works done before faith more than other works Do these words carry this sense where ever they are used Or can it be demonstrated that they carry this express sense any where 7. Are only regenerat persons said to be under the Law Now the Apostle speaketh of all the works of
those who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3 19. 8. The Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ is as much without the Law or the works of the Law done by Regenerat persons as without the Works of the Law done before Regeneration And justification by these works after Regeneration is as much inconsistent with justification by faith without the works of the Law as justification by the works of the Law done before regeneration as is manifest from the true sense of justification by faith 9. Paul excludeth all works of the Law from justification that giveth any ground of boasting and of glorying as we see Rom. 3 27. 4 2. But if justification were by works of the Law done after Faith Regeneration all boasting glorying should not be excluded Ephes. 2 9. Not of works lest any many should boast And what these works were the next Argument will shew 10. Even works are excluded unto which we are created which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Ephes. 2 8 9 10. for by grace are ye saved through Faith that not of yourselves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Now these works are works done after regeneration as is manifest 11. All works are excluded in this matter which make justification not be of mercy or of grace Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 2 8. Tit. 3 5 7. But this do works after Regeneration as well as before as Paul cleareth Ephes. 2 8 9 10. works grace cannot consist in being the ground of justification no more than in being the ground of Election Rom. 11 6. 12. Works done after regeneration belong to that Righteousness which is of the Law which Paul describeth Rom. 10 5. from Levit. 18 5. to be that the man which doth those things shall live in them But the Righteousness of the Law the Righteousness of Faith are opposite inconsistent as the Apostle cleareth there Rom. 10. 13. Works done after regeneration if made the ground of justification will made the reward of debt not of grace Rom. 4 4. as well as works done before regeneration for the Scripture holdeth forth no ground of difference in this matter 14. If works done by Faith and after Regeneration be admitted as the ground of justification God should not be said to justifie the ungodly for a Regenerat beleever working works of Righteousness is no where in Scripture called an ungodly man But the Scripture speaketh this expresly Rom. 4 5. 15. Paul tels us Rom. 4 16. that the promise was of Faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham who is the Father of ut all Now this seed which is of the Faith of Abraham are beleevers or Regenerat persons And yet as to these the Law is excluded the works thereof because if they which are of the Law be heirs Faith is made void the promise made of none effect vers 14. 16. If Justification were by the works of the Law done after Regeneration we could not upon first beleeving be justified have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ nor could we rejoice in hope of the glory of God glory in tribulation c. And yet this the Apostle expresly affirmeth Rom. 5 1 2 3. c. If justification did depend upon our after works we could not as yet have peace reconciliation or assurance or joy c. because of the uncertainty of our obedience 17. If Paul had not excluded works done after Faith Regeneration from being the Cause ground of our justification what seeming ground or occasion had there been for that objection Rom. 6 1. What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound What ground could any have to say We are justified by our works done after Regeneration therefore we may continue in sin that grace may abound Any might see at first how ridiculous this was 18. And if we are justified by works done after Regeneration is it not strange that in all Paul's answers unto this objection he never once sayeth nor hinteth that by these works we shall be justified no other way and yet this had been the shortest clearest solution of the objection if it been according to the doctrine of justification delivered by Paul 19. The false Apostles who were corrupting the doctrine of the Gospel of Justification did not urge works done before Faith in the Gospel as the ground of justification for they were corrupting such as had already embraced the Gospel beleeved in Christ as is clear out of the Epistle to the Galatians Therefore when Paul is confuting their errour opposing himself unto them he must deny that we are justified by works done after Faith in Christ. 20. Justification by works done after regeneration is as opposite to faith to living the life of justification by faith as justification by works done before Regeneration for the Law is never of faith so reasoneth Paul Gal. 3. 11 12. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident For the just shall live by Faith And the Law is not of Faith 21. All the works of the Law are excluded But works wrought after beleeving after Regeneration are works of the Law being required thereby Psal. 119 35. Rom. 7 22. Therefore even these works are excluded 22. When the Apostle excludeth works from being causes of justification he must meane good works for no man was ever so mad as to imagine that he could be justified by bad works But no works can be called good works but such as flow from faith from the Spirit of grace granted in Regeneration Therefore while good works are excluded these done after Regeneration are excluded What is said by Bellarmine in confirmation of his sense of these works of the Law which are excluded from justification is abundantly answered by all that write against him therefore we need not take any notice thereof There is another Evasion found out by our Adversaries in this matter another glosse put upon these works By the works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified For some say that hereby the Apostle only excludeth those works that are perfect which were required by the Law in Innocency This Evasion granteth that the Law here spoken of is not the Ceremonial Law for that was not required in Innocency but the Moral Law The end why they invent this Evasion is not to exclude works in the matter of justification but to establish their own fancie
of asserting justification by other works than perfect works required by the Covenant of works to wit by imperfect works which they say are required in the Gospel And therefore their meaning is we are not justified by perfect sinless obedience but by imperfect obedience to the Law This is the Evasion of the Socinians who say the Apostle speaketh of the works of the Law to shew that he speaketh of those works which are enjoined by the Law to wit of perpetual perfect obedience required by the Law And they say that by Faith he meaneth that confidence obedience which every one is able to performe and which is endeavoured after studied That this cannot be the meaning of the Apostles conclusion we suppose will be clear from these Considerations 1. This supposeth that they against whom the Apostle is here disputing were of opinion that men could yet be justified must be justified by perfect obedience to the Moral Law But it is hardly imaginable that men in their wits did ever so dreame or think that they were innocent could expect to be justified before God by their own perfection or perfect obedience to the Law in all points for this were to say they never had sinned 2. When the Apostle in the beginning of his disput in his Epistle to the Romans proveth that all have sinned are guilty before God both jew Gentile he thence inferreth that by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in God's sight Rom. 3 20. Whereby he giveth us to understand that there is no justification by the Law unless it be perfectly keeped And because no meer man did ever keep it perfectly or can so keep it therefore he concludeth that no man can be justified thereby There is no justification by works unless the works be perfect consequently that such as expect justification thereby be wholly sinless 3. If the Apostle had so disputed against justification by perfect works as to have granted or established justification by imperfect works he needed not have used any moe arguments to that end than what was mentioned cleared Rom. 1. 2. in the beginning of the 3. Chapter for his evincing that all had sinned come short of the Glory of God had been sufficient to this end without the addition of any one argument more seing it is impossible that sinners can be perfect obeyers And we must not think that all the Apostles further argueings are meerly superfluous for this would reflect upon the Spirit of God who acted Paul in this 4. How strange is it to imagine that the Apostle should disput against perfect works that he might establish imperfect works in the matter of justification to think that the Apostle is proving that we are not justified by the perfect works of the Law but by the imperfect works thereof that is we are not justified by such works as keep a conformity with the Law but by such works as are violations of the Law as all works are which are not conforme thereunto in all points 5. Imperfect works as to the ground of justification are not that Righteousness of God without the Law which is by Faith of Jesus Christ but opposite theâ—eunto and inconsistent therewith as well as perfect works for as he that perfectly keepeth the Law needeth not another Righteousness in order to his justification so neither needeth he who hath an imperfect obedience if that be made the formal objective merite cause of justification But Gospel-justification is by the Righteousness of God which is without the Law which Faith laith hold on Rom. 3 21 22. 6. Gospel justification is by Faith as the whole Gospel cleareth but faith imperfect works are not one the same Yea they are as repugnant in this affaire as faith perfect works are We are justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3 28. Gal. 2 16. Living by faith living by works are opposite Gal. 3 11 12. 7. Justification by imperfect works is not free justification by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood as is manifest But this is the Gospel-justification Rom. 3 24 25. 8. Imperfect works exclude grace are as inconsistent therewith as perfect works are But Gospel-justification is by grace without works Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 2 8 9. Tit. 3 5 6 7. The Major is clear from the places cited as also from Rom. 11 6. If by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of works then is it no more grace otherwise work is no more work Now if it be said that perfect works are here understood and not imperfect works it must be said also that Election of which the Apostle here speaketh is upon foresight of imperfect works 9. Imperfect works if made the Cause of Justification can give ground of boasting of glorying as we see in the Pharisee Luk. 18. But Gospel justification removeth all ground of boasting Rom. 3 27 4 2. 10. Imperfect works can not be accounted a perfect Righteousness by the Lord whose judgment is according to truth Rom. 2 2. But there is no justification without a perfect Righteousness either inherent or imputed God will pronounce no man Righteous who is not so nor justifie any as Righteous who is not so indeed But upon the account of an imperfect Righteousness can no man be justified as Righteous 11. Even this imperfect Righteousness when made the ground of justification will make the reward of debt and not of grace As Abraham's works if he had been justified by them would have done for Abraham's works were not perfect works but imperfect works as is manifest 12. If justification were not by perfect works but by imperfect works then through faith or through Gospel justification the Law should be made void contrary to Rom. 3 31. The reason of the consequence is because hereby the Law that requireth perfect obedience is laid aside another Law that requireth imperfect obedience admitted in its place or rather the same Law is pretended but it is made void as to its requireing perfect obedience must now be satisfied with an imperfect obedience But this is not to establish the Law but to destroy it when many Jotes titles are taken away from it Mat. 5 17 18. 13. The Iewes did not imagine that they were perfect without sin but followed after the Law of Righteousness that as it were â—s by the works of the Law Rom. 9 31 32 And this of necessity must have been mixed with much imperfection And yet the Apostle plainly saith in the place cited that they did not attaine to a Righteousness nor to the Law of Righteousness because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law so that seeking after Righteousness as it
were by the works of the Law is opposite to a seeking of it by Faith And againe Rom. 10 3. they went about to establish their own Righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the Righteousness of God which two are opposite inconsistent And this their own Righteousness was but an imperfect Righteousness which they were labouring to cause stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. We cannot imagine that when the Apostle did exclude his own Righteousness and desired not to be found therein he only excluded that which was not desired not to be found in that which he had not and which he knew he had not to wit a perfect sinless obedience Rom. 7 24. 1. Tim. 1 13 15. He confessed he had been a blasphemer and the chiefe of sinners and so was far from imagineing that his obedience was perfect sinless This then could not be the Righteousness whereof he speaketh Phil. 3 9. but his imperfect Righteousness being that only which he could call his owne is that only which he desired not to be found in in the day of his appearing before his judge in order to his justification 15. If Paul had disputed only against perfect obedience had yeelded justification by imperfect obedience What ground was there for that objection Rom. 6 1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound seing justification by imperfect obedience doth of it self engadge to all endeavoure after obedience against the allowance of sin 16. And the Apostles answere to this objection may fournish us with another Argument against this for if Paul had allowed of or pleaded for justification by our imperfect works he had used this aâ— least as one argument to perswade unto an absteaning from sin by saying there is no justification but by endeavouring after obedience But we hear of no such think in all the Apostles Arguments whereby he presseth unto holiness obedience whether there or elsewhere 17. We are not justified by works done after Faith Regeneration as was proved before Therefore we are not justified by imperfect works for works after faith are imperfect againe they cannot but be so as presupposing sin guilt going before There is yet another Evasion wherewith some satisfie themselves for they say that when Paul saith we are not justified by the works of the Law by these works he meaneth only outward works of the Law performed without an inward Principle of Grace of faith or fear or Love of God But we need not insist in the discovery of the vanity of this Evasion having before at large proved that the works whereof Paul speaketh are not works done before Faith Regeneration For all these works that are done before Faith Regeneration are done without any inward Principle of Grace are only outward works such as Heathens may performe a few reasons will serve heâ—e as 1. When Paul denieth justification to be by the Law or by the works thereof he must mean such works as are enjoined commanded by the Law But the Law commandeth other works than those outward works for it condemneth all works that flow not from a principle of grace because the Law is holy spiritual the first chiefe command thereof is that we Love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul with all our strength c. Rom. 7 12 14. Mat. 22 37. Mark 12 30. Luk. 10 27. Deut 13 3. 30 6. If then Paul exclude only such works as flow not from a principle of grace he shall not exclude the works of the Law but works prohibited by the Law his meaning should be we are not justified by works which the Law commandeth not but we are justified by works which the Law commandeth which is contradictory to the whole scope designe of the Apostle 2. The Apostle doth manifestly exclude the works of Abraham Rom. 4 1 2. But the works of Abraham were other than such servile works or such outward works performed from no principle of grace or Love to God Therefore such cannot be here understood 3. Outward works done without any principle of grace could with no face or shew of a pretence lay a ground or be any occasion of boasting or of glorying because they were no other but manifest sins being prohibited condemned by the Law not commanded or approven But the Apostle excludeth such works as could do this Therefore he excludeth good works which were done in conformitie to the Law not such outward lifeless works only as were meer servile works no better 4. Such lifeless servile outward works could give no shew of a ground of making the reward of debt But Paul excludeth such works as would make the reward of debt Rom. 4 4. 5. If Paul had meaned here only such outward servile works which are not conforme to the Law what occasion had there been for Paul's proposeing of that objection Rom. 3 31. Do we then make void the Law through Faith for to lay aside these works which are not conforme to the Law giveth no probable ground of supposal that thereby the Law is made void 6. Israel could not have been said to have followed after the Law of Righteousness by doing of works meerly ourward lifeless And yet this is said of them it is also said that by all their following of the Law of Righteousness they could not be justified Rom. 9 31 32. 7. Meer performance of outward servile works cannot be called a Righteousness But the jewes went about to establish their own Righteousness therefore missed justification Rom. 10 4. 8. There was never any life had by these outward servile works alone But by the works which Paul excludeth there was life to be had if they had been perfect The man which doth those things shall live by them Rom. 2 13. 10 5. Levit. 18 5. Gal. 3 12. 9. These outward servile works are not good works but even good works are here excluded Ephes. 2 9 10. 10. Paul did not meane such works only when he excluded his own Righteousness Phil. 3 9. Nor can such works be called works of Righteousness which yet are expresly excluded in this matter Tit. 3 5. CHAP. VI. By works which Paul excludeth is not meant the Merite of Works THere is one other Evasion thought upon to shift by all the Apostles argueings yet to maintaine the Interest of Works as the Cause ground of justification before God to wit That Paul only disputs against a groundless conceite of merite in works not against the works themselves but against a Pharisaical sense of merite worth in their works whereby they conceived conceited that thereby they could satisfie for their sins buy purchase to themselves Justification Salvation But against this Evasion we have these things to say 1. By merite here must either be understood that which is called meritum ex condigno that is that merite
be made to look for it that in rich aboundance And upon this followeth their justification glorying in the Lord alone vers 25. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified shall glory This passage therefore doth clearly hold forth a justification through the righteousness of the Messiah of the true living God laid hold upon applied by faith or owned embraced as their only righteousness this righteousness is not a righteousness wrought in them for such a righteousness is aboundantly hold forth by the word strength but a righteousness made over over Beleevers which they owne as theirs and rest upon It is too narrow scanty an Interpretation to limite this justification to the Lords vindicating of His peoples sincerity Innocency in respect of their Enemies at whose hands they suffered great things and that unjustly not to take in their Spiritual justification delivery from the guilt of sin through faith in the Messiah especially seing there is an Invitation going before to them to lay hold on the Lord Messias by faith according to the Gospel Methode and upon this followeth their glorying in the Lord conforme to what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1 30 31. that the Lord Jesus is made of God Righteousness to His people that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. Nor is there any weight in that which Io 〈◊〉 in this Treatise of justification Par◠2. pag. 129. 130. alleigeth to Infringe the authority of this Testimony to wit That the meaning only is this that they receive these favoures of the free grace and donation of God by Iesus Christ. For as the expressions are more emphatick so all the circumstances of the Text pointe out their eyeing of the Lord and coming to Him and that in order to their justification and Salvation together with their profession of owneing the Lord's Righteousness alone for their Righteousness renouncing all other Righteousness in themselves or in others in order to justification and thereby declaring that they look upon it as necessary for them to have a Righteousness and that this is onely the Righteousness of Jehovah or of the Messiah where with they desire to be clothed and rest satisfied All which import the Lords bestowing of this Righteousness upon them that is imputing of it unto them for without this they cannot have it nor glory in it as their owne Secondly it is faid Esai 61 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord My Soul shall be joyful in my God for He hath clothed me with garments of Salvation He hath covered me with the rob of Righteousness c. And this coming in upon the back of what was said in the beginning of the Chapter concerning Christ's furniture for His work of Mediation His Call thereto and His special work or the End for which He was sent to wit to binde up the broken-hearted to proclame liberty to the Captives c. pointeth forth the sweet welcome and hearty acceptance that the anointed Messiah should have among His own chosen ones for these words hold forth their expression of their sense of what they had received from Him and of their joy upon the account thereof They professe openly their joy rejoiceing in the Lord because He had clothed and covered them with the garments of Salvation and with the rob of Righteousness Now this rob could not be a rob of their owne making nor can it be understood of their Inherent holiness for it is a Garment put on and wherewith they are covered Thus are we said to put on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13 14. Gal. 3 27. And Iohn Rev. 19 8. helpeth us to understand the meaning of this Expression when he saith And to her was granted that the should be arayed in white Linen clean and white for the fine Linen is the Righteousness of Saints Against this Testimony the fore-named Author Io. Goodwin pag. 130. c. maketh some Exceptions as 1 These Expressions sai's he concerne the jewes onely and are meaned of their deliverance out of Babylon if not out of their present Condition which is an effect of God's faithfulness and truth or of his goodness and graciousness Ans. 1. To limite this to the jewes and to their outward and temporal delivery is but a part of their Socinian fiction without any apparent ground in the Text. Nay the first part of the Chapter which Christ applieth to Himself Luk. 4. and the several particulars there mentioned may shame this out of countenance unless we minde to make Christ only a temporal deliverer◠as the jewes did dream their Messias would be And the Gospel reacheth us Spiritually to expound as pointing forth Spiritual promises even such promises as savoure more of temporal things as to the letter that what are here mentioned do 2. it is but ground-less to imagine and a piece of the ordinary course of Socinians in evading clear Testimonies of Scripture brought against them that Righteousness here doth signify God's faithfulness for though somewhere where mention is made of God's Righteousness and other circumstances of the Text make it evident this sense might be admitted yet it cannot be so understood here where the Righteousness is said to be granted to the people as a rob and a garment to cover them and the very following words of the verse show that this is meaned of Some thing bestowed upon them for it is added as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride adorneth her self with her jewels or as Some render the words He hath decked me with ornaments as a bridegroom and with jewels as a bride 2. He excepteth If these words be taken in a Spiritual sense the promise which is contained in them cannot suite the Church because the Church is at all times and alwayes clothed with Christ's Righteousness being justified in Him Ans. This one answere will destroy all the Spiritual promises hold forth by the prophets as the fruits effects of Christ's coming for the Church of true and faithful beleevers was really in some measure answerable to that more dark dispensation made partaker of these Saving and Spiritual benefites both at that time and before even from the beginning and thus there shall be no promises in all the old Testam of Spiritual things touching pardon of Sin Justification Grace and Sanctification and the like made unto the Church but all of them must be interpreted of carnal things though the New Test. teacheth us the contrary as might be evinced by multitudes of places But the matter is clear to wit That this is mentioned as the open profession of the Church with joy and thankfulness of what she was blessed with and made partaker of in Christ and had as a fruit and effect of His performing His Mediatory work that is That she was clothed with a rob of Righteousness and that by Him which was and would be to her a ground of perpetual joy and rejoiceing in
the Lord. Against that passage Rev. 19 8. which was adduced for clearing of the place now under hand he excepteth thus These words only pointe forth the honour and dignity which Christ now conferreth upon the Church in remembrance of her Righteousness for it is parallel to that other place Rev. 3 4. Ans. This is nothing but a plaine perversion of the Scriptures for it is not said for her Righteousness nor for the Righteousness of the Saints but in these words a reason is given why by this araying in fine Linen the bride is said to be made ready and withall hereby the signification and Import of that fine-linen is held forth when it is said for the fine linen is the Righteousness of the Saints The Spirit of the Lord is here speaking of the returne of the jewes and of their marrying of new with their former husband from whom they had so long departed by playing the harlot as worthy and judicious M. Durham sheweth in his comment on the place and of this new Bride it is said that she is arayed in fine linen clean and white and this linen is explained to be the Righteousness of Saints or justifications of Saints the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same that is used Rom. 5 16 18. Where it is translated justification and it is called here the Righteousness or justifications of Saints because it is no other than that which is common to all Saints whereby is signified that the jewes at their conversion shall be accepted and justified after the same manner that all the Saints have been even after that self same manner at which they formerly stumbled and which wickedly and peremptorily they refused and rejected This Righteousness therefore can be nothing else than the Righteousness of Christ imputed for this only is cleane and white all other having spots and defilements This is not within but from without and is put on is granted to the Church and so imputed Against that saying of putting on Christ twice mentioned he excepteth saying That none of them speak of justification but that Rom. 13 14. speaketh of Sanstification and that Gal. 3 27. of profession Ans. If we are said to put on Christ in Sanctification and as to a profession much more may we be said to put Him on in justification which is the basis and ground work of Sanctification and the truth reality of that which is professed Without justification there is no Sanctification and except we be clothed with Christ and put Him on in order to justification we cannot put Him on in order to Sanctification And as such as are baptized in Christ have declared that they have put on Christ so such have done it in truth and reality who are the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus and are Christ's and are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3 26 29. Not could they be said to do this outwardly as to a profession in their Baptisme if a real putting on of Christ were not to be found in such as had the Spiritual and inward thing Imported signified by outward Baptisme Thirely a 3 passage is Ier. 23 5 6. Bohold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch and a King shall reigne prosper and shall execute judgment justice in the earth In his dayes judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell saifly and this is His name whereby He shall becalled the Lord our Righteousness It is undeniable and manifest that this is spoken of Christ who was the Branch raised up unto David and the King that should reigne and prosper and it is through Him that judah is saved and Israel made to dwell saiâ—ly Now of this Righteous Branch it is said that His name shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness He shall be owned and embraced as such whereby it is declared that as we have need of a Righteousuess and have none of our owne so this Righteous Branch shall become a Righteousness to us in Him and in Him alone shall all His people have a Righteousness He and His Righteousness shall be made over unto them And as they shall glory in Him acknowledging all their Righteousness to be in and from Him so He shall glory in that stile and Title which shall be given to Him upon that account and He shall owne it as His glorious Title and Name for their further refreshment and Consolation He shall look upon that as His greatest honour to be called the Lord our Righteousness Jehovah that purchaseth and prepareth for and bestoweth a sufficient Righteousness on His people This passage with its forcible light so opened the eyes of Bellarmine the popish adversary to the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ that he was forced to confess That Christ is said to be our Righteousness because he hath made Satisfaction for us to the Father and doth so give and communicat that Satisfastion unto us when He justifieth us that it may be said to be our Satisfaction Righteousness and in this sense it would not be absurd if any should say that the Righteousness of Christ His merites are imputed unti us as if we our selves had satisfied De justif lib. 2. cap. 10. Fourthly adde to this Ier. 33 15 16. where as Iunius the Dutch translation have it this same Title is repeated as given unto the righteous Branch but if we take the words as they are rendered by others as they are in our Translation as the Stile name of the Church they willcon tribute not a little to our present purpose And this wherewith she shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNES for hereby is clearly Imported the Churches glorying in that Title in having all her righteousness in through her Head Husband that as she owned herself to be the Spouse of Christ had His name called upon her so this would be all the name that she would owne as her greatest glory by that alone would she be called thereby professing with glorying satisfaction that she had no righteousness of her own if any would know her aright give her her highest titles they should know her under that notion give her that Name that should openly declare that she were void of Righteousness in her self were ungodly had all her Righteousness from her husband would appear before God in no righteousness but in her husbands So that she would owne that Title alone which should be a proclamation to all the world that she was covered with her Husbands righteousness with that alone a constant Memorandum to keep her in the fresh conviction Faith Profession of this Against these clear pregnant passages Ioh. Goodwine excepteth pag. 127. saying It is not here said the righteousness of the Lord shall be our righteousness or shall be imputed to us for righteousness Avs. Though this be not said
hath ground of glorying before men in himself and not in the Lord alone for all have alike ground of glorying upon that account seing what the Lord did was common to all and this new personal Righteousness maketh the difference But it will be said That Christ's Righteousness being acknowledged to be our only legal Righteousness whereby we answere the charge of the Law the asserting of a Gospel-Righteousness whereby we come to have an interest in that legal Righteousness can do no prejudice I Ans. Beside that this maketh two distinct Righteousness as the one a meane to obtean another the one within us a price ex pacto for the other without us and all this in order to Absolution from one charge of the Law brought in against the sinner hereby as to us our personal Righteousness is really made our legal Righteousness because it is made that Righteousness whereupon this man and not the other that wants it is freed from the charge of the Law for according to this way Faith is not imployed to lay hold on Christ's Righteousness that by presenting that Surety-Righteousness unto justice the soul may escape the charge but when the charge of violation of the Law of God is brought in against the sinner his only reliefe is his Gospel-Righteousness which he presenteth whereupon he pleadeth for Pardon Absolution by vertue of the new Covenant which Christ hath purchased for should he alledge the death satisfaction of Christ that should give no reliefe because that was for all alike thereby the New Covenant was purchased where in the Gospel Righteousness whether Faith alone or Faith New Obedience was set down as the Condition and therefore it can stand him in no avail but he must refuge himself from wrath under the wings of his own Gospel-Righteousness for he hath no other and thereupon rest secure be confident of his Absolution from all that the Law could charge against him As for example if the Princes son should by a valuable price given to the Prince procure new Termes and Conditions to be proposed to a company of condemned treatours lying in prison if any one of these were challenged for the old crime threatned with the execution of the sentence past upon that account it would be of no avail to him to say the Princes son hath laid down a valuable price to buy me from death because he knew that he did that for all the rest in purchasing a New Covenant new conditions but the first sure course he would take would be to present his performance of the new conditions say the charge cannot reach me because I have performed the Conditions of the New Covenant procured by the Princes son This I suppose is plaine cleare this in our case would be found to be the only saife course that poor challenged sinners would take if they should act according to the doctrine of our Adversaries to which as I said I should not dar to advise one or other But really the Gospel-way which is opposite to this is plaine saife if we have but so much humility as to complye therewith And a difference may seem small in the debate which yet in practice may prove great of dangerous consequence CHAP. XXVI Christ did not procure by his death the New Covenant or the termes thereof WE heard what the Author of the discourse of the two Covenants what Iohn Goodwine said of this New Covenant As the foundation of their assertion of the imputation of faith properly taken they tell us that the New Covenant wherein this Righteousness is required as the condition thereof is founded wholly in the blood of Christ so that whatever is required of man by way of condition of his acceptation with God becomes accepted to that end upon account of Christ's suffering Mr. Allen p. 16. p. 53. 54. saith Nor doth this that faith accompanied with obedience is imputed for righteousness at all derogate from the obedience sufferings of Christ in reference to the ends for which they serve Because the whole Covenant all the parts termes of it both promises of benefites the Condition on which they are promised are all founded in Christ his undertaking for us and all the benefites of it accrue to us upon our beleeving obeying upon his account for his sake Mr. Baxter also telleth us in his book against D. Tully p. 66. That that which Christ did by his merites was to procure the new Covenant And elsewhere p. 181 that they were the meritorious cause of the forgiving Covenants the like he â—aith elsewhere frequently The Arminians ground the imputation of faith upon the merites obedience of Christ Apol. f. 113. And Arminius himself disp 19. thes 7. that justification is attribute to faith not because it is the very righteousness which may be proposed to God's rigide severe judgment howbeit acceptable to God but because by the judgment of mercy triumphing over judgment it obtaineth pardon of sins is graciously imputed unto righteousness the cause of which is both God righteous merciful Christ by his obedience oblation intercession And in his Epistle ad Hyppolet he tels us that the word imputing signifieth that faith is not the righteousness it self but that it is graciously accounted for righteousness whereby all worth is taken away from faith except that which is by God's gracious estimation that gracious estimation of God is not without Christ but in respect of Christ in Christ for Christ. Christ by his obedience is the impetrating cause or meritorious why God imputeth faith to us unto righteousness And againe in his Artic. perpend de justif What fault is it so say that faith by free gracious acceptation is accounted for righteousness because of Christ's obedience But with this assertion we are not satisfied for these reasons 1. The Arminians who maintaine this so confidently make it the whole of what Christ merited by his death Satisfaction saying that Christ by his death did so satisfie the offended party as he would be favourable to the offender and so say that he acquired to the father a jus a will to enter into a new Covenant with men See their Confess c. 8. § 9. collat cum Apolog. c. 8. § 9. and as the learned Voetius inferreth Select dispp p. 2. p. 233 234. it followeth hence that Christ was not in very deed our Cautioner that he died not in our room stead that he did properly obtaine acquire nothing to us that he did not sustaine the person of the elect while he suffered on the crosse 2. ... that Christ procured no more but a power or liberty unto God of prescribing new Conditions and some go so far as to say that this liberty was such only at the Lord might if he had pleased have appointed the old way of works againe for the condition So said