no portion in his death 2. The nature of that faith by which we receive this righteousnesse True faith as I told you is not an idle speculative notion of the brain but a powerfull working grace upon the heart Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith Those that pretend to faith and have not their hearts in some measure purified they do but flatter themselves with a meer fancy and a vain presumption It is but a counterfeit a false faith Faith without Works is dead saith St. James and St. Paul tels us that faith worketh by love As faith without works is but a dead faith so works without love they are but dead works Though I give all my goods unto the poor and have not charity I am nothing Now faith it begets love and the more we believe that God hath done all this for us the more it inflames our heart with the love of God And love is of a constraining nature it sets a man upon work indeed David's three Worthies will adventure through the whole host of the Philistims to fetch water from the well at Bethlehem out of their love to David And St. Paul commends the Macedonians that to their power yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves As St. James therefore Show me O man thy faith by thy works So true faith is no invisible grace but a grace which may be seen seen by its works Such is the faith by which we obtain the blessing When Isaac blessed his son Jacob he cals to him Come near I pray thee that I may feel thee my son whether thou be my very son Esau or not He would not blesse him by the voice but he will feel and handle him whether his hands be the hands of Esau so God will not blesse us by the voice because we say that we believe but he will feel and handle us whether our hands be the hands of faith hands that work the works of faith And take further notice that true faith it hath two hands as with the one it holds upward and layes hold upon the righteousnesse of Christ for justification so with the other it works downward and conveys this righteousnesse into the head and into the heart and into the life for sanctification Those that flatter themselves with a good faith to God-ward and yet without works they do but prophesie to themselves a lie a false vision and a divination and a thing of nought the deceit of their own heart It is but a counterfeit a false faith and receives but a counterfeit a false righteousnesse not the righteousnesse of God which is by the faith of Jesus 3. The nature of God whose righteousnesse this is Where the righteousnesse of God is there must needs be a change for will God cast pearls before swine or give holy things to dogs Will he put this new wine into old bottles or these holy things into unclean vessels No but first he gives us a new heart and creates in us a right spirit For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse Where the righteousnesse of God is it transformes us in some measure into its own likenesse 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. You have seen the glory of the Lord the glory of his righteousnesse We all and with open face if the God of this world hath not blinded our eyes behold though but as in a glasse on w th an eye of faith yet thus beholding it hath wrought a change and into the same likenesse so will it transform us from glory to glory from the glory of grace here to that glorie of glories in the highest heavens But thus there is a work of the Spirit here here it begins the change and we are changed into the same image When the Sun comes in at the window it inlightens the room so when the Sun of righteousnesse shines into a soul the beams of that righteousnesse must needs reflect upon that soul When Moses had been talking with God we read that his face shined So is it impossible that we should have to do with this righteousness of God but the splendor of it will in some measure put upon our hearts the beauties of holinesse It must needs be thus The Apostle followes it with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more Heb. 9.13 If the bloud of buls and of Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the Bloud of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God If there was any thing in those outward shadowes how much more in the bloud of Jesus If they purified the flesh how much more shall this purge your consciences If there be not this purging work upon your souls never speak of this righteousnesse of God received by the faith of Jesus Thus you see though we be not justified by works but by the righteousnesse of God which is by faith yet doth it not loosen the rains to profane liberty but rather layes weight upon us and works as naturally flow from it as the stream from the fountain It is the end of our redemption that we might be a people zealous of good works it is the nature of true faith it cannot lie idle but it works by love and the righteousnesse of God transforms us in some measure into the same likenesse And thus we know that we have title to the promises and an interest in the seed-time of light here and that harvest of joy hereafter An Exhortation to walk in this Righteousnesse For conclusion therefore you that profess the faith not the righteousness of works but the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith remember there is one thing necessary one thing in comparison of which all other things are but as losse as nothing nay as dung worse then nothing It is that of the Apostle that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Labour O labour for this righteousnesse that ye may get it first into your heads that ye may know it then into your hearts that ye may love it then into your lives that ye may shew forth the power of it as the Apostle followes it Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death So that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal bodies O let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel Do not O do not cause the Adversary to reproach It is the lewdness of your lives that casts the reproach upon this Doctrine O let not the name of
your own souls that cousen and defraud your brethren that grinde and oppresse your poor neighbours that make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience because you will be rich what needs all this adoe Why will ye go to the Devil for it He may shew you indeed as he did our Saviour All the Kingdomes of the word and the glory of them so doubtlesse he will flatter you with hopes All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Alas he doth but feed you with the winde He can bestow nothing without Gods permission They are none of his to give However this is but about Here is the way a ready a compendious way Mat. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all other things shall be added unto you O ye that are greatly beloved ye are in this way so ye injoy contentment knowing that if more were better for you God would bestow it on you so far as may be for your good all things are yours And if others rejoyce when their corn and wine and oyle increaseth how much more may ye that enjoy this fulnesse Rejoyce ye righteous 4. Whilest we look within us Though we have lesse abroad yet we have enough at home We have God within us 1 Cor. 14.25 God is in you of a truth We have Christ within us 2 Cor. 13 5. Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates We have the Spirit within us 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And is not here matter of rejoycing How can that soul but be very merry if not a stranger to its own happinesse that entertains such Guests But further take we notice of the manner of Gods dwelling in us It is not according to his Essence only for so he is in all places Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Nor yet according to his Power for so he is in all his creatures In him we live and move and have our being But God is in us according to the working of his grace and favour informing reforming transforming us into his own likenesse Consider that treasure of gifts which he hath bestowed upon us those unsearchable riches of his grace those fruits of the Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance saith our Saviour to his Disciples In patience possesse your souls Though you have little else yet ye have patience in you and when things are at the worst yet in that ye may still possesse and injoy your selves Besides you have faith within you and that is a good portion a sufficient living of it self Hab. 2.4 The just man shall live by his faith But above all remember you have the love of God within you Rom. 5.5 The love of God shed abroad in your hearts And is not that joy enough Cant. 1.2 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine O ye that are the Favourites of the King of Saints cheer up your spirits you have that within you sufficient to make you happy were you as poor as Job upon the dunghill Oh do not live besides your wealth Others may flatter themselves with their abundance as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art poor and miserable and blinde and naked and hast nothing Alas poor miserable blinde deceived creatures lean empty and poor starved souls But these have it Ye have that within you which crowns you the happy men Felices nimium bona si sua nôrint did ye but know your own happinesse And are not your spirits as yet up Why what is it that still troubles you Alas my sins But love covers all Jer. 50.20 In those dates shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve There shall be none God himself findes none not that God is blinde that he sees not what we see but he gives you the meaning in the latter clause he sees none unpardoned none that shall be imputed none that shall be laid unto our charge Rom. 5.11 We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement The cloud 's now removed can you yet see your wealth I shall give you heaven in a word Luk. 17.20 The Kingdome of heaven is in you And what 's that Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost O do not rob your selves of any part of your own happinesse but as you have a righteousnesse within you so adde to your righteousnesse peace and to your peace joy Rejoyce ye Righteous 5. Whilest we look upon the right hand Whilest we sit under the sunshine of Gods favours and that all things go well with us Whilest we look upon the mercies God bestowed upon us be they lesse or more We see the men of the world how glad they are when their corn and wine and oyl increaseth The righteous live as merrily as they do and have better reason for rejoycing then they have more solid and true joy in the least mercy they receive then others in a great abundance Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Their little is better then anothers much better then their riches then the riches not of one but many nay put all together Though their fare be not so delicate nor their cloathes so gay nor their bed so soft yet they eat their bread with more delight and take their sleeps with more sweet refreshment and enjoy the mercies God bestowes upon them with more comfort and content then others can And the reason 's evident 1. Because they draw their wealth from the head of the well the spring Dulcius ex ipso fonte and there the water drinks more sweetly Whilest others drink only in the channell receive their blessings from the hand of fortune or perhaps they sacrifice to their own net as if by them their portion were made fat these they receive them from the hand of God the fountain of mercies As once Jacob to his brother Esau These are the children which God hath graciously given to thy servant 2. Because they receive these mercies as pledges of Gods love and kindnesse towards them Whilest others feed upon the husk satisfie themselves in those poor injoyments and look no further then the creature these feed upon the kernell they feast themselves upon God in the holy injoyments they see his mercy and goodnesse in thus providing for them And this affords a sweet refreshment to their souls infinitely beyond all their creature-comforts whilest thus they injoy God in the creatures and receive
but a righteousnesse wrought for us not in our selves but in the Lord. In the Lord have I righteousnesse and in the Lord shall all Israel be justified Hence Jer. 23.6 This is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOUSNES And as it is the language of the Prophets so of the Apostles Hence is it that they call it the Righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested V. 22. The righteousnesse of God which is by the Faith of Jesus And Phil. 3.9 The righteousnesse which is of God by Faith 2. That this Righteousnesse of God is received by Faith So the Apostle there explains it in Phil. 3.8 9. I count all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith By Faith it is that we receive Christ Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name To receive him and to believe on him is one and the same By faith we receive Christ so by faith we receive the righteousnesse of Christ And take notice of the manner how it is worthy your observation that you may know the nature of that Faith which justifies 1. We receive this righteousnesse into our heads hence knowing sometimes is set for believing Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Then 2. We receive this righteousnesse into our hearts As we know it so we love it Hence that phrase Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith And then 3 We receive this righteousnesse into our lives and conversations As we love it so in some measure we are transformed into it So the Apostle followes it Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death Where there is a receiving of the righteousnesse of Christ by saith there is a conforming to the same likenesse For you must know that true faith is not an idle speculative notion of the brain but a powerful working grace upon the heart Faith is sometimes reckoned amongst the gifts of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.9 And sometimes it is reckoned amongst the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. Faith is sometimes a Gift and sometimes a Grace As it is a Gift so it is speculative and notional as it is a Grace so it is powerful and practical And this at once if righly understood easily reconciles St. Pauls conclusion That a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law with that of St. James Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only Not by faith which is alone but by a working Faith Though works be not the meritorious cause in point of justification but the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith yet this faith is working and it works this righteousnesse as into our heads so into our hearts and into our lives Though it be not this work of righteousnesse wrought in us that properly justifies but the righteousnesse of Christ wrought for us yet true justifying faith thus receives this righteousnesse 3. That this Faith thus receiving Christ is accounted unto us for righteousnesse God imputes that righteousnesse of Christ to us if we thus believe Jam. 2.23 Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God That righteousnesse whereby Abraham was justified in the sight of God it was a righteousnesse imputed Not a Putative righteousnesse as our Adversaries scornfully reproach it but a reall righteousnesse the righteousnesse of Christ yet an imputed righteousnesse So is that righteousnesse by which we are justified Rom. 4.23 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 believe on him who raised up Jesus from the dead We are justified in the same way and by the same faith that Abraham was Gal. 3.6 Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse So it is with us Vers 7. They that are of the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham Vers 9. They which be of the faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham What Abraham's faith was we read Heb. 11.7 Abraham when he was tryed by faith offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure Did Abraham see no further then this figure Yes doubtlesse In this he beheld God sacrificing his own son on that very mount where he should have offered Isaac Isaac was but the Figure Christ is the Substance Saith our Saviour Joh. 8.56 Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad And so all the Patriarchs 1 Cor. 10.4 They all did drink of the same spiritual drink for they drank of that rock that followed them and that rock was Christ They of that rock that followed them as we of that rock that is gone before us Abraham saw Christ with the eye of Faith and believed on him and testified his faith by his works faith working by love saith God Gen. 22.12 Now I know thou lovest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me And this faith was counted unto him for righteousnesse Thus may you see what that righteousnesse is by which we stand justified in the sight of God It is not the righteousnesse of Works that exact unsinning obedience to the whole Law of God but it is the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith which is accounted unto us for righteousnesse And thus you may easily resolve the Riddle How a man may be righteous and yet a sinner Though a sinner in himself in relation to the righteousnesse of Works yet without sin in Christ in relation to the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousnesse of Christ through faith imputed unto us for righteousnesse And this is that righteousnesse which intitles us to all the promises and gives us an interest in this joy of Saints 1 Pet. 1.8 Believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory But because this is a point of such high concernment for the further clearing of it a question must be here propounded How a man may be justified by the righteousnesse of another This is indeed the dark side of the cloud not to be discern'd with the eye of sense or reason Consult we with the sacred Oracles which cannot deceive us Rom. 4.5 6. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly
his faith is counted for righteousnesse Even as David also describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works There is an imputed righteousnesse a righteousnesse without works And if we believe on him there is one who justifies the ungodly and our faith is counted unto us for righteousnesse For the better understanding of this take notice 1. That Christ is become our Surety Heb. 7.22 He was made surety of a better Testament Now as the surety makes the debt his own so our sins are Christs Such was his singular love toward us that he was content to take all our sins upon himself 1 Pet. 2.24 He bare our sins in his own body on the tree It was love indeed A man void of understanding becometh surety for his friend saith Solomon And he that becomes a surety is insnared in the words of his own mouth Christ was content thus to become a fool thus to be taken thus to be insnared to become our surety As once Rebecca to her son On me be the curse my son so Christ here On me be the guilt of sin Or as Paul to Philemon in behalf of Onesimus If he have wronged thee or if he owe thee any thing set it on my score I will repay it I Paul have written it with mine own hand So Christ delivers his Epistle to the Father not under hand and seal but confirmed in his own bloud and he takes all our sins upon himself and writes them to his own account as no longer ours but his own 2. That God was content to accept him as our surety Here is no wrong to parties as Christ was content to undertake all for us so is God pleased to lay all our sins upon his shoulders Isa 53.6 The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all The Lord against whom the sin was committed he was contented to quit us and to put all upon Christs score so to receive the satisfaction at his hands Saith Christ when the souldiers came to apprehend him If ye seek me then let these men go Christ was content to be apprehended that we might be set at liberty and God was well pleas'd with this dismission So he hath put our sins upon Christs account 3. That Christ as our surety hath discharg'd the debt And a debt must not be twice paid that stands not with Gods justice Christ hath suffered for us Dan. 9.26 After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself Not for himself but us By the way take we notice It was not properly Christs active obedience as some think by which we are made righteous for if that had been accounted unto us for righteousnesse it being a spotlesse and a perfect righteousnesse there had been no need of his death and passion I speak not this to create a controversie but to shew you If not the active obedience of our blessed Saviour then much lesse our own I confesse it was necessary to give way to his passion that it might be a satisfaction for had he been a sinner he could not have been a sacrifice for sin but first he must have satisfied for himself Yet it is his bloud which redeems us from our sins 1 Pet. 1.18 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ It is his bloud the bloud of him too scornfully reproached by some who dyed at Jerusalem though they make it but a figure and so shew themselves in the number of those damnable Hereticks 2 Pet. 2.1 Even denying the Lord that bought them Yet Col. 1.19 20. It pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell and having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things to himself By his Bloud upon the crosse we are reconciled and our peace is made by that bloud which was once shed and but once we need not a second sacrifice that unbloudy sacrifice in the Masse for that purpose Heb. 10.12 This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God And vers 14. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified The bloud of this sacrifice thus once offered on the Crosse at Jerusalem is that which wipes off the score 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Christ cleanseth from all sin 4. And ex abundanti That God will no more lay our sins unto our charge Isai 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back So hath he blotted them out of his remembrance Isai 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own names sake and will not remember thy sins He crosses the book and not only so for that still is a Memorandum though the debt be paid but he quite blots it out that it may never be remembred any more And this is that which if understood clearly resolves the Riddle and dissolves the cloud It is indeed the marrow of the Gospell 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them And herein consists the happinesse of the Saints on earth not that they have no sin but that God will not lay it to their charge Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Thus I have shewed you that it is not the righteousness of Works for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified but it is the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousness of Christ imputed Rom. 4.11 Abraham received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of Faith which he had being yet uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed to them also And for the clearing of this you hear how Christ is become our surety He bare our sins that God is willing to receive the satisfaction at his hands He hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all That Christ hath discharg'd our debt He died for us and that God will not lay our sins unto our charge Thus then we appear as righteous in the sight of God Beloved I have stood the longer on this point as on the one hand to fill your hearts with peace and joy in believing that I might send you away as Philip did the Ethiopian Eunuch rejoycing on your way or as the shepherds glorifying and praising God for the things that ye have heard so on the other hand to convince gainsayers whilest they upbraid us that we leave the people in their sins and deny the perfection of the Saints and devest them of all righteousnesse Though we deny the righteousnesse of works the leaven of the Scribes and Pharises yet do we not shew you a righteousnesse of Faith Nay a more absolute and perfect righteousnesse then any