doth glory in what in the contempt of his own righteousnesse and that he looketh for the righteousnesse of God by faith Sermon of salvation second part Which established doctrine of our Church is lamentably lost of too many Professors among us now a dayes In stead whereof must needs come in the contrary doctrine and religion of reioycing in and greatly esteeming our owne righteousnesse but of small ioy and little regarding of Christs righteousnesse perfectly iustifying us Thus much of the right zeale of God 4. The fourth and last point and main thing to be considered concerning this dead faith is What is the speediest course and most effectuall meanes by which wee may come out of this dead faith into the true lively and iustifying faith and by which we may call others out of the same which speediest course or most effectuall meanes consisteth but in two maine things throughly marked and deeply considered 1. The first is to look so truely into the pure and infinite righteous nature of God that we cleerly see in the two looking-glasses both of the Law and of the Gospel the horrible filthinesse of sinne to be such that God cannot but curse and throw out of his favour and liking the creature that hath any sinne in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Deut. 27. 26. Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to do them Mark Cursed that is cast out of my love and favour for ever Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Matth. 25. 41. is every one that continueth not in all things that is that hath the least sinne in his sight For if we have the least sinne in Gods sight wee doe not continue in all things and so must needs be accursed of God or else his righteous nature must needs be changeable in his definitive sentence against sinne which cannot bee Fearfull examples hereof are First the Angels who although they were most glorious creatures for pure holinesse and righteousnes yet as soone as they conceived but one sinne but in thought onely God spared them not saith Peter that sinned but cast them down into Hell and delivered them into chaines of darknesse to be reserved unto condemnation 2 Pet. 2. 4. Another fearfull example is that of Adam who by one sinne onely brought upon him by subtilty did cast himself into death and destruction and all his posterity even infinite millions of men and women into infinite millions of sins and miseries as Paul expresseth Rom. 5. 12. saying As by one man sin entred into the world and by sin death so death goeth over all men in that all have sinned whereby through the offense of one many bee dead vers 15. Because the iudgement came by that one offense upon all men to condemnation verse 16. Now the reason why God cannot but curse and cast away out of his love and favour the creature that hath any sinne in Gods sight is because the horrible filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous nature that God cannot but detest hate abhorre and count abominable the creature in whom he seeth any sinne or that hath the least sin in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Behold the heavens are unclean in Gods sight how much more is man filthy and abominable who drinketh iniquity like water Iob 15. 15 16. Thus we see that sinne doth make the creature spiritually foule filthy loathsome and abominable in Gods sight though no curse or punishment should follow upon the same as Christ himself also testifieth Mark 7. 20. to 23. saying That which commeth out of the man that defileth the man For out of the heart of man come evill thoughts adulteries fornications murders thefts covetousnesse wickednesse deceit lasciviousnesse an evill eye blasphemies pride foolishnesse All these evill things come from within and these defile a man Therefore did the Prophet Habakkuk say God is of pure eyes and cannot see sinne and cannot behold iniquity but he must needs destroy either the sinne or the sinner from before him But for this purpose was the sonne of God made manifest that in the faithfull hee might destroy sinne the worke of the Devill 1 John 3. 6. Because he was made manifest to take away our sinnes For in him is no sin vers 5. But unto the unbeleeving Jewes the Prophet saith Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his eare heavie that it cannot heare but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hindred good things from you Esay 29. 1. Jer. 5. 25. And for the deeper sight of this evill of sinne hear three things which the Law teacheth concerning sinne and deeply to be considered and daily and diligently to be pressed upon secure consciences As first The horrible encrease of the evill of sinne because the least sinne by the Law forbidding it Exod. 19 20. chapters in fearfull thundring and lightning and terrible earthquake flaming fire reaching up to the midst of heaven Hereby the least sin I say is made out of measure sinfull Because the least sin is encreased to disobedience and disobedience is rebellion that is spirituall high treason against the highest Majesty as Samuel testifies of the disobedience of King Saul 1 Sam. 15. 23. And as the Prophet Daniel confesseth of his sinnes and the sinnes of his people saying We have sinned and done wickedly yea we have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and thus saith hee againe have wee rebelled against God Dan. 9. 5 9. But rebellion saith Samuel is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is stubbornnesse and stubbornnesse is wickednesse and idolatry Thus did the Law enter upon sinne making the offense thereof to abound Rom. 5. 20. And thus the least sinne by the Commandement forbidding it in such terrible thundring and lightning becomes out of measure or exceeding sinfull Rom. 7. 13. And this is the first thing that the Law teacheth concerning sin 2. The second thing which the Law teacheth is the multitude of our sinnes that the most honest and most religious among us are guilty of against every one of the ten Commandements especially by the spirituall breach of the Law as Christ expoundeth the same in the fifth sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew which made Paul to see that his whole nature was nothing else but a meer contrariety to the spirituall meaning of the Law saying The Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. And which made David to cry out saying My sinnes have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up yea they are mee in number than the haires of my head Therefore my heart hath failed me Psal 40. 12. 3. The third thing that the Law teacheth concerning sinne is the fivefold punishment belonging to the least sinne which God executeth daily and hourly upon one
in the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before this joyfull newes of the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all the Gentiles bee blessed So that they that bee of this faith of free justification are blessed with faithfull Abraham Gal. 3. 8 9. And can our hearts wish or desire any more This is the royalty of having on the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse freely given us to cleanse us from our secret sinnes and breaches of the tenth commandement unknown unto our selves Psal 19. 12. And to make us and all our works both naturall civill and religious pure clean perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely without workes or our perfect working of them as Saint Paul testifieth saying to the pure all things that is our naturall works and our civill works and our religious workes and all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. Thus onely by free justification hath Christ delivered us from this present evill world according to the will of God even our father Gal. 1. 4. Thus hath God made us meet to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Because he hath thus delivered us from the power or kingdome of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare sonne Col. 1. 12 13. Thus our righteousnesse exceeding the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees we are entred into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5. 20. which kingdome of heaven is within us Luk. 17. 21. For the kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And thus if any man either Preacher or private Christian have some true touch first of the horrible filthinesse of the least sin in Gods sight and then of this glorious excellency of free justification thus perfectly healing us of it it will make us to say with Saint Paul Yea doubtlesse I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledg sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may make my gain of Christ and be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3. 8 9. which one Scripture I have now divers times alledged because it so fully describeth the markes or rather the very nature and essence of the true saving faith That whosoever doth in any measure of truth feele the same with Paul in his heart let him certainely know that he hath escaped out of the most dangerous dead Faith and hath Pauls faith that is the true lively and justifying faith which onely most certainly saveth him and glorifieth him For whom God justifieth them also hee glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And thus much be spoken of the two main points of religion which being thus thorowly looked into and deeply considered are the effectuall means to deliver us out of the dead faith and to translate us into the true lively justifying and saving faith Now out of these two points thus thorowly looked into and deeply considered will infallibly flow a third thing which as St. Iohn teacheth in all his three Epistles is Love which Paul also very resolutely testifieth saying For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which is effectuall operative or workfull by love For the true beleever having by this true faith a feeling of the true love of Christ toward him it onely and infallibly inflames his heart with the true love of Christ againe and of God in Christ and of his whole Church of every child of God in particular which true love constraineth the beleever 2 Cor. 5. 14. Not onely to doe his vocation diligently and so with David to serve his generation faithfully Act. 13. 36. as S. Paul likewise teacheth Gal. 5. 13. saying Brethren ye have been called unto liberty that is Now after that faith is come ye are no longer under the whipping Schoole-master Gal. 3. 25. Wherein though ye were heires yet being as little children ye differed nothing from servants Gal. 4. 1. Onely use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another but also it constraineth him to break off from and to mortifie all sinne and ungodly conversation and to walke freely cheerfully sincerely and zealously in all Gods will and commandements declaratively to manward which is true sanctification And thus it is most true which the established doctrine of our Church largely teacheth saying That this true faith of free justification is a thing of perfect vertue and wonderfull operation strength and power to bring forth all good motions and good works or else it is not the true lively justifying faith but the blind dead faith that leaves men in sin death and double damnation as these and such like Scriptures teach Titus 2. 11. to 15. For that grace of God namely of free justification bringeth salvation for nothing brings salvation upon men but onely the grace of free justification and therefore it is called the iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. hath appeared to all men and teacheth us dictamine charitatis by the instructing power and force of love to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world What is the moving or effecting cause hereof Because Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all our iniquities and purge or purifie or make us clean to be a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works vers 14. Thus Paul pithily expresseth also to the Ephesians chap. 2. 10. saying For wee are Gods workmanship namely by free justification created in Christ Iesus that is made by free Justification new creatures to Godward 2 Cor. 5. 17. 21. that is formed anew in Christ Jesus Gal. 4. 19. unto good workes that is to Sanctification Repentance Mortification Sincerity and Vniversall declarative obedience to all Gods will and commandements declaratively to man-ward Which God hath fore-ordained that we should walk in them Hence it is that Saint Iohn also so vehemently testifieth 1 Iohn 3. 6 9. saying whosoever is borne of God that is whosoever is iustified sinneth not that is sinneth not wittingly and willingly with free stream running to sinne as before his free iustification For Gods seed that is some true sight of Gods pure and righteous nature infinitely hating the creature defiled with the least sinne in his sight and some feeling of the infinite love of Christ bleeding out his bloud and life to iustifie him this seed remaineth in him and hee cannot sinne that is hee cannot lead so dissolute a conversation in sinne as he did before Because he is born of God that is Because of a wilde crab-tree he by free iustification is made a perfect good tree to
sufficiently commend it or set it forth For saith he the righteous one he made a sinner that hee might make the sinners righteous nay he speaketh not so sleightly neither but that which is farre more For he said not hee made him a sinner but sinne that we might be made he saith not righteous but righteousnesse yea and the righteousnesse of God For this is of God because it is not of workes For the former righteousnesse of good esteem in the Church was the righteousnesse of the Law and of works but this is the righteousnesse of God Because it is necessary that no spot bee found in it and from hence all sinne vanisheth away Thus hee teacheth the magnificence both of the gift and giver 3. Thirdly to look the better into the nature of this benefit we must consider deeply the excelent parts of this wonderfull benefit which are these two chiefly 1. First that this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth though mystically that is above our reason sight sense and feeling that we may live by faith in the truth and power of God speaking and not by sight sense and feeling Rom. 4. 18 to 25. yet freely take away and truly abolish not out of our flesh 1 Iohn 1. 8. but utterly abolish from before God and out of Gods sight all our sinnes as these and such like Scriptures teach Iohn 1. 29. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world For I not you but even I being Sol iustitiae the shining sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. will do away your iniquities like darknesse and abolish your sinnes like a mist Reioyce ye heavens for the Lord hath done it Shout ye lower parts of the earth break forth into praises O mountaines For thus hath the Lord redeemed Iacob and thus will he be glorified in Israel Esa 43. 25. and 44. 22 23. For by himself hath Christ purified and made us cleane from our sins and is set at the right hand of the highest Maiesty Heb. 1. 3 Because if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himsellfe without spot to God purge purifie or make clean our consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 13 14. Therefore did hee now once in the end of the world appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to abolish to doe away or to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9. 26. For Iesus Christ is that faithfull witnesse and that first begotten of the dead and that Prince of the Kings of the earth who hath loved us and hath washed us from our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1. 5. whereby the blood of Iesus Christ the sonne of God doth make us cleane from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Now the sonne having thus abolished our sinnes from before God or out of Gods sight Col. 1. 22. Hereupon doth the father pardon remit and forgive all the punishment and evill that is due to those sinnes which his sonne hath freely done away and truely abolished out of his fathers sight according to that testimony of David Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Psal 32. 1. Hereupon is all the anger of the father and all his displeasure discontentment death and all other evils ceased upon the justified person before God the father And thus much briefly of the excellency of the first part of free justification 2. The excellency of the second part of free justification is That this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth not only make us present us righteous in the sight of God but it also maketh us perfectly and completely and sufficiently holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith onely without workes or without our perfect working Yea so sufficiently and completely and perfectly holy and righteous that though mystically yet wheresoever we sit or walk we shine gloriously holy and righteous in the sight of God freely as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man shall many be made righteous whereby if by the offense of one death reigned by one much more they which receive the abundance of grace and that abundance of the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life through one even Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 17. Therefore did the Angel Gabriel prophesie to Daniel that after seventy weeks of yeares not onely sinne should be finished and transgression made an end of and reconciliation made for iniquity but also everlasting righteousnesse be brought in upon the faithfull Dan. 9. 24. Thus is this righteousnesse called not only an abundance of righteousnesse and an everlasting righteousnesse but also hence it is said to make us complete before God even complete in him which is the head of all principalities and powers Col. 2. 10. Hence it is said to make us perfect as with one sacrifice he hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. Hence it is said to make us and present us to God a glorious Church as he hath made us pure or clean by the washing of water through the word to make us to himselfe a glorious Church not having now at this present time as the Greek and Latine Participles signifie one spot or wrinckle of sinne or any such thing but to bee so holy that wee are unblameable or without blemish before God Eph. 27. Because in the body of his flesh through death he makes us or presents us so holy that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without all blame and without all fault in Gods sight if we continue rooted and grounded in this faith upon which place Chrysostome saith He hath not only freed us from sin but also he hath made us honourable and glorious in Gods sight Hence it is that this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse was signified by the vesture of the gold of Ophir that maketh the bride of Christ a Queen and all glorious within that is spiritually and mystically saying At thy right hand doth stand the Queene in a vesture of the gold of Ophir and shee is all glorious within Psalm 45. 9. Hence is the Church and every true beleever made that great wonder in heaven that is under the time and state of the Gospel called every where in the New Testament the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 11. 11 12. and chapter 13. But what is this wonder A woman that is in generall the whole Church but in particular every true beleeving soule which is as truely by faith married to Christ as any woman can be married to her husband Ephes 5. 30. But what of this woman Amicta sole cloathed with the sunne that shineth in
of the Law Rom. 9. 31 32. that concerning the righteousnesse of the Law they were unblameable Phil. 3. 6. whereupon the Pharisee said I thank thee O God that concerning the second Table I am no extortioner nor unjust person nor adulterer nor as this Publican And in the first Table of the Law I am so zealous in thy worship that I fast twice in the weeke and so carefull to maintaine thy service and relief of the poore that I give tithe of all that I possess Luk. 18. 11 12. And by this opinion of righteousnesse and well-pleasing of God Paul being taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the Fathers was so zealous towards God as they were all at that time that hepersecuted the Christians unto death binding and delivering into prison both men and women Act. 22. 3 4. And after Paul was converted this devour blind keeping of the law stirred up the devout and honourable women and the chief men of the City and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled both them and Christ himself with them out of their coasts Acts 13. 15. Thus we see this first maine point proved how farre the Dead faith goeth in humiliation repentance and zealous keeping of the Law wherein they greatly appeare in outward profession to themselves and others to bee zealous Christians in the true faith of Christ whereas in this dead faith gilt and varnished over with a blind legall zeale of keeping all Gods will and commandements they are inwardly rather Jewes and devout zealous Pharisees than true saved Christians And thus much of the first point how farre the dead faith will goe in the profession of the Gospel and how like it is to the true saving faith 2. The second main point is that now we consider the plaine and evident marks whereby this dead faith may be discerned and whereby it discovereth it self to be naught in the three aforesaid parts and appearances of the true lively faith 1. First their foresaid great knowledge before described is but literall as is before described Rom. 2. 17. to 29. And they are so puffed up with their supposed great knowledge 1 Cor. 8. 1. that they thinke they understand and know as much as any true child of God can know inwardly and secretly abhorring to seem to learn any thing of any man and yet they know nothing neither the Law nor the Gospel neither faith nor works truely as Saint Paul testifieth saying Now if any man thinketh that hee knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as hee ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. For they being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men meerly consisting of a naturall soule doe understand the benefits and mysteries of Christ after a carnall and humane-witted fashion of understanding and having not on the wedding garment do hang upon works stick fast in the religion of reason and in the light of nature described by the Apostle Rom. 2. 14 15. saying the Gentiles which have not the Law doe by nature the things contained in the Law which shew the workes and effect of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing wtiness and their thoughts accusing them that is with fear of punishment when they doe evill and excusing them that is with hoping to speed well when they doe well here is the whole maine of their religion And doe thus draw others from faith Christ to hang upon works with themselves so make a number of sects schisms about works turning all Gospell it selfe into precept upon precept and line upon line Esay 28. 10. and being fleshly and sensuall not having the spirit Iud. 19. Though they talke and glory greatly of it yet they see not and discerne not the spirituall and invisible benefits wrought upon Gods Children by the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 9. but onely picarum instar after the manner of pies doe chatter of them All their seeming great knowledge being meerely blindnesse and darknesse yea which is wonderful none so blind as they as these such like Scriptures teach Hear ye deafe and regard ye blind that ye may see who is blind but my servant and deafe as my messenger that I send who is blind as the perfect Esay 42. 17 18. Whereupon the same Prophet saith Stay your selves and wonder they are blind and make you blind Therefore behold I will doe a marvellous work in this people even a marvellous work and a wonder For the wisdome of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall bee hid For the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes the Prophets and your chiefe Seers hath he covered Esay 29. 9. 10. 14. The reason whereof is because they seeing doe not see and hearing they doe not understand Matth. 13. 13. whereby in them is fulfilled the prophesie of Esay saying By hearing they shall heare that is they heare as they thinke perfectly but shall not understand and seeing ye shall see that is they shall see as they thinke excellently well but not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed grosse and their eares are dull of hearing And with their eyes they have winked lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their eares and should understand with their hearts and should returne that I might heale them And yet they say are we blind also But Jesus said unto them If you were blind yee should in comparison have no sinne But now yee say We see therefore your sinne remaineth double For I am come unto judgement into this world that they which see not might see and that they which say they see might bee made blind John 9. 39 40 41. And yet by this blindnesse they calumniating the faith words and workes of the true beleevers are ever ready prest to call light darknesse and darknesse light good evil and evil good to put bitter for sweet and sweete for bitter Esa 5. 20. And thus much of their great knowledge that are in the dead faith being meer blindnesse as wee see 2. Secondly concerning their faith Although they seeme to have a strong faith in the mysteries of the Gospell and to preach eloquently the benefits of Christ yet they speake preposterously ignorantly and confusedly of them saying Sibboleth but cannot say Shibboleth And because when they speake of them they understand not what they speake all things in the plaine Gospel being unto them in Parables as Christ saith Marke 4. 11 12. therefore they will not onely in divers Sermons but often times in one and the same Sermon or conference if not in plaine words yet in plaine sense speake flat contraries in and to the workes of Christ and mysteries of the Gospel and so say and unsay saying one way and unsaying and denying the same things againe another way And thus doe see many things as the Prophet Esay 42. 20. saith but keepe not neither in