and happiness both in this world and that which is to come It requires therefore as my greatest pains so your best attention And the rather because Satan is so busie The god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them The understanding of this mysterie is the shining of this glorious Gospel Therefore he casts clouds upon it because he knowes that the right understanding of these things is that which sets open the gates of heaven to poor penitent sinners for this is life eternal to know Christ the Lord our righteousness Therefore he imployes his instruments and they raise up the mists of error to darken our understandings Our Adversaries of Rome tell us of a righteousness of works nor only in the way of precept but of counsel works of supererogation too a doing of more then the Law requires Hence their Pardons Indulgences and the like out of those overflowing merits of the Saints Nay the Jesuite hath exchang'd his poyson a generation of vipers there is amongst our selves not worthy the mention in this place O how they rend the bowels of their dear Mother the Church even denying the Lord that bought them The rather therefore let us give all diligence to search it and to finde it out And in this discovery I beseech you not to consult with your own sense and reason that is but to consult with flesh and bloud much lesse would I have you to take things upon trust because this or that man hath spoken it but because this is the foundation whereupon is built all our interest in the joy of Saints therefore consult we with the sacred Oracles the writings of the Prophets and Apostles those holy men who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Sure I am that here is the infallible truth which cannot deceive us The mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken this To return therefore to our purpose By the light of Scripture to discover to you Who is this Righteous Man For the right understanding of this we must know that there 's a twofold Righteousness a Righteousness of works and a Righteousness of Faith 1. The Righteousness of Works This is when a man continues in all things that are written in this book to do them when we perform a perfect exact unsinning obedience to the whole Law of God This righteousness of the Law is the righteousness of Works Rom. 10.5 Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them So it is a righteousness in the way of doing in the way of Works Now thus we say with Paul Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one I know there are some say otherwise and we hear their brags they fulfill the Law nay more then the Law requires else why do they tell us of the works of supererogation or from whence should arise that treasure of Saints merits which the Pope dispenses to redeem souls out of Purgatory So the Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous but the Apostle argues it Gal. 3.21 23. If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that therefore we might not seek for righteousness in the way of the Law but in the way of Faith It is the Apostles peremptory conclusion Gal. 2.6 By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified And it is a clear truth For 1. Is there any that doth all things that are written in this book and continues in so doing It is a passage in the prayer of Solomon 1 King 8.46 If they sin against thee for there is no man that sinneth not and thou be angry c. If they sin against thee but lest some should question this because he speaks it with an if therefore he brings in this sad parenthesis There is no man that sins not Not any man whatsoever not the most holy the most righteous man The words are express Eccles 7.20 There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Though there be just men upon earth yet no man so just but sometimes he sins Nor is it the language of the old Testament but of the New Jâ—m 3 2. In many things we offend all Not in some things but in many things not they but we and all we he brings in himself amongst them though he was a servant of Jesus Christ and a Minister of the Gospel 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves And Christ himself hath taught us When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven Forgive us our trespasses Why doth he teach us to pray daily for the forgivenesse of our sins but because we are daily committing of new sins even those that call God father 2. But suppose we now do all things that are written in this book and continue in so doing yet it hath been otherwise Saith Paul Before I was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious And 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you Nay not some but all Ephes 2.1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in times past Not ye but we also and all we Suppose then we walk at present as Zachary and Elizabeth in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God blameless yet formerly we have gone astray and if we look upon time past we must needs acknowledge we are transgressors of the Law Now who shall expiate those sins for us or quit us from that former guilt in the time of our ignorance that so we may appear as righteous in the sight of God 3. But suppose we could clear our selves of actual transgression and say with the young man in the Gospel we have kept all the Commandements of God from our youth up yet we know that we are born in sin Ephes 2.3 We are by nature the children of wrath even as others All by nature in the same condition And why children of wrath but because born in sin Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Adam begot a son in his own likeness as for nature so corruption of nature Such as the fountain is such are the streams therefore sinfull sons because descended from the loynes of sinful parents Rom. 5.12 As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For that or in whom the word
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
in the blackest ignominy a comfort in the saddest misery Nay then when all other delights fail us when the evil daies come upon us and the years draw nigh wherein we say I have no pleasure in them When the keepers of the house begin to tremble and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out at the window are darkned and the daughters of musick are brought low Can thy servant taste either what I eat or what I drink saith old Barzillai Can I hear any more the voice of singing men or singing women But then especially when we lie upon our death-beds what are all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them Ah miserable comforters are ye all In stead of rejoycing perhaps they affright us Ah woe worth the day that ever mine heart hankered after riches that ever mine eyes dazled upon honours that ever my teeth watered after pleasures these these are they for which I first wounded conscience and now they stare in my face worse then either hell or devil But our righteousness stands by us and an upright heart it speaks comfort to us and when we are to go out of the world 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing even the testimony of a good conscience that in sincerity and godly simplicity we have had our conversation in the world In this way there 's joy both in life and death and at the day of judgement and your joy shall no man take away from you Rejoyce ye righteous 3. An Exhortation Be righteous and Rejoyce 1. Be righteous As you are made righteous through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed so exercise your selves in the waies of righteousnesse as ever you expect true joyes I have shew'd you before what this righteous man is As one that is cloathed in the righteousnesse of God through faith in Christ Jesus so one that receives this righteousnesse into his head he knows it into his heart he loves it and into his life he works it 1 Joh. 3.7 He that doth righteousnesse is righteous In a word he is a man of an honest and an upright heart So you have him in this verse the latter part explains the former Rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart This is the man that hath solid and true joy And the more we exercise our selves in this way the greater is our rejoycing Oh what a sweet encouragement So let it stir us up to exercise our selves in the waies of righteousnesse righteousnesse toward God righteousnesse toward men It is that of the Apostle Act. 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men 1. In the way of righteousnesse toward God that is in the way of his Commandements The way of Gods Commandements that is a right way and it is a heart-rejoycing way Psal 19.8 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Do ye not finde it by experience I appeal to your own consciences When ye have spent the day in Gods service and sit down at night and review the works that ye have done doth it not afford a more solid and sweet contentment to your souls then if you had surfeited your selves in the vain empty pleasures of the world Rom. 6.19 As therefore ye have yeelded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity so now yeeld your members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse The Apostle presses it with arguments pro and con vers 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death But now being made free from sin ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end thereof everlasting life It will be your eternal joy 2. In the way of righteousnesse toward men Nor can you indeed be righteous before God except ye make conscience of your waies with men Because God requires both Ps 15.1 Lord who shal dwel in thy tabernacle who shall rest in thy holy hill even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life and doth the thing which is right and speaketh the truth from his heart he that hath used no deceit with his tongue nor done evil to his neighbour That just and faithful servant it is he that shall enter into the joy of his Lord. Oh then do no wrong to any man neither by word nor deed Though you have it in your power and might be gainers by it yet what you get by fraud will it not be your sorrow in the end So will it breed a worm in your consciences that ever gnawing never dying worm yea a moth in your estates and a curse upon your posterity Psal 37.35 I have seen the wicked in great prosperity and spreading himself like a green bay tree yet he passed away and lo he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found But mark the righteous man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Oh what a joyful end Nay in the way when troubles come upon us what a brest-plate is righteousnesse to ward off the blow But think with your selves what a rejoycing it was to Samuel when the people had cast off his government that yet he could challenge them 1 Sam. 12.3 Behold I am here witnesse against me before the Lord and before his Anointed whose oxe have I taken or whose asse have I taken or whom have I defrauded This is our encouragement and so we shall finde it in the day of trouble at least when we lie upon our death-beds the rejoycing of our souls Learn we therefore not only not to wrong but to give every man his due even honour to whom honour is due nay to the very meanest nor only in a way of equity but in a way of charity for this also is a part of the righteousnesse of Saints So Daniel gives the counsel to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.27 Break off thy sins by righteousnesse and thine inquities by shewing mercy to the poor The more we lay out our selves in the righteousnesse of charity the more shall be our joy at that great day Psal 112.9 He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor his righteousnesse endureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honour For we must know that our works they follow us not what we have gotten but what we have given I was hungry and ye gave me meat Come ye blessed And so will God judge us according to our works According to the measure of this righteousnesse so shall be our measure and degree of joy Thus to awaken us to the waies of righteousnesse both before God and man But 3. Whatsoever we do to do it with an honest and an upright heart This is that which gives us pure and unmixed joy when we do it in the integrity and uprightnesse of our souls Many are discouraged in the waies of righteousnesse because they finde not those joyes in them they expected