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
examined by an assise is really changed as to his Law state when cleared by an assise and pronunced not guilty and so absolved as to that whereof he was accused and set at liberty he is now a free man in Law much more is there a great change in a mans Law-state when before he was guilty of death lying bound in fetters keeped unto the day of execution and now getteth a free Remission of all when of a Man of death he is made a free liege as there is a change in a mans state and Relation when he is made an Adopted son so is there a new state wherein the sinner is brought when he is absolved from the sentence of the Law and declared a Righteous man Sanctification Regeneration and Glorification do all of them hold forth a new real State whereinto he is brought who is made partaker thereof so Iustification with Adoption held forth a new relative state which is also real as real is opposed to what is false or imaginary Hence is it that a beleever is justified even while he is sleeping not acting faith as a person remaineth in a married state though not actually consenting unto the match the consent once granted enstateth the person in that new Relation Propos. 2. This new state of Iustification is continueing permanent not in this sense that God reneweth frequently reiterateth the enstating of them into this new relative state but in this sense that once justified alwayes justified they are fixed preserved in that state as Adoption is a permanent state because once adopted alwayes a child of God Hence it is called a grace wherein me stand Rom. 5 2. It is a state of Reconciliation and Peace wherein we stand It is no fluctuating state wherein one may be to day be out of it to morrow and againe brought into it The ground of this sentence is fixed lasting and permanent to wit the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ once clothed therewith never naked or spoiled thereof againe the gifts and calling of God being with out Repentance Rom. 11 29. The foul's union with Christ through faith is lasting and abiding once in Him alwayes in Him once a member of his mystical body married to him as his spouse and alwayes so for he must finally present all such holy without spotâ— or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes. 5 27. Faith whereby the knot is made and the marriage consent is given remaineth as to its root and habite Christ prayeth that it fail not Luk. 22 32. They are keeped by the power of God through faith unto Salvation 1. Pet. 1 5. All the arguments proving Perseverance of the Saints which we cannot here summe-up do confirme this Propos. 3. Hence Iustification is a State that is not Interrupted and broken off and renewed and reiterated againe as it cannot be quite taken away and annulled so neither can it be broken off for a time so as for that time they should be in a non-justified state the marriage once made is not broken the sentence once pronunced is not recalled sinnes once pardoned by God are not laid againe to his charge The Spirit that once spoke peace said Son be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee will not be againe a Spirit of bondage unto fear Rom. 8 15. If Iustification could at any time be thâ—s interrupted Adoption behoved to be interrupted with it and so a childe of God behoved to be for that time a childe of the devil The Scripture speaketh not of any such relapse into the state of Nature Sin And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit of our God 1. Cor. 6 11. once brought out of Nature never reduced into that state againe No more new Iustification than new Adoption once quickened never againe brought into a state of death in trespasses sins Ephes. 2 1 5. for such are then brought into a saife state being quickened together with Christ as Christ being raised from the death dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6 9. so they who are planted with him in the likeness of his Death and Resurrection may alwayes reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ vers 4 5 11. Hence there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8 1. They are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6 14. And this holdeth true notwithstanding of after-sins for if after-sins remanent sinnes and corruption could break of this relation and make an alteration in this state no man should be said to be one day in a justified state for the best of men falleth seven times a day in sin and no man can say that he is free of sin there being no perfection here there could be no state of Justification consequently no state of Adoption and Reconciliation if after-sins could break of this Relation or Relative State a beleever could not be said to be partaker of any of the privileges attending this state for one day to end New sins indeed call for new Remissions but these new Remissions are fatherly pardons and not such a sentence of absolution as the person had at first when translated out of the Rate of Death into Life for then the person was not a reconciled Son but now he standeth in a state of Reconciliation and Sonshipe his new pardons are the pardons of a Father granted to a Son as we see Psal. 89 30 31 32 33 34. If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they break my statutes keep not my commendements then will I visite their transgression with the rod their iniquity with stripes never the less my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my fatihfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone of my lips So 1 Ioh. 1 8 9. If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 2 1 2. My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins Psal. 103 3 8 9 12 13. Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger plenteous in mercy he will not alwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever as far as the east is from the West so far hath heremoved our transgressions from us like as a Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him So this state remaineth firme and unbroken notwithstanding of the various changes which are in their apprehensions concerning it these may
flow therefrom be accounted one the same thing but two distinct parts of one compleet effect And therefore the mentioning of the one in stead of the whole proveth no confusion or sameness but rather an inseparablness which is yeelded He move â—in an objection against himself â— 5. thus How can God be said to impute a Righteousness to a man which never was nor ever had a being no Righteousness at least of that kind whereof we now speak having ever been but that perfect obedience which Christ performed to the Law This indeed is a very rational question for our Author talketh much of an imputed Righteousness and never doth nor yet can tell us what that is that can deserve the name of a Righteousness Let us heare what he answereth 1. saith he There is as express compleet a Righteousness in the Law as ever Christ himself performed Ans. But what Righteousness is or can be in a Law but what is there by way of prescription And who doubts 〈◊〉 the perfection of this that acknowledgeth the perfection of the Law This is utterly impertinent to the purpose in hand where the question is of a Righteousness consisting in conformity to the Law and which must be attribute to man to whom the Law is given And what if it be said saith he that God in remission of sins through Christ from out of the Law imputeth to every man that beleeveth such a Righteousness as is proper to him Ans. To say this is to speak plaine non-sense for what is that to furnish a man with a Righteousness out of the Law Can a man be changed into a Law or can a man have any Righteousness prescribed by a Law but by thoughts words deeds bearing a conformity to the commands of the Law And how can 〈◊〉 pardon cause this transformation can the pardon of murther or of any prohibited act make that act conforme to the Law Pardon thus should be a self destroyer for an act that is no transgression of a Law can need no pardon and thus pardon should make itself no pardon What he subjoineth hath bin spoken to elsewhere He giveth a 2. answere saying To say God cannot impute a Righteousness which never had a being i.e. which never was really actually performed by any man is to deny that he hath power to forgive sinâ— Ans. This hath been is full denied it never hath been nor never shall be proved that forgivness of sin is the imputation of a Righteousness Though he addeth from Rom. 4 6. 3 28. c. that it is the imputation of such a Righteousness as consisteth not noâ—es made up of any works performed to the Law by any man which is but a Righteousness that never had a being Ans. This is but a plaine perverting of the Scriptures which speak only of works in that exclusion done performed by us as the whole scope and all the circumstances of the passages demonstrate to any man who will not willingly put out his owne eyes and it were a meer imposing upon the Understandings of the most ordinary Reader and a miserable mispending of time to goe about the evincing of this which is so obvious But what desperat shifts will not a wrong cause put men to use who will not be truths captives His 5. Conclusion cometh here also to be considered It is this He that is fully discharged from his sins needeth no other Râ—ghteousness to give him-Right 〈◊〉 unto life This is as false as the rest for the Law is do this live and pardon for transgressions is not the same with doing of the Law What is his reason death is the wages of sin is of sin only being due to no creature in any other respect nor upon any other terme whatsomever But what then Now he that it free of death no wayes obnoxious thereunto cannot but be conceived to have a right unto life there being neither any middle condition between death life wherein it is possible for a reasonable creature to subsist nor againe any capacity of life but by some right â—itle thereunto Ans. Though this be true as to us now that he who is no wayes obnoxious unto death hath a right unto life Yet the consequence that he would draw from it is not good to wit that that only which taketh away the obnoxiousness unto death giveth also a right to life because God hath inseparably joined these effects together as also their distinct causes together and giveth them inseparably so that he who is pardoned hath also a right to life not meerly upon the account that he is pardoned but because together with the imputation of the Satisfaction of Christ whence floweth pardon he imputeth also Christ's Righteousness upon which followeth the right to life And howbeit now as to us there is no middle state betwixt these two Yet in Adam there was for while he stood he was not obnoxious unto death and yet he had not right unto life but was to work out perfect his rask to that end But he tels us That while Adam stood he was already in possession fruition of life else he could not be threatned with death Ans. This is not the life whereof we are speaking we are speaking of the life promised by that Covenant unto perfect obedience But it seemeth that he joyneth with the 〈◊〉 in this granting no life promised to Adam but a Continuance of what he was already in possession of He enquireth If he had not a right unto life by his freedome from sin but was to purchase this right by an ctlual fulfilling of the Law it would be known what quantitâ—eâ— of obedience to the Law he must have paid before he had made this purchase how long he must have obeyed keept the Law Ans. There is no necessity of any exact knowledge of these things our maine question doth not â—â—and or â—all with the knowledge or ignorance of them Yet we may say and that is sufficient that that Law or Covenant requiring perfect obedience and perpetual without the least omission or commission he must have paid all that obedience which the Law required of him to the day of his transâ—â—â—gration or change to glory before the 〈◊〉 had been made He addeth for had he lived a two yeers in his integrity uprightness without the least touch of any transgression he hâ—d still but a debtor of obedience to the Law upon the same termes that he was at the beginning the least interruption or breach in the course of his obedience had even now been the forfeiture of that life he enjoyed Ans. How long Adam should have lived upon earth before his translation to glory we know not nor is it of use for us to enquire it is sufficient to know that he was to finish his course to persevere in obedience to the end if he would not both forfeit the life he had and the expectation of
1. Cor. 15 3. Christ died for our sinnes 1. Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer may be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertaine End effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a may be redownd to all that he represented engadged for so the fruites effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ his vers 15. much more the Grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the Gift of Righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life vers 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made Righteous vers 21. so might grace reigne through Righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer may be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6 33. that he giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard therefrom being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9 24 to finish the transgresion and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncertane If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable the Adversaries are Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we thinks that Christ might have died yet one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain Condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Freewill upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1. Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou was â—tain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings Priests c. So 2. Cor. 5 15. He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him by himself and shall we suppose that this great chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargain purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinnes But let us see what the Scripture saith 1. Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what Redemption forgiveness of sins according to the riches of
in so many words syllabs yet that same is said in a more clear convinceing emphatick manner so that he who seeth not this lying in these words must be more blinde than Bellarmine was When this righteous Branch is raised up by Jehovah gotteth this name the Lord our Righteousness what can be more manifest than that He is made Righteousness to His people Yea all their Righteousness that this Righteousness is made over to them so that He is in a manner wholly theirs nothing but theirs all that He hath is theirs particularly that His Righteousness is all the Righteousness they owne as their Righteousness He excepteth 2 That in no tolerable sense can Christ being a person be said to be imputed to us Ans. Do we not hear that a childe was born to us a Son was given to us Esai 9 6. was not that child Son a person And may not a person be as well said to be Imputed as given seing imputation upon the matter is nothing but a giving or bestowing Yet we do not say that Christ is Imputed but that this expression here used doth manifestly evince that we are righteous through the righteousness of Christ made ours that Christ is become the Lord our righteousness that true beleevers receive owne Him as such rest upon His righteousness alone by faith He excepteth 3. The plaine direct meaning is that He shall be generally acknowledged celebrated by his people of the jewes as the great author procurer of that righteousness or justification in the sight of God upon which aboundance of outward glory peace prosperity should be cast upon them Ans. 1. That this is not to be restricted to the jewes is manifest seing it is spoken of the Gospel times when the righteous Branch shall be raised up unto David a King shall reigne prosper 2. It is too carnal an Interpretation to think the text speaketh only of such a justification as is followed with aboundance of outward Glory peace Prosperity whileas the whole Gospel informeth us of something more spiritual attending upon following justification 3. Righteousness justification are here made Synonymous which ought not to be though these two be inseparably lincked together yet they are formally different 4. Wherein standeth this righteousness justification He tels us in the place to which he here referreth us that it standeth in Remission of sins But pardon of sins is no righteousness though a man pardoned hath freedom from the obnoxiousness to punishment yet righteousness is another thing respecteth the obligation to duty required in the Law 5. Though it is true Christ is indeed the author of our justification pardon which is an effect of God's pronouncing us righteous of His accepting of us as righteous in justification as of our peace yet that needeth not destroy what we assert there being no inconsistency here but a necessary essentiall agreement betwixt the Imputation of Christ ' righteousness justification but it rather contributeth to the establishment of our Assertion Yet it is obvious that when Christ is called the Lord our Righteousness there is more Imported than His being the author of our peace justification even the way also how He bringeth about our peace justification is here denoted to wit His being made of God righteousness to His people so that His righteousness becometh theirs in order to their peace justification But to confirme his Interpretation he tels us 1. That the Imposition of name upon either thing or person often notes the quality or proprity in either or same benefite redounding from either answereable thereunto as Esai 9. his name shall be called wonderfull that is he shall be acknowledged looked upon by men as a doer of things very strange Ans. Seing all these names given to Christ Esai 9. cannot be so interpreted as to have this import mentioned for who will say that the name everlasting Father the mighty God can be so interpreted as to denote only some answerable benefite redounding there from who seeth not how little this can satisfie But 2. be it so that this name shall denote some benefite redounding therefrom why may it not denote this Effect which is only answerable hereunto to wit that His people shall be made partaker of His Surety-righteousness have the same made over unto them as they become united unto Him have His name called upon them He tels us 2. That it is familiar to attribute the Effect to its Cause or Author by a verbe substantive only as when Christ is called our Hop our life Resurrection peace Glory meaning that he is the author purchaser of all these Ans. Yet this proveth not that He is the author of all these Effects after one the same way He is otherwise our hope of which He is the Object as well as the Author than He is our life And He is otherwise our life and peace which He worketh createth in us than He is our Resurrection and Glory So He is our Righteousness by making us partaker of His Surety-righteousness imputing it unto us that it may be reckoned on our Score for this the nature of the thing requireth seing a Righteousness we must have ere we be justified and a Righteousness of our owne we have not and therefore must have one imputed to us and what Righteousness can suite us better than His who is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS He tels us 3. That by Righteousness is meaned that justification which standeth in Remission of Sinnes and the meaning is that through Him God would be reconceled to them and pacified with them Ans. Justification is something else than pardon of sins for a justified man is one that is declared and pronunced Righteous in order to pardon of Sins and in order to a persons being declared such by God who alway judgeth according to truth he must be Righteous Righteous can no man be in the sight of God in order to his justification by what is in himself therefore he must have a Righteousness from some other seing Christ is called the Lord our Righteousness it must be His Righteousness which must be bestowed upon them in order to God's being reconciled to them pacified with them Fiftly another passage is Dan. 9 24. to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness That all this is to be understood of the grâ—at spiritual effects of power Grace which are to be brought about by the Messiah no Christian candeny and among the rest we see He is to bring in a Righteousness and a Righteousness of ages an everlasting Righteousness that shall endure for ever shall have everlasting effects and this Righteousness is something more than Remission of Sins is distinct from it which is
sufficiently held forth by the foregoing Expressions of finishing transgressions of making an end of Sins and of making reconciliation for iniquity which saith that to justification there is a Righteousness required that this Righteousness is not meer Remission of Sins but some thing beside that must endure when sin is taken away This Righteousness is to be brought in by the Messiah as a favoure distinct from the preceeding yet inseparable there from firmly connected therewith This Righteousness which the Messiah is to bring in being something beside Remission of Sins must be a Righteousness wrought by the Messiah brought in for the use and advantage of His people who as they are to be made partaker of the foregoing favoures are also to be made partaker of this and consequently must have it imputed to them seing no other way it can be made theirs Sixtly We way adduce to this purpose Zech. 3 4. take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said behold I have caused thine iniquity to go from thee I will cloth thee with change of rayment Here by a vision is signified to the propher how the Lord would at length be reconciled to His Church bring her in to His favour againe that her service might become acceptable to Him which now was wholly defiled and so defiled that even their High priest who should weare the holy garments whereupon was engraven Holiness to the Lord is said to have had on filthy garments whereby the accuser of the Brethren Satan the enemie had no small advantage against them and the way is set down in borrowed termes which are in part explained First the Lord caused to take away the filthy garments from the High Priest and this is more plainely expressed in these words I have caused thine iniquity to go from thee But beside this there is a Righteousness required in order to acceptance with God as was said above therefore that this work of justification may be compleated it is added I will cloth thee with change of rayment Some it is true would referre this to Sanctification but others unto justification Iunius's Notes the English annot take in both and sure if this be true of Sanctification which is wrought in us it is much more true of the Righteousness that is required unto justification which is without us and must be put on And the Chaldee Paraphrase turneth it thus behold I have taken away thine iniquity have clothed thee with Righteousness The word in the original which is translated change of rayment importeth some suite of apparell that is not for ordinary wearing but kept for solemne times so may well import the Saints wedding or Marriage-suite that which is added in the sollowing verse may be understood as denoting Sanctification which is added with the Mitre on his head signifying the graces of the Spirit qualifying the High priest for his work CHAP. VIII Some passages of the New Test. confirming the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Vindicated from the exceptions of JOHN GOODWINE HAving seen what countenance the Old Test. giveth unto the Truth we are asserting vindicat some of these passages from the Exceptions of Iohn Goodwine We come next to search for confirmation of this truth out of the New Test. and I shall here beginne with such as the said Author taketh notice of in order to excepting against them in his Treatise of justification First Rom. 3 21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve But if men would disput against this truth they should except against whole Chapters in that Epistle and disput against the very scope designe yea and all the Arguments of the Apostle who in the first part of that Epistle is about to clear and confirme that which he setteth down Chap. 1 17. as the summe of the whole Gospel and clear demonstration of its being the power of God unto Salvation c. to wit that in it the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith a Righteousness revealed laid open and offered to all that hear the Gospel that they may lay hold on it by faith a Righteousness revealed from the true and faithful God unto our faith as Ambrose P. Martyr and others understand it or revealed from faith to faith that is only to faith as Pareus or as Calvin Beza Musculus and others from a weak faith to a stronger faith or rather to faith first and last through the whole of a Saints life here as the following words clear it as it is written the just shall live by faith Yet let us see what he excepteth pag. 136. He 1. Supposeth that he hath proved before that this passage speaketh plainly for the imputation of faith for Righteousness but no way for the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ for any such purpose And. We may have occasion hereafter to examine his grounds both from this and other passages for the Imputation of faith in opposition to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness I shall only say at present that this Righteousness cannot be faith it self because it is revealed to faith it is called the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ so not faith it self One thing cannot be both the Act the Object of that Act. And what sense would that make to say faith is upon all them that beleeve 2. He said By the Righteousness of God some under stand here His truth and faithfulness in keeping promise Ans. But though God's Righteousness may elsewhere import signifie His faithfulness in keeping promise yet that is not the Righteousness here understood for this suiteth a guilty sinner such as the Apostle hath been proving in his foregoing discourse both jewes Gentiles to be is such a Righteousness as is requisite to such as would be justified in God's sight vers 20. cannot be had by mans doing the deeds of the Law by which is the knowledg of sin which therefore rendereth their case more desperat such a Righteousness as is had by faith which is unto all upon all them that beleeve vers 20 22. and such a Righteousness as is manifested without the Law vers 21. All which and much more which might be mentioned show that some other thing is here understood by the Righteousness of God than His Faithfulness Truth even the Righteousness of God which is imputed unto bestowed upon all that beleeve 3. He saith Hereby is meaâ—t that way method meanes which God himself hath found out to justisis or make men Righteous or else that very Righteousness by which we stand justified or Righteous in the sight of God But not the Righteousness of Christ nor is there the least appearance in the context of
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
which we were lying under Except 4. Many sound able expositors are for this sense understanding nothing by this but our justification or righteous making by Him some placeing this justification in Remission of sins some ascribing it to the Sufferings of Christ. Ans. We â—ould also cite sound able expositors for our sense bring-in beside the general Verdict of such as write against Socinians Papists others also but this is not our present work 2. Justification Righteous-making are not one the same If we be made righteous by Him it must be by His Righteousness anâ— if we made righteous by His Righteousness it must be imputed to us 3 That justifiâ—ation is nothing but Remission of sins is not yet proved 4. We have heaâ—d Paul say That by the obedience of one i e Christ in opposition to the disobedience of Adam whereby all his posterity were made sinners many are made righteous Rom. 5 19. Ninthly 2 Cor. 5 21. For he hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him This is added as a confirmation and further explication of what was said vers 18 19. Concerning the reconciliation of a sinâ—ul world unto God in through Christ and of Gods imputing their Trespasses unto them As if he had said all our Salvation all the way how it is brought about is of God who in and through Christ reconcileth the sinfull world of His own chosen ones to Himself and Pardoneth their sinnes by laying them all on Christ making Him bear the guilt and punishment of all that the chosen ones might be made partakers of that Righteousness and have it imputed unto them as their sinnes were imputed unto Christ and so become the Righteousness of God in Him or by being in Him and united to Him This place is pregnant and full of proof so that the whole matter cannot be more clearly emphatically expressed than it is here hold forth Yet Mr. Goodwine laboureth to darken it with his Exceptions pag. 164. c. let us hear him Except 1. Here is nothing said touching any Imputation of our sins to Christ consequently here can be nothing to build a reciprocal Imputation of His righteousness unto us upon Ans. If that Expression of Gods making Christ to be sin who knew no sin that for us will not enforce an imputation of our sinnes to Christ it must be so only with such as will hold fast their opinion let Scripture speak what it will to the contrary for when it is said that Christ who knew no sin i. e. was guilty of no sin by committing of it in thought word or deed was yet made sin by God that for us what words can be imagined that shall more emphatically express this Imputation And the Greek commentators whom our adversary doth oft cite when he findeth it any thing to his advantage give the meaning to be That he was made a great sinner was handled as if he had been the worst of sinners even very wickedness it self And Esaias tels us Chap. 53 6. That the Lord laid all our iniquities on Him or caused them to meet in one upon Him And nothing can be alleiged against this except it be said the meaning is He was made an offering or Sacrifice for sin But this is so far from weakening the truth concerning the Imputation of our sinnes to Christ that it aboundantly confirmeth it for there was a real imputation of the guilt of the sinner upon the Sacrifie as is expresly said Lev. 16 21 22. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over him all this iniquities of the Children of Israel all their trespasses in all their sinnes putting them upon the head of goat and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited And the people were to lay their hands on the head of the Sacrifice to signifie their rolling of their guilt over upon the expiatory Sacrifie Levit. 1 4. 3 2 8 13. 4 4 15 24 29 33. So that if Christ was made sin that is a Sacrifice for sin though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where in the New Test. so taken it must needs be granted that guilt was transferred upon Him in order to His becoming a Sacrifice for sin justice could not exact upon Him if it had not been so He having been free of all sin and guilt in His own person Except 2. Some of the most judicious learned assistants of the way of this Imputation absolutely reject this equality or reciprocation of Imputation between the sinnes of beleevers unto Christ and the Righteousness of Christ unto them There is not the same force and power of our unrighteousness to make Christ unrighteous which is of His Righteousness to make beleevers righteous Therefore we are not made formally righteous by such an Imputation Ans. We willingly grant several differences beside what is mentioned yet this agreement correspondency which is all we seek is manifest That as Christ who knew no sin as to Himself was made sin or had the guilt of sin laid upon Him and was handled by justice as a sinner legally so we who have no righteousness of our owne have Christs Righteousness imputed to us and bestowed upon us and upon the account thereof are dealt with as legally righteous We do not speak of Christs obedience only but assert the Imputation of His Sufferings too Nor do we say that we are hereby made formally Righteous if the terme formally import inherently but that by the Imputation thereof to us we are accounted looked upon by God as Righteous formally in a legal sense and as such are accepted of God justified Except 3. There is not so much as the face or appearance in this place of any comparison between Christs being made sin for us our being made the Righteousness of God in Him but only the latter is affirmed as the end consequent or effect of the former Ans. Though the latter be a consequent of the former yet every word holdeth forth a comparison or correspondence Christ made sin we become Righteous Christ made sin or a sinner for us and we made Righteousness or Righteous in Him Christ knew no sin and yet was made sin we who were sinners land rebels standing in need of reconciliation as the preceeding words evidence as is undeniable are made Righteous Except 4. That the weight of that particle in Him should be by the Imputation of His active obedience unto us hath neither Instance or parellel expression in Scripture nor rule in Grammar nor figure in Rhetorick to make probable in the lowest or lightest degree Ans. We plead not solely for the Imputation of Christs active obedience as is said but for the Imputation of His whole Surety-righteousness And though these words in Him
a bare may be of forgiveness by a New Covenant offering the same upon new termes What next Expositors saith he commonly say that to be made sin for us is but to be made a Sacrifice for sin so that Christ took upon Him neither our numerical guilt of sin it self nor any of the same species but only our Reatum poenae or debt of punishment or left the wranglers make a verbal quarrel of it our Reatum culpae non quâ talem in se sed quatenus est fundamentum Reatus poenae Ans. Yet some Expositors will say more and that in full consonancy with the Scriptures as Esai 53 6. And however all we say is hereby sufficiently confirmed for if He be made a sacrifice for our sins our sins must necessarily be imputed to him as the sins of the people were typically laid upon the Sacrifices and therefore Christ must have taken on Him not physically but legally our very numerical guilt without which he could not be accounted reus poenoe or obnoxious to our punishment What he meaneth by the reatus culpae qua talis in se he would do well to explaine If his meaning be that Christ was not legally accounted guilty this is denied for then he could not have been a Sacrifice for our sins to have died in our stead Wrangling is not good Yet Turpe'est Doctori c. He addeth And so His Righteousness is ours not numerically the same Relation that he was the subject of made that Relation to us nor yet a Righteousness of the same species as Christ's is given to us at all Ans. Though Christ's numerical Righteousness be not ours physically yet that same is made over to us legally as it is one the same Individual payment that is made by the Surety and made over in Law unto the debtor And therefore what he addeth is to no purpose But saith he His Righteousness is the Meritorious cause reason of another Righteousness or justification distinct from His freely given us by the Father Himself by His Covenant Ans. Righteousness and justification are not one and the same more than the cause is the same with the Effect As Christ's Righteousness is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification so it must be legally made ours in order to our Justification otherwayes we cannot be accounted Righteous and legally free of the Charge brought in against us And this is not granted us by a Covenant with new Conditions in Mr. Baxter's sense as hath been evinced already Therefore he is in a great mistake when he concludeth that they that will not blaspheme Christ by making guilt of sin it self in its formal relation to be His own so Christ to be formally as great a sinner as all the Redeemed set together they that will not overthrow the Gospel by making us formally as Righteous as Christ in kind measure must needs be agreed with us in this part of the controversie For we have shown how far we are from Blasphemy how groundless his Insinuation is founded only on his Physical or Metaphysical acceptation of things here which we understand only legally and juridically according to all right and reason And as for subverting of the Gospel it is one of our choise grounds of Reason against his way because by it the Gospel is indeed changed and the true and native Gospel-way of Salvation is indeed removed and a Sociniano-Armintan Gospel substitute in its room which is daily more and more confirmed by books coming out wherein Mr. Baxter's grounds are owned and more Socinianisme Arminianisme vented than Mr. Baxter himself hath yet had the confidence to express in his own books witness Mr. Allens discourse of the two Covenants ushered in with Mr. Baxter's preface and others of that kind much commended and cryed up by Mr. Baxter 9. Object When you Inferre that if we are reckoned to have perfectly obeyed in and by Christ we cannot be againe bound to obey ourselves afterward nor be guilty of any sin you must know that it is true that we cannot be bound to obey to the same ends as Christ did which is to redeem us or to fulfill the Law of works but yet we must obey to other ends viz. in gratitude and in love to God and to do good and the like Though I think the objection is not so favourably proposed as it might be seing that end to Redeem should not here be mentioned for though it was the end of Christ's coming in to our Law-place yet it cannot be said to be properly the end of that Obedience he performed while he was in our Law-place proximely Let us see how ever what he saith to it 1. Hence saith he it clearly followeth that Christ obeyed not in each of our persons legally but in the person of a Mediator seing His due obedience ours have so different ends and a different formal-relation His being a conformity proximatly to the Law given Him as Mediator that they are not so much as of the same species much less numerically the same Ans. I think rather that hence it clearly followeth that Christ did indeed obey the Law as it was the Condition of the Covenant of works in each of the Elect's person legally for though His Obedience and ours now after faith have far different ends yet His Obedience as Obedience to the Law of works had the same end that our Obedience should have had by that Law viz. the fulfilling of the same in order to the obtaining of a Right to Life and if not to lose all The Law given Him as Mediator taken in its latitude is not the Law whereof the objection speaketh for it speaketh of the Law of works under which Adam was and all his posterity in him and under the breach of which we lay And Christ's obeying in the person of a mediator doth not hinder His representing His own legally for He was such a Mediator as was a Sponsor and Surety and came in our Law-place and undertook our debt Therefore though Christ's Obedience to the special Law given to Him as Mediator was not of the the same kind with the obedience required of us yet the obedience He performed to the Moral Law in our place stead and as our Surety and Sponsor was the very same debt we were oweing He saith 2. Either this Obedience of Gratitude is a duty or not if not it is not truely obedience nor the omission sin If yea then that duty was made a duty by some Law And if by a Law we are now bound to obey in gratitude or for what ends so ever either we do all that we are so bound to do or not if we do it or any of it then to say that we did it twice once by Christ once by ourselves is to say that we were bound to do it twice then Christ did not all that we were bound to but half Ans. We distinguish betwixt the Law
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
that so much the rather that Satan without corruption within many are so far at enmity with this doctrine of the grace of God that they laboure by all meanes either more directly or more indirectly to perverâ—tit to presse for a mixture of works upon one consideration or other in this matter which it will not admit and that because it is so crosse contrary to the corrupt inclinations of Man who is so proud of nothing that he will not be beholden to Christ for less and for more and for all We see Paul was most jealous in this matter and most zealous for the truth therefore on all occasions did assert vindicate it as we may see especially in his Epistle to the Galatians where he did so zealously withstand Peter Chap. 2 14. and immediatly did state the question vers 16. saying 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 c. adding vers 18. that he for his part would not build againe the things which he had destroyed so make himself a transgressour Nor would he vers 21. frustrate the Grace of God 12. Finally all such as have by faith laid hold on Christ his righteousness and are by faith justified and so made partaker of this life through faith in Christ must resolve to abide in Christ by faith that life may be preserved and by new acts of faith dayly on Christ get as it were new breath that their life may be continued and thus live continually the life of justification by faith by faith take their new sinnes to Christ that they may be done away in his blood for the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by Faith But of this we are to speak more hereafter CHAP. XIX Of the Life of Justification as to its continuance WHen it is said that the just shall live by faith there is a State pointed forth a Condition intimated that is not momentany of short continuance but such a condition or change of state is hold forth as is of a lasting Nature not only because Life doth connote some permanency for a longer or for a shorter time but chiefly because this Scriptural axiome saith especially as else where applied by the Spirit of the Lord that the just or justified man hath through faith a life in the worst of times that he is made partaker of that privilege of life which shall prove lasting continueing to the end a life that is keeptin fed nourished by Faith Having spoken therefore of this life of Justifi on as begun that we may more fully explaine the nature of it we must speak a litle of it also as continued But first we must premit some things to shew what that Justification is of the continuance of which we here speak and what we do not hereby understand when we speak of the continuance of the Life of Justification 1. We do not speak here of Justification which Antinomians tell us is from Eternity for that can be nothing but God's eternal Purpose to justifie and which cannot more be called Justification than his eternal purpose to Condemne the Reprobate to save the Elect can be called condemnation Salvation and we can no more say That there was a Justification of any man from Eternity than that there was a Condemnation or Salvation of men from eternity we must distinguish betwixt God's Purposes the Effects which he hath purposed His purposes are indeed eternal but the Effects or Events purposed have their being in time according to the Season meane and Methode when whereby God hath purposed to effectuate them And sure we are that Justification whereof the Scripture speaketh is a relative change wrought in Man in time when and not before he laith hold on Christ by Faith according to the tenor of the Gospel 2. Nor do we meane here that Justification which the same Antinomians call only declarative in this life for the true Gospel Justification is a real Relative Change whereby the beleever is brought out of a State of Wrath and Judgment where they were lying under the Curse of the Law and the sentence thereof unreconciled to God and enemies to him having their sinnes lying upon then according to the sentence of the Law therefore strangers to God's favoure countenance and so without God without Christ brought into a new State of Peace Pardon Reconciliation Friendshipe with God of which we spoke above Chap. V. We cannot then look upon the Iustification mentioned explained in the Scriptures and of which we have hitherto spoken as a meer Declaration to the beleevers Conscience of what God did from Eternity as if the admittance into favoure and Pardoning of sinnes were nothing but his Declaration to their consciences that they were accepted from eternity had pardon from eternity a notion sure that hath no feeting or foundation in the Scriptures 3. We do not here speak of that which some call Baptismal Iustification whereby they say all Infants baptized are justified which they must yeeld to be such as can doth meeth with a final total intercision yea amission as to many so be quite of another nature from that which adult beleevers partake of from which there is no final or total Apostasie to be granted according to the Scriptures But we owne no such Justification of all baptized Infants 4. Nor yet do we here speak of that which others being more wary must owne as consequentially following upon their opinion of Baptismal Regeneration of all baptized elect infants to wit a Baptismal Iustification of all baptized elect infants it being certain that there can be no Regeneration without a corresponding Justification for as such a Regeneration is not clearly revealed in the Scriptures so were it granted no Actual Justification but only a Seminal Potential Justification could be hence inferred because such as the Regeneration is said to be by such as maintaine this opinion such must the Justification be but this Regeneration which is thus owned is only said to be Initial Seminal or Potential is distinguished from Actual Regeneration See D. Burges of Baptismal Regeneration pag. 14 15 As concerning the justification of Infants though we cannot say that there is no such thing yet as the knowledge of the way of the Lords effectuating it doth not much concerne us so the Scriptures are spareing in speaking of that Subject Sure the Lord hath a way of uniteing their hearts to Christ and of justifying Regenerating Saving such of them as die in their Infancy belong to the Election of Grace though we cannot distinctly understand determinatly explaine the manner how It is more of
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
ever accuse a Beleever of not being a beleever as for Satans or others accusations of this kind a well informed conscience from the light of the word of the Spirit clearing up the work of faith in the soul the true real works of a lively faith will be sufficient to quiet the beleever stop the mouth of all these Accusers without the fiction of a new distinct Justification whereof the Scripture is silent But Mr. Baxter in his last reply to Mr. Cartwright explaineth the matter far otherwayes telling us pag. 46. and forward That the first justification is by God as Rector only by the pure Law of works as Creator the other by God in Christ as Redeemer Rector of the Redeemed world The first is conditionally past upon the whole condemned world that without any condition in man whether faith or works so it is both absolute conditional In the first the Father first condemned his Son as it were see pag. 52. after satisfaction given justified first him as Sponsor then the world for his sake thus God forgave those all the debt who yet perish by taking their fellow servant by the throat Here is a justification both absolute conditional Here is pardon no pardon Here is a justification of all the Reprobat Here is a justification of persons not in being prior to without all faith This therefore is not the justification whereof the Scriptures speak as himself proveth in his Confession CHAP. XX. The state of justification remaineth notwithstanding of after sinnes punishments FOr further clearing up of this life of Justification as to its Continuance we shall remove two objections that may seem to stand in the way of the truth hitherto cleared For it would seem that Justification is not such a continueing uninterruptible state as it was said to be upon this double account first That the sinnes which Beleevers who are justified do commit especially such as are of a more hainous crying Nature do break off this state of favoure reconciliation seing they deserve even the least of them God's wrath curse so expose the sinner unto the just revenges of God which seemeth not to be consistent with a state of Justification And then secondly as their sinnes deserve God's curse wrath so the many sharp sore afflictions which they are made to lye under both are effects of the wrath of God fruites of the Curse also would say that that state is such as can be broken off or at least is not perfect as it was said to be Now for clearing of the truth formerly asserted vindicating of the same from these two Objections to which all others may be reduced we shall propose some few things to consideration 1. None will say that every sin of infirmity weakness which beleevers commit doth or can cut them off from the state of justification for then they should never remaine one day to end in that state for no man liveth that sinneth not the Righteous fall seven times a day if the Lord should stricklymark iniquity no man should stand even the best of their actions are defiled with sin and they cannot answere for one of a thousand So that either it must be said there is no state of justification or that it is consistent with sin in the justified Justification though it take away all the guilt of by paft sins and free the beleever from that obnoxiousness to the wrath curse of God which they were formerly under yet it preventeth not all future sinnes not doth it put the beleever into a perfect sinless state nay nor doth it kill any one sin as to its being but only taketh away the guilt offensiveness the obligation to punishment or the reatus poenae whereby the sinner is bound over unto the Penalty 2. As for such sins as we may suppose if committed would ipso facto as they say forfeit the transgressour of the state of Justification destroy all interest in Christ in the Covenant of grace so transferre them into their former state of Nature while they were under the Curse as being sins inconsistent with a state of Grace Reconciliation with God such as the sin against the Holy Ghost or of full final Apolstasie as for such sins I say the faithfulness of God Mediation of Christ the Operation of the Spirit of Grace are as it were engadged to keep the Iustified from falling into them as all the Arguments proving the perseverance of the Saints do abundantly evince 3. Though every sin being a transgression of the Law of God which still remaineth in force to oblige the beleever as all others unto obedience in all points doth in its own nature deserve God's wrath curse according to the threatning penalty of the Law yet these sins do not annul the state of justification nor interupt it 1 because notwithstanding thereof all their former sins of which they were pardoned remaine pardoned do not bring them againe under the curse their Right to the Inheritance remaineth fiâ—me through Jesus Christ. 2 Because all these after sins were virtually pardoned their obligation to the suffering of the penalty upon the account of these virtually removed in their Iustification for therein was there a legal security laid down given that all future sins should not actually bring them under the curse or into the state of condemnation this is much more than what was before their actual closing with Christ being thereby brought into an estate of justification for though it may be said there was sufficient security laid-in in the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Iehovah the Mediator concerning the Non-perishing of the Elect Yet this security was hid under ground lying in the unchangable purposes of God in the Fathers Election of them giving of them to the Son to be redeemed in the Son 's undertaking for them in due time becoming sin a curse for them so taking on their debt making full compleet satisfaction therefore And this fundamental remote Right as it may be called could not be pleaded by themselves But after they have closed with Christ and are brought into a state of justification their Right appeareth above ground and the security is laid open in the Covenant of Grace whereby they are in case to plead their virtual pardon to be made actual the promises to be made good according to the Gospel termes after the Gospel-method And thus 3. Not only doth the law's threatnings speak to them as shewing what de jure only they may look upon us due unto them not declaring what shall eventually befall them or that eventually they shall fall under the eternal curse for in a sense that is true even of all the elect not yet justified as was said but they have a legal ground Right in the
Covenant of Grace securing them from Condemnation they have accless ground in Law to plead this Right so to plead for actual Pardon in the termes according to the methode of the Gospel I do not say that the justified while lying in sin without making application to Iesus Christ acting faith on him in order to pardon have ground to plead for actual pardon for that is repugnant to the Methode of the Gospel requireing new acts of faith in order to new acts of Pardon I mean the implicit acts if faith to speak so in reference to dayly infirmities unseen sins the more explicit acts of faith in reference to grosser sins seen lamented But they have ground to plead for grace to discover their sins to humble them for their sins to excite their soul to renewed acts of faith in Christ and thereupon to expect according to the Gospel methode Remission and to plead for it in the merites of Christ unto which they have a sure Right Therefore 4. New sins cannor annul the state of justification because not only are beleevers secured that de eventu they shall not come into Condemnation for these sins but even as to any legal dueness of punishment that new sins may bring them under there is a sure saife remedie at hand the blood of Christ that taketh away all sin to which they are called to go that they may wash their souls there by faith and be clean be delivered from guilt 4. For further clearing of this we could consider that there is a difference to be put betwixt Sin in order to its direful effects considered in it self and considered as it is in the Iustified Though sin in it self is alwayes mortiferous and exposeth to the curse and wrath of God having a malignant demerite constantly attending it Yet it is not so being considered as it is in the justified for as poison is alwayes deadly in it self working towards death yet it is not so as in a person who hath received a sufficient antidot Though every act of felonie in it self make obnoxious unto death according to the Law yet some acts as committed by one who can read will not have that effect so the beleever is antidoted by the Covenant of Grace that howbeit sin remaine still deadly in its own nature yet as to him it cannot produce these effects 5. Though after sins in a justified person may have before they be pardoned very sad effects in reference to Comfort or comfortable Improvment of their Privileges Advantages yet they cannot disinherite them or put them from their Right Though leprosie did deprive the leper of the comfortable enjoyment and use of his own house yet it did not destroy his right though the miscarriages of the prodigal son did incapacitate him for any present enjoyment of his interest in his Fathers affection yet they did not destroy his Sonshipe Luk. 15 17. So though sins not yet washed away in such as have been justified may and will certainly prejudge them of many comfortable Advantages which they might otherwayes have yet they do not take away their Sonshipe nor their Right to the Inheritance of sones 6. Though after sins not yet pardoned through faith do and will stirr up Fatherly Anger Displeasure against them who are justified and become his Adopted children Esai 54 7 8. Yet they bring not justified man under pure judicial wrath and under the Curse and Law-anger so as God is no more their Father but hath cast them out of his familie fatherly favour It is one thing to be under the frowns gloomes of an angry Father another thing to be under the severe aspect of an angry judge 7. It is considerable also That through grace and the Lord 's great love and wisdom after-sins are so far from destroying their State and Right to the inheritance that upon the contrare they are ordered to the Justified mans good and further establishment in grace not that sin it self hath any such natural tendency but it is by accident to sin which is so ordered by the wise disposal of a loveing Father making all things work togerher for good and thus counter-working Satan without Corruption within making that which Satan had designed to their ruine and destruction contributo to their good advantage by giving them fresh occasion of exercising Humility Repentance of Renewing their gripping of Christ by Faith of Watching more with Diligence here-after as also hereby they are put to search examine themselves to try their Rights Securities thus to make their calling election sure to their further establishment comfort in the Holy Ghost 8. Thus we see whatever present alteration after sins not yet taken to Christ to the end they may be pardoned through his blood do or can make as to the present Condition of the justified yet their State remaineth firme unshaken for thereby they fall not againe under the old Covenant nor under the sentence thereof nor under pure Law wrath pure Justice the Curse of a broken Covenant but being under Grace not under the Law they are secured as to Condemnation Rom. 8 1. as to the loss of the favour friendship of God Rom. 8 35 39. for not only is the guilt of Original sin of all their preceeding Actual sins taken away through faith in Christ when they were justified but there is a sure way condescended upon betwixt Jehovah the Mediator how their after-sins shall be Pardoned taken out of the way the same method and way is declared in the Gospel made sure by the Covenant of Grace and by their being in the Covenat they have a right unto the promises thereof and ground to press for the performance so for Remission for all things requisite thereunto or following thereupon yea they have a sure pledge of Remission already to wit the actual Pardon of what is past and their past Justification that is a comforting strenthening word Rom. 5 9 10. much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we are enemies we were reconcile â— to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life so is that Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 9. We may adde That if sins afterward committed could take away Justification then they should also take away Adoption Regeneration so the justified man should by after sins not only become an unjustified man but also the child of God should become againe the childe of the devil the Relation should be quite broken off he who was borne againe should return unto his former state of black Nature thus there should be a second a
third yea multiplied Regeneration whereof the Scripture is silent nay it clearly depones the contrary 10. And if it be enquired how it cometh to passe that after sins may not at least gradually impaire the State of Justification as sins do impaire and weaken Sanctification I answere and this may further help to clear the business under hand The reason is manifest from the difference that is betwixt these two blessing and benefites Iustification is an act of God changing the Relative-state of a man and so is done and perfected in a moment Sanctification is a progressive work of God making a real physical change in the man whence sin may tetard this or put it back but cannot do so with the other which is but one single act once done and never recalled the gifts and calling of God being without repentance Rom. 11 29. In justification we are meerly passive it being a sentence of God pronunced in our Favours in Sanctification as we are in some respect patients so are we also Agents and Actors and thus sin may retard us in our motion and as it evidenceth our weakness for acting so it produceth more weakness Moreover Sin and Holiness are opposite to other as light and darkness therefore as the one prevaileth the other must go under and as the one increaseth the other must decress But there is no such Opposition betwixt sin pardon which is granted in Justification And whereas it may be said that sin expelleth also grace Meritoriously yet that prejudgeth not the truth in hand for it can expell grace meritoriously no further than the free constitution of God hath limited and so though it can and oft doth expell many degrees of Sanctification yet it cannot expell make null the grace of Regeneration or the Seed of God so no more can it expell or annul Justification because the good pleasure of God hath secured the one the other made them both unalterable By these particulars we see how the first doubt is removed out of the way we shall next speak to the Second which is concerning afflictions Punishments which are the fruits and deserts of sin and seem to be part of the curse or penalty threatned in the first Covenant To which we need not say much to show that notwithstanding hereof the State of Justification remains firme and unaltered These few things will suffice to cleare the truth 1. Though all affliction and suffering be the fruite consequent of the breach of the Covenant by Adam the head of mankind for if he had stood and the Covenant had not been violated there had been no Misery affliction Death or Suffering and though in all who are afflicted in this world there is sin to be found And though it cannot be instanced that God ever brought an afflicting or destroying stroke upon a Land or Nation but for the provocations of the People yet the Lord may some rimes afflict outwardly or inwardly or both a particular Person in some particular manner though not as provoled thereunto by that persons sin or without a special reference to their sin as the procuring Cause thereof as we see in Iob and as Christ's answer concerning the blinde man Ioh. 9 3. Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents that he was born blinde but that the works of God should be made manifest in him giveth ground to think 2. Though it doth oftner fall out that God doth afflict Punish and Châ—sten his people even because of their sinnes as well as other wicked persons yet the difference betwixt the two is great though the outward Camitie may be materially the same To the godly they flow from Love are designed for good are sanctified and made to do good they are covenanted mercies but nothing so to the wicked They are mercies to the one but curses to the other They speak out love to the one but hatred to the other They are blessed to the one but blasted cursed to the other They work together for good to the one but for evil to the other and all this notwithstanding that the outward affliction calamity that is on the godly may be double or treeble to that which is upon the wicked Yea there is mercy and love in the afflictions of the Godly when the prosperity of the wicked is cursed Whence we see that all these afflictions cannot endanger or dammage their Justified state 3. Though the Lord may be wroth smite in anger his own people chasten punish them in displeasure yet this wrath anger is but the wrath and anger of a Father and is consistent with fatherly Affection in God and therefore cannot be repugnant to a state of Sonshipe in them Prov. 3 11 12. Heb. 12 5-8 Psal. 89 30 33 34. Revel 3 19. 4. In all these afflictions that seem to smell most of the Curse and of the death threatned and are most inevitable such as death c. there is nothing of pure vinâ—ictive justice to be found in them when Justified persons are exercised with them for Christ did bear all that being made a curse for them and as to this the Lord caused all their iniquities to meet together upon him He drunk out the cup of Vindictive anger and left not one drop of the liquor of the Curse of the Law for any of his own to drink He alone did bear the weight of revenging justice and there is nothing of this in all that doth come upon beleevers So that the very sting of death is taken away the sting of all these Afflictions is sucked out and now they are changed into Mercies Blessings 1 Cor. 3 21 22. Therefore we must not think that they contribute the least mite unto that Satisfaction which justice required for sins Christ payed down to the full justice was fully satisfied with what he paid down nor must we think that God will exact a new satisfaction for sins or any part thereof of the hands of beleevers after he hath received a full satisfaction from the Mediator Christ did rest satisfied therewith The afflictions and Punishments then that the godly meet with being no parts of the Curse nor of that Satisfaction that justice requireth for sin nor flowing from vindictive justice but being rather fatherly chastisments mercies meanes of God can do no hurt unto their state of justification nor can any thing be hence inferred to the prejudice of that glorious state 5. But it is said Pardon and Justification is one thing and a man is no more Justified than he is Pardoned and Pardon is but the taking off of the obligation to punishment and consequently of punishment it self and seing punishment is not wholly taken off but there remaineth some part of the curse or of the evil threatned for sin and will remaine untill the resurrection it is cleare that pardon is not fully compleet not consequently Justification so long as we live But
Ordinance both as leading thereunto as receiving strength thereby for what ever real beginnings the Lord may work so they have this effect to commend the word more unto these persons in special the publick Administration thereof by his Authorized Ambassadours so that whatever saving work be wrought as it is not altogether without the word some way or other made known so it tendeth to the further usmaking of the word publickly administred where it may be had as Saul when under that terrible work of God Act. 9. was directed to go to Ananias in Damascus to understand what he should do Cornelius was ordered Act. 10. to send for Peter to get instruction in the wayes of God And whatever work of Light Conviction or Terrour be wrought upon any occasion that is attended with a contrary effect is to be suspected as not of God nor saving How dreadful then their Condition is who have not the word but are without the pale of the Church where this word is preached their condition also who though living within the Church have this word as a sealed book needeth not be said 5. The condition of soul unto which the Man is brought by the Spirit accompanying the Administration of the word in order to his actual beleeving is considerable here for thereby we will be helped to understand better the Nature and Actings of Faith whereby only as a mean reliefe is brought unto the soul and to know what that reliefe is and wherein it lyeth that the distessed man is pursueing after seeking with earnesness In order to which we would know 1 That the Spirit by the Word beareth home Convictions of Sin and Misery discovereth to the man how he standeth guilty of the breach of the Law of God so chargeth sin home upon him both Original and Actual thereby fixeth guilt upon the Conscience shewing how he hath forfeited all Right to blessedness life how moreover he is under the Curse threatned to the breakers of the Law and hath the wrath malediction of God hanging over him He is made to see the sins he never saw before both of Omission Commission the sad Consequences thereof to wit how he is obnoxious to the penalty the insupporrable wrath of the living God Thus the Spirit convinceth of sin Ioh. 16 8 9. thus he openeth their eyes turneth them from darkness to light in so far Act. 26 18. thus the secrets of the heart are made manifest 1. Cor. 14 24 25. and they become lost in themselves like a lost sheep the lost piece of mency the lost son Luk. 15 6 9 24. and like one of those whom Christ came to seek to save Mat. 18 11. Luk. 19 10. These are the sinners mentioned Mal. 9 13. that is such as are now brought by the work of the Spirit to see feel their sinful condition to know that they are sinners and that they are in a lost condition 2 There is a discovery made of their Inability to relieve help themselves out of this woful condition of sin miserie They are made to see that nothing in them or in any other creature can make satisfaction unto the justice of God thereby redeem them from the Curse of the Law and from the wrath of God that is lying upon them the sense apprehension whereof doth now presse pinch them sore Which maketh them cry out with these pricked in their hearts Act. 2 37 16 30. What shall we do to be saved They see they cannot keep the Law though they could it would not availe as a Compensation Satisfaction to the Justice of God for the by gone innumerable Transgressions whereof they stand guilty Whereby we see that the troubled wakened soul in this case is brought to a desparing in himself He is under the sentence and he seeth nothing under heaven that can command Peace to his soul nothing within him nor without him beside God that can bring him out of this Prison relieve him from this dreadful sentence under which he is lying as a condemned Malefactor And we see what is properly the reliefe that he would be at and that he only desireth to wit To be freed delivered from the sentence of the Law and from the curse of God to be brought into a state of Favour Reconciliation with God that his sins may be pardoned he may be accepted of God as Righteous so brought into a State of Peace Salvation This is the plaister that his soul is longing for this is the only remedie that can relieve him this is the only good that he can be satisfied with all the Pleasures Honours Rihes of the world will bring no reliefe or ease to his distressed soul And when he findeth thaâ— this is not to be found in himself nor in any other Creature he must look for it elsewhere And thefore 3 When the Spirit of the Lord is carrying on this work he by the preaching of the Gospel convinceth the man of the reality truth thereof discovereth the Suitablness Fulness Satisfactoriness Glory Excellency of the remedie that is hold forth in that Gospel that hath brought life immortality to Light even in the Gospel of the grace of God wherein is revealed what Christ God-man hath done suffered to satisfie the justice of God therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith There he seeth that the Father is well pleased with him with the Sacrifie which he offered up for sins Whence the poor wakened sinner seeth that his case is not utterly desperate that there is hope for him through Jesus or at least that it is possible he may be saved from the wrath to come a may be of reliefe is a great reliefe And he seeth that if that Righteousness Satisfaction of Christ were made over to him or he interessed therein he were well for that would sufficiently guarde him from the wrath of God and secure him as to future blessedness Thus the Spirit by the word revealeth the Gospel of Salvation to the end the wakened sinner may see his reliefe there betake himself to the only reliefe that is held forth there 6. Hence we see that while the wakened sinner is in this condition his maine only work will be how he may be interessed in that al sufficient Redemption Purchase of Christ to the end he may be partaker of the Benâ—fites that flow there from and so be freed from the state of Sin Wrath Enmity wherein he is now â— plunged And when the Gospel calleth for Faith in order to this he findeth that it is not in his power to Beleeve but that it is the pure gift of God who must give the new heart the heart of flesh must regenerat beget him of new so create a new Principle of grace in his soul 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
to say we are Justified by Repentance as we are justified by Faith It is best for us to follow Scripture language The Scripture expresly denieth that we are justified by works yet Repentance is sometimes taken in such a large sense as to include all acts of Obedience This way then would allow us to sav we are justified by all works of obedience even as to constitutive Justification as we are by Faith Yet Mr. Baxter in his Confess p. 89 90. putteth a difference betwixt Faith Evangelick Obedience as to this Constitutive Justification making the one like consent to marriage relation or taking one to be my Captaine the other like conjugal fidelity obedience or obeying the captain sighting under him tels us that he no more comprizeth all Obedience in Faith than conjugal obedience in the marriage consent 3 That Repentance is not the same with Faith in the matter of justification in reference to which we now speak of both will appear from our following reasons So that whatever paines be taken to make them one on other accounts will be to no purpose as to our present business 2. If Repentance have the same interest in Justification that Faith hath then works shall have the same interest with Faith but this is diametically opposite to all the Apostles disput Rom. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 3. The reason of the Consequence is because Repentance includeth works is a special work act of obedience itself Mr. Baxter tels Confess p. 94. That Paul's scope is both to take down Moses's Law especially its necessity conceited sufficiency the Dignity of legal works consequently of any works that therefore by works Paul meaneth to exclude only merites or works which are conceited Meritorious or which for the worth of the dead done should procure Pardon acceptance with God without a Mediators blood so Paul himself described the works that he speaketh against Rom. 4 4. That they are such as make the Reward to be not of Grace but of debt Ans. This is but the same we heard before from Iohn Godwine and the same answer may suffice 1 If the scope of Paul had been only to take down Moses's Law why did he speak so much of the Gentiles shew how they were all under sin therefore must be justified by Faith not by the Law or by works This had no manifest tendency to that scope 2 Why brought he in the Instance of Abraham who was before the Law of Moses Abraham's not being justified by works could not prove the insufficiency of Moses's Law thereunto 3 To think that the Jewes did conceite that they would obtaine Pardon Acceptance with God only by their laborious performance of Ceremonies costly Sacrifices excluding all Moral acts of obedience is apparently groundless contrary to Rom. 9 30 31 32. 10 3 4 5. would say that Paul took not a right medium to destroy that conceite for his neerest surest course had been to have shown the nullity of that Law now under the Gospel hereby all occasion of further debate being perfectly removed 4 Paul is so far Rom. 4 4. from describing the works that he speaketh of to be such only as make the reward of debt that he proveth that Justification cannot be by works by this medium because then the reward should be reckoned not of grace but of debt and so telleth us that all work make the reward of debt This is a manifest perversion of the Apostles argument for he saith not now to him that so worketh as to conceite his works meritorious the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt but now to him that worketh far less can this be the meaning or construction of the words now to him that maketh the reward to be not of grace but of debt for what sense is here And further the meaning of the following words must accordingly be this but to him that so worketh as not to make the reward of debt but of grace his working is counted for Righteousness While as the Apostle saith a plaine other thing But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Sure working without this conceite of merite is not beleeving on him that justifieth the ungodly neither are these works counted for Righteousness for holy Abraham wrought without that conceite yet he was not justified by works vers 2 3. Nor did David meane that mans blessedness did consist in the imputation of such works nor did he describe that blessedness when he said blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven c. Consider 1. Cor. 4 4 Ephes. 2 9. Phil. 3 9. Tit. 3 5. 3. Repentance hath no instrumentall acting on Christ his Righteonsness in order to our being justified But Faith hath this as was shown in the foregoing Chapter Therefore Repentance hath not the same Interest in Justification that Faith hath It is requisite necessary in order to our Justification that we be clothed with a Righteousness even the Surety-Righteousness of Christ and Faith only can lay hold on this put it on not Repentance Repentance doth not act so upon any thing without a man to bring it home that it may become the mans Righteousness it hath other work acteth upon another object upon sin within the man It is true Mr. Baxter in his Catholick Theol. of God's Government Sect. XI will have faith rather to be called a receiving cause than an Instrumental a medium or dispositive cause of the effect justification as as received but not as given And then Sect. XII he calleth Repentance a disposit to materiae recipientis too a part of the condition of the Covonant But we think it needless here to distinguish with him betwixt receiving Iustification being Justified we do not call Faith an Instrument of God's act Justifying as was said above If Faith Repentance be dispositive causes of the effect causa dispositiva be part of the causa materialis as he also saith I suppose they are not meer causae sine quibus non as he said elsewhere But to our business we have cleared before how â—aith acteth in the matter of Justification how it receiveth an imputed Righteousness laith hold on this Surety-Righteousness of Christ applieth it to the end the accused impeached man may have wherewithall he may stand before the Tribunal of God be accepted of as Righteous in his Cautioner through his Cautioners Righteousness imputed to him now received by Faith though Mr. Baxter do account Faith's accepting of Christ life offered on that condition only its aptitude to the office that the formal reason of its office as to our Justification is its being the performed condition of the Covenant as he there speaketh yet that will not invalidat our argument for 1 Faiths aptitude as he calleth it or
rather its work acting in Justification is not meerly an accepting of Christ life offered on that condition but it is the accepting laying hold on leaning to applying the Surety-Righteousness of Christ presupposing the accepting of Christ himself 2 Though it may be said that the neerest formal Reason of Faiths office is the Lord's appointment yet this being too too Philosophical here contributeth nothing to the clearing up of the matter in order to practice so neither was Philosophical accuracy the ground whereupon they went who said that Faiths interest in Justification was as an Instrument but rather their end was to cleare the matter in order to Practice so as poor souls might not fall into mistakes this I judge to be the best Theological acuracie howbeit he should account many such speaches nothing but unintelligible phrases and such doctrine to containe such senselesness consequents as the opening up of would offend as he there speaketh 3 It is certaine that Repentance doth not so act on Christ and his Surety-Righteounsness in order to Justification as Faith doth Repentance as such is no acceptance of a free gift far less of a gift of Righteousness of an Atonement there-through Repentance acteth not thus on Christ Yea the reason he giveth Confess p. 39. why Repentance was made a condition of pardon doth sufficiently shew that it cannot have that interest that Faith hath His reason is this Because without it Repentance God the Redeemer cannot have their end in pardoning us Nor can the Redeemer do all his work for which we do accept him for his work is upon the pardoning of us to bring us back in heart life to God from whom we were fallen strayed This was Christ's work Therefore the condition which Christ maketh are as if he should say If you will be saved by me are willing that I shall bring you back to God I will both bring you into his favour by Pardon and into a capacity of personal pleasing enjoying of him Now our Repentance is our consent to return to God the change of our mindes by turning from former sin that was our idol being willing by Christ to be restored to obedience By this I say it is clear that Repentance hath a more direct aspect upon reference to the consequences of Pardon Justifiction itself we grant its necessity unto all the ends mentioned and its necessary presence in such as are Justified that its contrare or positive impenitency cannot consist with Faith in such as are to be Justified Yet that will not give ground to inferre that it hath the same Interest Influence Consideration in Justification that Faith hath Mr. Baxter In his Confess p. 39 40. seemeth to grant this whole Argument when he expresseth himself thus This I say that man may see I do not level Faith with Repentance much less as they charge me with actual external works of obedience which in this first remission justification I take not to be so much as existent What he addeth concerning the Ratio formaâ—ts why faith or Repentance have such an interest in our Pardon to wit because God hath made them the Conditions of the promise cannot hinder our conclusion untill first it be proved that God hath made Repentance such a Condition we are speaking here of the difference that is betwixt the two as to their Nature Aptitude which he confesseth to be very great also as to their place use because of the great difference that is betwixt them as to Nature Aptitude 4. If the Interest of Faith be not as it is a work or inward grace inherent in the soul but as such a going out of the soul from it self all its own inherent good and from all external privileges or what may be called adherent personal good unto an offered Mediator that it may embrace him lay hold on and lean to his jussorie-Righteousness then Repentance cannot share in this Interest with it But the former is true Therefore c. The Conncection may be cleared from what is already said we are not speaking of that here which Mr. Baxter will have to be the neerest formal reason nor of that only which he will have to be its nature aptitude but of its Use proper Actings in this office in reference to the end Justification which are such as cannot agree to Repentance as is manifest Himself tels us in his Confess p. 89 90. That he takes Repentance to be to our faith in Christ as the breaking off from other Suitors Lovers turning the mind to this one is to Marriage Whereby we see that though Repentance be necessarily required in one that is a beleever and that faith can not be without Repentance Yet Repentance hath no place in the office of Justification it hath no plaine formal immediat interest in the receiving of Justification as that turning to the minde from other Suitors to that one hath no formal interest or place in closeing the Marriage Covenant though it be a very necessary prerequisite unto right closing consenting the marriage Covenant This giveth ground for another Argument 5. As upon the account that a woman hath changed her minde from other Suitors to one it cannot be said or inferred that therefore the Marriage Relation is made up with that one Suitor which is done only by a formal full explicite Consent so upon the account that one is a penitent it cannot be formally inferred that that persons is in Covenant with Christ and is Justified Because as Mr. Baxter hath told us Repentance is unto Faith but as the womans changing her mind from other Suitors to one is to the consenting unto the Marriage proposal And if upon a Persons being a Penitent it cannot be formally inferred that he is in Covenant with God a Justified person then Repentance hath not that interest in Justification that Faith hath for upon a mans beleeving it can formally immediatly be inferred that he is in Covenant and is Justified I say formally because consequentially it will also follow that a Penitent man meaning one that is truely penitent is justified upon this account that where ever there is true Repentance there is also true Faith But as the change of the womans mind is not formally the making up of a marriage Covenant So neither is Repentance that which formally constitutes a man a Covenanter with Christ and a Justified person only Faith doth this as the womans consent maketh up the marriage-Relation 6. Iâ— Repentance hath the same interest in Justification with Faith then as our Adversaries say that Faith is imputed to us as our Gospel Righteousness so must they say that our Repentance is imputed to us for Righteousness But beside the reasons whereby we proved above that Faith was not imputed to us as our Gospel Righteousness which will also serve here mutatis mutandis we may adde
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
and paying our debt by his Righteousness Active Passive 4. Nor do we when we speak of Faiths acting on Christ as a Priest so limite restrick the same unto his Sacerdotal work as to exclude any thing that is presupposed thereunto concomitant thereof consequential thereunto depending thereupon or is necessarily requisite unto the effectual application of the same unto our Justification Advantage When therefore it is said that in Justification faith eyeth in a special manner the Sacerdotal office work of Christ there is no exclusion of the Consideration of that fountaine Love Grace favoure of God whereby Christ was given unto the chosen and appointed to be their Priest and to make Satisfaction for them Nor of his foregoing Incarnation Obedience Resurrection Asctnsion c. nor of other thlngs that are necessarily requisite hereunto for all these are necessarily herein included 5. When we speak of the Souls acting faith in order to Justification we do not suppose that at that time the troubled soul can have no other end or designe before his eyes nor be troubled with no other evil or with the thoughts thereof that he would be delivered from and so in order to getting help therein and a remedie thereof cannot eye some-thing else in Christ answering suiting the same for a Sinner in that case may be troubled with the sense of the great Unbeleef Hardness Impenitency of his heart the Unholiness of all his wayes his Blindness Ignorance as well as with the sense of his Guilt and of his being under the Curse and so may must be supposed in coming to Christ for reliefe to eye in a special manner that in Christ which is answerable to these his Necessities And in this respect a Sinner may be said to go to Christ as a Prophet and as a King as well as to him as a Priest But in reference to these evils they are not said or supposed to go to Christ for Justification for that respecteth merely their state of Sin Guilt 6. But the real question should be what is the special practical meaning of these words we are justified or live by faith and to this end the true Question is what special way doth faith act on Christ for it is here presupposed that Christ must be the Object of Justifying Faith in order to the sinners Justification or what is that in Christ that faith specially eyeth and carrieth the soul out unto when Justification before God is only designed Or when the wakened sinner is earnestly desireous of delivery from the Guilt of sin from the Curse of God and of enjoying the Favour Reconciled Face of God whether he is to apply himself by faith unto Christ as King or unto Christ as a Priest to what he did as a Priest for the reliefe of sinners In answere to the Question thus proposed I say That the wakened sinner in that case while seeking reliefe from sin guilt and from the curse by Absolution Justification in the sight of God in compliance with the Gospel methode designe making Justification to be by faith in obedience to the Gospel command saying Beleeve be justified is to act faith in a special manner on Christ's Mediation Satisfaction to betake himself to Christ as a Priest and rest on him on what he diâ— as a Priest that is on his death Bloud and Satisfaction This is it which others call the justifyinh Act of Faith or that special act of faith required in order to Justification Though what was said in the foregoing Chapter to prove that Christ's Righteousness is the Object of Justifying faith may serve for confirmation of this Yet we shall in short lay down these grounds of proof and First Several Scriptnre-expressions where Justification is spoken of and cleared in its causes shew and pointe forth what is which faith should specially eye and be employed about in order to the interesting of the soul in this benefite such as 1. Rom. 3. 24 25. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood Here as justification is said to be brought about effectâ—at through the Redemption of Christ who was a Propitiation this respecteth only his Priesthood so the special object of faith in this affair ' is expresly said to be his Bloud through faith in his blood to tell us that all such as would have interest in this Privilege of justification must by faith eye the Propitiation the Bloody Sacrifice of Christ And by blood we finde it oft said that Remission of sins is had Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. Mat. 26 28. and not without it Heb. 9 22. 2. Rom. 4 24 25. to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences was raised againe for our Iustification As justification here is held as procured brought about by Christ as a Priest for as such was he delivered for our offences and as such was he raised or brought out of prison so faith here even when acting upon God yet it is with a special relation to Christ's Priesthood or to his Satisfaction for it is a Beleeving on him that raised up Christ Jesus our Lord from the dead that is in God as declaring he hath now received full Satisfaction from the Cautioner Christ by bringing him out of prison consequently in that Satisfaction given by Christ wherewith the Father is now well pleased See also Rom. 10 9. 3. Rom. 5 9 10. Much more then being now justified by his blood for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son c. As the way is here pointed out how justification Reconciliation was effectual by Christ to wit by his Bloud Death or by what he did suffered as Priest Cautioner so accordingly is our faith directed to look in order to a partaking of this Justification Reconciliation especially when this is so clearly expresly explained to us 4. Rom. 8 33 34. It is God that justifieth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us All which grounds of justification belong to his Priestly Office And if these be here laid down for grounds of Comfort Assurance unto Beleevers to fottifie them against all Assaults of the Accuser of the brethren and against all Accusations or Condemnations of men or devils sure the way is also pointed out how faith should act in order to their being brought into a state of justification 5. 2. Cor. 5 19 21. To wit God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no
is his strong opinion that he is confident of it that no justified person shall ever lose his justification that God hath promised to cause them persevere This State then is not to be compared with other States which are losable changeable among men nor can we with such freedome speak of Conditions of not loseing that which is fully secured from all loseing as we may speak of the Conditions of keeping Not-loseing that which may be oft is lost We can not then speak of the State of Justification as we do of Marriage betwixt man woman here there may be are indeed Conditions required of each part in order to the keeping up of the Relation they may be called Conditions of not loseing that Relation or Privilege But as to justification which is not so loseable to speak of Conditions of not loseing it may occasion Apprehensions in the mindes of men of its being losable It were saifer then in my apprehension to enquire how or what way is this State Relation continued or what is required on our part in order thereunto then to enquire what are the Conditions of Not-loseing this State 3. Seing Mr. Baxter granteth Confess p. 109. that no new sin destroyeth their State of Justification nor maketh them cease to be God's reconciled Children seing they are still united unto Christ and have his Spirit and have Faith Repentance at least as to the habit pag. 129. That the habite of Faith Repentance which is ever in them qualifieth them for present Remission of ordinary sins of infirmity at least And it is undeniable that the Lord's Spirit preserveth them from such sins as are inconsistent with a State of Justification or that make an intercision in that State consequently in their Adoption Union with Christ seing I say all this is granted to what purpose is such a question as this here moved and stated anent the Conditions of Not-loseing this state 4. The terme Condition here is taken in the same sense that it was understood in when the question was about the Condition of our first entry into the State of Justification and so they must take it here for a proper legal antecedent Potestative condition for if by condition here were meaned no more than a mere Consequent Evangelick Condition the question only would be What is the Lord's Way Methode Manner how by which he preserveth his own in that State of Justification But according to their acceptation of the word condition the question really cometh to this What that is which beleevers betake themselves unto which they can may should plead with God upon for the continuance of their state that is of their Reconciliation unto Acceptance with God of the Pardon of their sins Right to glory 5. The question is not what is the Condition or what is required on our part for keeping the sense evidence of our justification in our own Consciences many things may be useful herein that yet cannot be called Conditions of the Continuance or Not-loseing of Iustification But the Iustification here spoken of is that which is before God whereby the Beleever is indeed brought into a State of Peace Reconciliation with God hath obtained a Right unto the Inheritance of Life 6. When we speak here of the continuance or Not-loseing of Iustification the Iustification spoken of must be that State or Relation where into the Beleever is already brought for that only can be said to be continued while we are living and that only can be said properly to be losed or Not-losed which a man hath These seeme then to be two distinct questions What is the Condition of our final Absolution in Iudgment what is the Condition of the continuance of our justification here which Mr. Baxter seemeth to confound Confess p. 83. as the Papists do confound their second justification with the last judgment when they are pleading for works being required as the causes thereof 7. Though as we have seen before Iustification importeth more than Remission of sins Yet in this question of the Condition of the Continuance of Justification the matter seemeth to be brought to this issue whether works of Obedience be the Condition of future Remission of sins in the justified And though these may be conceived of as distinct questions yet the clearing of the way of the Remission of future sins may serve much to cleare the present Question for if it befound that the same course is taken for Remission of future sins that was taken at first it will be manifest that justification is continued upon the same termes or in the same manner that it was at first obtained if properly we can speak at all of the Conditions of its Continuance Having premitted these things the Question is Whether faith alone or works alone or faith with works are the condition required on our part for the Continuance or not-loseing of the state of justification And I judge as faith alone was required at first in order to justification so that alone is to be called the Condition of the continuance of justification or that the Condition both of our first installing in that state of justification of the Continuance of the Privilege or of Beleevers continueing in that state is the same grace of Faith Yet these two things would be noted 1. That though the first act of Faith in Christ doth suffice to the entering of a soul into the state of justification Yet we do not meane that that one first solitarie numerical act sufficeth for all time coming albeit it sufficeth for making up of the Relation according to the appointment of God for the same Faith is to continue in its habite Yea in its actings So that we state not the Question so strickly as Mr. Baxter seemeth to do Confess p. 47. when from the Continuance of the habite of Faith from the renewing acts of that Faith required after the first act of Faith he inferreth that much more goeth to the continueing of our justification than doth at first justifie us But our question is about the addition of sincere Obedience which he there mentioneth 2. When we suppose the Continuance of Faith not only as to its habite but as to its renewed actings we do not suppose that the actings Effects or Concomitans of Faith afterward are every way the same with what they were at first so that we may also yeeld to this difference grant that some thing more may be requisite afterward Particularly in order to the Remission of some hainous sin in the acting of Faith or in the Effects or Concomitants thereof at least as to measure or outward significations to wit in Godly sorrow Humiliation Forgiving of others Restitution or the like yet it will still remaine true that justification is continued by Faith not by Works For the proof of what we conceive to be
heirs of God joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8 17 and are discharged as Mr. Baxter granteth himself Confess p. 102. Concl. 9. from all guilt of Eternal Punishment yea of all destructive Punishment in this life Yea they are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law Act. 13 39. They are blessed Rom. 4 5 6. And all this is so fixed that none can lay any thing to their charge Rom. 8 33 34. Yea they are said to have Everlasting Life Ioh. 5 24. Now seing all this is by Faith what necessitie is there for another Condition beside this same Faith keeping fast by Christ unto the Continuance of this State If it be said that notwithstanding hereof they are liable to future sins and these must also be forgiven and in reference to the Pardon of these other Conditions may be required in that respect these may be called Conditions of the Continuance of Justification 4. The answere to this will furnish us with another Argument for answere therefore I say That works are not the Condition of Pardon of after sins but faith going to Christ and washing in his bloud 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous he is the propitiation for our sins Christ is here proposed to sinning beleevers in his Priestly office as the object of their Faith in order to Pardon And Mr. Baxter in the forecited place Concl. 11 saith that when ever the Iustified do commit any sin they have a present effectual certaine remedie at hand for their pardon that is the merit of Christ's blood his Intercession the Love of God the Promise of Pardon in which they have interest the Spirit to excite them to Faith Repentance No word of works of obedience as Condition here David in order to the obtaining of the pardon of his sin did betake himself to the free mercy of God that he might get his sin covered his iniquities forgiven and his sin not imputed unto him Psal. 32 1 2. and this was in Paul's judgment Rom. 4 6 7 8. a betaking himself to imputed Righteousness without works So he betook himself to mercy and withall he desired to be purged with hysope Psal. 51 1 7. which looked to the blood of Christ that only sprinkleth consciences Heb. 9 13 14 22. 5. If Justification be continued upon Condition of works we enquire what these works are Are herein comprehended all commanded duties or all that is required of justified persons by way of duty then a faloure in any of these whether by Omission or Commission should cause an intercision of that State and a breach of that Relation But this is utterly false Yea if so the justified should become Unjustified every day for no man liveth sinneth not The reason of the Consequence is because the non-performance of the Condition upon which the State Relation of the justified is continued must make a breach in that State If it be said That not every sin but only such sins as are inconsistent with the State of Justification will make an Intercision Then it must consequently be said that upon these alone or on the non-performance of these alone doth the Continuance of Justification depend as on a Condition And what be these David's sin I hope nor Peters sin were none of these And whatever they be I suppose it will be granted except by Arminians that there is sufficient provision against these laid-in in the New Covenant of Grace and that such as are justified indeed shal never fall into such sins And then what need it be said that the State of Justification is continued upon such termes 6. By this way Proud Nature should have occasion to boast and say It was of God's Grace Mercy that I was brought into a justified State had all my former sins pardoned but for my abiding continueing therein and for the pardon of all my sins that I have committed or do commit since I am beholden to my own Gospel-obedience immediatly for Remission is granted and my Justification continued upon Condition of my personal Gospel-obedience But how inconsistent this is with the whole straine of the Gospel cannot be unknown We no where read that our sinnes are pardoned or not imputed to us in or by our Evangelick Obedience but as we are justified freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3 24. so it is in through Him his bloud that we are washen our sinnes purged away Mat. 26 28. Revel 1 5. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 7. The dayly experience of the people of God may cleare to us what that is upon which their State is continued and upon which they seek obtaine new Remission of their new Transgressions and shew us that it is not their own personal Obedience but the Grace Mercy of God in Jesus Christ for it is to this they betake themselves daily both in reference to their being keeped in the favour of God in reference to their getting new extracts of Pardon It is to the blood of sprinkling they goe dayly that there they may be washen cleansed from all their sins sailings It is to this fountaine opened to the house of David to the Inhabitans of Ierusalem that they run with their sins uncleannesses Zach. 13 1. For it is his bloud alone that cleanseth from all sin 1. Ioh. 1 7. And so they finde by experience that they stand only by Faith and that it is through Faith in this bloud that they are keept in the favoure of God get their sins pardoned These proofs may serve for confirmation of what we say Let us now see what Mr. Baxter saith for the contrary In his Confess p. 47 he adduceth three Arguments The first is this The word expresly constituteth these Conditions of our not-loseing our State of Justification or of Continueing it And this he tels us he hath formerly shewed in many Scriptures meaning I suppose the passages he had immediatly before cited on the margine But to these I Answere in general That not one of them maketh mention of the continuance of our justification or of our not loseing of it And therefore it cannot be said from these that the word expresly constituteth these Conditions of our not-losing Justification But we shall consider them particularly Mat. 12 36 37. speaketh not of justification whereof we are now treating but of the last judgment and we see no cause of confounding this Justification whereof we speak or its Continuance with the last Judgment as Papists do confound their second justification with this judgment and abuse the same Scriptures here adduced by Mr. Baxter the like to prove their second justification to be by works Jam. 2 24. speaketh not of the Continuance or not losing of justification but of the very beginning of justification
he mindeth to Pardon he giveth also a Spirit of Repentance as both Scripture Experience proveth 3. Yet notwithstanding of this it is true that an outward Repentance where there is no inward real sanctified change wrought may hold off for a time or prorogue the inflicting of temporal strokes as we see in Aabh Nineveth others 4. It will be granted also by all the orthodox that Repentance is no proper meritorious cause of pardon not doth it make any Satisfaction to God or appease his wrath anger 4. I shall also grant that where there is true unfeigned Repentance after some sin committed there that person may saifly inferre that his sin is pardoned Repentance is a good signe of Remission because it is a good evidence that the man hath run to the fountaine to the blood of Jesus and there hath washen himself made himself cleane See Esai 1 16 17 18. 5. The Exercise of Repentance is very usefull to make sin become bitter mercy welcome to make the soul more careful watchful in time to come But the Question is whether Repentance be a proper Condition of Pardon of sins committed after Justification or not And when we speak of Repentance here we consider it by itself not as being the sensible signification expression of Faith for the Question is not whether Faith acting in through Repentance or working the soul up unto unfaigned Repentance be the Condition of Remission for that is not Repentance but Faith accompanied with acting the soul to Repentance but the Question is of Repentance considered in itself as a distinct grace from Faith And speaking of Repentance as such considered in itself I say that it is not the Condition of Remission of after sins but faith only acting in a Gospel manner on Jesus Christ his Bloud Merites And the reasons are 1. Because it is Faith not Repentance that carrieth the sinner away to the Bloud of Jesus Christ to his Merites through whom by which alone Remission is had Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Zach. 13. 1. Heb. 9 14 22. Revel 1 5. Repentance as such layeth not hold on Christ grippeth not his Merites maketh no application of these but is wholly exercised about another object about sin 2. This would give man too great ground of boasting in himself if upon his Mourning Sorrow Repentance Pardon were to be had and would give occasion to think that there were some merite worth in that work some thing satisfying or appeasing to God for the man hereby is keeped within himself upon the account of something within himself or done by himself is he pardoned as he might suppose 3. This should be derogatorie to the Bloud Merites of Christ by which alone we have pardon first last and the Gospel is so contrived as that Christ must have all the Glory and all the methodes meanes order of the Gospel and new Covenant are in like manner framed so that man may be abased free grace exalted Christ acknowledged the only Redeemer But if our Repentance were made such a Condition there should be no application made of Christ of his bloud by the sinner No acting on him on his merites in order to the obtaining of Pardon and so no occasion of exalting free grace and Love in Christ no occasion of wondering at the wise contrivance of the Covenant of Grace in all points If it be said There is no derogating from Christ his Merites here because it is by vertue of his Merites that Repentance is made such a Condition I Ans. This is not cleared from the Scripture nor is it sutable to the frame of the Gospel-Covenant for the whole of it is so contrived as that Christ is immediatly to be made use of But this way keepeth the soul off all immediat going to applying of and resting upon Christ in order to Remission of new sinnes setteth them only upon the exercise of Sorrow Repentance within themselves 4. The Apostle Iohn pointeth out the way to beleevers of obtaining Remission-of sins 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. And if any man sin we have an Advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins Now Repentance doth not make use of Christ as an Advocat as a Propitiation but Faith doth And it is the proper work of Faith in order to Remission to make use of Christ in his Priestly office to carry the soul away to his Propitiation Intercession 5. The dayly experience of the Saints evidence this when upon conviction of sin they betake themselves to the free Mercy of God in Christ to the Bloud of sprinkling crying out for Pardon for the Lord's sake and seeking to be washen in his blood It is not their Repentance or Sorrow that they flee to as the ground of their hope of Pardon but the merites of Christ held forth in the new Covenant is that fountaine wherein they must wash be cleane See Psal. 25 11. 51 7. 6. This was sufficiently held forth under the Law when for their Errours Failings dayly Transgressions the people were to bring their Sacrifices to the Priest which were to be offered up as types of Christ they were to lay their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice in signe of their resting upon the Sacrifice typified of rolling their sins upon that only Sacrifice of expecting Acceptance Pardon through it alone See Levit 4 20 26 31 35. 5 10 13 16 18. 6 7 19 22. 7. If Repentance be the Condition then this must either be said of that part of Repentance which preceedeth the acting of faith or of that which followeth This last cannot be said for then it would follow that upon the acting of faith that preceedeth there were no Remission so faith laying hold on Christ his Merites should be utterly excluded from having any Interest in the pardon of sins Nor can the first be said for then there should be Remission before without all application made of Christ by Faith Yea the very imperfect beginnings of Repentance should be judged sufficient for Remission which cannot be said If it be said that this is meaned of compleat Repentance I Ans. Compleet Repentance cannot be without Faith it is against what is said to make Repentance considered alone by itself or as abstracted from Faith the only Condition seing this would be a manifest exclusion of Faith altogether If it be said that Repentance Faith may be considered together as joyned together called the Condition of Pardon I Ans. Seing it is manifest that both do not neither can act one the same way on Christ they cannot be considered as equally sharing in the place interest of a condition And therefore I judge it saifest to say That faith acting in by Repentance or so discovering itself to
quidem pro nobis Patrem in quem peccaveramus nostram inobedientiam Consolatus nobis autem donans eam quae est ad Factorem nostrum Conversationem Subjectionem i. e. The Lord brought us into friend shipe by his Incarnation being made a Mediator betwixt God Man Propitiating the Father for us against whom we sinned comforting us over our disobedience but freely giving us that Conversation Subjection which is to our Maker Athanasius Tom. 2. p. 270. Necessarium est maximeque necessarium â—reâ—dere Scripturis Sanctis confiteri ex nostro genere primitias celebrare singularemâ— assumentis in genus humanum amorem obstu pescere magnâ oeconomiae atque dispo sitionis miraculum non timere execrationem legis Christus enim nos a maledictione legis liberavit impletionem legis a primitiis factam toti massae asscribere imputare in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. It is necessary yea most necessary to beleeve the holy Scriptures to confesse the first fruits i. e. Christ of our kind to celebrat that singular love of him that assumed viz. Mans Nature unto mankind to be astonished at that miracle of the great Oeconomie disposition not to feare the Curse of the Law for Christ hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law ascribe or impute the fulfilling of the Law done by the first fruits unto the whole masse The same Author de Incarn Verbi contra Samosat Tom. 1. p. 461. Impossibile est puritatem innoeentiam in humana natura exhiberi nisi Deus credatur in carne esse qui justitiam omni peccato liberam in mundum introduxit cujus quia participes redditi sumus vivemus salvabimur Illud enim non est justus in terra qui bonum faciat non peccet in commune ad omnes homines pertinet unde ex coelo descendit qui immaculatam ex se justitiam daturus erat i. e. It is impossible that purity innocency shall be exhibited in mans nature unless we beleeve that God is in the flesh who hath brought into the world a Righteousness free of all sin of which because we are made partakers we shall live be saved for that there is not a just man upon earth who doth good sinneth not doth appertaine to all men in common wherefore he descended from heaven who was to give a pure Righteousness of himself Chrysost. When a Cavilling jew shall object how can the world be saved by the Rectitude or Obedience of one Christ Answere him againe by asking how came the world to be condemned by the disobedience of one Adam Greg. Nyssen Orat. 2. iu Cantic Christus in se transtatis peccatorum meorum sordibus puritatem suam mecum communicavit meque pulchritudinis ejus quae in ipso est participem fecit i. e. Christ having translated the filth of my fins upon himself did communicat unto me his own purity made me a partaker of that beauty which is in him By these we may see that even before Augustins dayes this Truth was asserted though Mr. Baxter in his book against D. Tully Ch. 1. § 3. intimate the contrary Cyrillus Alexandr in Ioan. lib. 11. c. 25. Quemadmodum praevaricatione primihominis ut in primitiis generis nostri morti addicti sumus eodem modo per obedientâ—am justitiam Christi in 〈◊〉 seipsum legi subjecâ— quamvis legis Author esset benedictio atque vivificatio quae per Spiritum est ad totam nostram penetravit naturam i. e. As by the transgression of the first man as in the first fruits of our kind we are adjudged unto death so the same way by the Obedience Righteousness of Christ in as much as he subjected himself to the Law though he was the Author of the Law the blessing Vivification which is by the Spirit did reach to our whole Nature Leo Epist. 72. ad Iuvenalem Ut autem repararet omnium vitam recepit omnium causam vim veteris chirographi pro omnibus solvendo vacuavit ut sicut per unius reatum omnes facti fâ—erant peccatores ita per unius innocentiam omnes fierent innocentes inde in homines manante justitia ubi est humana suscepta Natura i. e. But that he might repaire the life of all he undertook the cause of all paying for all made void the force of the Old obligation to the end that as by one mans guilt all were made sinners so by one mans innocency all might become innocent Righteousness coming unto men thence where the humane Nature is taken on August ad Laurent Cap. 41. Ipse peccatum ut nos justitia nec nostra sed Dei sumus nee in nobis sed in ipso sicut ipse peccatum non suum sed nostrum nec in se sed in nobis constitutum similitudine peccati in qua crucifixus est demonstravit i. e. He was sin as we were Righteousness not our own but of God not in ourselves but in him as he did demonstrat himself to be sin not his own but ours not in himself but in us by the similitude of sinfull flesh in which he was crucified Idem in Psal. 30. Cone 1. in tua justitia erue me exime me quia non invenisti in me justitiam meam erue me in tua hoc est illud quod me eruit quod me justificat quod ex impio pium facit quod ex iniquo justum i. e. Deliver me in thy Righteousness Because thou didst not finde my Righteousness in me deliver me in thine that is it which delivereth me which justifieth me that maketh me of ungodly godly of unrighteous Righteous Id. in Psal. 70. Erue me in justitia tua non in mea sed in tua si enim in mea erâ— exillis de quibus ille ait ignorantes Dei justitiam suam volentes constituere justitiae Dei non sunt subjecti i. e. Deliver me in thy Righteousness Not in mine but in thine for if in mine I should be of them of whom he saith being ignorant of God's Righteousness willing to establish their own they did not subject themselves unto the Righteousness of God Id. Tom. 9. Tract 3. in Ioan. Omnes qui ex Adamo cum peccato peccatores omnes qui per Christum justificati justi non in se sed in illo nam in se si interroges Adam sunt in illo si interroges Christi sunt i. e. All that are of Adam with sin are sinners all who are justified by Christ are Righteous not in themselves but in him for if you ask what they are in themselves they are Adam's if you ask what they are in him they are Christ's Bernard Serm. 61. in Cantic Nunquid justitias meas Domine memorabor justitiae tuae solius Ipsa est enim mea nempe factus es mihi tu justitia a Deo Nunquid verendum ne non una duobus
such expressions in this matter that we finde no mention made of two fold Righteousness of a twofold Justification the one subordinat the other Principal in the Scriptures but all expressions in this matter framed designedly to abase man make all appear to be of free grace that he who glorieth may glory in the Lord. And as Self will be ready in this to make that which is called a Subordinat Righteousness a Prinpal Righteousness so it will have this faire plausible ground to do so to wit That upon our own Righteousness we are Immediatly accepted of God as Righteous especially when the Merits of Christ are made subservient unto our personal Righteousness as procuring the New covenant that therein our Personal Righteousness shall be accepted accounted perfect compleet though it be not so in it self we thereupon immediatly justified accepted of God as Righteous as they love to speak who assert these things 12. Though faith be indeed the mean of our justification that is the onely thing required of us in order to our Interest in Christ actual participation of the benefites of His Redemption of justification in the first place according to the Gospel methode Yet it is too favourable to proud Self to call it such a Condition as hath a far more dangerous Import That is 1. To call it a Condition withall deny that it is an instrumental Cause or that it is to be considered in the matter of justification as it laith hold on Christ His Righteousness 2. To say that the very act of faith or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere is imputed for Righteousness that Paul is to be so understood Rom. 4. as speaking properly not metonymically 3. To say that this is the Righteousness which is imputed to us in order to justification not the Righteousness of Christ except as to its Effects in respect of some whereof Yea the chiefe only immediat it is equally Imputed to all Reprobat as well as Elect. 4. To say that this faith is our Gospel-Righteousness because a Righteousness is perfect adequate to the Rule of the New Covenant 5. To say that this faith hath the same place consideration consequently the same force efficacy in the New Covenant that perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant with Adam 6. To say that Christ hath purchased the New Covenant that this shall be the condition of persons partaking of the benefites thereo◠withall 7 To say that Christ hath died for all by his death made Satisfaction to justice for the breach of the Law so purchased freedom from the Curse of the Law to all equally at least conditionally whereby it is apparent that all are put in statu quo prius in the state they were once in that equally now have new conditions proposed unto them which if they performe they are righteous upon that performance are freed from the Curse made heirs of Glory and thus the New Covenant is of the same Nature kinde with the Old only its Conditions are a little altered made more easie their Performance of the condition must-have a 〈◊〉 with it at least ex pacto though not ex condigno as neither Adam's Perfect obedience could have had And the performers of this condition in this case may reflect upon their own deed lay their weight on it it being their Righteousness may plead upon it as their immediat ground of right before God unto justification Acceptance Let any man now consider these things see whether or not the asserting of faiths being such a condition as this be not a plaine gratification of proud Self the laing down a ground for vaine man to boast of glorying though not-before God yet before others And whether this be not an ascribing more to faith than is done by such as yeelding it to be a condition of the mean appointed of God required of us in order to justification say with all that it is to be considered not in it self nor as an act of our obedience but as an Instrument or mean laying hold upon the Righteousness of Christ without us that it may be ours our onely Righteousness where upon we may expert according to the Gospel justification absolution c. 13. It tendeth too much to blow up proud Self to say That if works of Obedience be not the Condition of our first justification yet they may be called the Condition of our Second justification or of the Continuance of our justification for as the Scripture speaketh nothing of a Second justification so to assert our works to be the Condition thereof is to crosse the argueings of the Apostle manifestly to lay a foundation of glorying for Man for if even Abraham had been justified by works a considerable time after he was first justified and first a beleever he should have had whereof to glory though not before God as saith the Apostle Rom. 4 2. And vers 3. he proveth that he was justified by faith that after he had been a beleever for that passage Abraham beleeved God it was imputed to him for righteousness was not spoken of at his first beleeving so cannot be properly meaned of his First justification onely but some yeers there after therefore must be true of his Second justification if there were any such Yea the just liveth by faith a passage that the Apostle useth as wee have seen to prove justification by faith both here in our Text Rom. 1 17. all alongs both first last so that the beginning continuance of this life of justification is by faith not by works 14. It is also dangerous to say That the work of the Law convining of sin with the Effects Consequences thereof Sorrow griefe Anxiety Legal Repentance c. are either Dispositions Preparations or Conditions of justification or Meritorious thereof by way of Congruity as if there were a certaine constituted connexion betwixt these the blessing of justification made by any Law or promise of God as if none could be justified that had not these sensible affecting Effects going before Sure the asserting of this cannot but contribute much to stirre up foster pride in Man give occasion to think that man himself hath done or suffered something that calleth for procureth in congruity at least meriteth justification CHAP. IV. Justification is so contrived in the Gospel as man may be abased have no ground of boasting THirdly we come to speak to the third thing mentioned above to wit That justification is so contrived begun carried on that man hath no real or apparent ground of glorying before men or of boasting in himself A few particulars will sufficiently cleare this I. The Lord 's ordinary usual Method in bringing His Chosen ones into a justified State is
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