axiome in true Religion that bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur Iustificatum that is good works of prayer or any such like doe not goe before a man be justified but they follow after a man is before justified Whereupon Luther agreeing with Austin Captivitate Patylonica Tom 2. pag. 71. b. saith promissio Dei non impletur orando sed solùm credendo Credentes autem oramus quodlibet opus bonum facimus that is the promise of God justifying us is not fulfilled by praying but only believing but when wee beleeve then wee pray and doe any other good work And thus as I said at the first have I handled this point the more fully because it is exceeding weighty THe third Reason objected is this The holy Ghost Third Reason Objected is God and shewes us our sinnes and shall not hee being God and shewing us our sins much more know and see sin in his justified children ergo the children of God are not made by Christs wedding-garment so perfectly holy and righteous that they have not one spot or wrinkle in the sight of God freely To which I answer that the holy Ghost being true Answ God knowes the sins of all men infinitely more perfectly than they themselves doe but in his justified children sees them abolished for although men themselves know something of sinne and of the wages thereof which is death by the light of nature whereby they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 20 31. 2. 14. 15. Rom. 1. 20. 31. 2. 14. 15. Yet none comes to know and see them rightly and effectually except the holy Ghost doe shew them their sins But to shew his children their sins he useth two glasses and puts them into the hands of his Ministers for that purpose the one is the glasse of the Law the other is the glasse of the Gospel Now whilst his children are unconverted the holy A twofold representation of sinne Ghost both knowes their sins and also sees them in them and wills his Ministers to hold out unto such constantly the glasse of the Law that they may see the Leprous faces of their soules in the same wherewith the spirit working open the eyes of their conscience Gen. 3. 7. to see better then by the light of nature that Gen. 3. 7. the foulnesse of sin is so horrible that he must needs curse the creature that hath the least sin in his sight saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law Gal. 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. and to see the unchangable truth of this definitive sentence that Heaven and Earth may passe away but one jot or tittle of this sentence cannot passe untill it is fulfilled and to see the horriblenesse of Gods curse due to the least sin thus the holy Ghost shewes us our sins whereby they begin to see their Leprosie to bee very foule and their miserie most fearefull for one sinne much more for many sinnes whereby they are so terrified and so effectually humbled that they desire nothing more between heaven and Earth than to be healed of this their deadly Leptosie and hellish poyson of the lest sin this is the holy Ghosts and not the light of natures first shewing us our sinnes Now when this first work is thus wrought then the spirit wils his Ministers to hold forth likewise constantly before their faces the glasse of the Gospel wherein they hear that nothing can heale them of their spirituall Leprosie and wofull miserie but the blood of the Son of God which they apprehending the spirit also doth by imputation cloath them with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousuesse wherewith he abolisheth first out of his own sight all their sinnes and then gives them the eye of faith whereby they also see their sins utterly abolished out of the sight of God the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever And yet they seeing with this eye of faith no lesse image and Idea in this glasse than the gaping wounds and goared bloody side of the Son of God hanging upon the Crosse and streaming out his blood and life to wash away and abolish all their sins as they see them thus utterly abolished so the spirit shewes them hereby the horriblenesse of their abolished sin more in the blood of Christ than before when they saw them not abolished in the glasse of the Law as if a father his sonne having committed some A smile act of theft should not be content to chide beat and all to rate him saying he should be hanged and were worthy to be hanged but also lead him out strictnesse of justice so requiring and shew him a man hanging as his pledge and surety and dying for him upon the Gallowes this sight must needs pierce his affections and although it shew him his foule fault abolished yet hee sees therein the vilenesse of it more than before so although the spirit of God doe shew us in the death of Christ our sinnes abolished out of his sight yet hee maketh us thereby both to discerne in our selves and with S. Paul in the seventh to the Romans to bewaile in our feeling for the exercise of our faith those sins which before wee counted but small or no sins and to see the exceeding vilenesse of them farre more by viewing them in the blood of Christ by which they are abolished out of Gods sight than if they were still abiding in the sight of God and although the sight sense and feeling of these sins be by a greater light in the Law never so strong in their own selves as sometimes it is stronger than it should be being reâ—dy to cast the children of God down into despaire Yet as before whilst they were under the Law the spirit did by the glasse of the Law simply shew them their sins with the curse and wrath of God due to the same so now being under the Gospel and under grace he doth not simply shew them their sins as before but it is the true office and true work of the spirit to shew them their sins abolished out of Gods sight that is as hee himselfe doth see them cloathed with the wedding-garment abolishing their sin and making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God and in his own sight freely and thereby enters into them himselfe as fit Temples for himselfe to dwell in and also knits them as meet and fit members into the body of Christ so doth he open their eyes of faith to see contrary to their Reason and to their strong contrary sense and feeling that Testimonie of Christ to be true and verified in in them viz. Thou art faire my Love behold thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. 1. 7. And that Cant. 4. 1. 7. this is the testimonie of the holy spirit unto the children of God under
mayst glory safely that thou art perfectly good godly holy and righteous in Gods sight Esay 45. 25. Esay 45 25. Yea God cannot deferre or delay where there is this sincere heart that trusteth in him alone all other things being left looking only to the naked word of God there God cannot hide himselfe but revealeth himself commeth unto such an heart and maketh his abode there as the Lord saith Ioh. 14. 21 23. I will come Ioh 14. 21 23. unto him and will dwell with him Now what can be more joyfull than for a man to give credit to the naked word of God And as to be plucked from it by no affliction or temptation so to shut his eyes against every assault of Satan to become a foole that hee may be wise 1 Coâ— 3. 18 19. The obediences of the Gospel that is to lay aside humane sense understanding reason and wisdome and to say daily in his heart God hath spoken it he cannot lie this is true mortifying of our selves and right obedience to the Gospel and I say that nothing is more joysull than such a faith THe third meanes to overcome all doubting is The third remedy against doubting much and often to meditate upon our baptisme yea as often as we feele that we have by any sin pierced and wounded our soul with the sting of death for the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15. 56. so often must we call 1 Cor. 15. 56. to minde especially these foure things wherein the very essence and vertue of our baptisme consisteth First that God in baptisme gave unto us his Sonne 2 Foure speciall things to be considered in Baptisme in the likenesse of water signifying that Jesus is no Jesus unto us but as he hath first and before all things with his blood washed away out of the sight of God all our sins as S. Iohn saith Revel 1. 5. And hath washed Revel 1. 5. us from our sinnes in his blood and by cloathing us with the obedience and righteousnesse contained in his blood doth so perfectly deck and adorn us as fit Brides unto himselfe with that wedding-garment of his own righteousnesse that he doth not only of unjust make us just but also preserves us as is before shewed in the same above our sense and feeling ever and continually perfectly holy and righteous from all spot or wrinkle sin or any such thing in the sight of God freely Ephes 5. 26 27. because as the Apostle testifies with one sacrifice upon the Crosse hee hath made Ephes 5. 26. 27. pefect for ever and continually all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. For saith Luther the blood of Christ Heb. 10. 14. Christs blood as pâ—rging sope and niter hath in it such sharp salt and such purging sope and niter as that it takes away from before God and abolisheth all foulnesse and all spots so that in one moment it consumes sin and death takes them away and utterly abolisheth them And because wee must mark that at the time of our baptizing it is not the man or Minister that doth baptise us properly But it is God the Father Sonne and God properly is the Baptizer holy Ghost that is the true right and proper baptiser of us the reason whereof is because it is not the work of the Minister that baptizeth outwardly nor the Baptisme of man but the Baptisme of Christ and of God for the minister or man doth nothing in The Minister â—â—ly is â—n the nâ—mâ— and place of God his own authority but stands by Gods appointment in the place and steed of God and supplies the roome of God whereupon we ought to receive our baptisme at the hand of man no otherwise than if Christ himselfe or rather as if God himselfe did baptize us with his own hands and therefore we must take heed that wee doe not so divide Baptisme as to attribute the outward baptisme to man and the inward to God but we must attribute both to God and count of the man or minister baptizing us but as the instrument like the axe in the Carpenters hand God himselfe using it to square thee himselfe to the glory of his grace by the which God sitting in heaven doth reach down his own ordinance of Baptisme comming meerly from himselfe out of heaven as his hand and doth poure water upon thee with his own hands and doth pronounce that hee hath washed thee clean from all thy sinnes speaking unto thee in earth himselfe with his own mouth by the voyce of the Minister And this the very words used in thy Baptisme doe make cleere unto thee when the Minister pouring water upon thee said I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen That is I wash thee clean from all thy sinnes but how what in thine own name and power No for alas that were able to doe no such work and just nothing but as the Brazen-Serpent healed the Israelites that is in the meer ordinance name and power of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost as if he should say that which I doe I doe it not in mine own strength name or power but it being none of my work but standing by God own appointment and ordinance in his place and stead and supplying his roome I wash thee in the name and power of God that thou mayst count no otherwise of it than if God had done it visibly himselfe This sense is full of comfort and an effectuall help of faith for a man to know that hee was baptized not of man but of the Trinity himselfe by man who standing in his stead did the work signified as truly in his name and power as if God himselfe had been the very outward and visible agent and worker But I say because God himselfe is all in all the proper workman in our baptisme therefore in his outward signe of washing by water he doth although inwardly and mystically to himselfe yet so throughly wash us with the blood of Christ that it is as much when any one is baptized into faith as if he were visibly washed not with water but with the purging blood of of Christ And hereupon both for the Agent God and for the meane of Christs blood is Baptisme such a magnificent work and hath such vertue and so great power as the holy Ghost by S. Paul restifieth that it is indeed the laver and washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. That is first it makes Tit. 3. 5. New â—reâ—tâ—ras two wayes us new born creatutes to Godward by Justification by abolishing all our sinnes out of Gods sight and making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely whereby we are adopted the sons of God and secondly it doth renew us by the holy Ghost to bee new creatures to menward by sanctification whereupon
Heb. 9. 17. Certainly thou canst not misse of thy rich inheritance except by carelesse neglect thou despise and forsake as alas too many doe or like a mad child dost with wilfull contempt teare in pieces and break the seale wilfully of this last Will and Testament sealed unto thee so undoubtedly in thy Baptisme especially as I said before that last Will and Testament so sealed unto thee in particular standing in force by the death of the Testator But peradventure some man may say you speak of Objeâ—t maâ—vellous great and excellent things of Baptisme but I see nothing of all this wrought in Baptisme I could easily beleeve you if at some time I might see some such thing wrought before mine eyes I answer as I said a little before Christians must Answ not see but beleeve and these things must be seene in the Looking-glasse of Christs blood with spirituall eyes for so is the will of God that thou shouldst not bodily see these things here on earth but godlily beleeve them neither shouldst thou doubt of them by unbeleefe but with faithfull Sarah overcome doubting by judging him faithfull in his word and ordinance that hath spoken and sealed them unto thee and so Heb 11 11. give glory to Christs blood and receive at the last the reward of thy faith even the salvation of thy soule 1 Pet. 1. 9. For grant that God should visibly manifest 1 Pet. 1. 9. and reveale the things which the holy Ghost and all the holy Trinity in the presence of all the Angels that stand with admiration looking into the same doe worke upon thee in thy Baptisme whereof God to 1 Pet. 1. 12 strengthen and satisfie thy weakenesse gave in the Baptisme of his Sonne that was for thee some little taste and glimmering even to thy bodily eares and eyes of the glory of thy Baptisme wherein the Heavens were opened and the holy Ghost came downe and God the Father made a Sermon himselfe that in his Sonne given and sealed unto thee in thy Baptisme he is perfectly well pleased with thee although this Our mortall conditions notable to endure the full manifestation of Gods glory be much if it be well marked yet thy mortall condition would not be able to endure no not one moment the full manifestation of that divine and Heavenly Majesty And therefore for this cause even for thy sake doth God as it were put on another face and comes forth in another forme and appearance more familiar and tolerable unto thee and because he would God dealeth familiarly in his ordinances not have us to wander in our owne opinions and carried away with our owne devotions to seeke him and his grace with great labour where he will not be found therefore he comes forth covered with familiar outward signes and plaine visible seales bidding his Ministers to wash us with a little water and adde those few words I baptize thee in the name of the father c. and wills us to fixe and fasten our eyes and eares upon the same being such as our mortall nature is well able to beare and endure and yet therein gives us himselfe and all his inestimable riches to be certainely found by faith Rom. 4. 16. and so freely enjoyed of Rom. 4. 16. us But if we neglect these and as small matters doe smally regard them thinking to finde God in more difficult labours of our own endeavours then we marre grace and with the Scribes and Pharisees thinking scorne of Iohns Baptisme We despise the counsell of God against our selves Luke 7. 30. and doe vanish away Luke 7. 30. with them in our owne legall devotions And therefore thou must say thus Indeed I see nothing in Baptisme but a sprinkling with a little water neither doe I heare any thing else than a few words which the Baptizer pronounceth namely I Baptize thee or wash thee in the name of the Father c. This indeed I heare with my eares and see with mine eyes but the word and faith doe tell me that God himselfe is there present and worketh the workes there spoken himselfe and hereupon that washing and laver is of such efficacy and of so great vertue and power that it Regenerates a man and doth wash away out of Gods sight all his sinnes wherewith he was foule and being swallowed up utterly abolished them And although it cannot be denied but that all of us even every mothers childe among us have done little better than Baptisme genâ—rally neglected did the Scribes Pharisees who as it is said before by setting light of the Baptisme of Iohn despised the counsell of God against themselves because either by prophanesse or in love of our owne blinde devotions we have beene too ignorant of this right way of God Acts 18. 25. and by a carelesse neglect of them Act 18. 25. have too much forsaken our baptismes yet by due meditating of these foure points and by printing them effectually in our hearts and affections we returne to our baptisme againe whereby although we have changed our selves from the same towards God yet because God is not changed towards us and because his gifts are without repentance therefore by thus returning to our baptisme we declare that we doe abide before God perfect and blessed in the fame for ever whereupon comfortable is the testimony of that learned Dispenser of Gods mysteries saying thus Wee indeed Calv. Instit lib. 4 cap. 15. Sect. 17. being blinde and unbeleeving did in a long time not hold fast the promise sealed unto us in our baptisme yet the promise it selfe for as much as it was of God that is unchangeable continued alwaies staid stedfast and true although all men be liars and faith-breakers yet God ceaseth not to be true But now sith by the grace of God wee have hegun to wax wiser we accuse our owne blindenesse and hardnesse of heart which have beene so long unthankfull for so great goodnesse and doe beleeve that the promise it selfe is not vanished away but rather thus we consider God hath promised to give us these unsearchable riches freely and sith he hath not only promised but also sealed it unto me in particular in baptisme he will undoubtedly performe it to all them that beleeve it Thus we returne unto our baptism thus we cleave fast uno it and thus we glorifie the seale of baptisme and ordinance of God and enjoy the benefit and blessing and all the glory of baptisme for ever Hereupon also doth Luther say very profitably thus Luther In all terrors of conscience it is our wisedome to have recourse to our Baptisme That it will be not a little profitable if a man fall into sinne and being terrified and cast downe with the same doe first before all things remember his Baptisme and apprehending with boldnesse the free goodnesse and promise of God which he hath forsaken confesse the same to God rejoycing that he hath
also All câ—â—aâ—ures were â—â—thout sin but man was righteous and had the Image of God that we bee made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God is for the full satisfaction of his justice because as God made us at the first not only clean from all sinne as he made his other creatures as the sheep the Horse the Lamb the Birds and such like all which he saw in their kinds to be exceeding good but also above all his other creatures hee made us in Adam perfectly holy and righteous in his own Image and saith by his Law revealing his constant will and nature herein Cursed is every one that continueth not in that righteousnesse in all things So his Justice is not Iustice is not satisfied till man â—eturn to his â—â—â—â—ity fully satisfied untill he behold us not only clean from all sinne but also perfectly holy and righteous in his sight and therefore the Apostle testifieth that as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man must many bee made righteous Rom. 5. 19. Rom. 5. 19. Thirdly it is necessary for the glory of Christ who that he by himselfe may perfectly heale us of the evill and losse brought upon us by Adam it is requisite that hee doe not only free us from all sinne but also that hee make us perfectly holy and righteous in his fathers sight Whereupon ariseth Pauls comparison in the fifth to the Romans between Adam and Christ That as Adam brought upon all his sinne and thereby death So doth Christ to heale perfectly this sore bring upon all his righteousnesse and thereby life Whereby the Apostle testifies That the Gentiles that followed not righteousnesse have attained unto righteousness Rom. 9. 30. Rom. 9. 30. Fourthly it is necessarie that not only our sinne be abolished but also that we be made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God for our behoofe and urgent necessity because as by suffering our punishment and making us by his blood clean from all sin he hath thereby taken away the punishment and all the evils both temporall and eternall that were due to our sins So that we may bee made worthy and meet Righteousness the cause of all good things for eternall life and capable of all the blessings of the Gospel both temporall and eternall it is necessarie that he make us perfectly holy and righteous in his Fathers sight the necessity whereof is plainly expressed by the Apostle Rom. 5. 21. where he saith That Grace doth reign by righteousnes unto eternall life Rom. 5. 21. through Iesus Christ our Lord As if hee should say Grace indeed now reignes to procure all blessings and benefits both temporall and eternall upon us But how By righteousnesse But where shall we have it freely by Jesus Christ our Lord that is that the Grace of God may bee of force to procure unto us all blessings Christ must of necessity first make us with his righteousnesse perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely all which necessities the Doctrine of our Church delivered by the first Restorers of the Gospel in this Land doth seeme to shut up in this one short sentence That it had not been enough to be delivered by his death from sin except by his resurrection Hoâ—â—â—â— of the 〈◊〉 wee had been endued with a perfect and everlasting righteousnesse Now then let us proceed to describe what this second part of Free Justification is which is as followeth The second part of Free Justification is a wonderfull The dâ—fiâ—ition of the second part oâ— fâ—ee justification mysticall work and benefit of the Gospel by which we being by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with the wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse are so endued or rather thought not inherently and actively yet Evangelically and passively so mystically formed with Christs own perfect righteousnesse that we have not only all our sinnes together with the imperfections of our sanctification ever whilst we are in this life dwelling in us incomprehensibly swallowed up and utterly abolished as is before shewed in the first part but also we are without the help of any good works to make us righteous made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely Shining now in this life with Christs good works more glorious in perfect holinesse and righteousnesse inwardly in the sight of God than the â—unne shines gloriously in our eyes when he shineth in his brightest hue by which only we are made worthy of and do take possession of all the rest of the benefits and unsearchable treasures of the Gospel as these Scriptures and the rest following doe abundantly prove Seventy weeks viz. of yeeres are determined upon the holy City that is the Church what to doe not only to finish trangressions and so to reconcile iniquities and to seale up and make an end of all sin but also to bring in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. whereupon Daniel 9. 24. the learned Interpreters say thus Here are two benefits rehearsed which should come by the Messiah The first is the taking away of sinne The other is the bringing in and giving of a perfect and everlasting Righteousness For saith another sinne is finished or come to an end iniquitie is clean put out and there is preached to the whole world an everlasting righteousness They which doe beleeve in Christ by faith in him are purified and have gotten and attained an everlasting righteousness But for the better understanding of this description of this second part of Justification let us briefly open those foure points that are used to explaine and fully to cleer a matter as first the efficient The foure causes of this second part of Justification cause of our Justification secondly the formall cause thirdly the materiall cause and fourthly the finall cause all in this head point of salvation very necessary the marking First the efficient cause of our Justification is twofold The first primary efficient cause who is it that undertaketh to justifie and make us so perfectly holy and righteous is God himselfe the Father the Sonne The efficient cause and the holy Ghost these are the first efficient cause of our Justification which evidently sheweth the full ablenesse of these workmen and how easily this work may be brought to passe and wrought upon us and how dangerous a matter it is to extenuate diminish or any way to disparage this excellent work the description of whose working is under a similitude notably expressed by the Prophet Ezekiel saying In the day that thou wast born when I passed by thee I saw thee cast out and polluted in thine own blood and I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live yea even when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee thou shalt live Then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood For I even I
10. phrases of Scripture as are correspondent to the glory and nature of God and which Christ cals the mysteries and secrets of the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 13. 11. Matt. 13. 11. which is but the excellency and deepnesse of the things which they themselves seeme to hold especially being tryed as Nicodemus was with a new Iohn 3. 4. phrase which they have not heard of expressing but the old matter which like blind Mill-horses they daily runne round in and have daily heard then with Nicodemus they count it absurde and doe judge it very foolishnesse it selfe 1 Cor. 2. 14. and cry out 1 Cor. 2. 14. Mar. 1. 27. Ioh. 3. 9. What new doctrine is this Mar. 1. 27. How can these things bee Ioh. 3. 9. and then they fall a wrangling with Nicodemicall conclusions and doe not keep neither in word nor deed to that which they hold but speak like men in a spirituall phrensie flat contraries contradictories and then fall to sophisticating raging and calumniating that is to a changing and wresting ones words and meaning and finally if at length they bee not renewed and changed with Nicodemus they fall to railing and persecuting Act. 13. 45 50. Act. 13. 45. 50. The dead generall calling or dead faith and literall knowledge in the same being the death of all the Prophets and Apostles that spake spiritually And thus by the excellency of Christs benefits layed open the thoughts of many hearts are opened to be very bad that seemed a long time by an appearance of Sanctification to bee very good Luke 2. 34 35. Luk. 2. 34. 35. The third sort of objectors are such as are not The third sort of objectors Agents but meer Patients that is doe not make but take objections and being troubled with the same in minde and having their faith weakned thereby doe only desire to be resolved of their doubts now although these last are to be delt with all in all gentlenesse yet the two first sorts standing more obstinately upon their own conceites there is little good to be done upon them except they bee more roughly and roundly dealt withall Their objections ranked in three bands First from Scripture Secondly Examples Let us now therefore come unto their objections whereof because they would gather an whole army and doe ranke them into threebands as first Scriptures and secondly Examples and thirdly Reasons let us set upon some of the principallest objections as it were Thirdly Reasons upon the chiefe captaines and the rest like rascally souldiers will soone take them to their heeles The first whereof is this what doe you define Justification Object 1 to be such a strange and powerfull imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto us that of unjust it makes us just before God that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely yea and so perfectly righteous that God sees no sin in his justified children as your Scriptures and authorities would seeme to presse in your fifth emphaticall Scripture phrase why but sins wee have in us that is undeniable for who can say his heart is pure And Iames 3. 2. if any man say he hath no sin he deceives himselfe for in 1 Ioh. 1. 8. many things wee sinne all And therefore shall not the Lord who is omnipotent and omniscient and the searcher of all hearts and reines shall not he see it in them why can any thing be hid out of Gods sight D. Bishop agâ—inst M. Perkins chap. 4. Sect. 2. Answ It is a madnesse to think it Unto which I answer and grant that we all have sin in us and that in many things wee sinne all yea I say more that wee all sin not only in many things as you say but even in all things and which these objectors cannot abide that all our very righteousnesse D. Bishop against M. Perkins ibid. sect 3. of Sanctification and holy walking is as a mensturous cloath that is mortall and damnable sin if God should behold it out of Justification for this sinning in all our actions is our misery before God and he that desires not to be delivered of these evills in the sight of God bewrayes the very ground of his hypocrisie namely that he never yet understood much lesse felt what an horrible thing the least sin is in the sight of God for this is our spirituall leprosie before God this is our spirituall Plague-soare and sicknesse to the death of hell-fier But shall any man therefore conclude that because the justified children of God have them see them and feel them in themselves therefore they have them in the sight of God and that he sees them in them when by making them perfectly holy righteous from all spot of these and all other sins before himself he hath utterly abolished them out of his own sight why is not God able to abolish those sins that we feel daily dwelling in us out of his own sight although he doth not abolish them out of our sight that wee may here live by the faith of his power Certainely this were to have as much faith as an Oxe or an Horse for they beleeve but what they see and feele but it is the true nature and very essence of faith to beleeve cleane contrary to that which we see and feele in our The nature of true faith selves if God hath spoken the contrarie hath God not only spoken the contrary saying to his Church and justified children that indeed feele see and complaine of their spirituall blacknesse Behold notwithstanding thy seeing and feeling behold thou art faire my love behold thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee whereby God sees no iniquity in his true spirituall Church nor he sees no transgression in his true justified Israel And hath not only with admiration expresly spoken it but also given the meanes to effect and bring it to passe namely that the blood of Jesus Christ his Son doth make us clean even from that which doth defile us before God Mark 7. 20. 21. that Mark 7. 20. 21. 1 Iohn 1. 7. is from all sin it self 1 Iohn 1. 7. And hath he not only spoken and given the powerfull meanes to effect it but also sworn it saying By my selfe have I sworn that in me you shall have righteousnesse and strength whereby the whole house of Israel shall bee justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely and glorie in the Lord Esay 45. 23 Esay 45. 23 24 25. 24 25. as indeed there can bee no greater glorying that we are justified then this that God sees no sinne in us by reason that being cloathed with Christs righteousnesse wee are made there by perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely And when not only God the Father hath thus spoken and sworn
other yet that unto us there is a difference between them is evident by these two strong reasons First because the Scriptures doe distinguish between them for as it is a sin to distinguish where the Scriptures doe not distinguish for which cause the Schoolmen are justly taxed of all learned Protestants to have corrupted the Gospel and all Religion by their idle and curious distinctions not used in the Scripture whereupon that new distinction between the guilt and the sin namely that Christ hath taken away from before his Father or out of his fathers sight not the sin it selfe but the guilt of our sins that wee by our holy walking may take away the sin it selfe out of Gods sight is the more worthily to be suspected for a corrupter of the Gospel because the Gospel of Christ makes no such distinction saying no where that Christ hath taken away the guilt of our sins but saying every where that the sin it selfe and the effects and punishments thereof are taken away out of Gods sight so on the other side where God doth distinguish for our capacities there it is a sin for us not to distinguish And therefore seeing Gods word in this point doth distinguish not only in words as Psal 94. Psal 9. â—â— 10. verse 9 10. where they are both distinctly set downe but also in continuall practice saying no where that God knowes not the sins of his children but in many places both expresly and equipollently that he sees no sin in his justified children by reason that he hath by the wedding-garment of his Sons righteousnesse utterly abolished them out of his owne sight now this distinction if all men Devils and Angels would gainesay it must stand The second reason is because if we doe not by curious prying into Gods incomprehensible nature cast our selves into a maze and as Luther truly saith by curious speculations of the divine majesty fall with Lucifer and lose God his Gospel and all together we may discerne some difference even in nature between knowing and seeing both before God men and Angels for to know a thing is to understand the nature of it although the thing it selfe be abolished taken away and have no substance existence and being really before them but properly to see a thing is before God men and Angels to have the thing it selfe unabolished not taken away but having existence and reall being presently before them As for example Gen. 1. it is not said that God saw the Gen. 1. 10. light the Sea the Sun and Moon and other creatures before he had given them an existence and being but when hee had given them a reall existence and being before him then it is said that God saw them and saw that they were good As againe let me instance in an example or two God now knowes the flood that covered the earth and drowned the whole world but he now sees it abolished that is sees no existence and being of the flood covering and drowning the earth for if he did it would soone bee woe with us all so likewise God knowes the Sacrifices of killing Bulls and Goates that were used in his first Church but now hee sees them abolished in his Church that is he now sees no killing of Bulls and â—oats in his Church for if hee did he should see his Church to be Judaicall Againe God knowes what flood of fire shall burne up the world but yet he doth not see it by existence and being burning up the world for if he did our houses would he too hot for us to dwell in Againe yet more plainely God knowes both the wicked and good men that lived upon the earth a thousand yeares agoe but he sees them not now living upon the earth but hee sees the wicked in hell and the good in heaven where they have now their existence and present being before him Let me adde a proose of Scripture whilst Nathanaels existence and being was under the Fig-tree the Godhead of Christ did see him under the Fig-tree but when hee was come from thence unto Christ although the Godhead of Christ did then know that hee was under the Fig-tree yet hee doth not say my Godhead doth now see thee under the Fig-tree but I saw thee when thou wast under the Fig-tree but now I see thee here before mee So that seeing or not seeing hath no relation to any change in God who is unchangeable but altogether respect unto the change wrought before God upon the creature As to come nearer to examples confirming our present purpose whilst the existence and being of the Leprosie of Naaman was in and upon him God did see it in him and upon him and saw him foule and leprous but when hee was healed and so his Leprosie abolished although God knew more perfectly then he what Leprosie he was healed of yet he did not see any leprie upon him when hee was healed but saw his owne new worke of his flesh restored and come to him as the flesh of a young childe and is it not grosse unbeliefe to thinke that the River of Christs blood is not able to doe as much and make as great a change in the sight of God upon us mystically above our reason sense and feeling in abolishing the lepry of our sinnes and in making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot or sinne in the sight of God freely as the River of Jordan was powerfull by Gods appoyntment to abolish from before him the bodily disease seeing this was but a figure of the other and seeing the abolishing of the bodily disease was a destroying of the worke of God but the abolishing of the spirituall disease is a destroying of the worke of the Divell Hereupon I say and distinguish thus That God How God knowes the sinnes of his children and of Reprobates knowes the sinnes of the wicked and reprobate infinitly more perfectly than they themselves doe and hee knowes the sinnes of his justified Children infinite more perfectly than they themselves doe according to that confession of David saying Who knowes the number of his sinnes or who knowes how often hee erres Psal 19. 12. None but God And here in is no Psal 19. 1â— difference betweene the children of God and the wicked for how could the children of God praise and magnifie God for his abolishing of all their sinnes out of his owne sight if he did not know what sinnes and how many he hath abolished But here in lyes the difference that God knowes the sinnes of the wicked infinitly more perfectly than they themselves doe and sees them in them Iohn 8. 24. because they are not Iohn 8. 24. abolished and they made perfectly holy and righteous from them all in the sight of God But although hee knowes the sinnes of his justified children infinitely more perfectly than they themselves doe yet he sees them abolished out of his owne sight that is hee sees none in them because being
you and your consciences perfect in holinesse and righteousnesse freely to God-ward and in the sight of God as the Apostle testifieth saying that the blood of Christ hath made our consciences so cleane that we are made holy and perfect concerning the conscience Heb. 9. 9. 14. whereby Heb. 9. 9. 14. being once purged with Christs blood wee have no more conscience of sinne Heb. 10. 2. 14. that is no more Heb. 10. 2. 14. accusations terrors and condemnings of conscience for sin because as it was said before Being justified by faith that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ Whereupon ariseth a threefold boldnesse as first Abrahams A threefold boldnesse ariseth from true justifying faith friendship and familiarity with God secondly a boldnes to promise to our selves from God all good things both temporall and eternall and thirdly boldnesse to pray for the same with assurance to receive whatsoever we ask because the prayer of a righteous man that is made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely cannot but availe much I am 5. 15 Iam 5. 15 16 17 16 17. And as our consciences are thus made good to God-ward by Justification so secondly they are made good to men-ward by Sanctification because when we see that the least sin is such an infinite horrible thing in the sight of God that we must needs be made cleane from all spot of sin in the sight of God though it cost the price of the blood of the Son of God to effect it then we keep his Commandements and doe those things that are pleasing to God zealously in the sight of men also Therefore to conclude with S. Iohn This is the Commandement of all Commandements that we beleeve in the name or power of Iesus Christ that of unjust he makes us just that is perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely by which we practise all Commandements and so doe manifest that wee have the holy Ghost and are not hypocrites neither towards God by Justification nor towards men by Sanctification To the next Scriptures viz. that God saw sin in the justified Church of the Corinths and punished them for the same 1 Cor. 11. and also in the Churches of 1 Cor. 11. 30. Asia Revelat. 2. and 3. ergo the children of God are Rev. 2. and 3. objected and cleared not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that God sees no sin in them I say that as this is a Papisticall cavill also objected against the Protestants defending the perfection of free Justification so doe I answer with the Protestant Antagonists that these examples when people and whole Churches are alleaged as the Corinths the Churches of Asia and the Church of the Hebrews and such like they alter the question and come not within the compasse of that whereof we speak for it is one thing to speak of the Justification Iustification of a Church and a particular man different of the whole body of a people and another thing to speak of the Justification of one particular man because a true particular child of God is justified absolutely but an whole Church or Nation is not justified absolutely but respectively Some in the same and sometime the greater multitude falling away and are collectively reproved being Reprobates in which sense Paul said that all Asia was turned away from him 2 Tim. 1. 15. Againe othersome may bee 2 Tim. 1. 15. in the dead generall calling of Christianity of Gods election but not yet effectually called nor justified Bearing a name that they live but they are dead Revel 3. Revel 3. 1. 1. Such were they of whom the Apostle speaketh saying some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame 1 Cor. 15 34. Such also were the luke-warme 1 Cor. 15. 34. Laodiceans that were not yet cloathed with the white raiment that their filthy nakednesse do not appeare whom yet in love for the Election sake Christ rebuked and willed to get on the white garment that their filthy nakednesse might not appear before Revel 3. 17 18 19. him Revel 3. 17 18 19. Againe other some although they be justified and thereby all their sins utterly abolished out of Gods sight yet they finde the fruits effects benefits experience and comforts of the same but weakly according to their weak faith wherby they are exercised with many crosses and afflictions to the raising up of their faith to apprehend more fully the Grace of Justification that hath abolished all their sins out of Gods sight such as it appeares were those Corinthians of whom the Apostle speaketh in that eleventh to the Corinthians saying For this cause many of you are sick and many weak c. For what cause namely because you discern not the Lords body Here was weak faith according to which they found agreeable that great axiome of the Gospel Bee it unto thee according to thy Matt. 15. 2â— faith But fourthly and lastly some are absolutely justified and these are they that are here spoken of properly such were those few names in Sardis which had not defiled their garments that is they had not mixed and corrupted Free Iustification whereby they walked with Christ in white that is in the glory of the same for they thereby are worthy Revel 3. 4. Such also are those Revel 3. 4. Revel 7. 9 13. great multitudes of all Nations spoken of Revel 7. which were cloathed with long white Robes viz. Of Christ righteousnesse and had Palmes of victory over sin death the Devill and all euils in their hands of faith And cry with a loud voyce that is joyfully and zealously saying salvation commeth of our God that sitteth upon the Throne and of the Lamb that is withdrawing utterly from their works and ascribing the whole cause and glory of their salvation only and alone to God the Father and to his Sonne Iesus Christ And they have washed and enlarged their long Robes that is they have extolled dignified and magnified the glory of Free Iustification as Paul did 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 10 11. saying If the 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 10 11. ministration of condemnation were glorious much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory And againe I count all things losse and doe judge them to bee dung that I may be found in Christ not having mine own righteousnesse of sanctification by my walking after the Law which is but dung but the righteousnesse which is of God by the faith of Iesus Christ Philip. 3. 9. moreover Psal 3. 9. these have made their long Robes white in the blood of the Lamb that is they beleeve that the blood of Christ hath made them in the sight of God from all sin whiter than snow Psal 51. 7. and
come and cloathing him with the wedding-garment of his owne righteousnesse did seale the same up unto him to put him out of all doubt thereof by his oath and owne seale of Baptisme and therefore now sighing up to Christ in the sense and feeling of his sins may be much more assured that he will continue his grace so freely begunne unto him we being thus found first of Christ before we sought after him he will preserve us still in that his wedding garment from all sin in his fathers sight continually and for ever for whom he once justifieth he justifieth for ever because as the Apostle saith Heb. 10. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Hee hath with one sacrifice upon the crosse made perfect by justification to the sight of God continually and for ever all them that be sanctified wherewith notably agrees that witnesse of a learned dispenser of Gods mysteries saying That we ought to know that at what time Calv. Instit lib. 4. cap. 15. Sect. 3. soever we be baptized we are at once washed and made cleane for all our life therefore so oft as we fall We must goe back to the remembrance of baptisme and therewith we must arme our minde that it may alway be certaine and assured of the forgivenesse of sins for though when it is once ministred it seemeth to be past yet by following sins it is not abolished for the cleanness of Christ is therin bestowed upon us that alway flourisheth is oppressed with no spots but overwhelmeth and wipeth away all our filthinesse and so preserveth us in perfect righteousnesse to Godward for ever as this I say is the only meanes whereby after our falls we returne unto him his washing us thus in his blood first making us to wash our selves declaratively in teares of love and Evangelicall repentance so is it the only meanes to come rightly unto God in prayer thus we come in the wedding garment thus we come rightly in the name and power of Christs blood that we were baptized in thus our prayer is the prayer of a righteous man that prevaileth much with God thus we come in faith wherein St. Iames bids us not to waver for then we rob the blood of Christ of his glory in us then we obtain nothing of the Lord. Whereby we see that they that will presse by prayer into the presence of God foule in their sin untill they have obtained pardon by prayer doe faile both in the first point of right comming not knowing the horriblenesse of sin revealed in the Word have but a gentilish conceit of the foulness of it so are ready with the Gentiles and Papists to make their prayers to be ex opere operato or in the name of Christ ex Condigno the meanes of the pardon of their sins But they faile much more in the second point both by ignorance of the glory of Gods free pardon given them in their baptisme and also in not comming to pray in the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse ever preserving presenting them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely whereby they not praying in this faith not only obtaine nothing of the Lord but also lye naked to all his judgements because God sees not the sprinkling of the blood of the Lambe that is the 1 Iohn 1. 7. cleannesse wrought by his Sons blood 1 Iohn 1. 7. upon the doore posts that is the very entrance of their prayers confessions for how can it be lesse dangerous to enter after a more peculiar manner as we doe by prayer into the presence of the most holy and most pure God infinitly hating all sin without the wedding garment without which God cannot abide to looke upon us but saith Binde him hand and foot take him away and cast him into utter darknesse where is nothing but weeping gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. But if we come Matth. 22. 13. in the faith of this wedding garment freely abolishing all our sins out of Gods sight then all the three persons of the blessed Trinity doe magnifie the glory of their proper offices with one unanimous consent upon us for we must marke that although our justification be the worke of the whole Godhead yet the three persons have their severall offices therein peculiar and The Trinity have severall offices in justification proper to each person which of us ought to be discerned and rightly distinguished as First the Son comes downe freely to us when else we durst not ascend up by prayer to God and is thereby the Lambe of God that taketh away the sin it selfe Iohn Iohn 1. 29. 1 29. by making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely 1 Iohn 1. 7. And this 1 Iohn 1. 7. must be our first ground of entering by prayer unto God whereupon as the Apostle saith we have holdnesse and entrance with confidence through this faith in him Ephes 3. 12. Ephes 3. 12. Secondly the sin being gone the Father forgives the punishment due to that sin that his Son hath abolished as it is expressely said Psal 32. My sins being Psalme 32. covered and by the imputed righteousnesse of the Messiah to come utterly abolished out of thy sight ver 1. then thou forgavest the punishment of my sin ver 5. Verse 1. Verse 5. and then powreth out all manner of blessings upon us both temporall and eternall not only for our good but principally to dignifie and glorifie the blood and righteousnesse of his owne Son in us and upon us And thirdly the holy Ghost reveales and seales the assurance comfort and expectation of these blessings unto our soules giving us the eyes of understanding and faith to know and see these invisible good things 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Ephes 1. 17 18. Object 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Ephes 1. 17 18. But hereupon will some peradventure reply and say if our prayers be naught except we come thus to pray cloathed in the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse which is Gods royall pardon the royalty whereof is such that it preserves us even from our baptisme and presents us ever perfectly holy and righteous Why we aske daily forgivenesse of sinnes from all spot of sin in the sight of Godfreely What need we then to pray daily to God to forgive us our trespasses if we have not one spot in the sight of God before we pray especially as the Papists object if the nature of our faith be such an assurance that it assures us that we are so cleane before we pray Answ for three causes I answer with the Protestant Antagonists against the Papists that in three respects we continue daily to to aske of God forgivenesse of our sins First because the more faith any childe of God hath the more he prayeth for this glorious forgivenesse because the more grace he hath the
S. Iohn saying that Christ came by water and blood and repeating blood with a vehement emphasis saith again Not by water only but by water and blood doth give us to understand that in Baptisme of water wee must have principall respect to the blood of Christ whereby Baptisme is of such efficacie and of so great operation and power that it washeth away from before God all sinne drownes and abolisheth death heales all our infirmities and makes us clean from all our faults this indeed we see not to be done with carnall eyes but the faithfull in Christ neither ought nor yet doe desire to see with bodily eyes but they apprehend the Word and believe it and so glorifie Gods Truth Seale and Ordinance so that whatsoever is there promised they perswade themselves to be as sure and certaine as those things which they even see and feele before their outward eyes Briefly in a word to be baptized is nothing In Baptisme a principall respect is to be had to the blood of Christ else to spirituall eyes than to bee washed with the most pretious blood of Christ and to be made so clean that we are made from all sinne in the sight of God whiter than snow And this is that perfect cleansing by the blood of Christ which David speaks of Psal 51. where he saith Wash mee throughly from mine iniquity and make me clean from my sinnes Purge mee with Hysop and I shall bee clean wash thou me and I shall bee whiter than snow And this is the first thing that wee must call to minde concerning our Baptisme Secondly wee must call to minde that God in our Baptisme gave us Christ making us thus cleane from all our sins appropriated unto thee that art baptized that is given unto thee in particular as if at that time that thou wast a baptizing there had been in respect of thy particular and perfect washing and saving no more to bee saved by the blood of Christ but thou only in the world whereby God said in the vertue and power of his own ordinance unto thee in particular as hee said unto Paul Arise and bee baptized and wash away thy sinnes mark thine in particular in calling on the name of the Lord Iesus whereby thou hast just cause to say with S. Paul Christ hath loved me and given himself for me in particular Gal. 2. 20. Gal. 2. 20. Thirdly wee must call to minde that God in our Baptisme gave us Christ thus perfectly washing away all our sinnes freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in us to deserve this rich grace not respecting no unworthinesse in us to hinder the same not requiring any other condition at our hands but that in time wee feele our selves lost by sinne and freely take this rich grace of Christ freely to heale us Because the Apostle saith All have sinned and thereby are deprived of the glory of God But are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 23 24. And Rom. 3. 23. 24 to shew how freely hee thus of unjust makes us perfectly just in his sight he brings us to the laver of baptisme even whilst we are Infants and doth then and there sanctifie us to himselfe with his blood and makes us clean by the washing of water through the word Ephes 5. 26. When we are not only meer lumps Ephes 5. 26. of originall sinne farre more soule in the blood of our soules than wee were a little before in the blood of our bodies yea so soule that we might not be admitted into the communion of the Church and Saints of God untill we were washed in the blood of the Sonne of God but also were not able to send up one sigh unto God in any sorrow for the same This rich grace of Gods washing us so freely even when we were without feeling of our misery in the very blood of our originall sinne is plainly described by God in Ezech. 16. Ezek. 16. saying When I passed by thee I saw thee cast out and polluted in thine own blood then said I even when thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live yea when thou wast in thy blood I said thou shalt live then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood from thee and annointed thee with Oyle I cloathed thee also with broidred work and I decked thee with fine linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints Revel 19. 8. And covered Revel 19. 8. thee with the silk of mine own righteousnesse Thus wast thou decked with Gold and Silver and thou wast exceeding beautifull for thou wast perfect through my beauty which I had put upon thee saith the Lord shall not we then as freely take these riches as God when we were yet in our blood so freely gave them us Fourthly and lastly we must call to minde that God to put us out of all doubting gave us these riches confirmed ratified and sealed unto us with his own seale of baptisme whereby no Father lying upon his death-bed can seale unto his Adopted Sonne the gift of his lands and goods in his last Will and Testament more certainly and assuredly with the seale of his own Ring than God hath by baptisme as with the seale of his own Ring and Signet of rich Grace undoubtedly confirmed stedfastly ratified and certainly sealed these unestimable riches unto us Is here left now any starting hole of doubting for us to doubt whether wee enjoy these riches or no except the Devill like a wicked will-falsifying-Lawyer foyst this thought into thy head to say yea this without all doubt is true upon me in particular if I bee an Adopted child of God but there is the question to which I answer None ought to question Gods eâ—â—ectuall washing of himselfe and why why shouldest thou make question of thy selfe when God hath revealed no exception or question of thee nay rather when God hath done the clean contrary that is hath revealed the putting it out of question that he hath adopted thee to be his sonne First because thou hadst a day of thy Adoption of Gods own appointing and acting namely in thy Baptisme Secondly thou wast expresly in the act of thy adoption that it might bee known that thou in particular wast Adopted Thirdly God did by the hand of his Minister set to his sign and seale of Adoption upon thee whereby he did give his last Will and Testament sealed unto thee in particular by his own seale of Baptisme as the deed of his hand into thine own hand powring water upon thee in particular darest thou think that God did jest or mock with thee can there bee now any doubting that thy sinnes are for ever washed out of the sight of God and thou Adopted an heire of all the riches of thy elder brother Christ Jesus his last Will and Testament being made good unto thee by the death also of the Testator Heb. 9. 17.
men they doe nothing else but with their cavills sophisticating and calumniations under a colour of cleering the truth paint over and hide their own ignorance bemuddy the cleer truth disquiet the minds of the simple and trouble mens consciences and so are the true and proper authors of dissention and sects And this Paul complained of not only respecting the present times but also foresaw in spirit that there should bee an infinite number of such in the Church even to the Worlds end for when God sendeth faithfull labourers into his harvest by and by Satan raiseth up his ministers also who will in no case bee counted inferiour to those that are rightly called here straightwaies riseth dissention the wicked will not yeeld one haires-bredth to the godly for they take themselves that they far passe them in wit in learning in godlinesse in spirit and in all other vertues And on the other side the godly although The godly in matters of charity are flexible but unyeelding in matters of faith in matters of charity they are as flexible as a reed enduring all things and suffering all things yet in matters of faith knowing that a little leven doth leven the whole lump they dare not and much lesse ought they to yeeld to the wicked lest the doctrine of faith doe come in danger For alas the faithfull Minister knowes that the Gospel is not delivered unto us that we should thereby seek our own praise and glory or that the people should honour or magnifie us which are the Ministers thereof but to the end that the benefits and glory of Christ might be published and known and that the Father might be glorified in the bounty and riches offered unto us in Christ his Son who thereby enricheth us with his heavenly and eternal good things as for the other they regard not this but to get praise and liking and estimation with the people doe rather sophisticate and wrangle against the benefits of Christ thus provoking one another and envying one another which is a sure token that neither such Teachers nor such Hearers doe live and walk after the spirit but after the flesh and works thereof and so consequently with the Galathians to hold the truth they with the Galathians doe loose the true Doctrine Faith Christ and all the gifts of the holy Ghost and by kicking against the benefits of Christ become worse than the heathens and prove meere ministâ—rs of Satan some of them never failing from time to time to accuse the benefits of Christ not only of error but also of heresie and blasphemie Whereupon comes most truly to passe that Luther saith in the former alleaged place That he that will preach Christ truly and confesse him to be our righteousnesse must be content to heare that he is a pernicious fellow and that he troubleth all things because it cannot be but that Ismael must persecute Isaac and yet Ismael was outwardly and in his own opinion a lover of religion he sacrificed and exercised himselfe in well-doing therefore he mocked his brother Isaac and so persecuted him But Isaac again persecuteth not Ismael Whereupon the same faithfull Dispenser of Gods mysteries concludeth with a weightie saying That who so will not suffer the persecution of Ismael let him not professe himselfe to be a Christian But if those that lie in this literall knowledge bee such meere mocking and persecuting Ismaelites untill God opens their eyes and converreth them let any man judge whether they bee any just cause by their sophisticating and wrangling to stop our faith and to make us to doubt and waver in the excellency of Christs benefits though they excell in all literall learning and in the legall zeale shining as I said before in the righteousnesse and glorious workes of the Law and holy walking never so much THe fifth Remedy to overcome doubting to grow The fifth Remedy against doubting strong in saith is to set often before our eyes the dignity glorious nature and exceeding excellency of beleeving namely that the beliefe that the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely is such a good worke in the sight of God as passeth all other good workes whatsoever nay rather if all the good workes and holy walking that were even done or shall be done in the world were heaped together and compared with this one work of beleeving yet all they joyned together are not comparable to beliefe which is not only testified by Christ himselfe in his answer to the Jewes when they asked him dreaming of workes What shall we doe that we may worke the workes of God He answered and said This is the worke of God that is the work of all workes that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent namely to justifie and make you freely righteous in the sight of God but also many reasons grounded upon the very heart and Essence of the Gospel confirm the same as especially may appear by these three maine priviledges of faith As Three maine priviledges of saith 1 It giveth exceeding glory to God foure wayes to Iustice First for the exceeding honor glory that we give to God the Father that also foure manner of wayes as first this beliefe laying hold only of Christ his righteousnesse as only able and ful sufficient to make us from all spot of sinne perfectly righteous in Gods sight freely makes us as Chrysostome saith to conceive a right and high estimation of God for his perfect justice of hating all sin and loving perfect righteousnesse in that he could bestow no benefit upon us as a benefit excepthe had first given us so wonderfully his own Son to justifie and make us perfectly righteous in his own sight and so we give him the praise honour glory of his justice Secondly if we beleeve and take 2 Of truth fast hold of this benefit that God by washing us in his Sonnes blood hath made us cleane from all spot or wrinkle of sinne in the sight of God freely thus perfectly blessing us Galath 3. 8. we give him the glory Galat. 3. 8. of his truth having so gloriously and manifoldly promised the same and by beleeving doe set to our seale that God is true Iohn 3. 33. Thirdly if so farre beyond Iohn 3. 33. our carnall sense and feeling and outward appearance 3 Of power and all outward likelihood we beleeve that God by clothing us with his owne Sons righteousnesse hath made us cleane from all spot of sin in his owne sight freely truely performing upon us such unlikely to present sense and feeling yea and impossible things wee give him the glory of his omnipotent Rom. 4 19 20. power Rom. 4. 19 20. Fourthly by beleeving that God by cloathing us with the wedding-garment of 4 Of rich grace his Sons perfect righteousnesse hath made us perfectly holy righteous from all spot and wrinkle of sin
the winde and tossed to and fro Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord a double or doubtfull minded man is unstable in all his wayes I am 1. 6 7 8. Fearefull examples Iam 1 6 7 8. ever to be set before our eyes to make us strive against Fearfull examples of doubting doubting much more to take heed of wrangling against the excellency of Gods mysteries are First Peter who whilst he rested upon the word 1 Peter Come went safely upon the waters but when he looked at the outward swelling of the windes and waves and began upon the likelyhood of them to prevaile to doubt presently he began to sink Mat. 14. 30. so Math. 14. 30. 2 Zachary Secondly Zacharias when he began to consider outward appearances and likelyhoods of impossibilities of that which the Angel had spoken by reason of his owne old age and his wives impossibility to naturall reason to conceive and thereupon doubted of that which was from heaven spoken was presently strucken dumbe Luke 1. 20. Luke 1. 20. Thirdly the Prince that looking upon outward and 3 The Prince present unlikely hoods and thereupon with the other old unbeleeving Jewes Psal 78. 41. did limit the power Psal 78. 41. of God and so did run into doubting and unbeliefe was trodden under foot of the people and died 2 King 7. 17 20. The reason whereof is concluded by 2 Kings 7. 17 20. God that the just by faith shall live but if any withdraw himselfe namely by doubting and unbeliefe my soule saith God shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. Heb. 10. 38. 38. But we are not they which by doubting and unbeliefe doe with-draw our selves unto peâ—dition and follow not the righteousnesse of works and preposterous holy walking according to the law of righteousnesse as the Jewes did Rom. 9. 31. but follow faith unto the Rom. 9. 31. conservation of our soules verse 39. and therefore Verse 39. briefe but wise and faithfull like Luther â—o him that hath an eare to heare is that saying of Luther namely De libertate Christiana that the first and principall care of every Christian man ought to be in this especially That setting aside all confidence in Gods sight of holy walking he strengthen his faith more and more and by daily encreasings grow in knowledge Whereof not of works but of Christ Jesus and of him crucified for him being so delivered to death to abolish from before God his sinnes and risen againe to make him freely righteous which is the admonition of Peter 2 Epist 3. 18. for as much as none other works doe make a true Christian The same advice giveth Christ himselfe the Lord of wisedome who in the sixth of Iohn when the Luth. ibid. Iohn 6. 28. Jewes asked a question what they should doe to doe the works of God excluding the multitude of works and their preposterous holy walking according to the law of righteousnesse Rom. 9. 31. wherewith he Rom. 9. 31. perceived them to swell and to be puft up in themselves seeming humble yet full of pride Luke 18. 11. Luke 18. 11 did prescribe unto them one only rule saying This is the work of God to beleeve on him to make you freely righteous Rom. 10. 3 4. whom he hath sent for him Rom. 10. 3 4. hath God the father sealed thereunto whereof riseth such a necessity of beleeving and resting only upon this before God that Christ maketh this the short and long of all That he that believeth viz. That the blood of Christ the Sonne of God doth make him cleane from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely 1 Ioh. 1. 7. and is Baptized that is hath this 1 Ioh. 1. 7. my washing of him clean from all sin with my blood sealed unto him putting him out of all doubt hereof by Baptisme shall be saved but he that beleeveth not this shall be damned Mark 16. 16. This is Christs short Mark 16. 16. and long But why is he damned that believeth not this The reason hereof is the horribleness of unbelief notably expressed by the learned Calvin saying thus No injury more grievous can be offered unto God the Father 〈◊〉 in Ioh. 3. 33. sheweth the horriblenesse of unâ—eliefe and unto Christ his Sonne than when the joyfull newes of his Gospel is not beleeved for the truth of God is not acknowledged But God cannot bee spoyled of his truth but his whole glory Majesty are abolished Therfore look how much the faith of the godly maketh to the glory of God so much on the contrary doth the unbeliefe of the wicked not believing in Christ make to the grievous reproach of God Not that their wickednesse doth hurt the truth of God but that in respect of them or as much as lies in them they accuse and condemn God of falshood and lying But peradventure some man will say What is this Quest unbeliefe that is thus horrible before God not only in the effects of it hitherto described but even in the essence and being of it in it selfe I answer That this is plainly expressed by the learned Answ Beza saying thus Significat hoc loco 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Beza in Rom. â—â— 20. that is unbeliefe in this place signifieth Absence of assent or agreement to the word spoken and uttered by God such as is of them to whom the words of the Gospel except they be brewed to agree with humane reason are vel ludibrio vel offendiculo that is either toyish as a merriment or else an offence to them as absurd foolish and hurtfull so that the power of God promising so great so difficult and so unlikely a thing is utterly rejected as if hee did promise that which is impossible to himselfe or else they doe despise nullifie and set light of his will revealed in the same as speaking one thing and willing an other thus running into all those eight inconveniences and evils spoken of before because most true and weighty and therefore worthy often to be thought upon is that testimony of Luther saying thus As there is no honour De liberâ—ate Christianae like unto the opinion conceived of truth and righteousnesse wherewith we doe reverence willingly obey and most highly esteeme of him whom we doe beleeve for what are we able to ascribe to any person more than truth righteousnesse and goodnesse of all parts perfect and absolute And contrariwise it is a detestable reproach to conceive a secret opinion of a man to be false faithlesse and wicked so stands the case between God and the soule of man by beliefe for as long as it beleeveth stedfastly in God that promiseth it doth account him in that which he speaketh even above reason sense and feeling to be true and righteous than which opinion can nothing bee more acceptable to God This is the highest honour of
only are meer patients suffering another ab extra even God to work all in us as may be further cleered in the manner Two similitudes how by two fit similitudes lively representations as First take a drinking glasse that is blue or red and put water or drink into the same and in some glasses I my selfe have seen that the drink or water in the same looseth to the present view it s own colour and becomes as blue or red as the glasse it selfe and yet not inherently and actively for the bluenesse or rednesse is inherently agently operatively and actively only in the glasse but yet whilst it doth abide in the glasse it becomes communicatively and passively as blue or red as the glasse it selfe but what is the reason hereof because as I my selfe have observed the glasse doth conveigh by the force of the light certain beames of its own colour into the drink and so makes it to lose its own colour and to be of the same colour that the glasse is of Where it is pretty to observe that the liquor in the glasse hath lost its colour and hath not lost it First the liquor hath not lost it inherently and to it selfe because if it be put out of the glasse it is found only in its own colour But yet hath lost its own colour in two respects first in respect of the glasse which it is in that hath by conveighing her beams into it made it own colour and secondly to the view of the beholder it is truly abolished and gone and nothing remaines but the colour of the glasse Now although the truth represented by this similitude passeth the representation as farre as a substance passeth the shadow yet it is sufficient for a shadow and is a notable representation of the truth because that Gods powerfull imputation after a more reall mighty and effectuall manner doth the same in truth that is but resembled in this shadow and faith that went so far as to say wash thou me and I shall bee whiter than snow goes higher than any similitudes can reach unto and seeth the soule being cloathed with Christs righteousnesse to be although not inherently yet lesse imaginarily and colourably but truly and reipsa in very deed made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God so effectually that the very power thereof begins inherently to change the heart by sanctification also to the eyes of men more and more whereas wee see that the bluenesse or rednesse of the glasse worketh no inherent change upon or in the drink but because faith reasoneth and concludes from the power of God thus That if so poore and silly a creature as a piece of glasse be able by the force of the light to cast her beames into it and to make the liquor to lose to the view and sight of men her own colour and to look whilst it is in the glasse of the same colour that the glasse is of were it not impiety and flat blasphemie not to grant that Christ can much more being true and Almighty God translating me out of Adam to bee a member in himselfe by cloathing me both within and without with his own righteousnesse conveigh much more by the power and force of his spirit his own righteousnesse to bee thought not inherently and actively yet objectively and passively in us so by this means abolish all our sinnes from before God and make us only perfectly holy righteous in the sight of God freely herein consisting the Analogie of the truth with the similitude that Christ by reason of his Godhead and power of his spirit doth that in truth above our reason sense and feeling which the red glasse doth only in shew that is make us in truth perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely not imaginarily colourably as the Papists fondly cavill but really truly and reipsa in very deed like the working of an Almighty Creator this faith I say shall finde by the very fruits of sanctification flowing from the same that he is not made only colourably righteous but that he is verè reipsa truly and in very deed with Christs righteousnesse made perfectly holy righteous in the sight of God freely Hence for the lively representation of this truth do so many Divines both learned and judicious so much use this similitude saying thus As he that beholdeth any thing through a red glasse doth take it to bee red as is the colour of the glasse so God the Father beholding us in his Sonne doth take us to bee of the same nature and quality that he is that is perfectly righteous for which cause he saith to his Spouse in the Canticles though she felt and complained that shee was black and full of infirmities to her sense and feeling and own inherent active righteousnesse yet saith Christ that knowes better what in this respect he hath wrought upon her than shee her selfe Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee And for this cause it is that he loveth us and sets his heart upon us and will not bee removed from us c. Which is not for the shadow but for the true substance of his own righteousnesse though not inherently to our sense and feeling and actively yet by Gods imputation objectively and passively conveighed into us so utterly abolishing our sins from before God and making us not imaginaâ—ly but truly and reipsa in very deed perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of â—od freely A second similitude illustrating this truth yet The second similitude more fully is this Let an house or shop be made towards the East and let the Sun beat upon the same all day long yet whilst the windowes and doores are fast shut up the house still remaines dark and unprofitable because the walls being corpora opaca dark bodies can cast forth nothing but darknesse but let the windowes and doors be opened then doe the Sun-beames beat in and dispell all the darknesse that was there before and the house is made all light and profitable to the use of man But yet it is not inherently and actively light as the Papists conceit of their manner of Justification for if that light did come actively out of the walls then the house would not at the least immediately be beholding to the Sun without it in the Firmament but the house would be inherently and actively light immediately enlightning its own selfe but in that it is enlightned by the Sun-beames the house is all light in deed yet no Agent and Doer in making its selfe light but is altogether passively and objectively light so is it in the case of our Justification and being a similitude much used by the holy Ghost it passeth all other humane similitudes by running contrary to the old proverb quatuor pedibus for First mans soule and body is like this house or shop of Gods wonders
put out before his Father and therefore hath made it as Bernard saith so large and long a garment for that end and purpose And therefore hearken to the advice of a well approved Labourer in our Church worthy ever the meditating because it is most pithy Evangelicall and truly saving after this manner Cast away the raggs of thy owne righteousnesse as S. Paul did seeing his inherent righteousnesse was farre better than thine Philip. 3. 8 9. And if ever thou wilt get the blessing wrap thy Phil. 3. 8. 9. selfe in this garment of the righteousnesse of thine elder Brother Christ and when thy Father shall savour the smell of thy garments he shall blesse thee and say behold the smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed feare not to bee complete in him this long white robe needs no inching or ecking needs no patching say with the holy Martyr and live and die with it in thy mouth only Christ only Christ Consider what I say and the Lord give us understanding in all things The second Objection proceedeth from the weaknesse The second objection is from the weaknesse of faith of faith arising from sense and feeling whereof I have spoken and given Armor of resistance in the ninth chapter but because it much troubleth the faith of the weak Christian let us heare the Objection and shew some further remedy against the same the Objection is this I feele not my selfe to have any righteousnesse Object but rather to bee nothing else but a lump of grosse sinnes so that by mine unworthinesse I dare not confesse of my selfe that I am such only and meere Righteousnesse that I am perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely First to thy sense and feeling I answer thus with Luther Answ Thou must not feele but beleeve that thou art thus righteous and therefore the more thou feelest this unworthinesse and sinne making thee whilst thou pulst down thy eye from the brazen-serpent to look upon thy sore by sense and feeling to cry out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death so much the more happy and blessed art thou for it doth make thee presently to turn thy eye to the Brazen Serpent Christ Who presently delivers thee and makes thee to say with the Apostle in the sight by faith of thy perfect healing I thank God through Iesus Christ our Lord that there is no judgement punishment or condemnation for that which I feele Why what is the cause that there is no judgment punishment or condemnation for the sinne which I thus feele dwelling in me The reason little marked but is pittiously mangled and rent from the first verse of too many is this Because the righteousnesse of the Law though not legally and actively as the Papists would have it yet Evangelically and passively is fulfilled in us And this is thy present and immediate healing by turning thy eye from thy sense and feeling up to the Brazen-serpent Christ presently shewing thee by his bleeding wounds A present healing that thou art above thy sense and feeling made perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And thus by this thy feeling the contrary to this perfect healing there is place for faith to beleeve it And therefore to strengthen our weak faith that wee are contrary to our present sense and feeling thus perfectly righteous from all spot of Three meanes to strengthen our weak faith sinne in the sight of God freely We must use a threefold help First it must be thy wisdome to have everbefore thy sight the imitation of the faith of thy Father Abraham walking in this case of Free Iustification as a naturall sonne in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham after this manner before described but thus applyed That relying upon that God That calleth those things which be not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. that is Rom. 4. 17. who giveth to the things that appeare not as reall a Being before himselfe by his Call or so speaking as if they had a reall Being to our eyes thou must above all hope of thine own feeling whereby thou feelest thine own righteousnesse to bee but as a menstruous cloath yet believe under hope of Christs righteousnesse that thou art perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God according to that which is spoken The blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us clean from all sinne And againe As by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners So by the obedience of one man Christ are many made righteous vers 18. And thou not weak in faith must not consider Vers 18. or think upon thine own body which thou feelest dead in trespasses and sinnes by the fall of Adam neither the violence thereby of thy daily actuall sinnes verse 19. neither must thou doubt of this promise of Vers 19. God by unbeliefe but be strengthned in faith that thou art perfectly holy and righteous freely in the sight of God and so give glory to God vers 20. being fully Vers 20. assured that hee which hath promised to accomplish it upon thee freely by cloathing thee with his Sonnes righteousnesse is also able to doe it verse 21. The second help to strengthen our faith that we are Vers 21. 2 made thus perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Is not to forget the comparison that Saint Paul maketh in this case Rom. 5. between the first Adam that made us that is both body and soule sinners and damned and the second Adam Christ that as freely makes us both body and soule righteous and saved And although there be some difference in the manner namely that Adam made us all sinners inherently and actively to our sense and feeling but Christ makes us righteous in the sight of God objectively Evangelically and passively and invisibly above our sense and feeling that there may be place for the faith of Gods power of truly and really doing it himselfe alone yet notwithstanding wee must take heed that we give not more power to Adam in making us sinners being but a meer man than to Christ in making us righteous being both God and man but let us know that as the first Adam made us before wee our selves have done any evill work perfectly completely and only and meerly sinners and damnable in the sight of God so strongly that we cannot choose but shew the same in all our life by actuall sins to the eyes of men so much more doth Christ make us before we have done any good perfectly completely and only and meerly gloriously holy and righteous and so perfectly saved in the sight of God so strongly that he makes us to declare the same by sanctification and a
joy a prayse and an honour before all Nations of the earth which shall heare all the good that I doe unto them and they shall feare and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the wealth that I shew unto them Upon which words the exposition of Pellican is very remarkable Pellican upon Ieâ— 3â— 8. 9. saying Vbi praedicabitur Evangelium regni c. When the Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached God will doe such great good things unto his faithfull ut prae magnitudine gratiae obstupescat omnis caro that all flesh shall bee astonied at the greatnesse of his Grace And Paul expoundeth what this wonderfull Grace is saying whereas all have sinned and so are deprived of the glory of God wee are justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 24. Marke Rom. 3. 24. the word freely and let us throughly understand the meaning thereof namely God respecting no worthinesse in us to deserve so glorious a benefit nor respecting any unworthinesse in us to hinder us from taking this glory but giving it us freely to heale all our unworthinesse and to make us freely worthy of all his other blessings both temporall and eternall and why or to what end doth he all this the Apostle answereth Ephes 2. 7. saying That hee may shew to Ephes 2. 7. the ages to come the exceeding riches of his Grace through his goodness towards us in Christ Iesus and that also to the praise of the glory of his Grace Ephes 1. 6. Whereby saith Ephes 1. 6. Chrysostome nequit sermone comprehendi c. it cannot be expressed with words with how great benefits wee are endued and honoured withall for saith he they are not only riches but abundant riches and not only abundant riches but given also to shew abundancy and not the abundancie of men but of God so that in all respects they must needs be unmeasurable and wonderfull great Shall wee then by foolish feare of our unworthinesse drown the the word freely resist as I said before the good pleasure of God that would have us freely to take it and refuse his rich bounty and so trample the glory of the exceeding riches of his grace under feet no let us rather utterly trample this feare of our unworthinesse under fâ—et because it would not only rob us of our good but also Christ of his glory The third Remedy against feare of applying to our selves so great glory of Free Justification Is to remember The third Remedy agaâ—nst the feare of applâ—â—g so great gâ—oâ—yâ—o 〈◊〉 â—â—lves is Matth. 6. 33. how highly it pleaseth God and how precious he counteth such applying of his benefits by faith God rewarding the same with all blessings temporall and eternall according to that saying of Christ Matt. 6. 33. Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnes whereof Paul spake saying That I may not be found in mine own righteousness which is after the Law but the righteousness which is of God through faith and then saith Christ all other things shall bee cast upon you But because we shall speak further hereof when wee come to the effects of Justification I will only repeat for feare so precious a saying worthy ever to be remembred should be so soone forgotten that Exhortation before mentioned namely Cast away the raggs of thy owne righteousnesse Philip. 3 8 9. And if Philâ— 8. 9. over thou wilt get the blessing wrap thy selfe in this garment of the righteousness of thy elder brother Christ And when thy Father shall savour the smell of thy garments he shall bless thee and say Behold the smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed feare not to bee compleat in him this long white Robe needs no inching no ceking no patching Say with the holy Martyr and live and die with it in thy mouth only Christ only Christ The reason whereof is plainly expressed by S. Paul saying That they that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham But as many as are of works are under the curse Gal. 3. 9. 10. Upon which words the exposition Gal. 3. 9 10. of Luther is worthy to be adjoyned and ever to be remembred saying thus Wee must seperate the believing Abraham from the working Abraham as farre a sunder as there is distance betwixt heaven and earth A man believing in Christ is altogether a Divine Person the child of God the Inberitor of the world a Conquerour of Sinne Death the World and the Devill therefore he cannot be praised and magnified enough Let us not suffer this faithfull Abraham to lie hid in his grave as he is hid from the Iewes but let us highly extoll and magnifie and let us fill both heaven and earth with his name So that in respect of this faithfull Abraham wee see nothing at all in the working Abraham For when wee speak of this faithfull Abraham wee are in heaven but afterwards doing those things which the working Abraham did which were in comparison fleshly and earthly Rom. 4. 1. wee are among men in earth The believing Rom. 4. 1. Abraham therefore filleth heaven and earth So every Christian through his faith filleth heaven and earth heaven with his faith and earth with his works And thus much for the strengthning of Faith CHAP. XIIII Of the Vtility and Majestie of Free Iustification THus having spoken of the nature and parts of Free Justification and strengthned faith in the same Now it remaines that I shew unto the possessors of it what an inestimable Jewell they have of the same in shewing the exceeding utility and majestie of it which although I confesse it passeth the ability either of men or Angels to expresse according to the worth and excellency thereof because I acknowledge the saying of Luther upon Pauls reproving of Peter to his face before the Congregation to be most true That such and so great is the utilitie and majesty of Free Iustification that whosoever rightly esteemeth the same to him all other things shall seem but vile and nothing worth For saith he What is Peter what is Paul what is an Angel from heaven what are all Creatures to the Article of Iustification Which if wee know and so esteeme then are wee in the cleere light but if we be ignorant thereof and so lightly regard it then are wee in most miserable darknesse Yet notwithstanding I hold it necessary a little to point at this excellent utility and majestie of Free Justification and leave the full handling thereof to others of greater gifts than my selfe and will only touch six fruits Six effects of Free justification and effects which the more any look into marking but the nature truth and excellency of them the more they shall see the utility and majestie of free Justification to be
carnall and sold under sinne then he felt that in him that is in his flesh dwelt no good thing and cried out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Thus did the tenth Commandement kill him being by the right understanding of free Iustification effectually enlightened in the Law Fourthly and lastly this right knowledge of free 4 It opens the closets of heaven Justification opens unto us the very closets of heaven whereby as it were with Stephen the heavens being opened it shewes us all the admirable glory of Christ and all the riches of heaven so that never did Moses being upon the top of Mount Pishgah more brightly see all the beauty and glory of the land of Promise than we being justified by faith doe see all the riches treasures and glory of the Kingdome of Christ whereby with S. Paul wee desire to know nothing else save Iesus Christ and him crucified to purchase unto us such unsearchable riches Ephes 3. 8. Yea we begin Ephes 3. 8. truly to count all things losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord and to judge them to be dung that we may winne Christ and be found in him not having our owne righteousnesse of holy walking according to the Law but the righteousnesse which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 8 9. whereby we behold in this Justification Phil. 3 8 9. as it were in a looking-glasse the glory of God with open face and are changed into the same glory from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. of which excellent 2 Cor. 3. 18. light that thus comes by the right knowledge of free Justification because I have spoken further of it in the first chapter of this Treatise I will end with that pithy testimony of Calvin who upon Galat. 2. 16. Calvin on Gal. 2. 16. most truly saith thus That without the knowledge of this benefit of Iustification we know neither our owne filthinesse nor Gods righteousnesse but if we doe rightly know it with a joyfull understanding of it as it alone makes us as Peter saith a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people unto God so it makes us to shew forth the virtues and praises of him who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvelous or wonderfull light 1 Pet. 2. 9. The second maine point shewing the majesty and 2 The second maine point shewing the majesty of free Iustification utility of the right knowledge of free Justification is That it not only delivers us from the fivefold punishment belonging to the least sin spoken of before in the second chapter which God by his righteous nature and revealed law daily executeth upon one or other in one place or other but also it is the only cause that brings upon us and puts us in possession of all the contrary great and glorious benefits of the Gospel six of the principall and chiefest whereof although notongue of man or Angels is able to lay forth The deep sea of God mercy the unsearchable riches and glory of them yet I will briefly touch them leaving them to the large plummet of thy meditations to sound the bottome of this deep sea which the deeper thou soundest the more thou shalt finde thy selfe swallowed up with the unsearchable riches of these benefits which I will briefly handle in order as in an experimentall feeling and naturall order they depend one upon another and hang together like links in a chaine The first wherof depending upon this head-link Justification and is as I said the only cause thereof is everywhere called in the new Testament Reconciliation or Reconcilement or Attonement with God Rom. 5. 9 10 11. whereby Rom. 5. 9 10 11 notwithstanding our manifold daily infirmities not only all the displeasure and anger of God for our sins is done away and utterly abolished from between God and us according to the prophecy of Esay to be fully exhibited under the time of the Gospel saying Feare Esay 54. 4 5 7 8 9 10. not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou bee confounded for thou shalt not be put to shame yea thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widow-hood any more For he that made thee is thine husband whose name is the Lord of hostes and thy Redeemer who shall be called the God of the whole world For a little while I have forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For this is unto me as the waters of Noah For as I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworne that I will not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee Not only I say all the displeasure and anger of God for our sins and daily infirmities is thus done away whereby as the Apostle saith Christ by his death upon the Crosse hath slaine anger Ephes 2. 16. Ephes 2. 16. but also we are reconciled to God and restored into his compleat love perfect peace and full favour again and are truly blessed of God whereby we have entrance or accesse unto God with boldnesse and confidence through faith in Christ Ephes 3. 12. This is that which was Ephes 3. 12. testified by the Prophet Hosea to be fully brought to passe under the time of Christ saying I will heale their rebellion I will love them freely or as the originall Hosea 14. 4. word imports abundantly for mine anger is turned away from him This is the joyfull song which the Angels of heaven sung and testified at the birth of Christ saying Glory be to God on high in earth Peace and good will The Angels song towards men that is the whole glory of this reconcilement of God with men must be given to God only whereby perfect peace is made on earth and not only peace but also good will towards men that is full favour and perfect good will is made and stablished for ever between God and men This also is the joyfull Sermon that God the father preached from heaven at the baptizing of his Son saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well-pleased Mat. 3. 17. Math. 3. 17. that is in whom I am become not only a loving Father but also a well-pleased Father so farre from all anger so farre from all displeasure that I abound only 〈◊〉 Luther with perfect peace reconciled good-will and perfect A great difference between the delivery of the Law and the publication of the Gospel from heaven favour constant and enduring for evermore Which voice of God from heaven Luther expounding saith most effectually after this manner This sermon was not like the sermon
which he made when he gave the ten Commandements neither doth hee now appeare in that forme and manner wherein he appeared cum Testamentum illud vetus conderet when he framed the old Testament and made his Covenant with the people of Israel by his law given by Moses upon Mount Sinai when the heavens were be-clouded and darkned with thick black clouds when nothing was heard but thunderings and lightnings so terribly and horribly sounding that the Mountaine being strucken smoked and the earth trembled every-where there was terrour every-where feare palenesse quaking horror and trembling so that Moses said I feare and quake Not after this manner I say doth God shew himselfe here but after a farre other and contrary forme and manner for here appeares nothing but light cleerenesse and brightnesse here all things are pleasant and joyfull Hic nutus vultus aspectus Dei amaenissimus blandissimus that is here the beck countenance and look of God is most pleasant and smiling here the heavens are opened here all creatures seeme Heaven opened and all creatures leap for joy to laugh and to spring and leap for joy in that the majesty of God doth so humble it selfe as to descend and come downe to us that there may appeare no disagreement between God and man and to give himselfe to bee beholden of us in a forme and manner longè amabilissima blandissima gratissima most lovely most gentle and most favourable By which manner of appearing he not only testifieth omnem suam iram sopitam sedatam esse that is all his anger and displeasure to be pacified and asswaged but also in ejus locum infinita immensa gratia c. in the place thereof is succeeded infinite and unmeasurable free favour a well-pleased father-like and ardent affection of love towards us inexhausta copiosaque misericordia and an abundant and bottomlesse mercy and peace is upon us This is the Christian liberty spoken of Gal. 5. 1 2. See Luther Gal. 5. 1 2. But the reason why all anger and displeasure of God Justification is the only ground and cause of reconciliation is so utterly abolished from us and why we are restored into such perfect peace and full favour with God againe ariseth and is wrought as I said only by the two parts of free Justification For first seeing all anger and displeasure of God ariseth only for sinne as the Prophet Esay testifieth saying Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot Esay 59 1. 2. save neither is his eare heavie that it cannot heare But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you When Christ himselfe hath separated our sinnes from us and from all our works as is before shewed as farre as the East is from the West by utter abolishing them out of his Fathers sight Where are they then to separate between God and us And when Christ hath by his blood made us and all our works clean from all sinne so that wee and all that wee doe are from all spot of sinne in the sight of God whither than snow where is there any place then for the displeasure and anger of God to come upon us Whereupon the Apostle saith to the Colossians thus And you that were in times past mark in times past Strangers and enimies to God And why enimies Because your minds were set on evill works being most true that Augustine saith Nec inimici eramus Deo nisi quemadmodum justitiae inimica sunt peccata that is neither were we enimies to God otherwise than as sins are enimies to righteousnesse hath he now reconciled that is seeing all these make-bates are abolished now all displeasure all anger and emnity is utterly abolished from between God and you and you are set in the compleat love perfect peace and full favour of God again and are blessed before God Oh happy state and condition But who wrought this and by what meanes is so glorious a work brought to passe The Aposte answereth because Christ in the body of his flesh through death makes you so holy that you are unblameable and without fault in Gods sight Colos 1. 21 22. Where we see that as sinne only is Colos 1. 21 22. the make-bate between God and man So when by Free Justification they are made without blame and fault in Gods sight This and this alone quencheth all the displeasure and abolisheth all the anger of God and reconciles us to God for take away the fuell and the flame utterly ceaseth And because none can take away sinne from before God but Christ only therefore none can be our peace-maker but Christ only but because hee takes it away perfectly from before his Father Therefore is hee a most perfect Peace-maker between God and us Whereby wee may see the truth of that joyfull saying of Luther upon those words pronounced by God from heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased saying after this manner Truly with no praises could Christ bee more glorified nor extolled more magnificently for by this voyce hee is set in a most illustrious dignity and high glory for in these words Hee is proclaimed and declared the true King of peace a true Priest working perfect atonement Christ is the true King of peace and the Heire and Lord of all things who alone pacifieth his Father and brings to passe that hee is well-pleased with us Moreover in these words God the Father testifieth that hee is of a right fatherly and well-pleased minde to them that believe in Christ to these he declares and here opens himselfe wholy and leaves it witnessed unto our consciences that he is not as before offended with us for our sins but now is become a most loving and etiamsi per imprudentiam infirmitatem carnis cespitavimus that is although we trip unawares and by the infirmitie of the flesh yet a most indulgent and so well-pleased a Father unto us ut nec velit nec possit nobi◠irasci c. That if we give to his Son his glory that hee doth justifie us and so cleave to him with a sound faith hee neither will nor can bee angrie with us for his Sonnes sake in whom hee is at perfect peace and throughly well-pleased with us Again secondly As by the first part of Justification Second Reason abolishing all our sinnes out of Gods sight all displeasure and anger is abolished and done away so by the second part of Justification making us perfectly righteous in the sight of God are we perfectly reconciled to God and set in perfect peace and perfect favour with God again and truly blessed And this is plainly testified by the Prophet Esay 33. 14. saying Who amongst us Esay 33 14. opened shall dwell with the devouring fier who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting burning The answer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that walketh in
to the true Christ who hath by Justification by his blood and by his spirit of Sanctification eso wonderfully knit us into his own body That he makes us happy and blessed only in his own selfe alone for ever that we need not to hearken after any false Christ for more happinesse any other way Why Because to assure us that hee doth communicate both himselfe and all his riches unto us he communicates also unto us his very name That as a wife as Calvin saith is intitled with the name of her husband so is the Church and true children of God truly intitled with the name of her husband Christ And again saith he In hoc verò sita est nostra consolatio quod sicut Christus pater unum sunt ita nos cum eo unum sumus Vnde haec nominis communicatio ita Christus that is Herein consisteth our consolation that as Christ and his Father are one so wee are one with him from whence comes this communicating of name so is Christ But the sweetnesse and comfort of this consolatior consisteth herein That as every one is married by his true Justifying faith particularly to Christ so he must apply this union to his own selfe in particular without which it becomes unfruitfull and unprofitable yet not swarving hereby from the former doctrine but a making of that which is generall to all to bee thine own in particular by applying it to thine own selfe in particular Thus did Paul saying I live not now then Paul belike is no Paul but who lives then Christ lives in me that is as Luther expounds it I live not in mine onw person nor in mine own substance but Christ lives in me Indeed saith he the person liveth but not in himselfe and therefore he saith I live not now but Christ lives in me Is est mea forma Hee is my forme more neerly joyned and united to me than the colour or whitnesse to the wall Christ therefore saith Paul thus joyned and united unto mee and abiding in me liveth this life in me which I now live Now Christ living in me I am dead to the Law that is He abolisheth the law to me damneth sin destroyeth death At Christs presence the Law sinne and death doe vanish away For it cannot bee but at his presence all these must needs vanish away for Christ is everlasting Righteousnesse everlasting Peace Consolation and Life and to these sin the terror of the law heavinesse of minde hell and death must needs give place So Christ living and abiding in me taketh away and swalloweth up all evills which vex and afflict mee This union and conjunction then is the cause that I am separated from my selfe and translated into Christ and his kingdome which is a kingdome of grace righteousnesse peace joy life salvation and glory yea by this unseparable union and conjunction which is through faith Christ and I mark this particularity I are made as it were one body in spirit Hence it is for this particular application of applying this close union to our selves in particular did Origen say as we heard before quod per unum Christum fiunt multi Christi that by one Christ there are many Christs because they are transformed to the Image of him who is the Image of God But Luther upon Pauls foresaid application describes the manner of this particular application with fuller demonstration saying thus Quare fides purè est docenda c. Wherefore faith must be purely taught namely that thou art so entirely and neerly joyned unto Christ that he and thou are made as it were one person which cannot be severed but is perpetually joyned together so that thou mayst boldly say Ego sum Christus I am Christ that is to say Christs righteousnesse victory and life are mine And againe Christ may say Ego sum ille peccator I am that sinner that is his sinnes and his death are mine because he is united and joyned unto me and I unto him For wee are so united together by the spirit that wee are become one flesh and one bone For so saith the Apople Ephes 5. Wee are members of the body of Christ of his Ephes 5. flesh and of his bones So that this faith doth couple Christ and me more neere together than the husband is coupled unto his wife The fourth excellent benefit of Free Iustification is 4. Adoption our most glorious adoption whereby wee are made the true sonnes and daughters of the living God Therefore doth S. Iohn say As many as received him namely to justifie them by his blood and death Ioh. â— 1â— To them he gave the prerogative or dignity to be the Sons of God as verily and truly as ever they were the Sonnes and Daughters of their naturall Parents And the Apostle Paul testifieth That Christ hath redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sonnes And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts to cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 5 9. also S. Iohn crying out in admiration Gal 4. 5. 6. of this great dignitie saith Behold what love the Father hath shewed towards us that we things of nothing Psal 144. 4. Should be called the Sonnes of God! And Psalm 144 4. now are we the Sonnes of God But it is not made manifest what we shall be but wee know that when he that is the Sonne shall appeare we shall be like him 1 Ioh. 3. 1. 2. 1 Ioh 3. 1. 2. Yea we are so truly made the children of God that we are become also heires of eternall life so saith the Apostle Tit. 3. 7. Wee being justified by his free grace Tiâ— 3. 7. are made heires according to the hope of eternall life and againe Rom. 8. If we be children we are also heires Rom. 8. even the heires of God and fellow or joynt-heires with Christ But neither is this high benefit conferred upon us except we be first justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous by his grace according to that saying of a learned Dispencer of the mysteries of the Gospel which is this If we bee Sonnes then are wee justified in Gods sight freed from sinne and indued with righteousness so fully reconciled unto God seeing the Lord infinite in Iustice would never admit any into such an high degree of favour who were yet polluted in their sins and destiâ—ute Nemo sit hâ—râ—s sautis â—teâ—nae 〈◊〉 sitâ—u 〈◊〉 fide Pic. in Heb. 11. 7. of righteousness Whereunto agreeable is also that saying of Piscaâ—oâ— nemo fit haeres c. No man is made an heir of eternall salvation but first he is made just and righteous by faith Thus God by the meanes of Free Iustification having delivred us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdome of his deare Sonne hath made us meet to be pratakers of the inheritance
but also Christ the Son hath really given himselfe to make us holy and hath made us clean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might make us to himselfe a glorius Church and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 people not having now at this present time as both the Greek and Latin Participles signifie one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing because by his death upon the crosse he hath made us so holy that wee are without all blame and without all fault in his sight if we continue rooted and grounded in this Ephes 5. 25 26 27. Colos 1. 22 23. faith Ephes 5. 25 26 27. Coloss 1. 22 23. And hath not only sworn it and by his Son wrought it but also sealed the truth and power of the same upon us by his own seale of Baptisme and not only so sealed it upon us but also confirmed the assurance thereof unto us by so many faithfull dispensors of Gods mysteries as is before shewed as with a cloud of witnesses shall wee notwithstanding all these sayings and doings of God say in the secrets of our hearts by unbeliefe hold thy peace God hold thy peace Christ you may say what you will but I can by a subtle distinction of mine own braine of taking away out of Gods sight not the sin which I see but the guilt which thou hast forgotten to speak of make an evasion from all this and will beleeve my sence sight and feeling rather then you Is this faith is not this to make God no God but to make our reason sense and feeling our God If wee had no sin in us and if we did see and feel no sin in us what place were there left for faith to beleeve these sayings of God that wee have no sin in the sight of God but now because wee have sin in us and do see it and feele it therefore should wee so much the rather upon these sayings of God beleeve the cleane contrary to our sense and feeling that wee have no sin in the sight of God this is true faith and where there is reasoning from sense and feeling there is not faith For if Abraham had not beleeved that hee and his wife were fruitfull and should have children clean contrary to that which they both had and saw and felt in themselves hee being almost an hundred yeeres old and dead and his wife both barren in her youth and in her age past child-bearing hee had never grown to so mighty a Nation but he doubted not to beleeve clean contrary to that which he both had saw and felt in themselves and so was strengthned in true faith and gave glory to God being fully assured that hee which had promised was also able to do it how contrary soever it seemed to his present sight sense and feeling so if we could beleeve that God is able above our reason sense and feeling by his Sons blood and righteousnesse utterly to abolish out of his own sight all our sins being the work and image of the Devill which Christ came purposely to destroy and that he doth make us whiter than snow from them all so that wee have not now one spot or wrinkle of sinne that defiles us nor any such thing in the sight of God and that he is faithfull to doe this as he hath spoken it Eph. 5. 26 27. contrary Ephes 5. 26. 27 to our reason sense and feeling then have wee true faith then should wee truly glorifie God and Christ and find Sanctification and all other blessings both spirituall and temporall with a fuller hand then wee doe Which people doe much faile of because they marke not that there is a twofold making of us clean and abolishing of our sinnes made mention of in Gods word and testified in the consent of the former witnesses of Justification First a mysticall and secret abolishing of our sins A twofold clâ—nsing or abolishing of sinne 1 Mysticall Iohn 1. 29. 1 Iohn 1. 7. wrought only by Christ and his righteousnesse in the sight of God only mentioned Iohn 1. 29. saying Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world And 1 Iohn 1. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us clean from all sinne and in many other such like places of Scripture which is called mysticall because it is wrought seene and apprehended above reason sense and feeling that is by faith only and is the meere and sole glory of Christs Godhead Heb. 1. 3. Heb. 1. 3. Secondly a grosse and palpable abolishing of our 2 Grosse and palpable sinnes wrought by us by the help of Gods spirit to our sense and feeling by sanctification mentioned by S. Paul 2 Cor. 7. 1. saying Let us clense our selves from 2 Cor. 7. 1. all filthinesse of the flesh and 1 Iohn 3. 3. He that hath 1 Iohn 3. 3. this hope doth purifie himselfe as he is pure which later way we shall never feele to be perfected in us untill the life to come that there may be place for the first way and for faith for as I said before what place were there left for faith to beleeve that Christ hath made us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely if we could see and feele our selves to be so in the sight of God But if sticking only in this later we idlely prattle and talk by the light of nature of Gods power and presence and all-seeing and all-searching nature after a Gentileish and Heathenish manner to the frustrating of his word and promises because wee see and feele the contrary as if God were not able or cannot abolish that sinne which we daily feele dwelling in us out of his owne sight above our reason sense and feeling then we reject faith dishonour God rob him of his power spoile him of his truth and finde him to be no more our God than the Gentiles and Heathen did although they also talked goodly and vainegloriously of his power and providence and presence and all-seeing and all-searching nature For that saying of the learned is most true that it is not the light of nature or reason talking Not the light of nature but faith only gives God his due glory and discoursing of the almighty power providence and presence of God that gives him the glory of his Godhead but it is faith only placing Gods power and all-seeing nature in the fulfilling of his promises and verifying the truth of them to be in us and upon us which unto the naturall man and Gentile seemes foolishnesse that makes us to passe the Gentiles and Heathens in talking of Gods power and all seeing and all-searching nature and gives him truly the glory of his Godhead whereas the contrary seeming to glorifie him doth indeed rob him of the glory of his Godhead Two Scriptures objected Whereby we may now see how unbeleeving Gentileish and Heathenish that Papisticall cavill is saying Doe