blame of all and been liable to the execution of all this in his own soule therefore though he was manifest in flesh as one condemned in that flesh yet the power of his Godhead raised him up from under the power of death and declared him as a righteous person one that was accepted for and that had compleatly satisfied for poore sinners And as at first conversion we passe from death to life that is from an estate of death and condemnation to an estate of life and justification So did Christ at his Resurrection from an estate of death and guilt which was laid on him to an estate of life and glory and justification from sin for had there been any sin unsatisfied for he could not have been justified Use 1. Is to informe us of the greatnesse of this mystery that God should be justified in spirit That God should manifest himselfe is a wonder and especially in flesh But that we should be justified that implies a guilt some default and doubtlesse this is one of the wonderfullest discoveries of his love to soules How can God be said to be justified who can imagine any evill in the Almighty who finds folly in the Angels they are not able to justifie themselves in his sight but the mysterie is in this that God himselfe which was in our flesh which is none other then Christ he is also justified for us God in our flesh takes upon him the charge of our debts and by his owne spirit justifies himselfe Oh how are poor soules raised at these expressions All the works of our salvation are done by God himselfe he taking that on him and acting over that in the person of his Sonne which must be particularly done in them Two things was to be done to save us Satisfaction and Justification payment of debt and discharge of bonds VVhy now God comes in our Nature and is both punished and justified as if he had done the offence not we God is justified instead of us and dyes when it was our condition let our hearts not be commonly affected with this mystery 2. Vse This mystery raiseth againe from the dead the hopes and joyes of poor soules and in the midst of all their sins and apprehension of wrath gives the strongest ground for Faith in their justification VVhy was God or God in Christ justified he had no need of such an act in himselfe no guile was ever found in his mouth he was a Lambe without spot but all this is to denote what God was for us that he might be to us All the acts that were to be done on us and to us were first done to God in our Nature acted on Jesus Christ and he was but an image of what is to be personally done to us yea whatever consideration he passed under it was as in our stead and we are to reckon our selves as sharers with him yea as really partakers with him as if we had acted it in our own persons When he dyed he stood under an act of attainder for sin he acted nor was capable of none but only stood there for us and our very sins on the Crosse were crucified with Christ and satisfied for by him as if we had paid the utmost farthing with our owne hands so when he was justified by the spirit we were justified He was justified as a common person in the room of all the Elect as he died as a common person for their sins In these two expressions you have all the mystery of Redemption and the reconciliation of sinners to God 1. God was manifest in flesh to bear our sins and to be abased and humbled for them whereby he might satisfie himselfe and then in the token of acquittance and absolution of us from all these sins he is justified in spirit and all the objections of unbeliefe are answered in this Saith the soule how shall my sins be satisfied for why God is manifest in flesh for that end to lay downe an infinite price to his justice But how shall I know that my sins are taken away and that I am justified from them why that God was justified in spirit that is the spirit which speaks nothing but truth and who knowes all things did publickly declare that there was a compleat righteousnesse obtained for sinners and did pronounce it to Christ as in the name of all the Elect. It is worthy further search into this what Christs being justified in the spirit amounts unto for the comfort of poor soules in regard of their justification that so we may all see what full and plenteous redemption there is in Jesus Christ and what matter of holy triumph we have in regard of our own justification First that Jesus Christ should be justified and that for us or in our name as the Atturney takes up the bond in Court for his Client it is as good in Law as if the party himselfe were there to recieve the verdict and see the act inrolled And observe it was more for Christ to be justified a harder thing then for us for he had the sins of the whole world of the Elect upon him and yet Christ beleeved his justification in that former place Esa 50. he is neer that justifies me Well mayest thou beleeve the particular justification of thy person seeing Christ was justified for thee before hand he was that great surety that stood bound to pay thy debts and he was publiquely acquitted for thee And this is certaine that Christ being justified at that moment all the Elect were virtually and really justified in him that act of God which pass'd on him was drawne up in the name of all you and when you beleeve this Indenture is showne unto your hearts But secondly in that he was justified in the spirit our comfort is raised higher for it was not an ordinary acquittance which was given Christ in our name but what was drawne up by the spirit of truth who can speak nothing but truth God himselfe justified himselfe in our Nature by his owne spirit such an infallible witnesse cannot be questioned And though by spirit be meant his God-head in generall yet it is specially meant of that person which is the spirit Therefore the Apostle Iohn Iohn 1.5 6 7 8 9 10. reduceth all to this that it was the spirit that beares witnesse to this that life is in Iesus Christ Christ came by water and blood saith he but Christ is the spirit that beares witnesse to this There were two things which did justifie Christ and both done by the spirit his resurrection and ascension into Heaven in that he rose againe it was cleer that he was justified for else he could not have risen if he had not satisfied the bands of Death would have held him fast in the Grave but that he can raise from the dead he was declared to be the sonne of God with power but still by the holy spirit Rom. 1.3 And in that he by the spirit was
to every understanding as of the time of justification the manner of our union many things of the Kingdome of Christ and other things which may admit a Controversie they being not so cleare in themselves 3. Principles that are absolutely fundamentall God hath set them down as the objects of faith to be beleeved on not disputed And though we cannot see the reason of them yet we are to beleeve them their demonstration lies in Gods testimony of them Gods word for things is a Christian reason Vse Oh that in this sceptick age we would but observe this rule to hold to principles men are grown to question every thing fundamentals cannot scape some mens questions most mens criticks are above their judgements Some thinke Religion lies in a questioning all things That good notion of searching after truth deceives many by misapprehension the way to lose truth is to question the principles on which they are built the Apostle speaks unto Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to strive about words which tend to no profit 2 Tim. 2.14 and to hold fast the forme of wholsome words of doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 an express systeme of principles In all Sciences something must be taken for granted Philosophers have made a just Law Contra principia non est disputandum they hiss at men that shall deny principles received by all Schollars grounded on the absolute Law of Reason for there must be some granted rules and principles that men dispute by else it will be but a babble no dispute all argumentation is concerning the application of rules and deductions from principles So it is in divinity there be some truths are as foundation stones must not be touched lest the whole building fall with it I blame not Saints for searching after truth but condemne that stint of mens spirits to looke after no more than they have known great and noble spirits love to be reaching after perfection there is much to be discovered of the mystery of the Gospell of the glory and beauty of truth But this I urge that there are some things must be without controversie some truths that are written as with a Sun-beame confest and acknowledged by all that must be beleeved not argued There is a twofold questioning of things 1. Doubting whether they be so or no that is dangerous because men shall never want their scruples if they will dispute those things which are supernatural what God hath by his owne testimony in the Word and in the hearts of all the Saints put out of question It is Crimen laesae Majestatis but to name in doubting 2. Men question things to be more cleered and confirmed in them not so much for satisfaction of the truth of them as desire to see the farther beauty and excellency of them this is commendable for Saints to study all the principles wherein God hath manifested himselfe that he may have his heart more set upon them So the Bereans they were more noble they would enquire into the Doctrine that Paul preached and Paul commends them for it and saith they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of better breeding whatever comes from men you may question and search againe whether it be so or no but what you find in the Word laid down in express termes you may not question but beleeve though yet you may labour to be more cleare and to have the same thing more demonstrative and more spirituall to you the Apostle unto Timothy that the things he had heard of him among many witnesses he should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commit unto faithfull men who may teach the same to others 2 Tim. 2.2 the Apostle would have the same Doctrine to go from hand to hand and be transferred unto others for new principles to be revealed I expect not but those in a new way more of truth in a new kind of glory more full and enriching the light that the Saints have received is the same for kind and nature but not for degree therefore the Apostle saith If we or an Angel from heaven shall preach another Gospell that is different from what is preached in the revelation of Christ let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. It is one thing to preach another Gospell and another thing to have that same Gospell opened more gloriously and to have the sparklings of it more strong and glorious He that will know no more than he hath known is proud and knows nothing and he that will know any thing contrary or more than these principles of godlinesse containes and will by improvement come up to will be as one in the darke that knows not where he goes to stick on the bare principles and go no farther is as a child that learnes his Catechisme and thinks he needs no more learning and to seeke to know much with casting of principles is as one that would learne the Hebrew or Greeke and yet will cast aside the Characters and Rules That soule can never miscarry in divine knowledge that holding the foundation builds according to that Let your structure be as high and glorious as can be so your foundation be sure for a man to make a long and mysterious discourse and accent every expression with the best language and yet neither he nor any that heares can tell neither what he aimes at or to what head or principle naturall to reduce it how ridiculous is he in all wise mens eyes all the fine and curious webs of speculation which men spin and these stately structures in their own fancies will all be cut in sunder and fall down if they be not founded on the first same and eternall principles of godlinesse God hath saved all the Saints by one and the same way Christ and faith And though these things are more gloriously exprest now than before and the same heart more opened in the same Christ and faith acted with greater strength and cleereness than formerly yet the same love and faith and Christ continues still It is a pittifull thing to see soules stick still on the bare principles and not launch out into that deep mystery which is conteined in them and as sad it is to see men leave these principles and hug their own fancies Oh Beloved that unity in the spirit lies much in the onenesse and union of the foundation This one Principle That God was manifest in flesh and this Christ made a Mediatour of soules what an eternall ground of comfort doth it afford thou needest not goe seek a new manifestation of this God the studying but of this one may take up all thy thoughts every minute and moment of thy life and entertain thee with fresh and new wonders of Glory Every one of these Principles are a mystery and mysteryes though about the same things are opened but by degrees Angels desire to let out their thoughts in the reviewing of these unsearchable riches There is not a line or expression of Christ in
so nigh unto us I beseech you gather up your spirits and annoint your hearts with the oyle of gladnesse for God himselfe is come to live among you and professeth he will have no other life but among you there he will manifest himself in all his sweetnesse and blessednesse to your soule Lay aside all coynesse and strangenesse of spirit seeing such a way of familiarity and entercourse is made between you and God It is very sad to see believers still so shye of approaching to God so doubtfull of their acceptance when God himselfe stoopes first and is so in love with our acquaintance as that he will be as wee are Let not such a Rocke of strength be slighted But every day entertaine sweet and pretious thoughts of this design and inure your hearts to a way of believing in this God so fully discovered Lastly Let men and Angels look about them what a mount of vision is raised up for the strongest and quickest eye to take the fairest prospect of glory from seeing God is manifest in flesh If God begins so gloriously how will he end If God be so full of love as to come down in flesh oh what matter of hope is laid before us of what he will be to us What doth God meane to bring poore soules unto If his heart and glory be let out so full at first beleeve and wait for the most glorious openings of all Gods glory seeing that he hath took the first rise of his manifestations so sutable to us he is now manifested in flesh and hath laid out a world of glory in that but he shall be manifest in himselfe SERMON V. 1 TIM 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. ALl divine truths though they are but one in substance and nature yet they are various in their manifestatations and have their particular glory and lustre that sparkles from them Here is in this verse one and the same glory of God discovered in divers administrations and yet every one shining forth in a distinct excellency God was manifested in flesh made the object of shame and misery in the world humbled and abased in our flesh and that God is againe justified in the Spirit and set forth as an object for Angels to looke and admire and for the world to lay hold on and beleeve and then this God is taken up againe into glory that is advanced to that dignity which he seemed to leave and bid adieu unto for a while and all this but a delineation of the various conditions and considerations of one and the same person Jesus Christ and carrying on but one designe in severall representations for the good of poore sinners This is that which the Apostle cals a great mystery that is the most hidden and profound designe that ever God undertooke to act wherein all the depth of his counsels and heart was For here is nothing else but God appearing in manifold shapes and formes to make poore soules partakers of himselfe and raise up our conditions to a state of happinesse and glory Of the first of these particulars we have largely spoken it being the prime and great mystery in this great order of mysteries And yet there is so much in it as may againe take up our thoughts with new wonderment what can be more sweet and precious than a manifestation of God to poore Creatures but for God to be manifested in flesh so sutable to us herein lies the mystery that is 1. God manifesting himselfe in a way of humiliation as one that would lay aside his glory to come and live with us and undergoe the poorest and meanest condition for us 2. In flesh that God should make our owne nature which had sinned against him and was so infinitely below him to be our great ordinance of reconciling us to himselfe and the organ of union and communion with his own blessed nature for God to manifest himselfe unto flesh is not such a mystery it may soone be conceived God did manifest himselfe to Adams nature But that God should be manifest in flesh is the great mystery of godlinesse God himselfe taking flesh and dwelling in it with all his fulnesse and advancing that flesh into onenesse and making that flesh more glorious than Angels through that flesh opening all his Counsels dying and satisfying for the transgressions of flesh and making the richest discoveries of love and free grace unto the sons of men this may well be called a mystery and a great mystery an astonishing and amazing expression And all other mysteries are wrapt up in this this is that which Angels do so pry into Let us view it a little more in the contrivance and depth of it God had an eternall design to discover his infinite love to some besides himselfe he therefore creates a world of Creatures some rationall and only capable of love others irrationall and serviceable to that one Creature which he makes the top of the whole Creation set up one man Adam as a common person to represent the rest gives him abundance of glorious qualifications set him over the workes of his hands made all subject to him as if he were the darling of love Now one would thinke Gods love and glory had been centred here that he had taken up his abode for ever but behold this man was but for a day he fell from God and all that were in him even the whole world and all these beloved ones that were in Gods eye from eternity fell with him into the same gulph of sin and misery Gods face is hid not a sight of him but in flaming fire to condemne sinners and execute vengeance but God had a further reach of love and wisdome and out of this darke cloud let some glimpses of another discovery though so darkly that few could spell it or make any comfortable sence or application of it to their own soule But by degrees God hints it out more points out with the finger by types and shadows makes some models of it in outward Ceremonies yet all hid and darke that in three thousand yeares men were but guessing and hoping through promises for a manifestation of God And this is the meaning of that in Eph. 3. that it was hid from Ages and Generations of men that is hid in Gods brest from them they knew not what to make of this designe but at last God opens himselfe fully and what doth all this workings end in why in this that God is manifested in flesh the whole of all this mystery is summed up in this that God tooke the flesh of these poore sinners which he had so loved and joynes himselfe to it and cals it Christ a Saviour and Redeemer of these poore sinners that lay condemned by the Law and under condemnation with the whole world and God comes to lye in the wombe of a Virgin to be borne as we are to live in the world in the poorest and meanest estate as if he had
sure Rock to rest on other things are narrow and circumscribe the thoughts all the promises of particular graces are gathered up in this one manifestation of God Thinke upon love in this or that communication either in outward or inward graces still we are shut up our thoughts can goe beyond all that but God manifested in Christ there is room enough for a soule to let out his utmost thoughts and to inlarge his affections and yet there is no taking in by one soule the vastnesse of this mystery or the compleatnesse of this fulnesse When a soule hath got out grace enough for this condition and yet still that fountaine runs and knowes no proportion if we would therefore study to know how to use this mystery we should find out comforts exceeding our doubts and our supplies our wants VVhen Saylers are out in the Ocean they feare not though storms arise and the Ship tosse But when they come nigh land then they feare Sand and Rocks then lye undiscovered So it is with a poor soule as long as he lancheth out by Faith into the fulnesse of Christ it is safe in the midst of the greatest stormes all the feares of unbeliefe are when we come nigh the shore of our own duties and performances and come to see the land of our weak workings then wee come into shallow water and stick fast in misprisions and are scattered by doubts and feares because there is not water enough not a stream deep enough to bear up the burthen of our sinking and dying soules That we may therefore know how to act our Faith to get strong consolation and full supplies 1. Faith must goe directly unto God as in our flesh that is unto Jesus Christ and take in nothing by the way which may divert its strength never stop untill it fasten on this fulnesse of God in Christ For when the eye of Faith roles here and there and takes in but partiall sights of Christ as in some particular promise only of this and that grace and doth not fully set on Jesus Christ as God in our Nature it loseth the efficacy of that influence which also would come and besides it divides the strength of its owne act which is most strong as it doth adaequately relye on Jesus Christ and singly closeth in with him for the truth is promises and actings or what ever way God lets out himselfe is but to allure and draw on the soule to an immediate close with the person of Jesus Christ 2. Know that though there be some things in Christ which are most proper for some acts of Faith as Christ dying and crucified for a recumbents Faith unto the satisfying of his soule in the pardon of sin yet the strongest and purest acts of Faith are these which take in Christ as such a person laid out in all his glory and all his offices as sutable to the condition of the soule And the more comprehensive acts of Faith are taken in Christ in his fulnesse the more are the injoyments of it and the more lively the influences As the more Iron is set at the advantage of the strongest point of the Loadstone and adaequately laid for an immediate close the stronger expression is left and the more powerfull it is attracted all such electricall bodies worke as all other according to the propinquity immediation and adaequatenesse of the approach of other things of a sutable Nature to them Therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 12. looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith standing and beholding as with a stedfast eye what he is from first to last as the Author and finisher of our Faith So in another place 1 Pet. 2. To whom come as to a living stone we are built up c. These loose and transient glances on the actions and offices of Christ bring in but loose and ordinary communications but hearty and full out-goings to him as God is in him and as such a person thus and thus qualified from Heaven carries power and life with it And these vast and serious spirits who are not content only with flashie or secondary actings on Jesus Christ but are longing to be diving into the depths of Christs glory and excellency carry along with them impressions of an abiding and transforming Nature Oh therefore be ambitious only of apprehending what is the riches of this glorious mystery and let not course and common apprehensions of Christ content you Some think it a carnall apprehension of Jesus Christ to know him as in flesh it is true to apprehend him absolutely so as only having flesh and going up and down in weaknesse But to consider Christ as God manifested in flesh and that flesh acted by God and filled with God is a true and spirituall apprehension of Christ and that wherein lies one of the greatest mysteries of godlinesse for we are not to understand this as a mystery only for that time As if God came and once manifested himself in flesh to satisfie for the sins of his Elect and so to leave it down againe but very flesh remaines to this day and shall remaine and all the spirit and life which the Saints shall have unto the end of the world is to be conveyed through that person which hath our flesh yea the Spirit it selfe dwels in it and is conveyed through it therefore looke upon this as a standing manifestation of God to your soules and beleeve perfectly on it See but how God hath fitted an object for faith in this mystery This expression that God was manifest in Flesh is so laid out that it doth as it were create faith in every soule that looks in it 1. What is fitter for a poore soule who hath nothing than God himselfe who is the utmost object of faith the happinesse of the poore creature depending on his relying on God But 2. Because God himselfe is offended and the soule cannot find ground for faith in God himselfe you have God manifested in our own Flesh that is God takes up our nature and joynes it to himselfe as one person and laies out that before faith So that here is God and God suited to the particular state and condition of the sinner and not only barely acting towards us but manifested in the greatest love and fulnesse to us whatever may feed the humour of unbeliefe is destroyed in this For God hath laid in that in our own nature which doth not only suit but swallow up the wants and miseries of poore soules There be but three things can hinder faith 1. The infinite exactnesse of divine justice which must be satisfied 2. The exceeding unworthinesse of the soule 3. And in the sight of both these the want of a Mediatour or some sutable person which may stand between the sinner and God which the soule may go unto and first close withall before it deales with the infinite glory of God himselfe Now in this mystery faith is fully satisfied 1. God hath
eye fast on one thing but another as glorious comes to be presented Brethren what a blessed thing is it to live in God to be viewing the mysteries of godlinesse Seeing God himselfe is laid out before your eye as in manifold manifestations of his own glory Saints may do nothing else but ravish their hearts with the diversity of heavenly light which breakes forth from the bosome of God One would thinke there needed no other mystery to take up the thoughts of a Saint but this that the blessed God is manifested in flesh Who is able to reach the fulnesse of this discovery But yet you have another mystery as great and amazing springs out before your eyes to astonish you that this God was justified in spirit The first respects his humiliation in our flesh The other the beginning of his exaltation and yet these are only various expressions of Jesus Christ our Mediatour There was two great things to be done for the salvation of sinners Satisfaction and Justification God now in regard of these two considerations manifests himselfe as in two form as First in flesh as abased and humbled that in our own nature he might satisfie for our sins and lay a ground-worke of eternall communion with us and then as a testimony of the reality of this satisfaction he was justified by or in the spirit So that you have Christ set out in these two considerations as standing in our own flesh to beare the guilt and charge the misery and punishment of our sins and as discharged and justified from all these by the spirit There be these things to be opened 1. What it is to justifie 2. What meant by spirit 3. How God is said to be justified in spirit For the first to justifie or to be justified are words though commonly spoken yet much mistaken Bellarmine and the Jesuits take it ever in a Physicall sence for the infusing habituall principles of grace in the heart and so make it all one with Sanctification that so by that they might have a way of setting up their own righteousnesse equall with if not above the righteousnesse of Christ and yet it is not to be denied but sometimes this word signifies to make just But the common and usuall signification is first to pronounce or declare one just So Luke 16.15 Wisdome is justified of her children that is all the sons of wisdome will vindicate her from all the false aspersions cast on her by the sons of folly in the world and pronounce her righteous that there are the issues of life in her waies That thou mayest be justified by thy sayings Rom. 3.4 that is declared to be just So in Mat. 12. saith Christ out of thy words thou shalt be justified or condemned that is pronounced just according as thy words are good Secondly It is taken sensu forensi in a legall sense for the acquitting or absolving a Malefactor from the guilt and punishment of the Law Esa 5.23 he which justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous is an abomination to the Lord speaking of the Rulers and these which sit in judgement that is he which laies guilt on an honest man but acquits a wicked man How is a man said to be justified this way 1. When as he is falsely accused and is declared by the Judge not to have done the fact but to be righteous then he is justified from that act 2. When a man is really accused and yet for and in consideration of some other thing is acquitted and absolved from the guilt and punishment of that which was laid to him then he is said to be justified also For the second thing what is meant by Spirit This word is likewise taken divers waies in Scripture Sometimes for the soule and life of a man Into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal 31. Christ cried and gave up his spirit Mat. 27. that is his life departed from him But especially it is taken these foure waies 1. For the whole divine Nature or the God-head God is a spirit that is the Nature of God is spirituall unknown to flesh 2. It is sometimes taken for the divine Nature of Christ so the Lord is that spirit that is Jesus Christ is that spirit which is opposed to all the outward and fleshly ordinances of the Law 3. It is taken for the Holy Ghost or third person of the Trinity as distinct from the Father and the Sonne There be three that beare witnesse in Heaven the Father the VVord and the Spirit 1 John 5. It is the spirit which beares witnesse for he is truth I will send the Comforter even the spirit of truth Iohn 14. And I will pray the Father for it Iohn 3. 4. Taken for the product or work of the Spirit what is borne of the Spirit is Spirit that is of the same Nature with the Spirit it selfe So that now for God to be justified in the Spirit is not meant as if he had any righteousnesse infused in him which he had not before but that he was justified that is declared to be righteous one who had no sin neither was guile found in his mouth and that he was absolved from all that charge of the guilt and punishment of sin which was laid upon him and one who had finished his course and done his worke compleatly both satisfyed the law and the justice of God and that in or by the Spirit that is his God-head or by the vertue and merit of his divine Nature which made all he did efficacious and satisfactory the Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse of it and fully discharging him from what was laid upon him For these words as one saith to be brought in answer to an objection which might be made on this that Christ was God manifest in flesh that is humbled and abased or else he could not have suffered why hence the world thought he was a deceiver that he was not such a one as he pretended took upon him as a malefactor and used him so why but he was not so for though he was manifested in that base and low way and so united and clouded in flesh yet he was justifyed in the spirit they saw not that inward glory and power which was in Christ's Nature but what ever men esteemed of him yet the spirit it selfe justified him But seeing this is so great a mystery set in the second ranck of the deep things of God we had need look more narrowly into it and see what the Scripture saith concerning this how Jesus Christ may be said to be justified This is to be premised in generall that it is spoken in opposition to his humiliation or manifestation in flesh for in that he seemed to be condemned to walke up and downe as a sinner one which was the shame of the world and therefore he is said to be justified in the spirit that is 1. Internally what ever he was without yet within he had a spirit of glory his outside was meane
but his inside blessed 2. Externally he was notwithstanding all the visible actings of him in the world and the misapprehensions of wicked men yet the spirit did still justify him and cleer him and declare him to be righteous Two things were laid on Christ which he had need to be justified from 1. The false aspersions which the world laid on him they lookt on him as a deceiver a friend of Publicans and Sinners one which blasphemed when he said he was the sonne of God one which had a Devill and wrought all his miracles by the Devill 2. The state he stood in under our sins have had the guilt and the punishment of them laid on him whereby he stood as a visible malefactor and under the visible sentence of condemnation For Christ was really charg'd with the satisfaction of our sins and was liable to all that the Law could say to us for them Now he had need to be justified from this by having an acquittance and absolution by the spirit of God Now in both these wayes may Christ be said to be justified 1. He was justified in the spirit from all those wicked imputations his enemies laid on him none were accounted of so vile as Jesus Christ all the reproaches that could be invented were laid on him they called him a Devill commonly Now see how he was justified in the spirit that is first how cleer he was within in his spirit no guile was found in his mouth 2. By his Godhead what bright sparklings of God was in the face of Jesus Christ to the conviction of his enemies many times when they came to catch him they were catch'd by the beauty of his glory and faine to confesse he was a righteous one and that never any spake or acted like him in all that ever he did in the acts of his humiliation he was justified in it God clearing it up that he was the true Messias and Saviour of the world when he was borne wise men came by the spirit to see him and worship him when he was baptized the spirit came downe visibly on him and proclaim'd from Heaven that he was the beloved Son of God with him he was infinitely well pleased Nay come to the uttermost degree of his humiliation when he hung on the Crosse between two thieves by his spirit he converted one of them and made them acknowledge he was the righteous man and they only the sinners In a word what ever he did or spoke the spirit did act it in him and justified him in it I speak not of myselfe but God testifyes of me Iohn 6. He was begotten in the wombe by the spirit led up and downe in the spirit offer'd up by the eternall spirit raised from the dead by the spirit That place in the Romans 1.3 cleers up this He was declared to be the Sonne of God with power by the spirit of holinesse in his Resurrection It is a place which answers this He was of the seed of David as concerning the flesh but declared to be the Sonne of God in the spirit when he did rise againe as much as to say he was God manifest in flesh that is in weakness and yet he was justified by the spirit of holinesse to be the sonne of God Christ would often call himselfe the son of God and for that he was called a blasphemer and for that they sought to put him to death as if they had said we will try that thou canst not dye if thou be the Son of God And so when he was put to death they were confirmed that he was a deceiver But now when he rose againe of himselfe then he was declared with power to be the son of God that is justifyed by the spirit of holinesse or the holy spirit that spirit did declare that he was full of holinesse But this was the least part of Christ's justification 2. Christ stood under the charge of all the sins of the Elect as a common person and so was by God himselfe condemned he bore our sins on the Tree in his owne body that is was really charged with the guilt and the punishment of it and though he was not guilty of any sinne yet was punished as the greatest malefactor standing as our surety Christ may seem to be condemned even by God himselfe and he must come off cleer or else lye under the punishment of it for ever for once the charge was laid on Christ the law looks to him Now Christ that was thus visibly condemned he is justified in the spirit not only that he was appointed to satisfie but that he had satisfied and took away these sins and it was reason that if God did charge him with the debt of our sins that after he had paid it he should be acquitted and declared just and the Justifyer of these for whom we undertook Now this is the great meaning of this phrase that whereas Christ was manifest as God in our flesh and so stood under the guilt of our sins he was justified in his spirit and cleered by God that he had fully satisfied him That whereas God was manifested in flesh that is as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. To condeme sin in the flesh that same God-man was also justified in the spirit that is freely and fully acquitted by his God-head from all these sins and so taken up into glory And Christ himselfe in a Prophesie when he was to dye and be judged as a condemned man he comforts himselfe with the thoughts of this He is neer that justifies me who shall condemne Esa 50.8 9. So likewise the Apostle speaking of Christs Resurrection he was put to death in the flesh but quickned in or by the spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 a place fully paralell unto this Paul saith he was justified in the spirit and Peter that he was quickned in the spirit both meane one and the same thing viz. that new life which Christ had from the dead when he left all our sins behind him and rose againe and by spirit is meant his God-head or divine nature whereby he was both raised from the grave and the guilt of sin together he was quickned and justified as a Malefactor by an absolution receives a new life after the sentence of death and this worke of justifying Christ is especially laid on Christs resurrection who when he dyed was as a condemned man but when he rose againe appeares as a righteous man which had finished his worke For justification implies and supposeth a former guilt laid to ones charge of which he is acquitted There was reason that if Christ bore our sins and stood as one condemned having done away sin should likewise be justified from the guilt of what was laid on him and be pronounced righteous Christ was under the greatest attainder that ever man was he stood publikely charged with the guilt of a world of sins and if he had not been justified by the spirit he had still laine under the