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
The holy Ghost is God and it is he only that sheweth us our sinnes ergo he himselfe must needs see our sinnes in us p. 158 3 The Lord by his spirit doth daily mortifie our sins in us Rom. 8. But he seeth those sins in us which he doth mortifie ergo Free Justification doth not make us so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in Gods sight that he seeth no sin in us p. 163 Three severall offices of the Trinity shewn forth in our Iustification p. 153 Mortification of sin distinguisht p. 169 The foundation of Enemites Anchorites and Nunneries p. 172 CHAP. IX COntaining an Antidote against doubting to kindle and work faith in us and to be a preservative against all objections whatsoever 1. of the world 2. the flesh and 3. the Devill p. 174 Where we must mark first the causes of all doubting p. 175 2 The remedies against the same as 1 The nature and definition of true Iustifying faith must be marked described Rom. 4. 17. to 25. p. 176 The description of Abrahams faith ibid. 2 The second spirituall weapon is that we are to arme our selves against sense sight feeling and natuturall Reason and how this may be done p. 180 3 The third spirituall weapon to overcome all doubting is not to forsake our Baptisme but much and often to meditate upon the foure things containing the very essence of our Baptisme p. 185 4 The fourth spirituall weapon is that wee are to sence our selves against the greatest multitude of all sorts round about us by the dead faith boldly wrangling against the Ministers of Christ and how wee may be fenced against the same p. 198 5 The fifth weapon against doubting is to have often before our eyes the great dignity and excellency of believing Free Iustification p. 235 6 The last weapon or remedy is to set before our eyes the inconveniencies and evills of doubting which are eight p. 241 1 To make God a lyar ibid. 2 To make God for sworn and our selves Covenant-breakers ibid. 3 To make God a deceiver p. 242 4 To rob God of the prayse of his Almighty power ibid. 5 To rob him of the glory of his perfect Iustice ib. 6 To rob God of the honour of his grace mercy and rich bounâ—y p. 220 7 To spoyl Christ of the glory of his Name Iesus and secondly of the glory of his God-head and thirdly of his Kingly Priestly Propheticall Offices p. 243 8 Vnthankfully to reject and loose the free-giving graces of God c. ibid. The Christians tryumph against all sinne by true Iustifying Faith p. 250 The difference between the literall and spirituall knowledge p. 215. p. 224. 226 Three priviledges of Faith laid open p. 235. CHAP. X. DEclaring the second part of Free Iustification making the true Believer compleatly sufficiently and perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God p. 253 1 Foure reasons shewing how inseparable this second part is from the former part ibid. 2 What this second part of Free Iustification is p. 257 3 It is opened and explained by the foure causes of it p. 258 The manner of the Iustification of the Elect p. 271 The righteousnesse of Christ making us holy and righteous objectively and passively illustrated by two lively similitudes p. 274. infra That the forme of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth not only give us the name but the very being of persons made perfectly righteous proved by Scriptures p. 293 395 300 303 CHAP. XI PRoving that the true Believer is not only made righteous but also compleatly fully and sufficiently and perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely p. 313 This is proved by foure places of Scripture and by the consent and Reasons of the learned ibid. Our righteousnesse exceeds the righteousnesse of the Angels 320 The naturall civill and religious works of Believers are made perfect in the sight of God p. 322 How the New Testament surpasseth the Old p. 335 God calleth righteous men Righteousnesse in the Abstract p. 341 CHAP. XII SHewing that the justified children of God are so perfectly and excellently righteous before God that they are made unutterably glorious in the sight of God p. 343. p. 354 Whereof the Arke is a lively Type p. 346 Two evident Reasons declaring the same p. 345 A true and godly looking-glasse to be often used of Christians p. 348 CHAP. XIII STrengthening Faith against naturall reason and unbeliefe p. 361 2 The objections of unbeliefe are two the first is propounâ—ed and answered ibid. With foure strong and sufficient Arguments to resell the same p. 375 The second objection with the Particular answers to it is in p. 384 Helps to strengthen our weak Faith p. 385 A threefold Remedie against our sinnes to believe occasioned by the inestimablenesse of the treasure p. 391 CHAP. XIIII OF the Vtility and Majestie of Free Iustification p. 401 Declared in six excellent fruits or effects ib. 1 Illumination fourefold p 402 For by Justification men see 1 The foulnesse of the least sinne ibid. 2 The perfection of Gods justice p. 404 3 The true meaning of the tenth Commandement and so of all the rest p 405 The treasures and glory of Gods Kingdome p 406 2. It not only delivereth us from the fivefâ—â—â—â—â—nishment of sinne Chap. 2. But putteth us also in possession of six glorious benefits p. 407 1 Reconciliation with God ibid. Whereof there be two comfortable fruits 1 Protection against all evill p. 415 2 Procuration of all good p. 415 Heaven opened and all Creatures leap for joy p. 410 A paradice of Gods loving protection p. 416 Two uses of our perfect reconciliation p. 420 CHAP. XV. 1 OF the foure other benefits wrought upon us by Free Iustification p. 423 2 The giving of the holy Ghost ibid. 3 Vnion into Christ p. 429 Where it is evidently proved that this union is not imaginary but reall and substantiall ibid. Six similitudes illustrating this Vnion p. 419 4 Adoption p. 431 5 Lastly assured glorification p. 445 CHAP. XVI OF the other foure fruits or effects declaring the Vtility and Majesty of Free Iustification p. 447 1 Peace and joy in the conscience ibid. 2 A good judgement and right discerning of all spirits and doctrines p. 440 3 It rooteth up coveteousnesse and the love of all vaine pomp p. 452 The last and maine point shewing the Vtility and Majesty of Iustification is Sanctification and true Evangelicall repentance p. 457 Ten differences between Iustification and Sanctification p. 459 For Justification worketh 1 True love of God ibid. 2 Of this love ariseth true griefe at sinne and zeale against all sinne p. 460 3 It causeth the true feare of God and cheerfull obedience p. 461 4 True trust and confidence in God p. 443 THere are some faults escaped in Printing as Objections for Objectors abolish for abolishing see for so possible for impossible and some others but most of them so small and literall that we are confident
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
Moon or rather a candle for brightnesse so farre doth our glorifying of God directly to his own eyes the first way by joyfull embracing the greatnesse of his benefits passe the glorifying of him by works to the eyes of men the second way Because the first is meerly passive in us suffering God to glorifie himselfe upon us by working his inestimable benefits freely upon us The second is declarative and active in us by which wee declare the free goodnesse of God freely bestowed upon us The first is inward spirituall and divine wholly tending to the prayse of God first creating as it were the glory of God in us For whereas it is the nature of unbeliefe as Brentius well describes to be very curious and inquisitive and at the smallest appearance contrary to the promise doubts of God speaking it one while making question whether the Word be the Word another while making question of the meaning of the Word another while ☞ looking to the fewnesse and simplenesse of them that hold the Word another while looking at the multitude and greatnesse of them that hold otherwise but ever seeking some witty evasion whereby it may seem to do honestly in not believing the Word of God as it plainly speaks And sorobs God of the glory of his truth and of his power and with seeming wit makes him a liar So on the contrary side faith resting upon the naked and plain word spoken because it seemes contrary to reason and outward sense and feeling it flies to the truth and power of the Promiser making him true in his speaking and able to perform it and so gives him the glory of his Living and Being and true working in us whereby as Luther truly speaks faith is as a man would say the Creator of a certaine Divinity not in the substance of God but in us and so by putting us in possession of Gods bounteous divine benefits doth truly make us divine people And for this first kinde of glorifying God is Abraham so often called in the Word the friend of God But the second kind of glorifying God is outward more fleshly and humane not creating and making but shewing after a grosser manner to the eyes of worldly men that we are made divine persons whereof S. Peter speaks saying By the exceeding great and precious promises you are partakers of the Divine nature But how manifested and declared In that saith he yee flie the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. And this second active kinde of glorifying God because we are Agents in it and doe it by the spirit greatly inclines to the glorifying of man as S. Paul speaking of the sanctified works and holy life of Abraham saith What shall we say then that Abraham our Father hath found concerning the flesh For if Abraham were justified that is made righteous in the sight God by the holy works of his sanctification he had wherein to rejoyce or glory viz. before men but not before God But what saith the Scripture Abraham believed that God himselfe took in hand to make him righteous by clothing him with his Sons righteousnesse whereby he was made spiritually divinely heavenly and perfectly righteous not for mans account which counteth of righteousnesse by halfes but in Gods account whose count is perfect and counts it not righteousnesse except he himselfe alone by himselfe doe make his creature perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his own sight freely This Abraham believed enjoyed the benefit thereof and gave glory to God and therefore was called the friend of God because he glorified him in this principall glory wherein hee will be glorified in the greatnesse of his benefits freely bestowed which especially in his Gospel are correspondent and agreeable to his great and glorious nature and therefore being above humane capacitie and to reason impossible is principally glorified by taking them by faith and this faith seeing and discerning the greatnesse and glory of them makes the true Believer to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 3. But alas here wee may take up Luthers complaint That this knowledge and benefit of Christ to come the Saints of the Old Testament rejoyced more in and so glorified God more for the same than wee now doe when hee is so brightly and comfortably revealed and exhibited unto us Indeed saith hee we do confesse that this knowledge of Christ and of the righteousnesse of faith is an inestimable treasure but wee conceive not thereby such a full joy of spirit as the Prophets and Apostle did But what is the reason hereof Because saith Luther in another place They did not consider so coldly the promises made unto the Fathers as wee doe but did reade them and weigh them with great diligence But they that understand not this benefit of fee Justification whereof the Gospel specially intreateth and so doe prize no other righteousnesse besides the righteousnesse of works works when they heare this righteousnesse of faith pressed and the excellencie thereof advanced they are offended objecting that it is so farre from glorifying God two wayes that it makes men secure and carelesse to all good works But what saith the Doctrine of our Church is the cause hereof Even this as Luther also testifieth Because they understand nothing of Free Iustification or else they understand it carnally for their minds are occupied with other cogitations and fantasticall imaginations of their own works therefore things seeme unto them strange matters and no meanes to glorifie God neither passively by faith nor actively by works but the children of wisdome will imitate the Prophets and Apostles who because they conceived the great glory thereof and felt true joy of spirit for the same therefore saith Luther did they especially Paul so plentifully set forth and so diligently teach the Article of Justification For saith he this is the proper office of an Apostle or as one may say the essence of a Minister of the Gospel to preach among people the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3. 8. especially Ephes 3. 8. the cause and fountaine of all the rest namely Free Justification wherewith as David saith Psal Psal 119. 32. Gal. 5. 1. 119. 32. when our heart is set at liberty Galat. 5. 1. wee will runne the way of Gods Commandements Hence it is that the Prophet Ieremy also set out so magnificently the glory of Free Justification as it should be fully revealed under the time of the Gospel saying I will make them cleane from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against mee and whereby they have rebelled against mee c. Yea saith he in an other place Ierem. 31. I will make a new covenant with Ierem. 31 33. the house of Israel and this shall be the Covenant That I will so forgive their iniquities that I will remember their sinnes no more And it shall bee to mee a name a