state equal with the Jews The general notion of Redemption is also set forth by these general Expressions viz. Christ dy'd for us all he was deliver'd for our Sins he suffer'd for Sin where the word us all signifies us Men of all Nations and the word Sin or Sins signifies the natural Apostacy and frequent Actings of it That us all is meant of Men of all Nations appears in 1 Tim. 2. where all in v. 6. refers to Men. In v. 1 4. it signifies Men of all Nations It 's also observable in reference to the general notion That the Work of Redemption and Reconciliation refers to certain Times and Seasons Rom. 5.6 Christ according to the Season dy'd for the Ungodly Christ was sent in the fulness of Times Gal. 4.4 He gave himself a Ransome witnessed in the proper seasons 1 Tim. 2.6 In the dispensation of the fulness of Times God gathers or reconciles all things to himself by Christ Eph. 1.10 Here Things signifies Persons as the Substantive is often put for the Adjective the Abstract for the Concrete More Hebraico This seems to be the true Universal Redemption which the Apostle seems to comprehend in one sentence with admiration of the Wisdom and unsearchable Ways of God the sentence is this viz. God hath set up all Nations in Unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Nations in their times and turns Rom. 11.31 32. Now concerning the Personal Reconciliation and Redemption which amounts to a Personal Election As the Reconciliation of our Nature in the Person of Christ is expressed by the Blood and Death of Christ for us so our Personal Reconciliation is expressed by the Righteousness of God manifested in all and upon all that believe Rom. 3.21 22. By the Righteousness of God is meant the Faithfulness of God in performing his merciful Promises especially touching his sending Christ and the Spirit to the Gentiles The Apostle saith This is witnessed as a distinct thing in the Law and the Prophets from the Law of Works For instance in the Law this Faithfulness of God is called the Name of God Exod. 34.6 In the Psalms it 's called the Mercy and Truth of God Psal 100. 117. and the Righteousness of God Psal 71.2 15 16. Psal 103.17 and Mercy and Truth and Righteousness of God are put together Psal 98.2 3. Salvation and Mercy and Truth Righteousness and Reconciliation are join'd together Psal 85.10 11. In the Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah this Faithfulness of God in his merciful Promises in sending Christ and his Spirit which is the ground of the New Covenant is called the Righteousness of God and his Salvation Isa 56.1 In Jeremiah it is called the New Covenant Jer. 31.31 This Righteousness of God the Apostle saith is now manifested by the Faith of Christ This Expression of the Faith of Christ is often used to signifie the preaching the Doctrine of Faith in Christ whereof Christ is the Author by his Spirit which is also called the Law of Faith Ministry of the Spirit and Ministry of Reconciliation or of reconciling our Persons to God that we may partake of the Benefit of God's being reconciled to us by the Death of Christ This manifestation of the Righteousness of God by the Faith of Christ is in us and upon us that believe It is in us This in one word is the Work of Faith in two words it 's the Similitude of the Life and Death of Christ imprinted in our Hearts in three words it's Faith Hope and Love And this Righteousness is by the Ministry of Reconciliation upon us and apply'd unto us by forgiveness of Personal Sins with inward Peace and Joy and Adoption to Eternal Life This notion of reconciling the Nature and Persons of Men runs in the Veins of the Apostle's Discourse of Justification in Rom. 3.24 he saith We are justified freely by Grace This Grace is the Law of Grace and that Law he saith is the Redemption that is by Christ This is the general notion of Christ's taking our Nature And then he adds the notion of Personal Redemption when he saith that God hath set him forth ministerially to be a Mercy-seat through Faith in his Blood for the remission of our Personal Sins Rom. 4.25 He dyed for our Sins here is the Reconciliation of our Nature and he arose for our Justification there is the Reconciliation of our Persons And in Rom. 5. from v. 6 to 10. There is an Atonement made by Christ's Death when we were Enemies in the highest degree of Apostacy ripe for Destruction this is the Atonement in our Nature And then he mentions the Atonement received which is our Personal Reconciliation That Pattern of wholsome words in Tit. 3.3 4 5 6 7 8. is very remarkable for the method of Divine Wisdom in the Na tional and Personal Reconciliation put together as it is in 2 Cor. 5. from v. 16. to the end which place gives light to this in Titus and this to that being thus paraphrased We all were sometimes foolish disobedient c. but after the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour to Mankind appeared in sending his Son in the nature of Man by him to reconcile the World to himself in doing his Will in all his Commands against all Temptations to the contrary he was pleased to save our Persons not by Works of Righteousness which we had done or Surety for us or as imputed to us in a legal way but of his meer and absolute Free Mercy making us new Creatures which he did in this method He first brought us into a state of Regeneration and then perfected the Work of Regeneration by the Ministry of his own Spirit which he poured on us the Apostles by the Intercession of Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven to the end that we being by the operation of his Grace made righteous in the Gift of a new Heart and perfect Remission of Sin as by the Spirit and Blood of Christ we might by the Spirit of Adoption be made Heirs of Eternal Life whereof we hope according to his Promise John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life In this Pattern of wholsome words our Apostle answers a Case of Conscience which every Soul is concerned in viz. How a Person that hath some time been foolish disobedient serving divers Lusts and Pleasures c. may have hope of Eternal Life He answers in effect thus much That there are three things done by Christ and three things to be done by the Sinner 1. Christ hath made an Atonement for Mankind that any that hath the Nature of Man may come to God in the way of his Mercy and in the day of Mercy 2. Christ hath provided Means of Grace to make them new Creatures which are Baptism and a Spiritual Ministry 3. When the Work of Renovation is truly wrought so as the Love of God is poured into
such as these John 1.1 2 3 4. Col. 1.15 16. Heb. 1.2 3. the Word the Light the Image of the invisible God the brightness of his Glory and the engraven Form of his Person for whom are all things and by whom are all things Expressions referring to his Human Nature are such as these The Son of Man conceived by the Holy Ghost made of a Woman born of a Virgin he grew in Wisdom and Stature and favour with GOD and Men he received the Spirit without measure was subject to his Parents was made under a Law not only under the Moral and Ceremonial but also the Judicial as exercised by the Jews and not only the Judicials of the Jews but also the Judicials of the Romans who then ruled over the Jews he submitted himself to their Judgment though false and injurious and executed by wicked Hands by whom he suffered many grievous things bearing their Injuries victoriously in the power of Faith and Patience so that by the wise and holy Providence of the Father being made perfect and consecrate by Sufferings he became a Surety of the Promises of Remission and Adoption to Eternal Life making them his Testament or Last Will which he confirmed by his Death and Bloodshedding And having done the Will of the Father upon Earth and being perfected by his Sufferings he became the First-begotten of the Dead the First-fruits of them that sleep and is made an eternal Priest at the Right Hand of the Father after the Order of Melchisedeck King of Righteousness and King of Peace whose Throne is a Throne of Grace for poor Sinners to seek for the Mercy of the Father by him and so is made the Head of all things to the Church the Saviour of his Body the Heir of all things Thus Christ was another Adam a suffering and a conquering Man and a glorified Man which the first Adam was not Expressions signifying the Union of both Natures in Christ's Person are such as these The Only-begotten of the Father the Word made Flesh God manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached in the World received up to Glory in whom the Fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily or in whose Body or Human Nature the Fulness of the Godhead dwells as in his Temple Emanuel God with us and God with him The manifold Wisdom of God appears not only in the Constitution of the Person of a Mediator for us but also in his Work in us and upon us We speak saith the Apostle the wisdom of God meaning his operation in us in a mystery Some of which Work may appear in this Observation The Apostle declares the Work of Redemption by one word of Reconciliation or Atonement which he sets forth in reference to a general notion common to all Mankind and a particular notion referring to the Persons of Men. The general notion of Reconciliation or Redemption is God's reconciling the World of Mankind consisting of Jew and Gentile to himself into one state of Churchhood by Jesus Christ doing the Will of the Father in our common Nature which Reconciliation or Redemption appears in three things 1. The taking away the Partition-wall which consisted in dividing Ordinances 2. The not imputing their Sins to them when they both were ripe for Destruction and giving them a farther day of his Patience 3. The sending forth a Ministry of Reconciliation both to Jew and Gentile This is asserted in 2 Cor. 5.18 19. which may be thus paraphrased All things in the Church state are new and are of a reconciled God who hath in the first place accepted an Atonement for the Jews by Jesus Christ and hath given us the Apostles of Christ Authority to minister this Reconciliation not only to the Jews but to tell all the World That God hath put both Jews and Gentiles into one state of Churchhood in relation to himself by the Atonement which Christ hath made and is pleased for his sake to give them a farther day of his Patience and a Word of Command to us the Apostles to settle and exercise one reconciling Ministry without difference of Nations in all the World The Personal Notion of Reconciliation is the reconciling our Souls and Spirits to God from our natural Enmity to a supernatural Love in yielding our selves to be perswaded to be the Righteousness or Workmanship of God by the power of Christ's Ministerial Spirit given forth since his Resurrection and to be perswaded hereunto from the consideration of the great Love of Christ in suffering of himself to be made in reputation of a Sinner by wicked Sinners that he might as a perfectly-tryed righteous man obtain the Spirit of Regeneration Gal. 3.12 13. to be given to us Gentiles to make us really and acceptably righteous and not only so but also considering that he hath procured a Day of Grace wherein our accepting of Christ's perswasive Operations will be accepted of the Father and also considering that the present time is that our Day This concerning our Personal Reconciliation is asserted also in 2 Cor. 5.20 21. Cap. 6.1 2. The general notion of Reconciliation and Redemption is asserted in John 1.29 Christ is the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world Here the World is the World of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews the Sin of the World is the Judgment which lay upon the Nations for their Apostacy at the Tower of Babel from the Faith of Noah which Judgment was by Confusion of Tongues to separate them from the House of Sem who kept the Faith and so they were without God without Christ dead in Sins under the Government of the Prince of Darkness This Sin was taken away by Christ and a Reconciliation made by his Sacrifice in Man's Nature whereby he merited a Ministry of Reconciliation with the Gifts of Tongues to bring them again to God Reconciliation implys a preceding Judgment a Judgment supposes a Sin of Apostacy Apostacy supposes a precedent good Condition Adam was in a good Condition then followed his Apostacy then a Judgment then a Reconciliation out of meer Mercy by a Promise of a Redeemer Gen. 3.15 which put Man into a good condition again to come to God by an atoning Sacrifice Then came an Apostacy from the right way of sacrificing in Cain and his Posterity If thou doest well saith the Lord to him that is in sacrificing aright shalt thou not be accepted This Apostacy of the Cainites spread over the face of the whole World then came the Judgment of the Flood then followed a Reconciliation Gen. 8.21 it 's said That God smelt a savour of Rest in Noah's Sacrifice and Mankind was put into a good condition again then came the Apostacy at the Tower of Babel for which the Judgment of Dischurching came upon them till the Lamb of God offered himself in the common Nature of Man and made Peace for them by the Blood of his Cross and brought them into a salvable
wrought by that Law The full sence of Justification is that it signifies to make just by the Law of Faith and then to judge to be just upon tryal So the sence is we are made just by the Ministry of the Law of Faith working Faith in us and not by the Ministry of the Law of Works And we are judged to be just upon tryal upon the exercise of Faith believing in God who raised Christ from the dead or believing in Christ who was delivered for our Sins and rose for our Justification or believing in the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ Rom. 8.33 and not by the Works of the Law according to the Law of Works Justification considers Faith in its relation to the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ and the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ in relation to Faith Touching Sanctification There is a Sanctification before Justification which signifies a Dedication to God to be made righteous by Christ in the Means of Grace 1 Cor. 6.11 Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified There is a Sanctification after Justification which signifies the Spirit of Adoption upon the compleating of the Work of Justification 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification Sometimes Sanctification comprehends the Work of Justification as often in the Epistle to the Hebrews cap. 10. ver 10. and there is a Sanctification included in Justification Rom. 4.25 Rom. 5.1 Touching Baptism All Infidel-Sinners of what Nations Sex Age Condition soever have right to come to Christ by Baptism for Salvation as they are of Mankind upon the account of the general Atonement in the Nature of Man All that are baptised have right to the Teachings and Government of Christ's Ministry upon the account of their Baptism that they may be made new Creatures All that walk orderly under the Means of Grace have right to have good Hope through Grace that is to have an assured perswasion of Remission of their Sins and Adoption to Eternal Life from the Testimony of their Consciences enlightned by the Spirit of God according to the revealed Word That they love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Ephes 6.24 for our blessed Saviour saith He that keeps my Commandments is he that loves me and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him John 14.21 Touching Preaching the Gospel They that preach to Infidel-Sinners must exhort them to come to Christ in the Baptismal Engagement from the consideration of the National Atonement that he hath made and his great love to Mankind They that preach to baptised Professors must exhort them to look on themselves not as Infidel-Sinners but as dead to Sin and alive to God by Profession and Engagement They that preach to baptised Prodigals must exhort them to return to God from the consideration of the danger of Apostacy They that preach to baptised persons walking orderly in the Faith ought to exhort them to walk comfortably rejoycing in the Lord under the assurance of Forgiveness of Sins and hope of Eternal Life Touching the Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is a Festival-remembrance of Christ's Sufferings and entring into Glory When our blessed Saviour said Do this in remembrance of me it was a word of institution and the word This related to the taking Bread and a Cup of Wine blessing distributing eating and drinking And when he said This is my Body which is broken for you it was a word of explication of the signification of Bread and the word This referred or pointed unto his Body then present as it did in these words Destroy this Temple and upon this Rock and there is an emphasis in the Article joyn'd to the word Body which signifies This is that Body of mine and so relates to the Body the Father gave him to suffer in Heb. 10.5 and the Body which he promised to give for the Life of the World and to be the Bread of Life John 6.51 And when our blessed Saviour said of the Cup This is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for the remission of Sins He doth sufficiently clear his Sufferings from a reputation of making satisfaction as a guilty Sinner for Adam's breach of the Old Covenant Touching the explication of some Texts of Scripture according to Paul's Rule of interpretation viz. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 I. Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death The word Thou in this place comprehends both Sexes and the Posterity of both Sexes in case of punishment which the Apostle affirms in Rom. 5.12 but to conceive that it comprehends a Surety to pay Adam's Debt if he sinned seems not agreeable to the Scripture which saith The Soul that sins shall dye For as Man cannot sin by a Deputy so it seems he cannot be punished by a Deputy Our blessed Saviour is called a Surety Heb. 7.22 but it is of the better Covenant for confirmation of it being of free and absolute Grace II. Rom. 3.25 That he might be just That these words are not meant of the Vindictive Justice of God in punishing Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead but of the Justice of his Promise of Forgiveness in the New Covenant appears by the scope of ver 24 25 26. being to set forth the absolute freedom of the Grace of God and comparing them with 1 John 1.9 God is just in forgiving Sin to those that confess Sin III. Isa 53.6 And the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquities of us all That these words do not signifie the Wrath or Vindictive Justice of God translating the Guilt of all men or any man on Christ to suffer as a guilty Sinner in their stead but sets forth the Wisdom of God in ordering Christ to conflict with the injurious dealings of all sorts of men and the admirable Faith and Patience of Christ in conquering without any guilt of Sin seems manifest from the precedent and consequent expressions comparing them with the History of Christ's Sufferings and our Saviour's own explication in the History Now is your hour and the power of darkness IV. Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That these words do not declare the Wrath of God against Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead but are a Prayer of Faith of a righteous man conflicting with a natural fear in a sense of great tryal appears in that 1. These words are the words of David who used so to expostulate with God and with his frail Nature in the power of Faith in the time of his Tryals Psal 13. 42. 2. The rest of the 22d Psalm is an Exposition of the first Verse and describes the long and fierce Conflicts and glorious Conquests and that was not a conquering of God but of the Devil and his Instruments 3. God promises not to forsake Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness
Eph. 1.13 3. That a Christian doth not walk worthy of his baptismal calling unless he endeavour after the Power which is Faith working by love to GOD and to Man in Deed and in Truth 4. That the Power is attainable by constant Prayer to our God Now it 's beyond all dispute that St. James agrees with St. Paul in the Faith as the Apostle of Christ and therefore when he says Not by Faith only he means not by the form only or the notion and profession of Faith only and when he saith by Works he doth not mean Works of the Law which Paul excludes but Works of the Power of Faith as the Instances in Abraham and Rahab shew which Works Paul includes And when he says a Man is justified by Works he means as Paul doth a Man is not only made just by Faith by the Ministry of Faith but he is also accounted a just man in the sight of God on tryal of his Faith when the power of it appears in the truth of the Work Touching the distinction of the Righteousness of our Persons into inherent and imputed This distinction seems not according to Scripture for that which was imputed to Abraham for acceptable Righteousness in the sight of God was inherent in him and it 's said Faith was imputed unto Abraham for Righteousness and not Righteousness imputed to Abraham's Faith This distinction may seem to be rectified thus Inherent Righteousness is spoken of in Scripture in reference to GOD and to Man 1. In reference to God his Righteousness is his Mercy and his Truth his Mercy in making Promises his Truth in performing Promises which is his rewarding Justice and inflicting Punishment for contempt of Mercy which is his revenging Justice Psal 98.2 3. Psal 103.17 2. In reference to Man inherent Righteousness is imputed or not imputed 1. Inherent Righteousness imputed or accounted by God for acceptable Righteousness is the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 13. 2. Inherent Righteousness not imputed of God for acceptable Righteousness in his sight 1. Is Pharasaical Righteousness Mat. 5.20 Or 2. Philosophical Righteousness Galat. 5.6 Tit. 3.5 Ephes 2.8 9. Which is also called our Righteousness Isa 64.6 our own Righteousness of the Law Phil. 3.9 the birth of the will of man John 1.13 the Flesh Rom. 4.1 And the Righteousness of Faith is also called the Righteousness of God by Faith Phil. 3.9 the Righteousness of God by Christ ministerially 2 Cor. 5.21 and Righteousness regnant Rom. 5.21 and the New Creature Gal. 6.15 which consists in a new Heart with Forgiveness Jer. 31.31 Touching the measure of Knowledge in a weak Christian If a Christian sincerely believes that God forgives his Sins for Christ's sake he humbly seeking for Mercy and do also believe the love of Christ in giving himself a Sacrifice and Offering of sweet-smelling savour unto God and be willing to follow God and Christ as a Child according to the measure of Light he hath received or may receive he may walk comfortably and joyfully in the assured hope of Eternal Life although he know very little of the method of Divine Grace or it may be misunderstand much This is gathered from the compendious expressions in Eph. 4.32 and Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye courteous and tender hearted forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake forgave you Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour unto God And we know but in part and prophecy but in part Touching the Righteousness of Christ The Righteousness of Christ the Mediator is an incomprehensible Mystery but according to our manner of conceiving the Righteousness of Christ may be said to be inherent imputed and communicated or imparted or applyed 1. Inherent is the same with the Father in Mercy and Truth I and the Father are one 2. Imputed is the Righteousness of Christ's Person imputed to the Nature of Man in his Person making his Sufferings meritorious 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which is broken for you Here the Son of God owns the Body or Human Nature and the Sufferings in Man's Nature to be his Acts 20.28 John 16.14 Gal. 2.20 3. Communicated Isa 45.24 They shall say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 54.17 Their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. Jer. 23.6 They shall call him the Lord our Righteousness Psal 96.12 In righteousness shall he judge the world and his people in truth Touching admitting to the Lord's Supper The requiring admittance to the Lord's Supper upon declaring Experiences is dangerous and unknown to the first Churches The safe way of admittance is upon owning the Baptismal Faith and Engagement not denying it by Works Acts 2.41 42. Touching Election There is in Scripture a threefold Election or three degrees of it 1. Election in the Divine Purpose Eph. 1.11 2. Election in the Baptismal Calling 2 Pet. 1.10 Col. 3.12 as there was Election in the Circumcision Calling Deut. 7.7 This is called the Spiritual Beginning Gal. 3.3 the Beginning of the Good Work Phil. 1.6 and the Doctrine of the Beginnings of Christ Heb. 6.1 3. Election made sure confirmed sealed witnessed earnested by the peculiar Spirit of Adoption 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Mat. 22.14 1 Pet. 5.10 Revel 2.17 THE CONCLUSION TO THE READER THIS kind of Writing may be excused from the Words of our Apostle in Phil. 1.10 That you may discern things that differ and in 2 Tim. 2.16 Studying to divide aright the word of truth For the Church is much dis-edified by false and impertinent Distinctions And it is excusable upon this Subject from what Dr. Owen says in his Book entituled The Doctrine of Justification by Faith through the imputed Righteousness of Christ In Page 38. of that Book he saith This is the substance of what is pleaded for That Men should renounce all Confidence in themselves and every thing that may give countenance thereto betaking themselves to the Grace of God by Christ alone for Righteousness and Salvation There is nothing said here contrary to this Saying of his and what is said different to his Sentiments is excused by what he says in the last words of his Preface to the Reader his words are these Whereas saith he the principal design of this Discourse is to state the Doctrine of Justification from the Scripture and to confirm it by Testimonies thereof I shall not esteem it spoken against unless our Exposition of Scripture Testimonies and the application of them to the present Argument be disproved by Just Rules of Interpretation and another sence of them be evinced Thus he Nothing is supposed to be said here that will be offensive to any that are not too much addicted to a Party which Humour is under a severe Reprimand by our Apostle 1 Cor. 4.8 Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God ye did reign that we might reign with you FINIS