but those that it cometh to and upon those to whom it is given do first believe this is a means too but at a distance God worketh all things after the counsell of his own will that we might be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom ye trusted after ye heard the word of truth in whom also after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise the earnest of our inheritance Eph 1.11 12 13. We see here how according to the counsel of Gods will belief is after hearing and being sealed with the holy spirit is after believing and our inheritance is after sealing for the seal is but the earnest thereof justification is before glorification belief before justification and Gods word before our belief Note further that Christs coming and dying is that that procureth our light by his word this slain Lamb hath prevailed to open the book of Gods will Rev. 5. And Christ came because the father in love sent him God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosover believeth into him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 The first and most remote cause of mans justification is the Fathers love sending his son The next not so remote as that is the sons coming and dying The third not so remote as either of them is mans enjoying the effect of Christs death to wit light with life The fourth cause not so remote as the three former is mans well using life and light The fifth and last cause a cause not remote but immediate is the faith of Christ The three first causes are common to all mankind God so loved the world and by his son fashioneth all their hearts alike Psal 33.14 15. Enlighteneth every one coming into the world John 1.9 but mans belief is the first and the faith of Christ the last special cause all men have not faith but one is a mediate the other an immediate cause Fourthly The works of the Law are no means at all a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3.20.27 28. and so much for proof But to prove these things and yet to misunderstand all is to no purpose Therefore see 1. What it is to be justified 2. What the faith of Christ is by which we are justified 3. What it is to believe into Christ 4. What is meant by the works of the Law First To be justified is to be made just justifie is in the plainest English make just as purifie is make pure purification is making pure or as glorifie is make glorious glorification making glorious so justifie is make just justification is making just to be justified is to be made just or righteous as by Scripture also may appear For as by one offence judgement came on all to condemnation so by one righteousnesse the gift is toward all to the justification of life for as by one offence many were made sinners so by one righteousnesse shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.18 19. It is not by the offence of one but by one offence that many are sinners as the Translater confesseth in the Margin We are not condemned for Adams act God is not so partial or unequal in his dealings with man as to set the childs tooth on edge for the fathers eating sowr grapes as Ezck 18. but by one offence that is lusting to sin as he did death came on all because all have sinned vers 14. We need not the imputation of his sin to condemn us for we have all lusted to sin as well as he which first lusting of every man is the mother that conceives sin in him read James 1.13 14 15. see another proof He that knew not sin was made sin a sin offering as Isa 53. for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 the justified are made righteous Obj But declaring just is figuratively termed justifying some justifie the wicked for a reward and God justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 Answ But they are wicked that do so justifie the wicked and a just God cannot so do though he be exceeding gracious and merciful yet he cannot clear the guilty Exod 20.7 34 7. Numb 14.18 God can justifie that is make just one that was ungodly but cannot account him just till he be so If I sin saith Job a believer thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me Job 10.14 But if the unjust become just doing what is lawful and right God will account and declare him just and not impute former sins to him in case he sin no more as in Ezck 18 7 8 9. and Ezck 33.14 15 16. God cannot wickedly justifie by declaring the ungodly to be just while he remains unjust but when he is just God can justly account and declare him just though he hath been unjust and so to be justified is to be made just Thirdly But see also what the faith of Christ is by which we are made just and herein 1. What Christs faith is 2. How we are justified by it 3. How we may know we are justified First What is Christs faith 1. His word is so called The faith which Paul once destroyed Gal. 1.23 The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ James 3.1 Revel 2.13 14.12 Secondly Christs Spirit is so called as the comparing of Scripture will evidence as We have access to the father by one spirit accesse with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 2.18 3.12 Being justified by faith we have peace with God and accesse to this grace wherein we stand Rom. 5.1 2. Here we see that the Spirit of Christ is the faith of Christ whereby we are justified Again Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 that is by his Spirit for he dwells in none otherwise as Rom. 8.9 10 11. Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if the Spirit of God dwel in you but if any have not the spirit of Christ he is not his and if Christ be in you c. We here see that if the Spirit of God or Christ dwel in us then Christ is in us and we are his but else not so that Christ by his faith that is by his spirit dwelleth in the justified and the Spirit of Christ is called the faith of Christ for it is indeed the spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4.13 though the word of Christ is the faith of Christ in the fruit the Spirit of Christ is the faith of Christ in the root and that by which we are justified It is not his word meant here for that precedes believing but Christs justifying faith is after our believing and so no lesse then the Spirit of Christ justifieth But ye are washed but ye are justified in the name of Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 He that is least in Zion shall be called Holy When even when the Lord shall have washt away the filth of the daughter of Zion by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning Isa 4.3 4. so that Christs spirit only is his faith by which we are justified Secondly See how we are justified by the faith or Spirit of Christ Answ By the conveyance of it and not otherwise not by a bare imputation but by a gift Having given us his holy spirit
walk in the steps of that faith which Abraham had before for the promise was not to Abraham or his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith for if they that are of the Law under circumcision be heirs faith is void and the promise effectlesse but it is of faith and therefore of grace and so sure to all the seed all which are of Abrahams belief be they Jew or Gentile So we see Pauls drift in both Chapters isto prove that sith justification is not by the law of works but by faith Gentiles may have right to it as well as Jews and so the works without which we are justified are the works of the Law and the Law through which Son-ship is not or through which the promise doth not pass is the law of works as chap. 3. and so these ungodly ones as translated which God justifieth are before and after called Gentiles and uncircumcision not meaning sinners while they continue in sin or before they do good works but the contrary such ungodly ones as walk in the steps of Abrahams faith obeying every command as Abraham did and the blessed ones to whom as David saith God imputes not sin were so sanctisied that in their spirit was left no guile Psa 32.2 3. yet without works without circumcision and such works as distinguished Jew from Gentile but not without the works of obedience as James declareth The third Vse See the errors abroad about justification laid down as Objections answered and confuted Obj The labouring for a personal righteousnesse or to be accepted with God for wel-doing are the works of the law or to seek by our well-walking to please God is our own righteousnesse Answ Be not deceived for God is not mocked whatsoever any one soweth the same shall he reap he that foweth to the flesh shall reap destruction and none reap life everlasting that do not first sow to the Spirit Gal. 6.7 No personal glory hereafter without personal righteousnesse now and therefore Paul others laboured to be accepted of God for well-doing and perswaded others to it also because that every one shall at the judgement seat of Christ receive according to that be himself hath done in the flesh whether good or bad 2 Cor. 5.9 10. and saith he Col 1.10 Walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing How to He tells us being fruitful in every good work God who abominateth the works of the Law is not pleased without good works and Paul and others that accounted their own righteousnesse but drosse and dung did by good works seek to win Christ and to please him Obj The Law meaning the righteous rule commands more then any can do but enableth not and knoweth no surety Answ Though the law of works is a yoak of bondage the law of faith is not so Christ yoak is easie his burden light his commands are not grievous Matth. 11. 1 John 5.3 They may be easily kept for all the ten Commandements in their several branches and appurtenances in their utmost extent can but require the right ordering of thought word and deed and canst thou not do this speak sinner canst thou not choose but devise mischief on thy bed and if Satan dart in vain thoughts canst thou not choose but lodge them art thou necessitated to harbour them Jer 4.14 or art thou not able day and night to meditate on Gods Law as Psal 1.2 119.97 Secondly Canst thou not leave off cursing and swearing and lying and railing and foolish jesting Eph 4.25 5 4. Psal 34.13 or art not able to speak of wisdome or confer of judgement Ps 37.30 Thirdly Art thou necessitated to oppresse or defraud to cheat or steale or kill or commit adultery c. Or is not a rich sinner able to cloath the naked feed the hungry harbor the destitute Job 31.32 or to further Gods worship or is any not able to yeeld to baptisme to prize Church meetings and breaking bread in remembrance of Christ and to prize prophecying Is any necessited to oppose Gods truth or people or to persecute them or to believe lyes that so they might be damned speak sinner thy conscience shall tel thee that God hath enabled thee to shun all he forbids and to do all he bids thee Work out with fear and trembling thy own salvation for God hath enabled thee to will and to do Phil. 2.13 Obj The Law is a long way to Christ we must go all along till we come to perfection before we can be justified Answ There is no other therefore no nearer way It s onely the doers of the Law hall be justified Rom. 2.13 your new and nigh way of imputation is the high-way to destruction for if Christs righteousnesse be reckoned yours while you are a sinner by the same rule his glory must be reckoned yours when you are in hell Obj. No sin in the world can debar people from Christ sinners as sinners are the objects of justification Answ The least sin remaining debars from Christ for we must separate from sinners and sin too so as not touch the unclean thing before he will receive us 1 Cor. 6.18 Obj There is a passive receiving of Christ without a hand when God foreeth open mans spirit and powreth in his Son in despite of the receiver Answ This contradicts Christ who saith Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open to me I will come into him and sup with him and he with me Rev. 3.20 Obj The new Covenant requireth no condition on our part and if we look to get by our duties it will be but a knock Answ Yea but it doth the condition required before the promise of justification is made over to us is no lesse then perfection Gen. 17.1 2. Walk before me and be thou perfect and I will make my covenant with thee c. Incline your ears to me saith God hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isa 35.3 4. Obj. A man is justified when his sin is not and Christs righteousness is imputed to him though he sin and God seeth it as fighting against his holy Spirit but seeth it not so as to condemn him Answ It hath been shewn that to be justified is to be made righteous and that by the gift of the Holy Spirit and though declaring the wicked to be just is termed justifying him yet such justifying is abominable to God for his ways are judgement without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32.4 He cannot do that abominable thing which his soul hates he cannot see sin in any but so as to condemn them if a believing Job sin God marketh him and will not acquit him from his iniquity Job 10.14 We must cease sinning before God can cease condemning Rom. 8.1 Obj If a believer sin Christ is reckoned the finner and not he for Christ doth all for him others
must do all themselves and God cannot be offended at them but at Christ God is well pleased in Christ not with him Obj It is a desperate thing to serve a rit of condemnation on a believer though he fal into as gross a sin as the reprobate doth the reprobate is curst but not he he is no no more cursed then if he had not sinned Answ A righteous God which hateth sin hates also the sinner and loves the righteous walker read Psal 11.5 6 7. They and only they that sin against him will he race out of his book Exod. the soul that finneth it shall dye Eze He that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous 1 John 3.7 God cannot hate one for the sin of another and it is a wicked conclusion to say God is offended and displeased with Christ for he could not be well pleased in him were he not well pleased with him He loved truth and hated iniquity and therefore God his God did anoint him before his fellows Psal 45.7 He alwayes kept his fathers commands and therefore did always abide in his fathers love John 15.9 10. so shall we if we so do Obj Christ is by imputation the greatest sinner under the whole cope of Heaven Psal 40.12 for were he not a sinner he could not die for sin Answ Some words in that Psalm are applyed to Christ being as true in him as in David but v. 12. is not true in Christ though true in David and so are not applied to Christ and Christ dyed for sin not as a sinner but as a most holy sin-offering had the Father reckoned him a sinner in dying for sin then must he die first for his own sin and again for the peoples sin Nay had Christ been imputed a sinner in dying for sin then must we all have perisht and he also although he had so died ten thousand times over for a sin offering is most holy and so accounted as Lev. 6.17 7.6 so was Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Obj Some were elect from eternity and for them only Christ dyed and for them he satisfied iustice purposed faith repentance and salvation his death is sufficient for all but intended to be efficacious only to some Answ O how partial would God be if this were true but he is impartial as Christ dyed for all alike and maketh all hearts alike all souls being his Ez 18. So is he a like ready to elect one as another in case the one be as fit for election as another for he electeth or setteth apart for himself the man that is Godly Ps 4. The Father himself saith Christ loveth you because you have loved me and believed that I came from God John 16.27 We are bound to blesse God for you brethren saith Paul to a zealous people Beloved of the Lord because God hath chosen you from the beginning through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thess 2.13 We see here that God electeth only his special beloved ones which special love of the Father to the creature is occasioned by love and belief Godward in the creature and by obeying the truth these believers do purifie their own souls as exprest 1 Pet. 1.22 and when their Spirits are sanctified by believing and obeying the truth then comes Gods election I say he elects them through the sanctification of their spirit and belief of the truth first God preached truth then they believed and obeyed it 3. their spirits came hereby to be sanctified 4. then God elected them and not before Obj But they were elected from the beginning Answ True but not from the worlds beginning as some dream but when by believing they had purified their souls thence forward are they the elect of God Elect according to the fore knowledge of God through sanctification of the spirit unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 As election is before justification or blood sprinkling so sanctification of the Spirit is before election Obj But one place expresly saith as he hath chosen us in him before the world began Eph. 1.4 Ans Had not the translator favoured this error he had translated it from the foundation of the world and then it would not have contradicted truth for we elected ones have been elected from or ever since that time even through the sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth and not otherwayes Abel in the first age of the world was elected after he had purified his Spirit by believing and obeying truth So was Enoch in another age Abraham in another age Paul in another and I hope some in this age also and so though Gods elect be chosen in Christ ever since the first age of the world yet not chosen till after they are Godly or till by belief they have sanctified or purified their own souls Again what man or woman was there ever since the world began but hath been deceived by sin except the man Christ Jesus only but neither Satan not fals teachers can deceive the very elect to make them sin it is I say impossible for any to deceive them Math. 24. Though they before election have been deceived as well as other Vse Then sinner be not disheartned to press after Godliness for fear thou art not elected as some have been for if thou art not elected 't is thy fault and if thou art not as yet elected thou maist be if thou wilt earnestly practice Godlinesse and purifie thy soule by obeying truth God is as free 1. to elect then to justifie thee as any he is as free for one as for another witness his freeness to wicked Cain Abel by belief offered a better sacrifice then he and obtained witness that he was righteous Heb. 11. And God respected Abel and his offering but not Cain nor his offering at which Cain was wroth and his countenance fell then God saith to him why art thou wrath and why is thy countenance fallen if thou dost wel shalt thou not be accepted or else sin lyeth at the door Gen. 4. Why wroth Cain thy conscience shall witness that I rejected thee not without a cause why is thy countenance falne Dost thou think thou art reprobated and past hope and that my hatred is to thee irrevocable no Cain no such thing I am as ready to accept of thee as of Abel if thou wilt live as Abel doth and though hitherto thou hast deserved displeasure shalt thou not be accepted if henceforth thou amend let thy own conscience judge God is thus equal handed and open hearted to all if any sinner hearken to God and turn from his evil ways God will repent of the evil he purposed to do to them and will not do it Jer. 26.3 36.3 If a man will alter his actions God will alter his purpose to elect a few reprobate many without cause in the creature but because he wil do it is partiality partiality is not grace but cruelty but to seekall mens good is graciousness thus God is he sent his son and his son came into the world purposely to save all Joh. 3.17 12.47 Exerciseth patience on purpose thut none should perish but that all might repent 2 Pet. 3.9 if sinners but speak well it cheereth God he heartily wisheth their hearts were so for their own good De. 5.28 29. But though God be so equal handed open hearted to all yet Lord how few attain justification when the old world was fild with people only one even Noah was in the way to justification who in time became heir of that righteousnes which is by faith Gen. 7.1 Heb. 11.7 In Jobs time how many went the way to attain it none all the earth over was like him Job 1.8 he in time attained it Job 42.5 6. How many in the Jews times though a Church of God who were for multitude like the sand yet but a remnant saved Isa 10.22 even one of a City or two of a Tribe Jer. 3.14 And in Pauls time but a remnant yet that was harvest time Rom. 11.5 Joh. 4.35 36 37. Lord how few then are there in our times which are but gleaning times of the justified for our merciful Lord is just also and cannot wickedly justifie any but will finish the account and cut it short in righteousnesse the Lord will make a short account on the earth Rom. 9.28 FINIS Page 9. line 16 for with read without