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A14923 The soules progresse to the celestiall Canaan, or heavenly Jerusalem By way of godly meditation, and holy contemplation: accompanied with divers learned exhortations, and pithy perswasions, tending to Christianity and humanity. Divided into two parts. The first part treateth of the divine essence, quality and nature of God, and his holy attributs: and of the creation, fall, state, death, and misery of an unregenerated man, both in this life and in the world to come: put for the whole scope of the Old Testament. The second part is put for the summe and compendium of the Gospell, and treateth of the Incarnation, Nativity, words, works, and sufferings of Christ, and of the happinesse and blessednesse of a godly man in his state of renovation, being reconciled to God in Christ. Collected out of the Scriptures, and out of the writings of the ancient fathers of the primitive Church, and other orthodoxall divines: by John Welles, of Beccles in the County of Suffolk. Welles, John, of Beccles. 1639 (1639) STC 25231; ESTC S119607 276,075 406

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and obey God in every one of his commandements but if at any time through frailty thou slippest into any sin wallow not in it but speedily rise out of it by unfaigned repentance praying for pardon till thy conscience be pacified thy hatred of sin increased and thy purpose of amendment confirmed God gives many blessings lest through want being his childe thou shouldest despaire and he sendeth thee some crosses lest by too much prosperity playing the foole thou shouldest presume but in all thy will have an eye to Gods Will lest thy selfe action turne to thine owne destruction count therefore Christ thy chiefest joy and sin thy greatest griefe estimate no want to the want of grace nor any losse to the losse of Gods favour and then the discontentment which grows by outward meanes 1 Tim. 6.8 9. shall the lesse perplexe thine inward mind and bestow no more thought of worldly things then thou needes must Col. 3.1 2. for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thine estate but still let thy care be greater for heavenly then for earthly things and be more grieved for dishonour done unto God than for an injury offered to thy selfe but if any private injury be offered unto thee Psalm 139.21 c. Eccles 28. Rom. 12.13.20.21 beare it as a Christian with patience Never was an innocent man wronged but if patiently hee bare his crosse he overcame in the end but if thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs offered the hurt which thou doest to thy selfe is more then that which thine enemies can do unto thee neither canst thou more rejoyce him then to heare that it throughly vexeth thee but if thou canst shew patience on earth Deut. 32.35 36. God will shew himselfe just from heaven but if thine enemy still continueth in his malice and increase in his mischiefe give thou thy selfe unto prayer Jerem. 11.20 committing thy selfe and commending thy case unto the righteous judge of heaven and earth and in the meane while waite with David on the Lord Psal 27.14 be of good courage and he shall comfort thine heart undertake not an evill case for no mans sake for it is not that man but God that shall judge thee doe not therefore preferre the favour of men before the grace and favour of God and esteeme no sinne little For the curse of God is due to the least and the least would have damned thee had not the Sonne of God died for thee Ezek. 9.4 Mark 3.5 bewaile therefore the misery of thine owne estate and as occasion is ministred mourne for the iniquity of the time pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse in thy conversation be thou courteous towards all grievous to none familiar with few live piously to God-ward to thy selfe chastly to thy neighbour justly shew favour to thy friend shew patience to thy enemy let thy good will be towards all and shew thy bounty to them that have need thinke often of the shortnesse of thy life and the certainety of thy death and wish rather a good life then a long die daily to thy selfe and mortifie the vices of the flesh so in death thou shalt live unto God let mercy appeare in thy affection goodnesse in thy action curtesie in thy countenance humility in thy attire modesty in thy neighbourhood and patence in tribulation alwaies thinke upon three things past the evill which thou hast committed the good which thou hast omitted and the time which thou hast pretermitted thinke alwaies upon three things present the brevity of this life the difficulty of being and the paucity of them that shall be saved alwaies thinke upon three things to come death then which nothing is more horrible judgement then which nothing is more terrible and the paines of hell then which nothing is more intolerable Every evening reconcile thy selfe to God by prayer for thy sins past that day and give thankes to God for giving thee time to repent there are three things above thee which never let slip out of thy memory the eye that sees all the eare that heares all and the dreadfull Judge which punisheth all bewaile the evils past remember thy sinnes grieve for them and pray for amendment remember Gods justice that thou maist bee kept in feare remember Gods mercy that thou maist not dispaire as much as thou canst withdraw thy selfe from the world and the vanities therof and addict thy selfe wholly to the service of God study to please none but Christ and feare to displease none but him pray unto God to pardon and forgive thee what is past and to governe and amend in thee what is to come God hath communicated himselfe wholly unto thee therefore communicate thou thy selfe wholly unto thy neighbour that is the best life that is busied in the service of others shew reverence and obedience unto thy superiour instruct and defend thy inferiour give counsell and ayd unto thy equall let thy body be subject to thy minde and thy minde to God for thy workes doe not passe away but are cast as certaine seeds of eternity Gal. 6.8 Therefore if thou sowest in the flesh of the flesh thou shalt reape corruption if thou sowest in the Spirit of the Spirit thou shalt reape life everlasting after death the honour of the world shall not follow thee neither shall thy heape of riches follow thee Revel 14.13 neither shall thy pleasures follow thee neither shall the vanities of the world follow thee but thy workes shall follow after thee Therefore to day appeare to be such in the sight of God as thou desirest to be esteemed at the day of judgement learne to live in this life as thou wouldest obtaine eternall life for in this life is eternall life obtained or lost therefore let holy meditations bring forth in thee knowledge Prov. 15.8 and knowledge compunction and compunction devotion and let thy devotion make earnest intercession unto God by prayer for the silence of the mouth is a great good for the peace of the heart James 1.19 O the shame when a man 's owne tongue shall be produced as a witnesse against himselfe to the confusion of his owne shame Therefore let thy words be few but advised forethinke whether that which thou art to speake be fit to be spoken affirme no more then what thou knowest to bee true and be rather silent then to speake to an ill or no purpose Let thy heart and tongue ever goe together in honesty and truth 1 Pet. 2.1 hate lying and dissembling in an other detest it in thy selfe or God will detest thee for it for he hateth a lyar and his father the divell alike let not thine anger remaine when thou seest the cause removed and ever distinguish twixt him that offendeth of infirmity and against his will Prov. 6.30 Acts 3.17 1 Tim. 1.13 Psal 59.5 and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose
it for man to pride and boast himselfe in his prosperitie and disgracefully to repute men for their difference of fortunes Pride the vainest folly in mans nature for the best man is but base earth and the basest man is created of God in his owne Image all of one nature and in one office and all to one end ordayned therefore in a Christian judgement there is no difference of men but the difference of good and of bad men and this inequality is not in their nature The difference of grace and fortune but in the corruption and defect of their nature and the best and safest way to esteeme men is to compare them in their gifts of grace and not of fortune Note for with God the least Spirit of grace though in the lowest degree of fortune is of more value and esteeme then the greatest of the world if not gracious This knowledge of our creation should remember us in our dutifull obedience to God that seeing his hand hath fashioned us and that his mercy hath made our bodie a Temple or Sanctuary for his holy Spirit to dwell in 1 Cor. 3.17 therefore let us carefully keepe the temple of our bodies from the filth of sinne and endeavour our selves in such holy exercises that our soules may have the perpetuall fellowship of the holy Ghost without which there is no happinesse nor salvation let us therefore refraine to accompany with the leprosie of sinne lest we runne into their danger in defiling our bodies the Temples of the holy Ghost with diseased company let us hate the imitation of mens vices let us not bee tempted with their fellowship because we know that when we prophane our bodies the temples of the holy Ghost wee shall banish that sweet society frustrate our hope and wound the quiet of our conscience O God of all goodnesse of base earth thou madest us noble creatures we had no life no soule before thou inspiredst it thou gavest us reason and understanding to enable us for thy divine service and worship thou hast given us thy favourable entertainement continue us wee beseech thee in this service God that gave grace can only continue it let our soules let our bodies let every power let every part thereof have their imployments therein we desire no change we are thine from the beginning O continue us thine for ever thy selfe good God inspired our soules it is thy breath and therefore precious it was thine before we had it helpe as to keepe it in the time and in the danger of this our progresse in this our pilgrimage through this sinfull and wicked world and when thou shalt call it home we may gladly breathe it backe for with thee there is onely safety How and where to repose our confidence with thee there is happinesse infinite without time without measure in the meane time keepe us from the danger of leesing let us walke in the directions of thy holy Spirit we are not able to walke to move our selves in any holy course if thy hand lead us not wee shall either faint or wander O keepe us from both that we may travell in the passage of this life with alacrity and spirituall profit that this earth our bodies of earth may passe to the grave in hope that this breath A needful care our soule may returne from whence it came with confidence this is the happinesse for which I will onely endeavour for which I will alway pray O my God make me resolute in this my intended course Of the state of Mans Innocence before his fall THat man was created good holy and innocent is evident by the testimony of Scripture neither is it doubted of the Christian world for when God had ended the Workes of his Creation Gen. 1.31 the holy Ghost saith That he viewed all that he had made and loe it was very good for God being the father and fountaine of all goodnesse Nothing but ●ood can be derived from God Eccle. 15.14 15 16 17. it was not possible that any thing that was evill should bee derived from him but like himselfe so his workes were perfectly good without blemish without defect it is therefore generally to be believed that Adam at the first creation was holy and innocent no defect of nature no corruption of sinne and that God gave him liberty and power of free-will if so he would to continue his estate and happinesse for Adam in the estate of his innocence had this condition of happinesse First he was in the full favour of God a joy unexpressable Secondly hee had the world and the creatures therein for his use and pleasure which then were perfectly good hee had power also given him of God to continue this happinesse to himselfe and his posterity for ever for the gifts both temporall and spirituall which God gave him doe well declare the infinite measure of Gods love to him God giving him all that was created Note and enduing him with a divine soule and with that such endowments of grace as made him both excellent and happy that God gave him the possession of the world both for his use and pleasure is already proved yet more God for an extraordinary demonstration of his favour to him planted a garden in Eden Gen 2.8 9. of admirable variety both for use and ornament For out of the ground made the Lord to grow every tree pleasant to the sight that was for ornament and good for meate the tree of life also in the middest of the garden and the tree of Knowledge of good and evill These were there both for the beauty of the place and for the triall of mans obedience Verse 16 17. and God gave Adam liberty to eate of every tree thereof freely onely prohibiting him to taste of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill These benefits this bounty was large yet doth God still encrease his favour to Adam and deviseth to make him an helpe fit for him for he said Gen. 2.18 It is not good for man to be alone as if God had laboured his invention to devise for the good and for the helpe of man 1 Tim. 2.14 then God made woman and gave her for the consolation of man Thus did God derive his blessings by degrees upon man still inlarging the measure of his bounty and goodnesse towards him so as there wanted nothing which in the wisedome of God was thought fit for mans prosperity Lastly to all these favours God yet giveth one more then all and that was a free will and power in himselfe to derive these infinite blessings upon himselfe and his posterity for ever no mixture of griefe to distaste them no death to deprive them but themselves and these pleasures to bee infinite and unspeakeable and all these pleasures and continuance was given upon such easie condition as in our imagination could hardly tempt a reasonable man to a small forfeiture
government of his creatures the creatures not being ordained for the service of them but man for whom all things were made and from whom was to be derived a world of people when he sinned God himselfe punished him and his posterity and the creatures he had made and had given him For as the sin of man had infected the whole world mans house so the curse of God and the worke of his displeasure was seated on that house the world all things then being subject to alteration and evill change from this curse is the inecessity of regeneration all things being now in their owne nature in the state of corruption and death therefore Saint Peter saith When Christ shall come to ●udgement 2 Pet. 3.10.7 the heavens shall passe away with noyse and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes therein shall be utterly burned up and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth according to the promise of God Verse 13. wherein dwelleth righteousnesse What manner of persons ought wee then to be in holy conversation and godlinesse of life Verse 11. seeing that all these things shall perish so that nothing shall be able to abide the glory of Gods presence but that which is reformed and regenerate not the elements nor earth no nor heaven it selfe but as all have endured for sinne the bad alteration so must they endure by grace the good alteration all were transformed by the sin of one man Adam all must be reformed againe by grace in Christ or else remaine still in their deformity Saint Paul is peremptory in this opinion Gal. 6.15 for he saith in Christ Jesus neither circumcition availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature that is a regeneration by a lively faith in Christ is onely necessary at many ●n walke according to this rule peace be upon them and me●●y upon them that be of God Verse 16. all ceremonies being insufficient and not effectuall and our Saviour Christ preached to Nichodemus the necessity of regeneration and affirmeth his doctrine with a double asseveration saying Verily verily I say unto thee John 3.3 except a man be borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God if not to see the kingdome of God we cannot inherit it This may suffice to perswade the necessary knowledge and the necessary care of regeneration being that without which it is impossible to be saved now to know what regeneration is it is an act of the holy Ghost in Gods elect whereby they are admitted and entred into a constant and faithfull exercise of godly life for as it is said before all grace is the gift of God Iam. 1.17 18. and every motion to good is caused onely by the spirit of God of his owne good will hee begat us by the Spirit of truth our selves being meerely passive in the first action of grace God himselfe being the actor and principall mover thereof for the holy Ghost by whose directions we learne the use of all spirituall exercise doth move both our capacity and power to understand the knowledge and use of necessary and Christian performance without which wee should never be able to comprehend the rudiments and first elements of divine learning regeneration being then a Christian office of most necessary performance it must needs then be caused in us by the inspiration of the holy Ghost who is the first mover of every grace This Doctrine Saint Peter concludeth in expresse words saying Blessed be God 1 Pet. 1.3 even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his b●●●den mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead so that wee are regenerate and new begotten by God in Jesus Christ at the motion and instance of his abundant mercy cowards us Regeneration or sanctification is the gift of God whereby our corrupt nature is renewed to the Image of God by the operation of the holy Ghost or it is an inward change of man justified Hippocates whereby the Image of God is restored in him for as one saith that physicke is an adjection and a substraction an adjection of things wanting and a substraction of things redounding in the bodies of men Even so is sanctification a removing of the corrupt humours of our soules and adjection or infusion of spirituall graces which are wanting in us Greenham for in every generation there is a corruption and we see that the seed sowne is much changed before it grow up and beare fruit then it is needfull in generation that there be a corruption of sinne so that as the seed in the ground so sinne in our mortall bodies must decay that the new man may be raised up by the Spirit of God taking possession of our soules Heb. 12.14 This transformation of man is very requisite to salvation for without holinesse no man shall see God Therefore if wee will not live to God by grace upon earth Ezech. 18.30 31 32. Rom. 6.23 we shall not live with him in glory in the Heavens if we will not die to sin in this world we shall not escape death the wages of sin in the world to come if we do not live to God in holinesse in this life wee shall not live in happinesse with God in the life to come it is not onely necessary to him that is to be saved that sinne bee abolished by remission but that it bee likewise mortified by regeneration our regeneration must then of necessity be wrought in the whole man according to both soule and body Albeit our sanctification be the worke of the whole Trinity yet it is immediately performed by the holy Ghost yea and like also This act of regeneration is caused by the holy Ghost in the hearts of the Elect and Gods labour is never fruitlesse but what he willeth to attempt is finished there being no resistance of his power nor any greater then himselfe to countermand him as holy David saith The Lord hath done whatsoever pleased him By this act of grace they are entred and admitted into the exercise of godlinesse which doth promise us an extraordinary degree of hope that wee are in Gods favour yet have we then our best assurance when we are adopted his children by regeneration for then wee bring our holy purpose of reformation into act and faithfully endeavour those duties which before wee had onely determined we are then made fruitfull and the Sonnes of God and not before for wee are then Gods first fruits because we are then first made fruitfull we must therefore bee constant and faithfull in the exercise of good workes because that not those that faint in the race of godlinesse but those that goe on with hope and alacrity shall obtaine to the ends of their progresse and have the garland for so saith Saint Iohn Revel 2.26 Hee that overcommeth and keepeth my workes to the end
to him will I give power over Nations Not hee that endevoureth the beginning the middle or a part of his life but hee that endureth to the end he shall be saved This salvation by Christ Jesus is the crowne of glory for which all men strive which none can gaine but he that runneth the race of his life faithfully and constantly 1 Cor. 9.24 therefore Saint Paul saith So runne that ye may obtaine that is endeavour your strength with your time to the utmost for though ye begin well it is nothing unlesse ye also end well for as the tree falleth so it lyeth Note and as men die so shall they rise to judgement for the grave can give no holinesse no perfection but doth onely continue us in the state it found us earth and corruption The manner of regeneration is how the children of God bee borne a new and how it is caused by the secret working of Gods holy Spirit in the children of grace John 3.8 he giveth an instance by the moving of the ayre that is when wee heare a whistling of the wind we know it bloweth yet doe we not know from whence it commeth so in the act of regeneration when we feele in our hearts the motion of Gods holy Spirit breathing salvation into our soules and when our workes and consciences give us an undoubted testimony that we are regenerated and borne of God it is then as vaine a care to search into the secret working of the Spirit of God was to enquire of the mind from whence it commeth or whether it goeth this thing is not necessary though regeneration is most necessary and not to be neglected upon paine of condemnation Seeing regeneration is of such absolute necessity to salvation Iohn 3.5 that Except a man be regenerate and borne anew of water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God neither bee sonnes nay the servants of God though we never so much endeavour in the service of other Christian duties This doth admonish all men to have principall care to labour all meanes possible to have faithfull and sufficient witnesses both from their consciences and by testimony of their workes that they are the adopted children of God established in the assured hope of their salvation being knowne and sealed of God with the marke of regeneration for it must needs bee sufficient to resolve a conscience of Gods favour when we know we are his children it is a grounded cause to make us hopefull and confident in the trust of Gods mercy And seeing regeneration is an act of the holy Ghost every man ought so to rectifie and reforme the errors of his life as that the Spirit of God may not take loathing to enter our soules but rather that by mortification and holy excercise wee may be prepared to entertaine that sacred guest into our hearts least when hee commeth hee finde us as God will finde the reprobate in the day of judgement unprovided carelesse and secure and so not seale us for his sonnes but marke us the children of death and the friends of Antichrist Againe seeing the regenerate are made the children of God it ought therefore to be a principall care of every man to be regenerate because regeneration is the undoubted witnesse of the child of God 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore Saint Peter admonisheth all men to give diligence to make our calling and election sure which can be no way better assured us then by assuring our regeneration which is the certificat and testimony of our election and seeing the workes of regeneration must be both constant and faithfull by constancy is meant perseverance by faithfulnesse a choyce of lawfull particulars therefore every man ought to exercise his devotion and zeale in lawfull argument and that hee run in the spirituall race which God hath proposed him and not in the by waies of error of false and selfe opinion and that in this course he faint not in his spirituall courage but that hee hold out the race of his life with alacrity and hopefull confidence to win the garland of salvation which all shall both win and weare that constantly and faithfully endeavour themselves in godly actions The ordinary outward meanes to bring us to holy and godly action 2 Thes 2.14 is the preaching of the Gospel Saint Paul saith whereunto you are called by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Law serves to prepare our hearts for grace but it is the oyly drops to the Gospel by the power of the Spirit that doe soften and mollifie the heart and makes it supple and pliable and like Balme it doth revive and comfort the heart and senses and makes them pliable to that which is good and godly Rom. 1.16 the Gospel is the power of God that is the instrument of Gods power unto salvation to all them that believe also good examples afflictions losses crosses want sicknesse and the like are by the blessing of God 1 Pet. 1.23 good preparatives to grace but the preaching of the Gospel is the proper instrument of the Spirit for the effecting of grace for by the word of the Gospel God speakes to the eares of the soule and by it as by a pipe hee conveyes his graces into the cisternes of our hearts Regeneration then being of such infinite excellent worth and of absolute necessity let us take off our cares and endeavours from worldly occasions and apply them to this holy purpose for being regenerate wee shall avoyd the danger both of sin and death and live in the favour of God and be graced with the honorable title of his Son then let us remember them that proudly vaunt and boast their pedigree and their descent from honorable parents let us pity their errour and despise their vaine glory let us compare such honour with the honour of Gods regenerate children wee shall find an infinit distance of their worth their 's to be transitory passable and of short continuance vaine and full of bitter mixture this without comparison to be eternall and infinite infinite in worth infinite in time let us therefore despise that to gaine this let us desire no other honorable title then to be called the children of God To be the child of grace is the greatest honour in the world that will give us the most sufficient and greatest reputation that can be for that in the least degree will exceed and out-glory all earthly honour in the highest degree let us not care how base the world repute and esteeme us nay though the world persecute us let us not faint nor feare for wee know that our Saviours kingdome is not of this world neither is the glory of his children of this world but in him that hath begotten us by the grace of his holy Spirit is our glory and by him wee are made honourable let us therefore despise the world and the vanities
the holy Ghost which is in you whom yee have of God bought with the price of redemption therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits 1 Cor. 6.19.20 which are Gods Examine your selves prove your selves know you not your owneselves how that Jesus Christ is in you 2 Cor. 13.5 except yee be reprobates Thus wee may assure our selves of our sanctification by the undoubted testimony and inward suggestion of the holy Ghost assuring our spirits of the same and also by certaine undoubted testimonies and tokens of it 2 Joh. 3.8.9 if therefore wee doe not commit sin with full consent of will if wee doe not continue in sin to be led wholly by it but when wee doe sin Mark 14.72 to recover our selves as Peter did by true and hearty repentance then wee may know that wee are not in the slavery of the Divell Goade but the children of God for hee that believeth that Jesus is Christ and borne of God it is a certaine token of his regeneration 1 Joh. 5.1 hereby shall yee know the Spirit of God for every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.2 the Sonne of Mary and is the anoynted King Head Priest and Prophet of his people which God raised up for the salvation of the soules of the elect of God hee that striveth to keepe the Commandements of God overcome and vanquish the vanities the vaine allurements and alluring inchantments and obstacles of the world and keepe a constant course in piety he is undoubtedly the true child of God he that keepeth continuall watch and ward over his heart and is circumspect in his walking and fearefull to offend God and rather forsake the world then God he doth plainly shew that he is the childe of Grace and belongeth to God and his Kingdome and not to this world to grieve for sin because it offends God and hurts his owne soule is a notable signe of a mortified heart A sanctified man doth manifest the grace of his heart by sanctifying the name of God and by conversing with sanctified men as also by seeking the sanctification of others Note For a good man doth love to communicate his goodnesse and not to keepe it lockt up in his owne breast it is also a notable and infallible signe of holinesse when a man doth more and more contend against his owne sins and wickednesse and labour continually to draw neerer unto God by holinesse Lastly when we feele the inward corruptions of our hearts and a desire to be dis-burthened of them and avoyding of the actions of sin and an anger against our selves for sinning doe evidently shew that the Spirit of God hath taken possession of our hearts and hath begun to worke a most happy change within us Where these graces are there is also the God of grace the Spirit of grace a man of grace a true dying unto sin and a living unto God sin is dismounted the sinner is renewed for Gods Image is restored Hee that is thus truely sanctified is also glorified for glorification is the communication of true holinesse and happinesse to them that are elected called and justified For glory comprehendeth in it both holinesse and happinesse holinesse is one degree of happinesse and happinesse is the highest degree of holinesse no man is holy but the same is happy and no man can be happy but hee must be holy grace is the inchoation of glory and glory is the consummation of grace he that sits in the throne of grace is truely intituled to the crowne of glory and it is one point of glory to be a man of grace for a gracious man may rightly be stiled a glorious man Of Justification IUstification is a gracious forgiving of sins by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ Psal 32.1 2. and Gods gracious acceptation whereby he doth for the merit of Christs active obedience by faith received of us account us just and pure and honours us with the crowne of life and in this respect wee may be truely said to be just perfect and holy because wee stand clothed with the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ which is reputed ours in which appearing before our heavenly Father we doe receive a blessing as Jacob did of Jsaak Gen. 27.15.27 having on his elder brothers garments this may seeme strange unto us that wee should be accepted righteous for the righteousnesse of another for albeit this righteousnesse is Christs primarily and by way of inherence yet it is ours by Gods free donation and by the application of faith the head and the faithfull his members is all one mysticall body Rom. 4.2 and therefore the satisfaction of Christ pertaineth to all the faithfull as to his members the forme or formall cause of Justification is not faith love nor other vertue neither is it an infused quality or habituall sanctity inherent in us Phil. 3.9.10 but the righteousnesse of Christ considered as it is reputed of God is the forme of Justification or the proper and onely true forme of Justification is the free imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ by which the merits and obedience of Christ are applyed unto us by vertue of that neere communion whereby hee is in us and wee in him Now God is said to impute righteousnesse into a man when hee doth adjudge decree and give it to him and account and reckon it as his owne and for the merit and worthinesse thereof doth pardon acquit and repute him righteous Saint Paul expostulateth this doctrine with the Galatians whom he calleth foolish for doubting it Gal. 3.2 saying This onely would I learne of you receive yee the spirit by the workes of the Law or by hearing of faith preached Vers 3. Againe are yee so foolish that after yee have begunne in the Spirit yee would now be made perfect by the deeds of the flesh where he admireth their simplicity that seeke righteousnesse in the flesh but rather and onely by the meanes of faith in Jesus Christ because our justification is spirituall and not of the flesh and this doctrine he concludeth by an invincible argument Verse 26. saying that seeing yee are the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Jesus wee are therefore also justified and made the servants of God by faith For saith he we are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Jesus and if faith be able to make us sonnes it must be also able to make us servants for that which is able in the greater performance is able in the lesse O sweet exchange O unsearchable worke-manship O benefits surpassing all expectation 2. Cor. 5.21 that the iniquity of many should be covered in one just person now Christ beares our sins and was made sin for us which knew no sin not as if our sinnes had beene infused into him and had beene inherent and inhabitant in him but because they were imputed to him