to the Giver 2. It doth denote God's dealing with us according to that which is so made ours even by Imputation God deals with us about this Righteousness in the same manner as this Righteousness is made ours by Imputation not by infusing Grace into us Beloved there is an Imputation Foederally or by Virtue of a Covenant Relation by which one Person is constituted as a common Head So the Sin of Adam was and is imputed to all his Posterity because Adam was constituted as a common Head and did personate all his Posterity and thus Christ the Second Adam being appointed our Covenant Head his Righteousness is accounted to all his Seed 2 Tim. 1.9 there we find that the Lord Jesus is our Head and he is intrusted with our all who hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling here Justification goes before Vocation Well but may some say It was for our Works no not according to our Works how then Why according to his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began given us in Christ how so Why Christ was first our Covenant Head and was constituted from Eternity there was an Eternal Compact between the Father and the Son and the Father gave us to his Son and Christ did purpose to act and do for us that by which we are Justified now I say this was given us in Christ When was it given us in Christ When was it stor'd up in Christ and promised to Christ for us Was it when he came into the World after he was born of the Virgin Mary No it was before the World began that it was given to us in Christ and he is God and he was from the beginning John 1.1 2 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Christ I say was constituted and appointed by the Father as our Covenant-head therefore as he did engage in the Eternal Compact before time so he did faithfully perform what he had promised to the Father in time He made compleat satisfaction for our Sins yea bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree Pray see Phil. 18. where St. Paul writing to Philemon concerning Onesimus saith thus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on my Account Now do you see we have wronged God we have broken his Law and now the Lord Jesus Christ comes in and saith to Justice if he oweth thee ought put that to mine Accompt so saith St. Paul If he oweth thee ought or hath wronged thee put that on my Accompt Well Paul if it be put on thy Accompt thou must pay all the Debt Well saith he I Paul have written it with my own-Hand I will repay it v. 19. So the Lord Jesus entred into Convenant with the Father for us and did it as it were say I will repay it and he did so and made a full Satisfaction to Divine Justice for the Sins of all the Elect so we have a notable passage of Judah's to Jacob his Father concerning Benjamin Gen. 43.9 I will be Surety for him then Judah thou must expect that he will be required at thy Hand Well Well at my Hands thou shalt require him if I bring him not again c. Now do you see the Father gave to Christ all that shall be saved and Jesus Christ he stands in our room and is our Surety and Christ like Judah saith as it were to the Father thou shalt require them of me If I bring them not to thee vide John 6.37 All that the Father giveth unto me shall come unto me so John 10.28 I give them saith he Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hands Pâ—ay take notice the Lord Jesus Christ is our Surety and hath us all in his Hands and he hath engaged with the Father for all his People he takes on him the Persons of the whole Church that hath sinned and answered for them Beloved as the first Adam's Sin was Imputed to all his Posterity so the Righteousness of the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ is imputed to all his 2 Cor. 5. ult He hath made him to be Sin for us who know no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Here are two things to be considered 1. The Non-Imputation of Sin to us for as our Sins stuck to Christ by Imputation so we are discharged from them by Imputation of Christ's perfect Righteousness and this is a blessed State for those that are Interested in this Righteousness of Christ have 1. No Sin imputed to them tho' there be Sin inherent in them yet there is none imputed to them 2. Another thing is to considered even the Imputation of the perfect and compleat Righteousness of Christ for as there is the non-Imputation of Sin so there 〈◊〉 the Imputation of a perfect Righteousness so then God doth not look on us as guilty of any Sin for that was put on Christ but he looks on us as perfectly Righteous thro' Christ's perfect Obedience so the great thing we are to know is this viz. how we come to have actually the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us and 1. We must consider this is according to the nature of that eternal Covenant between the Father and the Son 2. We should consider Christ as he and his whole Mystical Body are but one Now when as you marry a person his Riches are yours so when you have actual or personal Union with Christ by the Holy Spirit then his Righteousness is actually yours and you are then freed from all your Debts I do not say but we were virtually free before the Lord Jesus did lay down a plenary Satisfaction long ago for all the Elect yet are not we actually free from Sin nor actually or personally Justified till we are actually united to Christ For to say that we are actually Justified and actually possess'd of this thing and the o her thing before we have a Being is as much as if we should set a Seal to a Blank paper Now therefore consider I say that when we have actual Union with Christ by the Holy Spirit then his Righteousness is actually ours and we then are actually freed from all our Debts and this is evidenced to us by Faith which is the Fruit of the Spirit True this was given us in Christ our Head before the World began the Father did strike Hands with the Son in that Eternal Compact and there was an agreement that this should be ours but Christ was nor exhibited in the Flesh till in time tho' he was a Lamb slain from before the foundation of the World in the purpose of God yet in time was he exhibited and in time did actually keep the Law and did suffer Death for the Breach of it then we were virtually Justified and freed from God's wrath and intitled to Glory but we could not nor
some Sence the whole Body is discharged And that before the Believer acts Faith in Christ though not in every Sence for if that were not the whole of the Capitulation between the Father and the Son then there is something farther to be considered Now we must have Faith in this Satisfaction therefore it was decreed and design'd that Jesus Christ should die and as he shook Hands with the Father in the Covenant of Grace for I don't know of three Covenants as he shook Hands I say with the Father in the Covenant of Grace or Redemption to die and purchase for all the Elect a Ransom and procure them the favour of God so likewise it was designed by the Father that he should die to procure them Faith and every thing else relating to their Salvation So that the case lies here though Jesus Christ did pay the Debt a great while ago and the Sinner was discharged so far that it was impossible for God to speak with reverence to condemn one of those Souls for whom Christ died Yet these were not capable of Embracing this nor knowing this nor improving this Justification till such time that they had Faith by which they did see into this and apply it unto themselves So it is here like as a Purchase is laid down for Slaves in Turkey the Money is first paid down and accepted of though for a considerable time they may not know that they are Redeemed I say so it is here respecting us in being since Christ's Death there is a difference between the thing done and the Declaration of it So then pray take notice there may be this also considered Suppose a Prince shall declare all the Province shall come in and kiss his Hand though he at the same time will draw and incline them to do it Yet he declares they shall first come 〈◊〉 kiss his Hand and acknowledge his Benefits 〈…〉 to be Justified so it is here Faith kissing as 〈…〉 God acknowledges his Benefits in Jesus Christ and this 〈…〉 in the Soul be the holy Spirit the third Person in the blessed Trinity For as the Father design'd such a number should be savâ—d and gave tâ—â—m to his Son and Jesus Christ the Son of God taketh Charge of them and redeems them so here is the third Person in the Trinity that brings them unto and in to the Son Now the case lies here not only doth the Father Elect and the Son die but the Holy Ghost is concerned in the Revelation of the Mind and Will of God to them so that God hath chosen us in Christ and Christ hath Redeemed us and the Holy Spirit in time comes and shows this to us rectifies our Judgment inclines our Will and makes us willing to cast and venture our Souls on this Satisfaction And this Faith is owning his Grace in the Surety for it was God my Beloved who found out the Surety it was he even the Father that did make him the Head of the Body of the Elect. It was he that did six on this Medium that we should believe before we should be declared Just in our own Consciences for that thing that was done a great while ago must be evidenced and applied to us But thus much as to what Justification is III. I am to prove that Justification is wholly of the free Grace of God through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ which that I may the better do I told you I should open each cause of Justification in order namely 1. The Efficient Cause of our Justification 2. The Meritorious Cause of it 3. The Material Cause of it 4. The Formal Cause of it 5. The Applying Cause of it 6. The Final Cause of all And by such time I have gone through these six Heads you may clearly see the nature of Justification 1. The first or Efficient Cause is God the Father the first Person in the Sacred Trinity and it is his free Grace and love to poor Sinners that is the moving Cause and this shall be proved 1. The way of Justification was found out by the Father it was the Contrivance of his Infinite Wisdom that he might be Just and yet Gracious that Sin might be punished and yet the Sinner acquited that Justice might be satisfied and yet we freely pardoned Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that hemight be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus 2. Consider God is the Efficient Cause for God was at the Liberty of his own Will I mean the Father to choose whether he would find out a way to Justifie and save Mankind or the sallen Angels or leave them both this I say is to be considered 3. Consider God did not foresee any thing in Man which did oblige to it which did induce him to six on this great design he could see nothing in Man Neither was there any thing in us to present to God by which prevail with him to shew us Mercy Rom. 5.7 8. For scarcely for a Righteous Man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us so you see that God look'd on us as we were Sinners he did not foresee us as we were Righteous 4. Consider that God the Father offered or propounded if I may so say with Reverence this way of Justification of the Sinner to his own Son our Saviour in the Everlasting Covenant 5. Had not God the Father found out such a way of his mere Grace and Goodness Mankind had been for ever lost which we nor all the Angels in Heaven could not do We could not sind any Ransom Job 33.24 Then is he Gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down to the Pit I have found a Ransom Where did God find out this Ransom Even in his own Bosom in his own Heart Christ came out of the Bosom of the Father Though Popish Expositors tell us thus I saith the Papist have found a Ransom i.e. I have sound his good Works I have found his Repentance I have found his Tears I have found his Prayers I have found his Alms-deeds and I see that in him which I saw not before for which cause I will justifie him O cursed Doctrin Now others amongst us say he hath humbled himself and I am satified But my Beloved alass and woe to us for all good Works Repentance Tears and Alms-deeds and Humiliation none of these are a Ransom No Christ is our Ransom and the price of our Redemption and this Ransom the Father found out for us Wisdom found him out Free Grace Bowels of Mercy and undeserved Love put Wisdom to work to find out this Blessed Ransom 6. To manifest farther the infinite Grace of God the Father consider the Costliness of our Ransom God had but one only Son in whom his Soul delighted and that lay in his Bosom
and near to his Heart yet this his Son was offered to be our Ransom Isa 42.1 compared with Rom. 5.15 c. Much more the Grace of God and the gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many So that you see it is all ascribed to the Grace of God and the Gift of his Grace 7. Suppose Christ should have effered himself to God the Father to become our Surety this would not have done unless the Father had accepted of it It would not have been valued had not the Father accepted of a Surety Therefore the Father is Efficient Cause 8 Consider Christ was sent by the Father to do this Work and his being sent is ascribed to God's infinite Love God so loved the World that he gave his only Begotten Son John 3.16 So John 17.8 And they have believed that thou didst send me 9. Consider Christ is said to be Ordained before the Foundation of the World 1 Pet. 1.19 20. He i. e. Christ was delivered by the determinate Council and fore-knowledge of God Acts 4.27 28. 10. The Father called our dear Jesus to do this Work namely to Sacrifice himself or that he might be a Sacrifice for Sins Isa 42.6 I the LORD have called thee in Righteousness c. So Heb. 5.4 And no Man taketh this Honour to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron So our Lord he was called by the Father to be First both a Priest and Sacrifice for us Secondly he was called by the Father to be a King to conquer our Enemies Thirdly he was called by the Father to be a Prophet to declare his Grace Infinite Love and Goodness to us But 11. The Father did anoint him to his Office to Work out our Salvation Isa 61.1 Psal 45.7 12. The Father prepared him a Body made of our Nature to be laid down in our room and stead to suffer the penalty of the Law Hâ—b 10.5 13. The Father commanded him to lay down his Life to purchase those that he hath chosen John 10.18 14. The Father raised him from the Dead on purpose that he might justifie us 1 Cor. 6.14 15. The holy Spirit is called the promise of the Father Acts 1.4 16. Hence God the Father is called the Father of all Mercies 1 Cor. 1.3 because he is the Efficient Cause of our Justification and all things are said to be of him and from him It is he that gives us the true Bread 17. Christ is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Thus the Efficient or first Cause of our Justification is wholly of God's Grace But it is necessary to consider how God the Father is concerned in our Justification yet more particularly And 1. He i. e. the Father hath been the injured Person in order of nature and must therefore be satisfied and his Wrath appeased c. 2. Because the Father knew what would do to satisfie his Justice and bring Relief to the Sinner For the Law is broke and he must find out a way to preserve the Sanction of the Law 3. Because the Honour and Glory of the name of the Father might not be Eclipsed for we must not render the Son more kind to his People than the Father 4. Because the Father is said to be our Justifier Rom. 3.26 He declares us Righteous and pronounces us Just But to apply what I have said Use 1. O Believer Let this be of use to stir you up to look into the Channel in which the free Grace of God runs to us it is in a way of Attonement and whatever you have it is all paid for Justification Pardon of Sin and eternal Life it is all paid for therefore see I say where Free Grace runs 2. Hence you may come to know the sweet and Gracious nature of God the Father do not think that he is only an angry Judge and a severe God but also a Gracious Father 3. Admire God's Free Grace which is the Spring of all your Comfort 4. Learn to Love and Adore this God for in this to admiration he holds forth to us his Love and good Will 5. Take heed you do not give any of the Glory of God the Father from him for all must honour the Father as they honour the Son 6. We may from hence infer God is Just and yet he is merciful and gracious and therefore the found out this way to justifie us as well as pardon us 7. O Sinner take heed you do not slight the infinite Grace Kindness and Goodness of God the Father Oh! dread Unbelief and Contempt of this Soveraign Grace 8. Accept the Offers of the Father yea the Offers and Tenders of this Free Grace which is made to you by the Father 9. O you Prodigals Return unto your Father the Father is ready to receive you Nay he 'll meet you half way And lastly O Bless and Pâ—aise God the Father for all the Grace in your Justification Praise the Father through Christ by the Holy Spirit To whom be Glory for Ever and Ever Amen A Plain and Familiar DISCOURSE ON Justification c. SERMON III. ROM 3. xxiv Being justified freely by his Grace thro' the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Doctrin That Justification is wholly of the free Grace of God through or by the Imputation of what Christ hath done for us or his perfect Righteousness I shall now proceed to the next thing namely to prove to you that Christ is the Meritorious and Mediatoral Cause of our Justification And this will appear if you consider him as he is our Surety who paid our Debts and as our Redeemer who laid down his Life as the Price of our Ransom As he is an Intercessor for us and our Advocate with the Father to plead our Cause and to plead the Merits of his own Blood for us Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us He is pleading with the Father the Value and Merits of his Blood Hence Christ is said to justifie us Isa 53.11 By his knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justifie many i.e. He shall defend the Cause and plead in the behalf of many and you must consider 1. That the Father justifies us as the soveraign Act of his own Free Grace in appointing of Christ and in accepting of him in our stead and that to satisfie his Justice who is the great and holy Judge he being also our offended Creator and our offended Creditor You must consider 2. The Son as our Surety justifies us through his own Free Grace in paying off all our Debts and satisfying the Creditor But 3. Take this Caveat by the way we must not divide the matter of our Justification these must not be separated the
cannot be actually freed till such time as we have actually a Being our Freedom from Eternal Wrath is brought about by Christ by his satisfaction And our deliverance from Sin and Satan Christ merited and procured for us and that long ago tho' my Beloved we are not actually united to Christ thro' Faith therefore tho' Christ hath long ago brought into the presence of God a perfect Righteousness yet it is not proper to say that we are actually Justified till we have a Being and this benefit be actually applied to us It is no more proper to say so than to say an Heir is an actural Possessor of an Estate when he is first intitled to it for tho' Christ did long ago lay down a plenary satisfaction at the loot of God's Justice and we were virtually Justified When he rose from the Dead and virtually Glorified when he Ascended inâ—o Heaven yet we are not actually justified till we have a Being and are in actual Union with the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit What Christ did he did as our Surety who hath espoused our case and our being in actual Union with him brings us to have a legal and personal Right to his Righteousness to Justification and Eternal Life Consider first therefore what it is that is imputed to us in order to Justification which you have heard is the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ Secondly Consider the end and Reasons why this Righteousness is imputed to us and that is 1. The honour of God in all his Divine Attributes for there his Justice is compleatly satisfied and so his Mercy takes place 2. The second end was to answer the just demands and fully to establish the Sanction of God's holy Law we could never be remitted as such as were perfectly obedient unless it was by this way and the Lord Jesus Christ did establish the Sanction of God's Holy Law 3. It was to bring in the pardon of Sin in a Judicial way through Christ's Suffering without which we could not be Righteous no not by the Imputation of the most perfect actual Obedience because that our Sins would ly still upon us therefore the Lord Jesus Christ he takes away our Sins he bears that burthen himself and suffers for it and carries that into the Land of Forgetfulness therefore know also that as we partaking of the sinful nature of the first Adam were condemned as proceeding from his Loâ—â—s so by partaking of the holy nature of the second Adam his Obedience being imputed to us we are actually Justified which is evidenced to us by Faith But now give me leave to speak a little by way of Vse and Applicatiâ—â— 1. Here is a Use of Information you may see my Beloved from hence the Nature Order and Causes of Justification how that our Salvation depends wholly on Christ's glorious Undertaking as the Matter of our Justification 2. That the sin of the first Adam and Death thereby is imputed to you as you proceeded from him till you are Translated in the second Adam and so receive a new nature from him 3. This informs you that till your own filthy Garments be put off this Robe of Righteousness cannot be put on 4. This informs us that we are by nature worse than naked for we are very filthy we are burdened with a Load of Sin and Corruption and Christ must take away the Guilt and condemning Nature of Sin this I say must be Removed so well as we Cloathed c. 5. This informs us that God's imputing Christ's Righteousness is his putting on us this Wedding Garment But Secondly Here is a Vse of Comfort also consider O Believer what comes in what Profit what Advantage what Glory comes in by Justification 1. All you Believers you are acquitted and pronounced Just and Righteous before God 2. You have a full Discharge whatsoever Satan may say or Conscience for want of more light may say you have a full Discharge 3. This is also for your Comfort you are delivered from the Curse of the Law and the wrath of God 4. You appear all Glorious before God without spot or wrinkle for he looks on you in Christ 5. Consider you have an intrest in all that is purchased by our Lord Jesus 6. Finally you shall Eternally be saved and all the powers of Hell cannot hinder you of it But Thirdly A Vse of Terror 1. To such who have not Christ's Righteousness imputed to them for their Sins both Original and Actual are imputed to them 2. You have no Interest with Christ not will not unless his Righteousness be imputed to you through Faith 3. God is a Consuming Fire to all such Divine Holiness cannot but loaâ—h such Divine Justice cannot but consume you if you have no Righteousness but your own Fourthly Here is a Vse of Caution that we all take heed least we err in this great point of Justification O! how prone are we to seek Justification by our own Works but as Christ was made Sin for us so are we made Righteousness in him Now we are not made Righteous before God by Inherent Righteousness but by imputed Righteousness Fifthly Here is a Vse of Counsel Saints go to Christ your all is him take this Counsel and Advice your Mediator he is your Surety go to him don't look into your selves for any thing don't build on your selves for Righteousness but go to Christ he is your Surety and he pleads his own Merits for you 1 John 1.2 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father c. who doth or may plead Father I took Flesh by thy Order I suffered and died in their stead and gave my self a Ransom for them I was wounded to heal their Wounds I bore their Sin and their Sorrow Oh condemn them not O holy Father for their Iniquities did all meet in me and shall they sink who believe in me I have brought in Everlasting Righteousness for them I have wrought out a Righteousness in my own person for them I have procured all the Blessings that they are Intitled to all comes from me Now consider as Christ pleads with the Father his own Righteousness so you are to plead with the Father Christ's Righteousness there is nothing that will stand you in stead in the last day but Jesus Christ and his Righteousness To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all Glory for Ever and Ever AMEN I should now have proceeded to the fourth thing namely to shew you the nature of that Faith which arightly apprehends and applies this Righteousness But I see my time is gone I must therefore leave it to another season if it please God to afford it c. FINIS