is this fable declareth that all men are by birth the sons of God but they fall from that right by alienating themselves from God it deserveth a double Animadversion one for calling this Parable fabula which although in a critical notion it may have a right sense yet use doth not now indure it It would be very offensive to call Christs Parables Christs Fables Secondly he sheweth unsound Divinity worse then Pelagians or Arminians as his very expression declareth but to passe that The Parable doth represent a godly man foully lapsed in sin and now returning to God and he accuseth himself aggravating sin that his Father took notice of it and whatsoever other Doctors teach yet this is the best way for godly persons repenting to aggravate their sinfulnesse in reference to Gods beholding of them and being angry with them Quicunque sibi se excusat accusat Deo whosoever excuseth himself to himself accuseth himself to God said Salvian and Tertul. In quantum non peperceris tibi in tantum tibi Deus crede parcet so much as thou shalt not spare thy self God beleeve it will spare thee Lastly This is to be observed that after his father had kissed him which was a sign of reconciliation and pardon yet the son confesseth he had sinned against heaven and before him A second rank of Arguments shall be from those places where the Spirit of God is said to mortifie our sins or we by his help to crucifie our sins if the Spirit of God do inable us to crucifie and mortifie sin as that which is an enemy and loathsome to him then notwithstanding Christs righteousness imputed God doth take notice of that which is filthy and to be removed in the godly But we are assisted by Gods Spirit to this Ergo. Rom. 8.11 13. If ye by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Gal. 3.18 If ye be led by the Spirit ye shall not fulfill the deeds of the flesh In these words are two plain Conclusions First That the godly have still sins in them for these are called the deeds of the flesh By deeds of the flesh are not meant grosse sins but all the inward motions and thoughts of the soul corrupted Secondly That the Spirit of God seeth them takes notice of them they are loathsome to him and therefore he mortifieth them Now the Spirit of God being the same with God that which he mortifieth must needs be taken notice of by him as offensive To this what do they answer They say We do not mortifie sin no not by Gods Spirit out of Gods sight but only out of our own sight so that when the Spirit of God overcometh a corruption in us this is not by removing it out of Gods sight but our own only Honey-Comb pag. 164. for say they Christs righteousnesse being made ours we are all clean before God and that which the Spirit of God doth afterwards in sanctification is cleansing away sin only declaratively before men Hence as you heard they distinguish of a two fold cleansing one secret and mysticall by Christs righteousnesse and the other palpable and grosse to our sense and feeling which is by Gods spirit in us but here are many mistakes and errours 1. That they oppose Christs cleansing and the Spirits cleansing together for what Christs bloud doth meritoriously cleanse away the same Christs Spirit doth by efficacious application Hence Christ by his death doth quite remove sin in respect of the guilt of it here on earth and doth give his Spirit to crucifie the power of it so that both Christs cleansing and the Spirits cleansing do relate to Gods sight for it is Gods will that we should not only be clean by imputed righteousnesse but also by inherent holinesse 2. It is false that we only mortifie sin declaratively to men for it is really and indeed done even to God-ward Hence this is the great difference between a Pharisaicall or externall mortification and a spirituall The former is from humane principles to humane motives the other is from God and to God and through God so that as that is not a divine faith but humane which is not from a divine principle and because of divine Authority so neither can that be divine and spirituall mortification which is not from divine efficiency and because of divine grounds Hereby it is that the whole work of grace is called a new creature and it is a new creature not only man-ward but God-ward and who can think when Eph. 4. we are exhorted to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse that any other sense can be drawn out of it then that the putting off the old man and putting on the new have relation to God as well as man It is therefore well observed by Musculus on the former Text that both these are put together If ye through the Spirit do mortifie we and the Spirit The Spirit and that sheweth all the Popish means of mortification to be unprofitable the Spirit of God neither appointing them or working by them Then he addeth ye denoting that we also are to work and act being first quickned with a spiritual life put into us and not as some do now dangerously maintain give up all expecting the operation of the Spirit only 3. The falshood of this Assertion will further appear If the Spirit of God by mortification doth not remove sin out of us as to Gods sight then by further sanctification it brings no good thing into us as to Gods sight likewise and thus as God shall see no sin in his people so neither no good thing inherently in his people for this must necessarily follow by their principles as God takes no notice of sin inherent in believers to be angry with them so likewise no notice of inherent grace to be well pleased with them for if the Spirit of God do not cleanse our corruption from Gods sight then still the more corruption is washed away God still doth no waies approve that holinesse but it is only the imputed holines of Christ which he regards Therefore he that maintaineth God seeth no sin in believers to chastise must maintain he seeth no graces in them to reward them and take their own similitude as he say they that looks thorow a red glasse seeth every thing in it red if there be dirt in it it looks red if there be pearls in it it looketh red all is one to the sight so when God looketh upon us in Christ if there be sin if there be our own inherent holines it is all one God seeth only Christs holiness Thus while the Antinomian laboureth to have our sins covered from Gods eies he likewise spreads a covering over all the fruits of Gods Spirit in us that they shall not be taken notice of whereas none ever denied but that the graces of Gods people are acceptable to him though not to justification and many promises he makes to them
his justification before God so that there is nothing clearer then that the word is a judicial word and with John who in his Epistles never useth the word justifie the sense of it is expressed by not to come into judgement or to be translated from death unto life And certainly if to justifie were to make righteous inherently it would not be an abomination in that sense to justifie the wicked Fifthly There can be properly no justification but where there is accusation or a charge Therefore condemnation is opposite to it Hence it is that though it be said that Angels and Adam were justified and that by works yet if we would speak properly they were no more justified then they had an Advocate or Intercessor Thus when Christ is said to be justified in the Spirit that is declared to be the Son of God by the Spirit which was spoken in reference to those calumnies and reproaches that were cast upon him so that this consideration may comfort a godly man even in that particular wherein he is most troubled for thus the godly argue my heart chargeth me with such folly and so the devil doth oh it is too plain I cannot dissemble it I cannot hide it oh what shall I do even this very thing may support for how could there be Justification if there were not a charge What need a Christ to justifie if there were no fault Sixtly No man can do any thing whereby he should be accounted just before God This is the grand truth that is such a stumbling block to the world this makes the Papist gibe and scoff this makes God say they to dissemble this makes him a lyar to account that ours which is his Sons who will say a lame Vulcan goeth upright with another mans legs who will compare some deformed Thersites to a fair Absalom because of some imaginary beauty which is not in him But the Scripture is too plain 2 Cor. 5. to be eluded Ipse factus est peccatum sicut nos justitia non nostra sed Dei nec in nobis sed in ipso sicut ipse factus est peccatum non suum sed nostrum nec inse sed in nobis constitutum He is made sin as we are righteousness not our righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of God not in us but in him as he was made sin not his own but ours not in himself but in us Neither do we say we are made righteous without a righteousnesse that indeed were absurd but we say it is not in us Seventhly That righteousnes whereby we are made just is only by Christ of this more hereafter only the Scripture doth carry us alwaies from our own righteousness to that of Faith which is by his bloud this made Bernard say Quid tam ad mortem quod morte Christi non salvetur Meum meritum est miseratio Domini non planè sum meriti inops quamdiu ille miserationum non fuerit inops Though we want Christ doth not want though we sinned away our good yet not Christ his merits And if a man were made perfectly holy yet he could not be justified for all that but he needs a Christ to satisfie for his former transgressions Eightly This description of Justification in a judicial way containeth much terrour and also much comfort It is good for a Christian to meditate why God describes the way of pardon by these tearms and first it may be to rouse up secure and Epicurean consciences Thy heart will not alwaies be quiet neither will thy sin alwaies lie still at the door but it will awaken thee and hale thee to judgement O the terrour thy soul will then be put into And as it doth thus terrifie so it doth the more comfort nothing is so welcome as a pardon after a man is condemned and his head laid upon the block Thus when all this charge is laid upon thee and thou summoned before the tribunall how precious must grace then be to thee LECTURE II. ROM 3.23 Being justified freely by his grace c. THe ninth Proposition is concerning the reality and truth of this Justification for when we say God doth justifie that is account and pronounce righteous this is taken by Papists as if here were nothing but a meer fiction and imagination without any truth indeed Therefore the godly are for their comfort to know that this Justification of theirs is no lesse a reall and solid foundation for comfort yea it is more then if they had the most perfect and compleat inherent righteousnesse that could be for all things that are constitutive of this Justification are reall God his gracious accounting and esteeming of us so is reall and seeing he is most wise just and holy what he doth judge must needs be so we many times justifie our selves but then it is sometimes a meer opinion we are indeed condemned at that present but it cannot be so with God Again the foundation of this Justification is as solid and firm as any rock it being the righteousnesse of Christ if therefore the righteousnesse of Christ be not a fancy or imagination no more is this And lastly the effects of this are reall viz. deliverance from wrath peace with God joy in the holy Ghost and the spirit of Adoption Now in this treasure the godly heart may much inrich himself he is not in a dream when his soul is ravished with this priviledge thou mayest be in this transfiguration and say it 's good for us to be here and still know what thou saiest What shame then is it to thee when if thou hadst inherent perfect righteousnes thou wouldst bid thy soul take her spirituall ease for she hath much good stored up for her and thou canst not do this upon an imputed righteousnesse imputed righteousnesse and inherent differ only in the manner not in reality it is all one as to Gods glory and as to thy comfort whether righteousnesse be thine inherent or thine imputed if it be a true real righteousnesse Tenthly Consider the Scripture speaks of this justification as to us still in a passive sense we are justified and that whether it speaks upon a supposition of Justification by works of the Law or in an Evangelicall manner and this it doth to shew that God only doth justifie for sin is only against him and therefore none but himself can remit his own offence Besides none can condemn but God therefore none can Justifie Who can lay trouble on thy soul binde thee in chains and throw thee into hell but God and who but God can command all the tempests and waves in thy troubled soul to be still When therefore others are said to Justifie that is only to be understood declaratively and no more Now this particular may suppress all those proud Pharisaicall thoughts in us whereby we are apt to be puffed up within our selves what if we Justifie our selves and clear our waies yet if God doth not
his people now in heaven is an Ocean of infinite comfort LECTURE IX JER 50.20 In those dayes and at that time the iniquity of Judah shall be sought for and there shall be none c. I Shall now conclude with the last sort of Arguments which are from those Scriptures that speak how God is affected with his people when they have sinned which affections do necessarily imply Gods seeing of sin so as to be angry with them yea in some respects Gods anger is more to them then others and we say in some sense God doth more see and take notice of the sins of believers then others The places of Scripture which speak in what manner God takes the sins of believers are these Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God c. where the godly in their sins are said to grieve Gods Spirit Now can the Spirit of God which is also God be grieved to speak after the manner of men at our sins and not take notice of them certainly if they grieve God they ought to grieve us let us not neglect that which the Spirit of God is so offended with This place seemeth to be taken out of Isa 63.10 They vexed his holy Spirit So that it is such a grieving as doth vex and imbitter the holy Spirit of God O what a dreadfull consideration should this be against all falshoods in this point Doth not God doth not the Spirit of God take notice of thy corruptions yet it is grieved and vexed at them furthermore the aggravation of this sin is seen in that it is against the Spirit that doth seal us to the day of redemption A Metaphor saith Zanchy in loc from Merchants who having bought such goods seal them as their own that so leaving others they may transport them Now for the godly to sin it is to deface this seal and if it be so great an offence to violate humane seals how much more divine Observe likewise that passage of God to Moses Ex. 4.14 where Moses out of the sense of his infirmity refusing the office God called him to twice or thrice it is said The Lords wrath was kindled against him In the Hebrew it is very emphatical The fury of the Lord was angry against Moses and the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which expression was signified God was not lightly but grievously angry with him So Ps 74.1 the Church crieth out Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture and in many other places Now can God be angry and that in so high a degree with that which he doth not see or take notice of It is true Isidor Pelus l. 1. ep 144. will not suffer that notice and affliction which God layeth upon us to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but then anger is to be taken in a strict sense for punishment by way of satisfaction but otherwise the Scripture doth frequently use this word and that of God to his own people yea vengeance which is more Ps 96.8 But that it may the better appear how great the guilt of sin in believers even in the sight of God is and what his account is of it take notice of these particulars First What the Scripture stiles them 1 Sam. 2.29 There God reproveth Eli in his indulgence about his sons with this remarkable expression Thou honourest thy sons above me Is not this an aggravation which God taketh notice of and yet Eli did reprove his sons but because he failed in the measure of zeal therefore is God thus angry with him so that God doth not only see the grosse sins committed by his people but a lesse measure of their graces and is angry for that So Rev. 2. because the Church abated in her first love and her works were not perfect therefore doth God threaten her As the godly are said to honour the creature above him when they sin so they are likewise said to despise God and can God but be offended with them that despise him 1 Sam. 2.13 They that despise me shall be lightly esteemed saith God again to Eli. Thus likewise to David 2 Sam. 12.9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord God cannot but take notice of that which is a despising and contemning of him As their sins are a despising of God so are they said to displease God which cannot be if God see no sin for if God see no sin it is all one in reference to God whether a believer wallow in the mire of sin or whether he live holily so that this Doctrine must needs eat and consume like a Gangrene Is God as well pleased with Peter denying Christ as Peter repenting as much pleased with David in his adultery and murder as when making his penitential Psalm The Papists indeed would fasten such prodigious consequences upon the Protestants Doctrine but they abhor it whereas it followeth naturally from the Antinomian assertion Indeed the Orthodox say David and Peter in their lapses did not fall from the state or grace of Iustification but wherein the Antinomian and they differ is hereafter to be shewen That God is thus displeased with justified persons when they thus sin is plain 2 Sam. 11.29 where what we translate displeased according to the original is was evil in the eyes of the Lord where you see expresse Scripture That God did see sin in David because that which he had done was evil in Gods eyes so again 1 Chron. 21.7 Davids numbering of the people is said to be evil in the eyes of the Lord. Thus the very letter of the Scripture is against them Lastly Their sins are offences against God and can God be offended with that which he doth not behold Elihu speaks true and excellent Doctrine Iob 34.32 though he erred in the application Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will offend no more where he acknowledgeth That chastisements are for sins and that sins are offences If then the sins of Gods people are a dishonour to him a despising of him a displeasing of him they are evil in his eyes and an offence to him it cannot be but that he must see sin in his people Secondly The Scripture describeth Gods threatning and upbraiding of them with all his kindnesses he did to them so that God doth not only take notice of them but in the several aggravations of their ingratitude and unkindnesse unto him in all that they offend Thus observe Gods dealing with Eli 1 Sam. 2.28 Did not I choose thy father out of all the Tribes of Israel to be my Priest to offer upon my Altar Did I not give unto thy father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice What a cutting sword must this needs be in Eli's heart and because the children of God have a Spirit of love in them these upbraidings must needs wound their heart the
may we expect greater things of God Know then as we sinne daily so there are out-goings of pardon continually and the goodnesse of God doth like the Sunne rejoyce to run his race without any wearinesse Lastly In the Person to whom we pray there is supposed First That God only can forgive sins This is an incommunicable property of God Isa 43.1 and Exod. 34.7 It is there reckoned as one of his prerogatives Hence Matth. 9. this is made an argument of Christs Deity that by his meer command he forgave sin for this power to forgive sin is greater then to create Heaven or Earth or to work the greatest miracles Therefore a power to work miracles hath been vouchsafed to the Apostles but not of forgiving of sin unlesse declaratively onely When therefore our Saviour Matth. 9. asketh which is easier To forgive sin or to say Take up thy bed and walk intending by this miracle to prove that he did also forgive sin it is not spoken as if this later were greater then the former but only the curing of the paralytical man was a more visible sign to confirm the other for when they saw that which he commanded accomplished upon the mans body they might well conclude the other fulfilled in his soul Now when we say God only can forgive sin this is to be extended both to the forgivenesse in Heaven and to that in a mans own conscience for the former it is plain because the injury is done only against him when we sin and for the later it is clear because he is the Father of Spirits and so can command whatsoever peace and security he pleaseth in the conscience We see when Friends and Ministers do pour oil into a wounded soul they feel no benefit or refreshment till God speak to the heart This is notably asserted by Elihu Job 34.29 When he giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him O therefore with all humble thankfulnesse acknowledge this great mercy of pardon if thou art made partaker of it If the Lord should work miracles for thee he would not display so much power and mercy as he doth in this forgivenesse of thy sins Secondly It supposeth God doth see and take notice of sinne in us after we have believed For how can God be said to forgive that which he taketh no notice of If forgiving be covering of sinne and a blotting it out then it is seen and open to God and uncancelled till this be done Suppose our Saviour had used these words in this Petition Cover our iniquities as we cover the sins of others would not that expression have necessarily implied That God did see them and look on them till he covered them Certainly Joseph did upon a good ground abstain from sin when he said How can I do this and sinne against God That is who seeth me and beholdeth me in secret and will be angry with me But if God take no notice of my sinne how can I truly awe my self from sinne saying How can I do this evil in Gods eyes How can I provoke him to anger Let the Application then be to importune for this mercy of forgivenesse which makes all other things mercy Health riches learning peace are mercies if with these there be a pardon of all our sins especially be pressed to seek for it from this motive which I shall only mention at this time viz. That pardon of sin is the onely support and help in all miseries and calamities whatsoever This onely can sweeten thy pain thy poverty thy fears of death When the Apostle Rom. 5.1 had spoken of Justification by faith and the peace we have thereby with God inferreth from thence We glory in tribulation Alas there would be little glory if at the same time man be against us and God also So Rom. 8.33 34 37. when the Apostle had gloriously triumphed in this priviledge of Justification and that none could lay any thing to our charge then he concludeth We are more then conquerors Again 1 Pet. 3.16 17 18. exhorting the people of God to be ready to suffer for well-doing giveth this reason For Christ once suffered for sins the just for the unjust c. So that no misery or calamity can be joyfully undergone unlesse the Lord forgive our sins to us In these times of warre while we have been under continual fears of an enemie vvhat could rightly support us but remission of our sins To have men accusing and condemning of us but to have God clearing and absolving this can make an Heaven in the midst of an hell LECTURE XVI MAT. 6.12 And forgive us our debts HAving explained this Petition positively and practically we come to handle those Questions which may make to the clearing of that truth which is contained in the Text. And I shall pitch upon those that are usefull and necessary not on thorny and perplexed God indeed once spake out of the thorny bush but seldom doth truth discover her self in those thickets which the Schoolmen have made The first in order that should be discussed is What remission of sin is Or What is meant when we say God doth forgive sinne But before we can come to that another Doubt must be rouled out of the way and that is What sinne is and what are the proper effects of sinne For a man can never understand what it is to have sinne blotted out or taken away unlesse he be first informed What the nature of sinne is and what effects it hath wrought upon the sinner Of this therefore in the first place And first I shall speak of sinne abstractedly in its own nature Secondly Relatively to the person who sinneth Thirdly The proper effects of it Fourthly The weight or aggravation of every sin Let us begin with the former Sinne in the Scripture hath several names which do in some measure describe the nature of it The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used commonly for sin and it doth in a proper signification wherein it is once used denote an aberration from the mark we shoot at Judg. 20.16 Every one could sling stones at an hairs breadth and not misse and from hence metaphorically is signified the nature of sinne for every mans action is to have an end which end is manifested by the Scripture and when a man reacheth not to this he is said to sinne answerable unto this word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to erre from the scope And another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is going beyond the bounds and limits which are set us Though a learned Critick Dieu doth make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to signifie beyond but by as if it did denote a negligent and carelesse passing by the commands of God Another word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cometh of a word that properly signifieth crookednesse
it is not so in the second Adam Neither do those places Ephes 2.5 6. Colos 2.13 14. prove any more then that in and through him we do obtain such mercies there spoken off and although we are said to sit in heavenly places already yet that is because of the certain right we have thereunto in which sense also he that believeth is said to have eternal life and Christ being the first fruits doth sanctifie the whole lump As for that place 1 Tim. 3. where Christ is said to be justified in the spirit that makes nothing at all to this Justification we speak of For the meaning is That Christ was declared just and absolved from all the reproaches cast upon him by the spirit of God which was done several waies as by the witness exhibited from heaven unto him by the innumerable miracles he wrought In which sense Mat. 11. Wisdom is said to be justified of her children So that Act. 2.22 seemeth to be a full Commentary on this place Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by signs and wonders which God did by him in the midst of you And this is that Justification of himself which Christ speaks of Isa 50.8 It is true the Apostle doth apply that spoken of Christ to every believer Rom. 8. by way of allusion and the rather because Christ being the head of the elect it will be made good of them in time when they do believe otherwise election is not enough to free from present accusation or condemnation unless by faith they be actually in Christ as is to be shewed more at large But this is a digression It is the constant opinion of the Orthodox That a man is not justified or hath his sins pardoned till he doth beleeve I have brought Arguments to prove the point and now addresse my self to remove their Objections The first is brought from Infants who are justified and yet do not beleeve therefore before faith some are justified First The case of Infants is of a peculiar consideration and therefore not to be attended unto in most Questions yea the Scripture pressing the things requisite to salvation as repentance obedience c. cannot be understood of Infants And Suarez argueth against Justification by faith in the general upon this ground Because Infants are justified without it so that the Argument if it proveth any thing would prove a Justification without faith rather then before faith Suppose a man should argue about glorification as the adversary doth about Justification Infants are glorified without fruits meet for repentance Therefore men grown up also may be How absurd would that be Therefore if the conclusion of the Argument were granted viz. Some that do not believe are justified restraining it to Infants the main Question would have no detriment The opponent laieth down this conclusion Reconc of man with God p. 5. That mans actual reconciliation to God requireth previous conditions to be wrought in him by Gods Spirit before he can be reconciled actually to God among which he reckoneth believing as the chief Now I may retort on him thus Infants are actually reconciled to God but Infants do not believe Therefore some are actually reconciled to God that do not believe Secondly The opponent cannot but know that there are Learned men who hold Infants have actual faith and do believe Therefore to them his Argument is of no force It may very well be thought that they have actual sins not such as are in men grown up accompanied with reason and will but those immediate motions of original corruption in them For although original sin be not peccatum actuale yet it is peccatum actuosum if it be not an actual sin yet it is an active sin and therefore may not be thought idle in an Infant Austin lib. 1. Confes c. 2. Vidi ego Zelantem parvulum c. I have observed envy in an Infant when another little childe hath sucked his breast and so they have sinfull anger which made the same Father say Imbecillit as mâ—mbrorum infantilium innocens est non animus infantum There is more innocency in their bodies then in their souls Now if there be actuall motions of sin before the use of reason why not actuall motions of Gods Spirit That it is possible John Baptist makes it without question all the doubt is Whether God doth ordinarily so to Infants Aretius is alledged by some to hold That even repentance may be attributed to Infants out of Joel 2.16 but the command there is That parents should bring their children into the publike humiliation that by the sight of them they may be the more fervently stirred up to pour out their praiers before God Thirdly That which the most solid Divines pitch upon is That Infants have I speak not generally but indefinitely a seed of faith because they have the Spirit of God and regeneration otherwaies they could not be saved and by this seed of faith they become members of Christ and that relation which is in their faith to Christs merits is the instrument by which they obtain remission of sin As for that place Faith cometh by hearing it is to be applyed to the ordinary means of faith and that in persons grown up Neither can I say that an Infant is bound to have actuall faith for happily in the state of integrity Infants then though they had the image of God yet could not have put forth the actuall exercise of graces and if they could not do it in that state it is not to be expected they do so now Fourthly It is not enough for him to prove they are justified before they beleeve but also before they be any way united to Christ Let that union be conceived how it can by us For if a man be justified because he is elected as his third Argument would prove then he is to shew that Infants not only before they beleeve but before they have any union with Christ are justified for the election of Infants must needs go before their union with Christ And howsoever the opponent quoteth Austin saying That which was wrought in John Baptist to be a singular miracle yet Serm. 14. dâ— Verbis Apostoli on those words He that beleeveth not shall be damned makes this question Vbi ponis parvulos baptizatos Where put you little children baptized profectò in numero credentium truly in the number of beleevers His second Argument is to this effect He that is in Christ is justified Now a man is in Christ before he doth beleeve because the tree must be good before the fruit can be Therefore a man must be justified before he do beleeve In answering this Argument many things are considerable First It must be acknowledged a very hard task to set down the true order of the benefits bestowed upon us by God The assigning of the priority and posteriority of them is very various according to the severall judgements of men interessed in