16. the free gift is of many offences to be the same with free pardon of many offences else he must say that this free pardon goeth before justification consequently is not justification it self as he saith else where for the text saith that the free gift is of many offences unto justification as judgment or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was antecedent to condemnation 4. So then the true meaning is that the free gift of Righteousness hath respect unto many sinnes to the end that justification pardon that followeth thereupon might be full whileas the guilt that was imputed to Adam's posterity had respect only to his first breach of the Covenant for which all were made obnoxious to condemnation Lastly He saith It is but loose and unsavoury argueing to reason from a thing simply done to a determinat manner of doing of it so is it to reason from being made Righteous to a being made Righteous by Imputation Ans. The particular manner or way how we are made Righteous is aboundantly signified by our being made constitute Righteous by the Righteousness of another who was our Head Representative Surety that because it can be imagined to be no other way than by Imputation And Further the whole discurse of the Apostle here particularly the comparison so much here insisted upon putteth the matter beyond all debate As Adam's sin was imputed to his posterity whereby all were accounted sinners dealt with as such even as guilty by reason of Adam's act of sin So Christ's Righteousness becometh ours by Imputation we are made Righteous accounted such dealt with as such upon the account thereof No man can imagine how one shall be accounted guilty punished as guilty of a sinful act done by another unless the guilt of that sinful act be imputed to him so no man can imagine how one can be accounted Righteous dealt with as such upon the account of the Righteousness of another if that Righteousness of the other be not imputed to him And beside This is called a gift a free gift a free gift of Righteousness a free gift of Righteousness received which fully pointe forth this Imputation which we contend for Fiftly Rom. 8 3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us The Law could not help a sinner from under the Curse nor unto the recompence of reward because it was weak through the flesh through the sin corruption of man whereby he could not give right and full obedience thereunto And therefore God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh who by His obedience suffering in His state of humiliation took away the sting of death the strength of sin by satisfying all the demandes of the Law the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the jus right of the Law which consisted in yeelding full perfect obedience in making full Satisfaction for the violation committed for the Law said cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written therein to do them Deut. 27 26. Gal. 3 13. And the Righteousness which is of the Law is that the man who doth these things shall live by them And this was so ordered that the Righteousness of the Law the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law the jus and demand of the Law mentioned might be fulfilled in us that is in our Nature by the Redeemer Surety who did suffered all this in for His own The Ethiopik Version is a clear commentary and when we were impotent to do the commands of the Law God sent His own Son for that sin who took on our body of sin condemned sin it self in our body that he might justifie us be propitious unto us and that so he might fulfill the work of the commands of the Law for them who walk in the Law of the holy Spirit Let us now see what John Goodwine excepteth p. 145. c. He saith 1. Some understand this rather of Sanctification than of justification by the fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law that Evangelical obedience to the precepts thereof which all those that truely beleeve in Christ do in part performe and desire and strive to performe more perfectly Ans. Gospel justification Gospel-Sanctification agree well together and Christ is the true foundation cause of both But that this is to be understood rather of justification appeareth hence 1. That this is a further explication confirmation of what was said vers 1. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus 2. all that measure of Sanctification which the Saints through Grace attaine unto here cannot be called a fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law the Lawes demands are not thereby satisfied for it calleth for perfect obedience which none of the Sanctified can give 3. If this were understood of Sanctification why are these words added who walk not after the flesh bue after the Spirit 2. He said By the Righteousness of the Law which is here said to be fulfilled in beleevers cannot be meant the Righteousness or active obedience of Christ imputed because it must of necessity be such a Righteousness and such a fulfilling as may be apprehended as a proper and sutable effect of Christ's condemning sin in the flesh as the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declareth But it is unpessible that the active obedience of Christ or the imputation of it should be any proper effect of condemning sin in the flesh that is of the abolishing or taking away the guilt or the accusing and condemning power of sin for when the guilt of sin is purged away there needeth no other Righteousness nor Imputation of Righteousness for justification Ans. 1. Christ's obedience Suffering need not be distinguished both being done in His state of humiliation and belonging-thereto both being necessary to answere the demand of the Law which we did lye under Christ performed both to the end the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or jus right of the Law might be fulâ—illed in us and for us by this Surety And before guilt be purged away we must have both imputed to us for justification by saith must not make the Law void but rather establish it 2. Neither is this vers 4. to be looked on as holding forth the end of that which did immediatly preceed in the end of vers 3. or of Christ's condemning sin in the flesh but rather as a further end of God's sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh or as a comprehensive end of all that was mentioned before 3. He saith That clause in them still notes either a subjective inhesion of some things in persons or else some kind of Efficiency But the Righteousness
Ordinance both as leading thereunto as receiving strength thereby for what ever real beginnings the Lord may work so they have this effect to commend the word more unto these persons in special the publick Administration thereof by his Authorized Ambassadours so that whatever saving work be wrought as it is not altogether without the word some way or other made known so it tendeth to the further usmaking of the word publickly administred where it may be had as Saul when under that terrible work of God Act. 9. was directed to go to Ananias in Damascus to understand what he should do Cornelius was ordered Act. 10. to send for Peter to get instruction in the wayes of God And whatever work of Light Conviction or Terrour be wrought upon any occasion that is attended with a contrary effect is to be suspected as not of God nor saving How dreadful then their Condition is who have not the word but are without the pale of the Church where this word is preached their condition also who though living within the Church have this word as a sealed book needeth not be said 5. The condition of soul unto which the Man is brought by the Spirit accompanying the Administration of the word in order to his actual beleeving is considerable here for thereby we will be helped to understand better the Nature and Actings of Faith whereby only as a mean reliefe is brought unto the soul and to know what that reliefe is and wherein it lyeth that the distessed man is pursueing after seeking with earnesness In order to which we would know 1 That the Spirit by the Word beareth home Convictions of Sin and Misery discovereth to the man how he standeth guilty of the breach of the Law of God so chargeth sin home upon him both Original and Actual thereby fixeth guilt upon the Conscience shewing how he hath forfeited all Right to blessedness life how moreover he is under the Curse threatned to the breakers of the Law and hath the wrath malediction of God hanging over him He is made to see the sins he never saw before both of Omission Commission the sad Consequences thereof to wit how he is obnoxious to the penalty the insupporrable wrath of the living God Thus the Spirit convinceth of sin Ioh. 16 8 9. thus he openeth their eyes turneth them from darkness to light in so far Act. 26 18. thus the secrets of the heart are made manifest 1. Cor. 14 24 25. and they become lost in themselves like a lost sheep the lost piece of mency the lost son Luk. 15 6 9 24. and like one of those whom Christ came to seek to save Mat. 18 11. Luk. 19 10. These are the sinners mentioned Mal. 9 13. that is such as are now brought by the work of the Spirit to see feel their sinful condition to know that they are sinners and that they are in a lost condition 2 There is a discovery made of their Inability to relieve help themselves out of this woful condition of sin miserie They are made to see that nothing in them or in any other creature can make satisfaction unto the justice of God thereby redeem them from the Curse of the Law and from the wrath of God that is lying upon them the sense apprehension whereof doth now presse pinch them sore Which maketh them cry out with these pricked in their hearts Act. 2 37 16 30. What shall we do to be saved They see they cannot keep the Law though they could it would not availe as a Compensation Satisfaction to the Justice of God for the by gone innumerable Transgressions whereof they stand guilty Whereby we see that the troubled wakened soul in this case is brought to a desparing in himself He is under the sentence and he seeth nothing under heaven that can command Peace to his soul nothing within him nor without him beside God that can bring him out of this Prison relieve him from this dreadful sentence under which he is lying as a condemned Malefactor And we see what is properly the reliefe that he would be at and that he only desireth to wit To be freed delivered from the sentence of the Law and from the curse of God to be brought into a state of Favour Reconciliation with God that his sins may be pardoned he may be accepted of God as Righteous so brought into a State of Peace Salvation This is the plaister that his soul is longing for this is the only remedie that can relieve him this is the only good that he can be satisfied with all the Pleasures Honours Rihes of the world will bring no reliefe or ease to his distressed soul And when he findeth thaâ— this is not to be found in himself nor in any other Creature he must look for it elsewhere And thefore 3 When the Spirit of the Lord is carrying on this work he by the preaching of the Gospel convinceth the man of the reality truth thereof discovereth the Suitablness Fulness Satisfactoriness Glory Excellency of the remedie that is hold forth in that Gospel that hath brought life immortality to Light even in the Gospel of the grace of God wherein is revealed what Christ God-man hath done suffered to satisfie the justice of God therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith There he seeth that the Father is well pleased with him with the Sacrifie which he offered up for sins Whence the poor wakened sinner seeth that his case is not utterly desperate that there is hope for him through Jesus or at least that it is possible he may be saved from the wrath to come a may be of reliefe is a great reliefe And he seeth that if that Righteousness Satisfaction of Christ were made over to him or he interessed therein he were well for that would sufficiently guarde him from the wrath of God and secure him as to future blessedness Thus the Spirit by the word revealeth the Gospel of Salvation to the end the wakened sinner may see his reliefe there betake himself to the only reliefe that is held forth there 6. Hence we see that while the wakened sinner is in this condition his maine only work will be how he may be interessed in that al sufficient Redemption Purchase of Christ to the end he may be partaker of the Benâ—fites that flow there from and so be freed from the state of Sin Wrath Enmity wherein he is now â— plunged And when the Gospel calleth for Faith in order to this he findeth that it is not in his power to Beleeve but that it is the pure gift of God who must give the new heart the heart of flesh must regenerat beget him of new so create a new Principle of grace in his soul to
ever accuse a Beleever of not being a beleever as for Satans or others accusations of this kind a well informed conscience from the light of the word of the Spirit clearing up the work of faith in the soul the true real works of a lively faith will be sufficient to quiet the beleever stop the mouth of all these Accusers without the fiction of a new distinct Justification whereof the Scripture is silent But Mr. Baxter in his last reply to Mr. Cartwright explaineth the matter far otherwayes telling us pag. 46. and forward That the first justification is by God as Rector only by the pure Law of works as Creator the other by God in Christ as Redeemer Rector of the Redeemed world The first is conditionally past upon the whole condemned world that without any condition in man whether faith or works so it is both absolute conditional In the first the Father first condemned his Son as it were see pag. 52. after satisfaction given justified first him as Sponsor then the world for his sake thus God forgave those all the debt who yet perish by taking their fellow servant by the throat Here is a justification both absolute conditional Here is pardon no pardon Here is a justification of all the Reprobat Here is a justification of persons not in being prior to without all faith This therefore is not the justification whereof the Scriptures speak as himself proveth in his Confession CHAP. XX. The state of justification remaineth notwithstanding of after sinnes punishments FOr further clearing up of this life of Justification as to its Continuance we shall remove two objections that may seem to stand in the way of the truth hitherto cleared For it would seem that Justification is not such a continueing uninterruptible state as it was said to be upon this double account first That the sinnes which Beleevers who are justified do commit especially such as are of a more hainous crying Nature do break off this state of favoure reconciliation seing they deserve even the least of them God's wrath curse so expose the sinner unto the just revenges of God which seemeth not to be consistent with a state of Justification And then secondly as their sinnes deserve God's curse wrath so the many sharp sore afflictions which they are made to lye under both are effects of the wrath of God fruites of the Curse also would say that that state is such as can be broken off or at least is not perfect as it was said to be Now for clearing of the truth formerly asserted vindicating of the same from these two Objections to which all others may be reduced we shall propose some few things to consideration 1. None will say that every sin of infirmity weakness which beleevers commit doth or can cut them off from the state of justification for then they should never remaine one day to end in that state for no man liveth that sinneth not the Righteous fall seven times a day if the Lord should stricklymark iniquity no man should stand even the best of their actions are defiled with sin and they cannot answere for one of a thousand So that either it must be said there is no state of justification or that it is consistent with sin in the justified Justification though it take away all the guilt of by paft sins and free the beleever from that obnoxiousness to the wrath curse of God which they were formerly under yet it preventeth not all future sinnes not doth it put the beleever into a perfect sinless state nay nor doth it kill any one sin as to its being but only taketh away the guilt offensiveness the obligation to punishment or the reatus poenae whereby the sinner is bound over unto the Penalty 2. As for such sins as we may suppose if committed would ipso facto as they say forfeit the transgressour of the state of Justification destroy all interest in Christ in the Covenant of grace so transferre them into their former state of Nature while they were under the Curse as being sins inconsistent with a state of Grace Reconciliation with God such as the sin against the Holy Ghost or of full final Apolstasie as for such sins I say the faithfulness of God Mediation of Christ the Operation of the Spirit of Grace are as it were engadged to keep the Iustified from falling into them as all the Arguments proving the perseverance of the Saints do abundantly evince 3. Though every sin being a transgression of the Law of God which still remaineth in force to oblige the beleever as all others unto obedience in all points doth in its own nature deserve God's wrath curse according to the threatning penalty of the Law yet these sins do not annul the state of justification nor interupt it 1 because notwithstanding thereof all their former sins of which they were pardoned remaine pardoned do not bring them againe under the curse their Right to the Inheritance remaineth fiâ—me through Jesus Christ. 2 Because all these after sins were virtually pardoned their obligation to the suffering of the penalty upon the account of these virtually removed in their Iustification for therein was there a legal security laid down given that all future sins should not actually bring them under the curse or into the state of condemnation this is much more than what was before their actual closing with Christ being thereby brought into an estate of justification for though it may be said there was sufficient security laid-in in the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Iehovah the Mediator concerning the Non-perishing of the Elect Yet this security was hid under ground lying in the unchangable purposes of God in the Fathers Election of them giving of them to the Son to be redeemed in the Son 's undertaking for them in due time becoming sin a curse for them so taking on their debt making full compleet satisfaction therefore And this fundamental remote Right as it may be called could not be pleaded by themselves But after they have closed with Christ and are brought into a state of justification their Right appeareth above ground and the security is laid open in the Covenant of Grace whereby they are in case to plead their virtual pardon to be made actual the promises to be made good according to the Gospel termes after the Gospel-method And thus 3. Not only doth the law's threatnings speak to them as shewing what de jure only they may look upon us due unto them not declaring what shall eventually befall them or that eventually they shall fall under the eternal curse for in a sense that is true even of all the elect not yet justified as was said but they have a legal ground Right in the
the torment of an accusing conscience for rejecting offending God for casting away our own felicity running into hell c. the sense of God's hatred of us as real sinners Ans. All this is granted but these belonged only to the punishment as inflicted on the sinner transgressour himself but did not belong to its essence substance abstractly confidered so could not accompany the same as inflicted upon one who was in himself wholly free of all sin And this is yet more manifest in that which he mentioneth 5. Saying much less the Desertions of the Spirit of holiness to be left without goodness in a state of sin to hate God for his justice holiness which will be the damneds case for these did not belong to the essence substance of the punishment threatned in the Law but were only consequents thereof as inflicted on sinners inherently We do not say that Christ suffered what the damned do suffer or that he was in the damneds case Thus though we make them not of the same kind with all that the damned do suffer Yet without any blind zeal as he is pleased to censure we may say that Christ suffered the same curse death that was threatned in the Law properly as a punishments as to substance and yet no way be guilty of intollerable blaspheming of our Saviour The same answer may serve to that which he saith n. 50. Nor could Christ's sufferings be equal in degree intensively extensivly to all that was deserved by the world as is easily discernable by perusing what is now said seing our deserved suffering lay in things of such a nature as to be left in sin itself destitute of God's image love communion under his hatred tormented in conscience besides the ever-lasting torments in hell which are more than these upon all the millions of sinners which were redeemed This is already answered it is not demonstrated that all these consequents concomitants of the punishment as inflicted on such as were sinners inherently did properly belong to the essence substance of the punishment threatned in itself considered And of this we only speak for as to this we only say that Christ suffered the same If two men be condemned to pay each a thousand pounds which none of them are well able to do a rich man undertaketh to pay the summe for one of the two that rich man may well be said to have payed the same summe that the poor man was obliged to pay though his paying of that summe be not attended with such consequents circumstances as it would have been if the poor man himself had been put to pay it or as the other poor man findeth it who is made to pay it in the poor man it is necessarily attended with poverty to himself all his family possibly he all his must be sold for slaves to make up the summe but the rich man can pay it without any such concomitants or consequents yet be said to have payed the same summe It is to be observed that Papists some others use all these same arguments to prove that Christ did not suffer any thing of the penalty of sin in his soul as may be particularly seen in Parker de descensu lib. 3. But Mr. Baxter granteth n. 51. that Christ did suffer more in soul than in body And yet what answers are made by Parker other reformed divines in this matter against Papist's may also serve our turn against Mr. Baxter others Socinians also as may be seen in Smalciâ— Refut lib. de Satisf Christ Chap. 6. 7. upon these same grounds deny that Christ's sufferings were a proper satisfaction he thereby not paying the Idem the same that man should have suffered And Socinus Prael Theol. Cap. 18. fol. 205. saith in plaine termes That Christ did no way satishe the justice of God by his sufferings unless it be said that he suffered the same things which we should have suffered because of our sins Therefore there is a necessity to hold that Christ suffered the same for substance that the Elect were liable to suffer that it may the more clearly appear that his sufferings were indeed a Satisfaction But Mr. Baxter tels us in the same book n. 149. that Solution of the debt satisfaction strickly taken thus differ that Satisfaction is solutio tantidem vel aequivalentis alias indebiti And if Christ be said to have paid the very same duty punishment which the Law required he is denied to have satisfied for our non-payment for a Law that is fully performed can require no more nor the Law-giver neither And therefore both Satisfaction Pardon are shut out Ans. Thus we seem to be hardly straitned for if we say that Christ paid the Idem the Same Mr. Baxter thinketh we destroy thereby all Satisfiction all Pardon and so yeeld the cause to the Socinians If upon the other hand we say that Christ did not suffer the Idem we yeeld the cause unto the Socinians and deny all Satisfaction in tâ—er judgment and their consequence seemeth to be as rational as Mr. Baxter's But truth may be affirmed without all hazard And to make such a difference betwixt Solution Satisfaction is to play needlesly upon words at length will but recurre unto this Sialius solvit aliud solvitur and so by saying that Christ's Satisfaction was also a solutio ejusdem we shall deny both Satisfaction Pardon or by calling it so But as was said above it is not fit to lay so much weight upon the simple use of a terme or word and sure it is most unfit for Mr. Baxter to do so who on all occasions venteth his displeasure so much against others who lay so much weight on meet termes of art or words But as to the thing sure the creditor will think himself satisfied when the same summe which was oweing by one is payed by another for the debitor that in the same species of Silver or of Gold And if that hold that sialius solvit aliud solvitur Mr. Baxter may see that if another pay his payment may become a Satisfaction because it is so far aliud another thing though really upon the matter it be the same And here lieth the truth that we assert Christ paid the very same suffering that we were obliged to pay but he being another and not the persons guilty themselves his sufferings were not only a solutio debiti a payment of our debt but also as being performed by him they were a Satisfaction to justice and so much the rather a compleet Satisfaction that they were the same sufferings we were liable to not strickly equivalent And this appeareth to me the more clear from what Mr. Baxter said before n. 5â— 53. where he hath these words The true reason of the Satisfactorieness of Christ's suffering was that they were a most apt meanes for the
decretis Publicis Politicis Ecclesiasticis fuit sancita roborata Sic ergò habent Articuli quos in Anglicum Sermonem versos exhibemus X. Of Free-will This is the condition of man after Adams fall that by his own Power and good works he cannot convert and prepare himself to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore without the grace of God which is by Christ preventing us that we may will and to operating while we will for doeing works of Pietie which are acceptable and well pleasing to God we can doe nothing XI Of Mans Justification Wee are only reputed Righteous before God for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ by Faith not for our works and merits For which cause the Doctrine of our being Iustified by Faith alone is most wholsome and full of consolation as it is explained in the Homilie about mans Iustification at more length XII Of Good Works Good works which are the fruits of Faith and follow the Iustified although they cannot expiat our sins or endure the severity of Divine Iustice Yet they are pleasing and accepted by God in Christ and necessarily flow from a true and lively Faith So that plainly by them a vive faith can be known as a tree can be judged by it's fruit XIII Of works before Justification Works which are done before the Grace of Christ and the influence of his Spirit since they do not proceed from the Faith of Iesus Christ are not at all acceptable to God neither doe they merit the grace which many call congruous Yea because they are not done according to Gods will and command we doubt not but they have the nature of sin XVII Of Predestination and Election Predestination to life is the eternal purpose of God whereby He before the setling of the foundations of the world by his Counsel hid indeed as to us Immutably decreed those whom he had chosen in Christ out of mankind should be delivered from the curse and destruction and as vessels made to honour brought to eternal Salvation by Christ. Hence those who are gifted with this notable favour of God are called in due time according to his purpose His own Spirit working they obey by Graces call are Iustified freely are Adopted to be the sons of God and made consorme to the Image of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ they walk holily in good works and in end by the mercy of God they come to eternal happiness As the pious consideration of our Predestination and Election in Christ is sweet pleasant and full of ineffable consolation to the truely Godly and to those who find in themselves the efficacie of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the deeds of the flesh and members which yet are upon the earth and by force drawing the mind to things above both because it does much establish and confirme our Faith of obtaining eternal Salvation as also because it vehemently kindles our love toward our good So it is a very destructive precipice to curious and carnal men and who are destitute of the Spirit of Christ to have alwayes the sentence of Gods Predestination proposed to their view whereby the Devil either presses them to despair or into equally pernicious security of a most impure life Thereafter the Divine Promises most be so imbraced as they are generally proposed to us in the holy Scriptures and the will of God which we have expresly revealed in Gods word is to be followed by us in our actions Atque hi quidem sunt Ecclesiae Anglicanae de Gratia Iustificatione Articuli convenientes utique cum aliarum Ecclesiarum praesertim Ecclesiae Scoticanae doctrina â—ti ex hujus Confessione Art III. VIII XII XIII manifestum est THE LIFE OF JUSTIFICATION Through faith cleared from Gal. 3 11. For the Iust shall live by faith CHAPT I. The Introduction the text the ground of this following discourse opened-up THe Doctrine of Iustification cannot but be acknowledged by all whose thoughts are taken up about an interest in everlasting felicity to be of great concernment debates or Controversies about the same cannot be esteemed vaine fruitless Digladiations Disputes about a thing of naught seing in this lyeth the Ground of all our Hop peace Eternal Salvation a Mistake or Errour as to the Theorie in this matter followed with an answerable corresponding practice I meane as to what toucheth the heart Substance of this Divine Mystery may yea must of necessity prove not only dangerous to Souls but even inevitably destructive Wherefore it cannot be justly accounted blame worthy that Churches particular persons who woule be faithful so accounted unto the grand-interests of Souls contend with alle earnestness for the faith once delivered to the Saints in this particular this being the true Basis of all Religion of Christianity without which there can be no access to nor Communion with God No peace with God nor true peace in owr own Consciences no life of Comfort here nor true hope of Salvation for ever here after No change of State nor saving change of liâ—e conversation in a word no life of Grace here nor of Glory hereafter And what then must follow upon the corrupting of this Truth upon Erroneous Apprehensions practices herein is aboundantly obvious to all such as have not sinned away all sense consideration in these matters Wherefore it is no wonder that Satan hath in all ages laboured by one Instrument or other upon one occasion or other and under one pretext or other to corrupt the pure streames of this wholesome Fountaine of Truth in one Measure or other in one particular or other that by such Mediums Arguments as he knew would be most taking seem most plausible at these Several times upon these Several occasions What way how far the corruption of this Truth was advanced in the Antichristian Church is yet known what ground their errour in this gave un to such as began to be enlightened in the knowledge of the Truth to separate from them to appear against them is manifest and what Effaies the Devil made about the beginning of Reformation or shortly after to darken this Truth by Questions Disputes even among such as hold the Truth fast as to the maine and what since by Several New Opinions or new Modes and Methods as they were called and given out to be vented and improven by Several Artifices to seeming different Ends he hath effectuated to the hardening of some in their Misapprehensions to the Corrupting of the Hearts Mindes of others and also the Staggering and Shaking of not a few may be called to minde with grief and sorrow Not to mention the bold attempt made by Socinians to overturne the whole Grounds of Christian Religion and to take away at once all the pillars of Gospel-justification The devil began early in the breaking up of the clear day of Christianity to darken this
Heaven They are no more Strangers and Forreigners but fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2 19. 3 Being by Adoption Children they are heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8 17. Gal. 4 7. They are now begotten to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them 1. Pet. 1 4. Hence they are heirs of Salvation Heb. 1 14. Being Abrahams seed they are heirs according to the promise Gal. 3 29. these promises they do inherite Heb. 6. 12. What a life hath the Son and heire of a great King when he may look upon the many great Dominions Kingdomes of his Father as his own But what a greater life is it when a poor sinner that is now adopted through faith may look thorow all the great and precious promises contained in the Book of God and say all these are mine and may look up to Heaven to that glory which eye hath never seen nor ear heard nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive say all that is mine through Jesus Christ I am served heire thereunto have the begun possion thereof in mine Head Elder Brother Jesus Christ 4. Being adopted they have the earnest of the Spirit sealing them to the day of Redemption for in Christ they have obtained an inheritance are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes. 1 11 13 14. 4 30. And who can express what a life this is 5 Being adopted they have free access to the throne of Grace with boldness God being their Father the door standeth open they may approach with liberty freedom filial Boldness for through Christ they have an access by the Spirit unto the Father Ephes. 2 18. And in Him they have boldness access with Confidence by the faith of Him Ephes. 3 12. They may now come boldly unto the throne of Grace that they may obtaine mercy finde grace for help in time of need Heb. 4 16. By Him they have access by faith into the grace wherein they stand Rom. 5 2. And here certainely is a life the riches of the joy Comfort whereof cannot be expressed 6 Being adopted they receive the Spirit of adoption whereby they are delivered from that Spirit of Bondage under which they were formerly are now Principled Spirited â—mboldened to cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15 That slavish fear under which they some time were is away they have now the reverential fear of Children which doth not hinder but encourage them to approach with freedom Enlargment of Spirit now they have the Spirit of prayer Supplication whereby they can call on God as their Father in Christ because they are Sones God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into there hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4 6. What a resurrection from Death unto life is this to have heart tongue loosed to be in case to speak unto the Father in the language of the Spirit through Jesus Christ 7. Being adopted they have a right to all the Privileges of the Sones of God are under the Fatherly Care Inspection Provision Protection Leading Teaching Chastisement of their kind God Father Psal. 103 13 Prov. 3 11 12. 14 26. Mat. 6 30 32. 1 Pet. 5 7. Heb. 12 6. And o what a bundle of Mercies of life is here The beleever may welcome all the Dispensations of God receive them as out of the hand of a tender-hearted Father say Thus thus doth my Father unto me this is the hand working of a Father about me This how sharpe so ever it seem to be yet is the effect of tender love floweth from the heart bowels of a kinde compassionat Father to me 6. Their justification saith They are translated out of nature delivered from that death under which they did lye formerly unable to performe any even the least vital act of life for before justification they are united unto Christ by faith life is begun in their soul the seed of life is beginning to bud in them to bring forth fruit when they are enabled to beleeve to act faith upon to receive Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel The spiritual life is in them is working when it moveth them Christ-ward powerfully draweth inclineth their Soul to close with Christ. This faith is the work of the Spirit of God alone It is not of our selves but the gift of God Ephes. 2 8. This beleeving is according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes. 1 19 20. Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of faith which all beleevers have 2 Cor. 4 13. for now in order to the effectual producing of this grace of faith in the Soul their mindes are enlightened to understand Spiritually Savingly the things of God Act. 26 18. For God revealeth them unto them by His Spirit who only knoweth the things of God which Spirit they have received that they might know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2 10 11 12. Now they have received the Spirit of Wisdom Revelation in the knowledge of Him the eyes of their understandings being enlightened Ephes. 1 17 18. And as their mindes are changed so is their heart for the heart of stone is taken away the heart of flesh is given according as was promised Ezek. 36 26. their wills are renewed inclined unto good They have gotten the one heart the New Spirit Ezek. 11 19. The Lord hath wrought in them both to will to do Phil. 2 13. Their heart is circumcised to love the Lord according as was promised Deut. 30 6. And the Lord hath put His Spirit in them Ezek. 26 27. thereby hath drawn them unto Christ Ioh. 6 44 45. all which saith that the life of God of Grace is begun in their souls the Spirit of life hath taken possession of them abideth there worketh These things cleare how justly the justified soul may be said to live in what respects the justified state is a real state of life CHAP. VI. What mysteries are in Justification WHat was said in the foregoing Chapter may by way of use First discover unto us that Kindness and Love of God our Saviour that hath appeared unto men whereof the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3 4. For this is one remarkable Instance thereof and calleth for Admiration and praise from us upon that account O! what Tenderness Love and Pity appeareth here And what a wonderful Grace is this that is here manifested what condescension of Love and free Grace is clearly legible in this business And how clear and distinct will all this appear to a self condemned sinner arraigned
of Christ is Subjectively and inherently in Himself only nor are we the workers of this righteousness Ans. Though the Righteousness of Christ be subjected in Him only wrought by Him alone yet the same being imputed unto Beleevers the Righteousness of the Law may be said to be fulfilled in them because by faith they are in Christ Christ is in them and in them is as much as for them or upon them or on their account as this same person hereafter granteth in a like case so it is accepted of God for all ends as if it were performed by them so it is fulfilled in our nature for for this end He came in the likeness of sinful flesh 3. He saith If by Righteousness of the Law we understand that entire obedience which every beleever according to the great variety of their several conditions callings relations stand bound to performe it cannot be said to be fulfilled in them by the imputation of Christ's righteousness for every beleever is bound to many moe particular acts than can be found in all that golden Catalogue of works of Righteousness performed by Christ. Ans. If the works of Righteousness performed by Christ shall not be a compleat Righteousness that can Satisfie the demandes of the Law where shall beleevers get a compleet Righteousness Shall their poor imperfect obedience wherewith themselves are not satisfied but complaine much of and mourne for be a more perfect compleat fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law than was the perfect obedience of Christ with which the Father was well pleased Or shall the single weak act of their Faith as this Author saith be a more entire fulfilling of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law than the Catalogue of the works of Righteousness performed by Christ What probable ground is there for this imagination 2. Christ's obedience was perfect the Law-giver was satisfied there with accepted of it in the behalfe of all the chosen ones all their defects sinnes in their various conditions callings Relations were done away by the Satisfaction made by Christ so that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law was perfectly fulfilled in their behalf this being imputed unto them received by faith no more is requisite unto a stateing of them into a state of pardon right to glory 5. He saith The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not obedience to or conformity with the Law but rather that justification which was the end and intent of the Law or rather that jus or right or Law as it were of the Law Ans. But all this will not weaken our Argument for that right jus or demand of the Law was as to us now sinners both Satisfaction for transgressions committed and full and compleat obedience till both were done performed there could be no justification of sinners and so this rather establisheth than hurteth the doctrine of Imputation whatever he may imagine 6. He saith By the word Law cannot necessarily be understood the Moral Law for 1. The weakness of the Law extends also to the judicial and Ceremonial 2. The jewes to whom he specially addresseth himself in all this disputatiâ—n built as much on the observation of the Ceremonial Law 3. The Moral Law though perfectly observed could not have justified all men at least not the jewes who were obliged to the observation of other Lawes 4. The Imputation of the observation of the Moral Law would not have served for the justification of the jewes who were under the transgression of other Lawes Ans. It wiâ—â— satisfie us if by the Law here be understood that universal Rule of Righteousness which God prescribed unto men that certainely is the Moral Law whereof as to the jewes the Ceremonial judicial were a part or were reduced unto particularly the Ceremonial Law being God's instituted worship they were obliged to observe it by vertue of the Second command And thus both the Exception all the Reasons confirming it evanish for 1. we take not the Law here so narrowly as to exclude the other lawes which God gave to the jewes seing they are all reduced there unto comprehended thereunder 2. Paul is here mainly writting for Information of the Gentiles the Church of Rome though there might be some jewes among them what he saith may be also for their use yet this will not prove that by the Law he understandeth any other than that perfect rule of Righteousness which God gave unto them comprehending these other Lawes as appendices thereof 3. The Moral Law thus taken if observed could have justified even jewes if we suppose they had not been born sinners 4. Christ having fulfilled all Righteousness His Righteousness was an observation of this Universal Law therefore the Imputation thereof can serve for the justification both of jewes Gentiles Lastly He saith The clear meaning of the place seemeth to be this That that justification or way of making men Righteous which the writings of Moses prophefied of long since to wit by faith in the Messiah might be accomplished made good and fully manifested in us or upon us viz in our justification who by an eminency of holiness in our lives above the straine and pitch of men under the Law give testimony unto the world that the Messiah the great justifier is indeed come into the world and having suffered for sin and overcome death hath poured out the Spirit of Grace aboundantly upon those that beleeve Ans. 1. To take the Law here for the meer writtings of Moses then to Interpret the fulfilling thereof as is here done is to exclude the witnessing of the Prophets which Paul expresly mentioneth Rom. 3 21. 2. What could this contribute to prove that there was now no condemnation to such as were in Christ Jesus among the Gentiles 3. How can this be a proof of what was said vers 3. foregoing 4. How can this be the end of Christ's condemning sin in the flesh as himself said it was Except 2 5. He told us before that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did properly Signifie jus right or Law of the Law now I pray what is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this jus right of Moses's writtings And how is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oâ— Righteousness fulfilled 6. What then can be meant by the weakness of Moses's writtings or how could they be said to be weak through the flesh 7. And how could God be said by this Interpretation to send His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh because Moses's writtings were weak through the flesh 8. I see then in us may import the same that upon us importeth though it was excepted against formerly as we heard 9. It seemeth by this Interpretation that there was no Eminency of holiness or walking after the Spirit among those who were under the Law which is utterly false 10. Christ by His coming did not only fulfill Moses's writtings
the Union which beleevers have with Christ is the ground or their communion with Him in all things which He was made or God to be for them which their necessity called for among which His whole Surety-righteousness doth challenge a chiefe pâ—ace Nor would I argue from the Union communion in general but from such a particular Union and communion as is darkly shadowed forth unto us in the Scriptures by such and such similitudes such as the Union betwixt Man and Wife who are one flesh as Christ and Beleevers are one Spirit as the Union betwixt the principal debtor and the Cautioner and betwixt the publick Head and Representative and the Members represented as betwixt the Redeemer and the Redeemed and the like And to argue from such an Union for such a peculiar end to such a communion as we here plead for may stand against all his Exceptions pag. 195. c. Which are these following Except 1. The Major wants truth because a true and real communion with Christ may stand without His active obedience being made theirs by Imputation There is a real Union and communion between the head and the feet in the same Natural body yet is not the braine or the proper functions operations of the head made the braine or functions of the feet So between the Husband and the Wife yet is not the holiness strength and Wisdom of the Husband made over to the Wife by Imputation And. Similitudes go not alwayes upon foure â—eet and as these Similitudes come short of expressing the Union and Communion that is betwixt Christ and Beleevers so they are not apposâ—â—ely here applied for neither is the end of the Union and Communion between the Head and the Feet that the braines and operations of the Head should be communicate to the feet but that the head should use its proper operations functions for the good of the feet nor do the feet stand in need of any other thing from the head And thus also is it in the other Similitude as to the particulars Instanced yet in other particulars this last Similitude will come neerer to our business for though the Husbands Wisdom Holiness or Strength which are not communicable be not imputable to the Wife yet his Honour Riches can be are imputed or communicated for though before the Mariage the Woman was in a base condition yet being matched with on honorable person she partaketh of his honour and being before the marriage a person in debt her Husbands riches are so imputed to her that she may be is made thereby solvendo and freed from her Creditors pursuit and her Husband and she becometh one person in law he becometh chargable with her debt obliged to pay it So that as there is an Imputation or a real devolving by law of the debt of the Wife upon the Husband so his making payment Satisfaction for the same is by law accounted hers she is thereupon freed from all charge trouble from her creditours Except 2. The Major wanteth reason for there is no coloure of truth in it that that Union and Communion which beleevers have with Christ should of necessity draw after it the Imputation of His active obedience so that this obedience of His should become their formal Righteousness more than the Imputation of His Wisdom Power and Glory Ans. 1 If by formal righteousness he understand with Papists inherent holiness or righteousness it is nothing to the purpose for we assert no such Imputation 2 That the whole of Christs Surety-righteousness be so imputed to beleevers as that it becometh theirs so that they meerly upon the account thereof and clothed therewith may be and are repute and held to be persons just in the account of God so be justified in His sight is the thing we assert and that this doth necessarily flow from Beleevers Union with Him by faith and is a part of the Communion they have with Him and that upon a double account First because He became Surety and undertook their debt so was made under the law and obeyed and Suffered all that it could have demanded of them for this end and purpose that what He thus did suffered as a publick person or Surety might stand for them be accepted on their behalfe Secondly because their case and necessity called for this in order to their justification and Acceptance with God 3 His Wisdom and power are other waves improven and laid forth to their advantage according to the Nature of the thing and necessity Arg. 4. If there be no other principal End Reason or Necessity why Christ should fulfill the law but only that His obedience thereunto might be imputed to us for Righteousness in our Justification then is not the Imputation thereof to be denied But the former is true Ergo c. And sure if Christs obedience to the law was not necessary in respect of Himself it must have been performed upon the account of Beleevers and that principally and mainely for their Justification and Salvation and therefore for this end that it might be imputed unto them Against this pag. 197. c. He Except There are diverse other ends reasons and necessities to be assigned hereof Ans. This is not the maine thing that is here denied nor will all this help our Adversary unless it can be shown that those other Ends which we deny not are prejudicial unto inconsistent with that which we look upon as the chiefe as peculiar to Him as Mediator Surety standing in the room of His people who did mainely stand in need of this Let us now see the particular ends he toucheth 1. One reason saith he might be to procure the greater Authority deeper reverence to the Doctrine which he taught Matt. 7 28. Ans. 1 The Socinians upon the same account deny that His death was any proper Satisfaction for Beleevers and if this be a weak argument in their mouth it cannot be strong in the mouth of our present Opposites 2 This End is but subordinat unto and no way inconsistent with the principal End which we have mentioned 3 Though Christs Miracles had a more direct tendency to procure this Reverence than His Holy life yet neither the one nor the other were peculiar to Him alone for both the Miracles wrought by others such as Prophets and Apostles and their holy life had a tendency to procure Reverence and Beleef to their Doctrine And himself confirmeth this in the following words saying It is a truth of general acknowledgment that the holiness uprightness and unblameableness of the lives of Teachers have a powerful Influence into the consciences of Men to render them more observant awfull in their attention to the things which are taught by them citeing Mat. 2â— 32. Ioh. 5 35. 8 46. 1 Tim. 4 12. 2 Tim. 3 14. 4 We are to consider Christ as Mediator and Surety in what He did as well as
examined by an assise is really changed as to his Law state when cleared by an assise and pronunced not guilty and so absolved as to that whereof he was accused and set at liberty he is now a free man in Law much more is there a great change in a mans Law-state when before he was guilty of death lying bound in fetters keeped unto the day of execution and now getteth a free Remission of all when of a Man of death he is made a free liege as there is a change in a mans state and Relation when he is made an Adopted son so is there a new state wherein the sinner is brought when he is absolved from the sentence of the Law and declared a Righteous man Sanctification Regeneration and Glorification do all of them hold forth a new real State whereinto he is brought who is made partaker thereof so Iustification with Adoption held forth a new relative state which is also real as real is opposed to what is false or imaginary Hence is it that a beleever is justified even while he is sleeping not acting faith as a person remaineth in a married state though not actually consenting unto the match the consent once granted enstateth the person in that new Relation Propos. 2. This new state of Iustification is continueing permanent not in this sense that God reneweth frequently reiterateth the enstating of them into this new relative state but in this sense that once justified alwayes justified they are fixed preserved in that state as Adoption is a permanent state because once adopted alwayes a child of God Hence it is called a grace wherein me stand Rom. 5 2. It is a state of Reconciliation and Peace wherein we stand It is no fluctuating state wherein one may be to day be out of it to morrow and againe brought into it The ground of this sentence is fixed lasting and permanent to wit the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ once clothed therewith never naked or spoiled thereof againe the gifts and calling of God being with out Repentance Rom. 11 29. The foul's union with Christ through faith is lasting and abiding once in Him alwayes in Him once a member of his mystical body married to him as his spouse and alwayes so for he must finally present all such holy without spotâ— or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes. 5 27. Faith whereby the knot is made and the marriage consent is given remaineth as to its root and habite Christ prayeth that it fail not Luk. 22 32. They are keeped by the power of God through faith unto Salvation 1. Pet. 1 5. All the arguments proving Perseverance of the Saints which we cannot here summe-up do confirme this Propos. 3. Hence Iustification is a State that is not Interrupted and broken off and renewed and reiterated againe as it cannot be quite taken away and annulled so neither can it be broken off for a time so as for that time they should be in a non-justified state the marriage once made is not broken the sentence once pronunced is not recalled sinnes once pardoned by God are not laid againe to his charge The Spirit that once spoke peace said Son be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee will not be againe a Spirit of bondage unto fear Rom. 8 15. If Iustification could at any time be thâ—s interrupted Adoption behoved to be interrupted with it and so a childe of God behoved to be for that time a childe of the devil The Scripture speaketh not of any such relapse into the state of Nature Sin And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit of our God 1. Cor. 6 11. once brought out of Nature never reduced into that state againe No more new Iustification than new Adoption once quickened never againe brought into a state of death in trespasses sins Ephes. 2 1 5. for such are then brought into a saife state being quickened together with Christ as Christ being raised from the death dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6 9. so they who are planted with him in the likeness of his Death and Resurrection may alwayes reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ vers 4 5 11. Hence there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8 1. They are not under the Law but under grace Rom. 6 14. And this holdeth true notwithstanding of after-sins for if after-sins remanent sinnes and corruption could break of this relation and make an alteration in this state no man should be said to be one day in a justified state for the best of men falleth seven times a day in sin and no man can say that he is free of sin there being no perfection here there could be no state of Justification consequently no state of Adoption and Reconciliation if after-sins could break of this Relation or Relative State a beleever could not be said to be partaker of any of the privileges attending this state for one day to end New sins indeed call for new Remissions but these new Remissions are fatherly pardons and not such a sentence of absolution as the person had at first when translated out of the Rate of Death into Life for then the person was not a reconciled Son but now he standeth in a state of Reconciliation and Sonshipe his new pardons are the pardons of a Father granted to a Son as we see Psal. 89 30 31 32 33 34. If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they break my statutes keep not my commendements then will I visite their transgression with the rod their iniquity with stripes never the less my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my fatihfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone of my lips So 1 Ioh. 1 8 9. If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 2 1 2. My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins Psal. 103 3 8 9 12 13. Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger plenteous in mercy he will not alwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever as far as the east is from the West so far hath heremoved our transgressions from us like as a Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him So this state remaineth firme and unbroken notwithstanding of the various changes which are in their apprehensions concerning it these may
abstracto i. e. without the receiving subject thereof in concreto i. e. together with the beleever The first which signifieth Remission of sins and Righteousness to Acceptation prepared though not yet conferred upon the Elect he saith hath a being before Faith and so the object is before the act though the ather be after faith But I conceive there is no great necessitie of this for answering of the argument if any should propose it to evince justification before faith and Bellarm. adduceth it not to this end as we saw for I see no ground to assert justification to be the object of justifying faith as if in order to justification we were called to beleeve that we are justified and that our sins are pardoned as was said above And as for this justification considered in the abstract which is said to have a being not only in the Purpose of God but also in the Covenant between the Father the Mediator in the Purchase of Christ not only is it not called justification in Scripture but also in so far as it is the object of faith as all other revealed truthes are it is of the elect in general and not of this or that particular person so that though justifying faith may beleeve that God Purposed Christ Purchased the Covenant of Redemption did expresly containe the justification of the Elect yet it doth not beleeve in order to the mans justification that he in particular so was justified either in the Purpose of God or in the Purchase of Christ or in the Covenant betwixt Iehovah the Mediator nor is this Faith called for because this object is not a revealed truth Yet this same justifying Faith is of that Nature as to produce afterward reflecting acts whereby the man may see his own justification be perswaded of it in truth hence also be perswaded that the Lord Purposed to justifie him in particular that Christ Purchased his justification in particular and that it was an article of the Covenant of Redemption that he in particular should be justified 2. While it is said That the just liveth by faith we see that faith is the way whereby persons come actually to live the life of justification and hence it can not it self be the matter of their life What interest properly faith hath in this affaire must be debated afterward to wit whether it be properly imputed as the matter of our Righteousness or only be to be considered as an Instrument or as a Condition how so 3. We see That this living by Faith proveth that there is no justification by works in the sight of God whence it is manifest that faith here cannot be considered as a work of the Law or as a duty enjoined by the Law or under any such consideration 2 That works have no interest as a cause or condition with Faith in justification 3 That the life of justification as to its continnation is by faith and by faith as opposite to works for the just or the man already justified liveth by faith This being also questioned we will have occasion to speak more to it afterward 4. While it is said the just liveth by faith it is considerable That this faith in its kinde and not in such or such measure is here said to be the meane whereby persons come to live the life of justification So that this true Faith how weak so ever is the only mean of interessing a soul in this privilege of justification This will give occasion to speak of the object of this justifying faith which will help to cleare the nature of it Our larger Catechisme qu. 72. giveth us such a definition or description of justifying faith that may satisfy us as to most of these difficulties The answere is this justifying faith is a saving grace Heb. 10 39. wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit 2 Cor. 4 13. Ephes. 1 17 18 19. word of God Rom. 10 14 17. whereby he being convinced of his sin misery of the disability in himself all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition Act. 2 37. 16 30. Ioh. 16 8 9. Rom. 5 6. Eph. 2 1. Act. 4 12. not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the Gosspel Ephes. 1 13. but receiveth resteth upon Christ and his Righteousness therein hold forth for pardon of sin Ioh. 1 12. Act. 16 31. 10 43. for the accepting and accounting of his person Righteous in the sight of God for salvation Phil. 3 9. Act. 15 11. And this question is none of these particulars wherein Mr. Baxter in his Confess desireth to dissent from the said Catechisme as the next Question is as we shall hear We may hence take notice of these particulars concerning this faith ' whereby it may be known distinguished from what some may mistake for it 1. As to its nature kinde it is saving for all such as have this grace of justifying faith are in the sure way of salvation whatever faith persons may have if they have not this they are not in the sure path of life There is a faith of miracles both Active Passive as we may say that is a faith to do miracles and a faith to receive miracles wrought upon them The first was that which the Apostles had and others who wrought Miracles and is to be understood Mat. 17 20 21. Luk. 17 6. The other is that which some of those had who received miraculous cures as the woman Mal. 9 21 21. and that Man who cried out I beleeve help mine unbeleefe Mark 9 24. and the man of lystra Act. 14 9. and others This in it self considered is not a saving grace Iudas had this faith whereby he cast our devils and had commission to work miracles with the rest Mat. 10 8. Luk. 9 1 6 10. So also the Seventy disciples Luk. 10 9 17 19. And how great a privilege so ever this was yet Christ told them vers 20. that it was a far greater matter and much greater ground of joy to have their names written in heaven whereby he giveth us also to understand that these are distinct different from other and also separable Many saith Christ Mat. 7 22 23. will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name in thy name have cast out devils in thy name have done many wonderful works And then will I professe unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity And it is of this Faith that Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 13 2. though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no charity I am nothing Importing that this Faith may be where there is no saving Christian Love There is an Historiâ—al faith that is a beleeving not only of the histories recorded in the word of God but of the whole Revelation of God's minde there yet only
justified CHAP. XXIX What Interest Repentance hath in our Justification IN reference to the clearing of this Question about the Interest of Repentance in Justification it will not be necessary to speak much of Repentance it self the premitting of a few things will be sufficient unto our purpose The Hebrew word which is rendered repent is of a general signification for it signifieth to return whether from a place or from the distemper of our minds or from our former courses so denoteth a motion or change of the body from one place to another or of the mind from any purpose or of the whole way walk and in special it sometime signifieth a change of the whole man to the better both as to his Mind Resolution and Deportment thus denoteth a mans turning unto God And accordingly we read in the New Testam of the Prodigals coming or returning to himself or to his right mind wits and we heare of Repentance towards God In the N. Testam there are two greek words the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importing such a change as it attended with after care the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying such a change as denoteth after-wit or after thought Some do so difference these two as that they say the last signifieth so to sorrow for what is done as to amend it called by the latines Resipiscere therefore properly is meaned of a good saving Repentance wherein the penitent returneth to his right wits so as to reforme amend what hath been amisse and the other denoteth properly care anxiety solicitude after something done called by the Latines poenitere and this may be used in an evil sense as denoting properly no change of minde or carriage to the better but simply such a trouble anxiety for what is done as maketh them wish it were not done whether the thing done was good or evil But in the New Test. we finde not this difference constantly obsérved for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken both in a good sense for a good Repentance saving Mat. 21 32 29. and for a common Repentance that is not saving Mal 27 3. where mention is made of Iudas repenting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that cometh therefrom import a good saving Repentance except Heb. 12 17. What this word denoteth when used of God either affirmativly or negativly we need not here enquire It is more for our purpose to consider that Repentance may be taken in a threefold sense 1. for a common work of legal sorrow through conviction of hazard because of sin whereby the man may rew be grieved be sorrowful for what he hath done and wish he had not done it as Iudas repented of his wickedness This may be and yet not be attended with Pardon of sins And as to such in whom the Lord purposeth to carry on the work of Condition Humiliation untill it come to real Conversion and an Union with Christ though it may be called a conditio sine qua non of Justification Pardon in such in regaird that usually if not alwayes the Lord premitteth some thing of this as to some sensible measure or other unto his more gracious workings yet this Common Repentance hath no proper interest in justification cannot be called a Condition thereof far less a Cause seing in it self it hath no certain connexion with justification though it be an antecedent in the justified yet it may be and often is where no justification followeth being in many nothing but the sorrow of the world that worketh death 2. Cor. 7 10. But 2. There is a Repentance that is only peculiar unto such as are already Justified Pardoned following upon flowing from the sense and intimation of Pardon expressed by Self-abhoring Self-lothing Melting of heart and Tenderness the like so Ezek. 16 63. That thou mayest remember be confounded never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee c. So Ezek. 36-25 26 27 28. comp with vers 31 See also Ier. 31 19 20. Neither can this be called or accounted a Condition of Justification Remission because it manifestly followeth not only Justification Remission itself but also the sense and intimation thereof therefore cannot go before it But. 3. The greatest difficulty is anent that work of Repentance which is a saving work of the Spirit going a longs with Faith ariseing from the sense of sin committed and the apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ causing spiritual kindly griefe sorrow and indignation at themselves and their sinful wayes with an hatred of sin a fixed purpose to forsake it and to turn to the Lord this is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures Now this Repentance may be considered two wayes first as it is in these in whom the Lord is working a work of Conversion whom He is translating out of dearkness in to the Kingdom of his dear Son and Secondly as it is in such as are already brought in to a justified state after new sins committed As to this last we will have a fit occasion to enquire afterward how or what way it is required in reference to Remission Pardon of after-sins The first falleth now under consideration because we are speaking of Justification which holdeth forth a change of state as was formerly explained That we may therefore proceed the more distinctly in this Inquisition we must fiâ—st take notice of the several senses of the word or of the termes equipollent in Scripture and see what is properly denoted there by And 1. Sometime it denoteth most griefe sorrow or that which is called contrition or that part of Repentance as Luk. 10 33. where it is explained by sitting in sackcloth ashes Ier. 8 6. No man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done Thus it may also be taken 2. Cor. 11 21. that I shall bewail many which have sinned already have not Repented of the uncleaness fornication lasciviousness which they have committed Here I say it may be looked upon as mostly denoting this part of Repentance though not as excluding the other parts 2. Some time it denoteth mostly a change of former courses wayes whether of errour as 2. Tim. 2 25. If God per adventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the truth or of Conversation called Repentance from dead works Heb. 6 1. So 2. Chron. 7 14. it is called a turning from their evil wayes from sins Ezek. 18 21. It was said to Simon Magus Act. 8 22. repent of this thy wickedness See Rev. 2 21 22. 3. Sometime it denoteth the whole work of Conversion turning unto God Act. 26 20 that they should Repent turn to God where the latter expression is but exegetick of the former So also Act. 3 19. Repent ye therefore be converted where both expressions
wanting unto Justifying Faith yea himself confesseth to be an essential act of Faith in the margine of these words Printed with Mr. Cartwrights observations and his Reply pag. 204. But in his Confess as we heard above p. 89 90. he putteth as great a difference betwixt faith Evangelick Obedience as betwixt the Consent to Marriage Relation and the conjugal Fidelity Obedience of a wife to her husband So that hereby it is manifest that with him all Obedience cannot comprized in faith so cannot be a Condition with Faith of Justification and this he saith pag. 90. expresly So that I do no more as I am accused comprize all Obedience in Faith because I comprize a Love to the Redeemer a Consent to be governed by him then I comprize all Coujugal Obedience Fidelity of a woman to her husband in the Marriage â—â—venant or Consent because I comprize in it Love to the Man a Covenant of fidelity obedience to the future His meaning is not then that actual Obedience is either a part of faith or hath the same interest of a Condition in Justification that faith hath Therefore he tels us more plainly positively his meaning as to this Confess pag. 38 39. n. 22. This Covenant saith he meaning the Covenant that a Beleever entereth with Christ as a Saviour and in him with the offended majestie containeth an engagement to future obedience So that though our first faith be not the same thing with Obedience to Christ yet in taking Christ for King it essentially containeth a Resolution Covenant to obey him Hereby we see that a Resolution Promise or Covenant to obey Christ for the future is essentially included in faith as justifying consequently that this must be as kindly a part of the Condition of Justification as any thing in Faith And next that the ground of this is because justifying faith as justifying doth as kindly really take Christ for a King as for a Priest This is further explained by what he saith immediatly before n. 21. The very nature of this saving Faith is to be a Heart-Covenanting of a Sinner with Christ as a Saviour Even as is a Covenant of a woman to her husband a Souldier to his Commander a Subject to his Prince a Scholler to his Master it is our becoming his Disciples By which we see these things laid down as truthes to be received 1. That the souls Covenanting with Christ or accepting of him as offered in the Gospel is like the Covenanting of a woman with her Husband of a Souldier with his Commander a Subject to his Prince c. 2. That as the Woman Souldier or Subject Resolve Covenant Promise to performe obedience unto the Husband Commander or King so the Sinner in Covenanting with Christ doth Resolve Covenant and Promise to performe Obedience unto Him 3. That therefore this Resolution Covenanting Promising to performe obedience being essential to Justifying Faith is a formal Condition of Justification the meaning of faiths being the Condition of Iustification must be this the Man's Resolution Covenanting Promising to performe Obedience is the Condition of Iustification or at least this part of faith as well as others is the Condition 4. And the ground of this is because Justifying faith even as Iustifying or in order to Iustification acteth as directly expresly on Christ as a King as on Christ as a Priest In Answere to which I shall but briefly say these things 1. The similitudes adduced halt in one thing that one thing is all as to our present business A woman Covenanting with her husband and thereby promising obedience or a Souldier with his Commander or a Subject with his Prince presuppose acknowledge Power Strength in themselves to performe the obedience promised upon the Supposition Conviction of this power ability in themselves to performe what shall be commanded they willingly of their own accord promise to put forth that Power Strength Ability of theirs unto the performance of obedience that shall be required But it is not so in our case The Sinner who is now supposed to be about Covenanting with Christ through the Spirit of Conviction Humiliation is put far from all his natural Pelagian conceits apprehensions of himself of his own abilities He is now made to see that as he hath nothing at present wherewith to Satisfie God for the sins that are charged upon him nor to allure Christ to do for him unless it be wretchedness miserie that may move Christ to compassionate his case so he can do nothing for the future that can be accepted of God till he be renewed He is made to see that there is a Natural Impotency I mean not a physical impotency as if he wanted a soul or Faculties in him to any thing that is good a pravitie of Will whereby it is impossible that he can do any thing conforme to the will of God untill he be Regenerated made willing by an omnipotent Power have a new active Principle of life and grace given unto him or infused in him by the Spirit of Jesus 2. Whereupon it is manifest That a sinner in that plight in that Condition we must consider him to be who is now seeking to be Justified and to be delivered from the wrath of God for sin in fleeing to Christ for refnge cannot be thought to be making any such Promises or having any such Resolutions in order to his Justification and Freedom from the Curse of the Law He that is throughly convinced of his total Impotencie will not think while he is under the power of these Convictions of making any Engagements for obedience in time to come Yea where any such things really were it might be feared that the work of Conviction was not keep enough and that such so acting would not receive Christ freely as he is offered in the Gospel but rather came with a price in their hand a parcel of faire promises for the future of doing that which was not in their power But it will possibly be said That though there be no express and explicite Engaging Promiseing here yet there cannot but be a virtual engageing as in the making of Marriage though the woman do not explicitly promise obedience yet her engagement is included in her acceptance of the person I Answere Let us suppose that the woman is every way as unable to obey her husband as the sinner not yet converted is to obey the commands of God that from her husband alone she must receive that whereby she shall become able then see if her consenting to the match do formally include even virtually her engagement to future obedience I do not suppose by all this that the Beleever is under no Obligation or Engagment to Obedience for as he hath received a principle of obedience even the new heart the willing minde and the renewed faculties so he is
is his strong opinion that he is confident of it that no justified person shall ever lose his justification that God hath promised to cause them persevere This State then is not to be compared with other States which are losable changeable among men nor can we with such freedome speak of Conditions of not loseing that which is fully secured from all loseing as we may speak of the Conditions of keeping Not-loseing that which may be oft is lost We can not then speak of the State of Justification as we do of Marriage betwixt man woman here there may be are indeed Conditions required of each part in order to the keeping up of the Relation they may be called Conditions of not loseing that Relation or Privilege But as to justification which is not so loseable to speak of Conditions of not loseing it may occasion Apprehensions in the mindes of men of its being losable It were saifer then in my apprehension to enquire how or what way is this State Relation continued or what is required on our part in order thereunto then to enquire what are the Conditions of Not-loseing this State 3. Seing Mr. Baxter granteth Confess p. 109. that no new sin destroyeth their State of Justification nor maketh them cease to be God's reconciled Children seing they are still united unto Christ and have his Spirit and have Faith Repentance at least as to the habit pag. 129. That the habite of Faith Repentance which is ever in them qualifieth them for present Remission of ordinary sins of infirmity at least And it is undeniable that the Lord's Spirit preserveth them from such sins as are inconsistent with a State of Justification or that make an intercision in that State consequently in their Adoption Union with Christ seing I say all this is granted to what purpose is such a question as this here moved and stated anent the Conditions of Not-loseing this state 4. The terme Condition here is taken in the same sense that it was understood in when the question was about the Condition of our first entry into the State of Justification and so they must take it here for a proper legal antecedent Potestative condition for if by condition here were meaned no more than a mere Consequent Evangelick Condition the question only would be What is the Lord's Way Methode Manner how by which he preserveth his own in that State of Justification But according to their acceptation of the word condition the question really cometh to this What that is which beleevers betake themselves unto which they can may should plead with God upon for the continuance of their state that is of their Reconciliation unto Acceptance with God of the Pardon of their sins Right to glory 5. The question is not what is the Condition or what is required on our part for keeping the sense evidence of our justification in our own Consciences many things may be useful herein that yet cannot be called Conditions of the Continuance or Not-loseing of Iustification But the Iustification here spoken of is that which is before God whereby the Beleever is indeed brought into a State of Peace Reconciliation with God hath obtained a Right unto the Inheritance of Life 6. When we speak here of the continuance or Not-loseing of Iustification the Iustification spoken of must be that State or Relation where into the Beleever is already brought for that only can be said to be continued while we are living and that only can be said properly to be losed or Not-losed which a man hath These seeme then to be two distinct questions What is the Condition of our final Absolution in Iudgment what is the Condition of the continuance of our justification here which Mr. Baxter seemeth to confound Confess p. 83. as the Papists do confound their second justification with the last judgment when they are pleading for works being required as the causes thereof 7. Though as we have seen before Iustification importeth more than Remission of sins Yet in this question of the Condition of the Continuance of Justification the matter seemeth to be brought to this issue whether works of Obedience be the Condition of future Remission of sins in the justified And though these may be conceived of as distinct questions yet the clearing of the way of the Remission of future sins may serve much to cleare the present Question for if it befound that the same course is taken for Remission of future sins that was taken at first it will be manifest that justification is continued upon the same termes or in the same manner that it was at first obtained if properly we can speak at all of the Conditions of its Continuance Having premitted these things the Question is Whether faith alone or works alone or faith with works are the condition required on our part for the Continuance or not-loseing of the state of justification And I judge as faith alone was required at first in order to justification so that alone is to be called the Condition of the continuance of justification or that the Condition both of our first installing in that state of justification of the Continuance of the Privilege or of Beleevers continueing in that state is the same grace of Faith Yet these two things would be noted 1. That though the first act of Faith in Christ doth suffice to the entering of a soul into the state of justification Yet we do not meane that that one first solitarie numerical act sufficeth for all time coming albeit it sufficeth for making up of the Relation according to the appointment of God for the same Faith is to continue in its habite Yea in its actings So that we state not the Question so strickly as Mr. Baxter seemeth to do Confess p. 47. when from the Continuance of the habite of Faith from the renewing acts of that Faith required after the first act of Faith he inferreth that much more goeth to the continueing of our justification than doth at first justifie us But our question is about the addition of sincere Obedience which he there mentioneth 2. When we suppose the Continuance of Faith not only as to its habite but as to its renewed actings we do not suppose that the actings Effects or Concomitans of Faith afterward are every way the same with what they were at first so that we may also yeeld to this difference grant that some thing more may be requisite afterward Particularly in order to the Remission of some hainous sin in the acting of Faith or in the Effects or Concomitants thereof at least as to measure or outward significations to wit in Godly sorrow Humiliation Forgiving of others Restitution or the like yet it will still remaine true that justification is continued by Faith not by Works For the proof of what we conceive to be
heirs of God joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8 17 and are discharged as Mr. Baxter granteth himself Confess p. 102. Concl. 9. from all guilt of Eternal Punishment yea of all destructive Punishment in this life Yea they are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law Act. 13 39. They are blessed Rom. 4 5 6. And all this is so fixed that none can lay any thing to their charge Rom. 8 33 34. Yea they are said to have Everlasting Life Ioh. 5 24. Now seing all this is by Faith what necessitie is there for another Condition beside this same Faith keeping fast by Christ unto the Continuance of this State If it be said that notwithstanding hereof they are liable to future sins and these must also be forgiven and in reference to the Pardon of these other Conditions may be required in that respect these may be called Conditions of the Continuance of Justification 4. The answere to this will furnish us with another Argument for answere therefore I say That works are not the Condition of Pardon of after sins but faith going to Christ and washing in his bloud 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous he is the propitiation for our sins Christ is here proposed to sinning beleevers in his Priestly office as the object of their Faith in order to Pardon And Mr. Baxter in the forecited place Concl. 11 saith that when ever the Iustified do commit any sin they have a present effectual certaine remedie at hand for their pardon that is the merit of Christ's blood his Intercession the Love of God the Promise of Pardon in which they have interest the Spirit to excite them to Faith Repentance No word of works of obedience as Condition here David in order to the obtaining of the pardon of his sin did betake himself to the free mercy of God that he might get his sin covered his iniquities forgiven and his sin not imputed unto him Psal. 32 1 2. and this was in Paul's judgment Rom. 4 6 7 8. a betaking himself to imputed Righteousness without works So he betook himself to mercy and withall he desired to be purged with hysope Psal. 51 1 7. which looked to the blood of Christ that only sprinkleth consciences Heb. 9 13 14 22. 5. If Justification be continued upon Condition of works we enquire what these works are Are herein comprehended all commanded duties or all that is required of justified persons by way of duty then a faloure in any of these whether by Omission or Commission should cause an intercision of that State and a breach of that Relation But this is utterly false Yea if so the justified should become Unjustified every day for no man liveth sinneth not The reason of the Consequence is because the non-performance of the Condition upon which the State Relation of the justified is continued must make a breach in that State If it be said That not every sin but only such sins as are inconsistent with the State of Justification will make an Intercision Then it must consequently be said that upon these alone or on the non-performance of these alone doth the Continuance of Justification depend as on a Condition And what be these David's sin I hope nor Peters sin were none of these And whatever they be I suppose it will be granted except by Arminians that there is sufficient provision against these laid-in in the New Covenant of Grace and that such as are justified indeed shal never fall into such sins And then what need it be said that the State of Justification is continued upon such termes 6. By this way Proud Nature should have occasion to boast and say It was of God's Grace Mercy that I was brought into a justified State had all my former sins pardoned but for my abiding continueing therein and for the pardon of all my sins that I have committed or do commit since I am beholden to my own Gospel-obedience immediatly for Remission is granted and my Justification continued upon Condition of my personal Gospel-obedience But how inconsistent this is with the whole straine of the Gospel cannot be unknown We no where read that our sinnes are pardoned or not imputed to us in or by our Evangelick Obedience but as we are justified freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3 24. so it is in through Him his bloud that we are washen our sinnes purged away Mat. 26 28. Revel 1 5. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 7. The dayly experience of the people of God may cleare to us what that is upon which their State is continued and upon which they seek obtaine new Remission of their new Transgressions and shew us that it is not their own personal Obedience but the Grace Mercy of God in Jesus Christ for it is to this they betake themselves daily both in reference to their being keeped in the favour of God in reference to their getting new extracts of Pardon It is to the blood of sprinkling they goe dayly that there they may be washen cleansed from all their sins sailings It is to this fountaine opened to the house of David to the Inhabitans of Ierusalem that they run with their sins uncleannesses Zach. 13 1. For it is his bloud alone that cleanseth from all sin 1. Ioh. 1 7. And so they finde by experience that they stand only by Faith and that it is through Faith in this bloud that they are keept in the favoure of God get their sins pardoned These proofs may serve for confirmation of what we say Let us now see what Mr. Baxter saith for the contrary In his Confess p. 47 he adduceth three Arguments The first is this The word expresly constituteth these Conditions of our not-loseing our State of Justification or of Continueing it And this he tels us he hath formerly shewed in many Scriptures meaning I suppose the passages he had immediatly before cited on the margine But to these I Answere in general That not one of them maketh mention of the continuance of our justification or of our not loseing of it And therefore it cannot be said from these that the word expresly constituteth these Conditions of our not-losing Justification But we shall consider them particularly Mat. 12 36 37. speaketh not of justification whereof we are now treating but of the last judgment and we see no cause of confounding this Justification whereof we speak or its Continuance with the last Judgment as Papists do confound their second justification with this judgment and abuse the same Scriptures here adduced by Mr. Baxter the like to prove their second justification to be by works Jam. 2 24. speaketh not of the Continuance or not losing of justification but of the very beginning of justification
all who work well keep the Law of Moses shall have free Pardon Right to life And thus they were as well justified by the works of the Law as by faith for faith was also required of them And then the meaning of the Apostles Conclusion Rom. 3 28. is therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith and by the deeds of the Law for both faith works with Mr. Baxter belong to this Subservient Righteousness as he calleth it If this be consonant to the Apostles doctrine which doth so contradict it let the Reader judge 3. Saith he That therefore it appeareth that the Jewes did so fondly admire the Law their National Privileges under it that they thought the exact keeping of it was necessary sufficient to Iustification Salvation And they thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness as a Sacrifice for sin meriter of free Pardon the Gift of life but only a great King Deliver to redeem them by Power from all their Enemies Bondage Ans. This mistake of the Jewes concerning the Messiah speaketh nothing to the point whereupon we are that is that Paul denieth justification to be by the Law And their errour mistake about the Law is not to be limited restricted to the Ceremonial Law so the thing that we say is confirmed hereby 2 They thought the Messiah was not to be their Righteousness And Mr. Baxter will not have him to be our Righteousness save only in that he hath purchased the New Covenant wherein our faith obedience to the Law is to be looked upon as all our proper immediat Righteousness upon the account of which we are to receive Pardon Right to life 4. He saith That is was not Adam's Covenant of Innocencie or persection which the Jewes thus trusted to or Paul doth speak against as to justification though a minore ad majus that is also excluded for the Jewes knew that they were sinners that God pardoned sin as a Merciful God that their Law had Sacrifices for Pardon Expiation with Confessions c. But they thought that so far as God had made that Law sufficient to Political ends to Temporal Rewards Punishments it had been sufficient to Eternal Rewards Punishments that of it self not in meer subordination to the typified Messiah Ans. Though the jewes knew that they were sinners yet they did also suppose that by their works of obedience to the Law Moral as well as Ceremonial they might make amends so think to be justified pardoned thereby and that God would accept of them grant them life for their own Righteousness sake therefore did they laboure so much to establish their own Righteousness followed after the Law of Righteousness sought Righteousness as it were by the works of the Law What Mr. Baxter talks here of the jewes not using of that Law in subordination to the Typified Messiah hath need of Explication for as to his sense of it we see no ground thereof in all the Apostles discourse 5. He saith That the thing which Paul disproveth them by is 1. That the Law was never made for such an End Ans. Yet he said that the man which doth those things shall live by them Rom. 10 5. Levit. 18 5. Gal. 3 12. that the doers of the Law are justified Rom. 2 13. And therefore speaketh of that Law which according to its primitive institution was made for such an end 2. saith he That even then it stood in subordination to Redemption free given life Ans. This we cannot yeeld to in Mr. Baxters sense often mentioned for Paul no where giveth us to understand that their obedience to this was their immediat Righteousness Condition of Justification the meritorious cause ex pacto of their Right to Christ to life c. 3. saith he That the free Gift or Covenant of Grace containing the promise of the Messiah and Pardon life by him was before the Law and justified Abraham others without it Ans. It is true this Argument did particularly militate against the Ceremonial Law Yet this not being the Apostles onely Argument other Arguments reaching the Moral Law as well as the Ceremonial we must not limite the Apostles disput only to the Ceremonial Law 4. saith he That their Law was so strick that no man could perfectly keep it all Ans. Adde also that they could not perfectly keep any one command thereof 5. saith he That every sin deserveth death indeed though their Law punished not every sin with death by the Magistrate Ans. And this holdeth true of the Moral as of the Ceremonial Law 6. saith he That their Law was never obligatory to the Gentile world who had a Law written in their hearts therefore not the common way of justification Ans. The Apostle maketh no such conclusion that therefore it was not the common way of justification for this would suppose that it were the way of justification unto them which is directly against the Apostles disput 7. saith he That their Law as such discovered sin but gave not the Spirit of Grace to overcome it in so much as though he himself desired perfectly to fulfill it without sin yet he could not but was under a Captivity that is a moral necessity of Imperfection or sins of infirmity from which only the grace of Christ could as to guilt power deliver him Ans. Therefore the Moral Law is as well here to be understood as the Ceremonial as is manifest 8. saith he That no man ever come to heaven by that way of merite which they dreamed of but all by the way of Redemption Grace free Gift Pardoning Mercy Ans. But that way of merite attendeth all works in the matter of justification as the Apostle assureth us Rom. 4 4. Ephes. 2 8 9. is opposed to the way of Redemption Grace free Gift Pardoning Mercy Rom. 11 6. 3 21 24. Tit. 3 5 7. From these things Mr. Baxter draweth this Conclusion Therefore their conceite that they were just in the maine forgiven their sins so justifiable by the meer dignity of Moses Law which they keept by the works of the Law not by the free Gift Pardon Grace of a Redeemer by the Faith Practical Beleife of that Gift and acceptance of it with thankful penitent obedient hearts was a Pernicioue Errour Ans. 1. Nothing is here said to ground a restriction of this erroneous conceite of theirs unto the Ceremonial Law for this conceite of being justifiable by the Law and the works thereof in opposition to the free Gift Pardon Grace of a Redeemer is as applicable to the Moral as to the Ceremonial Law 2 The Apostle doth not ground his disput upon the Iewes their express rejecting of a free Gift of Pardon c. But from justification by Faith laying hold on the free Grace
one person should be reconciled are the Reprobate his brethen Ephes. 5 25 26. To what end did Christ give himself for his Church And all the world of mankinde belong not to his Church It was that he might sanctifie cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spotor wrinkle or any such thing but that it shâ—uld be holy and without blemish Is this a meer Possibility Then might Christ have died have no Church to present to himself faire spotless his Church might have remained full of spots wrinkles unholy full of blemishes yea should have been no Church Tit. 2 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Do all the world belong to his peculiar people doth Christ redeem all the world from all iniquity Is all the world purified made zealous of good works Or is all this meer may be which may not be 2. Corinth 5. vers 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Was Christ made sin or a sacrifice for sin that all the world might possibly be made the Righteousness of God in him that is that possibly not one person might be made the Righteousness of God in him who can dream thus that God's intentions designes should be so loose frustrable that God should be so uncertain in his purposes Gal. 1 4. why did the Lord Jesus give himself for our sinnes It was that he might deliver 〈◊〉 from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father This is no meer Possible Deliverance and it is such as was designed not for all the world but for the us there mentioned So Chap. 4 4 5. God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones This Real Benefite is manifestly here restricked Ioh. 17 19. for their sakes I sanctify my self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Christ sanctified himself to be an obâ—ation not to obtaine a meer may be but 〈◊〉 they for whose sakes he did sanctifie himself that is they that were given to him vers 6 9. and were his owne vers 10. were in due time to beleeve in him vers 20. might Really Actually be Sanctified through him Heb 13 12. wherefore did Jesus suffer without the gate it was that ho might sanctifie the people with his own bloud sure this is more than a may be Rom. 3 25 26. Why did God set forth Christ to be a propitiation It was to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sinnes that are past that he might be just and the justifier of him that beleeveth in Iesus a Certaine Real thing Many moe passages might be added to this purpose but these may suffice to discover the absurd falshood of this doctrine Adde 6. such passages as mention the Actuaâ— Accomplishment Effect of Christ's death where it will yet more appear that this was no meere may be or Possible thing but that which was to have a certaine Being Reality as to the persons for whom it was designed Such as Heb. 1 3â— when he had by himself purged our sinnes Can their sinnes be said to be purged who pine a way in hell for ever because of their sinnes could this be true if no man had been saved and yet if it had been a mere possible may be Redemption it might have come to passe that not one person should have been actually saved So Heb. 9 12. by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Is a meer possible Redemption to be called an eternal Redemption and was that all that Christ obtained Then Christ's blood was more ineffectual in the truth than the type was in its typicalness for the blood of buls goats and the ashes of an hiefer sprinkling the unclean did not obtaine a possible and may-besanctification and purifying of the flesh but did actually really sanctify to the purifying of the flesh vers 13. Againe vers 14. which also confirmeth what is now said how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God So that all such for whom he offered himself and shed his blood and none else have their consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God and who darsay that this is common to all or is a meer may be which the Apostle both restricteth asserteth as a most certaine real thing Againe vers 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So that he did Actually Really and not Possibly Potentially only put away sin the sin viz. of those for whom he was a sacrifice even of them that look for him and to whom he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation vers 28. and sure no man in his wits will say that this is the whole world Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a curse for us 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Here are three Ends Effects of Christ's Redemption mentioned which no Man will say are common to all viz. Redemption from the Curse of the Law and this was Really not potentially only done by Christ's being made a curse for us the Communication of the blessing of Abraham and the Promise of the Spirit which are ensured to such as are Redeemed from the Curse of the Law and to none else So Ephes. 2 13 14 15 16. But now in Christ Iesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of commandements in ordinances for to make to himself of twain one new man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby To which adde the paralled place Col. 1 21 22. 2 14 15. was all this delivery from Wrath Enmity Law of commandements whatever was against us but a meer Potential thing and a may be common to all in whose power it was to cause it take effect or not as they pleased Esai 53 5. He was wounded for our transgressions â—e was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed with
the end he may be brought to act Faith on the offered mediator Mediation accept thereof as his only Cure Remedie 7. So that when the Spirit worketh up the soul to beleeve he causeth him sweetly acquiesce in the way of Redemption revealed in the Gospel and to count it a faithful saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1 15. and to comply sweetly with the designe thereof in all points and for that end to close with Christ and to accept of him upon his offer and particularly to rest upon him and his Righteousness revealed in the Gospel as the only ground of their hope peace This being the thing that their soul longeth after to wit how they shall get guilt taken away they be clothed with a Righteousness wherein they may with confidence appeare before God the Spirit of God when working the soul up to a compliance with the remedie held forth in the Gospel causeth them accept of Christ as made of God unto them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and every such soul to say In the Lord our Righteousness have I Righteousness In him alone will I look for Pardon Acceptance Reconciliation life on him alone will I roll my debt there will I rest in hope 8. Therefore this Faith though it bring the soul unto Christ as the only Redeemer and is the mans clasping his armes about him embraceing him as all his Salvation rolling all his weight upon him yet it looketh to in a special manner eyeth the Satisfaction Merites Righteousness of Christ for that is it which the man mainly now standeth in need of Justice must be satisfied saith he my sins must be pardoned I must be accepted in favour with God I must have a Righteousness where with my sins may be covered and the month of justice of the Law of my challenging conscience may be stopped whereby I may have Right to life and this being held forth in the Gospel Faith bringeth the soul to a resting on this Righteousness of Christ that he may be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3 9. This is to beleeve on Christ Ioh. 3 16 36. Act. 16 31. faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. Thus the soul refugeth it self from the storme of wrath under the wings of Christ and hideth itself as it were in him from the avenger of bloud the wrath of an angry God purseing for a broken Law And here the Man abideth hid in Christ and eleaveth to him as being glued to him and utterly unwilling to be separat from him or to appear without his garment of Righteoâ—sness which faith fasteneth on the soul and the man by faith trusteth to this way and resteth upon it with full confidence nothing doubting of his saiftie thereby 9. By this we see how the way of justification by Gospel-faith serveth both for setting forth the Glory of God the Riches of Free Grace and for abaseing of Man as also for secureing of Life unto the Beleever for 1 Hereby the Man is convinced of his guilt declareth himself to be guilty for he his guilty before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3 19. he is made speachless knowing nothing to speak in his own defence nor no apologie to give in his mouth is stopped and he can say nothing but cry out guilty I am a childe of death the Lord is Righteous should he damne me for ever I must justifie him when he speaketh and cleare him when he judgeth Psal. 51 4. 2 Hereby the Man pronunceth sweareth himself poor bare he forsaketh all and renunceth all that formerly he had any eye upon or confidence in counting them losse dung as Paul did Phil. 3. He proclameth himself Empty Lost Naked and declareth he hath nothing that he can leane to within himself He accounteth all his former Righteousness to be nothing but rotten rags and filthy rags and Professeth that he knoweth nothing within himself wherefore or whereupon he can expect Reconciliation with the Lord and to be Accepted of him 3 Thus all ground or occasion of boasting or of glorying before men is taken away from the beleever Rom. 3 27. 4 1. 4 Thus the glorious beauty of free Grace shineth forth Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 4 16. Grace here appeareth in its own glory when free grace without us contrare to our demerites doth all provideth the Sacrifie accepteth of the same in their behalfe for whom it was offered up bringeth them to the actual participation of the fruites and effects thereof by working up their hearts to a satisfaction in it to a resting upon it all this freely out of free Love It is corruptly said by the fore mentioned Author of that discourse of the two Covenants pag. 42. that Grace appeareth in the Lord 's making Faith the condition of the promise in that great things are promised upon such a possible practicable easie condition as faith is considering the meanes and assistance promised by God to work it for this spoileth Grace of its Glory when Man is looked upon said to be the principal author of saith as he is upon the matter said to be when all that God doth is but called assistance and at least the man may challenge as his owne no small share of the Glory of acting Faith and of going so great a length in the way to Faith without any more assistence than he hath need of to eate his meat when hungry and of going on his own feet to the very place where God stood ready to lend him a hand to help him forward Not to mentione how this altereth the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace making it nothing but a new edition of the old Covenant of works 5 It is of faith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4 16. When all the business is wrought as it were to our hand and nothing more requisite to interesse us in the noble Effects of all than our consent this also is wrought by the Spirit of God conforme to the Covenant of Redemption can a more ensureing way be imagined Alas what ground of Confidence or of Certainty can the Arminian Socinian way followed by the formentioned Author give to a poor soul When all is made to hang upon the tottering inconstant will of man who hath no more from God but some common assistances standing ready to attend him if he advance so far his alone without them when he hath gotten them to day may run back undo all againe to morrow Apostatize for ever for this also is a part of that Gospel that this man will teach us pag. 135. if we