attempt and therefore beware and take heed of it it is disobedience in the highest degree 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. Verses This is Spiritual wickedness and therefore greater Spiritual wickedness is that which hath in it spirits of wickedness and therefore more strong and vigorous We see by experience a little quantity of Spirits extracted by Art hath much more vigour and strength in it than a far larger quantity in the common bulk Where the spirits are not united but dissipated in the common matter vis unita fortior Here are the spirits of many sins united in one in this going about to establish a mans own righteousness in opposition to the righteousness of God For 1 st Here is the Sin of ignorance not 〈◊〉 invincible ignorance for that cannot be iâ—â—puted as Sin to any but of willful or willinâ— ignorance as the Apostle Peter reproves thâ— scoffers of the last times 2 Pet. 3.5 〈◊〉 this they are willingly ignorant of c. Theâ— might have known if they would but theâ— were not willing to know they were willing to be ignorant that so they might scoff thâ— more freely at the promise of his coming And so here men are willingly ignorant oâ— Gods righteousness that they might establish their own So Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going abouâ— to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God And v. 2. For I bear them record they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge This ignorance and want of knowledge 〈◊〉 them is no extenuation or excuse of their sin but an aggravation of it as that whereby they i. e. the Jews are left without excuse because they might and ought to have known better seeing the whole dispensation aeconomy of the Ceremonial Law was in the proper scope and tendency of it to lead them out of themselves unto Christ to seek righteousness by Faith in him and upon this account they are as much without â—xcuse as the Gentiles were Rom. 1.19 20. Who when they knew God or might have â—nown him yet did not glorifie him as God 2 ly Here is the Sin of Enmity and Rebellion of the Will against God They submitted not themselves to the Righteousness of God ' â—is a Meiosis wherein more is implyed than exprest They submitted not but rebelled and set themselves against the Righteousness of God from the enmity of their Carnal mind And Christ saith unto this Generation of Men John 5.40 And ye will not come unto me that ye might have Life 3. Here is the Sin of Pride Going about to establish their own they submitted not themselves to the righteousness of God Going about to establish their own Righteousness here is the Pride of mans Heart he will exalt himself he will have somewhat of his own he will exalt his own Righteousness against the Righteousness of God and such is the Pride of man by nature that if he cannot have Righteousness and Life in himself he will not be beholden to another for it and if left to himself will rather perish eternally than go out of himself to seek Righteousness and Life in Christ. 4 ly Here also is the Sin of obstinacy anâ— willful reâ—using and rejecting the Righteousness of God in Christ though infinitely beâ—ter than their own and persisting thereiâ— in opposition to all the clear Light of God Word and those convictions of the Spirit fastned thereby upon their minds As the holy man Stephen tells them plainly Act 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised iâ— Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost As your Fathers did so do ye So that all these things with some others which might be mentioned do make it plainly appear to be a very sinful and wicked attempt in man to go about to establish his own Righteousness But 3. It is also a very dangerous attempt none can engage in this attempt but with the utmost peril and loss of his Soul if persisted in a mans own righteousness is a stumbling stone at which they stumble and so fall and perish eternally So fall upon that stone which breaks them to pieces and provoke till it falls upon them and grinds them to powder Namely Christ the Foundation stone in Sion So Rom. 9.32 For theâ— stumbled at that stumbling stone as it is written Behold I lay in in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence But who are they that stumbled But those that sought not Righteousness by Faith in Christ but as it were by the works of the Law And wherefore did they stumble at Christ and his Righteousness But because they went about to establish their own Their zeal their madness for a Righteousness of their own made them blind and not able to see the Righteousness of God made them enemies unto and haters of Christ and his Righteousness and in all the world none such enemies to Christ and the Righteousness of God as these none such inveterate Persecutors of Christ and his Holy Apostles and that spake against the things Preached by them as these men did contradicting and blaspheming Act. 13.45 1 Thes. 2.15 16. Their Zeal for their own Righteousness and made them exceedingly mad raging and foaming out their own shame against the truth of the Gospel viz. The Doctrine of Free Grace and Justification by Faith in Christ alone without the Deeds or Works of the Law Use. 3. This Doctrine speaketh by way of Exhortation and that first to Sinners and secondly to Saints first to them that are out of Christ and secondly to them that are in Christ. 1. To Sinners and such as are out Christ if there be no hope for you no poâ—sibility for you to obtain Righteousness anâ— Justification by the works of the Law in thâ— sight of God then be Exhorted to escapâ— for your Lives and fly for refuge unto Jesuâ— Christ the hope the only hope the 〈◊〉 hope set before you in the Gospel Yoâ— have no hope by the Law but there 〈◊〉 hope for you in Jesus Christ Grace for thâ— greatest Sinners in the World There iâ— hope in Christ for the Jew and for the Gentile There is no man upon Earth so holy that can be justified by the deeds of the Law And there is no man upon Earth so sinful and wicked but he may obtain Righteousness and be justified by Faith in Jesus Christ Rom. 9.30 What shall we say then that thâ— Gentiles who followed not after the Law of Righteousness have attained unto righteousness even the Righteousness which is of Faith Oh therefore make haste and fly for refuge unto Jesus Christ. The true Heirs of Promise Heb. 6.17 are described by this Character ver 18. Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hopâ— set before us And all that are or shall be Heirs of Promise must and shall fly for refuge to lay hold upon this hope which is Jesus Christ who is entered within the vail who when
contempt of that which is or may be supposed or pretended to be his own Righteousness 4 Head And then Fourthly It is called the Righteousness of God as it is that Righteousness which only is and can be accepted of God in the matter of our Justification i. e. that Righteousness by which and upon the account whereof only a man may be Righteous and Justified in his sight For there is no other Righteousness by which a man may or can possibly be Justified in the sight of God Or that God accepts of and is well pleased with but this as the matter of our Justification as hath been already proved So that this only is the Righteousness of God as his Heart doth rest in it is well pleased with it and doth always accept it by Faith in his Son Jesus Christ and is not nor can be well-pleased without it And as a broken Heart is called the Sacrifice of God Psal. 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Properly or in propriety of Speech a broken Heart or Spirit is no Sacrifice but it was that God expected with all the Sacrifices which the People offered according to Gods appointment For the Sacrifices for Sin were always slain and so were offered up to God by Death and shedding of their Blood The Holy Ghost hereby signifying that as the wages of Sin is Death so every person that sacrificed and brought his offering for Sin did deserve Death And therefore though this Death was transferred and laid upon the Sacrifices which Typically did look unto Christ and so required Faith in Christ the Lamb or Sacrifice of God Which taketh away the Sin of the World as John 1.29 Yet the very Nature and Import of all the Sacrifices did plainly declare and imply that Sin was a bitter and a very evil thing that could not be expiated with less than Death And whosoever did present his Sacrifice to be slain and offered up for Sin did ipso facto acknowledge himself a Sinner to have deserved Death and to be Consumed in the Fire of Hell as the Sacrifices were either wholly or in part burnt and consumed in the Fire after they were slain And so were offered up not by Death only but by Fire also till they were consumed Now for a man to bring his Sacrifice to be slain and burnt in the Fire and salted with Salt and yet to have no inward sense and feeling of his Sin no feeling of the wrath of God due to Sin and so no inward Repentance towards God This was most hateful and abominable in the sight of God and so the Sacrifice of that Person was not accepted but despised of God as a piece of meer Hypocrisie and outward Formality for in this Man there is neither Faith in Christ nor Repentance towards God And therefore all the Sacrifices that Men did or could offer signified nothing as to Divine acceptation without this inward sense of sin and brokenness of heart This one thing a broken heart did signifie more than all Sacrifices without it and so it is put for and by the Holy Ghost preferred to all Sacrifices whatsoever the Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and why was a broken spirit more than all Sacrifices and alone is called in the plural number not Sacrifice but Sacrifices the Sacrifices yea the Sacrifices of God but because of the Divine acceptation because God doth always accept this broken heart this contrite spirit A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise The words are a holy Meiosis there is more implied than is exprest thou wilt not despise i. e. thou wilt certainly accept thou wilt graciously accept and be well pleased with Now therefore the Mystery is opened the meaning of this expression The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit is abundantly made clear and plain It is in this respect that a broken heart alone is called the Sacrifices of God that or upon the account thereof God is well pleased yea more pleased than with all outward Sacrifices without it Even so this Righteousness which is by the Faith of Christ unto all and upon all them that believe is called The Righteousness of God because that this Righteousness only and above all others is that which carrieth the glory of the Divine acceptation God will not despise but will certainly will graciously accept this Righteousness whenever it is presented unto him upon the Faith of a repenting believing Sinner upon the Faith of him that worketh not i. e. that hath no Works or Righteousness of his own which he dares to offer or bring unto God but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly as Rom. 4.5 His Faith is counted to him for Righteousness and God is well pleased with this Man for this Righteousness sake which is alone by Faith in his Son Jesus Christ. Now that God is well pleased with this Righteousness of his Son Jesus Christ is most clearly testified by the Voice from Heaven Mat. 3. ult This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased which Voice from Heaven was heard by John when Christ was baptized of him in Jordan and was now entred upon his work of fulfilling all Righteousness as v. 15. Then cometh this Voice from Heaven c. And again when Christ was transfigured upon the Mount a little before his Death and Translation into Heaven Now when he was about to finish his Obedience and whole Righteousness of the Law for us I say then again comes this Voice from Heaven Mat. 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and this Voice was heard from the most excellent glory by Peter James and John as 2 Pet. 1.18 Which Voice from Heaven we heard when we were with him upon the holy Mount Yea this is also testified by the suâ—e Word of Prophecy Isa. 42.21 The Lord is well pleased for his Righteousness sake meaning Christ as is manifest verse 1 2 3 4 6 7. of that chap. And it is not Christ alone or as a single Person but Christ considered as the Head and Root of the whole Church and so Jehovah is well pleased for his Righteousness sake with all them that believe and do bear and present this Righteousness of Christ in the hand of their Faith before the Father as that wherein only they desire to be found and stand before him Now that God is well pleased with all such and doth graciously accept them as just and righteous before him upon the account of this Righteousness is also as clearly testified unto by the holy Scriptures Act. 13.39 And by him that is Christ all that believe are justified and accepted as such as Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners or became sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous or become righteous in his sight And again Ephes. 1.6 To the praise of the
THE True Light Shining in Darkness And dispelling the Mists of Errour arising from the Darkness of Man's heart c. promoted by the Prince of Darkness against the Truth of God in the matter of our JUSTIFICATION Shewing That by the deeds of the Law or Man 's own Righteousâ—ess no flesh can or shall be justified in the sight of God The First Part. By THO. TAYLOR the meanest and unworthiest of the Servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ and now Pastor to a small Congregational Church in Cambridge Rom. 1.21 22. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that Readest this small Treatise upon so great a Subject as the matter of mans Justification before God know that thou art concerned to consider seriously and weigh well in thy mind what is here written without prejudice forasmuch as thou art the man to whom this word is sent either for the informing and undeceiving thee in this matter if thou be'st deceived Or for the confirming thee in the truth and strengthning thy Faith in Christ. If thou be'st already by the teachings of Gods holy Spirit one that knowest him that is true and arâ— in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 5.20 And we know the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal Life And it is immediately added Little Children keep your selves from Idols And though there be many Idols in mans heart yet this is one of the greatest and most dangerous and hardest to be departed from a mans own righteousness if it be but as it were by the works of the Law And as we know that an Idol is nothing but the Image and Likeness of that which it is not So verily this mans own righteousness is nothing a meer Imagination of Mans own heart exalted against God which is not nor cannot be in Gods sight and so it should be in thine Abominable to thee and abhorred by thee as it is to him Job 15.14 15 16. What is man that he should be clean And he which is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteh no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water And 9.30 31. If I wash my self with Snow-water and make my hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own cloaths shall abhor me And Luke 16.15 And he said unto them Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongsâ— men is abomination in the sight of God Read therefore this small Treatise pray tâ— God that thou mayest read it without prejuâ—dice To help thee so to do as much as in me lieth I declare unto thee three things namely 1. That I am not ingaged in Spirit worldly interest or design with any party now engaged disputing and contending one against other about these matters further than for the truths sake and so far as the truth of the Gospel obligeth me to defend and bear witness to the same as it may be found to lodge and dwell on the one side or on the other in any part of it And perhaps it will sufficiently appear that I am not of that party that may boast much of this Doctrine which is most true in it self and yet did not give proof and assurance of hope that themselves are sincere and sound in the Faith of Christ. The Doctrine may be true in its self and yet their Faith in the receiving of it be but a dead and a vain Faith which will never save them as James 2.17 18 19 20. Even so Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone Yea a man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well The Devils also believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead And ungodly men still though boasting of the Grace of God in works yet denying indeed the only Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ by turning the grace of God into lasciviousness Jud. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. And too many such Professors we have now who in Spirit and Practice Course of Life and Conversation practically deny what they verbally profess as they had there Tit. 1.15 16. Unto the pure all things are pure But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and Consciâ—nce is defiled They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate But let not this offend thee for truth is truth still and will be for ever Hebrews 13.7 8. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Phil. 3.17 18 19 20 21. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their Belly And whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashon'd like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself 2. Here thou wilt find no carnal weapons as Oratory enticing words of mans wisdom excellency of speech fierie if not perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth No reasonings after the Flesh and the Wisdom of the World which cometh to naught But evidence and demonstration of the Spirit with power 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. For though we walk in the Flesh i. e. in the body we do not war after the Flesh i. e. after the carnal mind which is corrupt and weak For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong
among your selves This is the order and Government which Christ hath set in his Church upon which their peace doth depend And where thiâ— Government of Christ is not submitted unto and kept but is rejected and broken there is an end of Peace there followeth nothing but confusion and every evil work as James 3.16 To prevent which Christ hath set Order and Government in the Church yea in all the Churches of Christ as 1 Cor. 14.33 As it is in a Mans Heart if the Government of Christ be not there if Christ ruleth not there by his Word and Spirit there is no Peace to that Man There is no Peace saith my God to the wicked Even so it is in a Church if Christs Goverment be not there there is no Peace but strife and bitter envying confusion and every evil work And I will therefore Rejoyce and do Rejoyce in this concerning you all beholding and seeing your order and the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ as Col. 2.5 6. For though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. For this order floweth from the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ as the breach of it in others doth emerge from the unstedfastness of their Faith As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him v. 7. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Beware lest any man spoil you Keep therefore and hold fast this Faith and order and this will be your wisdom and understanding in the sight of all Men as Deut. 4.5 Ephes. 5.17 18 19 20. And this is the salt or true wisdom commended to us by Christ himself which will preserve you in purity and peace and keep you from Corrupting as Mark 9.50 Salt is good but if the salt have lost his saltness wherewith will you season it Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another And this as it is and will be your glory so it will be our rejoycing in the Day of Christ Heb. 13.17 And 1 John 2.28 That we i. e. we your Elders and Ministers may rejoyce in the Day of Christ. As ye have therefore obeyed and in a great Conflict and Tryal of your Faith and Patience have testified yout obedience to the Truth through the Spirit So I beseech you work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure And be in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but unto you of salvation and that of God For to you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but alsâ— to suffer for his sake Having the samâ— conflict which ye saw to be in me Phil 1.28 29. Now whether I live or die whether I be present in the body and so absent from the Lord or whether I be absent from the body that I may be present with the Lord stâ—and fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel and so fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love of one accord and of one mind And the God of peace shall be with you and shall bruise Satan under your Feet shortly and shall make those that say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan to come and worship before you feet and to know that he hath loved you as Rev. 3.8 9. Amen THE True Light In the matter of our Justification before GOD. Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledg of sin THIS Text is an Epiphonema or closing speech wherein the holy Apostle Paul gives us the just and right conclusion or result of the whole matter with respect to Mans justification before God and doth Peremptorily determine in the negative that by the deeds or works of the Law no flesh can or shall be justified in his sight and brings it in with the illative note therefore as the undeniable consequence and true result of his whole Argument in the two foregoing Chapters wherein he hath fully proved as he saith v. 9. of this chap. that Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin 1. The Gentiles he clearly proves in the first Chapter to be under Sin in that when they knew God or might have known him by the light of Nature in his works of Creation and Providence as Rom. 1.19 20 they did not glorifie him as God but contrary to the light of nature debased and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the Image of corruptible Man v. 23 24 25. Had they but used their poor dim light of nature aright to have paid some suitable Veneration to the glory of the Godhead in worshiping of him they might have escaped many vile affections and actions amongst themselves For which they could not so much as pretend light or nature and of the wickedness or danger whereof they could not so much as pretend ignorance but as a punishment of their impiety towards God God gave them up to vile affections and unseemly actions amongst themselves as v. 26 27 28 29 30 31 And these Sins they not only committed against the light of nature but delighted in though convicted in their own Conscience that the issue thereof could be no less than eternal Death and Damnation as v. 32. Who knowing the judgment of God c. So severely but justly doth God punish wilful Idolatry and false worship a Sin against the first Table by giving such a person or People up to all manner of Sins and most horrible lusts and abominable practices even against Human Nature to their own Destruction Nothing being more righteous and just than that they who will not give unto God the glory of his own worship should be given up of God to work their own Damnation and Destruction see 2 Thes. 2.10 11 12. 2. The Jews he as clearly proves to be under Sin in the second Chapter For whereas they rested in the law and made their boast of God as Rom. 2. v. 17 18 19 20. yet they transgressed that law which they so much boasted of and through transgressing thereof dishonoured God and caused his name to be blasphemed amongst the Gentiles as v. 21 22 23. And therefore the Jews as well as the Gentiles are left without excuse and the mouth of them both equally stopped being become guilty before God The Gentiles by Sinning without law yet against the light and law of Nature as Rom. 1.20.32 c. The Jews by Sinning under the law and whilst they judged the poor Gentiles became more obnoxious and inexcusable themselves in that they did the same or worse things as Rom. 2. v. 11 12. And
Psam 130.3 And therefore it is added in his sight to shew that whatsoever Man may be in his own sight or in the sight of other Men like himself yet in Gods sight no flesh shall or can be justified by the works of the law And as in Condemnation there are two things First a fixing of the Guilt and therefore we say when a person is found guilty he is condemned so Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God 2ly A binding or Obligation unto the punishment which is Death and therefore we say of a Criminal when he is brought in guilty that he is a dead Man because the obligation unto punishment is now fixed upon him and he must inevitably suffer death which is the punishment due to his offence So on the other hand there are two things implyed in Justification first a just discharge and acquitment from the guilt of Sin he that is justified is not guilty in Gods sight his Sin is not imputed to him and Ps. 32 1 2. where David describeth the blessedness of a justified person saying Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity 3ly There is also a dissolving and making void and null the Obligation unto punishment so that a justified person is no more in danger of that death which is the wages of Sin nor of the curse of the law and the infinite and eternal wrath of God which is the punishment due to Sin to every Sin the least Sin as well as the greatest therefore as Condemnation is called Death because of the Obligation unto punishment so justification is called Life because of the dissolving and making void that Obligation So John 5.24 where the believer is said to be passed from death to life i. e. from a state of Condemnation which is Death to a state of Justification which is Life and Rom. 5.18 It is called justification of Life And upon that account 't is Written the just shall live by Faith i. e. be justified by Faith for justification is his life 3ly But there is yet somewhat more implyed in this word Justified and that is a positive righteousness answering to the perfection of the holy law of God in the utmost extent and demand of it for though non imputation and pardon of Sin makes a Man no more a Sinner nor guilty before God yet to make him a righteous person in Gods sight there must of necessity be a positive righteousness for as it cannot consist with the perfect justice of God to justifie a Man without righteousness so it cannot consist with his veracity and justice to justifie any Man without a perfect righteousness such as is commensurate and adequate to the perfection of his law for otherwise the law should be made void even by faith itself contrary to Rom. 3.31 And to speak with holy reverence as it is impossible for God to lie so it is as impossible for him to be unjust which he should be should he justifie any Man by an imperfect righteousness it is therefore a foolish vain and wicked imagination in any person to think or affirm that a Man may be justified in Gods sight without a perfect righteousness and this I may be bold to say from the clear light of Gods holy word that he which hath not a better righteousness than his own neither is nor ever shall be justified in the sight of God and whoever he be who affims the contrary let him answer it for sure I am the judgment of God is according to truth as it iâ— written Rom. 2.2 and again Rom. 3.4 Let God be true and every Man a liar thaâ— thou mightest be justified in thy sayings anâ— mightest overcome when thou art judged 3. What is here meant and what are we to understand by the deeds or works of the law Ans. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the needs of the law of or by or upon the account of the deed of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 works operations or deedâ— do imply all sorts of works deeds or operatiâ—ons Internal and External 1 There are internal deeds and operatiâ—ons deeds of the mind and of the spirit withâ—in works of the inward Man wherein thâ— inward faculties of the Soul the Mind thâ— Conscience the Understanding the will and affections are operative and working in thâ— sight of God before whom our spirits arâ— naked and bare Heb. 4.13 And there arâ— internal vertues and habits and these are opâ—â—rative within and the holy law of God is Spiâ—ritual and reacheth the inward Man yea thâ— very thoughts and imaginations of the Hearâ— and than inward disposition enclination and habits Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust if the law had not said thou shalt not covet 2. There are external deeds the outward actions and deeds and operations of the light and Conversation which should all be regulated and are judged by the law which is the rule of righteousness to the inward and to the outward Man to the inward frame of Heart with all the Imaginations Thoughts Principles Habits Affections Intentions and Designs thereof and to the outward Man in all a Mans external Actions words and deeds together with the nature and tendency of them whether they be good or evil true or false sincere or feigned so Acts 5.3 4 9. and Acts 8.20 21. 2 Chron. 25.2 Ezek. 33.31 32. So that by the deeds of the law we are to understand all the inward qualifications and inherent virtues and goodness of a Mans Heart together with all the external actions of his life done in the utmost conformity and Obedience to the law that Man can reach unto by these deeds of the law whether internal or external there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Quest. But the greater question is what law is here meant whether the Ceremonial law only or the Moral law also Those that are unsound in the Doctrin of Justification do contend that by the law here is only meant the Ceremonial law And that the Apostle Paul here and in other places contending with the Jews in this point of Justification speaketh only of the Ceremonial law and so far they yield that by the works of the Ceremonial law indeed no flesh shall be justified but the works of the Moral law are not here excluded from the matter of Mans justification insinuating thereby that a Man may be justified in Gods sight by good works done in confirmity and obedience to the Moral law Ans. In answer whereunto we do affirm and shall plainly prove that not the Ceremoâ—nial law only but the Moral law also yeâ— mainly and principally is meant by the Apostle And that law unto the works or deed whereof justification in the sight of God iâ— denied to every Man is the Moral law and not the Ceremonial law only though it iâ— true also of the Ceremonial law And this wâ— prove by two Argumenrs
Rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh these two must go together in the heart and walking of a Christian You cannot rejoyce in Christ Jesus if you have or put any confidence in the flesh and ye cannot have confidence in the flesh if ye do aright rejoyce in Christ Jesus To have confidence in the flesh is to have trust and confidence in the Law and in the Deeds and Works of the Law done by you either before or after your laying hold upon Christ as your Refuge the internal Deeds of the Law which are the qualifications virtues and graces of the mind and the external Deeds of the Law which are the external actions of thy Life and Conversation both with respect to God and Man done and wrought in conformity to the holy Law of God so far as thou art able to reach it The Duties of the first Table and of the second those which respect Religion towardâ— God and those which respect Righteousnesâ— towards Man as they are or can be performed by thee these all are comprehended in the word flesh as appeareth plainly by the Apostle Phil. 3.4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh I more And then he addeth all his Legal qualifications priviledges and performances before his Conversion v. 5 6. Circumcised the eight day c. and then he adds all his own Righteousness of the Law in the internal and external Deeds of it after his Conversion and Faith in Christ v. 9. And be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith So that all his own Righteousness both before and after Conversion he sets in opposition to the Righteousness of God by Faith in Christ and this all this that is a mans own Righteousness he calleth flesh and forbids and denies any confidence or trust to be put in it either by himself or by any other man so as that he or any other person should think or judge or reckon himself righteous and justified in Gods sight by his own Righteousness either of inherent qualifications or external obedience no no this is abominable this the Apostle abhors in himself and deters all others from But on the other hand to trust alone unto Christ and rely and depend upon the perfect Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of God and is made ours by Faith and not by Works this is to rejoyce in Christ Jesus but to have confidence in our own Righteousness this is to have confidence in the flesh And there are two reasons why all a mans own Righteousness is called flesh 1. Because it is weak and unable to bear the weight of mans hope and confidence as touching his being righteous thereby or justified before God and thus the Horses of the Egyptians are said to be flesh not spirit because of their weakness and inability to answer the sinful trust and confidence which the Jews had in them Isa. 31. v. 3. And 2. Because it is polluted sinful and unclean by the infirmity and imperfection of grace in the best and by the mixtures of sin and corruption that attend us in our best Duties as Isa. 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags and therefore not to be trusted in and relied upon when we come before and have to do with God Now therefore ye that are in Christ and desire to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have see that ye have no confidence in the flesh covet earnestly the best gifts strive after the highest attainments of inherent grace and holiness but trust not to put no confidence in your own Works and Righteousness for by the Works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight 3. And last of all See that ye worship God in the Spirit Phil. 3.2 For we are the true Circumcision which worship God in the spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh So that to your rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh you must add this also To worship God in the spirit Now to worship God in the spirit implieth these three things namely 1. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship God in Christ those of the Concision spoken of in the beginning of Phil. 3. Who trusted to Circumcision and the Works of the Law or their own Righteousness Worshipped God in the Deeds and Works of the Law which the Apostle here calls Flesh and so they Worshipped God not in the Spirit but in the Flesh They rested in their own Deeds and Works and looked not to Christ Jesus who was the End Perfection and Substance of the Ceremonial Law And so indeed their Worship terminated in their own Righteousness and they did not by Faith go out of themselves unto Christ and his Righteousness and so they did not Worship God in the Spirit i. e. Evangelically and by Faith in Christ but legally and presuming upon their own Merit and Worthiness without Christ and so all their Worshipping was Carnal and in the Flesh after the Old Covenant and Works but not Spiritual and Evangelical i. e. after the New Covenant and Grace To Worship God therefore in Christ and by Faith in him as your only Righteousness and always to come unto the Father by the Son this is indeed to Worship him in the Spirit relying upon his Mediation Merit Blood and Righteousness as the Mediator of the New Covenant and not upon the Old Covenant and Works 2. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him sincerely and with a true heart and thus to Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him in truth Joh. 4 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth These Concisionisâ— did Worship God not in Truth but iâ— outward Shew and Hyporisie for they Worshiped him in the outward Circumcision oâ— the Flesh but the inward Circumcision of the Heart which is in the Spirit and Soul and Mind that was wanting that they looked not after Thus whilst they doted upon and boasted of the external Sign they lost they minded not the thing signified i. e. the internal Grace and Spirit and there was not that in the Heart and Spirit within that might accord and stand with and answer to Circumcision without i. e. the Answer of a good Conscience no the Conscience was neither sprinkled with the Blood of Christ nor sanctified by his Spirit and hence they did not they could not draw near to God with a true heart nor in that full assurance of Faith that God would either hear
a great and glorious truth of God in Christ but also most sure and stedfast and worthy of their utmost trust and confidence their inward relyance and dependence upon it as to their hope of Justification and Eternal Life in Christ yea an object of their Spiritual joy and delight their rejoycing in Christ their inward peace with God and comfort doth flow from it Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God and v. 2. We rejoyce in the hope of the Glory of God Which we could not do if we had not perfect and compleat Righteousness by Faith in Christ as it is written Col. 2.10 And ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power Now it hath been shewed how Jesus Christ as the Author of this Righteousness is exalted far above all principality and power and is made head thereof Angels Men all things in Heaven Earth being made subject to him as a reward of his obedience by which exaltion he is declared in Heaven and Earth to be Jesuâ— Christ the Righteous And therefore ye are compleat in him saith the Apostle i. e. ye have that perfect and compleat Righteousness by Faith in him by which ye are now Justified before God the Father The perfection of his Righteousness which ye have by Faith in him renders you compleat and perfect ye are compleat â—n him which you could not be if ye had not a perfect Righteousness in him by Faith to stand before God in The force of the Argument lyeth in this ye are compleatly and perfectly Righteous in him i. e. in Christ your Head and need not any thing of mans Wisdom or Works to make addition unto this Righteousness which ye had in him No no all the Wisdom of Angels and Men can add nothing to your perfection in Christ ye are compleat in him And therefore Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ as vers 8. And let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility c. as verse â—8 As if he had said there are many pretences amongst men both Philosophers and false Christians to invent and find out a Righteousness of their own after their own wisdom and after their own traditions and each striveth to exceed other in their inventions of this sort and some place their Righteousness in this and others in that work and esteem of their own superstion according to the strictness of their order and way But beware ye and let no man spoil you of your reward Spoil and Rob you of your hope of Righteousness by Faith in Christ alone without works either works of the Law or works of mans superstition fâ—r ye are compleat in him And therefore adhere unto and rely upon yea also rejoyce in this perfect Righteousness which is in him and by Faith in him alone And be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel upon any pretence whatsoever for ye are compleat in him And such is the perfection of this Righteousness which is by Faith in Christ unto all and upon all them that believe that as Rom. 10.3 'T is written for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth The end of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now there is a twofold end of a thing there is finis extensionis the end unto which any thing is or may be extended and there is finis perfectionis the end by which any thing is perfected and consummated now Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness in both he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both finis extensionis and finis perfectionis 1. He is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finis extensionis the utmost end which the Law doth or can extend or be extended and stretched out unto Now the Law is of great and large extent as Psal. 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandement is exceeding broad Creature perfection is that which a man may easily search out and see to the end of he may search out and see the utmost extent thereof how far it can go and how far it doth extend So here saith the Psalmist I have seen an end of all perfection but thy comandment is exceding broad A man cannot so easily see to the the end of the commandment and find out the extent thereof No saith the Psalmist again It is exceeding broad The Law and Holy Commandment extends to all within as well as to all without it extends to the Soul and Spirit of a Man within to all the Internal Faculties The Mind and Conscience the Understanding Will and Affections and to all the Internal motions and operations thereof whether they be good or evil It extends to all the thoughts and imaginations of the thoughts in the heart of a man as Gen. 6.5 It extends to the Principle and End of a mans way and work as Zech. 7.5 6. It extends to the most Secret thoughts and intentions of the Heart and divideth asunder betwixt the marrow and the bones Heb. 4.12 13. It extendeth to all the words and actions of a mans Life and Conversation to all his religion and religious performances Mat. 5.23 24. and v. 27 28. and v. 40 41 42. and v. 43 44. to the end The Law in the Spirituality and purity of it extends to all that a man is every way as a man and as a Christian as considered in his place station and relations and it extends to all that a man hath and to all that a man doth Oh! well might the Psalmist say But thy Commandment is exceeding broad But yet as broad as the Commandment is and considered in the utmost extent of it the Obedience and Righteousness of Christ extendeth its self to the utmost breath and length yea to the utmost extent of the Law in the Spirituality and Purity and Diffusiveness thereof yea it doth exceed and go beyond the Law For the Law required but a mans Righteousness and Obedience as Rom. 10.5 The Man that doth these things shall live by them But lo here is a Righteousness brought in and an Obedience performed to the whole Law in the utmost extent of it by him who is God as well as Man even the Righteousness of God! And thus Christ is The end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth as the end of the Law is finis extensionis But then again Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of the Law is finis perfectionis i. e. the perfection accomplishment and finishing of the Law in the spirituality purity universality and perpetuity of it And in this sense also Christ is the end i. e. the perfection of the Law as