eye fast on one thing but another as glorious comes to be presented Brethren what a blessed thing is it to live in God to be viewing the mysteries of godlinesse Seeing God himselfe is laid out before your eye as in manifold manifestations of his own glory Saints may do nothing else but ravish their hearts with the diversity of heavenly light which breakes forth from the bosome of God One would thinke there needed no other mystery to take up the thoughts of a Saint but this that the blessed God is manifested in flesh Who is able to reach the fulnesse of this discovery But yet you have another mystery as great and amazing springs out before your eyes to astonish you that this God was justified in spirit The first respects his humiliation in our flesh The other the beginning of his exaltation and yet these are only various expressions of Jesus Christ our Mediatour There was two great things to be done for the salvation of sinners Satisfaction and Justification God now in regard of these two considerations manifests himselfe as in two form as First in flesh as abased and humbled that in our own nature he might satisfie for our sins and lay a ground-worke of eternall communion with us and then as a testimony of the reality of this satisfaction he was justified by or in the spirit So that you have Christ set out in these two considerations as standing in our own flesh to beare the guilt and charge the misery and punishment of our sins and as discharged and justified from all these by the spirit There be these things to be opened 1. What it is to justifie 2. What meant by spirit 3. How God is said to be justified in spirit For the first to justifie or to be justified are words though commonly spoken yet much mistaken Bellarmine and the Jesuits take it ever in a Physicall sence for the infusing habituall principles of grace in the heart and so make it all one with Sanctification that so by that they might have a way of setting up their own righteousnesse equall with if not above the righteousnesse of Christ and yet it is not to be denied but sometimes this word signifies to make just But the common and usuall signification is first to pronounce or declare one just So Luke 16.15 Wisdome is justified of her children that is all the sons of wisdome will vindicate her from all the false aspersions cast on her by the sons of folly in the world and pronounce her righteous that there are the issues of life in her waies That thou mayest be justified by thy sayings Rom. 3.4 that is declared to be just So in Mat. 12. saith Christ out of thy words thou shalt be justified or condemned that is pronounced just according as thy words are good Secondly It is taken sensu forensi in a legall sense for the acquitting or absolving a Malefactor from the guilt and punishment of the Law Esa 5.23 he which justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous is an abomination to the Lord speaking of the Rulers and these which sit in judgement that is he which laies guilt on an honest man but acquits a wicked man How is a man said to be justified this way 1. When as he is falsely accused and is declared by the Judge not to have done the fact but to be righteous then he is justified from that act 2. When a man is really accused and yet for and in consideration of some other thing is acquitted and absolved from the guilt and punishment of that which was laid to him then he is said to be justified also For the second thing what is meant by Spirit This word is likewise taken divers waies in Scripture Sometimes for the soule and life of a man Into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal 31. Christ cried and gave up his spirit Mat. 27. that is his life departed from him But especially it is taken these foure waies 1. For the whole divine Nature or the God-head God is a spirit that is the Nature of God is spirituall unknown to flesh 2. It is sometimes taken for the divine Nature of Christ so the Lord is that spirit that is Jesus Christ is that spirit which is opposed to all the outward and fleshly ordinances of the Law 3. It is taken for the Holy Ghost or third person of the Trinity as distinct from the Father and the Sonne There be three that beare witnesse in Heaven the Father the VVord and the Spirit 1 John 5. It is the spirit which beares witnesse for he is truth I will send the Comforter even the spirit of truth Iohn 14. And I will pray the Father for it Iohn 3. 4. Taken for the product or work of the Spirit what is borne of the Spirit is Spirit that is of the same Nature with the Spirit it selfe So that now for God to be justified in the Spirit is not meant as if he had any righteousnesse infused in him which he had not before but that he was justified that is declared to be righteous one who had no sin neither was guile found in his mouth and that he was absolved from all that charge of the guilt and punishment of sin which was laid upon him and one who had finished his course and done his worke compleatly both satisfyed the law and the justice of God and that in or by the Spirit that is his God-head or by the vertue and merit of his divine Nature which made all he did efficacious and satisfactory the Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse of it and fully discharging him from what was laid upon him For these words as one saith to be brought in answer to an objection which might be made on this that Christ was God manifest in flesh that is humbled and abased or else he could not have suffered why hence the world thought he was a deceiver that he was not such a one as he pretended took upon him as a malefactor and used him so why but he was not so for though he was manifested in that base and low way and so united and clouded in flesh yet he was justifyed in the spirit they saw not that inward glory and power which was in Christ's Nature but what ever men esteemed of him yet the spirit it selfe justified him But seeing this is so great a mystery set in the second ranck of the deep things of God we had need look more narrowly into it and see what the Scripture saith concerning this how Jesus Christ may be said to be justified This is to be premised in generall that it is spoken in opposition to his humiliation or manifestation in flesh for in that he seemed to be condemned to walke up and downe as a sinner one which was the shame of the world and therefore he is said to be justified in the spirit that is 1. Internally what ever he was without yet within he had a spirit of glory his outside was meane
the Scripture but is matter enough for a whole Age to Comment upon so that thou needest not leave old principles for new discoveries for in them thou mayest find successive sweetnesse The Apostle in the 2 Colossians v. 2. speakes of a full assurance of understanding which the Saints may come unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the same with what the Text saith To be so fully assured in our understandings of all the truths of the Gospell that nothing can shake us To have all things so demonstrative and cleare and our judgements so convinced and setled in them that we may see round about all the objections that can be made of them Doubting in judgement makes doubting in conscience and Faith As your principles are so your practise will be therefore you had need have them cleare The holding of some things are so odious that a Saint should not answer them but contemne them So Paul when this objection came in that we might sinne because grace abounded Rom. 6.1 What doth he stand to confute it no he will not honour it with an answer but abominates the thoughts of it God forbid saith he To conclude this with a ground of comfort to all Saints Your salvation is without controversie the grounds of your eternall peace are not to be so much as questioned All things are carryed on in a mystery yet so sure as that it is death to question them You may as well doubt whether there be a God as doubt whether the everlasting foundation of your peace can be removed There is nothing for you to doe in this but to believe as these things in themselves are past dispute so doe you believe that they may be without doubt to you Get your assurances as unquestionable as Gods foundation for that stands sure and hath an eternall seal unto it put your propriety in this mystery out of dispute that you may be able to say without all controversy this mystery is in me and as God was manifest in flesh and I may not doubt it so God is manifest in me and I dare not deny it Art thou in Iesus Christ who is the summe of this great mystery why then let Devills and men question thy salvation it cannot hinder thy comfort Beloved get things at such a passe in your soules that all things are beyond dispute in your hearts either concerning the principles or the application of them to your conscience that you may come to the full assurance of Understanding in the mysteries of the Gospell not to doubt of the truth of them so come to the full assurance of Faith not to question your part in them That as this is sure that Christ is so you may be as sure that you are in Christ God hath not left the things of salvation the great truths of his Gospell to be judged by the pur-blind eye of a probable judgement but by the cleer and open eye of Faith And though they seem to lye never so contrary to the received principles of reason yet if they have God's stampe they must be beleeved by our Faith If we may but guesse and conjecture at things of the Gospell what a miserable condition were we in what a disparagement to the divine light of Truth that it is not so demonstrative and fit for knowledge as the maximes of Nature Indeed as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2.8 The naturall man with all his accomplisht parts and light of reason cannot perceive the things of God the utmost of his knowledge is but conjecturall and common he sees not into the nature of these truths But the poorest soule which hath the least beame of supernaturall light in his Understanding beholds such infallible cleernesse in the mind of God that his whole soule fals down before the manifestation of it Ob. But can a soule be as much without controversy and doubt of his own salvation and of his being wrapt up in in that Mystery as he is of the truth of the things themselves Sol. I answer Yes the same that reveales the one reveales the other the same un-erring spirit that revealed the mystery in it selfe reveales it to the soule and the same closeth with the light of the one as with the other why may not a soule be assured that what the Holy Ghost hath written in his heart is as certaine as what he hath writ in the word Doubtlesse the worke of the spirit in the fleshly tables of our heart is as certaine and I may have as sure knowledge of it as of the writing in Tables of stone or in paper for the Mistery of God in the heart is but a transcript of what is in the word yea doubtlesse it is more glorious then the bare expression of the mystery in words What makes the soule be fully perswaded that this in the Bible is the word of God that these truths are certaine but because of that light and demonstration of the spirit which accompanies it every one sees not that infallible glory and beauty in these things only takes them up in a generall and customary notion but in the Saints they know it is so as they know that snow is white and the same light and power of the spirit assures their soules that what is written in their hearts is as absolute an undenyable truth The inequality of light from the spirit causeth the inequality of knowledge and assurance concerning them both And the Apopostle speaks as confidently of his own salvation as he speaks of the Truth of the Gospell we know that if this earthly house c. 2 Cor. 5.1 And we know we are of God though all the world lyes in wickednesse And there is a full assurance of Faith as of understanding Oh look therefore to come into an unquestionable condition once thou hast it demonstrative that thou art in Christ take heed of questioning it As every word which God hath spoken shall not passe away unfulfilled so every worke which God hath wrought in thee shall be perfected God giving the same assurance to thy spirit as he doth to his owne Truth SERMON II. 1 TIM 3.16 And without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse c. IN these words there is a full and summary comprehension of the deepest divine truths that ever came out of Gods heart and a seale of confirmation added to the assurance of them they are not things which hang on uncertaine grounds but have such demonstrations within themselves that they are without all controversy confest absolutely by al Saints not but that some doe deny them but that in themselves they are to be beleeved by the Saints There is no place in all the Scripture that in one verse doth Epitomize all Divinity as this that I may call it a Map of both worlds wherein at once you may behold all that which would cost you all your life to travell over and see in the fulnesse of its Glory All Divinity may be reduced to
two heads Gods manifestation in Christ and Christs manifestation in us God in Him and He in us and both these are laid out to the full in the Text. We may well admire the fullnesse and shortnesse of Divine expression in the Scripture that so much should be wrapt up in so little more then to have Homers Iliads compriz'd in a nut-shell Turn over all the Volumes of Nature all the large writings of Prophane or Divine Authors they containe not so much matter as one of these expressions will hold forth unto us That which I shall begin with is the generall description of Divinity which is laid down in these words Great is the Mystery of Godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein you have first the thing described that is Godlinesse or else you have The subject Godlinesse The predicate Mystery The adjunct a Great Mystery 2. The description it selfe it is a Mystery 3. The adjunct our Title to expresse by it is a Great Mystery The Apostle cannot containe himselfe in ordinary expressions to say it was a mystery is an exceeding large expression beyond our apprehensions but in that he cals it a great mystery he raiseth our thoughts and loseth our understanding This observe by the way you can never speake too high of nor admire too much any thing of the Gospell when you have spoken to the utmost and have lost your selfe and your hearers yet then you are below what glory is conteined in them you may speake too much of any creature and presently transgresse in your commendations but it is impossible that ever any expressions should reach Gospell-mystery Hyperboles in the world are the excretion of our frothy wits and serve but only to indulge our corrupt affections but as one saith Deus Coelum non patitur hyperbolen all the height of expressions and wit strained through the narrowest and purest fancy can never be too high in expressing Gospell-glory Gods own spirit is as it were streightned and at a losse for expressions to set forth the deep mysteries of the Gospell and though what is spoken of them be proper yet they are far under the things themselves and no more than Pictures and Phantasmes to the reality of those things themselves What words can be given to set forth invisible and immortall and immense glory God hath help'd our senses and understandings by those expressions though in all that is written he hath spoken below himselfe if a man should paint the glory of the sun what colours could he use or how would he limb out the nature of a soule why spirituall mysteries are far more invisible and glorious 1. I shall begin in the first place with the subject of the proposition that it Godliness 2. Shew that it is mystery 3. That it is a Great mystery That every word as well single as compounded may have its weight For the first the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the right worshipping of God in the generall signification of it and it is used by the heathens to expresse the worship of their Gods But in that notion it is not meant here besides what was said the last time of the nature of Godlinesse in regard of the communion of the two expressions truth and godlinesse I shall proceed more particularly to express the nature of it It is used three waies in Scripture 1. For the whole doctrine of the Gospell as a generall word which containes whatever is demonstrated concerning God so it is called the doctrine which is according to godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 thus godlinesse is truth 2. It is put for the inward worke of all these truths on the heart for the gracious qualifications of a soule sutable to the truths of the Gospell they are put both together by the Apostle Tit. 1.1 2. the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godliness it imports the inward frame of the soule in conformity to the truths which are godliness 3. It is put forth the holy walkings of a Saint in the world from the patterne of these spirituall truths 1 Tim. 4.7 exercise thy selfe in godlinesse that is in all the waies of holiness by godliness here is meant the whole sum of divinity the circumference of all Religion especially that which contains the great contrivance of Gods wisdome and love in the Gospel and the manifestation and working of it in us It is not meant barely of the truths themselves but of the workes of these truths in the Saints So that godliness consists in the light of truth and in the life of grace God manifesting himselfe in the light of truth and working in the life of love and grace in the heart There is a forme of godlinesse which the Apostle speaks of 2 Tim. 3.5 a meere externall profession and garbe of godlinesse there is no mystery in that men may take up a curious picture of holiness without much ado nature can reach that mystery but there is a power of godliness which consists in the life and spirit of truth in the soule that is a mystery Will you know then what godliness is It is the openings of Gods glory in its selfe and the workings of it gloriously in the soule Godlinesse lies not in the bare expression of words nor in the externall forme of profession of these words But it lies in the divine glory of God which is wrapt up in these words and the gracious dispositions and affections of the soule to these things What a great matter is it for a man to confess Jesus Christ to be the Son of God to pray and express outward words accordingly But to see the mystery of that glory which is in this that Christ is Gods Son and to have the powerfull influence of it in the soule this is godlinesse and that which is called a great mystery Thus then the whole manifestation of God in the Gospell all the actings of his glory in truth and all those truths wrought in the soule is this godlinesse which the Apostle well cals a great mystery though this must be added that the Apostle especially aimes here at the truths themselves and Gods manifestation of his glory in them Now secondly This he cals a mystery It is a high expression and worthy to be appropriated unto godlinesse and the Holy Ghost ever makes use of it when he would set forth the unexpressible nature of Gospell-truth therefore to open it 1. It signifies some secret and hidden thing that is above vulgar apprehension its word that comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to shut up and hide a thing that none may find it and know where it is as men hide jewels and precious things from common hands therefore Daniel saith It is God in heaven that reveales mysteries or secret things Dan. 2.28 Thus godlinesse is a mystery hidden from the eyes of thousands hidden in Gods own breast from everlasting and as the Apostle expresseth in Eph. 3. hidden from generations of men The