acceptance of a Man so far as he performeth the New Condition of sincere Obedience But we affirm that believing Sinners are made Partakers of Christ's Righteousness and the benefits of it and that by Faith alone as that by which we wholly fly to him for Righteousness and trusting in the promise of Life for his Sake and Merits Not that Faith as one observes in the whole Latitude is believing and obeying the Gospel by which we are made Partakers of the benefit of Christ in his Obedience to his own Law and in that he having purchased this Grant or Law i.e. that they which obey him should be justified and saved and not that Christ's Obedience shall or doth save them We believe and teach that by Christ's Righteousness imputed he that believes is perfectly justified and is free'd from the Curse of the Law and accepted and accounted righteous in the sight of God and hereby hath a certain Title to Eternal Life Not that our Justification or Right to Life dependeth wholly upon our Obedience as the Condition to which it is promised and we only put into a condition or state of Life imperfect and subject to change as Obedience it self is And so that we are not perfectly justified till our Obedience be perfected which is the Doctrine some Persons of late preach for as sure as God justifies us so sure will he save and glorifie us Rom. 8. 30. Thus having made our way clear and removed some Stumbling-blocks I shall now proceed to shew that all Works done by the Creature are utterly excluded in point of Justification in the sight of God which must be my business the next day the time being gone I shall therefore conclude with a word or two of Application 1. The First shall be a use of Caution to both Saints and Sinners to take heed who you hear it greatly concerns you for the Times are perilous the Devil is endeavouring to strike at the Root even at the Foundation it self beware lest you are deceived and carried away with those poisonous and abominable Doctrines that are fomented at this present time in and about this City We ought to keep clean from all Errors but especially such as are Capital ones I am afraid many good Christians are not sensible of the sad danger they are in I cannot see but that the Doctrine some Men strive to promote is but little better than Popery in a new Dress Nay one of the worst branches of it too shall any who pretend to be true Preachers of the Gospel go about to mix their own Works or their sincere Obedience with Christ's Righteousness nay to put their Obedience in the room and place of Christ's Obedience as that in which they trust and desire to be found 2. Let me exhort you all to stand fast in that precious Faith you have received particularly about this great Doctrine of Justification give your selves to Prayer and to the due and careful study of God's Word And beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfasâ—ness 2 Pet. 3. 17 18. But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To him be Glory both now and for evermore Amen JUSTIFICATION without WORKS Rom. IV. 5. But to him that worketh not c. I have already opened this Text of Scripture and gave you an account of the Scope and Coherence thereof at large and then observed two Points of Doctrine therefrom First That all Works done by the Creature are quite excluded in Point of Justification of a Sinner in the sight of God THE last Day I shewed you divers erroneous Principles held by some Men about the Doctrine of Justification I shall trouble you with no Repetition of what we have said but proceed to what was then propounded to be further done which is to give you the Scripture Proofs and Arguments to confirm the Truth of the first Point of Doctrine viz. That all Works done by the Creature are quite excluded c. 1. My first Argument shall be taken from the very Letter and express Testimony of the Holy Scripture Rom. 3. 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith This Text almost in so many Words confirms this Proposition if all boasting is excluded all Works are excluded But more of this hereafter See Rom. 4. 2. If Abraham were justified by Works he had whereof to glory but not before God If he had been justified by Works he had whereof he might glory but he had nothing to glory in before God Therefore he was not justified by Works v. 6. Even as David describeth the Blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works He brings in David to confirm this great Gospel-Truth Psal 32. 1. And the David doth not use the very same Words as here expressed by the Apostle yet they are Words of the same Purport the sence and meaning of David is the same I wonder at the boldness of some Men who affirm the Word Imputation of Righteousness is no where to be found in the Scripture Doth not the Apostle plainly and positively assert that God imputeth Righteousness toâ— Man and that too without Works See Gaâ— 2. 16. Knowing a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Knowing That is being sure and certain of this this is a Doctrine as if he should say we are well grounded in and confident of That a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law Works do not justifie or declare us righteous in the light of God So Eph. 2. 8 9. By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves 't is the gift of God not of Works lest any Man should boast Here it is again in the Affirmative it is by Grace and also laid down in the Negative not of Works and the Reason subjoined To these Proofs of Holy Scripture I might mention That in Phil. 3. 8 9. Yea doubtness and I account all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law â—ne that 〈◊〉 is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith What was it Paul accounted but Dung and gave up for Loss Why he tells you it was whatsoever he accounted once for gain or did esteem of and rested upon viz. all his own Righteousness while he was a Pharâ—see and all his other external and legal Privileges which in times past he gloried in but now they were nothing to him He saw no Worth or Excellency in them but wholly threw himself on Christ and on his Righteousness for Justification I count now at this very time all the
saved the Matter of Justification is one and the same the Balsam that cures our Malady is all one in Infants and in Adult Persons 't is Christ's Death Christ's Blood the Merits of Jesus Christ or 't is his active and passive Obedience which is our only Righteousness to discharge us from Sin and Condemnation Though the Mode or Manner of the Application thereof may be different to the Adult 't is by Faith only to Infants in a more secret and hidden Manner not known to us Nay Abraham David and Paul were not justified by inherent Righteousness but by Faith without Works of Obedience and as Abraham was justified so are all his spiritual and true Seed to them and every one of them is Faith imputed to Justification or Righteousness even by Faith alone without Works as Paul proveth Rom. 4. 3 4 5. 11 Arg. Is Because Christ is tendered or offered to Sinners as Sinners not as righteous Persons but as ungodly ones without any previous Qualifications required of them to fit themselves to receive Christ they are all as poor lost undone weary and heavy laden Sinners required to believe in Christ or venture their Souls upon him though they have no Money no Righteousness if they have they must cast it away in point of Dependance Trust or Justification These are they Christ came to call these are they he invites to come to him these are they he came to seek and to save who see nothing of Good in themselves but contrariwise are sensible of their filthy Hearts and abominable Lives And yet though it be thus if they come to Christ believe truly in Christ they shall at that very Instant be justified which Faith or Divine Grace will soon make them holy and sanctifie them for holy Habits are at that very instant infused into them though Sanctification is a gradual Work This being so it follows all Works done by the Creature are excluded in point of Justification of a Sinner before God What said Paul to the ungodly Jailor when he cry'd out Sirs what must I do to be saved Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house Act. 16. 31. The Apostle did not put him upon doing to be saved but upon believing But O how contrary is this to the Doctrine some Men preach now a-days they tell Sinners what they must do what good Fruits they must bring forth and this before the Tree is good or they have closed with Christ or have real Union with him nay bid the People take heed they do not too soon believe on Christ or venture on Christ Sirs you cannot too soon believe in Christ I mean truly believe I don't say you should get a presumptuous Faith but true Faith But is it not strange a Minister should be heard lately to say A Man must get a new Heart before he can be justified I thought a Man could not have a new Heart before he had true Faith Is not a new Heart one of the absolute Promises of the New Covenant Ezek. 36. 26. Can any thing short of Almighty Power make the Heart new or form the Image of God in the Soul or can a Man that hath a new Heart be under Condemnation for are not all in that Condition who are not actually justified Or can a dead Man quicken himself or dead Works please God Or the Fruit be good before the Tree is good Are not all that are new Creatures in Christ Jesus and have Union with him 2 Cor. 5. 17. 12 Arg. With which I shall conclude the Proof of the Doctrine though I might mention many more to prove all Works done by the Creature or Obedience of his are in this Case excluded c. It is because if a Man should so walk as to know nothing of himself i.e. be so righteous or so sincere in his Obedience as not to have his Conscience to accuse or reproach him yet he cannot thereby be justified See what Paul saith Though I know nothing of my self yet am I not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4. 4. Though he had kept a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Men yet in the Point of Justification he renounces all his own Obedience and Righteousness that was inherent in him Durst holy Job depend upon his Sincerity or venture in that to stand at God's Tribunal Though he could plead Uprightness against the false Charge of his three friends and with much Confidence persevere therein justifying his Sincerity with his Faith and Hope in God against their Accusatioâ—s he shewed his Faith â—y his Works and stands on his Justification of himself against Hypocrisie But at length he is called into the immediate Presence of God to plead his own Cause not now as it was stated between himself and his Friends before Wheâ—her he were sincere or not The Question was now reduced to this i. e. on that grounds he might or could be justified in the sight of God and God to â—â—epaâ—e him in this Case and to shew him what to plead at his Bar graciously â—anifested himself unto him And quickly now he comes to see all his former â—leas as Dr. Owen notes of Faith Hope and sincere Obedience would not avail â—â—m but he is made to fly under the deepest Self-abasement and Abhorrency 〈◊〉 Sovereign Grace and Mercy For then Job answered the Lord and said I â—m viâ—e what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand upon my mouth Once 〈◊〉 I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Job 〈◊〉 3 4 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear but now mine Eye â—eth thee Wherefore I abbor my self and repent in Dust and Ashes Dr. Owen How Job abhor thy self that art so holy so sincere such an upright â—an What is all the Beauty of thy inherent Holiness and sincere Obedience â—ecome nothing to thee Is it as Dung now Darest thou not appear before â—od in it not stand at his Bar thereby to be justified No no he saw that here was Sin cleaving to his best Duties and that he was vile in God's sight Sure thâ—â— agrees 〈◊〉 with Mr. Daniel William's New Doctrine It was not Goâ—â—el-holiness which Paul counted Dung says he No doubt Job's Righteousness was â—he Fruits of Faith as well as Paul's and purified his Heart too who says 〈◊〉 knew that his Redeemer lived Job 14 But yet for all this Holiness Upâ—ightness and sincere Obedience he abhors himself and repents he ever had 〈…〉 Conceit of the Worth of his own Righteousness Let a Man place himself in the Condition wherein Job was to stand before the Bar of God's Justice and let him attend to the Charge he hath against him and let him consider what will be his best Plea at God's Tribunal that he may be justified I do not believe saith the reverend Doctor that any Man living hath more encouraging grounds to plead for an Interest in his own Faith and
him in God's sight 3. And that their Will and Affections are also depraved and in like manner corrupted he proceeds farther to cite what David in the same Psalm saith viz. They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there iâ— none that doth good no not one verse 12. Now least any one Zealot should fansie himself in a good condition and excluded from this black Indictment and so in a Justified State by his own righteousness he confirms again his former Universal Charge All are gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable and therefore not one of them can be Justified And as the Faculties of their Souls are corrupt so the Apostle proceeds to shew the infection had seized on the Members of their Bodies therefore he saith Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongue they have used Deceit the Poyson of Aspes is under their Lips verse 13. Whose Mouth is full of cursing anâ— bitterness verse 14. Their Feet are swift to shed Blood verse 15. Both Tongues Lips Throat and Feet are polluted and abominable being Instruments oâ— unrighteousness In verse 19. he seems to Answer by way of anticipation an Objection which the Jews might bring against what he had said as if they should say What you speak doth not concern us but the prophane Gentiles we have the Law and that relieves us and thereby we may be Justified to which he Reasons thus to cut off all their Hopes viz. Now we know that whatsoever the Law saith it saith unto them that are under the Law that every Mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God By the Law is not only meant the Law as it was given to Israel in the Two Tables of Stone but as the substance of the same Law was written in the Hearts of all Mankind the Apostle means the Law of the First Covenant which was broke by our First Parents by the breach of which all the World became guilty before God originally and also by their actual Breach thereof for that neither Jews nor Gentiles lived without Sin but contrariwise werâ— guilty of the Breach of that Law under which they lived But although all the World were under the Law of the First Covenant and had the same Law as to the substance of it as a rule of Life yet the Jews had the upper hand of the resâ— of the World by their having the Oracles of God committed to them by which means they had greater advantages to come to the knowledge of Sin and also by means of divers Figures and Prophecies to the knowledge of the Messias But what of all this the Apostle shews them that the Law on which they rested was so far from relieving them that it served chiefly to convince them of their horrid guilt and bound the Sentence upon them so that they and all the World were subject to the Just Judgment of God and under his Wrath and Curse 2. And therefore he infers that by the Law either as it was written in the Two Tables or in the Heart which the Gentiles had as well as the Jews no Man could be justified so ver 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of Sin 3. But lest upon this the lost World should be left under utter Despair the Apostle proceeds to shew us there is a way found out in the infinite Wisdom of God and according to his unspeakable Grace and Goodness to deliver us from Sin and Guilt and so to justifie us before God and therefore he adds but now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets v. 21. Even the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe for there is no difference v. 22. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ v. 23 24. No wonder there is no difference when both Jews and Gentiles lie under the guilt of Adam's Transgression it being imputed to them he being the common Head and Representative of the whole race of Mankind Rom. 5. 12. And since also all of them partake of the same original Corruption or depraved Nature inherent in them from whence proceed all those actual Transgressions by which means it appears that all come short of that glorious Image of God in which they were at first created and also of the eternal Glory above Yet to the praise of God's Grace the lost World is not left in a hopeless Condition God having sent his Son to satisfie the Law and Divine Justice or to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God v. 25. 4. In the 27th Verse he adds a God-honouring and a self-confounding Inference from what he had said Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith 5. And hence he draws another conclusion viz. ver 28. Therefore we conclude That a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law and in the 4th Chapter he proceeds to prove his main Argument i. e. That a Sinner is justified by Faith without Works by the Example of Abraham for if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God chap. 4. 2. 6. This is the Apostle's Argument if Abraham was justified by Works he had somewhat whereby he might boast and glory but Abraham had nothing whereof to boast or glory and therefore he was not justified by Works But to put it further out of doubt he affirms what the Scripture saith viz. That Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness v. 3. 7. In the next place he proceeds to prove this blessed Doctrine from the nature of Works and Grace they being quite opposite and contrary the one to the other Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt v. 4. If therefore it was granted a Man could perform the condition of perfect Obedience yet he could not he justified 1. Because all as he had shewed before have sinned 2. Because there is no Reward as a due debt from God because we can do no more than our Duty we being the Lords and all our Abilities and Services can ne'er make a reparation for the wrong we have done against the Law and the Holiness and Justice of God And thus I come to my Text ver 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness To him that worketh not That is worketh not thinking thereby to be justified and saved Though he may work i. e. lead a holy and righteous Life yet he doth
own Faith to be the Gift of God or a Grace of the Holy Spirit but that which the Creature has power when the Gospel is Preached to act by common assistance and influences he hath power to do and perform as any other Duties of Religion as to Pray hear the Word c. And thus they make the whole stress of Man's Salvation after all that Christ hath done to depend upon the depraved and corrupt Will of the Creature and faith such a condition of Justification and Eternal Life as may or may not be performed which if true it might so fall out that not one Soul might be saved notwithstanding the precious price paid by Jesus Christ to redeem them for by the same purity of Reason one Man may resist the offers of Grace and not believe in Christ or exert that power every Man may as well do 〈◊〉 too See Mr. Troughton's Luther us Redivivus p. 2. 5. Some also there be who affirm that Justification consisteth in our being perfectly and inherently Holy by the Spirit Light or Christ within and that no â—an can be Justified unless he be in himself perfect without Sin These Men for all their late pretences in talking of Christ's righteousness yet 〈◊〉 evident those who assert this Doctrine say God doth not accept any where there is any failing or do not fulfil the Law and Answer every demand of Justice Edw. Burroughs Works 14 Queries p. 33. And another of their chief Teachers saith That Justification by the righteousness of another or which Christ fulfilled for us in his own Person wholly without us we boldly affirm saith he to be a Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which doth now Deluge the World Pen ' s Apol. p. 148. And again he says It is a great Abomination to say God should condemn and punish his innocent Son that he having satisfied for our Sins we may be justified by the imputation of his perfect righteousness Pen ' s Sandy Foundation p. 25. And then afterwards speaking of that Text Rom. 2. 13. Not the Hearers of the Law are Just before God but the Doers of it shall be Justified From whence saith he how unanswerably may I observe that unless we become Doers of that Law which Christ came not to destroy but as our Example to fulfil we cannot be Justified before God Nor let any fansie that Christ hath fulfilled it for them as to exclude their Obedience from being requisite to their Acceptance but only as their Pattern Pen ' s Sandy Foundation p. 26. No marvel they Preach up a sinless Perfection to be attainable in this Life or that Men may live and not Sin at all since without an actual Obedience in our own Persons to the Law in every part and branch of it no Man can be Justified in the sight of God We say there is no Man can be Justified but by a compleat and perfect righteousness either inherent in us or imputed to us but 't is evident by what I have already shewed no Man hath such a righteousness in himself there being none that doth good and sinneth not if we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1. 8. Paul cryed out When he would do Good Sin was present with him Rom. 7. Besides if a Man could live and Sin not yet he could not thereby be Justified because all have sinned and broke God's Law who shall therefore satisfie for and pay off the old score 6. Another sort there be that hold that some things must be done by the Creature not only to prepare for but to procure Justification not believing they can have this Wine and Milk without Money and without price Isa 55. 1 2. or something of their own They think they must make themselves clean and then come to Christ to be washed and Justified 7. There are others of late as well as formerly who by too many are looked upon to be true Preachers of the Gospel and Orthodox Men who are strangely tainted with that poysonous Notion which brings in sincere Obâ—dience unto the Gospel as joyning it with Faith in point of Justification Thus I find they express themselves viz. That Faith and Obedience are Conditions of the Gospel or of the Covenant of Grace as perfect Obedience was of the Covenant of Works and that Christ hath purchased by his Death that this new Covenant should be made with us viz. That if we would believe and obey the Gospel we should be pardoned and saved c. Therefore that for which we are Justified and saved is our Faith and Obedience and so far as I can gather the Faith they speak of doth not respect the taking hold of Christ's Righteousness c. but the Belief of the acceptance of our Person 's Holiness and sincere Obedience to the Gospel through Christ to our Justification Christ having taken away by his Death the rigour of the Law of the First Covenant which required perfect Righteousness in point of Justification and hath made the terms of our Justification easier viz. instead of perfect Obedience God will now accept of imperfect Obedience if sincere and acquit us from Condemnation and receive us to Eternal Life Now such who have always been looked upon as sound in this great Fundamental Point of Justification believe and teach Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and in our Nature and stead as our Head Representative and Surety to do and perform the terms thereof I mean the Law of Works which we had broken and by his Death made a full compensation to the Justice of God for our breach of it whose Actual and Passive Obedience or Righteousness is imputed to all who believe in him We say Obedience supposeth a Man Justified but these Men say that Obedience concurs with Faith to Justifie or is part of our Righteousness to Justification We affirm as a Worthy Divine Observes that Faith alone perfectly Justifies by trusting in the Righteousness of Christ so that there is no Condemnation to them who are in Jesus Christ Rom. 8. 1. or truly believe in him but they teach that Faith and Obedience Justifie only as the Conditions of the Gospel i. e. as thereby we doing what the Gospel requires of us and so we are Justified or accepted so far as our Faith and Obedience go and no farther and when they are perfect at Judgment we shall be perfectly Justified so that they render our Justification to be as imperfect as our inherent Personal Holiness or Sanctification is imperfect or to give it in the Words of a Learned Writer they intimate while we are imperfect our Justification is imperfect also and if our Faith and Obedience be interrupted or utterly lost Justification is interrupted and utterly lost likewise nor is it any wonder our Justification should be look'd upon by them to be imperfect while any Imperfections remain in us if the perfect
Righteousness I have he speaks in the present Tense but as dung that is in comparison of that Righteousness which doth and must justifie him in God's sight in which he would be found now and at Death and Judgment Compare this Text with that in Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness that we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Obj. But perhaps some will object that the Apostle in all these places only excludes the works of the Law Answ 'T is evident he excludes all Works done by the Creature either before Grace or after Grace as well Works of Obedience to the Gospel as to the Law Pray observe not by works of righteousness that we have done We that are Saints we who profess the Gospel nay such Works which God hath prepared or ordained that we should walk in them Eph. 2. 9 10. Good Works done by Saints and godly Persons cannot justifie them in God's sight Were not the Galatians Christians and Professors of the Gospel who held without Faith in Christ no doubt that they could not be justified But yet were so far fallen from the true Faith as to look to be justified also by the Law or by their Obedience to it or by an inherent Righteousness which the Apostle 〈◊〉 opposed Works are indifferently mentioned as being excluded He that is said to be justified by faith is said not to work but to have a Righteousness imputed therefore all works are excluded in this respect 2. If all Works were not excluded then there would still be the same cause or reason to glory or to boast be they either Legal or Gospel work◠but since all boasting is excluded all Works are excluded It signifies nothing what Works they are if the reason of their Exclusion be but considered which is to take away all manner of boasting and to abase the Creature and wholly to magnifie God and exalt Free Grace 3. Moreover the like Debt would be due to us For to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt What though some of my Works doth not make God a Debtor to me Yet if any Works in this case are not excluded God would still become a Debtor to me which is inconsistent with the Doctrine of Free Grace 4. If Works going before Justification are excluded from being any cause thereof then much more those Works that follow Justification for Causes as one well observes do not use to follow after but go before their Effects at least in order of Nature 5. If Works justifie they must of necessity be good Works but Works done before Faith or without Faith are not good Works for whatsoever is not done of Faith is Sin and are dead Works Neither can the Fruit be good as our Saviour saith while the Tree is bad Every evil Tree bringeth forth evil fruit But every Man before he is justified is like an evil Tree and therefore can bring forth no good Fruit no good Works wherefore all Works 't is evident before Faith and Justification are utterly excluded 6. Furthermore the Apostle speaketh of all Men whether converted or unconverted that 't is not of Works or Works done by them or either of them that they are justified or saved but by grace we are justified by grace and not by Works all Works are opposed by the Apostle to Grace therefore all Works are excluded From hence take this Argument That Doctrine that gives the Holy Scripture the Lie is false and to be rejected But the Doctrine that mixes any Works of Righteousness done by the Creature with Faith or the Free Grace of God in point of Justification gives the Scripture the Lie therefore that Doctrine is false and to be rejected 2 Arg. That all Works done by the Creature are utterly excluded in point of Justification appears from the different Nature of Works and Grace 't is positively said we are justified by Grace Now Grace and Works let Works be of what sort they will are directly contrary the one to the other See Rom. 11. 6. And if it be of Grace then it is not of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then it is no more of Grace otherwise work is no more work There is no mixing Works and Free Grace together but one of these doth and will destroy the Nature of the other and as it holds true in Election so in Justification If Justification was partly of Grace and partly by Works done by the Creature or from foreseen Holiness and sincere Obedience done by us then Grace is no more Grace or Works no more Works For whatsoever proceeds of Grace as our Annotators observe that cometh freely and is not of Debt But whatsoever cometh by Works that cometh by Debt but now Debt and Free Grace or that which is free and absolutely by Grace and that which is by Desert are quite contrary things therefore to say Men are called and justified partly by Grace and partly by Works done by the Creature this were to put such things together as cannot agree for 't is to make Merit no Merit Debt no Debt Work no Work Grace no Grace and so to affirm and deny one and the same thing From hence take this Argument That which is of the Free Grace of God is not by any Works done by the Creature But Justification is of the Free Grace of God therefore not by any Works done by the Creature That being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Tit. 3. 5. From hence rises all the hopes we have of Salvation 't is by or according to the Free Grace of God through the Merits of Jesus Christ alone 3 Arg. My third Argument to prove all Works done by the Creature are excluded in Justification is this viz. Faith is the way prescribed in the Gospel in order to Justification not Love not Charity not Works of Mercy but Faith Now why is Faith rather than any Grace mentioned as the way to be justified is it not from the Nature of this Grace In respect of the Object it flies unto or takes hold of Faith contrary to any other Grace of the Spirit carries the Soul out of himself to Christ like as those who were stung with the fiery Serpents in the Wilderness were healed by looking up to the Brazen Serpent So by fixing our Eye upon Christ looking by Faith upon Christ we come to be healed and justified Moreover pray wherein doth the Terms of the Gospel differ from the Terms of the Law Do this and live or The Man that doth these things shall live in them Gal. 3. 12. Lev. 18. 5. These are the Terms of the Law Thus runs the Tenour of the Law But the Terms of the Gospel are quite different Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. This was the Doctrine Paul preached to the poor trembling Jailor which agrees with what the
Poyson that lies hid in it and 't is full of hard and uncouth or unintelligible Terms Notions and Expressions not formerly known to the Christian World 'T is strange to me that he should intimate and hold forth the Gospel to be a Law or Command of Duty as a Condition with the Sanction of Threats upon Non-performance and Promises of Rewards upon Performance of sincere Obedience for if Sincerity of Grace and Holiness be not the Condition of that which he often calls the Rule of the Promise which he nevertheless says is not the Precept I understand him not Doth he not mean a Man must be holy sincere or a New Creature before he ventures on the Promise of the Gospel or can be justified which is the Error my Text opposes as if the free Promise of the Grace of God in laying hold on Christ and his Righteousness justifies us not but that we must get some inherent Qualifications of Holiness as the Rule of the Promise before we venture upon it or throw our selves upon Jesus Christ and so must receive him as Saints and not as Sinners which is directly contrary to what all our true Protestant Writers and Modern Divines have all along asserted The Papists say a Man must be inherently righteous before he can be declared just and that Faith justifies as it infuses such a Righteousness in us And this Man says but little else if I understand him i. e. a Man must answer the Rule of the Gospel-Promise asserting that the Gospel doth judicially determine a Conformity to the Rule thereof and when God forgives he judicially declares a Man hath true Faith and by Faith he means doubtless more than a laying hold on Christ viz. the making good the Baptismal Covenant i. e. to love serve and sincerely to yield Obedience to the Gospel so that Faith must by him be taken in a large and comprehensive manner And that before God declares us righteous to Justification he looks whether or no we have fully answered the Conditions according to the Doctrine these Men preach and finding the Creature has done that God judicially gives the Promise in a way of Reward and the Obedience being sincere though imperfect 't is accepted as far forth as perfect Obedience would have been could it have been performed under the Law of Works so that still inhereut Righteousness is the Condition 〈◊〉 our Justification before the holy God and not the Righteousness of Christ Away with this Error Brethren This New Law it seems can give Life upon Obedience thereto the first being taken away but if by the Law any Law a Man might be justified Christ is dead in vain For as one Law so all Laws of Works since Man hath sinned utterly fail and are unable to justifie us in God's sight For as some learned Men have observed the Greek Word is not the Law but a Law Let it be what Law or Rule of Righteousness it will that requires perfect or imperfect Obedience it will not do Gal. 3. 11. For the just shall live by Faith Justification and Life comes only that way and not by Works of Obedience we have done And truly to talk of sincere Obedience when performed by an unregenerate Person 't is strange Doctrine Sincerity must only be look'd for in him who is renewed by the Grace of God 'T is as impossible for an unregenerate Person to perform sincere Obedience if we speak of Gospel-Sincerity as it is for a Believer to perform perfect Obedience to the Law of Works Therefore Sinners though 't is your Duty to reform your Lives and leave your abominable Sins which often bring heavy Judgments upon you in this World and expose you to eternal Wrath in the World to come yet know that all that you can do will fail in point of your Acceptation and Justification in God's sight or to save your Souls Your present Work and Business is to believe in Jesus Christ to look to him who only can renew his sacred Image in your Souls and make you New Creatures which must be done or you perish O cry that he would help your Unbelief Come venture your Souls on Christ's Righteousness Christ is able to save you though you are never so great Sinners Come to him throw your selves at the Feet of Jesus Look to Jesus who came to seek and save them that were lost If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Joh. 7 37 38. You may have Water of Life freely Do not say I want Qualifications or a Meetness to come to Christ Sinner dost thou thirst Dost thou see a want of Righteousness 'T is not a Righteousness but 't is a sense of the want of Righteousness which is rather the Qualification thou should'st look at Christ hath Righteousness sufficient to cloath you Bread of Life to feed you Grace to adorn you or whatsoever you want it is to be had in him We tell you there is help in him Salvation in him through the Propitiation in his Blood you must be justified which is by Faith alone Know that God justifies the Vngodly not by making them first inherently righteous nor are they ungodly any more after justified The Faith of the Operation of God will soon purifie your Hearts and cleanse your Lives this Grace will teach you to deny all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present evil World We do not tell you you must be holy and then believe in Jesus Christ but that you must believe in him that you may be holy You must first have Union with him before you can bring forth Fruit to God you must act from Life and not for Life Obj. But O 't is hard thus to believe to be ungodly and yet to believe to see no Holiness of our own no divine Habits planted in us Had we some degree of Sanctification or Righteousness of our own we could then believe Answ Is not Christ able to save you or is he not willing to save you unless you are Co-workers and Co-partners with him in your Salvation Or are you unwilling to be saved unless you might share with him in the Glory of your Salvation Is it hard for you to believe the highest Testimony and Witness that ever was born to any truth Can't you believe the Report of the Gospel or receive the Record God hath given of his Son Is resting on Christ hard Can't you beg for Bread rather than perish Can't you drink when thirsty when you are bid to do it freely We say the Gospel is not a conditional Covenant of Obedience or that Faith and Holiness or Faith and Good Works are the Condition of it denying we are justified by any Works of ours as a subordinate Righteousness to the Righteousness of Christ or that we are justified for Christ's sake only but not that his Righteousness is imputed to us also as our Sins were imputed or laid upon him We say that Faith doth
any should conceive God should give way to relax or abrogate the Law of perfect Obedience nay send his Son to do it and in its room bring in a Law for imperfect Obedience to justifie us as if he repented he ever gave it For by this means saith a learned Author God should lose much Honour in making this second Covenant and granting such easie Terms for there is no comparison betwixt perfect Obedience required by the Law and due to God as our Creator and that imperfect Obedience which is accepted by the Gospel neither in Quantity Quality nor Duration Here it is possible a Man may be converted at the last hour and saved though he have lived in Rebellion against God many years What little Honour or Service hath God from such a Man yea from the best Men who confess their righteousness to be as filthy rags in comparison of a sinless Nature and perfect Life in respect of all Duties Time and Place without mixture of any sinful Imperfections What should be the reason of this alteration If there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily righteousness should have been by the Law Gal. 3. 21. Could not Man keep the Law of Works then it seems the first Law was too strict This reflecteth upon the Wisdom and Justice of God It must be granted that perfect Man could observe a perfect Law had God pleased to give him Grace and Assistance sufficient to his State and Necessity and so there was no need the Law should be altered and the Obedience the Condition of it changed from perfect to imperfect For if perfect Man could not keep the Law of perfect Obedience with sufficient Grace How should sinful Man perform the Law of sincere Obedience having no more than sufficient Grace to assist him Did not God foreknow that Man would break the Law of Works and so was necessitated to make a New and more easie Law Or did not God both foreknow and permit the Fall of Man Or could he not have hindred it Why then should he give way to the abrogating the Command of perfect Obedience to bring in that of imperfect Surely as Augustine saith God is so Just that he can allow no Evil and so Good that he can permit no Evil except it be with design to bring greater Good out of it If God permitted the First Covenant to be broken that thereby he might abase Man and magnifie his own Grace and his Son in bestowing Heaven freely on him and in bringing him thither by the continued Power of pardoning and sanctifying Grace hereby indeed God doth 〈◊〉 advance his own Glory by the change of the Covenants But that the Condition of perfect Obedience being broke by Man's Sin the Law therefore should be dis-annulled and a new way of treating with Man set up wherein still Man should be something and his Works bring about his own Salvation and God be contented with few and very imperfect Acts of Obedience this certainly is a prejudice to his Honour nor doth this make it up i.e. That our Obedience is accepted for Christ's sake for Christ only made way for removing the Old Covenant say you and the granting a New but he did not obey in our stead nor doth add any Worth to our Obedience unless you will say that we are Justified by our own sincere Obedience the righteousness of Christ making up the defects of it and so our own righteousness will be a co-ordinate cause of our Justification with the righteousness of Christ we say When the Apostle saith By the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be Justified he doth not mean only the Law as in the Hands of Moses but also as it is a-new given forth by Jesus Christ for we are still under Obedience to the Moral Law the substance of which is to Love God and our Neighbour as our selves By the Law is meant that Rule of Life God hath given whether as written in the Heart or given by Moses or as given a-new by Christ as Rule of Life to us Lusts is a breach of Christ's Law or as the Law given by Christ as well as it was given by Moses no Man because a Sinner can be Justified by his own Works Righteousness or Obedience but all Men are Sinners whether Professors or Prophane Rom. 3. 23. As I said before he that is justified must be just or without Sin or have such a Righteousness imputed to him God will in no wise clear the guilty Exod. 34. 7. God is just as well as gracious Rom. 3. 26. he cannot suffer any wrong to be done to his Holy Law Consider the Purity of his Nature and Rectitude of his Will His Justice must be satisfied his Law fulfilled by us or by our Surety for us and will not abate a tittle of that Righteousness it doth require yet such is also his Goodness that what we could not do in keeping perfectly the Law he sent his Son in our Nature as our Surety and Representative to do it for us Rom. 8. 3. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that is in our Head who by Faith is ours and thus by Faith we do not make void the Law but establish it Is the Law rendred useless or of none effect by Faith Are we justified without regard had to the just Commands thereby required or without a Compensation made for the breach thereof Is it made void No God forbid saith the Apostle we establish the Law in as much as by Faith we get or attain to a perfect Righteousness even such a Righteousness as the Law requires by being Interested in the compleat and perfect Righteousness and Obedience of Christ to the Moral Law in whom every Type and Shadow of the Ceremonial Law and in whom each Promise and Prophecy is fulfilled also To close this take this Argument If we are justified by a compleat and perfect Righteousness then an imperfect though a sincere Righteousness doth not justifie us but we are justified by a compleat and perfect Righteousness Ergo Remember Sinners you are guilty and must be justified in a way of Righteousness as well as pardoned in a way of Sovereign Mercy that God might be just and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3. 26. We can only be justified saith learned Leigh by that Righteousness which is universal and compleat Leigh's Body of Divinity p. 529. Our Obedience though sincere is not universal nor compleat therefore our sincere Obedience or Righteousness justifies us not in God's sight 5. All Works done by the Creature are excluded in point of Justification of the Sinner before God appears because Gospel-Justification is a great Mystery and the preaching of it counted Foolishness to the wise Men of this World to preach Christ and his Righteousness as that which justifies us they cannot understand Natural Light and Reason comprehends it not What must we be justified by the Obedience and Righteousness of
another This to the learned Greeks was a strange Doctrine But to say a Man is justified by sincere Obedience i. e. by believing the Truth of God's Word and living a godly Life suits well with Man's natural Wisdom and Reason But the Doctrine of Faith though it be not against humane Reason yet it is above it and wholly depends upon divine or supernatural Revelation through this Man is preached unto you remission of Sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things by which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 38 39. For as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom 5. 19. How dare any say our Works or sincere Obedience is our Righteousness sith the Apostle positively asserts We are made righteous by the Obedience of Jesus Christ If it be by his Obedience 't is not by our own For as Adam's Sin was imputed to his Seed to Condemnation so is the Obedience or Righteousness of Christ imputed to all those who believe in him to Justification Now the worst of Men that have any sense of Religion are prone to conclude the only way to obtain God's Favour and to be justified in his sight is to make the practice of Holiness and upright Walking a Condition nay the only way thereunto and that Happiness is to be by that means obtained Hence 't is when they meet with any awakening Convictions or Terror of Conscience they presently begin to think they must amend their Lives and perform Religious Duties Nay this way the Heathens were brought to their best Devotion as a learned Writer observes Mankind being made and born under a Covenant of Works are naturally led to work for Life or to do something to procure God's Acceptance and escape his Displeasure The very Light of natural Reason informs us that it is just with God to require us to perform Duties of sincere Obedience or Duties of natural or instituted Religion and if we fall in doing what our Consciences tells us we ought to do we presently through self-love and blind hope persuade our selves God being gracious will pardon us wherein we come short through Christ who died for Sinners And thus we may perceive that the Persuasion of Salvation and Justification by the Condition of sincere Obedience hath its Original from our corrupt natural Reason and is part of the Wisdom of the World but it is none of the Wisdom of God in a Mystery yea that hidden Wisdom God hath ordained before the World began to our Glory It is not of the things of the Spirit of God nor of the Mystery of Faith which the natural Man cannot receive but are Foolishness unto him This is not the foolishness of preaching whereby God is pleased to save them that believe 1 Cor. 2. 6 7 9 14. Certainly the Justification of a Sinner in the sight of God by Faith only or to believe on him that justifies the Ungodly is one of the chief Mysteries of the Gospel but if our Justification was by our own Obedience or by conforming our Lives to the Rules of the Gospel Justification and Salvation would cease from being any more a Mystery But to be justified by the Righteousness of another though Sinners in our selves and have done nothing to procure such Favour and Acceptance at God's hand can't enter into the heart of natural and self-deceived Mortals Sirs our Justification is a great Mystery as 't is an Act of God's Sovereign Grace and Wisdom Herein his Justice and Mercy equally shine forth and the one doth not eclipse the Glory of the other Sin is punished and the Sinner acquitted 6 Arg. If when we have done all we can do we are unprofitable Servants then by our best Works of Obedience and Services under the Gospel we cannot be justified But contrariwise all Works in that respect as done by us are excluded Luke 17. 10. He is no unprofitable Servant whose Works or sincere Obedience commends him to God in point of Justification no Man is able to come up fully to discharge his Duty If therefore sincere Obedience â—nstead of perfect God now requires of us in the case of Justification and we are able fully to discharge the Law of sincere Obedience which our new Doctors must say or they say nothing then it follows that all such Persons are not unprofitable Servants for they have done all that God requires of them Nor indeed can I see as a Divine observes if sincere Obedience be the Condition of Justification and Life how the Imperfections of the Godly should be any Sins against the Gospel Where there is no Law there is no Transgression For this New Law i. e. the Gospel requires no more than sincere and upright Obedience say they though the Law did and the Gospel also promises Life in like manner to sincere Obedience as the Law did to perfect and compleat Obedience they may be Imperfections saith he in Nature but not proper Sins Praeter non contra Legem as the Papists say If they say that more than sincere Obedience is required of us but not as a Condition of Life I ask by what Law The Covenant of Works required nothing but as the Condition of Life no more doth the Gospel if it be a Law of Life After such a manner our Saviour doubtless by his Expressions shews us that all we do avails us nothing in point of Desert though never so sincerely performed and therefore far from justifying us in God's sight but that all we have is of God's Free Grace 7 Arg. Because we are said to be justified by the Righteousness of God Hence it follows that all our own Works of Obedience are excluded Rom. 3. 21 22. 'T is called the Righteousness of God in opposition to the Righteousness of the Creature not the Essential Righteousness of God but the Righteousness of Christ the Mediator who is God as well as Man and that Righteousness God in his infinite Wisdom hath found out to discharge us guilty and condemn'd Sinners and to justifie us in his sight Hence St. Paul renounced all his own Righteousness that he might be found in the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 8 9 10. Obj. But say some Paul speaks only of that Righteousness which he had whilst a Pharisee or of the Righteousness of the Law He intends not saith Mr. Williams p. 204 205. Gospel-sincerity but those Jewish thing or what they boasted of And again he saith It was not Gospel-holiness which he counted dung or loss Answ 'T is strange this Man should adventure to give such a sence of this Text when at the same time he would â—ain have his Reader believe he owns the imputed Righteousness of Christ for our Justification p. 202. 'T is evident he does deny that the Righteousness of Christ alone is imputed to us for Justification as being the only Matter