and iustified them hee glorified because hee called and iustified none but whom he had predestinated to glory and therefore giueth them perseuerance for the attainement of the same glory Yea and they also account all things but losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord and doe iudge them but dung that they may win Christ and bee found in him not hauing their owne righteousnesse which is by the Law CON. 21. There was neuer any meere naturall man for Christ was God also void of all sinne EXPLA. Surely if any at any time was it must be she who by speciall prerogatiue nine moneths togither entertained Christ within the closet of her slesh the hope of all the ends of the earth the honor of the world the common ioy of men but hee of whom all things had their beginnings had his beginning from her of whose body he tooke the blood which was to be shed for the world yet of her hee tooke that which for her he payed The world cannot shew a righteous man much lesse perfectly righteous but Christ is made to vs wisedome reuealing his Fathers will Iustice in offering himselfe a sacrifice for sinne SanctificatioÌ„ because he hath giuen vs his spirit Redemption because he had appointed a day to vindicat his children out of the hands of corruption into a glorious liberty CON. 22. There is a glorifying righteousnes in the world to come as there is a iustifying sanctifying righteousnesse here EXPLA. The righteousnesse wherewith we shall bee clothed in the world to come is both perfect and inherent that whereby here wee are iustified such as is the faith of Abraham is perfect but not inherent that whereby wee are sanctified the workes of Abraham is inherent but not perfect for the righteousnesse wherein we must be found if wee will bee iustified is not our owne for in Christ God findeth vs and the man altogether vnrighteous beeing found in Christ through faith God putteth away his sin by not imputing the same takes quite away the punishment due thereunto by pardoning it and accepted him in Christ Iesus as perfectly righteous as if he had fulfilled all that was commanded him in the law for God made him sinne for vs who knew no sinne that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him that is such we are in the sight of God the Father as is the very Sonne of God himselfe this is all men had sinned God had suffered God had made himselfe the sonne of man and men are made the righteousnesse of God and the grace which elected vs is no grace at all if it elect vs for our workes sake CON. 23 There is no mans case so dangerous as his whom Satan had perswaded that his own righteousnesse shal present him pure blamelesse in the sight of God EXPLA. The more wee haue our fruite in holinesse the more we abound therein the more neede we haue to craue that wee may bee supported and strengthned our very vertues are snares vnto vs it is harder for Sathan to ouerthrow an humble sinner theÌ„ a proud Sainct if we could say as we cannot doe wee are guilty of nothing God sees farther into our hearts then we our selues can doe with hands we neuer offered violence yet a bloody thought doth prooue vs murtherers before him our secret cogitations are laid in the eyes of God and our best things intermingled with many defects God respects the intention of the doer which is seldome vpright our best actions are prayers but how in them are wee distracted little reuerence to the great Maiestie of God little remorse of our owne miseries little influence of his mercies doe wee feele vnwilling to beginne and glad to make an end wherefore wee must euer say Lord beare with our infirmities and pardon our offences CON. 24. Onely man can escape the iudgement of God by appealing to the seate of his sauing mercy EXPLA. God had fixed the limits of his sauing mercy within the compasse of these terms God sent not his Sonne to condemne the world but that the world thorow him might be saued and thereafter mercy is restrained to beleeuers for he that beleeues shall not be condemned hee that beleeues not is condemned already because he beleeues not in the Son of God and in another place mercy is restrained to the penitent Of Iesabel and her sectaries thus hee spake I gaue her space to repent and she repented not behold I will cast her into a bed and them that commit fornication with her into a great affliction except they repent them of their workâ—s and I will kill her children with death If thou be therefore not altogether faithlesse and impenitent there is mercy in store for thee abundantly CON. 25. Faith is the fountaine of prayer and God in keeping of our faith continueth our prayer because the stream cannot faile so long as the fountaine faileth not EXPLA. Prayer is the breath of faith which neuer ceaseth to breathe so long as it is aliue Prayers are the beames of faith if the light of faith bee not quenched it certainely sendeth forth these beames of prayer wherefore they neuer giue ouer to pray that it may bee fulfilled in them which is promised Euery one that calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued God vseth instruction of the word and Sacraments and correction of crosses and tentation to preserue both faith prayer by afflictions he fretteth off the rust and blotteth away the ashes of carnall â—ecurity Wherefore it is said Lord in affliction they visited thee they haue powred out a prayer when thy chastisement was vpon them Thus God keepeth the fire of his Spirit continually burning in our hearts opening our eares by his corrections to cause vs to ceasse from our euill enterprizes and to heale our pride and to keepe backe our soule from the pit Wherefore when wee are iudged wee are chastned of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world CON. 26. Doubting or distracting feare cannot stand with assurance of faith but awfull and regarding feare is an vndiuided companion of true faith EXPLA. As feare is opposed to faith we heare God appointing his Ministers to call his people from it Say vnto the fearefull bee thou strong feare not behold our God commeth with vengeance and hee will come and saue you and againe Feare not for I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpâ— thee and sustaine thee with the hand of my Iustice And againe Feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by name thou art mine And againe Feare not for thou shalt not be ashamed nor confounded in righteousnesse shalt thou bee established and be farre from feare for it shall not come neere thee this is the heritage of the Lords seruants whose righteousnesse is of me for Christs merit is our
Yea and the elects sinnes doe euen worke for their good which are made a Triacle or preseruatiue against sinne for they neuer so fall but that his seede remaineth in them and his hand is vnder to lift them vp againe Thus the Lord is our righteousnesse Christ is to vs a Iesus a Sauiour by sauing vs immediately himselfe not by giuing vs power to saue our selues or to be our Sauiours CON. 47. The worth of Christs merits is most cleerely seene in the true acknowledgement of our vnworthinesse EXPLA. Gods light is most cleerly seene in our darknesse his power in our weakenesse his goodnesse in shewing vs mercy that are euill his righteousnesse in the confession of of our shame God hath appointed vs to be for the glory of his grace and therfore he disposeth that no flesh shal reioyce in his presence and that he onely may be exalted in that day and reioyce that we haue found mercy with the Lord who couereth our sinnes with the mantle of his righteousnes who seeth no iniquity in Iacob nor beholds transgression in Israel God seeth sinne with the eye of his knowledge but by reason of that couerture will not see it with the eye of his iudgement he seeth it with a discerning but seeth it not with a reuenging eye for the iustified man delighteth in the Law of God as touching the inner man yet hee hath still in his members the law of sinne hanging fâ—â—st on and lusting and rebelling against the Law of the spirit of life For though he hath within him an army of vicious desires yet hath hee a will and desire of righteousnesse hee hungreth and thirsteth wayting to be satisfied because according to his promise wee looke for a new heauen and a new earth wherin righteousnesse dwelleth the purpose of his life tendeth wholly to it it is grieuance to him that he failed to performe it and maketh him to cry out Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of death And therefore though he sinne he sinneth not maliciously purposely and with desire and delight in sinne but of ignorance and infirmity by occasion and by the creeping and stealing of sin vpon him CON. 48. By the Law of faith God pardoneth sinne EXPLA. God is a iust iudge as wel when hee iudgeth by lawes of mercy as when he iudgeth by the lawes of extremity as well in the law of faith as in the law of workes by the law of faith God forgiueth and considereth with fauour and if there bee a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that that hee hath not And all this hee doth as a iust Iudge because by law he doth whatsoeuer he doth but in the rigor of the Law which is the law of workes he remitteth nothing but requireth all to the vttermost farthing nothing pleafeth but what is exact and perfect and fully answerable to the rule So Paule expected that God as a iust iudge would yeeld vnto him the Crowne not by the Law of workes but by the Law of faith wherin God crowneth in mercy louing kindnesse because his crowne is a crowne of Iustice not of Pauls owne Iustice but of the Iustice of God for it is iust with God to pay that he oweth and he oweth that which hee hath promised which is mercy to the beleeuing penitent for Christs sake For all wee like sheepe haue gone astray and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquities of vs all for hee bore our sinnes in his body vpon the tree Thy righteousnesse couereth in mee a multitude of sins but in thee O Lord what but the treasures of piety the riches of Goodnesse CON. 49. Wee are reputed iust by the forgiuenesse of our sins and this is iustification in the sight of God EXPLA. What are wee but iust in the sight of God when there is taken from vs the imputation of all sinne To be iust is the same as not to be a sinner and in the way of faith they to whom their sinnes are not imputed are accounted not sinners and therfore are accounted iust for all the commandements of God are reputed to bee done when that which is not done is pardoned and hee who is reputed to haue done all the commandements of God is reputed iust Hee therefore to whom God pardoneth that which hee hath done is reputed iust and that which God determineth not to impute is all one is if it had neuer beene for wee are iustified through the redemption which is in Christ and redemption is by forgiueness of sinnes and the not imputing of sinne is the imputing of righteousnesse without workes now forgiuenesse of our sinnes is yeelded vnto vs by vertue of the merit and righteousnes which Christ hath wrought for vs who was giuen for vs and gaue himselfe for vs who was made vnder the Law to redeem vs and therefore is iust and righteous for vs and whatsoeuer he hath done he hath done for vs hee hath shed his blood for vs died for vs rose againe for vs and hath fulfilled all righteousnesse and obedience to his Father for vs and so very iustly is accounted ours Whatsoeuer hee hath done for vs is no lesse then if wee our selues had performed the same for our selues And thus by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse our sinnes are couered pardoned and forgiuen and we are reputed iust by the righteousnesse of Christ because in the righteousnes of Christ is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and thereby no accusation is liable against vs either as hauing done that which we ought not to haue done or done that which we ought not to doe for who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And as Adam did beare the person of all mankinde and wee all were that one man and therefore what hee did was as done by all and euery one So did Christ beare the person of all the Elect and faithfull and was accounted as them all in one not one that made the forfeiture and another the satisfaction because one Christ is both the head and the body and therefore what hee did is likewise as done by all and euery one of vs. CON. 50. In the Elect with sanctification there is still a remainder of originall corruption EXPLA. Iustification in the sight of God by the imputation of Christs merits is alwayes accompanied with the sanctificatioÌ„ of the holy Ghost whereby the inward quality of the man though not wholly yet in part is altered and changed and is thenceforth further to bee renued from day to day In part I say because together with their sanctification there is still remnants of originall corruption by the touch staine whereof the holinesse newnesse that is wrought in vs is defiled for although originall corruption hath receiued a deadly wound yet it is not wholly
dead it is dead indeede touching the guilt but it is not yet dead as touching corruption and infection and therfore doth infect the works of the most regenerate for none is perfect as long as he continueth in this life Indeed God hath quickened vs together with Christ and hath raised vs vp together and hath made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus but that is not yet really but in hope yea in our prayers there is much weaknesse and imperfections and distractions yet God respects the truth and not the measure of our faith pardoneth the same for Christs sake who is our high Priest to beare the iniquity of our offerings to make them acceptable before the Lord therfore the godly say Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight no man liuing shal be iustified The righteous fall seuen times a day and dayly prayeth for forgiuenesse and when by frailty he doth fal God doth in mercy looke vpon him as he did vpon Peter and cause him to rise againe CON. 51. Faith created in our hearts is the onely sufficient supernaturall instrument to apprehend the free couenant of grace in Christ that is Christs righteousnesse for our iustification EXPLA. Faith is the instrument to receiue because it is the hand which wee stretch to heauen to take holde of Christ and to hold him sitting there it is the mouth whereby we eate and drinke Christ because to beleeue is to eate it is the stomack whereby we digest him for he is to be digested by faith it is the foot wherby we enter in possession of the benefits of Christ and possesse so farre as we stretch the same it is the vessell whereinto God putteth the oyle of his mercy it is by faith wee touch him and looke how much faith we bring to receiue so much we draw out of the abundant grace of God Now that whereby we are iustified is the obedience of Christ for by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous and his obedience is his righteousnesse and wee are made the righteousnesse of God in him by apprehending and receiuing the righteousnesse which is in him He is called the Lord our righteousnesse not who maketh vs righteous only but who also himselfe is our righteousnes and how should he be our righteousnes but by his righteousnes therefore in apprehending receiuing Christ by faith we apprehend and receiue the righteousnes of Christ to be our iustification before God which is that merit and obedience of Christ imputed vnto vs. The efficient and finall cause of iustification then is God in Christ Iesus for our saluation the glory of his name the Materiall is the merit obedience of Christ the Formall cause is Gods imputation apprehended and receiued by vs the instrument of this apprehension is faith alone CON. 52. Iustifying faith is euer accompanied with godlinesse and care of godly life EXPLA. As naturall birth draweth not onely guilt but also corruption so faith wherein is our new birth giueth not onely forgiuenesse of sinne to iustification but also sanctification to holinesse and newnesse of life In the iustified man faith onely is the seat and fountaine of spirituall life because as the quickning faculty and power of the liuing soule dwelleth in the heart so Christ who is our life dwelleth in our faith or in our hearts by faith But yet we consist not spiritually of faith onely but many other vertues and graces are required to make vp the perfection of a Christian man to which as to the other members frō the heart so from faith life is imparted and communicated that in them wee may bee aliue to God which are signes and tokens of a iustified man not any causes of iustification but a declaration and testimony of his being formerly iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ. So good workes follow a man being iustified but are not precedent to iustification and nothing that man can doe either by nature or grace concurreth to the act of iustification as any cause but faith alone for our hearts are purified by faith by faith we reeiue the promise of the spirit and the Law of the Spirit of Christ which is in Christ Iesus deliuered vs from the law of sinne and of death Neither is the very act of faith any part of our righteousnesse but onely the merit and obedience of Christ apprehended and receiued by faith but as the heart giueth life to the body not by the substance of it selfe which is but flesh as the rest of the body is but by the vitall and quickning power of the soule that is seated therin and as the hand feedeth the body not as beeing it selfe the food of the body but by receiuing and ministering vnto it meate wherby it is sustained euen so faith iustifieth and giueth life by receiuing Christ to bee our righteousnesse and life in him receiuing forgiuenesse of sinnes inheritance among them that are sanctified vnto eternall life CON. 53. When God promised tied the effect of his promise to the beleeuing of it not to beleeue that in beleeuing whereof wee are partakers of that which we beleeue is to make God a lyar and to frustrate that which he hath promised EXPLA. By faith onely we accept of a promise in all the benefits of God wee are the children of promise heires by promise heires of promise expecting all things by the gracious promise of God by promise to be partakers of the diuine nature the blessing by promise the spirit by promise the inheritance by promise life eternall by promise by promise a new heauen and a new earth wherein righteousnesse dwelleth all which be promises in Christ and are yea and in him amen that is for his sake first made and for his sake to bee performed also Now seeing God hath taught vs that by faith wee obtaine the promises that wee receiue the promise of the spirit by faith that the promise of blessing is giuen by the faith of Iesus Christ to them that beleeue that as we beleeue so it shall be vnto vs that whatsoeuer wee desire when wee pray if we beleeue we shall haue it it shall be accordingly vnto vs. Why should wee then not beleeue such God hath promised Christ to bee our righteousnesse and that by the faith of Iesus Christ that is by beleeuing in him to bee that vnto vs which God hath promised surely in beleeuing him to bee our righteousnesse hee is our righteousnesse and we are made the righteousnesse of God in him CON. 54. The righteousnesse and merit of Christ is spiritually and really ours within and without in spirit and body and soule to sanctifie and cleanse vs vnto God EXPLA. And this is indeede not by receiuing Christs righteousnes really into vs but by hauing righteousnesse imputed vnto vs for his sake for we