in the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before this joyfull newes of the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all the Gentiles bee blessed So that they that bee of this faith of free justification are blessed with faithfull Abraham Gal. 3. 8 9. And can our hearts wish or desire any more This is the royalty of having on the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse freely given us to cleanse us from our secret sinnes and breaches of the tenth commandement unknown unto our selves Psal 19. 12. And to make us and all our works both naturall civill and religious pure clean perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely without workes or our perfect working of them as Saint Paul testifieth saying to the pure all things that is our naturall works and our civill works and our religious workes and all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. Thus onely by free justification hath Christ delivered us from this present evill world according to the will of God even our father Gal. 1. 4. Thus hath God made us meet to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Because he hath thus delivered us from the power or kingdome of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare sonne Col. 1. 12 13. Thus our righteousnesse exceeding the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees we are entred into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5. 20. which kingdome of heaven is within us Luk. 17. 21. For the kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And thus if any man either Preacher or private Christian have some true touch first of the horrible filthinesse of the least sin in Gods sight and then of this glorious excellency of free justification thus perfectly healing us of it it will make us to say with Saint Paul Yea doubtlesse I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledg sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may make my gain of Christ and be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3. 8 9. which one Scripture I have now divers times alledged because it so fully describeth the markes or rather the very nature and essence of the true saving faith That whosoever doth in any measure of truth feele the same with Paul in his heart let him certainely know that he hath escaped out of the most dangerous dead Faith and hath Pauls faith that is the true lively and justifying faith which onely most certainly saveth him and glorifieth him For whom God justifieth them also hee glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. And thus much be spoken of the two main points of religion which being thus thorowly looked into and deeply considered are the effectuall means to deliver us out of the dead faith and to translate us into the true lively justifying and saving faith Now out of these two points thus thorowly looked into and deeply considered will infallibly flow a third thing which as St. Iohn teacheth in all his three Epistles is Love which Paul also very resolutely testifieth saying For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which is effectuall operative or workfull by love For the true beleever having by this true faith a feeling of the true love of Christ toward him it onely and infallibly inflames his heart with the true love of Christ againe and of God in Christ and of his whole Church of every child of God in particular which true love constraineth the beleever 2 Cor. 5. 14. Not onely to doe his vocation diligently and so with David to serve his generation faithfully Act. 13. 36. as S. Paul likewise teacheth Gal. 5. 13. saying Brethren ye have been called unto liberty that is Now after that faith is come ye are no longer under the whipping Schoole-master Gal. 3. 25. Wherein though ye were heires yet being as little children ye differed nothing from servants Gal. 4. 1. Onely use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another but also it constraineth him to break off from and to mortifie all sinne and ungodly conversation and to walke freely cheerfully sincerely and zealously in all Gods will and commandements declaratively to manward which is true sanctification And thus it is most true which the established doctrine of our Church largely teacheth saying That this true faith of free justification is a thing of perfect vertue and wonderfull operation strength and power to bring forth all good motions and good works or else it is not the true lively justifying faith but the blind dead faith that leaves men in sin death and double damnation as these and such like Scriptures teach Titus 2. 11. to 15. For that grace of God namely of free justification bringeth salvation for nothing brings salvation upon men but onely the grace of free justification and therefore it is called the iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. hath appeared to all men and teacheth us dictamine charitatis by the instructing power and force of love to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world What is the moving or effecting cause hereof Because Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all our iniquities and purge or purifie or make us clean to be a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works vers 14. Thus Paul pithily expresseth also to the Ephesians chap. 2. 10. saying For wee are Gods workmanship namely by free justification created in Christ Iesus that is made by free Justification new creatures to Godward 2 Cor. 5. 17. 21. that is formed anew in Christ Jesus Gal. 4. 19. unto good workes that is to Sanctification Repentance Mortification Sincerity and Vniversall declarative obedience to all Gods will and commandements declaratively to man-ward Which God hath fore-ordained that we should walk in them Hence it is that Saint Iohn also so vehemently testifieth 1 Iohn 3. 6 9. saying whosoever is borne of God that is whosoever is iustified sinneth not that is sinneth not wittingly and willingly with free stream running to sinne as before his free iustification For Gods seed that is some true sight of Gods pure and righteous nature infinitely hating the creature defiled with the least sinne in his sight and some feeling of the infinite love of Christ bleeding out his bloud and life to iustifie him this seed remaineth in him and hee cannot sinne that is hee cannot lead so dissolute a conversation in sinne as he did before Because he is born of God that is Because of a wilde crab-tree he by free iustification is made a perfect good tree to
Godward Therefore hee cannot choose but bring forth the good fruit to man-ward of Sanctification This is largely taught in the whole fifth and sixth chapters of the Epistle to the Romanes where it is shewed that free justification as the cause and sanctification as the effect doe alwayes follow unseparably one the other Hence it is that S. Iames 2. 14. doth so sharply taunt carnall professors of free justification saying What doth it profit my brethren for a man to say hee hath faith and hath not works Can that faith save him No But shew me thy faith by thy works And here mark how he saith not shew God thy faith by thy works nor shew thy selfe thy faith by thy works but shew me that am thy Christian Minister that have the charge of thy soule and have the keyes given me of the Kingdom of heaven to binde thee and loose thee Matth. 16. 19. shew him thy faith by thy works or thy Christian neighbours that dwell round about thee and deale with thee shew them thy faith namely that it is true and sound by thy works that is by thy sanctified words and deeds that flow from love and a godly conversation For know O thou vaine man that faith without such works is dead Seest thou not that by the example of Abraham and Rahab that faith was effectuall operative and powerfull by works and by their works was their faith made perfect that is declared to bee sound and true But as the body without the spirit is dead so faith also without sanctified words and deeds flowing from true love is dead verse 26. This even Christ himselfe teacheth also Mat. 5. 16. saying Let your light namely of free Justification so shine before men how shine by sanctification that they may see the beames of your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven Thus a Christian as Saint Iames speaks is made perfect and entire lacking nothing why because he is pure as the Sunne to Godward by free Justification faire as the Moone to Manward by sanctification and terrible as an army with banners by zeale of Gods glory Cant. 6. 9. This is the established doctrine of our Church this is true Protestancy this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe with a right foot to the truth of the Gospel Gal. 2. 14. If any man can shew me a better way I will endeavour to run with him in it But if this be the old way that we bee commanded of God Ier. 6. 16. to ask after that old Abraham and all the ancient saved fathers walked in mentioned Heb. 11. And not only the old way but also the good way which only bringeth rest and peace unto our soules For being justified by faith wee have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Then let us embrace one another in the truth of this way Let no man be so wilfull and obstinate to his owne damnation as to say with the stubborne lost Jewes Wee will not walk in it Ier. 6. 16. FINIS Abrahams Stepps of Faith The two maine saving points of Religion the deep consideration by Gods holy spirit and thorough marking whereof causeth our true conversion peace of conscience and assurance of free salvation by Iesus Christ Being the expresse word of God and the established Doctrine of our Church at the restoring of the pure Gospel of Christ into this land enjoyned to the Ministers of England by the godly authority and publick consent of Parliamēt to be taught to the people for suppression of Errours and Popery for the quieting of consciences in the matters of religion for the beating down of sin and all vitiousness of life out of the Land consisting of these two main points mentioned Iohn 17. 3. This is eternall life to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent FIrst that the filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous nature that God cannot but detest curse and abhor the creature that hath any sin in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Esay 59. 2. Deut. 27. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Rom. 5. 12. Deut. 28. 15. to 20. Because sin being spirituall high Treason against the highest Majesty 1 Sam. 15. 23. and the Image of the Devill doth make the creature spiritually foule filthy loathsome and abominable in Gods sight though no curse and punishment should follow upon the same as these and such like Scriptures teach Iob 15. 15 16. Hab. 1. 13. Mark 7. 20. to 25. Yea and makes the best good works of the most sanctified children of God to be sin and all their righteousnesse of sanctification to be as soule filthy menstruous rags as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 7. 18. Esay 64. 6. Rom. 4. 5. Gal. 3. 22. And we must look so deepely into the truth of this first point that wee bee throughly affected with the same as the Prophet Esay was chap. 6. 5. the neglect whereof is the main cause that the huge multitude yea of many zealous workers doe perish in the dead Faith Because they know not God that is his righteousnesse that is his holy and righteous nature where in we were most blinded by the fall of Adam Esay 46. 12. 13. this is the first point The second point is that by the power of Gods imputation we are so clothed with the wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that all our sinnes being done away and abolished out of Gods sight we and all our works are freely made of unjust just before God that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith only without works as these and such like Scriptures doe teach Dan. 9. 24. Esay 45. 24 25. Esay 53. 11. Rom. 5. 16 17 18. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 5. 19. Rom. 3. 23 24 28. Tit. 1. 15. Hereby we may see that the parts of free Justification are two First that by the blood and wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse all our sins are done away abolished not out of us 1 Iohn 1. 8. that we may live by faith Gal. 2. 20. but from before God or out of Gods sight 1 Col. 2. 22. and we and all our works are made pure and cleane from all sin freely in the sight of God as these and such like Scriptures teach Esay 44. 22. Iohn 1. 29. Esay 43. 25. 1 Iohn 1. 7. Revel 1. 5 6. Heb. 9. 26. Act. 10. 15. Act. 15. 8 9. Heb. 1. 3. and 9. 13 14. Col. 1. 22. And this was the Prophet Esay's remedy against the filthinesse of his sin in Gods sight chap. 6. 6 7. Secondly that the same wedding-garmēt of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth also make us and all our works of unjust just before God that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely without our perfect workings as these and such like Scriptures teach Esay 61. 10. Rom. 3. 21 22. Eph. 5.
words nor deeds to the causes to the nature or to the effects of the things which they seeme to see grant and hold Because though they be great Doctors yet they know not what they speake nor whereof they affirme and even as it were confidently swear to 1 Tim. 1. 7. especially in the spirituall benefits and mysteries of the Gospell And so are Saint Iames his double-minded men tossed to and fro like a wave of the sea and are unstable in all their wayes of Religion and these obtaine nothing of the Lord Iames 1. 6 7 8. And all their seeming strong faith is indeed before God nothing else but meere unbeliefe as Christ testifieth of such saying There are some of you namely that professe by beleeving that you are my Disciples but ye beleeve not For Iesus knew from the beginning who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him John 6. 64. And this dead faith being like a dead man that cannot stay up himselfe to stand upon his owne feet nor rest upon his owne strength they goe about to set him up and to underprop this dead man that is this dead faith with the rotten staffe of their workes And hereupon giving but a flourish of praise now and then to faith in generall they being utterly ignorant and void of true justifying and saving faith doe dwell in rest upon and stay up themselves and their dead faith principally by workes And hereupon doe in their hearts dignifie and in their words magnifie extoll and extort with legal arguments a preposterous sanctification repentance mortification grace and graces Popishly and falsly understood new life holy and righteous walking universall obedience to all Gods commandements sincerity humiliation uprightnesse fastings regeneration Popishly also and falsly understood and such like workes extorted as I said with legall arguments of I hope of rewards and speedings well if wee doe them and with feare of punishments and speeding ill if we have them not which how much the more they are thus preposterously exacted and legally extorted so much the more under termes and titles of the Gospell such Preachers teach but the light of nature the pride of workes and the vain-glory of man and so do withdraw people from Christ to hang upon their owne workes and doings by resting upon the Popish rotten pillar that God accepts the will for the deed and so doe drown Christs glory free Justification doe destroy faith waste and consume the Church of Christ teach a false bastard sanctification and are those dangerous seducers of soules that the faithfull are commanded as they will continue chast Virgins to Christ and not to bee beguiled with Eve by the subtlety of the Serpent and seduced from the simplicity of their faith that is in Christ to discerne and take notice of as they are described 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. where the Apostle forewarneth and thereby sufficiently fore-armeth all the children of wisdome by thus plainly describing them They professe themselves Apostles that is sent forth of God But they are saith Paul false Apostles and they are great workers but saith hee deceitfull workers How deceitfull transforming themselves saith he into the Apostles of Christ that is as if they were the true Ministers of Christ and taught the true Gospel of Christ and no marvell for Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angel of light and therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers transform themselves as though they were the Ministers of ' righteousnesse that is calling earnestly for all works of righteousnesse But their end shall be according to their workes and righteousnesse that is though they see me to bee the principall men that shall bee saved yet the same Apostle threatens to them certaine destruction Which he warneth of purpose that wee may not beleeve every spirit but rather try the spirits by this description whether they bee of God 1 Joh. 4. 1. Seeing these are the wolves whereof Saint Paul gave warning Acts 20 29. 30. that should arise up out of the allowed Ministry and should teach not seeming false things but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preposterous things or true things out of order setting the cart before the horse that is caring more to call for works and a good life than they care whether the people have assurance of the sound faith of their free and perfect Justification whereby although the people beare them record and applaud them that they have the zeal of God yet it is not according to the knowledge of free Justification Because by a carnall understanding of free Justification they being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God must needs goe about to stablish and set up the golden calf of their own and the peoples own righteousnesse of their supposed sanctification works and well doings and by thinking secretly in their heart with the Papist that free Justification is easily learned and is ready to open the gate to the people to live wickedly and loosely they seldome and slightly preach free Justification and thereby shew that they have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 2 3. And so are the Ministers of Satan as the true Protestants say and are white Devils that preach a secret Idolatry under the likenesse of the true Ministers of the Gospel and for darkning and giving a Iudas his kisse to free justification which onely makes the true Church of Christ and by which onely Christ reignes in his Church as a free and glorious Redeemer and Saviour doe stand ipso facto accursed of God and excommunicated by Saint Paul though in all other gifts and as they say graces they bee like Angels from heaven as Saint Paul testifieth Gal. 1. 8 9. And because the greatest multitude of holy religious ones in a cold love to Christ and a hot love to themselvs in their owne doings and vaine glory care not to try the spirits whether they bee of God or no 1 Iohn 4. 1. therefore God sends them these zealous and holy working Preachers in the dead faith as strong delusions Ezek. 14. 9. that they should beleeve lyes and bee damned because they receive not the love of the truth of the wedding garment being the onely saving truth Gal. 3. 1. to 8. that they might bee saved 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. and that onely makes us free John 8. 32. And being freed from the bondage and servile yoke of works that the children of God in the old Testament were under Gal. 3. 23 24 25. and chapter 4. 1 7. doth make us stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not to be entangled in the said yoke of bondage againe Gal. 5. 1. whereas contrariwise such zealous legall Professours are either seeming humble proud Pharisees confident in their owne well-doings Luk. 18. 11 12. or else ever wounded in their soules distracted into sects and troubled in their consciences about their life and doings And God in just judgment for the
originall corruption dwelling in us like Sarahs unfruitfull wombe neither will wee doubt of this iustifying promise by unbelief but be strengthened in faith that our bodies and soules are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely And thus we get with Abraham the victory in our faith of free iustification Fourthly follows the triumph of faith of free iustification that wee give glory to God being fully assured that he which hath spoken it that by his Sons bloud he hath made us pure and clean yea perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in his own sight freely Heb. 10. 14. Col. 1. 22. must needs be true of his word and also able to doe it because hee is almighty and hath power sufficient to doe all things to reason sense and feeling impossible Matth. 19. 26. Luk. 1. 37. and so gives glory to God which is the Religion of Religions the worship of worships the service of services the sacrifice of sacrifices the wisdome of wisdomes the righteousnesse of righteousnesses without which all other service and worship are sinne and abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. Heb. 10. 38 39. Thus we walking by free justification in the steps of our father Abraham there follow thereof these two great and excellent effects First perfect reconciliation and peace with God for being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1 And all evils and punishments for sin being done away that we may serve God without fear Luk. 1. 74. we are truly blessed for as many as are of faith of free iustification are blessed with faithful Abraham Gal. 38. 9. and together with faithfull Abraham are made sufficiently rich with all temporall riches Gen. 13. 2 5 6. and also spirituall and eternall riches which Abraham chiefly rejoyced in Ioh. 8. 56. 2. Cor. 8. 9. Heb. 11. 9 10. yea heirs of the whole world onely by this righteousnesse of faith for saith Paul the promise that Abraham should be the heire of the world was not given unto Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. For if they that are of the Law be heires faith is made void and the promise is made of none effect vers 14. Therefore it is of faith that it may come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law that is to the Jewes onely but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham that is to the Gentiles also who is the father of us all vers 16. The second effect is that this faith of free justification and this walking in the steps of our father Abraham causeth us infallibly to walke in the steps of the works of our father Abraham whereby like Abraham without the Law of the ten Commandements we walk holily soberly and righteously in all Gods Commandements declaratively to manward being zealous of good workes Tit. 2. 11 12 13. c. By all this it is clear that the practice and preachings and bookes of such Ministers are exceeding bad and dangerous as by a preposterous zeale of works and well-doings speake little or nothing of faith of free justification thinking by the dead faith it is an easie matter to walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham but that all the hardnesse lyeth in workings and well-doings and therfore do call for a good life and the doing of all holy duties zealously but preposterously before people be sure by comfort and joy of free iustification that they walke in the steps of the faith our father Abraham such Ministers I say in stead of making people the true children of Abraham of the free woman Sarah do make them bastard children of the bond-woman Hagar that must be cast out of the inheritance Gal. 4. 21. In stead of making them the children of the promise they make them children that will be under the Law and workes Gal. 4. 21. In stead of making them children of faith and of the blessing they make them the children of workes and of the curse Gal. 3. 10. In stead of working peace with God in their consciences they worke unquietnesse fears and troubles of conscience about workes In stead of making the inheritance of righteousnesse and life to come by grace and the promise to be sure to all the seed they make it to come as it were by working and the promise to be unsure and doubtfull to all the seed In stead of making them heires of all blessings temporall and eternall with faithfull Abraham they make them as much as in them lyeth heires of all evils and punishments with the deceitfull workmen mentioned 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. In stead of making them to walke in the true good workes of Abraham they make them at the best but to walk in the seeming good works of the devouter sort of Scribes and Pharisees that is in a legall bastard sanctification which is of high esteem and beauty amongst men but is filthy abomination in the sight of God Luk. 18. 19. Rom. 10. 2 3. Luk. 18. 19. 11. 12. Act. 22. 3 4. 26. 5 7. 13. 50. The true Treasure of the Heart Matth. 6. 21. FOr where your treasure is there will your hearts be also so that if the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith onely without works and working be our treasure there will be our hearts and tongues also and then our hearts stand right to Christ and our tongues to make others chast virgins to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2 3. and true children of Abraham and of that Jerusalem which is above the mother of us all and we shall never bee cast out as bastard children Gal. 1. 21 to 31. Col. 1. 28 29 21 22. chap. 2. 10. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 5. 10 21. Col. 1. 12 13. Because wee bring forth a true godly life only for and by the joy and excellency of Free Iustification not carnally but rightly understood and embraced Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. But if Sanctification repentance humiliation mortification universall obedience holy righteous walking in all Gods commandements sincerity and new life and such like works bee our treasure and diamond then there will be our hearts and tongues also to extoll dignifie and extort the same whereby producing by legall arguments but a false bastard sanctification Phil. 3. 6. our hearts stand adulterously to Christ and all such preaching and holinesse produced thereby is but idolatry and unbelief 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. and such Preachers by misunderstanding and darkning Free Iustification do ipso facto stand accursed by S. Paul and excommunicated though in all other gifts and graces they bee like Angels from heaven Gal. 1. 8 9. and ever in danger of sudden death Rev. 3. 13. Gal. 5. 12. Therefore beware of the dead Faith which being varnished and gilt over with a preposterous zeal and opinion of holinesse and righteousnesse before God by walking in all Gods commandements doth give Christ and Free Iustification a Iudas his kisse Rom. 10. 3. And yet such Preachers tremble not as they go up into the Pulpits although their preachings be both idolatrous and trayterous Here is life and death who hath an ear to regard it FINIS
sufficiently commend it or set it forth For saith he the righteous one he made a sinner that hee might make the sinners righteous nay he speaketh not so sleightly neither but that which is farre more For he said not hee made him a sinner but sinne that we might be made he saith not righteous but righteousnesse yea and the righteousnesse of God For this is of God because it is not of workes For the former righteousnesse of good esteem in the Church was the righteousnesse of the Law and of works but this is the righteousnesse of God Because it is necessary that no spot bee found in it and from hence all sinne vanisheth away Thus hee teacheth the magnificence both of the gift and giver 3. Thirdly to look the better into the nature of this benefit we must consider deeply the excelent parts of this wonderfull benefit which are these two chiefly 1. First that this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth though mystically that is above our reason sight sense and feeling that we may live by faith in the truth and power of God speaking and not by sight sense and feeling Rom. 4. 18 to 25. yet freely take away and truly abolish not out of our flesh 1 Iohn 1. 8. but utterly abolish from before God and out of Gods sight all our sinnes as these and such like Scriptures teach Iohn 1. 29. Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world For I not you but even I being Sol iustitiae the shining sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. will do away your iniquities like darknesse and abolish your sinnes like a mist Reioyce ye heavens for the Lord hath done it Shout ye lower parts of the earth break forth into praises O mountaines For thus hath the Lord redeemed Iacob and thus will he be glorified in Israel Esa 43. 25. and 44. 22 23. For by himself hath Christ purified and made us cleane from our sins and is set at the right hand of the highest Maiesty Heb. 1. 3 Because if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himsellfe without spot to God purge purifie or make clean our consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 13 14. Therefore did hee now once in the end of the world appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to abolish to doe away or to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Heb. 9. 26. For Iesus Christ is that faithfull witnesse and that first begotten of the dead and that Prince of the Kings of the earth who hath loved us and hath washed us from our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1. 5. whereby the blood of Iesus Christ the sonne of God doth make us cleane from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Now the sonne having thus abolished our sinnes from before God or out of Gods sight Col. 1. 22. Hereupon doth the father pardon remit and forgive all the punishment and evill that is due to those sinnes which his sonne hath freely done away and truely abolished out of his fathers sight according to that testimony of David Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Psal 32. 1. Hereupon is all the anger of the father and all his displeasure discontentment death and all other evils ceased upon the justified person before God the father And thus much briefly of the excellency of the first part of free justification 2. The excellency of the second part of free justification is That this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth not only make us present us righteous in the sight of God but it also maketh us perfectly and completely and sufficiently holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith onely without workes or without our perfect working Yea so sufficiently and completely and perfectly holy and righteous that though mystically yet wheresoever we sit or walk we shine gloriously holy and righteous in the sight of God freely as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 5. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one man shall many be made righteous whereby if by the offense of one death reigned by one much more they which receive the abundance of grace and that abundance of the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life through one even Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 17. Therefore did the Angel Gabriel prophesie to Daniel that after seventy weeks of yeares not onely sinne should be finished and transgression made an end of and reconciliation made for iniquity but also everlasting righteousnesse be brought in upon the faithfull Dan. 9. 24. Thus is this righteousnesse called not only an abundance of righteousnesse and an everlasting righteousnesse but also hence it is said to make us complete before God even complete in him which is the head of all principalities and powers Col. 2. 10. Hence it is said to make us perfect as with one sacrifice he hath made perfect for ever all them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. Hence it is said to make us and present us to God a glorious Church as he hath made us pure or clean by the washing of water through the word to make us to himselfe a glorious Church not having now at this present time as the Greek and Latine Participles signifie one spot or wrinckle of sinne or any such thing but to bee so holy that wee are unblameable or without blemish before God Eph. 27. Because in the body of his flesh through death he makes us or presents us so holy that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without all blame and without all fault in Gods sight if we continue rooted and grounded in this faith upon which place Chrysostome saith He hath not only freed us from sin but also he hath made us honourable and glorious in Gods sight Hence it is that this wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse was signified by the vesture of the gold of Ophir that maketh the bride of Christ a Queen and all glorious within that is spiritually and mystically saying At thy right hand doth stand the Queene in a vesture of the gold of Ophir and shee is all glorious within Psalm 45. 9. Hence is the Church and every true beleever made that great wonder in heaven that is under the time and state of the Gospel called every where in the New Testament the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 11. 11 12. and chapter 13. But what is this wonder A woman that is in generall the whole Church but in particular every true beleeving soule which is as truely by faith married to Christ as any woman can be married to her husband Ephes 5. 30. But what of this woman Amicta sole cloathed with the sunne that shineth in