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B20887 Two sermons one on the subject of justification, the other on the imputed righteousness imputation of faith to righteousness, by which we are justified : preached occaisionally at the Merchants-Lecture in Pin-makers-Hall in Broad-street : and printed by their desire / by Walter Cross ... Cross, Walter, M.A. 1695 (1695) Wing C7266 44,724 48

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TWO SERMONS One on the Subject of Justification The Other on The Imputed Righteousness and Imputation of Faith to Righteousness by which we are Justified Preached Occasionally at the Merchants-Lecture in Pin-makers-Hall in Broad-street And Printed at their Desire By Walter Cross M. A. LONDON Printed by and for John Astwood at his Printing-House behind St. Christophers-Church in Thred-needle-street the back-side of the Royal Exchange 1695. SERMON I. ROM IV. 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly THese words are to be consider'd both relatively and absolutely that we may in order comprehend their full sense and importance The relation they bear to the Apostle's scope and design is that of a proof and confirmation of the grand Doctrine of the Gospel which is That no man is nor can be justified by his own Works or Righteousness the only way of being justified is by the Righteousness of God The Apostle on very good ground supposes such an opposition and disjunction between them two as admits no medium for we cannot be justified without a Righteousness and that Righteousness must be either our own or anothers God's or Man's It is the Negative branch of the Doctrine the Apostle doth earnestly contend for in this 4th Chap. without any appearance of Carnality but disputes with strenuous dint of Argument and closely connected Topics with the terms of his proposed Doctrine whereof this in the Text is one either an immediate Argument thus He that worketh not or is ungodly cannot be justified by his own Works but he who is justified by Grace is one that worketh not or is ungodly Erg. Or rather a Confirmation of an immediate Argument before brought thus Maj. He that is justifi'd by Faith is not justifi'd by Works Min. But Abraham was justified by Faith Erg. Abraham was not justified by Works The Assumption being confirm'd from Scriptures Testimony Gen. 15. he proceeds to prove the grand Proposition thus Maj. He to whom righteousness is imputed of Grace cannot be justified by Works Min. But to him that is justified by Faith righteousness is imputed of Grace Erg. He that is justified by Faith cannot be justified by Works The assumption is frequently asserted in Scripture v. 16. It is of Faith that it might be by Grace The grand Proposition he supposes evident from the opposition between Grace and Debt in v. 4. for when a person is dealt with on the account of Works i. e. any thing in him or done by him it is debt his due I mean the reward but when a Man is dealt with of Grace the reward is proportion'd to the Favour and Good-will of the Donor or Judge the Goodness of the Judge on the Bench and the arraigned Person at the Bar are very opposite therefore to be treated according to this opposite goodness must be an opposite treatment This opposition or repugnancy in v. 5. he illustrates and confirms thus Maj. Where the subjects causes effects or manner of efficiency are opposite there the things themselves are opposite Min. But in Justification by Works and Faith of grace and of due the subjects causes c. are opposite Erg. The Nature of the Justifications are opposite The grand Proposition is a Maxim in Logic or Natural Light taken for granted The assumption is illustrated and confirmed in these four Verses 1. The Subjects to wit a godly and an ungodly Man a righteous and an unrighteous a Worker and a Non-worker 2. The Causes the grace favour and good-will of the Governour and the merit labour obedience and righteousness of the Subject 3. The immediate effect of this Free-grace or way of its efficiency which differs from the Method of Justice measuring its distribution by Law for the former imputes a Righteousness or as in Ch. 5. gives a Righteousness viz. in a way of accompt and reckoning that by virtue thereof and its satisfaction to the Government it may consist with governing goodness to bless the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputes righteousness without works The latter finds an inherent righteousness in the person and therefore his Justification is only an Authoritative declaration of what he is a surrender of the Honour that is his due and he proves this by David's Testimony asserting the former Justification to be a Pardon or Forgiveness As if he had said It 's call'd a Justification because that Pardon is the effect of an Imputed Righteousness Free-grace first gives by way of Account an Interest in Christ's Righteousness and conveys the Right or Interest thorough Faith Secondly Pardons on the account of that Righteousness which gives just ground for the denomination of Justification and this Name is entertain'd as the proper Name for our Pardon in the Gospel that it may be a constant Memorial of our Obligation to Christ for our Pardon and of the difficulty that there was to render a Pardon consistent with the Law and Honour of the Law-maker and Governour One chief end of this added Testimony of David's to the Example and Pattern of Abraham is to prove that we are not justified by Works from the Nature of Gospel-Justification viz. David says it 's a Pardon tho' it 's a Justification in respect to Christ's Righteousness it 's a Forgiveness with respect to our own Unrighteousness This proves the Subject also of Gospel Justification to be ungodly for we need and receive a Pardon not as righteous or godly but ungodly And the reason why the Apostle gives the sense of David's words to be the Imputing of a Righteousness is because it was inconsistent with a necessary just Law and a just Governour and Judge who cannot do violence to a righteous Law to pardon or not to impute sin until there be first a Righteousness imputed and by showing this to be the sense of it he thereby proves that our Justification is of Grace because Free grace is the only cause of the Imputation of that Righteousness It is not for Christ's sake that his righteousness is imputed for that were to say that the same thing was for the sake of it self his Merit for his Merits-sake and Righteousness for his Righteousness-sake But as Christ is the Free-grace of God's Gift so is his Righteousness without any interveening Merits and that has made me think the influence of Christ's Merit to use the accustom'd Phrase terminates on the Law or Legal constitution not on the Divine Nature God is the God Author and Owner of all Grace nothing has chang'd his mind into a more gracious temper and hence the Imputation of righteousness is only ascrib'd to Grace but Justification is ascrib'd to Grace not immediately as imputation is but at second hand Justified by his Grace thorough the Redemption Ch. 3.24 Hence something may be said for an Imputation of Righteousness from Eternity tho' not for Justification from Eternity and may be this is the reason why another Phrase is made use of for the transitory temporary Act viz. Faith
justified by his grace Thus we see the Scripture lays an Emphasis on each of them the gift of Faith the nature of Faith the object of Faith and indeed this Bill would be but a counterfeit one if it wanted any of these Properties or Relations 1. It must be receiv'd from him that hath the power or else it is not valid By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many 2. It must be in true form rightly dictated that is its nature or not valid 3. The divine constitution the Law of Heaven has made it have such a relation to Christ's righteousness the riches of his Grace and the Wisdom of the constitution shines in the fitness of the instrument for our Souls are an open begging hand a vast Appetite It crys daily who will shew us any good some good things I want some more good and this Faith clasps the hand on Christ offer'd determines and centers the desire as on an Object that has all fullness in him full satisfact●on and ●o build a relation and union of right upon an union of nature a Communion upon a cement of Union honours the Wisdom of the contriver So we see all these three must be in a valid Bank-bill it is not worth a Farthing in it self a bit of Paper ink'd but relatively to such a Summe suppose 1000 l. it 's worth so much its very form consists in relation to that summe that 's its Object it signally bears it and if rightly drawn and receiv'd from the right owner their Constitution and the Law will make me Possessor in due time If any of these qualifications be wanting it is not worth a Farthing 1. Drawn in true forms 2. Bearing relation to its proper Object 3. Receiv'd from him who has the riches in his power to give And I find our Catechim and Confession insists as much on this as any Conf. c. 11. Nor by imputing it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical Obedience but by imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ unto them they receiving it by Faith which is the Gift of God 11. Thus it s the alone Instrument of Justification i. e. they are not justified until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them Our lesser Catech. Q. How are we made partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ R. By the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit for which they quote Tit. 3.5 6 7. Q. How doth the Spirit apply the Redemption c R. By working Faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling I may from thence form this Argument Maj. When Christ and his benefits are applyed to us we are justified Min. But when God effectually calls Christ and his benefits are applyed to us Erg. When effectually call'd we are justified It is granted that Faith is the fruit of effectual Calling and it cannot be deny'd that relations viz. Justification Adoption flow as suddenly from their Foundations as effects can from their efficients Or thus Maj. The imputing Faith to Righteousness is an application of Christ and his benefits Min. But the Spirit by working Faith applys Christ and his benefits Erg. The Spirit by working Faith imputes Faith to Righteousness But I need no other Testimony but Scripture that way the Faith of Miracles temporally sav'd that way saving Faith justifies but by the Spirits working the Faith of Miracles when he saw their Faith it was certainly a miraculous Gift distinguishing and characterizing the persons to be heal'd to give him that Faith was to say thou art to live to be cured there was no cooperation of the creature to a Miracle Further compare C. 4 5. and we find imputing Faith to Righteousness and giving a Righteousness are the same but Objections are not to be answer'd as Bullets in war with the like but explication and distinction For the 1. The reason the nature or exercise of faith is insisted on in Scripture so much is for our instruction if the faith that God has given be that which entitles to Heaven and Happiness 2. The reason the object is so much intimated is to prevent a most dangerous error that the World is most liable to viz Leaning on our own righteousness such fools to take the Bill for the Summ But its certain the owner and proprietor must be the conveyer I challenge to show what he doth else that looks like it For the 2d I propose these two Distinctions 1. Between the state of justification and particular acts of pardon or between the state of adoption and particular blessings in possession the former is convey'd thorough the gift of faith the latter thorough the exercise of faith a man gets right by the receiving of a Bill from the Proprietor but when he comes for such a part of it he brings his Bill and shows it and writes a receipt on the back of it Tho' we are but once justified we daily pray Lord forgive my debts and once adopted we daily pray for more enjoyment of what is due to that title 2ly With Mr. Frost I propose a double instrumentality of Faith one on the givers part another on the receivers so it is with Bills too the Proprietor conveys his right and the Receiver afterward pleads his right so it is with faith God conveys Christ and his Righteousness thorough it and we plead for the benefit and use of it as we need daily But this I shall retain that from the first gift of saving Faith which turns us from ungodly to godly we are justified and adopted persons which entirely throws out that legal conditionality that among Socinians has thrown out Christ's satisfaction and among Arminians has impair'd and delay'd its vertue toward sinners until they come with something in themselves a conformity to a new Law And also Antinomianism which is a denomination that comprehends all Errors dishonourable to the Law or Law giver and whatever Doctrine is against the necessity stability and perfection of the Law of God is of this kind whatever Doctrine removes the necessity of the Law removes the necessity of Christ's satisfaction and what Doctrine removes perfection from the Law of God removes the Glory from God's Holiness but to suppose one under the Law sav'd and that Law neither fulfill'd nor satisfied by the personor his Surety is to suppose the Law changeable not necessary if Christ only fulfill'd the mediatorial Law and not that we were under then that Law and Government bult on it was remov'd and chang'd without satisfaction If the grand influence of Christ's righteousness by the Mediatorial Law was to get it chang'd for an easier and less perfect we must either say the influence of Christ's satisfaction did terminate on the nature of God and make a change in his temper from anger to mercy and perfection of holiness to indulgence in carnality or say that the Father and Son were of two different minds but the latter thorough his obedience gain'd him to his mind for what has influence on God as Govenrour has influence on the Law Administrations of Government must be rul'd by the Law and what has influence on the Law for our good must fulfill its precepts or satisfie its sanction The Law has no other Language and if Christ did neither the influence must not terminate on the Government but on the nature God or Fathers person in the Godhead But the Scripture informs us That God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfill'd in us In us says Vastius by application but in Christ by inhesion in us by imputation but in Christ personally says Calvin Muscus Beza Rollock Fulke Cartwright Elton says Dr. Jacomb all Protestants he adds his active and has passive as if they had obey'd it in their own Persons the Law is wholly fulfill'd in him and that very righteousness is ours in a Law sense and so fulfill'd in us 3ly It overthrows Libertinism for if the same grace sanctifies that justifies they can never pretend to the one that want the other 4ly Popery that makes justification and sanctification one that differ as far as the Category of Quality and Relation I have no place for futher use than to intreat every one as they love their own souls and long for pardon of sin not to quench or provoke the Holy Spirit of God for that is his Errand as well as sanctification 2. As ever they would enjoy this free spirit be diligent and conscientious in all Ordinances that are ministrations of the Spirit he is to be reciev'd in the bearing of Faith 3. Study this imputed righteousness of Christ until thou experience most deep humility and most sweet comfort from it Rom. 11.19 Thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear thou depends entirely for faith and righteousness on another thou wast prevented in thy ungodliness when thou receiv'd that gift 2. How much will God do for thee when thou art his Son and Servant if he did so much for thee when an eremy Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be sav'd thou hast now given to thee at once a perfect and an everlasting righteousness a total forgiveness of all thy sins a work of holiness God has engaged to perfect Vale. FINIS Grant me this there was never any thing so well done by man wherein there is not room for further industry Calv.