God's method but our own Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy hath he saved us Will we reject the way and method that all the cloud of witnesses were sav'd in and will we be saved in that way never one was sav'd in they attain not unto the Law of righteousness because they sought it or as it were by the works of the Law Christ is the true and living way is there any fault we can find in him is he not able to save to the uttermost is there any righteousness like his it's everlasting Can we give any satisfaction to divine Government like what he hath given Can we bear the Curse and drink the Cup that he did is he not altogether lovely in himself and altogether fit for us infinite Wisdom and infinite Goodness fitted and prepared him and is he not willing that we should share of his righteousness doth not his offer speak it Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden doth not his tears and his sorrows over them that refuse and defer speak it doth not that eternal Chearfulness he undertook his Work with speak it Lo I come in the volume of thy Book 't is written of me thy Law is within my Heart the bent of my Heart is to do thy will and that desire left him not nor ever was abated under the heat of the day and heaviest of the curse I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straightned till it be accomplisht with desire have I desired to eat this passover having lov'd his own he lov'd them to the end And will not all this Love towards us kindle some sparks of desire in our frozen breasts don 't we think they deserve an Anathema Maranatha that love not this Lord Jesus Christ The depth and height the breadth and length of his Love passeth all knowledge he was full of Love as he was a man he lov'd Lazarus so and he lov'd the young man in the Gospel so he was full of love as he was a Mediator Such was that love whose dimensions our narrow minds cannot span but he was more full of love as he was God God is love and God so lov'd the World to give his Son is not this Emanuel worthy of our acceptation Gods infinite Wisdom found him can we find a better or do without him have we no self-love for our souls what will become of us without a pardon can we bear the curse of the Law or wrath of God is it not worthy acceptance on any terms but what terms can be better it 's come to God and beg Repentance the Almighty makes the heart soft I will pour down the spirit of Grace and supplication and they shall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn Obj. But coming to God is believing and I cannot believe until he gives me faith which is not yet Resp Put that to Tryal what if the Spirit of God be now directing and quickning thy conscience to this Work and the Language of thy heart is stay until time for Prayer at night or to morrow you will think of it Alas Alas this is the common answer to Gods Spirit himself what wonder the Prophets cry To whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed Lord bless this for better fruits SERMON II. ROM IV. 5 6. His Faith is counted for Righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works IN the Former Discourse you have an account of the condition and disposition of the subject of Justification in this I propose an account of the Gospel-method how God justifies the ungodly it is a different Question from that of the convicted Jews Acts 2. Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved This is What doth God do to save a sinner that has contemn'd his Authority brought disorder into his Government violated his holy just and good Laws and goes on frowardly without repenting of what he has done the Rebel doth not will not yield shall the Governour yield doth God need us how is it possible to reconcile God's justice and Man's enmity how can a just God justifie an ungodly person The Apostle makes but two sentences of the Answer 1. He imputes his Faith to Righteousness 2. He says that Righteousness is imputed to Blessedness The nature of the Discourse is didactick instructive and there are these three Questions that are matters of no small Moment nor mean Contraversies 1. Whos 's this Righteousness is 2. What is the importance of the imputation of righteousness to a man for blessedness 3. What is the meaning of Faiths being imputed to righteousness I shall only propose what I am most perswaded of to be the true sense of them and what perswades me to be of that mind without using means to confute others I shall leave them to the same liberty I presume on As to the first there are but two general Opinions viz. Either Christs or our own though each are subdivided in what righteousness of Christs it is or of ours My Business is to confirm and establish this truth that this Righteousness in the Text imputed for blessedness is the righteousness inherent in our blessed Mediator and if this one Character of being without works were to be understood abstracted from the Apostles design which is not to exclude works from righteousness but our works and our righteousness I should think it a distinguishing Mark between Christ's righteousness and any mans else for the righteousness of Works consists in a conformity to the preceptive part of the Law but Christs Righteousness consists also in a conformity to the sanction of the Law He was made a curse for us and that is not to work in the Scripture phrase but to suffer though in it self hard work even Soul-travel but doubting the solidity of this I shall propose others of greater stability 1. That Righteousness that is the cause of Blessedness and whose fruit is the remission of sin is the righteousness of Christ for there is no other name given under Heaven and therefore no other righteousness by which a Man can be saved but the righteousness in the Text is the cause of blessedness and pardon there must be some near connexion between pardon and imputation of righteousness else the Apostle did mistake the Prophets sence saying he meant imputation of righteousness unto blessedness when he said Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven the connexion is either pretended to be that of the cause to the effect or some kind of requisite condition They who say this is our own righteousness are for the latter who say it s Christ's are for the former and with reason for our own righteousness wants not works our justifying faith is not without works but this is 2ly The righteousness of Christ and our pardon are more necessarily united than our faith for pardon is as soon given as it These
Justification requires Legal Righteousness Evangelical Justification requires Evangelical Righteousness i. e. Faith and Repentance in sincerity and perseverance And this last qualification comes in least they should be under a necessity to hold a man pardon'd one time of his Life and yet be afterward condemn'd thorough after back-sliding and falling from Grace Some of them hold final falling away and so an once justifi'd man may be eternally damn'd Others total but not final and so may be in a state of Condemnation and Justification alternatively a hundred times But a third to prevent this Absurdity adds perseverance by which a man is excluded from justification until his last breath which excludes the Doctrine of Assurance during life and pardon too which is a strangely new Doctrine yet I have heard some more cautious persons say they think there are some degrees of Grace at the attainment of which they escape that danger may be that is it they allot for the time of justification This Limitation seems unacceptable to me on these grounds 1. This Law countenances iniquity indulges transgressions for since the first Law is holy just and good what Law requires less is so far unholy unjust bad and shall we suppose an holy God that is of purer eyes than to connive at iniquity to establish iniquity by a Law was our corrupt natures or imperfectly renew'd to his image the Original to this Law as his own Nature gave birth to the first it seems reasonable to say that God accepts imperfect obedience on his account who perform'd perfect obedience in our stead as surety but that the office of the Mediator should be to obtain of God to lay by that glorious manifestation of his Holiness and change that perfect Law into a Council and Directory and to yield so far to us as to take a penny of the pound of obedience from broken debtors seems to me pregnant of difficulties and absurdities We deny our Obedience comes to be accepted as the obedience the Law requires or under the Notion Adam's righteousness was accepted viz. that which gave right to Indemnity and Life but is accepted as the way to the Kingdom and preparation for the possession of a place in these mansions where all the inhabitants are holy It is the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ alone by which that Law is fulfill'd he is the end of the Law for righteousness and his righteousness gives right to remission and blessedness 2ly I am inform'd this Notion of the Evangelical Law was the principal error of the Antinomians for they said since Faith and Repentance was all that was necessary to salvation what was the need of any other Law Alas it is a sad mistake for the Moral Law is the rule of true Repentance Let him that stole steal no more that hath broke the first second or third Command c. ought to do so no more that is true Repentance New Obedience The Law that did forbid stealing once forbids stealing always else it were not perfect Indeed the Gospel has such an influence on this Law and our obedience to it that it is a new Law to what it was but that ever God should lay that by and make another or make any that requires not perfection is to me unconceivable If any duty belongs to this New Law it 's patience and God commands that it be perfect Let patience have its perfect work Or for the same God to have two Laws so contrary that we may condemn'd by one and justifi'd by another 3ly As it introduces Antinomianism so a christianiz'd Pharisaism which was the error the Apostle is refuting He is not disputing against Pagans who denied the Messias or own'd many Daemons 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things Nor against the Jews who deny'd he was come in the flesh for he tells them their Faith was famous thorough the World Rom. 1.8 But against some that believ'd and pleaded the necessity of Circumcision Rom. 3.28 That pleaded We were justified by Faith and Works for the Thesis shows the Antagonists Opinion which is we are justifi'd by faith without the deeds of the Law and Rom. 9.23 They sought after a righteousness as if it were by the works of the Law i. e. by the works of the Law in some sense and measure this may be more evident by considering the Jews Doctrine about the way of Salvation and add to it the belief of a Messias come and we may find the opinions too much alike They reckon'd that there were three ranks of Men with respect to Heaven the lowest were sinners of Publicans and Sinners we read frequently the highest were perfect men and that they thought hardly attainable it seems Mat. 19.21 That was the young mans doubt he brought to Christ If thou wouldst be perfect sell all thou hast and follow me in me the Laws perfection is to be obtain'd thou must entirely be deny'd to all things else the middle sort was called Beninim Middle-way-men Men of sincerity that should go to eternal Life either by a praeponderation of good or repentance of evil Hence say they the Life of man in the Precepts is according to his intention who performs one of the least Precepts for love of the Precept shall merit everlasting life Cant. 5.2 Open to me my Sister my Love i. e. Open to me one crevice of Repentance and I will open to thee the wide gates of Glory Zach. 9.1 The Land of Hadrach i. e. Emanuel's Land who leads men to God by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the way of repentance The gates of Prayer are shut sometimes but never the gate of Repentance If Israel would repent one day the world would be redeem'd and the Messias would come But they did not think these Boninim went straight to Heaven No Abraham and all the Prophets went to Hell in their Opinion though the best went thorough the fire like a Salamander it 's only the Messias can deliver from that Herein then seems their Error to consist that the Messias suppli'd the want of perfection so no need of going to Hell for sincere ones this the Apostle Gal. 1. calls a perverting of the Gospel a composing of another method of Salvation a counterfeit Gospel a corrupting of the pure method of Grace with mixture and allay of works 4ly It supposes two Justifications Baxter against Cartwright p. 11. It is one thing to be accus'd of treason and another thing to be accus'd of Non-performance of the condition on which remission for treason is promis'd an absolution from the first makes the one justification and absolution from the latter the Gospel Justification Resp By this Doctrine the neglect of Faith and Repentance is not Treason 2. That the justification by Christs righteousness is not compleat 3. That we must be justifi'd before we can have an interest in Christ's Righteousness and so we have Faith
are more likely sences when David said Blessed is he whose sin is forgiven to mean blessed is he who has an interest in Christ and his satisfaction than to mean blessed is he who repents Nay the Prophet adds that as another thing Blessed is he in whose spirit there is no guile i. e. Blessed is the pardon'd man and the sincere man 3ly He is ungodly when forgiven therefore his righteousness is not the condition of it 4ly C. 3. v. 25. To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past why should we think the Terms connexed other than what before he unites as cause and effect this is to unite what the Apostle separates our Works and Justification and separate what he unites Christ righteousness and remission 2. It is not supposable to think that Christ's righteousness or satisfaction should be no where mention'd in this dispute about the causes of Justification when it s confest that that is the grand and only meriting cause It is strange that he should dispute about the cause of pardon and yet never mention the true cause but instead of it always a little petty requisite without any causality at all and the more strange that he should so frequently mention that cause under the name of Christ's blood and his being deliver'd for our offences the matter of his righteousness in the context and seldom ever the effect without it but when he calls it by the name of righteousness the proper name by which it saves us for his blood saves us as it is a righteousness a conformity to the law of Redemption that wherein the Law obtain'd its end then it should not be esteem'd his but our own 3. We may learn whose righteousness it is that is mention'd in the dispute by what was propos'd in the These or Doctrine to be disputed which he proposes both negatively and affirmatively viz. Justified not by our righteousness or works but God's we are justified by Gods righteousness this he proposes Rom. 1.17 as the grand end of the Gospel Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith surely God's Righteousness and Faith by which it s receiv'd are distinct things from thence to v. 21. c. 3. he proves that all our own righteousness is entirely rejected from any interest in this affair and again v. 21. proposes thus the righteousness of God to be that which he now undertakes to prove to be the only righteousness we are justified by But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested and that by God he means Christ Rom. 10.3 4. may be easily learn'd from his words Vnto the righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness and that it is not call'd the righteousness of God because his gift we may learn from Rom. 1.8 Your faith is spoken of thoroughout the world Faith is a work this is the work of God to believe on his name and faith is a righteousness for there is a conformity to the Law in it but it is ours your faith faith differs from this righteousness as the act and object Righteousness of God reveal'd from faith to faith What unprejudic'd man would call that righteousness and faith the same faith differs from it as the effect from the cause 2 Pet. 1.1 Have obtain'd the like precious faith with us thorough the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who would wish for a plainer expression to prove that the gift of Faith is the fruit of Christ's merit and therefore this righteousness must be imputed to us before that gift be possess'd by us 4. The Epithets of this righteousness speaks it to be Christs Rom. 3.21 22 24. 1. It s the righteousness of God God was Author Owner Contriver Acter Giver Subject of this righteousness it deserves the name by way of Eminence who could contrive it but his Wisdom give it but his Grace bear it but his Patience work it but his Power possess it but his Fulness 2. Without the Law on two accounts both as to the person and as to the righteousness 1. The person Gal. 4. Was made under the law he came under it by his own voluntary choice not natural necessity as we are hence without the Law 2. The Righteousness was that no precept of the Law requir'd to dye or suffer that was none of its duties or righteousness it was its penalty in case of Unrighteousness 3. It s a righteousness now manifested faith and repentance has shin'd in the practice of the Patriarchs and Prophets ever since Adam Heb. 11. Abel Noah Enoch believ'd indeed Christ's was a new kind the World never saw before 4. It was witness'd by the Law and the Prophets if we take the Law for the books of Moses they bear witness to it Abraham believ'd and it was imputed to him for righteousness the bruising his heel Gen. 3. witnesses his suffering the principal matter of his righteousness If we take it for the Typical Law that witnessed to it for all the sacrifices were Types and Types are visible Prophecies and all the Language is the Messias was to suffer in the room of others to obey a Law for others and the Prophets witness Isa 45. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness Jer. 23.6 The Lord our righteousness Dan. 9. To bring in everlasting righteousness There are the Testimonies of three Prophets To him gave all the Prophets witness 5. It was a righteousness convey'd thorough faith put on them that believe v. 22. which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe 6. A righteousness that consist in a conformity to a Law which to us is a Law of Faith not Works We are bound to believe his Obedience to all the Law in the Covenant of Redemption but not to work one bit of it Hence we being justified by that righteousness our boasting is excluded v. 27. 7. A faith that consists in shedding of blood in suffering v. 25. These two are to the same effect Thorough faith in his blood and righteousness by faith 8. A righteousness whose fruit is remission of sin v. 24. To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are pass'd the same Coherence that is in the Text between imputation of righteousness and pardon 9 Rom. 9.4 A righteousness wherein the Law attain'd its full end the Subject Life and Happiness and the Law-giver honour and glory 10. A righteousness the gift whereof glorifies grace to the uttermost the righteousness of an Angel is not such a gift as this is 5. It s a righteousness that is made ours As Adam's first offence or unrighteousness was made ours that never inher'd in us but death came on us by it then it has some relation to us and we to it this is at large in C. 5. where the Author of this righteousness is plainly call'd the second Adam and if that be not plain enough v. 21. he is call'd
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
imputed to righteousness for that denotes God's Act as Judge in passing the absolving Sentence i. e. thorough the Gift of Faith he conveys a right to that Righteousness which from Eternity was assign'd in the Book of Life to all that shall ever enjoy its blessed Fruits Thus much for the coherent and relative sense of the words as they are subservient and useful to prove that we are not justified by Works I shall now consider them absolutely And I must say this of them so considered that they are as pure Gospel-Language-Expressions as full of encouragement to Sinners and comfort to Penitents as any I know in Scripture Indeed they are not alone for the same Apostle says Historically of himself what he asserts elenctically here of Free-grace 1 Tim. 1.15 viz. That he was a Blasphemer a Persecutor and injurious Person when abundant grace together with Faith and Love prevented him i. e. justifying and sanctifying grace the one in Faith and Love the other in the abundant grace conveyed thorough them and v. 16. he shows this was no singular favour for Christ made a pattern of him to them who should hereafter believe as Artists hang out a piece of their Workmanship to bring in Customers so Christ hangs up Paul for a sign that all who hear the Gospel may count Christ who came to save sinners worthy of Acceptation by all who are sinners The Language of St. Paul's Conversion is the same with that of his Doctrine Grace finds us sinners and makes us righteous and then blessed Neither is Paul the only Pattern Levi is another Mat. 2.14 Sitting at the receipt of Custom serving a Tyrannical Government in its heavy Taxes Christ calls him powerfully and effectually into the service and glory of his Kingdom and makes an Offer to the rest of the Publicans and Sinners That he came not to call the righteous who did repent but sinners to repentance His Office was to be a Physitian to the sick And Zacheus a chief Commissioner is a third who by false Methods had aggravated the Burthen of Tribute and robb'd honest subjects under the Notion of Caesar's due yet Christ tells him salvation is come to his house For that was his constant Employ To seek and to save that which was lost But here we have it doctrinally what is there historically here universally asserted what is there illustrated by Examples and Parables here in strict Logical Terms what is there under Rhetorical Flourishes that when a man is ungodly and without works then Faith is imputed for righteousness Note I shall divide them in these two parts 1st As they set forth the condition of a sinner antecedent to justification 2ly In what method God brings them from that condition into blessedness through an Imputation of Righteousness and imputation of Faith to Righteousness The First Part affords us this Doctrine Doct. That the Object of Justification antecedently to it is a person without works of righteousness an ungodly man When in our blood he bids us live the day of our Enmity was the time of his Love the Condition of our Adamical Nakedness was that he cast the skirt of his beautiful Garments over when aliens he enter'd into a Covenant of Grace with us order'd for the salvation of sinners when in our filthiness he puts his Comeliness on us Ezek. 16. The plain Gospel sence of these Prophetical Figures is To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness There are three Limitations put on this Text by Inteepreters of differing Opinions from what is the old and common road of them call'd Protestants who usually distinguish the case thus as Altingius consider'd in himself he is ungodly and unrighteous but considered in Christ he is righteous or Dr. Tuckney finds him unrighteous but leaves him not so 1. Some distinguish as to time thus was ungodly not is they reckon some little time before for the exercise of Faith and Repentance before he can be justifi'd A Priority of Order between the Gift of Faith and Justification I willingly grant but a priority of time is pregnant with Absurdities The former doth not serve their turn who make the Exercise of faith and repentance Conditions of justification for it requires no time as the Sun is in no time before its Beams nor the Ring before the relation of Man and Wife Relations result immediately from their foundations but the mind of Man tho' it needs less time for the nimble succesion of its swift thoughts yet time it doth require 2. Man must be regenerate effectually call'd before faith and repentance for the tree must be good before the fruit Now its repugnant to think one regenerate a son of God can be in a state of Condemnation and it 's as inconsistent to think that any are out of a state of Condemnation before a pardon But to suppose any time between regeneration and forgiveness for the exercise of faith and repentance is to suppose a time when we are neither in a state of Condemnation or Justification 3. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Now we are united to Christ by a double Cement the Spirit working faith and faith therefore where that Cement is there is no condemnation but pardon 4. The Scripture says We were reconciled when enemies Rom. 5.10 The difficulty here is if this be meant the price for peace paid or the application of it in justification v. 9. shows the latter being now justifi'd by his blood either we are justifi'd at Christ's death which the party denies or else we are enemies when justifi'd and indeed reconciliation signifies a mutual peace the hatred remov'd on on side by pardon and on the other by regeneration a new temper of Mind It is true Col. 1.21 it is said Who sometime were enemies but now are reconcil'd yet that supposes the same time to continue until the reconciliation which Rom. 5.9 says was the time of Justification A 5th Argument is from the oneness of time by Scripture Connexion between regeneration and justification Col. 2.13 You hath he quicken'd together with him having forgiven you all trespasses 2 Pet. 1.3 We are call'd to glory and vertue at once and 1 Pet. 1.3 are begotten again unto an inheritance incorruptible Tit. 3.5 7. 2 Cor. 6. ult A 6th Argument is from Rom. 6. Where the Apostles solution to the objection of Libertines is from the near connection between justifying and sanctifying grace 7. I see nothing in the context to favour this distinction but é contra would overturn the Arguments and Doctrine too A 2d Limitation is from distinction of Laws they own he is an ungodly man a Non worker as to the righteousness of the Law strictly so call'd which requires perfect perpetual and personal obedience who is the Object of Evangelical Justification But they think there is a necessity of a righteousness to another new distinct Law for as Legal
forgiven thee Having removed these Limitations with the grounds of them I shall establish the Doctrine more positively And 1. By Testimony Sclater on this Verse reconciles it with Prov. 17.15 where it 's said He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord It were an abomination to justifie a wicked Man without a satisfaction but not where a satisfaction to the Government is given which is the Case of the ungodly Man in the Text. Who 's justified thro' the righteousness of Christ and this he quotes out of Pareus on the place Wilson another English Commentator with great plainness gives it thus At their justification he findeth them ungodly and maketh them godly and he doth it both by taking away the guilt and filth of their sin The Righteousness of Christ is reckoned the Righteousness of that Person who doth by Faith embrace him Pitcairn says Ungodly here is taken in the same sense as when God raiseth the dead and calls that which is not to be it being the term of alienation from which they are remov'd from whence he bids farewell to all antecedent Causes which some call inferiour others in some manner or measure others administrating others sine quo non others Causes of possession tho' not of right for all Holiness comes in as a way to the Kingdom not as Causes of Rule Diest thus Justifying Grace finds him so in himself but leaves him not so For whom he justifies them he sanctifies God Justifies us not as Holy in our selves but as wanting righteousness he imputes a righteousness to us The Anger of Abraham Gen. 15. for want of Children wanted a Pardon even then before this declaration about him that his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness Theodore Szuingerus whom Hottinger commends and notwithout reason as the best Commentator on this Epistle compares the Text with 1 Kings 8.2 condemning the wicked to bring his way on his Head and justifying the righteous to give him according to his righteousness and solves the difficulty these two ways 1. That the one is a Justification of a man's Cause and the other a Justification of his Person which is that in the Text. 2. This Justification of the Ungodly is not against a Law but according to a Law not without a righteousness but without his own only Besides says he Tho' it finds him ungodly it leaves him not in his ungodliness Bucer thus If God should not justifie the Wicked none should be justified for the Lord find us all wicked before we are justified Greneus Tho' Man may not justifie the ungodly God may who has Power to forgive above Law Pareus Tho' they are justified who are wicked in themselves yet not without Cause and against Rule since there is a satisfaction in Christ Marlorat's Ecclesiastick Exposition is thus The first Blessing of Salvation is Pardon and our Pardon being a Justification it must be a justification of the Ungodly What can they say to this that are Slaves to their Belly and yet brag of their Works are they better than Abraham who left his Countrey redeem'd his Brother and offered his Son and Hop'd in his God against all Hope but God in justifying leaves us not ungodly Such therefore ought rather to fear they are not justify'd because they want the fruits of Justification than brag they have the Causes of it in themselves Calvin thus It 's observable the Discourse is not about the way of living but about the Causes of Salvation He argues from contraries and as Bucer says not from words but sentences This Sentence is full of Energy Believeth on him that justifies the ungodly wherein both the Nature of Faith and Righteousness are contain'd In short no body can come to the Righteousness of Faith but who is in himself Ungodly for Faith adorns us with anothers Righteousness which it beggs of God hence God is said to justifie when he freely forgives and vouchsafes to love them with whom he may be justly angry Ver. 6. without Works they meerly cavil who think all Works are not excluded for he says not Works of the Law but simply and without restriction Works of all kinds Beda venerabilis Anno 700. says on this Text What can he be but ungodly until he be justified by Grace for what Grace gives it gives freely I dare not determine which of the two is the greater work to make a just man or to justifie an ungodly man both require equal power but the latter greater grace or mercy Boast not of thy works before faith for faith found thee a sinner Man works not righteousness until he be justified and that begins with Faith Tho. Aquinas 1260. on this Text To believe is the first act of Righteousness which God works in us by this man doth not merit righteousness but subject himself to God's justification and so thereby receives its effect This says he the Apostle proves 1. From David's sense v. 6. He is a blessed man to whom God gives a righteousness without forgoing works 2. From David's words proving he had no righteousness for he needed for Orignal Actual and Venial sin for the guilt of the Offence Fact and Penalty of sin Ambranat a late Papist 1665. Paris The Apostle before acted an Orator by interrogations and frequent Questions but now a Philosopher with clouds of Arguments before he oppos'd Gift and Works now he opposes a Believer and Worker a believer in him that endues the ungodly with his own righteousness Patiatur ergo si non operatur when he is not a doer he is made a receiver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasmus says Ungodly here comprehends all kind of Unrighteousness there is no kind that is excepted But there is no end of humane testimonies for within my Cognizance I can reckon an hundred Interpreters of this Epistle I shall add two more of greatest Authority in England 1. The Westminster Assembly I shall not quote the Annotations bearing their Name but as I am inform'd on far less ground than Anthony Burgess his book of Justification which was examin'd and approv'd by them one of his Titles is That gracious works are not so much as the condition or cause sine qua non of justification and on this Text p. 288. God doth account him as righteous though a sinner in himself p. 290. While looking into our selves we see nothing but matter of death and condemnation and he has another Sermon to prove that the Act of Faith is not imputed to justification which the Assemblies Catachism expresly mentions A Second Authority is the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England But Dr. Wallis has done that in a Sermon ex preposito I shall conclude with these two noted Fathers Ambrose and Augustine the former defines a worker to be not a transgressor of the Law and a Non-worker a Transgressor the latter in his Propositions on this Epistle Tom. 4. p. 1193. Qui justificat
Suretiship The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Those that thou gavest me I have kept All that the Father giveth me shall come to me His Suretyship is that of satisfaction for guilt past in the Covenant of Works and that of caution in the Covenant of Grace Thus Brinsley Where there is a Suretyship there is just ground for legal imputation but Christs Mediatorial Office is a Suretyship therefore it founds a just ground of imputation to them for whom 't was undertaken There are two Questions the solution whereof might contribute a consiberable light in this affair one is What kind of righteousness that is which is imputed and the second is how far it is made ours by imputation and the one contributes light to the other as to the 1. There is righteousness in Christ as he is God his essential Holiness 2. A Righteousness as he is God-man abstractledy taken from the work of Redemption for us 3. There is a Righteousness in his now present glorified estate wherein he applies what he did for us to us which carries a conformity to the Covenant of Redemption and therefore is a righteousness 4. There is a twofold righteousness in his performance of the mediatorial office for us here below one by reason of its conformity to the Mediatorial Law which requir'd the faithful discharge of a King Priest and Prophet at his hand the other in a conformity to the Law that we were under into which place that undertaking put him As there are four kinds of righteousness to be distinguisht in Christ so there are three degrees of imputation One is only for a persons good Profit or Honour and thus all in Christ is 't is an honour to mankind that there is such a glorious person come of the family he is the light that enlightneth every one that comes into the world he came to restore all things that first relation I have before mentioned as head and end of all the Creatures which fitted him and render'd it proper and becoming that he should become our redeemer was much for man's profit and good A 2d Degree of imputation is for our sake for their sakes do I sanctifie my self when we become the end and he the means and thus the whole Mediatorial Office was undertaken by him the whole of that work was the delivery of Mankind especially the elect although we are not made Priest Prophet and King we reap the benefit of these offices all their causality combined in our salvation and so doth his intercession unto this day 3d. There is a nearer degree of imputation when what 's done is done in our name room and place which Brinsley calls the office of an Attorney I shall give my thought of it by these two properties When Christ doth for us what he was not obliged to do for himself as God-man 2. When we who were oblig'd to do it are freed from the obligation by his doing of 't and under this Christs passive righteousness is comprehended but passive righteousness may justly comprehend the whole state of his humiliation from his Conception to his Resurrection He grew up as a root out of a dry ground without form or comeliness he made himself of no reputation and his first likeness to man was in the form of a Servant and in that fashion he became obedient unto death Great glory and dignity was the due of the humane nature from the first minute of union If a King should marry the poorest Beggar she is Queen from that minute and has a right to share with her Husband in his plenty and honour but a deniedness to this a being emptied of it as 't is in the 2d of Phil. was a great part of Humiliation and a birth of this kind was meritorious the throwing such a thick veil over his proper glory the obscuring of his brightness by such a thick cloud All righteousness has necessarily an active obedience accompanying it or rather is it for a passive suffering without it is not righteousness for all righteousness consists in action and habit and has a relation to the preceptive part of the Law so what had been to us meerly a curse was to him obedience and righteousness because he came under a Law to perform it for what was the penalty of the first Adam's Law was obedience to the Mediatorial Law satisfaction to one righteousness to the other 3. Though Christ as man was bound to obey the Moral Law viz. Not to bear false witness not to steal or kill yet his obedience was in such circumstances that rendered it meritorious all his Sermons and his Death too was a bearing witness to the truth and so an obedience to the ninth Command yet not such obedience as he was antecedently oblig'd to his restoring that which he took not away his being denied to that which was his due was obedience he perform'd to the eighth Commandment His praising God in the Church here below his prayers and faith with strong cries and tears was an obedience to the first table that he was not oblig'd to as God-man He might have been man without being the seed of Abraham and therefore he was not obliged to be circumcis'd which was a great part of suffering for 't was a great dishonour an acknowledgment and publick confession of Original Sin And if our Original Sin thus on him why not his Original Righteousness not as man but as man in our likeness born of a Woman conceiv'd in a Womb and Beza so expounds Rom. 8.1 2. Now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus For the law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus the Holiness the unspotted Purity and habitural righteousness of Christ as man being imputed to the Believer hath made me free from the Law of sin and death That convinces of the one and binds over to the other viz. Death thus Beza Hemingius Elton Parr Streso Downham As he was the seed of the Woman and our Brother he was bound to obey the moral Law as suited to this estate but there was not a necessity of being born of a Woman he might have become man in a more glorious manner he might have assumed such a Manhood as he now wears there is a great difference to be made between the dues of Christ as Emanuel and as Mediator The Originals are different the one flows from his Actions and Sufferings Function and Investiture the other nakedly from the Union which last remains 1 Cor. 15. when the former is laid down 4. Though the Scriptures point at Christ's Death and Blood principally as the price and satisfaction Acts 20.28 Heb. 9.12 Rev. 1.5 5.9 Eph. 1.7 yet that may well be understood by way of eminence it being the pinnacle of the penalty and doth instruct us that the necessity of the satisfaction was founded in a holy just and good Law and not in the nature of God The satisfaction did not make any
whom he justifies its relative Language should be I justifie thee I pardon or absolve thee for the same Gift may have two Uses as a Ring in Marriage it enriches and it marries the one by its own Inherent value the other by constitution so Faith sanctifies by its own inherent vertue and justifies by impuration 3. It shews us what influence the Holy Ghost has in our justification all the three Person concur in all transient and external Acts and in particular this act is ascrib'd to the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are wash'd but you are sanctifi'd but you are justifi'd in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God There 's no more reason for derogating justification from the Spirit of God then from derogating sanctification from the Name of the Lord Jesus The verse contains two Blessings Sanctification and Justification two Authors of them the Lord Jesus and the Spirit two ways of Application of their vertue the Merit of the one and the Spiritual Efficiency of the other in name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God Some think the Spirits Efficiency in Justification is to give the comfort and the knowledge of it but that 's no causality that may come forty years after the effect but this gives an easie solution to the Text the Spirit of God works Faith which entitles to Christ's Righteousness therefore we are justifi'd by the Spirit and may be is called the Spirit of Adoption upon the same account for the Spirit of Faith and Spirit of Prayer are one and the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 is that whereby we call Abba Father so he may be also call'd the Spirit of Justification by his working justifying faith and this seems to be pointed at 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love There are two Blessings mention'd and both Preventive exceeding grace with faith and love It is not said and Faith and Love to import barely the contemporariness of the Gift of Pardon and Faith but the way of conveyance thus God gave me Faith and Love when I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and with Faith or thorough Faith I obtain'd mercy the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in this blessing in giving faith and a pardon thorough faith 4. Christ's justification is a pattern of ours Rom. 4.24 He rose again for our justification 1 Tim. 3.16 He was justifi'd in the Spirit the work of the Spirit in raising him from the Dead was a justifying act upon him in the World he was condemn'd as a meer man and thereby a deceiver saying he was God but Rom. 1.3 He was declar'd to be the Son of God with power by the spirit of holiness in his resurrection His state of Humiliation was status reorum he was in the condition of a guilty man in prisonand judgment Isa 53. He was condemn'd that he might condemn sin in the flesh and that there might be no condemnation to them that are in him he could not be punish'd under God's Government without sin inherent or imputed Isa 50.8 He is near that justifieth me he justified him in his raising him from the dead and setting him at his right hand so condemn'd him in humbling him at the resurrection his justification and vivification was one and the same thing in different relations 1 Pet. 3.18 He was put to death in the flesh but quicken'd by the Spirit when the Spirit quicken'd him he justified him his death was consequently a condemnation not only by man but God as by his determinate counsel under his Government Sydenham and Brinsley say in his resurrection as Attorney he took up the bond of the old Covenant in Court for his Clients John 16. The spirit now in the Gospel bears witness to his righteousness as our Head and Surety because he goes to his Father i. e. witnesses he was justified as our Surety and therefore his resurrection is our acquittance or solution he had never gone to Heaven else 5. No punishment can be justly removed before the Person be justifi'd or absolv'd the removal of our Spiritual Death by the gift of his Spirit is a removal of our greatest punishment therefore it carries absolution in its bosome and by it we may easily answer the Papists who argue our justification and sanctification to be one because the Scripture mentions a relation certainly above a bare connexion of time Rom. 8.1 2. in v. 1. a connexion but in v. 2. some causality This place says Stapleton Ant. p. 625. is a torment to Beza and Calvin but Calvin's Comment frees himself for though he yields inherent holiness to be the sense of the 2d v. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for the influence it has on no condemnation in the v. 1. is thus Non assignari caasam à paulo sed modum quo soâ—vimur à reatu Sanctification contains a way of our being freed from guilt as well as filth of sin I argue against the Papists thus there could be no Argument to prove the one from the other if both were one 2ly This interprets the relation such texts as this and more evidently Tit. 3. 1 Cor. 6. implys between these two twins viz. the same grace sanctifies as a principle of efficiency in the Believer and justifies as a foundation of relation it raises between the Believer and God now let the Papists find one Scripture to torment a Protestant Interpreter with this key in his hand or any advantage to their side who say justification is justification is the ornamental or enriching value of the Ring its marriage vertue or the relation between man and wife 6. The being put in Covenant is also a relative blessing and we are brought thereinto by God's pouring out his spirit on us This is my covenant Heb. 8. There is a very obvious objection against this viz. The Scripture commonly attributes Justification and Pardon to the exercise of Faith Abraham believ'd in God and 't was counted to him for righteousness but this Doctrine about it lays the stress of its justifying vertue on the gift of it and the same objection may be otherways propos'd the Scripture lays the justifying vertue of faith on the object of it it is not a miraculous faith believing I shall be cur'd nor an Historical Faith believing the truth of a particular relation in the Scripture but a Believing on him that justifies the ungodly for justification a believing on him that rais'd up Jesus our Lord from the dead thorough the belief of his being deliver'd for our offences and rais'd again for our justification And 3. The like objections may be rais'd against these Eph. 2.8 That we are sav'd by grace thorough faith and that not of our selves but as the gift of God For we are his Workmanship Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he sav'd us by the washing of regeneration that being