state equal with the Jews The general notion of Redemption is also set forth by these general Expressions viz. Christ dy'd for us all he was deliver'd for our Sins he suffer'd for Sin where the word us all signifies us Men of all Nations and the word Sin or Sins signifies the natural Apostacy and frequent Actings of it That us all is meant of Men of all Nations appears in 1 Tim. 2. where all in v. 6. refers to Men. In v. 1 4. it signifies Men of all Nations It 's also observable in reference to the general notion That the Work of Redemption and Reconciliation refers to certain Times and Seasons Rom. 5.6 Christ according to the Season dy'd for the Ungodly Christ was sent in the fulness of Times Gal. 4.4 He gave himself a Ransome witnessed in the proper seasons 1 Tim. 2.6 In the dispensation of the fulness of Times God gathers or reconciles all things to himself by Christ Eph. 1.10 Here Things signifies Persons as the Substantive is often put for the Adjective the Abstract for the Concrete More Hebraico This seems to be the true Universal Redemption which the Apostle seems to comprehend in one sentence with admiration of the Wisdom and unsearchable Ways of God the sentence is this viz. God hath set up all Nations in Unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Nations in their times and turns Rom. 11.31 32. Now concerning the Personal Reconciliation and Redemption which amounts to a Personal Election As the Reconciliation of our Nature in the Person of Christ is expressed by the Blood and Death of Christ for us so our Personal Reconciliation is expressed by the Righteousness of God manifested in all and upon all that believe Rom. 3.21 22. By the Righteousness of God is meant the Faithfulness of God in performing his merciful Promises especially touching his sending Christ and the Spirit to the Gentiles The Apostle saith This is witnessed as a distinct thing in the Law and the Prophets from the Law of Works For instance in the Law this Faithfulness of God is called the Name of God Exod. 34.6 In the Psalms it 's called the Mercy and Truth of God Psal 100. 117. and the Righteousness of God Psal 71.2 15 16. Psal 103.17 and Mercy and Truth and Righteousness of God are put together Psal 98.2 3. Salvation and Mercy and Truth Righteousness and Reconciliation are join'd together Psal 85.10 11. In the Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah this Faithfulness of God in his merciful Promises in sending Christ and his Spirit which is the ground of the New Covenant is called the Righteousness of God and his Salvation Isa 56.1 In Jeremiah it is called the New Covenant Jer. 31.31 This Righteousness of God the Apostle saith is now manifested by the Faith of Christ This Expression of the Faith of Christ is often used to signifie the preaching the Doctrine of Faith in Christ whereof Christ is the Author by his Spirit which is also called the Law of Faith Ministry of the Spirit and Ministry of Reconciliation or of reconciling our Persons to God that we may partake of the Benefit of God's being reconciled to us by the Death of Christ This manifestation of the Righteousness of God by the Faith of Christ is in us and upon us that believe It is in us This in one word is the Work of Faith in two words it 's the Similitude of the Life and Death of Christ imprinted in our Hearts in three words it's Faith Hope and Love And this Righteousness is by the Ministry of Reconciliation upon us and apply'd unto us by forgiveness of Personal Sins with inward Peace and Joy and Adoption to Eternal Life This notion of reconciling the Nature and Persons of Men runs in the Veins of the Apostle's Discourse of Justification in Rom. 3.24 he saith We are justified freely by Grace This Grace is the Law of Grace and that Law he saith is the Redemption that is by Christ This is the general notion of Christ's taking our Nature And then he adds the notion of Personal Redemption when he saith that God hath set him forth ministerially to be a Mercy-seat through Faith in his Blood for the remission of our Personal Sins Rom. 4.25 He dyed for our Sins here is the Reconciliation of our Nature and he arose for our Justification there is the Reconciliation of our Persons And in Rom. 5. from v. 6 to 10. There is an Atonement made by Christ's Death when we were Enemies in the highest degree of Apostacy ripe for Destruction this is the Atonement in our Nature And then he mentions the Atonement received which is our Personal Reconciliation That Pattern of wholsome words in Tit. 3.3 4 5 6 7 8. is very remarkable for the method of Divine Wisdom in the Na tional and Personal Reconciliation put together as it is in 2 Cor. 5. from v. 16. to the end which place gives light to this in Titus and this to that being thus paraphrased We all were sometimes foolish disobedient c. but after the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour to Mankind appeared in sending his Son in the nature of Man by him to reconcile the World to himself in doing his Will in all his Commands against all Temptations to the contrary he was pleased to save our Persons not by Works of Righteousness which we had done or Surety for us or as imputed to us in a legal way but of his meer and absolute Free Mercy making us new Creatures which he did in this method He first brought us into a state of Regeneration and then perfected the Work of Regeneration by the Ministry of his own Spirit which he poured on us the Apostles by the Intercession of Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven to the end that we being by the operation of his Grace made righteous in the Gift of a new Heart and perfect Remission of Sin as by the Spirit and Blood of Christ we might by the Spirit of Adoption be made Heirs of Eternal Life whereof we hope according to his Promise John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life In this Pattern of wholsome words our Apostle answers a Case of Conscience which every Soul is concerned in viz. How a Person that hath some time been foolish disobedient serving divers Lusts and Pleasures c. may have hope of Eternal Life He answers in effect thus much That there are three things done by Christ and three things to be done by the Sinner 1. Christ hath made an Atonement for Mankind that any that hath the Nature of Man may come to God in the way of his Mercy and in the day of Mercy 2. Christ hath provided Means of Grace to make them new Creatures which are Baptism and a Spiritual Ministry 3. When the Work of Renovation is truly wrought so as the Love of God is poured into
wrought by that Law The full sence of Justification is that it signifies to make just by the Law of Faith and then to judge to be just upon tryal So the sence is we are made just by the Ministry of the Law of Faith working Faith in us and not by the Ministry of the Law of Works And we are judged to be just upon tryal upon the exercise of Faith believing in God who raised Christ from the dead or believing in Christ who was delivered for our Sins and rose for our Justification or believing in the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ Rom. 8.33 and not by the Works of the Law according to the Law of Works Justification considers Faith in its relation to the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ and the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ in relation to Faith Touching Sanctification There is a Sanctification before Justification which signifies a Dedication to God to be made righteous by Christ in the Means of Grace 1 Cor. 6.11 Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified There is a Sanctification after Justification which signifies the Spirit of Adoption upon the compleating of the Work of Justification 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification Sometimes Sanctification comprehends the Work of Justification as often in the Epistle to the Hebrews cap. 10. ver 10. and there is a Sanctification included in Justification Rom. 4.25 Rom. 5.1 Touching Baptism All Infidel-Sinners of what Nations Sex Age Condition soever have right to come to Christ by Baptism for Salvation as they are of Mankind upon the account of the general Atonement in the Nature of Man All that are baptised have right to the Teachings and Government of Christ's Ministry upon the account of their Baptism that they may be made new Creatures All that walk orderly under the Means of Grace have right to have good Hope through Grace that is to have an assured perswasion of Remission of their Sins and Adoption to Eternal Life from the Testimony of their Consciences enlightned by the Spirit of God according to the revealed Word That they love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Ephes 6.24 for our blessed Saviour saith He that keeps my Commandments is he that loves me and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him John 14.21 Touching Preaching the Gospel They that preach to Infidel-Sinners must exhort them to come to Christ in the Baptismal Engagement from the consideration of the National Atonement that he hath made and his great love to Mankind They that preach to baptised Professors must exhort them to look on themselves not as Infidel-Sinners but as dead to Sin and alive to God by Profession and Engagement They that preach to baptised Prodigals must exhort them to return to God from the consideration of the danger of Apostacy They that preach to baptised persons walking orderly in the Faith ought to exhort them to walk comfortably rejoycing in the Lord under the assurance of Forgiveness of Sins and hope of Eternal Life Touching the Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is a Festival-remembrance of Christ's Sufferings and entring into Glory When our blessed Saviour said Do this in remembrance of me it was a word of institution and the word This related to the taking Bread and a Cup of Wine blessing distributing eating and drinking And when he said This is my Body which is broken for you it was a word of explication of the signification of Bread and the word This referred or pointed unto his Body then present as it did in these words Destroy this Temple and upon this Rock and there is an emphasis in the Article joyn'd to the word Body which signifies This is that Body of mine and so relates to the Body the Father gave him to suffer in Heb. 10.5 and the Body which he promised to give for the Life of the World and to be the Bread of Life John 6.51 And when our blessed Saviour said of the Cup This is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for the remission of Sins He doth sufficiently clear his Sufferings from a reputation of making satisfaction as a guilty Sinner for Adam's breach of the Old Covenant Touching the explication of some Texts of Scripture according to Paul's Rule of interpretation viz. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 I. Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death The word Thou in this place comprehends both Sexes and the Posterity of both Sexes in case of punishment which the Apostle affirms in Rom. 5.12 but to conceive that it comprehends a Surety to pay Adam's Debt if he sinned seems not agreeable to the Scripture which saith The Soul that sins shall dye For as Man cannot sin by a Deputy so it seems he cannot be punished by a Deputy Our blessed Saviour is called a Surety Heb. 7.22 but it is of the better Covenant for confirmation of it being of free and absolute Grace II. Rom. 3.25 That he might be just That these words are not meant of the Vindictive Justice of God in punishing Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead but of the Justice of his Promise of Forgiveness in the New Covenant appears by the scope of ver 24 25 26. being to set forth the absolute freedom of the Grace of God and comparing them with 1 John 1.9 God is just in forgiving Sin to those that confess Sin III. Isa 53.6 And the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquities of us all That these words do not signifie the Wrath or Vindictive Justice of God translating the Guilt of all men or any man on Christ to suffer as a guilty Sinner in their stead but sets forth the Wisdom of God in ordering Christ to conflict with the injurious dealings of all sorts of men and the admirable Faith and Patience of Christ in conquering without any guilt of Sin seems manifest from the precedent and consequent expressions comparing them with the History of Christ's Sufferings and our Saviour's own explication in the History Now is your hour and the power of darkness IV. Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That these words do not declare the Wrath of God against Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead but are a Prayer of Faith of a righteous man conflicting with a natural fear in a sense of great tryal appears in that 1. These words are the words of David who used so to expostulate with God and with his frail Nature in the power of Faith in the time of his Tryals Psal 13. 42. 2. The rest of the 22d Psalm is an Exposition of the first Verse and describes the long and fierce Conflicts and glorious Conquests and that was not a conquering of God but of the Devil and his Instruments 3. God promises not to forsake Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness
the Soul he hath provided a Seal to confirm his Adoption to the Inheritance of Eternal Life by the Witness of his own Spirit filling his Heart with Joy and Peace in hope and expectation of it The three things to be done on Man's part are 1. He is to believe the Atonement and receive it with all readiness notwithstanding his many and great Offences though his Sins be of Crimson of a deep dye for Christ came into the World to save the Chief of Sinners 2. He must yield himself to the Means of Grace for his Renovation 3. In the conscionable use of the Means of Grace he must pray for the Manifestations and Confirmarion of Christ's Love and wait for the Motions of the Spirit of Adoption rejoycing in Hope Thus a Sinner may be truly said to convert himself to God and no Glory due to Man in the Work and Christ truly said to work all things in all Persons And it 's observable that the Apostle in directing a Sinner how to know his Salvation doth not begin at the eternal purpose of God in Election but at the way of working out his Salvation for although it's God's way to work all things according to his Eternal Purpose and known to God are all his Works from the beginning of his Purposes yet our way of knowing his Purposes is by his Work in the dispensation of the fulness of Times Eph. 1.10 unless it be by Special Revelation Another Observation to demonstrate the manifold Wisdom of God in the Work of Man's Redemption considered generally and particularly is from that word to himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied distinctly to the Father in 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Eph. 5.2 3. to Christ God the Father hath reconciled the World of Mankind were they Jews or Gentiles by Jesus Christ to himself which seems to signifie to his own use and service as that wherein he delights to display his Glory and the Riches of his Grace It 's by Christ's Atonement that Mankind lives and moves and have their being continued that God causes his Sun to shine on the Just and Unjust that Seed-time and Harvest are yet continued that rare Inventions are found out that a Blessing attends Mens honest Endeavours that Princes decree Justice and Human Societies are preserved It is from Christ's Atonement that Sentence against an Evil Work is not speedily executed and Judgments executed have an end many times and Sin no longer imputed and Mercy revived in God's Government of this World This Love of the World of Mankind God gave them on the account of Jesus Christ who was the Lamb slain in God's holy purpose from the beginning of the World of Mankind to take away that Confusion which Sin had brought into the World of Mankind But besides this common Love which God hath to Mankind from Christ's Atonement he hath an higher degree of Love for Mankind on the account of Christ's Atonement which respects Eternal Life which Adam lost which is noted by the Word So in John 3.16 He so loved to such a degree he loved all Mankind in the positive but his Church in the superlative degree and fence This superlative Love in bringing many Sons unto Glory Christ hath a peculiar Commission from the Father to take care of and to promote Mat. 28.19 20. which he accordingly doth in washing with Water them that believe his Word Eph. 5.26 or washing them from their Sin with his Blood Rev. 1.5 for the Water and Blood go together 1 John 5.6 and are both signified in Baptism as containing the compleat Work of Regeneration by the Blood and Spirit of Christ and being so made clean without spot or wrinkle he presents them to himself as true Members of his mystical Body and then presents them to the Father to be justified in Judgment and being judged righteous to be adopted to Sonship or glorified Ephes 1.5 1 Tim. 4. GOD is the Saviour of all Men especially of them that believe The Wisdom of God in Christ's Ministerial Work is set forth in Gal. 3. from v. 19 to the end The Apostle had positively asserted in Gal. 2.16 That we are Justified by the Law of Faith and not by the Law of Works c. and here he enquires the Reason in the Divine Wisdom why the Law was given after the Promise and answers to this effect After the Promise of Salvation by a reconciling and redeeming Mediator was made to Abraham God gave a Law at Sinai by way of Covenant solemnly transacted as between two Friends by a Friendly Mediator which seemed contrary to a reconciling Mediator And verily Man should have been justified by this Covenant if he had kept it for God is One and constant to one way of Salvation bue God foreseeing the Weakness of Man's Nature without a farther Special Grace and that he would break this Covenant declareth in the Scripture that this Law was given after the Promise not to abolish but to establish it not to seek Righteousness by doing it in our own Strength but to be ministred as our Covenant only as a Means to make us know our Sin and Misery and cause us to hunger and thirst not after the Mediator of Friendship but after the Mediator of Reconciliation and Redemption Thus Faith is an Act of Obedience to the Law of Grace and as it is written Christ is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him Of the Third End The third End or Effect according to our manner of conception why Christ ought to suffer these things and enter into Glory was to vindicate the Severity of Divine Vindictive Justice against the Neglect or Contempt of God's Promise of Mercy to miserable Mankind by a Mediator in the first place freely offered This is hard to be explain'd but probably thus Mankind for the first Sin was presently judged to the loss of Eternal Life on Earth and after a sorrowful Life to perish in Death as the Beasts do as may be gathered from Psal 49.12 and last Verse Man being in henour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish he became a rational Beast compared with John 3. Immediately after this Judgment it pleased God out of his Love to Mankind and not from any other legal satisfaction to make a voluntary Promise of a new way to Eternal Life by a Mediator which Promise should have Mercy in the first place with sufficient strength to resist Temptation attending it but should be attended with greater Punishment upon the neglect and contempt of it which was an Hell in the Conscience in this Life and a Second Death after the Resurrection of the Body in fellowship with the Devil and his Angels but such as were obedient according to the measure of their Light should receive Eternal Life as a Reward according to the measure of Mercy Hos 10.12 Sow to your selves in righteousness reap in mercy Hereupon those of Mankind who embraced not the way of Mercy remained under the Law of Works with
and will hold thine hand and I will keep thee And our Saviour believed this Promise John 8.29 He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone And 4. Our Saviour himself expounds these words when he saith The Spirit is ready but the Flesh is weak and the Apostle when he saith That Christ in the days of his flesh made strong Cries unto God and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 V. Gal. 3.13 2 Cor. 5.21 He redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith He was made Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in or by him These two places are of parallel signification and are frequently misinterpreted and misapplied being taken to signifie the Justice of God in his Proceedings towards Christ as a guilty Sinner in our stead and subject to the Curse of the Moral Law which Curse is mentioned Gal. 3.10 when the scope of both places is apparently to set forth the Wisdom and Grace of God in ordering and over-ruling the unjust Sentence of Men according to the Judicial Law in making Christ a notorious cursed Sinner to the manifesting of his Grace and Wisdom in bringing the Blessing of the Spirit of Regeneration upon us Gentiles for Christ in our Nature avoided the moral Curse in fulfilling the Law and God the Father did not agree with the Rulers of the Jews to judge Christ a Blasphemer a False Prophet and an Enemy to Caesar they judged him a Sinner God judged him his beloved Son and his righteous Servant they made him a Curse but God made him a Blessing VI. 1 Cor. 5.21 That we might be made the Righteousness of God in or by him That these words are a description of the Work of Regeneration and the Work of Faith in us by Christ the very repeating of the words do sufficiently shew but it 's evident by these circumstances the New Creature v. 17. and to be reconciled to God v. 20. and to be made the Righteousness of God by Christ in this Verse are parallel Phrases God and Christ in this sentence are two distinct notions God signifies the Father and Him signifies the Mediator and so the Righteousness of God cannot signifie the Righteousness of Christ And that the word made signifies created and not imputed and the word in him signifies by Christ appears by Paul's positive Expressions Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created by Christ And that the word Righteousness of God signifies the Righteousness whereof God is the Author in opposition to our own Righteousness whereof we are the Authors appears by the aforesaid place Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship and 2 Cor. 5.18 And all things are of God And here in this 21. Verse are no comparative terms by as and so but positive 1. The End that we might be made the Righteousness of God 2. The Means by Christ or his Ministry 3. The Motive to be perswaded by Christ from the consideration of his honourable Sufferings VII Levit. 16. The Law of the scape-goat This is usually alledged for God's laying our Sin upon Christ as a guilty Sinner how fitly will appear by what follows The High-Priest presents two Goats at the Door of the Tabernacle before the Lord then he casts Lots on them and one is the Lord's Lot and the other is the Peoples the Lord's Lot is slain and the Blood sprinkled before the Mercy-seat the Peoples Lot is presented alive before the Lord and the Priest in the name of the People lays both his Hands on the Head of the alive Goat confessing their Sins and then sends away the alive Goat who bears or carries away their Sins into a Land of Forgetfulness This is a most lively and full representation of Christ's Redemption both in the meritorious and ministerial work and of the transactings of Christ with the Father on one hand and with us on the other and of the reconciliation of our Nature and the reconciliation of our Persons And this is plainly interpreted by St. Paul who saith We must believe in him who raised Christ from the dead and then our Faith will be accounted to us for Righteousness because Christ was delivered for our Sins the Lord's Lot and being declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection and being presented alive before the Lord he rose again for our Justification or to make us righteous by believing in him Hence we may observe The order of Divine Grace The description of Divine Grace 1. The Order and first the reconciliation of our Nature as the Lord's Lot then the reconciliation of our Persons as our Lot 2. The Description of Faith and Justification 1. Of Faith Faith is the laying both Hands on the Head of Christ as risen from the dead with Confession of Sin Rom. 10.10 the Hands of Belief of the Heart and Confession of the Mouth 2. Of Justification of our Persons It 's a sending our Sin into a Land of Forgetfulness and receiving of us among the number of the Righteous when we lay both Hands on the Head of Christ risen from the dead confessing our Sins and embrace him as our Head VIII Rom 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed to him for righteousness This place is abused 1. by applying the word worketh not to the Work of Faith as well as to a legal Work which is not a Work of Grace 2. By taking the word justifieth for justifying in Judgment 3. By making those words God justifieth the Vngodly a single sentence not joyning what is before and what is after to it The true sence is gather'd by comparing this Verse with the four precedent Verses and the 23 24 25. following and then it will appear that this Verse belongs to the explication of Abraham's Faith and the Apostle applies it to us in v. 23 24 25. so that to believe on him that justifieth the Ungodly is to us the same thing as to believe in God who raised Christ from the dead who rose again for our justification i. e. to make us righteous as it 's phrased Rom. 5.19 which is the same thing as of ungodly to be made godly IX James 2.24 A man is justified by works and not by faith only This place receives much light by comparing it with Paul's Pattern of sound words in 2 Thess 1.11 We pray that our God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power Hence are these remarkable Observations as 1. That Faith is a Work wrought in us according to the good pleasure of his Goodness by the ministry of the Gospel 2. That Faith is a gradual Work begun and fulfilled begun in form fulfilled in power begun in the baptismal work fulfilled in the sealing work