to receive Christ and his righteousness * Undè fides impatatur ad justitiam ut Paulus loquitur Rom 4 5. Non qâ—atenus est qualitas nobis inhaerens nec quatenus est opus multo minùs quatenus est meritum sed metonymiâ adjuncti correlativè intellectâ per vocem sidei justitia Christi quâm fides apprehendit ut patet ex codem cap. 4. v. 11 13. And again nec quâ—tenus est cullus Dei radir omnium aliorum bonorum oâ—erum sed quatenus nos Christo conglutina un â— cum illo fâ—cti paâ—tiâ— pâ—â—iane jâ—st tiae ejus f uamur Polan p. 456 Faith is an empty and a naked thing without its Object Faith puts on this Robe of Glory and wraps the Soul in it but 't is this glorious Robe Christs righteousness that justifies 'T is very certain that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere cannot doth nâ—t justifie as Socinus and Arminius teach it d th 'T is true 't s said Rom. 4.5 Faith is imputed for righteâ—usnesse and is accepted of God through Christ for the performance of the whole Law but this is to be understood mâ—tonimically and relâ—tively in respect of Christ the object of faith who is the end and perfection of the Law to them that believe by fulfilling the righteousness of the Law for them Fâ—ith invites a Soul to Christ brings it into Union with his Person and so into communion of his righteousness And then for works what shall we say of them The Apostle is peremptory and absolute in his Conclusion Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law So also Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ c. that is by the works which Christ hath done in our stead by the obedience of Christ which we apply to our selves by Faith alone saith Polanus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scripserit Paulus pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut etiaâ— accipitur Matth. 12.4 1 Cor 7.17 Beza in loc sed taâ—â—um per fidem Iesu Christi hoc eâ— per opera qua Christus loco nostro fecit per obedientiam Christi quam solâ side noble applicamus Polan Faith justifies a sinner before God and works justifie Faith and demonstrate to the world and to our own consciences that our faith is not dead and barren but Jam. 2.4 Living because fruitful saith as working doth not justifie but sound justifying faith is a working faith 2. VVe come to consider the essential material cause of our justification that very thing which is our righteousness which God imputeth to us and accepteth on our behalf To this I answer 1. Negatively 1. Negatively what it is not 1. It cannot be our own righteousness inherent in us because inchoate and imperfect Justitiam qua-coram Tribunali Dei Consistimus perfectam omnibus numeris partibus gradibus esse necesse est Quid enim ex se agere poterat ut semel amissam justitiam recuperaret home servus peccati vinctus Diaboli assignata est proinde aliena qui caruit suà Bernard and the righteousness of justification must be most absolute perfect by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified 1 no meer man Rom. 3.20 We may therefore cry out with Bernard what is man that is a servant of sin a Bondslave of the Devil able of himself to do for the recovery of righteousness once lost there is therefore the righteousness of another assigned to him who hath lost his own 2. Nor secondly is it the righteousness of Christ meerly and solely as man considered though that was pure and spotless yet it was not infinite and meritorious for Christ taking upon him an humane nature was bound to keep the the Law being made of a woman he was also made under the Law under the Covenant of Works Gal. 4.3 4 the obedience of Christ meerly as man had been no work of supererogation as to us it would have served to justify himself but without the personal Union there would have been no redundancy or over-flowing of merit in it to justify those millions of guilty miscreants Non propter seipsum sed propter nostram salutem â—b demolitionem mortis Condemnationem Christus Advenit Athanas Orat Tertia contra Arrian who through the infinite grace of the Father by the blood of the Son are justified Wherefore Christ came not for himself but for our salvation c. saith Athanasius Non est essentialis justitia Dei ut Andreas Oâ—â—ander contendebat cujus errorem refutavit Calvin Institut teâ—tio lâ—bro 2. It is not the Essential Righteousness of the God-head not that righteousness wherewith God is righteous 't is not the righteousness of Christ as God solely though it is called the righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 1.17 and so called because 't is the righteousness of him who is truly God as well as truly man in one person and 't is the righteousness which God appointeth and accepteth for our justication But it is not the Essential uncreated righteousness of God which being the Essence of God cannot be communicated to any creature much less can it become the accidental righteousness of any creature 2. Posiâ—â—vâ—ly 2. Positively that which is our righteousness for justification It is the most Adequate and perfect obedience of Jesus Christ the Mediatour God-man to the whole Law of God Gonsisting in a most exact conformity of his whole humane Nature with all its actions and passions thereunto whereby Justitia Iesu Christi per quam justificamur coram Deo est perfectissima totius legis divinae obedientia consistens in exactissimâ totius naturae Humanae Christi omniumque Actionum passionum ejus internarum externarum conformitate cum tota lege Dei quam loco nostro pe fectissime implâ—vit ut nobis a morte aeternâ liberationem jus vitae aeternae acquireret Syntag Polan p. 457. both actively and passively he fulfill'd the Law most perfectly For proof you may please to read Rom. 8.3 4. Gal. 4.3 4. Rom. 5.16 17 18 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous vers 19. O Believers this Garment of Sun-beams wrought out for ye by the Sun of righteousness must needs be glorious if ye consider 1. That Christs humane Nature was never stained neither with original nor actual sin for by his divine Conception by the Holy Ghost he received of his Virgin Mother a pure un-deflowred Virgin Nature which all along he kept immaculate 2. The Humane nature in him is dignified with Union to the Divine to the second person in the Trinity in which it doth subsist as God descended to the lowest to become man so now man viz. the humane Nature ascendeth to
Light and Darkness between Christ and Belial It was an old saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between an holy God and an impure sinner God is Light in the abstract 1 Joh. 1.5 and an impure sinner is darkness in the abstract Ephes 5. Holinesse is the principle of Union and Communion between God and man Ephes 2.13 when we are converted sanctified 1 Cor 6.17 He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit the soul is made nigh to God who before was afar off and is now joined to the Lord in the Spirit As a man cannot have communion with the Beasts because they live not the same life nor the Beasts with the Plants because they live a contrary life no more can a natural man have communion with God because he lives not the same life but the Saints through sanctification of the Spirit live a spiritual life the life of God and are therefore fitted for Communion with him and for the communications of his goodnesse to them 12. Sanctification turns moral Vertues into Graces Some persons are naturally meek patient As 't was said of Augustus Caesar He turned brick into Marble sober temperate c. Some natural persons are morally just and righteous in their dealing and Conversation in the World honest Dealers good Pay-masters make their word their deed All this a man may be and do yet perish for ever but when once Wisdome enters into thy heart whence once Sanctification in the power of it comes into thy soul there is a great change wrought The new soul acts and works in natural and moral Actions from inward renewed principles The principle of Grace the true Elixir turns moral Vertues into Graces and dignifies a mans natural Endowments and moral actions with a tincture of holinesse which makes a sweet perfume in Gods Nostrils hee now acts from God and for God in all he doth whether he eats or drinks or buys or sels 1 Cor. 10.31 all is for the glory of God As carnal hearts are alwayes carnal in spiritual performances for the streams never run higher than the Head so on the contrary gracious hearts are spiritual in natural and moral actions The reason is the new man hath a new principle to act from and a new End to act for and aim at but before he was sanctified he had neither 13. Another excellency of Sanctification is this That the righteousnesse of Sanctification next to the righteousnesse of Christ for justification will be of the greatest worth and value support and comfort at death and judgment At Death and Judgment the rich mans Riches the wise mans wisdome the ambitious mans honours the voluptuous mans pleasures the hypocrites formality the civil mans civility and the moral mans morality These Lying Idols and rotten sticks which unholy persons have made their hope their stay and the Rock of their Confidence shall then all fail them and sink quite under them but then shall the pure in heart see God Mar. 5.8 Mat. 13.43 then shall the Righteous lift up their heads like Princes and shine as the Sun in the presence of their Father a dram of saving Grace will be then more valuable and more comfortable thâ—n mountains of Gold than millions of Worlds This was a River of comfort flowing in upon Ezekiahs heart as he lay upon his sick-bed for ought he then knew upon his death-bed viz. the review of his sanctified heart life Isa 38.3 Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart c. Beloved There will be a great Cry at midnight the Bridegroom comes go forth to meet him Matth. 25.6 The coming of Christ to Judgment will be very sudden and very terrible to secure sinners if you with the foolish Virgins have only oyl in your Lamps a blaze of profession without and not with the wise oyl in your Vessels the true stock and treasure of grace in your hearts Mat. 25.12 Mat. 7.22.23 Read those words and Tremble you will cry most dolefully and shriek most dreadfully at that day but Christ will not hear you hee will take no notice of you The King of glory will enter his Presence-chamber with all his Saints and shut the door against you ver 10. And the door was shut then knock never so hard Grace is the Bridegrooms favour by which they are admitted into his Chamber of Glory cry never so loud the door is shut there 's no hope of entrance the Lord will Answer I know you not vers 12. Then your sop will be sorrow weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for madnesse and anguish will be yâ—ur portion no grace no glory Wherefore Siâ—s for the Lords sake and for your own souls-sake look about you the coming of the Lord draweth nigh If ever ye hope in earnest to be saved be sure you are truly and throughly sanctified for there is no hope of salvation without sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes 2.13 14. 14. And lastly To name no more Sanctification is the early dawning of Salvation the very beginning of Heaven In that golden Chain Rom. 8.30 there is mention made of Calling Justification and of Glorification but nothing of Sanctification to note that sanctification is Heaven begun already it is not only the way to Heaven but 't is Heaven it self the more holy thou art the more thou dost live the life of God and the more thou dost anticipate the life of Heaven that Glorious life which the Angels of God and the blessed spirits of just men made perfect live there Heb 12.22.23 Thus through the assistance of God wee have hinted something of the transcendent excellency of Sanctification which we have in by and from our Lord Jesus who is made of God or given of the Father to be our Sanctification Holinesse is the Name of God the Seed of God the Will and Word of God it is the Work of God 't is the very Image of God it is the Life of God 't is the Nature of God 't is the Glory of God Again Sanctification renders one man far mâ—re excellent than another 't is one grand Attainment of the death of Chr st 't is the principal of Union and Communion with God Sanctification turns moral Vertues into Graces 'T is the second best Cordial of Comfort at Deâ—th and Judgment Lastly 't is the dawning of Salvation the Aurora of Glory THat Christ is given of the Father to be our Sanctification we have proved how Christ may be said to be our Sanctification we have shewed what are the several Causes concurring to our Sanctification we have explained The definition of Sanctification wee have given Something of its glory and excellency we shadowed forth in the last Discourse and now are arrived at the last Stage the last General in the doctrinal part propounded viz. what are the sweet streams that issue from this Fountain They may also
Now you that are righteous with this inherent Righteousness 1 Cor. 1.2 hold on your way and prosper the Lord be with ye The Angel of his presence save ye The Spirit of Jesus guide ye to the Hill of holiness and help you to perfect holiness in the fear of God You are under the vertue of sure and sweet promises for your great encouragement in Heavens way The Righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean bands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.9 The Lord strengthen your hearts See these Texts Isa 40. 2 last verses Phil. 1.6 Heb. 12.2 Ezek. 36.27 and quicken your speed by these powerful and precious Promises and give ye a prosperous arrival at the fair Havens of rest and peace Amen We come now to close the whole with these two uses 1. By way of Conviction 2. By way of Caution Though I know the Rules of Method and the exigence of the Subject Command me yet I shall not proceed directly by way of Examination because that hath been already done from that Text Rom. 1.7 To all that be at Rome beloved of God called to be Saints from whence the doctrine of calling hath been discussed the nature of Saintship and the signs and tryals of Sanctification have been largely shewn We shall therefore God willing proceed to the next in order viz. the Use of Conviction Use 8. This Doctrine of Sanctification we have so long insisted on serveth for Conviction If those that are Gods and Christs are sanctified in Christ Jesus if God the Father hath given them Christ his Son for their sanctification to make them holy Then this Point brings doleful news sad tidings in the mouth of it to three sorts of Persons To the Prophane To the Persecutors To the Scorners 1. The profane who mock at sin and slight holiness 1. The prophane are hereby convicted and condemned God hath no Birthright for such profane Esaus The people who are the Lords portion are an holy Nation washed from their filthinesse If ye are converted ye are washed and sanctified in the name and by the spirit of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.11 but prophane ones have a spot upon them which is not the spot of Gods Children Deut. 32.5 see what St. John speaketh of such kinde of persons as wallow in their filthiness 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning he that tradeth in sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui operam dat peccato So Beza and maketh sin his constant businesse work or practise as a workman doth his calling and followeth the same daily and deliberately A godly man may slip into sin through humane frailty and in the hurry of temptation may be overtaken with a fault But it is the profane man that is a trader in sin and a constant worker of iniquity Though such men may presume that they belong to God yet our Saviour expresly speaks they are the Devils Children John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil for his works ye do c. These men have not the least pretence of a claim to Heaven they come exceeding short of Hypocrites who pretend to holiness and seem to be so but the prophane are neither civil nor moral Such gross sinners are called Dogs and Swine They are weltring in the gall of bitterness and bound fast with the bond of iniquity as Peter told Simon Magus Acts 8.23 All that such kinde of sinners have to say for the most part for themselves is this 1. That God is merciful 2. That their hearts are better than their lives To the first I answer that God is holy and just as well as mercifull and gracious The Lamb will turn a Lion the Saviour of the world will come as a terrible Judge in flaming fire to render vengeance to the ignorant and disobedient 2 Thes 1.8 And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the wicked and ungodly appear 1 Pet. 4.18 They shall appear indeed but like as chaffe before the Whirl-wind and as stubble before the flames All the Attributes of God as justice mercy c. do run in the channel of his Holiness Sinners do little think that Gods mercy is an holy mercy which in a saving manner he will dispence to none out of Christ Sinners do err exceedingly to think that God is prodigal either of his own mercy or of his Sons Blood 't is only the sanctified in Christ Jesus exclusively who shall be the objects of his saving mercy the mercy of God and the merit of Christ are most sacred and precious things 1 Pet. 1.18 The former is bestowed on none the latter is spilt for none but an holy and a peculiar people Justice must be satisfied 1 Pet. 2.9 else mercy can be never dispensed if the merit of Christ be thine then the mercy of the Father is thine otherwise though the Ocean of Gods pardoning mercy be boundless and bottomless thou shalt not taste one drop of it Well then wouldst thou know that God will be mercifull to thy soul at the last day it highly concerns thee to know Christ in the power of his Resurrection and in the fellowship of his sufferings in this thy Day Phil. 3.10 2. To the other Plea That their hearts are better than their lives I answer This is to appeal to a witness that cannot be found to a witness that is as to us invisible 't is as if a man should lay claim to another mans Land and pretend he hath lost the evidences the guilt of the prophane is written in Capital legible letters upon the frontispiece of his Conversation every eye may see it Vita est index animi index futuri index aterni See Mat. 12. from 34 to v. 37. Cor instar Promptuarit est bonorum malorum Pareus As a good tree brings forth good fruit so a bad tree brings forth bad fruit Men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles As a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things so an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things A good man speaks good words and doth good works and the Apostle tels us Rom. 2.6 God will reward every man according to his deeds Your hearts can never be good when your tongues and lives be bad Your Lord Christ speaks expresly out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh The doom of the prophane is dreadful to instance but in two particulars 1. The unclean shall not enter into or pass over the way of holiness Isa 35.8 And an high way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holiness See the Dutch Annotat on the place the unclean shall not pass over it c. The meaning of that place is this The true Church shall be no barren Wildernesse or untrodden Desart but in it
Harmony between the divine Attributes righteousness and mercy do sweetly embrace and kiss each other the Glory of both shine forth most illustriously in and by the bloody passion of the Son of God Now the Acts of God the principal Efficient cause are to be distinguished according to the distinction of the three persons 1. The Father justifies as the primary Cause and Authour he gave his only begotten Son for our justification and salvation John 3.16 2. The Father justifies as Legislatour enacting by his Soveraign Authority that sweet Law of the New Covenant by vertue whereof every believing sinner is justified from the guilt of sin from which he could not be justified by the Law of Moses This Law of justification by Faith is Gods own act and Deed Acts 13.38.39 the great Instrumentum pacis betwen God and man the Tenour of the Gospel our Magna Charta runs that he that believeth shall be saved 3. The Father justifies as a Judge in absolving those that believe and in pronouncing them just in Christ and that in three respects 1 God jâ—stifies upon believing actually 1. God justifies a believing sinner upon his believing actually by Faith we are thus justified Rom. 5.1 Gal. 3.8 By believing he hath a Title good in Law an indefesible right to all the promises of the Covenant God then owns and approves of him as a person justified 2. Particularly at Death Heb. 12.23 2. At the moment of dissolution God justifies a Believer particularly as the Judge of all and the Judge of all the Earth passing a particular private Sentence of everlasting life upon every believing Soul 3. Eminently at the Day of Judgment 3. Eminently at the day of judgment God justifies at the last day by the man Christ Jesus Act. 17.31 when the Antient of Dayes shall take the Throne when the Son of Man appearing in power and great Glory shall in open Court before all the world by publick Sentence for ever acquit and discharge Believers at that solemn and Great Day Thus the Father justifies 2. Jesus Christ the Son justifies as the Mediatour and meritorious Cause of our justification and that in two respects 1. As our Surety he paid our Debt Christ is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Surety and a Mediatour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemptionis precium and as our Redeemer he laid down the price of our Redemption Rom. 3.23 wee are justified freely by the Grace of God and yet through the redemption that is in Christ His blood was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemption Ephes 1.7 in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his Grace he is the Mediatour of reconciliation between God and Man 2. Christ justifies as our Advocate and Intercessor presenting our persons pleading our cause prevailing with his Father by the speakings of his blood that the vertue of his merits may be applied to us Rom. 8.34 It is God that justifies who shall condemn 't is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who also maketh intercession for us there is a rather put upon the resurrection and ascention of Christ 1 John 2.2 we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Thus Christ justifies 3. The Spirit justifies as the Applicatory Cause he doth reveal and apply to us the righteousness of Christ for our justification 1. The Spirit as the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation reveals and discovers this Robe of Glory to us this Garment of Salvation Though the Father hath given the Son and the Son hath given himself for our righteousness yet 't is the Spirit that applyes this righteousness Revelation and Application is his peculiar Office 2. As the Spirit of Regeneration working in us the grace of Faith Directly which is one of the fruits of the Spirit whereby we receive and apprehend Christ the Lord our righteousness Causa Causae est etiam causa Causati unto our justification in the Court of Heaven the Spirit justifieth as he is the cause of the cause the Author of Faith that justifies 3. As a Spirit of Adoption by confirming our Faith Reflectively by working in us the assurance of our justification by sealing us up unto the day of Redemption the Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 17. Thus the righteousness of God by the revelation of the Spirit is revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.17 Thus much for the principal efficient cause 2. The instrumental or ministring causes are the Word of God and Faith 1. The ministry of the Word is the instrumental cause on Gods part The Gospel is manus Dei â—fferentis faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word Rom. 10.17 and in Gal. 3.2 the Gospel is called the hearing of Faith God in his Word by his Ministers doth as it were beseech sinners to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5.19 20. The Word of God is the vehiculum spiritus the Charriot of the Spirit wherein he rides the Word is the Wardrope Isa 61.10 Matth. 14.44 wherein this glorious Robe of Righteousness is laid up 't is the goodly Field wherein this heavenly treasure is to be found 2. The second instrumental cause is Faith Faith is manus accipientis Faith is the hand of the Soul whereby we receive Christ and apply his righteousnesse John 1.12 Faith justifies * Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Primo per se ut qualitas propriè aut motus actio vel vel passio aut opus aliquod bonum eximii precii quasi ipsa sit justitia aut ejus pars aut etiam justitiae loco ex censu estimatione Dei sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundario secundum aliud nempe ut modus medium instrumentum ceu oculus manus qua Christi ejusque participes reddimur adeoque relativè ad objectum Iesum ipsius justitiam promissiones gratiae Synop. Pur. Theol. p. 442. Rom. 5.1 But how doth faith justifie Faith justifies as one expresseth it vi legis latae as it is our evangelical righteousness or our keeping the Gospel Law Faith pretends to no merit nor vertue of its own but professedly avows its dependance upon the merit of Christs satisfaction as our legal righteousness on which it layeth hold its excellency ariseth from Gods Sanction who made choyce of this act of Believing to the honour of Justification because it layes the creature low and so highly exalteth Christ The Act of believing is as the Silver Gods Authority in the Gospel-Sanction is as the Kings Image stampt upon it which gives it all its value as to justification without this stamp it could never have been currant Faith doth not justifie as an habit act work or quality as the Papists say but as an instrument or hand