so the people of God had need every day morning and evening to flee to Christ and to apply his sacrifice and satisfaction to themselves and through him to seek pardon of God for their dayly sins and infirmities every day sprinkling the blood of Christ the Lamb of God upon their souls 2. This may stir up Christians dayly to offer up a morning evening sacrifice to the Lord in confession of sins prayers praises thanksgivings We read of special blessings which the Lord vouchsafed at those times The King of Iudah Israel and Edom with their Army were in danger to perish for want of water and in this great distress they had recourse to the Prophet Elisha now it is said ver 20 and it came to pass in the morning when the meat-offering was offered that behold there came water by the way of Edom and the country was filled with water So Danâ—ul having prayed with much importunity for the Church which was then in captivity saith the man Gabriel to wit the Angel Gabriel in the likeness of a man being caused to fly swiftly touched him about the time of the evening oblation and so as it followeth there opened the counsels of God unto him according to his request I conceive it is very probable that the people of Israel in their several houses did use to pour out their prayers to God about the time of the morning and evening sacrifices and that Daniel and others of the godly when they were in captivity did observe those times though then the Temple was destroyed and the daily sacrifice interrupted A second sort of Sacrifices were sin offerings this kind of offering is called in the Hebrew expresly Sin because in a typical or figurative way the guilt or sin of him for whom the sacrifice was offered was laid upon the creature sacrificed So the Apostle sheweth that God hath made him scil Christ to be â—in for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him The sin-offering called sin figured the imputation of mens sin to Christ who had no sin of his own bnt voluntarily took upon him the guilt of mens sins as a surety taketh upon him anothers debt 1. See here how exceedingly the Son of God abased himself for sinners as to stand under the guilt of numberless sins If we consider the infinite holiness glory and Majesty of Christ is it not evident that this degree of humiliation and abasement passeth all understanding Admire therefore his infinite love and unconceivable goodness which moved him hereunto Learn highly to exalt and honour him 2. See here the baseness of sin which thâ— abased the Son of God when he took the guilâ— of it upon him out of compassion to sinnerâ— No outward estate condition calling imployment doth so abase any as the least sin doth in the Lord his account and yet hoâ— vain is the corrupt heart of man in being ashamed of many other things more thâ— of sin yea how many are there that arâ— ashamed of holiâ—ess and ready to glory iâ— sin 3. If Christ did thus abase himself for thâ— sins of others as to be made a sin-offering or to be made sin by imputation How shoulâ— we take shame to our selves and be exceedingly humbled and abased for our own sins As David I have sinned greatly in that I haâ— done I have done very foolishly And 〈◊〉 I abhor my self and repent in dust 〈◊〉 ashes 2. The blood of the sin-offering was to sprinkled seven times before the Lord and seâ— is noted for a number of perfection The Souâ— and Consciences of sinners are so deeply slaâ—ned and defiled with sin that they neeâ— much purging How often should we laboâ— by â—aith to sprinkle the blood of Christ upon our souls and to apply it to our selves This blood of the sin-offering was to bâ— sprinkled seven times before the vail of 〈◊〉 holy place so it is the blood of Christ 〈◊〉 maketh way for believers to the mercy-seat which their sins had shut up against theâ— Having therefore Brethren boldness to enteâ— into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh and having an high-priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true â—eart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water with hearts and souls sprinkled with the blood of Christ by faith and so purged from the guilt of sin and bodies washed with pure water being baptized outwardly and inwardly with water and the sanctifying graces of the holy spirit 3. Some of the blood was to be put upon the horns of the sweet incense Altar scil the Golden Altar so Christians are to ground their faith and confidence in offering up the Incense of prayer upon the blood and Mediation of Christ having no hope of acceptance but only through him and his satisfaction and intercession The Golden Altar being a type of Christ as he intercedeth for his people The blood of the sin-offering put upon this Altar may intimate unto us that Christ intercedeth with his Father and pleadeth for his people by presenting to him his blood the merit of his death and fulness of his satisfaction which he underwent not for himself who had no need but for them 4. The fat of the Inwards Kidneys c. were to be burned upon the Altar The fat may signifie carnal security senselessness and sottishness in heavenly and spiritual things Make the heart of this people sat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes and the Kidneys and fat upon them may signifie fleshly lusts and therefore as these things were consumed by fire upon the Altar so let Christians earnestly pray and labour for more and more of the spirit of Christ to consume and burn up their earthly and carnal affections and sinful lusts And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Sion and he that remaineth in Ierusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Hierusalem when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughters of Sion and shall have purged the blood of Hierusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Iudgement and by the spirit of burning 5. The skin of the Bullock for the sin-offering and all his flesh with his head and with his leggs and his inwards and his dung even the whole Bullock was to be carried without the Camp where the Ashes were poured and there to be burnt and as this was to be done without the Camp while they were in the Wilderness as they were when these things were written so it seemeth after they were settled in Canaan it was done without the City The Apostle giveth us
Father in the forehead and face of his beloved Son readeth such an inscription of perfect holiness and righteousness that beholding his people in him he accepteth them as perfectly righteous through him that as this golden plate with this inscription was placed so eminently on Aarons forehead that it was visible and obvious to the bodily eyes and sight of the people of Israel so the perfect righteousness and holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ is eminently visible to the spiritual eye of his peoples faith that they may receive sweet comfort in the assurance that their iniquities are taken away through him and may behold the Fatherly love and kindness of the Father towards them and his gracious acceptance of their sevices in the face of Jesus Christ. One thing more was to be added before as belonging to the breast-plate of Judgement scil Vrim and Thummim concerning which there is a great question What it was Wherein it seemeth that neither Iewish nor Christian writers are yet agreed Whether it were these words engraven upon a golden plate and put upon a breast-plate or whether the twelve precious stones upon the breast-plate were so called or what other thing it might be Howsoever the meaning of the words is plain which being both of the plural number signifie Lights and Perfections These may point out unto us the fulness of heavenly Light wisdom and knowledge and perfection of grace that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Saith he I am the light of the World again I am the Truth And the Apostle saith In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bedily This may shew that all by nature are darkness and imperfection and therefore needing such a Saviour who is fullness of Lights and Perfections Ye were sometimes darkness but now are Light in the Lord. God who is rich in mercy for his great Love wherewith â—e loved us even when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath quickned us together with Christ. And ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power They that are naturâ—lly full of spiritual death darkness imperfection receive spiritual life light and grace from Christ when once they are truly united to him and so are compleat not in themselves but in him upon whose breast are Vrim and Thummim in whom is fullness of Lights and Perfections And Malachy who seemeth to be one of the last Prophets before Christs coming to raise up the hearts of the godly in expectation of Christs appearing in the flesh told them or rather God speaking by him assured them thus But unto you that fear my Name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings with light to deliver you from darkness and with healing graces the influences of his heavenly perfections to cure the diseases defects distempers of your souls Sixthly The High priest was appointed for men in things pertaining to God to offer gifts and Sacrifices for sins so the Lord Christ was ordained for men in things pertaining to God to offer Sacrifice for sins Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Where it is manifest that he is both the High-Priest and the Sacrifice both the offerer and the offering as he is the offering or sacrifice so he was figured by such sacrifices as those formerly spoken of As he is the offerer or High-priest so he is figured by the High-Priest of the old Testament None was worthy to offer this sacrifice of infinite value but Christ himself and the infinite worth of Christ God and man who as the High-Priest or Sacrificer presented this offering to God the Father and the infinite worth of the same Christ presented as an offering may assure the greatest sinners which truly turn to the Lord and come to him that there is enough done to make atonement and reconciliation between God and them only take heed least by neglecting so great salvation the infinite worth of the High Priest and sacrifice prove in the Issue an aggravation of your guilt and condemnation Seventhly The High-Priest having killed the Bullock of the sin-offering was to take a Censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the Vail scil into the holy of holies and then fire the Incense that the cloud of the Incense might cover the mercy-seat and then to sprinkle of the blood of the bullock upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat seven timesâ— so first the Lord Christ having sacrificed himself entred with his own blood scil with the merit and virtue of his blood into the most holy place within the vail that is into Heaven it self into the second sci the most holy place went the High priest once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errours of the people but Christ being being become an High-Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption so that the merit and virtue of Christ his most precious blood is always presented before God in Heaven in behalf of those that truly lay hold on Christ. Also the sweet incense put upon the fire in the Golden Censer and resting as a cloud upon the mercy-seat may teach us that the sweet incense of Christ his sacrifice and offering make way for the Persons Prayers and services of Gods people that so they may approach to the mercy-seat or gracious presence of God in Heaven The blood also sprinkled upon and before the Mercy-seat may note unto us that the blood of Christ procures mercy with God for repenting and believing sinners and maketh way for them to draw nigh unto God And so much for this eminent Type of Christ. The High-Priest of the old Testament figuring Christ the eternal High-Priest In the next place somewhat might be spoken of the inferiour Priests which were of the posterity of Aaron These I take to have been Types of the Members of Christ of whom it is said that Christ hath loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood and made them Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to whom also Peter saith Ye are are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people And these are first to offer themselves as sacrifices to God I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of
to another looking towards the mercy-seat so the holy Angels attend upon God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for the service of his Church ministring for them who shall be heirs of salvation They are ready with their wings stretched out to execute the will of Christ and do his pleasure for the protection and good of his people 2. The holy Angels look into the mysteries of Christ in his Gospel as the Cherubims toward the Ark and mercy-seat which thing the Angels defire to look into And the Apostle having spoken of the glorious Mysteries of Christ in the Gospel made known to him by revelation and made known by him in his Ministery who preached among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ addeth this to the intent that now unto the Principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God How inexcusable is the negligence of those that will not take pains to be acquainted with the mysteries of Christ which the glorious Angels did search into Ninthly The fire that was used in the sacrifices of the Law may be considered 1. As the fire burned the Sacrifices which were offered to the Lord so the fire of Gods wrath fell upon Christ for the sins of the world when he offered himself in sacrifice to his Father to satisfie his justice and therefore he was in a grievous agony and his sweat was it as were great drops of blood falling down to the ground and he complained my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death And when he was upon the Cross he cried out with a loud voice saying My God My God why hast thou forsaken me 1. See here the Love of Christ toward sinners interposing himself between the burning wrath of God and them that which was of such a scorching heat to him would have been a consuming fire to them 2. How should the hearts of believers be inflamed with love to Christ who endured the flames of divine wrath to save them from everlasting burnings 3. How restless should all be until they are sound in Christ that his righteousness may shelter them from the fire of Gods wrath How unsufferable will that be to them which was so grievous to him Secondly This fire came from Heaven there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the Altar the burnt-offering c. And so in the Temple built by Solomon fire came down from Heaven and consumed the burnt-offering and sacrifices so the Lord sends down that heavenly fire of his spirit upon his people to consume their dross warm their hearts with holy flames of love and zeal refine their spirits So Christ is said to Baptize his people with the holy Ghost and fire Thirdly This fire was to be kept burning upon the Altar continually and never to go out Christians having once the heavenly fire of grace and holy affections kindled in their hearts by the spirit of Christ should labour to keep it continually burning take heed of quenching the Spirit Tenthly The Vail may be taken notice of The Apostle intimateth a twofold vaâ—l for he speaketh of a second Vail I conceive then this second and inward Vail was that which was hanged before the most holy place and the first was that hanging mentioned there being three Courts in the Tabernacle the first and outermost where the people were the second where the Priests were between the which two was the first Vail the third which was the most holy place into which went none but the High-priest and this was divided from the middle Court by the second Vail So the Mysteries of the Gospel were hidden in a great measure before Christ his coming in the flesh by a Vail of Ceremonies which are now revealed in Christ at whose death the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to thâ—â— bottom CHAP. VI. Something may be spoken also of Sacred Observances which were required of Israel under the Ceremonial Law these being 〈◊〉 many and of great variety I intend to touch some of them and pass by the 〈◊〉 And 1. Consider that restraint that was laid upon them in the use of the Creatures many of these they were forbidden to eat as being unclean not in their own Nature but by the ordinance of God in this Law of Ceremonies 1. This sheweth whereas Israel and other Nations were all alike by Creation being all â—ade of one blood in the first man and woâ—â—n from whom they all descended as so many branches of one common root or stock â—nd were all alike corrupted by sin unclean in the sight of God and children of wrath yet the Lord according to the Counsel of his own will was pleased to make a diffeâ—â—nce or distinction separating the Nation 〈◊〉 Israel from the rest of mankind conseâ—rating the people of Israel as a peculiar people to himself and rejecting the rest as â—nclean So it is said to Israel Thou art an â—oly people to the Lord thy God and the Lord â—ath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations that are upon the Earth Then followeth this prohibition restraining them from eating divers Creatures The Lord hath chosen Iacob for himself and Israel for his peculiar Treasure He sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and his Judgements to Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and for his Judgements they have not known them Balaam extolling the priviledges of Israel among other passages saith For from the top of the Rocks I see him and from the Hills I behold him Loe the people that dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the Nations although Balaam spake it yet the Lord put the word in his mouth The people of Israel dwelt alone being separated by the Lord from the rest of the world as a peculiar people and Church of God and was not reckoned among the Nations they were not put into the common account and therefore the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Gentiles and Heathen signifying properly Nations and being used in Scripture for all people except the people of Israel agree exactly with this passage and sheweâ—â—â— that Israel was not reckoned among the Nations 1. This sheweth that the Lord as a Soveraign a supreme and absolute Lord dealeth with his creatures according to his pleasure What man is able to give a reason why this people should be preferred above all others That for so many hundred years the rest of the world should be excluded as aliens from the common-wealth of Israel c. and Israel alone taken into Covenant with God It was not for any Righteousness the Lord sound in them as Moses told them understand that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it
to his command should learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart and be content to be conformed to him in sufferings taking up his Cross and following him They should be useful and serviceable as Christ was who was figured by such creatures offered in Sacrifice 2. Ye may note in general that an offering presented to the Lord was called in the Hebrew Korban of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to draw near This may teach us that none was fit to offer an offering to the Lord but only the Lord Jesus Christ and those that come to God by him for all mankind since the fall were a far off at a great distance from God but the Lord Iesus Christ being God and Man is nigh unto the Father In regard of his Godhead he is the only begotten Son of God in the bosom of the Father as he is man personally united to the Son of God he is one person with the Son of God and being without spot of sin he came near to God to present himself an offering and a Sacrifice unto him Secondly none can come nigh unto the Lord to offer any spiritual Sacrifice to him or to have any inward communion with him but in and by the Lord Jesus Christ But now in Christ Iesus Ye who sometime were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Christ being nigh to God drew nigh unto him actually with the sacrifice and offering of himself and so made way for sinners who were afar off from God by their sin and guilt to draw nigh to God by virtue of his blood that applying his blood satisfaction and righteousness to themselves they might be made nigh unto God in regard of their estate being taken into Covenant with him as his confederates and so into Communion and that they might draw nigh unto him from time to time in offering spiritual services and sacrifices to him by Jesus Christ. Let us all see our great need of Christ there is no coming nigh unto God but by him neither in respect of our estate nor of our services but in Christ there is access to be had in both respects But more especially First The burntoffering This was called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth ascending or ascension because all the flesh of the beast being burned upon the Altar was to ascend or go up towards heaven in fire so the Lord Jesus Christ when he was here on earth in the flesh offered up himself to his father in heaven the infinite virtue of his Sacrifice ascending to the Throne of God for the appeasing of his wrath and satisfying of his justice for sin This may teach us also that we should present our whole selves souls and bodies sacrifices living holy acceptable to God and that they which will thus present themselves to the Lord must be heavenly minded their souls and hearts must be raised and ascend upward How many carnal outward dead hearted services are dropped down before the Lord that never ascend upward having nothing of heaven nor of Christ his spirit in them Secondly He that offered the burntoffering was to lay his hand upon the head of the creature that was to be slain so he that will have benefit by the sacrifice of Christ must lay hold of him by the hand of faith Thirdly The Bullock for the burntoffering was to be killed the blood of it to be poured out this 1. was fulfilled in Christ according as it was Prophesied of him He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter He was cut off out of the land of the living ver 9. His grave and death are expresly mentioned thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin ver 12. He hath poured out his soul unto death And Daniel Prophesied that Messiah or Christ should be cut off or slain and without shedding of blood there is no remission 1. This may move Christians to pitty and earnestly pray for the poor blinded Israelites that the Lord would be pleased to take the vail from their hearts Is it not lamentable to consider that they should make the Cross and death of Christ a stumbling block whereas his death and sufferings are so clearly foretold in the Law and the Prophets which themselves acknowledge to be the word of God Yea all those millions of sacrificâ—s slain and offered according to the Lord his appointment did clearly foreshew the death of Christ and the shedding of his most pretious blood for the sins of the world But how is man left to the darkness of his own mind and blinded by Satan Secondly See here how odious sin is in the sight of God which nothing could wash away but the blood of Christ figured by the death and blood of these legal Sacrifices for it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sins these did signifie the blood of the Son of God infinitely more pretious of sufficient virtue to wash away the greatest and foulest sins How should we tremble at sin Should we not look upon every sin as bloody as murtherous either as slaying the sinner himself or as killing his Saviour either thy sin must be washed away with the blood of Christ or it will cost thee more then thy best blood is worth Thirdly This is for comfort to souls burdened and oppressed with the guilt of sin that that one sacrifice even Christ himself figured by so many millions oâ— sacrifices is offered to satisfie for sin that that blood figured by the blood of so many offerings is shed to take away sin and that God hath purchased his Church with his own blood it is the blood of God because of him who is God and man in one person though not the blood of the God-head The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all sin it is of infinite value it is of more virtue then all the bloody sacrifices of the Law 4. Woe unto those wretches that dare to swear prophanely by this pretious blood or by those bleeding wounds of the Son of God Is not this to trample under foor the blood of the Covenant 4. The death of these sacrifices may teach us 〈◊〉 kill our dearest sins to slay our lusts to mortifie our corruptions Christ did not dye for sin that thou mightest live in sin but that thou mightest dye to sin and live to him ye righteousness and holiness I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that 〈◊〉 present your bodyes a Sacrifice living holy and acceptable to God a Sacrifice and therefore slain and yet a living Sacrifice Present your selves a sacrifice dying to sin and a sacrifice living quickned with grace living in the spirit Again among all the burnt offerings ye may take particular note of the continual burnt offerings sacrificed to the Lord every day one Lamb in the morning and another in the evening
him who is invisible and so despising earthly things Labour for union with Christ that partaking of his Spirit ye may partake of his holiness and graces and so of his beauty and glory Holiness beautifieth and adorneth the soul and ptepareth it for perfection of heavenly beauty and glory whereas sin doth both defile and disfigure the soul filling it with deformity This being noted in general I intend to mention some few of the particulars First The two precious stones upon the two shoulders of the Ephod or Priestly Robe wherein were ingraven the Names of the twelve tribes of Israel six in one stone and six in the other so that the high-priest bare their Names upon his two shoulders 1. This may note unto us the support which the Lord giveth unto his Church and to all the living members of it He beareth them as it were upon his shoulders Hence it is that his little flock hath been preserved in the midst of so many wolves from age to age Vpon this rock I will build my Church aud the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it What a blessed priviledge have they that are in Christ being built upon him as a rock immoveable and upheld by him born upon his shoulders who is their eternal high-priest 2. See how precious the people of Christ are in his account as if their names were engraven in precious stones and set in ouches or bosses of Gold 2. The breast-plate of Iudgement in which was to be set four rows of precious stones three in a row in all twelve stones of several kinds and in these again were ingraven the twelve names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and so Aaron was to bear the Names of the Children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart when he went into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually 1. See the tender love and affection which the Lord Christ hath toward his people he beareth them upon his breast upon his heart continually he shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom next his heart and therefore it seemeth the Church prayes to Christ set me as a seal upon thine heart that tender love which moved him to let out his heart blood for their redemption is still so powerful and prevailing with him that he beareth them upon his heart in heaven 2. Ought not Christians then to bear Christ upon their hearts to entertain him to dwell in their hearts by faith to cleave unto him in love and walk in him following the guidance of his spirit 3. Christ this eternal high-priest beareth the Names of his people upon his breast-plate or heart now that he is in heaven before his Father for a memorial before his face continually I conceive this noteth Christ his intercession for his people He presenteth their names before his Father in Heaven as the High-priest did in the holy place on the earth which was a figure of Heaven Blessed are they whose Names God the Father readeth engraven upon the breast-plate written upon the heart of his beloved Son in whom he is well-pleased What is there that such may not obtain of the Father through the Son And how should all labour to give in their names and to give up their hearts to Christ that he may bear their names upon his heart for a memorial before the face of God continually Thirdly Vpon the hemme of the High-priests Robe were placed golden Bells and Pomegranates that his sound might be heard when he went in unto the holy place before the Lord and when he came out so the Lord Christ entring in to the most holy place in heaven after his death and resurrection maketh a most sweet and pleasing sound in the ears of his Father far beyond that of golden bells his mediation and intercession in behalf of his people grounded upon the merit of his death sacrifice and satisfaction maketh heavenly melody before his Father Jesus the mediator of the new Covenant and the blood of sprinking which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel And these Pomegranates may well resemble the sweet savour of Christs sacrifice Again Aarons bells were heard to sound not only when he went in to the holy place but also when he came out Now although the Lord Christ as he is man continueth within the most holy place not made with hands and doth not come out again yet he sent down his spirit upon his Apostles soon after and caused these golden bells to give a most pleasant sound throughout the several Quarters of the world publishing the glad tidings of pardon and salvation through Christ to the comfort and refreshing of many thousand souls and the precious promises of the Gospel published in the name of Christ were as Pomegranats that yeilded a pleasant smell to the reviving of many fainting hearts and drooping spirits Had we circumcised hearts and ears gracious spirits heavenly affections how pleasant would the sound of the Gospel preached how sweet would the promises of it be unto us Fourthly The Lord gave this Command Thou shalt make a plate of pure Gold and grave upon it like the engravings of a fignet Holiness to the Lord and this golden plate was put on the forefront of the Mitre and so to be worne on the forehead of the High-priest that he might bear the iniquity of the holy things which the Children of Israel should hallow in all their holy gifts and it was to be always upon his forehead that they might be accepted before the Lord. The Inscription I suppose may be read either Holiness to the Lord or the Holiness of the Lord. 1. Here see how the Lord Christ whose holiness and righteousness is of infinite worth and value the holiness and righteousness of Iehovah of him who is very God taketh away the iniquities and pollutions of the duties services spiritual sacrifices offered by his people Aaron did bear these but in a figure and in a way of representation Christ did really bear them and his holiness and righteousness of Jehovah is imputed to them and is alone sufficient to take away all their uncleanness and to procure acceptance for them How should Christians be humbled that such is the corruption of their natures and imperfection of their graces that the best of their services the holiest of their offerings have such iniquity cleaving to them that they need the imputation of Christs righteousness to cover them And again this may comfort them that are in Christ and are sincere in their services and stir them up to thankfulness that such a precious remedy is provided them in this case even the Holiness of Jehovah 2. This golden plate with this Inscription on the forehead of the High-priest may intimate unto us that God the
them as are brought forth into outward act defile the body also some of them more some less according to their natures and degrees Now there is a severe threatning formerly mentioned If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy As ye desire the salvation of your souls and bodies to prevent the destruction of both take heed of defiling these Temples of God make a through search and cast out all the filth which ye find there by sincere repentance and reformation watch against all future defilements and as atonement was made for the Tabernacle by the blood of the sin-offering so seek to clear your selves from the guilt of your sins by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus applied by faith Seventhly Next to the Tabernacle or Temple ye may take notice of the Altar of burnt-offering and as the sacrifices offered up on this Altar and High-priest who was the principal officer were Types of Chirst so it seemeth was the Altar We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat that serve the Tabernacle 1. It was commanded to be made of Shittim Wood which is thought to have been a choice kind of wood that would not rot and so fit to resemble the precious body of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom it is said He whom God raised again saw no corruption The Lord Christ though he freely laid down his life for his people and suffered death yet He rose again in so short a time as to prevent all putrefaction and rottenness He saw no corruption and as he preserved his own natural body from corruption so he shall deliver his mystical body his Church and the members of it out of corruption and raise them incorruptible But 2. The Altar was to be over-laid with Brass for though the wood might be free from rotting and corrupting yet I conceive it could not endure the force of that fire which was to burn upon it and therefore it was to have a brazen covering This seemeth to note unto us the Godhead of Christ united to his manhood or that strength which the Godhead thus united gave to the manhood whereby it was so mightily forâ—ified that the wrath of God due to the Sons of men did not consume it as the wood of the Altaâ— was not consumed by the fire wherewith the Sacrifices were burnt 3. This Altar was placed by the door of the Tabernacle of the Tent of the congregation it seemeth this was set in the open Court that all the people might see it and behold the Sacrifices offered upon it that their hearts might be raised in expectation of that great and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ which alone satisfieth for sins so now Christ in the preaching of the Gospel is set forth as it were crucified before the eyes of believers The Altar upon which the sacrifices were offered was set by the door of the Tabernacle at the entrance into it whosoever will have a place in the Courts of the Lord and abide in his house for ever must get entrance by Christ and his sacrifice sin shutteth the door against all only Christ makes way for those that truly come to him and by him to God Saith the Lord Christ I am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved And again I am the way c. No man cometh unto the Father but by me whosoever will come to God enjoy his favour enter into Covenant and have communion with him must come to him by Christ. 4. There was an Altar to burn Incense upon of the same wood with the former but overlaid with pure Gold Christ is the Golden Altar upon whom the prayers and other services of his people are offered up as sweet Incense unto God by whose merit and intercession they find acceptance 2. No strange Incense was to be offered thereon so no strange worship must be offered to God in the Name of Christ of mans deviseing only such services are to be presented to him as the Lord himself hath appointed in his word In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrine the traditions of men The Lord alloweth not any strange Incense to be offered up to him Eighthly There was the Ark overlaid with pure Gold into which was put the Testimony by which I understand the Tables of stone wherein the Law was written by the finger of God This Ark was a special token of God his presence with his people and upon the Ark was placed a mercy-seat of pure Gold and the mercy seat was put above upon the Ark. As the mercy seat was set above upon the Ark wherein the Law was so the Lord in dealing with repenting and believing sinners in Christ exalteth and magnifieth his mercy and covereth their sins whereby they have transgressed his holy Law He sitteth upon a mercy-seat to receive poor sinners that fly from the curse of the Law for refuge to the riches of his grace in Christ. Let all poor souls without strive and hasten to escape from the severity of Gods dreadful justice to his mercy-seat through Christ whose blood hath opened a way unto it They that are sincerely willing to renounce their dearest sins and to yeild subjection unto Christ may have free access to the mercy-seat and receive an answer of peace in Christ. This Ark wherein the Tables of the Law were written and the mercy-seat was of the same measure for breadth and length so they that will have their hearts assured of the saving mercy of God in Christ must have the Law of God written by the finger of God in their hearts they must be regenerate and renewed by the spirit of Christ and conformed to his holy Law Poor souls pursued with the guilt of their Consciences and curse of the Law must flee to the mercy-seat of God in Christ though as yet they do not find any such work in themselves but they cannot have their hearts established in the assurance of this priviledge that their sins are forgiven until they find this gracious work wrought in them and therefore the Lord in dâ—câ—aring his Covenant joyneth these two together This is the Covenant c. I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more The Lord promiseth to the same prâ—sons to pardon their sins and to write his Laws in their hearts As for those that go on securely in sin and yet rely upon the mercy of God in Christ for pardon of sin they deceive themselves The Ark wherein the Law was put and the mercy-seat were just of the same size and repentance which is a change of heart and life is always joyned with forgiveness of sins There were two Cherubims of beaten Gold at the two ends of the mercy-seat with their faces one
actual either of commission or omission in thought word or deed and Peter saith He was a Lamb without blemish and without spot who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth and that he suffered for sins the just for the unjust these and the like passages compared with that place prove that he performed perfect obedience to the Law for being as was said made under the Law it was absolutely necessary that he should fulfill it that he might approve himself to be the just one knowing no sin a Lamb without blemish and without spot c. because every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is against the Law is sin whatsoever is contrary to the Râ—le of the Law whatsoever is defective and falleth short of the perfect purity of the Law is sin and therefore in as much as the Lord was made under the Law and yet was found to be without all spot of sin when he offered up himself in sacrifice and poured forth his blood for the sins of the world It is most clear that he performed full and perfect obedience to the Law and this was necessary 1. That he might be a perfect High Priest The Priest in the old Testament being a Type of Christ was to be without outward blemish in his person or body No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the offering of the Lord made by fire and in the next Chapter there is a severe threatning against any of Aarons posterity if having any legal uncleanness upon them they should presume to meddle with the holy things of the Tabernacle suppose they were polluted with Leprosie or a running Issue or by touching an other that was unclean c. This figured the perfect purity and holiness of Christ the true and eternal High-Priest who was to offer up himself in sacrifice to God for such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled seperate from sinners made higher than the Heavens who needeth not dayly as those High Priests to offer up Sacrifice first for his own sin and then for the sins of the people for this he did once when he offered up himself He is an High-Priest holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and whereas the High-Priests of the old Testament were subject to sin and therefore needed to offer sacrifice for their own sins as well as for the peoples He being free from sin offered not needed not to offer for any sins of his own They offered dayly often renewing their offerings because they were imperfect and had respect to the perfect offering of Christ but he offered himself once for all for the sins of his people His sacrifice being most perfect and compleat never to be renewed 2. It was necessary that the Lord Christ should perform full and perfect obedience to the Law that he might be a pure offering a spotless sacrifice to take away the sins of his people How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God That the vertue and efficacy of Christ's blood might reach to the inward man and purge the soul and Conscience from sin it was necessary that he should offer up himself a sacrifice without spot as one whom the Law could not charge with the least aberration or swerving from the perfect purity of it The second particular noted was that the Lord Christ by fulfilling the Law did establish it Here we may consider First That God gave man his Law in the Creation writing a perfect Law of Righteousness and true holiness in the mind and heart of the first man and woman God created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him male and female created he them Now what was this framing of man in the image of God but the fashioning of his heart and soul according to the wisdom purity holiness and righteousness of God which was the writing and imprinting his Law upon the sould of man as he gave to other creatures natural properties and natural instincts according to their several kinds each of which was a Law unto them scil the Law of their Creation So he imprinted the likeness of his own wisdom Righteousness and holiness upon the first man and woman as the Law of their Creation Now this likeness of God his holiness and Righteousness imprinted upon the souls of our first parents was the same for substance with that moral Law written in the Scriptures for as the moral Law written in the Scriptures is a declaration of the wisdom Righteousness and holiness of God and a rule of Righteousness and holiness to men So was that Image and likeness of God imprinted upon the souls of the first man and woman It was the moral Law written in their hearts and minds Secondly Consider that the great mischeivous design of the Devil 1. Was to destroy this Law of God written in the heart of man to deface the likeness of God his wisdom holiness and Righteousness in their souls to make void and abolish the Law of mans Creation for ever that none of mankind should ever have either knowledge or ability or will to do any thing pleasing unto God and therefore the Apostle declaring the woful ruines of mankind brought upon them by sin and Satan and shewing what all are by nature saith There is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God none Righteous none able to please God none that understandeth none that know how to do it none that seek after God none that have a will truly bent and resolved upon it 2. To subject and enslave the souls of men and women to a contrary Law to the Law of sin and death called a Law of sin in regard of the nature of it and a Law of death and destruction in respect of the end toward which it leadeth His design was to fill the souls of men with darkness errour false conceits about things that concern salvation with rebellion against God and his Law with lusts and corruptions inclining him to all manner of sins against the Law and therefore it is said they are all gone out of the way they have a Law of sin in their hearts and souls that hath turned them quite out of the way to which the Law of God directed them and set them in a course derectly contrary to it 3. I conceive the Devil herein aimed at two things 1. The dishonour of God 2. The destruction of mankind excercising his malice both against God and man 1. The Devils being cast down by the justice of God from their glorious estate and habitation for their Apostacy from God and reserved under chains in darkness acted an high degree of rebellion against God opposing him in his Soveraignty in hâ—s legislative
divisions occasioned by Preaching old forgotten truths but the fault in those that will not endure such doctrines Satans malice and some mens weakness So the inundation of Popish Superstitions broke in How much we should resent these things their danger Toleration of them discussed in the Objections for Errours answered Chap. III. Objections against truth many times are double falshoods this riseth from Ignorance Credulity malice and want of Arguments to confirm errours No strange or new thing that men erre and are slanderous Protestant Ministers are no promoters of Antichrist but his great Adversaries lessening them greatens Antichrists interest Seducing Sectaries expedite Antichrists affairs Satan hath still hindered reformation by such ways Chap. IV. A Threefold Law first given to the Gentiles with the Iews the other given only to the Iew. Law of nature and its use The Ceremonial cannot justifie nor the Moral yet neither made void by Faith Faith confirms the Ceremonial Law what this is 't is of God how long to last abus'd or not understood by many of the Iews who precisely observed Ceremonial cleanness palpably neglecting moral purity In what sense doctrine of Faith doth not abolish the Ceremonial Law The dispute between Iews and Samaritans and whence it arose when and how long continued Divine worship in spirit and truth not limited to any place Law Ceremonial a School-master to bring us to Christ full of deep mysteries and spiritual realities cleared by the Gospel These unfolded in explication of Circumcision seal of that promise I will be their God which contains all grace and comfort is made good to us in Christ the Covenant sealed by Circumcision the same that is sealed by Baptisme Passeover what its occasion the circumstances of it its meaning in each particular applied to Christ. Actual faith in Christ delivers from Curse of the Law should excite to thanfulness holiness exercise faith preparedness for our duties godly sorrow Feast of first Fruits when enjoyned excite to endeavour a rising to newness of life Chap. V. Few Creatures appointed for Sacrifices three sorts of Beasts two of Fowls all meek resembling Christ as we should Korban whence derived how apply'd to Christ through whom we are made nigh to God Burnt offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s import to us the rites in offering it blindness of the Iews and to be pittied deep slaine of sin it is deadly to the sinner or his surety Christs Bloud precious shed that we should not live in sin The continual burnt-offering Christians should offer morning and evening as most likely the Iews did pray and praise God in their Houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its signification Imputation of sin to Christ speaks Gods love of Compassion to sinners sin base and shameful The blood of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sprinkled before the Lord on the Golden Altar the meaning hereof It s inward fat burned what meant some other rites in the offering it and their import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it was noted Christ and how a sufficient sacrifice therefore fit to be trusted in How the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth the Christians sacrifice and apply'd Oyle used in the meat offering its purport with other rites of it explained Salt with all Sacrifices and its meaning The Covenant of Salt The drink offering wherein it consisted The Peace offering what and on what occasion meaneth whole Christian duty in general to be offered to God through Christ. Peace-offering might be male or female part of it to be burnt part for the Priest part for the offerer hence our Communion with God inferr'd How Sacrificers are partakers of the Altar Priests under the Law were sacred persons especially the High-Priest type of Christ whose is an eternal Priesthood The Garments of the High-Priest and their meaning viz. the holiness beauty and glory of Christ in general A more particular view of each part of the Garments their import and our instruction Ordinary Priests were in a sort types of Christians who are to be spiritual Priests and Sacrifices Ministers of the Gospel no where called Priests in the New Testament Tabernacle and Temple agreed in some differed in other particulars how each signified Christ to dwell with us in much humility and love we ought therefore to unite our selves to him estrange our selves from sin scandalous sins should not be cause of gladness in any who observe them in others Temple and Tabernacle signify'd each be liever Sin defiles the whole man the heart first the outward man next sin begins in the heart Altar made of Shittim wood the meaning covered with brass its purport the Godheadpreserving the humane nature under its sufferings Where the Altar was placed its meaning The Altar of incense its meaning The Ark what in it and their Import The mercy seat the Cherubims looking down towards the Ark. The fire used in Sacrifices its meaning Christs love to us undergoing such sufferings for us requireth love from us to him This fire came from Heaven never was to go out such should Christian zeal be Chap. VI. Sacred observances as restraint from unclean beasts so not in their own nature the meaning equalleth all mankind in their Original Gods Soveraignty in chusing Israel incomprehensible His infinite goodness calling the Gentiles who should be thankful and take heed of unbelief and all sin Our liberty to use all wholesome food Blood whether now forbidden Probably a Natural though secret reason why so many Creatures were forbidden to Israel Prohibition of eating blood Acts 15. explained Festivals Religious among the Iews noted our Christian joy What feasts these were At the time of the feast of Harvest Christ sent down the Spirit on his Apostles who were to gather in the Harvest of the Gentiles Feast of ingathering about our September the meaning of it well applyed in three or four particulars The feast of Trumpets the type of Preaching the Gospel and calling to faith and repentance who are deaf to this shall be astonied at the last Trumpets sound The various washings in use among the Iews well unfolded shew Christ the accomplishment of them and our Christian duty of dayly purging our selves in the fountain of his blood Chap. VII St. Pauls design to deliver to us the doctrine of justification by grace This clear'd by reducing all men under an examen The Gentile examined and cast by Law of nature transgressed The Iew examined and cast by the written Law moral transgressed There is a Law of nature this not nulled by Faith What this Law is in the particular description of it T is engraven on the heart given by Christ yet different from that he gives Believers who follow him It was a perfect rule before the fall it is yet of great use though much impaired The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he was to be served and worshipped that he created all being himself eternal and omnipotent wise and good This Law declared what is good and what evil in some
so far from this that when Christ according to the antient Prophesies and types had offered up himself in Sacrifice for the sins of the world they made his death an occasion of stumbling and took that to be an argument that he was not the Christ which was one of the main evidences that he was the Christ. In their legal washings how did they rest in the purifying of the flesh without any care to wash their hearts from wickedness Did not they rest in the High-priest of the order of Aaron without minding an eternal High-priest after the order of Melchisedeck A multitude of such instances might be given Thirdly They seemed to have minded the outward observation of these ceremonial ordinances more than the keeping of the moral Law So the Lord complaineth by the Prophet Isaiah that they rebelled against him knew him not forsook him provoked him to anger revolted from him had hands full of blood and yet it seemeth they were very forward in the ceremonial observances bringing a multitude of Sacrifices burnt offerings of Rams fat of fed beasts Bullocks Lambs He-Goats Though these were more costly yet they were more forward in these services than in moral duties cleansing their hearts and hands from sin c. Is there not a notable evidence of this in the actings of those Iews who killed the Lord of life They seemed to be so scrupulous in point of Ceremony that they would not enter into the Court or Judgement-Hall least they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passeover and therefore Pilate the Judge was fain to come out of the Court and wait upon them to hear what they could say against him and it seemeth being wearied with going in and out at last he removed and sate upon a Judgement-Seat without doors in the mean time these wicked murtherers were so violently bent to shed innocent blood that they defiled themselves with the guilt of a most heinous sin straining at a Gnat and swallowing of a Camel Fourthly It seemeth they relied upon these Ceremonies or the observation of them as a part of that righteousness whereby they hoped to be justified in the sight of God The Lord having planted a Church at Antioch Certain men which came down from Iudea taught the Brethren Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Saith the Apostle I testifie again to every man that is Circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole Law Christ is become of none effect to you Whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Doth not this intimate that they relied on the Ceremony of Circumcision in part for justification and under Circumcision I understand other Ceremonies of the Law Fifthly I conceive it is very clear that they thought these legal Ceremonies were to be obserfor ever unto the end of the world So in the place mentioned before they said Except ye be Circumcised c. And so it seemeth they counted it blasphemy to say that the Lord Jesus should change the customes delivered by Moses Thirdly The Question is How the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning free justification through the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith doth establish this Law of Ceremonies To this I Answer 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively 1. Negatively This doctrine of the Gospel doth not establish the Law of Ceremonies by confirming and continuing the observation of it but on the contrary take it away So Stephen bâ—ing accused for saying that Jesus Christ should change the customes delivered by Moses told the Iews that Moses said unto the children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall ye hear The Lord Christ was the great Propher by whose spirit Moses and the rest of the Prophets were inspired And as he had directed Moses to deliver these Ceremonial ordinances to Israel to be observed untill his manifestation in the flesh and departure out of the world again so now he was to be heard as one of unquestionable authority declaring unto the Church his will and pleasure concerning the ceasing of these observances That passage between the Lord Christ and the woman of Samaria is notable to this purpose He by telling her of her sinful course had convinced her thus far that she made this acknowledgement Sir I perceive thou art a Prophet and therefore it seemeth thought that he might be able to resolve a Question of great moment wherein she desired satisfaction and that was this Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say that in Hierusalem is the place wherein men out to worship the Father I conceive the occasion of this controversie between the Iews and Samaritans was this The Samaritans were the posterity of those Heathens whom Salmanasser King of Assyria had placed there instead of the Israelites whom he carried away Captive and embraced a corrupt Religion mixed of Heathenisme and Judaisme Toward the end of the Persian Monarchy Manasses the Brother of Iaddus the High-Priest married the Daughter of Sanballat a prime man of Samaria whereupon he was required of his Brother to lay down his office his Marriage being condemned by the Law Manasses acquainted Sanballat with his loss and let him know that though he loved his Daughter yet he would not for her sake lose so great a dignity as that of the Priesthood Sanballat answered him that if he would keep his Daughter for his wife he would make him an High-priest and with the license and consent of Darius King of Persia build a Temple upon Mount Gerizim for that purpose But Darius being overthrown in battel soon after by Alexander of Macedon he made this suit to him bringing him eight thousand Souldiers to serve him in the Wars and readily obtained his desire So that this became a receptacle to divers fugitive or apostate Iews who were guilty of breaking the Law by proâ—aning the Sabbath eating meats forbidden or the like crimes This Temple having stood about 200 years was ruined by Hircanus about a hundred years before Christ his coming in the flesh or more Now as they that embrace errours and corrupt inventions of men in things pertaining to Religion and religious worship are obstinate in cleaving to their fancies so the Samaritans would make comparisons between their Temple which was founded without warrant from God yea against his word and the Temple of Hierusalem which the Lord owned for the peculiar place of his worship Yea and after their Temple was laid desolate they seemed to please themselves with the imagination of the holiness of the ground on which it once stood and therefore saith the woman our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain c. as if Mount Gerizim were still an holy Mount though the Temple was down and so there was great enmity between the Iews and Samaritans But observe the Answer which the
Lord Christ gave her Jesus saith unto her Woman beleeve me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Hierusalem worship the Father Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Iews But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to wrship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in Truth The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things Iesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he I conceive in this Answer the Lord Christ sheweth 1. That both the Iews and Samaritans were in an errour for it seemeth both of them thought that the Lord had confined his most solemn worship to one certain place throughout all ages as one party said at Mount Gerizim the other at Hierusalem and that the Ceremonies and Sacrifices there used should be alwaies continued Bus the Lord Christ told the woman that God had not limited himself to either of these places and that the time was now at hand when it should be as free to worship God in any other place as in either of these 2. He passeth sentence for the Iews against the Samaritans in this Controversie So far as concerned the present state of things saith he ye scil ye Samaritans worship ye know not what We scil we Iews know what we worship for salvation is of the Iews Ye Samaritans do ye know not what in your worshipping ye know not God aright ye have no warrant from his word either for your Temple once standing on this Mount or for limiting the worship of God to this place or for the way of worship Ye blindly follow the groundless Traditions of your Fathers But we know what we worship we follow the directions of God himself delivered by Moses and the Prophets both for the place and manner of Gods worship for salvation is of the Iews They are the Church of God to whom God hath committed his oracles teaching the way of Salvation and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ the Saviour of the world was to come 3. He confirmeth and amplifieth the first part of his Answer shewing that the Lord in a short time would set up a more spiritual way of worship in his Church more sutable to his spiritual Nature to which these carnal ordinances and Ceremonial ordinances should give place Secondly I Answer affirmatively that the doctrine of the Gospel and in particular this Gospel-doctrine of free justification through the righteousness of Christ doth establish the Ceremonial Law For 1. Then is a thing established when it attaineth its proper end Now by the Gospel the Law of Ceremonies attained its proper end For 1. The end of it was to be a School-master to bring men to Christ. Circumcision sealed the righteousness of faith which Circumcision it self could not give but was to be found in Christ it taught men to look after the Circumcision of the heart which was to be had in Christ alone by union with him by faith and partaking of his spirit The Passeover pointed out unto them Christ the Lamb of God without spot which taketh away the sins of the world The Sacrifices directed them to Christ the perfect Sacrifice The blood of the Sacrifices led them to the sprinkling of the blood of Christ which alone was sufficient to take away sin Now these and other Ceremonies attained their end in Christ and in the justification of sinners through the blood death satisfaction righteousness of Christ apprehended and applied by faith according to the doctrine of the Gospel and so this Law of Ceremonies was established and the validity of it declared But on the other side they that pretend so much zeal for Circumcision and other Ceremonies of the Law making it a part of the matter of their justification and resting in the bare outward observance as pleasing to the Lord in it self did cross the main end of the Ceremonial Law and propose such false ends as were impossible to be attained Secondly The doctrine of the Gospel making Christ the end of the Law for righteousness in whom wisdom righteousness sanctification redemption and salvation alone is to be had sheweth that the Ceremonial Ordinances were no empty shadowes and vain appearances like those of the Heathen but significant signs and Types full of deep Mysteries of exceeding great weight and importance pointing at the person of the Lord Jesus his office his actings his sufferings and the fruits and benefits of these whereas they that so stiffely opposed the strict observation of the Ceremonies of the Law against the doctrine of Christ delivered in the Gospel what did they make of them but begerly elements empty appearances without fruit use or profit So that the Preachers of the Gospel did honour the Ceremonial Law though they took away the observation of them by declaring the substance whereof they were shadowes and the observers of the Ceremonies in the times of the Gospel did greatly disparage them Thirdly The doctrine of the Gospel doth still establish the Ceremonial Law as an illustration of the mystery of Christ in the Gospel and sheweth that great use may still be made of them that way for the Ceremonies were as it were visible Prophesies of Christ and the things of Christ. And as Prophesies are dark before they are fulfilled but clear after they are accomplished and do much illustrate the events so these Ceremonies were obscure resemblances of Christ but now since what they signified is fulfilled the comparing the Types with the Antitypes giveth much light The Use which I intend to make of this point is to compare some of the principal Ceremonies of the old Testament with the Mysteries of the Gospel that so we may more clearly see how they are established by Christ and that we may improve them for our edification And first to begin with the Sacraments of the Ceremonial Law and there in 1. Circumcision The institution of this Sacrament is laid down Genesis the sevententh saith the Lord to Abraham This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man child among you shall be Circumcised and ye shall Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you And elsewhere Moses saith to the people of Israel Circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be no more stiffe-necked This sheweth that the Circumcision of the flesh directed them to the inward Circumcision of the heart the mortification of sinful lusts inordinate affections and all sorts of corruptions To which agreeth that of the Apostle Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not
The reason that was given for it is this in effect that the Lord that night would pass through the Land oâ— Egypt and smite all the first born both of man and beast among the Egyptians but would spare those houses of the Israeliteâ— when he saw the blood of the Lamb on the door-posts This in it self was a great deliverance but there was a far greater mystery and deliverance intended which was accomplished in Christ. First then The Lamb was a figure of Christ whom Iohn Baptist according to his office pointed out to the people saying Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world and another day Behold the Lamb of God And the Apostle saith Christ our Passeover is Sacrificed for us And the Apostle Peter saith Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot As the Lamb appointed for the Passeover was to be without blemish so Christ the Lamb of God was without all blemish or spot of sin actual or original being conceived by the divine power of the holy Ghost in the wombe of a pure Virgin Again as the Lamb of the Passeover was taken from the rest of the flock so Christ in regard of his humane Nature was taken from the rest of mankind and made one person with the Son of God that he might be all-sufficient for this great end scil to take away the sins of the world The Lamb for the Passeover was set apart certain days before it was slain Christ was set apart in the eternal counsel of God fore-ordained before the foundation of the world And as the blood of the Lamb was to be put upon the door posts of the Israelites houses that so the destroyer might pass over them and not destroy any of them whereas the first-born were slain in those houses that were not marked with the blood of the Paschal Lamb So the most precious blood of Christ is to be sprinkled by faith upon the souls of Believers his blood death satisfaction righteousness is to be applied to their souls by faith unfeigned that so the destroying curse of the Law and wrath of God may not abide upon them but pass over them while others who have no interest in this Lamb of God and his most precious blood lye open to the curse of the Law and the wrath to come So that we see also how this Ceremony and Sacrament of the Passeover attained its end in Christ and is accomplished in him and in that sense established And in particular this is declared in the doctrine of justification through the satisfaction and righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith For as the houses marked with the blood of the Paschal Lamb escaped the destroyer so those souls who by faith unfeigned apply the blood and righteousness of Christ to themselves are delivered from condemnation and accepted of God as righteous Let us labour to improvâ— this First As the Israelites were never delivered out of Egyptian bondage until they kept the Passeover so let us assure our selves that As it had been impossible for any men and women to get out of the slavery of sin and Satan unless the Lamb of God had been slain for thâ—â— Redemption so none are actually redeemed and delivered from this woful bondage untill they keep the Passeover in a spiritual manner until they imbrace Christ the Lamb of God and feed upon him by the lively actings and exercisings of faith unfeined Many may be convinced of their misery and sigh for hard bondage as the Israelites did in Egypt but they cannot be made free unless they keep this Passeover If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed If ye be found in Christ and feed upon this Lamb of God ye shall be free indeed not otherwise Secondly Admire with all Thankfulness the infinite goodness of God who before the foundation of the world provided such a precious remedy for poor sinners even a Lamb without blemish and without spot â—eparated from the rest of the flock one of the seed of the woman set apart from among all the rest of the children of men and personally united to the eternal Son of God that so he might be a full and perfect propitiation for sin Thirdly As Christ is a Lamb without spot so let all that will be saved by him labour to be more conformed to him in holiness purging themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit for every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure What is that but an unsound self-deceiving hope which doth not stir up the soul to conform it self to Christ in purity and holiness Fourthly Labour with all diligence for faith unfeigned whereby ye may sprinkle the most precious blood of Christ upon your Souls applying his death suffering satisfaction righteousness to your selves that ye may escape the destroying curse of the Law and wrath of God that being justified by faith in the blood and righteousness of Christ there may be no condemnation unto you What had it profited the Israelites that the Lamb for the Passeover was slain if they had not followed the Lord his direction in putting the blood upon the door posts of their houses What shall it profit any that live under the Gospel that Christ the Lamb of God is slain and in the preaching of the word set forth as it were crucified before their eyes if they do not sprinkle their souls in particular with his blood rightly applying his satisfaction and righteousness to themselves Will not the Lord look upon them rather as Egyptians then Israelites and deal with them accordingly Fifthly As they did eat the Lamb at the feast of the Passeover So let Christians endeavour every day to keep this feast unto the Lord by feeding upon this living bread upon the body and blood of Christ in lively actings of faith upon him and more especially in the use of his ordinances his word and the holy Supper As they kept the Passeover with unleavened bread so let us keep the feast not with old leven neither with the leven of malice and of wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth The Lord Christ warned his Disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharises and of the Sadduces and though at the first they mistook his meaning yet afterward they understood it of the doctrine of the Pharises and Sadduces so he said unto his Disciples Beware of the Leaven of the Pharises which is Hypocrisie So that all manner of evil outward and inward in heart in opinion in conversation may be comprehended under this Leaven and they that will rightly feast with Christ and feed upon him must
the way of the Lord make his paths strait Yea the Lord Christ himself in his own person sounded this Silver Trumpet From that time Iesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand He who gave himself for a sacrifice and poured forth his blood to make atonement and reconciliation between God and sinners did preach repentance to them to prepare them for atonement and reconciliation It is very lamentable to consider how many live under the sound of the Silver Trumpet many years and yet are not prepared for atonement and reconciliation to God through Christ nor brought to the beginnings of sound and saving repentance but either are secure careless dead-hearted minding earthly things or resting in outward performances or openly profane and wicked Oh how dreadful will the sound of that Trumpet be at the last day for the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trumpet of God I say how dreadful shall the sound of that Trumpet be to such who go on hardning their hearts in security and impenitency against the sound of the Silver Trumpet of the Gospel 2. The day of atonement and humiliation was about four or five days before the feast of Tabernacles wherein they were to rejoyce before the Lord so sincere humiliation and repentance make way for sound spiritual joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted godly sorrow maketh way for heavenly rejoycing But when a man goeth on to glut himself with the pleasures of sins or earthly contents not afflicting his soul for sin he hath no part in this spiritual feast to such belongs that sad threatning Wo unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep Fifthly Consider their manifold washings with water in divers Cases to purifie themselves from legal uncleannesses Ceremonial pollutions as when any was cleansed from the Leprosie he was to be sprinkled with water mingled with blood seven times and afterwards to wash both his cloaths and his body in water so they that had running issues when they were cleansed from them were commanded to wash their cloaths and their bodies in water and so in divers other Cases Now the Apostle Iohn proves that the Lord Jesus is The Christ thus This is he that came by water and blood even Iesus Christ nâ—â— by water only but by water and blood and iâ— is the spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is Truth whereas there was great use of water and blood in the Law of Ceremonies the blood of the 〈◊〉 and the water many wayes used for cleansing and purifying it sheweth that all these things were accomplished in Christ and attained their end in him he performed and fulfilled what was signified and typified both by water and blood His blood was shed as the blood of the most perfect sacrifice to take away the guilt of sin and to justifie sinners and save them from condemnation and the sanctifying spirit and grace of Christ cleansing his people from the filth of sin washing their hearts from wickedness and making them holy as he is holy and therefore he addeth ver 8 there are three that bear witness in earth the spirit the water and the blood And ver 10 He that believeth hath the witness in himself He that savingly believeth in Christ being united to him by faith hath this threefold witness in himself the spirit of Christ witnessing with his spirit that he is in Christ reconciled to God by Christ an adopted child and Heir of God through Christ the only begotten Son of God and Heir of all things the blood of Christ cleansing his Conscience from the guilt of sin the grace of Christ resembled by water sanctifying him and conforming him to Christ in holiness so that such an one hath an evidence in his own soul both that Jesus is the very Christ and that he is his Christ for he findeth that Christ hath fulfilled that in and upon his soul which was figured by the blood and water under the Law of Ceremonies This is a blessed and most precious priviledge which all that are under the Gospel should labour with all diligence to make their own Oh what an happiness is it for Christians to have this threefold witness in themselves In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established Here are three witnesses beyond exception A Christian having this threesold witness in himself in the poorest outward estate is richer and happier then all the treasures of the earth and all the Kingdoms of the world can make him but how few are they that have any other witness of their interest in Christ but their own fancy how few do seriously and diligently seek for any other In that great and last day how will ye stand in the presence of God when numberless sins are charged upon you Will ye say Christ hath satisfied for your sins what shall this profit you unless ye be united unto Christ Will ye plead that ye believe in Christ and so are made one with him where is your witness Oh take heed of appearing before the all-seeing God without a witness And therefore I beseech you consider seriously of your condition and rest not till ye are in Christ and until he come into your souls both by water and blood and give you the witness of his spirit 2. Those frequent washings under the Law of Ceremonies may stir up Christians to frequent endeavours dayly to purifie themselves as Christ is pure to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God to draw cleansing and sanctifying virtue from Christ more and more by faith They were to wash their bodies and cloaths to be sprinkled with water seven times There is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness a fountain of most precious blood and water of most Soveraign virtue the sufferings of Christ and the grace of God are to wash away the guilt of sin and the uncleanness and pollution of sin Do not forsake your own mercies and neglect so great salvation It is sad that when such a precious fountain is opened so few are washed and cleansed Thus much concerning the Ceremonial Law to shew how and in what respects it is established by the doctrine of the Gospel CHAP. VII THere are two other Laws mentioned by the Apostle in the former part of this Epistle by neither of which men can be justified in the sight of God One is the Law of Nature the other is the Moral Law written and delivered in the Scriptures It was needful for the Apostle to speak distinctly of both these For 1. His great design was to make known the only way whereby men might be justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God the righteous judge of all the world that so they might be everlastingly blessed and
saved Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved How then shall they call on him on whom they have not believed It must be a prayer of faith and where sound faith is there are other saving graces And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher so that the light of Nature was not sufficient unto salvation 2. In special I conceive the Law and light of Nature was defective and imperfect 1. In it self I suppose it did not make known unto men the great Mystery of Trinity in unity three persons in one God nor the state of perfection wherein man was created nor his woful fall and revolt from God Their own experience taught them that the Nature of man was inclined to evil the powers of the soul disordered the senses misleading the affections the affections leading reason captive but they had no light to discover to them the first cause of all this mischief they were as far to seek concerning the Remedy That great depth of the Incarnation of the Son of God of God manifest in the flesh for mans Redemption was hidden from them their own Consciences accused them and condemned them as guilty but they had no light to shew them how divine justice might be satisfied they knew not of the blood righteousness sacrifice satisfaction of Jesus Christ God and man that is sufficient to take away sin and to make peace between God and sinners The light of Nature could not enable them to see into the mystical union between Christ and believers by his spirit and their faith The doctrines of free justification by the righteousness of Christ imputed of Regeneration Adoption Sanctification Communion with God Resnrrection unto glory are not revealed by the light of Nature This light did nor shew them how to walk before God unto all pleasing it did not teach them the right way of mortifying their lusts of walking in the spirit it did not discover to them the special institutions of God and ordinances of his worship Secondly It was defective and imperfect by reason of the subject the soul of man in which it was This light and Law of Nature being given to men in their corrupt natural estate is much darkned by the Natural blindness errours vanities lusts that are in the minds and hearts of men as if a man write upon fowl and blurred Paper how much is lost of that which is written and how hardly is it read sometimes a sentence broken off in the midst here and there half words one letter mistaken for another so the light and Law of Nature being put into the defiled hearts and souls of men hath many defects in it Thirdly It may be considered of what use this light and Law of Nature was sith it was defective and not sufficient to lead men to salvation It might be useful 1. For the glory of God who by this means had a witness in the hearts and Consciences of men of natural men yea of Heathens that he loved righteousness and hated wickedness their own Consciences pleading for God against them 2. It was of use for the preservation of humane societies in families â—nd Common-wealths keeping men within some limits of common honesty and preventing those outrages which the violence of mens lusts and the power of Satan might hurry them into 3. I conceive it might be useful as a remote preparative for the receiving of the Gospel in some to whom the word of salvation was tendred for though the pride and prejudice of mens natural spirits might cause them to resist the holy Ghost speaking in the Gospel preached yet the light of nature well improved finding nothing in the doctrine of the Gospel contrary to it but far above it might incline the minds of many to attend to a far higher and more glorious light shining in the doctrine of salvation I speak of this but as a remote preparative whereby ingenuous spirits might be moved to give heed to the Gospel but it must be a far higher cause even the mighty power of Christ his spirit that can bring them to receive the Gospel in an effectual and saving way Fourthly How doth this light and Law of Nature leave men without excuse I conceive First Because they did in many things shut their eyes against the light not seeking to increase that light received by improving their reason and understandings as one Candle lighteth another so one degree of light improved begetteth another and so there is lumen de lumine light as it were springing from light whereas light smothered endeth in darkness 2. Because they did not act according to that light received nor walk according to those natural abilities which they had The Heathens lived in gross Idolatry against the light of Nature whereby they might have learned that dead Images were utterly unfit to represent the living God Carnal Christians sin against the light of Nature as in many other things so I conceive in not submitting to that higher light of spiritual Mysteries so as to receive the love of the Truth that they may be saved The use of this may be 1. To inform us that Acts againt the Law of Nature are sings against God not only as they are against his written Law but also as they are against the Law of Nature because as the point sheweth God hath given unto men this light and Law of Nature the impression of this Law of Nature upon the hearts and souls of men is one of the acts of his legislative power I conceive when the Prophet saith The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us he speaketh of God in reference to his Church to whom he hath a more peculiar Relation of this kind He gave them his Law written in the Scripture and he raigneth over them as a King in a special maner Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own Inheritance the Church is the Lords Inheritance A King may have an hereditary Kingdom which he maketh greatest account of and he may have other tributary Kingdoms subject to him to which he giveth Law also So David was King of Israel in a peculiar manner but he had also the Kingdoms of Edom Moaâ— Ammon Syria c. under him The Lord looketh upon the Church as his peculiar Kingdom and to them he hath given a perfect Law in writing in the holy Scirptures but besides that he hath a universal soveraignty and Dominion the Authority of a Law-giver over all the Nations of the world Iews Turks Indians c. The Lord most high is terrible he is a great King over all the Earth And again God is King of all the Earth And so he is a Law-giver to all the Nations of the Earth If he giveth
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all If the whole Congregation sinned they were to bring a young Bullock to be offered for their sin and before it was killed the Elders of the Congregation representing all the people under the Government were to lay their hands on the head of the Bullock before the Lord It seemeth bâ— this Ceremony they did as it were put off the sins of all the people from the guilty sinners upon the Sacrifice So the Lord Christ before he suffered for the sins of his people first took upon himself the guilt of all their sins for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him the guilt of mens sins was imputed unto him and put upon his account as his righteousness is imputed to Believers and accounted theirs 4. He subjected himself to the Curse of the Law due to men for their sins against the Law for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them then it followeth ver 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every on that hangeth on a tree Thus he exposed himself to the flames of divine wrath which would have been a consuming fire to a meer Creature but as the wood of the Altar for burnt offering was overlaid with Brass that it might not be devoured by the fire so his humane nature being united to the God-head was so fortified to endure the burning heat of the wrath and Curse of God that it was not consumed by it but although the God-head was inseparably united to the manhood and did not leave it for a moment yet it did so withhold its divine influence from the Manhood for a time that it suffered extream and unconceivable torments in body but especially in soul as appeareth in the holy story for though God the Father loved him infinitely as his Son and as one that was perfectly holy and righteous in his own person yet he executed his justice upon him to the full as he presented himself before him burdened with the guilt of mans sins against the Law It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Saith the Apostle He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us He spared not his own Son He found him engaged to satisfie the Law for the sins of men and therefore he executed the severity of the Law upon him and spared him not but delivered him up for us all saith the Text. He did as it were deliver him up with his own hand for sinners delivering him up by the hand of his love towards sinners to the hand of his justice to be punished for their sins so that I conceive it may be said that Christ had judgement without mercy that through him mercy might glory over judgment toward repenting and believing sinners Fifthly He actually suffered death He did shed his most precious blood He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. He poured out his soul unto death Iesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yeilded up the Ghost When they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his leggs but one of the Souldiers with his Spear pierced his side and forthwith came thereout blood and water Lastly That it might be manifest that the Prince of life was really dead for the satisfaction of the Law He suffered his body to be caried to Prison to be shut up in the grave and held under the power of death untill the third day Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden and in the Garden a new Sepulchre wherein was never man yet laid there laid they Iesus Thus ye see the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied the Law to the full endured the rigour and bare the penalty of it Secondly by satisfying the Law and endruing the severity of it he established the Law I suppose it is not necessary to speak much of this particular because the opening of the former giveth light unto it breifly thus 1. The Law required perfect obedience as ye heard the full performance of every branch and tittle of it 2. In case of disobedience transgression defect and failing in obedience the Law denounced a grievous penalty a Curse death and destruction as was noted also yea the Law given to mankind in Adam had the sentence of death annexed In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die 3. Hence it followeth that if neither the Law be fulfilled in a way of obedience nor satisfied by the inflicting of the punishment then it is made void and declared to be of no force to have lost its authority its vigour and to be frustrated of its end 4. Thereupon we may infer by the rule of contraries that the Lord Jesus Christ having in the nature of man born the full penalty severity and Curse of the Law due to the sins of men against the Law and by his God-head to which his humane nature wherein he suffered is personally united gave sufficient value and worth to his sufferings to make full satisfaction to the Law to the uttermost that the Law in its greatest rigour could require hence it clearly followeth that Christ established the Law This was a reall and full acknowledgement of the Authority of the Law the wonderful abasement the grievous sufferings of the Son of God were signal evidences infallible demonstrations of the force and authority of the Law the Lord of glory appearing in the form of a Servant to make way for satisfying the Law he that is the brightness of the Fathers glory enduring the shame of the Cross did abundantly witness to the world the Authority of the Law The Lord Jesus Christ spared not his most precious blood but freely poured it forth to satisfie the Law for the sins of his people and thereby ratified and sealed the Authority of the Law How should this be improved to stir up poor souls without delay to turn to the Lord and flee to Christ For in as much as the Lord Jesus did both perform perfect obedience to the Law and bear the full penalty and curse of the Law and by both these establish the Law it sheweth clearly that the Law standeth in full force against all that are out of Christ they being guilty of sin against the Law are subject to the Curse of the Law for being not found in Christ they have no part in his perfect righteousness and full satisfaction and therefore are every moment in danger of the sentence of condemnation denounced by the the Law It is true that Christ hath fully satisfied the Law But what doth this help them that remain in their natural estate
as he is Mediator between God and man presented his righteousness unto God to be imputed to his people for their justification as he is God he imputeth his righteousness merit and satisfaction to them and justifieth them 2. Consider of what nature this act of imputation is whether it be an act of Justice or of Grace I conceive this Act of God imputing the Righteousness of Christ to his people is an act of grace or free favour undeserved love Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood It is said Believers are justified freely and then again by his grace the latter explaining the former freely that is by his grace and free favour for though the Righteousness and satisfaction of Christ is of infinite merit and worth yet 1. God the Father by a pure Act of Grace gave his Son to dye for sinners so it is said here whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 2. Christ as he was man was freely chosen of God for this purpose so God saith concerning him Behold my servant whom I have chosen The man Christ Jesus was freely chosen of God to become one person with the Son of God the Son of Mary did not merit to be personally united to the Son of God but was freely chosen of God to be exalted to this incomprehensible dignity glory and Majesty far above all other creatures Angels and men and from this personal union to which he was freely chosen proceedeth the greatness and all-sufficiency of his merit 3. God in his Law hath denounced the penalty of death the Curse everlasting destruction against every one that was guilty of sin against the Law and he was not bound to accept of satisfaction at the hand of another in their stead nor to hold them discharged of the guilt of their sins upon the account of anothers sufferings for sin and therefore it was an Act of meer grace in God to accept of Christ his satisfaction in behalf of sinners and to impute his righteousness to them and to account it theirs for their justification And so it was according to the Covenant and Agreement which God the Father freely made with Christ according to which agreement Believers are given to Christ so he saith to his Father I pray for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Behold I and the children which God hath given me those lost sinners whom God gave to Christ as Mediatour and Redeemer to save them by his death and satisfaction to them God the Father by his grace that is freely imputeth the Righteousness of Christ accounteth it theirs accepting them as righteous through him Secondly Observe how the Righteousness of Christ is received by believers that is by faith unfeigned the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleive the Righteousness whereby Believers are justified is the Righteousness of God it is such a Righteousness as God hath revealed as he hath appointed for this end as he approveth and accepteth such a Righteousness as he giveth to Believers this Righteousness is received and applied by the faith of Jesus Christ not by the faith which Christ hath but by the faith which Believers have in Christ not by the faith whereby Christ believeth but by the faith whereby men believe in Christ. Believers being united to Christ by the spirit on the one side and by faith on the other God imputeth the Righteousness of Christ unto them and they receive and apply it to themselves by faith So in that conclusion of the Apostle Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law In these and many other places where faith is said to justifie Divines understand it to be meant not meritoriously for so Christ justifieth by his merit procuring justification for sinners not by way of efficiency for so God justifieth as the Author of justification as the Judge imputing Christ his righteousness to Believers and so justifying them not materially for so the righteousness of Christ justifieth as the matter of justification not formally for that is by way of imputation but faith justifieth 1. Objective not by force of its own Act of believing but by vertue of its Object which it apprehendeth scil Christ his righteousness 2. Instrumentally Faith justifieth by applying the righteousness of Christ to the Believing soul whereby it is justified 3. Observe the effects or Consequents of the righteousness of Christ thus imputed of God and received by faith they are delivered from the guilt of sin Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Christ his righteousness is accounted theirs and so their own sins are no longer accounted theirs and so they are free from condemnation There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit They are accepted as righteous in the sight of God because the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to them who perfectly obeyed the Law and fully suffered the penalty of the Law hereby also they have an interest in everlasting life and salvation Whom he justifieth them he also glorified Again a constant consequent of the righteousness of Christ communicated and imputed to Believers for their justification is regeneration conversion sanctification for the same faith which applieth the Righteousness of Christ to Believers for the forgiveness of sin and for their justification doth unite them to Christ so that they partake of his spirit and sanctifying graces The second Branch of the point is That the Lord Iesus Christ by communicating his perfect Righteousness to Believers doth establish the Law This clearly followeth upon those things which have been spoken for in as much as the Lord Jesus Christ performed obedience to the Law and suffered the full penalty of the Law and then communicated his perfect Righteousness to Believers making them one with himself uniting himself to them by his spirit and uniting them to himself by faith that so himself and his perfect Righteousness might become theirs and that hereby they might be justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God This was an effectual declaration a real acknowledgment of the force and Authority of the Law for hereby he witnessed that the Law was such an authentical and indispensable rule of righteousness that none could be justified and accepted as righteous in the sight of God the supream Lawgiver and Judge