his members but in God him self For the benefites of God towards Mankinde and the fruites of his love to the vessels of honour are clearely distinguished in scripture in three degrees The first is of those things which God doth in him selfe of which kinde are his purpose foreknowledge predestination The second is of those things which he doth in Christ the Mediator of which kinde are our election redemption and blessing of vs with all spirituall blessings c. The third is of those thinges which he doeth in vs through Christ of which kinde are our adoption or calling our iustification and sanctification and glorification c. By the second pharse the spirit of God would teach vs that albeit in God there be many things set downe in scripture to be considered as the fountaynes of Gods working as namely his infinite wisedome his omnipotent power his infinite goodnes c. yet this action of predestinating vs to adoption is only attributed to the will of God which limiteth the infinitenes both of his wisedome power goodnes in all his actions outward toward the creatures both in their creation and government dispensation of all blessings towards vs both bodily spirituall Heereby we may learne that our blessednes if wee shall examine it in the cause doth surmount all reason and all the capacitie of the reason of man and Angell seeing it is builded vpon no reason of any creature or ground of reason in any creature but vpon the will of the Creator which is not mooved directed or ruled by any thing that is in the creature but by it selfe alone and is the rule of all reason in the creature and of things done by the Creator vnto the creature This shall yet be more easily perceyved if we shall severally consider it in those three pointes of the substance of Gods Decree before mentioned that is in the persons predestinate in the thing whereto they are predestinate and the Meane whereby Concerning the persons who can give a reason why Iacob should be beloved and Esau hated before any of them had done either good or evill except onely the Will of God as it is written I will shew mercie to whom I will shew mercie and will haue compassion vpon whom I will haue compassiō Exod. chap. 33. ver 19. Rom. chap. 9. ver 15. And the spirit of the Lord giving the reason why the Lord did set his loue vpon Israell and did choose them doth remove all respectes which can bee considered in them First their number Deut chap. 7. saying The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people vnto him selfe above all people that are vpon the earth the Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you because you were more in number then any people for you were the fewest of all people Secondly he removeth their power and strength Deutero chap. 8. saying Beware least thou say in thy heart My power and the strength of myne owne hande hath prepared me this aboundance And thirdly he remoueth their righteousnes Deut. chapt 9. saying Speake not thou in thine heart saying For my righteousnes the Lord hath brought me in to possesse this Land And shortly after in the same chap. Vnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good Lande to possesse it for thy righteousnes for thou art a stiffnecked people Fourthlie he cleareth this ground most evidently in the 10. chapter of Deutero by removing all praerogative and respect of right or reason in respect of right why the Lord should haue chosen thē aboue any other people all people being alike belonging to the Lord saying Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord thy Gods and the earth and all that therein is notwithstanding the Lord set his delight in thy Fathers to loue them and did choose their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day Moreover the same point is yet further cleared by the Lord him selfe in the Prophesie of Ezechiel chap. 16. by removing all respect of their worthines or perfection declaring their wretched estate in them selues in filthines and naturall corruption in the very tyme when the Lord did choose them saying In thy nativitie when thou wast borue thy navell was not cut c. And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thy owne blood and saide vnto thee When thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live c. And this ground is made cleare by Christ him selfe Math. chap. 11. vers 25. 26. when he speaketh of the persons vpon whō the Lord bestoweth his grace and of the reason moving him thereto saying I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes It is so Father because thy good pleasure was such These wordes doe plainely teach vs that the will of God onely without any reason in the creature yea which is more contrarie to all reason that may seeme to bee in the creature is the cause of Gods mercy towards man When the simple are preferred to the wyse the weake to the strong the poore to the rich the vyle to the honorable and which is yet more strange the sicke to the whole and sinners to the righteous Therefore to conclude this point we shall see sufficiently the evidēce of it by comparing the first of Iohn vers 13. with the first of Iames vers 18. in the 1. of Iohn it is said That the prerogative to bee the fonnes of God is given to those who are borne not of bloods nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God And in Iames it is said That of his owne will God begate vs. Of which it appeareth evidently that the persons who are ordayned vnto adoption are pre destinate chosen and called for no cause without God either in Christ as Mediator or in them selves but only of Gods free will good pleasure For it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. chap. 9. ver 16. CHAPTER VI. WE are next to consider the same ground in that wherevnto we are ordayned which is adoption including in it our conformitie with Christ in righteousnes holines life and glory c. of all which benefites there is not one which is not the gift of God and that of meere grace according to his wil good pleasure For albeit al blessings be in Christ yet neither he nor any of thē in him are given to vs but according to the wil of God so that he is a Saviour Redeemer of none but of such as pleaseth God of his good will so that his death satisfaction for sinne is not for any nor imputed as righteousnes vnto any for any cause either in Christ or Man but only to such as it is the wil of God to give it
sound knowledge whereof it evidently appeareth that the right conception of the true nature of Gods saving benefits in Christ doeth chieflie depend The first is The sound knowledge of Gods Decree or Predestination The second is The knowledge of Christ as Mediator betwixt God and vs. The third is The right order of the benefits imparted vnto vs. The last is The sound knowledge of the speciall difference and distinction of those benefites amongst them selves These foure points haue such affinitie one with another and the knowledge of each one so depēdeth vpō another that hardlie can any one of them be soundly knowne without the sound knowledge of the rest For error in one doth bring commonly if not continually errour in all Which is manifest if we lay before our eyes the different opinions of men touching this point which we haue in hande in the which we shall evidentlie perceyve that as many mayne differences as are amongest them concerning the iustification of a sinner so many different iudgements have they touching Gods Decree Christes merite the order of Gods dispensation and nature of the benefites dispensed For according to our mistaking or confounding or wrong placing of any of those respectivelie wee doe mistake confound and order amisse the benefites of God in our conceyving speaking or writing of them Wherefore it is more then evident that it is dangerous to erre in any of these foure and therefore before we come to the particular consideration of the benefite of our iustification I doe esteeme it first necessarie that for the clearing of the true nature thereof wee lay some solide goundes in our myndes concerning the knowledge of these foure pointes so farre as in generall is requisite to preserue vs from errour in the particular consideration of any one blessing bestowed vpon vs in CHRIST CHAPTER II. FIRST then touching Gods Decree the true nature thereof cannot rightly be knowne except besides other thinges therein to be considered we specially vnderstand First what is the substāce of it And secondly what is the chief ground and cause of it Which two things doe principally teach vs how to make a right reference of all Gods benefits vnto it and of it vnto them and therefore they are chieflie to be marked of vs. The matter or substance of Gods Decree is two maner of wayes considered in the Scriptures First more properly which maner in shew seemeth more strict and yet doth imply the largest sense Secondly in a more improper manner according to the consequent fruites and effects following necessarily vpon the proper substance and nature of Gods Decree whereby it is most properlie described which proper description is chieflie to be perceyued in those places of scripture where the spirit of God purposelie sets it downe in the owne proper nature expresly distinguishing it both from Gods purpose or foreknowledge going in order before it and from Gods election and remanent blessings in the execution thereof following in order after it Of these places there bee two principally to bee marked which being compared togither do make vp the full and sound nature and description of the Decree of God in so farre as it is restrayned to the vessels of honor in which respect we speake of it in this treatise The one place is in the first chap. to the Ephes vers 5. The other is in the 8. chap. to the Rom. ver 29. In the first it is thus described He hath predestinated vs vnto adoption through Iesus Christ in him selfe according to the good pleasure of his owne will vnto the prayse of the glorie of his grace And this is the most proper and most perfect definition of Gods Decree from the next and most proper blessing vnto which we are predestinate and wherevpon al the rest from which the Decree of God in other places is more improperly defined do consequently depend as necessarie effects and adherents thereof And this appeareth to bee manifest by the other place where it is thus described Those whom hee knew before he also praedestinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne Which place compared with the former doth shew evidentlie that in the former description conteyned in the first chap. to the Ephe. all blessings wherein stādeth our cōformitie to the Image of Christ are such necessarie consequences of adoption and inseparable adherents thereof that to be predestinate to adoption includeth them all And for this cause is it that sometimes the Decree of God is described from them as namely from eternall life Act. 13. ver 48. As many as were ordayned vnto eternall life beleeved And from salvation as 1. Thess 5. 9. God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to the obtayning of salvation through our Lord Iesus Christ c. And these we call more improper descriptions of Gods Decree because they are taken from the fruites and effectes or inseparable consequences of that blessing wherevnto wee are saide most properly to be predestinate which is adoption whereby Gods Decree is most properly described because in Gods dispensation to vsward it presupponeth no preceeding benefite whereof it should be the effect but is the next ende wherevnto God doth ordayne vs and so the first blessing of God which he doth bestow vpon vs in Christ comprehending in it by necessarie consequence all the rest as inseparable fruites and effectes thereof and therefore is it that in that other place in the 8. to the Rom. Gods Decree is described from the making of vs cōforme to the Image of his Sonne which alwayes presupponeth the making of vs sonnes in his sonne to goe before it CHAPTER III. HAving now considered the places where the decree of God is most properly described wee are next out of them to marke what is the substance of it which is cleerly sett downe to consist in three thinges The first is The Persons who are ordayned The second is The thing wherevnto they are ordayned The third is The Meane whereby they are to receive that wherevnto they are ordayned Touching the persons they are described in the 8. Chap to the Rom. from Gods foreknowledge or purpose where it is said Those whom he knew before them also he predestinated and therefore is it that predestination is said to be according to the purpose of God Ephe. 1. vers 11. And to the same effect election is said to be according to the foreknowledge of God 1. Pet. 1. 1. and 2. And this is that sure foundation of God which never fayleth as sayeth the Apostle to Timoth the 2. Epist chap. 2. v. 19. whereof also Iames speaketh Act. 15. 18. as the ground of the calling of the Gentiles to the participation of grace with the Iewes when he sayth from the beginning of the world God knoweth all his owne workes Which two places lead vs to the consideration of these two things First that the foreknowledge of God or his purpose doth comprehend the determinate and complete number of all that are
hath in all thinges so that whosoever placeth the matter of his righteousnes in any thinge but Christ denieth flatly that hee hath preheminence in all things Thirdlie nothing can bee the matter of our righteousnes which is not the matter of our redemption For as sayeth the Apostle Rom. chapt 3. vers 24. VVee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ IESVS Therefore is it that in the Scriptures Redemption is so often interpreted to bee remission of sinnes which is in effect righteousnes as Ephes chapt 1. vers 7. and Colos chapt 1. vers 14. Thereby shewing vs that our righteousnes consisteth of that same whereof consisteth our Redemption And it is cleere and manifest throughout all the holy Scriptures that we have Redemption in Christ alone Therefore in the same places cited before the Redemption whereby wee are iustified is saide to be in Christ IESVS and wee are saide to have Redemption in him Wherevppon it must needes followe that seeing our Redemption is in him alone our righteousnes must also bee in him alone For although in the holy Scriptures it bee saide that wee are iustified by faith yet it is never saide that we are redeemed by faith or that our Redemption is in faith Whereby it is most evident that when the spirit of God sayeth that wee are iustified by faith or that God doeth iustifie vs through faith or that hee imputes faith vnto righteousnes that these speeches are never to bee vnderstood of faith materially as though faith properly taken were the matter of our righteousnes before God except wee will say likewise that faith is the matter of our redemption which no man is so ignorant as once to imagine For nothing can bee the matter of our redemption and so consequently of our righteousnes which is not made of God sinne for vs and a propitiation for sinne For it is saide expresly that God made our Saviour Christ sinne for vs that wee might bee made the righteousnes of God in him 2 Corinth chapter 5. verse 21. and Christ is said to have redeemed vs from the curse of the Lawe by beeing made a curse and malediction for vs. Gallath chapter 3. verse 13. All to shewe vs that nothing can bee the matter of our Righteousnes and of our Redemption which is not made both sinne and the curse due to sinners for vs. Which two thinges were lively and openly shadowed in the Lawe The first Levit. chapt 16. by the live Goat where it is saide And Aaron shall put both his handes vpon the head of the live-Goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their trespasses in all their sinnes putting them vpon the head of the Goat and shall send him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wildernes so the Goat shall beare vpon him all their iniquities And this the Prophet Esay expresseth plainly when he sayeth that the Lord laid vpon Christ the iniquities of vs all and that he bare the sinne of many chap. 53. As also Peter when he sayeth that Christ himselfe bare our iniquities in his owne body vpon the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. The second was shadowed vnto vs in the ordinance of God concerning all offerings for sinne In which when the trespasser had laid his hande vpon their head the Priest was commanded to kill them before the Lord and to burne them with fire Levit. 4. Which also the Prophet Esay expresseth when he sayeth that hee was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him chap. 53. As also Pet. when he sayeth that hee suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust Now there is no man so foolish as to thinke that these things can bee attributed vnto faith or yet to the workes of the Law or to any thing whatsoever except vnto Iesus Christ alone Therefore nothinge save he alone can possibly be the matter of our righteousnes seeing nothing except he alone was ever made of God for vs either sinne or a propitiation for sinne by death Fourthly nothing that is not the matter of our peace and reconciliation with God can possibly be the matter of our righteousnes For nothing can procure peace vnto vs but that only which iustifieth vs and covereth our iniquities For there is no peace for the wicked sayth the Lord and it is our iniquities that seperates vs from God Esay 57. 21. and 59. 2. Therefore the Apostle sayeth Rom. 5. 1. that beeing iustified we have peace toward God For the cleanging of vs from sinne which is the cause of hatred makes vs to be reconciled vnto God Now the Lord Iesus only in the Scriptures is called our peace and in him only God reconciled the worlde vnto himselfe and that by iustifying vs and this peace reconciliation is said to be made by the bloud of his crosse because therein only we have remission of sinnes and therein onely is Christ ordayned a propitiation for sinne Wherevpon it followeth that seeing nothing is our peace but Christ onely nothing can be our righteousnes but he only For nothing but righteousnes makes peace betwixt God and man Fiftlie righteousnes and life are ordayned to be brought into the world as sinne and death were brought into the worlde therefore is it that Adam in respect of the effectes that come from him to all men is saide to be the Type of Christ in the effectes that flow from him to his members For it is saide that as by one man sinne entred into the world so by one man righteousnes shal be brought into the worlde And as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive According to which ground it is also saide That as we have borne the Image of the earthlie so shall wee beare the Image of the heavenly Wherevpon it followeth that nothing in the world except Christ can be the matter of our Righteousnes as none in the worlde save onely Adam is the Authour of sinne in vs otherwise the trueth in Christ touching righteousnes should never answer to the Type in Adam concerning sinne Therefore as sinne commeth from Adam alone vnto vs all as he in whom wee have all sinned so from Iesus Christ alone commeth righteousnes to all that are in him as he in whom they have all satisfied the iustice of God In which comparison if we had eyes to marke it faith never hath the place of our righteousnes but answeres in our participation of righteousnes in Christ to that which is the ground of our being partakers in the sinne of Adam For as wee were one with Adam and in respect of origine and nature were in him and so by being in him and one with him did all in him and with him transgresse the commandement of God even so in respect of faith whereby onely we are vnited vnto Christ and spiritually made one with him and ingrafted in him wee
all in him and with him did satisfie the iustice of God in his death and suffering Thus our vnion with Christ and meanes thereof is alwayes to be distinguished from our communion with him in the participation of his righteousnes as the fruit thereof Like as our being in Adam and one with him is to be distinguished from the fruit thereof which is communiō with him in the participation of his transgression For clearing of this pointe we have to marke carefully the wordes of the spirit of God vnto Daniel chap. 9. vers 24. In the which an appeinted tyme is set downe for the finishing of wickednes the sealing vp of sinnes the reconciling of iniquitie and bringing in of everlasting righteousnes in the worlde Thereby shewing vs that it is impossible that faith can bee the materiall righteousnes of GOD whereby we are iustified For then this everlasting righteousnes should have beene in the worlde before Christ came into the worlde and so should not have beene brought in by him For faith was in the worlde from the dayes of Adam Therefore sayeth the spirit of GOD that by it our Flders obtayned good report and yet in that same place the spirit witnesseth that they receyved not the promise distinguishing betwixt faith and Christ apprehended by faith as the matter of the promise and so consequently of righteousnes The one whereof that is faith they had receyved the other that is the promise they had not receyved because Christ in whom their blessednes was promised was not exhibited in their dayes For albeit by faith they apprehended Christ crucified to come and the righteousnes which hee was to bring vnto the worlde at his comming yet notwithstanding that righteousnes in the substance and matter of it was never brought into the worlde vnto the tyme that Christ IESVS was brought into the worlde Therefore doeth the Lord vse this phrase of speech My salvation is at hande to come and my righteousnes to bee revealed Esay chapter 56. vers 1. According vnto which likewise the Apostle Paul speaketh That GOD had purposed in the dispensation of the fulnes of tyme to gather together all thinges in Christ Eph. ch 1. ve 10. Which the same Apostle declareth more cleerlie Gallath chap. 4. vers 4. 5. saying But when the fulne of tyme was come God sent foorth his Sonne made of a VVoman and made vnder the Lawe that hee might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe c. So that the verie designing of a precise tyme for the bringing in of our righteousnes into the worlde declareth manifestly that that righteousnes is to bee materially distinguished from faith which was in the worlde in all ages before ever it was manifested For faith could bee in the worlde and apprehende righteousnes which was to bee brought into the worlde long before it came as well as nowe long after that righteousnes is performed it can lay holde vppon it vnto iustification For the faith of Gods Children before the day of Christ and the faith of Gods Children nowe after the day of Christ did ever and yet doeth apprehende no righteousnes but that which in that day was brought into the worlde For it is as easie to faith to apprehende righteousnes to come as it is to faith to apprehende by gone righteousnes Like as our faith yet apprehendeth many thinges to come as specially our glorification which is yet a thing no wise manifested neither shall be manifested vntill Christ appeare agayne in his second comming in glorie This same grounde serveth to prove that the Lawe and workes thereof was never the matter of our righteousnes seeing the Lawe was given longe before Christs comming into the world Lastly that which doeth not make manifest God to be iust and the Iustifier can never possibly bee that righteousnes whereby we are iustified This ground is cleere by the Apostles wordes Rom. chap. 3. where hee declareth the ende wherefore God doeth manifest his righteousnes and to that ende setteth foorth Christ to bee a Propitiation by faith in his bloud which is that he may be iust and the iustifier of him that is of the faith of IESVS For the rightousnes of GOD whereby hee iustifieth vs beeing manifested must of necessitie not onely declare GOD to bee mercifull but also iust And therefore it is nor sufficient and enough that grace doe shine in our iustification in respect of Gods grace and mercie towardes vs but moreover it is necessarie that iustice doe shine in our iustification in respect of GOD him selfe so that albeit wee receyve remission of sinnes without any merit or reason in our selves but of Gods free grace toward vs in Christ yet notwithstanding God in doeing so must still be iust For as sayth Abraham Gen. 18. Shall not the Iudge of the worlde doe right Now this iustice of God in iustifying is perceyved by the fight of the righteousnes of God whereby he iustifies as is plaine by that speech of the Apostle in Rom. chap. 3. For to this ende doeth God show his righteousnes that he may be iust Now it is certayne that if God should iustifie vs eyther by the workes of the Lawe or by faith as it is a worke or habit in vs GOD could never bee seene to be iust in iustifying of vs because there is no flesh that abides in every jot that is written in the Lawe of God Neyther is there any that doeth it And concerning faith the very Saints them selves in the scriptures have acknowledged their faith to be imperfect And they who now place faith for the matter of our righteousnes doeth acknowledge that it is not answearable to the iustice of God because it is not full and perfect righteousnes but Iesus Christ whom God hath made righteousnes vnto vs in his death being manifested vnto vs in his satisfaction doeth let vs see a full and perfect righteousnes answerable to the iustice of God in all things so that God is not vniust in iustifying thereby seeing in that iustification hee iustifieth vs by that which in it selfe is a righteousnes as full and perfect as his iustice doeth require and the conscience of this hath forced some of these men who holde our righteousnes to consist in faith to confesse that the obedience of Christ must be imputed vnto vs as well as our owne faith so making a double action of God in iustifying one gracious in respect of faith another iust in respect of Christes obedience Vpon this ground it followeth necessarily that nothing can be our righteousnes except Christ alone seeing the Lord cannot be seene to be iust in instifying vs by any thing except by him alone CHAPTER XXIIII IT followeth now that we speake of the second point which concerneth the matter of our righteousnes that is what is that thing wherein Christ is made of God righteousnes vnto vs and this in one word in the scripture is saide to bee his obedience Rom. chap. 5. vers 19 Where it is said
favour Man neyther any wayes deservinge it by his worthines nor paying any thing to God for it and that this is the meaning of the worde it is most evident by this other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is indifferently put for grace the one being sometimes interpreted by the other as Rom. chap. 3. ver 24. Being iustified freely by his grace where the word which is rendered freely is dorean which word secludeth both price and merit Concerning price it is cleere Math. chap. 10. ver 8. Yee have receyved freely give freely And 2. Thess chap. 3. ver 8. Neither tooke we bread of any man freely Concerning merite it is likewise manifest that this word secludeth it by Ioh. chap. 15. ver 25. They hated me freely that is without cause or deserving so that this word maketh iustification to be a worke of God freely done And this we marke that we may know it secludeth not the merit of Christ although that merit be imputed to vs by grace and by this consideration we shall learne to reconcile two sayings of scripture that seeme to be repugnant The first is Esay chap. 52. ver 3. Yee shal be redeemed without monie The other is 1. Cor. chap. 6. ver 20. For yee are bought for a price The one seemeth to make our redemption free without price the other seemeth to say the contrarie Yet both are true for in respect of man him selfe hee hath paide no price at all to God for his redemption but as concerning Christ he hath given a deare price even his life bloud for our redemption So the word Grace secludeth not the merit of Christ nor the price that he hath payed for vs nor ought els ordayned of God by his grace as causes and meanes subordinate to his grace for our iustification but onely secludeth whatsoever thinge is in man or can proceed from man who hath nothing of him selfe whereby to deserve righteousnes neither hath any thing to give to God to obtayne righteousnes For who hath given to God first that he should recompence him Rom. chap. 11. vers 35. And this third pointe of the forme of our iustification is necessarie to be added to the other two First for the right knowledge both of Gods giving and imputing of faith and Christ to our iustification Secondly for preserving vs from the errours of those who mistake the true meaning of the word grace in our iustification Concerning the first there is a distinctiō of the giftes of God and also of the imputation of God Touching the giftes they be eyther such as are natuall given by God indifferently to al are belōging to our natural life or thē they are gifts supernatural belonging to a supernatural life The first sorte the Lord giveth by naturall meanes as by procreation by naturall generation and by his generall providence extended over all But the second he giveth not but by speciall grace and by a speciall providence and particular love in the Lord IESVS there being no ground nor cause in them to whom hee giveth them why they should have thē nor any meanes in their power to procure them Thus faith and Christ by faith are given vs of God not for any worthines in vs nor for any thing given to God by vs but the Lord giveth vs both faith and Christ vnto iustification freely of his meere grace Secondly touching imputation there is an imputation by debt and an imputation by grace therefore that it may bee knowne that neither faith nor Christes merite is imputed to vs by debt the scripture plainly sheweth that this imputatiō is by grace that is first that faith which is now givē vs secondly that Christ who is givē vs by faith is ours not by any right that we have vnto thē by iustice that accompting of them ours is not by debt but of meere mercy grace so that our whole iustificatiō in al that is either given vs or imputed vnto vs to iustifie vs both in the giving in the imputing is of Gods free grace The secōd vse of the knowledge hereof is to preserve vs from their errors who take the name of grace in our iustification for the gifts of grace inherent in vs be it faith or sanctification or the fruites of our righteousnes And secondly from their error who take the name of grace for a gratious acceptatiō of our imperfect faith whereas grace in iustification is relative to the giving imputing of faith not to the accepting of it For in respect of faith given by grace and imputed by grace wee are said to be iustified by grace not in respect of Gods accepting of it at our handes by grace And thus much concerning the forme of our iustification CHAPTER XXXIII IT olloweth that we now speake of the obiect of iustification that is the man whom the Lord doeth iustifie who is two maner of wayes to be confidered First as he is in him selfe by nature Secondly what he is by grace before he be iustified As concerning him selfe wee have two places of scriptures which doe manifestly instruct vs what man is in him self when God iustifieth him The first is Rom. 4. 5. where God is said to iustifie the vngodly the other Rom. 5. 10. where God is said to have iustified vs while we were enemies and this sheweth the vanitie of the Papists who wil have a man formalie iust before he be iustified Touching that which he is by grace it is in many parts of the scripture evidently declared that he must beleeve before he be iustified that is must have faith wrought in his heart in that sorte that he may be iustified for like as Acts 14. it is saide that Paul perceyving that the creeple mā had faith to be made whole he did heale him even so the Lord first giveth vs faith to bee made iust and then iustifieth vs. For we are to consider that although faith bee the instrument of Gods power to make vs able to apprehende Christ and all his blessings in him yet in the worke of iustification it is particularly to be restrayned both as it is wrought by God in our heartes and as our heartes worketh by it vnto the particular benefite of righteousnes in Christ like as in all the rest of the benefites faith is alwayes to be particularly restrayned to every one of them in the particular apprehension of them Moreover we see the truth of this same in the order set downe by the Apostle Rom. 8. when he sayth whom he hath called them he also hath iustified whereby it is evident that God iustifieth not a man vntill first he hath obtayned that degree of grace which God bestoweth vpō a man whē he calleth him of which it followeth that he must have Christ reveyled vnto him he must likewise be come to Christ must have embrased him by faith and that not only as the sonne of God for in that point of faith consisteth his