such being the Object on whom the Justifying Act doth terminate according to the Promise 1 Exh. See that your Faith be True and then may you rejoice in a Justified State A fâ—lse Faith will leave you condemned as certainly as if you had no Faith And a false Faith too many have been satisfied with Simon believed but yet had neither Part nor Lot in this matter because his Heart was not right with God and he was in the Gall of Bitterness and Bonds of Iniquity Acts 8.13 21 23. Be then solicitous that your Faith be right see that it be unfeigned and true True for its principle even from Regeneration True for its Nature a fiducial Consent or such a Trust in Christ and in God by him as receive a whole Christ True for its Concomitants that no saving Grace be wanting True for its Operativeness and Effects that it works by Love purifies the Heart and makes you persevere in sincere Obedience and holy Fruits All this is necessary to the Faith the Gospel calls Saving since God will Judge your Faith and you by it 2 Exh. Be not satisfied meerly with Believing or talking that there is a full Righteousness in Christ but submit to God's way of Imputing it else you 'll be no better nor safer by it Thousands are damned as Unrighteous though Christ hath a full Righteousness It is not from a defect in Christ's Righteousness no nor because God fails to impute it to such whom he hath promised it to Whence then It 's because they do not savingly Believe and turn to Christ. The Gospel is God's Will as to the way of the Application of Christ's Righteousness and if that be not obeyed we are lost 2 Thes. 1.8 Gal. 3.1 Heb. 5.9 Unbelief is Disobedience to the Gospel and will destroy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Disobedience is oft render'd Unbelief Rom. 11.30 32. Heb. 4.11 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unbelieving Acts 14.2 and 17.5 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to Believe Heb. 3.18 The work of the Ministry is to call and perswade sinners to comply with the Gospel with an Assurance that such as refuse not shall be Justified by Christ and they who persist to refuse shall perish notwithstanding the Grace of God and Righteousness of Christ Mat. 23.37 Acts 13.38 46. Having thus insisted on this Proposition I am led thereby to this Question Quest. Are Believers as Righteous as Christ in equality Or Are they equally Righteous as Christ Answ. Believers are not equally Righteous as Christ. Sincere Christians are in some respect as truly Righteous as Christ but yet that is not to be equally Righteous as Christ. Hence many chuse to say we are as Righteous as Christ aeque but not aequaliter Yea though one assert an Identity in the Righteousness yet that will not argue an Equality It s one thing to have the same Righteousness it s another thing to have it in the same measure The Light in the Air is the same as in the Sun but yet it is in a greater degree in the Sun than in the Air. Obj. 1. We are equally Righteous as Christ with respect to his Suretiship Righteousness Answ. I shall 1. give you my Thoughts concerning Christ's Suretiship 2. Prove that we cannot on this account nor any other be truly said to be as Righteous as Christ in equality This Term Suretiship Righteousness is no Scripture expression no more nor so much as the word Condition I say not so much for if you consider Luke 14.26 27 32 34. You 'll find Condition used exactly in the sense objected against by some ver 32 33. Or else whiles the other is yet a great way off he sendeth an Ambassage and desireth Conditions of Peace So likewise Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple and ver 26 27. Whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple ver 26. If any Man come after me and hate not Father and Mother c. Our blessed Lord doth in these Verses propose what is necessary to Christian Discipleship without which we cannot be saved He pitcheth on such things as were hardest to Flesh as what his very Followers must be judged by To inforce and improve which he pitcheth on two Parables By the first Parable he adviseth Men to consider well the Terms or Conditions of Christianity before they engage in the Profession of it lest they be ashamed ver 28 29 30. By the second he confirms the first and adds how necessary it is to consent to these Conditions as hard as they be for we are in a State of Enmity and foolishly persist therein since we are unable to defend our selves against God when his Vengeance approacheth and therefore 't is our Wisdom in the time of his long-suffering to submit to the Conditions of Peace Luke 19.42 This is more applied in the next words So likewise whosoever he be of you c. How is this redditive so properly used or the Parables applied if taking up our Cross following Christ hating Father and Mother and persevering are not Conditions of our true Discipleship and consequently of Salvation by Christ Unless we may be at Peace and be saved without being Christ's Disciples But what need I Digress when the Assembly and all valuable Divines use the word in our sense Yea the Gospel so oft speaks Conditionally if thou Confess Rom. 10. I return to what I affirmed viz. That Suretiship Righteousness is no Scripture Expression Surety I know is once used and but once as to Christ the word Righteousness is oft used but Suretiship Righteousness is a new Word of Humane Original and I am sure not consonant to Scripture sense as it 's used to infer an Equality of Righteousness between Christ and us Having premised this I will shew you First What I grant concerning Christ's Suretiship Secondly Tell you what I deny according to plain Scripture 1. The things that I grant are these 1. Christ is the Surety of the Gospel-Covenant for all his actual Seed yea for the Elect as far as it includes the promise of the first Grace Heb. 7.22 He is engaged that they shall grow in Grace persevere and keep Covenant with God and not turn away finally or totally from him He doth not bind himself to improve for us or persevere in performing the Conditions of this Covenant for us but that we shall do it Yea he is Surety to see the ends of the Covenant pursued as to God's part that he will forgive us be our God c. Not that God's Truth or Ability need a Surety But the weakness of our Faith is answer'd by such a Support for which end God Sweareth and appointeth Covenant Seals so doth he condenscend to our infirmity 2. Christ hath undertaken in the Covenant of Redemption that he would make Satisfaction to Justice for us and Obey the whole Will of God bring actually into the Gospel-Covenant
in Justification and upon this the rest depend Hereby we are made Righteous in Christ's Righteousness Though we be not personally Innocent yet Christ's Righteousness which fully answered the Law is judicially applied so as to give us a sure right to be dealt with as to Eternity as if we had been Innocent and Perfect which is what we principally need and as much as we are capable of considering we are Sinners and that we did not provide the Ransom nor substitute him that became so 2. God hereupon actually forgives adopts and gives the Earnest of Glory to Believers thus invested in the Righteousness of Christ and on the account of that Righteousness This is Executive Justification in part and indeed all Benefits peculiar to the Members of Christ are conferred in a way of Execution hereof unless as we may consider such Benefits as follow Pardon and Adoption to refer to Justification as including an additional Right resulting from Gods pardoning and adopting Acts. The reason why I add this is that Pardon gives a Right to impunity and Adoption gives a Right to the Privileges of Children and so with respect to Forgiveness and Adoption a Believer may be called Righteous and frequently in Scripture is called so though inclusively of Christ's Righteousness because it 's for that we are so forgiven and adopted Forgiveness is of so great importance in Justification that upon the account hereof we are said to be Blessed Yea it 's put frequently for the whole of Justification Rom. 4.6 7 8. it 's so in the Lord's Prayer Luk. 11.4 yea it 's so put in our Creed 3. God judicially sentenceth the Believers thus made partakers of Christ's Righteousness and thereupon pardoned and adopted to be them who have a Right to Impunity Favour and Glory and accepts them as such notwithstanding all challenges and accusation Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right Hand of God who also maketh intercession for us This doth not only obviate the Accusation of Persecutors against such as are chosen to suffer but it answers all Challenges against every Believer gathered out of the World by the Spirit pursuant to God's Eternal Election for against the unconverted Elect God himself hath much to Charge and he lays it to their Charge by his Law-condemning Sentence But as to the Converted here 's a general defiance and a large enumeration of what tend to their defence God justifies them and this for the sake of Christ's Death and that the Death of him who is risen and being risen is enthroned and being enthroned intends their Security by his Intercession It 's true if they be charged to have been sinners they must own it as a true Charge But what then must they Dye for their Sin No God declares they are pardoned and this upon a Righteousness more then adequate to the Law of Works and they have no lower a safety from their Guilt than Christ's Title who died that Believing Sinners might not Dye but Live Indeed if the Charge be That these are not Believers then God Acquits them another way of which hereafter This is Sentential Justification which is Virtual now and will be solemnized at the great Day 4. It is the Gospel whereby God justifieth us as his Instrument God in his his Word having declared that he will Iustifie him that Believes Rom. 3.30 and that we are justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 and Commanding us to Believe with a Promise That we shall be Justified if we Believe He doth by this very Declaration of his Will Justifie the Believer This promise effects what it includes assoon as the Object is answerable to the Tenure of the Promise By this he Imputes Christ's Righteousness to the Convert and so makes him Righteous declares him Righteous and treats him as Righteous in for and by Christ's Righteousness and this assoon as he Believes There needs no more to express it now than this Word of his Mouth unless as we may add the Sacramental Seals and also such influences and acts of Power whereby such Benefits are conferred as are Executive of the Justifying Sentence and so far are a Divine Declaration of our State as Justified 5. The Object of God's Justifying Act is the living humbled converted Believer who by Faith cometh to accepteth of and rusteth in Christ as an entire Saviour The promise of this Mercy being to such yea confined to such and Unbelievers declared to have God's Wrath abiding on them especially when this Gospel is that Word of the Lord whereby we are Justified Gal. 3.22 Ioh. 3.36 and 8.24 Rom. 10.4 We must then Believe but it is not Faith unless it be a coming to accepting of and trusting in a Christ it is not a Christ if he be not a whole Saviour When will we Believe if we be not convinced and humbled How can we Believe if we be not quickned by the Spirit Yea of what sort of Faith is it if we are not purposed in our Heart to turn from all Sins Self and Idols to Christ and to God by him Which turning is oft the Word by which the Spirit oft expresseth Faith it self Ezek. 18.21 30.1 Pet. 2.25 Acts 26 18. By what is said you may Answer the main Enquiries that occur to your Mind concerning Justification Qu. Who Justifies us Ans. God as our Ruler Qu. What doth God do for us or on us when he Justifies Ans. 1. He Imputes Christ's Righteousness to us whereby we have his Right to our Pardon Absolution c. 2. He actually forgives absolves and adopts us in Christ's Right and for the sake of his Obedience And by this forgiveness absolution and adoption he further gives us a Right to Impunity the in-dwelling Spirit Perseverance and Eternal Glory 3. He pronounces us free from all Accusation and Challenges that would import a present liableness to Eternal Death or bar to Eternal Glory we having Christ's Righteousness and thereby our Pardon Absolution from the Curse and our Adoption for our Plea and Defence Qu. What is our State by being thus Justified Ans. We are accepted with God free from Eternal Condemnation and entitled to Life as if we had not sinned but kept the whole Law to this time Yea we have some greater Benefits than we forfeited as Union with Christ the in-dwelling Spirit and Perseverance whereby we are secured from forfeiting Eternal Life for the future Qu. By what Instrument or Sign of his Will doth God Justifie us Ans. By the Gospel-promise Quest. Whom doth God Justifie Ans. The true Believer whether he know himself to be so or no and no others Yea God in Justifying a Man doth as far declare him to be a Believer as he declares him to be Justified Qu. When doth God Justifie a Sinner Ans. Assoon as he is a Believer and not before
way of its application Rom. 10.3.4 For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God They not knowing the Righteousness which God had contrived and appointed for the Salvation of fallen Man proudly thought they could by a tale of Works made up with operous costly Sacrifices merit Life at the hands of God and by this conceit they despised a Crucified Christ as needless refused to believe in Christ for Justification by his Merits and went on in Impenitency as above the necessity of Pardon by his Blood Which Impenitent persisting in rejecting of Christ was their non-submission to the Righteousness of God Oh the danger of a Heart too proud and a Will too stubborn to stoop to Christ and his Gospel Alas our own Garments are too scant for a covering and unless we accept of a whole Christ we shall be naked notwithstanding the largeness of his Robe His Stripes will not heal us if we return not unto this Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls 1 Pet. 2.24 25. A Righteousness to procure Acceptation or Merit Life we cannot work out but blessed be God Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 The end of the Ceremonial Law is what the Tipes signified The end of the Law of Works as being the scope and issue of it for if it had been perfectly obeyed by Man right to Impunity and its Reward was the utmost which that Law could confer on Innocent Man And blessed be God Christ hath by his Obedience merited both these and all that will truly believe shall in Christ's Right be Entitled to both tho' for any thing wrought by them they could never attain either Impunity or Glory If you peruse v. 5. to the 11. you will find that God hath put us past all solicitousness concerning the sufficiency and certainty of a Christ who hath a fullness of Righteousness for the Salvation of Sinners But the thing incumbent on us to be sollicitous about is that we comply with the Gospel that we may be saved by his Righteousness V. 10 11. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and believe with thy heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Without these neither his coming to Dye nor his Resurrection from Death will avail us to Salvation Oh! then accept of Christ and yield up your selves to him and to a due and faithful Confession of him as your Lord and Iesus 4. Prop. Jesus Christ by the gracious Dispensation of God as our Law-giver was admitted and in our Nature did so fully answer the demands of Governing Justice as that to its own very Glory it admits the Grace of God to exert it self in forgiving Believing Sinners and in conferring on them Saving Benefits in the Righteousness of Christ. It was not so small a matter as most account it to bring Justice and Pardoning Mercy to consist to honour the Government of God and save Believing Sinners who before were Sentenced to Dye But having spoken to some part of this Proposition in my former Discourse I shall reduce it to these Particulars which I shall briefly hint at 1. It was in our Offending Nature that Christ answered the Demands of Justice tho' it was not in our Person Rom. 8.3 God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh If without this it had been possible to vindicate the Government of God in general yet without assuming our Nature it would not have been a Vindication of the Government of God over Men in particular the Sufferings had not been a satisfaction for Human Offences as Human. 2. Nothing was abated to Christ that Governing Justice exacted the Substantials of the Law were inserted into the Rule of his Active and Passive Obedience and Justice adjusted his Work to his Wages There 's no Common nor Special Benefit promised or given on the account of his Obedience to any but the value of his Obedience is proportionable thereto tho' yet the Benefits much exceed what Adam forfeited and therefore his Obedience must transcend what was injoined Man by the Law of Works 3. Gods Government and Justice were not only Vindicated by Christs Obedience but greatly Honoured Oh! the lustre cast on Gods Laws hereby Never did the Authority of Gods Precepts appear so Royal as when God in Flesh so accurately obeyed them even to that of Dying for Sinners Never was the awfulness of Gods Penal Sanctions discovered as in the Tears Sweats Agony and Blood of his Glorious and Beloved Son There 's no instance of the Riches of Gods Praemiant Sanction as in the Rewards which our Saviour received How Exalted is his Human Nature above Angels And how great are his Rewards in his Members Yea no Blessing given to lost Man but it 's on his account What an attesting Eccho have you Ioh. 12.28.27 Father glorify thy Name Then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again Christ spake his part when he had inspected the united force of Terrors just besetting him Now is my soul troubled Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour q. d. As heavy as it presseth as awful as it is yet Father glorify thy Name abate nothing that will make for thy Honour however my Flesh trembleth and my Soul is distressed Be thou great however low I must be brought Spare not for my crying so as to abate whatever tends to make thy Authority Sacred and Justice Exact The Father Answers I have persued the Interest of my Glory hitherto in thy Debasement Poverty Contempt Sorrows Shame Temptations and Torments which are now just a finishing my Sword is giving its utmost blow and then I will be Glorious in Exalting and Rewarding thee I 'll get my Remunerative Justice as great a Name in thy Triumphs as my Punitive Justice hath acquired in thy Debasements So Christ explains it v. 31 32. Now shall the prince of this world be judged and when I am lifted up I 'll draw all men to me 4. Tho' all was fulfilled by Christ when appointed to it yet it was by a gracious Dispensation of God as Law-giver that Christ was allowed to work this Righteousness for the Salvation of Sinners The Law-giver is above the Law and tho' the Law knew no Sponsor whose Obedience should procure Pardon and save the Guilty alius was aliud in its accounts Noxa Caput sequitur is its Language The Punishment must fall on the Sinner it could appoint no other to bear it and imputing to the Sinner what another endureth is above its Dialect Yet God the Law-giver had not signified his whole Will by the Law of Works he had reserved a Prerogative whereby he could secure the Glory of his Government and spare the Rebel satisfy Justice
and not destroy the Sinner and be as glorious in forgiving as in punishing To him the satisfaction was made and by him accepted Heb. 10.7 And hence the Sinner is not free as soon as the satisfaction was made but it's when and on what terms the Law-giver and Sponsor would adjust yea and the release comes to the Sinner as a forgiving Act. Exh. Adore the Wisdom and Grace of God Oh! what Grace that would transfer the punishment What Wisdom that contrived a way to place it so that God should be satisfied and yet his Grace be free The Sinner saved and yet not tempted to Rebel The Sufferer repaid in Glory suited to what he did and endured The Redeemed kept Humble as Pardoned tho' the Pardon was granted on a valuable Price The Gift so bestowed as to exert Authority and necessitate Diligence And yet nothing done on the Receivers part to purchase the Gift or to Rob Grace of its Glory it s comprehensively expressed Eph. 1.7 8. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence 5 Prop. The righteousness of Christ in all respects is perfect and compleat yet Christ's Righteousness is variously denominated from those different respects However variously we conceive thereof it s every way perfect it 's chargeable with no defect nor subject to any challenge 1. It 's perfect if you consider it as a meer conformity to the preceptive part of the Moral Law in which respect it 's the same as Holiness He was holy harmless and undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 He was habitually Holy above Adam yea above Angels none so full of grace and truth as he Joh. 1.14 No Mind so filled with light in actu primo even from the very â—â—nning no Heart so inlaid with the Divine Image and enflamed with Love as his he had the Spirit without measure Ioh. 3.34 He had no taint of evil in his Constitution in the Womb he was that Holy thing Luk. 2.35 And when the Tempter assaulted him with the most Skilful violence he had nothing in him Ioh. 14.30 He super-eminently obeyed to an Iota all that was required of him or competent to his Person and this without any defect in the manner and to the utmost extent of the Precept Thus compleatly Holy was Christ which Holiness went into the matter of his Righteousness and is often called so he gave God his utmost due as a Holy Law-giver 2. It was a perfect Righteousness as the performed condition of the Reward promised him in the Covenant of Redemption Whatever was promised to Christ either for himself or Members was promised upon certain conditions some of which were a due undergoing of the bitterest Sufferings threatned in the Law of Works others were included in that of his Active Obedience A Penal Sanction in case of his failure had no room in the Law of Mediation because of the impossibility of his Non-performance and therefore a right to Impunity is of as little concern but Christ's Active and Passive Obedience became formally a compleat Righteousness as what he did and suffered was an exact fulfilling of the condition of the Reward in the Sanction He took our Nature he made his Soul an Offering for Sin he Honouâ— the Law he Glorified God he did all the â—â—rk which was given him to do and drunk the Dregs of the Cup which was appointed him to Drink He fulfilled all Righteousness Mat. 3.15 Even all that for which he was to be Exalted or his Seed made Happy nothing was omitted by him or abated to him 3. This Righteousness of Christ as the performed condition of the Reward was a Federal Righteousness above what was to be Man's Righteousness by the Law of Works which could not be but that the conditions consented to by Christ in the Covenant of Redemption were other and greater than what were required of Adam by the Covenant of Works I shall give you a few of many instances of Conditions appointed to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption above what the Law of Works required The Law of Works did not require the Person Obeying or Suffering to be the Eternal Son of God in our Nature but the Covenant of Redemption required this should I Name no more this would fully prove the point But I add The Law of Works did not exact an Obedience above what Innocent Adam was able to perform but the Covenant of Redemption did this And Christ so obeyed in our Nature not needlessly as must fill the Angels with admiration to see themselves outdone The Covenant of Works did not exact Punishment even to Death from the same Person as still yielded perfect Obedience but the Covenant of Redemption did this The Law of Works did not require or appoint a vicarious Punishment or Obedience from a Sponsor for others but limited both to the Persons originally subject to the Law whereas the Covenant of Redemption appointed this The Law of Works did not command the Sufferings of any as a Reconciling Propitiation but the Law of Mediation did this My reason for that is The Law of Works did by its Threats denounce Vengeance against Sin But this was not by a Precept upon Obedience whereto the Sufferer could Merit Peace and Reconciliation whereas the Law of Mediation appointed Christs Death for a Propitiatory Offering and in Dying he yielded the highest Act of Obedience to a Precept Ioh. 14.31 And this to make Reconciliation Heb. 2.17 Col. 1.20 The Covenant of Works did as a condition of Impunity and Reward injoin Obedience to no Law but that which Adam was under viz. the Law of Works and the Positive one Prohibiting the Eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil But the Covenant of Redemption required Obedience to the Ceremonial Law c. The Law of Works appointed no more Obedience than Governing Justice as such had suited to the Rewards of that Covenant But as the Covenant of Redemption had far higher Rewards so it ordained suitable conditions The Law of Works appointed no Obedience after Sin as a Meritorious condition of obtaining forfeited Benefits but the Covenant of Redemption did this We may easily perceive that the conditions prescribed to our Redeemer much differ'd from those the Law of Works required and since Christ fulfilled all these his federal Righteousness exceeds that which the Law of Works prescribed If you ask why Christ's Righteousness must thus exceed what the Law of Works ordained I Answer It 's because it's a greater thing to Redeem an Offender than to continue an Innocent Persons Right to Impunity And it 's more to Purchase greater Blessings for one that hath forfeited all good than it is to continue lesser Blessings tho' with some addition to one that hath not forfeited Yea and Reconciliation is more difficult than maintaining Peace before any Enmity 4. Christs Righteousness was perfect as it was his
Obedience as the Security of his Pardon and Glory and he hath the Gospel to plead as what gives him upon his believing a Right to use that Plea What Christ hath done answers all the Benefits Christ's Gospel applies what Christ hath so done and gives the Benefits for it Faith is the Condition of the Person to whom the Gospel applies Christ's Righteousness and gives the Benefits But is not that for which any thing is given or by which it 's purchased It determineth the Legatees in Christ's Testamentary Absolution and Gifts which he bequeaths to Believers and confines to them therein Exh. 1. Be watchful that you set no Grace Duty or Work of yours into the Place of Christ's Righteousness Do not think any thing you do answers the LAw of Works or any way proportioned to governing Justice Dread a Thought that any thing is due to thy best Duty as of Debt Rom. 4.4 5. Whatever seem to be good Works are wholly vain highly provoking to God affronting to Christ and Snares to your selves if you think they are a Christ or instead of a Christ to you And this you are guilty of if you think you hereby attone for your Sins or merit Glory at the Hand of governing Justice will you rob Christ of his Glory who satisfied for all your Sins and purchased all Blessings alone and who freely gives you but the Fruits of his own Purchase whatever Terms he insists on for the dispensing of his Gifts in a Way most honourable to himself and profitable to you Exh. 2. Yet do not thrust your Graces or Duties out of the Place where Christ by the Gospel Promises hath set them He knew what was consistent with his Honour and that it would not be injurious thereto to insist upon Terms of the Application of his Righteousness and the Communication of the Fruits thereof in a way of governing Grace though as Sovereign Proprietor he gave the Power to perform those Terms He thinks not himself debased by giving out his Acquests as a Priest upon his Throne or erecting a Gospel Kingdom as a Redeemer of lost Man which the Gospel Dispensation is generally called as if of purpose to secure the Gospel Law Mat. 4.23 1 Cor. 15.24 Search carefully whether the Spirit of God hath wrought in you the Conditions of the Benefits of the Gospel Covenant These are necessary to your actual obtaining of any Benefit promised to them respectively and you expect those Benefits without God's Promise yea against God's Word if you neglect to act the Grace the Promise is made to On the other hand you distrust God's Promise in not assuredly expecting the Benefit for Christ's Sake when you have the Graces to which the Promise is made The Gospel doth not deceive us when it encourageth to Duty by Benefits as Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rom. 10.9 If thou confess with thy Mouth and believe with thy Heart thou shalt be saved Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Will Christ fail to do what his Mouth hath uttered though he display his Grace in giving us that Assurance upon such Duties Christ's Righteousness will be applied in making good every Gospel Promise How unsavory then is it for any one to say that all your Obedience avails no more to justifie you than your worst Sins It 's true no Duty is our Righteousness for which we are justified but it 's as true that the Obedience and great Duty of Faith signifies more to our Justification than that worst Sin of Unbelief for Christ's Righteousness will never be applied to us for our Justification unless we believe and if we believe we shall certainly be justified by Christ's Righteousness Oh Sirs Woe to us at the last Day if we are found to have nothing but the vilest Sins and no Graces or Duties for then will God judge us by the Gospel whether we are believers or unbelievers Obedient or Disobedient to the Gospel Godly or Wicked Precious or Vile see Rom. 2.6 to 13. And Be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a Man soweth that shall he reap Gal. 6.7 We may have Boldness in the Day of Iudgment because as he is so are we in this World 1 Joh. 4.17 Little Children let no Man deceive you He that doth Righteousness is Righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 whatever Christ by his Gospel promiseth upon any Duty we follow after that in being earnest with God in Christ for Ability to do that Duty and if by Grace we are enabled thereto we may rejoyce in God's Truth and be sure that in the Righteousness of Christ he will perform that Promise to us whereas if we neglect the Duty we wickedly presume to expect that Blessing and abuse and prophane the Name of Christ and his Righteousness in thinking that we may have that Blessing by his Righteousness though we impenitently persist in our Neglects The Reason is this Christ in his Gospel-promises hath declared how the Effects of his Righteousness shall be dispensed to Men and designeth thereby to govern our Hopes and Fears now and to judge us at the last Day 2. The second Sense wherein we are made Righteous by Christ's Obedience I should now insist on but I have already declared what may inform you somewhat thereof nor have I room to pursue it only let me hint 1. That Faith Repentance Holiness c. are a Real Righteousness they are oft called so by the Holy Ghost and Men are denominated Righteous thereby Nay these are called Righteousness and Men said to be Righteous with respect to those abundantly oftner than on the account of the imputed Righteousness of Christ 1 Iohn 3.7 1 Tim. 1.9 1 Pet. 4.18 Rom. 6.13 16 c. 2. All our Inherent Righteousness is owing to Christ's Obedience and to effect it was one of the Principal Designs of Redemption The Impunity of Sinners is a lower Design than the Restoration of the Divine Image to depraved Man Tit. 2.14 Eph. 4.20.24.13 He purchased our Graces and mainly attends to the Mortifying of Sin and perfecting the Holiness of his Members and will at last present them to the Father fit for his delight Eph. 5.27 3. The Oeconomy of Redemption is such that the Holy Ghost is to have a great hand in Saving Sinners especially in applying Christ's Righteousness to Men and communicating the Effects thereof Hence 1 Cor. 6.11 We are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God The Father gives the Redeemer the Redeemer pays the Price of Redemption the Holy Spirit applies the Price The Father gives his Son to obey for Righteousness the Son by Obeying acquireth the Righteousness the Spirit quickens and works Faith in the Sinner whereby he becomes the Person Justified by his Righteousness according to the Gospel-rule of its Application which Rule was joyntly enacted by Father Son and Spirit It 's as
do his Commands that they may have right to the Tree of Life Mr. M. saith you are gone if you expect it Christ saith Luke 21.36 Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Mr. M. tells you he thinks it Inconsistent with Faith to do so 11. They effectually strike at Christ's Government in one of the Principal Means he hath pitched on to administer it by in our present State for with them it 's Damnable to be excited to Duty by hope of any good upon Obedience or by fear of missing that Good if we obey not And so in Truth Promises and Threats are Nullities as to God's Government Hence Mr. M. resolves all the Reasons of Obedience into Motives of what God hath done for us Page 70. Indeed they are Motives but they are not the only Motives nor the chief Motives that God makes use of nor what are fittest to impress Mankind yea or Christians whilst they be so Imperfect and encompassed with Sâ—ares We see they restrain not Wrath Malice Faction c. in too many How dare Men say Is it Damning to submit to such Arguments which God so often useth from future Rewards and Punishments because he sometimes moves us from past Privileges or present Decencies Yea though you should add the Authority of the Precepts whilst you divest them of all Promises and Threatnings to invigorate Mens Compliances therewith We say Frustra est praecipere quod impune potest negligi Christ saith Iohn 13.17 If you know these things happy are you if you do them John 12 48 He that rejecteth me and receives not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken that shall judge him Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked what a Man soweth that shall he reap For he that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting I might transcribe the greatest part of the Bible to prove this 12. They dreadfully Contradict themselves in all the profitable Sermons they preach Mr. M. saith it 's a Damnable Error in me to say that God gives any Benefit in a way of Reward or Encouragement upon Believing though not as a Debt or as if Faith merited ought yea and it 's in and for Christ's Righteousness that it is given Yet hear himself Page 68. Oh get Faith see that you Believe for in this way it will come to pass that the Righteousness of Christ shall be upon you If a Man should ask him Doth God command me to believe Ans. Yes But doth God by you perswade me to believe by this Argument That Christ's Righteousness shall be upon me Ans. Yes sure or it 's a meer Delusion Q. Well but shall I have it upon my Believing A. Yes it is in this way But will it be upon me if I believe not Ans. No I have told you Page 66. Your Souls shall go down into Hell Qu. Do you intend that I may tell my own backward Heart If thou wilt believe thou shalt have an Interest in this Blessed Righteousness and so urge the Worth of this and the Necessity of Believing upon my Soul I suppose Mr. M. must here suspend But if I ask may I expect assuredly when I am through Grace enabled to believe that upon this God will put the Righteousness of Christ upon me and make good the word wherein he caused me to hope viz. That if I did Believe the Righteousness of Christ should be upon me Here Mr. M. by his Principle must cry out O No this is to follow a Soul-destroying Error if there be any in the World Page 46. But Sir I will not plead my Faith as any Merit but only plead the Promise God is pleased to make to my Faith and rely on that word now that I have Faith Mr. M. yet that 's Damnable for then it comes in a way of Reward Then I ask again If that be Damnable Pray why did you use this Motive in the name of Christ to perswade me to believe How could it be a Motive to Faith if I was not to expect it upon believing And if I was to expect it before I believed in case that I would believe Why may not I expect it now that I do believe I know not what Answer Mr. M. will make unless 1. It 's something done by Man Or 2. God will be still at liberty to perform or not perform the Benefit though he did promise it Or 3. He will not perform it in the way he promised it that is He promised it as an Encouragement to you if you would believe but he will not accomplish it as an Encouragement now thaâ— you do believe nor seem so much to approve of your Faith The first were Silly because it was a Man was perswaded to do this eveâ— to believe for I hope it 's a Humane Act though by the Spirits Power The second is to impeach the Truth of God's Word The third is a weak Foppery as if it were a Dishonour to God to give the Benefit in the way he chose to use it as a Motive to the Duty especially when as Mr. M. owneth it 's by the Gospel-word that God puts this Righteousness on us which is the very same Word whereby he urgeth this Benefit as a Motive to Man's Believing If I again ask Why Mr. M. would by this Motive thus perswade Sinners to Believe He would I hope say This is the way God hath ordained to convert them to the Faith But why dare he Preach thus when it implies what he calls a Damning Error or else it 's a meer Mockery I 'll answer for him He had a mind to venture a Contradiction rather than be wholly useless to those People whom he designed to frighten from the Ministry of others as Damnable that he and his Party might be more considerable Reader Would'st thou know whence comes this Confusion I 'll tell thee it is Because they consider not 1. That though the Gospel be not a Law wherein Governing Justice displays it self in the Adjustment of Benefits to the Duty yet therein there is a Governing Authority in a way of Grace suitable to the State of Men in the dispensing of the Fruits of Christ's Death 2. That a Reward of Grace is quite another thing than a Reward of Debt 3. That all Gospel-Benefits are given in Christ's Right and are the Effects of his Righteousness applied to all that partake of them 4. That all Gospel-Precepts and Promises do Authoritatively appoint and describe the Persons that are Parâ—â—kers of Benefits for the sake of Christ's Righteousness but not their own and not put Men on purchasing these Benefits 5. Yet these do fully distinguish them that shall partake of the Benefits from others that shall not partake of them The Gospel doth hereby fix a
the Heart of Stone and gives a heart of Flesh renewing their Wills and by his power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ Conf. Cap. 10. A. 1. Q. 2. Man is altogether Passive therein until being quickned by the holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it Large Cat. A. 73. Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces which do always accompany it or of good Works that are the fruit of it Here we see that there is a quickning regenerating Work and Change on the Heart and Will in order to the Act of Faith and that there is no Faith unaccompanied at any time by other Graces and that by good works they intend not such Graces c. Did not Mr. M. tell us p. 60. that in effecting our Vital Vnion there is a Vital touch as I may say between Christ and us and a Clasping on each other Is there a Vital Touch before Life or a Clasping while we are Dead Doth the Mind see Christ whilst it 's Blind or the Will embrace him whilst it 's morally dead impotent unperswaded and averse Do we consent to Christ and Covenant with him whilst Satan Sin and Enmity Reign in our Faculties or open the Door to Christ whilst these keep the Keys God saith the natural Man receiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 but Mr. M. saith yea it 's while they are natural that they see Christ and close with him Here 's a knowledg of an ignorant Mind here 's a coming and receiving without Life Here 's a Faith the Gospel Covenant never promiseth for it 's not included in God's Writing his Laws in the Heart The whole stress of Salvation is laid by him on an Act of a dead unregenerate sinner and Men are justified while the Soul is not turned from darkness to life nor from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. it were worth asking hâ—m whose Act this Act of Faith is It 's not a Humane Act unless you can suppose the Mind and Will can Act without any Vital Principle yea against it's own prevailing Principle Here then must be a force and unactiveness too in our very acting and it 's a strange Clasping of what we hate and abhor I doubt here may come in again Christ's believing for us However he must think 1. That our Faith after we are alive is either a Faith specifically distinct from that which justified us or it 's still an Act not effected by a regenerate Principle but is somewhat either below Life or above Man even when he is spiritualized he seems to bid at both His Simile is for the first the Spirits which he saith are Corporeal Clasp about the Soul for Life so it seems our Faith is a dead thing always never made Life or Living any more than those Spirits are made Soul otherwise it loseth its Clasping meetness as they would do in ceasing to be Corporeal Yet other times he makes it look like a Divinity Clasp about us 2. I do now see a little why the Man is so against God's giving us any saving Benefit in any way of Reward though not of Debt It 's because Faith is the only thing ordained not required as a Physical means on our part and this is so low a thing that a dead sinner may act or so sublime as not to be a Humane Act. 3. Again I see why he doth still confine our Justification to the end to the first Act of Faith yea and deny the immediate influence of Faith on our Justification for if you should bring it among Duties or to be under the Notion of a Duty all is spoiled No it must be a meer Physical Band of Union not enjoined by God as our Ruler but appointed as the Corporeal Spirits for Ligaments I dare not touch the Philosophy part of that lest if I name Embrio he should Curse me anew 4. I know now at last why he thought me a Pelegian the selfish reason why he writ it to London I knew long since because I in a Printed Sermon put the Act of Faith after spiritual Life it seems I should have said with him That in Vnion with Christ as one mystical Person which is by the efficient causality of Faith we are brought into a state of Spiritual Life Relative in our Iustification and Adoption and then and thereupon Qualitative c. p. 60. His Proofs for Faith before Life because Christ promiseth Life upon believing are contemptible as if further spiritual Life and Pardon and Eternal Glory be not Life as well as Hell is Death ' and some sinners twice dead 4. The Faith he so much insists on hath not all the Essentials of a saving Faith I know many Worthy Men distinguish between Faith quae justificat and qua justificat and no doubt the Soul hath an especial respect to Christ as Priest and his Righteousness in order to Justification But our Discourse is of the Faith quae justificat What that Faith is he tells us p. 62. Faith is a going out of our selves unto Christ for all And p. 40. The Hearts acting towards this Object in its believing is most properly in a way of trust and dependance and affiance Rep. 1. We have just seen it wants a Vital Principle as it is the Act of an unregenerate dead Soul Now this brings it in the Judgment of most Divines to be no saving act at all no saving Faith because the Act of a Natural and Dead Sinner 2. I need not mention that it is no obediential Act And note That when our Divines deny that Faith is not Imputed as an Act of Believing or as an Evangelical Act of Obedience they say it 's not as such imputed as our justifying Righteousness which I grant But they positively affirm that the Faith by which Christ's Righteousness becomes imputed is an Act of evangelical Obedience Confess Chap. 11. A. 1. Again 3. I will not insist how far the Assent of this Faith is limited as to its Object as well as its Nature 4. I do grant That by Gospel-faith we trust in and depend on Christ as our only Saviour and that by it we go out of our selves to Christ for all Attonement Merit Causality of Acceptance of all we do and Strength and Grace to enable us to all 5. Yet see how much more the Assembly includes in saving Faith Confess Chap. 14. A. 2 By this Grace Faith a Christian believeth to be true whaever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come but the principal Acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and restin
wherein I except my self Mr. M. hath done more to favour Socinianism than all those whom he accuseth 1. By calling such Semisocinians whose doctrin and Principles will approve themselves to most Men to be Orthodox Many will abate their prejudice against the real Socinian as not being so bad as the word imported 2. He falls in wholly with the Socinians in denying Christ's Incarnation to be a part of his Humiliation and deprives us of the force of one of the greatest Texts for the Deity of Christ Phil. 2.6 7. 3. He supports the Socinian Cause and one of their strongest Topicks against the Satisfaction of Christ by speaking still of God as a Creditor Sin as a Debt the Law as a Money Bond Christ as a Money Surety whereas all our Divines find it impossible to defend that Doctrin without denying this Metaphor and therefore plead that God is to be considered as a Rector Sin a Crime Sinners Criminals Christ a Sponsor in consistency with his being Redeemer Mediatour Saviour Sacrifice and Priest c. For if Sin were a Money Debt why could not God forgive it without Satisfaction as well as other Creditors do c. 4. He grants the absurdity in the sense objected by the Socinians and still opposed by our Divines viz. That we are as Righteous as Christ in equality Turretin Instit Theol. p. 714 715. proves that licet c. though we are justified by Christ's Righteousness imputed non sequitur nos non minus justos esse quam Christum it doth not follow that we are no less Righteous than Christ So doth Dr. Owen of Iustif. p. 509 510. All our celebrated Opposers of Socinianism do the same Mr. M. may say as well of these as he doth of us for denying it as they do They have a heart-hatred of standing in the Righteousness of Christ. 5. The Socinians have their whole Cause favoured against the Deity of Christ or at least the Arrians by what he asserts concerning the Person of the Son of God He makes him such a God as was capable of a real Glory to be added to him that as God he might be under God's frowns and displeasure might quit and forgo the actual enjoyment of that Love Glory and Inheritance which as Son of God he was entitled to and possessed of before his Incarnation not in a way of manifestation nor as to his Humane Nature but in reality and as to his Divine Nature in which alone he acted before his Incarnation a God capable of an acquired Right superadded to his natural Right to those very Riches Love and Glory which he enjoyed before he was Son of Man And also that the Humane Nature belongs to the Constitution of the Person of the Son of God as it is now p. 8. c. Are not these bold Strokes which I have before fully proved to be his Assertions Though Charity binds me to acknowledge that I think he designeth not to oppose the Eternal Deity of the Son of God by Assertions so unsuitable to the Divine Essence and so mistaketh what God is rather than who he is 6. I might add he blasts all the opposition made by our best Authors against Socinianism by branding even them as Semisocinians To say nothing of his representing the Doctrin of imputed Righteousness in a manner not defensible and tempting to most Mens being Socinians unless they have a better Notion of it Few will believe that we did legally do and suffer what Christ did that we are as Righteous as Christ and that the Gospel enjoineth no Duty as a Condition on us for obtaining the blessed Effects of Christ's Merits which be the only ground of his quarreling thus hotly with us Men of his suspicious temper will judge he designeth to favour Socinianism by calling us Semisocinians 12. Mr. M. Attempts to instruct us how to Preach but with an evil insinuation and in some things very contrary to Apostolical Preaching Thus your Teachers should instruct and lead you This is the Apostles direction to Titus that he should teach them that have believed to be careful to maintain good works not to teach and press sinners in their Vnbelief to fall to doing of good works first and overlook believing wholly or to postpone it after them p. 69. Repl. 1. Which teacher of his Hearers doth teach any to postpone Faith or overlook it wholly or delay it at all If by Believing he means a due accepting of a whole Christ yea do not they direct them to expect all from God through Christ and look to Christ as he in whom all fulness is But our Author is one of them who think Christ is never Preached unless his Name be mentioned and that as a Priest too His revealed Truths and enjoined Laws c. are not Preaching Christ. 2. But may one call Sinners to no Duty till they are Believers Must they not be prest to examin themselves pray read the Word hear it Preached fear God teach their Families love their Wives meditate consider strive with their Hearts resist Temptations believe the Scriptures nor relieve the Poor till they be Believers Peter was to learn of our Author to Preach for though he knew Simon Magus to be in the gall of bitterness yet he bids him then repent of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee Acts 9.22 perhaps he 'll say he believed true in such a manner as I fear some that pretend high to Faith exceed not Paul gives such an account of much of his Ministry at first to Jews and Gentiles Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn unto God and do works meet for Repentance the Baptist was an ill Teacher and Christ's Sermon on the Mount Mat. 5. and Paul's at Lystra Acts 14.15 16. needed Mr. M's direction Paul saith to unbelievers We are Men of like Passions with you thus far he 'll agree and Preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God that made Heaven and Earth c. a good Work is pressed before they believed Here Mr. M. would have told him you Paul should not teach thus But what are his Reasons 1. They that believed in God should be charged to excel in good works therefore they that believe not in Christ should not be pressed to endeavour to set upon doing any good Work Hos. 5. 4. They must not so much as frame their doings to turn unto the Lord. 2. A few words after through Faith that Righteousness will be upon you and being upon you it will produce good Works Here it seems as I have oft heard it urged Ministers should not urge you nor you strive and labour after good Works this Righteousness will produce them but are all that I hope have Faith so abundant therein as not to need Spurs Do all that pretend to it shew that they have it by it's Fruits and how can we know them And is its being upon us the