grieve him in the least measure who cleave unto him as the only rock of their salvation who would not relinquish their interest in him for millions of worlds And yet they weep with Mary because they cannot see their Lord they conflict day and night with feares and doubts they have not this reflexive evidence and assurance that Christ is their Christ that Jesus is their Jesus that this Lord is their Lord. Yet ask them are you willing to accept of him O none in the world rather or more are you willing that he should be your Saviour he only is salvation can you submit to have him to be your Lord Christ O blessed Saviour saith the soul none to rule me but thou none to save me but thou thy blood is precious and thy Lawes are righteous and I could bestow a thousand hearts and a thousand lives if I had them on thee to be changed guided ruled ordered by thee And thus the soul though it cannot see him yet it beleeves on him it believes on him though as yet it cannot say that my beloved is mine and I am his CHAP. VI. The object of Justifying faith NOw I come to the object of Justifying faith and that is twofold First Immediate which is Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly Concomitant Objectum or Consequent which is Remission and Righteousnesse and Salvation for faith first takes Christ himself and then these in and for Christ SECT I. THe immediate object of faith as justifying is Jesus Christ himself as it is in Marriage marriage is an action twixt person and person not twixt person and estate that is a resulting thing so is it in the nature of faith and Christ Faith doth not match the soul to the portion to the benefits but to the person of Christ You heare that God hath put salvation into Christs hand he hath put remission of sins into his blood there is eternal life to be had by him Now if a person saith I will have this salvation by Christ which he hath purchased but I will not have his person I will have the remission of sins by his blood but I care not for his person I will have his righteousnesse by which I may stand before God but I care not for his person this now is no faith it is no justifying faith For faith justifyeth us when we take the person of Christ It is true that we may and should have an eye to the purchase and benefit by Christ but Christ himself is that which faith lookes upon But wherein is the person of Christ the Object of justifying faith For the resolution of this I will open two things First that whole Christ is the proper object of faith Secondly how faith doth exercise it self about whole Christ SECT II. WHole Christ is the adequate and proper object Christ you know in respect of his person is God and man and he may be considered as a Priest or as a Prophet or as a King We usually say as a Saviour and as a Lord. Now he offers himself in all these to sinners saith Christ there is no Name under heaven by which you can be saved but me no Jesus but my self and I have been the Priest who have offered my heart blood to procure the pardon of your sins and salvation I have satisfied my Father to the utmost and have fulfilled all righteousnesse Now I am willing to bestow my self on you as one who can and will assuredly save you But if you would have me to be your Priest to save you you must also be willing to have me to be your Prophet to instruct you and direct you and to be your King and Lord to command you you must resigne up your selfe to my Scepter and Government for I am a Lord as well as a Saviour and I will be taken in both or else you shall have part in neither There be three things which lay hard on us One is the gilt of sin which exposeth the soul to hell and wrath for which Christ is a Saviour and a Priest He became a curse for us and bare our sinnes that is stood in our stead and under-went that indignation which else should have lighted on us Another is the corruption or pollution of sin which breeds inconformity to Gods Will and depraves the whole nature for which Christ is a Saviour and a Prophet that is he is appointed to informe the minde and reforme the heart A third is the rebellion of sin rising in sinfull notions and sordid delights and wayes for which Christ is a Saviour and a King that is he is to subdue those iniquities to give them the bill of divorce to captivate all imaginations and to bring the whole man into the subjection of himself but then he will be Jesus and Lord too thou mayest not think that Christ must save thee and sin shall rule thee thou must not think that he will pay thy debts if thou wilt give thy heart and service to sinne and the world How ridiculous is it to conceive that God should raise up Christ as the Pope raiseth up his indulgences only to keep or fetch souls out of Purgatory as if Christ were given only to pay our scores and not to rule our hearts for no other end but to keep us out of prison that we might do nothing but sin against God because Christ can take away the gilt of sin Nay whole Christ is eyed by faith taken and received by faith Do I feel my sanfull gilt I now by faith take Jesus Christ whom the father hath appointed and offered to be my Priest to be my surety to beare my sins to stand 'twixt God and me Do I feel my sinfull nature and motions I now take Jesus Christ whom the Father hath appointed to be my Prophet and King He hath undertaken to be the teacher of hearts and conquerer of sin as so do I take him to be my Lord. SECT III. THerefore consider in the second place How faith doth exercise it self about whole Christ if you please I will discover it in the particulars For Christ as a Saviour and Priest Thus faith looks on him not only that he is so but to be so to me he was God and man and dyed and satisfied and took away sin God proclaimes thus much and offers him to me here is the Saviour of the world this is my well beloved Son here is the blood of atonement and peace What doth faith now O faith takes hold on him I acknowledge him I receive him O Lord to be my Saviour and Priest not I O Lord not I could ever have susteined thy wrath or satisfied thy justice I could never have made my own peace I could never have blotted out the hand writing I could never have paid my debts but thou hast set forth Christ to be the propitiation for sin O Lord I embrace him my life is in his death my healings in his sufferings my satisfaction in his
Sampson dayes as Methusalah riches as Dives were his dwellings like the doors of the Sanctuary and shaped into the most imaginable Paradise of all exquisite and earthly delights If yet his soul remained and expired unbelieving if he had not faith His unbelieving soul shall be cast out into the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone Revel 21. 8. 2. Nay again A man may perhaps be guilty of many sins and those very fowle high and crying he hath perhaps been an Idolater or else an Adulterer or else a Blasphemer or else a Persecutor yea even of Christ yet upon his repentance and faith in Christ his soul shall be saved in the day of the Lord. For no former sinnes shall prejudice the soul which is now truly turned from them and hath by faith yeilded up it self to Christ But the unbeleeving person hath every sinne and every guilt upon a severe and sure account he rejects his own satisfactions by refusing Christ The Law of God will sue him cut for every rebellion and the justice of God will break out upon him for all his iniquities and conscience will give up all his guilts and because he is unbelieving vengeance to the utmost shall cease on him and there is none to deliver him nor he ever able to deliver himself Vnbelief it bindes all the sinnes upon the soul and condemnation fast unto the sinnes It leaves the sinning soul naked to the eye of divine Justice neither hath the soul any shelter which is out of Christ O thou who wilt not kisse the Sunne now who wilt not have Christ to rule thee who despisest the tender love of God the precious blood of Christ who wilt receive him for thy Priest for thy Prophet for thy King In the last day thou shalt curse thy heart and accurse thy sins and cry to the mountaines but they will not cover thee to mercy but that will not pitty thee to Christ but he will not regard thee to Justice but it will not heare thee thou wouldst not believe thou wouldst not receive Christ as Lord and Saviour but thou wouldst have the love of sin and therefore thou shalt have the portion of a sinner thou shall not see life but the wrath of God shall abide upon thee Nay if the father hath given and offered unto thee his own Sonne and thou harden thy heart by unbelief thou wilt not take him upon those termes I tell thee in the name of the Lord Jesus that if thou wilt thus bid Christ farewell thou dost bid God farewell all mercy farewell all salvation farewell all hope of it farewell and thou bindest all thy sinnes upon thy soul and all the curse of the Law upon thy soul Woe unto thee it s better thou hadst never been borne If thou hast any sense as an ordinary creature any reason as a man any understanding as a Christian any true estimation of an immortal soul any conceptions of heaven or hell if salvation be any comfortable thing if damnation be any miserable thing then I beseech thee I beseech thee labour for faith get out of an unbelieving condition thou perâ—shest if thou stay'st there thou art lost for ever he that believes not shall be damned said the Prince of salvation O repent and believe why will you die O house of Israel Consider throughly of the love of God in giving Christ and of 2. Motive the love of Christ in giving himself and perhaps this may perswade thee to labour for faith The love of God in giving of Christ See Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 17. For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved O this love of God to sinners To give his Son and not a servant his own Son and not another his only Son and not a second his only begotten Son and not an adopted childe and that not for any ill but for good he did not send him as an enemy but as a friend not to deliver a poor and mean good but the best and highest good to save us not to deliver us from an ordinary danger but from condemnation Yea and he is sent and given he was not sought by us but given by him Yea and no way deserved but freely given yea and given to us not friends but enemies Thou hast shewed this day said Saul to David 1 Sam. 24. 18 How that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand thou killedst me not 19. For if a man finde his enemy will he let him go well away Thus here 'twixt man and man but saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Now shall all this love be in vaine shall God think of a Christ and we pass by him shall he give a Saviour and we reject him shall he bring salvation to our doores and we not accept of it Why you need my Son and you are damned if you take him not and I freely offer him unto you that you may be saved and shall not we strive for faith to receive him The love of Christ O how wonderfull was his love to us it was not a love to the fallen Angels but to fallen man and such a love to fallen man as the like cannot be found He laid aside his glory to do us good he humbled himself to raise us he became poor to enrich us he fasted and prayed and endured the contradiction of sinners Reproaches Crucifyings Wrath Bloody agonies Conflicts with Satan sorrows in his soul piercings in his body and a bitter death to satisfie for us and to reconcile us and shall we not accept of him shall all this be in vaine Why doest thou not heare Christ calling and crying out unto thee never were any sorrowes like my sorrowes never was any love like to my love O unbelieving and sinning soul look upon me why doest thou passe by why doest thou hide thine eyes from me why doest thou stop thine eares at me I am the Saviour of sinners and there is none else besides me thy own miseries might cause thee to look up and embrace me And let my love unto thee a little draw thee move thee melt thee Hast thou not heard of the revilings and scoffes which I susteined my love to thy soul made me a willing patient Hast thou not heard of the agonies of my soul which made me to sweat drops of blood and my soul was exceeding heavy even to the death yet my love to thy soul made me willing to drink that cup Hast thou not heard of that desertion and of that wrath which made me to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet my love to thy soul made me to passe through it Hast
to Christ Great sinnings are never eased either by dispaire or by unbelief But two things they should cause 1. One is great humblings and sorrow 2. Another is great desires and beseechings for Christ Suppose a man owed his whole estate his only way was to beg a whole discharge suppose a man had many wounds and deep ones too for this reason should he go to the Chyrurgion Why Brethren what would you alone do with great sinnings Can you ever discharge them can you ever satisfie for them Nay do they not open unto thee thy great need of Christ and point the way to him 1. God hath greater mercies then we sins 2. Christ hath stronger merits and satisfactions to the utmost 3. Greater sins should hasten us into the mercy-seat the greater wounds to the Physician 4. The greatest sinners when humbled have been accepted and pardoned Manasses Maâ—y Magdaline Paul Some great sinners have miscarried because they never came to Christ 6. Hadst thou lesse sinnes wouldst thou not come in Why then c. 7. The greatest sinner never miscarried by coming to Christ and the least sinner doth for not coming to Christ Thy not coming to Christ bindes all thy sins on thy soul Thy unbelief is a worse sin then all the rest and that shall appear unto thee thus First it is a refusal of all thy remedy as if it were a small thing to provoke Justice thou doest now provoke mercy too Secondly it is that which besides its own gilty qualities keepâ— also all the former guilts upon the account Every sin that thou hast committed heretofore it doth keep its sting iâ—s accusation its force against thee if thou wilt not beleeve so that this can be neither safety nor wisdome for thee to hold off because of the greatnesse of thy sins Christ is a great Saviour He is called a mighty Saviour and the salvation in him is called a great salvation and the redemption in him a plenteous redemption 1 Joh. 21. If any man sin we have an Advocate wiâ—h the Father Jesus Christ the righteous v. 2. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world I remember in the Levitical Law there were sacrifices for all sorts of sins what did they prefigure but the ample efficacy in the death of Christ which was an atonement for sins of all kindes and was as the daily sacrifice for the expiation of the continued and augmented number of transgressions Why what are thy thoughts of Christ and of redemption in him doest thou not know First that the sinner must finde his full discharge in his blood thou must be beholding to Christ for the payment of the smallest as well as of the greatest debt Secondly That the strength and merit of Christs death exceeds the merit of all sin where sin abounded there grace abounded much more If it had not then the sinner could not have been pardoned for then justice had not been satisfied Thirdly What the extension of Christs death may be I will not dispuâ—e but this is clear the intension or merit of his death is infinite and exceeds the greatest sins Why if sins had not been great or if the greatnesse of them did prejudice from Christ really God would never have given so great a Saviour as Christ the Apostle saith Heb. 7. that he is able to save to the utmost And that he redeemes us from the law Gal. 4. From all transgression whatsoever committed against the Law and from all the curses of the Law against them Fourthly Christ hath already answered this scruple by giving instances of mercy to great sinners was not David a murderer of Vriah was not Mary Magdalen a foul sinner was not Zacheus a griping oppressor was not Paul a bitter and sore persecutor were not those amongst the Corinthians sinners in the highest forme and yet Christ called them and washed them and justified them Fifthly the matter is not 'twixt thee and Christ about the greatnesse or littlenesse of former sinnings but about the present disposition and affection of thy soul not what thou hast loved heretofore but what thou wilt now love not what thou hast followed and served heretofore but what thou wilt now chuse and obey Though the Jewes had been a sinful Nation laden with iniquity a seed of evill doers corrupters of themselves Isa 1. 4 5 6. Forsakers of the Lord provokers of the holy one of Israel Apostates Revolters putrified from the sole of the foot even unto the head stark naught Yet God comes unto them and Articles thus with them ver 16. Wash you make you clean cease to do evil vers 17. Learn to do well as if he should say though you have been thus abundantly evil yet now harken unto me let your hearts be turned from sins and bestow them on me and my service Object But what shall we do for pardon of the former sins Sol. Why saith God do not you trouble your selves for that only hearken unto me and be willing and obedient for hereafter and as for former sinnings though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool ver 18. The same I say in this case Christ will finde blood enough to get the pardon of sins if thy heart would come off from sin to accepâ— of him I stand not saith Christ upon what thou hast been I can easily discharge thee only that which I require is this leave thy sins and accept of me I beseech you take heed of two things one is a secret Pride that you will not be brought to be beholding to God for great pardons Another is a present love of sin This and not the former sinnings prejudiceth from Christ Obj. But God is just and he will not hold the sinner guiltlesse and he hath revealed his wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse and therefore if I should flye to the City of refuge yet from thence would he withdraw me and be avenged of me Sol. I Answer 1. Even this also should constraine thee to believe forasmuch as by unbelief thou becomest a great rebel against the Gospel and he will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus 2 Thes 1. 8. 2. Unlesse justice be satisfied assuredly it will never spare thee for Justice will have either thy obedience or thy satisfaction But then the way to present satisfaction to Gods justice is to beleeve in Christ forasmuch as God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their trespasses It was Jesus Christ who performed full obedience and endured an accursed death to satisfie Gods justice and this not for himself but for the believer and for none but for the believer So that there is no other way comfortably to answer justice but by believing in Christ For now thou hast a surety one who stood
it is quiet faith makes our state sure and assurance peaceful Two effects he there delivers of this blessed assurance one is a transcendent joy and another is a compleat peace It glads the heart and it pacifies the heart It is most true that faith in its vital act of acceptation intitles us to both Every beleever hath cause of great joy sweet peace but it is faith in this eminent act of assurance which replenisheth the soul with actual joy and actual comfort For now the beleever sees and knows his happinesse He hath a Christ and knows it he hath pardon of sinne and knows it he stands in favour of God and knows it that which held up his soule is now opened all the causes of his comfort shine as it were and clearly discover themselves in a way of well grounded propriety As David said concerning his enemies Psalme 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid So the assured soule in this case can exult God is my God Christ is my Christ they have pardoned my sinnes accepted of my person what should trouble me what should disquiet me my soule doth now rejoyce in God my Saviour Who shall lay any thing to the the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Romans 8. 34. Sinne that is pardoned Justice that is satisfied my soul that is reconciled my person that is justified my prayers they are answered my heart that is pacified for God is mine and Christ is mine and I am his Before I am assured I see my sinnes look up to Christ and adventure my soule on him for pardon I trust on him yet I may feare but when I am assured I see my sinnes look up to Christ and my soule is quiet and rejoyceth As it was with the Israelites when they were Neere the red sea they looked back on their enemies and looked up to God but yet they were exceedingly afraid Afterwards when they had past through the read sea and stood upon the shore they looked back upon the same enemies but now as drowned and then their sighes were turned into joyes and their feares into peace They exceedingly rejoyed Why in assurance though we look upon the same sinnes yet not in the same manner Now we look upon them as drowned enemies as iniquities cast into the depths of the sea as pardoned iniquities Now though sin doth grieve the soule yet sinne pardoned doth quiet and rejoyce the soul 3. Assurance doth arme the heart against future temptations There are two sorts of temptations against both which the assurance of faith doth arme the beleever 1. To sinne Though assurance be a kinde of heaven upon earth yet in this doth the beatifical vision differ from a beleeving assurance that the one leaves no sinne at all but the other is a day of great comfort to a beleeving sinner yet even an assured person hath yet much of a sinning nature remaining in him Neverthelesse though assurance doth not wholly cast off feare yet it doth exceedingly keep off sinne A beleeving person shall not easily sinne whiles he is reading his pardon and looking his Christ in the face How can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God If the meere respect of a God was so prevalent with Joseph O how much more powerful is the propriety in a God How can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against my God Should such a man as I flee said Nehemiah so the assured Christian should such a man as I sinne Nay remember it Sinne is never more odious to the heart then when the heart is most assured The great and rich mercy of God in Christ it is the principal bane of a temptation The man who formerly would have stept out against the threats of justice having now obtained mercy trembles at the very thoughts of sinning 2 To despaire it is possible for an assured person to sinne and then this is probable and more then â—o that new sinnings will quickly cloud olâ— assurance Though a beleever looseth not his life yet â—e may loose his health and though he hath a Father 〈◊〉 yâ—t by sinning he looseth the sight of that Father 〈…〉 exceedingly humbled and repents â—â—d 〈…〉 cannot read his former Evidences he 〈…〉 cast off for ever and shall be remembred 〈…〉 yâ—t an ancient assurance well grounded 〈…〉 and preserve the soul against despair◠〈…〉 â—hat God will not cast off the soul Jer. 〈…〉 hath appâ—â—â—â—ed of old unto me saying I 〈…〉 an everlastâ—ng love therefore with loâ—â—ng 〈…〉 thee Ver. 4. Againe I will build thee and thou shalt be built So Psal 8â— 30. 〈◊〉 his children forsâ—ke my Law and walk not in my judgments Ver. 31. If they break my statuteâ— and keep not my commandments Ver. 32. Then will I visit their transgression with the red and their iniquities with stâ—ipes Ver. 33. Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utteâ—ly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Vâ—r. 34. My Covenant will I not break c. Sure mercies of David Isaiah 55. 3. So for Christ Ioh 13. 1. Having loved his own he loved them to the end 4. Assurance by faith sweetens all other blessing to us Job speaking of many outward mercies in â—â—s children in his plenty his honours Job 29. 5. 67. and ver 3. he recounts one which shadowed all of them his candle shinâ—d upon my head Aâ— if the evidence of Gods favouâ— were like the light which gives life and beauâ—y to all the colours in the roome and without which all our blessings lay dead and dark O what an enlivening matter is this to all that I enjoy and God is my God too and Chriâ—t is my Christ too and my sins are pardoned too here is a dear and loving husband yea and God is my God too here are teâ—der and observing children yea and Christ is my Christ too here is plenty of food and raiment and friends yea and my sins are pardoned too But the want of this may check all our blessings and is able to marre the very comfort of our comforts I am exceeding rich yea but I cannot yet say that God is my God I am greatly honoured by man yea but I cannot yet say that Christ is my Redeemer I have health and marrow in my bones and want not for any outward mercy yea but I cannot yet say that my sinnes are pardoned for ought I know that may yet stand upon record which may lose my soul for ever 5. Nay again it is able to sweeten all our crosses a crosse is more or lesse heavy to the Christian by how much the more or the lesse God appeares to the soul The Disciples may even in a storme rejoyce if Christ be in the Ship It was an excellent speech that of Job 29. 3. By his light I walked through
bodies only they could not save souls not one of them not all of them to ransome to rescue to redeem a soul requires more then an arme of flesh Flesh may save or protect flesh but he must be more then flesh who can save a soul Now Jesus Christ is a Saviour of souls 1 Pet. 1. 9. Rev. 20 4. the price of our souls is in his blood with it he bought them and redeemed them They could save from some outward misery the tyranny and oppression of the enemy they have oft-times put back but from inward servitude and thraldome they could never save they could not deliver the persons from the tyranny of their sinnes whom they have been able to deliver from the tyranny of sinful men But the Son of God can save from inward and spiritual miseries he can save from sinne Mat. 11. 21. He shall save his people from their sinnes Sin hath gilt in it he saves us from that by shedding his blood and procuring remission Eph. 1. 7. And sin hath pollution in it He saves us from that by cleansing the heart 1 Iohn 1. 9. And sin hath dominion with it but Christ hath assured that he will make us free Joh. 8. And that no sinne shall have dominion over us Rom. 6. He can save from Satan Heb. 2. 14. He did through death destroy him who had the power of death 〈…〉 the Devil and ver 15. did deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage He can save from the wrath of God so he did by becoming a On me my son said Rebeckah be the cuâ—se see Gal 3. 13. curse for us by suffering the sensible and marvelous impressions of his displeasure for our sinnes Jesus saith the Apostle 1 Thes 1. 10. delivered us from the wrath to come They were such Saviours as did need a Saviour Christ was the Saviour of them who were the Saviours of others Many they did save but themselves they could not save Whiles they lived they could save but dying they could not save any longer but Christ Jesus saved us by his death the losing of his own life caused ours we are saved by his death the son of Matth. 20. 28. man came to give his life a ransome for many He is a general Saviour Joh. 4. 42. The Saviour of the world The Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4. 10 Therefore Jude ver 4 calls the Salvation by Christ the Common Salvation Mistake me not when I say that Christ is a general Saviour as if every man in the world should be saved by Christ He is not a general Soviour in respect of individual persons but First in respect of successions of persons That is there never was any age succeeding a former age but in every age Christ was a Saviour Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. He is the Saviour in the daies of old and in our dayes and in the times after us In respect of Nations He is not the Soviour of the Jewes only but of the Gentiles also He justifies Circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith Rom. 3. 30. The Jew cannot boast nor the Gentile complaine but there is Salvation for them both in Iesus Christ In respect of conditions He is not the Saviour of the great and mighty only nor of the poor and desperate only but the one and the other shall be saved by Christ The Salvation of the â—â—ch is not in his wealth but in his Christ Neither shall the poor person be excluded because of his poverty but all sorts of persons high and low rich and poor may find Christ to be a Saviour In respect of relations He is not the Saviour of the Master only but even of his lowest servant not of the husband only but of the wife not of the father only but of the child not of the Prince only but of the subject also The Apostle hath said enough Gal. 3. 28. There is neither Iew nor Gentile there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus He is a mighty Saviour he is able to save to the utmost Heb. 7. 25. and this appears if you consider The greatnesse of his satisfaction That he was able alone to stand before the justice of his father and to answer and fulfil it even to appeasment and contentation yea so entirely did he answer it that God is now pacified and become propitious The greatnesse of his passions That he endured the unspeakable wrath of God O what a thing was this that the Lord Iesus could at once be able to bear all our sinnes upon him and the mighty wrath of God for them and expiate all of them He did stand at the Bar not to suffer and satisfie for one sin only nor for all the sinnes of one man only nor for some sinnes of most men only nor for all the sinnes of all men in former ages but for all the sins of all that shall be saved from the first man that lived to the last man that shall dye Yet though he had all their sinnes to answer for though he had a severe justice to deal with all though he had a perfect law to fulfil though four mighty enemies to conquer Sin World Death and Hell yet he went through all satisfied suffered conquered He is a perfect Saviour the perfection of his saving consists in three things First in the alonenesse of it whatsoever was required meritoriously to save men is in him alone there is no other name beside his nor with his but he alone is a Saviour there is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus said the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is no concurrence of any Angel nor of the Prayers of any Saints departed and glorified nor yet in the inherent sanctity in any man living nor yet of any workes before or after grace which comes in with Christ as a meritorious cause of our Salvation But Jesus Christ alone is sufficient and effectual to save the sinner as the government is upon his shoulder so is our Salvation Thou canst not come to an Angel nor to a Saint and say such and such sinnes are the burden now upon my soul do you by your righteousnesse ease me such and such debts are upon my soul do you satisfie for me Thou canst not come to God and say truly Lord I have sinned against thee but here are so many floods of teares which I have shed now for their sakes wash and pardon me Here are so many prayers offered up unto thee for their sakes heare and harken and forgive here are so many charitable works by which I have clothed the naked fed the hungry relieved the poor for their sakes look upon me and accept of me It is very true that these things are required of Christians and I shall hereafter shew unto you the necessity
expiate our sins was Christ as God as the suffering did properly belong to the humane nature so the efficacy of that suffering did appertaine to the divine nature had he been God only he could not have suffered had he been man only he could not have merited The Altar sanctifieth the gift not the gift the Altar for here that which did make up the high efficacy of the sacrifice was the divine nature of Christ That Jesus Christ who was God and man did offer up himself as a sacrifice for sinnes was more then if all the holy Angels and holy men in the world had suffered there is now by reason of the divine nature an infinite dignity to answer for all our sins which else had stood uncancelled The efficacy of this sacrifice which is this that he took away our sins blotted out the hand writing nailed them to his cross buried them in his grave Heb. 9. 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many 10 11. Every High Priest standeth daily ministring and offering often-times the same sacrifice which can never take away sins 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God He did by his sacrifice take away all the gilt of sin and all the satisfactory punishment for all this was charged upon him as our Mediator our Priest and our surety yea and he made a perfect reconciliation betwixt his father and us and therefore as our Priest he is our propitiation 1 Joh. 2. 1. and our reconciliator and peace Eph. 2. 14. and our atonement Romanes 5. 11. So that to give the summe of all this Jesus Christ was anointed that is designed by God the Father to be our Priest i. e. to offer up himself as a perfect satisfaction to divine Justice for the remission of all our sins and punishments and this he did perfectly performe for us and this was accepted of God for us I say for us he was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and who is made righteousnes redemption and sanctification and wisdome to us and that of God whatsoever he did or suffered from his Father it was as our surety in our stead and so it is reputed A third part of his Priestly office is this that he doth make intercession Isa 53. 12. He bare the sinnes of many and made intercession for the transgressors so Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that dyed or rather that is risen againe and is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us And therefore he is called our advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. and is said to appear for us Heb. 9. 24. He is as it were the Deputy or rather our Attorney to Negotiate for us with the Father There is a two fold intercession one by way of duty another by way of merit one of charity another of dignity When I pray for any man in distresse I am said to be an intercessor to deal for him with God as a matter of my duty and out of a charitable respect But Christ he only interceeds meritoriously and by way of dignity His intercession as I conceive intimates three things The exhibition of his person before the Father as our Surety our Redeemer our Mediator I am he and I am here to answer This exhibition of his glorious merits for he doth not nakedly appeare who appeares as an intercessor but he must actively appeare and so doth Christ He went up to heaven with the price of his blood with the ransome which he purchased with the righteousnesse and satisfaction made with the merits of his oblation and sacrifice and there he presents them continually before his father as if Christ should still say Father I am he that dyed for to get pardon to get favour to get grace and to get such or such good things this is the blood that I shed the price that I paid to satisfie thy justice to fulfil thy Law to remit these sins to confer these graces c. The ingratiating us with the Father which he doth by the continuall application of his own merits when sin gets up to accuse our persons and our prayers then Christ shews himself our intercessor by putting aside the force of the bill of complaint and answers for our persons and for our services True O Father this man hath sinned thus against thee but I am his surety to satisfie for these his sinnes and I did shed my blood for them therefore now look not on him but on me and for my sake accept of him and be propitious to him So for infirmities true O Father his imperfections in duty are many but I am to beare the iniquity of the holy offerings and my righteousnesse is perfect and that I present unto thee for him now notwithstanding his weaknesses for my merits accept of his person grant him his request do him good Thus Christ is the Angel who offered up the prayers of the Saints with incense Rev. 8. 3 4. Nay Father accept and incline thine eares I have deserved acceptance and audience c. SECT IV. SEcondly Christ was anointed to be a Prophet so Deut. 18. 18. I will raise you up a Prophet from among their brethren the which is expresly interpreted to be Christ by Peter in Act. 3. 20 22. Therefore Christ is called Counsellor Isa 9. 6. one who doth advise and direct his Church and the Doctor or Teacher Mat. 23. 8. and the Apostle of our profession Heb. 3. 1. and the faithfull witnesse Rev. 1. 5. And a witness to the people Isa 55. 4. A Leader and a Commander yea he is called the Light of his Church Isai 61. 1. And the light of the world Luke 2. 32. that is it is he who did reveal to the world the true Doctrine of eternal life and the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. and the Bishop of our souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. and the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. The anointing of Christ to be a Prophet implyes That he was to reveale the will of his Father and the wayes of life Joh. 15. 15 All things that I have heard of my father have I made known unto you So Heb. 1. 2. In these last dayes he hath spoken to us by his Son Joh. 6. 68. Master to whom should we go thou hast the words of eternall life see Isaiah 61. 2. Matthew 11. 27. There is no person who must dare to prescribe any other doctrine but such as Christ hath delivered He may not coine new Articles of faith nor of obedience Christ is appointed to be the Prophet of his Church that is to deliver unto them all such truths from his father which shall and do concerne their everlasting salvation That he is to make us know effectually the things which he doth reveale in his Word There is no Prophet able to convey his doctrine beyond the eare though it be as
Salvation for a sinner Secondly that there is a way tending thereto as a meritorious 5. Arguments cause of it Thirdly that every man is a sinner for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 22. Now then know that there are but two wayes of life according Two wayes of life to which there is a double Covenant First one Legal Secondly the other Evangelical The Legal Covenant is do this and live the Evangelical Covenant is believe and live The Legal Covenant grounds salvation in our own persons and the Evangelical in the righteousnesse of another person And these Covenants are opposite that one cannot consist with the other For and mark this though the Law and the Gospel may and do and shall consist as the Law is a word of rule for obedience yet they cannot possibly consist is the Covenant of justification and salvation that is whosoever will stand to the Covenant of works to be justified by it he rejects the Covenant of grace and so Econtra Well then this being true that our life is to be had by the Covenant of Works or of Grace I will briefly shew unto you that we sinners can never be justified and saved by the Legal Covenant which if I clear then it will be evident that our salvation is only by faith in Jesus Christ Thus then all the possibility to be justified and saved by the Legall Covenant ariseth from one of these grounds viz either because That there is a fulnesse and exactnesse in inherent holinesse 3. Things That there is a dignity and efficacy in actual obedience which they call good works That there is a latitude or sufficiency of duty to fulfil the Law which may be conceived to be in a regenerate person but none of these can justifie and save Ergo For the first viz inherent holinesse this holinesse is that 1. Inherent holinesse which is wrought in our whole soul by the Spirit of God whereby of wicked he makes us good and of unholy he makes us holy and according to the severall degrees of it is the person lesse or more holy Now this we say that though the justified person hath this infused inherent holinesse Yet this is not that which Cannot justifie and save can justifie him before God that is for the dignity of which he can stand so before the judgement of God as to be pronounced just and righteous and so acquitted which I prove thus 1. That can never be the cause of our justification which is defective and imperfect and leaves yet the person in some measure sinful I 4. Reasons of it cannot in the Court of Justice be pronounced perfectly just for that righteousnesse which is imperfectly just no more then he can in a strict court be reputed to make full satisfaction who hath not paid halfe his debt or to be throughly well who is scarse able to walk three turnes in the Chamber But that holiness which is in us inherent holinesse is very imperfect I speak of that which is in us here on earth it is not adequate or parallel to the whole will of God which requires perfection of degrees as well as of parts That it is imperfect is as cleare as day First it is at combate with sin Ergo it is not perfect the argument is good for whiles one contrary is mixed with the other there is still imperfection Sinne and Grace are contrary and conflictings shew imperfection as victory notes perfection Secondly that which may be encreased is not perfect but our inherent holinesse may receive more encrease Hence those many exhortations to perfect holiness 2 Cor. 7 1. and to labor after perfection 2 Cor. 1. 3. Thirdly all the parts of holinesse are imperfect Faith is not so clear an eye nor Hope so fixed an Anchor nor Love so pure a streame but that each of them need additions of degrees of strength of help the Moon when it draweth into nearest conjunction with the Sun and is filled with the longest beames of communicated light it hath yet her spots which like so many reproaches stick in the heart of her so is it with the holiest person on earth with the largest measures of inherent graces he hath yet great measures of sinne which like so many spots do blemish and disable the soul to stand perfectly pure and just before the eyes of God That righteousnesse by which we are justified is manifested without the Law See Rom. 3. 21. and what that righteousnesse is he expresseth in ver 22. even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe But inherent righteousnesse is not manifested without the Law Why because the Law commands this inherent righteousnesse viz. To love the Lord our God with all our hearts c. That cannot be the cause of our justification and salvation upon which the conscience dares not to rest in the secret agonies of conflict or in the eminent houres of death when the soul is to enter conflict with the wrath of God being wounded with the sense of sinne and cited as it were before the tribunal of Gods holy and strict justice dares it then to put it self seriously and in good earnest upon its own holinesse to make its peace to be its propitiation to satisfie the trials and demands of Gods justice One Chemnitius well observeth of the Papists that when they are to dispute with men they will plead for inherent holinesse but when they are to contend with God they will flie only to Christ tutissimum est said Bellarmine It was no ill meditation that of Anselme Conscientia mea meruit damnationem Paenitentia mea non sufficit ad Anselme satisfactionem sed certum est quod miserecordia tua superat omnem offensionem that is O Lord my conscience tells me I have deserved damnation all the repentance that I have or can perform comes short of satisfaction but thy mercy even thy mercy only can pardon and so exceed all my transgressions The most holy persons do every day sin and need daily pardon and daily mercy how then can we be justified or saved for the merit or dignity of any holinesse in our selves How ridiculous were it that he should think himself to stand in great favour and acceptation before his Prince for the singularity of his continued vertues and performances who every day breaks out into such acts which need the Kings gracious mercy and pardon There is no dignity or meritorious efficacy in actual holinesse or 2. Actual holiness or good works cannot justifie 2. Reasons of it in good works by reason whereof we can be justified and saved I know this fields is very large I will not expatiate but speak in a word of it with a proper respect to the thing in hand I prove the thing thus 1. No man since Adams fall can performe works in that perfection which
bound for me alas saith he all my estate will not reach or extend to satisfie half of what thou owest Then he goes to another Sir be you pleased to engage your self Alas saith he I am so poore that the Creditor will not take my word Even thus it is when a man will runne to something in himself to justifie him before God alas saith holinesse I am not able enough and saith good works God may finde reason enough to discard us Therefore saith Faith To Christ To Christ None but Christ SECT II. SEcondly All that can justifie and save a man is only to be found in Christ as in the meritorious cause Ergo the only way to be saved is to be beleeve in Jesus Christ Hence is Christ called Heb. 2. 10. The Chaptaine of our salvation Heb. 5. 18. The Author of eternal salvation There be two things which if a man had he should be saved one is the forgivenesse of his sinnes Ergo saith David Ps 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered ver 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Another is the possession of a most compleat righteousnesse by which he might stand and appeare perfectly just before the judgement seat of God so that if divine justice should look on it with the exactest eye yet it were every way unspotted and full Now these two are to be found only in Christ and by him First Remission of sinnes It is the purchase of his blood onely and therefore often in Scripture assigned thereto Thou canst not with all thy teares wipe off meritoriously the least of thy sinnes nor with all thy grace buy out the pardon of thy present failings All Remission is by blood by the only blood of Christ Secondly the righteousnesse which justifies and saves us is only in Christ He is made righteousnesse to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. and Rom. 5. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous see verse 21. Grace reignes through righteousnesse unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. I know that this Point of imputed righteousnesse is the great quarrel 'twixt us and the Church of Rome I shall therefore reserve the handling of it to the Uses where I may more fitly clear our doctrine Now put things together Whatsoever will save us is in Christ And faith is the only grace to conjoyne us with Christ and therefore To believe in Jesus Christ is the only way to saved SECT III. THirdly Salvation is by grace only Eph. 2. 5. Rom. 11. 6. And it is a free gift Rom. 5. 15. The free gift the grace of God and the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many and v. 16. the free gift is of many offences to justification and v. 18. the free gift came upon all men to justification of life Now if it be so then here 's roome for beleeving For Faith brings nothing of its own but receives all as gift from God It is the receiving grace Lord give me thy Son Lord give me the pardon of my sinnes Lord give me a righteousnesse Lord give me eternal life all these things are gifts and faith only receives these gifts Ergo. SECT IV. FOurthly Salvation is only conferr'd in such a way whereby God only may have the glory of it Though God doth bestow great matters on us for our good yet all the end of them is for his own glory To commend the riches of his grace and mercy Ephes 2. 7 8. so v. 9. Not of works least any man should boast that is he should vaunt and say I have got heaven by my own merits I have my wages for my labour and my happinesse for my penny Now the way of beleeving is the only way of acknowledgeing a God and of emptying of our proud imaginations whatsoever faith hath it hath taken the same out of a gracious hand All is almes which comes to faith and it will confesse I have nothing and am nothing but what I have received and what I expect I expect it for his sake who promiseth it not for my sake who receives it and thus faith puts all the glory on God SECT V. FIfthly neither would our salvation be sure nor our comfort sure if we were to be saved any other way then by believing in Jesus Christ Salvation would not be sure because First our happinesse would be no more sure now being in our own hands out of Christs then was Adams left to himself Secondly we would never be sure of salvation by any thing against which God might take just exception No sure comfort because conscience troubled with the sence of sin could never be pacified with imperfections and sins That which will not satisfie God can never pacifie conscience But saith the Apostle Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God faith findes one who was delivered for our offences who pacified God to the utmost who was without spot whose righteousnesse is full imputed to us accepted for us and so hereupon doth graciously quiet and still the heart We must distinguish 'twixt the root and fountaine and ground of our comfort and between the testimonies of our interest in the root of our comfort only Jesus Christ is the ground of a Christians comfort and therefore saith Paul God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ If at any time we behold holinesse or any part of it in our hearts we take comfort in it not as the ground but as in the testimony because it doth manifest our interest in him who is our comfort our peace our joy our salvation our all in all Thus much for the Explication and confirmation of this great assertion viz. That to beleeve in Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation Now I descend to the useful Application of all to our selves CHAP. VIII The preaching and hearing of the Gospel of singular use THe first Use shall be for Information which consists in many profitable consectaries or inferences which will flow from this truth If beleeving in the Lord Jesus Christ be the only way to be saved Then first hence it will follow That the preaching of the Gospel is worthy the while it is of necessary and singular consequence Peruse that place Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Chrict for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth verse 17. for there is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith The Apostle presents two arguments of his honourable estimation and confident preaching of the Gospel 1. One is that it is the power of God to salvation that is it is the instrument which God useth and into which he doth imprint a power to save men It is called the power of
God to salvation not only in respect of revelation because it doth manifest and declare the sole means of reconciliation 'twixt God and man but also in respect of operation and efficacy because it doth communicate and produce that faith in Iesus Christ by which we are saved 2. Another is that it comprehends the righteousnesse of God which faith only doth take By the righteousnesse of God he understands that righteousnesse whereby a man is justified in the sight of God and it is called the righteousnesse of God because God is the Authour and giver of it it is wrought and given by God in Jesus Christ and also because it is approved and of force with God at his Tribunal and judgement-seat See another place Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation He in the precedent verses doth enumerate many singular and heavenly blessings amongst which Christ was one and he doth in this verse expresse the order and manner how they come to be interessed in him viz. by trusting or believing and they come to that trusting and beleeving by the Gospel which he stiles a word of truth and a message of salvation Tell me seriously is not salvation the great scope and aime of your most choise and sober thoughts and can any attaine that but by Christ and can you have Christ without faith How preciously deare then unto you should the Ministry of the Gospel be which is the instrument of God to produce that faith which layes hold on that Christ by whom only we are saved Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God so the Apostle Rom. 10 17. and John 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me He is an enemy to his own salvation who slights the preaching of the Gospel and he is an enemy to the salvation of others who labours to oppresse and extinguish it for if salvation be by faith in Christ and that faith depends on the Gospel Then For our parts let us blesse God for his Gospel Let us for ever honour and respect the message of the Gospel yea let us heartily embrace the Doctrine and power of the Gospel Let the feet of them which bring the glad tydings of salvation be acceptable unto us for as much as salvation and Christ and faith are all of them annexed unto the Gospel 2. Then hence it will follow that a meer hearing of Christ and his doctrine will not save if beleeving be the only way There are divers sorts of hearing One with incogitancy when perhaps the Ear is open but the Three sorts of hearing minde is asleep and heeds not that precious object revealed Another with Reluctancy when the eare is open and the mind attentive but the heart striving against the truth and goodnesse of the word Another with Conformity when the ear heares and the understanding yields and the heart embraceth Now it is this latter kinde of hearing which brings to salvation That hearing which consists only in the delivery of the message which brings something from God to us this will not save but such an hearing as brings back something from us to God which is accompanied with beleeving which turnes home the soul to the acceptance and embracing of Iesus Christ this is the only hearing to save our soules A motion made and tendred doth not conclude a match but a motion consented unto and embraced 3. If beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way of life then Iesus Christ should be the main scope and mark of all our preaching and studying 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified It was the maine theame and subject upon which that blessed Apostle did spend himself Look as it is with a Physician that though he doth sometimes lance and sometimes make very sick and sometimes restraine to strictnesse of diet and sometime binde and trouble the patient and sometimes relieve him with precious cordials though these actions are different among themselves yet they do concenter in one end which is health and life So whether Ministers preach the knowledge of sinne or whether they strive to make men sensible of sinne or whether they let flie the arrows of Gods threatnings upon the conscience of sinners or whether they touch on the mercy Seat all the end and scope is or should be to bring men to Christ to make Christ more glorious in the eyes of sinners and to incline their hearts to accept and embrace him Christ may be preached two ways Either Explicitly when he in his person or offices or benefits Christ preached two wayes is the only matter which is handled and published Or Virtually when he is the end of that matter which is delivered One of these wayes Christ still to be preached Do I meet with a broken and afflicted spirit groaning under the load of sinful Nature and life panting after the Prince of life and peace willing to yield up it self to all the conditions of God in Christ Here now I am to lift up Christ on his Crosse to spread his armes to shew unto that broken Spirit the very heart blood of Jesus Christ poured out for the remission of sinnes to be a propitiatory Sacrifice for his soule Do I meet with an obstinate and proud spirit which dares to defie justice and presumtuously to areign mercy Here I open the indignation of God against sinne of purpose to awaken the conscience to cast down the high and lofty imaginations and for no other end but this That such a person being now come to the sense of his misery may fitly be directed and seasonably encouraged to the sight and fruition of his remedy in Christ CHAP. IX Iustification only in Iesus Christ FOurthly If that beleeving in Jesus Christ be the only way to be saved Then this Informes us where to finde our justification viz only in Iesus Christ For there only is the righteousnesse which can satisfie justice and in his blood only is remission of sinnes Now because this is a fundamental point 'twixt us and the Papists and it is the great bottome of comfort to a beleeving soule give me therefore leave to improve the remainder of the time in a brief and distinct explication of it Where First of the word and title Justification Secondly of the nature and definition of it together with some Arguments to evince that it is only by and for Christ and some Answers to the choisest Objections SECT I. FOr the word justification it hath a double acception amongst Writers 1. One Intrinsical and so it signifies to make a man just by an act of infusion that is by the implantation of sanctified or holy qualities 2. Another Forinsecal and so it signifies to repute or pronounce a man just by an act of jurisdiction that is a judiciary sentence to pronounce him righteous and free
to utter how God doth forgive a sinner before he hath sinned which must be if pardon for all sins be a momentany act Yet I had rather captivate my judgment then occasion dispute only remember two things First no doubt but the justified person shall have every sin pardoned not some only but all Secondly justification doth not admit degrees though it may a continuance The righteousnesse and merit of Christ which is our justification is not more or lesse but is at all times one and most perfect SECT V. THe righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is that by which only we are justified The righteousnesse of Christ is the matter of our justification not the essential righteousnesse of his God-head but the righteousnesse of Christ as Mediator both God and man which was either The habitual holinesse of his Person in the absence of all sinne and in the rich and plentiful presence of all holy and requisite qualities Or the actual holinesse of his life and death by obedience the once perfectly fulfilling the commands and by the passive obedience of the other voluntarily suffering the penalty and commination of the Law for transgressions Now all this righteousnesse is imputed to us in justification For First no other righteousnesse can justifie Secondly as Christ was made sinne for us so we are made righteousnesse by him viz. only by imputation The Papists call upon us for a righteousnesse in Justification they will bring one forth of their hearts and good works Menstruous cloths saith the Scripture but we produce a righteousnesse most full perfect every way exact not in us but in Christ yet imputed to us by God How clear is the Scripture for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Jer. 23. 6. The Lord our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ Jesus is made unto us of God c. righteousnesse How often doth the Apostle peculiarly interest imputed righteousnesse handling the doctrine of Justification Rom. 4. But the Apostle clears all Rom. 5. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Adae peccatum imputabitur mihi Christi justitia non pertinebit ad me said Bernard Object But Christs righteousnesse is His and how can it present us righteous before God It is none of ours Sol. First it is his in respect of Inhaesion but it is ours in respect of imputation His personally ours meritoriously Secondly we may be considered two wayes either absolutely 〈…〉 for me and alone or else as conjoyned with Christ and thus being by faith made one with Christ he makes over his righteousnesse unto us upon which God looks as ours in the matter of justification Ob. But if Christs righteousnesse becomes ours so by imputation that we may be truly accounted and accepted of as righteous Then by the like reason because redemption is made ours we may likewise be reputed true Redeemers and Saviours Sol. This is one of the arrows which Bellarmine draws out of his Quiver against the imputation of Christs righteousnesse but it is of no force For he is to be termed a Redeemer and Saviour not who doth receive and take the redemption and salvation procured by another but who brings redemption and salvation we are by the Redemption of Christ truly said to be redeemed though not our Redeemers and so by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse are we truly accounted righteous persons Obj. Againe if the righteousnesse of Christ be so imputed to us in justification that for it we are accounted perfectly righteous as if it were our own most perfect and intrinsecal Then why may not we be accounted as righteous as Christ yea and having Christs righteousnesse why may we not be the Saviours of men Since that is the righteousnesse which doth save all that are saved Sol. I answer To compare the same righteousnesse with the same is illogical and grosse for it is one and the same righteousnesse which is inherent in Christ and imputed to the beleeving soule Secondly the righteousnesse of Christ is not imputed to any particular beleever according to the whole latitude of its efficacy but according to the particular exigence of the person It is not imputed to Paul as the general price of redemption for all but as the price by which his soul in particular is redeemed These things being dispatched there is a difference amongst some Divines about that righteousnesse which is imputed some holding the passive onely others the active and passive Sol. The latter seems most solid Reasons these First there is no Justification without the fulfilling the whole Law but now to the fulfilling of the Law since the fall of Adam two things are required one is perfect and personal conformity to the Law in answering that active condition of it Do this and live Another is a plenary satisfaction to the sentence of the Law by bearing the penalty therein denounced in regard of sins already committed Secondly Again faith doth not abrogate the Law but establish it but if it should teach justification without Christs fulfilling of the Law it should abrogate the Law SECT VI. THe last thing which I should have inserted before is this That the justification of a sinner is a gracious and just action It is a gracious action that is the gracious love and favour of God was the cause of it It was his own free grace and favour that gave Christ his Sonne to be our righteousnesse and it is his free grace to give us faith to beleeve on his Son and when we do beleeve it is his Grace which imputeth unto us the righteousnesse of Christ Secondly it is a just and righteous action Rom. 3. 25 26. That he might be just and the Justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus Gods justice is such that he will forgive no man his sinnes for which he is not perfectly satisfied neither will he accept of any as righteous who hath not a personal righteousnesse but having received a perfect satisfaction he will acquit the sinner beleeving for he is just and righteous and his Justice will not make a second demand yet here is the graciousnesse of God which will admit of the satisfaction and of the righteousnesse of another for us CHAP. X. The difficulty of beleeving in Jesus Christ A Second Use from this great assertion shall be to put our selves to a Tryal and Examination If to Vse 2 beleeve in Jesus Christ our Lord be the only way to be saved Then it doth much concerne us to search our selves whether we do beleeve indeed in Iesus Christ There are three things which I will premise as so many grounds why we should put our selves upon this enquiry and then I will give unto you the discoveries themselves The premises are these First the difficulty of beleeving in Jesus Christ Secondly the facility of errour
to salvation 1. Not in a by way in a false way but in a true and direct way If God doth skill the way to heaven if he hath laid out to sinners the right way then believing is it Eph. 2. 8. By grace you are saved through faith Heb. 10. 39. We are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul 2. Not in an uncertaine but firme way It 's an infallible way of salvation Heaven is the assured mansion for thy soul if thy heart be the true lodging of saith 1 Pet. 1. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in beaven for you Object True that may not fade away but we may fall away that may remain but we maâ— be lost Sol. No saith the Apostle but as that is reserved for you so you shall be preserved unto that as mercy and truth will keep your portion sure so truth and power shall keep your persons sure Ver. 5. Who are kept bâ— the power of God through faith unto salvation therefore he addes a word more ver 9. Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls Now is not this a comfort to a man that he is in the true and sure way to heaven Every man is in a journey in a way wicked men have their wayes but the end of them is bitternesse and hell after all their jollities and pleasures yet their wayes are the pathes of death But the beleeving soul is in the way of life and therefore he is said already to have eternal life John 3. and to be saved O what is this I am going to my God to my Father to my inheritance SECT II. SEcondly here is another comfort to true beleevers there 2. Simile is a real and blessed exchange 'twixt them and Christ As upon the conjugal knot there is a mutual resultancy of communion The wife partakes of the estate of her husband and the husband interchangably of the estate of his wife for the personal union draws with it the real union If thou be mine thine estate is mine So is it in the spiritual espousing of the soul and Christ by faith Christ partakes of our estate and we shall partake of his estate He is ours and all his are ours we are his and therefore ours are his This exchange consists in these things 1. Christ doth take our sins and debts upon himself Look as the man who marries the woman if he take her person he must take her debts and satisfaction too So doth Christ when he takes us to be his he takes our sinnes also to be his How to be his not by way of infusion and infection as if our sinful qualities were transmitted from our persons into his nature O no he never takes upon him our sinnes to make his nature sinâ—uâ— â—ut by way of imputation and of satisfaction The guilt of our sinnes is imputed unto him as to a willing surety who doth present himself in our stead to make payment and satisfaction As Paul said to Philemon concerning his servant Onesimus If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that upon mine account So saith Christ to the penitent and beleeving Philem. 18. soul if thou hast any guilt and debt to be answered for unto God put them all upon my account if â—hou hast wronged my Father I will make the satisfaction to the utmost for I was made sinne for thee 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. I poured out my soul for thy transgression It cost me my heart blood to reconcile thee to my Father and to slay enmity And as Rebekah said to Jacob in another case upon me my sonne be the curse so saith Christ to the beleeving soul Why thy sinnes did expose thee unto the curse of the Law but I was made a curse for thee I did bear that burden my self upon the crosse and upon my shoulders were all thy griefs and sorrows borne I was wounded for thy transgressions and I was bruised for thy iniquities And therefore we are said to have redemption and remission of sins in his blood Eph. 1. 7. Now what a comfort is this to a Beleever that Christ hath eased him of his great debts that he hath laid down the price for him he is his surety and hath diâ—charged and hath cancelled the Law of Ordinances and hath blotted out the hand writing God was in Christ saith the Apostle reconciling the world to himself not imputing their sinne unto them mark it not imputing 2 Cor. 5. 19. their treâ—passes unto them what is the not imputing of sinne but the not charging of it the not reckoning for it And what is it which he saith unto them trespasses were not imputed unto them as if God should say let them go I have nothing to say unto them my Sonne hath satisfied my justice fully for them Now saith Paul out of David Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sinne Yea he is blessed Rom. 4. 8. indeed for if the Lord should single out the most able transgressour for the least moity and scruple of guilt and arreigne his conscience with a judicial and straight severity O how the sinews of the soul would flie assunder and eternal despaire of ever satisfying so great and pure and infinite a justice would swallow up the thought and imaginations Till a man knows where to lay down his sinful burden his soul will be miserably afflicted but now if a man beleeves in Jesus Christ Christ will take off his burdens I will answer for thee saith Christ I will satisfie for thee As David spake in another case when Goliah presented himself against the Host of Israel Let no mans heart faile because of him thy servant will go and fight with this Phylestian So saith Christ to the beleeving soul be not dejected do not despaire though thy sins 1 Sam. 17. 32. be many and great yet I have overcome them I have discharged them my Sacrifice was presented it was sufficient it was effectual it was accepted for thee Secondly Christ doth bestow his righteousnesse upon us This is a great comfort to a sensible and understanding soul that there is a righteousnesse for it which it may safely and confidently present unto Gods justice These things are most true First that we are by nature all of us wretched sinners the whole Rom. 3. 19. world is guilty before God Secondly Divine justice hath a quarrel against every guilty soul and will have compleat and full and perfect satisfaction Thirdly no not our best graces performances are commensurate and square payment in the eyes of pure justice all of them as inherent in us and acted by us are but imperfect excellencies No man hath so much holinesse as is required nor doth he so much as he is obliged Every particular grace though it be of an heavenly and divine original yet it
the chiefest good 7. It is that which stirres up the heart with a choice of Christ and resolution to have him what ever may befal it 8. It is that which makes the heart to cry servently to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to work his blessed grace of faith Yea which draws out of us strong supplications with many teares and longings and to implead all the promises of making mercy good and Christ good and faith good unto us 9. It is that which establisheth the soul to a patient expectation for ever to lie at the poole for ever to attend the doors of the Sanctuary till the soul can take and close with Christ by true beleeving But then to open unto you the way more distinctly I would commend this course unto a person that he may at length get a believing heart 1. Study thy natural condition throughly The right sense of this 8. Things though it doth not formaâ—ly cause faith yet it may have a compelling force to make us look after Christ and to strive for faith The Apostle calls the Law a Schoolmaster to Christ Gal. 3. why because it doth reveal such a smart and strong evidence of the sinful condition that it scourgeth a man out of himself to look for a Saviour yea it helps much to cast the proud soul down and to break and crush his natural bottom which otherwise would stâ—ve off and hinder a man from believing Therefore study thy natural condition O I would believe and I would have Christ yea but why what need seest thou in thy self of him I tell you that the more desperate the soul sees its own natural condition the more willingly may it be drawn to apprehend adore and embrace its remedies and safeties Now there are three things to convince our selves of about our natural condition I meane the state without Christ First the ugly vilenesse of it That it is sinful and stark naught it is no such thing as God doth like or approve but his soul abhors and hates it For it is compounded of nothing but want of good and inclination to evil to all that is opposite to God and holinesse That thou art in it poor and blinde and miserable and naked an ignorant opposing unconceiving creature of any spiritual good proud and sensual and vain and earthly loathsom and dead Secondly the sure and fearful misery of it Thou art without God without Christ without the Covenant not a drop of mercy for thee whiles thou remain'st thus but all the wrath of God is against thee and thou art under the dominion of sinne and terrible curse of the Law all the threatnings in the book of God are ever ready to sease on thee and how soon may they arrest thee if God gives them commission Thirdly the utter insufficiency to deliver thy self out of this state Thou art never able to merit the least mercy nor to answer the great justice of God Though thou shouldest offer thousands of lambs and ten thousand rivers of oyle thou art so totally broken in thy strength that thou canst not pay a farthing and never canst thou be a Redeemer to thy self from thy sins or Gods justice Now drive and fasten these things as real and experimental truths into thy heart till thou art shut up under sinne as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3. that is so convinced on all sides concerning thy natural self that thou art faine to fall down and cry out O Lord I am unclean I am uncleane I am uncleane a miserable wretch a lost person for ever unlesse thou shew great compassion to my poor soul This condition is deadly and barren I am full of sinne and without strength and this condition is so fearful that verily I will not rest in it Men and brethren what shall I do to be saved Is there no balm in Gilead for a wounded soul no City of refuge for a distressed sinner no Rock of safety for a shipwrackt person no hope of salvation yet left for me 2. Then study the hope of a sinful soul Why though thou hast been very wicked and hast exceeded in transgressions yet there may be hope The Gospel it is the â—ape of good hope it is that which thrusts out some sight of land to a tossed sinner It is a message from heaven proclaiming both the hope and possibility and also the way and method of salvation for a sinful person Look as the Law points out a way of salvation for a righteous and innocent man so the Gospel doth for an offending and sinful man Therefore study it much take some accurate paines to be throughly and really informemed and convinced what Gods dispositions are therein revealed towards sinners Now here are two things which I would commend 1. One is the study of Christ Study him all over perhaps thou mayest see that in him which may answer many yea all thy feares Perhaps thou mayest see so much in him as may win much upon thy heart to come in and accept of him by faith Therefore peruse him well First that he is God and man and as so a Mediator and because so therefore an Almighty and a compassionate Redeemer Secondly that it proceeds from the love and Counsel of God to give him to be the Saviour of sinners God did see the fallen state and great misery of men and his absolute insufficiency to recover himself and therefore his own love moved him to give his own Sonne in whom he did ordain the salvation of sinners Thirdly that Christ was willing to become a Mediator yea he did freely give his life to make peace and procure salvation and this sacrifice of his was both acceptable and effectual Fourthly that God would have thee to come unto him for life and that Christ is the surety and Mediator and only hope of sinners Fifthly that Christ hath in him all and enough to make up thy state and to reconcile thee and God and to get full pardon and to present thee righteous and to procure for thee eternal life Sixthly that Christ seeks even after thee by the Ministry of the Gospel and both offers himself with all his purchase unto thee and hath and yet doth beseech thee to accept of him I say study these things who knows how the great studies of Christ may be at length blessed with faith in Christ This I am sure of that the ignorance of the nature and offices and works and benefits and alsufficiency and marvellous affections and readinesse in Christ is a notable strength to unbeliefe Ergo on the contrary the knowledge of them is a good means for faith 2. Another is the study of the new Covenant Why what mayest thou not there see to draw on thy soul to Christ yea what arguments doth God there fill thy mouth with to conquer himself He gives thee in that Covenant ample and prevailing grounds by which thou maâ—est with an humble confidence even plead with him for Christ and faith
in thy stead and answered Justice for all thy sins 3. Divine justice will not desire a double satisfaction It will not require satisfaction from thee and from thy surety too The quarrel ceaseth 'twixt thee and God for Christ hath by his own blood taken that up As Elihu spake of uprightnesse that I say of believing in the Lord Jesus if thou doest then the Lord will be gracious unto thee and will say deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransome Job 33. 23 24. Obj. But I who am I so totally unworthy there is nothing in me to move Christ to engratiate me he will never bestow himself on such an one as I am will ever Christ look on such a dead dog as I am I answer to this 1. Personal unworthinesse it is no prejudice You read in Mat. 7. Things 8. 8. that the Centurion came to Christ for his servant and believed on him and sped well Yea will you say but he was worthy nay he professeth the Obj. contrary Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Sol. as if he should say I have nothing in me to demerit and challenge this gracious act of thine nothing and yet I believe that thou canst and wilt heal my servant so the Prodigal I am not worthy to be c. 2. Nay the humble sense of our unworthinesse it is a furtherance Christ doth not expect any excellencies and meritorious motives from thee thou must come unto him as an empty vessel the full soul and the sound spirit is not for him bring a soul to Christ which is spread all over with misery and need why such a soul is a proper object for mercy to deal with bring a soul to Christ which is all over with lostnesse with poverty with sicknesse with unworthinesse why this is the soul upon which Christ will look It s never well with a man untill he can take Christ upon his knee upon a bare knee with an empty hand that is till he be brought to be poor in spirit that he is nothing and deserves nothing and begs of Christ to accept of him even for Christs sake The Lord be merciful to me a sinner went home justified when the thank God I am not as other men returned as he came a proud Pharisee You shall finde it thus that God looks most on him who looks least on himself The humble and contrite spirits which are broken out of themselves and can cry out O Lord I am really vile and mostly unworthy These the high God who inhabits the lofty places doth behold And Christ is ready to take him by the hand who thinks himself unworthy to touch his feet There are two tempers which like Christ well one is a beleeving heart and another an humble soul 3. Personal worthinesse is not the motive nor designed ground for faith in Christ The ground of belief that which invites the soul to draw on it self to Christ is no deserving or eminent quality in our selves but the goodnesse and fidelity of the promise and the gracious offer of Christ himself to the soul Behold he calls thee why this is enough if thou canst finde God holding forth the golden Scepter offering Christ unto thee upon such and such termes and thou consent unto them with all thy heart thou mayest confidently close and lay hold on Christ by faith This is the wise skill of a Christian truly to observe the proper rise of faith When God promised Abraham a son the text saith he did not consider his own body Rom. 4 19. that is he did not consult with the strength of his own nature what an able principle there was in himself to compass such an effect but he was fully perswaded that what God had promised that he was able to performe The ability and fidelity of Gods promise exceedingly enclined his heart to believe So is it here about faith in Christ if thou doest consider thy own body thy own deserts thy own excellencies thou shalt never beleeve for faith can finde no ground in these to encourage the soul but the ground of faith is without our selves Why God offers me Christ and Christ calls me unto him being heavy laden and he saith that he who beleeves in him shall have eternal life Now this is a word of truth and this word of his is worthy of all acceptation I will venture my soul upon it It is with faith as with a bird cast him into the water he cannot flie that element is too grosse for him he cannot gather and beat his wings there and therefore is kept down but cast him into the aire which is a more pure element then he can clap and â—pread the wings and mount why faith is the wing of the soul and the promise is that spiritual element that aire which breaths a life and motion to faith faith is raised by it alone and it is checked and hindered whiles the soul would force it to act it self upon those poor and grosse excellencies in our selves Faith desires no better object then Christ nor suâ—â—r pawnes then Gods promâ—se Fourthly to receive Christ by faith it is not a matter of merit but a point of duty When God commands a sinner to repent and to forsake his sinnes and take him he shall have mercy iâ—â—e will do it This may not now be said O Lord I am not worthy to obey thee in this duty if I were worthy to repeâ—t I would repent nay but O man divine commands are to be obeyed it is thy duty to repent So God commands the soul to beleeve in Christ to accept of him The soul now looks on the excellencies of the gift but forgets the obligation of duty It s true Christ is a most excellent gift and blessing there is not such a thing in all the world for a poore sinner as Christ but then know that his excellencies may not take thee off from thy duty This is his Commandment that we beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Brethren you are mistaken to beleeve in Christ being proposed unto us in the Gospel it is not a matter of indifferency I may or I may not nor is it a matter of curtesie as if we did a work of supererogation more then God requires nay but it is a matter of conscience a man sinnes he violates a command an evangelical precept if he doth not beleeve It is not a dispute of worthinesse or unworthinesse but it is obedience to the Command which thou art to look upon 5. Christ is given out of rich grace and mercy and love and therefore none can receive him but the unworthy There is this difference 'twixt the reward of Justice and the gift of graciousnesse Justice hath an eye upon the disposition and acts of the person and according unto their qualities and degrees doth it commensurate reward or punishment But graciousnesse hath an eye only upon it self the free