adjudged just right to the Rewards promised him for performing the foresaid Conditions The dueness of the Reward to Christ in a way of strict Justice is his Righteousness Ius ad premium it was to him a Reward of Justice and not of Grace because Justice proportioned the Conditions to the Reward and the Reward to the Conditions if it were not so governing Justice never glorified or discover'd it self in the dispensing of Rewards To finish this Point consider 1. The Reward to which Christ hath a Right includes all that was promised to Christ or to others on the account of his Satisfaction and Merits Not only that he should be exalted and have a name above every name Pâ—â—â— 2.8 with whatever Glory or Homage which was to be render'd to him as a Saviour But it comprehends all by the Father promised and by himself bequeathed to his Members as Justification Adoption the Sanctifying Spirit Perseverance and Eternal Glory to his Regenerate Seed As also Regeneration and Faith to all the Elect that they may be raised to be a Seed to him and united with him 2. The Lord Jesus was solemnly adjudged to have performed all the Conditions and to have a Legal Right to all this Reward His Righteousness was adjudged he was justified as foretold Is. 50.8 God by Voice declared this but it was more manifest in his Resurrection and yet more in his Solemn Enthroning in the Heavens where he sits at Gods right hand Heb. 8.1 Yea he had Authority given him to execute his own Right Ioh. 5.27 Exh. Rejoyce and Glory in the Perfection of Christs Righteousness You see that in all respects it's compleat The Law of Redemption prescribed as became Gods Essential Justice to propose To these Governing Justice annexed a due Reward upon performing the Conditions the perfectly Holy Jesus had a right to all the Reward and was solemnly adjudged to have performed the Conditions and to have that Right to the Reward His Right is founded in a full performance of the Conditions which includes a full Conformity to the Law of Works yea and what far exceeds it In this then we may glory there 's no blot in his performance there 's no flaw in his right Can Sinners need anymore than this applied for it will serve to all the purposes it 's designed to Oh! Christian honour it by laying the stress of thy Hopes and Comfort on it and clearing thy Interest in it above all good it answers guilt weakness yea thy want of all things except that without which it cannot be applied to thee nor its effects attained viz. a Penitential Faith When thy Body rotteth in the Grave because of Sin thy Spirit will be safe and Eternally live on the account of this Righteousness Rom. 8.10 thou mayest chearfully venture thy Soul upon it 6 Pro. The Lord Jesus is and always will be possessed of this Righteousness in his own Person In the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength Is. 45.14 with respect to this it 's said our Redemption is in Christ by which we are justified Rom. 3.24 The Meriting Acts are over as Acts but the Merit never ceaseth His Sufferings are past but the Righteousness acquired thereby remains it 's not only their Vertue simply that continues but the Righteousness or Right founded thereon abideth He hath a Right to Faith for all the Elect who are yet uncalled he hath a Title to Pardon for all True Believers he hath a Right to Eternal Glory for all Persevering Saints There is our Right best secured It is for the Righteousness that is in Christ that we are acquitted and adopted and on it as in him we must still depend Exh. Sinners and Saints look to Christ as having in him a full Righteousness Let this Commend him to thy Acceptance and Trust. Sinners you need him on this very account to answer for your Unrighteousness all his Offers and Calls should have power with you from this very motive he hath a perfect Righteousness it were else in vain to believe in him it were to no purpose to repent and turn to him were not he by this Righteousness mighty to save thee an answer to his Call might not be expected But know with assurance that he is a Fountain deep enough for thy Uncleanness Zech. 13.1 The Son of Righteousness hath healing under his Wings Mal. 4.1 and peace and glory in his power You may trust the Promises by which the Gospel allureth you to Christ for as amazing as the Good is which they contain they are by his Righteousness Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 but take care of separating his Person from his Righteousness you must accept of him as a whole Christ if you hope for good by his Righteousness and your Faith must be directed to him in a firm dependance and entire subjection or he 'll be to you as unuseful as if he had not this fullness of Righteousness 7 Pro. All Graces and Saving Benefits are dispensed to Men in the Righteousness of Christ. By his Satisfaction he render'd it consistent with the Perfections of God to visit blind Souls with his light and surprize the dead with spiritual life on Christs account the Spirit descends to strive with the rebellious and awake the sleepy His Regenerating Influences are the effects of Christs Merits he acts as the Spirit of Christ. I do not mean that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to Men in order to the working of Faith in them as it is in order to Pardon you may as well say it 's imputed to Men in order to the preaching of the Gospel to them for that 's an effect of Christ's Righteousness but these are the result of a Divine Constitution wherein Christ is acknowledged but no right in Men supposed The first Grace is absolute and an arbitrary act as to any claim the Sinners hath Though Christ hath a right to the Elects being brought to believe yet he transfers not his right to the Elect who till they believe are not united to him and so are Aliens to his Righteousness But God hath an Eye to the Merits of Jesus in all his Grants and Gifts from first to last from the least to the greatest When he forgives Sin it is a rendring to us what is purchas'd by Christ's Blood Eph. 4.32 It is a giving forth of what he hath bought We are made Kings and Priests as a proper Reward to Christ and a Testimony to his Righteousness Exh. Say of every Saving Benefit and of all Graces This I receive because the Lord Iesus hath a full Righteousness The Heavens had been Brass as to Vital Influences but for this The Word had been a dead condemning Letter but for this My Sins had been eternally sealed up among his Treasures Pledges of his Love to my Soul I had never found my Prayers would have been excluded audience Christian Hopes and Comforts I had not intermeddled with but that Christ is Righteous yea perfectly so But because his Righteousness
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
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
a way of Satisfaction Impetration Merit or Intercession it were true but as he words it it may be very Erronious and it is to Scrue an Error he doth thus express it Hence because he finds Repentance and Faith are so necessary to our Salvation he hath in his Pulpit endeavoured to inform Men how Christ repented and that he repented for us and though he doth not-publish it in this Sermon as he did elsewhere That Christ believed for us yet you 'll see presently how much he endeavours to convince us that he did so for if he believed whilst humbled it was for us and it 's imputed to us as he oft in this Book affirms Had I Mr. M's liberty what would I call this Error for though it 's in Christ's Strength and Grace that we Repent Believe turn to God and do good Works yet if we do not these as our Personal Acts Misery will be our Portion If you not I believe not you shall die in you Sins John 8. 24. Except you not I repent you shall all perish saith Christ Luke 13. 3. I say Except your Righteousness not mine exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matt. 5.20 Had Mr. M. been an Auditor he had not said Lord thou understandest not the Gospel it 's thou art to do these things this is the deep Counsel of God however legally thou speakest He might as well say it 's thou Christ shall perish as thou Christ art to repent 2. Faith is a prime and principal part of our Being conformable to the Image of Christ c. He is the first Pattern and original Copy of Believing P. 62 63. Reply Is Christ's Faith the Pattern of Faith in Christ I remember somewhere Dr. Goodwin speaks of God's trusting Christ till he was Incarnate and of Christ's trusting the Father since the time of his Sufferings Yea we may easily grant that Christ believed God's Promise and as a Man depended and relied on God's Power and Truth But this is no other Faith than Adam in Innocency acted than the Law of Works directed to By this account we may think better of the State of Pagans than most do for without Gospel-Revelation they may believe in God trust him and depend on him But what is this to the account the Scripture gives of Faith in Christ Did Christ come to himself as a Saviour Did he receive himself as a Crucified Redeemer Did he eat his own Flesh and drink his own Blood for Eternal Life Did he plead his own Merits and rely on his own Righteousness for Pardon and restored Peace Did he consent to be married to himself Did he look to himself for Healing Or to use Mr. M's account of Faith in this very Page Did he go out of himself unto himself for all Yea take part of his Description of Faith in Christ p. 39 40.1 The Subject of Faith is the Heart of a convinced broken-hearted Sinner c. The very Nature of Faith and the acting of the Soul in it is such as doth imply and include a Sight and Sense of Sin and Misery and a lively heart-influencing Conviction of utter Helplesness in a Man's self and unworthiness to be helped by God c. Reader Doth Christ's Faith in the Nature of it imply a Sense of utter Helplesness and Unworthiness in himself or of his Sin and Misery The Reason he gives for Justling out such as Abram and setting up Christ for the original Copy of believing in himself is this The Humane Nature of Christ lives and subsists in the second Person leaning on the Eternal Deity of the Son of God it hath its Subsistence in the Bosom of the Godhead c. and hath the Eternal Power of the Deity clasping about it P. 63. The Apostle did not know this Faith when he said that Charity was greater than Faith Well as Sublime as this Reason seems to be I will venture to say This is not that Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires of Sinners 1. I will give you a Reason of Mr. M's which besure is none of the best P. 7. Christ's dwelling in our Nature is no part of the Punishment of Sin for then the Divine Nature only is punished and not the Humane at all nor the Person It 's a bad one for what he brings it since that Assuming the Nature and dwelling in it differ and I have answered it before and it needs a great Allowance to keep it from But if the Sufferings or Acts of only one Nature be not the Sufferings or the Acts of the Person of Christ then the acting of Faith of the one Nature on the other Nature is not acting of Faith upon the Person of Christ and consequently not Gospel-Faith which is to be acted on the Person of Christ here the Humane Nature believes but that is not with him Christ that believes it believes on the Divine Nature and that with him is not Christ who is believed on What now is become of Christ's Believing even by his own Reasoning 2. The Object of Faith in Christ is God-Man Mediator a Crucified Christ c. but the Deity of the Son of God abstractedly considered is not God-Man Mediator c. Truly if our Gospel-Faith is specified by this I see not the need of Christ's Incarnation or Death yea or regard thereto 3. This leaning and especially to the purposes assigned to this Act of Christ's Humane Nature is not all that which is Essential to the Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires But why should I Scribble the little Paper left It 's like the Reasons he gave for Christ's Repenting viz. The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me and he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief 3. He plainly discovers his Mind to be that Faith is an Act of the Soul whilst spiritually dead and unregenerate P. 61. He joins with such as say Faith is the means and way of our being made spiritually alive rather than our acting Life as being already brought into a state of Life as the Bodies Clasping hold on the Soul by the animal Spirits which are Corporeal things is rather the means of Life than an act of Life c. P. 62. Suppose that the principle of Grace begotten and created in us in Regeneration contain in it the Habit of Faith which I will not now call in question Yet c. P. 32. All our new Obedience and all the Graces of the Spirit comprized under that one word Love are the Effects and Fruits of our being justified P. 60. In Vnion by Faith which is the cause of this Union we are brought immediately into a state of Spiritual Life first Relative then Qualitative c. Repl. Here with the Arminians he denieth the habit of Faith necessary to the actings of Faith He is contrary to the Assembly of Divines who tell us That God in effectual Vocation takes away
only with other things which the following Tract insists on These he had oft in his own place preached and long endeavoured to make our Ministry hateful to his Hearers yet that I was silent under But serious Thoughts of the Design and Tendency of his open Attempt at Pinners-Hall forced me in my next Turns in that Lecture to preach the Principal Heads of the following Sermons which I enlarged in four Discourses at my own place Yet I had that regard to Peace that as I forbear all Indecent Reflections so I took no notice that any one asserted what I determine against and had never published them except that he had Printed his and that with the Scandalous Name he intends us to be called hereafter by viz. Semi-Socinian Sober Men justly cry out against these Debates but I appeal to their Consciences where the Blame must be laid Can we be Faithful to Christ to our Ministry to Souls that need our help or to our own Name as Ministers if we lye down with these Calumnies and Misrepresentations Though did they only plead for their own Whimsies I should for Peace disregard them but to make it their daily work to Prejudice the People against the Faithfulest Ministry and run them into Confusion of Mind for a Factions sake calls I think for an Industrious Opposition If you ask what in us is it they so exclaim against I answer It 's 1. That though we own Christ's Righteousness is truly imputed to us yet we deny that God esteems us to have done and suffered what Christ did 2. Though we own that God requires nothing of us to be a meriting legal Righteousness or Atonement for Sin yet we say that God in a way of governing Grace requires some Duty to be performed on Man's part to which he enableth us whereupon he applies to us the Beneficial Effects and Fruits of Christ's Righteousness according to the respective Gospel Promises and thereby incourageth us to those Duties governs our Fears and Hopes And that 's the Heart of the Controversie for they think no Duty as a Duty is ordained a means to any Benefit They own no Law but the Law of Works which admitted nothing short of perfect sinless Obedience And because we cannot perform that as the Meriting Condition of Life in the Adjustment of Iustice therefore Men must do nothing as a Condition of enjoying any Benefits in Christ's Right by the Adjustment of Grace in a way of Authority Since we cannot be wholly Sinless it 's all as one whether we are Sincere or no. 3. We own that it is Faith alone is the receiving Condition of Iustification yea I add That it 's the only express'd Condition of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness in order to Pardon but all is in vain because we say that Repentance is necessary to our actual Pardon Mr. M. falsly pretends that their Notions are the Truth in the Churches Possession since the Reformation But I have proved the contrary by many Quotations in my Defence of Gospel-Truth and the very Iâ—dicious and Learned Apology of the Subscribers of my Book hath added a greater Number I will of Hundreds I could produce give two Testimonies Mr. Perkins 's Order and Causes of Salvation c. Cap. 36. Quest. Whether is Justifying Faith commanded in the Law Ans. It is commanded in the Law of Faith namely the Gospel but not in the Law of Works that is in the Moral Law Rom. 3.27 The Reasons are these 1. That which the Law revealeth not that it commandeth not but the Law is so far from revealing Justifying Faith that it never knew it 2. Adam had fully before his Fall written in his Heart the Moral Law yet had he not Justifying Faith which apprehended Christ. He then proceeds to answer the Objections against the Gospel being a Law Mr. Anth. Burgess in his Doctrine of Justification Part 1. P. 161. denies that Repentance is in a Man as a Sign only that God hath Pardoned But saith We must go further and say it 's the Means and Way which God hath appointed antecedently to Pardon so that where this goeth before the other followeth after This he proves by six Arguments and the Book was Printed at the Desire of the London Synod Calvin oft owneth the Gospel to be a Law and in his Commentaries on Jonas Cap. 3.10 P. 359. saith Forgiveness is Free and yet as oft as God proposeth Forgiveness to Sinners this Condition is still added therewith viz. That they Repent He gives the Reasons of it and calls it a Law by which God so commands Repentance in order to Pardon though not as a Cause of Pardon I have in this Book endeavoured to put the Doctrine of Iustification in a plain Light though I wonder why our Brethren still say I mean what is quite contrary to what I say I suppose it 's because they have so long thought and represented some of our Principles contrary to what they be that they cannot think it possible that they should be what indeed they are or at least they will suspect us Fools and Lyars rather than seem to own that they could be so long mistaken I request therefore that if Mr. M. will reply to me he would cite my words fully and give the Page as I have done for hitherto my own words would have put their Calumnies to Shame Him while God spares me I will attend to He saith That he is not far from the place where the Weary are at Rest and the Wicked cease from Troubling I wish him Repentance of the Wound he hath injustly given so many fitter to serve their Generation than him or me and whilst he is spared which I desire for Service may be long that he may be less unwearied in hindring and breaking that Blessed Union which promised so much Good though I am sorry he boasts of his own Quietness whilst he createth Broils and Disquiet to so many some known to us both he 'll meet in Glory who were comforted by the above Consideration whilst less able to bear up under his Assaults than by Grace I have been long strengthened to do Nevertheless whilst Conscience binds me to some Sharpness against his Attempt to destroy so many Ministers as to what 's more valuable than their Lives I do from my Heart forgive him and would rejoyce to find him convinced of his Mistake and Misrepresentation of our Principles that we might peaceably concur in promoting the Kingdom of Christ and our common Good and not be the Scorn of such as Glory in our Weakness Reader It 's worth thy notice that there is more Safety in our way than in the contrary for we trust in Christ's only Righteousness for all those Things and Vses it is appointed to even for Satisfaction to Iustice the Pardon of all our Sins and Defects the Acceptance of our Persons and all Performances the Merit of all Good yea and our Legal and Prolegal Righteousness renouncing every Grace and Work
of ours to any of these Purposes and this is all they pretend But if it prove that Christ never intended his Righteousness to be instead of true Faith and Repentance Sincere Love to God and Men and Perseverance in True Holiness and Fruitfulness And that Christ will judge us according to these as things he required to our actual enjoying of promised Benefits in his Righteousness They who pursue and by Grace have these will be safer than such as neglect them yea Mr. M. owneth P. 67. Such are thy bounden Duties and God will Damn thee for neglecting them It were easie to shew how these Men contradict each other as well as themselves but I forbear exposing them That the Faâ—her of Light and Love would guide all of us into the way of Truth and Peace is the unfeigned Prayer of Thy Servant in the Kingdom and Patience of Christ Daniel Williams THE Errata's are such as may easily be Corrected Any who consider what Men I have to deal with will excuse my frequent Repetitions and sometimes less accurate words as object for subject when I would most plainly distinguish between Justifying Righteousness with its Causes and the Person partaker of it SERMON I. Of Christ's Obedience Rom. 5. the last part of the 19th Verse So by the Obedience of One shall many be made Righteous THE Text represents to us First A saving Priviledge and Dignity Made Righteous It supposes us Unrighteous ere we are made Righteous and so subject to the Curse till we are Absolved as well as Disobedient to the Gospel while Unconverted The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oft though not always denotes an act of Authority as Mat. 25.21 Luk. 12.14 42. Act. 6.3 c. thus it s properly enough applicable to the Matter before us We are constituted Righteous Juridically and all other Benefits included here in the term Righteous are Authoritatively Conferred and this according to a Divine enacted Constitution of which hereafter Secondly The sole procuring Cause of our being made Righteous It s by the Obedience of One This One is the Lord Jesus He alone was capable to make fallen Men Righteous by his Obedience and it s by his Obedience that Sinners are constituted Righteous Mercy prompted the recovery of miserable Man Wisdom contrived this as a way sufficient effectual and congruous to that End God as our Judge and Ruler admitted and accepted this and in his adjusted way applies it for our Pardon and Adoption Faith is the Moral Instrument or Condition of that Application the Gospel Promise is the express Sign of the Divine Will or the Instrument whereby God doth apply it But the different Interest of each of these prevents not the appropriation of all the Causal Merit to this Obedience God justifies regenerates and saves but it s with an Eye to this as the only procuring Cause Thirdly The Subject actually partaker of this Blessing Many they are Men and not Devils Fallen Men and not Innocent Many and not simply few nor yet all though it s for final Impenitency and Unbelief that any of the Sons of Men remain Condemned These many are equal to the number of Godly Believers in all Ages Fourthly The futurity and certainty of many being made Righteous both which the Future Tense imports Shall be made Righteous it notes Futurity With respect to the effect of Adam's Sin it 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were made Sinners That Guilt is entailed on all his Seed and Filth derived to them as soon as they subsist yea its true they were all Offenders and Corrupted in Adam as being Seminally in him But by Christs Obedience it s affirmed many shall be made Righteous i. e. when it is applied and not before The Elect since Christs time remain Unrighteous whilst Unbelievers notwithstanding that Christs Obedience is long since finished as well as all Believers before Christs coming were made Righteous by this Obedience tho' it was not then actually performed Heb. 11.14 15. The Reason of both is the same viz. That we are made Righteous not immediately in the moment of Christs Obeying nor meerly on the Acts done but upon Gods applying this to us by the Word of his Gospel and Work of his Spirit Therefore believing Abraham was made Righteous many Ages before Christ Obeyed Rom. 4.22 And the Elect Corinthians were unjustified all the time of their Infidelity though Christ had finished his Work before 1 Cor. 6.11 The Gospel Promise confers Righteousness for Justification on all Believers and none but Believers tho' Christs Obedience be that for which alone when they believe any are justified This Righteousness is offered to all Hearers on the terms of the Gospel Its designed Infallibly for all the Elect but neither offer nor design constitutes any Man Righteous There must be another act even imputation and that terminates on no other object but the Believer 2. The Words denote certainty q. d. many shall eventually be made Righteous by it A may be made Righteous if they will believe is a Mercy to Mankind above Devils But a meer may be is too low a reward for Christ and incongruous to an Obedience so Astonishing Strange were it that the Lord of Life should Die for Sinners and it remain contingent whether any of them should Eternally speak his Praises or be happy by his Merits But my Text is an unerring Prediction which will be still accomplishing till Christs shall Judge the World His Seed he shall see whom by his knowledge he will justifie Is. 53.11 He will not violate the Gospel Constitution by justifying the Unbelievers because he is Elected but the Elect shall believe that they may be justified by his Obedience The Eternal Counsel shall be executed in the way enacted by Governing Grace 5. The Redditive Note which refers to the first clause in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So The Apostle had said As by the Disobedience of one many were made Vnrighteous So c. He principally intends hereby to affirm That by Christs Obedience all his Regenerate Seed shall as certainly be made Righteous as Adam's Natural Seed were made Sinners by his Disobedience Christs Obedience is as effectual to the one as Adam's Disobedience was to the other Adam is said to be the Figure of Christ v. 14. They were two publick Persons in this respect All Men were made Sinners by Adams fall all Men that ever are made Righteous are made so by Christ's Obedience This is the main scope of the Apostles reasoning in the Parellel between the First and Second Adam but he intends not to infer a Similitude in all things between Christ and Adam who in so many things differ Nay in this Chapter you have sundry instances of that difference given Doct. By the Obedience of Iesus Christ GodMan our Redeemer many shall be made Righteous Good News to a lost World that thô we are undone as Adam's Posterity yet help is laid on Christ who is mighty to save Psa.
is great I have found Healings when Wounded Strength when Weak my Prayers have had frequent Audience God hath not refused me Communion with himself mine Iniquities are removed as a Cloud I joy in Gods Favour I glory in his Fullness and have lively Hopes to be ever with him Should not that be owned by us in all which is the Consideration upon which all is given 8 Pro. The Righteousness of Christ is differently applied and operative as the Gospel distinguisheth the promised Benefits with respect to the various Conditions of such who are the Persons described in the Promises For Explication of this note 1. The Gospel Promises distinguish the Benefits that come by Christ and describe the Objects of each The Promises are various and those are all Gospel Promises that are made to fallen Man for Christ's sake To be a Promise to fallen Man and not Gospel to be for Christ's sake and not a Gospel Promise are in the nature of the thing impossible The variety of the Promises is obvious and the Persons to whom they are made not alike described Some are made to one Grace some to another Grace some on one Condition some on another Justification is promised to the Believers Pardon to the Penitent Mar. 1.4 Returns of Prayer to him that prays frequently and in Faith Iam. 5.16 Glory to the Persevering Saint Gal. 6.9 Abundant Glory or Reaping liberally to him that sows liberally that is who is abundant in fruitfulness 2 Cor. 9.6 He that hungers after Righteousness shall be filled and the like Mat. 5.2 Each of the Promises are made in Christ's Right They are but an Inventory of Christ's Claim Nay they were made with respect to his Merits If God could make a Promise of Saving Benefits to Sinners without an Eye to Christ's Satisfaction as the Consideration of making that Promise I doubt it will go too far to prove that he may perform that Promise without an Eye to his Satisfaction The same Objection will not lie against a meer Decree or Purpose to give such Benefits in and by Christ for this Purpose gives no Man right to the Benefit but the Promise doth give a right and to suppose a Sinners Right without respect to Christ's Righteousness seems to weaken the necessity of his Satisfaction and Merits who is given to be a Covenant Is. 42.6 i. e. for his sake this Covenant is made and by him confirmed and executed But how ever various the Promises are they grant in his right they be Christ's Legacies they are bequeathed by his Testament and therefore argue that the respective Blessings contained therein are his proper Goods given out by the Promises as his Donative Instrument and upon terms which the Fathers and he thought fittest to prescribe as rendring the State of the Receivers such as they judged most subservient to infinitely wise and holy purposes 3. It 's Christs Righteousness that exerts it self and operates in conferring the Benefits included in these various Promises this empties it self in all those Channels and influenceth by each of those means the Blessing conferred is a display of his Merits as the procuring Cause whatever power the thing is effected by or way it 's effected in Christ's Righteousness is applied in Pardon in Adoption in the Perseverance of Penitent Believers Gal. 3.16 This is applied in the Answer of every Prayer this is as truly in all additional degrees of Grace in some Saints as in any measure in every Saint yea in the augmented degrees of Glory as in a State of Glory Hence it 's past doubt that unless we say some Spiritual and Heavenly Benefits are given not by or for Christs Righteousness or that his Righteousness may be equally applied and yet not produce equal effects then we must conclude the Righteousness of Christ is not in the same degree applied unto all to whom it yet may be applied to saving purposes It is applied to no true Believer but that it secures to him a Deliverance from Hell an acceptance of his Person and Duties Perseverance in Faith and the Kingdom of Heaven at last But are all as greatly beloved as Daniel as mighty with God as Moses or Iacob Had he that was Ruler of five Cities as great Glory as he that was made Ruler of ten Cities Luk. 19 17 19 24. Comp. Mat. 25.28 and surely the very preheminence in these respects is owing to the Righteousness of Christ applied Rev. 1.5 Exh. Be careful and industrious to be the described objects of the several benefits you desire according as the Promises describe the Persons and to whom they are made yet expect each benefit by Christ's Righteousness when you are the described objects of those benefits according to the Gospel Ordination In vain do you expect the benefit promised if you are not the Persons to whom the Promise grants it for the Promise doth as truly exclude the wrong Person from its Blessing as it assures it to the right Person But by what doth the Promise describe you to be the Person it speak of It 's not by your Name but by your Character even your being such a one as Christ declares by the Promise he will give the Benefit to Would you be filled be then one that hungers after Righteousness Would you be pardoned for Christs sake see that you be Penitent Believers for it 's to such only Christs Righteousness is promised to be applied for Pardon Would you reap plentifully then sow plentifully for if you be of them that sow sparingly God doth not say it to you that you shall reap plentifully 2 Cor. 9.6 The like I may say of every other Promise that is Conditional for therein God moves us to duty by Benefits he induceth us to what we are more backward by what we more esteem and desire Election knows our Names the Promises appoints our Qualifications And do not think thou canst plead Christs Righteousness to obtain the Good promised if thou art not such a one as the Promise describes for in making these Promises Christ hath fixed the way how the Effects of his Righteousness shall be dispensed and by these he requires us to guide our Expectations or they do not answer the end of his Publication of them But when thou art by the Grace and Spirit of Christ the characterized Man to whom the Promise belongs expect the Blessing as the Effect of Christs Righteousness and not of thine own the Promise had not been made to thee but for that it is in his right the Blessing is conferred whenever any partake thereof which adds Sweetness as well as Certainty thereto The Spirit frames the Vessel but Christ affords the Oyl By the Operation of the Holy Ghost thou art rendred the designed Object of the Promise but look to Christ as Procurer of the Good which the Promise is to convey But more of this hereafter 9 Pro. In and by the Righteousness of Christ they that sincerely believe are upon Gods pardoning of them
and Honour vain or void so used 1 Cor. 9.15 2. Is the Son of God's Incarnation intended by the Apostle when he saith he made his glorying void It is certainly and eminently so For 1. The Nominative Case to this Verb is confined to the second Person not incarnate he being in the Form of God c. He even he so considered before he was God-Man emptyed himself or made his glorying void as to Manifestation wherein could this properly be so but in becoming incarnate for whatever Debasement followed after his Incarnation referred to him as the Effect of thus emptying himself 2. The whole 7. Vers. is confined to his Incarnation as I have fully proved he emptied himself being made in the Likeness of Man P. 24 25. c. Vers. 8. being found in Fashion as a Man is that which lets in what followed his Incarnation though but one eminent Instance be given The Assembly of Divines Larg Cat. Q. 47. Christ humbled himself in his Conception in that being from all Eternity the Son of God he was pleased in the Fulness of Time to become the Son of Man made of a Woman of a low Estate and to be born of her with divers Circumstances of more than ordinary Abasement To wrigle himself out of this which he subscribed he doth I suppose use â—he former Shifts But to add no more Doctor Owen's Expos. on the Hebrews Chap. 3. Vers. 2 3. P. 21. This glorious one humbled himself into the Form of a Man of a Servant unto Death the Death of the Cross Phil. 25.6 7 8. You see his Comment on this Text. Reader judge now of the Confidence and small Tenderness of this Man that should have a very peculiar Eye to this Opinion of his when he told his Hearers P. 38. So shall it go with your Souls so will God deal with every one of you as you receive or reject those Truths of his A thing he calls a damning Error in me when I say so but of Mens being penitent godly Believers The second Point to be marked is That Believers are as righteous as Christ in Equality as to Suretyship-Righteousness For that 's the Point He saith little here for it and I have said enough in this Book against it therefore a few words will serve His Authors Rhetorical Sayings are more reconcilable to Truth than his Position Mr. Bradshaw affirms That Pardon without the rigid Imputation of the Active Obedience serves to all saving Purposes But I 'll dismiss this with these Remarks 1. He builds his whole Notion upon a Suretiship-Righteousness and never proves Christ to be any such Surety as will at all infer that we are as Righteous as he on that account I have carefully weighed what he hath written and find what he saith for it pag. 10 is that he is called a Surety Heb. 7. 22. I grant it and he 'll find I have proved that Christ is there called only a Surety of the Gospel Covenant and therefore can as mentioned in that place be engaged to no more thereby than what that Covenant includeth Though yet I grant that other Scriptures prove that Christ undertook to be the end of the Law for Righteousness and died in our place or stead c. of which I have insisted at large And if this will not serve he adds his All He who is obliged to pay anothers Debt or any part of it is properly and in strictness his Surety Repl. But not always so as that the Principal can be said to pay that Debt as mâ—â—h as he nor be as just as he nor be said to be immediately released upon his payment c. For if a Friendgoes to a Creditor and promiseth to pay part of a Prodigals Debt agreeing together that upon sundry terms and in a fit time and by degrees the Prodigal shall be acquitted and released yea and that his Debt shall be remitted to him in a way of forgiveness by the very Creditor and he still be bound to certain Services thereby I hope all the former daring assumptions are prevented and yet the subsequent Surety engaged to pay part of the Prodigal's Debt Should not Mr. M. p. 10. forbear saying that holy Mr. Baxter wrangles and rejects this Counsel of God against himself and cites the place where Mr. B. argues this point and offer no better proof But that 's their way he shall Reason and they 'll do their work by meer Reproaches and cursed Censures 2. He p. 75. saith That Christ's Resurrection Ascension and Intercession are not imputed to Believers Yet all the proof he brings for an Eternal Legal Union between the Elect and Christ and their being one Person in Law is That they are said to be in him in his reviving rising from the Dead and sitting in heavenly places with him p. 59. â—â—hat what in one place is the instance and ground of Legal-Surety-Imputation in the other is excluded from being imputed I hope those phrases will by his followers not again be pleaded for Suretiship-Imputation 3. How dogmatically spoken is it p. 76. That if it be the same Righteousness in which Christ and we stand he and we are so far as that Righteousness makes Righteous equally Righteous Repl. But Sir he and we come not alike by it and we depend on it as in him for all he stands not in it so as to need forgiveness which we do yea that forgiveness is oft repeated to us after we are made Righteous He is by it entitled to much more than we are c. of which elsewhere And since he infers an Equality from a Sameness let me ask are we as spiritual as Christ And yet it 's the same Spirit that is in Christ and in us Are we as much beloved by God as Christ our Mediator is And yet Ioh. 17. 26. Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them Here 's As and the Same Love yet it were Impudence to pretend to be loved equally Yea Vers. 22. The Glory which thou gavest me I have given them Here 's the same Glory but must we be as glorious as Christ in Equality Alas Do not we see that the same Guilt of a Fact may lie upon many and yet all not be guilty in the same Degree Judge then what an Air of Assurance doth this short-sighted Man breathe forth in the next Words I can hardly think any Man is so forsaken of common Vnderstanding as to deny it Because he cannot give convincing Light he 'll threaten us into it by calling us mad and had he thought thâ—â— would have sent more open Mouths after us he would have given us that Term instead of Semisaciniane Men that hold damning blasphemous Errors and what not But any Man that intimately knew Mr. Baxter whom he loads with these Titles as well as others and Mr. M. would not be long concluding which had more Understanding Truth Love to God and Man
Publick-spiritedness Godliness Integrity and whatever makes a Gospel-spirit and the Image of Christ upon a Man to say nothing of Humility good Nature Freedom from Envy and Malice c. Yea God blessed him more to the real Conversion of Souls than a hundred Mr. Mather's notwithstanding his charging him with rejecting the Counsel of God against himself P. 10. And to hold pernicious Soul-destroying Errors for it 's him whose Words he puts in a broken Light P. 46. 4. He very oddly evades the Charge of the Assembly Confess Chap. 26. A. 3. viz. This Communion which the Saints have with Christ doth not make them in any wise Partakers of the Substance of his God-Head or to be equal with Christ in any respect either of which to affirm is impious and blasphemous This Place I cited but would not repeat the Words at Pinners Hall To this he tells us P. 76. This must be taken in a limited Sense c. for taken absolutely it will not hold Believers are Menequally with Christ c. Rep. True for he hath almost told us we are hail Fellows with Christ he was not humbled in being a Man nor is he dishonoured in our being as righteous as he He saith P. 7. Christ's Incarnation may as justly be said to be a Part of his Exaltation as of his Humiliation But though they intend not the being of a Man in what they so severely brand yet they mean nothing if they exclude what is so great a Perfetion of Christ as his Righteousness is when they fix Blasphemy on saying we are equal with Christ in any respect they must think his Righteousness such a Prerogative that who will equal Christ in this may next ask of him his Kingdom also and Mr. M. hath given us a Handle for that upon our very being as Righteous as Christ. For P. 25. He at large shews that Christ hath two Titles to Glory a natural one and an accumulated one viz. An acquired Title as our Surety and if you ask what Glory that is you 'll find P. 56. It 's that special Revenue of Glory and Praise which the Father who began his Son from Eternity and loving him with an infinite Love designed him Now then if Christ's Title to all his acquired Glory be his Suretiship Righteousness and as to that we are as Righteous as he in Equality what can hinder us not only to have that very same Title to Heaven and Glory as Christ hath as he is our Sponsor But I say what can hinder Believers Claim and Title to the very same high Throne in Heaven and the very same Degree of Glory as Christ as their Surety hath a Title to since Christ hath it For that very Righteousness which they have as much of as he himself and that God gives or rather payâ— them all of remunerative Justice and that they are one mystical Person with Christ all which this modest Author affirms P. 55. Reader â—â—â—ge is this no other Equality than in being Men as well as Christ 5. Though he talks so much of Suretiship Righteousness he gives an uncertain Sound of that Bond wherein Christ and Believers come into that legal Oneness 1. One while he was constituted a Surety in that Covenant between God and him P. 10. Thereby there was a legal Vnion and this Vnion was from everlasting and it was of supercreation Grace and perfected in the Transaction between God and Christ. P. 50 60. Reader know That I grant there was a Covenant of Redemption beforetime and that therein Christ undertook to redeem and save elect Sinners c. But yet I deny that by that Covenant Christ and the Elect were eternally one legal Person or that he is their Surety in such a Sense as will render them legally esteemed to do and suffer all that Christ did pursuant to that Covenant or that thereby they are as Righteous as he Thou wilt find my Arguments in this Book at present it 's enough to say we were never Principals in that Covenant and therefore Christ could not be such a Surety The thing insisted on in that Covenant was Redemption Work and the Salvation of Sinners as fallen but the redeeming and saving of Sinners or our selves as Sinners was never proposed to us as our Duty it was inconsistent and impossible to our State as fallen and with his Leave as it looks strange the Elect should have two legal Heads at once viz. Christ and Adam so if Christ and Men were eternally one legal Person I doubt it may as well be proved that Christ legally broke the Law in the Elect's breaking it as the Elect kept the Law in Christ's keeping it Well thus far here 's a Surety without a Principal and a Work or Debt which none was ever bound to but him that is called a Surety in a Sense that many must be said to do and pay as much as he 2. Another while Christ's Name was put into the original Bond in which we by the Law and Covenant of our Creation were bound P. 10. He told us before he was constituted a Surety in another Bond viz. The Eternal Compact if so then his Name is put into this Bond in performance of his antecedent Suretiship and not made a Surety by putting his Name in this Bond then it follows that what he doth pay of this Bond can be said to be paid by us no otherwise than according to the Nature of his Suretiship in the former Bond wherein we have seen he was principal and sole Undertaker I am glad by this that I need not argue with him that if Christ was a pecuniary proper Surety with us in the Covenant of Works then it was either absolutely or disjunctively if absolutely that he would keep it then we were not Parties at all engaged If disjunctively viz. That either we or he would keep it then it was never broken for he hath kept it and his Obedience without any Suffering sufficed to fulfill it c. But Mr. M. granting and that truly that Christ was constituted Surety in the Covenant of Redemption prevents my insisting on such things Only still note as I have elsewâ—ere proved that Christ being made under the Law which he means by putting his Name in the Bond was the Effect of Christ's Suretiship 3. Yet inconsistently enough P. 14. Christ was made our Surety his Name was not only put into the Covenant of Works but into it as a broken Covenant Here all is ruffled again and how shall we unriddle it He was but now constituted a Surety in the eternal Bond but he is here made a Surety in the broken Bond He that distinguished between assuming our Nature and being conceived no doubt will find some Difference between constituted a Surety and made a Surety for that he must do or he contradicts himself Well I grant that Christ came in our Nature to obey the Law we had broken and bear the Punishment we had deserved and answer the End of