faith Ans. It may be so but their meaning is not I conceive to give an equal share of Interest Power Office in about justification unto Repentance with that which they acknowledge Faith to have but either their purpose is hereby to show the inseperable connexion that is betwixt faith Repentance or to show that they speak of that faith which is attended with this necessary Grace of Repentance doth effectually work the same or both rather So that their true meaning is to give the due privilege interest unto that saith which can prove it self to be real true justifying faith by effectuating Repentance never to be repented of and thus they withall satisfie an Objection or question that might be made if they had mentioned faith alone for it might be enquired How shall we know whether our faith be of the right kind or not Now their joining of Repentance with faith doth shortly answere this question Repentance being a concomitant and a fruit of true faith more sensiblie felt obvious to their perception might be to them a vive perceptible expression of true justifying faith Obj. 12. But seing faith by some is called that which doth morally qualifie the subject to be a fit patient so be justified why may not Repentance have an equal share in this moral Qualification with Faith I Ans. If we should make faith to have no other Interest in justification than Repentance hath or may be yeelded to have we may easily grant that Repentance hath the same equall Interest with faith but it is denied that faith hath no other Interest but as that which doth morally qualifie c. drieness in wood may qualifie it for the fire yet the wood may be long so before it become the subject of fire so may it be with moral qualifications many a man may be morally qualified to be a fit match for such a woman or a woman for such a man yet the marriage Relation never be made up betwixt them But this cannot be said of faith whereby the marriage is made the person is actually justified not a bare fit patient to be justified CHAP. XXX Whether Love purpose of Obedience or perseverance be Conditions of Justification BY what is said in our foregoing discourse we may know what is to be answered unto these Questions so that we need not insist long in the discussing of them Some of late lay downe for a ground and hereby give occasion to discuss these and such like questions that whatever is or may be called aâ— the Covenant of Grace is upon that account may be called the Condition of Justification thus confounding the whole order of the Gospel making all duties required of such as are in Covenant ordained of God for other ends uses to be required as Conditions of entering in Covenant and to have the same use and end in unto justification which faith hath contrary to express Scripture saying that we are justified by faith not by works of Righteousness which we do and contrary to the whole methode of the Gospel grounds laid down therein for an acceptable performance of obedience As to Love Papisit's make it the forme as they speak of faith not in it self simply considered but in order to Justification Salvation thereby saying that faith without Love is dead And it is true that true saving faith worketh by Love and that faith cannot be called Saving or Justifying which doth not excite unto acts of Love and many may deceive themselves with a faith that will not be found when tried to be of the right stamp as the Apostles Iames teacheth But yet they put no specifick difference commonly betwixt this dead faith faith informed for both as to what is essential intrinsik to faith which they hold to be an assent unto all things revealed by the Lord unto men upon the account of the Veracity and Authority of the Revealer are one the same so as one and the same faith may be sometime dead when to wit not working by Love sometime lively when formed with Love But of these things we need not here speak only we see that with them Love is in a manner more necessary unto Justification than faith must be looked on as a necessary condition thereunto even as that without which faith can do nothing And to confute this here is but vaine seing it shall serve nothing to our purpose because with them justification is the very same we call Sanctification But others who have more sound and distinct apprehensions of justification tell us That love is the condition of justification because a condition of the Covenant of Grace as if all the duties of such as are in Marriage Relations were conditions of making up the marriage Relation Others who distinguish betwixt Faith Evangelick Obedience as betwixt consent to a mans Soveraignity obeying him as Soveraigne as doth Mr. Baxter Confess p. 89 90. Yet say that Love is comprized in Faith and is some degree of Justifying Faith not properly a fruite of it because the wills apprehension of a thing good or earnest willing accepting it is the fame with Love so is the wills Consenting Electing accepting all this being in Faith Love must be comprehended in it Yea they say that as Love Faith are propounded in the Gospel as of the same necessity so they are necessary in Justification concurrent in apprehending Christ. So spoke Mr. Baxter in his Aphorismes And in his Confess p. 34 35. he saith Though Charitie as it respecteth other objects is no part of faith yet as it respecteth an offered Saviour it is as much essential to faith to receive Christ with Love as it is essential to a Saviour the object of faith to be good for us for good as good is received by love Nor was it ever the Intent of the Holy Ghost to take faith in Christ in so narrow a sense as includeth not Love to him when it is saving Faith that is spoken of In reference to all which we need say but those few following things 1. The Scriptures do plainly enough distinguish betwixt Faith Love They are reckoned as distinct fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. Love joy-faith yea Faith is said to worke by love Gal. 5 6. we heare of the work of faith and labour of love 1. Thes. 1 3. we heare of Charitie out of a pure heart of faith unfaigned 1. Tim. 1 5. And the grace of our Lord saith Paul 1. Tim. 1 14 was exceeding abundant with Faith Love which is in Christ Iesus We hear of the brestplate of Faith Love 1. Thes. 5 8. 2. The Scriptures do plainly tell us that we are Justified by Faith as we heard but never saith that we are justified by love And sure as it is best for us to regulate our expressions according to the Lord's
a Mediator Surety for us accept of His Mediation and Satisfaction most freely out of free Grace and Love when we neither had done nor could do any thing to move Him hereunto or to procure this at His hands yea when all our carriage all that He could see in us did rather cry aloud for the contrary dealing 4 Was it no Act of Soveraigne Grace that God should provide all this remedie for a few whom He did choose for Him self out of free Grace and Love and gave away to Christ to bee redeemed by Him leaving the rest passing them by though no more unworthy than such as were chosen 5 Is it no Act of grace mercy that in order to this great favour of justification no more should be required on our part than faith in Jesus Christ seing this very faith including an Union with and a marriag-consent unto Christ is in it self a favour nothing in a manner inferiour to the pardon of all our sinnes to the accepting of us as Righteous in His sight 6 Is justification no Act of grace and mercy though it be upon the account of the obedience and Satisfaction of Christ when that very faith which is only required of us in order to our full interest in Christ His merites is also the free gift of God Ephes. 2 8 If these particulars will not aboundantly say that we are saved in justification by grace by the exceeding riches of Gods grace kindness towards us through Christ Jesus according to Ephes. 2 7. what will 9. Here is a great and wonderful mystery in this matter That the Innocent should suffer and the guilty escape go free The Socinians that they may strengthen them selves in their mischievous prejudices against the Satisfaction of Christ imagine an Impossibility here an Inconsistency with Justice that an Innocent person should be put to suffer But what ever they dream who will walk in these mysterious matters by no other guide than the dim light of corrupt nature it comporteth aboundantly with Justice that the Surety be put to pay what he hath undertaken to pay for the principal debtor And here was no wrong done to our Surety Jesus Christ who willingly undertook this debt and was lord of His own life having absolute power to lay it down and power to take it up againe and to raise him self from the dead knowing withall how richly to compensate make up that loss another way so as He should be no loser when He should see His Seed and receive the rich reward of His laboures from the Father whose Servant He was in this affaire Here is then a mystery of wisdom Grace and Love that the Innocent Lamb of God who knew no sin who did no violence nor was guile found in his mouth 2 Cor. ◠21. Esai 53 9. Who when He was reviled reviled not againe 1 Pet. 2 22 23. Who was Holy harmless undesiled and separat from sinners Heb. 7 26. That He should be made sin by God 2 Cor. 5 21. And so legally guilty obnoxious to the punishment due for sin that He should be made an High Priest to offer up Him self a sacrifice for sin Heb. 9 14 28. That He should bear our grieves carry our sorrowes and be wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities that the punishment of our peace should be upon Him He should stripes be oppressed afflicted and be cutt off out of the Land of the living have strokes upon Him make His grave with the wicked be bruised be put to griefe and make His soul an offering for sin Esai 53 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. That he who could not be charged with sin should yet be put to suffer most grieveous torments immediatly in his soul Mat. 26 37 38. 27 46. Luk. 22 44 Ioh. 12 27. And paines in his body Mat. 26. 27. Chapters That He should die and that He should die the Shamful Painful and cursed death of the Cross Gal. 3 13. Phil. 2. 8. And upon the other hand that we who were the sinners and guilty and so obnoxious to all the miseries of this life to death it self and to the paines of hell and wrath of God for ever should escape and be healed by His stripes Esai 53 5. 1 Pet 2 24. become the righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5 21. And be justified and made heirs of the promises O! what an unsearchable mystery of Love and free grace shineth forth here 10. This is also a Part of this Mystery That nothing should be forgiven yet all should be forgiven Nothing was forgiven to our Surety He paid all that was required of Him for the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all He gave full obedience to the Law in all its demandes made a perfect compleat Satisfaction for our Offences so that the Father was well pleased in Him the same was at two several times declared expressed out of heaven once at His Baptisme Mat. 3 17. againe at His Transfiguration Mat. 17 5. The sword of Justice was awakened against Him though He was Gods fellow Zech. 13 7. And did abate Him nothing of what was due The Lord Jesus gave him self for us an offering and a Sacrifie to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5 2. He is a perfect High Priest continueing for ever having an unchangable Priest-hood and therefore is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him for He needeth not daily as the High Priests under the Law to offer up Sacrifie first for His own sinnes then for the People for this He did once when He offered up Himself for the word of the Oath maketh Him a Priest who is consecrated for ever more Heb. 7 24 25 26 27. And yet though He had nothing forgiven or abated to Him while standing in our room but paid all to the outmost farthing all notwithstanding is freely forgiven to us and we have blessedness by the Lords forgiving our Iniquities covering our sins or not imputing them to us Psal. 32 1 2. Rom. 4 7 8. Our Redemption is forgiveness of sinnes Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. And all sinnes must be forgiven to us or our Redemption should not be perfect nor we saved for one sin would ruine us for ever because if the Lord should mark iniquity enter in to judgment no man should stand no flesh should be justified Psal. 130 3. 143 2. 11. Here is another Mystery considerable in our justification That though thereby we be declared pronounced righteous so acquite absolved from what was or might be charged upon us Yet we have need of Pardor must be freely pardoned Socinians cannot or will not 〈◊〉 Conexion that Infinite Wisdom hath made here therefore make use of forgiveness free pardon of sinnes as an Argument wherewith to fight
will not cordially close herewith must resolve to abide in that estate of enmity whereinto they are by Nature 10. This way of Justification as it is the only way of Peace Reconciliation with God so it layeth the ground of solide Joy Rejoyceing in hope of the glory of God of Glorying in tribulation also as Paul informeth us Rom. 5 1 2 3 4 5. Being justified by faith through Jesus Christ we have through him accesse by faith in to this grace wherein we stand rejoyce in hope of the glory of God not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts c. Men may I know promise to themselves much Peace Joy and Consolation in their own false way may also deceive themselves as the Phaâ—isee did when he thanked God he was not like the publican but how had will the discovery of the deceite and cheatry prove in end God's way is the only way that will yeeld all these desirable things in truth reality and therefore we would do well to follow this way alone 11. Moreover this way of Justification will only lay the sure unfailing foundation of true Holiness and Sanctification and hence are the most spiritual convincing moving Arguments unto the study of holiness only to be taken as we see the Apostle clearing it in his Epistle to the Romans Chap 6. 7. 8. having laid down in the preceeding Chapters as a sure ba. sis thereunto the only Gospel-way of Iustification Men may think that the pressing of Justification by our own works should prove the most effectual Meane Perswasive unto the real study of holiness a most infallible Argument to set people awork to follow holiness with all their might But experience sufficiently proveth that all such who by their doctrine lay more or less of their weight upon their owne works in their Justification are so far from outstriping others in the spiritual exercise of true holiness that for the most part the very contrary is too too manifest and howbeit Adversaries to Gospel-Justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ object to the Asserters thereof that thereby they are Enemies to the study of holiness give way to laziness negligence in that exercise yet not only is their alleigance groundless seing we press holiness upon the same grounds that the Apostle doth who oft times meeteth with this objection in his way of declaring pressing the Gospel-way of justification but also experience showeth that such as have fled to Christ for Righteousness have another way of Communion with God in all holy conversation their walkeing in all the wayes of God hath a spiritual lustre heavenly beauty being compared with the walk of others strangers in practice and in opinion to the Gospel-way of being Justified through Faith in Christ. 12. Whoso ever reject this truth and do not accepte of this way of justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ received leaned to by faith do interpretativly say as much as that Christ is dead in vaine for the Apostle tels us Gal. 2 21. that he did not frustrat the grace of God for if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine thereby teaching us that the crying up of the Law the Righteousness thereof and urging people to seek after a Righteousness by which they may be justified in their Obedience to the Law is a real frustrating of the grace of God a declaring that Christ is dead in vaine and consequently whoever seek after a Righteousness consisting in their personal obedience to the Law will not accepte of nor heartily practically close with the Gospel-way of justification through faith in Christ do really frustrate so far as in them lyeth all the grace of God manifested in brought to light by the Gospel where this noble way of recovering sinners is revealed more clearly fully explained than it was formerly And it is a saying upon the matter that Christ hath died in vaine for if he died not to satisfie for sinners after he had finished his course of Obedience so to make up a compleat Righteousness which might answere all the necessities of sinners lying under the sentence of a broken Law and having no way without Christ to obtaine the Crown of life but by perfect personal Obedience to the whole Law which was is to them utterly impossible If I say Christ died not for this end he died in vaine all such as will not heartily imbrace this way do on the matter say he died not for this end so as far as they can they make him to have died in vaine 13. This Consideration might also have force with us that what Paul taught as to this matter he did also practise sweetly complye with thereby casting us a copie in his own practice for thus he speaketh Phil. 3 8 9. Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things do count them but dung that I may win Christ be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith So Gal. 2 16. knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ c. If therefore we would be sure in this matter we must take this course which is so corresponding in all points with the Gospel-doctrine in this matter Therefore who ever would expect to have it going well with them for evermore must resolve upon this course to be clothed with the Righteousness of Christ and get on that rob of Righteousness which is had through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith CHAP. XVIII Some of the duties of such as live the life of Justification proposed IN the last place we shall mentione this Use of the Truth formerly cleared confirmed in reference to such as have attained unto this life of justification through faith which every one may readily see That it is the duty of such as are made partakers of this life to beware of such things as may will provoke the Lord to anger will be unsutable for them who are thus graciously advanced to such an high State Privilege of grace to minde such duties as do most suite such as are so highly advanced and so greatly obliged to him that hath thus called them effectually by his grace and hath wrought up their hearts unto a full compliance with the Gospel-contrivance of free grace
Many such particular duties might here be mentioned but I shall only pointe at a few to which others may be reduced 1. Such as live this life of Gospel Justification should beware of intertaining thoughts of pride or of boasting of any thing they have freely and graciously received and particularly they should guard against boasting in this matter that they are preferred to others and brought out of a state of death when others are left yet to lye thereinto This whole matter is so contrived and so wisely framed that no ground of boasting either before God or man may be left unto Man but that every one may celebrate the praise of Free Grace Therefore Justification is not by works or by our obedience to the Law for then the justified man being justified upon the account of his own works or of the works of righteousness which he hath done should have ground of glorying though not before God yet before Men as having by his own sweating working doing obtained that which others by their laziness negligence not doing have come short of Paul tels us this expresly Rom. 4 2. If Abraham were justified by works he hath to glory but not before God and this is further confirmed vers 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt So that if Justification were by works Justification it self all the Consequences thereof should be due debt unto the worker and his reward and so as the hireling may boast of his labour when he gets his hire reward so the justified man if justification were by the works of the Law might boast of his own paines diligence as having received but his reward and that which was due to him of debt and not of grace But now that all mouthes may be stopped no flesh might glory or have ground of boasting in themselves and before others the Lord hath contrived a far other way of justification to wit by Faith alone whereby the Man goeth out of himself renunceth all his own Righteousness prosesseth himself poor naked miserable a plaine dyvour and utterly non-solvendo layeth hold on a compleet alsufficient Righteousness in Jesus Christ and so hath no ground of boasting or glorying even before men for it is nothing that is in him or that he doth that is that Righteousness upon the account of which he is Justified but only the Righteousness of Christ without him It is not his faith not his works nor his Righteousness but Christ's Righteousness is equally imputed to all beleevers to the weakest beleever as well as to the strongest and so the strongest beleever hath no ground of boasting before the weakest Where is boasting-then saith the Apostle Rom. 3 27. It is excluded by what Law Of works nay but by the Law of faith 2. Upon the other hand let all such glory in the Lord and in his free grace gracious workings Let them say when they reflect on this matter not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thee be glory seing the matter is so contrived as that all the justified may see that God may only have the glory of all that none ought to share with him that he alone should weare the crown all his glorified ones should most cheerfully cast their crownes down at his feet But of him saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1 30 31. are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth Let him glory in the Lord. Christ is made all things unto for his people they have all of God through him that no flesh should glory in his presence as it is said vers 29. Let all such therefore as are made partaker of this rich honourable Privilege comply sweetly cheerfully with this designe of God to have God alone exalted and the mouth of all flesh stopped that he who glorieth may alone glory in the Lord. 3. Let such as are thus advanced minde the great duty of holiness and of growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ The way of faith is not to make void the Law but it doth establish it Rom. 3 31. as Christ is made of God unto is Righteousness so is he made Sanctification As he is Priest to reconcile us to God and become Righteousness to us so is he a King to cause us walk in the Lord to subdue our spiritual enemies and so become Sanctification to us It is the language of the flesh of corruption to argue from this Change advancement unto a liberty to sinne Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound will the flesh object But the Apostle answereth Rom. 6 2. c. God forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein It is repugnant to the nature of that state whereinto now they are broâ—ght to give way to sin Therefore the justified should minde what they are called to what new grounds new advantages new helps new encouragements they have unto holiness that they had not before all plainly fully set down by Paul Rom. 6. eise where 4. How should they commend cry up the free grace of God and that love that visited them when they were lying in their blood and no eye pityed them They were ungodly without strength yet Christ died for them Rom. 5 6. and the Lord did justifie the ungodly even them who had no righteousness of their owne nor nothing to commend them unto him Rom. 4 5. Yea where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5 20. Not only had they nothing more then others to commend them unto God but even they had less and â—et God through free grace set his Love upon the less worthy for saith Paul 1 Cor. 1 26 27 28. ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God hath chosen the weak things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things which are That no flesh should glory in his presence Should not the thoughts of this raise their wondering cause them speak to the commendation of the rich and free grace of God 5. Let such as are brought into this state of life wherein they have peace with God and are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ carry as persones no more strangers unto him as forraigners but as now madenigh by the blood of Jesus therefore let such remember that through him they have an access by one Spirit unto the Farher being now fellow-citisens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2 13 14 18 19. Rom. 5 2. Therefore should improve this advantage both for their own good and for
the good of others should exercise communion fellowshipe with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ so walk with him as agreed with Him have their conversation in heaven Hath the Lord brought them into his houshold yea admitted them to his presence that they may kisse his hand stand before his face continually in the lower chamber of presence and should they carry as yet estranged from him Is He at peace with them and should they have jealous thoughts of him Is He reconciled unto them and should they carry as keeping up some grudge against Him 6. Such should account this state whereinto now they are brought their only blessedness here below Even as David saith Paul Rom. 4 6 7 8. also describeth the blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin Here is the poor self-condemned sinners blessedness that he hath a righteousness imputed to him who had none of his owne and who thereupon hath his iniquities forgiven covered not imputed And such as are made partakers of this blessedness should account it their happiness that how ever it be with them as to outward things in the world yet they are now brought within the Covenant and are covered with the mantle of Christ's Righteousness and have all their iniquities covered cast into the midst of the sea so that they shall never be reckoned upon their score 7. This should be aground for them of glorying in the Lord in the hardest condition they can be into in the world being thus justified they should glory in tribulations knowing that they can suffer no loss o◠disadvantage thereby but on the contrary reap much good and advantage for tribulation worketh in such as are thus justified and at peace with God patience and patience experience experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost Ought they not then to carry under all oppressions persecutions hard usages of men upon the account of owning Christ his Interest as persons that are upon the gaining hand and reaping much spiritual advantage being now brought through grace into such a state of life And how would they hereby glorify God in the world 8. The consideration of their present state of life should cause them triumph in the midst of all difficulties temptations that they shall meetwith in their way as knowing that the life of justification whereof now they are made partakers shall continue and that it shall end in the life of glory for whom the Lord justifieth them he also glorifieth Rom. 8 30. Who shall then lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth Who shall then separat such from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or persecution or distress or famine or nakedness or perill or sword Nay in all these things they are more then conquerours through him that loved them Rom. 8 33 34 35 37. Hear how Paul concludeth that matter for himself others vers 38 32. for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Should not therefore such carry as persons that cannot be made miserable How much doth the Apostle insist on this and cleare it from this ground Rom. 5 9 10. saying much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And againe vers 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. There being then a sure ground of confidence assurance of life of compleet salvation laid in justification all such are called to rejoice in hope of the glory of God Rom 5 2. And to have confidence in the Lord that he will perfect what he hath begun to rest assured that all they which receive abundance of grace of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ. Rom. 5 17. 9. Yea particularly the consideration of their many sinnes should not discourage them or cause them despond for being now justified all their bygone sins are pardoned shall not be by the Lord laid to their charge againe however the memory of them may humble them cause them run to the fountaine of the blood of Jesus all their future sins shall be pardoned according the Gospel grounds after the Gospel-methode so that they shall not prejudge them of their promised possession of glory and life everlasting Now the free gift is of many offences unto justification Rom. 5 16. There is a sure way laid down in the Gospel whereby all their sins shall be taken away and the very body of death shall be killed more more dayly so that they shall not finally perish what ever Satan body of death within shall do to prejudge them of the promised inheritance Hence the Apostle inferreth from his foregoing discourse Rom. 8 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to then which are in Christ Jesus 10. Such as are thus justified should follow the example of Paul Phil. 3 7 8 9. and so account such things less for Christ which formerly were gaine yea count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord yea account them but dung that they may win Christ and be found in him Here should their heart delight be about this should their whole occupation be to win and gaine Christ more to know him the power of his Resurrection and the followshipe of his sufferings to be made conformable unto his death vers 10. that hereby Christ may be their gaine their glory their all How jealous should they be of their deceitful hearts that nothing be admitted to share of the glory due to Christ or to possesse any of that room in the heart that is due to him He should have the throne for He is well worthie of it And whatever cometh in competition with him be it within us or without us should be rejected that He alone may be exalted in our souls 11. Such as have been made partaker of this royal life of justification through a Crucified Christ laid hold on by faith should labour to keep this doctrine pure both by word deed so far as they can that 〈◊〉 grace of God that so eminently shineth forth therein may not be darkned by mens erroneous apprehensions
the score of Beleevers as if he had recalled the former pardon granted for he remembereth their sin no more Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. 10 17. And for future sins by vertue of their State they have access to seek for pardon and have ground 3 The Righteousness of Christ which is a perfect Righteousness is fully and perfectly communicated and imputed so as thereby they become the Righteousness of God in Christ 2. Cor. 5. last He is their whole Righteousness in order to Iustification and wholly their Righteousness as made of God Righteousness unto them Ier. 23 6 1. Cor. 1 30. And with this Righteousness they are wholly perfectly covered to expect it as found hid there Phil. 3 9. are made Righteous Rom. 5 19. 10 4. 4 They are now wholly Reconciled unto God and have Peace with Him and not by halfes or in some certain respects only as if in other respects they were still Enemies or in a state of Enmity Being justified by faith they have Peace with God Rom. 5 1. once they were enemies but now they are reconciled vers 10. by Christ they have now received the Atonement vers 11. once alienated enemies in their mindes by wicked works but now reconciled Col. 1 21. once a far off but now made neer Ephes. 2 13. the enmity being staine vers 16. No more strangers or forreigners now but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God vers 19. Then is the Lord pacified toward them for all that they have done Ezek. 16 63. 5 They are compleetly translated into a new Covenant state not halfe the children of Saran and half the children of God not halfe in Nature and halfe in the state of Grace not half translated halfe not Ephes. 2 13 19. Col. 1 21. not halfe quickened with Christ and halfe not Ephes. 2 5. They are not now halfe without Christ or aliens from the common wealth of Israel or strangers from the Covenants of promise c. Ephes. 2 12. There is a perfect change as to their state 1. Cor. 6 11. 6 They are secured as to final Condemnation There is no condemnation for them Rom. 8 1. being beleevers they shall not perish but have eternal life Ioh. 3 15 16. He that beleeveth is not condemned vers 18. See also Ioh. 3 36. 6 47. They are passed from death unto life Ioh. 5 24. 1. Ioh. 3 14. being discharged of all guilt of eternal punishment which formerly they deserved by their sinnes And all this holdeth good notwithstanding of their after sins which as we shall shew do not annull or make any such breach upon their state of Justification It is true these sins must also be Pardoned will be Pardoned but yet when they are pardoned their Justification as to their state is not hereby more perfected as to these respects formerly mentioned It holdeth good also notwithstanding of what shall be at the great day for that will put no man in a new Justified state who was not Reconciled to God before It is true there will be many additions as to the Solemnitie Declaration Consequences Effects thereof in that day but not withstanding hereof the state of Justification here as to what respecteth its grounds the essential change it maketh together with the Right that beleevers have thereby unto all that in that day they shall be put in possession of is perfect may be said so to be Propos. 7 By what is said it is manifest how in what respects this life of Iustification differeth from the life of Sanctification 1 Sanctification maketh a real Physical change Iustification maketh a Relative change And thereby they come to have a new State or Relation unto the Law unto God the judge 2 Sanctification is continueing work wherein beleevers are more more built up daily Iustification is an act of God or a juridcial sentence Absolving a sinner pronunceing him free of the charge brought in against him and not liable to the penalty 3 Sanctification is a groÌ„wing and increasing work admitteth of many degrees is usually weak and small at the beginning Iustification doth not grow neither doth it admit of degrees but is full compleet adequate unto all ends here 4 Sanctification is ever growing here and never cometh to full Perfection before death Justification is perfect adequate unto all ends as we shewed 5 Sanctification is not alike in all but some are more some are less sanctified But Iustification is equal in all none being more justified then others 6 Some measures degrees of Sanctification which have been attained may be lost againe But nothing of Iustification can really be lost for we are not here speaking of the sense and feeling of Justification which frequently may be lost but of Justification it self 7 Sanctification is a progressive work Iustification is instantaneous as was shown 8. Sanctification respecteth the Being Power Dominion of â—in in the beleever and killeth subdueth and mortifieth it Iustification respecteth its guilt demerite taketh away guilt and the obligation to punishment or obnoxiousness to the paying of the penalty 9 In justification a man is accepted upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him and received by Faith But in Sanctification grace is infused and the Spirit given to perfecte holiness in the fear of God 10 In Iustification there is a right had unto life and unto the rich recompence of reward upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed whence they are said to have passed from death to life But in Sanctification they are made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light 11 Unto Iustification nothing is required but faith in Christ whereby the soul may become united to Him have a right to his benefites But unto Sanctification all the graces of the Spirit are requisite and all the exercises of the same all diligence is required and an adding of Vertue to Faith of Knowledge to Vertue of Temperance to Knowledge of Patience to Temperance of Godliness to Patience of Brotherly kindness to Godliness of Charity to Brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1 5 6 7. Propos. 8 Hence it followeth also thar there is no ground to assert a first a second Justification as Papists do meaning by the first an Infusion of an inward Principle or Habite of Grace which is no Justification nor part thereof but the beginning of Sanctification and by the Second another Justification which with them is an Effect or Consequent of the former having good work which flow from the foresaid infused principle of grace love for its proper formal cause This Justification they say is by works where as the former is by faith and yet this second they make to be an Incrementum an increase of the first and for this they say the church prayeth when she saith Lord increase our saith hope
will save justifie us but his Righteousness laid hold on brought home applied by Faith that so all might see be convinced of the necessity of faith whereby the soul goeth out to Christ layeth to his Righteousness and might not satisfie themselves with a Notion of Christ his Righteousness never applied by Faith but be enduced to lay hold on him by Faith to the end they might have an interest in Christ's Righteousness the same being upon their faith bestowed upon them and reckoned upon their score The expression is most emphatick to hold forth the necessity now of faith according to the Lord 's Soveraigne appointment as if thereby Christ's Righteousness their faith were become one thing as being wholly inseparable in this affaire so that it cometh to one whether by faith we understand the Grace as acting upon connoting the Object or the Object as acted upon by the Grace of Faith as in that expression the Righteousness of faith Rom. 4 13. Faith may either be interpreted to be Christ as said hold on by faith so the meaning will be through the Righteousness of Christ laid hold on by Faith faith may be the same way explained in the following vers 14. 16. for if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void i. e. if the grand heritage come by the Law by obedience to it the Gospel holding forth Christ to be laid hold on by faith is made void as to this end and againe vers 16. therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace i. e. it is of by Christ laid hold upon by Faith that it might be by grace Or faith in all these may be interpreted to be faith as acting upon the object Christ his Righteousness the consequence force of the words will be found to be the same whether of these wayes we explaine the matter As when speaking of the Israelits stung in the wilderness it were all one to say they were healed by the brazen serpent to wit looked to or they were healed by their look to wit upon the brazen serpent for still it will be understood that all the vertue came from the brazen serpent or him rather that was typified thereby yet so as it was to be looked upon that their looking was but an Instrumental mean thereunto and when a mean thereunto must include the object looked unto We hear it sometimes said of persons miraculously cured that their Faith made them whole while as the vertue came from the object acted upon by faith as Peter fully explaineth the matter saying Act. 3 16. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong Thus we see how this matter may be saifly must be understood when the vertue and efficacy of the Principal cause is attributed to the Instrumental cause And yet lest any should stumble at the expression pervert it as many do to day the Apostle abundantly Caveats against this by telling us so plainely so fully so frequently of the Righteousness of God which is had by faith through faith as we have seen never speaketh of a Righteousness had because of faith or for Faith nor saith he that faith is our Righteousness while treating of Justification CHAP. XXV Faith is not our Gospel-Righteousness OUr Adversaries to strengthen their Assertion of the Imputation of Faith in a proper sense to the exclusion of the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ have other two Positions which they own maintaine One is that our Faith or our act of beleeving is the whole of our Gospel-Righteousness And the other is That Christ hath procured that it should be so by procuring the New Covenant whereof this faith is made the Condition To this last we shall speak something in the next Chapter of the other here How much Mr. Baxter doth contend for our Faith 's being called accounted our Gospel-Righteousness is known The forenamed Author of the discourse of the two Covenants is very plaine pag. 48 c. where he is explaining what God's counting Abraham's faith to him for Righteousness is There he tels us that he takes it to signifie thus much to wit That God in a may of special grace or by vertue of a new Law of grace favour which was established by God in Christ Gal. 3 17. that is in reference to what Christ was to do suffer in time then to come did reckon his practical faith to him for Righteousness that is that which in the eye of that new Law should passe in his estimation for righteousness subordinat to Christ's Righteousness which procured this grant or Law And thereafter pag. 40. he tels us That it is an act of God's special favour by vertue of his new Law of grace that such a faith as he hath described that is a faith taking in all Gospel Obedience as we saw above comes to be reckoned or imputed to a man for Righteousness through God's imputing it for righteousness to stand a man in the same if not in a better stead as to his eternal concerns as a perfect fulfilling of the original Law from first to last would have done Christ's Righteousness being presupposed the only Meritorious Cause of this grant or Covenant Thereafter pag. 50. he tels us there are two things which constitute make up the Righteousness of the Law of Grace first that which consisteth in the forgiveness of sins 2. the righteousness of sincere obedience And in inference to both he saith faith is imputed for righteousness be vertue of the Law of Grace for saith he faith as practical is imputed to a man for righteousness as it is that all that which is required of him himself by the Law of Grace to entitle him to the righteousness which consisteth in remission of sins And then as to the second he saith pag. 52. That faith is imputed for righteousness which is practical or productive of sincere obedience without which properâ—y it is not a fulfilling of the Law of Grace as a condition of the promised benefites consequently cannot justifie a man in the eye of that Law for as he addeth there must be repentance forgiving men their injuries faith must be such as worketh by love then he tels us that Abraham was justified by his works Jam. 2. All which abomination of doctrine perversion of the right wayes of the Lord we are not here to examine It is enough in reference to the clearing of what is now before us under consideration that we see here a plaine dâ—lmeation explication made of that Gospel which Mr. Baxter said this Treatise would lead us into the knowledge of which is the very same upon the matter with that Gospel which Socinians Arminians hold forth joyning herein with Papists as we saw in part above Chap. XVIII towards the beginning we shall at
price is considerable Now that the Scripture mentioneth some given to Christ that in distinction from others is clear Ioh. 17 2. that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him So vers 12. Those that thou gavest we I have keept and none of them are lost c. So Ioh. 6 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me vers 40. And this is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing Joh. 17 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 10. And all thine are mine mine are thine and I am glorified in them 11. Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am c. Whence we see that Christ had no charge of the rest was under no tye to save them nor would be so much as pray for them but as for the given ones Joh. 10. called his sheep for these he laid downe his life prayed and for these was â—e to give an account nay which is more these had a special Interest in God's heart affection were thereupon given to Christ. They were the Father's given of the Father to the Son and so fully discriminated from all the rest and both Father Son stand engadged to carry these thorow unto salvation all which considered it is most plaine that the Redemption was Particular Actual conforme to the Undertaking Transaction Nay 4. If we will consider the fountaine love from whence the sending of Christ came we will see how unreasonable it is to imagine an Universal meer Possible Redemption as the proper end effect of Christ's death merites It is said Ioh. 3 16. A place which our Universalists look upon as most favourable for them that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that all beleevers in him might have eternal life This love is held forth as unparallelable a love greater than which cannot be conceived a love demonstrated by the greatest effect imaginable sending giving his only begotten to give his life a ransome to die for sinners and it must be contrary to all reason to imagine that all this was to procure a Redemption by which it was possible that not one man should be Actually Redeemed Christ himself saith Joh. 15 13. greater love hath no man thaâ— this that a man lay down his life for his friends See also Rom. 5 8. And shall we think that the effect of all this Non-such Love both of the Father of the Son was only a Possible Salvation and Redemption and that all this love should be outed and possibly not one man saved Either the Lord knew that some would get good by this fruite of wonderful love or not then he was not omniscient and then the Father gave his Son the Son came both were the effect of the greatest love imaginable yet neither of them knew that any one soul should be saved for all that If he knew that they would get good by it either by themselves alone without his Grace or not If the first why would he send his Son to die why would Christ come to die for such as they saw would never have a will to be saved by his death If the last be said then seing the greatest expression of of love was to send his Son in the Son to come die how can we think that that was for all when the grace to improve that death profite by it was not designed for all Sayeth not Paul Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall not with him also freely give us all things Importing that that was Impossible Shall we imagine that that is the greatest love which is common to all is not able to effectuate the salvation of those upon whom it is set and how can this be that the greatest effect of this greatest love shall be common to all smaller effects not common also See also 1. Ioh. 4 9 10 11. where this speciall love by which Christ was sent is made peculiar unto beleevers for Iohn is speaking of none else So is this love peculiarly terminated on Christ's Wife Church Ephes. 5 26 26. hath gracious saving effects Gal. 2 20. Tit. 3 4 5 6 7. Ephes. 2 4 5 6. Rom. 8 36 37. 2. Thes. 2 16 17. Revel 1 5 6. Beside that this love is mentioned as an Old Everlasting Unchangable Love Ier. 31 3. Ephes. 1 3 4. Rom. 9 11. Ioh. 13 1. Zeph. 3 17. And is all this nothing but a General Common thing that cannot save one soul if Lord Freewil do not consent of his own accord Moreover 5. if we consider the ends assigned to the Death of Christ mentioned in Scripture we shall see that it was some other thing than a meer Possible Delivery Redemption common to all mankinde Mat. 8 11. He came to save that which was lost and not to make their salvation meerly possible for if that were all Christs argument should have had no strength So 1. Tim. 1 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinner if it were a meer possibility that might never take effect how should this faithful saying be worthy of all acception So Luk. 19 10 where the matter is exemplified in Zaccheus Mat. 1 21. the reason of the name Iesus given to the Redeemer is because he shall save his people from their sinnes that is Actually Really and not Potentially or Possibly only and this cannot be meaned of all for he saveth not the Reprobat from their sins at least not from the sin of unbeleef by the confession of Adversaries But here no sin is excepted and therefore is his death restricted to his people whom he saveth from all their sinnes Heb. 2 14 15. there is another end of his death mentioned viz. that he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage This was no meer Possible Deliverance but Actual Effectual and it was not common to all for it is restricted to his Brethren vers 11 12 17. and to sones 13. to the children which God gave him vers 13 14. to the Seed of Abraham vers 16. and againe vers 17. wherefore in all things it behoved him to be make like unto his brithren that he might be a Merciful Faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the people Behoved Christ to be a Merciful Faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God only to make a Possible Reconciliation whereby it might be that not
left and ensured by his death unto the heires of salvation Upon his Death Satisfaction made in his death hath he gote all power in heaven earth a power to quicken whom he will Matth. 28 18. Ioh. 5 21 22 27. Phil. 2 9 10. Hence we are said to be compleat in him Col. 2 10. to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in celestials to which no doubt Faith Repentance do belong in him Ephes. 1 3. Is it not from hence that the divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine unto life and godliness 2. Pet 1 3 Nay Paul tels us expresly Phil 1 29. that it is given to us in the behalfe of Christ to beleeve on him And certainly there is a promise of Faith Repentance and all the promises are yea amen in Him 2. Cor. 1 20. all the Blessings contained in the Covenant are made sure by his death who was the surety of this better Testament Heb. 7 22. this Testament was to have force by his death Heb. 9 15 16 17 18 the New heart heart of flesh is promised in the Covenant comprehendeth Faith Repentance they being some of his Lawes which he hath also promised to write in the heart Ier. 31 33 Heb. 8 10. Ezech. 11 19 20 36 26 27. We have moreover seen that Sanctification Holiness from which Faith Repentance cannot be separated were purchased by Christ intended in his death whence he is made of God unto us Sanctification 1. Cor. 1 30. If it be not purchased by Christ how come we by it is it a thing in our Power and an act of our owne Free Will Then as I said before we are beholden to ourselves for Faith and all that follow upon it then farewell all Prayer for Faith Repentance all Thanksgiving to God for it This is pure Pelagtanisme If it be said that it is the free gift of God Ephes. 2 8. and a Consequent of electing love I Answere all the fruites of election which are to be wrought in us are procured by the blood of Christ for all are conveyed to us in a Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator Surety and with Christ he giveth us all things Rom. 8 32. we are blessed in Him with all spiritual blessings according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1 3 4. So we are predestinate unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ Ephes. 1 5. and adoption is not had without Faith Ioh. 1 12. can we have Actual Redemption in Christ's blood Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. even forgiveness of sinnes and not have also in his blood Faith without which there in no actual redemption or forgiveness of sinnes to be had when Christ gave himself for us that he might purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2 14. did he not purchase Faith without which we cannot be such when the Renewing of the holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly through I. C. Tit. 3 5 6. have we not Faith also through him May we not pray for Faith and can we pray for any thing not in Christ's name See 2. Tim. 1 9. 1. Pet. 1 3. Rom. 8 32 39. Luk. 22 32. Againe 13. All that Christ died for must certanely be Saved But all Men shall not be saved That all for whom Christ died must certanely be saved is hence apparent 1. That all who have Saving Faith Repentance shall be saved will not be denyed that Christ hath purchased Faith Repentance to all for whom he died we have showne above 2. These who shall freely get all things fâ—om God must get Salvation for all things else signifie nothing without that but all they for whom Christ was delivered shall get all things Rom. 8 32. 3. They whom nothing shall separate from the Love of Christ and from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord must certainly be saved But all they for whom Christ hath died will in due time have ground to say this Rom. 8 34 35 39. 4. All they to whose charge nothing can be laid shall be saved But this will be true of all that Christ died for for Christ's death is held forth as the ground of this Rom. 8 33 34. 5. They for whom Christ interceedeth shall undoubtedly by saved But Christ interceedeth for all for whom he died Rom. 8 33 34. 6. All who are sanctified shall be saved But all that Christ died for shall in due time be sanctified Sanctification being as we shewed above one principal intended end of Christ's death 7. All Christ's Elected sheep shall be saved But such are they for whom Christ died as was showne 8. All that God Christ love with the greatest love imaginable shall certainly be saved But such are they for whom Christ died Ioh. 3 16. 15 13. Act. 20 28. Eph. 5 25. 9. All that become the Righteousness of God in Christ shall be saved But that shall be true of all for whom he died or was made sin or a sacrifice for sin 2. Cor. 5 21. 10. All that shall be blessed in having their sins pardoned shall be saved Rom. 4 6 7 8. But all for whom Christ died shall have this Redemption Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 11. All they whom Christ knoweth acnowledgeth shall be saved Mat. 7 23. But he knoweth all them for his sheep Ioh. 10 14 17. for whom he died 12. All for whom Christ rose againe shall be saved seing he rose for our justification Rom. 4 25. But he rose againe for all those for whom he died Rom. 4 25. who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification Rom. 8 34. 13. All who shall be planted together with Christ in the likeness of his resurrection shall be saved But that is true of such as he died for Rom. 6 5. 14. All they in whom the old man shall be crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed that hence-forth they should not serve sin shall be saved But that is true of such as he died for Rom. 6 6 7 8. knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin Now if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him c. 15. All they who shall be made Kings Priests unto God shall be saved But all the redeemed shall be such Rev. 1 5 6. 5 10. See worthy Mr. Durham on the Revel p. 303. 16. If Christ must see of the travail of his soul then these he died for must be saved But the former is true Esai 53 11. 17. All whom Christ shall Justifie shall be saved But he shall justify all whose iniquities he beareth Esai 53 11. Thus is this sufficiently proved It is
first to convince them of their Sin and Misery by setting home the Law wekening their Consciences as Paul doth Doctrinally follow this method when he is about to cleare-up explaine the truth about Gospel-justification in his Epistle to the Romans where in the first place he convinceth all of Sin both jewes Gentiles Chap. 1. 2. 3. concluding vers 23. That all have sinned come short of the glory of God vers 9. he giveth an account of his foregoing Discourse saying we have before proved both jewes Gentiles that they are all under sin And againe vers 19. that every mouth may be stopped all the world may become guilty before God Now this work of Conviction layeth the sinner low before God for thereby the Man is discovered to himself to be undone in himself to be under Sin Wrath under the Sentence of the Law having his mouth stopped having nothing to plead for himself neither by way of Extenuation nor of Apology having nothing in himself wherewith he can come before the Lord to make Atonement for his Transgressions to make Satisfaction to justice And thus the man is made to despare in himself as being irremediably gone undone if free grace prevent him not II. Whereupon the man is made to renounce all his former grounds of Hop Confidence all his former Duties good works civility Negative Holiness what else he placed his Confidence in formerly Yea all his Righteousnesses are as filthy rags accounted as loss dung So that he hath nothing within himself as a Righteousness that he can expect to be justified by before God but on the contrary he findeth himself under the Curse that what he thought before to be his Righteousness is now by the light of the Law the discovery he hath of his natural condition founde to be sin iniquity before God therefore to be so far from bringing any reliefe unto him that thereby his anxiety is made greater his case more desperat III. The way of Gospel-justification is so contrived the wakened man whom God is about to justifie is now convinced of it that Man must be abased for he is now made to see that he is empty poor hath nothing to commend him to God no Righteousness of his own to produce nothing within him or without him except the alone Righteousness of Christ the Mediator Cautioner that can stand him in stead Nothing of his own must here come in reckoning neither alone nor in conjunction with the Righteousness of Christ for what is of Grace must not be of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace Rom. 11 6. Christ must have all the glory he who glorieth must glory alone in the Lord. And therefore is Christ made Righteousness unto us 2. Cor. 1 30. is become the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 6. And all His must say That in the Lord they have righteousness Esai 45 24. IV. Nothing that preceedeth faith no motions or workings of the Law no legal Repentance the like have any infallible connexion with justification nor are they any congruous disposition thereunto or a Condition thereof there being no promise made that all such as are convinced awakened have some legal terrours works of the Law upon their Spirites shall certainely be justified experience proving that several who have had deep convictions Humiliations have with the dog returned to their vomite become afterward worse than ever doth also confirme this So that after the deepest legal Humiliations works of Terrour outward Changes the like Effects of the Law though when they are wrought by the Lord intending bringing about the Elect sinner's Conversion justification they have this kindly work upon the heart to cause the Soul more readily willingly listen to the offers of Salvation Mercy in the Gospel to submit to the termes Method which God hath in His great wisdom mercy condescended unto as to the actual Conferring bestowing of the blessings purchased by Christ for His own chosen ones justification is an Act purely of God's free Grace undeserved of them on any account an act of His meer mercy Love So that they are justified freely by His grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3 24. V. Unto this justification their good Works are not required upon what somever account for good works must follow justification not preceed it They must be first accepted through Christ before their works of holiness can be accepted The whole Gospel doth most plainely exclude works of the Law under whatsoever Notion Qualification or Restriction as we manifested above shall more manifest hereafter Yea all works upon what somever account are excluded as opposite to justification by faith through Jesus Christ. The man who had no more to say but God be merciful to me a sinner went home justified when he who said God I thank thee I am not as other men nor as this Publican c. did miss that Privilege Paul hath so directly plentifully proved that no man is justified by works that we need say no more of it and therefore in this matter of justification man hath no ground of boasting but must glory in the Lord alone VI. As without a Righteousness no man can be justified before God because His judgment is alwayes according to truth He will pronunce no man Righteous who is not so or who hath no Righteousness And as no man hath a Righteousness of his own in himself that will abide the trial of God's judgment for if He should enter into judgment with any that liveth they should not be able to stand before His judgment seat be justified but all who are justified are in themselves ungodly void of all Righteousness that can ground a sentence of absolution from the Condemnation of the Law So it is the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator Cautioner which is to them the only ground of their absolution justification this Surety-Righteousness of Christ is imputed to them by God they are clothed therewith being considered as clothed there with are pronounced Righteous by the Lord the righteous judge dealt with as such So that all the Righteousness which is the ground of their absolution from the Condemnation of the Law is without them in another who was appointed their Cautioner therefore all appearance of any ground of boasting in themselves is quite taken away by the Law of faith Rom. 3 27. the reward is now wholly of grace not of debt Rom. 4 4. VII Though faith faith only be required of us in order to our having Interest in Christ His Righteousness to justification therethrough Yet this leaveth no ground of boasting unto man or of glorying in himself for it is in it self a plaine solemne Declaration of the Beleevers Sense
Heaven They are no more Strangers and Forreigners but fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2 19. 3 Being by Adoption Children they are heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8 17. Gal. 4 7. They are now begotten to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them 1. Pet. 1 4. Hence they are heirs of Salvation Heb. 1 14. Being Abrahams seed they are heirs according to the promise Gal. 3 29. these promises they do inherite Heb. 6. 12. What a life hath the Son and heire of a great King when he may look upon the many great Dominions Kingdomes of his Father as his own But what a greater life is it when a poor sinner that is now adopted through faith may look thorow all the great and precious promises contained in the Book of God and say all these are mine and may look up to Heaven to that glory which eye hath never seen nor ear heard nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive say all that is mine through Jesus Christ I am served heire thereunto have the begun possion thereof in mine Head Elder Brother Jesus Christ 4. Being adopted they have the earnest of the Spirit sealing them to the day of Redemption for in Christ they have obtained an inheritance are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes. 1 11 13 14. 4 30. And who can express what a life this is 5 Being adopted they have free access to the throne of Grace with boldness God being their Father the door standeth open they may approach with liberty freedom filial Boldness for through Christ they have an access by the Spirit unto the Father Ephes. 2 18. And in Him they have boldness access with Confidence by the faith of Him Ephes. 3 12. They may now come boldly unto the throne of Grace that they may obtaine mercy finde grace for help in time of need Heb. 4 16. By Him they have access by faith into the grace wherein they stand Rom. 5 2. And here certainely is a life the riches of the joy Comfort whereof cannot be expressed 6 Being adopted they receive the Spirit of adoption whereby they are delivered from that Spirit of Bondage under which they were formerly are now Principled Spirited â—mboldened to cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15 That slavish fear under which they some time were is away they have now the reverential fear of Children which doth not hinder but encourage them to approach with freedom Enlargment of Spirit now they have the Spirit of prayer Supplication whereby they can call on God as their Father in Christ because they are Sones God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into there hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4 6. What a resurrection from Death unto life is this to have heart tongue loosed to be in case to speak unto the Father in the language of the Spirit through Jesus Christ 7. Being adopted they have a right to all the Privileges of the Sones of God are under the Fatherly Care Inspection Provision Protection Leading Teaching Chastisement of their kind God Father Psal. 103 13 Prov. 3 11 12. 14 26. Mat. 6 30 32. 1 Pet. 5 7. Heb. 12 6. And o what a bundle of Mercies of life is here The beleever may welcome all the Dispensations of God receive them as out of the hand of a tender-hearted Father say Thus thus doth my Father unto me this is the hand working of a Father about me This how sharpe so ever it seem to be yet is the effect of tender love floweth from the heart bowels of a kinde compassionat Father to me 6. Their justification saith They are translated out of nature delivered from that death under which they did lye formerly unable to performe any even the least vital act of life for before justification they are united unto Christ by faith life is begun in their soul the seed of life is beginning to bud in them to bring forth fruit when they are enabled to beleeve to act faith upon to receive Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel The spiritual life is in them is working when it moveth them Christ-ward powerfully draweth inclineth their Soul to close with Christ. This faith is the work of the Spirit of God alone It is not of our selves but the gift of God Ephes. 2 8. This beleeving is according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes. 1 19 20. Therefore is the Spirit called the Spirit of faith which all beleevers have 2 Cor. 4 13. for now in order to the effectual producing of this grace of faith in the Soul their mindes are enlightened to understand Spiritually Savingly the things of God Act. 26 18. For God revealeth them unto them by His Spirit who only knoweth the things of God which Spirit they have received that they might know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2 10 11 12. Now they have received the Spirit of Wisdom Revelation in the knowledge of Him the eyes of their understandings being enlightened Ephes. 1 17 18. And as their mindes are changed so is their heart for the heart of stone is taken away the heart of flesh is given according as was promised Ezek. 36 26. their wills are renewed inclined unto good They have gotten the one heart the New Spirit Ezek. 11 19. The Lord hath wrought in them both to will to do Phil. 2 13. Their heart is circumcised to love the Lord according as was promised Deut. 30 6. And the Lord hath put His Spirit in them Ezek. 26 27. thereby hath drawn them unto Christ Ioh. 6 44 45. all which saith that the life of God of Grace is begun in their souls the Spirit of life hath taken possession of them abideth there worketh These things cleare how justly the justified soul may be said to live in what respects the justified state is a real state of life CHAP. VI. What mysteries are in Justification WHat was said in the foregoing Chapter may by way of use First discover unto us that Kindness and Love of God our Saviour that hath appeared unto men whereof the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3 4. For this is one remarkable Instance thereof and calleth for Admiration and praise from us upon that account O! what Tenderness Love and Pity appeareth here And what a wonderful Grace is this that is here manifested what condescension of Love and free Grace is clearly legible in this business And how clear and distinct will all this appear to a self condemned sinner arraigned
Rom. 3 22 28 30. in other places now cited and that because faith carrieth a poor convicted self-condemned sinner out of himself to seek a righteousness in Christ in upon the acount of which he may be accepted of God justified so bringeth him to close with Christ to accept of His righteousness put it on that he may appear in it before God so receive the Atonement abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness Rom. 5 11 17. And albest it may satisfie us to know that so the Lord God hath ordained it that the self-condemned sinner should flee to the Righteousness of Christ held forth in the Gospel lay hold on it lean to it thereby he may attaine Justification and Remission without enquireing after reasons of this Contrivance Yet we may clearly see the wisdom of God shining forth in this appointed way of justification for the sinner is hereby brought to swear as it were himself bare to renounce all in himself to declare profess himself a plaine bankrupt and so to despare in himself that the riches of the free grace of God everlasting love may shine forth in him in a more divine lustre in a singular heavenly beauty hereby all ground of pride boasting or glorying in himself is taken away the sinner is made to see to subscribe unto the glorious wisdom that then appeareth in that contrivance to wonder as also to see his everlasting obligation unto the Lord contriver to the Lord Ransomer So is he made to see the perfect ground of security saifty in this way when he seeth that in order to his partaking of the great blessings favoures his soul longeth for he must first be united unto Jesus Christ himself married unto Him in a perpetual marriage-Covenant that shall never be dissolved And he winneth hereby to a sure ground of peace Tranquillity of soul when he seeth that it is nothing in himself that is taken as Satisfaction to the Infinite justice of God but the Righteousness of Christ who is God Man in one person so a perfect Infinite Righteousness able fully to repare the breach made to make Satisfaction for the wrong done to the Infinite God So that upon this ground he may boast glory in the Lord alone triumph over all assaults Temptations of Satan Hereby then as the Lord hath consulted His own glory for the sinner fleing to the Righteousness of Christ as his only refuge resting there doth proclame God to be Holy Just Righteous Gracious only Wise so he hath consulted the saifty Peac joy Confidence of His own The consideration whereof should make us comply sweetly with this noble contrivance in stead of disputing against it or ourselves out of it acquiesce with all our heart in it rest there 13. We may observe further another mystery in this matter of justification to wit That the way of justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ doth not take away the necessity Usefulness of the Exercise of the Grace of Repentance Socinians others who follow their footsteps can observe no harmony here cry-out against the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness because as they suppose it 〈◊〉 the Use and Necessity of Repentance and enervateth all the commands enjoining it But 1 This mistake must certainly flow from a misconception of the true Nature Use ends of Gospel-repentance for they must of necessity Suppose that Gospel-Repentance is required for the same Ends Uses for which the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is required otherwise they could not think that the asserting of the one should tend to the justling out of the other But whatever they imagine we assert no such thing but affirme That Christ hath purchased the whole of our Remission and Repentance whatever Papists say hath no interest herein nor hath it any merite with-it whether ex condigno or ex congruo to procure Remission the Favoure of God or Reconciliation with Him but it is only required in its own place to accompany faith to follow upon it as a sutable profitable exercise for sinners advanced to such high favoures Privileges And the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness can no more prejudge the exercise of this grace than of any other gospel-Gospel-Grace or duty such as Love Fear Hop prayer Patience c. but rather incite encourage to it 2. what was formerly said of faith its harmonious agreement with the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will sufficiently also clear confirme this for if the Adversaries speak of legal Repentance the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness will no more take that away than faith for it preceedeth faith whereby the sinner laith hold on Christ. And if they speak of Gospel Repentance which is more to the purpose they must know that though in its Exercise at least in its remarkakle exercise it doth follow faith and in order of Nature is posteriour to it Yet it is inseparably-connected therewith so that where faith is there is must also be Repentance at least in its root begun exercise for a sinner cannot rightly accept of close with Christ as offered in the Gospel for Gospel ends in a Gospel manner according to the call of the Gospel but withall he must have a sight sense of his sins a hatred thereof as also a purpose firme fixed to turn from them unto God as also an Endeavour after new obedience Yea we finde sometimes Repentance pressed as including faith in it as when pressed in order to pardon acceptance with God Sometimes againe it is mentioned together with faith as being inseparable therefrom 3. As the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ and the justification of beleevers thereupon doth not put them in such a case as they shall sinne no more afterward so neither doth it take away the Usefulness and necessity of renewed Acts of faith and Repentance nor in the least weaken the after exercise of these Graces but rather doth excite thereunto each in their proper place and to their proper ends in order to actual pardon according to the Gospel Method in which it is required that justified persons or Believers repent of their after sinnes and by faith flee to Christ for pardon and as at the first so afterward there can be no true exercise of faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ for pardon of after sinnes without a true exercise of Repentance towards God these perpetually accompanying other yet we must not think that Repentance considered by it self and as distinct from faith hath the same Interest in the Covenant for pardon first or last that faith hath for neither doth it so act on Christ and his Righteousness in order to pardon as faith doth nor is it appointed or called for for that end and when it is enjoined and mentioned in order to Remission
before the bargane be made and may also be paid down some time before he obtaine the purchase We owne only such consequential conditions here as are but the means and Methods appointed of God for such and such ends which have an immedial connexion with the end here intended And therefore we neither say nor imagine that a man may have the Righteousness of Christ or Faith yet not be justified for in the very moment as was said that a Man acteth true Gospel-and so justifying faith he hath the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him and is justified Every priority in order of Nature doth not conclude also a priority as to time far less can a man be supposed to have the Righteousness of Christ without God's Act of Imputation But Finally all these Argueings returne upon his own head for when he saith that faith is Imputed for Righteousness meaning by faith our act of beleeving he must also say that a man may beleeve and yet not be justified untill his faith be Imputed unto Righteousness by God whose work alone this is and his reply to this will relieve us Obj. 24. That which was Imputed to Abraham for Righteousness in his justification is imputed to other beleevers also But the faith of Abraham was imputed to him for Righteousness Ergo c. And for proof of all he referreth us to what he hath said Chap. 2. upon Rom. 4. Ans. We shall not here anticipat the consideration of that place and of this Argument founded there upon seing afterward we will have a fitter occasion to speak hereunto Obj. 25. Here is his last argument which he largely prosecuteth Chap. 21. pag. 188. c. and it would seem that it is here adduced againe for we had it once if not oftner before that he may take occasion to vent his mind against the Imputation of Adam's sin to his posterity Thus he Argueth If the Righteousness of the Law be not imputable or derivable in the letter and formality of it from one mans person to another then cannot the Righteousness of Christ be imputed to any man in justification But the former is true therefore c. Ans. What may be answered unto this Argum. the Reader may see in the foregoing Chapter Object last I shall not here repeat but go on to take notice of what he saith to that objection which he moveth against himself and proposeth thus If the transgression of the Law be imputable from one Mans person to another then may the Righteousness of the Law be imputed also But the former is hence evident because the sin of Adam is imputed to his posterity He first excepteth against the Major and denieth the Consequence thereof and giveth reasons of his denial 1. There is saith he no such Emphatical restraint of the guilt and punishment to the transgressour as there is of the reward to the performer of obedience for Gal. 3 12. the very man that hath done them shall live by them which is no where said of the Transgressour Ans. But all this is loose reasoning for as the Law saith God will visite the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation so it saith that He will shew mercy to thousands of them that love Him and keep His Commandements and here the one is as Emphatick as the other 2 As he readeth Gal. 3 12. that the man that doth them shall live in them so we read Ezek. 18 3. the soul that sinneth it shall die and Gal. 3 10. Deut. 27 26. Cursed is every one that abideth not in all things which are written in the Law to do them which words do Import as emphatical a restraint as the other But of that Gal. 3 12. we have said enough above we might also mentione that which was said to Adam in the day thou eats thou shalt die which seemeth to have no less an Emphatick Import But 2. he mentioneth this difference Sin saith he is ever greater in ratione demerity than obedience is in ratione meriti Adam might by his transgression merite condemnation to himself and posterity yet not have merited by his obedience Salvation to both because if he had kept the Law he had only done his duty Luk. 17 10. so had been but an unprofitable servant Ans. All this saith nothing where a Covenant is made promising life to the obeyer as well as threatning death to the transgressour Albeit Adam could not be said to have merited life by his obedience in way of proper and strick merite yet in way of merite expacto he could have been said to have merited for the reward would have been reckoned to him not of grace but of debt and there would have been ground of boasting and glorying Rom. 3 27. 4 2 4. How beit he had done but his duty when he had obeyed to the end yet the condescending love of God promising the reward to perseverance in obedience to the end was sufficient to found this Whether Adam had merited Salvation to all his posterity if he had kept the Covenant to the end or not is not our present question to enquire j this we know that by one man sin entered into the world death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5 12. And upon the other hand this we know that Christ was made sin for His as a publick person and all His promised Seed and Children are made the Righteousness of God in Him 1. Cor. 1 30. 2. Cor. 5 21. and those are sufficient for our purpose 3. He saith The Imputableness of the transgression of the Law rather overthroweth the Imputation of the obedience of it than any wayes establisheth it for the more Imputable that is punishable the transgression is the less imputable that is rewardable is the obedience of it Ans. This is very true when we speak of the same man as of Adam in both for he could not both be a Transgressour and a Final Observer of the Law and so both obedience and Transgression could not be imputed to himself Let be to any other the Imputation of the one did quite evacuat the other But what maketh this meer shift to his present purpose which is to show if he could that the Righteousness and obedience of the Second Adam the Lord from heaven is not as imputable to His Spiritual Seed Issue as the Sin and Transgression of the first Adam who was of the earth earthy 1. Cor. 15 47. was imputable to his Natural Seed Next he cometh to the Minor and denieth the Imputation of Adam's sin and this seemeth to be his maine buliness wherein he complieth with the Socinians and others Let us hear him first saith he the Scripture no where affirmes either the Imputation of Adam's sin or of the Righteousness of Christ. Ans. The contrary is sufficiently proven above all his reasons cannot evince what he saith He tels us
Covenant of Grace securing them from Condemnation they have accless ground in Law to plead this Right so to plead for actual Pardon in the termes according to the methode of the Gospel I do not say that the justified while lying in sin without making application to Iesus Christ acting faith on him in order to pardon have ground to plead for actual pardon for that is repugnant to the Methode of the Gospel requireing new acts of faith in order to new acts of Pardon I mean the implicit acts if faith to speak so in reference to dayly infirmities unseen sins the more explicit acts of faith in reference to grosser sins seen lamented But they have ground to plead for grace to discover their sins to humble them for their sins to excite their soul to renewed acts of faith in Christ and thereupon to expect according to the Gospel methode Remission and to plead for it in the merites of Christ unto which they have a sure Right Therefore 4. New sins cannor annul the state of justification because not only are beleevers secured that de eventu they shall not come into Condemnation for these sins but even as to any legal dueness of punishment that new sins may bring them under there is a sure saife remedie at hand the blood of Christ that taketh away all sin to which they are called to go that they may wash their souls there by faith and be clean be delivered from guilt 4. For further clearing of this we could consider that there is a difference to be put betwixt Sin in order to its direful effects considered in it self and considered as it is in the Iustified Though sin in it self is alwayes mortiferous and exposeth to the curse and wrath of God having a malignant demerite constantly attending it Yet it is not so being considered as it is in the justified for as poison is alwayes deadly in it self working towards death yet it is not so as in a person who hath received a sufficient antidot Though every act of felonie in it self make obnoxious unto death according to the Law yet some acts as committed by one who can read will not have that effect so the beleever is antidoted by the Covenant of Grace that howbeit sin remaine still deadly in its own nature yet as to him it cannot produce these effects 5. Though after sins in a justified person may have before they be pardoned very sad effects in reference to Comfort or comfortable Improvment of their Privileges Advantages yet they cannot disinherite them or put them from their Right Though leprosie did deprive the leper of the comfortable enjoyment and use of his own house yet it did not destroy his right though the miscarriages of the prodigal son did incapacitate him for any present enjoyment of his interest in his Fathers affection yet they did not destroy his Sonshipe Luk. 15 17. So though sins not yet washed away in such as have been justified may and will certainly prejudge them of many comfortable Advantages which they might otherwayes have yet they do not take away their Sonshipe nor their Right to the Inheritance of sones 6. Though after sins not yet pardoned through faith do and will stirr up Fatherly Anger Displeasure against them who are justified and become his Adopted children Esai 54 7 8. Yet they bring not justified man under pure judicial wrath and under the Curse and Law-anger so as God is no more their Father but hath cast them out of his familie fatherly favour It is one thing to be under the frowns gloomes of an angry Father another thing to be under the severe aspect of an angry judge 7. It is considerable also That through grace and the Lord 's great love and wisdom after-sins are so far from destroying their State and Right to the inheritance that upon the contrare they are ordered to the Justified mans good and further establishment in grace not that sin it self hath any such natural tendency but it is by accident to sin which is so ordered by the wise disposal of a loveing Father making all things work togerher for good and thus counter-working Satan without Corruption within making that which Satan had designed to their ruine and destruction contributo to their good advantage by giving them fresh occasion of exercising Humility Repentance of Renewing their gripping of Christ by Faith of Watching more with Diligence here-after as also hereby they are put to search examine themselves to try their Rights Securities thus to make their calling election sure to their further establishment comfort in the Holy Ghost 8. Thus we see whatever present alteration after sins not yet taken to Christ to the end they may be pardoned through his blood do or can make as to the present Condition of the justified yet their State remaineth firme unshaken for thereby they fall not againe under the old Covenant nor under the sentence thereof nor under pure Law wrath pure Justice the Curse of a broken Covenant but being under Grace not under the Law they are secured as to Condemnation Rom. 8 1. as to the loss of the favour friendship of God Rom. 8 35 39. for not only is the guilt of Original sin of all their preceeding Actual sins taken away through faith in Christ when they were justified but there is a sure way condescended upon betwixt Jehovah the Mediator how their after-sins shall be Pardoned taken out of the way the same method and way is declared in the Gospel made sure by the Covenant of Grace and by their being in the Covenat they have a right unto the promises thereof and ground to press for the performance so for Remission for all things requisite thereunto or following thereupon yea they have a sure pledge of Remission already to wit the actual Pardon of what is past and their past Justification that is a comforting strenthening word Rom. 5 9 10. much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we are enemies we were reconcile â— to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life so is that Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 9. We may adde That if sins afterward committed could take away Justification then they should also take away Adoption Regeneration so the justified man should by after sins not only become an unjustified man but also the child of God should become againe the childe of the devil the Relation should be quite broken off he who was borne againe should return unto his former state of black Nature thus there should be a second a
third yea multiplied Regeneration whereof the Scripture is silent nay it clearly depones the contrary 10. And if it be enquired how it cometh to passe that after sins may not at least gradually impaire the State of Justification as sins do impaire and weaken Sanctification I answere and this may further help to clear the business under hand The reason is manifest from the difference that is betwixt these two blessing and benefites Iustification is an act of God changing the Relative-state of a man and so is done and perfected in a moment Sanctification is a progressive work of God making a real physical change in the man whence sin may tetard this or put it back but cannot do so with the other which is but one single act once done and never recalled the gifts and calling of God being without repentance Rom. 11 29. In justification we are meerly passive it being a sentence of God pronunced in our Favours in Sanctification as we are in some respect patients so are we also Agents and Actors and thus sin may retard us in our motion and as it evidenceth our weakness for acting so it produceth more weakness Moreover Sin and Holiness are opposite to other as light and darkness therefore as the one prevaileth the other must go under and as the one increaseth the other must decress But there is no such Opposition betwixt sin pardon which is granted in Justification And whereas it may be said that sin expelleth also grace Meritoriously yet that prejudgeth not the truth in hand for it can expell grace meritoriously no further than the free constitution of God hath limited and so though it can and oft doth expell many degrees of Sanctification yet it cannot expell make null the grace of Regeneration or the Seed of God so no more can it expell or annul Justification because the good pleasure of God hath secured the one the other made them both unalterable By these particulars we see how the first doubt is removed out of the way we shall next speak to the Second which is concerning afflictions Punishments which are the fruits and deserts of sin and seem to be part of the curse or penalty threatned in the first Covenant To which we need not say much to show that notwithstanding hereof the State of Justification remains firme and unaltered These few things will suffice to cleare the truth 1. Though all affliction and suffering be the fruite consequent of the breach of the Covenant by Adam the head of mankind for if he had stood and the Covenant had not been violated there had been no Misery affliction Death or Suffering and though in all who are afflicted in this world there is sin to be found And though it cannot be instanced that God ever brought an afflicting or destroying stroke upon a Land or Nation but for the provocations of the People yet the Lord may some rimes afflict outwardly or inwardly or both a particular Person in some particular manner though not as provoled thereunto by that persons sin or without a special reference to their sin as the procuring Cause thereof as we see in Iob and as Christ's answer concerning the blinde man Ioh. 9 3. Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents that he was born blinde but that the works of God should be made manifest in him giveth ground to think 2. Though it doth oftner fall out that God doth afflict Punish and Châ—sten his people even because of their sinnes as well as other wicked persons yet the difference betwixt the two is great though the outward Camitie may be materially the same To the godly they flow from Love are designed for good are sanctified and made to do good they are covenanted mercies but nothing so to the wicked They are mercies to the one but curses to the other They speak out love to the one but hatred to the other They are blessed to the one but blasted cursed to the other They work together for good to the one but for evil to the other and all this notwithstanding that the outward affliction calamity that is on the godly may be double or treeble to that which is upon the wicked Yea there is mercy and love in the afflictions of the Godly when the prosperity of the wicked is cursed Whence we see that all these afflictions cannot endanger or dammage their Justified state 3. Though the Lord may be wroth smite in anger his own people chasten punish them in displeasure yet this wrath anger is but the wrath and anger of a Father and is consistent with fatherly Affection in God and therefore cannot be repugnant to a state of Sonshipe in them Prov. 3 11 12. Heb. 12 5-8 Psal. 89 30 33 34. Revel 3 19. 4. In all these afflictions that seem to smell most of the Curse and of the death threatned and are most inevitable such as death c. there is nothing of pure vinâ—ictive justice to be found in them when Justified persons are exercised with them for Christ did bear all that being made a curse for them and as to this the Lord caused all their iniquities to meet together upon him He drunk out the cup of Vindictive anger and left not one drop of the liquor of the Curse of the Law for any of his own to drink He alone did bear the weight of revenging justice and there is nothing of this in all that doth come upon beleevers So that the very sting of death is taken away the sting of all these Afflictions is sucked out and now they are changed into Mercies Blessings 1 Cor. 3 21 22. Therefore we must not think that they contribute the least mite unto that Satisfaction which justice required for sins Christ payed down to the full justice was fully satisfied with what he paid down nor must we think that God will exact a new satisfaction for sins or any part thereof of the hands of beleevers after he hath received a full satisfaction from the Mediator Christ did rest satisfied therewith The afflictions and Punishments then that the godly meet with being no parts of the Curse nor of that Satisfaction that justice requireth for sin nor flowing from vindictive justice but being rather fatherly chastisments mercies meanes of God can do no hurt unto their state of justification nor can any thing be hence inferred to the prejudice of that glorious state 5. But it is said Pardon and Justification is one thing and a man is no more Justified than he is Pardoned and Pardon is but the taking off of the obligation to punishment and consequently of punishment it self and seing punishment is not wholly taken off but there remaineth some part of the curse or of the evil threatned for sin and will remaine untill the resurrection it is cleare that pardon is not fully compleet not consequently Justification so long as we live But
for answere to clear up the matter in hand more we say 1 Pardon of sins is not adequatly the same with Justification nor the whole thereof but at most a part or rather a partial effect in justification the person is constituted Righteous and declared such and thereupon hath his sins pardoned and a Right to the purchased reward and he is thus made declared Righteous through the Mediators Surety-Righteousness imputed to him and laid hold upon by faith 2 When a person is justified he is at once and for ever freed from the punishment due from the Law from vindictive justice for the broken Covenant the Obligation to punishment required by vindictive justice is taken away and dissolved Christ having fully born that Punishment and satisfied that demand of Justice they in through him are delivered from the Curse and the maledictory sentence 3 Hence all their sufferings afflictions here being no part of the Curse nor of Satisfaction to divine vindictive justice nor of the Condemnation threatned how ever they be materially evil and Fatherly Chastisments or Punishments yet are no effects of Law-vengeance nor parts of vindictive Punishment and so cannot give ground to inferre an imperfect Pardon or an imperfect Justification 4 Nor must we call them any part of the Punishment threatned by the Law remaining yet unremoved for that would make them parts of the Curse and yet Mr. Baxter Confess p. 125. conceiveth it fittest to say that beleevers are freed from the curse are not under it and addeth his reasons there And the consequence is clear because what the Law threatneth as such belongeth to the Curse for the Law saith Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do then Gal. 3 10. Deut. 27 26. And therefore every Punishment that is a punishment of the Law must be part of the Curse So if the Punishments or Afflictions that the Godly are now under be part of the Curse that is yet remaining unremoved or of the Punishment as Mr. Baxter there p. 124. saith it will inevitablie follow that beleevers are yet under the Curse and not wholly delivered there from and as to these outward afflictions many of the truly Godly shall be more under the Curse then several of the wicked and if they be under any part of the Curse how can they be pronunced Blessed how can they be said to be Redeemed from the Curse of the Law how can Christ be said to have been made a curse for them how shall their sufferings not be a part of Satisfaction to Vindictive justice Shasl not they be in part Satisfiers for themselves Shall not they then be beholden to Christ only in part How shall then these Afflictions flow from love run in the channel of love and work-out their good through grace love if they be any real formal parts of the Curse Shall not the curse then be a part of the blessedness of the Saints and of their bequeathed portion which they may owne as theirs as well as they may owne life Shall not the curse or a part of the curse separat from the Love of God and of Christ What I pray will if that do it not and yet the Apostle tels us Rom. 8 33. c. that afflictions cannot do it nor death it self How can any part of the curse work for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory and yet Afflictions do that 2. Cor. 4 17. The curse will not conforme us unto Christ yet afflictions will and do Rom. 8 29. 5 Even as to the remnants of the body of death that cause the godly to groan and cry out Miserable man c. if we consider them as an Affliction we cannot say that they are a remanent part of Law-vengeance of Law-punishment or of the curse threatned in the Law for then they should be effects of God's hatred towards the Persons of pure vengeance and of juridical judicial Wrath Anger and were not capable of Sanctification to their spiritual advange and Beleevers upon this account could not be said to be delivered from the Law and dead to that wherein they were formerly held as they are Rom. 7 6. for they who are under the Curse and under such an especial part or Effect thereof cannot but be under the Law and that as a cursing Condemning Law Gal. 3 10. Nor could the Apostle inferre as he doth after the mentioning of the sad wrestlings that the godly have with the body of death Rom. 7 15. c. that there is now therefore no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8 1. for this would not follow from their being really properly under such a great part of the Curse Sure this cannot but be derogatory unto the perfect Satisfaction made by Christ seing hereby there is in some measure a Satisfaction made unto the justice of God and it was the end of Christ's suffering satisfaction to deliver his people from the curse of the Law in whole and in part from that penalty threatned in the Covenant of works Christ was made a curse for us and thereby did redeem us not in part only but wholly from the curse of the Law and this penal Law Mr. Baxter must understand pag. 127. Confess or he speaketh not to the purpose Nor can I say with him ibid. p. 119. that every threatning is it in one sense the execution in another that is commonly called the curse of the Law for the execution of the Law upon any person is inconsistent with loving-kindness towards that person but so is not every threatning nay nor the execution thereof upon beleevers as we see Psal. 89 30 31 32 33. Nor could these executions of threatnings be said to flow from Love contrare to Revel 3 19. Heb. 12 6. Prov. 3 12. for there is no fatherly Love in executing of the Curse CHAP. XXI Justification is by Faith what this Faith is how it is wrought HAving thus spoken unto laboured to clear up the Nature some causes of this life of â—ustification we come in the next place to speak to the following part of the Text. Where the way how this life of justification is brought about and attained is pointed forth when it is said The just shall live by faith Faith we see is here mentioned as that which interesseth us in this privilege of life Whence we see 1. That no man is made partaker of the life of Justification before Faith or that untill souls exercise faith they are without this life of Justification Some talk of a Justification from Eternity thus confound Justification with Gods love of Election or with Gods decree purpose to justifie Some speak of Justification of all in the death of Christ but neither is this to be admitted if we speak of actual Justification It is true Christ did when he laid down
the end he may be brought to act Faith on the offered mediator Mediation accept thereof as his only Cure Remedie 7. So that when the Spirit worketh up the soul to beleeve he causeth him sweetly acquiesce in the way of Redemption revealed in the Gospel and to count it a faithful saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1 15. and to comply sweetly with the designe thereof in all points and for that end to close with Christ and to accept of him upon his offer and particularly to rest upon him and his Righteousness revealed in the Gospel as the only ground of their hope peace This being the thing that their soul longeth after to wit how they shall get guilt taken away they be clothed with a Righteousness wherein they may with confidence appeare before God the Spirit of God when working the soul up to a compliance with the remedie held forth in the Gospel causeth them accept of Christ as made of God unto them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and every such soul to say In the Lord our Righteousness have I Righteousness In him alone will I look for Pardon Acceptance Reconciliation life on him alone will I roll my debt there will I rest in hope 8. Therefore this Faith though it bring the soul unto Christ as the only Redeemer and is the mans clasping his armes about him embraceing him as all his Salvation rolling all his weight upon him yet it looketh to in a special manner eyeth the Satisfaction Merites Righteousness of Christ for that is it which the man mainly now standeth in need of Justice must be satisfied saith he my sins must be pardoned I must be accepted in favour with God I must have a Righteousness where with my sins may be covered and the month of justice of the Law of my challenging conscience may be stopped whereby I may have Right to life and this being held forth in the Gospel Faith bringeth the soul to a resting on this Righteousness of Christ that he may be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3 9. This is to beleeve on Christ Ioh. 3 16 36. Act. 16 31. faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. Thus the soul refugeth it self from the storme of wrath under the wings of Christ and hideth itself as it were in him from the avenger of bloud the wrath of an angry God purseing for a broken Law And here the Man abideth hid in Christ and eleaveth to him as being glued to him and utterly unwilling to be separat from him or to appear without his garment of Righteoâ—sness which faith fasteneth on the soul and the man by faith trusteth to this way and resteth upon it with full confidence nothing doubting of his saiftie thereby 9. By this we see how the way of justification by Gospel-faith serveth both for setting forth the Glory of God the Riches of Free Grace and for abaseing of Man as also for secureing of Life unto the Beleever for 1 Hereby the Man is convinced of his guilt declareth himself to be guilty for he his guilty before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3 19. he is made speachless knowing nothing to speak in his own defence nor no apologie to give in his mouth is stopped and he can say nothing but cry out guilty I am a childe of death the Lord is Righteous should he damne me for ever I must justifie him when he speaketh and cleare him when he judgeth Psal. 51 4. 2 Hereby the Man pronunceth sweareth himself poor bare he forsaketh all and renunceth all that formerly he had any eye upon or confidence in counting them losse dung as Paul did Phil. 3. He proclameth himself Empty Lost Naked and declareth he hath nothing that he can leane to within himself He accounteth all his former Righteousness to be nothing but rotten rags and filthy rags and Professeth that he knoweth nothing within himself wherefore or whereupon he can expect Reconciliation with the Lord and to be Accepted of him 3 Thus all ground or occasion of boasting or of glorying before men is taken away from the beleever Rom. 3 27. 4 1. 4 Thus the glorious beauty of free Grace shineth forth Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 4 16. Grace here appeareth in its own glory when free grace without us contrare to our demerites doth all provideth the Sacrifie accepteth of the same in their behalfe for whom it was offered up bringeth them to the actual participation of the fruites and effects thereof by working up their hearts to a satisfaction in it to a resting upon it all this freely out of free Love It is corruptly said by the fore mentioned Author of that discourse of the two Covenants pag. 42. that Grace appeareth in the Lord 's making Faith the condition of the promise in that great things are promised upon such a possible practicable easie condition as faith is considering the meanes and assistance promised by God to work it for this spoileth Grace of its Glory when Man is looked upon said to be the principal author of saith as he is upon the matter said to be when all that God doth is but called assistance and at least the man may challenge as his owne no small share of the Glory of acting Faith and of going so great a length in the way to Faith without any more assistence than he hath need of to eate his meat when hungry and of going on his own feet to the very place where God stood ready to lend him a hand to help him forward Not to mentione how this altereth the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace making it nothing but a new edition of the old Covenant of works 5 It is of faith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4 16. When all the business is wrought as it were to our hand and nothing more requisite to interesse us in the noble Effects of all than our consent this also is wrought by the Spirit of God conforme to the Covenant of Redemption can a more ensureing way be imagined Alas what ground of Confidence or of Certainty can the Arminian Socinian way followed by the formentioned Author give to a poor soul When all is made to hang upon the tottering inconstant will of man who hath no more from God but some common assistances standing ready to attend him if he advance so far his alone without them when he hath gotten them to day may run back undo all againe to morrow Apostatize for ever for this also is a part of that Gospel that this man will teach us pag. 135. if we
this occasion trouble the Reader with some more of their expressions that we may see that the doctrine which is now so much cried up followed after is nothing but old Socinianisme so owned professed by such as do not deserve to be called Christians Socin de Servat lib. 4. c. 4 7 11. God justifieth the ungodly but now converted penitent after he hath left off to be ungodly the justified are not ungodly in themselves neither are they so called yea they are not sinners which is more they do not now sinne And so faith works that is obedience to the commands of Christ as the forme of faith doth justifie us before God by them through them per illa ex illis he justifieth us Smalcius disp 4. c. Frantzium Regeneration all other good works Love Prayer Obedience Faith Charity c. are so far from being effects of justification that without them justification can no way really exist for God justifieth no man but him who is compleetly adorned with all these vertues â— yea the study of good works walkeing before God were the cause though not the chiefe of the justification of Noah Abraham others who are said to be justified by faith Socin ubi supra de Serv. lib. 1. c. 4. Faith doth not justifie by its proper vertue but by the mercy goâ—d will of God who justifieth such as do such a work imputeth it for righteousness With Paul to have righteousness imputed is nothing else but to have faith imputed to be accounted just faith is so imputed to us as that because of faith we howbeit guilty of many unrighteousness are esteemed perfectly righteous or God so dealeth with us as if we were perfectly righteous who can doubt that the Apostle meaneth no other thing than that we are not righteous before God because our works require that as a due reward but because it hath so seemed good to the Lord to take our faith in place of righteousness so that we receive the reward of grace by which we are declared righteous before him More might be adduced for this end as it might be shown also how herein the Arminians conspire with them against the orthodox And as for the judgment of Papists in this point it is likewise known It will not be necessary that we insist in disproving that which hath been so much witnessed against by the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians upon these heads It will suffice I suppose if we give a few reasons why we cannot acquiesce in the doctrine proposed by the forenamed Author 1. Hereby works of obedience are exalted to the same place are allowed the same Force Influence Efficacy into Justification with Faith whereby all the Apostles disputes for Faith against Works for faith as inconsistent with exclusive of works are evacuated rendered useless So that the Apostle hath either not spoken to the purpose or hath not spoken truth either of which to say is blasphemie The Apostle argueth thus we are Justified by faith therefore we are not Justified by works This man reasoneth on the contrary we are justified by faith therefore we are justified by works because by a faith that includeth works as if the Apostle had meaned a Faith that was dead had no affinity with works 2. Hereby he confoundeth all these duties which are required of Beleevers or of such as are in Covenant with God with that which is solely required of them in order to their first entering in Covenant or into a state of Justification as â— one should say that all the marriag-duties required of such as were already in that marriage state were conditions of entering into the marriag-state 3. Hereby he confoundeth Justification with Glorification making all that Faith sincere obedience which is required in order to actual Salvation Glorification to be necessary before Justification And thereby must say that no man hath his sins pardoned so long as he liveth but if he be sincerely obedient he is in the way to a Pardon to Justification He cannot say that by a practical Faith he only meaneth such a true and lively Faith as will in due time produce these effects for as that will not consist with his explication of that practical Faith so it would crosse his whole designe The just man in the eye of this new Law as he saith p. 49. is every one that rightly beleeves repents sincerely obeyes because that is all that it requires of a man himself to his Iustification Salvation Where we see that with him Justification Salvation go together have the same conditions and he that is just must be one that hath these Conditions and he who hath not these Conditions is not just in the eye of that new Law and if he be not just in the eye of that new Law his faith cannot be accounted to him for Righteousness nor he Justified 4. The man hereby confoundeth the two Covenants or giveth us a new Covenant of Works in stead of the Covenant of Grace for this practical Faith which includeth all obedience hath the same place force efficacy in the new Covenant that compleet Obedience had in the old And this Gospel is but the old Law of works only with this change that where as the old Law required Perfect Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation this new Covenant of works requireth Sincere Obedience to the end in order to Justification Salvation And so thus we are Justified saved as really by upon the account of our works as Adam would have been if he had continued in obedience to the end this Faith and sincere Obedience is as really to all ends purposes as effectually and formally our Righteousness as Perfect Obedience would have been the Righteousness of Adam And thus the reward must as really be reckoned to us of debt not of grace as it would have been to Adam if he had stood And as faire a ground is laid for us to boast glory though not before God as had been for Adam if he had continned to the end The evasion he hath to make all this of grace saying p. 49 50. And yet every beleevers justification will be all of grace because the Law by which they are justified is wholly of grace was enaâ—ed in meer grace favour to undone man is not able to help him for it was wholly of undeserved grace love that God did so far condescend to Adam to all mankinde in him as to strick a Covenant with him a promise of such an ample reward upon his performance of the condition of Perfect Obedience to the end yet notwithstanding this Law was wholly of grace was enacted in meer grace favoure for neither was the Lord necessitated thereunto nor could Adam say he had deserved any such thing at God's hand the reward
Grevinchovius ag Amesius But it is true they yeeld more who grant that he purchased the New Covenant Yet by this purchase they can not say that Christ died to redeem us from our sinnes from the wrath of God from a vaine conversation to save us And indeed the same person last named saith expresly that Christ died not properly to saye any one And what can else be said by such as make this the whole of what Christ did purchase And how-rational is that consequence which the same person hath when he saith it might so have come to passe that Christ had had the end of his death that no one had fulfilled the new Covenant had been saved for they will not grant that Christ did purchase faith 3. Hence we see that such as say that this was all which Christ procured by his Death Merites do manifestly spoile us of all the rich Benefites which Christ hath purchased as being no immediat fruites of his death such as Faith Justification Adoption Sanctification Grace Glory thus evacuat the whole vertue of the death of Christ And this do Mr. Allen's words p. 54. import while he saith that all the benefites of the Covenant accrue to us upon our beleeving obeying upon his account for his sake and so they do not accrue to us upon his account for his sake immediately but immediatly upon the account for the sake of our Beleeving Obeying only for Christ's sake is this connexion made 4. Who ever assert that Christ hath purchased the framing Constitution of this Covenant in its termes conditions ought to confirme this their assertion out of Scripture till this be done we are a liberty to deny it how confidently so ever it be affirmed It is certane that such a principal point ground article of our Religion would not be darkly expressed in the Scriptures far less wholly passed over in silence as for any thing that yet is made to appear it is for as for 1. Cor. 1 30. Ier. 23 6. which Mr. Allen citeth any may see how impertinent they are that we say no more 5. If so then we must say with Papists that Christ hath procured a worth to our Faith Obedience to merite ex pacto the good things promised unto such as are beleevers obedient Yea hereby there would be more of merite in our Faith then in Christ's obedience 6. We mnst say that Christ hath purchased that we might be Justified by an Imperfect Righteousness For sure our faith new Obedience is not perfect even when sincere they laboure of many Imperfections have drosse faultiness admixed As also that he hath purchased that an Imperfect Righteousness should be accounted estemed a perfect Righteousness consequently that the judgment of God shnuld not be according to truth which were blasphemeous iniquous to imagine 7. Thus in effect Christ should be made the minister of sin by changing the conditions of the old Law which were perfect compleet Obedience into an obedience far short of that thus he must be come either to dissolve the Obligation of the Law that it should not exact now what it did exact of old or to loose us from the Obligation thereof that we should be in part Law less neither of which can be asserted yet this Position maketh clear way for either or for both 8. Then we must say that Christ hath purchased such a way of Justification as leaveth ground to men to glory boast though not before God yet before men for hereby he is made to purchase the renewing of the old Covenant of works with some mitigation as to tht termes though with little mitigation as to the persons unless we say with these Arminians that Man is as able to beleeve obey sinâ—erely if he will as Adam was to obey perfectly But sure Christ came for a far other end than to leave man any ground of boaâ—ting or of glorying in himself for his Justification Salvation as having made himself to differ 9. Then Christ hath purchased a way whereby man might hold his Pardon Justification Adoption c. more of himself than of Christ for Christ by this way cannot be said to have purchased our Pardon Justification c. but only that we should have these favoures upon our Faith or have such such a reward of our Faith Obedience As he who procureth that a person shall have such a benefite upon condition he performe such a piece of service cannot be said to have procured that reward for notwithstanding of this procurement if it may be so called which is at best but a conditional uncertain thing the person might never have gote the reward 10. Then the making of the New Covenant and the making of it on these termes should be an act of meer Justice in God and not an act of his free Grace Love good Pleasure Will Kindness for it is Justice Righteousness in God to do that which Christ hath purchased procured to be done though it is true it may thus be accounted a meer favoure that it was of God's free will to enter into such termes of agreement with the Mediator to yeeld to the making of such a condition upon Christ's purchase But the Apostle tels us Ephes. 1 9. that God made known unto us â—he mysterie of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself Which mysterie of his will is the New Covenant dispensation of grace in the Gospel it is ascribed not to the merites of Christ but to God's good Pleasure to the Purpose which he purposed in himself So the saving of such as beleeve floweth from the love of God as well as no less then the sending of Christ Ioh. 3 16. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son that every beleever in him should not perish but have everlasting life So Ephes. 3 9 10 11. the fellowshipe of the mysterie was hid in God the manifold wisdom of God which shineth forth in the New Covenant was according to the eternal Purpose which he had purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is ascribed to God's Love Ioh. 3 16. will Ioh. 6 40. 11. I grant it may be said that as Christ hath purchased to his own Pardon Justification Adoption Salvation so as a consequence of this he hath purposed the Meanes or rather the Application of the meanes thereunto that so the good things purchased may be actually conferred according to the manner methode condescended upon by Jehovah and the Mediator in the Coveuant of Redemption for He hath chosen us in himself having predestinat us unto the Adoption of children by Iesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us acctpted in the beloved in whom we have redemption
the new Conditions purchased and so if they run well sacrifice to their own net and burn incense to their own drag because by their own industrie care in performing the Conditions now made easier than they were to Adam in the first Covenant their portion is fat their meat plenteous 10. Nor yet can we call it a Condition in their sense who will have us look upon it in the work of Justification purely as a work of ours as an act of Obedience to a command as such a work as comprehendeth in it all the works of new Obedience for thus its peculiar Use of applying Christ of apprehending his Surety-Righteousness is taken from it the whole nature of the new Covenant is changed into the old Covenant of works Christ's â—idejussorie-Righteousness is not made our immediat Gospel-Righteousness yea when we are thus justified by Faith we are justified by works whereby the whole of the Apostâ—l's disput is overturned we are taught to leane to lay our weight upon a Righteousness within ourselves contrare to the whole scope of the Gospel Upon the other hand we say Faith may be looked upon and called a Condition of the Covenant and of Justification in this sense That Christ having purchased all the good things of the Covenant all the sure Mercies of David all Grace and all Glory unto the chosen ones and the Father having promised the actual collation bestowing of all and every one of these mercies blessings so purchased and procured and Jehovah the Mediator both in the counsel of their will condescending on such a methode way of making the ransomed ones the owners of the Blessings purchased that is first to give the New Heart and the heart of fless and in effectuall calling worke them up to Faith in and Union with Christ and so draw them to the mediator and cause them accept of him wait upon him and rest there for life salvation and then to Justifie Accepte of as Righteous Adopte them and then worke the works of holiness by his Spirit more in their soul and so carrie on the work unto Perfection till grace be crowned with glory matters I say being thus wisely ordered in the councel of heaven there is a Priority of order Faith receiving Christ and resting on his Surety-righteousness going before and Justification following and a firme connexion made betwixt the two that who so ever beleeveth thus shall be justified and none shall be justified who beleeveth not thus Now when by vertue of this constitute order Method explained revealed in the Gospel the Ambassadours of Christ in obedience to their Injunctions call upon all who heare the Gospel to receive Christ and refuge themselves under his wings and receive the atonement through his Righteousness and promise them thereupon in their Masters name Pardon Peace with God Reconciliation and acceptance c. nothing more is here insinuated than that such a Methode Order is wisely determined and that there is a fixed connexion made betwixt Faith Justification so that who ever would be saved from the wrath to come would enjoy God for ever must come unto God in this way and according to this methode and must receive his blessings and Favoures in this order first beleeve and lay hold on Christ and his Righteousness and then receive Justification c. Thus we see faith is no legal Antecedent Condition no Proper or Potestative Condition but only a consequent or Evangelick Condition or a Condition denoting a fixed and prescribed Order and Method of receiving of the blessings purchased by Christ with a firme and fixed connexion betwixt the performance of the condition and the granting of the thing promised thereupon Thus Christ hath the whole glory of the work Man is abased and hath nothing to glory of in himself The reward is not of debt but purely of grace The wisdom and love of God is wonderful and remarkable All ground of carnal security and self confidence is removed A plaine and powerful ground is laid for ministers to press exhort aud obtest to Faith in the first place with all seriousness and zeal Full security and ground of confidence of being Justified and Accepted of God upon our beleeving is given The difference betwixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace is distinctly observed The Antinomian mistakes saying we are Justified from Eternity or at the death of Christ or at any time before faith are manifestly obviated And all grounds of excepting against or dissatisfaction with this way are removed from all such as will willingly comply with the designe of free grace in the Gospel CHAP. XXVIII How faith is and may be called an Instrument in Justification COncerning the Instrumentality of faith in Justification much needeth not be said howbeit too much hath been written about it that to very little edification so I judge I am sure to little use as to the clearing up of that concerning pointe of Justification the true interest of Faith therein We heard in the beginning of the proceeding Chapter how both Socinians Arminians did disowne faith its being an Instrument and Papists also before them did plead against it On the other hand the orthodox writting against Papists Socinians Arminians did unanimously assert Faith to be an Instrument or to be considered as an Instrument in the matter of Justification And few or none can be instanced of those who hold with the orthodox in all chiefe Controversies about Justification that did impugne or so much as deny Faith to be an Instrument in justification Yea Iohn Goodwine in his book of justification doth expresly call it an Instrument in justification It is true the Scripture no where calleth faith an instrument the same being no Scripture expression there needeth not be much strife about it nor will there be among such as are unanimous in the maine principal Questions about Justification or to that which is only designed intended by that expression And though the Scripture doth not use that expression interminis yet no man can hence inferre that all use of it and of the like should be laid aside nor can such be supposed to adde to the Scripture as Mr. Baxter hinteth Apol. against Mr. Blake p. 40. who call Faith an Instrument more then he can suppose that himself addeth to the Scripture when he calleth faith a Condition or a causa sine qua non for these are as little to be found expresly in the Scriptures as the other Nor do they who say Faith is an Instrument so much plead for the name as for the thing intended thereby All expressions that are not in Scripture must not be laid aside in our speaking of divine things for then we must lay aside the word Trinity Sacrament Satisfaction several others far less must the truth which we conceive can be intelligibly usefully expressed by those borrowed
Revelation of this mysterie so it cannot but be offensive to use such expressions as not only are not scriptural but also seem inconsistent with Scriptural expressions when the Scripture saith expresly frequently that we are Justified by faith and that in opposition to works and not only saith it but proveth it it cannot be justifiable in us to say that we are Justified by Love seing that would at least seem to crosse the Apostle's assertion the force whereof is as ours abundantly evince against the Papists that we are Justified only by Faith consequently by no other grace neither by Love nor by Hope nor by Patience c. 3. By the Scriptures telling us that we are Justified by Faith never saying that we are Justified by any other grace as by Love c. we are given to understand that Faith hath other Operations Uses Ends in the office of justification than Love or any other grace hath And therefore to insinuate that love hath the same Interest Office in about justification that Faith hath is to deny or overturn the proper specifick actings of Faith in order to justification And how small a matter soever this may appear to be at first yet when it is further prosecuted or the ground of this searched into or its designe tendency considered impartially it will befound of a deeper consequence to tend to the alteration of the whole specifick nature of the Covenant of Grace as it is distinct from the Covenant of Works for though both Faith Love may must be looked upon as acting upon the same object Christ yet when Faith is conceived as acting no other way than Love and both as potestative Conditions or as parts of one Potestative Condition and no other way it is plaine enough how the special actings of faith in compliance with the designe of God's Wisdom Grace and Love in the Gospel contrivance and thereupon in receiving resting upon Christ as the alone propitiating Sacrifice and on his Surety-Righteousness as that alone by vertue of which they are to expect Justification Acceptance with God to receive the Atonement are laid aside And the beleeving soul is supposed not to act on Christ nor apply Him his Righteousness in order to the being Acquit from the sentence of the Law from the Curse due for the breach of the same in that particular manner that both its case condition requireth and the Gospel pointeth forth and the experience of soul attaining hereby to Peace doth confirme 4. It is true there is Love to Christ in the soul that beleeveth and it must be so and it is true also that this Love is called for in the Gospel but hence it will not follow that Love is the Condition of Justification or that every thing that is present with or accompanieth faith in justification hath the same Life Ends and Interest in Justification or the same Influence thereupon that faith hath far less will it follow that that which followeth faith and whereby faith worketh through all the after-carriage of a Beleever hath the same Place Power and Interest in about justification that faith hath as we shewed above of Repentance 5. If by this Love nothing else were meaned but that Love of desire that necessarily accompanieth the souls accepting and closeing with what is good or offered as good sure it would have given no ground of offence to have called it so would have been more acceptable than to have called it otherwayes even though speaking strickly the Love of desire may be called Love and is a Love in its own kinde and therefore I judge that denomination might have been rather chosen which would have given no offence than the other which to avoide suspicion and offence calleth for so much waste of words to render the expression less noxious especially seing for all that is said in clearing of the same all ground of suspicion is not removed but that some other thing was intended than that meer Love of desire that is inseparable from the will 's earnest pursuite after or embraceing any good thing offered especiasly when it is said That Ioh. 16 27. 14 21. make Love the antecedent Condition of God's Love Christ's Love to the person And that that goeth with Remission and is a Love of Reconciliation and Reconciliation comprehendeth Remission At least you will never shew out of Scripture that the procureing God's Love and the Procuring Remission Reconciliation have not the same conditions for hereby it is manifest that Love even as distinct from faith as it is Ioh. 16 26 because ye have loved me have beleeved that I am come out from God is made as formal full a Condition of Reconciliation Pardon consequently of justification as faith his Yea that both faith Love are made Conditions procuring God's Pardon Reconciliation Thus speaketh Mr. Baxter against Mr. Cartwright pag. 202. But lest any should think that either of these places cited should prove what Mr. Baxter alledgeth them for it would be considered 1 That Ioh. 14 21. He is speaking of such as are already beleevers justified when he is speaking of such as have already Christ's commandemants keep them 2 He speaketh of the Fathers of his own Love of such in the future time which cannot be meaned in reference to his Disciples unless we think they were not yet justified contrary to the very forgoeing verse many other passages in that discourse particularly Chap. 14 1 15 3 4 5 9. 3 This is meaned of a Love of Manifestation as Christ's own words added exegetically declare And I will Love him will manifest my self to him 4 This same sort of expression of Love is also to be understood Ioh. 16. as the whole scope cleareth this being spoken to perswade them that they should receive the returne of their prayers should not ask the Father in vaine for such a Love carrieth he towards you as if he had said that in a manner I need not intercede for you 5 And so the Love of the disciples here mentioned is that Love of complacencie which they had in Christ in abiding still in his Company and delighting in him whom they had followed as their Master all alongs and the cause from whence this flowed is added and have beleeved that I came out from God As to the second particular to wit Purpose of obedience M. Baxter in his Aphorismes told us that as the accepting of Christ for Lord which is the hearts Subjection is as essential a part of justifying faith as the accepting him for Saviour So consequently sincere obedience which is the effect of the former hath as much to do in justifying us before God as some Affiance which is the fruit of the latter Hereby he would seem to give the same Interest unto actual Obedience in Justification that he giveth unto Affiance which cannot be
of God Gal. 2 20. Yet faith receiveth him as God manifest in the flesh 1. Tim. 3 16. as the word made flesh Ioh. 1 14. as the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16 16. Ioh. 6 63. as the Immanuel God with us Esai 7 15. Mat. 1 23. Luk 1 31. 2. Faith taketh him wholly as to his Offices as a Prophet as a Priest as a King Faith embraceth him as that great Prophet Act. 3 22. as the Word of God that came out of the bosome of the Father to reveal his mind counsel for our Salvation Ioh. 1 17 18. Faith receiveth him also as Priest offering up himself to God a sacrifice for sins and making Satisfaction to the justice of God as Interceeding with the Father Ephes. 5 2. Heb. 2 17. 7 25. 9 14 28. Hence we hear of Faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. And Christ crucified is proposed to Faith to receive feed upon And in order to Justification Pardon faith as we shall hear hath a special eye unto the Surety Righteousness of Christ. Faith also receiveth him as a King to subdue their souls to himself to make them Subjects to swey his scepter in their souls to subdue all their spiritual Enemies to Support Rule Guide Defend them by his Spirit Esai 33 22. Act. 5 31. Psal. 110. through out 3. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Relations he hath taken on in reference to his people to wit as an Husband Ephes. 5 30 31 32. as an Head Ephes. 5 23. 1 22. Col. 1 18. as the Chief-Corner stone Ephes. 2 20. 1. Pet. 2 4 5 6 7. as a Vine Ioh. 15 1 2 5. As a Witness Leader Commander Esai 55 4. as a Light Esai 42. 6. 49 9. Faith receiveth him under whatsoever Title Denomination he is held forth for the comfort of his People 4. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Work imported Ends designed by these Offices Relations Denominations which he took upon him under which he holdeth forth himself 5. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Furniture Qualifications whereby he was fitted for the discharge of the duties belonging to the Offices which he did execute both in his Estate of Humiliation Exaltation for throughing perfecting of the work which he undertook to do so that Faith receiveth him as the Anointed of the Lord as having the Spirit of the Lord upon him as having all Fulness all Power Authority even the Spirit without measure Esai 61 1. Luk. 4 18. Ioh. 3 34. 1 14 16. Col. 1 19. 2 3 9 10. Mat. 28 18. 6. Faith receiveth him wholly as to all the sinners Necessities Cases Wants Straits Difficulties which they either are or may be into from first to last All the Vessels must hang on Him as the nail that it fastened in a sure place Esai 22 24 25. Faith eyeth Him Him alone seeketh the upmaking of all in Him alone as knowing that in Him only sinners can be compleet Col. 2 10. out of his fulness must they receive grace for grace Ioh. 1 16. Therefore is he held forth as fournished with all richly that we stand in need of as a Store house Treasurie of all necessaries as having Eye salve Gold Rayment what we need Revel 3 18. 7. Faith receiveth Him with all the Sufferings Crosses Inconveniences that can follow Faith taketh up the Crosse followeth Christ. Mat. 10 37 38. Mark 8 34. Mat. 16 24. Luk 9 23. Next I say That Christ as revealed held forth offered in the Gospel is the object of Saving Justifying faith And so 1. He is received as the result to speak so of the wonderful Contrivance Designe of free Grace Love Goodness Mercy Wisdom concerning the glorifying of God in the Salvation of the chosen ones in through Him faith here observeth closeth chearfully with that gracious Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah or God Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Son in order to the Salvation of poor man through the Sones becoming Mediator God-man becoming Cautioner for such as were given unto Him and coming in their Law-place and suffering for them and their debt c. Faith closeth with and embraceth this foundamental Ground of Salvation in all its Parts Ends Meanes and so receiveth Christ as standing in such a place and as engageing to through such a designe of Love free Grace so far as the Beleever cometh to know understand the same to be revealed We may consider to this end Esai 53. through out Ephes. 1 3. forward Rom. 3 21-27 and other places there see how Christ is held forth 2. He is received as the great Gift of God Ioh. 4 10. as the Soveraigne Mean through which all the great designe of Grace is brought about in a glorious manner as the authorized Ambassadour of God and messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3 1. as the grand Effect of Love Grace Goodwill Tu. 3 4. Ioh. 3 16. as fore-ordained and set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. and as made of God unto us wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption 1. Cor. 1 30. He is received as the Power of God and as the Wisdom of God 1. Cor. 1 24. as He in whom God was reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2. Cor. 5 19. and as made sin though he knew no sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2. Cor. 5 21. that is as the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 6. Thus faith in receiving Christ as thus held forth in the Gospel eyeth God the Giver the Sender the Maker of Christ to be sin and eyeth God as the Justifier of the ungodly in him Rom. 4 5. and as the Reconciler of us to himself by Christ 2. Cor. 5 18. as forgiving sins and granting Redemption through Christ's blood according to the riches of his Grace wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom prudence Ephes. 1 7 8. Here is the incomprehensible riches of the Mercy Grace of God Father Son Holy Ghost eyed as the Object according to their peculiar methode order of working in this grand affaire 3. He is received as offered held forth in the Promises Thus was he embraced of old as the promised Messiah and as the substance of all the Promises which the Fathers of old saw a far off Heb. 11 13. Ioh. 8 56. That promise made to Abraham that in him all Nations should be blessed was the Gospel Gal. 3 8. and contained a bunddle of promises vers 16. And the faith of this was that faith by which Abraham was justified Rom. 4 16-22 Hence all the promises are made good in and through him and they are all yea amen in him 2. Cor. 1 20. And he is
by men be some way understood reconciled when some say the Mercy of God is it others say the Promises some Remission of sins and the like some God the Father Son Holy Ghost for such as seem to restrict it most may be understood as not speaking exclusively of what else the Scripture mentioneth as belonging thereunto 5. All this notwithstanding faith may have hath a special respect to Christ as Priest and making Satisfaction to justice and laying down the Ransome-money and paying the debt according to his undertaking as Surety in order to the particular benefite of Justification and of Pardon of sins as was in part cleared above and may be more spoken to afterward in the following Chapters CHAP. XXXIII The Righteousness of Christ is the special Object of Faith in Justification COnsidering what hath been said at some length above concerning the imputation of the Surety-Righteousness of Christ in order to Justification we needed not insist on this here Seing if what is said touching that fundamental point hold this will not endure much debate Yet because Mr. Baxter in his Apologie against Mr. Blake § 11. is pleased to tell us that Faith which is the Iustifying condition is not terminated on the Righteousness of Christ And that it is a meer fancy delusion to speak of the receiving a Righteousness that we may be justified constitutive thereby in such a sense as if the Righteousness were first to be made ours in order of nature before our Iustification then justification follow because we are Righteous But sure this eyeing of laying hold on and leaning to the Righteousness of Christ holdeth clear correspondence with the experience of the Children of God not only at their first Conversion when delivered from under the Convictions of sin and the terrours of the Law but even afterward when exercised with new assaults of Satan objecting unto them their Unworthiness Filthiness and hence inferring their exclusion from the face of God for then their maine quieting refuge is the Righteousness of Christ wherein they seek only to be found acknowledging that in themselves they are but sinners and so rejecting their own worth holiness as too ragged to cover the shame of their nakedness wherein they have the Apostle Paul going before them Phil. 3 8 9. which may also serve for a scriptural proof and ground of the truth in hand He rejected all these things wherein sometime he gloried and he did now even long after his Conversion while a prisoner at Rome after all his great Labour Paines in spreading the Gospel count all things nothing is here excepted but loss saith he for the excestency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things do count them but dung that I may win Christ be found in him not having mine own Righteousness it is nor good that Mr. Baxter should carp at Writters Preachers for speaking teaching after this manner as he doth Cath. Theol. Mor. Works § 176. which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith This saith â—early that in order to Justification before God faith laith hold on a Righteousness which is of God and which is had by the Faith of Christ. And this Surety-Righteousness of Christ is that which can only prove sutable unto the case of a wakened sinner pressed with the guilt of sin and seeing justice armed against him stopping his way to life because of his Un-righteousness What can be more welcome unto such a sinner than the newes of a Righteousness and of having Christ to become the Lord his Righteousness as made of God Righteousness And what can his faith grippe to more earnestly than to this Righteousness that he may be covered therewith and think with joy of appearing before God How else shall he think to be justified by God who is just even when the justifier of a beleeving sinner He knoweth that God is Righteous and will not acquit the guilty and therefore he must have a Righteousness that he may be in case to stand before the Righteous God So that he can have no peace till by faith he have interest in the Surety-Righteousness of Jesus Christ for he knoweth that he hath none of his owne and that there is none any where else to be had And further this way doth exceedingly serve to demonstrate upon the one hand the Righteousness of God who will not Justifie without a Righteousness or one that hath no Righteousness and upon the other hand it commendeth the riches of the free Grace Mercy of God when the sinner seeth how free Love hath provided such an alsufficient Remedie a Righteousness against which no exception can be made and a Righteousness under the wings of which he may saifly hide shelter himself being covered with which he may rest confidente of acceptance and so may with full peace of mind rest here and relye upon it As also it serveth exceedingly to abase man in his own eyes and to make him for ever keep a low saile and walk humblie before this God and give Him the Glory of all Hence this Righteousness is called the Righteousness of Faith or of Christ beleeved in and laid hold on Rom. 4 13. the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ Rom. 3 22. Phil. 3 9. a Righteousness through the faith of Christ ibid. All which the like expressions do manifestly say that faith laith hold on a Righteousness even on the Righteousness of God And this Righteousness is said to be unto all upon all them that beleeve Rom. 3. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And imputed or reckoned upon their score Rom 4 24. Mr. Baxter in the forecited book Cath. Theol. § 131. saith that the meaning of this Rom. 4 24. is no more but that God reputeth or judgeth us Righteous But how can he repute us Righteous unless we have a Righteousness either of our own or from some other of ourselves we have not a Righteousness unless he account beleeving all our Righteousness against which we have said enough above and the very words of the text will not admit of this glosse as was also shown above If it be the Righteousness of Christ who was delivered for our Offences and was raised againe for our Justification vers 25. then it is fit object for faith to lay hold on it being Christ's Surety-Righteousness or the Righteousness which he performed wrought out when he was delivered for our offences and which was publickly declared to be accepted when he was raised againe for our Justification And whatever Mr. Baxter think this is and must be so far made our owne through the gracious Imputation of God that the Righteous God whose judgment is to according to truth may pronunce us Righteous and accept of us as such But saith he Imputing
he mindeth to Pardon he giveth also a Spirit of Repentance as both Scripture Experience proveth 3. Yet notwithstanding of this it is true that an outward Repentance where there is no inward real sanctified change wrought may hold off for a time or prorogue the inflicting of temporal strokes as we see in Aabh Nineveth others 4. It will be granted also by all the orthodox that Repentance is no proper meritorious cause of pardon not doth it make any Satisfaction to God or appease his wrath anger 4. I shall also grant that where there is true unfeigned Repentance after some sin committed there that person may saifly inferre that his sin is pardoned Repentance is a good signe of Remission because it is a good evidence that the man hath run to the fountaine to the blood of Jesus and there hath washen himself made himself cleane See Esai 1 16 17 18. 5. The Exercise of Repentance is very usefull to make sin become bitter mercy welcome to make the soul more careful watchful in time to come But the Question is whether Repentance be a proper Condition of Pardon of sins committed after Justification or not And when we speak of Repentance here we consider it by itself not as being the sensible signification expression of Faith for the Question is not whether Faith acting in through Repentance or working the soul up unto unfaigned Repentance be the Condition of Remission for that is not Repentance but Faith accompanied with acting the soul to Repentance but the Question is of Repentance considered in itself as a distinct grace from Faith And speaking of Repentance as such considered in itself I say that it is not the Condition of Remission of after sins but faith only acting in a Gospel manner on Jesus Christ his Bloud Merites And the reasons are 1. Because it is Faith not Repentance that carrieth the sinner away to the Bloud of Jesus Christ to his Merites through whom by which alone Remission is had Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Zach. 13. 1. Heb. 9 14 22. Revel 1 5. Repentance as such layeth not hold on Christ grippeth not his Merites maketh no application of these but is wholly exercised about another object about sin 2. This would give man too great ground of boasting in himself if upon his Mourning Sorrow Repentance Pardon were to be had and would give occasion to think that there were some merite worth in that work some thing satisfying or appeasing to God for the man hereby is keeped within himself upon the account of something within himself or done by himself is he pardoned as he might suppose 3. This should be derogatorie to the Bloud Merites of Christ by which alone we have pardon first last and the Gospel is so contrived as that Christ must have all the Glory and all the methodes meanes order of the Gospel and new Covenant are in like manner framed so that man may be abased free grace exalted Christ acknowledged the only Redeemer But if our Repentance were made such a Condition there should be no application made of Christ of his bloud by the sinner No acting on him on his merites in order to the obtaining of Pardon and so no occasion of exalting free grace and Love in Christ no occasion of wondering at the wise contrivance of the Covenant of Grace in all points If it be said There is no derogating from Christ his Merites here because it is by vertue of his Merites that Repentance is made such a Condition I Ans. This is not cleared from the Scripture nor is it sutable to the frame of the Gospel-Covenant for the whole of it is so contrived as that Christ is immediatly to be made use of But this way keepeth the soul off all immediat going to applying of and resting upon Christ in order to Remission of new sinnes setteth them only upon the exercise of Sorrow Repentance within themselves 4. The Apostle Iohn pointeth out the way to beleevers of obtaining Remission-of sins 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. And if any man sin we have an Advocat with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins Now Repentance doth not make use of Christ as an Advocat as a Propitiation but Faith doth And it is the proper work of Faith in order to Remission to make use of Christ in his Priestly office to carry the soul away to his Propitiation Intercession 5. The dayly experience of the Saints evidence this when upon conviction of sin they betake themselves to the free Mercy of God in Christ to the Bloud of sprinkling crying out for Pardon for the Lord's sake and seeking to be washen in his blood It is not their Repentance or Sorrow that they flee to as the ground of their hope of Pardon but the merites of Christ held forth in the new Covenant is that fountaine wherein they must wash be cleane See Psal. 25 11. 51 7. 6. This was sufficiently held forth under the Law when for their Errours Failings dayly Transgressions the people were to bring their Sacrifices to the Priest which were to be offered up as types of Christ they were to lay their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice in signe of their resting upon the Sacrifice typified of rolling their sins upon that only Sacrifice of expecting Acceptance Pardon through it alone See Levit 4 20 26 31 35. 5 10 13 16 18. 6 7 19 22. 7. If Repentance be the Condition then this must either be said of that part of Repentance which preceedeth the acting of faith or of that which followeth This last cannot be said for then it would follow that upon the acting of faith that preceedeth there were no Remission so faith laying hold on Christ his Merites should be utterly excluded from having any Interest in the pardon of sins Nor can the first be said for then there should be Remission before without all application made of Christ by Faith Yea the very imperfect beginnings of Repentance should be judged sufficient for Remission which cannot be said If it be said that this is meaned of compleat Repentance I Ans. Compleet Repentance cannot be without Faith it is against what is said to make Repentance considered alone by itself or as abstracted from Faith the only Condition seing this would be a manifest exclusion of Faith altogether If it be said that Repentance Faith may be considered together as joyned together called the Condition of Pardon I Ans. Seing it is manifest that both do not neither can act one the same way on Christ they cannot be considered as equally sharing in the place interest of a condition And therefore I judge it saifest to say That faith acting in by Repentance or so discovering itself to
were by the works of the Law is opposite to a seeking of it by Faith And againe Rom. 10 3. they went about to establish their own Righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the Righteousness of God which two are opposite inconsistent And this their own Righteousness was but an imperfect Righteousness which they were labouring to cause stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. We cannot imagine that when the Apostle did exclude his own Righteousness and desired not to be found therein he only excluded that which was not desired not to be found in that which he had not and which he knew he had not to wit a perfect sinless obedience Rom. 7 24. 1. Tim. 1 13 15. He confessed he had been a blasphemer and the chiefe of sinners and so was far from imagineing that his obedience was perfect sinless This then could not be the Righteousness whereof he speaketh Phil. 3 9. but his imperfect Righteousness being that only which he could call his owne is that only which he desired not to be found in in the day of his appearing before his judge in order to his justification 15. If Paul had disputed only against perfect obedience had yeelded justification by imperfect obedience What ground was there for that objection Rom. 6 1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound seing justification by imperfect obedience doth of it self engadge to all endeavoure after obedience against the allowance of sin 16. And the Apostles answere to this objection may fournish us with another Argument against this for if Paul had allowed of or pleaded for justification by our imperfect works he had used this aâ— least as one argument to perswade unto an absteaning from sin by saying there is no justification but by endeavouring after obedience But we hear of no such think in all the Apostles Arguments whereby he presseth unto holiness obedience whether there or elsewhere 17. We are not justified by works done after Faith Regeneration as was proved before Therefore we are not justified by imperfect works for works after faith are imperfect againe they cannot but be so as presupposing sin guilt going before There is yet another Evasion wherewith some satisfie themselves for they say that when Paul saith we are not justified by the works of the Law by these works he meaneth only outward works of the Law performed without an inward Principle of Grace of faith or fear or Love of God But we need not insist in the discovery of the vanity of this Evasion having before at large proved that the works whereof Paul speaketh are not works done before Faith Regeneration For all these works that are done before Faith Regeneration are done without any inward Principle of Grace are only outward works such as Heathens may performe a few reasons will serve heâ—e as 1. When Paul denieth justification to be by the Law or by the works thereof he must mean such works as are enjoined commanded by the Law But the Law commandeth other works than those outward works for it condemneth all works that flow not from a principle of grace because the Law is holy spiritual the first chiefe command thereof is that we Love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul with all our strength c. Rom. 7 12 14. Mat. 22 37. Mark 12 30. Luk. 10 27. Deut 13 3. 30 6. If then Paul exclude only such works as flow not from a principle of grace he shall not exclude the works of the Law but works prohibited by the Law his meaning should be we are not justified by works which the Law commandeth not but we are justified by works which the Law commandeth which is contradictory to the whole scope designe of the Apostle 2. The Apostle doth manifestly exclude the works of Abraham Rom. 4 1 2. But the works of Abraham were other than such servile works or such outward works performed from no principle of grace or Love to God Therefore such cannot be here understood 3. Outward works done without any principle of grace could with no face or shew of a pretence lay a ground or be any occasion of boasting or of glorying because they were no other but manifest sins being prohibited condemned by the Law not commanded or approven But the Apostle excludeth such works as could do this Therefore he excludeth good works which were done in conformitie to the Law not such outward lifeless works only as were meer servile works no better 4. Such lifeless servile outward works could give no shew of a ground of making the reward of debt But Paul excludeth such works as would make the reward of debt Rom. 4 4. 5. If Paul had meaned here only such outward servile works which are not conforme to the Law what occasion had there been for Paul's proposeing of that objection Rom. 3 31. Do we then make void the Law through Faith for to lay aside these works which are not conforme to the Law giveth no probable ground of supposal that thereby the Law is made void 6. Israel could not have been said to have followed after the Law of Righteousness by doing of works meerly ourward lifeless And yet this is said of them it is also said that by all their following of the Law of Righteousness they could not be justified Rom. 9 31 32. 7. Meer performance of outward servile works cannot be called a Righteousness But the jewes went about to establish their own Righteousness therefore missed justification Rom. 10 4. 8. There was never any life had by these outward servile works alone But by the works which Paul excludeth there was life to be had if they had been perfect The man which doth those things shall live by them Rom. 2 13. 10 5. Levit. 18 5. Gal. 3 12. 9. These outward servile works are not good works but even good works are here excluded Ephes. 2 9 10. 10. Paul did not meane such works only when he excluded his own Righteousness Phil. 3 9. Nor can such works be called works of Righteousness which yet are expresly excluded in this matter Tit. 3 5. CHAP. VI. By works which Paul excludeth is not meant the Merite of Works THere is one other Evasion thought upon to shift by all the Apostles argueings yet to maintaine the Interest of Works as the Cause ground of justification before God to wit That Paul only disputs against a groundless conceite of merite in works not against the works themselves but against a Pharisaical sense of merite worth in their works whereby they conceived conceited that thereby they could satisfie for their sins buy purchase to themselves Justification Salvation But against this Evasion we have these things to say 1. By merite here must either be understood that which is called meritum ex condigno that is that merite
holy men how farther they advance in the truth please themselves the less therefore do more understand that they have need of Christ of his Righteousness given unto them wherefore they relinquish themselves and leane upon Christ alone This cometh not to passe because they become of a more base Law spirit Yea the further they advance in holiness they are of greater spirits see more clearly FINIS Arguments against Universal Redemption AS concerning the point of Universal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matter thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacific an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in the Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for as if God had such Natural Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Freewil would and as if the Love that sent Christ were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves as the ground or all the Effects Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Justice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement so Justice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Freewill would consent unto termes of new to be proposed Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith Repentance and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for any man much less for all Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure obtaine Reconciliation with God for all sinners whatsomever without any difference before that God would open againe the door of salvation enter into a new Covenant of Grace with sinners But this Reconciliation hath no more force or import but that God might enter againe into a Covenant with sinners and so there is no Actual Reconciliation of sinners unto God And all that is obtained is for God nothing for man save a Possibility of Salvation by a new Covenant nor are we told whether Christ hath satisfied for the breach of the First Covenant so that that sin is fully pardoned unto all or not untill the condition of the second Covenant be performed nor are we told upon what account the sins against the second Covenant are pardoned Or if they be unpardonable Others explaine the matter thus Christ died for all and every man not only that God might without any violation of Justice enter into a new Covenant with sinners upon what condition he pleased but that it should be upon this Condition that man should be united with Christ the Cautioner and not only that Redemption Salvation should be possible to all but that really most certainly Salvation should be bestowed on such as Christ thought good But seing Christ knew that his death would profite none but these few whom he had designed to what purpose should he have laid downe his life for the rest And how can his death be a price of Redemption for the rest How can Christ be said to satisfie for the rest Did he purchase Faith to these few and would he not purchase Faith to the rest yet lay downe the great price for them What was the end obtained for the rest was it only a Possible Call of all Justice bein satisfied But of what import could that Possible Call be if Salvation was not also possible unto them And whereunto is that Call They will not say it is unto Salvation but to Faith But did not Christ know that this call would not be obeyed by them Did he procure Grace unto them to obey it then he procured Faith and if he procured Faith than he procured Salvation Againe if Justice be satisfied for these others why are they not liberat If they say the new Condition is not fulfilled Then it cannot be simply said that Christ satisfied Justice on their behalfe for
1 7. forgiveness of sins is with justification hath blessedness attending it Rom. 4 6 7 8. 3. Salvation necessarily followeth upon this Ransome Redemption as is clear 1. Tim. 2 4. compared with vers 6. 4. This Redemption is from a vaine Conversation 1 Pet. 1 18. consequently is attended with Salvation 5. It is attended with justification Rom. 3 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. 6. Hence it is called the Redemption of the transgressions Heb. 9 15. that is either of Transgressours by a metonimy or of us from the evil of transgressions that upon a valuable compensation satisfaction for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Redemption from evil by the Intervening of a Price a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom 7. This was a Redemption from the Law for God sent forth his son made under the Law to redeem them who were under the Law Gal 4 4 5. so by this redemption there is a liberation had from the Law its Curse Penality 8. And it is a Redemption of such as were under the Law for this end that they might receive the adoption of sones Gal. 4 5. But this Adoption of sones is not common to all 9. All which receiveth confirmation from this that the Father who received this ransome did himself send his Son to lay it down so it was his own Ransome and therefore must have been payed upon a certaine designe of actually Redeeming delivering from Sin Satan Death Hell those for whom it was laid downe 10. So is there an other end of this Redemption mentioned Gal. 3 13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ. 11. Seing the Lord Iehovah might have refused to free the sinner upon any Redemption or Satisfaction offered exacted all of the sinners themselves that they lay under by the Law it was a great condescendence in love of this great Lord a gracious act of Soveraignity to accept of a mediation of Love free grace to provide a Redeemer we cannot but in reason think that His good pleasure did regulare this matter as to the Persons who should be Redeemed as to the manner method after which they should actually partake of the Redemption And that therefore the persons to be redeemed were condescended upon and the persons condescended upon were certanely to be Redeemed the Lord having intended in the contrivance of this Redemption the certaine Salvation Redemption of those who were condescended upon of none else and the Intentions Designes Purposes of God are not vaine nor frustrable Further 23. Christ's death ha◠a real Merito in it that is a worth and value to procure the good things it was given for so that thereby there was a Purchase made Act. 20 28. And therefore we cannot suppose that all that was Procured Purchased hereby was a General Uncertaine meerly Possible thing If it had a value worth in it as no question it had to purchase procure grace glory unto all for whom it was given and was accepted as a valuable price of the Father why should not the thing hereby purchased be given granted in due time To say that all was suspended upon a condition is to made all Uncertaine or we must say that Christ's death did procure that Condition also and then all is right for that is it we say 24. Christ's death is to be considered as the death of a Testator Heb. 9 15 16 17. And for this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance for where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testatour for a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testatour liveth So he said himself of the cup in the Sacrament that it was the blood of the New Testament Mat. 26 28. Mark 14 24. that it was the cup of the New Testament in his blood Luk. 22 20. and Paul calleth it the New Testament in his blood 1. Cor. 11 25. So that his Death Bloodshed was the death of a Testatour for the confirmation of the New Testament and for ascertaneing of the Legatees of the good things bequathed to them in legacy by the Testament Now a Testament commonly is a declaration of the Testatours free Absolute Voluntary Purpose of bestowing such such benefites to such such friends and so it is the Testatours letter will whereby he willeth that this legacy be given to this person that to another It is true men may insert some Conditions as to some legacies because they are but men know not contingent future things nor have they the wils dispositions of such they appoint legatees in their own hand and power But it is otherwayes with our Testatour and therefore we cannot think that He left the legacies in his Testament at the uncertainty of conditions to be performed by men especially considering how as he died to ratify the Testament so he rose againe to administrate the same as the sole executor thereof by his Spirit that what legacies he left to be bestowed upon such such conditions he left not the matter at an uncertainty for the condition it self was bequeathed as the necessary good of the Testament without which all would have been to no purpose It is unreasonable then to think that Christ died to give force to his Testament and yet it might come to passe that he should have no heire to enjoy the goods left in legacy Nor is it reasonable to think that all the world were equally his heires seing the Inheritance and Kingdom is for the little flock Luk. 12 32. and a peculiar select number 1. Pet. 1 4. Ioh. 17 24. Col. 1 12. who are heires of the promises of God of salvation of the Grace of God of the Kingdom c. Rom. 8 17. Gal. 3 29. 4 7 30. Ephes. 3 6. Heb. 1 14. 6 1. 11 7. Iam. 2 5. 1. Pet. 3 7. Therefore all whom Christ hath appointed heires in his Testament shall certainly enjoy the good things tested in due time for his Death gave force to his Testament as being his Last Unchangeable will so that they cannot misse of the inheritance and be disappointed especially considering that Christ by his death laid down a valuable rich price to purchase all these good things which he left in legacy to his friends heires Christ's death moreover 25. is to be considered as the death of a Sponsor Cautioner and this will further confirme our point Hence he is called a Surety Heb. 7 22. and is said
them nor all of them do fully unfold the mystery And in it there is ground enough to suppose Christ to be a publick person a Representative as also for asserting of this Imputation because Beleevers being thus united unto Christ are made partakers of His righteousness of what He as Head Husband did suffered in their room place they thereupon are blessed with all the fruits effects thereof Fourthly His being called a Surety Heb. 7 22. doth also give ground confirmation unto this Imputation for as He who becometh Surety for another undertaketh to do or suffer what he for whom he is Surety was obliged to do or suffer As when Paul became Surety for Onesimus bound himself as such unto Philemon he would have Philemon requiring all that Onesimus was due to him at his hand reckoned upon his score he undertook to satisfie him for this debt or for what he could crave of Onesimus as we see Philem. vers 18 19. If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that upon mine account I Paul have written it with mine own hand I will repay it So what the cautioner doth or suffereth as such or according to his undertaking is reckoned upon the score of the Principul debtor as Paul's paying of what Onesimus imputed to was endue te Philemon was to be reckoned on the score of Onesimus him that he thereby might be freed from all pursuite of Law or action against him at the Instance of Philemon Wherefore as Christ becoming Surety for His Children saying to the Father Lo I come in the volumne of they book it is written of me I delight to do thy will ô God Psal. 40 7 8. Heb. 10. 7. did take upon Himself the debt of sinners engaged to pay all that is both to give perfect Obedience to the Law fulfill all Righteousness Mat. 3 15. as also to pay the penalty to make Satisfaction to Justice by becoming a Curse suffering Griefs Sorrowes Bruisings Mockings the cursed death of the Cross for all this He did willingly cheerfully I have said He a baptisme to be baptized with meaning His death how am I straitened or pained untill it be accomplished Luk. 12 50. He laid down His life that He might take it againe no man took His life from Him against His will but He laid it down of His own accord Ioh. 10 17 18. And as Christ did really actually performe all that He did undertake so that He said upon the Cross it is finished It must of necessity follow that all they for whom He became Surety undertook to do suffer what was laid upon Him must have that Imputed made over unto them they must be clothed with that rob of Righteousness which He did make for them must appear before the throne of justice clothed therewith Fiftly Christ's making proper full Satisfaction to the Father in the Name room of His people saith also That there is an Imputation of Christ's Righteousness unto them for whom He performed that Righteousness as His Satifaction must be for them So that if Imputation be denied Satisfaction also must be denied Hence the Socinians wickedly deny both indeed who ever deny the one must also deny the other or not speak consequentially for when one laith down a satisfactory price for another it must be reckoned upon the score of imputed to that other to the end he may be dealt with as if he had laid it down himself thereby be freed from what otherwayes he must have undergone if upon the account of that Satisfaction he be not so freed it cannot be called a Satisfaction for him When Christ laith dwon his life for His sheep His sheep must not dye perish for if they perish He did not die for them if they perish not because of His dying for them His death must be imputed to them upon the account of it they must be saved So that Christ's dying for His own is dying in their Room Person place Stead as the particle for manifestly importeth 2 Sam. 18 33. Gen. 44 33. Numb 3 12. Rom. 5 6 7. Hence His Ransome is expresly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2 6. Many moe arguments might be here adduced for confirmation of this Truth but I shall satisfy my self at present with these few plaine ones so proceed 8. This Mystery is also considerable here That both the justice of God the Mercy free Grace of God take place in this matter Socinians cry up the Mercy free Grace of God in the matter if justification but it is to this end that they may with more desperat confidence shut out the Justice of God so as it may have no place there therefore they deny all Satisfaction Redemption Atonement c. except what is meerly metaphorical because they cannot see how justice mercy both can with joint hands concurre to our justification But the Apostle better taught than they better acquainted with the mind of Christ in this Mystery than they are seeth no Inconsistency But rather declareth the sweet perfect harmony concurrence of these in this mystery telling us Rom. 3 24 25 26. That we are justified freely by His grace yet addeth through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His bloud to declare His righteonsness c. And againe to declare His righteousness that He might be just the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Here is a free grace triumphing yet Justifice declared and manifested God declared to be just and His righteousness manifested yet sinners and beleevers justified freely by grace So Eph. 1 7 8. There is a Redemption through the price of bloud yet a free pardon of sinnes according to the riches of Gods grace wherein He hath abounded towards us in all wisdome prudence But if it be enquired wherein appeare to this mercy and freedom of grace in our justification seing there was a Satisfaction made to justice for all the sinnes of His peaple I answer 1 was it not an Act of wonderful free grace mercy that when the Lord might have executed the sentence of the Law upon us according to that threatning that day thou eats thou shalt die and so have made us sinners who transgressed the Law to die and suffer yet He would accept of a Satisfaction at the hands of a Surety Cautioner 2 Was it not Act of grace mercy to us that He himself would provide a Surety and put His name in our obligation so make Him sin for us who know no sin lay all our iniquities upon Him that He might bear the punishment due to us for the same See Ioh. 3 16. 3 Was it no Act of Soveraigne grace mercy that God should both provide
beleeve Mr. Baxter's Preface Beside that hereby no man can win to any solide Peace or Joy so long as he liveth for he is but still performing the Condition of his Justification and perfecting it by his works so that till they be at an end the Condition of Justification is not performed and consequently no Justification and it is the maine scope of this mans discourse to prove the interest of Gospel-obedience as he calleth it as a Condition as well as Faith or rather as a part or best part of practical Faith in the matter of Justification 10. Hence we may also see how erroneous dangerous that definition of faith as Evangelical Christian Justifying is which the mentioned Author giveth us pag. 38. to wit Such an hearty assent consent unto God's declaration in the Gospel by his Son concerning Christ himself his Grace Favour towards men by him concerning their own duty as causeth a man to expect from God and to act in a way of duty according to the tenor of such a declaration his own concerns in it This upon the matter is the very faith of Adam only Adam heard no word of Christ so it is but a Law-faith no Gospel-Faith And againe more plainly by way of explication he saith pag. 39. nor is it a bare beleefe that God will for Christ's sake pardon save as many as truely repent amend their lives become new creatures unless they so beleeve all this as seriously heartily to repent themselves of their former folly and to return to their duty in new Evangelical obedience Not only doth this man take away from Justifying saving Faith all that peculiar closing with Christ accepting of him as Redeemer all particular special eye or respect had to his Righteousness Mediation but he maketh Iustification depend on works as well as on faith or on works as the integral parts of practical justifying faith It is true Saving faith cannot but bow incline the man in whom it is to all holy Obedience But to make these thus to be included in Faith as the Condition of Justification is to give us the Socinian Iustification the Socinian Faith for the true orthodox justification faith and if this be the Gospel justification Gospel faith which as Mr. Baxter thinks this look will help us unto the Socinians are better acquainted with the Gospel than the orthodox have been or are And to evince this which is all I need to do here I shall propose a few of their Assertions concerning Faith that the Reader may judge what harmonie is betwixt this Author them The Racov. Catech. cap. 9. de fide tels us that faith is a Trust in God whereby we not only confide in him but also obey him This is short yet fully the same with our Auther's Socinus himself dial de justif f. 11. what is that to beleeve in his name It is receive him to beleeve his words to confide in him finally to obey him And in not in dial f. 25. he tels us that the faith by which we are justified doth containe obedience to the commands not as an effect but as its substance forme yea faith he it is obedience it self And againe de fid oper f. 60. he faith I will have nothing else than to conâ—ide de in Christ and this is done receiveth its perfection as it were its forme when obedience is yeelded unto his commands So that betwixt justifying faith good works there is no difference See him further f. 123. 134. Smalcius de divin Christ. cap. 14. f. 38. tels us that faith in Iesus Christ is a firme assent unto what he hath said a confideing truely so called whereby not only we firmly beleeve what he hath said concerning us but we confide in him adhere to him this is much more than our Author saith heartly embrace his doctrine as celestial saving placeing our considence hope in him as such so great a King as our Priest fy upon our Author that is less orthodox than this Socinian hanging wholly upon him with a firme hope to obtaine these things which he hath promised to such as obey him that is if we amend our lives according to his prescriptien we are confident to receive remission of sins deliverance from death eternal life But you will say there is no mention made of good works in this faith See therefore what he saith disp 6. cont Frantz de bon ope Thes. 53 55 63 68. We do not saith he consider two parts of faith Trust in God Obedience to his commands but we distinguish them as if they were two for albeit really they may be taken for encthing are one they can be some way distinguished Obedience is rather the forme of faith or faith it self than any part of it And in this the Arminian Remonstrants in their Confess cap. 10. s. 1 2 3. do homolegate with the Socinians telling us that faith comprehendeth all the commands of the Gospel and that the command of Faith must no other-way be considered than as by a natural proprietie it includeth obedience and is a fruitful mother of good works and that faith thus considered comprehendeth a mans whole conversion prescribed in the Gospel Socinus is plaine Synops. 1. s. 8. and tels us that the way of justification is the same under both Covenants seing in both on God's part was required Remission of sins on mans part Repentance Obedience to his commands which is truely that very faith that every did ever will make man acceptable unto God And then tels us that we must beware to make sanctification an effect of justification These things may shew that this part at least of this Authors Gospel is more learned out of the Socinian Arminian Scholes than out of the Scriptures and if we would be guided into this we may follow other more ancient leaders than is this Author whom else where I suppose Mr. Baxter calleth Mr. W. Allen. 11. We would also take notice of this That when the Scripture saith the just liveth by faith or we are justified by faith the meaning must not be we are justified by Hope or we are justified by Love or we are justified by Patience or by any other Grace for though all these Graces of the Spirit may be conceived as springing from one and the same root seed of God which is planted in the soul in the new birth and though we may by our acute wits so explaine each as to include the rest more or less Yet as divine Revelation is the ground of all our Faith in this matter so Scripture expressions are the best guide to us in our Expressions Conceptions about this matter And as the Scripture doth speak of and name these Graces as formally distinct ascribing to each their distinct and several Operation End and Use so
we never read that we are said to be justified by Love or by Patience or by Hope or any other but alwayes by Faith This certanely must instruct us that Faith here hath a peculiar and singular interest must be considered as looking to Christ in a different way from Hop Love which also have Christ for their object or Christ must be the object of Faith in another manner under some other consideration than he is the object of other graces 12. It is also considerable that it is simply said the just man liveth by faith or we are justified by faith and not the just man liveth or we are justified by a strong faith or by a faith continueing to the end Though it be true that a true lively Faith is of that Nature that it will continue to the end and will grow yet we may not say that only a strong Faith or a Faith as continueing to the end is the condition of the Covenant or of Justification for hence it would follow that as no man of a weak yet true and sincere Faith could be said to be Justified so no man could be said to be Justified untill his Faith had endured to the end which is contrary to Scripture speaking of beleevers while in their infancy as justified adopted as partakers of or at least as having a Right to the consequences of Justification such as Pardon Peace Glorying in Tribulation and Comfort c. The promise granteth Justification and Adoption to Faith that is of the right kinde no mention is made of that Qualification thereof He that beleeveth is passed from death to life and shall never die c. Ioh. 3 36. Ioh. 3 16 18. Ioh. 1 12. If the meaning of such as make Faith as continneing to the end the condition of the Covenant and of Justification were this That Faith as continued in to the end is the Mean of Continuance in the Covenant and in the state of Justification they should speak truth for the just liveth by faith first last as by Faith they are brought into the estate so by faith they are continued therein Faith maketh the first Union Faith continueth it But of this we shall have occasion to speak more afterward 13. This faith is not one single act of the soul nor seated in one faculty The various things spoken of it in Scripture and the various objects it acteth upon and is exercised about and the various and different necessities which beleevers stand into with the corresponding uses which faith serveth for in these necessities cleare it to be no one single act of the Soul I would rather call it the act of the whole Soul than the act of any faculty whatsomever CHAP. XXII Our act of Faith is not imputed to us a Righteousness Wproceed now to cleare at some further length several Particulars touched in the foregoing Chapt. contributing to the explication of our Justification by Faith The first great Question anent Faith is whether it be imputed unto the Beleever as his Righteousness whereupon he is justified Adversaries to the truth both Socinians Arminians do plainly assert that our faith or that grace of faith is the very thing which is imputed to the Beleever for his Righteousness They are all convinced that the sinner must be clothed with a Righteousness some way or other in some sense or other ere he can be Justified for the Lord is Righteous will not justifie the wicled that is such as have no Righteousness and being willing to yeeld to the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ they substitute in place of Christ's Righteousness Faith properly taken or our act of Beleeving as is it performed by us in obedience to the Gospel-command Socinus de Serv. lib. 4. c. 4. Cum igitur c. i.e. seing he teacheth by the example of Abraham that Righteousness is imputed when can doubt that nothing else can hereby be under stood but that we arerighteous before God because it hath seemed good to the Lord to account our faith in place of Righteousness And thereafter That faith is imputed unto righteousness is nothing else than that faith is accounted to us in place of Righteousness but not that the Righteousness of christ is imputed to us cap. 11. Themselves say that that saith justifieth not by its proper worth but because it apprehendeth Christ But that apprehension of Christ of yours is a meer humane fiction a most vaine dream And when we read that faith was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness or unto Righteousness we have no reason to think that mention is there made of the Righteousness of another when it is manifest that he is speaking of his own In his dial de Justis f. 14 15. he tels us that faith is by God imputed to us for Righteousness he accounteth that in place of Righteousness faith is in very deed that whereby the Scripture witnesseth that we are justified that is accounted Righteous before God have our sinnes pardoned This faith maketh us acceptable unto God unto eternal life And in not ad dial f. 27. Nothing else was said than that faith is accounted to us of God imputed for Righteousness that that faith is truely in us who will deny seing these words are said to exclude the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness The Arminians do homologate with the Socinians in this Arminius himself cont Perkins faith expresly that faith it self is imputed to us in Praf ad Hyppolit this faith he is my opinion about justification that faith that alone is imputed unto Righteousness that by it we are justified before God absolved from our sins and accounted righteous pronunced declared by God giving sentence from the tribunal of grace Some blaine ine for saying that the act of faith it self the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere is imputed unto Righteousness that in a proper sense not metonymically I say faith is imputed unto us unto righteousness for Christ for his righteousness sake He owneth the same decl Sent. ad Ord. f. 65. 66. in Resp. ad 31. Artic. f. 152-154 John Goodwine in his Treatise of Justification Part. 1. Ch. 2. asserteth the same most considently from Rom. 4. whose reasons hereafter shall be examied The same purpose he prosecuteth Part. 2. Ch. 6. answering the arguments of the orthodox against that imputation which shall be considered in due time Mr. Baxter in his Confess pag. 18 19. Excepteth against some words in our larger Catechisme Confession of faith to wit that it is denied that the grace of faith or any act thereof is imputed for Justification unless it be thus understood that our faith is not imputed to us as being in stead of a perfect Righteousness of Obedience to the ends as it was required by the Law of works nor is our faith the matter or the meritorious cause of the remission of our sin or of our right to