ever all them that are sanctified This is the onely Purgatory say these Our onely Purgatory is Christs blood first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us Where in all Christian men must put their whole trust and confidence Now that Gods imputation and spirituall cloathing with his Sonnes righteousnesse doth so really make us righteous that after the manner of the forme dat nomen esse that is it gives us both the name and being righteous although it be cleare and manifest by this former point because whatsoever is made so or so we see by dayly experience that they bee and are so called accordingly yet because it makes to the confirmation of the former point as evident effects of the truth of the former let me briefly touch this also And first that this spirituall cloathing with Christs righteousnesse doth so really make us righteous that only that gives us the name of truly just and righteous persons in the sight of God is manifest by that often repeated axiome of the Apostle The Iust by faith shall live For although some doe darken the sense both of the Prophet and of the Apostle by saying The Iust shall live by faith by joyning the word Faith to the Verb or Predicate shall live yet the true sense and meaning of the Apostle as it is in the Hebrew and Greek is that by faith should bee joyned with the subject Iust as if the Apostle had said they that are by faith made just shall live for the Apostle shewing that the righteousnesse that saves us is offered onely in the Gospel and is revealed to every one from faith to faith that is the more faith hee hath and the more it doth encrease the more hee sees and embraceth this righteousnesse that truly makes him just and righteous in the sight of God he confirmes the same by the Prophet Habakuk saying The just by faith shall live wherein he teacheth two things evidently First that it is faith only embracing and applying the righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel that makes a man just and righteous in the sight of God And Secondly that this righteousnesse not only names him just and righteous but makes him to live also a Christian godly life in this world and then to eternall glory in the world to come so that the Apostle likens this righteousnesse of the Gospel to the soule as if a Christian had two soules in him first as he is a man and secondly as he is a Christian his soule as he is a man is his naturall soule by which he lives truly only to this world but his soule as he is a Christian Christs righteousnesse is to a Christian as the soule is to the body is Christs righteousnesse that also sanctifies him and so is like the life that the soule works in the body and makes him live a godly Christian life in this world and also makes him to live unto eternall glory in the life to come And as the Physitians say that the vital spirits are they that knit and combinde the soule and body together so faith is like those vitall spirits that combinde the righteousnesse of Christ and the Christian together Whereby as the soule gives unto a man both the name and essentiall being of a man so doth the righteousnesse of Christ apprenhended by faith give unto a man both the name and essentiall being of a Christian and makes him to live the life of a Christian in this world and to live unto eternall glory in the life to come and as by reason of the Divine understanding soule made to the Image of God God is said to be neere and to dwell in us whereby as S. Paul saith Acts 17. 28. In him we live Acts 17. 28. and move and have our being and are of his generation so by reason of Christs righteousnesse apprehended by faith Christ himselfe dwelleth in us saith the Apostle by this faith Eph. 3. 17. Whereby in Christ Eph. 3. 1â— wee live and move and have our being and are of his generation or off-spring that is to say Christians All which S. Paul doth testifie Gal. 2. 20. by his own Gal. 2. 20. example in the plainest words that can be saying I live not now but Christ lives in mee and in that I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for mee namely to justifie me by his blood and make mee perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely The truth whereof Luther cleerly seeing with the spirituall eye of faith doth with as excellent a spirit testifie the same against the whole world of Papists saying This is the true meane to become a Christian even to bee justified by faith in Iesus Christ and why Because it is most true that Master Downham testifieth of Justification Downham of Iustification saying The beleever is cloathed with the most glorious robe of Christ Iesusâ— his righteousnesse and so appearing before God both clean from all sinne and endued with a perfect righteousnesse he is justified reconciled and eternally saved Now what can bee required more to make a true Christian I grant that where this is there will follow unfallibly a renewed sanctified life with zeale of Holy life maketh not but only declareth a Christian Gods glory but this makes not a Christian but consequently declares and outwardly shewes that he is already before thus freely made a Christian because he being thus clean from all sinne in the sight of God as is here described hath not only the name and imaginary counting but also the essentiall being of a person perfectly just and righteous in the sight of God freely hence it is that the children of God are called by no other name in all the Psalmes and whole word of God more commonly than by the name of the righteous Iust and Saints because they Beleevers are Saints two wayes are so two manner of wayes First they are righteous Just and Saints to God-ward by Justification And Secondly They are righteous Just and Saints to man-ward by Sanctification the first way to God-ward is perfect because otherwise it is no righteousnesse to God-ward which cannot love any thing but that which is perfect but the second way to manward is unperfect which yet being done in sincerity is sufficient for man that is unperfect and therefore because this later way is so exceeding imperfect both in respect of the perfection of the justice and righteousnesse revealed in the Law as also in respect of the perfection of Gods righteous nature described in the Law that loves nothing but that which is perfect in his sight therefore all those large promises made in the Psalms and Old Testament unto the righteous cannot be understood as the Papists conceive of the Saints inherent righteousnesse because David that had so great a measure of inherent righteousnesse cryed out that by this inherent righteousness shall none be found
ingenuously acknowledge my weaknesse herein This meditation I say being an effectuall meanes to apprehend it deeper and deeper and to encrease thy knowledge and faith in it especially when thou feelest thy conscience pricked and troubled with sinne will even breath the spirit of God and life into thy soule as Paul testifieth saying Received you the spirit by hearing the Law Or by hearing of faith viz. of free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. And so will be as it were the soule of thy soule to revive thee to eternall life yea thou shalt feele that thy often meditating in this heavenly gift like Naamans seventimes washing of himselfe in the River Iordane will assure thee clearer and clearer that all the spirituall leprosie of thy sinnes is washed away cleane out of Gods sight By which renewing as it were thy Baptisme thou mayst be anew strengthened with the spirituall inward seale of joy and gladnesse Ps 51. 7 8. Neither let thy unworthinesse of so great a benefit deterre thee from taking it because it is given thee freely I say freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in thee to deserve it nor no unworthinesse in thee to hinder thy free taking of it but only pittying thy misery doth give it thee freely to this end to declare the glory of his free Grace and to heale freely all thine unworthinesse and to make thee freely worthy of all the other benefits and blessings of God both temporall and eternall Thus Christian Reader if Christianly passing by all my weaknesses in handling this glorious free benefit yet if thou shalt here finde that the learned Writers collected have said some thing that may edifie thee in thy most holy faith then shall I be well content and fully satisfied Commending thee to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build further I with all my poor endeavours doe wholly rest Thine in true Christian affection JOHN EATON The Contents of this Treatise according to the order of the Chapters CHAP. I. OF the necessity of Free Iustification and of the right and joyfull knowledge thereof shewne 1 Because of Gods extreme hatred of sin 2 Because Iustification is the summe of the Gospel 3. The foundation of the Church both before and since the comming of Christ 4 The strongest Armes against assaults of the Devill pag. 2. 3. infra CHAP. II. OF the nature of Free Iustification as 1 What it is pag. 7 2 Who are capable of this glorious benefit ibid. 3 How it is wrought upon us pag. 20 Three maine things revealed in the word of God concerning sinne pag. 8. infra A pithie opening of the tenne Commandements pag. 11 A fivefold punishment belonging to the least sin pag. 17 That wee are two manner of wayes made righteous p. 22 CHAP. III. OF the parts of Iustification as 1 Of the first part p. 24 2 Of the excellency of this first part described by six Emphaticall Scripture phrases expressing the same where the said Texts are opened and explained p. 29 CHAP. IIII. OBjections against this first part of Iustification especially against the fifth emphaticall Scripture phrase expressing the excellency of this first part of free Iustification answered and the faith thereof described and cleered pag 43 1 The distinction and difference of the Objectors is to bee marked ibid. 2 Their objections from places of Scripture are answered as first Sins we have in us 1 Ioh. 1. 8. and who can say his hart is pure for in many things we sin all Iam. 3. 2. Ergo God who is Almighty and searcheth the hearts and reines seeth them in us Can any thing bee hid out of his sight pag. 47 Secondly He that made the eye shall not he see Psal 94. p. 52 3 God knoweth the sinnes of his justified children infinitly more perfectly than they themselves doe as you your selfe confesse Ergo hee seeth them in them because knowing and seeing are all one in God All which places are fully discussed and cleered Two reasons shewing how knowing and seeing in God may be said to differ p. 68 How God knowes the sinnes of his children and of Reprobates p. 71 CHAP. V. WHerein other Scriptures objected are cleered and answered as 1 That all things are open and naked to Gods eyes c. Heb. 4. 13. p. 73 2 God knoweth our sitting down and rising up and understandeth all our thoughts Psal 139. p. 76 3 Against thee have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Psal 51. 4. p. 80 Paul complaineth of sinne and saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Ergo. p. 87 5 If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Ioh 3. 20. p. 88 6 God saw sin in the justified Church of Corinth and punished them for the same 1 Cor. 11. And also in divers of the Churches of Asia Revel 2. 3. Ergo the children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God sees no sinne in them p. 92 7 Paul had remnants of sin in him and prayed thrice against the same that it might depart from him 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. Ergo the children of God are not made by Iustification so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God that God sees none in them p. 84 The maine essentiall difference between the Law and the Gospel p 83 How the Iustification of a Church and of a particular man are different p. 92 CHAP. VI. WHerein is contained an answer to the second rank of objections of such examples of David and others as were justified persons and yet God saw and took notice of sin in them and corrected punished some of thē for the same p. 97 A distinction between the time of the Law the time of Ioh. Baptist and the time of Christs death upon the crosse p. 98. infra Two reasons why sinnes were not punished in Iohn Baptists time p. 104 A threefold prerogative of the New Testament p. 110 CHAP. VII COntaining answers to the third rank of objections expressing certaine Reasons proving that the justified children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that God sees no sin in them as 1 God doth correct with crosses and afflictions yea and punish his justified children for sin ergo p. 120 Where are discussed two severall sorts of crosses 1. Legall 2. Evangelicall p. 121. deinceps Together with the uses of Evangelicall crosses p. 127 3 Scriptures explained p. 129 Twelve Absurdities arising from the confounding of the aforesaid crosses p. 135 CHAP. VIII COntaining answers to three other objected Reasons as 1 If wee bee made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that God sees no sin in us what need we to pray daily in the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses p. 147. 154 2
clothed with the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse they are above our reason sense and feeling not only abolished out of Gods sight but also are made perfectly holy and righteous and whiter than snow from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Thus God did know the sinnes of Abraham and left the sense sight and feeling of them to abide to himselfe and before men for which mendid reprove him that hee might live by the faith of Gods power in abolishing them out of his owne sight and not by sense and feeling And yet they were so utterly abolished out of Gods sight and hee was thereby made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that although men did reprove him as we ought to reprove one another in love yet we read not that God tooke notice of any sinne in him neither did God being so familiar with him once rebuke him in all his life after his calling for any one sinne but did only try and exercise his faith But why did men rebuke him and not God because he was not perfectly holy and righteous to his owne sense and feeling and to menward by his sanctification but was perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne to Godward by justification because he was the patterne and Father of them that are freely made so holy that they are without all fault and without all blame in the sight of God Collos 1. 22 23. So likewise God did know the stingings and poysonous Colos 22. 23. swellings and sorenesse of his people wounded in the Wildernesse with fiery Serpents and yet when by meerely looking upon the Brazen Serpent they were healed hee saw no poysonous swellings and sorenesse in them but saw his new worke of health and strength in them and saw them goe in this health and strength against their enimies And shall not the true substance the Sonne of God Christ Jesus figured by that shadow heale us much more though above our reason sense and feeling and perfectly abolish all the hellish sores and poyson of the fiery Serpent Satan out of Gods sight by making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely This being so livelya shadow to teach us the power of the true substance Christ Jesus O let us hold fast the grace so miraculously fignified but more lovingly by his blood exhibited And thus much for the difference betweene Gods Knowing and Seeing of sinne Now let us proceed to other Scriptures objected which may hereby be the more briefly answered CHAP. V. Wherein other Scriptures Objected are cleered and answered AND first concerning that place Heb. 4. 13. Heb. 4. 13. whereat these Objectors doe so much stumble namely That all things are open and naked to Gods eyes c. Which without judgement understanding they hold out like the shield of Achilles strongly against the excellency of free Justification viz. that the childreÌ„ of God are made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God doth see no sin in them when as it makes nothing against it but rather for it being rightly understood for it being the Apostles scope in all the third and fourth Chapters to exhort the converted Jewes purged and made pure in the sight of God by Christ alone Heb. 1. 3. unto constancy in faith and threatning and terrifying Heb. 1. 3. the hypocrites among them with feare of Gods revenging eye he tels them throughout the whole Epistle that if they continue sound in the faith embracing Christ constantly as their onely high Priest with the blood of Bulls and Goats Heb. 9. 13. purging them Heb. â— 13. by himselfe and cleansing them with his owne blood then God doth behold them their consciences their bodies their soules their spirits and all made pure and clean in his sight it being open and naked in his sight that Christ hath with that one Sacrifice made all them that are sanctified to bee in his sight by justification perfect for ever Heb. 10. 14. But if they be unbeleeving Heb. 10. 14. hypocrites distrusting Christs purifying and clensing them from all their sins in the sight of God and so falling from Christ by unbeleefe then how hidden and secret soever their unbeleefe and hypocrisie lay for a season and although they seemed to themselves and others never so holy and righteous by the Mosaicall purifyings and legall righteousnesse yet their sins were not abolished out of Gods sight and so all their unbeleefe and hypocrisie whatsoever they thought of themselves and what faire shew soever they made for a time to others yea all their corruption lay open manifest and naked to his eyes with whom in our profession we have trifling dealing with him who would at length in due time bring it to light as being naked in his sight and so would bee revenged of all unbeleefe and hypocrisie This place being all one in effect with that which Paul more fully exprosseth in another place Tit. 1. 15. saying To the pure namely Tit. 1. 15. made pure in the sight of God by justification freely all things are pure their hearts their odâ—sciences their mindes and all are pure in the sight of God because they are made perfectly good trees in the sight of God freely by justification and then cannot chuse but declare the same to the eyes of men by sanctification But to the selfe-deoeiving unbeleeving hypocrites though they thinke never so well of themselves deceiving with a faire appearance and legall zeale and devotion both themselves and others yet nothing is pure but their inward hearts and consciences are defiled and all their good and religious workes are manifest and naked to be in Gods sight abhomination Hag. Hag. 2. 14. Luke 16. 15. 2. 14. Luk. 16. 15. Thus the Apostle giving to all faithfull Ministers a true patterne of right exhortation that is not to mingle and confound the Law and Gospell and so to marre both but to give pure Law to whom the Law belongs and to give true and pure Gospell to whom the Gospell belongs and thus to divide the Word of God aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. for how 2 Tim 2. 15. fearefull a thing is it to say that the sins of Gods repenting and justified children lie naked to Gods eyes and to shew what little sight such objectors have of the horriblenesse of the least sin in the sight of God is notably expressed by that industrious labourer in the Lords Garden speaking of Christs being crucified Perk. upon the Creed naked upon the Crosse and saying thus that Christ was crucified naked came to passe by the goodnesse of God that we might have a remedy for our spirituall nakednesse which is when a man hath his sins lying open before Gods eyes and by reason thereof hee himselfe lyeth open to all Gods judgements so were the Laodiceans blind and naked so the Israelites
confirmes the same unto us by a strong and invincible demonstration saying If God spared not his own Son but when we were sinners gave him to death to justifie us how much more being now justified will he with him give us freely all things also Rom. 8. 32. The uses that we must make Rom. 8. 32. of this perfect reconciliation brought upon us freely by Christ are these two First we must soundy trust to and set our affiance 1 Two uses of our perfect reconciliation on this reconciliation procured unto us by Christ as Peter saith Cast your care upon God for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. That is we must yeeld up our selves as Abraham 1 Pet. 5. 7. did to doe our vocations and all our affaires and actions that we take in hand faithfully and as God would have us to doe them that is to seek his glory by benefiting of men and so we walk in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham Rom. 4. 11. and doe Rom. 4. 11. the works of Abraham through full assurance that his Almighty power is able and this loving care over us procured by this perfect reconciliation also will without any bad meanes of ours both keep away from us all hurtfull things and provide unto us without our distrustfull cark and care all necessary good things saying in strong assurance of free Justification making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely That wee are perswaded though some crosses doe crosse us that neither tribulation nor distresse nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor death nor life nor any creature shall separate us from the assurance of the love of God and perfect reconciliation that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 35. Whereupon the Author to Rom. 8. 35. the Hebrewes exhorteth after this manner saying Let your conversation bee without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that wee may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not feare what man can doe unto me Heb. 13. 5. 6. And so farre as we doe Heb. 13. 5. 6. so we give both to God and to Christ their due glory to God the glory of power and to Christ the glory of his merit of reconciliation And secondly In confidence of Free Justification so The second use of our perfect reconcilâ—ation assuredly reconciling us to God wee must expect and look for at his hands and certainly promise to our selves all blessings temporall and eternall as Luther upon the voyce of God from heaven That hee is well-pleased effectually expresseth after manner Exigit itaque à nobis c. God requires of us therefore that we expect and promise to our selves from him the best things and that wee perswade our selves that hee is of a most loving and ready good-will to doe us all good and therefore to pray for and expect at Gods hands summa saluberrima the principall and most profitable good things in a strong confidence in this perfect reconciliation and in a fulnesse of faith nothing fearing at all any thing that goes about to make us afraid molest make us sad or to work any trouble against us For feare not Abram saith God I am thy Buckler and exceeding great reward Gen. 15. 1. Whereby wee have Gen. 15. 1. accesse by prayer unto God and entrance to obtain with boldnesse and confidence through faith in Christ perfectly Justifying us and thereby perfectly reconciling us Ephes 3. 12. The fearfull danger of departing from our justification and reconciliation Psal 73. 27. to God Ephes 3. 12. But if we doe not thus but follow indirect meanes and bad courses to help our selves wee goe a whoring from God by the dead faith and hee will destroy us as it is said Psal 73. 27. For lo they which withdraw themselves from thee shall perish thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring But so farre as wee resign up our selves to assurance and affiance in this perfect reconciliation we with Abraham Isaac Iacok Ioseph David Daniel all the rest of Gods faithful children that have beleeved and relyed upon this joyfull and well pleasing reconciliation shall have as they had both the very Best for us and at length also our very hearts desires And therefore saith David As for me it is good for mee to draw neere to God therefore I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy works Ps 73. 28. That I may shew Psal 73. 28. all thy praises in the Gates of the Daughter of Zion and may rejoyce in thy reconciliation proteâ—tion and salvation Psal Psal 9. 14. 9. 14. And thus much of the first excellent benefit of the Gospel brought upon us by free Justification in which because I have been loath as it were to be drawne out of this new Paradise purchased by the blood of Christ I have stayed the longer but let the weightinesse of the point recompence the length because as David truly saith this loving favour of the Lord is better than life it selfe Psal 63. 3. But now let Psal 63. 3. us proceed forward CHAP. XV. Of foure other excellent benefits wrought upon us by Free Iustification THE second excellent and glorious benefit brought upon us by Justification Is that the The giving of the holy Ghost holy Ghost is by it freely given us to dwell in us and our bodies and soules are made blessed Temples of the same holy Spirit as is evident by these Scriptures Be baptized saith Peter Acts 2. 38. every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of Acts 2. 38. sinnes and you shall receive the holy Ghost for the promise is made unto you and your children Where we see that although the holy Ghost be true God and the only preparer of our hearts both to see our misery by sin as also to see and apprehend Christ and his benefits to free us from our misery yet notwithstanding he doth not come to dwell in us and to take up our bodies and soules to be his Temples untill first hee hath enabled us to beleeve free Iustification and prepared us as it were for himselfe by sealing it unto us by Baptisme as most sure that the blood of Christ hath washed us cleane from all sin in the sight of God before he doe enter into us and dwell in us The same also Paul testifieth Ephes 1. 13. saying In whom ye also Ephes 1. 13. have trusted after yee heard the word of truth what word of truth was that namely that by the blood of Christ yee are freely made righteous accepted and adopted vers 4 5 6 7. even the Gospel of joyfull newes of your salvation Verse 4 5 6 7. wherein also after mark the word after yee beleeved First justified and then sealed with the spirit of Sanctification
to dwell in them But now concerning the excellency of this wonderfull gift brought upon us only by Free Iustification who is The glory of this gift is inexplicable able either of men or Angels to lay forth the glory of it For is not the holy Ghost true and very God that takes up our bodies souls to be his blessed Temples Was it not this blessed Spirit that wonderfully governed the Patriarks Was it not he that inspired all the Prophets as Peter testifieth saith These holy Prophets spak as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Pet. 1. 21. Was not his power wonderfully shewed and was hee not a mighty worker when he formed the humane nature of our Saviour Christ to bee conceived and born of a pure Virgin Shewing that where the holy Ghost worketh there nothing is impossible Is it not hee only that regenerateth a man and makes him a new born creature both towards God by Iustification and towards man by Sanctification Or can any man worthily lay forth the glory of a new creature by the holy Ghost Are not his gifts excellent and marvellous which hee worketh in whom hee will and as he will described 1 Cor. 12. And finally must 1 Cor. 12. not Iustification needs bee a glorious and wonderfull work that bringeth so wonderfull a benefit upon us and can people heare and read and meditate Free Iustification sufficiently that doth enrich us so heavenly And if there were no more Reasons why Ministers after our misery by sinne laid open should continually beat upon the greatnesse and excellency and glory of Free Iustification to work the joyfull and violent receiving oâ—â—â— by faith that brings with it unseparably and unfallibly so precious a gift as the holy Ghost to dwell in us were not this sufficient Is not the gift of the holy Ghost all in all The third excellent benefit of the Gospel wrought 3 Vnion into Christ upon us by Free Iustification is our wonderfull Vnion into Christ whereby wee are by the power of the holy Ghost though mystically and spiritually yet truly really and substantially so ingraffed and united into Christ that wee are made one with him and he one with us For first that this wonderfull Vnion is not a thing in meer imagination no nor consisting in meer charity love and affection only but is a true reall This union is not imaginary but reall and substantiall Vnion Is evident both by the expresse Word of God and unanimous consent of Gods faithfull Dispensers of his Mysteryes both ancient and modern For first the Word of God in that excellent prayer that Christ made for all the faithfull Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17. 20 21 22 23. 20 21 22 23. saith thus I pray not for these alone but for all them also which shall believe in me through their Word Well what doth he pray for That they all may be one How one As thou O Father art in me and I in thee Can men or Angels lay open or sufficiently conceive either the wonderfulnesse or how really and substantially Christ as hee is God is one with his Father And yet even so are we by this Union One We by this union are one with Christ with Christ as he is Man and our Mediatour and thereby knit into God as Christ saith That they may be also one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me that the greatnesse and wonderfulnesse of this work may declare that none but the Son of God sent of his Father to effect it could otherwise bring it ot passe And the glory saith hee which thou hast given to me I have given them that by this meanes also they may discern the greatnesse of this Union That they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Can possibly the understanding of man conceive a more absolute and perfect union with all the circumstances of the same than is here described But to shew yet further how true reall and substantiall this Union is cleere is the testimony of Paul Ephes 5. 31. saying For we are members of his body of his flesh Ephes 5. 31. and of his bones Certainly nothing can bee more reall and substantiall than such a Union Whereupon learned Zanchius in that excellent Treatise upon Zanch. upon Ephes 5. 30. Ephes 5. 30. concerning the Union betwixt Christ and his Church reproving them that hold that our Union is no otherwise true and reall than because we partake of the spirituall gifts and graces of Christ sets down this Thesis or position confirming the same both by Scripture and consent of the Ancient Writers namely that Vnio nostricum Christo Christi nobiscum essentialis ac substantialis est vera atque realis That is The Union of us with Christ and of Christ with us Our union with Christ is first substantiall is essentiall and substantiall true and reall First substantiall saith he because the substances themselves of the flesh of Christ and of our flesh both of the person of Christ and of our persons are united together and so not the fruit and graces only of Christ are received seeing they cannot bee received but by partaking of the substance it selfe of Christ Secondly I call it true and reall saith hee because we are not Secondly true and reall in bare imagination but reipsa in very deed united into Christ and being united although non Physico sed spirituali supernaturali modo not by a naturall but a spirituall and supernaturall manner wee grow more and more into one body with Christ But that we may dive more deeply into this most excellent glory of our Union into Christ Let us mark that the holy Ghost which effectually sheweth the power of his God-head in working this benefit upon us to expresse the substantiallnesse and reallnesse and wonderfull closnesse of it doth use six principall similitudes in Six similitudes used to express the realnesse of this union the Word of God to shew to our weak capacities the great glory of it That as S. Paul speaketh passeth knowledge The first and furtherest off similitude is That the justified person being cloathed with the righteousness of Christ hath thereby put on Christ as a man puts on and is cloathed with his own apparell As S. Paul speaketh Gal. 3. 27. saying All yee that are baptized into Gal. 3. 27. Christ thereby sealing up unto you your Justification have put on Christ namely as the originall Word imports as a man puts on and is cloathed with his apparell Whereby as old Isaac in the weaknesse and infirmity of his old age took Iacob for Esau in Esaus apparell so doth God in the virtue and strength of this our wonderful union into Christ take
than a sound understanding of the Excellency of the same whereof ensueth either a luke-warme carelesse life led unthankfully for the same or else a breaking forth into a blinde zeale of some new strange works and life by which we may provide as we think more safely for our salvation Because it is most true which the Apostle testifieth that these false-zealous ones whilst they are ignorant of the righteousnesse of God cannot choose but goe about to stablish their owne righteousnesse and so doe not submit themselves to rest contented in the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 2 3. What other salve is there then to cure the cold disease of this dead faith and selfe-loving zeale than to lay forth the Excellency of free Justification that may enflame the heart so with the fiery coales of Gods love towards us that it may flame forth with a right zeale of keeping within our lists of obedience to our Protestnt godly governours and within the limits of our vocations to doe them thankfully and zealously to the glorifying of God and benefiting of our brethren and neighbours for so excellent and glorious and full sufficient a benefit Yea this is the benefit by which we are new borne againe and reclaimed from all prophanenesse Sects Schisms and Divisions whatsoever Which made S. Paul to travell in birth againe like a loving mother with the distracted and seduced Galathians untill by reducing them to the truth and purity of free Iustification defaced Christ was formed in them againe Gal. 4. 19. And yet they professed that they constantly embraced Christ and held Justification by him but because the false brethren had perswaded them it was not sufficient for their salvation except they joyned therewith the obedience and keeping of the Law thereby they lost Christ life and their free salvation by him Which evidently declareth that then only are people new borne againe truly and Christ is formed truly in them when for the assurance of their salvation they wholly rest in the joyfull knowledge full sufficiency of their free Justification then is Christ rightly formed in them This is the Antidote and preservative against all sweet poysonous doctrines of our works and vain-glorious well-doings this is the preservative against these infectious and contagious times this is the Ark of Noah that will beare us up above all the floods and billowes of these tempestuous dayes of sundry Sects Schismes and stragling opinions this is the anchor whereunto the cable of our faith being firmely fastened will make us to stand strong against all the violent wayes and winds of Satans blusterous temptations both on the right hand and on the left Yea let us know for a certainty that free Iustification is the very head heart and soule of all Christian religion and true worship of God without the true and joyfull knowledge whereof our religion is headlesse our profession and worship is heartlesse and our very zealous conversation is a meere corruption of the Gospel and rottennesse like a body without a soule that stinketh before God Briefly in a word as the perfect righteousnesse of Christ is only worthy to be acknowledged for the wedding-garment because all the righteousnesse of our unperfect Sanctification is as the Prophet saith as filthy menstruous stained rags Esay 64. 6. so true faith of free Iustification being the having on of this wedding-garment because it alone doth truly abolish all the filthy nakednesse of our sins out of Gods sight and it alone doth make us perfectly holy and sufficiently righteous in the sight of God freely without works Therefore it alone doth make us fit Brides as I said before and is only meet to marry us to so glorious a Bridegroome as is the King of glory Christ Jesus Yea though a man doe abound in the riches and honours of this world having his Barnes full of Corne and his Coffers full of Coyne and hee himselfe being cloathed in purple and fine linneâ— doth fare well and deliciously every day yet if he not freely taking by the hand of a thankfull rejoycing faith and so not putting on this wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that may make him rich in God can sleep one night in his bed in any security he is not only the foole in print mentioned Luke 12. 20. but also this night may the Devils fetch away his soule from him and then whose shall these things be which he hath provided In this case saith the Lord of wisedome is every one be he rich or be he poore that by not putting on by free Justification the wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse is not rich in God vers 21. Oh then let not such an one dare to lay downe his head upon his downe-pillow to sleep one night in safety nor as David said suffer his eye-lids to slumber untill by taking freely this joy full benefit and by putting on this wedding-garment hee hath attained this heavenly wisedome better than his fine gold by which hee may lie downe safely and sleep sweetly Prov. 3. 13. to 26. But I have here laid forth this Excellency of free Justification in the words testimonies and common consent of the faithfull Expositors and Dispensers of Gods mysteries 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. for three principall Reasons First because as this mystery of free Justification only and freely saveth us so by the rebelliousnesse of our blinde and sinfull natures and unbeliefe of our hearts and the exceeding subtlety of Satan it is of all the rest of the benefits of the Gospel which all depend upon this benefit the most difficultly learned and the most hardly beleeved It being most true that Mr. Fox saith in his Preface before Dr. Luther upon the Galathians That Learning cannot reach it wisedome is offended at it Nature is astonied Devils doe not know it Men doe persecute it And briefly as there is no way to life so easie so there is none so hard Easie to whom it is given from above but hard to the carnall sense not yet inspired the ignorance whereof is the cause and root of all the Errours Sects and Divisions that are in all Christendome Therefore I thought it fit in this case to imitate the example not only of learned and ancient Bede who maketh an exposition of all the Epistles of S. Paul with the meere sentences sayings and expositions of S. Augustine collected and gathered together as the expounded texts and verses are dispersed and scattered here and there in all S. Augustins works and therefore are called Collectanea Bedae but rather to imitate S. Paul himselfe who discerning how hardly free Justification is rightly understood soundly embracing contentedly rested in and constantly retained as is for ever recorded by the example of the soone and dangerous fall of the Galathians Gal. 1. 6. doth therefore in writing to the Galathians come forth not singly by himselfe alone but as it were guarded with the association company and consent of all his beleeving and faithfull brethren saying
is made light with the Sun-beames For the Lord Christ being Sol justitiae the Calv. Institâ—t l b. 3. cap. 11. sect 23. Sunne of righteousnesse Malac. 4. 2. doth in such sort communicate his righteousnesse with us that after a certaine marvellous manner he poureth the force thereof into us so much as serveth to satisfie the justice of God For seeing before the Tribunall seat of God it is esteemed no righteousnesse except it be the perfect and absolute obedience of the Law as Christ alone Suam juslitiam in nos transferendo nos juslâ— reddit is thus righteous so by conveying his righteousnesse upon us nos justos reddit he makes us righteous So that as the Brazen Serpent was of strength through the promise of God to strike health into Acts and Monuments upon Patr. the wounded and dying beholders and made them againe strong and healthfull much more is the body of Christ being the object of our faith of power to strike righteousnesse to our soules and so to make us not inherently and actively as the Papists hold but objectively and passively freely in the sight of God and truly and really just and righteous For as by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners before they have done any evill work so by the obedience of one man Christ are many made freely righteous before they have done any good Rom. 5. 15. work Rom. 5. 19. Because by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justifie that is make many just and righteous for hee shall beare their iniquities Esay 53. 11. Esay 53. 11. Calv. iâ— Esay iâ—id The Philosophers gave many goodly precepts of righteousnesse but they could not bestow that righteousnesse Philosâ—pâ—i multa praeâ—lara praecepâ—a tradiderunt c. Pei sâ—â—justi siâ—nt upon any yea the law of God it selfe which containeth the perfect rule of righteousnesse yet through our weaknesse it is unpossible that by it we can attaine unto righteousnesse but in the schoole of Christ men are not only taught righteousnesse but Doctrine of the Church of England in tâ—e serm oâ— Iustiâ—cation part 3. by being justified are in very deed made righteous For to justifie is that of unjust wee are made just before God For so saith the Apostle Paul He that beleeveth in Siâ— enim dicit Apostolus c. Ex impio facit justum August him that justifieth the ungodly what is meant by justifieth the ungodly or wicked that is which of a wicked and ungodly man maketh him just si justificatur impius ex impio justus fit that is if a wicked man bee justified of wicked he is made just and righteous So that the word that we are justified is not to be taken only in the judiciall signification namely that Zanch. in Eph. 2. 5. God only reputeth accounteth and pronounceth us just and righteous and so quitteth us from all guilt and Loco commu de â—ustificat Sect. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. punishment only in which judiciall signification some doe barely rest But also it must be taken in the naturall and proper signification as it is made of justus and sio the force whereof is to be seene in other like words as in albifico to make white sortifico to sortifie or make strong because so powerfull a thing is the Lords imputation of righteousnesse that it doth verè reipsa facere nos justos that is truly and in very Two manner of wayes made righteous realnesse make us just and righteous And that also two manner of wayes First by imputing unto us his Sonnes righteousnesse he utterly abolisheth from before himselfe all our sinnes and freely makes us passively just and righteous which serveth to make us truly and in very deed perfectly just and righteous in Gods owne eyes and this is called Justification And secondly he reneweth us by his spirit unto inherent and active holinesse and righteousnesse which later is unperfect in this life and serveth to approve us for righteous to the eyes of men and is called Sanctification Thus when God hath both these wayes verè reipsa truly and in very deed made us righteous then hee reputeth accounteth and pronounceth and calleth us righteous absolving us thereby from all guilt and punishment which otherwise would stand neither with his perfect truth nor power nor wisedome nor justice Therefore God doth justifie no wicked man but Perk. in Heb. 11. ver 7. first makes him just and righteous in and by Christ and then accounteth him so Because hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by making us of unjust just and righteous before God thus by his stripes wee are healed Esay 53. 5. Esay 53. 5. Thus is Christ the Physitian which healeth all our Doctrine of the Church of England in the sermon of our misery part 2. diseases thus is he the Saviour which saveth his people from all their sinnes Let us all then with one accord burst out with joyfull voyces and say with the Prophet Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which so wonderfully forgiveth all thine iniquities that of unjust making thee freely just before God thus healeth all thine infirmities for by his stripes we are made whole But how perfectly we are healed is to be seene by the parts of Justification following CHAP. III. Of the parts of Iustification and first of the first part and excellency thereof THe parts of Justification are two The first part of free Justification is that whereby we being by the power of Gods imputation so cloathed with the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that of unjust we are made just before God have thereby all our sinnes that we feele daily dwelling in us so aboue our reason sense and feeling that it may be by the faith of Gods power quite taken away from before God and so utterly abolished out of his fight that we have not one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing in the sight of God because the blood of Christ doth make us cleane from all sin as these Scriptures following do abundantly testifie In those dayes of the Kingdome of Christ and at Ierem â—0 20. that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall bee sought for and there shall bee none and the sinnes of Iudah and they shall not be found but how commeth this Iohn 1. 25. Praecipuum Christi officium breviter quidem sed dilucidè exponit c. quod sciâ—â—câ—t â—â—ccata mundi tollens c. Qùioquid est injustitiâ— per Christum tolli to passe thus Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world Here he laies forth briefly yet plainly the chiefe office of Christ namely that by the sacrifice of his
he gave himselfe for it to make it holy and hath made it cleane by the washing of water through the Word that he might make it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame In this saying of S. Paul five things are to bee Five things to be marked Christo solâ— marked First that to Christ alone is given the vertue and power of making cleane to Godward as S. Iohn also affirmeth saying the blood of Iesus Christ doth make us clean from all sin for it is he alone that washeth effectually Secondly is expressed the washing of water which is the outward signe and seale of the inward Externâ—m symholum interioris purgationis Veritas c making cleane Thirdly is to bee marked the truth correspondent and answering to the signe and that is the mysticall or secret making cleane of the soule Occulta mundatio animae ac interna à peccaâ—i maculis aâ—â—â—câ—o and the inward washing from the spots of sin Fourthly is added Through the word that it may be marked that the force and efficacy of baptisme is not in the water but in the Word of promise which is signified and sealed by the washing Fifthly is to bee noted the Analogie agreement or likenesse of the signe with the thing signified The signe is the washing with water the agreement or likenesse of the signe with the thing signified is this That as the water outwardly washeth the body so the blood of Christ doth inwardly make cleane the soule from all the foulenesse uncleanesse and filthinesse of sinnes Thus God said unto Paul Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins Act. 22. 12. So that this is the efficacy of the purging which is Vâ— sapra wrought by the blood of Christ namely that it makes us clean not only from this or that spot of sin but even from all spots of all sins Where therefore there is no spot left there remaines Vbi nulla sâ—perest macuâ—a ibi nihil c. nothing to be purged in Purgatory For what is more foolish then to goe about to purge and Quod est mundiâ—simum make that cleane which is most cleane already But God maketh his Church glorious and doth not leave D. Sutliâ—f de Purgato contra Bâ—llarm in her one spot or wrinkle or any such thing But all or whole sin being taken away neither the At toto peccato sublato Nulla pars remanet D. Sutlissâ— ibid. fault nor the guilt that is as some speak neither the matter nor the forme of sin nor any part thereof remaines Here let Protestants going about to deny this see how they lay not againe the foundation of Purgatory that these men so plucked up by the very roots The fourth Scripture phrase expressing yet an higher degree of Christs utter abolishing of all our sinnes out of Gods sight and how perfectly cleane wee are made from all sin is this that the blood of Christ doth make us from all sinne in the sight of God whiter than snow as God saith by the Prophet Esay Though your sins were as Crimson they shall bee made as white as Snow Esay 1. 18. Yea Davids faith goes further and Esay 1. 18. reacheth to that which to mans reason is impossible saying Wash thou mee and I shall bee whiter then snow can any thing be whiter than Snow Yes saith David if God take in hand to make me cleane with the blood of the Messiah I shall bee whiter than snow Psal 51. 7. Psal 51. 7. But here doth arise a Theologicall Question how Sed hîc â—ritur theologica Quaestio c. in Psal 51. 7. Answ wee can bee made in the sight of God purer and whiter than Snow when yet notwithstanding the reliques of sinne doe alwayes cleave unto us I answer by reason of that puritie which wee have of Christ in spirit and in faith and in the Sacraments appointed by him A Christian is truly said to bee purer and whiter than snow Yea rather purer than the Sunne and the Starres notwithstanding the spots of the spirit and of the flesh doe cleave unto them because they are covered and abolished from before God with Christs cleannesse and puritie which wee attaine by the hearing of the Word and by Faith Say thou not therefore I have sinned very much Ne miâ—i dixeâ—is permultum peccavi c. Chrysost â—omiâ— 3. paenitent How can I bee healed of this load of sinne which I feele in mee Thou canst not but thy God can yea and can so doe it that hee can cleane put out and abolish thy sin marke diligently this saying for God doth put out and abolish sin so cleane that there remaines no print of them In the healing of the body it is not so For when a Physitian hath healed a wound yet a scarre remaines and although hee indeavour to take it away and abolish it a thousand wayes yet he cannot doe it But God when he puts out sins he abolisheth them so cleane that there remaines no scarre nor any print thereof but with the healing hee gives the fresh colour because hee doth not only put out and extinguish the sinne and makes it not to bee yea and as if it had never been but also supplies in place thereof and puts in righteousnesse and so takes it altogether and so cleane away from before himselfe that there appeares no scarre nor print nor signe of scarre But let this be proved by the Scriptures that the faith thereof may abide firme I will bring in before you wounded men a people full of boyles and ulcers and these were the Jewes a people that from the soales of their feet unto the crowne of their heads were full of filth rottennesse and soares being become like Sodom and Gomorrah yet unto these saith the Lord Christ Come unto mee and that you may know my power that no sin can withstand my might I will not leave you a scarre or print or signe of scarre for though your sinnes were as red as Crimson they shall bee made as white as snow What is here any scarre after the colour of making cleane is here any blacknesse is here any spot Thus as you see the greatnesse of the promise so also you see the Majestie of the performer for to God all things are possible of a man uncleane and foule he can make him before himselfe pure and cleane yea as David confesseth whiter than snow And therefore Christs garments which in the Mountaine shined as white as snow did signifie his August Vestis tanquam â—ix dealbata significat Ecclesiam c. Church which hee hath made so cleane from all spot of sinne that shee is supra nivem whiter than snow This then is the glory of God in mee that I being Haec est gloria Dâ—i mâ—me c. a sinner in my selfe for what should he remit
axiome in true Religion that bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur Iustificatum that is good works of prayer or any such like doe not goe before a man be justified but they follow after a man is before justified Whereupon Luther agreeing with Austin Captivitate Patylonica Tom 2. pag. 71. b. saith promissio Dei non impletur orando sed solùm credendo Credentes autem oramus quodlibet opus bonum facimus that is the promise of God justifying us is not fulfilled by praying but only believing but when wee beleeve then wee pray and doe any other good work And thus as I said at the first have I handled this point the more fully because it is exceeding weighty THe third Reason objected is this The holy Ghost Third Reason Objected is God and shewes us our sinnes and shall not hee being God and shewing us our sins much more know and see sin in his justified children ergo the children of God are not made by Christs wedding-garment so perfectly holy and righteous that they have not one spot or wrinkle in the sight of God freely To which I answer that the holy Ghost being true Answ God knowes the sins of all men infinitely more perfectly than they themselves doe but in his justified children sees them abolished for although men themselves know something of sinne and of the wages thereof which is death by the light of nature whereby they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 20 31. 2. 14. 15. Rom. 1. 20. 31. 2. 14. 15. Yet none comes to know and see them rightly and effectually except the holy Ghost doe shew them their sins But to shew his children their sins he useth two glasses and puts them into the hands of his Ministers for that purpose the one is the glasse of the Law the other is the glasse of the Gospel Now whilst his children are unconverted the holy A twofold representation of sinne Ghost both knowes their sins and also sees them in them and wills his Ministers to hold out unto such constantly the glasse of the Law that they may see the Leprous faces of their soules in the same wherewith the spirit working open the eyes of their conscience Gen. 3. 7. to see better then by the light of nature that Gen. 3. 7. the foulnesse of sin is so horrible that he must needs curse the creature that hath the least sin in his sight saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law Gal. 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. and to see the unchangable truth of this definitive sentence that Heaven and Earth may passe away but one jot or tittle of this sentence cannot passe untill it is fulfilled and to see the horriblenesse of Gods curse due to the least sin thus the holy Ghost shewes us our sins whereby they begin to see their Leprosie to bee very foule and their miserie most fearefull for one sinne much more for many sinnes whereby they are so terrified and so effectually humbled that they desire nothing more between heaven and Earth than to be healed of this their deadly Leptosie and hellish poyson of the lest sin this is the holy Ghosts and not the light of natures first shewing us our sinnes Now when this first work is thus wrought then the spirit wils his Ministers to hold forth likewise constantly before their faces the glasse of the Gospel wherein they hear that nothing can heale them of their spirituall Leprosie and wofull miserie but the blood of the Son of God which they apprehending the spirit also doth by imputation cloath them with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousuesse wherewith he abolisheth first out of his own sight all their sinnes and then gives them the eye of faith whereby they also see their sins utterly abolished out of the sight of God the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever And yet they seeing with this eye of faith no lesse image and Idea in this glasse than the gaping wounds and goared bloody side of the Son of God hanging upon the Crosse and streaming out his blood and life to wash away and abolish all their sins as they see them thus utterly abolished so the spirit shewes them hereby the horriblenesse of their abolished sin more in the blood of Christ than before when they saw them not abolished in the glasse of the Law as if a father his sonne having committed some A smile act of theft should not be content to chide beat and all to rate him saying he should be hanged and were worthy to be hanged but also lead him out strictnesse of justice so requiring and shew him a man hanging as his pledge and surety and dying for him upon the Gallowes this sight must needs pierce his affections and although it shew him his foule fault abolished yet hee sees therein the vilenesse of it more than before so although the spirit of God doe shew us in the death of Christ our sinnes abolished out of his sight yet hee maketh us thereby both to discerne in our selves and with S. Paul in the seventh to the Romans to bewaile in our feeling for the exercise of our faith those sins which before wee counted but small or no sins and to see the exceeding vilenesse of them farre more by viewing them in the blood of Christ by which they are abolished out of Gods sight than if they were still abiding in the sight of God and although the sight sense and feeling of these sins be by a greater light in the Law never so strong in their own selves as sometimes it is stronger than it should be being reâ—dy to cast the children of God down into despaire Yet as before whilst they were under the Law the spirit did by the glasse of the Law simply shew them their sins with the curse and wrath of God due to the same so now being under the Gospel and under grace he doth not simply shew them their sins as before but it is the true office and true work of the spirit to shew them their sins abolished out of Gods sight that is as hee himselfe doth see them cloathed with the wedding-garment abolishing their sin and making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God and in his own sight freely and thereby enters into them himselfe as fit Temples for himselfe to dwell in and also knits them as meet and fit members into the body of Christ so doth he open their eyes of faith to see contrary to their Reason and to their strong contrary sense and feeling that Testimonie of Christ to be true and verified in in them viz. Thou art faire my Love behold thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. 1. 7. And that Cant. 4. 1. 7. this is the testimonie of the holy spirit unto the children of God under
S. Iohn saying that Christ came by water and blood and repeating blood with a vehement emphasis saith again Not by water only but by water and blood doth give us to understand that in Baptisme of water wee must have principall respect to the blood of Christ whereby Baptisme is of such efficacie and of so great operation and power that it washeth away from before God all sinne drownes and abolisheth death heales all our infirmities and makes us clean from all our faults this indeed we see not to be done with carnall eyes but the faithfull in Christ neither ought nor yet doe desire to see with bodily eyes but they apprehend the Word and believe it and so glorifie Gods Truth Seale and Ordinance so that whatsoever is there promised they perswade themselves to be as sure and certaine as those things which they even see and feele before their outward eyes Briefly in a word to be baptized is nothing In Baptisme a principall respect is to be had to the blood of Christ else to spirituall eyes than to bee washed with the most pretious blood of Christ and to be made so clean that we are made from all sinne in the sight of God whiter than snow And this is that perfect cleansing by the blood of Christ which David speaks of Psal 51. where he saith Wash mee throughly from mine iniquity and make me clean from my sinnes Purge mee with Hysop and I shall bee clean wash thou me and I shall bee whiter than snow And this is the first thing that wee must call to minde concerning our Baptisme Secondly wee must call to minde that God in our Baptisme gave us Christ making us thus cleane from all our sins appropriated unto thee that art baptized that is given unto thee in particular as if at that time that thou wast a baptizing there had been in respect of thy particular and perfect washing and saving no more to bee saved by the blood of Christ but thou only in the world whereby God said in the vertue and power of his own ordinance unto thee in particular as hee said unto Paul Arise and bee baptized and wash away thy sinnes mark thine in particular in calling on the name of the Lord Iesus whereby thou hast just cause to say with S. Paul Christ hath loved me and given himself for me in particular Gal. 2. 20. Gal. 2. 20. Thirdly wee must call to minde that God in our Baptisme gave us Christ thus perfectly washing away all our sinnes freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in us to deserve this rich grace not respecting no unworthinesse in us to hinder the same not requiring any other condition at our hands but that in time wee feele our selves lost by sinne and freely take this rich grace of Christ freely to heale us Because the Apostle saith All have sinned and thereby are deprived of the glory of God But are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3. 23 24. And Rom. 3. 23. 24 to shew how freely hee thus of unjust makes us perfectly just in his sight he brings us to the laver of baptisme even whilst we are Infants and doth then and there sanctifie us to himselfe with his blood and makes us clean by the washing of water through the word Ephes 5. 26. When we are not only meer lumps Ephes 5. 26. of originall sinne farre more soule in the blood of our soules than wee were a little before in the blood of our bodies yea so soule that we might not be admitted into the communion of the Church and Saints of God untill we were washed in the blood of the Sonne of God but also were not able to send up one sigh unto God in any sorrow for the same This rich grace of Gods washing us so freely even when we were without feeling of our misery in the very blood of our originall sinne is plainly described by God in Ezech. 16. Ezek. 16. saying When I passed by thee I saw thee cast out and polluted in thine own blood then said I even when thou wast in thy blood thou shalt live yea when thou wast in thy blood I said thou shalt live then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood from thee and annointed thee with Oyle I cloathed thee also with broidred work and I decked thee with fine linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints Revel 19. 8. And covered Revel 19. 8. thee with the silk of mine own righteousnesse Thus wast thou decked with Gold and Silver and thou wast exceeding beautifull for thou wast perfect through my beauty which I had put upon thee saith the Lord shall not we then as freely take these riches as God when we were yet in our blood so freely gave them us Fourthly and lastly we must call to minde that God to put us out of all doubting gave us these riches confirmed ratified and sealed unto us with his own seale of baptisme whereby no Father lying upon his death-bed can seale unto his Adopted Sonne the gift of his lands and goods in his last Will and Testament more certainly and assuredly with the seale of his own Ring than God hath by baptisme as with the seale of his own Ring and Signet of rich Grace undoubtedly confirmed stedfastly ratified and certainly sealed these unestimable riches unto us Is here left now any starting hole of doubting for us to doubt whether wee enjoy these riches or no except the Devill like a wicked will-falsifying-Lawyer foyst this thought into thy head to say yea this without all doubt is true upon me in particular if I bee an Adopted child of God but there is the question to which I answer None ought to question Gods eâ—â—ectuall washing of himselfe and why why shouldest thou make question of thy selfe when God hath revealed no exception or question of thee nay rather when God hath done the clean contrary that is hath revealed the putting it out of question that he hath adopted thee to be his sonne First because thou hadst a day of thy Adoption of Gods own appointing and acting namely in thy Baptisme Secondly thou wast expresly in the act of thy adoption that it might bee known that thou in particular wast Adopted Thirdly God did by the hand of his Minister set to his sign and seale of Adoption upon thee whereby he did give his last Will and Testament sealed unto thee in particular by his own seale of Baptisme as the deed of his hand into thine own hand powring water upon thee in particular darest thou think that God did jest or mock with thee can there bee now any doubting that thy sinnes are for ever washed out of the sight of God and thou Adopted an heire of all the riches of thy elder brother Christ Jesus his last Will and Testament being made good unto thee by the death also of the Testator Heb. 9. 17.
that are freely given to us of God but the naturall man or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man endued only with a meere humane soule perceiveth not nor receiveth the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse Verse 14. unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned and so forth to the end of the Chapter out of which two descriptions both of the literall knowledge before expressed and of the spirituall knowledge he hath so largely described by the Apostle let us because to discerne these two knowledges the one from the other is a point of great moment the one being but a condemning knowledge making our damnation only the greater and the other being a true saving knowledge let us I say for further perspicuity and cleerenesse herein marke some maine and principall differences whereby they may be discerned the one from the other wherein for brevities Sixe maine differences betweene the literall and the true spirituall knowledge 1 sake I will only briefly touch these sixe following First the spirituall knowledge apprehends the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of naturall man can conceive that is it conceives the mysteries of God above reason yea and contrary to naturall reason sense and feeling but the literall knowledge apprehends not the mysteries of God but after a carnall manner as they are new-fashioned as it were and made agreeable to reason sense and feeling and hence come so many objections from reason sense and feeling Secondly the literall knowledge doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2. 18. but it doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2. 12. that is the Rom. 2. 18. literall knowledge so knowes the mysteries of Gods Word as a man knowes a thing by reading of it or 1 Coâ— 2. 12. as a man knowes a thing that is told him of a strange Countrey but he hath no experimentall certainty of it in himselfe whereby it is true in such that is Matth 13. 14. written Matth. 13. 14. by hearing ye shall heare but not understand and by seeing ye shall see and not perceive but the spirituall knowledge doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is so knowes the mysteries of Christ as he knowes a thing that sees it with his very eyes and hath experimentall feeling of it in his owne selfe so that hee that is in the literall knowledge only is like a man that lying in the morning in his bed and hearing that the day is broke and peradventure seeing a little at the holes and crevisses of his windowes may talke of the day light and of the actions of the day light to be done in the same but because his windowes and doores are close shut he still without doing any thing lies in darknesse when as he that is in the spirituall knowledge is like one that is abroad in the open cleer morning working and walking by the light of the same Thirdly the literall knowledge being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the literall knowledge doth know as it were by heare-say many things by which they think themselves rich and encreased in goods and have need of nothing but it doth not see the deep things of God whereby they are raysed up to no joy and zeale for the deepnesse and greatnesse of the same but the spirituall knowledge doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2 10. see the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. that is as Bezâ— well expoundeth it excellentiam Evangelicae Doctrinae the excellency of the benefits of the Gospel working joy and zeale of Gods glory by discerning the greatnesse and excellency of the benefits wrought upon us from whence flowes the cold and formall working of great learned Clerks making a shew of doing something and think in their own hearts that to proceed any further is needlesse when they that are in the spiritual knowledge do think both that there is need and also that they can never doe enough Fourthly the literall knowledge judgeth of the mysteries of the Gospel by the Spirit of the world that is after an humane witted fashion saying the same thing that the spirituall enlightened child of God doth as farre as naturall reason and humane wit can reach but pulls down Gods thoughts in the mysteries and benefits of the Gospel and makes them like unto mans thoughts for whereas the Spirit of God useth by certain humane phrases and similitudes to descend down to our weak capacity not to the intent that wee should dwell in them but that we should as it were by a ladder reached downe to Why the holy Ghost speaketh in humane phâ—asâ—s us ascend up to the heigth and excellency of Gods working and dealing upon us correspondent to the glory of his great majesty they that are in tâ—is literall knowledge doe stick fast in the humane phrase as it were in the foot and first step of the Ladder but ascend not to the greatnesse and excellency of the work of God correspondent to the greatnesse and excellency of his Majesty whereby they hold fast to those phrases that are correspondent to humane reason and to good humane wit but cannot abide to have those humane phrases reduced and understood according to other Phrases expressing in the same case the true nature and excellent working of God above reason and passing those humane similitudes and so compare and flatly measure spirituall things with earthly things because as a learned Dispencer of Gods mysteries saith habent literam sed non habent spiritum whereby they can say in the mysteries benefits of Christ Sibboleth but not Shibboleth Iudg. 12. 6. That Iudg. 12. 6. is they come very neere the truth and are as Christ said to the young man not farre from the kingdome of heaven but they cannot frame to pronounce the asperate that hath God in it that is they cannot yeeld to the truth and mysterie correspondent to the nature and perfect working of God for that is foolishnesse unto them 1 Cor. 2. 10. But on the other side â— Cor. 2. 10. they that are in the spirituall knowledge have received not the Spirit of the world to judge worldly carnally and after an humane witted fashion of the mysteries and benefits of the Gospel but have received the Spirit which is of God that they may see after a spirituall manner the things freely given of God that is correspondent to the high nature perfect operation and glorious working of God whereby although they gladly use the similitudes and humane representations in the Scriptures as an help to their weak capacities yet they stick not in them but ascend by them as it were by steps to the high working of God above all humane representations and earthly excellencies not comparing or measuring spirituall things with earthly things but measuring spirituall things as the Apostle saith with spirituall yea even with â—od
Elect shall be justified in their time and none but the Elect shall bee justified for whom he justifieth those he glorifieth but he glorifies none but the Elect yet the very Elect are not actually and really justified but are darknesse and live in sinne and darknesse untill they be effectually called as Paul expresly testifieth saying Whom he calleth them he justifieth Rom. 8. 30. But who are thus effectually called Rom. 8. 30. Namely such as doe marke in the death of Christ the exceeding horriblenesse of the least sinne there being no sinne little in the sight of God and thereupon come to a feeling of their misery and lost state by true terror in their soules for the multitude of their sinnes thereupon making this conclusion upon themselves that if God dealt so sharply with the green tree Christ for the sinne which he had not done but wherein hee was only a surety for others in what a case of burning in Gods wrath and justice is hee that is a dry tree utterly dry of goodnesse and hath as the principall committed and done himselfe so many sins and thus is Christ made unto him first Wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 1. 30. to see his sinnes and therein his lost estate then this Rom. 8. 26. makes him with deep groans Rom. 8. 26. to sigh up to Rom 7 24. Christ for some help in this misery Rom. 7. 24. Which is the turning of his spirituall eye of saith to the true spirituall brazen-serpent Christ as really as the Israelites turned their bodily eye to the bodily brazen-serpent and thus is this Elect effectually called to Christ and then is he justified freely that is most certainly helped and healed by being made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely as certainly as he doth with true groans sâ—gh up to Christ for this help and as certainly as the old Israelites were helped and healed of their bodily stingings by their bodily looking up to the brazen-serpent and thus secondly is Christ made unto him Righteousnesse then followes hereof thirdly Sanctification and fourthly full assurance of Redemption unto eternall glory 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Now secondly for the other point namely the 2 How the Elect are justified made perfectly righteous in Gods sight manner how the Elect are thus justified and made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God is thus The God by the power of his imputation conveying his Sonnes righteousnesse to be in us and upon us doth in his own sight so cloath us body and soul both within and without with the wedding-garment of his sonnes perfect righteousnesse that we have our sinnes hereby not only utterly abolished out of Gods sight but also are Evangelically and freely formed that is are in truth and reipsa in very deed made although not inherently and actively as I said in the beginning the Papists would have it yet objectively and passively perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely This I will cleere more fully with a similitude or two and then confirme it with undeniable poofes First I say as nothing doth effect this but Gods imputation of his Sons righteousness for which cause the Apostle saith Blessed is the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6. Yea hereupon Rom. 4. 6. hee maketh mention of this word Imputing and counting righteous no lesse as I take it than eleven times in that fourth chapter which not only shewes that it is an action wrought immediately by the very thought as it were of God himself only and thereby must needs bee very spirituall and mysticall to us farre above our reason sense and feeling but also it must needs bee wrought upon us very freely without any working of ours So likewise we must mark that this imputing being an immediate act proceeding as it were out of Gods own breast is not a light smal weak imaginary thing like mans imputing as the Papists imaginarily scoffingly conceit but Gods imputation is a lively mighty operative and reall working imputation and counting nothing like ours for man may impute and count a thing to be so or so yet the thing if it were not such before becomes such never the more for our imputing or counting it to be so but Gods imputing counting being Almighty gives a reall being and true existing of the thing before himselfe as he counts it for God did but count that there should be light and there was light and hee did but count that his other creatures should bee and presently they were so as he counted so hee doth but impute his Sonnes righteousnesse unto us and counts us perfectly righteous in the same and this imputing doth so operatively and really conveigh the righteousnesse of Christ to be in us and upon us as Paul testifieth saying The righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not only unto all but also also upon all that doe believe Rom. 3. 22. That though mystically above our Rom. 3. 22. sense and feeling yet not imaginarily as the Papists prattle against us nor yet only outwardly like painted Tombes as they likewise cavillingly object but truly both inwardly are cloathed with the same in the sight of God and richly roabed and decked and adorned in the same as the faithfull soule in the Prophet Esay joyfully confesseth saying I wil greatly rejoyce and be exceeding glad in God my Saviour Why Because he hath cloathed me with the garment of salvation What garment is that why he hath covered me with the râ—ab of righteousness as a Bridgroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with her jewels Esay 61. 10. Hence are the Saints said so often Esay 61. 10. in the Revelation to be cloathed with long white Roabes washed in the blood of the Lamb Hence doth God the Father command his servants the Ministers in the calling in of the Gentiles to the Gospel signified by the return of the Prodigall child to bring forth the best garment and to put it on upon them ministerially as he working with his Ministers doth by the power of his imputation cloath them with it mystically Luk. 15. Luk. 15. 22. Psal 132. 9. Hence it is said Psal 132. that the Ministers powerfully comming forth cloathed not only personally with it for themselves only but also ministerially to cloath the people with it the Saints doe shout for joy because it being objectively and passively in us and upon us doth not only abolish our sins but doth forme us and reipsa in very deed make us not inherently and actively as the Papists hold neither yet imaginatily as they cavill but objectively and passively perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God Now by these words objectively and passively I meane wee doing ☞ nothing hereunto and we working nothing but
his garments we are acceptable to our good God why because wee have more than an Angelicall righteousnesse in us Neither is this perfect righteousnesse idlely in us but makes us as perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely as it Calvin upon Iob 15. 15 6. is righteous in it selfe As Calvin in the beginning of his next Sermon upon the same place of Iob plainely testifieth saying Herein we have to consider Gods great goodnesse towards us in cloathing us with a righteousnesse that surmounteth the righteousnesse of the Angels we are as wretched and miserable sinners as can be viz. in our sense and feeling and yet notwitâ— standing God makes us mark how he saith not makes Christ only for us but makes us righteous after a more excellent and pretious manner than the very Angels are in respect of their own nature onely For saith he Christs righteousnesse is given unto us which farre surmounteth the righteousnesse of the Angels If this perfect righteousnesse be Our righteousnesse farre execeding the righteousnesse of the Angels by the power of Gods imputation not only in us but also doe make us thus perfectly righteous in the sight of God is it any marvell that we are so holy that we are unblameable and without fault in the sight of God The same in a manner Chrysostome also testifieth Chrysâ—stome upon Rom. 9. 30. 31. upon those words That the Gentiles that followed not righteousnesse have attained unto righteousnesse But Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse could not attaine the law of righteousnesse Rom. 9. 30 31. saying thus Tu siquidem O Iudaee c. For thou O Jew saith the Apostle hast not found that righteousnesse which is of the law for having transgressed the law thou art made subject to the Curse by another way namely by faith have found a greater righteousnesse mark a greater righteousnesse than this of the Law For here saith he three things are effected first that the Gentiles have found and attained righteousnesse secondly that they have attained it not following after it that is bestowing no paines or labour about it And thirdly they have found a greater than that which is by the Law whereupon in the next Chapter upon these words Christ is the end or perfection of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth the same Chrysostome concludeth thus There is Chrysostome in Rom. 10. no cause therefore why thou shouldst fear as a transgressor of the Law if so be that thou beleevest in Christ why Because thou hast fufilled this Law and hast now received a far greater righteousnesse Because it is most true that Master Downham avoucheth in his Treatise of Justification Master Downham in his Treaâ—ise of Iustification That we are made partakers of a more excellent righteousnesse than we lost in Adam required againe in the Law even the righteousness of God as the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 22. which consisteth not only in the absence saith Rom. 3. 22. he of evill and sinne but also in the presence of all actuall perfect and everlasting holinesse and righteousnesse in which we being made thus perfectly righteous in the sight of God must needs bee without all blame and without all fault in his sight freely The second reason flowing from the effect of our 2 The second reason of our happy eâ—taâ—e justification convincing why we are made so holy that we are unblameable and without fault in Gods sight is because this â—imputing and mysticall cloathing of us with Christs righteousnesse doth not only make our persons both bodies and soules perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God but also all our works vocations affaires and businesses that we take in hand are made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely so that First all our naturall actions as our eating and 1 The naturall civill and religious works of bâ—leevers are made perfect in the fight of God drinking and the marriage bed and such like are honorable being made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God Secondly our civil actions as honest buying and selling and other works of our civill vocations are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God And Thirdly our religious works as our prayers and almes hearing the Word reading receiving of the Sacraments and other works of our Christian vocations even all the works of our hande are made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God not by the perfection of our sanctification because that only works an unwillingnesse a battel and a striving against the least sinne in all these sorts of actions because it knowes that no sinne is little in the sight of God but yet it will not bee perfect in it selfe untill the life to come How then are all these sorts of actions in Gods Quest children made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God I answer freely by the perfection of Justification Answ so that as it is said on the one side of them that are not justified That the unbelieving are defiled and abhominable unto whom nothing is pure whereby not only their minds and consciences are defiled Tit. 1 15. Tit. 1. 15 16. Hag. 2. 14. 16. but also the Prophet Hag. 2. 14. cryeth out So are all the works of their hands and that which they offer in the Temple is unclean So on the other side To the pure that is to them that are justified and washed and purified from their sins by the blood of the Lamb all things are pure saith the Apostle and all the works of their hands and whatsoever they offer in the Temple is perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely and thereby acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God whom nothing pleaseth but that which is pure and perfect But how and after what manner are they made so Quest perfectly righteous I answer because Justification doth abolish from Answ before God all their infirmities and all the imperfections of their sanctification because otherwise all their infirmities and imperfections of their sanctification that are but infirmities and imperfections in respect of themselves would bee if they were not abolished from before God by Justification damnable filthinesse in the sight of God and make all the righteousnesse of their sanctification and holy walking as a foule filthy mestruous cloth that is as I said before damnable sinne and filthinesse in Gods sight neither doth Christs righteousnesse in the justified abolish only all the infirmities and imperfections of their works of sanctification but also presents all their works and holy walking to bee perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely and by this meanes are made continually acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God if they bee not pretended infirmities of unbeleeving and unjustified hypocrites but meere infirmities of imperfectly sanctified persons for of such sanctified persons only God saith by the
Sermons of many of our Protestants but both a-like jusling Christ out of his office because you shall finde that both a-like preach these as if Christ himselfe alone had not made us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely but suppressing this you shall heare abundantly That doing of these we are pleasing to God beautifull approved acceptable just righteous holy beloved the children of God true Christians blessed of God with all manner of blessings heires of salvation and what not And yet you shall heare in some Protestants Sermons that which I feare by these manifold absurdities is farre worse namely that we are by Justification made as perfectly cleane from all sinne and as righteous as Christ himselfe in the sight of God and yet we are sinners also in the sight of God these are like a shrewd Cow that gives a good milch and then kicketh it all downe when she hath done For certainly this is that which Chrysostome Luther Chrysost Luther Erasmus Pellican upon Gal. 2. 17 18 19 20 21. Erasmus Pellican and other Interpreters upon these verses Galat. 2. 17 18 19 20 21. doe say to bee a making our selves transgressors by building up that againe which we grant to be destroyed It is an abrogating Many Preachers destroy what they builâ—ed of the grace of Christ and blasphemy to say when Christ hath made us perfectly and sufficiently righteous from all sinne in the sight of God freely that we are yet found sinners our selves before God and so must needs make up some righteousnesse to heale this sinne by the law and good works wrought by the spirit as the Papists say in the sight of God the words of Chrysostome cited by Calvin are plaine saying thus Si quaerentes c. If we seeking to be made righteous in Christ nondum plenè justi sumus sed adhuc immundi are not yet full and compleatly just and righteous but are yet uncleane neither Christ alone sufficeth to righteousnesse it followeth that Christ is the Minister of that doctrine which leaves men in sinne hoc absurdo proposito blasphemiae insimulat Paulus eos qui partem justitiae attribuunt legi c. this absurdity being proposed Paul accuseth all those of blasphemy which give to the law any piece of making us righteous although it be wrought by the spirit as the Papists say and call it a righteousnesse not of the law but of the Gospel But saith Luther Si hoc verum est c. if this be true that we are justified and made righteous by Christ impossibile est nos esse peccatores it is impossible that we should be sinners But if we being justified are yet found sinners then he that is justified and holy in Christ is not justified or holy but hath need of the righteousnesse and holinesse of the law besides the righteousnesse of Christ to heale him and make him righteous that way that he is yet a sinner in the sight of God and is not healed by Christ Whereupon Luther truely concludeth saying thus It cannot bee therefore but that the Papists and all such as are ignorant of the righteousnesse of Christ aut non rectè tenent or do not rightly understand the same namely how perfectly holy and righteous it makes them from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely it cannot be but they must needs mingle and so confound the Law and the Gospel turne Christ into Moses and Moses into Christ and pervert the whole Gospel of Christ yea and runne into those fifty discommoâ—ities against Christs glory discovered in the Epistle to the Galathians layed open by Luthers exposition upon the same and briefly collected and prefixed in a short Table in the beginning of that Treatise of Luther upon the Galathians translated into English and allowed by publick authority plainly shewing how good life and good works proposterously taught before there is a right faith and joyfull knowledge of free Justification grounded soundly in the heart Doe under the name of the Gospel overthrow the Gospel rob Christ of his glory and procure many other fearefull and dangerous evills to the soules of men and hurt of the whole Church Being exceedingly to bee lamented that so great evills are so dangerously neglected under a pretence and fair visour of a godly life and a carefull endeavour by the spirit of God as the Papists and others boast of serving of God and walking religiously in all Gods Commandements The fourth absurditie is That if we be both righteous and sinners in the sight of God wee are reconciled and not reconciled wee are adopted and not adopted for wherefore are we reconciled and adopted but because we are made righteous in the sight God but therefore it must follow by the nature of Contraries that because we are sinners also in the sight of God we are neither reconciled nor adopted Briefly as we are righteous in the sight of God so we must goe to heaven but as wee are sinners in the sight of God so we must goe to hell But is not this to bee S Iames his double â—â—nded man Saint Iames his double-minded man in the highest degree and in the highest points of salvation that is unstable in all his wayes Neither saith he let that man think that hee shall receive any thing of the Lord Iam. 1. 7 8. For doth not this saith when Christ hath Iames 1. 7. 8. undertaken to wash away our sinnes which is the Devils dung that only defiles a man in the sight of Mark 7. â—5 God Mark 7. and utterly abolish them out of his Fathers sight doth not this faith I say that wee are both righteous and sinners also in the sight of God deny the efficacie of the blood of Christ to have washed away our sinnes and so leaves the abominable and loathsome dung of our sinnes being the image of the Devill still in his fathers sight And if Justification being brought in to this end even to abolish our sinne from before God should yet leave us foule and filthy to his Fathers view doth not this faith not only frustrate Justification of his appointed end but also make it like the garments of Davids Messengers which the Ammonites clipped so short that they were not Iustification made like the garments of Davids Messengers able to hide their shame which is most horrible once to conceive of Christs glory Free Iustification seeing Christ himselfe did command the Laodiceans to get on his white-garment that their filthy nakednesse might not appeare Revel 3. 18. And if it were a terror and a Revel 3. 18. smiting to Davids heart to cut off but a little of the lappet of Sauls garment ought it not to be an exceeding terror to a Christian heart to clip so short the garment of Christ as to think that it doth not utterly abolish and cleane put our of Gods sight all our sinnes leaving none for us to
put out before his Father and therefore hath made it as Bernard saith so large and long a garment for that end and purpose And therefore hearken to the advice of a well approved Labourer in our Church worthy ever the meditating because it is most pithy Evangelicall and truly saving after this manner Cast away the raggs of thy owne righteousnesse as S. Paul did seeing his inherent righteousnesse was farre better than thine Philip. 3. 8 9. And if ever thou wilt get the blessing wrap thy Phil. 3. 8. 9. selfe in this garment of the righteousnesse of thine elder Brother Christ and when thy Father shall savour the smell of thy garments he shall blesse thee and say behold the smell of my Sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed feare not to bee complete in him this long white robe needs no inching or ecking needs no patching say with the holy Martyr and live and die with it in thy mouth only Christ only Christ Consider what I say and the Lord give us understanding in all things The second Objection proceedeth from the weaknesse The second objection is from the weaknesse of faith of faith arising from sense and feeling whereof I have spoken and given Armor of resistance in the ninth chapter but because it much troubleth the faith of the weak Christian let us heare the Objection and shew some further remedy against the same the Objection is this I feele not my selfe to have any righteousnesse Object but rather to bee nothing else but a lump of grosse sinnes so that by mine unworthinesse I dare not confesse of my selfe that I am such only and meere Righteousnesse that I am perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely First to thy sense and feeling I answer thus with Luther Answ Thou must not feele but beleeve that thou art thus righteous and therefore the more thou feelest this unworthinesse and sinne making thee whilst thou pulst down thy eye from the brazen-serpent to look upon thy sore by sense and feeling to cry out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death so much the more happy and blessed art thou for it doth make thee presently to turn thy eye to the Brazen Serpent Christ Who presently delivers thee and makes thee to say with the Apostle in the sight by faith of thy perfect healing I thank God through Iesus Christ our Lord that there is no judgement punishment or condemnation for that which I feele Why what is the cause that there is no judgment punishment or condemnation for the sinne which I thus feele dwelling in me The reason little marked but is pittiously mangled and rent from the first verse of too many is this Because the righteousnesse of the Law though not legally and actively as the Papists would have it yet Evangelically and passively is fulfilled in us And this is thy present and immediate healing by turning thy eye from thy sense and feeling up to the Brazen-serpent Christ presently shewing thee by his bleeding wounds A present healing that thou art above thy sense and feeling made perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And thus by this thy feeling the contrary to this perfect healing there is place for faith to beleeve it And therefore to strengthen our weak faith that wee are contrary to our present sense and feeling thus perfectly righteous from all spot of Three meanes to strengthen our weak faith sinne in the sight of God freely We must use a threefold help First it must be thy wisdome to have everbefore thy sight the imitation of the faith of thy Father Abraham walking in this case of Free Iustification as a naturall sonne in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham after this manner before described but thus applyed That relying upon that God That calleth those things which be not as though they were Rom. 4. 17. that is Rom. 4. 17. who giveth to the things that appeare not as reall a Being before himselfe by his Call or so speaking as if they had a reall Being to our eyes thou must above all hope of thine own feeling whereby thou feelest thine own righteousnesse to bee but as a menstruous cloath yet believe under hope of Christs righteousnesse that thou art perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God according to that which is spoken The blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us clean from all sinne And againe As by the disobedience of one man Adam many were made sinners So by the obedience of one man Christ are many made righteous vers 18. And thou not weak in faith must not consider Vers 18. or think upon thine own body which thou feelest dead in trespasses and sinnes by the fall of Adam neither the violence thereby of thy daily actuall sinnes verse 19. neither must thou doubt of this promise of Vers 19. God by unbeliefe but be strengthned in faith that thou art perfectly holy and righteous freely in the sight of God and so give glory to God vers 20. being fully Vers 20. assured that hee which hath promised to accomplish it upon thee freely by cloathing thee with his Sonnes righteousnesse is also able to doe it verse 21. The second help to strengthen our faith that we are Vers 21. 2 made thus perfectly and gloriously holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Is not to forget the comparison that Saint Paul maketh in this case Rom. 5. between the first Adam that made us that is both body and soule sinners and damned and the second Adam Christ that as freely makes us both body and soule righteous and saved And although there be some difference in the manner namely that Adam made us all sinners inherently and actively to our sense and feeling but Christ makes us righteous in the sight of God objectively Evangelically and passively and invisibly above our sense and feeling that there may be place for the faith of Gods power of truly and really doing it himselfe alone yet notwithstanding wee must take heed that we give not more power to Adam in making us sinners being but a meer man than to Christ in making us righteous being both God and man but let us know that as the first Adam made us before wee our selves have done any evill work perfectly completely and only and meerly sinners and damnable in the sight of God so strongly that we cannot choose but shew the same in all our life by actuall sins to the eyes of men so much more doth Christ make us before we have done any good perfectly completely and only and meerly gloriously holy and righteous and so perfectly saved in the sight of God so strongly that he makes us to declare the same by sanctification and a
saying thus Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most High that is as Luther well expounds it Vnder Free Iustification which none can work upon us but the most high God and indeed is the secret of secrets to the blind world He shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty that is hee shall bee protected and defended under the most comfortable shade of Gods most loving providence who is of Almighty power to preserve and keep him So that the faithfull soule saying unto the Lord in confidence of this reconciliation by Free Justification Oh my refuge and my Fortresse my God in him will I trust Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter which is the Divell and all his instruments and from the noysome pestilence of their contagious practises He will cover thee under his wings of Frâ—e Justification and thou shalt bee safe under his feathers of his gracious providence and protection his truth of perfect reconciliation shall be thy shield and buckler c. as it followes in the whole Psalme For hee shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes thou mayst have some crosses and troubles But thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon shalâ— thou trample under thy feet Why Because by faith of free Justification hee hath set his love upon mee therefore saith God will I deliver him I will exalt him because he hath known my name He shall call upon mee and I will heare him I will bee with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation is not this a joyfull perfect excellent and blessed reconciliation Hence likewise is the whole 121. Psalme verified upon us Psal 121. testifying that the creatures that have mighty operation in mans body and are high above our reach shall yet notwithstanding doe us no harme saying The Sun shall not smite thee by day nor the Moon by night the Lord shall preserve thee from all evill yea hee shall keep thy soule the Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy comming in from henceforth and forever What would wee have more Yea hence are all the other comfortable excellent protectors spoken of every-where in the Word of God verified upon us whereupon the Prophet saith Psal 5. 11 12. Let all them that trust in Psal 5. 11. 12. thee rejoyce and tryumph for ever and cover thou them and let them that love thy name rejoyce in thee why Because thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous which none are before God but by free Justification and with favour wilt compasse him as with a shield defending and keeping him from all hurt to the least haire of his head Matth. 10. 29. 30. can we possibly wish a greater Matth. 10. 29. 30. and perfecter and more protecting reconciliation But as this first part of Justification doth thus protect and defend us from all evill and hurt So the second part brings upon us by this perfect reconciliation all manner of good things that are truly needfull and necessary for us as God himselfe testifieth Ierem. 32. 40 41. saying I will make an everlasting Ier. 32. 40. 41. covenant with them that I will never turn away from them to doe them good Yea saith he I will delight and rejoyce over them to doe them good Hence is the whole Psal 23. verified upon us namely That the Psal 23. Lord is our Shepherd because he is made such unto us only and truly by free Justification And therefore can we lack nothing Hee will feed us in green pastures and lead us forth by the waters of comfort Hee restoreth our souls and leads us by Justification freely in the pathes of righteousnesse for his name sake Therefore he concludes Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the daies of our life Hence it is that Christ said Take no distrustfull cark and care for your belly what you shall eat nor for your body what you shall put on For after all these things doe the Gentiles with such doubtfulness and distrusting care seek after But your heavenly Father knowes that you have need of all these things But seek yee first the Kingdome of God If you ask how I answer By making your selves sure of his righteousnesse which by making you perfectly righteous in the sight of God freely is only able to reconcile and set you in perfect peace with God and then all these things shall be cast upon you Matth. 6. Whereupon we see the truth of that Matth. 6. 33. saying of David Feare the Lord yee his Saints but how are we Saints Two manner of wayes as is shewed before First by Justification that makes us perfect Saints to God-ward freely and Secondly by sanctification that makes us Saints to men-ward in sincerity Well what then For saith hee They that feare him lack nothing The Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psal 34. Which perfect reconciliation with God Psal 34. 10. Iacob found so effectuall that hee said boldly unto his Brother The Lord hath had mercy on me and therefore I have all things Gen. 33. 11. And Luther upon the Gen. 33. 11. voyce from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased shewes that this rich mercy and perfect reconciliation with God by which we have all things was testified by God himselfe at the Baptisme of his Sonne to be without measure exhibited saying thus Nothing else was heard seen here but love Incredible sweetnesse good will and the infinite and incredible favour of God towards us nothing but unmeasurable and bottomless goodness and placability all the whole vast heaven seemed not to distill drops but to poure and raine down whole showers and floods of most sweet honey and sugar and to power down meer and infinite favour of God abundantly upon us that we may think of and expect nothing else from him but the best good things and most rich mercy and wel-pleasing reconciliation yea saith he againe For this one cause would God sound these words from heaven with his own voyce that he might perswade us certainly and that we might infix it deeply in our minds That in Christ and for Christ his beloved Son omni nos beneficiorum genere cumulare velit c. That it is his will to lade us with all manner of benefits and embrace us as was signified in receiving the prodigal child with a true fatherlike and well-pleased affection of love to cover us with the best garment nourish us make merry with us and defend and save us and to drive away all things that goe about to deprive us hereof Which words of Luther although they seeme for sweetnesse and fulnesse of honey and sugar to be incredible yet wee need not doubt thereof because S. Paul himselfe
Colos â— â—2 13. of the Saints in light Coloss 1. 12. 13. 5. The meâ—nâ—s of our glorâ—h atioa Fiftly and lastly this free Justification is the only immediate cause and meanes of our finall glorification and of setting us in the right and assurance of eternall lise Therefore doth the Apostle say Whom God justifieth them he glorifieth Rom. 8. 30. Hence it is also Rom. 8. â—0 Rom 5. 18. that hee doth call it the Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. Because to the Enjoyers of it by faith it doth freely and undoubtedly bring life and eternall salvation which the same Apostle againe testifieth when hee saith Grace doth reign indeed but how By righteousnesse or through righteousnesse unto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 21. As if he should say Rom. 5. 11. Grace indeed doth infallibly bring eternall life and yet by this only meanes that men of necessity bee first justified and freely made perfectly holy compleatly righteous before God or else grace it selfe reigneth not unto eternall life Hereupon S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost in Rom. truly thus For where righteousnesse is there necessarily doth everlasting life goe withall and also infinite other Radix vitae Calv. ex Marlo Sicut â—eccatum non nisi mortâ—m parere potest ita donum illud Dei nâ—fâ—ra scilicet justificatâ—o vitae aeteâ—nae beaâ—iâ—â—dinem nobis a â—sertivel si mavis quemadmodùm mortis causa pcccatum est c. good things even as where there is sinne there is death for righteousnesse is more than life seeing it is the very root of life Herewithall agree the modern Expositors saying thus As sinne cannot but bring forth death so that gift of God namely our Iustification bringeth upon us all blessednesse and eternall life or if you had rather thus As sinne is the cause of death so the righteousnesse which is freely given us by Christ hath restored unto us eternall life Faith therefore of Free Iustification is sure of eternall life and so sure that it glorieth and rejoyceth in eternall life because Free Iustification only doth make us fit or worthy or sufficiently meet Luther in Gal. 1. 6. to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light by which only God hath delivered us out of the power of Id in cap. 1. 17. darkness and hath translated us into the kingdome of his Colos 1. 12. 13. deare Son Colos 1. 12. 13. For thus are we translated out of sinne into righteousness out of Gods wrath into his well-pleased favour out of cursednesse into blessednesse out of death into life for when sinne is taken away in the place thereof commeth righteousnesse in the place of wrath reconciliation and grace and free and well-pleased favour in the place of death life and in the place of damnation salvation CHAP. XVI Of the other foure fruits or effects declaring the Vtility and Majesty of Free Iustification THe third maine point shewing the Majejestie The third effect is Peace and loy in the conscience and Utility of Justification is That whereas the want or the ignorance of it is the losse of all true peace and joy in God so the right knowledge and apprehension thereof is the lively spring of joy and of a good conscience bursting forth into a joyfull confession and glorifying of God both in heart and tongue See this is that sweet Song of Mary Luke 1. 46 47. Where she saith My soule magnifieth the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for seeing the imperfections of our Sanctification are in this life so great That all our Righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath If wee know not assuredly that by this glory of Justification all our sins which simply of themselves as the Image of the Devill God so cloatheth are quite and clean abolished from before him and that wee are perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God wee cannot have but rather doe disanull that Peace and great joy unspeakable and glorious That Justification by such perfect abolishing of all our sinnes from before God and free making as so perfectly rigteous in the sight of God doth hereby bring unto us For which the Gospel is expresly called joyfull newes from heaven without which joy we are not sure that we are delivered out of the kingdome of Satan which is sinne and death but by this joy the faithfull soule the true Bride of Christ may feele it selfe to be entred with Christ into the Eride-Chamber which is the kingdome of heaven For the kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost And whosoever in these things serveth Christ are accepted unto God and are approved of men Rom 14. 17. 18. But if thou ask how Rom. 14 17 thou maist attaine so great righteousnesse as may bring such peace and joy The Apostle answereth That being justified that is freely made perfectly holy and righteous by faith we are so compleatly righteous and become so just and saved That having no need of any works hereunto at all but through faith only obtaining true righteousnesse sufficiently Wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. For seeing only sinnes doe breed displeasure between Rom. 5. 1. Sola pe cata simultâ—tem pariant â—â—st uaâ—ex impiâ—s peâ—ateribus c. Phil. 1 7. Incredibi'e gaudiuâ— Marlo in Rom. 5. 1. God and man after that of ungodlinesse and sinners we are made just and righteous from hence it must needs bee that forthwith true peace doth presently arise and this peace that is to say quietnesse and tranquilliâ—y of minde and securitie of conscience which doth passe all understanding Phil. 4. 7. and doth breed in the hearts of the faithfull incredible and wonderfull joy indeed the Law sinne and failing in works terrifieth the conscience oppresseth it with feares and heavinesse of spirit and plucketh it from the assurance of righteousnesse of life and all goodnesse Luth. Gal. 4. 2 3. therefore let us not suffer the Law in any case to beare rule in our conscience especially seeing it cost Christ so great a price to deliver the conscience from the Schoolmaster-like slavery of the Law let the godly learn therefore that the Law and Christ are Why the Law is not to beare rule in the conscience two contrary things whereof the one cannot abide the other for when Christ is present the Law may in no case rule but must depart out of the conscience Idem in Gal. 5 22. and leave the bed which is so straight that it cannot hold two as Esay saith and give place only to Christ Let him only reign in righteousnesse in peace in joy and life that the conscience may sleep and repose it selse in Christ the Bridegroomes bosome without any feeling of the Law sin and death for the fruits of the The voyce of the Bridegroome spirit are not only love but also joy
or remembrance of works but freely making them compleatly righteous seen and enjoyed by faith only apprehending this promise On this wise the promise of God doth give freely unto us that which the Commandement doth exact of us perforce and doth fulfill that which the Law doth straightly command By this meanes therefore the soule through faith only without works believing in the Word of God is justified sanctified pacified delivered replenished with all goodnesse and is truly made the daughter of God For such as the Word is as namely this The blood of Iesus Such as the word is such is the believing soule Christ the Sonne of God doth make us cleane from all sin 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Such becommeth the soule made by force of the Word even as a fiery plate of Iron doth glow 1 Ioh. 1. 7. and glister like unto fire by meanes of uniting the fire and the plate together thus is Gods Word glorified thus is the faithfull soule delivered from all sinnes made safe from death guarded from Hell and endowed with the everlasting righteousnesse life and saving health of her husband Christ and on this wise doth Christ couple her unto himselfe a glorious Spouse not having spot or wrinckle making her clean with the Fountaine in the Word of Life of Righteousnesse and of salvation Wherefore who is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly who is able to comptehend the glorious riches of this grace This I say must be secondly taught without any respect or remembrance of works and be throughly grounded and planted in the soule and reigning in the heart with joy Else should faith and works not remaine within their bounds but be confounded Therefore doth Paul prosecute this argument Luth. in Gal. 3. â—7 to the Gentiles very diligenâ—ly For he fore saw in spirit that this mischiefe should creep into the Church That the Word of God should be confounded that is to say that the promise should be mingled with the Law and so the promise should be utterly lost for when the promise is mingled with the Law it is now made nothing else but the very Law for whosoever In chap. 2. 17. doe not perfectly understand the Article of Iustisication must needs confound and mingle the Law and grace together But where this rich and loving husband Christ takes unto wise this poore and wicked Harlot redeeming her from all evills laying all her sins upon his own shoulders whereby they are swallowed up in him as darknesse is swallowed up in the Sun-beames Esay 44. Esay 4 22. 22. For it behoveth that all sin be swallowed up at the very sight of Christ cloathing and enrobing her with his own righteousnesse and garnishing her with all his own Jewels Whose hearts hearing these things will not melt for very joy and wax ravished for very love of Christ having received so great consolation To the which love he can never possibly attaine by any Lawes or works at all Then thirdly will follow works of love and thankfulnesse Works of love in a manner of their own accord with a little help of direction and exhortation flowing from a true right thankfull zeale of Gods glory making them willing and ready to grow and cheerfully to walk in all the holy duties of all his Commandements Thus The mighty power of the Goâ—pel to true sanctiâ—ication is Justification making us perfectly holy and righteous freely in the sight of God and works safely taught and not confounded the one with the other but both in their due bounds powerfully stablished works Lâ—th Serm. iâ— Tit. 3. 5. thereby joyfully flowing forth Yea as soone as thou feelest by true saith this bountisulnesse and love of God towards men not through works of righteousnesse which we have done Tit. 3. 4. thou canst not in this case be idle for surely that love of God and pleasure which thou enjoyest in him will not suffer thee to be idle thou shalt be enslamed with a marvellous study and desire to doe what things soever thou canst know will be an honour unto thy God so loving and bountifull unto thee and will turn to praise glory and thanksgiving unto him thou shalt passe for no precept thou shalt feele no compulsion of the Law having a most ready will pleasure to doe whatsoever things thou shalt know to bee acceptable unto God whether they bee contemptible The chiefe disposition of the believing soul or noble small or great thou shalt count them a like But first of all it shall be thy desire that this blessed knowledge of God and rich benefits and treasures by Christ may be common to all others Whereupon by and by thy love will shew it selfe and will assay all meanes to make this truth of Salvation manifest unto all rejecting and condemning whatsoever others either-teach or say that agreeth not with this truth whereby it will come to passe that Satan and the World which heare nothing so unwillingly as this truth will rise against thee with all their might will by and by trouble thee The Great Learned Rich and Mighty of the World will condemn thee of heresie and madnesse Howbeit if thou be endued with this joyfull faith it cannot bee but that thy heart being thereby cheered should even as it were laugh and leap for holy joy in God being voyd of all care and trouble and be made above measure confident Fourthly hence it is also manifest that it is this 4 True trust and confidence in God Eph. 1. 13. joyfull knowledge of Iustification which worketh in us a sound trust and true confidence in God making us to goe forward in our vocations both common of Christianitie and particular of our places against all the oppositions of the whole world doing the duties of the same with courage boldnesse and constaney whatsoever come of it The reason and ground of which trust and courage is expressed by S. Paul in Rom. 8. 32. saying If when we were sinners God spared Rom. â— 32. not his Son but gave him for us all to death to justifie us how shall he not with him we being now justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous in his sight but give us all things also so that wee know that all things work together for the best unto us For the cause that bringeth all evill upon us and keepeth away good things from us is sinne saith the Prophet Ierem. 5. 25. But if our sinnes be by the blood Iereâ— 5. 25. of Christ so utterly abolished that we are cleane in his sight from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. then what is there 1 Ioh. â— 7. left to bring any evill upon us or to hinder good things from us Againe seeing the only thing that separates between us and our God and the only thing that hideth his face from us that he will not heare is sin Isa 59. 2. If the Lamb of God have taken away our sins
only are meer patients suffering another ab extra even God to work all in us as may be further cleered in the manner Two similitudes how by two fit similitudes lively representations as First take a drinking glasse that is blue or red and put water or drink into the same and in some glasses I my selfe have seen that the drink or water in the same looseth to the present view it s own colour and becomes as blue or red as the glasse it selfe and yet not inherently and actively for the bluenesse or rednesse is inherently agently operatively and actively only in the glasse but yet whilst it doth abide in the glasse it becomes communicatively and passively as blue or red as the glasse it selfe but what is the reason hereof because as I my selfe have observed the glasse doth conveigh by the force of the light certain beames of its own colour into the drink and so makes it to lose its own colour and to be of the same colour that the glasse is of Where it is pretty to observe that the liquor in the glasse hath lost its colour and hath not lost it First the liquor hath not lost it inherently and to it selfe because if it be put out of the glasse it is found only in its own colour But yet hath lost its own colour in two respects first in respect of the glasse which it is in that hath by conveighing her beams into it made it own colour and secondly to the view of the beholder it is truly abolished and gone and nothing remaines but the colour of the glasse Now although the truth represented by this similitude passeth the representation as farre as a substance passeth the shadow yet it is sufficient for a shadow and is a notable representation of the truth because that Gods powerfull imputation after a more reall mighty and effectuall manner doth the same in truth that is but resembled in this shadow and faith that went so far as to say wash thou me and I shall bee whiter than snow goes higher than any similitudes can reach unto and seeth the soule being cloathed with Christs righteousnesse to be although not inherently yet lesse imaginarily and colourably but truly and reipsa in very deed made perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God so effectually that the very power thereof begins inherently to change the heart by sanctification also to the eyes of men more and more whereas wee see that the bluenesse or rednesse of the glasse worketh no inherent change upon or in the drink but because faith reasoneth and concludes from the power of God thus That if so poore and silly a creature as a piece of glasse be able by the force of the light to cast her beames into it and to make the liquor to lose to the view and sight of men her own colour and to look whilst it is in the glasse of the same colour that the glasse is of were it not impiety and flat blasphemie not to grant that Christ can much more being true and Almighty God translating me out of Adam to bee a member in himselfe by cloathing me both within and without with his own righteousnesse conveigh much more by the power and force of his spirit his own righteousnesse to bee thought not inherently and actively yet objectively and passively in us so by this means abolish all our sinnes from before God and make us only perfectly holy righteous in the sight of God freely herein consisting the Analogie of the truth with the similitude that Christ by reason of his Godhead and power of his spirit doth that in truth above our reason sense and feeling which the red glasse doth only in shew that is make us in truth perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely not imaginarily colourably as the Papists fondly cavill but really truly and reipsa in very deed like the working of an Almighty Creator this faith I say shall finde by the very fruits of sanctification flowing from the same that he is not made only colourably righteous but that he is verè reipsa truly and in very deed with Christs righteousnesse made perfectly holy righteous in the sight of God freely Hence for the lively representation of this truth do so many Divines both learned and judicious so much use this similitude saying thus As he that beholdeth any thing through a red glasse doth take it to bee red as is the colour of the glasse so God the Father beholding us in his Sonne doth take us to bee of the same nature and quality that he is that is perfectly righteous for which cause he saith to his Spouse in the Canticles though she felt and complained that shee was black and full of infirmities to her sense and feeling and own inherent active righteousnesse yet saith Christ that knowes better what in this respect he hath wrought upon her than shee her selfe Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee And for this cause it is that he loveth us and sets his heart upon us and will not bee removed from us c. Which is not for the shadow but for the true substance of his own righteousnesse though not inherently to our sense and feeling and actively yet by Gods imputation objectively and passively conveighed into us so utterly abolishing our sins from before God and making us not imaginaâ—ly but truly and reipsa in very deed perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of â—od freely A second similitude illustrating this truth yet The second similitude more fully is this Let an house or shop be made towards the East and let the Sun beat upon the same all day long yet whilst the windowes and doores are fast shut up the house still remaines dark and unprofitable because the walls being corpora opaca dark bodies can cast forth nothing but darknesse but let the windowes and doors be opened then doe the Sun-beames beat in and dispell all the darknesse that was there before and the house is made all light and profitable to the use of man But yet it is not inherently and actively light as the Papists conceit of their manner of Justification for if that light did come actively out of the walls then the house would not at the least immediately be beholding to the Sun without it in the Firmament but the house would be inherently and actively light immediately enlightning its own selfe but in that it is enlightned by the Sun-beames the house is all light in deed yet no Agent and Doer in making its selfe light but is altogether passively and objectively light so is it in the case of our Justification and being a similitude much used by the holy Ghost it passeth all other humane similitudes by running contrary to the old proverb quatuor pedibus for First mans soule and body is like this house or shop of Gods wonders
and sinne in the same is the spirituall darknesse as it is every where called in the Word of God that blindeth and darkens this house of mens soules as the Prophet saith Esay 60. 2. Behold Esay 60. 2. darknesse shall cover the earth and grosse darknesse the people And againe If we say that we have fellowship with God and walke in darknesse we lye 1 Iohn 1. 6. And againe Hee that is in darknesse walketh in darknesse and knowes not whither he goeth because the darknesse hath blinded his eyes 1 Iohn 2. 11. 1 Iohâ— 11. 2 Secondly Christ Jesus is like the Sun that shines in the Firmament having all true and full light and righteousnesse inherently and actively in himselfe only and for this cause is expresly called by the Prophet Sol justitiae the Sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. Mal. c. 4. 2. saying But unto those that feare my name shall the Sunne of righteousness arise with health in his wings Thirdly his righteousnesse by the power of Gods imputation conveighed to be in us and upon us so effectually cloathing us both within and without is â—â—e the beames of this Sun of righteousnesse beating in upon us and thereby without our mortifying of our selves or any other working or labour of outs utterly abolishing all our sinnes from before God and making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely as the Sun-beames doe utterly abolish the darknesse out of a dark house and make the house all light freely as Christ testifieth by the Prophet Esay 44. 22. Esay 44. 22. saying I and not you with your labour of mortification even I will put away your sinnes as darknesse and abolish your transgressions like a mist and as the walls of the house cannot of their own nature being corpora opaca but cast forth all day long a shadowish darknesse that would obscure and make the house all dark and yet the Sun-beames doe continually all day long swallow up and abolish that darknesse and make the house light freely all day long So our natures corrupted with sinne although they can doe nothing else continually but cast forth to our sense and feeling the shadowish darknesse of innumerable sinnes both in thought word and deed all day long yet this Sun of righteousnesse by the full revealing and exhibiting of free Justification being risen upon us doth shine upon us with that continuall day spoken of Rev. 21. 25. Revel 21. 25. And thus Christs righteousness by the power of Gods impuration cloathing us both within and without doth although mystically above our sense and feeling yet spiritually and truly continually abolish all our sins from before â—od freely and doth make us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely all day long and continually for which cause S. Iohn speaking of the power and operation of Christs blood freely justifying us speaketh in the present time saying The blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us clean from all sinne Where although this work is so perfectly done and wrought at one instant upon the faithfull that he might have spoken in the preterperfect time as the doctrine first Reforming our Church from Popery often times in divers Sermons speaketh to the glory of Christ blood saying The blood of Christ the Sonne of God hath made us clean from all sinne and as Saint Iohn himselfe speaketh Revel 1. 5. saying Revel 1. 5. Christ the faithfull witnesse hath washed us from our sinnes in his own blood yet to shew that this work is so perfectly done that it is ever in present action continually making and keeping us thus perfectly clean in the sight â—od therefore he useth the act of the present time saying that it doth make us cleane from all sinne as the Sun-beames beating into a dark house at six of the clock in the morning have at that instant abolished the darknesse that was there before and have made the house all light and yet it doth make it and doth keep it light all day long so wee being by the power of Gods imputation cloathed with Christs righteousnesse it not only hath made us perfectly cleane from all sinne in the sight of God but also doth make us and doth keep us clean all day long And this is testified by the faithfull Expositors upon that place saying Verbum praesentis temporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth make us clean continuum actum significat that is the Verb of the present time signifieth a continuall action but wherefore because although ever and anon we doe by new sinnes as much as lyes in us even cut off our selves from the love and favour of God yet this continuall and perfect imputation doth continually abolish all our sins and ever and continually retaine and keep us in perfect righteousnesse and fellowship with God which is more plainely testified by the Author to the Hebrewes saying With one sacrifice he hath made perfect for ever or continually them that are sanctified Fourthly and lastly faith beleeving that this wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse doth make us thus perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely is like the windowes and doores of the house letting in this light into the soule whereupon it is said Act. 14. 27. That God had opened the doore of Acts 14. 27. Faith unto the Gentiles because although the Gospel doe shine by preaching never so brightly unto men yet if this door of Faith bee not opened but remaines fast shut up they still abide in the grosse darknesse of their sins but if the door and windowes of faith be opened then the beames of Christs righteousnesse beating in doe abolish all the darknesse of their sinnes from before God and make them all light which sheweth also that it is not faith that justifieth us actively of it selfe as it is a virtue as the Papists hold but passively as it lets in the imputation of Christs righteousnesse into the soule for if the door of the house be wide open and yet there be no Sun as being not yet risen to shine in the Firmament that may cast in her beames into the same the house abideth still dark though the doores and windowes be open never so wide but if the Sun shine and cast her beames upon the house and then the doore and windowes thereof be open then doe those doores and windowes by passive receiving in the light make the house all light even so doth faith by receiving the imputation of Christs righteousnesse make a man all light in the Lord and yet not inherently to his sense and feeling and actively for then his sanctification should be perfect which is not so in this life but in that he is made all light that is perfectly righteous by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse â—â— is all light indeed both without and within but yet mystically light that is above sight sense and feeling and altogether objectively and passively light in