therefore both Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin and Condemnation and that by the law The Gentiles by the light and law of nature and the work of it written in their Hearts Rom. 2.14 15 16. And the Jews by the law written in tables of Stone by Gods own hand and given unto them by Moses at mount Sinai which law was added by reason of Sin and Sin in the Jews taking occasion by the commandment became exceedingly more Sinful in them who were Jews by nature than in the Gentiles as being against more clear light and greater Obligations than the poor Gentiles were indulged with And thus is fulfilled the design of God by Moses in giving the law which was not that any Man should be justified and obtain righteousness and life thereby but that the offence against it might so much the more abound and be made to appear And Man be instructed from the desperateness of his case and the utter impossibility ever to get righteousness and life by works and the law to seek it only by Grace and Faith in Jesus Christ as Rom. 5.20 21. This position being already proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin Rom. 3.9 the Apostle doth further confirm by a text out of the old Testament Rom. 3. 19. where he concludes that quotation Now we know that whatsoever the law saith it saith to them that are under the law intimating that the Jews must needs be concerned in this charge as well as the Gentiles And that the Prophets of the old Testament did plainly declare and confirm this truth that by the works of the law no flesh should be justified For both David and Esaias whose words these are if they would have understood them in saying there is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one c. do both testifie from God by whose Spirit they speak that in the sight of God all Men are Sinners and transgressors by the law both Jews and Gentiles and that there is not one righteous Man by the works of the law in the whole World for Jew and Gentile comprehended the whole world And if so and this be true that Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin and that there is not one righteous Man by the works of the law in Gods sight then it follows as a necessary consequence that by the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified Therefore we conclude c. And thus I have done with the context In the text it self we have a great foundation truth or point of Doctrin ready prepared to our Hand in words which the Holy Ghost teacheth together with the reason of it And therefore we shall take the point as it lieth in the Text c. That by the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God The truth of this doctrin is expresly testified also Psal. 143.2 For in thy sight shall no Man living be justified i. e. by his own works and righteousness for otherwise there were then and are now many Men justified in Gods sight by the free Grace of God through Faith in Jesus Christ. And again Gal. 2.16 Knowing c. For the opening this position or point of Doctrin we shall take it into parts and Enquire 1 Who or what is meant by Flesh. 2 What is meant by Justified 3 What is mean by the works of the law 1 What is meant Or What we are to understand by Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not any Flesh or as it is Translated no Flesh. In answer whereunto Flesh is sometimes taken in Scripture for the Human Nature separate from the sinfulness thereof so John 1.14 And the word was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flesh is here put for the Human Nature seperate from Sin as Adam had it in the state of innocency And Christ the second Adam took it in the Womb of the Virgin Mary and Heb. 10.20 Through the vail i. e. his Flesh put for the whole Human Nature which was a vail to his Godhead and which he offered upon the Cross for our Sins and so consecrated a new and living way for us into the Holiest i. e. Heaven it self And though in propriety of Speech the Flesh or Body is but a part of the Human Nature the Spirit or Soul being the other and more noble part yet is by a figure Synechdoche put for the whole as 1 Peter 2.24 where Christ is said to have born our sins in his own body on the tree Body is there put for the whole Human Nature and so the Soul or Spirit is also sometimes put as Isa. 53.10 When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin yet 't is manifest both Soul and Body were offered for Sin and the Soul of Christ is there put for both but in this sense of the Human Nature separate from Sin the word Flesh is not to be understood in this Text And therefore 2. Flesh is also and indeed most frequently put for the Human Nature as it is corrupt and depraved by Sin since the fall of the first Adam and so Rom. 8.3 where the law is said to become weak through the Flesh i. e. Mans Nature now corrupted by Sin and so not able to rise up unto that true and perfect holiness which the law doth require And in this sense the word Flesh is to be taken and understood in the text Shall not any flesh or shall no flesh be justified i. e. no Man that is a Sinner and corrupted by Sin as all Men now are by Nature And there is a kind of vehemency in the expression The Holy Ghost thereby casting a holy contempt upon Man that is called Flesh i. e. an unclean and a corrupt thing so Eliphas in Job 15.14 15 16. What is Man tha◠that he should be clean c. And thus shall n◠flesh be justified i. e. no Man no Person of Mankind Man Woman nor Child 2ly What it s meant And what i◠to be understood by the word justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall no Flesh be justified In answer hereto 1. To be justified in the proper significancy and notion thereof is to be made righteous to become righteous or to stand righteous before God justificari is justum fieri to be justified is to be made or to become righteous and so to stand a righteous Person in Gods sight It is a foreinsick term and here is an allusion to courts of Judicature amongst Men wherein the person arraigned is in the issue of the Plea either Condemned i. e. found Guilty and then we say such a Man is cast that is in his Plea or else is acquited and discharged and so justified in the sight of the Court as an Innocent and righteous person and so he is said to stand as
or accept them in their Worshiping of him A guilty Conscience and an unsanctified Heart is always hypocritical and playeth false and loose in worshiping God hence Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water and the heart must first be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and body washed with pure water by the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ before any Man can worship God in Spirit and in Truth and I do and dare too affirm it from the Word of God that there is not a true and spiritual Worshipper of God in all the World but such as are so inwardly sprinkled and washed with the Blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ all others do worship God carnally and hypocritically not in Spirit and in Truth not sincerely and inwardly Oh therefore you that are in Christ see look to it that you worship God in the Spirit and in Truth for else there is none in all the World to do it 3. To worship God in the Spirit is to worship him in and according to his own holy Institutions Ordinances and Appointments and not according to Humane Inventions not according to Mens Traditions there is neither Spirit nor Truth in that Worship that hath not the stamp of Divine Authority upon it Voluntary Humility and Will-worship and all things of mans devising in the Worship of God and that hold not the Head Christ Jesus can minister no grace or spiritual nourishment to the Members and Joynts of the Body Eph. 4.16 compared with Col. 2.18 19 20 21 22 23. A little Leaven will leaven the whole lump and a little Superstition and Will-worship after thâ— Doctrines and Commandments of Men 〈◊〉 render the whole Worship vain and fruitleâ—â— to your selves as well as displeasing provokeâ—ing and unacceptable to God and so wheâ—â— all the ends of Worship are lost it becomâ— altogether vain as Mat. 15.9 But in vaâ—â— they do worship me teaching for Doctrine tâ—â— Commandments of men and who hath â—â—â—quired these things at your hands will 〈◊〉 day dash in pieces the confidence of all sucâ— Worshippers and evidence the vanity as weâ—â— as the impiety of all such Worship Humanâ— Traditions and Impositions of Men undeâ— what name or pretence soever whether of Eâ—â—clesiastical or of holy learned and judicioâ— persons or the Authority of the Civil Magistrate are not sufficient to warrant us iâ— our worshiping of God No no we muâ—â— to the Law and to the Testimony and iâ— they speak not according to this Word therâ— is no light or morning in them And wheâ—â— men have once rejected the Word of thâ— Lord what Wisdom is in them yea whaâ— Holiness is in them what Learning is in them yea professing themselves to be wise they are become fools and why then should you that are in Christ follow them or be led by them wherein they do not follow Christ or are led by his Word and Spirit 'T is time for us to leave them who have left the Head Jesus Christ and have gone a whoring from under their Gods What though all the World wander after and worship the Beast yet those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life must not comply with them Rev. 13.7 8. Ye that are in Christ are the Temple of the Living God for God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols wherefore come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. And again Rev. 18 4. And having therefore dearly Beloved these promises viz. of God's receiving us and of being a Father to us and our being his Sons and his Daughters as before Let us cleanse our selvet from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 And let it be considered by you that if you be rejected of the World for not worshiping with them after their Rudiments ye shall be received of God in Christ as the true Worshippers that worship him in spirit and truth i. e. that worship him in Christ sincerely and according to his own Institution and whether it is better to please God or Men to be rejected of Men and to be received of God or to be received of Men and rejected of God judge ye for to be jâ—stified by Works and our own Righteousness and to worship God by Humane Inventions are equally hateful and abominable with God tho' highly esteemed amongst Men Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate And Luk. 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst Men is abomination in the sight of God And for us to think within our selves that we can be justified in the sight of God by our own Works or Righteousness or that we can worship God by Humane Inventions or Mens Traditions is to think that God is altogether such an one as our selves for which certainly he will reprove us Psal. 50.21 22. And there is a secret yet strong connexion betwixt these two grand Errours viz. to be justified by Works and to worship God by and after our own Inventions for they commonly go together and stand and fall together And those that are corrupt or loose in the Doctrine of Justification are accordingly as corrupt and loose in Worship And therefore when a Professing People grow loose in the Worship of God 't is an ill Omen and just ground of godly jealousie and fear that such are unsound and loose in the Point of Justification Hence Gal. 4.8 9 10 11. And that they are not fast knit by a sincere Faith unto Christ the Head Col. 2.19 20 21 22. Let us therefore as many as are perfect be thus minded to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have no confidence in the flesh and worship God in the Spirit then and not till then are we the tâ—ue Circumcision then and not till then do we walk after the spirit and not after the flesh As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him And the God of Peace shalâ— be with you Amen The Second Part of the True Light Shining in Darkness To give to us the knowledge of Salvation to guide our feet into the way of Peace OR The Righteousness of God Manifested opened and declared as the True and only Matter of our Justification before GOD through Faith in Jesus Christ. Being one Sermon or Doctrine of five more remaining upon Rom. 3.21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference Preached first in and about the City
THE True Light Shining in Darkness And dispelling the Mists of Errour arising from the Darkness of Man's heart c. promoted by the Prince of Darkness against the Truth of God in the matter of our JUSTIFICATION Shewing That by the deeds of the Law or Man 's own Righteousâ—ess no flesh can or shall be justified in the sight of God The First Part. By THO. TAYLOR the meanest and unworthiest of the Servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ and now Pastor to a small Congregational Church in Cambridge Rom. 1.21 22. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside 1693. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that Readest this small Treatise upon so great a Subject as the matter of mans Justification before God know that thou art concerned to consider seriously and weigh well in thy mind what is here written without prejudice forasmuch as thou art the man to whom this word is sent either for the informing and undeceiving thee in this matter if thou be'st deceived Or for the confirming thee in the truth and strengthning thy Faith in Christ. If thou be'st already by the teachings of Gods holy Spirit one that knowest him that is true and arâ— in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 5.20 And we know the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal Life And it is immediately added Little Children keep your selves from Idols And though there be many Idols in mans heart yet this is one of the greatest and most dangerous and hardest to be departed from a mans own righteousness if it be but as it were by the works of the Law And as we know that an Idol is nothing but the Image and Likeness of that which it is not So verily this mans own righteousness is nothing a meer Imagination of Mans own heart exalted against God which is not nor cannot be in Gods sight and so it should be in thine Abominable to thee and abhorred by thee as it is to him Job 15.14 15 16. What is man that he should be clean And he which is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteh no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water And 9.30 31. If I wash my self with Snow-water and make my hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own cloaths shall abhor me And Luke 16.15 And he said unto them Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongsâ— men is abomination in the sight of God Read therefore this small Treatise pray tâ— God that thou mayest read it without prejuâ—dice To help thee so to do as much as in me lieth I declare unto thee three things namely 1. That I am not ingaged in Spirit worldly interest or design with any party now engaged disputing and contending one against other about these matters further than for the truths sake and so far as the truth of the Gospel obligeth me to defend and bear witness to the same as it may be found to lodge and dwell on the one side or on the other in any part of it And perhaps it will sufficiently appear that I am not of that party that may boast much of this Doctrine which is most true in it self and yet did not give proof and assurance of hope that themselves are sincere and sound in the Faith of Christ. The Doctrine may be true in its self and yet their Faith in the receiving of it be but a dead and a vain Faith which will never save them as James 2.17 18 19 20. Even so Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone Yea a man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well The Devils also believe and tremble But wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead And ungodly men still though boasting of the Grace of God in works yet denying indeed the only Lord God and our Saviour Jesus Christ by turning the grace of God into lasciviousness Jud. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. And too many such Professors we have now who in Spirit and Practice Course of Life and Conversation practically deny what they verbally profess as they had there Tit. 1.15 16. Unto the pure all things are pure But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and Consciâ—nce is defiled They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate But let not this offend thee for truth is truth still and will be for ever Hebrews 13.7 8. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Phil. 3.17 18 19 20 21. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their Belly And whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashon'd like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself 2. Here thou wilt find no carnal weapons as Oratory enticing words of mans wisdom excellency of speech fierie if not perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth No reasonings after the Flesh and the Wisdom of the World which cometh to naught But evidence and demonstration of the Spirit with power 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5. For though we walk in the Flesh i. e. in the body we do not war after the Flesh i. e. after the carnal mind which is corrupt and weak For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong
among your selves This is the order and Government which Christ hath set in his Church upon which their peace doth depend And where thiâ— Government of Christ is not submitted unto and kept but is rejected and broken there is an end of Peace there followeth nothing but confusion and every evil work as James 3.16 To prevent which Christ hath set Order and Government in the Church yea in all the Churches of Christ as 1 Cor. 14.33 As it is in a Mans Heart if the Government of Christ be not there if Christ ruleth not there by his Word and Spirit there is no Peace to that Man There is no Peace saith my God to the wicked Even so it is in a Church if Christs Goverment be not there there is no Peace but strife and bitter envying confusion and every evil work And I will therefore Rejoyce and do Rejoyce in this concerning you all beholding and seeing your order and the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ as Col. 2.5 6. For though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. For this order floweth from the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ as the breach of it in others doth emerge from the unstedfastness of their Faith As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him v. 7. Rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving Beware lest any man spoil you Keep therefore and hold fast this Faith and order and this will be your wisdom and understanding in the sight of all Men as Deut. 4.5 Ephes. 5.17 18 19 20. And this is the salt or true wisdom commended to us by Christ himself which will preserve you in purity and peace and keep you from Corrupting as Mark 9.50 Salt is good but if the salt have lost his saltness wherewith will you season it Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another And this as it is and will be your glory so it will be our rejoycing in the Day of Christ Heb. 13.17 And 1 John 2.28 That we i. e. we your Elders and Ministers may rejoyce in the Day of Christ. As ye have therefore obeyed and in a great Conflict and Tryal of your Faith and Patience have testified yout obedience to the Truth through the Spirit So I beseech you work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure And be in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but unto you of salvation and that of God For to you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but alsâ— to suffer for his sake Having the samâ— conflict which ye saw to be in me Phil 1.28 29. Now whether I live or die whether I be present in the body and so absent from the Lord or whether I be absent from the body that I may be present with the Lord stâ—and fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel and so fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love of one accord and of one mind And the God of peace shall be with you and shall bruise Satan under your Feet shortly and shall make those that say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan to come and worship before you feet and to know that he hath loved you as Rev. 3.8 9. Amen THE True Light In the matter of our Justification before GOD. Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledg of sin THIS Text is an Epiphonema or closing speech wherein the holy Apostle Paul gives us the just and right conclusion or result of the whole matter with respect to Mans justification before God and doth Peremptorily determine in the negative that by the deeds or works of the Law no flesh can or shall be justified in his sight and brings it in with the illative note therefore as the undeniable consequence and true result of his whole Argument in the two foregoing Chapters wherein he hath fully proved as he saith v. 9. of this chap. that Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin 1. The Gentiles he clearly proves in the first Chapter to be under Sin in that when they knew God or might have known him by the light of Nature in his works of Creation and Providence as Rom. 1.19 20 they did not glorifie him as God but contrary to the light of nature debased and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the Image of corruptible Man v. 23 24 25. Had they but used their poor dim light of nature aright to have paid some suitable Veneration to the glory of the Godhead in worshiping of him they might have escaped many vile affections and actions amongst themselves For which they could not so much as pretend light or nature and of the wickedness or danger whereof they could not so much as pretend ignorance but as a punishment of their impiety towards God God gave them up to vile affections and unseemly actions amongst themselves as v. 26 27 28 29 30 31 And these Sins they not only committed against the light of nature but delighted in though convicted in their own Conscience that the issue thereof could be no less than eternal Death and Damnation as v. 32. Who knowing the judgment of God c. So severely but justly doth God punish wilful Idolatry and false worship a Sin against the first Table by giving such a person or People up to all manner of Sins and most horrible lusts and abominable practices even against Human Nature to their own Destruction Nothing being more righteous and just than that they who will not give unto God the glory of his own worship should be given up of God to work their own Damnation and Destruction see 2 Thes. 2.10 11 12. 2. The Jews he as clearly proves to be under Sin in the second Chapter For whereas they rested in the law and made their boast of God as Rom. 2. v. 17 18 19 20. yet they transgressed that law which they so much boasted of and through transgressing thereof dishonoured God and caused his name to be blasphemed amongst the Gentiles as v. 21 22 23. And therefore the Jews as well as the Gentiles are left without excuse and the mouth of them both equally stopped being become guilty before God The Gentiles by Sinning without law yet against the light and law of Nature as Rom. 1.20.32 c. The Jews by Sinning under the law and whilst they judged the poor Gentiles became more obnoxious and inexcusable themselves in that they did the same or worse things as Rom. 2. v. 11 12. And
Rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh these two must go together in the heart and walking of a Christian You cannot rejoyce in Christ Jesus if you have or put any confidence in the flesh and ye cannot have confidence in the flesh if ye do aright rejoyce in Christ Jesus To have confidence in the flesh is to have trust and confidence in the Law and in the Deeds and Works of the Law done by you either before or after your laying hold upon Christ as your Refuge the internal Deeds of the Law which are the qualifications virtues and graces of the mind and the external Deeds of the Law which are the external actions of thy Life and Conversation both with respect to God and Man done and wrought in conformity to the holy Law of God so far as thou art able to reach it The Duties of the first Table and of the second those which respect Religion towardâ— God and those which respect Righteousnesâ— towards Man as they are or can be performed by thee these all are comprehended in the word flesh as appeareth plainly by the Apostle Phil. 3.4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh I more And then he addeth all his Legal qualifications priviledges and performances before his Conversion v. 5 6. Circumcised the eight day c. and then he adds all his own Righteousness of the Law in the internal and external Deeds of it after his Conversion and Faith in Christ v. 9. And be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith So that all his own Righteousness both before and after Conversion he sets in opposition to the Righteousness of God by Faith in Christ and this all this that is a mans own Righteousness he calleth flesh and forbids and denies any confidence or trust to be put in it either by himself or by any other man so as that he or any other person should think or judge or reckon himself righteous and justified in Gods sight by his own Righteousness either of inherent qualifications or external obedience no no this is abominable this the Apostle abhors in himself and deters all others from But on the other hand to trust alone unto Christ and rely and depend upon the perfect Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of God and is made ours by Faith and not by Works this is to rejoyce in Christ Jesus but to have confidence in our own Righteousness this is to have confidence in the flesh And there are two reasons why all a mans own Righteousness is called flesh 1. Because it is weak and unable to bear the weight of mans hope and confidence as touching his being righteous thereby or justified before God and thus the Horses of the Egyptians are said to be flesh not spirit because of their weakness and inability to answer the sinful trust and confidence which the Jews had in them Isa. 31. v. 3. And 2. Because it is polluted sinful and unclean by the infirmity and imperfection of grace in the best and by the mixtures of sin and corruption that attend us in our best Duties as Isa. 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags and therefore not to be trusted in and relied upon when we come before and have to do with God Now therefore ye that are in Christ and desire to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have see that ye have no confidence in the flesh covet earnestly the best gifts strive after the highest attainments of inherent grace and holiness but trust not to put no confidence in your own Works and Righteousness for by the Works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight 3. And last of all See that ye worship God in the Spirit Phil. 3.2 For we are the true Circumcision which worship God in the spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh So that to your rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh you must add this also To worship God in the spirit Now to worship God in the spirit implieth these three things namely 1. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship God in Christ those of the Concision spoken of in the beginning of Phil. 3. Who trusted to Circumcision and the Works of the Law or their own Righteousness Worshipped God in the Deeds and Works of the Law which the Apostle here calls Flesh and so they Worshipped God not in the Spirit but in the Flesh They rested in their own Deeds and Works and looked not to Christ Jesus who was the End Perfection and Substance of the Ceremonial Law And so indeed their Worship terminated in their own Righteousness and they did not by Faith go out of themselves unto Christ and his Righteousness and so they did not Worship God in the Spirit i. e. Evangelically and by Faith in Christ but legally and presuming upon their own Merit and Worthiness without Christ and so all their Worshipping was Carnal and in the Flesh after the Old Covenant and Works but not Spiritual and Evangelical i. e. after the New Covenant and Grace To Worship God therefore in Christ and by Faith in him as your only Righteousness and always to come unto the Father by the Son this is indeed to Worship him in the Spirit relying upon his Mediation Merit Blood and Righteousness as the Mediator of the New Covenant and not upon the Old Covenant and Works 2. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him sincerely and with a true heart and thus to Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him in truth Joh. 4 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth These Concisionisâ— did Worship God not in Truth but iâ— outward Shew and Hyporisie for they Worshiped him in the outward Circumcision oâ— the Flesh but the inward Circumcision of the Heart which is in the Spirit and Soul and Mind that was wanting that they looked not after Thus whilst they doted upon and boasted of the external Sign they lost they minded not the thing signified i. e. the internal Grace and Spirit and there was not that in the Heart and Spirit within that might accord and stand with and answer to Circumcision without i. e. the Answer of a good Conscience no the Conscience was neither sprinkled with the Blood of Christ nor sanctified by his Spirit and hence they did not they could not draw near to God with a true heart nor in that full assurance of Faith that God would either hear
justified from the time of Christs death according to this Doctrine so that they were as much and as truly justified in their unbelief impiety unregeneracy and enmity as ever they were or came to be justified afterwards when they believed and embraced Christ which is most contrary to the Scriptures Acts 13.38 39 Rom. 4.23 Ephes. 2.11 12 13. and Rom. 8.30 Whom he called them be also justified Paul when Saul a Blasphemer Persecutor and Iniurious was as truly justified as Paul when called a Convert a Believer and a Preacher of Jesus Christ contrary to the Scriptures 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15 16. and Acts 22.16 For Saul continued Unconverted Uncalled a Blasphemer a Persecutor and Injurious Ignorant and an Unbeliever long after Christs Death and Resurrection and yet according to this Doctrine must be justified when he lived and continued in impenitency and unbelief and disobedience till that time yea and all those Corinthians mentioned 1 Cor. 6 11. And such were some of you But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Now look back into the 9. and 10. verses Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor efeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God And such were some of you Plainly implying that when ye lived in these sins uncalled unconverted impenitent and unbelievers then you were not washed nor sanctified nor justified but now since you were called and converted 't is otherwise with you than it was before But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Ye were not justified before but now ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus i. e. since ye believed on that name then ye were not washed nor sanctified while ye wallowed in the mire of these sins but now ye are washed ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God Therefore they were not justified from the time of Christs death and resurrection but from the time of their calling to Faith â—n Christ who dyed and rose again long before And that this must be the true sense of the Apostle appeareth in that he tells them but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus He thereby concludeth and that truly they were not justified before though the time of Christs Death and Resurrection was past before And thus have we finished also the tryal of this second Opinion or Doctrine of Justification from the time of Christs Death and Resurrection and find it not to be a true Doctrine a Doctrine not of God All therefore which now remaineth to be done is to shew and assign the true time and season of Gods Justifying his Elect and from whence the truly justified person may humbly date his own Justification according to the holy Scriptures and have the seal of God in the true witness of his holy Spirit in the word for the proof it Lastly therefore The due time and season of Gods justifying his Elect through Faith in his Son Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures is the time of their respective believing embracing receiving and entertaining Christ Christ in the promise or the promise in Christ for all the promises are yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Not a promise alone without Christ for that is to be suspected the promise when given by the Father and applyed by the Spirit is never alone or separate from Christ but always in Christ and together with him Even as Abraham is said to have received the promises when he offered up his only Son Heb. 11.17 But Abraham did not receive the promise or promises alone i. e. without Christ the substance of all the promises but he received the promise in Christ or Christ in and through the promises For as God made no promise of Eternal Life out of Christ but in Christ and through him so we can receive no promise or promises of Eternal Life and Salvation but in Christ and Christ in and together with the promise And therefore Abraham is said to have received the promise of God in Christ as God gave it to him so he received it in Christ as Gal. 3.16 17 18. He therefore that believeth with a justifying and saving Faith receiveth Christ in the promises and embraceth not the promises alone but Christ in the promise and therefore union with Christ and receiving Christ into the heart and promises and all things else together is the true Faith of Gods Elect and the Faith of the operation of God as 1 John 5.11 12. This is the reward that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not Life and Joh. 1.11 12. He came to his own and his own received him not But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name So that in short Faith is receiving Christ and without Christ be received there is no believing and where there is no believing there is no justification The true time therefore of God's justifying his Elect is the time of their believing i. e. of their receiving and embracing Christ then and not before and thence ever after God doth justifie his Elect And they may from thence date the time of their justification acccording to the Scriptures As it was with Abraham so it is with all the Children of Abraham as it is written again and again Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness Rom. 4.3 Now from the time that Abraham believed God from that time was he justified and ever after even so it is with all the Children of Abraham as Rom 4.23 24 25. Now it was not written for Abrahams sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed If we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the Dead who was delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification Now therefore Christian the time of Gods imputing Righteousness to thee and justifying thee in Christ is not the time of Christs dying and rising again but the time of thy beâ—ieving on him and embracing him by Faith in thy heart who was deliver'd for thy offences and raised again for thy justification And to produce this Faith in thee and this believing God as Abraham did these three things must necessarily concur all which did concur in the Faith of Abraham as namely 1. There must be hearing The word of God must be truly preached to thee and thou must hear it or there neither is nor can be thâ—s Faith that justifieth