The Doctrine of Justification, Treatise · Chapter 35
CHAPTER XXXV.
THus we are brought to the concluſion of the maine point touching iuſtification what it is, which in the ſcriptures is deſcribed ſhortly and ſuccinctly. ſomtimes by the not imputatiō of ſinne, ſomtimes by the remiſſion of ſinne, ſomtime by the covering and hiding of ſinne, ſomtime by the imputation of righteouſnes, ſometime by the imputation of faith vntounto righteouſnes, ſometime by the making of a man righteous by the obedience of Chriſt, ſometime by the making of Chriſt ſinne for vsus, and vsus the righteouſnes of God in him, and ſomtime by healing of vsus by Chriſt his ſtripes: and all theſe are to one effect, & the iuſtified man is ſometimes ſhortly deſcribed in one worde the iuſt by faith, ſometime in relatiō to the action of God, more amply, he that hath received the aboundance of grace, & of the gift of that righteouſnes, which is by one man Ieſus Chriſt: ſomtime he whoſe ſinnes are remitted, to whom ſinne is not imputed, and whoſe ſins are covered, &c. out of which and the conſideration of the points preceeding, wee may gather a more full and cleare definition of the action of iuſtificatiō in this maner.
Iuſtification is that ſeconde gratious action of the free diſpenſation of GOD in Chriſt, towarde thoſe whom accordinge to his foreknowledge, and purpoſe, hee had predeſtinated, to bee Adopted through Chriſt, whom nowe hee hath adopted through him, havinge effectuallie called them to the fellowſhip of Chriſt by faith, by the which action he maketh them, who in them ſelves are ſinners, to bee righteous in Chriſt crucified, that is, whom albeit he knew no ſinne, hee had made ſinne for them: and that by the free imputation of Chriſts obedience, and ſatisfaction, vntounto them, as their owne righteouſnes, even as they them ſelves had performed it: and by the imputation of faith which he hath given vntounto them, as their owne, to this end, that the righteouſnes of God which they poſſeſſe no wayes but by faith, might be their owne righteouſneſſe, and ſo they might have remiſſion of ſinnes in his bloud of Chriſt, whom God had not onelyonly ordayned, but alſo made a propitiation for them in his bloud.
In this definition we cal iuſtification, firſt, the action of God, becauſe it is he only which iuſtifieth.
Secondly, wee call it the action of his diſpenſation: to diſtinguiſh it from the action of Predeſtination, or of Gods Decree in it ſelfe.
Thirdly, wee call it the ſecond action of his diſpenſation: to diſtinguiſh it from the firſt action, which is our calling preceeding it.
Fourthly, wee call it a gratious and free action: becauſe it is diſpenſed for no merit or deſerving of thoſe which receyve it, neither for any thing given by them to God before, whereof it ſhould be the recompence, but is given freely of his grace.
Fiftly, Wee call it the worke of God in Chriſt, to diſtinguiſh it from the Decree of God, which is a worke of God in him ſelf, and to ſhewe iuſtification to be a worke of externall diſpenſation, which wholy is performed by God in Chriſt, in whom all the bleſſings of grace are comprehended: as our filiation, or iuſtification, and glorification, in whom, and through whom only, God maketh vsus his ſonnes righteous and glorious, he, being made of God vntounto vsus wiſedome, righteouſnes, ſanctification, and redemption. And theſe five pointes are to bee conſidered in the nature of this action.
The next thing that is to be conſidered, is the ſubiect that is iuſtified. And this we make not ſimply to be a man foreknowne and fore-purpoſed, neither yet a man ſimply predeſtinate, but moreover a man effectually called, and made one with Chriſt by faith, and in that vnitie the ſonne of God. For a man ſimply and nakedly foreknowne, is the onelyonly obiect of Gods Decree and Predeſtination. For thoſe whom hee foreknew, hee predeſtinate, ſayeth the ſpirit of God. And a man predeſtinate, is the only obiect of Gods calling according to his purpoſe: For whō hee had predeſtinate, them alſo hee called, ſayeth the ſpirit of God. And the man now called effectually to the faith of Ieſus as the ſonne of God, and promiſed ſeed, in the which all the nations of the world ſhould be bleſſed, is the onelyonly obiect of Gods iuſtification, like as a iuſtified man is the onelyonly obiect of Gods glorification: Thus to goe backward againe, the Lord in glorifying a man, hath before him eſpecially his righteouſnes, for none but the iuſt ſhall live: next, in iuſtifying a man, hee hath particularly before his eyes his vnion with Chriſt by faith, without the which not any man ſhal be iuſtified of God. And in giving this bleſſing, to bee one with Chriſt by faith, and ſo in that vnitie, the ſonne of God; in which cōſiſteth the calling of God: Hee onelyonly hath before his eyes the man predeſtinate, to be Adopted through Chriſt, that is, the man whom hee hath ordayned to call, that is, to Adopt, and to make his ſonne by faith in Chriſt. And in predeſtinating a man to this bleſſinge, hee had not any thing before his eyes, but his owne foreknowledge of the perſon of that man, his purpoſe, or the good pleaſure of his will, which are all one in ſubſtance, and different onelyonly in reſpect: The will of God, which limiteth all the actions of his power (ſeeing hee doeth all thinges accordinge to the counſell of his owne will) being the higheſt and the firſt cauſe of all thinges created and done by GOD in the world, of the which no cauſe poſſiblie can bee given, and therefore it is in ſome reſpect the cauſe of Gods purpoſe, or counſaile, which therefore is called the counſaile of his will, although his will and his counſaill in effect bee both one: For his will is his purpoſe, and his purpoſe is his will in all thinges, and eſpeciallie in the whole worke of his grace towardes the veſſelles of merciemercy, vntounto the which, his purpoſe is eſpeciallie reſtrayned oftentimes in the booke of God: which purpoſe is nothing, ſave a ſetting of ſuch perſons before him from all eternitie, as hee him ſelfe willeth or pleaſeth: which may cleerlie be perceyved, by the holy bread ſet vponupon the Table in the Sanctuarie, being twalfe in number, repreſentinge the twalfe Tribes of Iſraell, that is, the whole elect of God, which are called the ſhew bread in the vulgar tranſlation, the worde beeing the ſame which is called the purpoſe of God, as is cleere by Chriſt his owne wordes, Math. chap. 12. ver. 4. Luke chap. 6. ver. 4. that is the bread, of the purpoſe of God, or of the ſetting before the face of God. And therefore the action of the Prieſt in ſettinge thoſe bread vponupon the table before the Lord, is called by the Apoſtle Heb. chap. 9. ver. 2. Protheſis ton arton, that is, the ſetting before or the preſenting of bread: to ſhewe vsus, that by that worde which is commonly called the purpoſe of God, which was ſhadowed in that type of the Lawe, is to bee vnderſtood, the eternall action of God, in ſettinge before himſelfe, as in the ſight of his owne eyes, the perſons of ſuch as hee willed. And in the ſame ſenſe the ſame word is referred vntounto Chriſt, Rom. chapt. 3. ver. 25. whether it be referred to Gods eternall purpoſe, touching the humane nature of Ieſus Chriſt, in ſetting it particularly before him, as that which ſhould be the onelyonly expiation of the ſinnes of his elect in the bloud thereof, or whether it be referred to the action of God in ordayning the ceremonies of the Lawe, As the ſacrifices, and eſpeciallie the propitiatorie or merciemercy ſeate▪ as the types of Chriſt: and ſetting them before his eyes, or rather Chriſt in them, as the onelyonly propitiation for ſinne, of which action of God in ſettinge the perſons whom hee willed, before his face, followeth the foreknowledge, which in effect is nothing but the purpoſe of God, & is not to be referred to any thing but the perſons foreknowen, and is onelyonly diſtinguiſhed in reſpect from the purpoſe for the clearer vnderſtandinge. As the ſettinge of a thinge before our eyes, maketh vsus to have the knowledge of it: ſo the Lorde, his ſetting of our perſons, who… hee willed to bee his, before his eyes, includeth the knowledge of our particular perſons from all eternitie, before eyther the worlde or wee were created, whoſe eſtate and condition both in faith, righteouſneſſe, and life, are conſequences of this particular purpoſe and notice of GOD touching our perſons, and of the Decree which the Lorde maketh concerning vsus, of whoſe perſons it pleaſed him, and it was his good will and pleaſure, to take ſuch notice before wee were. For thoſe perſons whom it pleaſed him to knowe, before the worlde was, them he predeſtinated, and decreed to bee adopted through Chriſt, that is, to beleeve, and by faith to bee made one with the ſonne of God: ſo that the foreknowledge of God, as it is diſtinguiſhed in order from predeſtination, and made the diſtinction of the obiect of predeſtination, can never properly bee referred to any ſpirituall gift, or grace, eyther decreed for the children of God, or in tyme given vntounto them: but onelyonly vntounto their perſōs (which onelyonly are properly ſaide to bee foreknowne, when as foreknowledge is diſtinguiſhed as a ſeverall action in God him ſelfe, from Gods Decree, as the effect of his foreknowledge) ſeeing the gift of faith, and Adoption by faith, are the bleſſings decreed to them that are foreknowne.
This diſtinct conſideration of man, as the obiect of Gods gratious working, eyther in decreeing bleſſedneſſe through Chriſt, or diſpenſinge it in Chriſt, or in his purpoſe or foreknowledge concerning both Decree and Diſpenſation, ſerveth much to cleere our iudgements in that queſtion, ſo much now controverted in the Church of GOD, touching man, as hee is the obiect of Gods predeſtination: for it appeareth by the order of the Apoſtles ſetting downe both the Decree and Diſpenſation of God, that in every diſtinct degree of his grace, there is a diſtinct conſideration to bee had of man, as hee is the obiect of Gods favour: ſo that in his Decree man onelyonly in his eſſence, as being purpoſed of God, and foreknowne of him, is ſett by the Lord before his eyes, in ordayning him to Adoptiō through Chriſt: but in his adopting, and calling, hee hath not ſimplie, and nakedlie, the beeing, and ſubſiſting of a man before his eyes, but alſo his owne Decree concerning that man, that is he ſetteth him before him ſelfe, as a man ordayned by him ſelfe to bee made his ſonne through Chriſt. And in his iuſtifying of a man, hee reſpecteth him not ſimplie in reſpect of his beeing, and ſubſiſtinge, neyther yet as ordayned of him to Adoption: but rather as a man nowe effectuallie called to that eſtate, and condition, that is, to bee the ſonne of God in Chriſt. And laſtly, in glorifying of a man, GOD ſetteth before him a man not onelyonly as foreknowne in his beeing, neyther onelyonly as ordayned to Adoption, nor as called vntounto that bleſsinge by him: but alſo as now iuſtified by the Redemption that is in Chriſt Ieſus, freely imputed vntounto him by grace. And this much is to be conſidered in the obiect, that is in the man whom God iuſtifieth: in whom alſo this other thing is to be marked, that he is in him ſelfe a ſinner: for God is the God that iuſtifieth the vngodly, Rom. chapt. 4. neither is the faith which is given him contrarie vntounto this: For as ſayeth the Apoſtle in the ſame place: To him that worketh not, but beleeveth in God who iuſtifieth the vngodly, his faith is compted for righteouſnes.
And therefore as ſinne is oppoſit to righteouſnes, and righteouſnes to ſinne: ſo in the veſſels of merciemercy, the conſideration of their ſinnes, and them as ſinners before God, is properly to bee placed in the worke of iuſtification as the firſt bleſſing, that belongeth vntounto them that are made now the ſeed of Abraham, and ſo the children of God.
Now in the worke of iuſtification it ſelfe, we ſay that he maketh thē righteous: by the which we vnderſtand not any chang of their nature, but of their condition and eſtate in Gods ſight onelyonly, being in themſelves, and in their owne nature, the ſame that they were before, that is, ſinners. For the benefit of iuſtification, is not onelyonly to bee diſtinguiſhed from the worke of our calling going before it, in the which not onelyonly the eſtate and condition, but alſo the very inward diſpoſition of our heartes, and qualitie of our mindes, are changed from darknes to light, from hatred to love, and from infidelitie to fidelitie, &c. But alſo from the benefit of ſanctification, comprehended vnderunder glorification, following after our iuſtification, in the which ſanctification, not ſo properly the eſtate and condition of our perſons, as the qualitie and conſtitution of our nature, is changed.
Secondly we ſay, that God maketh vsus righteous in Chriſt: becauſe the righteouſnes whereby wee are iuſtified, is neyther ours, nor in vsus, but in Chriſt alone, by whoſe onelyonly obedience many are made righteous.
Thirdly, we ſay, that it is in Chriſt crucified, and made ſinne for vsus, that we are made righteous: and that for two reſpectes.
Firſt, becauſe Chriſt is made righteouſnes by God, not to anie but to thoſe for whom firſt God made him ſinne, in delivering him to the death for them: in which action, he is ſpecially made our righteouſnes. For God had ordayned him to bee a propitiation in his bloud.
Secondly, becauſe that the thing wherein faith doeth apprehend Chriſt as righteouſnes, is ſpecially his death, & ſuffering, which the beleeving heart doth apprehend, as done and performed for it in particular.
Thirdly, the way how he maketh vsus righteous: we ſay, that it is by imputation both of Chriſtes obedience vntounto vsus (as our owne obedience or righteouſnes indeed before GOD) and of faith, to this end that it might be ours, ſeeing wee poſſeſſe it no otherwiſe, but by faith.
Laſtly, wee ſay, that by this imputation, wee have remiſſion of ſinnes: becauſe the death of Chriſt imputed vntounto vsus, which was the puniſhment of our iniquities, is a full and perfect ſatiſfaction of the iuſtice of God for our iniquities.
Thus we have ſo plainlie, and ſenſibly as wee could, opened vp that parte of the great myſterie of godlines, touching the iuſtification of a ſinner: following not any thing but the ſimple trueth ſet downe in Gods worde, according to the meaſure of light, which it hath pleaſeth the Lord to impart vntounto me: whom we heartily beſeech to bleſſe all our labours, to the glorie of his Name, and comfort of his Saintes, Amen.
FINIS.