The Doctrine of Justification, Treatise · Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV.
THE grounds of any moment, which I have marked, whervpon this opinion is buylded, are two. The firſt is: It is thought an impoſſible thing, that God ſhould adopt vsus before he iuſtifie vsus. Becauſe God cannot eſteem thoſe that are vniuſt, to be his Sonns. And this is the cauſe apparantly, that makes ſo many to put reconſiliation in the firſt place, and to divide it in iuſtification, as the firſt part thereof, and Adoption as the laſt.
The other ground is taken out of the Scripture, eſpecially out of that ſaying, which is in the 1. of Ioh. ver. 12. Where it is ſaid, as many as receiued him, to them he gave prerogative to be the ſonnes of God, even to them that beleeve in his name, which are borne, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
As concerning the firſt ground, although it ſeeme to have great ſhew of trueth: yet it is moſt dangerous, if it be not rightly conceived. For it may import ſo much as that the love of God and his grace, is not free, and freelie beſtowed vponupon vsus: if ſo bee it ſhould be builded vponupon our Iuſtification: Which is contrarie to the courſe of Gods trueth in Scriptures. Which ſheweth plainly that God loved vsus, even while yet wee were ſinners and vniuſt: yea while wee were enemies, Romanes chapter 5. and that when wee were polluted in our owne blood, hee did pittie vsus, and of his love did promiſe life vntounto vsus, and waſhed vsus with water, and purged away our blood from vsus, and anoynted vsus with oyle, and decked vsus with ornaments. Ezek. chap. 16. Whereby it is evident, that our Iuſtification is not the cauſe why God acknowledgeth vsus to be his children: but by the contrarie, his taking of vsus to be his children, is rather the cauſe why hee doth waſh away our filthines from vsus, & iuſtifieth vsus. For ſeeing the Lord loveth vsus, before he iuſtifieth vsus: there muſt bee ſome ground of this love, before our Iuſtification: ſeeing he loveth vsus not, then as iuſt men: becauſe we are yet ſinners: and God doth iuſtifie the vngodly. And no other ground can preceede in diſpenſation, except our calling: which is nothing els in effect, but our Adoption: or at leaſt, the firſt part and beginning of it. Which is the firſt fruite of his love toward vsus: by the which wee are made of the ſeed, and ſo heyres of the promiſe of righteouſnes, conforme to the reaſon of the Apoſtle Peter, Acts chap. 2. verſ. 39. Where he ſheweth that the promiſe belongeth to all that the Lord our God ſhall call. Which calling, is nothing els but the applying to vsus in time of our eternall election in Chriſt before all time: which election is nothing els but our Adoption. This point is cleere if we conſider, who they are, whoſe filthines God promiſeth to waſh away, Eſay. chap. 4. and to whom he promiſeth to open the fountayne for ſinne and vncleanes, Zach. chap. 13. that is, to the Doughters of Ieruſalem, and to the houſe of David, and inhabitants of Ieruſalem. Which in effect is as much as to ſay: Thoſe who are the children of God, who are citizens with the Saints, and of the houſhold of God. And this is that which we ſaid before, that we muſt firſt be of the ſeed, before we enioy any part or portion of the promiſe: and ſo conſequently righteouſnes. For the love of God to his Sonne, as his Sonne, being the only foūdation of Gods love vntounto vsus: it muſt follow that the firſt ground of Gods love to vsus in Chriſt, muſt be buylded vponupon our communion with him, in that which is the foundation of all Gods love to vsus: that is the Sonne-ſhip. For it is for this cauſe, that it is ſaide in ſcripture, that Chriſt is the ſonne of Gods love, and his beloved: and that God is ſaid to make vsus acceptable or beloved to him ſelfe, in that his beloved Sonne.
Secondly, we ſhall perceyve the trueth heereof more cleerly, if we conſider the grounds in Chriſt, wherevpon dependeth our Adoption and iuſtification in him.
Touching our Adoption, it muſt of neceſſitie be grounded, neither vponupon the Divine nature of Chriſt, nor ſimply vponupon his humane nature, neither vponupon his Obedience and ſuffering in that humane nature, now aſſumed: but onelyonly vponupon his perſonalitie and ſubſiſting, whereby he is the Sonne of God. For which cauſe our nature, which hee aſſumed, was taken by him, in vnitie of ſubſiſting or perſon with his Divine nature. In that perſonall vnitie of our nature aſſumed, with the ſonne of God, laying the foundation of our Adoption, to bee the ſonnes of GOD.
As touching our Iuſtification, it is buylded vponupon his obedience, in giving him ſelfe to the death of the croſſe for vsus: as it is cleare throughout all the ſcriptures.
Theſe groundes being conſidered, we have next to marke in which of theſe two, is our communion by faith with Chriſt, firſt in order accompliſhed: that is whether firſt by faith, we are made partakers of his ſonne-ſhip, in being made one with him as the ſonne of God: or whether firſt we be made partakers of his obedience and death.
In anſwering of this queſtion, I thinke there ſhall no man be founde, who ſhall not agree, that we muſt by faith have fellowſhip and communion with him ſelfe, as he is the Sonne of God: before we can have communion and fellowſhip of his ſufferings. For how can his death be our death, vntill firſt he and we be one: ſeeing all vnitie and communion of his ſufferinges, floweth from our communion and vnitie with himſelfe.
Wherevpon it may eaſilie appeare, that if that ſaying of thoſe learned and holy men bee not rightly vnderſtoode, it may make many to caſt from them ſelves, the verie foundation and grounde, wherevpon the aſſured confidence and knowledge of their Iuſtification in Chriſt dependeth. For no man can ever have hope, to have part in his death, that firſte doeth not finde, that he hath parte in him ſelfe: for firſt we muſt bee fleſhe of his fleſh, and bone of his bones, and he of ours, before any thing that ever he hath done in the fleſh, be made ours. Of which it followeth, that we muſt firſt be ſonnes, before we be iuſtified.
For as in earthly Mariage, Man and Woman are made one fleſh, by coniunction of their bodies in one: and therevpon followeth communion of all other things: even ſo in our ſpiritual Mariage with Chriſt, we have no communion with him in any thing that is his, vntill the time that firſt hee be ours and we be his: ſo as he and we be but one. And this agreeth with the ſaying of the Apoſtle, Gallath. chapter 3. verſ. 29. where hee ſayeth, And if yee bee Chriſts, then are yee Abrahams ſeed and heyers, according to the promiſe. Where the Apoſtle ſheweth, that our beeing Chriſts, maketh vsus the ſeed, that is, the childeren of God. And that our beeing the ſeede, maketh vsus heyres of the promiſe: And ſo conſequently, of the righteouſnes, that is by faith.
This ſame is evident by the Apoſtles ſpeech, Ephez. chapter 5. Where hee exhorteth men to love their Wives, as Chriſt loved his Church. Which love is declared in theſe effects, that hee did give himſelfe for her, to this end that he might ſanctifie her, purifying her by the waſhing of water, that he might make her to himſelfe glorious, not having ſpot or wrincle, &c. By which place it is manifeſt, that the death of Chriſt and fruites thereof, are the effects of his love, to thoſe that are nowe alreadie his ſpouſe, and ioyned with him in that ſpiritual Vnitie, which is by faith. And this we muſt acknowledge, except we will conſent to that vile opinion, which overthroweth the foundation of all religion: which is, that even in the intention and purpoſe of God; Chriſt dyed equally and indifferently for every man alike. That is, that he did give himſelfe to death, as well for thoſe that periſh, as for the elect of God. Whereas this place of the Apoſtle, ſheweth the direct contrarie: that he gave himſelfe only for his Church. Which is cleere by the Apoſtles argument, wherevpon he vrgeth the like love in husbands towards their wives, as was in Chriſt towards his Church. For the analogie of love, is builded vponupon the analogie of Vnion. The force whereof is this: if Chriſt ſo loved his Church, becauſe thoſe of his Church, are members of his body, of his fleſh, and of his bones, ſo likewiſe ought men to love their wives: becauſe they are one fleſh and one body with their husbands. For as the Apoſtle requireth of husbands towards their wives, more then that common love, which they owe to all women: and that becauſe they are one fleſh with their wives: but not with any other women: even ſo he vrgeth it, from a like example in Chriſt: who beſide and above that common love, which he carrieth to all fleſh: did in greater meaſure declare his love to thoſe that were members of his body, fleſh of his fleſh, and bones of his bones: in that he did give himſelfe to death for them: to this end, that hee might iuſtifie them. For as the bonde of Mariage, doth oblige the husband to a particular and ſpeciall love to his wife, wherein he is obliged to none other: even ſo the Lord Ieſus, did ſubmitt himſelfe vntounto the Fathers will, to lay downe his life for none, but ſuch as were given him of the Father, and made members of his body, and his ſpirituall ſpouſe.
And if any will obiect, that this place of the Apoſtle is to be vnderſtood of the order of Chriſt his doing, according to the eternall purpoſe and Decree of God: and not according to the Diſpenſation of God towards vsus in tyme. It is eaſie to be anſwered: that the order of God in both is one and the ſame. For as the Lord doth particularly predeſtinate men, to Adoption, before he give his Sonne to the death for their iuſtification; even ſo in tyme, he doth Adopt vsus, that is effectuallie call vsus, & bring vsus to his Sonne, and make vsus one with him, before he iuſtifie vsus.
Moreover, this ſhall yet be more manifeſt, if we ſhall marke this one diſtinction of the fruites of faith. to wit, if we can diſcerne betwixt the immediate fruite of faith, and the mediate fruites. The mediate fruite we call that, which is wrought by God in vsus, even by the very working of faith in our heartes, together and at once: and that is, our verie vnion and coniunction with Chriſt. For by faith Chriſt dwelleth in our heartes: and this is the worke whereby we are made the ſonnes of God. For as ſayeth the Apoſtle: If we be Chriſtes, we are the ſeed, Gal. chapt. 3. verſ. 29.
The mediate fruites of faith I call thoſe, which by vertue of this vnion, as the neceſſarie forerunning meane, faith produceth in vsus: ſuch as is our iuſtification, ſanctification, &c. ſo that in a manner, we can diſtinguiſh betwixt theſe benefites and our faith: but more hardly betwixt our faith and Adoption: ſeeing our abyding in Chriſt, and Chriſtes abyding in vsus, is all one thing with our beleeving in Chriſt.
That ſaying therefore, of theſe learned Divines, that GOD cannot acknowledge vsus his ſonnes, before he iuſtifie vsus: is not ſimplie and abſolutelie to be vnderſtood: but by compariſon & relation: that is, becauſe God powreth in our heartes, after our iuſtification, a more lively ſenſe of his love, and a cleerer ſight of our Adoption, then we receyved in our calling. And this maner of ſpeach the ſpirit of God vſeth familiarly in the ſcriptures: which is comparatively to be vnderſtood. as Iohn chap. 7. verſ. 39. For the holy Ghoſt was not yet, becauſe Chriſt was not yet glorified: Which is not to be vnderſtood, as though the holy Ghoſt had not bene at all, but only that he was not in that meaſure that he was therafter to be given. Likewiſe in that of Iohn ch. 16. Chriſt ſayeth, touching his Diſciples: hetherto have ye asked nothing in my name: which were great prophanes in vsus, to vnderſtand ſimply of thoſe holy men of God: who knew Chriſt to be the Chriſt, & Sonne of the living God: and who were directed in their prayers by the ſpirit of God, who inditeth none, but in the name of Chriſt: albeit more darkely and obſcurely manifeſted in our hartes, then after the comming of the holy Ghoſt in greater meaſure.
Even ſo it may bee iuſtly ſaide of our Adoption: that God doeth not acknowledge vsus his ſonnes before hee iuſtifieth vsus: becauſe that, which in ſmall meaſure and darkely was manifeſted to vsus, in our calling, is more fully and clearely revealed in our Iuſtification. becauſe then the ſpirit of Adoption is more aboundantly ſhed abroad in our heartes, for the ſealing of our Adoption. For as we hauehave ſaide before, although our Adoption be begunne in our Calling, before our Iuſtification: yet hath it the clearer manifeſtation, and fuller accompliſhment, in, and through all the reſt of the benefites following our Calling. For as ſayth Iohn in his firſt Epiſtle, chapter 3. verſe. 2. VVe are now the ſonnes of GOD, but yet it is not made manifest, what wee ſhall be. Therefore are we, who are already called, Iuſtified and Sanctified, ſtill ſaide to wayte yet for our Adoption, Rom. chapter 8. verſe 23.
Not as though we were not already Adopted, but becauſe our Adoption, is not fully accompliſhed, vntill our bodies bee redeemed and fully glorified. So that with as good reaſon, wee may ſaye, that God doth not acknowledge vsus to be his ſonnes, whyleſt our bodyes are yet vile and corruptible: ſeeing we muſt Waite for our Adoption, vntill our bodyes be redeemed▪