The Mystery of Redemption, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of the Properties of Iuſtification.
The Properties of Iuſtificatiō.THE PROPERTIES of Iuſtification conſiſt ſpecially in three things 1. That Iuſtification is Free. 2. That it is Perfect. 3. That it is Euerlaſting.
2 I. Iuſtificatiō is Free: I. Iuſtification is free.Becauſe Remiſſion of Sinnes is not giuen for any merits of man; but is a meere grace and vndeſerued merciemercy promiſed for Chriſt his ſake alone.
3 For God findeth nothing in man whom he iuſtifieth but impuritie of ſin and extreme miſerie.
4 And the Scripture eueryevery where affirmeth, that Chriſt onelyonly is the author of all grace: and the whole hope of our ſaluation conſiſteth in his blood alone.
5 Without the merit of Chriſt there can be no iuſtification, for he hath purchaſed that Righteouſneſſe which GOD freely imputeth vntounto vsus.
6 They therfore that will be accounted righteous without the merit of Chriſt, are prophane Atheiſts.
7 And they which dreame they are iuſtified, partly by grace, & partly by their owne merits, are Pelagian Heretiques.
8 But they that beleeue they are iuſtified freely by the onelyonly merits of Chriſt, are true Chriſtians.
9 Againe, the Cauſe of Iuſtificatiō, to wit, eternal Electiō in Chriſt is free: wherefore Iuſtification it ſelfe muſt needs be free: for there cannot be more in the Effect, than there is in the Cauſe thereof.
10 If it be obiected:Obiect. If GOD remitteth our ſins for the ſatisfaction of Chriſt, then doth hee not iuſtifie vsus freely.
11 I anſwere:Anſwere. Yes freely, in reſpect of our ſelues, that is, without any ſatisfaction of ours, but not without anothers ſatisfaction.
12 Again, if any will obiect: But he that iuſtifieth in this manner, iuſtifieth not freely; For what a man doth by another, hee may be ſaid to doe by himſelfe: Therefore wee our ſelues hauehave paid the price by Chriſt.
13 I anſwere: God freelie giueth vntounto vsus this price, that is Chriſt our Satisfactor and Mediatour, which was not bought by vsus (Ioh. 3.16.) So God loued the world, that he gaue his onelyonly begotten Sonne &c.
14 II. Iuſtification is eueryevery way perfect and moſt abſolute: II Iuſtification is perfect and abſolute.for God doth not pardon one or two ſinnes onelyonly, but forgiueth all and eueryevery ſin.
15 Neither doth he onelyonly forgiue ſins that are alreadie committed and paſt; but remitteth the dailie falles of his children, if they repent. Iohn ſaith, (1. Ioh. 1.7.) The blood of Ieſus Chriſt cleanſeth vsus from all ſin. And Paul (Coloſſ. 2.13.) God pardoneth all our treſpaſſes. See Eſa. 44.22. Eſa. 43.25. Pſal. 103.12. Micah 7.19. Apoc. 1.5. Eſa. 1.18.
16 If it be demaunded:Queſtion. Whether Iuſtification bee abſolutely perfect and finiſhed in this life?
17 I anſwer:Anſ. There are two ſorts of Benefits which wee receiue of God in Chriſt: One of ſuch as bee not inherent in vsus, as Election and Iuſtification. The other of ſuch as doe inhere, as Vocation, Glorification.
18 Both theſe kinds of Benefits hauehave this cō mon, that before the ful manifeſtation of Ieſus Chriſt, they cannot bee fully and perfectly declared; I meane, neither Election, nor Iuſtification, nor Vocation, nor Glorification.
19 All theſe Benefits began to bee declared in the firſt manifeſtation and appearance of Chriſt (Rom. 3.21.) Now is the Righteouſneſſe of God made manifeſt; but are not fully declared in this life; as Iohn ſaith (1. Ioh. 3.2.) Now are we the ſonnes of God, but yet it doth not appeare what wee ſhall be.
20 But they differ herein, that thoſe Benefits which are not inherent, are indeed perfected and really abſolued in this life. (1. Ioh. 3.2.) Now wee are the ſonnes of God. So alſo, Now wee are elected. Now we are iuſtified.
21 Thoſe Benefits which are inherent in vsus, are not perfected in al their degrees, but only inchoated or begun in this life.
22 Hence it is euident that iuſtification is indeed perfected & abſolued in this life, but not plainly manifeſted and declared.
23 Queſtion may be made:Queſt. Whether Chriſt will not Iuſtifie ſuch as beleeued heere, in the day of Iudgement: which if it be ſo, ſhall not Iuſtification be perfect then at length in that other life?
24. I Anſwere.Anſ. In that day of Iudgement, Chriſt wil not ſo much Iuſtify the Beleeuers; as declare, by their works, that they beleeued and were iuſtified euen in this life.
25 For ſo alſo the word, Iuſtification, may bee taken, and ſo Iames vſeth it, where he ſaith, that Man is iuſtified by his works. (Iac. 2.21.) He is iuſtified, that is, declared to be iuſtified.
Againe.Queſt. Againe. It is demanded: Seeing we daily pray vntounto God for the Remiſsion of our ſins, that is, Iuſtification; how ſhall we ſay then, that Iuſtification is an vndiuidable act, perfected euen at one and the ſame time in this life?
27 I Anſwere. Whē we pray for Remiſsion of ſinnes, wee pray not, as for a Benefit not yet giuen vsus; but we pray for the increaſe of our confidence and application of the Benefit by faith, and for the encreaſe of our Faith.
28 Laſtly, it is obiected. If Iuſtification be the Sentence of life; and if that life cānot be perfected vntil the comming of Chriſt: then certainely Iuſtification cannot be perfected vntill the laſt comming of Chriſt.
29 I Anſwere. It is one thing to perfect the Sentence of life, and another thing to perfect life it ſelfe.
30 The Sentence of life is perfected in this life; but Life it ſelfe is not perfected vntill the cō ming of Chriſt.
31 III. III. Iuſtification is euerlaſting.Iuſtification is Euerlaſting: in as much as ſin ought not to bee imputed vntounto thē that are Iuſtified any more for euer.
32 For whom God hath once receiued into fauour, hauing blotted out all their ſins and offences, thoſe doth he ſtill preſerue in his fauour as righteous.
33 So that ſuch cannot vtterlie fall from grace and periſh by no manner of ſins, they being and remaining pardoned in thē. For God will neuer remember thoſe ſins, to which the Regenerate are as yet ſubiect.
34 This the Scripture expreſſely and diligētly affirmeth in many places (Eſa. 43.12.) I will remember thine iniquities no more. (Ierem. 31.34.) I will be merciful vntounto their iniquities, and remember their ſinnes and tranſgreſſions no more. See Hebr. 8.12.
35 Theſe and ſuch like places of Scripture promiſe the Grace of God and forgiuenes of ſinnes, not for a day or two only; but ſignifie and affirme that it ſhall alwaies be of force, and continue while life laſteth, ſo that the forgiuenes of ſins is quotidian and continuall al our life long.
36 Becauſe Chriſt hath made a ful and ſufficient ſatisfaction for them once for all, (Heb. 10.14.) And God is ſo iuſt that hee will not hauehave paiment and ſatiſfaction for one thing twice. But is ſo well pleaſed with the ſatiſfaction of Chriſt, that hee requireth no other ſatisfaction.
37 Neither muſt we imagine, that therefore God is not diſpleaſed with ſinne in the Regenerate. For the ſinnes euen of his owne deareſt children doe highly diſpleaſe him; albeit he wil not puniſh them in his Saints, becauſe he hath puniſhed them in Chriſt.
38 For GOD doth not ſo remit ſinnes as if he accounted ſinne no ſinne, or were not angry at it: but becauſe he doth not impute them vntounto vsus, nor puniſh thē in vsus; but accounteth vsus holy and righteous for the ſatisfaction of Chriſt apprehended by Faith.
39 Hitherto we hauehave ſpoken of the Properties of Iuſtification. It followeth that wee ſpeake of the Effects thereof.
A PRAYER FOR Sanctification.
O Moſt glorious & moſte gracious Lord, in goodneſſe infinite, in power almightie, in wiſedome wonderful, in iudgmēt iuſt, in promiſe true, in merciemercy rich, patient towards ſinners that call vponupon thy name, & ſparing, when they doe repent: what ſhall I bee afraid to ask thee? Rule my paths, O Lord, enlarge my heart. When I goe, let my gate bee ſtraight; when I runne, let me not fall, for I am a ſtranger vponupon earth, & vnderſtand not mine own way. I would walk at libertie, like thy ſeruant Dauid. What ſaith my Lord? ſpeake now, for thy ſeruant heareth? My Sonne, walke ſimplie after my word, for this is the plaine way, this is the ſure way: Heere thou ſhalt hauehave no lets, to ſtay thee; no encombrances, to entangle thee. Goe forward ſtraight, and turne not: libertie is in thy way, and Life is in the end. But if thou looke back, or ſtay, or turne to the right hand, or to the left; then thou falleſt into a hedge of thornes, nets & ſnares take hold vponupon thee. A double heart, and a man that goeth two waies ſhall not proſper, I am worſhipped of the ſimple and open hearted. Martha is troubled with much buſines, but Marie hath all things at my feete: therefore hauehave I ſeparated thee (if thou wilt) becauſe thou canſt not ſerue two maſters. It is true, Lord, for I am neuer diſtracted in minde, but when I am carefull about manie things: For ſo long as thou art with me, I am thine; but when I bring in ſin, then am I ſtraight diſpoſſeſſed of my ſoul. If I louelove any thing beſides thee, it vpbraideth me: if I ſpeake, or doe any thing without thy counſaile, ſtraight I am trapt in ſome errour, wearie of my ſelfe and vnapt for thee. It is wō derfull to thinke how my heart is hardened, my vnderſtāding blinded, my teares dried vp, when thou turneſt thy face but from mee, and Sin preuaileth againſt mee. Had I the ſpirit to diſcerne eueryevery thing at his value, I ſhould louelove God before all, which is beſt of all, and Man after GOD, which is next to GOD. How is my Soule troubled for this? and my heart rent in twaine, vntil my fleſh conſent, and all my mē bers agree together, to chuſe that which hee hath commanded, and to forgo that which he hath forbidden? Before I was afflicted, I went aſtray, like a thing vntamed: it is good for me that I hauehave bin touched, that I may learne thy Statutes. Saue me now, O Lord, I pray thee. Now, Lord, I pray thee giuegive mee vnderſtanding. I hauehave ſinned, I am ſorie, forgiue mee. Away from me, all you that worke vanitie, for the Lord is my GOD; if I regard wickedneſſe in my heart, he will not heare me. O thou eternall Goodneſſe, which art good to all, which guideſt thoſe that ſeeke thee, which enlighteneſt thoſe that ſee thee, and which ſaueſt thoſe that louelove thee; endue mee with thy gracious and holie Spirit, which may ſubdue all my carnall affections; which may rectifie my reaſon, regenerate my will, and purifie my nature, that at all times, when thou ſhalt call vponupon me, I may be readie with Dauid to anſwer, Loe I come: Praiſed bee God. Amen, Amen.