The Mystery of Redemption, Prayer – Chapter 1
A PRAYER FOR Grace and Wiſedome to vnderstand the Mysterie of our Redemption.
ALmighty and euerlaſting God, and in Chriſt Ieſus our moſt gracious and mercifull Father, I thy poore ſeruant, miſerable & wretched ſinner, do humbly proſtrate my ſelf before the heauenly throne of thy diuine Maieſtie, entirely beſeeching thy Fatherly goodnes graciouſly to graunt vntounto me thy heauenly grace and wiſedome, whereby I may truly learne to know thee rightly, and be diligent to performe all thy precepts effectually. Enlarge my vnderſtanding and encreaſe my knowledge. GiueGive me a liuely ſenſe to diſcerne ſweete frō ſowre and ſowre from ſweete, good from euill and euill from good, that ſin and ſuperſtitiō deceiue me not vnderunder the cloak of Religion and vertue. O Lord, this muſt bee thy worke; for I confeſſe that my reaſon is blind, by will is froward, my wit craftie to deceiue my ſelfe, my vnderſtanding and all my naturall powers, quite alienated and enſtrāged from thee. But, good Father, diſpell thou theſe cloudes and confuſions of peruerſe ignorance, and endue me with thy holy Spirit of grace and wiſedome, that I may hauehave my hart cleanſed from the corrupt affections of this deceitful world, and the eyes of my vnderſtanding opened, to ſee and embrace thine euerlaſting truth, eſpecially the admirable Myſterie of our Redemption by the obedience and paſſion of thy deere Sonne our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. Endue me O Lord, with the puritie of this heauenlie knowledge, and let me be able to diſcerne betweene truth and error, that I may bee alwaies free from hereſie, and not be entangled with falſe doctrine, nor defiled with the loathſome pitch of mans inuentions: but that I may ſafely walke the right way into thy kingdom, and faithfully apprehēd and take hold of the riches and righteouſnes of thy Sonne Chriſt Ieſus, ſo that my whole life and conuerſation may bee hereafter directed to the honour and glorie of thy name, and peace of my cōſcience, through Chriſt our only Mediator and Aduocate; in whoſe name I farther pray vntounto thee as himſelfe hath taught me, Our Father which art in heauen, &c.
What Iuſtification is. CHAP. I.
THE whole courſe & order of our ſaluation is abſolued, as it were, in two degrees, 1. In the knowledge of our owne miſerie. 2. In confidence of the Diuine mercy.
Our miſerie threefold.2 Of our miſerie there are three partes, 1. The Faulte. 2. The Guilte. 3. The Puniſhment.
Diuine merciemercy three-fold.3 Of the Diuine Mercy there are three partes in the like manner, oppoſitive vntounto theſe 1. Remiſsion of the fault. 2. Abſolution from the guilte. 3. Deliuerance from the puniſhment.
4 The whole proceſſe from our miſerie, vntounto the Diuine mercy is termed Iustification.
5 Iuſtification is taken two waies,Iuſtification twofold. 1. Phyſically or Naturally. 2. Politically or Iudicially.
6 Iustification Phyſically or Naturally taken, Phyſicall.ſignifieth an actual trāſmutation or change frō inherent qualitie of vnrighteouſnes, vntounto inherent qualitie of righteouſnes; from euill to good.
7 Thus muſt that place (Apoc. 22.11.) be vnderſtood, Hee that is righteous, let him be righteous ſtill.
8 And certainely a man is denominated righteous, from inherēt righteouſnes, (1. Ioh. 3.17.) He that doth righteouſnes, is righteous.
9 Iuſtification being taken in this fenſe, is indeede Iachoatiue glorification, or Sanctification, which is a certaine change betweene inherent contrary termes or qualities.
10 Iustification Politically or Iudicially taken, 2. Politicall.ſignifieth the pronunciation of a ſentēce of Abſolution or righteouſnes vponupon a man, by ſome Iudge out of a tribunall or Iudgement ſeate. (Rom. 8.33.) Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods choſen? It is God that iustifieth.
11 And this ſenſe is common, both to ſuch as hauehave Inherent proper righteouſnes, and alſo to ſuch as be not ſo qualified, but hauehave the Righteouſnes of another applied vntounto them.
12 For hee that is Righteous in himſelfe, may by a Iudge be pronounced ſo to bee, by his own inherent righteouſnes.
13 So are the bleſſed Angels iuſtified by God.
14 So alſo ſhould Man hauehave bin iuſtified, if hee had continued in his originall righteouſnes.
15 Alſo, a man may be ſaid to be iuſtified, that is, pronounced iuſt or righteous, by that righteouſnes which is not inherent in himſelf, but is properly another Mans, but made his by couenant.
16 After this manner any Debter may be ſaid to bee iuſtified by the righteouſneſſe of his ſurety, who in his name ſatisfieth the creditour and payeth the debt.
17 And in this ſenſe only, is Iuſtification vſed in the argument we hauehave to treate of, which is thus defined.
18 Iustification is the Sentence of GOD,Iuſtification defined. ſitting as iudge in his tribunall ſeate, whereby for the ſatisfaction and obedience of Chriſt he freely remitteth the ſins of the beleeuing-ſinner and imputeth the righteouſnes of Chriſt vntounto him, for his glorie, and the ſinners euerlaſting ſaluation.
That Iuſtification is a iudiciall Act.19 Now that Iuſtification is a iudicial act, it is manifeſt by ſundrie reaſons.
20 I. Becauſe it is plainely deſcribed ſo in Scripture, Pſal. 143.2. Iob. 9.2.3.
21 II. Becauſe in this Act there are, Debt, that is, Sin, (Mat. 6.12.) a law accuſing, (Rom. 3.19.20.) conſcience witneſſing, (Rom. 2.15.) an Aduocate pleading, (1. Ioh. 2.1.) and a finall Sentence, Rom. 3.23.24.25.28.
22 III. Becauſe ſuch words as be equiualent vntounto Iuſtification, are iudicial, as to remit ſins, (Pſal. 32.1. Rom. 3.25. Rom. 4.7.) to looſe ſins, (Matth. 16.19. Matth. 18.18.) to forgiue, (Coloſſ. 2.13.) not to impute ſinnes, (2. Cor. 5.19.) to put out the hand-writing, Col. 2.14.
23 IV. Becauſe the words which are oppoſite vntounto Iuſtificatiō, are Iudicial, as Accuſation, (Rom. 8.33.) Condemnation, (Matth. 12.37. Rom. 5.16. Rom. 8.34.) Binding, (Matth. 16.19. Mat. 18.18.) Retayning of ſins, Ioh. 20.23.
24 Euen as the word Iustification, ſo is the worde Imputation alſo common:Of Imputation. For Righteouſneſſe is ſaid to bee IMPVTED, both vntounto him who is inherently iuſt in himſelfe; and alſo vntounto him that hath not his owne inherent, but the righteouſneſſe of another, namelie Chriſts righteouſneſſe applied vntounto him.
25 That Iuſtification is common, appeareth by that ſpeech of the Apoſtle, (Rom. 3.28. Gal. 2.16.) where hee ſaith, that Man is iuſtified, not by the works of the Law, but by faith in Ieſus Chriſt.
26 Whereby he manifeſtly declareth, that a man may bee iuſtified, that is, pronounced iuſt and righteous, aſwel by his own works or righteouſnes of the Law (if any had ſuch works indeed) as a man may by faith, that is, by the righteouſnes of Chriſt apprehended by faith.
27 So alſo that Imputation is common, it is euident out of theſe words of the Apoſtle, (Rom. 4.4.) To him that worketh the wages is not imputed by fauour, but by debt.
28 In which words hee ſheweth, that the righteouſnes of works, that is inherent righteouſnes, may be ſaid to be imputed to a man (if any were ſo well qualified) as well as the righteouſnes of faith.
29 But our ſpeech is of the Imputation of anothers righteouſnes.
CONFESSION OF ſinnes, with prayer for Remiſſion.
I HaueHave ſinned, ô Lord, I hauehave ſinned. The infinite and euer-crying guilte of my ſins continually calles for infinite and neuer dying puniſhment. Oh, I hauehave ſinned, and therefore am aſhamed to appeare before thee, much more to craue any good thing at thy hands. I am a weake and wretched creature, and thou art a GOD of infinite power and Maieſtie. I am a guilty and grieuous offendour, thou a moſt iuſt and ſeuere Iudge. Sin hath left no good thing in me, al is wounded, al is poyſoned, and how ſhall I appeare before thee, into whoſe preſence ſhall enter no vncleane thing. Alas! I am ſicke with ſin. Sicke? yea dead; twice dead, ſubiect to mortalitie, & ſubiect to eternall damnation. I was conceiued and borne in ſinne, and hitherto hauehave continually liued therein; the greatnes of my diſeaſe hath almoſt quite extinguiſhed the ſenſe thereof, and my continuall cuſtome in ſinning cō firmeth my impudencie, and taketh from me the opinion of ſin. But now the only glimpſe of felicity cauſeth me to acknowledge my owne miſerie, therefore I am conſtrained to confeſſe with Dauid, I hauehave ſinned grieuouſly, and there ſtop, becauſe I cannot recken them. My heart is the roote and fountaine of corruption, my eyes the eyes of vanity, my eares the eares of folly, my mouth the mouth of deceipt, my hands the hands of iniquitie, and eueryevery part of my body doth diſhonor thee, which thou haſt created for thy glory, and would be glorified of thee. My vnderſtanding apprehendeth nothing but ſinne, my will affecteth nothing but wickedneſſe, my memory retaineth nothing but euill things. As for thy holy precepts and heauenly ordinances, O Lord, ſo farre hauehave I been from obſeruing or keeping any parte thereof as I ought, that I hauehave added tranſgreſſion vntounto blindnes, malice to ignorance, and rebellion to ſin. What now ſhall I ſay? To whom ſhall I go? or whither ſhall I flie? Oh, I ſinke in ſin. O Death! O Graue! Yours is the victorie. Thou ſeeſt, O Lord, what I hauehave been from the beginning, & what now I am. Neither doe I maruell ſo much at my wickednes, as I admire thy goodnes, that thou haſt ſuffered mee, with vnſpeakeable patience, thus long to run on in my ſins. Becauſe thou art ſo good, I imagined I might be ſo euill. Becauſe thou diddeſt beſtow ſuch great benefits vponupon mee, I thought I might commit ſo great offences againſt thee. So that the ſame medicine yt thou haſt ordained againſt ſin, I hauehave made a prouocation vntounto ſin. Who but thou would ſuffer theſe contempts, and yet be contemned ſtill? Notwithſtanding, O moſt gracious Father, ſeeing thou haſt ſworne thou deſireſt not the death of a penitent ſinner, if I repent, wilt not thou be pleaſed? if I returne vntounto thee, wilt thou be offended? No, no, I know thou doſt long vntill I come vntounto thee. Why then, moſt mercifull Sauiour, I come, I come quickely. Reiect not thy poore creature, that deiecteth himſelfe and wholy relyeth vponupon thee. If I come ful of ſcabbes and woundes, thou canſt heale me againe. If I be blind, thou canſt reſtore me to my ſight againe. If I be dead, thou canſt raiſe me vp again. Thou ſhalt ſprinckle mee, O Lord, with Iſope, and I ſhall bee cleane; thou ſhalt waſh me, & I ſhall bee whiter then ſnow. Thy mercies are greater thē mine offences. Thy pitie is more then mine iniquitie: and thou art able to pardon more ſinnes then I am able to commit. If thou refuſe me, who ſhall receaue and comfort mee? If thou forſake me, who ſhall embrace and defend me? Heere I am, do with me as ſeemeth good in thy eies. If thou wilt, I ſhall ſee thy face and reioice: if thou wilt perſecute mee, glorifie thy ſelfe. But wilt thou enter into iudgement with thy ſeruant? thou art iuſt to all. But wilt thou bee extreame to marke what is done amiſſe? Lord, who may abide it? But wilt thou bee terrible vntounto mee? Where then is thy mercy? HaueHave mercy therefore vponupon mee, whoſe propertie is alwaies to hauehave merciemercy; hauehave mercy vponupon me, O Father, neither looke vntounto the multitude of my ſinnes, but vntounto the multitude of thy mercies, for thy only Son Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, to whom with thee & the holy Ghoſt, bee all honor and glory, both now and for euer. Amen.