The Mystery of Redemption, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the Materiall Cauſe of Iuſtification.
The Materiall cauſe of Iuſtificatiō, Actiuely taken.THe MATERIAL cauſe of our Iuſtification, Actiuelie conſidered on Gods part, is the Righteouſneſſe of CHRIST (Rom. 4.6.) called alſo, the Righteouſneſſe of God (Rom. 3.22.) the gift of Righteouſnes (Rom. 5.17.) that Righteouſnes which is of God, (Phil. 3.9.) the Righteouſneſſe of Faith, and the Righteouſneſſe of the Goſpell.
2 It is termed the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, Note.becauſe Chriſt is the Efficient cauſe thereof: the Righteouſneſſe of God, becauſe GOD giueth the ſame freely, and imputeth it vntounto vsus, & approueth it in his iudgement: the Righteouſneſſe of Faith, becauſe we attaine vntounto it, or apprehend it by Faith onelyonly: and the Righteouſnes of the Goſpell, becauſe it is made manifeſt and reuealed in the Goſpell.
The Righteouſnes of Chriſt hath two parts.3 This Righteouſnes, being but one in number, hath two parts: 1. The Perfect fulfilling of the law of God. 2. The Voluntarie payment of the puniſhment for our diſobedience.
I. Fulfilling of the Law; which is two-fold.4 THe Perfect fulfilling of the law, is the full and exact conformitie of Chriſts humane nature and actions with the will of God reuealed in both tables of the Decalogue.
5 And of this Perfect Conformity there are two members: 1. Innocencie. 2. Sanctitie or holineſſe.
6 The Innocencie of Chriſt, 1. Innocencie.is that immunity or freedome from Sin, either Originall or Actuall: For Chriſt neither had, nor committed any ſinne, for hee was both cōceiued and borne without ſinne; and all his life time he neuer tranſgreſſed againſt the law of God, either by fact, or word, or will, or cogitation, or by any euill concupiſcence. Ioh. 8.46.2. Corinth. 5.21. 1. Pet. 1.19. 1. Pet. 2.22. Heb. 4.15.
7 The Sanctitie of Chriſt, 2. Sanctity.is that integritie or purity which Chriſt had from the firſt moment of his conceptiō, and retained in all his cogitatiōs, words, deeds and deſires, vntill his verie death vponupon the Croſſe. Luk. 1.35. Act. 3.14. Act. 4.27.30. 1. Ioh. 2.20. Apoc. 3.7.
II. Bearing of the puniſhment.8 The Voluntary payment of the puniſhment for our diſobedience, is the whole humiliation of Chriſt, from the beginning of his Conceptiō, vntill his Glorification. Philip. 2.7.8. Rom. 8.3. Galath. 3.13. & alibi paſſim.
Note well.9 Of theſe two mē bers, cōſiſteth that perfect, and eueryevery way abſolute Righteouſneſſe whereby wee are iuſtified: which both the Iuſtice of God, the Office of a Mediatour, and Saluation of Man neceſſarily required.
10 I. The Iuſtice of God. Becauſe the Iuſtice of GOD could not otherwiſe hauehave been ſatisfied, but by perfect fulfilling the Law, and bearing the puniſhmēt, which we had deſerued for the breach thereof.
11.II. The Office of a Mediatour: Becauſe our Suretie was reallie to pay the full price of our Redemption; both actiuely by doing, & paſſiuely by ſuffring thoſe things which we ought to hauehave performed.
12 III. The Saluation of Man: Becauſe wee could neuer hauehave been redeemed otherwiſe, than by ſatisfying the law and iuſtice of God, by the perfect obedience and death of our Surety and Mediatour.
The Materiall cauſe Paſſiuely taken.13 The Materiall Cauſe of our Iuſtification Paſsiuely taken, are all the Elect (Rom. 8.33) being firſt in the ſtate of Nature vngodlie: (Rom. 4.5.) God iuſtifieth the vngodly; and then in the ſtate of ſupernaturall Grace beleeuing. (Rom. 3.22.) The righteouſnes of God by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt (is manifeſted) vntounto all and vponupon all that beleeue.
14 So much for the Materiall Cauſe of our Iuſtification: Now of the Formall:
A PRAYER FOR liuely ſenſe and aſſurance of Juſtification.
O Moſt merciful Lord Ieſus Chriſt, which ſhalt iudge al my words and workes, or rather anſwere both for mee and them, ſo direct, and order, and appoint my hart, my thought, tōgue and labours to thy honour and glorie, that as thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life, ſo I doe nothing but walke in thy way, think of thy trueth, and aime at thy life; that by a godlie way, I may come to the heauenly truth, & truth may leade mee to eternall life. And becauſe fleſh and blood would turne thy Image to the image of Satā, my foes are thy foes, O Lord, let not thine enemies preuaile againſt thee, to take me from thee: but let the aſſurance of my peace bee ſealed in my conſcience, that I neuer be left comfortleſſe. Make thy Word vntounto me, like the Star which lead vntounto thee: make thy benefits and graces, like the piller which brought vntounto the land of promiſe. Kindle thy louelove ſo in my heart, as in reſpect of thee and thy ſeruice, I may deſpiſe and vtterly deteſt whatſoeuer is againſt thee and thy truth, that I may alway find in my ſelf aſſured teſtimonies of the preſence of thy holy Spirit. O ſweete Sauiour, confirme my faith, which I feele oftentimes very weak and troubled with manie doubts; encreaſe it in me, O Lord, that thorough thy holy Spirit I may bee aſſured that thou haſt fully diſcharged the puniſhment of my ſinnes. Cauſe me, O my God, to feele in my ſoule and conſcience, that thou art mine and all that thou haſt done; that I am grafted into thy bodie and made one with thee, & therefore that I am fellow-heire with thee of euerlaſting life. Let me not only hauehave theſe words in my mouth, but thorough thy Spirit, let me feele the comfort of thē in my heart fully ſealed and ſetled in me; that I, feeling my ſelf inwardly before thy iudgment ſeate diſcharged, & my cōſcience towards thee appeaſed, may be ſwallowed vp with an vnfained louelove toward thy heauenly Maieſtie, and towards my Brethren alſo for thy ſake, ſweete Ieſus. Amen.