The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 51
CHAP. LI. Sathans temptations mouing the weake Christian to doubt of his iustification, anſwered.
§. Sect. 1 ANd ſo much for anſwering Sathans temptations,That our iustificatiō is plainly reuealed vntounto vsus in the word of God. whereby he laboureth to perſwade vsus to reſt vponupon a falſe and imperfect righteouſneſſe for our iuſtification: now wee are briefly to ſpeake of thoſe which hee ſuggeſteth into the mindes of weake Chriſtians, to the end that hee may make them doubt of their iuſtification, that ſo hee might (if it were poſſible) make fruſtrate this worke of God, or at leaſt robbe their ſoules of all comfort and peace of conſcience, which alwaies accompanieth the aſſurance of our iuſtification; for being iustified by faith, wee hauehave peace towards God through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, Rom. 5.1.as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Rom. 5.1. Firſt therefore he ſuggeſteth that our iuſtification is an action of God, and therefore vnknowne to vsus; ſo that we cannot poſſibly attaine vntounto any certaine knowledge that we are iuſtified of God, vnleſſe he aſſure vsus hereof by ſome ſpeciall and extraordinarie reuelation.
For the anſwering whereof, we are to vnderſtand that this act of God in iuſtifying a ſinner, is as cleerely reuealed ordinarily in the Scriptures, as any other thing concerning our ſaluation, and that eueryevery true beleeuer may as certainly conclude by vndoubted arguments grounded on Gods infallible truth, that he is iuſtified before God, as by naturall reaſon he can proue that he liueth and breatheth. For firſt our effectuall vocation and iuſtification are inſeparably linked together by the Apoſtle Rom. 8.30.Rom. 8.30. So that whoſoeuer can proue that he is effectually called, he may alſo moſt certainly inferre that he is iuſtified. But eueryevery true beleeuer may come to the certaine knowledge that he is effectually called (as before I hauehave ſhewed at large) and that not by any ſpeciall reuelation, but by the will of God, reuealed in his word by the inward teſtimonie of Gods ſpirit, and the vndoubted ſignes of effectuall calling, which he obſerueth in himſelfe; and therefore without any particular reuelation we may attaine vntounto the aſſurance alſo that we are iuſtified, that is, that our ſinnes are pardoned for the merits and full ſatiſfaction of Ieſus Chriſt, and we cloathed with his righteouſnes.
Secondly, whoſoeuer can come to the aſſurance that he hath a true and liuely faith, he may alſo be aſſured that he is iuſtified; for it is the nature and an inſeparable propertie of true faith, to apply vntounto the beleeuer Chriſt Ieſus and his righteouſneſſe, whereby hee is iuſtified before God; and hence it is that the Scriptures plainely affirme that we are iuſtified by faith and not by any thing elſe which is in vsus, as before I hauehave ſufficiently ſhewed. But we may come to the certaine aſſurance that we hauehave a true faith, by the vndoubted ſignes and inſeparable fruites thereof, which wee may diſcerne in our ſelues (as hath been alreadie plainely proued) though we neuer hauehave any ſpeciall reuelation: And therefore without any ſuch particular reuelation we may attaine vntounto the certaine aſſurance that we are iuſtified in Gods ſight.
Thirdly, that which the Goſpell aſſureth vsus of, we neede not to make any doubt thereof, or once call it into queſtion: but the Goſpell aſſureth vsus, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in Chriſt Ieſus, and truely repent them of their ſinnes, ſhall be made partakers of all the gracious promiſes of life and ſaluation therein contained; So Ioh. 3.16.Ioh. 3.16. God ſo loued the world that he hath giuen his onelyonly begotten ſonne, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him ſhould not periſh, but hauehave euerlaſting life. And chap. 5.24.Ioh. 5.24. Verely, verely, I ſay vntounto you, he that heareth my word and beleeueth him that ſent me, hath euerlaſting life, and ſhall not come into condemnation, but hath paſſed from death to life. Matth. 11.28.And Matth. 11.28. Come vntounto me all ye that labour and are laden, and I will eaſe you. And therefore whoſoeuer beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt, approuing their faith to the world and their owne conſciences, to bee true and vnfained, by the fruite thereof, vnfained repentance, he may aſſure himſelfe of all the gratious promifes of the Goſpell, and conſequently of the remiſſion of his ſinnes, and his iuſtification for the merits and righteouſneſſe of Ieſus Chriſt.
Laſtly, the Lord hath not onelyonly after a generall manner propounded theſe promiſes vntounto vsus, and left vsus to our owne libertie to beleeue or not to beleeue them, but hee hath bound vsus to the performance of this dutie by his expreſſe commaundement,Mark. 1.15. 1. Ioh. 3.23. Mark. 1.15. Repent and beleeue the Goſpell. And 1. Ioh. 3.23. This is his commaundement that we beleeue in his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt, that is, that we doe not onelyonly after a generall manner beleeue that he is the ſauiour of mankinde, but that we beleeue that he is our ſauiour, who hath redeemed, iuſtified, and wil moſt perfectly ſaue vsus, and reſt wholy vponupon him alone for our ſaluation. And he that thus beleeueth, needeth no other arguments to aſſure him that he is iuſtified and ſhall be ſaued; for he hath the witneſſe in himſelfe, euen the teſtimonie of Gods ſpirit, crying in his heart Abba father, and bearing witneſſe vntounto his ſpirit that he is the childe of God: and not to beleeue this is to make God a lyer, becauſe wee will not beleeue the record that hee hath witneſſed of that his ſonne, 1. Ioh. 5. 10.as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh. 1. Ioh. 5.10. Yea (as before I hauehave ſhewed at large) he hath added vntounto the hand writing of his word, which containeth alſo his oath for our better confirmation, his ſacraments; whereby he particularly conuayeth and giueth vntounto eueryevery beleeuer, as it were proper poſſeſſion of Chriſt Ieſus and all his benefits, to the end that there ſhould bee no place left to doubting, nor any neede of any particular reuelation, for our further aſſurance.
§. Sect. 2 Secondly, Sathan will ſuggeſt that thoſe who are iuſtified are made iuſt,That we are made iuſt not by infuſion but by imputation of righteouſnes. and thoſe who are made iuſt doe continually the workes of righteouſneſſe; but thou, will he ſay to the humbled ſinner, continueſt ſtill in thy corruptions, and thy wickedneſſe cleaueth faſt to thee, and compaſſeth thee about; and in ſtead of doing the workes of righteouſneſſe, thou continually heapeſt vp the full meaſure of thy ſinnes; yea thy beſt actions are ſo ſtained with imperfections and ſo full of infirmities, that they iuſtly prouoke Gods wrath againſt thee.
To which we muſt anſwere, that indeede whoſoeuer is iuſtified is made iuſt, but not by infuſion of inherent righteouſneſſe into our ſelues, but by imputation of Chriſts moſt perfect righteouſneſſe, as before I hauehave ſhewed; for hereby our ſinnes are pardoned, he hauing taken them vponupon himſelfe, and ſatiſfied Gods iuſtice by ſuffering thoſe puniſhments which wee had deſerued; and alſo he hath perfectly fulfilled the law, that hee might make vsus partakers of his actiue obedience; and ſo imputing both vntounto vsus, hath made vsus perfectly iuſt and righteous in Gods ſight.
So that now the Lord doth not require obedience to his law at our hands, to the end that wee ſhould be iuſtified in whole or in part, by our owne righteouſneſſe; neither are we to this end to obſerue Gods commandements, that we may offer vntounto God our workes and inherent righteouſneſſe, deſiring thereby to be iuſtified; for, as I hauehave ſhewed, our beſt righteouſneſſe is imperfect, and mingled with manifold corruptions, ſo as it would rather condemne vsus, then iuſtifie vsus, if the Lord ſhould examine it according to the exact rule of his moſt perfect iuſtice: but we offer vntounto God for our iuſtification, the moſt perfect righteouſneſſe and full ſatiſfaction of Ieſus Chriſt, which by his merits and ſufferings he hath once made for vsus, deſiring thereby wholy and onelyonly to be iuſtified and ſaued.
§. Sect. 3 As for our workes and inherent righteouſneſſe,That our works are not cauſes but effects of our iuſtification. they are not cauſes but effects and fruites of our iuſtification; neither is it poſſible that we ſhould doe any good worke acceptable in Gods ſight, till we are iuſtified, and reconciled vntounto God in Ieſus Chriſt, for our workes cannot pleaſe him, till our perſons pleaſe him, and whatſoeuer we doe, before faith hath purified the heart, it is ſinne and odious in the ſight of God: but as ſoone as we hauehave faith begotten in vsus, preſently it apprehendeth, Chriſt and his righteouſnes, whereby we are iuſtified, and then being iuſtified, faith worketh by louelove and bringeth forth in vsus the fruites of ſanctification; which though they bee mingled with much corruption, and manifold imperfections, yet God in Chriſt accepteth of them as perfect, and will crowne them with glorie, and immortalitie.
That now the Lord doth not require of vsus perfect righteouſneſſe.Neither doth the Lord now require of vsus, that wee perfectly at once ſhake off all our corruptions, but that we labour as much as in vsus lieth, to mortifie and ſubdue them according to the meaſure of his grace, and holy ſpirit, which he hath beſtowed on vsus; he doth not ſtraightly commaund that we ſhould inſtantly baniſh and expell ſinne from dwelling in vsus, but that we doe not ſuffer it to raigne in vsus, nor willingly obey the fleſh in the luſts thereof, ſubmitting our ſelues vntounto ſinne, as ſeruants and vaſſals to their Lord and maiſter; he doth not inioyne vsus that we ſhould wholy vanquiſh our corruptions, and obtaine a full victorie ouer them, but that we proclaime open warres againſt them, and manfully fight and ſtriue vnderunder the conduct of his ſpirit, againſt the fleſh, and the ſinfull luſts thereof; and when we are taken captiue of ſinne, that we labour to attaine vntounto our former freedome, in the meane time ſorrowing and groning vnderunder the heauie waight of our corruptions, and crying out with the Apoſtle,Rom. 7. wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliuer me from the body of this death; and that we confeſſe our miſerable eſtate vntounto our captaine and leader Ieſus Chriſt, deſiring him to aſſiſt vsus with the power of his holy ſpirit, that thereby we may be freed out of the hands of theſe our ſpirituall enemies, whoſe bondage and captiuitie is ſo irkſome and grieuous vntounto vsus. Neither doth the Lord now require that we performe abſolute and perfect obedience to his commaundements, but that to will be preſent in vsus, that we conſent and approue his law to be good and delighting in it concerning the inner man, that we deſire and indeauour to performe that good we cannot, and forgetting that which is behinde, indeauour our ſelues to that which is before, and follow hard towards the marke,Phil. 3.13.14. though we cannot attaine vntounto the end of our race, till wee come to the end of our liues. Finally, the Lord doth not require of vsus a whole harueſt of goodnes and righteouſnes, but the firſt fruites thereof; he doth not ſtand ſo much vponupon our actions, as vponupon our affections, vponupon the perfection of our workes, as vponupon the alacritie of our willes, and integritie of our hearts; the righteouſnes which he requireth is an humble confeſſion of our vnrighteouſneſſe, a ſincere hatred of our ſinnes, a holy indeauour in the vſe of the meanes to mortifie our corruptions, and to riſe from the death of ſinne, to holineſſe and newnes of life; which whoſoeuer can offer vntounto God, they may aſſure themſelues that they ſhall be accepted through Chriſt, as righteous in Gods ſight, notwithſtanding their manifold imperfections and corruptions.
The end of the ſecond Booke.