A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 13
The thirteenth Claſsis, or Company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
YOu have manifeſted the knowledge of Chriſt in his Natures, Perſon, and Offices: Now what is to be known concerning thoſe graces which God the Father, and the Lord Chriſt, with the holy Ghoſt gives, and which are ſealed to the Saints in the holy Sacraments?
Anſ. When Chriſt aſcended up on high, and had led Captivity Captive, as he had procured many graces,Eph. 4.8.16. gifts, and benefits; ſo he gave and communicated them from God the Father to poor ſinners, and they are ſealed to the faithfull in the bleſſed Sacraments.
Queſt. 2. But what are theſe gifts and graces in particular?
Anſ. The firſt ſpeciall gift, benefit, or bleſſing, is the grace of Election, which God hath beſtowed upon his Church and Children in Chriſt; and the aſſurance whereof is ſealed in this Sacrament, as other benefits of Chriſt to our ſouls.
Queſt. 3. What is the grace of Election?
Anſ. The grace of Election is that moſt free Act of God,Rom. 8.22, 30. Eph. 1.4, 5, 6. 2 Theſ. 2.13. by which he hath choſen ſome men and women before the foundation of the world in Chriſt to life Eternall, having predeſtinated them to the Adoption of Children by Ieſus Chriſt unto himſelf, according to the good pleaſure of his will, to the praiſe of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made them accepted in the beloved.
Queſt. 4. What ſhould a Chriſtian do concerning his Election?
Anſ. Labour to make his Election ſure for his joy and comfort.2 Pet. 1.7, &c. Luke 10.20,
Queſt. 5. What is the ſecond bleſſing and grace given from God the Father, in and by Chriſt for the benefit of his Church?
Anſ. The unſpeakable benefit of Redemption,Eph. 2.14, &c. Col. 1.12, 13. and Reconciliation to God by Ieſus Chriſt for the joy of his people.
Queſt. 6. What is this grace of Redemption and Reconciliation to God?
Anſ. Redemption is that vindication and freeing of men and women by Chriſt from the terrible bondage of ſin,Hoſ. 1.13, 14. Luke 1.74, 75. 2 Cor. 5.19. Col. 1.12, &c, Heb. 9.12 Ioh. 3.16. Mat. 17.5 2 Pet. 1.16, &c. death, the Devil, and hell, and making our peace with God by the payment of a juſt and full price to ſatisfie Gods Iuſtice, not with ſilver and gold, but with his precious blood, as of a Lamb immaculate and without ſpot.
Queſt. 7. What is a third bleſſing or grace given in Chriſt, and procured by Chriſt for the good of his Church?
Eph. 1.7, &c. & 3.1, 2, &c. & 4.8, &c. 2 Cor. 3.8. & 4 13. 1 Cor. 3.1, &c. 2 Cor. 6.1, &c.Anſ. The rich grace of the Goſpel which brings ſalvation, and the Miniſters of the Goſpel, who are Ambaſſadors for Chriſt, to beſeech men to be reronciled, and Inſtruments of our converſion and calling into the knowledge of the myſtery of Chriſt.
Queſt. 8. What is a fourth grace or benefit which the Lord Chriſt hath procured and doth communicate to and for the profit and comfort of his Church?
Anſ. The holy Ghoſt or bleſſed Spirit of truth, proceeding from the Father and the Son,2 Cor. 3.8. & 4.13. Eph. 1.…6, &c. and God equall with them both, the Lord and giver of life, and who makes the Goſpel and all grace effectuall by Faith, and power of applying Chriſt, and all Chriſts benefits and graces to the ſoul of a Childe of God.Ioh. 16.7, &c. 1 Ioh. 4.13. Secondly, Who worketh and increaſeth graces in the hearts of Gods Children, in the holy and right uſe of all Chriſts Ordinances, for the joy and comfort of Gods Church.
Queſt, 9. What is the fifth bleſſing or grace?
Anſ. The ineſtimable grace and bleſſing of effectuall vocation unto God in Chriſt, and the ſociety of the faithfull.
Queſt. 10. What is this grace and benefit of effectuall vocation?
Anſ. The grace of effectuall vocation, is that gracious act, fruit and effect of Gods Free-grace and love in Chriſt, manifeſted, Firſt, upon us in Election: Secondly, and towards us in Redemption: Thirdly, to us in giving the Goſpel and and Spirit of Chriſt, whereby men and women, moſt ſinfull and miſerable by nature, are gathered and called by the Miniſtery of the Goſpel without, and power of the ſame Spirit within: Firſt, out of darkneſſe to light: Secondly, from the power of Satan to God, reconciled in Chriſt: Thirdly, from ſelf-confidence to believe in Chriſt: Fourthly, from communion and union with the world, the fleſh and the Devil, in all ſin and wickedneſſe, to an union and communion with God in Chriſt, in all righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe, as that true way and path, in, by, and for Chriſt, which leads to glory, Matth. 11.25, &c. Joh. 6.44, 45. Acts 13, 47, &c. Eph. 4.8, &c. Acts 26.17, &c. 1 Pet. 2.2, &c. Rom. 7.1. Matth. 10.3. The Publican Zacheus, Luke 19.5, &c. as Acts 9. Paul called extraordinarily: So Acts 2.37, &c. 2 Tim. 1.9, 10. Tit. 2.11, 12. Joh. 14.6.
Queſt. 11. What is the ſixth grace or benefit which Chriſt hath procured for us, and we do receive from God our Father, in and through Chriſt his only begotten Son our Lord?
Ioh. 17.3. Eccl. 17.18, 19. Ier. 31.33, 34.Anſ. The precious gift and grace of Divine and Heavenly knowledge by the Spirit of Wiſdom, to know God the Father, together with God the Son, and the ſame bleſſed Spirit, the true God, and the knowledge of Ieſus Chriſt, whom the Father hath ſent into the world for our ſalvation, and whom to know is life Eternall.
Queſt. 12. What is a ſeventh grace or gift procured by Chriſt, and given of God to us in Chriſt, by the Spirit in Chriſt to our comfort?
Anſ. The rich and precious gift and grace of Faith,Phil. 1.29. Ioh. 1. 11, 12. Ioh. 3.16. (of which we ſhall ſpeak in due place) as a hand to receive and apply Chriſt, and in Chriſt Iuſtification, and life Eternall.
Queſt. 13. What is the eighth bleſſing, gift, or grace procured by Chriſt, and given of God the Father, Son, and bleſſed Spirit, in Chriſt, and for Chriſt, to his Church and Children?
Anſ. That ineſtimable gift and grace of free Iuſtification before God for life and Salvation.Rom. 5.1, 9, 10.
Queſt. 14. What is this gift and grace of Juſtification?
Anſ. Iuſtification is the free gracious act of God,Pſa. 32.1, 2. A & s 13.37. Rom. 3.23, &c. Rev. 2.17. Rom. 6.14. & 8.1, 33, 34. 2 Cor. 5.20, 21. in which for the merits and righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, apprehended by a true and lively Faith: The Lord doth firſt freely diſcharge, acquit, forgive, abſolve, and ſet free a faithfull or believing man or woman, from all the imputation, guilt and puniſhment of ſin; yea, from death and Hell, the ſecond death, or death Eternall due to ſin: Secondly, doth alſo repute, account, eſteem, and judge, or ſentence, and ſo make them righteous, in, and for, and through, not their own, but the merits and righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, and ſo in and for Chriſt, gives them the white ſtone of grace, and adjudgeth them to life Eternall.
Queſt. 15. You ſay Juſtification is the free act of God: How is it free? Or how are we ſaid to be freely juſtified, when as you alſo ſay it is for the merits of Chriſt?
Tit. 3.4, 5, 6, 7. Rom. 8.32.Anſ, We may well be ſaid to be Iuſtified freely by grace:
1. Becauſe we pay nothing for it of our own to God himſelf.
2. Becauſe Chriſt by whoſe merits and righteouſneſſe we are Iuſtified, is Gods free gift.
Queſt. How are ye ſaid to be Juſtified by Christ, Rom. 5.1.when the Apoſtle ſaith, We are Juſtified by Faith?
Anſ. Faith is the Inſtrument by which we receive and apply Chriſt,Mat. 5.17. Rom. 5.9. by whoſe merits and vertue we are Iuſtified. Faith brings nothing of our own, but receives from Chriſt; indeed properly and meritoriouſly: It is Chriſt applyed by Faith, in whom God is well pleaſed, and for whom we are Iuſtified in Gods ſight.
Queſt. 17. But doth not the Apoſtle Iames ſay, That Abraham was juſtified by works? How then are we juſtified by Chriſt, apprehended by Faith, or how by works, as St. Iames ſpeaks?
Anſ. The Apoſtle James ſpeaks of Iuſtification,Iam. 2.20, &c. Rom. 4.1, &c. Rom. 3.27.28. or rather a Declaration of our Iuſtification before men; and this is by works: the fruits of a true and lively faith, but before God, not by or for any works of ours, but for Chriſts merits applyed by Faith, we are juſtified in the preſence of God.
Queſt. 18. What benefit is there to a true believer in and by this grace of Juſtification before God in Chriſt, for being thus made righteous in Gods preſence?
Anſ. An excellent change into a new ſtate and condition:
1. Before a ſinner ſubject to an angry God, Eph. 2.3. But now a Saint delivered from wrath to come, 1 Theſ. 1.10.
2. Before an enemy to God in our carnall mindes, Rom. 8.7. But now friends reconciled to God in Chriſt, Rom. 5.10. 2 Cor. 5.10.
3. Before afar off, Eph. 2.1, 3. But now brought nigh, Eph. 2.13.
4. Before ſtrangers and forraigners; but now fellow Citizens with the Saints, and of the houſhold of God, Eph. 2.19.
5. In a word, Before neither ſons nor daughters in grace; But now ſons and daughters of God in Chriſt, and heirs and fellow-heirs of Chriſt in Eternall glory, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. Rom. 8.17.
Queſt. 19. This is comfortable knowledge concerning this bleſſing and grace of Iuſtification: Now what is a ninth bleſſing or benefit which is procured by Chriſt; and beſtowed upon us from God the Father, in and by the Lord Ieſus?
2 Cor. 6.17, 18.Anſ. Great bleſſings and benefits of Adoption, to be ſons and daughters of God in Chriſt.