The Life of Justification Opened, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Naturally we are inclined to cry up Selff, in Justification.
THe Apostle, as we see, in all his writtings about this matter, is very carefull to cleare the question of justification so, as Man may have no cause of boasting, or of glorying in himself, upon the account of any thing he hath, or he hath done in order to justification; that hereby he might cast a copie unto all such, as would approve themselves faithful unto the Lord, in being co-workers with Him, in the Gospel; & that he might so much the more set himself against that innatelusting of heart, that is in all naturally, unto an exalting & crying up of Self, in the matter of their justification before, & Acceptance with God; and especially we finde, how zealously, how frequently, & with what strength & multitude of Arguments, he setteth himself against, & cryeth down that, which men do so naturally, & with such a vehement byasse, incline unto; to wit, justification by their own works, or by their own obedience to the Law; to the end, their innate pride may have ground of venting it self, in boasting & glorying before men.
From this we may premit, in short, the consideration of these Three things, to prepare our way unto the clearing-up of the Gospel-Doctrine in this matter.
First. That there is a corrupt byasse in the heart of men by nature, & a strong Inclination, to reject the Gospel-Doctrine of free justification, through faith in Christ; & to ascribe too much to themselves, in that affaire: as if they would hold the life of justification, not purely of the free grace & rich mercy of God, through Jesus Christ; but of themselves, either in whole, or in part, in one measure, or another.
Secondly, That it is the duty of all, who would be found faithful Ambassadours for Christ, after the example of the Apostle, so to preach forth the Grace of God, in this mystery, & to explaine the same, as corrupt Nature within, & such without, as are byassed with mistakes about this matter, & are led away with proud & carnal self conceits, may have no apparent or seeming ground of boasting; nor be confirmed in their natural prejudices & Mistakes therein.
Thirdly, That in very deed, free Gospel-justification is so contrived & ordered as that none have any real ground of boasting, or of glorying in themselves, or of ascribing any part of the glory thereof unto themselves, as if they, by their deeds & works, did contribute any thing to the procuring thereof.
It will not be necessary to speak to these at any length, but only briefly to touch upon them, to make way unto what followeth to be said on this weighty subject, which is of so much concernment to us all.
As to the First of these (to which we shall speak little, in this Chapter, & thereafter of the rest, in their due order) it is too too apparent to be a truth from these grounds following.
I. This is most manifest from the many Errours & false opinions, that are Vented, Owned & Maintained, with so much Violence & corrupt zeal, & all to cry-up Self, in less, or in more; & to cry down Grace. Hence so many do plead, with great confidence, for an Interest of our works, in our justification; Such as Papists, (who quite mistake the nature of true justification) Socinians, Arminians, & Others, who side with these in less, or in more; & will plead for a justification by our inherent Righteousnoss, or works of Righteousness, which we do. Others, that will not plead for such an early Interest of our works, in this matter, will plead for faith, as our Gospel-Righteousness; & affirme, that the very act of our Obedience in us, is imputed for a Righteousness to us, & is accounted such by God; & so, hath the same place in the New Covenant, that compleet & perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant of works, made, with Adam; which, as shall hereafter appear, driveth us upon the same rock.
II. It is manifest likewise from the large & frequent Disputes about this matter, that we have in Paul's Epistles. If there had not been a great pronness in man, by nature, to cry-up himself, & to set up his own Righteousness, in matter of justification, why would the Spirit of the Lord have been at so much paines (to speak so) to cry down Self & our works, in this matter, as He is, in these Epistles of Paul, if He had not seen the great necessity thereof, by reason of this strong Inclination, that men Naturally have hereunto? We must not think, that any thing is there spoken in vaine; or that the Spirit of the Lord would have left that Doctrine so fully cleared, wherein our works are so expresly excluded, if there had not been a necessity for it, & if it had not been as necessary, in all after ages of the Church, as at that time, when first written. Whatever the truth be, that is so frequently & pungently inculcated in the Scriptures, we may saifly suppose, that as the faith & practice of that truth is necessary; so there must be much reluctancy of Soul in us to receive the same, & to close with it, and a strong Inclination to beleeve & practise the contrary.
III. In the Infancy of Christianity, we see, what a strong Inclination there was to cry-up works, what we do, & the Law, as the only ground of justification; or, at least, to have a share with Christ, in that Interest, which gave occasion to the penning of these Epistles of Paul, where this matter is so fully & clearly handled; particularly that to the Romans, & that to the Galatias; & unto the speaking less or more hereunto, in almost all his other Epistles. And this Inclination to the crying up of works & the Law, in Opposition to the pure Gospel-way of justification, was not only among the Gentiles, who had been without God, & without Christ, & all the Meanes of understanding any thing of Salvation, through a slaine Saviour; but even amongst the Jewes, who, by the Dispensation of the New Covenant, which they were under, might have been better principled; for it was they, who most urged the Interest of the Law, & of works, & thereby… laboured to corrupt the Gentiles, & to lead them off the simplicity of the Gospel-truth; and of them, saith the Apostle Rom. 10: 3. that, being ignorant of God's Righteousness, & going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. They sought after a Righteousness another way, than by faith in Christ, who is the end of the Law for righteouness, to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10: 4. but as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9: 32.
IV. The Pharisee, who went up to the Temple Luk. 18: 11, 12. & prayed thus with himself God, I thank thee, that I am not, as other men are, Extortioners, Unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican: I fast twice in the week, I give Tithes of all that I possesse, &c. hath many followers. Many there are, who will have confidence in the flesh, & in what they do. Nature never taught Paul, to account all his great Privileges & Attainments loss & dung; but rather to account them gaine; for he saith, they were gaine to him; that is, while he was a stranger to the Gospel, & to the Grace of God, manifested therein. Hence is it, that the last are first, & the first are last; such, as thought themselves far advanced, & to have attained a great measure of righteousness, & so to be children of the Kingdom, are shut out, & Publicanes & Harlots are preferred, as being willing to renounce themselves & their own righteousness more, than such Legalists & Iusticiaries, who confide in something, which they themselves do, & have attained.
V. This is also manifest from the great difficulty of prevaling with such, as seem to themselves to have in them something more than ordinary, to relinquish & renounce these things, & to betake themselves only unto Jesus, & to rest on Him alone, for Righteousness, Life & Salvation; & from the little fruit that the Gospel Doctrine findeth among them. How many subterfuges finde they out, under which they think to shelter themselves from the wrath of God? How many fig-leaves do they sowe together, that they may cover the shame of their nakedness withall? And at what cost, paines & charges are they, in seeking to establish their own Righteousness? And all to fortifie themselves in their own delusions, & to keep our the pure Doctrine of the Gospel. And how ready are some to take hold of the smallest wig, that they may hang upon it, & finde reliefe, if it can yeeld but the least ground of hop, in their imaginations, ere they betake themselves to Christ according to the Gospel? How many Fetches, Turnings & Windings hath a Soul, pursued with wrath, & the apprehension of death, ere it be willing to close heartily with Christ, offered in the Gospel? Yea, if such, as have had some wakenings, come so far, as to change something of their former outward sinful courses, & be not so loose & prophane, as formerly, how ready are they to sit down, even upon that bit of negative righteousness? Much more, if they be brought the length, to go about some religious duties, how will they then sit down & sing, as if all were well? All which do plainly evince, that there is a strong Inclination in us by nature, to follow the way of works, that we may have some share of the honour of our own justification.
VI. This sad truth is hence apparent likewise, That when any Opinion is broached, that but seemeth to give more to works, than ought to be given, though possibly upon the matter, there be but little said, that may make any real Difference, how ready are many to close therewith, to entertaine that Doctrine, to cry it up & commend it, & to improve the Advantages, real or supposed, there had, to the fur…er Confirmation of that Anti-evangelik errour, which their Soul's fully comply with: when, upon the other hand, there is such a nauseating in many too too manifest, at the Simplicity of the Gospel, & of the Doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ.
If it be enquired, whence doth this proceed? or what can be the true causes hereof? I answer, Many things have a powerful Influence into this, as.
I. The Natural Enmity unto all the wayes of God, that each hath, as a piece of his heirship from Adam: What ever God willeth, we will not, yea we will nill; though our nilling of it be against ourselves, & we have no reason for it. There is a Spirit of Contradiction & Enmity to God in us all by nature, that we neither can, nor will comply with God's wayes, & with what tendeth to set forth His Glory. It is marked of the Iewes, that they stumbled at that stumbling stone, Jesus Christ, who was the end of the Law for righteousness, to all such as beleeve Rom. 10: 4. & 9: 32. They had such a prejudice at Christ, & at the way of Salvation through Him, that they brake their necks upon Him, who onelyonly was the rock of Salvation.
II. The innate darkness of Mens mindes, touching themselves, & all the things of God, especially the Mysteries of Salvation, is another cause of this Opposition to the Gospel-way of justification. They neither know their own hearts, nor their own wayes & doings; nor are they acquainted with the holy & righteous Nature of God, nor with the nature of His Lawes & Commandments &c. They know not, I say, the Corruption of their own Natures & the innate wickedness which is there, which neither is, nor can be subject to the Law of God. Hence ordinarily such as erre, in this matter of justification, do intertaine erroneous apprehensions about Original sin, & our innate Pravity; as do all the S…cinians, Papists, & many Arminians & others. So they are ignorant of the Law of God, not knowing how Holy, Good & Spiritual it is; & how it obligeth the whole man, Spirit, Soul, Judgment, Understanding, Will, Affections & Memory; & all the out ward Man; condemning the least sin, in Thought, word or deed, & commanding the highest pitch of holy duties, & right Principles, Ends & Motives &c. And hence they see neither Omissions of what is commanded, not their Commissions of what is prohibited, whether as to their Nature, Multitude, or other Aggravations; and the ignorance of this maketh them to see less the necessity of a Righteousness without them; & to seek for it with less earnestness & zeal: whence it cometh to passe, ordinarily (as is to be seen among Papists) that such as are most for works, in justification, shape the Law according to their minde, & curtaile it, as did the Pharisees of old, that it may look more conforme to their works, when their works are no way conforme to it. So likewise, they are ignorant of god, & of His Holiness, & Righteousness; & because they see, that if He be Such, as the Orthodox say He is, according to His Word, they cannot stand before His justice; therefore they deny His justice altogether, as do Socinians; or Imagine Him to be all Mercy &c. & so imagine Him to be altogether such an one, as themselves; & therefore are not very zealous for any other righteousness, than what may come most readily to hand, & they themselves can make up with their own diligence & care; never remembering, that the justice of God must be satisfied; therefore deny all Satisfaction (as do Socinians;) or suppose Christ hath satisfied for all, & procured a New Covenant, or way to life, wherein we may bring what we have, & it will be accepted, & there is no more to do: Nor remembering, that we must have an Interest in Christ by faith, ere we have any Interest in His Merites & Satisfaction; & that the whole of our Salvation is so contrived, as Man may be abased, & Christ only exalted.
III. A vaine conceite, that all things in Religion must be just as we apprehend them to be; & our blinde, corrupt & byassed Reason & Understanding must be the Supream judge & Determiner of all these Mysteries. Hence the Socinians down-right say that … the Scripture say what it will, & how oft it will, they are to beleeve & to receive nothing, but according to their Reason: so that, what their blinded Reason cannot comprehend, they may & will reject. And others, who possibly will not so plainely lay down this ground; Yet in stead of conforming their judgments and Apprehensions to the word, & of being led by it, do frame a conception of the Matters of God, in their own heads, & then cause the Scriptures comply with their Apprehensions, by Interpreting them accordingly. So that following a corrupt guide here, they cannot but incline to that way, which suiteth most with that corrupt Principle; & be most averse from compliance with the Mystery of God, which is most opposite there-unto.
IV. Natural corrupt self love is another evil Principle, concurring to this effect, by its malignant Influence. We love to cry-up ourselves, to have something of our owne to boast of, & to glory of before men; and hence we cannot naturally comply so sweetly with that way, which taketh away all boasting, & leaveth no ground for man to glory in any thing, save in the Lord; & such is the way of faith, & of Gospel-justification Rom. 3: 27 & 4: 2.
V. A vaine & groundless high conceite, that people have of themselves, & of what they do, as if there were worth & excellency in it, to oblige God, to bestow upon them, what reward they think meet; not knowing, that when they have done all they can, they are but unprofitable, & that they have nothing but what they have received; & that for any good they do, they are more beholden to God, than God is beholden to them; & that the best of their actions are so defiled, that they could not answere for one of them, nor stand, if God should enter into judgment with them, & strickly mark iniquity Psal. 130: 3 & 143: 2.
VI. Pride of heart is another malignant cause of this Aversation & Unwillingness, to comply with God's way; & of this strong Inclination to the way of justification by Works. This was it, which led the jewes away from Christ, the end of the Law for righteousness: they would not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10: 3. & because they would not bow themselves to take on this Righteousness, therefore they were at so much paines & labour, to establish their own, & to cause it stand. Proud man would work, & enjoy the reward of his laboures, & will not willingly hearken to any other way. he will not be beholden to free Grace, nor ascribe glory to the Lord Mediator; but will still be at the old way of the first Covenant, at work & wages; that he may have it to say, he hath erned & purchased the crown of life with his own hands & industrie.
Therefore, from this we should all take warning, to look about us, & to guard against this strong & violent torrent, that is ready to carry us headlong to our ruine; & to be jealous of our treacherous hearts. Hence also we may see, whence it cometh, that the Gospel getteth so little footing among many; & how nothing less than the mighty power of God, will be able to prevail with a Natural Soul, & cause it comply with the Gospel-way of justification, & submit it self unto the Righteousness of God, & hold on Christ by faith. Further, We need not wonder to see, so many riseing-up, in all ages, against the Gospel of the Grace of God, & corrupting the Gospel-Doctrine of justification, seing blinded & unmortified Man is not in case, to be cast in its mould, nor willing to embrace it, untill he be broken, & broken over againe.