The True Doctrine of Justification Asserted and Vindicated, Lecture 2
LECTURE II.
ROM. 3.23.
Being juſtified freely by his grace, &c.
THe ninth Propoſition is, concerning the reality and truth of this Juſtification:9 The reality of this juſtification. for when we ſay God doth juſtifie, that is, account and pronounce righteous, this is taken by Papiſts, as if here were nothing, but a meer fiction and imagination, without any truth indeed: Therefore the godly are for their comfort to know that this Juſtification of theirs, is no leſſe a reall and ſolid foundation for comfort (yea it is more) then if they had the moſt perfect and compleat inherent righteouſneſſe that could be: for all things that are conſtitutive of this Juſtification, are reall; God his gracious accounting and eſteeming of us ſo, is reall: and ſeeing he is moſt wiſe, juſt and holy, what he doth judge muſt needs be ſo; we many times juſtifie our ſelves, but then it is ſometimes a meer opinion, we are indeed condemned at that preſent, but it cannot be ſo with God. Again the foundation of this Juſtification, is as ſolid and firm as any rock, it being the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, if therefore the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt be not a fancy or imagination, no more is this. And laſtly, the effects of this are reall, viz. deliverance from wrath, peace with God, joy in the holy Ghoſt, and the ſpirit of Adoption. Now in this treaſure the godly heart may much inrich himſelf, he is not in a dream when his ſoul is raviſhed with this priviledge; thou mayeſt be in this transfiguration, and ſay, it's good for us to be here, and ſtill know what thou ſaieſt; What ſhame then is it to thee, when if thou hadſt inherent perfect righteouſnes, thou wouldſt bid thy ſoul take her ſpirituall eaſe, for ſhe hath much good ſtored up for her, and thou canſt not do this upon an imputed righteouſneſſe: imputed righteouſneſſe and inherent, differ only in the manner, not in reality: it is all one, as to Gods glory, and as to thy comfort, whether righteouſneſſe be thine inherent, or thine imputed, if it be a true real righteouſneſſe.
Tenthly, Conſider, the Scripture ſpeaks of this juſtification, as to us, 10 The Scripture ſpeaks of juſtification as to us in a paſſive ſenſe.ſtill in a paſſive ſenſe, we are juſtified, and that whether it ſpeaks upon a ſuppoſition of Juſtification by works of the Law, or in an Evangelicall manner, and this it doth to ſhew that God only doth juſtifie: for ſin is only againſt him, and therefore none but himſelf can remit his own offence. Beſides, none can condemn but God, therefore none can Juſtifie. Who can lay trouble on thy ſoul, binde thee in chains, and throw thee into hell, but God? and who but God can command all the tempeſts and waves in thy troubled ſoul to be ſtill? When therefore others are ſaid to Juſtifie, that is only to be underſtood declaratively, and no more. Now this particular may ſuppreſs all thoſe proud, Phariſaicall thoughts in us, whereby we are apt to be puffed up within our ſelves: what if we Juſtifie our ſelves, and clear our waies? yet if God doth not, we remain ſtill obnoxious, and bound in Gods wrath.
Again, It is for comfort to the godly, what though Satan, thy own heart, and the world doth condemn thee? yet if God Juſtifie, thou maieſt rejoyce; you ſee Rom. 8. what a challenge Paul there makes, Who ſhal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? it is God that Juſtifieth. Who ſhall charge any thing? The devil, thy own heart, can lay much pride, hypocriſie, ſloth fulneſſe to thy charge: it is true, but God through Chriſt doth Juſtifie. What a Cordiall and reviver would it be to Gods people, to live in the power of this gift beſtowed upon them? it is God that juſtifieth thee, O my troubled ſoul! who can then condemn? who can hinder it, or invalidate it? Certainly we are therefore in dejections, deſpondencies, and perplexities often, becauſe we drink not of this water of life. Lay and apply this excellent Doctrine to thy fainting dying ſoul, and it will become to it, like Eliſha applying himſelf to the dead childe, cauſe ſpirit and life again to return to him; right thoughts here, will ſweeten all thoughts in other things.
11 God in juſtifying conſidered as a fatherly Judge.Eleventhly, Although Justification be a Court action, and drawn from judicatories, yet God is not in this action, conſidered meerly as a Iudge, but as paternus Judex, a fatherly Iudge, having an admirable temperament of juſtice and mercy, ſo that God pronounceth this ſentence from the Throne of Juſtice and Mercy alſo; of Juſtice, in that he will not abſolve, till ſatisfaction be made, and he will not pronounce righteous, but where there is a perfect righteouſneſſe: Therefore that opinion, of making Faith to be accepted of for righteouſneſſe is a dangerous and falſe aſſertion. God in this work of Juſtification, is never deſcribed, as accepting of an imperfect righteouſneſſe for a perfect. No, God doth not ceaſe to be juſt, while he is thus gracious. Again his Juſtice and righteouſneſſe is herein ſeen, that none ſhall be Juſtified, but ſuch ſinners who feel their guilt, and deſire to be eaſed of that burden, beleeving and rolling their ſouls upon him. It is very hard to give the right order of the benefits of Vocation, Juſtification, Adoption and Sanctification; but yet this may be made good againſt the Antinomian, that a man is not Juſtified, till repenting and beleeving. Here is Juſtice then but there is alſo a great deal of Grace and Mercy; As in the accepting of a ſurety for us, that he would not keep to the Law, of having us in our own perſons to pay the utmoſt farthing: This was great love; ſo likewiſe to finde out a way for our reconciliation; that when the devils had no remedy provided for them, we have. Further, that when this price is laid down, we have the application of this benefit, and ſo many thouſands have not. Two in a Bed, in a Family, in a Pariſh, one Juſtified, and the other condemned; What Grac… is this?
Twelfthly,12 Iuſtification in Scripture deſcribed by Gods actions not ours. This grand mercy is deſcribed in Scripture by God his giving ſomething to us, not our doing any thing to him. It is deſcribed by Gods actions, & not ours to him, which may abundantly ſatiſfie the heart againſt all doubts and fears; thus the Scripture cals it forgiving, not imputing ſin, imputing righteouſnes, making righteous, all which are actions from God to us, not ours to him, ſo that we are no where ſaid in a good ſenſe to Juſtifie ourſelves, or commanded to it, as we are to repent, or beleeve, and to crucifie the luſts of the fleſh, becauſe it is wholly Gods action; by faith indeed we apprehend it, but it's Gods action, as the window letteth in the light, but it is the Sun that doth inlighten. And from this particular, we may gather much comfort, for when we look into our ſelves and ſee no ſuch righteouſneſſe or holineſſe, that we dare hold out to God, then we may remember, this is not by our doing to God, but receiving from him; and in this ſenſe, it is more bleſſed for us to receive, then to give. This made the Father ſay, juſtitia noſtra, eſt indulgentia tua, our righteouſneſſe is thy indulgence. Therefore let not the troubled heart ſay, where is my perfect repenting? where is my perfect obedience? but rather ask, where is Gods forgiving? where is Gods not imputing? how hardly is the ſoul drawn off from reſting in it ſelf? it is not thy doing, but Gods doing; thou muſt not conſider, what do I, but what God doth. The Antinomian, he indeed wringeth theſe breaſts of Conſolation, till bloud cometh, but the true ſweet milk of the word muſt not therefore be thrown away. Do not then as they ſought for Chriſt, look for him in the grave, when he was riſen out thence. Do not thou po…r in thy ſelf for this treaſure, when it is to be looked for from heaven; duties, graces will ſay, this is not in me.
Laſtly,13 The Scripture hath phraſes equivalent to this of juſtification. Pſa…. …2.1, 2. The Scripture hath other equivalent phraſes to this of Juſtification, which likewiſe do amplifie the comfort of this gift. It is called Bleſſedneſs, as if this indeed were the true heaven and happines. If thou art juſtified, thou carrieſt heaven about with thee, and thy name may be Legion, for many are the mercies that do fill thee. Nothing can make thee bleſſed but this, it is not Bleſſed is he to whom the Lord giveth many riches and honors, many parts and abilities, but to whom the Lord imputeth no ſin; and howſoever thoſe who wallow in a Laodicean fulneſſe, judge not this ſuch bleſſedneſſe, yet, ask a Cain, ask a Judas, demand of the tormented in hell, whether it be not a bleſſed thing to have ſin pardoned. That thou ſhouldeſt be able to look on thy ſins as ſo many ſerpents without ſtings, as ſo many Egyptians dead upon the ſhoar, as if they had never been, that thou ſhouldſt be able to ſay, Lord, where are ſuch luſts, ſuch ſins of mine? I finde them all cancelled; Is not this bleſſednes indeed?
Another expreſſion is of accepting us in Chriſt, and herein lieth much of Juſtification, that it is an acceptation of us to eternall life, Eph. 1.6. This muſt needs imbolden and incourage the heart, when it knoweth, that both perſon and duties are accepted, though ſo much frailty and weakneſs, yet God will receive thee, The third phraſe is to make Juſt, Rom. 5.9. For God doth not pronounce that man juſt, which is not ſo. Therefore when we are Juſtified, this is not abſolutely and ſimply againſt a righteouſneſſe of works, but in a certain reſpect, as done by us, and as obedience coming from us, and this muſt needs ſupport the ſoul: for when ſatisfaction is made, when God hath as much as he deſireth, why ſhould not this quiet the heart of a man? will nothing content thee, unleſſe thou thy ſelf art able to pay God the utmoſt farthing? A fourth word is not imputing of ſin, or imputing righteouſneſſe, and this, as you heard before, is a very ſure and real thing, though it be not in us, for there are many real benefits do come to us, wheh yet the foundation is extrinſecal, as when a mans debt is diſcharged by his Surety, he hath his real benefit, is diſcharged, and releaſed out of Priſon, as if it had been his own perſonal payment. Now when God doth this, he goeth not againſt that text, To Juſtifie the ungodly, for its an abomination to do ſo, becauſe it's againſt Law, but when God doth not impute ſin, becauſe of the ſatisfaction of Chriſt intervening, that is moſt conſentaneous and agreeable to Juſtice. There is one word more equivalent, and that is reconciliation, ſome indeed make this an effect of Juſtification, ſome make reconciliation the general, and remiſſion of ſin a particular part; but we need not be curious, where Juſtification is there is reconciliation; and this doth ſuppoſe, that thoſe who were at diſcord before, are now made friends, and where can friendſhip be more prized then with God?
Having laid down theſe introductory Propoſitions, which deſcribe moſt of the matter or nature of Juſtification, I ſhall now come to ſhew, wherein it doth particularly conſiſt, wherein the true nature is,Cautions concerning juſtification. onelyonly let me prem…ſe two or three Cautions.
1. We muſt not confound thoſe things, which may be conſequent, or concomitant to justification, I. Caution.with juſtification it ſelf, for many things may neceſſarily be together, and yet one not be the other; ſo Juſtification is neceſſarily joyned with Renovation, yet a man is not juſtified in having a new nature put into him: The water hath both moiſtneſs and coldneſs in it, yet it doth not waſh away ſpots as it is cold, but as it is moiſt. We will not enter into diſpute (as ſome of the Schoolmen have, and concluded affirmatively) Whether God may not accept of a ſinner to eternall life, without any inward change of that mans heart: It is enough that by Scripture we know he doth not.
2. To place our juſtification in any thing that is ours, or we do, II. Caution.is altogether derogatory to the righteouſneſſe and worth of Christ. Some there are who place it partly in our righteouſneſs, and partly in the obedience of Chriſt, ſupplying that which is defective in us; ſome of late have placed it in our Faith, as if that were our righteouſneſſe, and not for any worth or dignity of Faith, but God out of his meer good pleaſure (ſay they) hath appointed Faith to be that to man fallen, which univerſal righteouſneſſe would have been to Adam: and hence it is, that they will not allow any trope or metonymie in that phraſe, Abraham beleeved, and it was imputed to him for righteouſneſs. But here appeareth no leſſe pride and arrogancy in this▪ then the opinion of the Papiſts, and in ſome reſpects it doth charge God worſe, as is to be ſhewed in handling of that point: Therefore let us take heed, how by our diſtinctions we put any thing with Chriſts righteouſneſs in this great work.
3. In ſearching out the nature of Justification, III. Caution.we muſt not only look to the future, but that which is paſt. For ſuppoſe a man ſhould be renewed to a full perfection in this life, yet that abſolute compleat holineſs could not juſtifie him from his ſins paſt. Thoſe committed before would ſtill preſſe him down, though he were now for the preſent without any ſpot at all. Therefore though now there were no defects, no frailties in thee, yet who ſhall ſatisfie the Juſtice of God for that which is paſt, though there were but the leaſt guilt of the leaſt ſin? there is no Sampſon ſtrong enough to bear the weight of it, but Chriſt himſelf.
4. The Orthodox ſometimes make the nature of Juſtification in remiſſion of ſin; ſometimes in imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſs, IV. Caution.which made Bellarmine charge them, though falſly, with different opinions, for ſome make theſe the ſame motion, it's called remiſſion of ſin, as it reſpecteth the term from which; but imputation of righteouſneſſe as it reſpecteth the term to which; even, ſay they, as the ſame motion is the expulſion of darknes, and the introduction of light. But I rather conceive them different, and look upon one, as the ground of the other; remiſſion of ſin, grounded upon the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, ſo that his righteouſneſſe imputed to us, is ſuppoſed to be in the order before ſin forgiven; and although among men, where righteouſneſſe is imputed, or a man pronounced juſt, there is, or can be no remiſſion of ſin, yet it is otherwiſe here, becauſe righteouſneſs is not ſo imputed unto us, as that it is inherent in us; ſo among men, the more a man is forgiven the leſſe he is Juſtified, becauſe forgiveneſſe ſuppoſeth him faulty, yet it is not ſo in our Juſtification before God.
V. Caution.Laſtly, We muſt not confound Iuſtification with the manifestation and declaration of it in our hearts and conſciences. This is the rock at which the Antinomian doth ſo often ſplit, he ſuppoſeth Juſtification to be from all eternity, and that therefore a man is Juſtified before he doth beleeve; Faith only juſtifying by evidence and declaration to our conſciences: but this is to confound the decree of God, and its execution, as ſhall be proved. Hence it is a dangerous thing, though ſome excellent men have done it, to make Faith a full perſwaſion of our Juſtification, for this ſuppoſeth Juſtification before Faith; It is one thing to be Juſtified, and another thing to be aſſured of it. It is true, we cannot have any peace and comfort, nor can we ſo rejoyce in, and praiſe God, though we are juſtified, unleſſe we know it alſo.