Gospel Holiness, Part 2 · Sermon 2
SERMON II.
Rom. 8. 4. That the righteouſneſſe of the law might be fullfilled in us, who walke not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit.
THere are three Leſſons that wee ſhould learne from theſe words. The firſt is implied, that
The righteouſneſſe of the Law muſt be fulfilled,
Or
Every man is bound to fulfill the Law of God.
That we have already done with.
Secondly, that
The Law of God is perfectly fulfilled in all true believers.
Thirdly, that
True believers are they who walke not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit.
We made ſome entrance upon the ſecond, that
The righteouſneſſe of the Law is fulfilled in all true believers.
I ſpake a little of this, and ſhall adde ſomething farther to what I ſaid, if God will.
The righteouſneſſe of the Law is fulfilled in every The righteouſneſs of the Law fulfilled in every true believer; not perſonallytrue believer.
Not perſonally, as I told you: for there is no Saint, no not Abraham himſelfe that can ſay the righteouſneſſe of the Law is fulfilled in me, that is, perſonally; that I have walked ſo the Law is ſatisfied by my walking. But the righteouſneſſe of the law is fulfilled in us, not perſonally, but in us by reaſon but by our union with Chriſt.that Chriſt, and we are one: and he is made righteouſneſſe to us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made of God to in, wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption. Then whatſoever Chriſt is, or hath, it is ours. Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle; The righteouſneſſe of the Law is fulfilled in us. He doth not ſay, it is fulfilled in Chriſt, though that be true, but he takes the boldneſs to ſay, it is fulfilled in us, by vertue of our union with Jeſus Chriſt. So in every true Saint or believer, the righteouſneſſe of the law through Chriſt The weakeſt Saint in Chriſt hath ſatisfied the Law.is perfectly fulfilled. The weakeſt Saint, if he be a true Saint, he hath perfectly fulfilled the law of God, he hath perfectly ſatisfied every demand that the law can make; he hath perfectly paid every penny worth of debt that he oweth to the law, the weakeſt Saint, it may be a poore Saint that men can ſee nothing but corruption in all the day, and all the weeke, and all the yeare long almoſt, yet that man, if he be a true Saint, though he be weak, hath perfectly in Chriſt kept the law of God, and is a juſt man, and the law of God cannot come upon him, nor the Sergeant the Devill to arreſt him for one penny or farthing, becauſe he can ſay as Paul ſaith here; The righteouſneſſe of the law is fulfilled in us. Therefore that is the reaſon, as I told you, that Paul ſaith, I am dead to the law, that is, I am as free from the law as a man that is dead: when a man is dead the law goes no further on him. So it is ſaid we are delivered from the law, and freed from the law. And that is the reaſon alſo that the Apoſtle In Chriſt we are ſaved by Gods righteouſneſſe as well as mercy.three times in one Chapter puts our ſalvation upon the righteouſneſſe of God; he ſaith not by the merciemercy of God, though that be true, there is infinite merciemercy, but ſaith he, that God might declare his righteouſneſſe in Chriſt to ſave us. It is a mercifull thing for God to give us Chriſt, and to give us hearts to know that Chriſt, and to believe in that Chriſt, it is infinite unſpeakable merciemercy. But now that wee are in Chriſt, and united to him; as there was merciemercy, ſo it is righteous, and juſt with God to ſave us, becauſe we are righteous perſons. Miſtake me not, I ſay, every poore Saint through Chriſt is a righteous perſon, a just man. I ſay in and through Chriſt, he hath taken away all our ſins, and forgiven all our iniquities, Coll. 2. So that when God ſaves believers, he doth not only ſave them out of merciemercy, but out of righteouſneſs, he can doe no otherwiſe: therefore it is three times over, his righteouſneſs, his righteouſneſs, his righteouſneſs, Rom. 3. And that is a bleſſed word in Heb. 12. Yee are come to the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect. I doe not conceive that it is ſpoken of the ſpirits of men in heaven, as many doe, and no wonder they miſtake: for I did ſo for many yeares. That place it looks ſo like heaven, that I tooke it for heaven it ſelf; Yee are come unto mount Sion, to the generall aſſembly, and Church of the firſt borne, and to the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect. A man would think it were heaven it ſelf: it is called heaven, but it is nothing in the world but the glorious eſtate of the Saints in Jeſus Chriſt under the new Teſtament, as you may ſee afterwards.
Therefore as Chriſt ſaith, let this word ſink into your hearts, that if thou be a right believer, thou art as perfectly juſt and righteous through Jeſus Chriſt, as if thou hadſt never ſinned againſt the law of God: not by thy own righteouſneſſe, but by the righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt. For what can be ſaid more? ſaith the Apoſtle, The righteouſneſs of the law is fulfilled. He doth not ſay we have a peice of it, but it is fulfilled, that is, to a jote, or tittle; the law cannot ſay, black is thine eye, becauſe Chriſt hath paid and done all that it can demand.
Now to give you a word or two of the grounds, or reaſons, to help you to believe this truth, to ſhew you how it comes about. It comes about three wayes, I meane it will be cleare to you three wayes, if you conſider three things.
Firſt, You muſt conſider that Jeſus Chriſt, Reaſ. 1. Chriſt a publike perſon.which is our ſuretie, he was ſent of the Father, out of his love as a publike perſon to fulfill the law of God, by doing and ſuffering as a publike perſon. There is much comfort in that. Beloved, you can never throughly underſtand your juſtification, unleſſe you ſtudy the firſt Adam, what kind of perſon Adam was, as you may ſee in Rom. 5. Now the Lord Jeſus, he came as a publike perſon, and he was delivered for our offences, as it is ſaid, Rom. 3. ult. he did die for our ſinnes. That is one thing.
Now the ſecond thing that demonſtrates this to 2. From the union between Chriſt and believers.us, is beſides his dying, and that as a publike perſon, there is a union made between every poore believer and Chriſt, as really as between Chriſt and his Father. Indeed it is called in Scripture a marriage; becauſe as in a marriage all the wealth of the huſband is the wives, it becomes hers, and ſhee hath a right to it after marriage: So all that is in Chriſt becomes ours by this union. But it is a more reall union, a cloſer union by far then that of marriage: it is compared to the union between the members and the head. Now by this union, that you may read of in Joh. 17. all that is ours becomes Chriſts, and all that is Chriſts becomes ours. There are two things.
Then thirdly, we finde that God the father, to 3. God the Father is ſatiſfied, which appeareswhom the debt was owing, and whoſe law this was that we muſt ſatisfie, he acknowledgeth ſatisfaction. And what can we have more? God the father acknowledgeth that his Son hath ſatisfied the law, and therefore we are freed. Now he doth acknowledge it three wayes.
Firſt, You ſhall have it Mat. 17. compared with 1. by Gods own teſtimonie.2 Pet. 1. For Peter is much in it, we follow not deviſed fables, but we come to ſpeake of the voyce in the Mount, This is my beloved Son. As if he had ſaid, This is one maine peice of the Goſpel, we heard a voyce when we were with our Maſter in the mount, ſaying, This is my beloved Son, in whom my ſoule is well pleaſed. That for his perſon.
Then a ſecond thing that did ſhew that he was 2. Chriſt is out of priſon.ſatisfied, was by ſuffering Jeſus Chriſt after he was arreſted, and in priſon for our debt (for Chriſt was in priſon for our debt; he was arreſted, and that according to law, he was brought into priſon, and all our ſuits were clapped on his back; all our executions and outlaries were layd on his ſhoulders, and then the Father let him out of priſon being our ſuretie. If he had not payd our debt, he had not come out of priſon, but) now the Father lets him out, that is, the Father ſuffred him to riſe from the dead. Therefore we finde that our juſtification is layd more upon the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, then upon his death; as we ſee in Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our offences, and raiſed againe for our juſtification; that is, he did die for our ſins, and was raiſed againe for our juſtification. And in Rom. 8. He that ſpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how ſhall he not with him give us all things? Who is he that condemneth? it is Chriſt that dyed, yea rather that is riſen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alſo maketh interceſsion for us. That is, his dying for us did ſatisfie the law, but that did not juſtifie us, untill we ſee that he was riſen againe; and then we ſee that all the debt was paid, becauſe our ſuretie is gotten out of priſon. Therefore juſtification (I meane the knowledge of it at leaſt) principally ariſeth from Chriſts reſurrection. Now when I ſee Chriſt is riſen, and is gone abroad, he is gone out of the grave, and gone to heaven, I know that the law is fulfilled, and the Father is ſatisfied, and the Sergeant the Devill hath nothing to arreſt me for, all is ſatisfied, all is cleare.
Thirdly, and laſtly, I know God the Father is ſatisfied: 3 Chriſt is gone into heaven.for the law it is God the Fathers Writt that he had againſt us; and now we ſee that all is payd, not onelyonly becauſe our ſuretie is got out of priſon; (for ſo a man may doe that hath not paid a debt) but becauſe when he was out of priſon, he aſcended to his Father; and the Father made him ſit at the right hand of God in the glory of Majeſty on high, and he hath given him power, and authoritie to rule the world till the day of Judgement. Now in that the Father hath given the Son that honour and reſpect in heaven, as to come and ſit at his right hand; wee may ſee it was not a breaking of priſon, but a reall paying of the debt, and a fulfilling the law, before he could come there. This may give a little light how the righteouſneſs of the law is fulfilled in us through Jeſus Chriſt.
Now the uſe of it, I named in the morning, I Uſe 1. To learne the ground of our juſtification.was not able to expreſſe it, neither can I now fully utter it, I beſeech you conſider the more of it.
The firſt uſe we may make of it is this, that you ſhould learne from what I have ſaid, where your juſtification doth lie, your juſtification doth not lie, or is not built upon any thing that is in you, or that is done by you, or that you may hope to doe hereafter; you are not juſtified by your own perſonall good, or unjuſtified by your own perſonall evills, you are not one jote the more juſt when you have done all the good you can in the world, and you are not one jote the leſſe juſt when you have committed all the weakneſſes, and fallen into all the frailties that a Saint can fall into; becauſe your juſtification is built onelyonly upon Chriſt, and upon what he did, and ſuffered; My juſtification is built upon the death of Chriſt, and his reſurrection, he hath fulfilled the law, and he hath paid the debt, and he is out of priſon, and the Father is ſatisfied: here is my juſtification; and I believing this I am happie.
Now you ſhall find that you lay a great part of Men build juſtification upon ſomething in themſelves.your juſtification upon ſomething in your ſelves, therefore when you are enlarged in good, you think you are more juſtified; and when you fall into ſin, you think you are more unjuſt then you were before, and you look ſtrangely upon God. Now the Lord hath put it out of our hands. Adam ſhould have been juſtified, by that that was in him, and that ſhould have been done by him: but bleſſed be God, he would not truſt us with that good any more, but hath put all in the hands of Jeſus Chriſt, and there is the whole foundation of our juſtification. Therefore it is not for a Chriſtian to come, and ſay, O Sir, I feare I am no childe of God, I feare I ſhall prove an hypocrite, why ſo? becauſe I finde ſo much ſin, and ſo many luſts in me. It is very well that you find, and feele ſin, and that you mourne for, and ſtrive againſt ſin, but that therefore you ſhould thinke there is a flaw in your juſtification, that you ſhould make any good that is in you a prop to ſupport your juſtification, or any evill in you a thing that might crack your juſtification, this is Popery. My juſtification depends not on this, that I am juſtified the more when I am ſtrong, or leſs juſtified when I am weak; but whether I be weak or ſtrong, whether I doe much or little for God, whether I give thanks, or be humbled, ſeeing Chriſt is dead, and riſen againe, I am juſtified, that is ſtill intire, becauſe it is not built upon me, but wholly upon the death and reſurrection of Chriſt.
In the 4th of the Romans, Abraham is laid down Abraham how juſtified.as a patterne of believing, Abraham had the word of faith; So ſhall thy ſeed be, and without hope, or reaſon, or any thing he believed; that is, he caſt himſelf on that word; ſo it is ſaid he was juſtified without works. What a ſtrange thing is that? for it is impoſſible that there ſhould be true faith, but that all good works ſhould in ſome meaſure follow after: but if wee ſpeake properly, and look to the thing as it is in it ſelf, how a man is juſtified, he is juſtified wholly without works. Abraham did many good things, he offred his ſon Iſaack, and he relieved his kinſman when he was in miſery, and did teach his familie, and relieved the King of Sodome, he did many good works. Though theſe good works did juſtifie his faith to the world, that they knew he was a believer by it, and he himſelfe did know it by it, yet never a one of theſe were an ingredient into the juſtification of his perſon, that was by the righteouſneſſe of God without works.
Wee muſt get good works after. This is the Good works to be done after we believe.rule of the word; Charge them that believe to maintain good works; that is, after they believe, charge them to avoy'd the evill, and to doe the good, and to abound. But for the poynt of juſtification, which is the maine thing for your ſoule, and mine to feed on, that is built on another foundation, upon the grave of Chriſt, and upon the death of Chriſt. Therefore you ſhall find thoſe ſpeeches of the Apoſtle Paul when he ſpeaks of this glorious condition, he ſpeaks alway of his union with Chriſt; I am crucified with Chriſt, and I am buried with Chriſt, and I am dead, but Chriſt lives in me.
Learne this leſſon that you may come to this: Ground of humilitie.for if you had learned it ſpiritually, when you had done the moſt for God, if you could doe ten times more then Abraham, or Paul, and yet Paul preached from Jeruſalem to Illyricum, yet then thou wouldeſt ſay, I am an unprofitable ſervant; there is not one graine that I have done that is an ingredient into the death and reſurrection of Chriſt, to help to make me a juſt man, or to procure the favour, and love of God. And when you had done evill, and it may be failed in careleſneſſe, and committed ſin. O what a glorious thing were it to goe home, and fall upon thy knees, and ſay, Lord I have ſinned grievouſly; but yet I am not one jote the leſſe juſt before thee, becauſe my juſtice, and my righteouſneſſe is not depending upon my ſinning, or my unſinning, upon my holineſſe, or my unholineſſe, but upon Jeſus Chriſt.
Then you would find by experience your hearts The right way to mourn for ſinne.melt in pieces, you would be able to look upon ſin in the vaſtneſs, and unkindneſs of it againſt a deare Father, then you would ſee your ſelves, the vileſt objects, you would not ſo thinke or ſpeake of any man in the world as of your ſelves, even for the leaſt frailtie. For then the love of God, as oyle working with iron, would preſs your hearts. Then you ſhall know, and not before, what it is to be truly humbled, and then you ſhall have power to reforme; Then you would be able to ſay, my ſoule is truly humbled, I can mourne for ſin till I am weary of weeping: Then you will be able, though you make not thoſe covenants and reſolutions, there will be ſuch an impreſsion upon the ſoule, that you cannot chooſe but mourne, and loath your ſelves, and avoyd the occaſions of ſinne, ſeeing your ſelves just men in Jeſus Chriſt: For when a man ſees himſelf unjust, he can never mourne kindly for ſin, if he ſee God on Sinai as a Judge, there will be but untoward mourning for ſin. But when a man ſees the coaſt cleare, then he can ſay, I have been the greateſt ſinner in London; there is never a childe of God that hath walked more barrenly then I have done, and yet through Chriſt I am as juſt in Gods ſight, as any man in London: I am Gods childe, but I am an unhappie graceleſs childe; then a man can call himſelfe foole, and be angry with himſelfe, and weep bitterly.
Now uſually when you mourne for ſinne, you Men uſually think juſtification is cracked by ſin.thinke there is a crack in your juſtification, and ſo many ſins as you have committed, there are ſo many flawes in your juſtification, and ſo many faintings of faith in the favour of God, and therefore when you pray to God, and are humbled for ſin, it is your manner, and it was mine moſt of my dayes, onelyonly to dawb up the flawes of juſtification; and you pray the Lord to pardon ſuch a ſin, and now you ſee God is wrath with you, and you are like to be caſt off, and your hearts begin to be hard, and you have ſad thoughts of God ariſing in you, and unquiet, and horror in your ſoules, and you are far enough from true ſorrow all this while. It is impoſſible there ſhould be true ſorrow, when you keep a coile, and confeſs your ſinnes, and wrangle it out with God, and you will confeſs your ſins to day, and think to make God amends to morrow: and ſo as a man ſtops chincks in a wall, wee think to dawb up the flawes, and cracks of juſtification this way. Whereas wee ſhould look on juſtification as a thing entire in the hands of Chriſt, that wee have nothing to doe in, but it is in Chriſt altogether founded on his death, and reſurrection, and all the title that wee have in it is onelyonly by ſaith; As Rom. 10. ſheweth; The righteouſneſſe of faith ſaith on this wiſe, &c. The word is nigh thee. There is our title, and tenure, I have nothing to doe for my juſtification: but Chriſt hath fulfilled the law, and he did die, and riſe, and ſitteth on the right hand of God; and I endeavour to believe it, that is, to conſent that it is ſo, and praiſe his name, and live to him all the dayes of my life, O here is the life of Chriſtianitie.
I have ſeene people quarrell with themſelves, Hindrance of reforming our wayes.and complaine, O I have a hard heart, and I deſire the preachers to pray for me; and when you have fallen into weakneſſe, you will goe, and confeſs your ſins, and ſtrive to breake your hearts, and mourne for your worldlineſſe, and your pride, and frowardneſſe, and yet it will not doe, but your hearts grow harder then they were before: and whereas when you have committed a ſin to day, you think to goe, and reforme to morrow, and to turne over a new leafe, to morrow you will be worſe then to day; becauſe you think to make God amends, he leaves you to your ſelves, and you grow worſe. The reaſon is this, becauſe in ſome ſort, even to this day, you mix ſanctification with juſtification. Now I know it, I ſpeak what I know, could you leave your juſtification alone in the hands of Jeſus Chriſt, and look on it (as I ſaid) as caſh in the cupboord, not to be touched; and as long as Chriſt is righteous ſay, I am righteous, behold your ſelves alway, as juſt men, and women, that in Jeſus Chriſt have fulfilled the law of God, and then you will find your hearts inclined to any good thing: then would your hearts break and ſhatter to peices, when you have done the leaſt evill againſt God; then you would know what true ſorrow, and what true repentance is, and not before; then you would know thoſe things, that now you know not, nor cannot know. Therfore labour to learne that leſſon, it is one of the greateſt Myſteries in the World; and that is the reaſon that carnall people carp at theſe things. What greater Myſterie then for me being a juſt and righteous man through Chriſt, yet to be ſo ſinfull, that I can ſay there is none more ſinfull, and yet I am as righteous as Abraham, or Paul; in reſpect of the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt I have as large a ſhare as Abraham, or Paul, and yet I am full of ſin. A Chriſtian knowes this, and he knowes how it is ſo. Well, that is one leſſon, conſider of it, that you may know where to plant your juſtification, upon the death, and reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt. The Lord teach it to you, and me.
Secondly, if the righteouſneſſe of the law be Ʋſe. 2. Saints ſhould ſee their condition in Chriſt, glorious.fulfilled in all that are beleivers through Jeſus Chriſt. Then, all you that are Saints, all you that beleive in Jeſus Chriſt, labour to ſee the glorious condition that you are in: that you may be able to reflect upon your ſelves not according to what you are out of Chriſt; but what you are conſidered to be as Members of Jeſus Chriſt, as unyted to Jeſus Chriſt. Therfore you ſhall have Paul (and it doth me good to ſee his ſpirit) he never reckons himſelfe as in himſelfe, but as in Jeſus Chriſt, I can doe all things, I can want, and I can abound. I can doe this, and that, and all in Chriſt: So, I To look on our ſelves as unyted to Chriſt.muſt never conceive of God out of Chriſt, nor of my ſelfe out of Chriſt, I muſt never conceive of my ſelfe, and Chriſt, as two: but I ſhould indeavour clearly, and conſtantly that whatſoever good there is in Chriſt, it is myne, as if it were in myne owne perſon. And ſo we ſhould have our ſpirits rayſed above the temptations of the World, and above the afflictions of the World, and above corruptions.
It is a pittifull thing to ſee poore Profeſſors, Why many Chriſtians have ſuch low Spirits.there is not one of many, but they are ordinarily below temptations, and they lie under burdens, and are below their ſins. Nay, there are many profeſſors that are more ſad, and drooping then carnall people. Surely this was not the way of thoſe Saints that we read of in the New Teſtament, they had glorious ſpirits; how doe you think elſe, they could goe to the ſtocks, and to Priſons, and from one Compter to another, and have their ſpirits ſo rayſed, and yet ſometimes they were to die the next morning for ought they knew? Your ſpirits will never be heightened and rayſed to live the life of Paul by beholding any thing that is in you perſonally in your poſeſsion: but what you are by relation, and marriage to Chriſt. Reckon your ſelves dead with Chriſt: and ſo conceive, I am a just man, I was bound once to the law of God, a terrible law, and there are thouſands in hell paying the debt and cannot pay it, and yet I have paid every farthing, and the law cannot ask me more. I have offered a perfect righteouſneſſe to God; and I am now ſitting at Gods right hand in Heaven, by my unyon with Jeſus Chriſt.
This is the life of faith that we may be able to The life of faith.tryumph over all theſe things below, from our Justification as Paul doth, Rom. 8. It is God that Juſtifieth, and who ſhall condemne? Who ſhall ſeperate us from the love of God in Chriſt Jeſus? Shall Tribulation, or distreſſe, or Famine, or nakedneſse, or perill, or Sword? Nay in all theſe things we are more then Conquerors through Chriſt that loved us. Indeed Tribulation, and hunger, and Famine, they are ſad things, but theſe are the leaſt troubles of a Chriſtian, theſe outward miſeries. Over theſe we are more then Conquerers, ſayth Paul I can tie my right hand at my back, and with my left hand beat all theſe back; I can beat them with a finger. Nay I ſay more, Neyther death nor life, that is more: nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature ſhall be able to ſeperate us from the love of God which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord. See there how he dares all the Enemies to come upon the Stage, and tramples them under feet. As in Malachy it is ſaid that in the time of the Goſpell they ſhall tread their Enemies as aſhes under their feet. So there is a place alſo in 1 Cor. 1…. Death is ſwallowed up in victorie. As if he had ſayd, you that have received Chriſt Jeſus I will tell you news. Death is ſwallowed up in victorie. O death where is thy ſting? O Grave where is thy Victorie? He feares the grave, and death, and triumphs over them. O death where is thy ſting? thou thoughteſt to overcome me; but where is thy ſting? The ſting of death is ſin, and the ſtrength of ſin is the law, but thanks be unto God who hath given us Victorie through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. He doth not ſay which will give us Victory when we are dead, and then we ſhall be perfect in Heaven. It is true, then we ſhall be more perfect: but he ſaith which hath given us Victorie for the preſent, I have already overcome Hell, and death, and the Devill: for all hangs on the law, the law is Gods writ, and the Devill is Gods Sergeant that executes that writ, and Hell is the Priſon. Therefore if the law be ſatiſfied, if the righteouſneſſe of the law be fulfilled, death and Hell, and the Devill have nothing to doe with me. So in Rom. 4. ult Who was delivered for our offences, and was rayſed for our juſtification. And then it followes Chap. 5. 1. Beeing Juſtified by faith we have peace with God. See where the Apoſtle layes juſtification. And we glory in tribulation knowing that it worketh patience, &c. We rejoyce in tribulation, and affliction. Why? Becauſe we are Juſtified by Chriſts death, and Reſurection. O, what kind of ſpirits ſhould we have? How full of joy and comfort ſhould we be in the greateſt tribulation? How ſhould we tread all this World under our feet, the evills of this World, and the comforts of the World? How ſhould we inſult and tryumph over the Devill, and over death, and Hell for all their power (as I ſayd) is from the law, and if the righteouſneſſe of the law be fulfilled, then all our Enemies are ſubdued, and all is cleare, Heaven is open, and God is mine, and the favour of God is to me.
For know this, that there is no naturall imbred What hinders the creature from enjoying God.hatred in God to his creature; there is nothing that keeps the creature from the full injoyment of God, but the law not being ſatisfied. God made a law, and we made the breach of it, and there falls out the distance, betweene the creatures and God, whether men or Devills. Now then if I can ſay though I be a ſinfull man, yet Jeſus Chriſt hath fullfilled the law, the law hath a full righteouſneſſe to a farthing, then I know I am one with God, he is wholly for me, and I for him, and all the enemies of my Salvation are conquered.
Now if the Lord would open your eyes to underſtand the hope of your calling, the glorious condition you are brought into, you would not walke ſo weakly, and poorly, and ſadly, and dejectedly, that every thing ſhould caſt you downe, but you would goe on, and trample all the World under your feet: we ſhould be above men and Deviils, and the World, and every thing, if we did but underſtand to what a glorious eſtate God hath called us in this World, through Jeſus Chriſt. Therfore a man reflecting upon his juſtification, as he may looke upon himſelfe, and account himſelfe ſomething, ſo he may account death, and Hell, and all ſubdued, and he may account that the law cannot demand a farthing of him. That wheras the breach of the law kept us from communion with God, that being taken away we are as righteous as if we had never fallen. O glorious condition. There Paul Epheſians 1. He prayes that they might know the riches and hope of their calling. That is, that they might underſtand what this glorious calling is, that God hath called us to. That is a ſecond leſſon we ſhould learne hence.
Firſt ſeeing the righteouſneſſe of the law is fulfilled in us, we ſhould learne how to buyld our Juſtification aright, how to lay the Foundation of it.
And Secondly we ſhould endeavour to get out ſpirits rayſed like people that are freed from the law.
Thirdly (and there I ſhall end for this time) Ʋſe. 3. To conforme our hearts and lives to the will of God.being freely and fully juſtified by the grace of Jeſus Chriſt, this ſhould follow to any one that underſtands it, that therfore we ſhould ſtudy and learn to conform our ſelvs in our hearts & lives, out of love to the will of God. There comes in holineſſe and there it comes in amayne, and never before: all before is nothing but bungling, but then it comes rightly. We ſhould I ſay conforme our ſelves to the example, and to the rule of Jeſus Chriſt in his Goſpel. And that you may underſtand that, you muſt know that every man in this World Three rules, to one of which, all men are conformd.hath a rule to walke by. And there are but three great rules, and all men doe, and muſt conforme to one of theſe three. For there is no man that doth an action, but it is in reference to a rule.
Now you have one rule in 1 Pet. 1. 14. As 1. Mens luſts.obedient Children not faſhioning your ſelves according to the luſts of your former Ignorance. Which ſhews that once they did conforme themſelves, they did faſhion themſelves unto their luſts: but ſayth he, now God hath juſtified you, you muſt not conforme your ſelves to your luſts. Moſt of man kind make their luſts their rule, which the Prophet calls in Scripture to doe that which is right in their owne eyes. To doe what is their mind, what they like in their owne mind, and as that worthy Dr PRESTON ſayth, they think when they are in their beds, what place they ſhall goe to, and where they ſhall ſpend their time; and when they are up, they doe that which is right in their owne eyes, what they have a lust to; when they have a luſt to be drunk, they will be drunk, when they have a luſt to be filthy, they will be filthy; when they have a luſt to be idle, or a luſt to be malicious againſt their Neighbours, they will be ſo. So that the ſtirrings of their luſts are their rule, and their whole life is nothing but a transforming them from one luſt to another. Sayth Peter you muſt not doe ſo, but as Obedient Children, if God have juſtified you, if Chriſt have fulfilled the law perfectly for you, that you can dare ſin, and Hell, and Satan, and tread all under feet, doth it become you to faſhion your hearts, and lives to your luſts? Is that a good rule? no, you muſt not doe ſo.
Another rule is this World, Rom. 12. 2. Be not 2. The World.conformed to this World. It is the coppy of many men, the Looking-glaſse that they dreſſe themſelvs by every day: how to ſquare it in the World; how to keep their port with their Neighbors, and Gentlemen they converſe with, and with great men that have command of them, and with their fellow Officers, &c. And ſo women how they may goe brave as their Neighbours doe, and get credit in their eyes. So moſt people, their maine rule is, they care not whether it pleaſe God, and conforme them to his ſon at all, ſo they can keep correſpondenſie with the World. Now you muſt not doe ſo: for 3. The example and rules of Chriſt.they are yet in their ſins, poore wretches: therefore let them conforme to their luſts, and they that are of the World let them conforme to it. But ſince God hath redeemed you from the wicked World, by the blood of his ſon, and hath brought you to this condition, and beſtowed glorious and unſpeakable priviledges on you, you ſhould conforme your ſelves to the Image, and example of Jeſus Chriſt, and to the rules of Jeſus Chriſt in the New Teſtament, in all your actions and wayes.
You cannot write without looking on your coppie, the beſt Saint cannot write one line without viewing and looking on his coppie for every letter. For all your actions, you are to have two things in your eye, that you may doe the action right, and carrie your ſelves right. Eyther eye Jeſus To look on Chriſts example.Chriſt, and his example; how would Chriſt have done, if he had beene here? What did Chriſt doe in the like caſe in the Goſpell? So by eying that there will be a power, as in Jacobs ſheep by beholding the rods, the ſpirit of God will convey a power looking upon the picture that is before us, that is, Ieſus Chriſt to transforme us into his likeneſſe.
Or ſecondly, think of the rules of Jeſus Chriſt, To look on Chriſts rules.the rules of the new Teſtament, this bleſſed word: have frequent recourſe to the ſpirituall rules of the new Teſtament that ſhould be your coppy. When any caſe comes, follow not your luſts, and act not according to the wiſdome of the fleſh, to ſay this, or that I will doe, but conſider what is your rule, you walke by another rule. What have I to doe what ſuch a man, and ſuch a man doth; but what is my rule? how muſt I carry my ſelfe? As for inſtance; when you come among people Severall Goſpell rules.that rejoyce for any merciemercy, what is the rule? Rejoyce with them that rejoyce, and weep with them that weep. It may be a man hath received great unkindneſſe; and is wrong'd by him that he hath been moſt kind to, of all the men in the World; and yet he proves moſt ungratefull, if a man ſhould goe to fleſh and blood, he would hate and abhorr him, and not indure him; man in his beſt naturalls would not beare it; he would not beare ungratefullneſse, and wrong, but labour to requite it. But what is the rule? The Lord is good to the wicked and unthankfull. Therefore Lend freely, looking for nothing againe. Preſently, God will bring a ſpirituall rule to your mind, and God will give you power to doe it. And ſo, ſuppoſe a man ſhould charge and challenge you with a debt, and would have you pay ſuch a debt, you perhaps know no ſuch thing, and are perſwaded of the contrary. What now? You know what moſt men think, I will never pay him, I were a foole if I ſhould give away my eſtate, and be a Beggar when I have done: but what is the rule? If thine enemy ſue thee at the law, and take away thy cloake, give him thy coat alſo. A Chriſtian comes to this law, he conſults not with fleſh and blood when a caſe comes, but he thinks what is the rule in this caſe? But all the miſery is, you will be fingering with juſtification, which you ſhould leave alone upon Chriſts death, and Reſurrection, and you ſhould be working out your holyneſſe every day, that ſhould be your way, God will bring it in. So when a woman is putting on her cloathes, and making her fine cloaths, and thinks to be as fine as her Neighbours, ſhee ſhould think, but what is my rule? Not to conforme my ſelfe to others in embroydred haire, and fine apparrell, and gold, but with the Ornament of a meek ſpirit. So you have the New Teſtament full: for every caſe there is ſome thing that wil direct and lead you, that thereby you may conforme to Jeſus Chriſt.
I give you but generall inſtances, if God open your eyes to ſee your glorious condition in the New Teſtament, you muſt reſolve on this, to walk according to the coppy and the rules of it; that in any caſe you may aske, what is my rule as I am a Chriſtian, as I am a free man, one with God, that I may walke by it?
Now I exhort you to this, becauſe if a thouſand The beſt motive to holineſſe.Devills ſhould preach inſtead of men, and tell you what the Torments of Hell are; all would not be ſo great a motive by half, to walke holily, as to tell you that the righteouſneſſe of the law is fulfilled by Chriſt, that you are righteous, and juſt, & all your ſins are done away by Chriſt. Therefore, O love him, and live to him, conforme to your coppy. Let your Neighbours conforme to their coppy, to the World, and others conforme to their luſts (as too many doe) but doe you conforme to Jeſus Chriſt; think, what would Chriſt doe if he had my opportunitie? what would he have taken in hand? And what ever occaſion you have with God, or man, aske; what is my rule in the New Teſtament, and conforme to it. Bleſſed is the man or woman to whome God gives a heart ſo to doe. There remaines one word more of this, and the third leſſon, which is the principall thing, the deſcription of thoſe perſons that have this priviledge. They walk not according to the fleſh, but according to the ſpirit. But becauſe the time is gone, and my ſtrength alſo, I ſhall leave that till God give another opportunitie.