Truth and Innocence Vindicated, Part 1 · Subpart 7
Animadverſions on the foregoing Head.
I Cannot but judge that the Particular Accuſations under the foregoing Head, do infer a pernicious deſign againſt the imputed Righteouſneſs of the Son of God, viz.
1. That this Righteouſneſs taketh not in the Active as well as the Paſſive Obedience of Chriſt, which is a Principle which hath been lately minted in Oppoſition to the Current of Orthodox Writers; to the various Confeſſions of Faith of the Proteſtants ſince the Reformation; and to the Word of God which hath been already proved in part; Therefore I ſhall only add this following Argument: 1. The Law of God muſt be either ſatisfied or defeated in its intents; and to defeat the intent of ſuch a Holy, Righteous, Juſt Law, is Antinomianiſm with a Witneſs; which puteth a great Affront upon the Law-giver. 2ly. The Primary intent of God's Law is perfect Obedience, and without perfect Obedience the Law of God cannot be ſatisfied. 3ly. Unleſs the Law can be ſatisfied, there is no man living can be juſtified, according to the Tenour of it; and unleſs a ſinner is juſtified, he cannot be ſaved. 4ly. There is no ſinner can plead ſatisfaction made unto it, in his own proper Perſon; therefore he muſt plead the ſatisfaction given by his Surety and Repreſentative in his ſtead, who fully ſatisfied as well the demands of it, as the Penalty; therefore through Faith we eſtabliſh the Law, Rom. 3. 31. and give it the higheſt Honour, by offering to the Law-giver the perfect and God-like Obedience of his Son thereunto.
2dly. This laſt Head ſeemeth to have a bad intent, to eclipſe God's Act of Imputation, by which this Righteouſneſs is ſo made over to us for our higheſt Benefit and Advantages, as if we our ſelves had wrought it out. All this reſulteth to Believers, by virtue of Union to the Perſon of Chriſt; and accepting the Union of Three Perſons in One God, and of Two Natures in One Perſon. This Union is moſt unexpreſſibly great: bating thoſe Two fore-mentioned Unions, we may ſpeak as high of it, and conceive as high of it as poſſible. By virtue of the Firſt Union, God the Second Perſon is Equal with the Father; and ſo the Third Co-equal with the Two former. By virtue of the Second Union, the Man, Chriſt Jeſus, becometh the Redeemer, the Mediator, the Saviour, Head over all, Prince of Life, Lord of Glory: But it is Blaſphemy to attribute any of this to any Believer, by Virtue of a Third Union: it is Blaſphemy to ſay, We are Godded with God, Chriſted with Chriſt, or that we become Saviours and Redeemers, &c. Yet however, this 3d. Union conferreth great Titles and Privileges upon Believers, according to the Scriptures: As nothing can be ſpoken too high of the duplicate page duplicate page Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, ſo the Holy Scriptures of Truth, do ſpeak very magnificently of thoſe that are cloathed with it: They are ſaid to be made Kings and Prieſts to God and the Father, Rev. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 6. A Holy Prieſthood, ver. 9. A Choſen Generation, a Royal Prieſthood, an Holy Nation, a Peculiar People. As to Chriſt, they are called Members of his Body, Epheſ. 5. 30. 1 Corinth. 12. 12. His Friends, John 15. 15. His Brethren, John 20. 17. His Bride, and Spouſe, and Wife, Revel. 21. 2. ch. 19. 7. His Love, his Siſter, Cantic. 4. 7. And by Vertue of this Union, what properly is attributed to Chriſt, is in the Scriptures attributed to his Members, with this Difference: It muſt be underſtood of him properly, and inherently; but of them only imputatively: Yet it is expreſt of them in the Word of God, after ſuch a manner, as rendreth the Act of Imputation very Admirable. The Name that is peculiarly given to him in Goſpel-Days; to wit, The Lord our Righteouſneſs, is alſo given to his, Jerem. 33. 16.—And this is the Name, wherewith (ſhe) ſhall be called, The Lord our Righteouſneſs: As a Wife, by Virtue of the Marriage-Union, taketh the Husband's Name: So alſo of the Deſcription given to his Veſture, Revel. 1. 13. One like the Son of Man, cloathed with a Garment down to his Feet, and girt about the Papps with a Golden Girdle: Which Garment was of Fine Linnen, Dan. 5. 5. The ſame is affirmed concerning the Garment of Believers, Rev. 15. 6. And the Seven Angels came out of the Temple, having the Seven Plagues, cloathed in pure and white Linnen, and having their Breaſts girded with Golden Girdles; ſo alſo, Revel. 19. 8. Of him it is ſaid, Eſa. 53. 9. Neither was deceit found in his mouth. The ſame is ſaid of them, Rev. 14. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile: Of him it is written, Hebr. 7. 26. That he is Holy, Harmleſs, and Undefiled, and ſeparate from Sinners: The like concerning them is aſſerted, They are all fair, and there is no ſpot in them, Cant. 4. 7. Nay, He preſenteth them to himſelf a Glorious Church, not having ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing, but Holy and without blemiſh, Epheſ. 5. 7. He preſenteth them to the Father no leſs Glorious: In like manner they are ſaid to be compleat in him, as Head over all Principality and Power, Col. 2. 10. And as they are wrapt round with this Righteouſneſs, God is ſaid to behold no Perverſneſs, nor ſee any Iniquity in them, Numb. 25. 21. And concerning their Tranſgreſſions alſo, thus it is written, That their Sins, upon the exacteſt ſearch of Juſtice, are not to be found, &c. Jerem. 50. 20.
I cannot but from hence conclude, how vain it is for Men to pretend, with the Line of Reaſon, to ſound this imputed Righteouſneſs, or to judge how far it reacheth, and how far not; ſuch full-blown Diſcoveries thereof, are reſerved for the Glory of the Latter-Day, or rather, for Heaven it ſelf: In the mean while, it is ſafer for us, to keep cloſe to Scriptural Expreſſions, and believe, and admire what we cannot comprehend. I wonder therefore, that Saucy Earth-worms dare caſt this imputed Righteouſneſsinto the Fire of their own Fancies, that thence it may come out a Golden Calf, for them to Dance about; or caſt it into the Mold of their own carnal Reaſon, that from thence they may lift up a dead Image for themſelves to fall down before: But vain Man would be wiſe, tho Man be born like a wild Aſſes Colt. Job 11. 12. Yet this their Wiſdom is their Folly, being Enmity againſt God, and the way of Salvation by Jeſus Chriſt.
Thus I have briefly vindicated the Righteouſneſs of God, which is by Faith; now I paſs on to the remaining Fragments of Accuſations.
There are five times of Chriſt's, eſpecial Interceſſion, &c. Chriſt ſaith I cannot ſo heartily pray for my People, when they ſneak from their Profeſſion.
Anſw. To this purpoſe I Preached, That tho Chriſt's Interceſſion be Unchangeable in it ſelf, yet eventually as to us, there are ſpecial Times of Interceſſion; As for inſtance, Chriſt interceedeth for his Elect afore called, yet it is eventually; an eſpecial time when they are Called. Again he interceedeth for his Children, when under Babyloniſh Captivity; yea, he is repreſented in the Scripture eſpecially interceeding when they are coming out of their Captivity, ſee Zech. 1. 12, 12. compar'd with verſ. 16, 17. That Babyloniſh Captivity, Deliverance and Interceſſion, were but Typical; a greater Man than many now alive, to wit, Mr. Bridge of Yarmouth, was of the ſame Judgment.
What was ſaid, as to Chriſt's interceeding for Believers, when ſneaking from their Profeſſion, was to this effect; That Chriſt did not interceed for his own Children, that they might be kept from particular Apoſtacy; for if he had, they ſhould never have fallen thereinto, nor doth he own them unto his Father in relation to their Act of their Apoſtacy; tho he doth as to their State; This is plain to me from Mat. 10. 33. As alſo from the inſtance of Peter, who tho the Lord Jeſus pray'd for him, that his Faith fail'd him not, yet it is not recorded, that he pray'd for him that he ſhould not deny his Maſter; nor did the Lord own him then before his Father, as doing well in that Act of denying him, confirming it with Curſing and Swearing.
Chriſt and Believers are one in Interceſſion.
That that I ſaid was this, (as many are ready to atteſt) that we are one with him, who is our Interceſſor; and that I judge is no Error. I abhor putting any into Co-partnerſhip with the Lord Jeſus, as much as others.
Believers that take comfort in Promiſes, miſtake the way; but we muſt fly to Chriſt.
They that take Comfort out of the Letter of the Promiſe, without meeting Chriſt in it by Faith, may be miſtaken; for it is Chriſt in the Promiſe, maketh the Promiſe precious; and the Promiſe without Chriſt is but a dead and inſignificant Promiſe. And if to bid Perſons fly to Chriſt, and not to reſt on any Promiſe ſhort of Chriſt, be to be vile, I'll be more vile ſtill.
Whatever is Supernatural, is ſaving Grace.
'Twas thus expreſt in Diſcourſe: All ſaving Grace is Supernatual, as was teſtified to their Faces then, tho they had the Confidence to wreſt the words firſt, and then to Charge them on me.
The offers of Grace muſt be made to none but the Elect.
I remember very well this I ſaid to Mr. Chandler in private Dicourſe, that God deſigneth his offer'd Grace only to the Elect: This, I think, none but a Free-willer will deny.