The Trial and Triumph of Faith, Sermon 18
SERMON XVIII.
NAy, give me leave to say, that Antinomians make justification and free grace their Common-place of Divinity, as if they only had seen the visions of the Almighty, and no other, but they are utterly ignorant thereof; for they confound and mix what the Word distinguisheth,How sins are removed in justification, and how not. because justification is onelyonly a removall of sin by a Law way, so that in Law it cannot actually condemn, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, foreign, he saith not, foreign, nothing that deserveth condemnation; Nihil condemnabile: So that in Law, all obligation to externall punishment, called Reatus personae, the guiltinesse of the sinner is removed, and he shall never be condemned for sin, because Christ did bear that guilt for him; hence we say, in this regard its blasphemy to say, that tears of sinners do wash away sin, that sorrow for sin, and fasting, pacifieth, or removeth Gods wrath; for my part I never used such Popish and unsavory speeches. Papists do, and we must distinguish between the lax Rhetorick, and the strict Divinity of fathers. But 2. Justification is not an abolition of sin in its reall essence, & Physicall indwelling. Justified Paul sigheth and cryeth, Rom. 7.14. I am carnall, sold under sin. 18. I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good. 24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death: Now if the sense of the corrupt flesh make these complaints in Job, David, Paul, and if sinfull flesh opposite to faith, apprehending the just contrary in Christ who justifieth the sinner, That there remaineth that which is formally sin in the justified, and that sin dwelleth in the regenerated is proved by 5. Argumentsdwell not in us; Then 1. David, Job, Paul, did lie in these confessions; for to speak contrary to the language of justifying faith, must be a lie. 2. They were not really carnall, and sold under sin, but onelyonly according to the sinfull doubting and apprehension of the flesh: Pauls crying out of the body of sin, was an irrationall, fleshly, and hypocriticall complaint. 3. We are not to grow in the grace of sanctification, and abstinence from yeelding to the motions of the flesh, because if there be no sinfull imperfections in our sanctification, we are not to grow in grace really, but only in the false and hypocriticall apprehension of the flesh. 4. If God see nothing of sin in the saints after their justification, then there can be no sin in them after justification, and so the justified cannot sin, except they may sin, and yet God cannot see them sin contrary to Ps. 69.5. Ps. 139.1, 2, 3. Yet Iohn saith, even of himself, and of those who have an Advocate in heaven, 1 Ioh. 2.1. That if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us, 1 Joh. 1.8. Now he cannot speak of men as considered in the state of nature and unjustified, because to answer a doubt of weak consciences who said; oh if we have sin, then are we eternally lost and condemned: he answereth, 1. the justified are to confesse, v. 9. and God is faithfull to forgive: 2. He answereth, 1 Iohn 2.1. If we sin, we have an advocate with the Father. 5. It must inevitably follow that Christ commanding these who have a Father in heaven to pray (forgive us our sins) commandeth them daily to pray out of a fleshly doubting, not from the Spirit of Faith; I had rather say with Scripture, that all the justified Saints must take down their Top-Sail, and go to heaven halting, and that they carry their bolts and fetters of indwelling … through the field of Free-Grace, even to the gates of glory, Christ daily washing and renewing Pardons, and we daily defiling, to the end that grace may be grace.
6. Yea, the Scripture is most clear,Sinne dwelling in us after wee are justified. that the fairest face that is now shining in glory, was once even in the Kingdom of Grace, and in the state of justification; blacked with sin, and sin-burnt by reason of sin dwelling in them, 1 Kin. 8.46. For there is no man that sinneth not. This is a black put on the faces of all men dwelling on the earth, amongst which you must reckon justified, and pardoned souls, Eccles. 7. v. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth, thr… doth good, and sinneth not: Then there's a Thorne in our fairest Rose, Davids Sun shines not so bright, but there's a cloud going over it; in every justified mans good he doth, in every sacrifice he offereth, there's some dung; The sun hath looked on him; Augustine had the same controversie, but on another ground with Julian, who also of old, conceited that justified souls were free of inherent sin, as Libertins now teach, but Augustine saith alway, That sinne dwelleth in the regenerate, but it is not imputed, and concupiscence after Baptism is removed: Non ut non sit, sed ut non imputetur: Not that it is not, but that in the Court of justice it is not reckoned on our score: by which it is more then evident that justification is not such an abolition of sin, in its ro… and essence, as shall be in the state of glory, …hen root and branch shall be abolished,A two fold removal of sin, one Moral or Legall in justification, another Physicall in our sanctification. and not only shall justification free us, as it doth in this life from all Law-guilt, and obligation to wrath, which is but Actus Secundus, the second Act of sin, the effect, not the essence of sin, but also sanctification being perfected, all indwelling of sin shall be removed; sin in the justified hath but house-room, and stayeth within the walls as a Captive, an Underling, a servant, it hath not the keyes of the house to command all, nor the Scepter to rule: All the keys are upon Christs shoulder, far lesse hath it a Law-power to condemne, therefore saith Augustine …xcellently, Cont. Iulian, lib. 6. c. 5. Sanat vit…atum à reatu statim, ab infirmitate paulatim: God healeth the sinner from his guiltinesse (its a Law word, and a Law cure) presently, but from his infirmity by degrees, by little and little, and Gregory, Moral. lib. 29. c. 2. Quid in hac vita omnes, qui veritatem sequimur, nisi aurora sumus? aurora enim noctem praeteriisse nunciat, nec tamen diei claritatem illa satis ostendit, sed dum illam pellit, & hanc suscipit, lucem tenebris per mixtam tenet, sic nos quedam jam quae lucis sunt agimus, & tamen in quibusdam adhuc tenebrarum reliquiis non caremus: The holiest in this life, is but the dawning of the morning, we are half night, half day, Prov. 20. v. 19. Who can say I have made my heart pure, I am clean from sin? foreign Who can say I have a clean heart, and not lie? Libertines can say it, in a higher manner then Papists, who acknowledge that venialls, little sins, & motes are in us always in this life, but it may be this is the Old Testament-Spirit that speaketh, as they say; but the Apostle, Rom. 3. applyeth the Psalm 14. that stoppeth all mouths of the world, as so many guilty malefactors at the high bar of heaven, and he proveth that no flesh, not David nor the holiest on earth can be justified by works, either done by the strength of nature, or by the help of grace: now if there be no indwelling sin in the justified person, we answer not Papists and Pelagians, who say, That we are justified by works done by the help and aid of Grace after regeneration, but not by the works that we perform by the strength of nature; for if there be no indwelling sin in the regenerated; all their good works must be perfect and sinlesse, and can draw no contagion from an impure heart, because if there be no indwelling sin, and no imperfect sanctification in us (as Master Eaton saith, its hypocrisie so to think or say) how can an impure heart defile these works, that are done by the aid of Grace? for that which is not, hath no operations at all; if there be no contagious fountain, and no indwelling sin, but root and branch be removed in justification, then such a fountain cannot defile the actions, Jam. 3.2. In many things we offend all foreign, a Metaphor from travellers walking on stony or slippery ground, Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? If this was but the flesh and unbelief that made this complaint, then the combat between the flesh and the Spirit, shall come from the flesh; now the conflict of two contraries, such as are the flesh and the Spirit, is not from the one more then the other, but equally from both; the conflict between fire and water, is neither from the fire only, nor from the water only, but from both, yoking together; yea, certain it is, that the flesh cannot, and doth not complain of its own motions against the spirit, sin cannot complain of sin, its the renewed part that complaineth of the stirrings and motions of the unrenewed part: Satan is not divided against Satan, nor sin against sin; Its true, the sins of the Justified are said to be sought, and not found, Jer. 50.20. And our transgressions are said to be blotted out, and blotted out as a thick cloud, and to be remembred no more, Isa. 43.25. Is. 44.22. Psal. 51.1. And to be subdued, and cast in the depths of the Sea, Mic. 7.19. and we washed, Rev. 1.5. Psa. 51.2. And made whiter then the snow: 7. And Christs Church is so undefiled, so fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, Cant. 5.2. c. 6.10. That Christ himself giveth a testimony of her, Cant. 4.7. Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee; all which are true in a Law-sense, and in Legall and Morall Freedom from sin, in regard the sins of the justified and washed in Christs blood, shall no more be charged upon them to their condemnation, then if they had never committed any sins at all, and as if their sins were no sins to witnesse against them in judgement, they being cloathed with Christs white and spotlesse righteousnesse; for they are in their actuall guilt, as touching the Law-sting and power, as no sins, no debts, but oblitrated in the Book of Gods accompt, and as a blotted out cloud, which is no cloud, in which regard they must be white & fair whom Christ washeth: I professe it is sweet to be dipped in the new fountain opened to the house of David, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, for sin and for uncleannesse, and under the sweet and fair hand of the Mediator, that he might wash us; I know he should not be ashamed of his labour, but should make fair and white work. But in regard of the inherent root, essence, and formall being of sin, the saints are not freed and delivered from sin, but these same sins, though broken in their dominion to command as Tyrants, and removed and taken away,The difference between the removal of sin in justification, and its removall in sanctification. Quod actualem reatum eternae mortis. in their Law demerite and guilt, yet do remain and dwell in the Saints, while they are here in this life; and these two removals of sin differ much, the former is a Law-removall of sin, not the removall of the essence and being of sin, the other removall is a Physicall removall in root and branch; and therefore done by degrees according to the measure of begun sanctification, and shall never be perfect in this life, while that habit of sanctification which is contrary to sin Physically considered, shall be introduced, and the person perfected in glory: whereas the former removall is so perfect, as the person is made spot-lesse and whiter then snow: which two removals of sin, may be thus illustrated, there is a man defiled with leprosie in his bodie, this is a Physicall contagion, the same man is condemned to die for a high point of treason against the State & Prince, this is a Law-contagion: The Physitian cureth him of his Leprosie by a Physicall expulsion of the disease but by degrees, & by little and little, and maketh at length his skin as the skin of a young childe. The Prince and State sendeth to him a free pardon of his Treason,Simile and he is at once perfectly acquitted from his guilt, but the Princes Pardon doth not Physically, and really expell out of his person the shame, the inherent blot and infamy of his foul and treacherous disloyalty that he committed against Prince and State, so as this pardon should transubstantiate and change him by a Physicall transmutation in a person as innocent and blamelesse, as any the most loyall subject of the Kingdom, the pardon putteth only upon him a Law-change, and a Morall immunity and freedom from a shamefull death; and Christs pardon in like manner doth remove a Law-obligation to eternal death, so as there's no condemnation to the man, but it removeth not the inherent and Physicall blot, nor the reall obliquity between his foul sin, and the spirituall Law of God; nor doth it make him perfectly sinlesse and holy as if he had never sinned, as Antinomians dream;Simile so the justification of the Saints is like the free acquitting of a broken man, that hath borrowed thousands, and is unable to pay, the cancelling of his Bill, freeth him in Law, from paying the sums, but doth in no case make him a man that never borrowed mony; nor doth it free him from that inherent blot of unjustice, in regard of which he is a broken man, who hath wasted his neighbours goods; but perfected sanctification expelleth sin in his essence, being root and branch in its dominion, Lordly power indwelling, so that it is no more: and this is like the expelling of night-darknesse out of the whole body of the Air, by the presence of the Sun diffusing its beams and light, from East to West, and North and South: I grant the habit of sanctification perfected in glory doth not make it a false proposition, that such a pardoned and washed Saint never sinned, for Factum infectum, fieri non potest: What is done can never be undone; that were a speaking contradiction, but it putteth the man in that State that he is as free of the indwelling of the body of sin, and perfectly holy, as the body of the Aire at Noon-day is free of darknesse, and qualified with inherent light; now Antinomians cannot endure (especially Master Eaton their chiefe leader) that we say that sanctification is unperfect in this life, or that the indwelling of sin can consist with free justification and remission of sins in Christs blood: But let us turn our eyes a little toward the wisdom of Gods free dispensation, to scan the reasons why our Lord will have justified Saints to go halting to heaven.
1. He can at our first conversion make us Glorified and perfected Saints; but its his wisdom to take a time and succession to perfect his Saints,Seven reasons, why sin dwelleth in the godly after they are justified by Grace. he took about thirty and three years on earth for the work of our Redemption, and would for three dayes lodge in the grave, as it were a neighbour to our Father corruption, and the worm our brother and sister, Job. 17.14 (Though he saw no corruption, Psal. 16.10. He hath been dressing up the high Palace of Glory, his Fathers house, these sixteen hundred years, if he be pleased to take moneths and years to the work of the applying of purchased Redemption; whereas he might and could have done it in one instant, as he created light out of darknesse with one word; we are to be silent, his wisedom in so doing is sufficient for us, the second heaven, and the new light in the redeemed soul is done by continuing acts of omnipotency, the first heaven was sooner made; shall it seem hard to us, that our midnight, and our full noon-day-light of grace are not existant in one instant together? We are to wait on in patience, and not to fret that we cannot at our first conversion pray out of us the indwelling body of sin, and sigh out the weight and sin that doth so hardly beset us, Heb. 12.1. God is wise who will have our day to break and dawn by degrees, and our shadows to flee away; and our Sun to arise to Noon-day-light, through length of time, if a creature, yea, the most excellent of created Angels should but sit at the helme of this great world to Rule & Govern all things but for forty and eight hours, the Sun should not rise in due time, the wals and covering of the great building of the world should fall, the Globe of the world, and of the whole earth should reele to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, all should go to confusion; and so if we had a world of Grace of our own carving, and had it in our wise choise to go from the first moment of our New-birth to heaven, without sin, we should lose our selves by the way, and take on new debt, that should require the new and fresh crucifying of the Lord of Glory: we should be no better Tutors, Governours, and Lords to our selves, then Adam and the Angels that fell: The weight of a Saints Heaven and Hell upon his own clay-shoulders is a Heaven put to a great hazard, or rather to a remedilesse losse: I shall easily grant that its sure that my heaven be upon Christs shoulders.
2. Grace worketh suitably to the nature of the Patients, the Vessell would be prepared with the frequent sense of Grace, before Christ powre in it the habite of Glory, its fit we see and feel the shaping and sewing of every piece of the wedding garment, and the framing▪ moulding and fitting of the Crown of Glory for the head of the Citizen of Heaven; yea, the repeated sense and frequent experiences of Grace in the ups and downs in the way, the falls and risings again of the Traveller, the Revolutions and changes of the spirituall condition, the new Moon, the darkned Moon, the full Moon in the spirits ebbing and flowing, raiseth in the heart of Saints, in their way to the Country a rank smell of that fairest Rose and Lillie of Sharon, Jesus Christ, the delight of men, and Angels; that as Travellers at night talk of their foul way and of the praises of their Guide; and Battell being ended, Souldiers number their wounds, extoll the valour, skill, and courage of their Leader and Captain; so the Glorified Souldiers may take loads of experiences of free-Grace to Heaven with them, and there speak of their way and their country, and of the praises of him, who hath Redeemed them out of all Nations, Tongues, and Languages: The half drowned man shaketh his head, and dryeth his garments before the Sun in the Shoare with joy and comfort: The impressions of the kisses of the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, are the deeper, that the frequent experiences of Grace have been many; much dirty and dangerous way, and the lively and hearty welcome of Glory suiteth well together.
3. As there is much; yea, an exceeding weight of Glory in heaven, so its convenient that the way to Heaven be strewed and covered with Roses of renewed acts of free-grace, and Christs repeated expressions of new pardon, one expression coming after another; that since the Saints pray dayly forgive us our sins, it is in the wisdom of God fitting, that as Glory in heaven is one continued act of happinesse for all eternity, so the Grace that maketh the old and sinfull man a new creature, should be one continued act of Grace; and as many streams and rivers are one water, and one spring in the fountain, and many lines one, in the center; and thousands of generations of men, are but one man, in the first father Adam; so multiplied acts of Grace in the Saints, from the first moment of their conversion, to the period, and first hour of their glorification are but one fountain Grace in God, revealed in the Mediator, Christ: and there can be no reason why our first conversion should be free Grace, and the perseverance of the Saints in Grace, and all their steps in the way should not also be grace: Grace is not only singly in the Saints, but Grace and peace must be multiplyed on them.
4. The standing and prorogated intercession and advocation of Jesus Christ, every day, upon occasion of new committed sins, 1 Joh. 2.1, 2. and the golden Altar that hath been hot these 1600. yeers, Rev. 8.3, 4. with the fresh prayers of the Saints, must have a daily use, so long as Christ is in the Office of the great, true, and exalted high Priest, now passed into the holy of Holiest; and better it is that Christ act Grace again and again, in heaven, as we sin again and again, on earth, then that the act of our high Priests intercession had been all but one act on the Cross, and the way to heaven was made long, and falls there must be in the way, to the end that I might lodge many nights and moneths by the way, with my guide Christ, and my expences and charges in the way might be free-Grace.
5. Faith hath its work in our graduall mortification, wee beleeve that Christ shall perfect what he hath begun, so it was needfull that Winter, and moneths of Spring and Summer go before our harvest and reaping of the fruits of the tree of life.
6. Christ works in the lower kingdom, as making the higher kingdom the copy and samplar of his working, now its most sutable for flowers and roses, that must be transplanted to grow up in the high garden beside the tree of life, and to blossome out glory for all eternity, that they grow for a time in the land of Grace, that they may take kindly with the soil: so the lower and higher gardens of Glory and Grace differ not in nature, what groweth in the one, can wel grow in the other; they cannot suit with the happinesse of that land, except they have experienced the holinesse of continued Grace in this land, and Christ maketh storms of sin to blow upon his young heirs for their Winter, God keeping life at the root, that they may be fitter for an eternally green flourishing Summer of Glorie; and when Christ consecrated himself through many afflictions, that he might be an heir suitable for Glory, he being brought through fire and water, hot and cold, and many changes to heaven, and so came to eternall happinesse through many yeers continued holinesse; it was not fit that Christ, who was to make heirs like his rule and samplar, should bring them to glory with a leap and a step, from a justified condition, to a glorified estate, without an intervening progresse in sanctification and holinesse; Christ understandeth well the fundamentall Laws of the higher City, the new Jerusalem; the frame of the government of that kingdom, is that none be received as free Citizens of Glory, but such as have served Apprentices, Minors, little children, under Tutors to Grace, and the way of holinesse; he is of too short standing, who cometh hot and smoking out from his lusts, a justified sinner, to step immediatly into Glory, and so here is a stranger welcomed to heaven from hell; a childe of Satan, playing at the Devils fire side yesterday, or the last hour, now this day, this same very hour, must be inrolled amongst those who walketh with the Lamb, in white: Some Souldiers, I grant, are advanced to be high Commanders, Per saltum, by a leap; but its for some piece of rare service to the Prince and State: and its like, the repenting Theef, in few hours space, had been in three severall Kingdoms, in the state of Nature, the Kingdom of Darknesse, and the Kingdome of Grace, and that day with Christ in Paradise. But this is (I conceive) rare: and give me leave to say, Princes at their Coronation do some extraordinary acts of Grace, by priviledge of the new Crown, that they may hansell the new Throne with acts of Mercy: Christ was now in an act of pure, unmixed Grace actually and formally redeeming the lost world, on the Crosse, and was now this day crowned by his Mother the Church, and installed King-Redeemer of Saints, and therefore would hansell Paradise with a sinner, by a priviledge of matchlesse Grace; there is but one example of it in all the Scripture.
7. The way to heaven is sweeter, that it should be here, Nulla dies sine Linea, that every day and hour that we sin (as every hour we contract new debt) Christs free Grace might have its daily flux, the fountain opened to the house of David daily running, renewed forgiveness going along with this day, our daily bread: hence these noble acts of Grace. 1. Every sin, the least omission by Law, is hell, Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10. two sins, must be two hells; seven sins, seven hells; then multiplied sins, to the number of the hairs of Davids head, Psal. 40.12. and not sins only, but innumerable iniquities must cause the account of Christs free Grace to swell and arise to a deliverance from two, from seven, from innumerable hells. O Grace every day, every hour! So then the Rebell brought nine times a day, twenty times a day, for the space of fourty yeers, by his Princes Grace from under the ax: how fair and sweet are the multiplied pardons, and reprivals of Grace, to speak so? Here is multitudes of multiplied redemptions, here is plenteous redemption: I defile every hour, Christ washeth; I fal, Grace raiseth me; I come this day, this morning, under the reverence of Justice, Grace pardoneth me; and so along, while Grace put me into heaven: The Lambs Book of life containeth not onelyonly the names of those who are ordained for that blessed end of eternall life, but also the means leading to the end; then here are written all the sins, al… …he pardons of free Grace since the first Adam sinned: O, but the Book of life must be a huge Volume! O, how large, and broad, and long must the Accompts of the Grace of Christ be? 2, We are not saved, compleatly, because justified; but Rom. 8.23. We are expectants of the Divinity of immediate vision, & groan within our selves, waiting for the Adoption, the Redemption of our body: v. 24. and are saved by hope. In regard of Title, we are saved compleatly: but in another sense we are but Lords and Kings in Title only; we are far from the Lands, Rents, Crown, and our fathers house, and so are not saved while our feet stand within the streets of the new Jerusalem. 3. In this consideration, we sigh in our fetters and bolts, and sin remaineth in us, for our exercise and humiliation, that we may have an habituall ingagement to Iesus Christ and his Grace; that soul loveth much, to whom much is forgiven;Obj. 1. How sins past present, and to come, are pardoned in justifica. Asse. 1. D. Abb. in Thō. Diatriben. de intercis. justif. c. 4. p. 92. and especially, when in sense and frequent experiences, much and multiplied backslidings are forgiven.
Obj. 1. But justification is one indivisible act of Grace, pardoning all sins, past, present, and to come, and is not a successive and continued act, in progresse alwayes, such as is sanctification; for we are but once justified. I answer by these following Assertions:
Asser. 1. There is a double Notion of justification, as D. Abbot teacheth us: There is a universall, and prop…y so called, justification: There is a partiall and unproperly so called, justification: or give me leave to say: There is a justification of the person, of the estate; or a justification repeated, or rather a reiterated remission: I doubt if it be called a justification.There is a twofold consideration of justification, but not two justifications, far lesse are there not many. The former justification doth include: 1. The Act of Atonement, made by Christ on the Crosse, for all the sins of all the Elect of God, past, present and to come: this Act is not tyed to believing, nor are we properly justified in regard of this Act. But, 2. There is a justification formall, of which Paul speaketh, Rom. 3. and 4. and Gal. 3, 4, and 5. Chapters, which goeth along in order of cause, time, and a required condition of apprehending Christs righteousnesse: and this justification of the person, while he believeth, is but once done, and that when the believer doth first lay hold on Christ and righteousnesse, imputed in his blood. There is, 3. A remission, and taking away of sin: Now according to these are we to consider of doing away sin, in a threefold Notion: for though justification essentially include remission and pardon of sin,Ass. 2. Sins in three diverse respects are taken away, according to the Scriptures▪ yet every remission doth not include justification, properly so called.
Asser. 2. This threefold taking away of sins, I clear from the Scripture: 1. Christ taketh away our sins on the Crosse, causatively, and by way of merit, while as he suffereth for our sins on the Crosse: So, Joh. 1.29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. 1 Cor. 5.21. He was made sin for us. Col. 2.14. Christ blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances, that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the Crosse. 1 Pet. 2.24. Who, his own self bare our sins on the tree. Isa. 53.10. He made his soul an offering for sin. This Atonement of blood was typified in Aaaron, who Lev. 16.20, 21. was to lay both his hands on the head of the Live-goat, and to confesse the sins of the people, and did translate them off from the people; so as the Goat was to bear upon him all their iniquities, unto a land not inhabited, v. 22. Now this was the paying of a ransome for us, and a legall translation of the eternall punishment of our sins; but it is not justification, nor ever called justification: there is a sort of imputation of sin to Christ here, and a summe paid for me: but, with leave,Christs satisfaction performed on the Cross for sin, is not formall justification. no formall imputation, no forinsecall, and no personall Law-reckoning to me, who am not yet born, far lesse cited before a Tribunall, and absolved from sin: when Christ had compleatly paid this summe, Christ was justified Legally, as a publike person, and all his seed fundamentally, meritoriously, causatively, but not in their persons.
There is a second removall of sin, and that is when the beleever is justified by faith: Paul, Rom. 4.6. Even as David (saith he) also describeth the blessednesse of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works: 7. (saying) Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered: 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin: This is the blessednesse of a man born, living, beleeving: Now we say unproperly, the heirs of a King not born are blessed; Non entis nulla sunt accidentia. So if Christs removall of sins on the Crosse, were justification, all Christs seed, and we believers of the Gentiles, who were not then born, when Christ died, should be blessed, and justified before we be born. Now in this which is formally the justification of the believing sinner, the believers person is accepted, reconciled, justified, and really translated by a Law-change, from one state to another.There is a change in justification. I mean not, that there is a Physicall infusion of a new habit of sanctification, and an expulsion of an old habit, as Papists teach, confounding regeneration, or sanctification, with justification. But there is a reall change of the state of the person, 1 Cor. 6.11. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified &c. then they were sometime not justified. 2. There is here a reall removall of all sins, and a pardon and relaxation from the eternall punishment of all sins; as well of sins to come, and not yet committed, as of sins past, present, and already committed; so as sins not yet committed, shall no more involve the believer in the punishment of eternall wrath then sins past, or present. Yet 3. the sins not committed, though virtually pardoned,How sins not committed are remitted and pardoned. (with correction and submission) are not formally pardoned: that which is not sin at all, but only in a naked potency it must be pardoned only in that notion that it is a sin, and not first formally remitted, and then afterward committed; yet it is paid for, and the person freed from all actuall condemnation for it: but with all, conditionally, and virtually, so he believe in Christ, and renew his repentance, which graces God shall infallibly give him, because the calling and gifts of God are without repentance: And of this third removall of sin, is that Petition that Christ hath taught justified persons to ask of God: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive them that sin against us: And Nathan saith to David, 2 Sam. 12.13. The Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. David, before he contracted this horrible guilt of murther and adultery, was a man according to Gods own heart, and so his person was justified; this way God daily taketh away sin, Rom. 1.17. For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith: Now the life of faith justifying, is not one single act of faith, such as is at ou… first personall, relative and universall absolution; but the believer liveth by renewed and often repeated acts of faith; such as is, To walk from faith to faith: The least faith, even the Minimum quod sic, doth justifie, but the Gospel requireth a growth in faith. In this sense remission is a continued and one prorogated act of free grace, from our first moment of believing, to the day of putting the crown on our head.
If any object that I am contrary to my self, in that I sometimes did write, that justification is a plenary Pardon in one indivisible act of all sins, past, present, and to come, and therefore sin cannot be oftner then once Pardoned: If I should answer that the knowledge we have, especially in so supernaturall a mystery, is but the twilight or the day-Stars glimmering of sinfull men, it might suffice, but I judge that I speak nothing contrary to that.
Asser. 3. For two formall justifications of a Beleever I utterly deny,Ass. 3. There is but one justification of a believer. which is that which Arminians presse not a little; yea, and the justification of the person, and his acceptance in Gods favour is but one act: I never fall from that acceptance once being in Court and Grace. I illustrate it thus: There's a Catholick Pardon in a Statute of Parliament,Simile for Grace to all Traitors, and that for Treasons past, and also to come, upon condition, that after new Treasons committed, they addresse themselves to the Publike Register of the State, and cause insert their names in the blank of that Act of Grace Printed, and in the keeping of some Officer of State; now though any one be Pardoned at his first lapse fully, if he fail again, and again, and yet perform the condition prescribed in Law; we cannot say, he hath obtained twenty, a hundred; yea, as many severall pardons of Grace, as he hath failed against King and State, its but one publike Act of Grace made use of severall times: so here in the Gospel there is a written Act of the Grace of God in Iesus Christ; Remission to all under the Treason of sin against the Royall Crown and glory of the most High, the Supreame Law-Giver, and that to the acceptation of the person of the Traitor in full favour, when he shall have in his conscience the transumpt or transcript of it at first, and also for Grace and Pardon of all after-slips and sins against the glory of the Redemer (so he sin not against the only flower of the Prerogative-Royall, the operation of the Holy Ghost in a speciall manner) upon condition he walk from Faith to Faith,Obj. 2. There's a difference between pardon of sin in the …ustification of the person, and in the repeated sense of the pardon of sins after committed. and renew his addresse to Christ the great Lord of the Rolls, who keepeth the Book of life; now I cannot see here many Pardons of Grace, but only the double Extract or Copy of the first Act of Free-Grace.
Obj. 2. But the sins pardoned to the Justified person after the first justification of his person, were never pardoned before, and they are now pardoned, therefore there must be two justifications: Ans. They were virtually pardoned, and so, as he shall never come to condemnation for any sins past, or to come, but the man now standeth Justus in curia, justified in the Court, whereas before his first beleeving, God looked at him as a judge doth at a guilty person, whose person he absolveth from all punishment, because his surety hath given a ransom for him, and he holdeth forth that ransom to the Judge, but the man in all his after faults is so far forth a sinner, as that which he hath done, though he be a justified David, displeaseth the Lord, 2 Sam. 11.27. And in so far is he pardoned; but God now looketh on him, as a Father on an offending Son; and this Son doth not hold forth a new ransome to God, but onelyonly renew the former: nor doth it infer a new acceptance of his person, that he had not before: 3. Nor place in God any new love of free complacency and good will, but only a further manifestation thereof, and a greater measure of the love of benevolence: 4. It is the same Act of Free-Grace that God putteth forth in pardoning his son now fallen in sin, and in accepting his person at first. 2. Its the same ransome of Christs atonement of his dear blood, that his Faith layeth hold on now, as before. 3. The pardon of this sin committed by a justified son, is not the freeing of him from the eternall punishment of this sin, as if he had been under eternall wrath for it before; for at his first beleeving, when his person was accepted, he was fully and freely pardoned and freed from all the obligation to eternall wrath, that all or any of his sins past, present, or to come might subject him unto, but it is the renewing of the certainty of the sufficiency of Christs ransom, as applyed to take away that sin in particular, and that by a renewed Act of Faith; now the renewed apprehension of the Grace of God in the same ransom of blood for righteousnesse in Christ, as applied to this new guiltinesse, maketh not a new forinsecall and Law-act, but doth only apply the Lords first Act of Grace to this particular sin;Iustifying saith is some other thing then the sense of justification passed, for I may know that I am justified by works of Grace as by witnesse yet I am not justified by works. nor do I mean that Faith for Remission of sins committed after a soul is in the state of justification is nothing else but a meer reflect Act, by which we apprehend, and know the first acceptance of a sinner to righteousnesse; for it is a direct Act, apprehending the former grace of a sufficient ransom, as applied to this new contracted guiltinesse; for the sinner is condemned for unbelief, Joh. 3.18, 36. And because he believeth not, he is lyable to the wrath of God; now he is not condemned, because he doth not to his own sense know, feel and apply the Remission of sins and satisfaction purchased in Christs blood for him, because then he should be condemned, because he doth not believe a lie, for there was never any such Remission purchased for him; he is condemned, not for want of sense and actuall knowledge of any such pardon, but for want of confiding on Christ, as on him who hath made a sufficient atonement for all that believeth, and so justifying Faith is some other thing then the sense of purchased Pardon of sins.
Object. 3. Then may I, Ob. 3.with the like boldnesse believe the Remission of these sins that I am to commit; and so sin boldly, because I am perswaded they cannot prevail to condemne me eternally, as I may with boldnesse believe the Remission of sins already committed.
Ans. There is a boldnesse of faith: And 2. a sinfull boldnes: In regard of boldnesse of faith, I am to believe the sufficiency of that unvaluable ransome, that it cannot be more or lesse, nor intended or remitted, but doth lie under the eye of justice; and equally accepted of God as able to remove the eternall guilt of all sins, past, present, as also of those to come; but it were sinfull boldnesse to commit sin, because Christ hath payed for it, its a motive to the contrary, not to live to our selves, but to him that died for us, because Christ bare our sins on his own body, on the Tree, 1 Pet. 3.24. 1 Pet. 1.18. Gal. 1.4. Rom. 6.1, 2, 3, 4. 1 Pet. 4.1, 2. For though I be perswaded there is no fear of eternall wrath in sins to be committed, for my faith beleeveth freedom from that, in regard of all sins; there be other stronger motives to eschew sin, then fear of Hell, even fear of violating infinite love and mercy; there's a more prevailing, and efficacious power in apprehended love to keep from sin (it being saving grace) then in fear of Hell, which of it self is no grace: 2. Fear of punishment of sin as sin, is to keep from sin,How fear of Hell o… the reward of life eternall hath influence in our not sinning and holy walking Obje. though it be not fear of eternall punishent; the eternity of punishment is no wayes essentiall to punishment: Libertines close remove this motive, who will have no sin as sin in Gods Court, punished in the beleever: Its not punished in Order to satisfaction of justice, but it followeth not that its not punishable as sin.
Obj. It is mercenary and peculiar to hirelings to abstain from sin for fear of stripes, or to serve God Intuitu mercedis, for hope of reward. Ans. To abstain from sin, for fear of punishment, as the only and greatest evil (whereas the ill of sin is far greater, and so more to be feared) is mercenary: indeed, we teach that no man should upon that fear abstain from sin: 2. To serve God for hope of Heaven, as a created good to our selves, separated in the intention from God himself and holinesse, is peculiar to hirelings, but not to serve God simply for heaven, Moses did it, Heb. 11.25, 26. Its Christs Argument in stirring up his Disciples to suffer for righteousnesse, Matth. 5.12. For great is your reward i… Heaven, And its no lesse mercenary which Libertins teach that to serve God for actual hire, in hand already purchased; to wit, for deliverance from Hell, and a purchased Redemption, then what we teach, that we may serve God for hope of good to come, if the intention in both be not steeled with grace, and free of selfinesse.