A Short and Sure Way to Grace and Salvation, Section 16 – Section 18
Sect. XVI.
True, if thou lookeſt on thy ſins in Satans falſe glaſſe, that will make them ſeem light, and contemptible; but behold them in the clear and perfect glaſſe of Gods Law, and they will appear abominable. Which makes our Saviour call hatred, murther; a wanton eie, adulterie, &c. Yea, conſider thy ſins rightly, and they will appear as the Judaſſes that betraied, the Souldiers that apprehended, bound, ſmote and wounded thy Saviour, as the gall and vineger in his mouth, ſpittle on his ſace, thorns on his head, nails in his hands, ſpear in his ſide, &c.
This is the way to know thy ſelf ſinful: and as thus to know thy ſelf, is the beſt Divinity, as Demonax ſaid of Philoſophy: ſo thus to aggravate thy ſins in thine own ſight, is the onelyonly way to have them extenuated in the ſight of God. Whence the more holy a child of God is, the more ſenſible he is of his own unholineſſe; thinking none ſo vilde as himſelf: as it fared with holy Job, Job 40. 4. & 42. 6. and with Iſaiah, chap. 6. 5. & 64. 6. and with Saint Paul, 1 Tim 1. 15. Rom. 7. 14, to 25. and with holy David, who almoſt in every Pſalme ſo much bewails his ſins, original and actual; of omiſſion and commiſſion.
Carnal men are onelyonly troubled for thoſe ſins that appear to the world: but thoſe in whom Chriſt i… formed a new, think they cannot be humbled enough for their evil thoughts, vain and unprofitable words, for the evil which cleavs even to their beſt actions; for ſins of omiſſion, as the want of faith, and love, and repentance, want of the true fear of God, the neglect of preparation, and profitable hearing, of praying and reading in their families, of inſtructing their children and ſervants, of ſanctifying the Sabbath, and ſeeing that all under them do the ſame; their unfruitfulneſſe under the means of grace, their not growing in grace and true wiſdom, their not fearing a lie, an oath, and a hundred the like. And thus do all experimental Chriſtians, all that have ſpiritual eies. The want whereof I take to be the cauſe of all deſperate wickedneſſe: as what elſe but invincible ignorance is the cauſe, why wickedneſſe ſo abounds in every corner of the Land. Sin indeed at firſt was the cauſe of ignorance: but now ignorance is the cauſe of ſin. Swearing, and lying, and killing, and ſtealing, and whoring abound: (ſaith the Prophet) becauſe there is no knowledg of God in the land, Hoſea 4. 1, 2. It is a people that do … their hearts, ſaies God; Why? Becauſe they have not known my waies, … 10. Ye… are dec…ived (ſaith our Saviour) becauſe ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God, Matth. 22. 29. When Chriſt wept over Jeruſalem, what was the cauſe? Even their blindneſſe. If thou hadſt known (ſaith he) at the leaſt in this thy day; thoſe things which now are hid from thine eies Luke 19. 42. Becauſe men know not the wages of evil, therefore they do it: and becauſe they would ſecurely do it, therefore they refuſe to know it. O that men knew, how good it is to obey; to diſobey, how evill! for this would ſoon diſp…rſe and dispell all the black clouds of their reigning ſins in a moment. If they were wiſe (ſaith Saint Bernard) they would fore-ſee the torments of Hell, and prevent them: but they that wander in by-paths, declare themſelvs ignorant of the right-way of ſalvation, Rom. 3. 17. I grant. many that are wicked have a ſhew of wiſdom: but let them ſeem to know never ſo much; yet it is through ignorance that they do ſo ill.
Sect. XVII.
And ſo having given you, a ſhort ſurvey of our wretchedneſs, by reaſon of O…i…inal, ſin and act…all tranſgreſſions; by which we muſt confeſſe to have deſerved double damnation I come now to declare the means, which God of his infinite goodneſs hath found out, both for the ſatisfying of his juſtice, and alſo freeing us from the guilt, and puniſhment of either. And that with aſmuch brevity, as may ſtand with p…ſpicuity.
Firſt in generall we muſt undoubtedly know, that the ſole perfection of a Chriſtian, is the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſs; and the not-imputation of his own unrighteouneſs, as appears by the whole current of Scripture, of which a few.
Even the Son of man, came to give his life a ranſom for many. Mark. 10. 45. As in Adam all dye, ſo in Chriſt ſhall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15. 21, 22. As by one mans diſobedience, many were made ſinners: ſo by the obedience of one, ſhall many be made righteous, &c. Rom. 5. 18, 19. As by the offence of one, the fault came on all men to condemnation: ſo by the juſtifying of one, the benefit abounded towards all men to the juſtification of life. Rom. 5. 18. Unto Jeſus Chriſt that loved us, and waſhed us from our ſins in his own blood. Revel. 1. 5. The blood of Jeſus Chriſt his Son, cleanſeth us from all ſins 1 John. 1. 7. he is the reconciliation for our ſins &c. 1 John. 2. 1, 2. He hath made him to be ſin for us, who knew no ſin: that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in him: 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was delivered to death for our ſins, and is riſen again for our juſtification. Rom. 4. 25. Who his own ſelf, …re our ſins in his own body on the tree: by whoſe stripes we were healed. 1 Pet. 2. 24. He was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, he was broken for our iniquityes, the chaſtiſement of our peace was upon him, and with his ſtripes we were healed Iſa. 53. 5. Neither i… there ſalvation in any other; for among men, there is given none other name vnderunder Heaven, whereby we muſt be ſaved. Acts. 4. 12. The wages of ſin is death, but the gift of God is eternall life, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Rom. 6 23. I am the reſurection and the life, be that believeth in me, although he were dead, yet ſhall he live. John. 11. 25. You hath he quickned, that were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins. Ephe. 2. 1. God ſo loved the world: that he gave his onelyonly begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life. For God ſent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be ſaved. John. 3. 16. to 20.
God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet ſinners, Chriſt died for us: much more then being now juſtified by his blood, we ſhal be ſaved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son: much more being reconciled, we ſhall be ſaved by his life, Rom. 5. 6, to 11. read to the end of the Chapter. See more Joh. 1. 29. Acts 13. 39. Rom. 6. 4, to 23. & 8. 2, 3. & 10. 3, 4. 1 Cor. 15. 56. Coloſ. 1. 14. Gal. 3. 22. Heb. 9. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19, 20. 1 Joh. 3. 8.
Sect. XVIII.
As Chriſt was a ſinner, only by the imputation of our ſins: ſo wee are juſt, onelyonly by the imputation of his righteouſneſs. Our good works (were they never ſo many and rare) cannot juſtify us, or deſerve any thing at Gods hands: it is onelyonly in Christ that they are accepted, and only for Chriſt that they are rewarded. Yea the opinion of thine own righteouſneſs, makes thy condition far worſe then the wickedeſt mans alive: For Chriſt that came to ſave all weary and heavy laden ſinners; (be they never ſo wicked) neither came to ſave, or once to call thee that haſt no ſin, but art righteous enough without him. As hear his own words to the proud Phariſees, who had the ſame thoughts of themſelvs as thou haſt. They that be whole need not a Phyſitian, but they the… are ſick. I am not come to call the righteous, but ſinners to repentance. The …ſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael, Mat. 9. 13. & 10. 6. & 15. 24. & 18. 11. Nor can any ſoul be ſo dangerouſly ſick: as thou, who art leaſt ſenſible of thy being ſick.
Briefly, untill with Saint Paul, thou renounceſt thine own righteouſneſs, ſeeſt thy ſelf the greateſt of ſinners, art able to diſcern ſin in every thing thou canſt think, ſpeak, or do; and that thy very righteouſneſſe is no better then a menſtruous cloth, Iſa. 64. 6. thou canſt have no part in Chriſt. And until Chriſt ſhall become thine by Regeneration, and a lively faith: Thou art bound to keep the whole Law, actually and ſpiritually with thy whole man, thy whole life; or elſe ſuffer eternal death and deſtruction of body and ſoul in Hell for thy not keeping it. So that thou haſt yet to anſwer (and I pray mind it ſeriouſly) for all the ſins, that ever thou haſt committed; who art not able to anſwer for one of the leaſt of them. For the wages of ſin (any ſin, be it never ſo ſmall) is eternal death, Rom. 6. 23. Gal. 2. 16, 19, 20, 21.
Neither let Satan, nor thy own deceitful heart delude thee; in thinking that thou haſt faith, when thine own words declare the contrary. Nor would I ask any more evidence againſt thee in this, then thine own mouth: in ſaying, that thou never doubteſt in all thy life: for this makes it plain, that thou never hadſt faith, nor ever kneweſt what faith means. For he who never doubted, never believed: and Satan hath none ſo ſure, as thoſe whom he never yet aſſaulted.