The Gospels Glory, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Treating of the fulneſſe of ſalvation by Jeſus Chriſt, proved from the end of the ſending of Christ intended and attained, which was the expiation of ſin, and the fulfilling of the righteouſneſſe of the Law, both for, and in the ſinners that ſhall be ſaved.
SECT. 1.
5. THe words of the Apoſtle now to 5. Salvation is full where ſin is expiated, and the righteouſneſſe of the Law is fulfilled for and in us ſinners.be handled are theſe; [And for ſinne, condemning ſinne in the fleſh, that the righteouſneſſe of the Law might be fulfilled in us, did God ſend his own Sonne;] here is delivered this glorious truth, viz. That the end of Chriſts miſſion, incarnation and paſſion being to expiate ſinne, and to fulfill the righteouſneſſe of the Law both for and in us, doth abundantly prove the ſalvation of thoſe that are in Chriſt to be abſolute and full.
Here three affrighting and ſinking ſentences Opened, and while opened, demonſtrated.are ſavingly and everlaſtingly anſwered: The awakened ſinner when he conſiders the Law of God, and the Bonds of his obedience thereunto, as he is a reaſonable creature, cannot but reaſon thus;
1. I am a ſinner, and ſinne condemns me by the righteous ſentence of the Law which I have broken. It is anſwered, The Sonne of God is ſent in the fleſh for ſin, to be the ſacrifice to take it away, the Lamb of God ſlain in ſacrifice for the ſin of the world. God condemns ſinne, which would condemn thee; God condemns it in the fleſh of his own Sonne; as the Syriack readeth the words, in his fleſh, and the connexion of the words in theſe two verſes doth inforce that ſenſe; for he that ſent his own Sonne in the fleſh to condemn ſinne in the fleſh, and ſo ſave the ſinner, muſt needs condemn ſinne in his fleſh, and not in our fleſh; for had we born in our bodies the condemnation due by the Law for our ſinnes, we had periſhed everlaſtingly, and had for ever layn under the curſe of the Almighty Law-giver, but ſinne is expiated by a ſacrifice of infinite value, ſinne is condemned in the fleſh of Gods own Sonne; therefore thou ſhalt never be condemned for thy ſinne.
2. The Law requireth perfect obedience and righteouſneſſe of the creature, and continuance in the ſame. I cannot perform the obedience which the Law requireth; and were all my former ſinnes forgiven, I ſhall ſinne again. It is anſwered, the Sonne of God hath fulfill'd the righteouſneſſe of the Law in thy nature for thee; for God ſent him in the likeneſſe of ſinful fleſh, he ſent him about ſinne, that he in the fleſh, the humane nature, might fulfill the righteouſneſſe of the Law; therefore he was ſent not for himſelf, who was not obliged to the Law, but for us to fulfill it for us; therefore his obedience is thy obedience, his righteouſneſſe thy righteouſneſſe. The righteouſneſſe of Chriſt Jeſus, the righteouſneſs performed by him, is performed for thee, not for himſelf, it is thine: it is the righteouſneſſe of God, of Gods appointing ordained for thee: it is the righteouſneſſe of faith, thine by believing, not by working; thou haſt not a righteouſneſſe of works, for thou art a ſinner, but here is a righteouſneſſe provided for a ſinner; believe, and it is thine; it is an everlaſting righteouſneſſe; live ever by believing, and all thy ſinnes are covered, thou art clothed for ever. The Sonne of God Jeſus Chriſt is the Lord our righteouſneſſe.
3. But man is yet a creature, and though he be not under the curſe, and be acquitted of his ſin, yet is he bound to obedience, and not the leſſe bound, but the more, becauſe God ſo loveth, as to give Chriſt his own Son; my bonds of obedience are greater, and yet I ſin daily, my ſin is the more aggravated, becauſe they are againſt ſuch a gracious God and Father, and againſt ſuch a Lord Redeemer; it is anſwered; The Son of God is ſent to fulfill the righteouſneſſe of the Law in us; how? may you ſay;
1. By ſetting out to the world, and to the heart of a ſinner, ſinne more vile and the more condemned in and by the heart of the ſinner, which is one point of righteouſneſs to hate & judge ſin. And God moſt holy, while moſt of love, and moſt juſt while moſt of mercy; now this heals us of profaneſs whilſt it allures; & draws with cords of love whiles it fills with holy fear; ſin is hated, and God loved; the name of the Lord Chriſt is named with an heart departing with a bleſſed Apoſtaſie from iniquity; & as love abounds, juſt abomination of ſin encreaſeth with ſelf-loathing and ſelf-abhorrency.
2. By ſhewing a crucified Chriſt, which ſight woun…s to the quick, perſwades to Zach. 12. 10. Joh. 12. 32, 33. Joh. 3. 14, 15, 16. Gal. 2. 19, 20.believe in God ſo loving as not to ſpare but to deliver up his own for us; ſo faithful of his word, performing in due time the greateſt, unlikelieſt, and ancienteſt promiſe he ever ſpake; to believe in Chriſt ſo gracious, to believe his promiſes, threatnings, commandments, and all his words. This ſight crucifies us with Chriſt, ye… cauſes to live to God, and to live in and through crucifyings.
3. By this faith the ſinner is united to Chriſt; not by a moral union, as love uniteth, but by a myſtical, receiving his Spirit; not by a Phyſical or natural union, but by a ſupernatural. Chriſt of whom the Word & the Spirit do therein teſtifie, faith receiveth; faith receiveth Chriſt in the Word, juſtifieth, and Chriſt is formed in the heart; faith brings home the love of God in Chriſt, as the Holy Ghoſt in the Word of the Goſpel revealeth, and by that Word reveals the Sonne in the ſinners heart believing: this faith works love, this faith works by love, which is the fulfilling of the Law.
4. By this faith Chriſt is received; not only as ſatisfying Gods juſtice puniſhing and commanding, but as purchaſing grace, glory, and all good things elſe: yea, as purchaſing the bleſſing of the promiſe, even the Holy Ghoſt who reneweth after Gal. 3. 12.the image of God, and ſets the heart on high in hope of the glory to come, eternal life.
5. Chriſt coming into the believer, breaks down ſinnes dominion, and ſets up his own government in the ſoul, the Rom. 6. 14authority of the Law-giver, the ſpiritualneſſe of the Law, and his delight in all this.
6. By his Spirit, he creates us anew, he confers all principles of obedience, he comes and dwells there in the new creature, he is in the ſeed abiding in them, he enables, he excites that ability, he imparts to them the promiſes, he puts life into the Word and Ordinances that they may be in power.
7. By his exemplary life in holineſſe, both in doing and ſuffering; he beats out before us the way of righteouſneſſe as our pattern, which draws out imitation, (man being a creature prone to be led by examples, and his imitating inclination in his new Creation ſanctified,) now we would walk as Chriſt walked; the heart is ſet on high and perfect patterns, even on Gods holineſſe, and on Chriſts purity.
8. Here is the image of God to be beheld in a mirrour, in liberty and in great 1 Cor. 3. 17, 18.glory, the image of God loſt, but in Chriſt found again, begetting in us the very ſame image, we ſee and are transformed, we ſee & are aſſimilated, & made like unto it.
All this work is in true and powerful beginnings which tend to, and are growing towards perfection, and ſhall be perfect with perfection of degrees and fulneſſe, as here it is of parts and of uprightneſſe.
SECT. 2.
This Doctrine is of ſingular uſe to wipe Uſes. 1. To vindicate the Goſpel. Gal. 2. 17, 18, 19.off all aſperſion caſt upon the Doctrine of juſtification of a ſinner by faith in Jeſus Chriſt without the works of the Law, as if it were a Doctrine of looſneſſe: for ſee here Chriſt is not the miniſter of ſin; he deſtroyeth ſinne in believers, he by faith purifieth them to the very heart; the preaching of this Goſpel of forgiveneſſe of ſinnes out of free-grace by faith in Jeſus Chriſt deſtroyeth ſin; it makes the believer to live to God through a double death, and the latter of them which this Goſpel by faith puts the ſinner unto is no leſs than crucifying, yet a death to the believer moſt deſirable, becauſe it is a crucifying of him with Chriſt. And now this believer cannot but abhor the thought of being ſuch a tranſgreſſor as to go about to build again that which by receiving and profeſſing, and preaching (if he be a Miniſter) this Goſpel he deſtroyed, was there ever the like effectual way of deſtroying ſin, and fulfilling the Law in a ſinner as this? here ſin is made hateful in the heart of the ſinner, profaneſſe of heart healed, the heart formerly alienated, now drawn to God, the old man crucified, which Chriſt and the believer lives yet, or rather Chriſt lives in him; faith uniting to Chriſt, and receiving Chriſt works by love, love conſtraining to live to him that dyed for them, the Holy Ghoſt is received, the Son of God revealed in the ſoul, Chriſts, government is ſet up, and ſins dominion is broken down, the heart is created anew, and the ſinner enabled to walk in Gods ſtatutes, & to do his commandments with delight in the ſpiritualneſs and purity of the Law; he would be holy, as his heavenly Father is holy, and pure as Chriſt is pure, and walk he would as Chriſt walked: by faith beholding God in Chriſt all of love, he ſuffers a change from glory unto glory, which ſhall be perfected in both body and ſoul in glory. Was there ever ſuch a fulfilling of the righteouſneſs of the Law by weak ſinful man as this, which is wrought by faith in the Sonne of God ſent into the world to take away ſin by one offering and ſacrifice once for ever? Jeſus Chriſt was a curſe for ſinne, not a cloak for ſinne; he fulfilled all righteouſneſſe, but nulled no Law; he fulfills the Law in us, whiles he enables ro believe that he fulfilled it for us. The Miniſtry of the Goſpel is the Miniſtry of Rom. 3. 31life, of righteouſneſſe, and of the Spirit: we eſtabliſh the Law by faith; we magnifie it and make it honourable; we bring to glorious liberty, not to baſe licentiouſneſſe, which is moſt abſolute ſlavery. We advance godlineſſe, while our Doctrine forms it in power, and deſtroyes a powerleſſe form of it: we maintaine good workes, while through the Goſpel the ſinner is called to come to God through Chriſt alone, and God takes him into his own gracious and powerful hands, and makes, molds, faſhions him in his own workmanſhip in Chriſt Jeſus created anew unto good Eph. 2. 10.works. O ye Pontificians, ye Papiſts and all others to whom the Goſpel comes, know ye, The Law is not againſt the Promiſe: The Promiſe ingraves the Law in the fleſhly tables of the heart.
This Doctrine alſo tries and differenceth 2. To try Profeſſors.Believers and Believers, Chriſtians and Chriſtians; upon the Believer and Chriſtian indeed, the former three ſentences are deeply faſtened, and the anſwers are experimentally and ſweetly reſented in the heart that cloſeth with them, and receiveth the mould of them; ſuch a heart is truly believing and Chriſtian, and no other: Go over them again and again in thy thoughts, and try how it is with thee.