Christ Crucified, Sermon 61
SERMON LXI.
ISAIAH LIII.XI.
Verſe 11. —By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many, for he ſhall bear their iniquities.
THe Doctrine of Juſtification through Faith in Chriſt Jeſus was wont to be much thought of among the People of God, it is called, Gal. 3.8. The preaching of the Goſpel to Abraham, when God fore-told him of a way of Juſtification, and Salvation through Chriſts coming of him, That in him all the Nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed; This was the telling of Good news to him; and we are ſure it is as good news now as ever it was, and would be ſo to us, if we could look on it Spiritually as they did; For there is as great hazard in Sin, and the Curſe is as terrible and inſufferable, and the love of God as freſh now as they were then.
We have for ſome dayes been ſpeaking of this Doctrine of Juſtification, and it will be much to ſpeak and hear of it profitably, we deſire not to inſiſt of what may be unuſeful; but we conceive there is ſome neceſſity in inſiſting in this; It's our own negligence, and ignorance that makes many things of this kind to be very unuſeful, evenſo that we ſcarcely conceive them; and we are made heartleſs in ſpeaking of them, becauſe to many they are, as if ſpoken in a ſtrange language, which is, and ſhould be for a lamentation.
The laſt thing we propoſed, was to hold forth the mean by which Juſtification is attained, to wit, Faith; which we obſerved, to ſhew how Faith concurres in the attaining of Juſtification: Few or none ever denyed Faith to be neceſſary for the attaining of Juſtification, neither can any that read the Word of God with the leaſt conſideration, but have that impreſſion of it▪ But the great thing wherein the difference lyes, and wherein men miſcarry, is, in attributing to Faith the right or wrong manner of it's concurrence in the attaining of this effect; Though theſe things may at firſt bluſh, look like meerly notional ſpiculations, and ſuch as do not concern Chriſtians practice; yet there is no error in Doctrine about this matter, but there is ſomething in folks practice that looks like it, and is influenced by it; And it's mens inclination to error in practice, that makes them as it were to coyn errors in Judgement.
We ſhall Obſerve two generals further, and proceed, The 1. whereof is, That Faith hath a peculiar way of concurrence for the attaining of Juſtification, which can agree to no other Grace, nor Work, nay nor to Faith it ſelf, conſidered as a Work; Therefore Justification of many is here deryved to them by his knowledge, or by Faith in Him; that is by Faith in Chriſt, as ſecluding all other things; It's by Faith that Juſtification is deryved and applyed to us, and by Faith we come to have right to it, and an Intereſt in it.
The 2d. is, That however Faith concure for attaining of Juſtification; yet it's not Faith of it ſelf, or by any vertue or efficacy in it ſelf; but as taking hold of Chriſt as the Object of it, that it juſtifies, Therefore it's ſaid to be by the knowledge of him, or by Faith in Him, it's by receiving Him, uniting us to Him, and reſting on Him that we are Juſtified.
We ſhall ſhortly explicat both theſe branches, and then come to ſome practical uſe of them together.
1. Then, we ſay that there is ſomething in Juſtification attributed to Faith, that cannot agree to any other thing; which is implyed in many Scriptural Phraſes, and in this Text; in as far as it is ſaid, that by his knowledge, or by Faith in Him, Juſtification is attained: And therefore when we are ſaid to be juſtified by Faith, we affirm that Faith hath a peculiar way of concurring for the attaining of Juſtification, which can agree to no other Grace, as to Repentance, Love, Meekneſſe, Patience, &c. not to Prayer, Almeſdeed, or any other good Works or Work; For confirming of this, conſider, 1. That we are ſaid to be Juſtified by Faith in oppoſition to Works, and that there is ſomething attributed to Faith, which is denyed to Works: Generally this is clear in theſe Epiſtles written to the Romans and Galatians; Particularly, Rom. 4.2, 3. If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God, for what ſaith the Scriptures? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteouſneſs, now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juſtifieth the ungodly, his faith is commited to him for righteouſneſs; where moſt clearly and convincingly, believing and working are directly oppoſit the one to the other; and, Gal. 2.16. We who are Jews by nature, knowing that a man is not juſtified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jeſus Chriſt, (or as the word is, no not but by Faith, that is, a man is not juſtified by Works, but by Faith) Even we have believed in Jeſus Chriſt, that we might be juſtified by the faith of Chriſt, and not by the works of the law; Where the Apoſtle cannot more purpoſely and preſſingly make a difference betwixt any two things then he doth betwixt theſe two, Juſtification by Works, and Juſtification by Faith: And in all this diſcourſe, it cannot be ſaid, that the Apoſtle only excluds Works in reſpect of merit, or Works, as they look to the Works of the Ceremonial Law; For he oppoſeth Faith, and all ſorts of Works, or Works in whatſoever reſpect, as inconſiſtent; It's not one or two ſorts of Works; but all ſorts of Works of the Law; and there can be no Works but ſuch as are commended by the Law, which are excluded. Now if the Apoſtle ſeclude all theſe, what are the Works that we can be juſtified by? 2. Conſider the peculiar Phraſes, that the Scripture uſeth to this purpoſe, and where we are ſaid to be Juſtified by faith; There is a ſort of cauſality attributed to Faith, that can be attributed to no other Grace, nor Works; Hence the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is called the Righteouſneſs of faith, and we are ſaid to be Juſtified by faith in his blood. So Phil. 3.8, 9. I count all things to be but dung that I may win Chriſt, and be found in him, not having my own righteouſneſs, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſſe which is of God b… faith, and Rom. 3.25. Whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood; many moe ſuch Phraſes there are; And truly it would look very unlike the Scripture, to expone theſe Scripture Phraſes of a Righteouſneſſe of Works, or by Works. 3. Conſider how the Apoſtle oppoſeth the two Covenants, The Covenant of Works made with Adam, and the Covenant of Grace made with Believers in Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 10.5, 6, 7. Moſes deſcribeth the righteouſneſs of the law, that the man which doth theſe things ſhall live by them; The Righteouſneſſe of the Law ſpeaks of doing, by which we come to be Juſtified; But the righteouſneſſe of faith, or the Covenant of Grace, Speaketh on this wiſe, The word is near thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, That if thou confeſs with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus, and ſhalt believe in thy heart that God raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved; Where the Apoſtle oppoſeth theſe two Covenants, not in reſpect of merit only, as if the one were inconſiſtent with Grace, and not the other, but he oppoſeth them in this, that the Righteouſneſſe of the one Covenant is in doing, and the Ri…hteouſneſs of the other Covenant is by believing; And therefore, according to this oppoſition, wha…ever is a mans doing is not the ground of his Peace, and Juſtification before God; becauſe the Righteouſneſſe of his doing is the condition of the Coven…nt of Works; and the Righteouſneſſe of the Covenant of Grace is quite of another nature; to wit, Believing in him who juſtifieth the ungodly. 4. Conſider that the thing that is the ground of our Juſtification before God, is Chriſt's Righteouſneſs inherent in Himſelf, and imputed to us, for the covering of our nakedneſs; becauſe He is as our Cautioner hath payed our Debt; Hence it follows, that Faith hath another way of concurring in Juſtification then any other thing can have; becauſe it's Faith which receives and pu…s on that Righteouſneſſe, which no other thing doth; That I may be found in him, ſaith the Apoſtle, Philip. 3.9. not having my own righteouſneſs, but the righteouſneſs which is by the faith of Chriſt; So that to be in him is to h…ve His Righteouſneſſe, and this Righteouſneſſe is put on by Faith: Only take two words of Adveriſement ere we come to clear the other branch of the Doctrine. The 1. is this, when we ſpeak of the peculiarneſs of the way of Faith's concurring in Juſtification, ſo as no other Grace or Work doth, we deſign not to weaken, or cry down the neceſſity of Repentance, and of other Graces, nor of good Works, the very thoughts whereof we abhore, but to give every one of them their own, and the right place; and therefore it's a groſs calumnie to ſay, that we affirm, that the ſtudy and practice of Holineſs and good Works is not neceſſary; we only cry them down on this account, that when we come before God, our Works, or Holineſſe a…e not to be preſented to Him as the ground of our Juſtification and Abſolution, but the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt that Faith takes hold of; and in this we ſay, that Faith peculiarly concurres as no other Grace doth, becauſe i…'s fitted with an aptitude to receive and apply Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, which no other Grace is as we ſay, i…'s by the eye that a man ſees, though if he had not a …ead, and brains he would not ſee; So though Fai h and Hol neſſe, or good Works be not ſep…rat, yet Faith is as it were …he eye of the Soul, that diſcerns and takes hold of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe. The 2. is this, That when we ſpeak of good Works, we ſpeak of t…m as the Apoſtle doth, Tit. 3.5. where … ſaith, not …y the works of righteouſneſs which we have done, but according to his mercy he ſaved us; and by good Works denyed in the point of Juſtification, we underſtand all that is our own doing, not excluding …nly ſome things that were ſo accounted i… the time of darkneſs, as almesdeed… and the like, but (as we have ſaid) all that is our own doing.
The 2d. Branch is, that this peculiarneſs of Faiths concurring in Juſtification, is not from any efficacy in Faith or from Faith conſidered as our Deed or Work, but as it Acts on Chriſt, as the Obj…ct of it; and therefore when it is ſaid, Rom. 4.3. That Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteouſneſs; The meaning is not, as if God had accepted his believing, as an Act or Work for his Righteouſneſſe, and that it was accounted as a perfite Grace; but the meaning is, that Chriſt Jeſus the promiſed Seed received by Faith, or his betaking of himſelf to the Ri…hteouſneſs of Chriſt holden out to him in the Promiſe, was accounted his Righteouſneſſe; as if he had had an inherent Righteouſneſſe of his own; and ſo Faith is imputed not in reſpect of it's Act, but in reſpect of it's Object; By his union with Chriſt through Faith, Chriſts Satisfaction becomes his: To clear it a little, take theſe conſider…tions. 1. Conſider Faith as a Grace in us, and ſo it cannot be imputed for Righteouſneſs, for in that reſpect it's a Work, and is excluded by the Apoſtles oppoſition, made of Grace and Works; It muſt therefore be Faith conſidered as acting in it's Object. 2. Conſider that in Scripture, to be Juſtified by Chriſt, by his blood, and by Faith, are all one; becauſe when it is ſaid we are juſtified by Chriſt, or by His Blood, it takes in Chriſt and His Blood laid hold on by Faith, therefore ſometimes Chriſt, ſometimes Faith, is called our Righteouſneſſe becauſe, as Chriſt conſidered, as ſuffering, and ſatisfying is the meritorious cauſe of our Juſtification, ſo Faith is the inſtrumental cauſe taking hold of His Satisfaction, which is our Righteouſneſſe; both are neceſſary in their own way, and Chriſts Righteouſneſſe implyes Faith, and Faith implyes Chriſt and His Righteouſneſſe, the one implyes the other neceſſarily. 3. Conſider the Phraſes uſed in Scripture to this purpoſe as where we are ſaid to be justified by faith, it ever reſpects Chriſt▪ and where we are ſaid by faith to put on Christ, It is not Faith conſidered as Righteouſneſs of it ſelf, but it's Faith conſidered as Acting on Chriſt and His Righteouſneſs; Therefore it's the Righteouſneſs which is by Faith, the Righteouſneſſe which is in Chriſt, and by Faith, taken hold of by us, and becoming ours.
The Uſes are ſeveral, 1. For information and conviction, and we would, 1. be informed in, and underſtand well the meanining of this Doctrine, when we ſay that Faith is neceſſary to Juſtification, and concurreth in attaining of it as no other thing doth, that ye may give it it's right place, and may make no confuſion of theſe things that are diſtinct, 1. We deny not Works, notwithſtanding of all that we have ſaid, to be neceſſary, more then we do Faith; but the great difference is anent the giving of Faith and Works, or Faith as it is a work on equal ſhare in reſpect of cauſality in our Juſtification; And therefore we would beware with Papiſts to attribute a ſort of condignity to Faith, as if it merited eternal Life, which flowes from their ignorance of Gods Covenant; For they think, that ſince He commands us to believe, and promiſeth Life to believing, that there is a merit in believing; as they fancie, there is in Prayer, Almeſ-deeds, and others Duties, or good Works; but in this reſpect, as it is a Work in us, the Apoſtle excludes Faith, and makes our Juſtification free; whereas, if Faith in Juſtification were conſidered as a Work meriting our Juſtification, it ſhould not be free; and although there be no Papiſts in profeſſion here amongſt us, yet it may be there are ſome, and that not a few, that think God is obliged to them becauſe they believe, and that expect Heaven, and life Eternal on that ground, even as when they pray, they think they ſhould be heard for their Praying, and when they give Almes, that they ſhould be rewarded for the ſame, as a meritorious Work. 2. Neither do we underſtand, when we ſay that Faith is neceſſary to Juſtification, and concurreth in the attaining of it; That by believing we are diſpoſed to be holy, and ſo more enabled to Juſtifie our ſelves; which is alſo a Popiſh Error, wherein I fear many profeſſors of the Goſpel amongſt us ly, who think they are obliged to their Faith, becauſe it diſpoſes them to hear, read, pray, and the like, and ſo enableth them to work out a Righteouſneſſe to themſelves, whereby they expect to be Juſtified; This is another fault, and Error to be guarded againſt; For though we give Faith a radical vertue to keep Life in other Graces, yet ſo conſidered it is ſtill a piece of inherent Holineſs, and pertains to Sanctification, and not to Juſtification. 3. When we ſay that Faith concurres in the attaining of Juſtification, we do not ſay that it concurres in the ſame manner, that Repentance, Prayer, and good Works do concur: But it may be ſaid here, ſeing we grant that good Works and Duties are neceſſary, what then is the difference? I anſwer, in theſe two. 1. Faith is the proper and peculiar condition of the Covenant of Grace, and not our Works, or Holineſs; whereof Faith conſidered as a Work is a part; Works is the condition of the Covenant of works, for it ſayes in this manner, The man that doth theſe things ſhall live by them, but the Covenant of Grace in oppoſition to it, ſayes, If thou believe with thy heart in the Lord Jeſus, and confeſs with thy mouth, that God raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved; as it is, Rom. 10. What Works, is in the one Covenant, Faith is in the other Covenant, and that as it is oppoſed to Works, and to Faith it ſelf, as it is a Work in us. 2. There is a peculiarneſs in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Juſtification, in reſpect of it's inſtrumentalneſs in taking hold of Chriſt for our Juſtification, or in receiving and reſting upon Him (as we ſaid before) for that end; For when Chriſt is offered in the Goſpel; Faith flees to Him, receives Him, takes hold of Him, and reſts on Him; neither Repentance, nor Prayer, nor any good Work, hath an aptitud, and fitneſs to receive Chriſt and preſent His Satisfaction to God as the ground of the Sinners defence, as Faith hath; And therefore it's ſo often ſaid by Divines according to the Scripture, that Faith is the inſtrumental cauſe of our Juſtification; which we ſhall clear in two or three ſimilitudes, which the Scripture makes uſe of, 1 Chriſt compares Himſelf to the brazen Serpent lifted up in the wilderneſſe, John 3.14. Man by Sin is ſtung deadly, as the Iſraelites were by the fiery Serpents, Chriſt Jeſus as ſuffering, and hung, or lifted up upon the Croſs, is propoſed to our Faith to look upon, as the brazen Serpent was propoſed to them that were ſtung, and put up on a poll for that end; and as there was no healling to the ſtung Iſraelites except they looked to it, and the cure followed to none but to theſe who did behold it; So Chriſt Jeſus propoſed as the Object, and meritorious Cauſe of Juſtification, Juſtifies none but ſuch as look to Him by Faith; and although they were to look to the Brazen Serpent, yet their look gave no efficacy to the cure, but it flowed from Gods ordaining that as a mean of their Cure; even ſo it is not from any efficacy in Faith conſidered in it ſelf, that Sinners are Juſtified, but it is from Jeſus Chriſt the Object, that Faith eyeing Him lifted up, as the Saviour of the elect, and His Satisfaction as appointed of God for that end, doth Juſtifie: and therefore it may well be called an inſtrumental cauſe, becauſe it is not Chriſt abſtractly conſidered, that Juſtifies, more then it was the Serpent conſidered abſtractly, without their looking to it, that did cure, but Chriſt conſidered, and laid hold on by Faith; and in this reſpect Faith is ſaid to Juſtifie, even as the e e looking to the Brazen Serpent put them in capacity of the Cure, though the Cure flowed from Gods appointment, and not from their looking; So is it in Faith's concurring for the attaining of Juſtification. A 2d. Similitude is that of miraculous Faith; We find it often ſaid by the Lord, in His working ſuch Cures, Thy faith hath made the whole; There was no efficacy in Faith it ſelf for producing the Cure, but it was the mean by which the Cure was tranſmitted to the Perſon under ſuch a diſeaſe; So it is in believing, in order to our Juſtification; It is by believing on Chriſt, that our Spiritual Cure in Juſtification is tranſmitted to us, and we are ſaid to be Juſtified by Faith, as they were ſaid to be cured by Faith, becauſe, by Faith it is convoyed to us. A 3d. Similitude for clearing, that Faith may well be called the inſtrumental Cauſe of Juſtification, may be this, even as the Advocats pleading may be called the inſtrumental Cauſe of the Clients abſolving; As ſuppoſe a man whoſe Cautioner had payed his Debt, were cited to anſwer for the Debt, his Advocat pleads his abſolution, and freedom from the Debt, becauſe his Cautioner hath payed it; although the Debt was payed, yet the man had not been abſolved, if it had not been ſo pleaded on this behalf; So the concurrence of Faith in the Sinners Juſtification, is to table Chriſt's Satisfaction for his defence before God, and to plead his abſolution that ground; The believing Sinner's Faith ſayes it is true, I was own ſo much Debt of Sin, but Jeſus Chriſt my Cautioner to whom I am fled hath ſatisfied for it, therefore I ought to be abſolved; and the Law allowes of this ſort of pleading, and upon this ground; in which reſpect Faith concurreth in attaining, and may well be called the Inſtrumental Cauſe, of our Juſtification: I ſhall ſay no more on this Uſe, but theſe two words; we may partly regrat our great ignorance, that we know ſo little of the uſe of Faith in our Juſtification; And partly we m…y lament the great confuſion that is in theſe times, wherein men are ſet to overturn ſuch a clear truth, as if Faith had no inſtrumentality in our Juſtification, but as if it, and other Duties and Works were equal ſharers and alike in it: Which, 1. overturns the nature of Gods Covenant of Grace, in making Works the condition of it; as if there were no difference betwixt the two Covenants of Works and of Grace. 2. It hath this miſerable ill attending it, that it ſhoulders out Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, and ſhuffles in an inherent Rrighteouſneſſe of our own, as our defence when we come immediatly before the Throne of God; whereas the Goſpel puts us to a Righteouſneſſe without us, and imputed to us: This way leads us to ſeek Righteouſneſſe in our ſelves; whether Works, or Faith, as a Work be made the ground of our Juſtification, it is all one: For if Faith conſidered as a Work in us diſpoſing us to Holineſs, and as a part of ſincere Holineſs, be the thing preſented to God, as the ground of our Juſtification, it is ſtill ſomething within us, and ſuch a thing, as is ſtill imperfite; which would miſerably mar poor Souls comfort; whereas the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt laid hold on by Faith, being made the ground of our Juſtification, it affoords ſolid conſolation; For though Faith in us be weak and imperfite, yet His Righteouſneſſe is perfite; and as it was not the Iſraelites looking, as we ſaid, that was the ground of their health and cure; but Gods appointing of ſuch a mean for their cure looked to; Otherwayes they that were weak-ſighted, and had bleared eyes might think themſelves not in ſuch capacity of healling, as theſe who were ſtrong and more clear-ſighted, whereas they were all alike cured, if once they looked; even ſo is it here.
A 2d, Uſe of this, and the other Doctrine formerly ſpoken of, is for Direction, and practical Information; would any know how to get Juſtification by Chriſt, here is the way; It's by Faith in Him; when Chriſt Jeſus and His Satisfaction is made offer of in the Goſpel, for Juſtifying all ſelf-condemning Sinners, that lay hold on Him; Sinners by Faith fleeing to Him, and reſting on Him, get a title to His Righteouſneſſe, that cannot but ſave them; So that if it were, 1. aſked, what is that which a man appearing before the Throne, dare hazard to preſent to God, as the ground of his defence? It's anſwered, Chriſts Righteouſneſs, His Satisfaction. 2. If it were aſked, How comes one to have Title and Right to that Righteouſneſſe, ſo as he may, own and preſent it for his defence? It is anſwered, that it is attained by believing in Him; If it be aſked, how comes Faith to get a Title to that Righteouſneſſe, is it by any vertue, or efficacy in Faith, as a Work in us? It's anſwered, no, but it comes to get Title to it, by going out of it ſelf, by receiving, and taking hold, and making uſe of the worthineſſe that is in Chriſts Righteouſneſs, which is as a Garment, able to cover the Sinners nakedneſſe, and to hide all his ſpots, and as a compleat Ranſom to pay all his Debt: And this we ſee here upon the one ſide, a neceſſity of Faith in order to Juſtification, and upon the other ſide, a warning, not to count Grace, and the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, the leſs free; that Faith hath an inſtrumentality in the application of it; Faith having Two things that it pleads upon. 1. Emptineſs, and need in it ſelf, whence it arrogats nothing to it's own pleading, but 2. founds it's defence on the good ground it hath to propoſe; And therefore, as upon the one hand, we would know that there is away to come by Juſtification, by taking hold of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe by Faith; So upon the other hand, we would be afraid to let any thing ſtick to us from our Faith, as if we had a meritorious, or efficient hand in, or were to be thanked for, our winning to Juſtification; For as a Beggar, in receiving an Alms, can alleadge no merit to be in his receiving, or calling for it, ſo no more does Faiths receiving, mar the freedom of our Juſtification, by any merit in it.
Uſe 3. Seing Faith concurres inſtrumentally in the attaining of Juſtification, there is here clear ground to exhort you, by Faith to receive Chriſt; and to commend to you the exerciſe of believing, becauſe, without it ye cannot be Juſtified, and by it ye ſhall certainly be Juſtified.
Uſe 4. Here, O! here is ground of conſolation to poor Sinners, ſenſible of Sin, trembling at Gods Bar, as being obnoxious to the Curſe; that by receiving of Jeſus Chriſt, they may be abſolved from the Debt of Sin, and fred from the Curſe; Therefore, if there be any ſuch here, put forth your hands, and receive what is in your offer; open your Sou…s mouth wide, and let in Chriſt, and He will fill it; Faith having, as to our Spiritual Life, the ſame place, that the mouth hath to the body, as to the entertaining of the natural and bodily Life, it opens and receives what is needful to keep in the Life of the Body; And were not this good news to poor Souls burdened with Sin, loathing themſelves, and their own Righteouſneſſe, ſeing it all to be but as filthy Rags, and crying out with the Jaylour, what ſhall we do to be ſaved? Paul would ſay to ſuch, and we ſay it in the Lords name; Believe in the Lord Jeſus, and you ſhall be justified and ſaved; for Juſtification is derived by Faith in Him to the Sinner.
Uſe 5. This ſerves exceedingly to humble a Sinner; whether it be a Sinner aiming, and ſeeking to be Juſtified, or a Sinner that hath attained Juſtification; in ſo far as there is no ground of boaſting here; If ye be aiming to be Juſtified, it may humble you; for what can ye contribute to it? being enabled, ye can indeed receive what is offered, and that is all; neither can ye receive except ye be enabled, as is ſaid; It ſerves alſo to humble ſuch as are Juſtified; Have ye Righteouſneſſe? it's not your own, but Chriſt's; It's He only that did the turn; if it ſhould be ſaid, ye beli…ved, and may boaſt of that? I aſk, what did ye when ye believed? did ye any more but this? ye pleaded guilty, and did conſent to take Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, and the pardon of Sin through Him freely; and what matter of boaſting, I pray is here? none at all; Thus, this Doctrine contributes both to make theſe who are ſeeking pardon, and theſe who have gotten pardon, humble; Where is boasting then? (ſayes the Apoſtle) it is excluded, by what law? by the law of works? no, but by the law of faith, as it is, Rom. 3.17. The believing Sinner does nothing, and hath done nothing towards the procuring of His own Juſtification, but gets all freely: We can never think, nor ſpeak aright of Juſtification, but it layes our vain humour, and ſtops the mouth from boaſting, while it ſaith, What haſt thou O! man, but what thou haſt received? and if thou hast received it, why doſt thou boaſt, as if thou hadſt not received it? We ſhall cloſe and ſhut up the whole of this Doctrine by propoſing ſome few conſiderations, as concluſions from it; 1. See here a neceſſity of being acquainted with the Truths of the Goſpel, and with this Truth in particular, concerning Juſtification, (whereof, alace, many are very ignorant) ſeing there are ſo many wayes to go wrong, and ſo many do go wrong about it, we had need to be the more clear in the right way; If there were more knowledge of this, and of other Truths, we might ſpeak and hear with more profite, and if ye did not pleaſe your ſelves with meer and airy notions, but ſought to be ſettled in what ye hear of other Truths, and of this in particular, it would contribute much to your peace, and rid you of many doubts and difficulties: A 2d. Conſideration is, That there is much need to walk in holy fear, in ſtudying this, and other Truths, there are ſo many wayes to err, and a wrong ſtep here is very dangerous; It were exceeding profitable to be more in the ſtudy of Juſtification, that is of the very marrow of the Goſpel, and is deſervedly accounted to be articulus ſtantis, aut cadentis eccleſiae; but ye would come to it in fear, being jealous of your own ignorance, and ſhallowneſſe of capacity rightly to take it up, eſpecially, when new queſtions are riſing, and ſtarted concerning it; And as Paul and David ſtudied this way, and held it forth to others, as the way whereby they went to heaven, and whereby others muſt come to it; So we commend it to you to follow them. A 3d. Conſideration is, If Faith be ſo neceſſary to Juſtification, as without it ye cannot be Juſtified, is there not reaſon that ye ſhould ſtudy to be diſtinct, and clear that ye have Faith, and that ye are indeed Believers? This is one of the great Uſes of all this Doctrine; If there be no way but Faith, and if, in ſtudying this one way, many go wrong, then as ye would make your calling and election ſure, ſtudy to make this ſure, by puting your ſelves to the tryal, if ye be taking this way as the Apoſtle moſt pathetically exhorts, 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your ſelves if ye be in the faith, prove your own ſelves, &c. It's truly matter of wonder to think how ſo many men and women are ſo ſoon ſatisfied in the matter of their believing, which yet is ſo tickle, and difficult a buſineſſe; we would have none to be jumbled and confounded about it, who deſire to be ſerious in the thing; yet we would have all wakened, and put to diligence; many men have taken pains to be wrong in this matter of Juſtification, and how few of you have taken pains to go right in it? and how is it that many of you win ſo eaſily at it? Seing the Apoſtle, Rom. 9. calls it, a ſtumbling ſtone to many, and a rock of offence; Surely, … it be ſo, your coming at it by gueſs, and ignoranly is to be ſuſpected; And therefore on this conſideration ye would be awakened, to put your ſelves more ſeriouſly to the ſtudy of it; and to try your ſelves, if ye be come well to it, for it's the ſpecial, yea the only-ground of your peace before God; There are many of you, who in a manner, think it impoſſible to miſcarry in this; For ye know that there is no way to be Juſtified but by Faith; and yet if many of you were put to it, ye know not the manner nor way how Faith Juſtifies, which ſhews that it is not ſo eaſie a matter as ye take it to be. A 4th Conſideration is this, That in ſpeaking of Juſtification, and Faith's peculiarneſſe, or peculiar way of concurring in it, ye would beware of crying down Works, as to their uſefulneſs, or neceſſity; This was an error that ſoon entered in the Church; as ſoon as Paul cleared and preſſed the Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith, ſome aroſe, who, (as James ſhews in the 2d. Chapter of his Epiſtle,) affirmed, that Works were not needful, but Faith would ſave them, no ſayes James, that faith is dead and vain that wants works; And therefore remember 1. That although we tell you that Works are not properly the condition of the Covenant of Grace, yet we ſay that Faith and Works are never ſeparat in a Juſtified Perſon; ſound Faith cannot but work, and put on to the ſtudy of Holineſſe; 2. We ſay, although Works concur not in the obtaining of pardon of Sin, yet we ſay they are needful to Salvation, and to folks entry in to Heaven; For the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 12.17. That without holineſs none ſhall ſee the Lord; Though it's Faith that makes our friendſhip, yet it's by holineſſe that it's entertained; and it's holineſſe whereby our communion is keeped up with God; Therefore, Col. 1.12. We are ſaid by it, to be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the ſaints in light; For it transforms us to Gods Image. 3. Works are neceſſary, though not to procure our peace, yet for the entertaining of our peace, and except we have Works, we cannot have a ſolid proof that our Juſtification by Faith is real; and in this reſpect, James ſayes, Chap. 2. that Abraham was Juſtified by Works; That is, by his Works he was declared to be a juſtified perſon; As to the Juſtification of his perſon, he was juſtified by Faith, before Iſaac was born; but by his offering up of Iſaac, and other Fruits of his Faith, he was declared and manifeſted to be a Juſtified man, and made ſuitable to the Covenant that he was ingaged in with God; Therefore, as the ſum of all, be exhorted to ſtudy the exerciſe of Faith and Holineſſe, ſo as every one of them may have it's own room and place; for that will be your advantage, and without this no other thing will advantage you, Now God himſelf that calleth for both, Sanctifie, and enable us for both.