Christ Set Forth, Title page 1 – To the reader
CHRIST SET FORTH In his
Death,
Reſurrection,
Aſcenſion,
Sitting at Gods right hand,
Interceſsion,
As the
CAUSE of Iuſtification.
OBJECT of Iuſtifying Faith.
Upon ROM. 8. VER. 34.
TOGETHER WITH A TREATISE DISCOVERING The Affectionate tenderneſſe of CHRISTS HEART now in Heaven, unto Sinners on Earth.
By THO: GOODWIN, B. D.
LONDON, Printed by W. E. and J. G. for Robert Dawlman. MDCXLII.
TO THE READER.
WHat the ſcope of this treatiſe it ſelfe is, the Title-page and the Table that followes, will ſufficiently informe you: I ſhall onelyonly here acquaint you, with what was mine, in a few words. I have by long experience obſerved many holy and precious ſoules, who have clearely and wholly given up themſelves to Chriſt, to be ſaved by him his owne way; And who at their firſt converſion (as alſo at times of deſertion,) have made an entire and immediate cloze with Chriſt alone for their Juſtification, who yet in the ordinary courſe and way of their ſpirits, have beene too much carried away with the Rudiments of Chriſt in their owne hearts, and not after Chriſt himſelfe: The ſtreame of their more conſtant thoughts and deepeſt intentions running in the channell of reflecting upon, and ſearching into the gracious diſpoſitions of their owne hearts, ſo to bring down, or to raiſe up (as the Apoſtles words are, Rom. 10. 8.) and ſo get a ſight of Chriſt by them. Whereas Chriſt himſelfe is nigh them (as the Apoſtle there ſpeakes) if they would but nakedly look upon himſelfe through thoughts of pure and ſingle faith.
And although the uſe of our owne graces by way of ſigne and evidence of Chriſt in us be allowed us by God, and is no way derogatory from Chriſt, if ſubordinated to faith; and ſo as that the heart be not too inordinate and immoderate in poring too long, or too much on them, to fetch their comfort from them, unto a neglect of Chriſt: yet as pleaſures that are lawfull, are unlawfully uſed, when our thoughts and intentions are too long, or too frequent, or too vehement in them, ſo as to dead the heart; either to the preſent delighting in God, or purſuing after him, with the joint ſtrength of our ſoules, as our onelyonly chiefeſt good: ſo an immoderate recourſe unto ſignes, (though barely conſidered as ſuch) is as unwarrantable, when thereby we are diverted and taken off from a more conſtant actuall exerciſe of daily thoughts of faith towards Chriſt immediately, as he is ſet forth to be our righteouſnes; either by the way of Aſſurance, (which is a kind of enjoyment of him,) or Recumbency and renewed Adherence in purſuit after him.
And yet the minds of many are ſo wholly taken up with their own hearts, that (as the Pſalmiſt ſayes of God) Chriſt is ſcarce in all their thoughts: But let theſe conſider what a diſhonour this muſt needs be unto Chriſt, that his traine and favourites (our graces) ſhould have a fuller Court and more frequent attendance from our hearts then himſelfe, who is the King of Glory. And likewiſe what a ſhame alſo it is for beleevers themſelves, who are his Spouſe, to look upon their Husband no otherwiſe but by reflection and at ſecond hand, through the intervention and aſsiſtance of their own graces, as Mediators between him and them?
Now to rectifie this errour, the way is not wholly to reject all uſe of ſuch evidences, but to order them; both for the ſeaſon, as alſo the iſſue of them: For the reaſon, ſo as that the uſe of them goe not before, but ſtill ſhould follow after an addreſſe of faith firſt renewed, & acts thereof put forth upon Chriſt himſelfe. Thus whenſoever wee would goe downe into our owne hearts, and take a view of our graces, let us be ſure firſt to looke wholly out of our ſelves unto Chriſt, as our juſtification, and to cloze with him immediately; and this as if we had no preſent, or by paſt grace, to evidence our being in him. And if then whilſt faith is thus immediately claſping about Chriſt, as ſitting upon his Throne of Grace, we finde either preſent or fore-paſt graces comming in as Hand-maids, to attend and witneſſe to the truth of this adherence unto Chriſt, (as after ſuch ſingle and abſolute acts of faith, it oftentimes falls out.) The Holy Ghoſt (without whoſe light they ſhine not) bearing witneſſe with our ſpirits, that is, our graces, as well as to our ſpirits. And then againe, for the iſſue of them, if in the cloſure of all, we again let fall our viewing and comforting our ſelves in them, or this their teſtimony, and begin afreſh (upon this encouragement) to act faith upon Chriſt immediately with a redoubled ſtrength: if thus (I ſay) we make ſuch evidences to be ſubſervient onelyonly unto faith, (whilſt it makes Chriſt its Alpha & Omega, the beginning and end of all) this will be no prejudice at all to Chriſts glory or the workings of faith it ſelfe; for by this courſe the life of faith is ſtill actually maintained, and kept upon wing in its full ure, and exerciſe towards Chriſt alone for juſtification. Whereas many Chriſtians doe habitually make that onelyonly but as a ſuppoſed or taken for granted principle, which they ſeldome uſe, but have laid up for a time of need: But actually live more in the view and comfort of their owne graces, and the gracious workings thereof in duties towards Chriſt.
The Reaſon of this defect among many other I have attributed partly to a Barrennes (as Peters phraſe is) in the knowledge of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and of ſuch things revealed about him, as might be matter for faith to worke and feede upon: As alſo to a want of skill (whilſt men want aſſurance) to bend and bow, and ſubjugate to the uſe of a faith of meere adherence, all thoſe things that they know and heare of Chriſt as made juſtification unto us. It being in experience a matter of the greateſt difficulty, (and yet certainly moſt feaſable and attainable) for ſuch a faith, as can yet onelyonly relie & caſt it ſelf upon Chriſt for juſtification, yet rightly to take in, and ſo to make uſe of all that which is or may be ſaid of Chriſt his being made righteouſneſſe to us, in his Death, Reſurrection, &c. as to quicken and ſtrengthen it ſelfe in ſuch acts of meere Adherence, untill Aſſurance it ſelfe comes, for whoſe uſe and entertainment all ſuch truths lie more fair and directly to be received by it. They all ſerve as a fore-right wind to aſſurāce of faith, to fil the ſails thereof, & carry it on with a more full and conſtant gale, (as the word uſed by the Apoſtle for Aſſurance imports) whereas to the faith of a poore recumbent, they ſerve but as a halfe-ſide-wind, unto which yet, through skill, the ſailes of ſuch a faith may be ſo turned and applyed towards it, as to carry a ſoule on with much eaſe and quietneſſe unto Chriſt, the deſired Haven; It notwithſtanding waiting all that while, for a more faire and full gale of aſſurances in the end.
Now to helpe or inſtruct beleevers in that latter, namely the uſe of ſuch a skill, is not ſo directly the drift of this Treatiſe, I having reſerved that part (if God aſsiſt me and give leiſure, and this find acceptance) unto another about the acts of juſtifying Faith, wherein this art now mentioned is to be the maine ſcope. That which I have here endeavoured, is, to ſet forth to all ſorts of beleevers (whether they have aſſurance or not) Chriſt as he is the Object of our faith as juſtifying, and as the cauſe of juſtification to us; and ſo I ſend forth this as a premiſe and preparatory to that other. And to that purpoſe I have run over ſome few Articles of our Faith or Creede, as I found them put together in one bundle by the great Apoſtle, namely Chriſt, in his Death, Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, Sitting at Gods right hand, and Interceſſion, and have handled theſe no further, then as in all theſe he is made Juſtification unto us, therin having punctually kept unto the Apoſtles ſcope. By all which you may (in the mean time) ſee, what abundant proviſion God hath laid up in Chriſt (in the point of Juſtification) for all ſorts of beleevers to live upon: Every thing in Chriſt, whatſoever he was, or whatſoever he did, with a joynt voice ſpeaking juſtification unto us. You may ſee alſo that God hath in Chriſt juſtified us over and over; and thereby come to diſcerne what little reaſon you have to ſuffer your hearts to be carried aſide to other comforters, and ſo be ſpoiled and bereft of theſe more immediately prepared, and laid up for us in Chriſt himſelfe. To have handled all thoſe conſiderations, which his obedience unto death affords unto the juſtification of a beleever, and his comfort therein, in this ſmall tractate, would have made that part too diſproportioned to the reſt: it alone deſerves, & will require a diſtinct Tract, which therefore I have caſt into another method; and ſo in this Treatiſe have toucht only upon what may for the preſent be ſufficient to furniſh that part, to keep company with its fellows. OnelyOnly when I had thus preſented Chriſt along from his Death, Reſurrection, and Aſcenſion, unto his Sitting in Heaven, and there performing that great part of his Prieſthood, the worke of Interceſſion, I judged it both homogeneall to all theſe, and conducing to the greater encouragement of beleevers in the exerciſe of their faith, to ſubjoyne that other Treatiſe, How Chriſts Heart now he is in Heaven ſtands affected to us ſinners here below. And a better token, (take the Arument it ſelfe, if I could have fully repreſented it) how to preſent unto his Spouſe I know not, then a true character of her Husbands heart now he is in glory: And (but for methods ſake) I would have placed it firſt, it being more ſuited to vulgar capacities, whoſe benefit I aime at. Now in that diſcourſe I confeſſe I have not aimed to keepe ſo ſtrictly unto the matter of juſtification only, as in the other I have done; But have more generally diſcuſſed it, and ſhewne how his heart ſtands towards us, under all ſorts of infirmities whatſoever, either of Sin or miſery, yet ſo as it wil ſerve for the matter of juſtification alſo. The Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, grant us according to the riches of his glory, that Chriſt may dwell in our hearts by faith, and that we may know the love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledge. Amen.
THO. GOODVVIN.