The Greatness of the Mystery of Godliness, Sermons · Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
1 TIM. 3.16.
Justified in the ſpirit, &c.
HAving ſpoken of the firſt and great myſtery of godlineſſe which the Apoſtle reckons up in this verſe, that God was manifeſted in fleſh: Another preſents it ſelfe before our eyes to be admired; In the things of the Goſpell you go from glory to glory; you can no ſooner come out of one roome of bleſſedneſſe, but you ſtep into another as glorious; every ſtep to heaven is a new opening of Gods glory; What would a ſoule expect more than a manifeſtation of God, and in fleſh ſo fitly for his good? Who would not ſit down under the ſhadow of this happineſſe and go no farther; but yet this is not all, this God is ſet forth in another myſtery, as, Juſtified in the ſpirit; before one is able to go to the bottome of one myſtery he is led into the boſome of another; ſo thick and faſt doth the glory of God break in upon the poore ſoule, as he is not able to keep his eye faſt on one thing, but another as glorious comes to be preſented. Brethren, what a bleſſed thing is it to live in God, to be viewing the myſteries of godlineſſe? Seeing God himſelfe is laid out before your eye as in manifold manifeſtations of his own glory; Saints may do nothing elſe but raviſh their hearts with the diverſity of heavenly light which breakes forth from the boſome of God.
One would thinke there needed no other myſtery to take up the thoughts of a Saint but this, that the bleſſed God is manifeſted in fleſh; Who is able to reach the fulneſſe of this diſcovery? But yet you have another myſtery as great and amazing ſprings out before your eyes, to aſtoniſh you, that this God was juſtified in ſpirit.
The firſt reſpects his humiliation in our fleſh: The other the beginning of his exaltation; and yet theſe are only various expreſſions of Jeſus Chriſt our Mediatour.
There was two great things to be done for the ſalvation of ſinners: Satisfaction, and Juſtification; God now, in regard of theſe two conſiderations, manifeſts himſelfe as in two form as: Firſt, in fleſh, as abaſed and humbled, that in our own nature he might ſatisfie for our ſins, and lay a ground-worke of eternall communion with us; and then as a teſtimony of the reality of this ſatisfaction he was juſtified by or in the ſpirit. So that you have Chriſt ſet out in theſe two conſiderations, as ſtanding in our own fleſh to beare the guilt, and charge, the miſery, and puniſhment of our ſins, and as diſcharged and juſtified from all theſe by the ſpirit.
There be theſe things to be opened.
1. What it is to juſtifie.
2. What meant by ſpirit.
3. How God is ſaid to be juſtified in ſpirit.
For the firſt, to juſtifie, or to be juſtified, are words though commonly ſpoken, yet much miſtaken; Bellarmine, and the Jeſuits take it ever in a Phyſicall ſence, for the infuſing habituall principles of grace in the heart, and ſo make it all one with Sanctification, that ſo by that they might have a way of ſetting up their own righteouſneſſe equall with, if not above, the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt; and yet it is not to be denied but ſometimes this word ſignifies to make juſt. But the common and uſuall ſignification is, firſt, to pronounce or declare one juſt; So (Luke 16.15.) Wiſdome is juſtified of her children, that is, all the ſons of wiſdome will vindicate her from all the falſe aſperſions caſt on her by the ſons of folly in the world, and pronounce her righteous, that there are the iſſues of life in her waies.
That thou mayeſt be juſtified by thy ſayings, Rom. 3.4. that is, declared to be juſt. So in Mat. 12. ſaith Chriſt, out of thy words thou ſhalt be juſtified or condemned; that is, pronounced juſt according as thy words are good.
Secondly, It is taken ſenſu forenſi, in a legall ſenſe, for the acquitting or abſolving a Malefactor from the guilt and puniſhment of the Law; Eſa. 5.23. he which juſtifies the wicked, and condemns the righteous is an abomination to the Lord; ſpeaking of the Rulers, and theſe which ſit in judgement, that is, he which laies guilt on an honeſt man, but acquits a wicked man.
How is a man ſaid to be juſtified this way?
1. When as he is falſely accuſed, and is declared by the Judge not to have done the fact, but to be righteous, then he is juſtified from that act.
2. When a man is really accuſed, and yet for, and in conſideration of ſome other thing is acquitted and abſolved from the guilt and puniſhment of that which was laid to him, then he is ſaid to be juſtified alſo.
For the ſecond thing; what is meant by Spirit?
This word is likewiſe taken divers waies in Scripture: Sometimes for the ſoule and life of a man; Into thy hands I commend my ſpirit, Pſal. 31. Chriſt cried, and gave up his ſpirit, Mat. 27. that is, his life departed from him. But eſpecially it is taken theſe foure waies.
1. For the whole divine Nature, or the God-head. God is a ſpirit, that is, the Nature of God is ſpirituall, unknown to fleſh.
2. It is ſometimes taken for the divine Nature of Chriſt; ſo the Lord is that ſpirit, that is, Jeſus Chriſt is that ſpirit, which is oppoſed to all the outward and fleſhly ordinances of the Law.
3. It is taken for the Holy Ghoſt, or third perſon of the Trinity, as diſtinct from the Father and the Sonne. There be three that beare witneſſe in Heaven; the Father, the VVord, and the Spirit. 1 John 5. It is the ſpirit which beares witneſſe, for he is truth. I will ſend the Comforter, even the ſpirit of truth, Iohn 14. And I will pray the Father for it. Iohn 3.
4. Taken for the product, or work of the Spirit; what is borne of the Spirit is Spirit, that is of the ſame Nature with the Spirit it ſelfe. So that now, for God to be juſtified in the Spirit, is not meant as if he had any righteouſneſſe infuſed in him, which he had not before, but that he was juſtified, that is, declared to be righteous, one who had no ſin, neither was guile found in his mouth, and that he was abſolved from all that charge of the guilt and puniſhment of ſin, which was laid upon him, and one who had finiſhed his courſe, and done his worke compleatly, both ſatisfyed the law, and the juſtice of God; and that in or by the Spirit, that is, his God-head, or by the vertue and merit of his divine Nature, which made all he did, efficacious and ſatisfactory, the Spirit it ſelfe bearing witneſſe of it, and fully diſcharging him from what was laid upon him.
For theſe words, (as one ſaith) to be brought in anſwer to an objection, which might be made on this, that Chriſt was God manifeſt in fleſh, that is, humbled and abaſed, or elſe he could not have ſuffered; why hence, the world thought he was a deceiver, that he was not ſuch a one as he pretended, took upon him as a malefactor, and uſed him ſo; why, but he was not ſo; for though he was manifeſted in that baſe and low way, and ſo united and clouded in fleſh, yet he was juſtifyed in the ſpirit; they ſaw not that inward glory and power which was in Chriſt's Nature, but what ever men eſteemed of him, yet the ſpirit it ſelfe juſtified him.
But ſeeing this is ſo great a myſtery, ſet in the ſecond ranck of the deep things of God, we had need look more narrowly into it, and ſee what the Scripture ſaith concerning this; how Jeſus Chriſt may be ſaid to be juſtified.
This is to be premiſed in generall, that it is ſpoken in oppoſition to his humiliation or manifeſtation in fleſh, for in that he ſeemed to be condemned to walke up and downe as a ſinner, one which was the ſhame of the world; and therefore he is ſaid to be juſtified in the ſpirit; that is,
1. Internally, what ever he was without, yet within he had a ſpirit of glory, his outſide was meane, but his inſide bleſſed.
2. Externally, he was notwithſtanding all the viſible actings of him in the world, and the miſapprehenſions of wicked men, yet the ſpirit did ſtill juſtify him, and cleer him, and declare him to be righteous.
Two things were laid on Chriſt, which he had need to be juſtified from.
1. The falſe aſperſions which the world laid on him; they lookt on him as a deceiver, a friend of Publicans and Sinners; one which blaſphemed, when he ſaid he was the ſonne of God, one which had a Devill, and wrought all his miracles by the Devill.
2. The ſtate he ſtood in under our ſins, have had the guilt and the puniſhment of them laid on him, whereby he ſtood as a viſible malefactor, and under the viſible ſentence of condemnation.
For Chriſt was really charg'd with the ſatisfaction of our ſins, and was liable to all that the Law could ſay to us for them. Now he had need to be juſtified from this, by having an acquittance and abſolution by the ſpirit of God.
Now, in both theſe wayes may Chriſt be ſaid to be juſtified.
1. He was juſtified in the ſpirit, from all thoſe wicked imputations his enemies laid on him; none were accounted of ſo vile, as Jeſus Chriſt; all the reproaches that could be invented, were laid on him, they called him a Devill commonly. Now ſee how he was juſtified in the ſpirit, that is; firſt, how cleer he was within in his ſpirit, no guile was found in his mouth.
2. By his Godhead, what bright ſparklings of God, was in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, to the conviction of his enemies? many times when they came to catch him, they were catch'd by the beauty of his glory, and faine to confeſſe he was a righteous one, and that never any ſpake or acted like him: in all that ever he did in the acts of his humiliation, he was juſtified in it, God clearing it up, that he was the true Meſſias and Saviour of the world; when he was borne, wiſe men came by the ſpirit to ſee him and worſhip him, when he was baptized, the ſpirit came downe viſibly on him, and proclaim'd from Heaven, that he was the beloved Son of God, with him he was infinitely well pleaſed. Nay, come to the uttermoſt degree of his humiliation, when he hung on the Croſſe between two thieves, by his ſpirit, he converted one of them, and made them acknowledge he was the righteous man, and they only the ſinners; In a word, what ever he did or ſpoke, the ſpirit did act it in him, and juſtified him in it. I ſpeak not of myſelfe, but God teſtifyes of me, Iohn 6. He was begotten in the wombe by the ſpirit, led up and downe in the ſpirit, offer'd up by the eternall ſpirit, raiſed from the dead by the ſpirit. That place in the Romans, 1.3. cleers up this; He was declared to be the Sonne of God with power, by the ſpirit of holineſſe in his Reſurrection. It is a place which anſwers this; He was of the ſeed of David as concerning the fleſh, but declared to be the Sonne of God in the ſpirit, when he did riſe againe; as much as to ſay, he was God manifeſt in fleſh, that is, in weakneſs, and yet he was juſtified by the ſpirit of holineſſe, to be the ſonne of God. Chriſt would often call himſelfe the ſon of God, and for that, he was called a blaſphemer, and for that, they ſought to put him to death, as if they had ſaid, we will try that, thou canſt not dye if thou be the Son of God: And ſo when he was put to death, they were confirmed, that he was a deceiver; But now, when he roſe againe of himſelfe, then he was declared with power, to be the ſon of God, that is juſtifyed by the ſpirit of holineſſe, or the holy ſpirit; that ſpirit did declare, that he was full of holineſſe: But this was the leaſt part of Chriſt's juſtification.
2. Chriſt ſtood under the charge of all the ſins of the Elect, as a common perſon, and ſo was by God himſelfe condemned; he bore our ſins on the Tree, in his owne body, that is, was really charged with the guilt, and the puniſhment of it, and though he was not guilty of any ſinne, yet was puniſhed as the greateſt malefactor, ſtanding as our ſurety. Chriſt may ſeem to be condemned, even by God himſelfe, and he muſt come off cleer, or elſe lye under the puniſhment of it for ever; for once the charge was laid on Chriſt, the law looks to him.
Now Chriſt that was thus viſibly condemned, he is juſtified in the ſpirit, not only that he was appointed to ſatisfie; but that he had ſatisfied, and took away theſe ſins; and it was reaſon, that if God did charge him with the debt of our ſins, that after he had paid it, he ſhould be acquitted and declared juſt, and the Juſtifyer of theſe, for whom we undertook: Now this is the great meaning of this phraſe; that whereas Chriſt was manifeſt as God in our fleſh, and ſo ſtood under the guilt of our ſins, he was juſtified in his ſpirit, and cleered by God, that he had fully ſatisfied him.
That whereas God was manifeſted in fleſh, that is, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 8. To condeme ſin in the fleſh, that ſame God-man was alſo juſtified in the ſpirit, that is, freely and fully acquitted by his God-head from all theſe ſins, and ſo taken up into glory. And Chriſt himſelfe in a Propheſie, when he was to dye, and be judged as a condemned man, he comforts himſelfe with the thoughts of this; He is neer that juſtifies me, who ſhall condemne? Eſa. 50.8, 9. So likewiſe the Apoſtle ſpeaking of Chriſts Reſurrection, he was put to death in the fleſh, but quickned in, or by, the ſpirit, 1 Pet. 3.18. a place fully paralell unto this, Paul ſaith, he was juſtified in the ſpirit; and Peter, that he was quickned in the ſpirit; both meane one and the ſame thing, viz. that new life which Chriſt had from the dead when he left all our ſins behind him and roſe againe; and by ſpirit is meant his God-head or divine nature, whereby he was both raiſed from the grave, and the guilt of ſin together, he was quickned and juſtified; as a Malefactor, by an abſolution receives a new life after the ſentence of death: and this worke of juſtifying Chriſt is eſpecially laid on Chriſts reſurrection; who when he dyed was as a condemned man, but when he roſe againe appeares as a righteous man, which had finiſhed his worke. For juſtification implies and ſuppoſeth a former guilt laid to ones charge of which he is acquitted. There was reaſon, that if Chriſt bore our ſins, and ſtood as one condemned, having done away ſin, ſhould likewiſe be juſtified from the guilt of what was laid on him, and be pronounced righteous: Chriſt was under the greateſt attainder that ever man was, he ſtood publikely charged with the guilt of a world of ſins, and if he had not been juſtified by the ſpirit, he had ſtill laine under the blame of all, and been liable to the execution of all this in his own ſoule; therefore though he was manifeſt in fleſh as one condemned in that fleſh, yet the power of his Godhead raiſed him up from under the power of death, and declared him as a righteous perſon, one that was accepted for, and that had compleatly ſatisfied for poore ſinners. And as at firſt converſion we paſſe from death to life, that is, from an eſtate of death and condemnation to an eſtate of life and juſtification; So did Chriſt at his Reſurrection, from an eſtate of death and guilt which was laid on him to an eſtate of life, and glory, and juſtification from ſin; for had there been any ſin unſatisfied for, he could not have been juſtified.
Uſe 1. Is to informe us of the greatneſſe of this myſtery, that God ſhould be juſtified in ſpirit; That God ſhould manifeſt himſelfe is a wonder, and eſpecially in fleſh: But that we ſhould be juſtified, that implies a guilt, ſome default; and doubtleſſe this is one of the wonderfulleſt diſcoveries of his love to ſoules. How can God be ſaid to be juſtified? who can imagine any evill in the Almighty, who finds folly in the Angels? they are not able to juſtifie themſelves in his ſight; but the myſterie is in this, that God himſelfe which was in our fleſh, (which is none other then Chriſt) he is alſo juſtified for us. God in our fleſh takes upon him the charge of our debts, and by his owne ſpirit juſtifies himſelfe.
Oh, how are poor ſoules raiſed at theſe expreſſions. All the works of our ſalvation are done by God himſelfe, he taking that on him, and acting over that in the perſon of his Sonne, which muſt be particularly done in them.
Two things was to be done to ſave us; Satisfaction, and Juſtification, payment of debt, and diſcharge of bonds. VVhy now, God comes in our Nature, and is both puniſhed and juſtified, as if he had done the offence, not we: God is juſtified, inſtead of us, and dyes when it was our condition; let our hearts not be commonly affected with this myſtery.
2. Ʋſe. This myſtery raiſeth againe from the dead, the hopes and joyes of poor ſoules, and in the midſt of all their ſins, and apprehenſion of wrath, gives the ſtrongeſt ground for Faith in their juſtification. VVhy was God (or God in Chriſt) juſtified, he had no need of ſuch an act in himſelfe, no guile was ever found in his mouth, he was a Lambe without ſpot; but all this is to denote what God was for us, that he might be to us. All the acts that were to be done on us, and to us, were firſt done to God in our Nature, acted on Jeſus Chriſt; and he was but an image of what is to be perſonally done to us; yea, whatever conſideration he paſſed under, it was as in our ſtead, and we are to reckon our ſelves as ſharers with him, yea, as really partakers with him, as if we had acted it in our own perſons. When he dyed, he ſtood under an act of attainder for ſin, he acted nor was capable of none, but only ſtood there for us, and our very ſins, on the Croſſe were crucified with Chriſt, and ſatisfied for by him, as if we had paid the utmoſt farthing with our owne hands; ſo when he was juſtified by the ſpirit, we were juſtified. He was juſtified as a common perſon in the room of all the Elect, as he died as a common perſon for their ſins.
In theſe two expreſſions, you have all the myſtery of Redemption, and the reconciliation of ſinners to God.
1. God was manifeſt in fleſh, to bear our ſins, and to be abaſed and humbled for them, whereby he might ſatisfie himſelfe, and then in the token of acquittance, and abſolution of us from all theſe ſins, he is juſtified in ſpirit, and all the objections of unbeliefe, are anſwered in this. Saith the ſoule, how ſhall my ſins be ſatisfied for? why God is manifeſt in fleſh for that end, to lay downe an infinite price to his juſtice; But how ſhall I know that my ſins are taken away, and that I am juſtified from them? why, that God was juſtified in ſpirit, that is, the ſpirit which ſpeaks nothing but truth, and who knowes all things, did publickly declare that there was a compleat righteouſneſſe obtained for ſinners, and did pronounce it to Chriſt, as in the name of all the Elect.
It is worthy further ſearch into this, what Chriſts being juſtified in the ſpirit, amounts unto, for the comfort of poor ſoules, in regard of their juſtification, that ſo we may all ſee, what full and plenteous redemption there is in Jeſus Chriſt, and what matter of holy triumph we have, in regard of our own juſtification
Firſt, that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould be juſtified, and that for us, or in our name, as the Atturney takes up the bond in Court for his Client; it is as good in Law, as if the party himſelfe were there to recieve the verdict, and ſee the act inrolled. And obſerve, it was more for Chriſt to be juſtified, a harder thing then for us, for he had the ſins of the whole world of the Elect upon him, and yet Chriſt beleeved his juſtification; in that former place; Eſa. 50. he is neer that juſtifies me. Well mayeſt thou beleeve the particular juſtification of thy perſon, ſeeing Chriſt was juſtified for thee before hand; he was that great ſurety, that ſtood bound to pay thy debts, and he was publiquely acquitted for thee. And this is certaine, that Chriſt being juſtified at that moment, all the Elect were virtually and really juſtified in him; that act of God which paſs'd on him, was drawne up in the name of all you; and when you beleeve, this Indenture is ſhowne unto your hearts.
But ſecondly, in that he was juſtified in the ſpirit, our comfort is raiſed higher, for it was not an ordinary acquittance which was given Chriſt in our name, but what was drawne up by the ſpirit of truth, who can ſpeak nothing but truth; God himſelfe juſtified himſelfe in our Nature, by his owne ſpirit, ſuch an infallible witneſſe cannot be queſtioned. And though by ſpirit be meant his God-head in generall; yet it is ſpecially meant of that perſon which is the ſpirit. Therefore the Apoſtle Iohn, Iohn 1.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. reduceth all to this, that it was the ſpirit that beares witneſſe to this, that life is in Ieſus Chriſt; Chriſt came by water and blood ſaith he, but Chriſt is the ſpirit that beares witneſſe to this.
There were two things which did juſtifie Chriſt, and both done by the ſpirit; his reſurrection and aſcenſion into Heaven, in that he roſe againe; it was cleer that he was juſtified, for elſe he could not have riſen, if he had not ſatisfied, the bands of Death would have held him faſt in the Grave, but that he can raiſe from the dead, he was declared to be the ſonne of God with power, but ſtill by the holy ſpirit. Rom. 1.3. And in that, he by the ſpirit was carried up unto his Fathers glory, and ſat downe at the right hand of God. It cleerly did ſhew, he was accepted, and freed by God, from that which was laid on him. Therefore Chriſt ſaith, that this ſhall be one of the great things which the ſpirit ſhall convince the world of, viz. Of righteouſneſſe, becauſe I go to my Father. Ioh. 16. That is, that there is a compleat righteouſneſſe obtained, and juſtification, or elſe I had never been admitted into my Fathers preſence; and all this acted by the ſpirit.
And as a further evidence of this, as ſoon as ever he was aſcended, he powrs down the ſpirit as a flood on his Apoſtles, and the Saints with them, and to demonſtrate, that he was not only accepted in his owne perſon, and he perſonally juſtified in him, and now grace and life muſt neceſſarily run out upon them. In all theſe acts Chriſt was juſtified in the the ſpirit for the comfort of beleevers. Acts 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Now how may your ſoules triumph and rejoyce in your juſtification, in the thoughts of this, that Chriſt, yea God was juſtified for you; and how ever you are in your ſelves, yet you may be juſtified in the ſpirit; beleevers have nothing to doe, but to take out the perſonall aſſurance of this to their owne ſoules; at that time when Chriſt was juſtified, you were vertually ſo, and yet but out of the particular diſcharge by the ſpirit to your hearts, and your juſtification is compleat. The great complaint of ſoules is in this, that they are not juſtified in God's eyes: But now, we are not only acquitted by the ſpirit in our own hearts, but God himſelfe is juſtified in our Nature for us; there is none to offend but God, and none to be juſtified but ſinners. But now, when God ſhall ſatisfie himſelfe, and juſtifie himſelfe in our perſons, or in our ſtead; what ſtrong conſolation have we, God will not lay the payment on us, but himſelfe, and he will juſtifie himſelfe for us.
It was more for Chriſt to be juſtified, then for any one of us, for he had more laid on him, then can be laid on us, he ſtanding not under the charge of one perſons ſins, or many, but of all the Elect; and when he was juſtified, a full diſcharge was given for all that he repreſented. This is a myſtery indeed, God is offended, and God takes that on himſelfe in our Nature, which lay on us, and is juſtified for us. When Chriſt was juſtified, there was a publick record of it; and now when we believe, we goe but to that Court, and take out the particular diſcharge to our own ſoules, Chriſt receiv'd the firſt act on himſelfe in our Name, and it was as authentique as if it were formally done on our perſons; But when we believe, it is done perſonally to us. So that now beleevers, you have nothing elſe to doe but apply that righteouſneſſe, which iſſued forth from Chriſts juſtification, and lay hold on it as your owne: Goe to the Court, and ſee your owne names in the Indenture, and get out the coppy of it in your owne heart; for there is a neceſſity, if Chriſt be juſtified, that we ſhould be diſcharged; therefore get holy and glorious triumphs in your heart, over ſin and Death, in that, Chriſt is not only dead, but alive, and that you are juſtified in him; get out the ſpeciall aſſurance of it, by the ſpirit to the hearts.
3 Ʋſe. If Chriſt were juſtified in the ſpirit, Let it be your care to juſtifie Chriſt in your ſpirits. God hath diſcharged him, ſo doe you.
Q. How can we juſtify Chriſt, you wil ſay?
S. VVhy, when you believe what he hath done for you; Chriſt hath done all things for you, ſatisfyed wrath, fulfilled the Law; God hath acquitted him, pronounced him juſt, ſaith he is contented, he can deſire no more; why now doe you juſtifie Chriſt in this, by ſaying Amen in your owne Conſciences to this. Hath Chriſt dyed? believe that your ſins ſhall die; Is he juſtified? beleeve that ſo are you. VVhen the ſurety hath paid the debt, the principall as well as the creditor, ought to give an acquittance.
Oh how are we to be blamed for our unbeliefe; what aſperſions doth it caſt on Chriſt, he hath done all things well, but we ſay by unbeliefe, he hath done nothing. Unbeliefe profeſſeth Chriſt is not dead, or at leaſt not riſen; the Law is ſtill in force, juſtice is not ſatisfied, there is no juſtification procured: Every doubt in a Saint, caſts a ſcandall on Chriſt; God ſaw cauſe enough to juſtifie Chriſt, even by his own ſpirit, and to declare him in our names, to be a righteous one, and we in him; but we ſee not cauſe to believe our owne juſtification, or the remiſſion of our ſins; what is it, but to thinke that Chriſt is held under the paines of death, hath not done any thing to purpoſe, that the wrath of God is as open to deſtroy us, as ever it was.
You keep Chriſt as it were in a priſon, and under condemnation, when you believe not; Oh ſoules, will not you juſtifie Chriſt in all theſe glorious things he hath done for you.
Then you juſtifie Chriſt, when you acknowledge him to be what he is made of God to you, wiſdome and righteouſneſſe, ſanctification and redemption, I might goe torough all his Offices and Acts for us; as then we juſtifie him in regard of his death, when our hearts are ſatisfied with the offering up of himſelfe, and that ſatisfaction he hath made. So in his reſurrection, when we believe we are freed from our ſins, our ſurety being riſen for our juſtification; ſo in regard of the whole worke of ſalvation, we juſtifie Chriſt when we goe to him as a full and compleat Saviour, having our conſcience quieted by his righteouſneſſe, and our hearts triumphing thorough his fulneſſe: Oh it is ſad to ſee how Chriſt is crucified againe in our hearts, thorough unbeliefe, arraigned as a malefactor; for this is certaine, if there be not enough laid in for the ſatisfying and inriching of ſoules, then Chriſt is not righteous, and he is under condemnation: How ſhould we rejoyce to witneſſe to Chriſt faithfulneſſe and righteouſneſſe. When we goe boldly to God by Chriſt, then we acknowledge Chriſt to be a Mediator; when we find the ſence of our juſtification in our owne hearts, then we acquit Chriſt, and declare he was juſtified from our ſins.