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dound to the death and damnation and hell of the perfon, whom he hath acquitted for Chrift,

Secondly, quoufque? How farre remiffion of finnes extend in Juftification. There is a twofold remiffion. A twofold re

One particular, which is circumfcribed to fome particular miffion. facts, and is ordinary in the Courts of humane Princes, who limit and reftreine their discharges of offenders.

Another univerfall, which reacheth to the whole estate of gilt; now this I take as fure, that whomfoever Godjusti fieth, he will forgive unto him all his finnes. All his finnes fer.33.8. before converfion and all his finnes after conversion.

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But whither this forgiving of all, be once for all, fimul & femel, as they speak, I am not able to speak my thoughts fully.

It is true, I confeffe, and embrace that opinion, that justification is not a divided alt, it is not repeated over and over and over, but it is one act only, but whither it be one tranfient aƐt, (as if all were dashed out with a pen) or whither it be one continued act, is very difputable. The Scripture leanes much to this latter, and therefore defcribes God to be a God forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion, and finnes, importing a courfe of pardoning, and not a momentany a&t.

Againe, it is hard to utter how God doth forgive a finner before he hath finned, which must be if pardon for all fins be a momentany act.

Yet I had rather captivate my judgment, then occafion difpute; only remember two things.

Firft, no doubt but the juftified perfon fhall have every fix pardoned; not fome only, but all.

Secondly, justification doth not admit degrees: though it may a continuance: The righteousneffe and merit of Chrift which is our juftification, is not more or leffe,but is at all times one and most perfect.

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SECT. V.

THE He righteoufneffe of Jefus Chrift is that by which only we are juftified.

The righteoufneffe of Chrift is the matter of our juftification; not the effential righteousnese of his God head, but the righteousnese of Christ, Mediator both God and man, which was either,

The babitual bolineffe of bis Perfon, in the abfence of all finne, and in the rich and plentiful prefence of all holy and requifite qualities.

Or the actual holinese of his life and death by obedience; the once perfectly fulfilling the commands, and by the paffive obedience of the other, voluntarily fuffering the penalty, and commination of the Law for tranfgreffions. Now all this righteoufneffe is imputed to us in juftification. For

First, no other righteousneffe can justifie.

Secondly, as Christ was made finne for m, so we are made righteon/neffe by him, viz. only by imputation.

The Papifts call upon us for a righteousnesse in Juftification, they will bring one forth of their hearts and good works, Menftruous cloths,faith the Scripture, but we produce a righteousnese most full, perfect, every way exac, not in us, but in Christ, yet imputed to us by God.

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How clear is the Scripture for us, 2 Cor.5. 21. He bath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufneffe of God in him, Jer.23.6. The Lord our righte oufneffe, 1 Cor. 1.30. Christ Jesus is made unto us of God, &c. rigbteon/reffe. How often doth the Apoft le peculiarly intereft imputed righteousneffe, handling the doctrine of Juftification, Rem.4. But the Apostle clears all, Rom.5.19. As by one mans difobedience many were made finners, fo by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Ada peccatum imputabitur mibi Christi juftitia non pertinebit ad me, faid Bernard.

Object. But Chrifts righteoufneffe is His, and how can it prefent is righteous before God? It is none of ours.

Sol. Firft,it is bis in refpect of Inhafion, but it is ours in refpe&

of

of imputation; His perfonally, ours meritorionfly.

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Secondly, we may be confidered two wayes, either abfolutely for me. and alone, or elle as conjoyned with Chrift: and thus being by faith made one with Christ, he makes over his righteoufneffe unto us, upon which God looks as ours, in the matter of juftification.

Ób.But if Chrifts righteoufneffe becomes ours fo by imputation, that we may be truly accounted and accepted of as righteous; Then by the like reafon, because redemption is made ours, we may likewife be reputed true Redeemers and Savi

OUTS.

Sol. This is one of the arrows which Bellarmine draws out of his Quiver against the imputation of Chrifts righteousneffe, but it is of no force.

For be is to be termed a Redeemer and Saviour, not who doth receive, and take the redemption and falvation procured by another, but who brings redemption and falvation; we are by the Redemption of Chrift truly faid to be redeemed,though not our Redeemers, and fo by the imputation of Chrifts righteoufneffe, are we truly accounted righteous per

fons

Obj. Againe, if the righteoufneffe of Chrift be fo imputed to us in juftification, that for it we are accounted perfectly righteous, as if it were our own most perfect and intrinfecal; Then why may not we be accounted as righteous as Chrift? yea, and having Chrifts righteoufneffe, why may we not be the Saviours of men? Since that is the righteoufnefle which doth fave all that are faved.

Sel. I answer,

To compare the fame righteoufneffe with the fame, is illogi cal and groffe, for it is one and the fame righteouineffe which is inherent in Chrift, and imputed to the, beleeving foule.

Secondly, the righteoufneffe of Chrift is not imputed to any particular beleever according to the whole latitude of its effi acy, but according to the particular exigence of the perfon; It is not imputed to Paul as the general price of redemption for all, but as the price by which his foul in particular is redeemed.

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These things being difpatched, there is a difference amongst fome Divines, about that righteoufneffe which is imputed, fome holding the passive only, others the active and paffive..

Sol. The latter feems most folid; Realons, these

Fift, there is no fuftification without the fulfilling the Whole Law, but now to the fu'filling of the Law, (fince the fall of Adam) two things are required, one is, perfect and perfonal conformity to the Law, in answering that active condition of it, Do this and live. Another is a plenary fatisfaction to the fen tence of the Law, by bearing the penalty therein denounced in regard of fins already committed.

Secondly, Again, faith doth not abrogate the Law, but establish it, but if it should teach juftification without Chrifts fulfilling of the Law, it should abrogate the Law.

T

SECT. VI.

He last thing which I should have inferted before,is this, That the juftification of a finner is a gracious and just aElion. It is a gracious action, (that is) the gracious lowe and favour of God was the cause of it; It was his own free grace and favour that gave Chrift his Sonne to be our righteoufneffe, and it is his free grace to give us faith to beleeve on his Son, and when we do beleeve, it is his Grace which imputeth unto us the righteoufneffe of Christ.

Secondly, it is a juft and righteous action, Rom.3.25,26. That he might be just, and the faftifier of him that beleeveth in Jefus. Gods juftice is fuch, that he will forgive no man his finnes, for which he is not perfectly fatisfied, neither will he accept of any as righteous, who hath not a perfonal righteoufneffe,but having received a perfect fatisfaction, he will acquit the finner beleeving, for he is juft and righteous, and his Justice will not make a fecond demand: yet here is the graciousneffe of God which will admit of the fatisfaction,and of the righteoufneffe of another for us.

Chap.

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Second Ufe from this great affertion, shall be to
put our felves to a Tryal and Examination. If to
beleeve in Jefus Chrift our Lord be the only way
to be faved, Then it doth much concerne us to
search our selves, whether we do beleeve indeed in
Iefus Chrift.

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There are three things which I will premife as fo many grounds, why we fhould put our felves upon this enquiry, and then I will give unto you the discoveries themselves. The premises are these,

First, the difficulty of beleeving in Jefus Chrift.

Secondly, the facility of errour, and mistake about beleeving.

Thirdly, the bitter danger and fure mifery of not beleeving in Jefus Chrift.

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1. The difficulty of beleeving is increased by the fingularity of lo ftrange and wonderful a goodneffe. It is fo great and fo unparalell'd, that a man can hardly believe it to be true. To have an eftate in Chrift, in God, freely, all at once; How can this be? The depth of gilt. I am an enemy, God is Juft; I have runne into fach high forfeitures, fo unneceflarily loft my felf, provoked God fo often, and the threatnings are planted against finners, there is no hope, no probability, (if a small debt, &c,

But for the difficulty of it,that it is not fo eafie a thing to be-leeve in Chrift Jefus, this fhall appeare in divers particulars.

First, there is no natural principle of justifying faith now in man.. An act, or motion, or quality, which hath a rise and

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