the use. He firft Ufe fhall be for Information, which confifts in many profitable confectaries or inferences, which will flow from this truth. If beleeving in the Lord Jefus Chrift be the only way. to be faved. Then firft, hence it will follow; That the preaching of the Gospel is worthy the while, it is of neceffary and fingular confequence. Perufe that. place, Rom.1.16. Tam not ashamed of the Gospel of Chrict, for it is pover of God unto faluation to every one that beleeveth, verle 17. for there is the righteousnese of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. The Apostle pre fents two arguments of his honourable estimation, and confident preaching of the Gospel. 1. One is, that it is the power of God to falvation (that is) it is the inftrument which God ufeth, and into which he doth imprint a power to fave men:. It is called the power of God to fal vation, not only in respect of revelation, because it doth ma nifeft and declare the fole means of reconciliation 'twixt God and man, but alfo in refpect of operation and efficacy, because it doth communicate and produce that faith in lefu Chrift by Which we are faved 2. Another is, that it comprehends the righteoufneffe of God, which faith only doth take: By the righteoufneffe of God, he understands that righteousnese whereby a man is justified in the fight of God, and it is called the righteoufneffe of God, becaufe God is the Authour and giver of it,it is wrought and given by God in Jefus Chrift; and also because it is approved and of force with God at his Tribunal and judgement-feat. See another Κ place, Three forts of hearing. place, Ephef.1.13. In whom ye alfo trusted after that je heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your falvation; He in the precedent verfes doth enumerate many fingular and heavenly bleffings, amongst which Chrift was one, and he doth in this verfe expreffe the order and manner how they come to be intereffed in him, viz, by trufting, or believing and they come to that trufting and beleeving by the Gefpel, which he stiles a word of truth, and a meffage of falvation. Tell me ferioufly, is not falvation the great fcope and sime of your most choife and fober thoughts? and can any attaine that but by Chrift? and can you have Chrift without faith? How preciously deare (then) unto you should the Miniftry of the Golpel be, which is the inftrument of God, to produce that faith, which layes hold on that Chrift, by whom only we are faved! Faith comes by hearing; and hearing by the Word of God,fo the Apoftle, Rom,10.17. and John 6.45. Every man that hath beard and learnedof the Father, cometh to me. He is an enemy to his own falvation, who flights the preaching of the Gofpel; and he is an enemy to the falvation of others, who labours to oppreffe and extinguish it for if falvation be by faith in Chrift, and that faith depends on the Gospel, Then, Let us for ever For our parts, let us bleffe God for his Goppel. honour and respect the me fage of the Gospel, yea, let us heartily embrace the Doctrine, and power of the Gofpel: Let the feet. of them which bring the glad tydings of (alvation, be acceptable unto , for as much as faluation, and Christ, and faith are all of them annexed unto the Gospel. 2. Then hence it will follow, that a meer bearing of Chrift and his doctrine will not fave, if beleeving be the only way. There are divers forts of hearing. One with incogitancy,when perhaps the Ear is open, but the minde is afleep, and heeds not that precious object reveale ed. Another with Reluctancy, when the eare is open,and the mind attentive, but the beart striving against the truth and goodne fe of the word. Another with Conformity when the ear beares, and the under understanding yields, and the beart embraceth. Now it is this Jatter kinde of hearing, which brings to falvation. That bearing which confifts only in the delivery of the meffage, which brings fomething from God to us, this will not fave; but fuch an hearing as brings back fomething from us to God, which is accompanied with beleeving, which cornes home the foul to the acceptance and embracing of lefus Chrift, this is the only hearing to save our foules. A motion made and tendred doth not conclude a match, but a motion confented unto and embraced. 3. If beleeving in Jefus Chrift be the only way of life, then Iefus Chrift should be the main (cope and mark of all our preaching and ftudying, 1 Cor. 2.2. I determined not to know any thing among you, lave lefus Chrift and him crucified. It was the maine theame and fubject upon which that bleed Apoftie did spend himself: Look as it is with a Phyfician, that though he doth fometimes lance, and fometimes make very fick, and fometimes reftraine to ftrineffe of diet, and fometime binde and trouble the patient, and fometimes relieve him with precious cordials; though these actions are different among themfelves, yet they do concenter in one end, which is health and life. So whether Minifters preach the knowledge of finne, or whe ther they strive to make men fenfible of finne, or whether they let flie the arrows of Gods threatnings upon the confcience of finners, or whether they touch on the mercy Seat; all the end and scope is, or should be, to bring men to Christ,to make Christ more glorious in the eyes of finners, and to incline their hearts to accept and embrace him, Chrift may be preached two ways. el two wayes. Either Explicitly, when he in his perfon, or offices, or be Chrift preachnefits, is the only matter which is handled and publihed. Or Virtually, when he is the end of that matter, which is delivered. One of thefe wayes, Chrift ftill to be preached; Do I meet with a broken and afflicted fpirit,groaning under the load of finful Nature and life, panting after the Prince of life and peace, willing to yield up it felf to all the conditions of God in Chrift? Here now I am to lift up Chrift on his Croffe to spread his armes, to fhew unto that broken Spirit, the very heart blood of Jefus Chrift poured out for the remif K 2 fion fion of tinnes, to be a propitiatory Sacrifice for his foule. Do I meet with an obstinate and proud ipirit, which dares to d fie justice,and prefumtuously to areign mercy. Here I open the indig. nation of God against finne, of purpofc to awaken the confcience, to caft down the high and lofty imaginations, and for no other end but this. That fuch a perfon being now come to the fenfe of his mifery, may fitly be directed, and feafon. ably encouraged to the fight and fruition of his remedy in Chrift. Inftification only in Iefus Chrift. Ourthly, If that beleeving in Jefus Chrift be the only way to be faved, Then this Informes us where to finde our juftification, viz only în Iefus Chrift; For there only is the righteousneffe which can fatisfie justice, and in his blood only is remission of finnes. Now, because this is a fundamental point 'twixt us and the Papifts, and it is the great bottome of comfort to a beleeving foule; give me therefore leave to improve the remainder of the time in a brief and diftinct explication of it: Where Firft, of the word and title (Juftification.) Secondly, of the nature and definition of it: together with fome Arguments to evince, that it is only by and for Chrift; and fome Anfwers to the choisest Objecti ons. Se&. SECT. 1. Or the word (juftification) it hath a double acception a- For 1. One Intrinsical, and fo it fignifies to make a man just by an act of infusion(that is) by the implantation of fanctified or holy qualities. 2. Another Forinfecal, and fo it fignifies to repute or pronounce a man just by an act of jurisdiction, (that is) a judiciary sentence to pronounce him righteous, and free from gilt and condemnation. And thus is it (for ought I can learn) altogether used and fenfed in the Scriptures, which speak of our juftification before God viz.) for fuch an action of God, whereby after the manner of a Judge he abfolveth and acquitteth an accufed person. Rom. 8.33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? it is God that justifieth, verle 34. who is be that condemneth? where you have a manifeft Antithefis, or oppofition 'twixt juftification and condemnation; now as condemnation is an action. of the Judge, a fentence of his pronouncing the perfon gilty and obnoxious, fo juftification (being contrary to it) muft im port an action or fentence acquitting and abfolving. Yea,and. again, as condemnation moft improperly and abufively must be interpreted, if we expound it to be a making of a man fo, and fo finful by infufion, fo is juftification unrightly conceited, when men make it to be a making of a perfon juft by infusion of holineffe. It is observed, that in this kinde of juftification, viz, which is judicial. There are foure perfons as it were, First, the Agent. One who begins the fuit,accufeth, layeth fuch and fuch things to the charge of another, the Apostle faid ir, Rom.8. 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge? &c. Secondly, the Patient, the perfon acculed and charged with default, and offence, and gilt.. Thirdly, the Advocate, who endeavours to vindicate the party fo charged, from the accufation, either by declaring the inno cency of the perfon, or impleading fatisfaction. Fourthly, the fudge, who in juftification of that perfon, K 3 gives |
