Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of Jesus as carrying on the great work of mans salvation from first to last / by Isaac Ambrose ...

CHAP. IV.

SECT. I. Of the fourth Year of Christ's Ministry, and generally of his Actings in that Year.

THis was the last year of Christ's ministry, in which were thousands of passages: The Evangelist John relates more of Christ this year than in all the former; and if I studied not brevity, we might dwell more on his actings for us this year, than hitherto we have done from the beginning of his ministry. Now it was that he was tranfigured; now it was that he instituted that Sacrament called the Lords Supper; now it was that after supper he made his farewell Sermon, rarely mixt of sadness and joyes, and studed with mysteries as with Emeralds; now it was, that after Sermon he blessed his Disciples, and prayed for them, and then having sung an Hymn, he went out into the Mount of Olives, where in a Garden he began his suffe∣rings. On these passages I had thought to have enlarged, but I see the Book swells un∣der my hands, and now that I am drawing near Christ's sufferings, I shall only touch one point, which hitherto I have pretermitted, and is the most comprehensive of any passage I can touch.

Many Questions are about the Holiness, or Righteousn••ss, or Obedience of Christ. As whether it belong to us? And whether it be the matter of our justification? And whe∣ther Christ was bound to observe the law of works as a Mediator, or only as a meer man? And whether we are not justified by the passive Righteousness of Christ only? and seeing now we are discovering Christs actings in reference to our souls salvation, we cannot pass this main business, whereof much relates to Christ's life, as well as to his conception, or birth, or death, or sufferings.

SECT. II. Of the distinctions, or several divisions of Christ's Righteousness.

FOr the better understanding of Christ's Righteousness, we usually distinguish, that Christ's Righteousness is either that righteousness inherent in him, or performed by him; the righteousness performed by him, is either his fulfilling the Commandments, or his satisfying the curse of the Law. The same distinction is given by others in these terms, Christ's Righteousness is either his original conformity, or his active and passive obedi∣ence unto the Law: his original conformity, is that gracious inherent disposition in Christ from the first instant of his conception, whereby he was habitually conformable to the Law; and this original righteousness answered for our original unrighteousness; his active obedience is his doing of legal obedience unto the command, and his passive obedience is his suffering of punishment due unto us for our sins.—I shall yet a little fur∣ther enlarge this distinction of the righteousness of Christ, and give it in thus; viz. The righteousness of Christ is either negative (if I may so speak) or positive; by the ne∣gative I understand the absence of all sins and vices, forbidden in the Law; by the po∣sitive, I mean both a presence of all vertues, and duties, required to the perfect fulfil∣ling of the Law, as also a voluntary suffering of the penalty, to satisfie the commination and curse of the Law.

1. The negative righteousness is that which we call the innocency of Christ: we read often in Scriptures that he was both blameless and spotless. 1. Blameless, free in him∣self from all imputation of sin; to this purpose Christ challenged the Jews: Which of you convinceth me of sin? In all his life he was unblameable and unreproveable; and there∣fore now towards the end of his life he asks the people with whom he had conversed, Which of you convinceth me of sin? Spotless, free from all infection of sin; Peter calls him a Lamb without blemish, and without spot; and Paul, an high Priest, Holy, Harmless, and Ʋndefiled; one who never did evil, nor spake evil; he did no sin (saith the Apostle) neither was guile found in his mouth; one who never offended so much as in thought but was absolutely and in all respects 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, with out all sin.

2. The positive Righteousness of Christ is twofold, his perfect fulfilling of all things commanded, and his perfect satisfying of the punishment threatned: The former is the holiness of Christ; this also is twofold, the holiness of his nature, and the holiness of his life and conversation; the former is that we call his habitual Righteousness, the latter is that we call his actual obedience. And thus much of the distinction of the Righteous∣ness of Christ.

SECT. III. Of the Holiness of Christ's Nature.

NOw in the first place, for the holiness of his Nature, the Psalmist tells us, Thou art fairer than the Children of men, and grace is poured into thy lips. Which is all one with that description of Christ by the Spouse, My beloved is white and ruddy, the chief∣est of ten thousands. As in the fairest beauty, there is a mixture of these two colours, white and ruddy, so in Christ there is a gracious mixture, and compound of all the graces of the Spirit; there is in him a sweet temper of gentleness, purity, righteousness, meek∣ness, humility; and what not? In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom, and Knowledge; and I may add, of all other gifts and graces; not a grace but it was in Christ, and that in an higher way than in any Saint in the World; and therefore he is called fairer than all the children of men. Observe, There was more habitual grace in Christ than ever was, or is, or shall be in all the Elect, whether Angels or Men. He received the Spirit out of measure; there was in him as much as possibly could be in a creature, and more than in all other creatures whatsoever. As the Sun is the Prince of Stars, as the Husband is the head of the Wife, as a Lion is the King of the Beasts, so is this Sun of Righteousness, this Head of the Church, this Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the chiefest of ten thousands; if we look at any thing in Heaven or Earth, that we observe as eminently fair, by that is the Lord Jesus in respect of his inward beauty set forth in Scriptures, he is the Sun of Righteousness, the bright Morning-Star, the Light of the World, the Tree of Life, the Lilly and the Rose; fairer than all the Flowers of the Field, than all the precious Stones of the Earth, than all the Lights in the Firmament, than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven.

You will say, What's all this to us; Certainly much every way; the Apostle tells you, That the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Jesus Christ, hath freed me from the Law of sin & of Death; let us enquire into these words, the law of the Spirit of life;] the Spirit of life is here put for life, as else where, After three dayes & an half, the Spirit of life coming from God shall enter into them. Now life is that whereby a thing acteth and moveth it self, and it is the cause and beginning of action and motion: and this Spirit of life, or life it self, being here applied to Christ, it is that in Christ which is the beginning and cause of all his holy actions; and what was that but his Original holiness, or the holiness of his humane Nature? But why is the holiness of Christs nature called the Spirit of life? I answer, 1. Because it was infused into his manhood by the Spirit of God, The holy Ghost shall come upon thee—therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. 2. Because it is a most exact, and absolute, and perfect holiness; the Scripture-phrase setting out things in perfection or fulness, usually adds the word Spirit unto them; as the spirit of pride, the Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of error; so then the meaning of the Spirit of life is all one with the most absolute and most perfect purity, and holiness of the nature of Christ. It is briefly, as if the Apostle had said, the law of the Spirit of life, or the power of the most absolute and perfect holiness of the nature of Christ, hath freed me from the law of sin and death; hath acquitted me from the power of my sinful nature, and from the power of death due to me in respect of my sinful and corrupt nature. We might draw from hence this conclusion, that—The benefit of Christ's habitual righteousness infused at his first conception, is imputed to believers to their justifica∣tion. As the obedience of his life, and the merit of his death, so the Holyness infused at his very conception, hath its influence into our justification: it is by the obedience of his life that we are accounted actually holy, and by the purity of his conception (or habitual grace) that we are accounted personally holy. But I must not stay here; Thus much of the Holiness of Christ's Nature.

SECT. IV. Of the Holiness of Christ's Life.

2. FOr the holiness of Christs life, the Apostle tells us, that by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous; here's the obedience of Christ, and its influence on us. 1. The obedience of Christ is that whereby he continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them: Observe, Christ's life was a visible commentary on Gods Law, For proof, Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets (saith Christ) but to fulfil them. And, the Father hath not left me alone (saith Christ) for I do alwayes those things that please him. Hence Christ in Scripture is called Holy and Just, and the Holy One, Acts 2.27. The most Holy, Dan. 9.24. by his actual holiness Christ fulfilled in act every branch of the Law of God; he walked in all the Commandments of God; he performed perfectly both in thought, word, and deed whatsoever the Law of the Lord required.—I do not, cannot limit this obedience of Christ to this last year of his Ministry, for his whole life was a perpetual course of obedience, he was obedient unto death, saith the Apostle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, even until his death; and yet because we read most of his holy actings this year, and that this was the year wherein both his active and passive obedience did most eminently shine, and break forth; the year wherein he drew up all the dispersions of his precepts, and cast them into actions, as into sums total; therefore now I handle it, and I shall make it out by the passages following, only in this one year. As—

1. Now he discovered his charity in feeding the hungry, as at once five thousand men with five Loaves and two Fishes, John 6.9, 10, 11. and at another time four thousand men with seven Loaves, and a few small Fishes, Matth. 15.32.

2. Now he discovered his self-denial, and contempt of the World, in flying the of∣fers of a Kingdom; when the people were convinc'd that he was the Messiah from that miracle of feeding five thousand men with five Loaves, presently they would needs make him a King; but he that left his Fathers Kingdom for us, he fled from the offers of a Crown and Kingdom from them, as from an enemy, When Jesus perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a King, he departed again into a Mountain himself alone.

3. Now he discovered his mercy, in healing the Womans Daughter that had an unclean spirit; the Woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by Nation; and in that respect Christ called her a Dog, and yet Christ gave her the desire of her soul: O the rich mercy of Christ, that he would admit a Dog to his Kingdom! O grace! O mercy! that Christ should black his fair hands in washing foul and defiled Dogs! what a motion of free mer∣cy was this, that Christ should lay his fair, spotless, and chast love, upon the black, de∣filed, and whorish souls? O what a favour, that Christ maketh the Leopard and Ethiopian white for Heaven?

4. Now he discovered his bounty, in giving the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven to his Apostles, and to their Successors; this was a power which he had never communica∣ted before; it was a gift greater than the great Charter of Nature, and the Donative of the whole Creation. Indeed at first God gave unto man a dominion over the Fish of the Sea, and over the Fowl of the Air, and over the Cattel, and over the Earth; but till now Heaven it self was never subordinate to humane Ministration; herein was the acting of Christ's bounty, he gives unto his Ministers the Keys of Heaven, that Whatsoever they shall bind on Earth, shall be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever they shall loose on Earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.

5. Now he discovered his patience, in suffering all injuries; from hence forward to the death of Jesus, we must reckon his dayes like the Vigils, or Eves of his Passion; for now he began, and often did ingeminate those sad predictions of the usage he should shortly find, that he should be rejected of the Elders, and chief Priests, and Scribes, and suffer many things at Jerusalem, and be killed, and be raised up the third day, and in the mean time he suffers both in word and deed; they call him a Glutton, a Drunkard, a De∣ceiver, a Sinner, a Mad-Man, a Samaritan, and one possed with a Devil; sometimes they take up stones to stone him, and sometimes they lead him to an Hill, thinking to throw him down headlong, and all this he suffereth with patience; yea with much pati∣ence he possesseth his soul.

6. Now he discovered his glory, in being transfigured on the Mount; however the Person of Christ was usually depressed with poverty, disgrace, ignominy; so that neither Jews nor Gentiles, nor the Apostles themselves could at first discern the brightness of his Divinity; yet now Christ gave an excellent probation of that great Glory, which in due time must be revealed to all the Saints; For taking with him Peter, James and John, he went up into the Mountain to pray, and while he prayed, he was transfigured before them, and his face did shine like the Sun, and his garments were white and glistering, and there appeared talking with him Moses and Elias, speaking of the decease which he should accom∣plish at Jerusalem; the embassie of Christs death was delivered in forms of Glory, that so the excellency of the reward might be represented together with the sharpness of his suf∣ferings. Now if ever, whiles he was upon Earth, was the beauty of Christ seen at height, Peter saw it; and was so ravished at the sight, that he talked he knew not what. In re∣spect of this glorious beauty, his face is said to shine like the Sun. I cannot think, but his shine exceeded Sun, and Moon, and Stars; but the Sun is the brightest thing we know, and therefore it is spoken to our capacity; Here's one strain of exaltation, though most∣ly all Christ's life was a state of humiliation; it learns us to be content with, yea to expect most humiliation, little exaltation here; we may have a taste, but no continued comforts till we come to Heaven.

7. Now he discovered his meekness in riding upon an Ass, and a colt the foal of an Ass; which was according to the Prophesie, Behold thy King cometh unto thee meek; and espe∣cially in rebuking the furious, intemperate zeal of James and John, who would fain have called for fire from Heaven to have consumed the Inhabitants of a little Village, who refused to give Christ entertainment. Ah, saith Christ, Ye know not of what spirits ye are of: q. d. you must learn to distinguish the spirit of Christianity, from the spirit of Elias; why, Christ came with a purpose to seek and to save mens lives, and not to destroy them: it were rashness indeed to slay a man on some light displeasure, whose redempti∣on cost the effusion of the dearest heart-blood of the Son of God. See here the meek∣ness of Christ, in opposition to the fury and anger of his own Disciples.

8. Now he discovered his pity and compassion, in weeping over Jerusalem; And when he was come near, he beheld the City, and wept over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, &c. We read of Joseph, that there was in him such a brotherly and natural com∣passion, that his bowels yearned upon his Brethren, and he could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him: his love was like an hot Furnace: now Jesus Christ hath the same heart and bowels of a man; and I conceive as Christ was a man void of sin, so the acts of natural vertues (as to pity the afflicted, to compassionate the distressed) were stronger in him than possibly they could be in any other man; sin blunteth natural facul∣ties, especially such as incline to laudable and good acts, as to love, and pity, and com∣passionate, the miserable; in this respect Joseph was nothing to Christ; when Christ saw Jerusalem, he wept, and wept; his compassion strangled, and enclosed within him, it must needs break out; it may be in some measure it eased Christ's mind, that his bow∣els of mercy found a vent; we read that pity kept within Gods bowels, pains his very heart; so that it must needs come out, Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

9. Now he discovered his humility, in washing his Disciples feet; Supper being ended, he laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself, and poured water into a bason, and began to wash his Disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. In this ceremony, and in the discourses following he instructs them in the Doctrine of humility; yea, he imprints the lesson in lasting Characters, by making it symbolical. But why would he wash their feet, rather than their hands, or heads? I answer, it is probable on this account, that he might have the opportunity of a more humble posture. See how he layes every thing aside, that he might serve his servants; Heaven stoops to Earth, on abiss calls one another, the miseries of man which were next to infinite, are excelled by a mercy equal to the immensity of God. It is storied of one Guericus, that upon the consideration of this humility of Christ in washing his Disciples feet, he cried out, Thou hast overcome me, O Lord, thou hast overcome my pride, this example hath ma∣stered me.

10. Now he discovered his obedience to his Father, in preaching the Gospel up and down. He foresaw that the night drew on in which no man could work, and therefore now he hastned to do his Fathers business, now he pours out whole Cataracts of holy Lessons; and still the people drew water from this Fountain, which streamed out in con∣tinual

emanations; he added wave to wave, and line to line, and precept to precept; and at last he gave them his farewel Sermon, which is the most spiritual and comfortable piece that ever was uttered, it comprehends the intentions of his departure to prepare places for his Saints in Heaven; and in the mean while he would send them the holy Ghost, to supply his room, to furnish them with proportionable comforts, to enable them with gifts, to lead them into all truth, and to abide with them for ever. In conclu∣sion of all, he gave them his blessing, and prayed for them, and then having sung an hymn, he goes away and prepares for his sufferings.

2. Hitherto of the obedience of Christ; what was it but a visible commentary of Gods Law? but now for its influence on us, By the obedience of one, many shall be made righ∣teous. Observe, The righteousness of the Law fulfilled, and fully accomplished in the per∣son of Christ, is as truly ours, if we believe in Christ, as if it were in our selves, or as if the Law had been fulfilled in our own persons. Thus Christ is the end of the Law (saith the Apostle) for righteousness to every one that believeth. Christ hath not only determi∣ned, and put an end to the Ceremonial Law, but he is also the end of the moral Law, he hath perfectly in his own person accomplished the Moral Law, and that not for himself, but for righteousness to every one that truly believes in him. And God sent his Son— that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us: These words in us] much trou∣ble Interpreters, for though we believe, yet are we imperfectly holy, how then should the Law be fulfilled in us? But 'tis answered, that the righteousness of the Law is fulfil∣led in us, not by inhesion, or sanctification, but by imputation, and application; (i.e.) in our nature which Christ took upon him; it was in Christ, and is imputed unto us, and so the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us. It is well observed of Beza, that the Apostle saith not, That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled by us, or of us, or by any Righteousness inherent in our own persons, but in us because it is to be found in Christ, whose members we are, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. The point is sweet, but I cannot stay on it. In reference to what I have spoken of the righteousness of Christ, habitual and actual, a great controversie is risen in our dayes; of which in the next Section.

SECT. V. Of the great controversie, whether we are not justified by the passive righteousness of Christ only, without any consideration had to the righteousness of Christ either inherent in him, or performed by him.

FOr my part I am for the negative, upon these well known grounds.

[Argu. 1] 1. By what alone the Law is not fully satisfied, by that alone we are not justifi∣ed; but by the passive obedience of Christ alone, the Law is not fully satisfied, there∣fore by his passive obedience only we are not justified. Thus far I grant that the Law is fully satisfied by his passive obedience in respect of the penalty therein threatned, but not in respect of the Commandment for the obtaining of the blessedness therein promised; and the righteousness of the Law is thus described, that the man which doth these things shall live by them.

Against this are divers exceptions of the Adversaries. As, 1. That the Law is sa∣tisfied either by doing that which is commanded, or by sufferring the punishment which is threatned. Answ. It is true in respect of the penal Statutes of men, but not in re∣spect of the Commandments of God, in which there is not only a penalty threatned, but a blessedness promised: if man had continued in his integrity, the Law might have been satisfied by obedience only; but being fallen into a state of disobedience, two things are necessarily required to the fulfilling of the Law, (i.e.) the bearing of the pe∣nalty, and the performing of the Command; the one to escape Hell, and the other to obtain Heaven. 2. They except that whosoever are freed from Hell, are also admitted to Heaven. Answ. The reason thereof is because Christ who did bear the punishment to free us from Hell, did also fulfil the Commands to bring us to Heaven; but howsoever these two benefits of Christ do alwayes concur in the party justified, as the causes thereof concurred in Christ, who not only did both obey and suffer, but in obeying suf∣fered, and in suffering obeyed; yet both the causes between themselves, and the effects between themselves, are carefully to be distinguished; for as it is one thing to obey the

Commandment, and another thing to suffer the punishment; so it is one thing to be freed from Hell by Christ his suffering the penalty, and another thing to be intitled to Heaven, by Christ his fulfilling the Commandments. 3. They except, that God is a most free Agent, and therefore he may if he will, justifie men by the passive righteousness of Christ only, without fulfilling of the Law. Answ. What God may do, if he will, I will not dispute; but sure I am, that he justifieth men according to his will revealed in his Word; and there we find, that as we are justified from our sins by the Blood of Christ, so also we are made just by the active (though not only by the active) obedi∣ence of Christ; For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedi∣ence of one shall many be made righteous. And if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life: by his life which he lived before his death, and by his life which he lived, and doth live after his death; by the acts of his life before his death meritoriously, and by the acts of his life after his death (as by his resurrection, ascension, session, and intercession) effe∣ctually. Christ is made unto us of God (saith the Apostle) both redemption and righte∣ousness: redemption to deliver us from sin; and righteousness to bring in everlasting righ∣teousness. 4. They except, that if we are justified by Christ his fulfilling the Law, then we are justified by a legal righteousness, but we are not justified by a legal righteous∣ness, but by such a righteousness as without the Law is revealed in the Gospel. Answ. The same righteousness by which we are justified, is both legal and evangelical in di∣vers respects; legal in respect of Christ, who being made under the Law, that he might redeem us who were under the Law, perfectly fulfilled the Law for us; and evangelical in respect of us unto whom his fulfilling of the Law is imputed. And herein stands both the agreement and difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel; the agreement, in that both require the perfect fulfilling of the Law unto justification; the difference, in that the Law requireth perfect obedience to be performed in our own persons; but the Gospel accepts of perfect obedience perfomed by Christ our surety, and imputed to us; and so it is all one as if it had been performed in our own persons.

2. If Christ by his conformity to the Law fulfilled the Law for us, then are we justi∣fied by his habitual and actual righteousness, and not meerly by his passive; but Christ by his conformity to the Law, fulfilled the Law for us; for so we read, He was born for us, Luke 2.11. He was made subject to the Law for us, Gal. 4.4, 5. and for our sakes he sanctified himself, John 17.19. and for our sakes he did the Will of God, Then said I, loe I come to do thy will O God; by the which Will we are sanctified, Heb. 10.7, 10.

Against this are divers exceptions: As, 1. That Christ obeyed the Law, or conform∣ed to the Law (as need was) for himself, Christ (say they) as he was a man, was bound to obey the Law for himself. Answ. This Assertion detracts from the merit of his obe∣dience, and from the dignity of his Person. 1. From his merit, for if his obedience were of duty, then it were not† meritorious, Luke 17.10. and if this be true, then have we no title to Heaven. 2. From the dignity of his Person, as if he needed either to obey for himself, or by his obedience were any way bettered in himself. O that these men would remember that the Person who did obey the Law was, and is, not only man, but God also; Christ fulfilled the Law not only as man, but as God-man, Mediator; and therefore as his blood was Gods blood, so his obedience was the obedience of God, Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God—And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, or until death. We find him here God-man; and from hence we conclude, that all the legal acti∣ons of Christ from his Incarnation to his Passion inclusively, were the actions of Christ God-man, Mediator, and Surety for us in a way of covenant; and consequently they were not performed of duty, nor for himself. 2. They except, that if Christ obeyed the Law for us, that by his obedience we might be justified, then shall not we our selves need to obey the Law; but the Consequent is absurd, therefore the Antecedent. Answ. We need not to obey the Law to that end, that we may be justified thereby, for this is impossible to us by reason of the flesh, and therefore our Saviour fulfilled it for us; and yet it follows not but that we may endeavour to obey the Law for other ends; as to glo∣rifie God, to obey his Will, to testifie our thankfulness, to edifie our Brethren, to as∣sure our selves of our justification, and so to make our calling and election sure: in this Study and Practice of Piety consisteth our new obedience, which we must therefore be careful to perform, though Christ as to justification hath performed it for us. 3. They except, that if Christ by his active obedience fulfilled the Law for us, and that so we are

justified from all kind of sin both original and actual, then Christ's suffering was in vain. Answ. Christ's active obedience is an essential part of our justification, but not all our justification; the material cause of our justification is the whole course of the active and passive obedience of Christ, together with his original righteousness, or habitual con∣formity unto the Law; I say together with his original righteousness, because many Au∣thors express no more, but only Christ's active and passive obedience; but they are to be understood, as asserting his original righteousness implicitely, the act presupposing the habit. And here observe the difference betwixt the Law in case of innocency, and the Law in case of sin; the Law in case of innocency required only doing, but the Law in case of sin cannot be satisfied without doing and suffering, Gal. 3.10. Gen. 2.17. Original justice and active obedience was sufficient to justifie man in his innocency, but not to justifie man fallen; and therefore we do not separate these, the original, the actual, and the passive righteousness of Christ, as to the matter of justification, but we imply all.

[Argu. 3] 3. We read in Scripture of two parts of justification, viz. the absolving of a belie∣ving sinner from the guilt of sin, and death; and the accepting of a believing sinner as righteous unto life. The former is wrought by the sufferings of Christ imputed as a full satisfaction for sin, the other by imputation of Christ's perfect obedience, as a suffi∣cient merit of eternal life; by the former we are freed from Hell, by the latter we are entitled to the Kingdom of Heaven, of them both the Apostle speaks, We are justified by his blood, Rom. 5.9. and we are made righteous by his obedience, Rom. 5.19.— Our Adversaries deny these two parts of justification, saying that it consists wholly in remission of sin. But we reply in every mutation, though it be but relative, we must of necessity acknowledge two terms, terminum a quo, & terminum ad quem, the deno∣mination being commonly taken from the latter: as in justification there is a motion or mutation from sin to justice, (from which term justification hath its name) from a state of death and damnation, to a state of life and salvation; but if justification be no∣thing else but bare remission of sins, then is there in it only a not imputing of sin, but no acceptation as righteous; a freedom from Hell, but no title to Heaven.—They say indeed, that to whom sin is not imputed, to them righteousness is imputed; and we grant that these things do alwayes concurr; but yet they are not to be confounded, for they differ in themselves, and in their causes, and in their effects. 1. In themselves; for it is one thing to be acquitted from the guilt of sin, and another thing to be made righteous, as we see daily in the pardon of Malefactors. 2. In their causes, for the remission of sin is to be attributed to Christ's satisfactory sufferings, and acceptation as righteous unto life to Christ's meritorious obedience. 3. In their effects, for by remis∣sion of sin we are freed from Hell, and by imputation of Christ's obedience we have right unto Heaven. I will not deny but that to Christ's habitual and actual righteousness is sometimes attributed freedom from Sin and Hell, as in Rom. 8.2. The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death; and on the contrary side to Chrst's passive obedience is sometimes attributed a right unto Heaven, as in Heb. 9.15. That by means of his death,—they which are called might receive the pro∣mise of eternal inheritance; but such places as these, are to be understood by a Synech∣doche, which puts only one part of Christ's obedience for the whole obedience of Christ. But I must recal my self, my design in this work was not for controversies; I leave that to others; See Downham, Burges, Norton, &c. for my part I am sure I have before me a more edifying work, which is to take a view of this Jesus, not only for intellection, but for devotion, and for the stirring up of our affections.

Thus far I have held forth Jesus in his life, or during the time of his Ministry, till the last Passover, and now was it that Jesus knew his hour was come, and that he should depart out of this World unto the Father; but of that hereafter; our next business is to direct you in the Art or Mystery, how we are to look unto Jesus in respect of his Life.

Notes

• John. 8.46.
• 1 Pet. 1.19. Heb. 7.26.
• 2 Pet. 2.22.
• Heb. 4.15.
• Psal. 45.2.
• Cant. 5.10.
• Col. 2.3.
• Rom. 8.2.
• Rev. 11.11.
• Luke 1.35.
• Rom. 5.19.
• Matth. 5.17. John 8.29. Acts 3.14.
• Phil. 2.8.
• John 6.9, 10, 11.
• Matth. 15.32.
• John 6.15.
• Mar. 7.26, 27.
• Matth. 16.19.
• Gen. 1.26.
• Matth. 16.21.
• Luke 9.28, 29, 30, 31.
• Math. 21.5.
• Luke 9.55.
• Ver. 56.
• Luke 19.41, 42.
• Gen. 43.30. Gen. 45.1.
• Hos. 11.8.
• Joh. 13.4, 5.
• Rom. 5.19.
• Rom. 10.4.
• Rom. 8.4.
• Rom. 10.5.
• Rom. 5.19.
• Rom. 5.10.
• 1 Cor. 1.30. Dan. 9.24.
• Luke 2.11.
• Gal. 4.4, 5.
• John 17.19.
• Heb. 10.7, 10.
• †

  Debitum non est meritum.
• Acts 20.28. Phil. 2.6, 8.
• Rom. 5.9, 19.
• Rom. 8.2.
• Heb. 9.15.
• John 13.1.