Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

THUS much for the first fruit of faith, being the spiritual sagacities thereof; whereby it appears, that the believer is the only wise man, who hath eyes in his head, whilst all the rest of the world, be they what they will in notional knowledge, walk on in darkness.

THUS much for the first fruit of faith, being the spiritual sagacities thereof; whereby it appears, that the believer is the only wise man, who hath eyes in his head, whilest all the rest of the world, be they what they will in notional knowledge, walk on in darkness.

The second holy fruit of faith is Justification, which is a very great blessing, so great that in Luther's phrase it is articulus stantis & cadentis Ecclesiae; and in Chemnitius, arx & propugnaculum religionis Christianae, a blessing that is pregnant with many more; which occasioned a good Divine to say, sin committed is every judgment radically, and pardon of sin is every mercy radically, you may cut out any blessing or comfort out of it; particular mercies are but pardon of sin specificated and individuated, brought into this or that mercy; of all blessings you may say, this is pardon of sin, and that is ⟨p. 202⟩pardon of sin. Touching this precious fruit of faith, I shall endeavour to show these things.

The second holy fruit of faith is Justification, which is a very great blessing, so great that in Luthers phrase it is articulus stantis & cadentis Ecclesiae; and in Chemnitius, arx & propugnaculum religionis Christianae, a blessing that is pregnant with many more; which occasioned a good Divine to say, sin committed is every judgment radically, and pardon of sin is every mercy radically, you may cut out any blessing or comfort out of it; particular mercies are but pardon of sin specificated and individuated, brought into this or that mercy; of all blessings you may say, this is pardon of sin, and that is ⟨p. 202⟩pardon of sin. Touching this precious fruit of faith, I shall endeavour to shew these things.

First, That it grows upon faith as a fruit.

Thirdly, The continuance of it.

Fourthly, The perfection of it.

Fifthly, The various excellencies of it.

First, This holy fruit grows upon faith; in the very instant of believing a man is justified before God. The Antinomians indeed makes as if it came forth much sooner, even as early as eternity it self, as if it were an immanent eternal act in God. But the error of this opinion may be easily made appear: For,

First, An immanent act abides in God, and doth not, as the transient, make any change at all in the creature; but in justification there is a great change made in man, though not a Physical one, such as is made in sanctification, yet as moral and a relative one: the sins which before cried at heaven gates for vengeance, are now cast into the depths of the sea; the soul, which was at the brink of hell, is now in the suburbs of heaven; the pure beams of grace breaking forth upon it, the prison garments of guilt are changed, and the righteousness of God is upon the believer, the blood of the Lamb is upon his conscience, and the damning destroying Law passes over him. Again, an ⟨p. 203⟩immanent act in God is the same with Gods essence, and not as the transient, the same with the effect produced. Gods willing is but the divine essence, with an habitude to such an object; his decrees are himself decreeing, otherwise the simplicity of his nature would be overthrown: such an immanent act is the decree of justification, but justification it self is an effect in time, else Gods judicial act may be exercised about a non-existing creature, a non ens may be justified, a man that is not may be made righteous, fin may be remitted before it is committed, absolution may anticipate guilt, and righteousness Law, all which are things hard to be swallowed. If any thing in justification look like an immanent act, it is either Gods complacential love, or the imputation of righteousness; but that neither of these are such, is clear in Scripture, which expresses the same as things future, he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, saith our Saviour, Joh. 14.21. righteousness shall be imputed to us, if we believe, Rom. 4.24. a shall be cannot be put upon an immanent act, futurity cannot be found in eternity.

Secondly, If justification were an immanent eternal act, what means a Mediator? God and man were at one before; would the Lord of all be made under his own Law, to bring in righteousness into an already righteous world? would he shed his precious blood on ⟨p. 204⟩a cross to purge away sins eternally forgiven? was his sweet-smelling sacrifice to atone a reconciled God? did he pay down so great a sum of merits to purchase a freedom for such as were free-born long before? doth he still intercede with God to save those from wrath, who before were secure from it by an eternal justification? this opinion seems to make void the whole satisfaction of Jesus Christ; what the Apostle said of the Law, if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain, Gal. 2.21. the same may be said here, if righteousness come any other way then by the death of Christ, if it come by an immanent eternal act, then Christ is dead in vain.

Thirdly, No man can be at once in two contrary states, in a state of wrath, and in a state of love too: every man, whilst an unbeliever, is in a state of wrath, the wrath of God abides on him, Joh. 3.36. God is angry with him every day, Psal. 7.11. and whilst he is in a state of wrath, he cannot be in a state of love. Joseph, whilst he was in prison in his old clothes, was not in change of raiment in Pharaohs Court. St. Paul, reckoning up a black Catalogue of sins, barring men from inheriting the kingdom of God, saith of the unconverted Corinthians, such were some of you, 1 Cor. 6.11. as yet they were in the chains of sin and wrath, and immediately after speaking of them as converted, he saith, but ye are sanctified, but ye are ⟨p. 205⟩justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God; then the prisoners were become favourites in the Court of heaven, and stood in their robes of grace and righteousness: then and not before, as evidently appears by the words, were and are, relating to two distinct states in two distinct times, they were not, could not be in both states at once, but if justification be eternal, a man may be at once in contrary states, as an unbeliever he may be under wrath, and yet as a justified one under love. I know a man under wrath may be under a love of benevolence, which is the purpose of God to bestow grace and glory, but he cannot at the same time be under a love of complacence, which is directly contrary to a state of wrath, nevertheless eternal justification makes a man capable of both at once.

Thirdly, No man can be at once in two contrary states, in a state of wrath, and in a state of love too: every man, whilest an unbeliever, is in a state of wrath, the wrath of God abides on him, Joh. 3.36. God is angry with him every day, Psal. 7.11. and whilest he is in a state of wrath, he cannot be in a state of love. Joseph, whilest he was in prison in his old cloaths, was not in change of raiment in Pharaohs Court. St. Paul, reckoning up a black Catalogue of sins, barring men from inheriting the kingdom of God, saith of the unconverted Corinthians, such were some of you, 1 Cor. 6.11. as yet they were in the chains of sin and wrath, and immediately after speaking of them as converted, he saith, but ye are sanctified, but ye are ⟨p. 205⟩justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God; then the prisoners were become favourites in the Court of heaven, and stood in their robes of grace and righteousness: then and not before, as evidently appears by the words, were and are, relating to two distinct states in two distinct times, they were not, could not be in both states at once, but if justification be eternal, a man may be at once in contrary states, as an unbeliever he may be under wrath, and yet as a justified one under love. I know a man under wrath may be under a love of benevolence, which is the purpose of God to bestow grace and glory, but he cannot at the same time be under a love of complacence, which is directly contrary to a state of wrath, nevertheless eternal justification makes a man capable of both at once.

Fourthly, Justification and sanctification are inseparable companions, no more to be sundered then the merits and spirit of Christ which are the respective causes thereof: where grace pardons, there it heals, where Christ is made righteousness, there he is made sanctification, for he cannot be divided and taken by piece-meal, but if justification be an eternal act, then these twins of grace may be parted, an unconverted man may be justified, because that is from eternity, and withal unsanctified, because unconverted; in which case he must needs be in a strange ⟨p. 206⟩posture, at once under two contrary reigns of grace and sin; partly in Christ, as justified by his blood, and partly out of Christ, as void of his spirit; the light of Gods countenance shines upon him, and yet within he wears the image of Satan, a blessed one he must needs be, because his iniquity is forgiven, and an anathema too, because no lover of Jesus Christ; he is a justified and accepted man, and yet a man in his sins, all which absurd consequences are unavoidable, if justification be an eternal act.

Fourthly, Justification and sanctification are inseparable companions, no more to be sundred then the merits and spirit of Christ which are the respective causes thereof: where grace pardons, there it heals, where Christ is made righteousness, there he is made sanctification, for he cannot be divided and taken by piece-meal, but if justification be an eternal act, then these twins of grace may be parted, an unconverted man may be justified, because that is from eternity, and withall unsanctified, because unconverted; in which case he must needs be in a strange ⟨p. 206⟩posture, at once under two contrary reigns of grace and sin; partly in Christ, as justified by his blood, and partly out of Christ, as void of his spirit; the light of Gods countenance shines upon him, and yet within he wears the image of Satan, a blessed one he must needs be, because his iniquity is forgiven, and an anathema too, because no lover of Jesus Christ; he is a justified and accepted man, and yet a man in his sins, all which absurd consequences are unavoidable, if justification be an eternal act.

Thus much may suffice to discover the error of this opinion, only there are two Queries which must be answered.

Thus much may suffice to discover the error of this opinion, only there are two Quaeres which must be answered.

First, The first Quaere is this, If justification be not an eternal immanent act, is not there a change in God? God displicentially hates all the workers of iniquity, and such are all men before conversion; if therefore before conversion he hate, and after it he love them, is there not a change in him? I answer, no, there is none. God, such is his infinite sanctity, cannot but complacentially love righteousness, and displicentially hate iniquity: love and hatred are not in God, as sin and righteousness are in man, in man sin and righteousness succeed one the other, but in God love and hatred are eternal and simultaneous; the change therefore, which is where the succession is, and not where the eternal sameness is, is in man only, and not in God; the man, who was in a state of sin, ⟨p. 207⟩and so the object of Gods displicential hatred, is now in a state of righteousness, and so the object of Gods complacential love; thus the Apostle, you that were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, Col. 1.21. All the change was in the Colossians, none in God, the Lord loveth the righteous, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 146.8. as soon as a man becomes righteous, the divine complacence doth embrace him, which it did not, could not before, because there was no suitable object.

First, The first Quaere is this, If justification be not an eternal immanent act, is not there a change in God? God displicentially hates all the workers of iniquity, and such are all men before conversion; if therefore before conversion he hate, and after it he love them, is there not a change in him? I answer, no, there is none. God, such is his infinite sanctity, cannot but complacentially love righteousness, and displicentially hate iniquity: love and hatred are not in God, as sin and righteousness are in man, in man sin and righteousness succeed one the other, but in God love and hatred are eternal and simultaneous; the change therefore, which is where the succession is, and not where the eternal sameness is, is in man only, and not in God; the man, who was in a state of sin, ⟨p. 207⟩and so the object of Gods displicential hatred, is now in a state of righteousness, and so the object of Gods complacential love; thus the Apostle, you that were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, Col. 1.21. All the change was in the Colossians, none in God, the Lord loveth the righteous, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 146.8. as soon as a man becomes righteous, the divine complacence doth embrace him, which it did not, could not before, because there was no sutable object.

Secondly, The second Quaere is this, If justification be not an immanent eternal act, what is the transient act by which God justifieth a believer in this life?

Unto this much is not spoken among Divines, some speak of a sentence before the Angels, as if God did declare before them who is righteous; but this I think is altogether unscriptural: others speak of a sentence in conscience, but this is but the manifestation of justification. Let us first distinguish of justification, and then answer. There is a double justification, constitutive justification, whereby God maketh us just in this life; sentential justification, whereby God pronounces us just at death and judgment. Constitutive justification is the foundation of sentential, for the true God will not pronounce us just unless we are such, and sentential justification is the compleature of constitutive: For here ⟨p. 208⟩there is sententia judicis crowning us as righteous; the Quaere then being touching constitutive justification in this life, I conceive with worthy Mr. Baxter, that God justifies a believer by the moral agency of the Gospel, by which as by his Grand Charter and Law of grace, he doth make over Christ and his righteousness to the believer, neither need this seem strange, every humane instrument doth, moraliter agere. A Princes pardon conveys an impunity, a Charter an estate, a Law a title or right, a Testament a Legacy, and shall not the Gospel do as much to believers? God doth constitutivè justify the believer by making him righteous, and makes him righteous by making over to him the righteousness of Christ, and that he makes over by the Gospel, which is his Pardon, Charter, Law and Testament of grace, conveying the same upon believing: no sooner doth a man believe, but the conditional promise becomes absolute. As the old Covenant running, do this and live, would have justified upon perfect obedience, so the New running, believe and be saved, doth justify upon believing, as man sinning is condemned by the Law of works, so man believing is justified by the Law of grace. Hence the Gospel is called, the ministration of righteousness as the Law is of condemnation, 2 Cor. 3.9. the power of God to salvation to the believer, Rom. 1.16. quia nos per Evangelium justisicat Deus, because God justifies us by the Gospel, as Reverend ⟨p. 209⟩Calvin hath it on the 17th. verse, Virga virtutis, A rod of strength, Psal 110.2. that is, in the Justification of men, saith the excellent Dr. Reynolds;

Unto this much is not spoken among Divines, some speak of a sentence before the Angels, as if God did declare before them who is righteous; but this I think is altogether unscriptural: others speak of a sentence in conscience, but this is but the manifestation of justification. Let us first distinguish of justification, and then answer. There is a double justification, constitutive justification, whereby God maketh us just in this life; sentential justification, whereby God pronounces us just at death and judgment. Constitutive justification is the foundation of sentential, for the true God will not pronounce us just unless we are such, and sentential justification is the compleature of constitutive: For here ⟨p. 208⟩there is sententia judicis crowning us as righteous; the Quaere then being touching constitutive justification in this life, I conceive with worthy Mr. Baxter, that God justifies a believer by the moral agency of the Gospel, by which as by his Grand Charter and Law of grace, he doth make over Christ and his righteousness to the believer, neither need this seem strange, every humane instrument doth, moraliter agere. A Princes pardon conveys an impunity, a Charter an estate, a Law a title or right, a Testament a Legacy, and shall not the Gospel do as much to believers? God doth constitutivè justifie the believer by making him righteous, and makes him righteous by making over to him the righteousness of Christ, and that he makes over by the Gospel, which is his Pardon, Charter, Law and Testament of grace, conveying the same upon believing: no sooner doth a man believe, but the conditional promise becomes absolute. As the old Covenant running, do this and live, would have justified upon perfect obedience, so the New running, believe and be saved, doth justifie upon believing, as man sinning is condemned by the Law of works, so man believing is justified by the Law of grace. Hence the Gospel is called, the ministration of righteousness as the Law is of condemnation, 2 Cor. 3.9. the power of God to salvation to the believer, Rom. 1.16. quia nos per Evangelium justisicat Deus, because God justifies us by the Gospel, as Reverend ⟨p. 209⟩Calvin hath it on the 17th. verse, Virga virtutis, A rod of strength, Psal 110.2. that is, in the Justification of men, saith the excellent Dr. Reynolds;