Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

But in proceeding in this point I did reflect a little back. God finds a man with a number of sins, full of sin, and forgives these sins; now I demanded this; how far doth this justification and forgiveness extend? to sins past alone, or to sins past and to come? And I answered that we must consider this matter two ways.

But in proceeding in this point I did reflect a little back. God findes a man with a number of sinnes, full of sinne, and forgives these sinnes; now I demanded this; how farre doth this justification and forgivenesse extend? to sins past alone, or to sinnes past and to come? And I answered that we must consider this matter two wayes.

First, to justify a mans person simply; and then to justify a man from this or that particular act: The phrase is used in Scripture, Acts 13.39. And by him all that believe, are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses. There is justification from this or that thing. There is first, Justification of a mans person; he that was an enemy, is now made a friend; he is now no longer a stranger at home, but is in the list or Gods household. Now this we say, no sooner doth a man receive it, but the selfsame hour that he receiveth it, the bond is cancelled, the evidence is torn, and fastened to the Cross of Christ, and hangs up among the Records, whereas before it was an evidence against us, and would have lain heavy on us at the bar; but now it is fastened to the Cross as a cancelled Record, the bond is become void.

First, to justifie a mans person simply; and then to justifie a man from this or that particular act: The phrase is used in Scripture, Acts 13.39. And by him all that believe, are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses. There is justification from this or that thing. There is first, Justification of a mans person; he that was an enemy, is now made a friend; he is now no longer a stranger at home, but is in the list or Gods houshold. Now this we say, no sooner doth a man receive it, but the selfsame houre that he receiveth it, the bond is cancel'd, the evidence is torn, and fastened to the Crosse of Christ, and hangs up among the Records, whereas before it was an evidence against us, and would have layen heavy on us at the bar; but now it is fastened to the Crosse as a cancel'd Record, the bond is become void.