Min. If you will not believe that your sins are pardoned till they are quite subdued, then will you not believe it whilst you live; for so long as you live here you shall find and feel some remainders of sinful corruptions unsubdued, though you do believe, and if you do not believe you shall not have them subdued at all by the sanctifying Spirit of Christ. Indeed it is possible, that after much striving against your corruptions ⟨p. 187⟩in your own strength, you may see there is no strength in you to subdue them as you would; and may thereupon go unto Christ by Prayer, for grace and power to leave sin and do better, and so live upon Christ that you may live upon your self; I say, you may go unto Christ for power to do your work, that so you may earn your wages, and it is possible you may hereupon grow in legal righteousness, as the stony and thorny ground seed sprung up, and increased much, and came near unto maturity, and yet ⟨p. 188⟩this not be the work of the sanctifying Spirit of Jesus Christ; wherefore I beseech you, go not this way to work, do not seek to have the righteousness of sanctification infused into you before you seek to have the righteousness of Justification imputed unto you, and so as much as in you lieth, to go about to pervert the Lords own order and method.
Do you not remember how I told my neighbour Simon, that the Lords order and method in justifying and sanctifying a sinner is, First, to ⟨p. 189⟩justify him, by imputing the righteousness that is inherent in Christ unto him, and enabling him to apprehend it by faith, and then to sanctify him by infusing of righteousness into him by his Spirit; and this is the method which the Prophet Micah proclaims by way of admiration, saying, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage, he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy? Here is the righteousness1 of Justification, and then in the next Verse he ⟨p. 190⟩proclaims the righteousness of Sanctification, saying, He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities &c. And this method the Prophet David was well acquainted with, and therefore in the first Verse of the 51. Psalm, he beseeches the Lord, According to the multitude of his mercies to blot out his transgressions; and then in the tenth ver.
Min. If you will not beleeve that your sins are pardoned till they are quite subdued, then will you not beleeve it whilst you live; for so long as you live here you shall finde and feele some remainders of sinfull corruptions unsubdued, though you doe beleeve, and if you doe not beleeve you shall not have them subdued at all by the sanctifying Spirit of Christ. Indeed it is possible, that after much striving against your corruptions ⟨p. 187⟩in your owne strength, you may see there is no strength in you to subdue them as you would; and may thereupon goe unto Christ by Prayer, for grace and power to leave sinne and doe better, and so live upon Christ that you may live upon your selfe; I say, you may goe unto Christ for power to doe your worke, that so you may earne your wages, and it is possible you may hereupon grow in legall righteousnesse, as the stony and thorny ground seed sprung up, and increased much, and came neare unto maturity, and yet ⟨p. 188⟩this not be the worke of the sanctifying Spirit of Jesus Christ; wherefore I beseech you, goe not this way to worke, doe not seeke to have the righteousnesse of sanctification infused into you before you seeke to have the righteousnesse of Justification imputed unto you, and so as much as in you lyeth, to goe about to pervert the Lords owne order and method.
Doe you not remember how I told my neighbour Simon, that the Lords order and method in justifying and sanctifying a sinner is, First, to ⟨p. 189⟩justifie him, by imputing the righteousnesse that is inherent in Christ unto him, and enabling him to apprehend it by faith, and then to sanctifie him by infusing of righteousnesse into him by his Spirit; and this is the method which the Prophet Micah proclaimes by way of admiration, saying, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage, he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy? Here is the righteousnesse1 of Justification, and then in the next Verse he ⟨p. 190⟩proclaimes the righteousnesse of Sanctification, saying, He will turne againe, he will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities &c. And this method the Prophet David was well acquainted with, and therefore in the first Verse of the 51. Psalme, he beseeches the Lord, According to the multitude of his mercies to blot out his transgressions; and then in the tenth ver.
- 1Micah. 7. 18.
