First,1 in some sense he had a faith for Justification like unto ours, though not a Justification through faith, as we have. He went not, indeed, out of himself, to rely to another for righteousness, ⟨p. 3⟩for he had enough of his own (he being The Lord our righteousness:) yet he believes on God to justify him, and had recourse to God for justification: He is near (says he) that justifies me. If he had stood in his own person merely, and upon his own bottom only, there had been no occasion for such a speech; and yet consider him as he stood in our stead, there was: for what need of such a Justification, if he had not been some way near a condemnation? He therefore must be supposed to stand here (in Isaiah) at Gods Tribunal, as well as at Pilates, with all our sins upon him: And so the same Prophet tells us Ch. 53. 6. God made the iniquities of us to meet on him. He was now made sin, and a curse, and stood not in danger of Pilates condemnation only, but of Gods too, unless he satisfied him for all those sins. And when the wrath of God for sin came thus in upon him, his faith was put to it, to trust & wait on him for his Justification, for to take off all those sins, together with his wrath from off him, and to acknowledge himself satisfied, & him acquitted. Therefore in the 22. Ps. (which was made for Christ when hanging on the Cross, and speaks how his heart was taken up that while) he is brought in as putting forth such a faith as here we speak of, when he called God his God, [My God my God] then, whenas to his sense, he had forsaken him, [why hast thou forsaken me?] Yea he helped his faith with the faith of the Fore-fathers, whom upon their trust in him God had delivered: Our Fathers, (says he) trusted in thee; they trusted and thou didst deliver them: Yea, at the 5. v. we find him laying himself ⟨p. 4⟩at Gods feet, lower then ever any man did, [I am a worm] (says he) (which every man treads on, and counts it a matter of nothing for to kill) [and no man] as it follows; and all this, because he bare our sins. Now his deliverance and justification from all these, to be given him at his resurrection, was the matter, the business he thus trusted in God for, even that he should rise again, and be acquitted from them. So Psal. 16. (a Psalm made also for Christ, when to suffer, and to lie in the grave) ver. 8, 9, 10.
First,1 in some sense he had a faith for Iustification like unto ours, though not a Iustification through faith, as we have. He went not, indeed, out of himselfe, to rely to another for righteousnesse, ⟨p. 3⟩for he had enough of his owne (he being The Lord our righteousnesse:) yet he beleeves on God to justifie him, and had recourse to God for justification: He is neer (sayes he) that justifies me. If he had stood in his own person meerely, and upon his owne bottome onely, there had beene no occasion for such a speech; and yet consider him as he stood in our stead, there was: for what need of such a Justification, if he had not been some way neer a condemnation? He therefore must be supposed to stand here (in Esay) at Gods Tribunall, as well as at Pilates, with all our sins upon him: And so the same Prophet tels us Ch. 53. 6. God made the iniquities of us to meete on him. He was now made sin, and a curse, and stood not in danger of Pilates condemnation only, but of Gods too, unlesse he satisfied him for all those sins. And when the wrath of God for sin came thus in upon him, his faith was put to it, to trust & wait on him for his Justification, for to take off all those sins, together with his wrath from off him, and to acknowledg himselfe satisfied, & him acquited. Therfore in the 22. Ps. (which was made for Christ when hanging on the Crosse, and speaks how his heart was taken up that while) he is brought in as putting forth such a faith as here we speak of, when he called God his God, [My God my God] then, whēas to his sense, he had forsaken him, [why hast thou forsaken me?] Yea he helped his faith with the faith of the Fore-fathers, whom upon their trust in him God had delivered: Our Fathers, (says he) trusted in thee; they trusted and thou didst deliver them: Yea, at the 5. v. we find him laying himselfe ⟨p. 4⟩at Gods feet, lower then ever any man did, [I am a worme] (sayes he) (which every man treads on, and counts it a matter of nothing for to kill) [and no man] as it follows; and all this, because he bare our sins. Now his deliverance and justification from all these, to be given him at his resurrection, was the matter, the businesse he thus trusted in God for, even that he should rise again, and be acquited from them. So Psal. 16. (a Psalme made also for Christ, when to suffer, and to lie in the grave) ver. 8, 9, 10.
- 11. He had a faith for the justification of himself.1. He had a faith for the justification of himselfe.
