A85428:72
Christ Set Forth
Christ set forth in his [brace] death, resurrection, ascension, sitting at Gods right hand, intercession, [brace] as the [brace] cause of justification. Object of justifying faith. Upon Rom. 8. ver. 34. Together with a treatise discovering the affectionate tenderness of Christs heart now in heaven, unto sinners on earth. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D.Christ set forth in his [brace] death, resurrection, ascension, sitting at Gods right hand, intercession, [brace] as the [brace] cause of justification. Object of justifying faith. Upon Rom. 8. ver. 34. Together with a treatise discovering the affectionate tendernesse of Christs heart now in heaven, unto sinners on earth. / By Tho: Goodwin, B.D.
London: printed by W.E. and J.G. for Robert Dawlman, 1642
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First,1 Christ is the object of faith, in joint commission with God the Father. So here, It is God that justifies, and Christ that dyed: They are both of them set forth as the foundation of a Believers confidence. So elsewhere, Faith is called a believing on him (namely, God) that justifies the ungodly, Rom. 4. 5. and a believing on Christ, Acts 6. Wherefore faith is to have an eye unto both,2 for both do alike contribute unto the justification of a sinner. It is Christ that paid the price, that performed the righteousness by which we are justified; and it is God that accepts of it, and imputes it unto us: Therefore Justification is ascribed unto both. And this we have, Rom. 3. 24. where it is attributed unto them both together, [Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ:] Where we see, that Gods free grace, and Christs righteousness, do concur to our justification. Christ paid as full a price, as if there were no grace shown in justifying of us; (for mercy bated Christ nothing) and yet that it should be accepted for us, is as free grace, and as great, as if Christ had paid never a farthing. Now as both these meet to justify us, so faith in justification is to look at both these: So it follows in the next ver. of that 3.3 Rom. 25. [Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation [through faith] in his blood.] And though it be true, that God justifying is the ultimate object of our faith, (for Christ leads us by the hand (as the word is, Ephes. 2. 18) unto God: and 1 Pet. 1. 21. we are said by Christ to believe ⟨p. 13⟩on God who raised him, that so our faith and hope might be on God)4