The Triumph of a True Christian Described

I Showed you when I entered on verse 29. that in that and this 30. verse our Apostle proves, that all things, even afflictions work for the best to those that are called according to God's eternal purpose, and that by two arguments. The first laid down verse 29. which we have already handled. Now his second argument proving that conclusion, is in this 30. verse: and it is taken from the infallible certainty of that order which the Lord holdeth in bringing his chosen to life and glory in heaven: even from the first ground and beginning, and the first cause of it, to the thing it self, their full and perfect glorification in heaven. And the argument stands thus.

That the Lord having of his free love from everlasting, and before the world was, fore-appointed, and fore-ordained his chosen to life and glory in heaven, he certainly proceeds, and he goeth on in his manifestation of that his love, and in the accomplishment of his own eternal purpose, in that order that he hath appointed, by adding one degree of the manifestation of his love and of the accomplishment of his own purpose to another: and to his preordination and fore-appointing his chosen to life and glory, he adds in time their vocation, and to their vocation their justification, and to their justification the full accomplishment of his love to them, namely, their full and perfect glorification in heaven. And therefore it must needs be that all things work together for the best unto them that are called according to God's eternal purpose.

Now in this verse, for the general matter of it, the Apostle lays down four effects by which God doth witness his eternal love to his chosen, which are set down as four steps or degrees by which God's chosen ascend and climb up to their blessedness in heaven, and those four degrees are inseparably linked and tied one to another, as so many links of a golden chain, and they cannot be broke off or severed one from another. As that God doth predestinate some to life and glory; and whom he hath predestinate, them he certainly calls; and whom he calls, them he justifies; and whom he justifies, them he also glorifies. Moreover (saith the Apostle) whom he predestinate, them also he called: and whom he called, them also he justified: and whom he justified, them also he glorified. And of these four degrees, the first is done from all eternity and before all times, namely, predestination: and the other three they are effected in time.

Come we now to search out the meaning of the words. Moreover whom he predestinate. I shown you in the verse foregoing what is the meaning of the word predestinate, namely, to appoint a thing to a certain end aforehand, and it is here to be understood of God's act of predestination touching his elect, and that is plain from the context. In the verse foregoing the Apostle saith, Whom he knew before, he predestinate them to be made like to the image of his Son: that is, in heavenly glory: and here he saith, Whom he predestinate, them he called, and justified, and glorified. And therefore it must be understood of predestination to life and glory in heaven, and so the meaning of the Apostle is, whom the Lord before all times fore-appointed and fore-ordained to life and glory in heaven, Them also he called. The word called was before expounded verse 28. and I there shown that some are called, and that by the voice of God in the ministry of his word, but they answer not the call of God: and of such speaks Christ, Matt. 20.16. Many are called but few are chosen. Others being called by the voice of God in the ministry of his word, they answer the call of God, and they are effectually called out of darkness into a marvelous light, as 1. Pet. 2.9. And in this sense is the word here taken: and the Apostles meaning is, Them also doth the Lord in time effectually work on by his holy Spirit, and bring them by the work of his good Spirit, through the preaching of his word, from ignorance and unbelief to true knowledge and faith in Christ, and set them out of the state of nature into the state of grace. And whom he hath thus called, them also he justified, The word justify hath many acceptions, I will not trouble you with them, it is here to be taken as a term fetched from courts of justice, and it is opposed to condemning: so the Apostle himself makes opposition, verse 33.34. It is God that justifieth, who shall condemn? and so it signifieth to acquit and to absolve in judgment. When therefore the Apostle saith, them also he justifieth, it is as if he had said, them also he acquitteth and absolveth both from the guilt and punishment of all their sins, and accounteth them just and righteous in his sight by Christ his righteousness imputed to them, and apprehended by faith, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 4.5.6. To him that believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness: as David declareth the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth righteousness. And 2. Corinth. 5.21. the Apostle affirms, that Christ was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And whom he justifieth, them also he glorifieth. To glorify is to make glorious, by putting away baseness and dishonor, and by putting on of honor and glory. Now the Lord doth make his chosen glorious, and put away their baseness, and put honor and glory on them, partly in this life, by making them holy; for their holiness and sanctification in this life is their glorification begun. And hence the Church is said to be all glorious within, Psal. 45.13. And holiness of life here in this world is termed glory by the Apostle, 2. Cor. 3.18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory. But the Lord doth make his chosen fully glorious in the life to come in heaven, by making them there perfectly holy, their glorification in heaven being their sanctification consummate and made perfect, and by putting on their bodies and on their souls immortality, and full happiness and glory: both these are here to be understood under the word glorified. Them also he glorifieth: that is, them also doth the Lord make glorious, partly in this life, by making them holy, and by sanctifying them in part, in their souls and bodies; and in the life to come in heaven fully glorious, by making them perfectly holy, and by putting on their bodies and souls immortality, eternal life, and full and perfect happiness and glory. Now then thus conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in this verse, as if he had said.

Moreover, whom the Lord before all times fore-appointed and fore-ordained to life and glory in heaven, they also are by him in time effectually called, they are effectually wrought on by his holy Spirit, and brought by the work of his holy Spirit, through the preaching of the word, from ignorance and unbelief, to true knowledge and faith in Christ, and set out of the state of ignorance and unbelief into the state of true knowledge and faith in Christ Jesus: and they that are thus effectually called, they are also by him acquitted and absolved from the guilt and punishment of all their sins, and they are accounted just and righteous in his sight by Christ his righteousness imputed to them, and apprehended by faith: and they that are thus justified, they are also by him made glorious, partly in this life, he here making them holy, and sanctifying them in part, and in the life to come in heaven fully glorious, he there making them perfectly holy, and there putting on them, on their bodies and souls immortality, eternal life, and full and perfect happiness and glory.

Now in that the Apostle here and in the verse foregoing speaks of God's predestination, of his fore-appointing some to life and glory in heaven, I might stand to show that the doctrine of God's predestination is a doctrine that ou •• t to be published and made known to God's people. Some are of opinion that it ought to be concealed and kept from the people of God, but they are deceived, it is a thing revealed in the written word of God, and so it belongs to us, Deut. 29.29. Oh but some say, [Object.] it is a doctrine that either works despair in men, or it makes them careless of the means of salvation, and of good works. [Answ.] It is not so, it is a special ground of true comfort and sound patience under the cross, and it doth necessarily infer the use of the means of salvation, because whom God hath predestinate, them he doth in time convert, and will by the use of the means: yea it makes men set themselves seriously and cheerfully to do good duties, and they never do good works with such alacrity as when they know and believe that God in his eternal love towards them hath freely predestinated them to life and glory. They then love God, because he hath from everlasting appointed them to life and salvation, 1. John. 4.19. but I will not stand on that. One point I will touch in a word, we see the Apostle here makes not the act of God's predestination to life and glory in heaven universal, and reaching to all men and women in the world; but he bounds and limits it to some, namely, to such as in time are effectually called and justified, and shall in time be also glorified, he links these together inseparably. Whence the point is this.

[Doct. 1] That God's predestination to life and glory is not universal: it is not common to all men and women in the world, the Lord hath not from everlasting fore-appointed all and every man and woman in the world to eternal life and salvation, God's election to life and glory is not universal. Act. 13.48. it is said, As many as were ordained to eternal life believed: thereby implying, that some were ordained to eternal life, and some were not. Rom. 9.22.23. the Apostle makes known that some were vessels of God's mercy prepared to glory, and others were vessels of God's wrath prepared to destruction. Ephes. 1.4.5. the Apostle doth appropriate God's eternal election and predestination to life and glory only to himself, and to other true believers, and saith, God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: And hath predestinate us, to be adopted through Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his will. And the reason of this, that God's predestination to life and glory is not universal and reaching to all, is this.

The Lord is both infinitely merciful and also infinitely just, and he will be known so to be: [Reason.] he will have both his infinite mercy and also his infinite justice manifested and declared to his glory, and by both, and that in respect of man, which could not have been if all and every man in the world had been fore-appointed to life and glory in heaven; for then all must needs have been saved, and then the Lord had made himself known to be a God of infinite mercy only, and not of infinite justice in respect of men. And therefore doubtless it is a certain truth, that God's predestination to life and glory in heaven is not universal, it reacheth not to all and every man and woman in the world. And for use.

First, this truth serves to discover the error of that opinion [Use 1] held by some, that the work of redemption wrought by Christ is universal, that Christ died for all generally without exception of any, and that quoad efficatiam realem, and not only quoad sufficientiam praetij: and that some notwithstanding are not saved, they say it is through their own default, because they will not. Besides the error of this position, it making the sin of man, death and hell, stronger then Christ, at least God's purpose variable and subject to man's will, which are foul errors. Besides this, it cannot stand with the truth now delivered; for if predestination to life and glory be not universal, if it reach not to every man and woman in the world, then certainly Christ died not for all and everyone, his death was not really effectual for all and everyone. For the Scripture is plain that Christ died only for God's elect, and that he is the Savior of his Church and of his body, Ephe. 5.23. and that he only redeemed his Church by his blood, Act. 20.28. I know the exceptiō of y ^e Arminians, His Church say they, [Object.] that is, his visible Church, wherein are elect & reprobate, believers & unbelievers. [Answ.] Now this exceptiō the Apostle refutes and meets withal. Ephes. 5. he saith, verse 25. Christ gave himself for his Church: and then he subjoins by way of explication what he means by the word Church, verse 26.27. namely, that Church that he sanctifieth and cleanseth by the washing of water through the word, and that he makes to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blame: which must needs be understood of the invisible Church, and of the elect of God only. And therefore universal redemption wrought by Christ, touching the real efficacy of it, is but a device of man's brain, and we shall find it to be but a deceiving ground of comfort, if we rest on this, that Christ died for all: and if thou hast no better ground of comfort in the time of need, (as indeed many have not) thou shalt find it will deceive thee, and when thy conscience shall be awakened and distressed, it will then be ready to exempt thee from the benefit of redemption, and will then tell thee, Christ indeed died for all, if all would receive him, but thou by thy sins hast cut thyself off from him, and therefore the benefit of his death belongs not to thee, and it will do thee no good. Learn therefore to renounce it as erroneous and false, and a deceiving ground of comfort, that Christ died for all, and that the real efficacy of his death belongs to all.

[Use 2] For a second use: is it so that the act of God's predestination to life and glory is not universal? Did not God from everlasting fore-appoint every man and woman in the world to life and salvation? Surely then the Anabaptists are deceived, and it must needs be erroneous and false which they hold and teach; that God did choose all men both good and bad to the kingdom of heaven, on condition of faith and of obedience to the Gospel, for that is their position, as appears by their own words in a Pamphlet lately put forth by them. And to this purpose (forsooth) they make God's election twofold, eternal and before the creation of the world, and actual and in time: and they say, God's eternal election is God's eternal purpose and decree to elect such persons to life and salvation in whom he findeth faith and obedience; and those persons he electeth to salvation for the quality he finds in them. And so they say, God's eternal election is not of the particular person, but of the quality; and God's actual election they say is his electing of those in time who are instructed and taught by the Gospel preached, and do believe it and yield obedience to it, and so are actually chosen for their faith and for their obedience. And thus they make God's eternal election to be a purpose in God before the creation of the world, to save all generally without exception of any, and a fore-ordaining of all to life and salvation, as well unbelievers as believers, on the condition of faith and obedience, if they would believe and obey the Gospel; and his actual election to be an electing and choosing of some to life and glory now believing the Gospel, and now yielding obedience to it. A mere idle and foolish distinction, yea such as hath no ground or footing in the word of God. Where do they find in all the book of God such a distinction, let them show it if they can? In what Gospel is it written, Believe and obey the Gospel and thou shalt be actually elected? Indeed we find it written in the Gospel, Believe and obey the Gospel and thou shalt be saved. Believing and obeying the Gospel is a necessary antecedent to life and salvation, and is necessarily required before salvation, but never do we find it to be an antecedent, going before God's election to life and glory in heaven, and as a thing required to God's election to life and salvation. God indeed decreed with himself to save through Christ all them that do believe, but their believing is not before God's actual choosing of them to life and salvation, that we find not in any place of Scripture, but it necessarily goes before their salvation. John. 10.27. Christ saith, My sheep hear my voice, or believe in me, because I know them. But they say, We are sheep, or elect ordained to life and glory because we believe.

Again, when as they say, God's eternal election is not of the particular person but of the quality, they speak absurdly. Did God choose faith and obedience to salvation? Did he choose these qualities to go to heaven, and not the person in whom these qualities of faith and obedience are found? But to take them in the best sense, and their meaning to be this; In regard they expound it, that God did purpose and decree before the creation to elect to salvation such persons in whom he should find faith and obedience, this being their meaning their position doth exceedingly derogate from the all-sufficiency of God, as if the Lord must be beholding to something in us before his will could be determined; and as if his will must depend on something out of himself in man, on which it may be determined to elect; yea it makes God to be in suspense touching that wherein afterwards on some sight he comes to be fully determined: as if the Lord who is infinite in wisdom, in will, and power, should thus demure with himself, I purpose if hereafter I shall find in men faith and obedience to the Gospel, to choose them to life and salvation, otherwise not. Oh what a monstrous derogation is this from the Lord's all-sufficiency! and how doth this derogate from the absolute will of God, and from the good pleasure of God, which is the supreme cause of God's predestination to life and salvation, as Ephes. 1.5. Now for the places of Scripture they bring to prove that God did purpose and decree before the creation of the world to save all persons in whom he should find faith and obedience, they are not worthy the answering, they do fearfully abuse and pervert the Scripture, they bring that, Act. 17.28. where it is said, We are God's generation, and they reason thus, All persons are God's generation, therefore God's eternal election is not of the particular person but of the quality. What an absurd kind of reasoning is this? doth it follow because all persons are God's generation, and have their being in him, therefore God's eternal election is not of particular person, but of quality, or of persons thus and thus qualified? these things follow not one another. And for the places they bring to prove that God doth actually elect some to life and salvation now believing the Gospel, and now yielding obedience to it, they are most impertinent, they prove no such matter: they bring Rom. 9.25. Ephes. 1.13.14. 1. Pet. 2.10. in all which places, if ye look into them, you shall find there is not a word touching God's election, they imply no such thing, but they rather import effectual vocation and calling, or dwelling of the Spirit of God in the hearts of true believers to their sanctification, and to the assurance of their full redemption. Thus gross and thus absurd are the Anabaptists, both in their affections and proofs; and their opinion touching God's eternal election to life and salvation, cannot stand with the doctrine now delivered, that the act of God's predestination to life and glory is not universal and common to all men and women in the world. I have stood somewhat longer in confuting their error, because of that book which may haply blear the eyes of the simple, and deceive them; and I hear that some do begin to call the truth of God in question on that book.

I leave them, and for a third use, is it so that the act of God's [Use 3] predestination to life and glory is not universal? Doth it not reach, and is it not common to all and every man and woman in the world? How then are they who find themselves in the number of God's chosen, and have good evidence of it, that they are such as the Lord hath from everlasting fore-appointed and fore-ordained to life and glory, how I say are they bound to admire and to magnify the free love of God towards them? Surely that free love of God can never be sufficiently advanced and extolled: and consider it thou that hast good evidence of it, that thou belongest to God's election. Did the Lord from everlasting set his free love on thee, purposing thy eternal happiness & salvation, and did he pass by others intending to glorify himself in their just punishment? How then canst thou sufficiently admire and magnify the free love of God towards thee? If the Lord had fore-appointed and fore-ordained all men and women to life and glory, it had been an infinite-mercy of God, and an infinite cause to praise him, but that the Lord hath of his free love set thee apart from all eternity to life and salvation, and passed by others, even many thousands, that makes the mercy of God to thee much more admirable, and thou art to consider it: and in that respect thou art to be stirred up much more to admire, and to magnify, and to praise the goodness and mercy of God towards thee, and to labor to be thankful to God for his great mercy.

Now in the next place observe we, that our Apostle here goes on by degrees from predestination to glorification; he doth not p • esently subioyne glorification to predestination: he saith not, Whom he hath predestinate, them he hath also glorified, but whom he hath predestinate, them also he called, and whom he called, them also he justified. He makes known to us, that between predestination and glorification, there comes vocation and justification, and so gives us to understand thus much.

[Doct. 2] That as God hath predestinate some, and fore-appointed them to life and salvation, so he hath predestinate them to be called and justified before they come to that life and glory. Though glorification necessarily follow on predestinatiō, yet doth it not follow immediately, but by those means which God hath appointed. Those that are predestinate to life and glory, they are also by that act of God appointed in time to be called, and justified, and sanctified. And whomsoever the Lord hath in his eternal election decreed to save, them hath he also decreed to sanctify, and to make holy before they come to enjoy that salvation. That is a clear text to this purpose, Ephes. 1.4. God hath chosen us (saith the Apostle) in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. 1. Pet. 1.2. the Apostle affirms of them to whom he writ, that they were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father unto sanctification of the Spirit, through obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. And 2. Thes. 2.13. the Apostle speaks thus of the believing Thessalonians, that God had from the beginning chosen them to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and the faith of truth. It is then a clear point, that whomsoever the Lord hath fore-appointed and fore-ordained to life and glory, he hath also appointed them in time to be called, and justified, and sanctified, and to be made holy before they come to enjoy that life and salvation: and the reason and ground of it is.

[Reason.] Because as the Lord hath ordained his chosen to an end, namely their glorification, so hath he also ordained them to be made meet and fit for that end, and hath ordained such means as shall effectually work for the fitting of them thereunto: and those means are, effectual vocation, justification, and sanctification: and God's chosen are made meet and fit for life and salvation by their effectual vocation, justification, and sanctification. And therefore doubtless whomsoever the Lord hath from everlasting decreed to save, them hath he also decreed to sanctify, and to make holy before they come to enjoy that salvation.

And this truth, for the use, [Use.] it meets with that foolish and blasphemous manner of reasoning that is used by many in the world. Oh say they, if we be predestinate to be saved, then we may live as we list, for howsoever we live, and though we live never so wickedly, yet we must needs be saved. A devilish kind of reasoning; men or women have not this conclusion from God, nor from his word, but indeed from the devil, and from their own ignorance. And herein appears the subtlety of Satan, he teacheth men in outward things wholly to distrust God, and to rely altogether on the means: but in matters of salvation he makes them lay all on God's mercy, and on God's purpose, without any regard had to the means. They might as well say, the Lord hath appointed that we shall live to such a time, and before that time come we shall not die, and therefore we need not use either meat or drink in the time of health, or physic in the time of sickness. This is most absurd even in reason: and it is blasphemous thus to reason in the matter of salvation. It is all one, as if wicked wretches should think they have God at some advantage, that the Lord having appointed them to life and salvation, now they may do what they list, and they may now live according to the lusts of their own hearts, and yet the Lord cannot choose but save them. This is monstrous, thus to think, and thus to reason, and we are to take heed of this kind of reasoning: and know that thou thus reasoning, whosoever thou art, that very reasoning of thine is a fearful sign that thou art none of God's chosen, but that (indeed) thou art in the state of reprobation, and in the way to damnation. Let us then ever remember, that God's decree doth not remove the use of the means, but it doth stablish and confirm: and whomsoever the Lord hath from everlasting decreed to save, them hath he also decreed to call, to justify, and to sanctify, and to make holy, before they come to enjoy that salvation: and thou must find thyself thus wrought on, or else never look thou to come to heaven.

Now in that the Apostle here subjoins to God's act of predestination to life and salvation, his effectual calling of such as are predestinate, and saith, Whom the Lord hath predestinate, them also he called, we may gather some special points of instruction, I will speak of them in order.

[Doct. 3] First this. That God's chosen shall undoubtedly be in time effectually called, God's effectual calling follows necessarily on predestination to life and salvation. All those that belong to election of grace, and are in God's eternal purpose fore-appointed to life and salvation, shall assuredly in time be effectually wrought on by the word and Spirit of God, and shall be brought out of the state of ignorance and unbelief, into the state of true knowledge and true faith in Christ, and out of the state of nature into the state of grace. John. 6.37. saith the Lord Jesus, All that the Father giveth me, that is, all that are appointed to life and salvation, and so given to me of my Father, they shall come to me, they shall certainly come to believe in me, for so he expounds coming to him, verse 35. He that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. And John. 10.16. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice: they must be brought, or they shall certainly be brought to hear my voice, and to yield obedience to it. And verse 26.27. saith he to the Jews, Ye believe not, for ye are not of my sheep; my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: as if he had said, those that are my sheep, because they are my sheep they hear my voice, and they shall certainly believe in me, and yield obedience to my voice and call. 2. Thes. 2. the Apostle having spoken thus of the believing Thessalonians, verse 13. that God had from the beginning chosen them to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and faith of truth, he subjoins verse 14. Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we find it euidenced and made good in many other places of Scripture, that God's effectual calling follows necessarily, and certainly on his predestination. That all those that belong to God's election, and are in his eternal purpose fore-appointed to life and salvation, shall certainly in time be effectually wrought on by the word and Spirit of God, and shall be brought out of the state of ignorance and unbelief, into the state of true knowledge and true faith in Christ.

And it must needs be so, [Reason.] because as the Lord hath put a difference between his chosen and others, before all times, before the world was, and will make a final difference between them after all times, after the end of the world: so he will have them differenced and distinguished here in this world, in their minds, wills, and affections, in their dispositions, in their lives and conversations: and there is no difference between them, either in inward disposition or outward carriage, till the Lord make it by the work of his Spirit and grace, and therefore effectual calling must needs follow on his predestination, and all that belong to God's election shall assuredly be effectually wrought on by the word and Spirit of God, and shall be brought out of the state of ignorance and unbelief, into the state of true knowledge and true faith in Christ.

But some will say, [Object.] how can infants that belong to God's election, and dying in their infancy, in their child-hood, be effectually called, they cannot hear the voice of God in the ministry of his word, they cannot understand it: how then are they wrought on?

I answer, [Answ.] the Lord is neither tied to means, nor always to one and the same manner of working, the predestinate infants dying in their infancy, are undoubtedly wrought on by the holy Spirit of God, and are effectually called: for all that are predestinate, must be called, and are in time effectually called one way or other. But those infants are not called after the same manner that persons of discretion and years are, their inward and effectual calling is by some unutterable work of the holy Spirit of God not known to us. But here a question will be further moved.

[Quest.] It being so that effectual calling must needs follow on God's predestination, some may demand, whether God's chosen have power to resist their effectual calling, and when the Lord is purposed to call them effectually, whether they can then withstand the grace of God's Spirit, and altogether reject that grace or no? If either the Papists or the Anabaptists answer [Answer.] this question, they will tell you they may; but they are both deceived. Indeed the will of a man that belongs to God's election, is apt to resist grace, and to withstand effectual calling, but when God will work on him effectually by the power of his Spirit, and will effectually call him, he cannot resist God's grace, his effectual calling is then irresistable, it cannot be withstood.

[Object.] It will be said then, You take away the liberty of the will of man, and so make man no man.

[Answ.] Not so: for as he that belongs to God's election cannot resist the grace of God when God will work on him by his grace, so he will not resist it, because he sees no reason so to do: and when the will of man doth anything with judgment and reason, it doth it freely. Now when God doth effectually call any, he both enlightens his understanding, and he also changeth his will, both at once, and at the same time, and so giving him spiritual sight and understanding, he also alters his will, and of unwilling makes him willing to receive grace, and he cannot but receive it, as Christ saith, John. 6.45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father, he comes to him, and he receives grace, and he believes in him, and he cannot but receive grace, and he receives it willingly. Come we now to make use of this doctrine.

[Use 1] And this being a truth, that God's effectual calling followeth certainly and necessarily on his predestination to life and salvation, and that all that belong to God's election shall assuredly in time be effectually called; then this must teach us in the first place, to take heed of preposterous and rash judgment touching wicked and ungodly persons, we must take heed we give not our definitive sentence of some wicked and ungodly men, and that we take not on us to pronounce them reprobates and utterly cast away. Thus to determine of their final state, is monstrous boldness, and high presumption, and indeed to step up into God's chair of judgment; we must take heed of it, and know that we are not to despair of the final estate of any wicked man, be he never so vile, unless his sin be against the holy Ghost, which can hardly be known and discerned: for the Lord can (in his appointed time) call him home, and if he belong to his eternal election, he will assuredly in his good time convert and turn him, and call him effectually. Consider we the example of the blessed Apostle Paul, how was he estranged from God, and from all goodness? How far was he carried in fury and rage against the Church and people of God? How did he thirst after the blood of the Saints, Acts 9.1? It is said, that he breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord: and he confesseth of himself, Galat. 1.13. that he persecuted the Church of God extremely, and wasted it: yet afterward we know it pleased God to call and to convert him, and of a violent and bloody persecutor to make him an excellent and famous Preacher. Let us then in his example learn to expect with patience the conversion of rebellious sinners, knowing this, that the Lord can call when he will, and he will assuredly in his appointed time effectually call those that belong to his election.

And for a second use of the point: Is it so that God's chosen [Use 2] shall undoubtedly in time be effectually called? then this doth warrant to us the offer of the means of calling, the ministry and preaching of the word, to rebellious sinners. The means of calling and conversion may lawfully be offered to them, howsoever some are of a contrary opinion, and would have a separation made between good and bad, and would have rebellious sinners put away from the means of calling. But alas, if all rebellious sinners should be shut out from the means, how then should such amongst them as belong to God's election be effectually called? We may & we ought to offer to them the means of working good on their souls, both in public and private, following the rule of the Apostle, 2. Tim. 2.25. Instructing them with meekness, and suffering them with patience, proving if God at any time will call them to repentance. Doubtless it is an hopeful thing, where God gives the means of grace, that there the Lord hath a gracious work towards some, and he hath there some that belong to his election, whom he will in time call and convert, and work on by his word and Spirit. When a man in the time of harvest carries his reapers further into a field, it is a sign he hath there some come to be inned: so when the Lord sends his ministers and means of grace to a place, it is a sign he hath some there to be gathered and to be brought home to himself; and learn we carefully to attend on the means that serve for the calling of God's chosen. Yea though it be so that as yet thou findest no sweetness in the means of salvation, nor any benefit by them, but they are harsh, unpleasing and tedious to thee, yet neglect not thou to come to them. It is the subtlety of Satan to keep men, if possibly he can, from the use of the means; he will not grossly tell them, they need not repent at all, he knows the most profane will then discern him, but he labors what he can to keep men from the means that might work repentance in them, & from the means of grace. Let him not herein prevail with thee, though as yet thou come to the means for form and fashion, and as yet findest no delight in them. I do not desire nor advise thee so to come, but I say though thou do so come, yet continue coming to the means, the Lord will have thee wait on him in the use of the means, & he will deal with thee as with a reasonable creature: if thou belong to him, assuredly he will in his good time strike an holy stroke on thy soul, and thou shalt not withstand the power of his grace, it shall certainly work on thee, the Lord will enlighten thy mind, alter thy will, change thy affections, and bring thee out of the state of ignorance & unbelief, into the state of true knowledge, & true faith in Christ: and therefore be thou careful to attend on the means of grace.

For a third use: is it so that God's effectual calling follows [Use 3] necessarily on his predestination to life and salvation, and whom the Lord hath fore-appointed to life and saluati •• will he certainly in his good time work on them by his word and Spirit? shall nothing hinder his work? will he of unwilling make them willing to receive his grace? Then doubt not, thou that art a child of God, of the power of his grace, and of the effectual working of his grace touching some strong corruption that still abides in thee, and thou art still wrestling withal. It is the fault of God's own children finding some corruption still strong in them, and they cannot yet get the maisterie of it, though they strive against it by all good means, to think it will never be better with them, and they shall never be able to get the maisterie of it, they shall never be able to overcome their doubting, their fear, or the like. Oh think not so whosoever thou art that art a child of God, but remember to thy comfort, that the Lord can and will call and convert those that belong to his election, though they go on in a clean contrary course; he can and he will of averse, of repugnant, and of such as are altogether unwilling, make willing to receive his grace: and therefore he can and will, thou being one that dost belong to him, give thee strength to overcome it, fear it not. It may be the Lord in his wisdom seeing it meet, for good causes known to his holy majesty, as for the exercise of thy faith, the humbling of thee, or the stirring thee up to greater fervency in prayer, or the like, will exercise thee for a time under that corruption, in wrestling with it, and in striving against it: but assure thyself, thou continuing to strive against it, in his appointed time he will set thee free from it, he is able to do it, and he will do it: and let that be thy comfort.

Come we now to a second conclusion following from hence, in that the Apostle here subjoins to the act of God's predestination to life and salvation, his effectual calling of such as are predestinate, in that the Apostle here saith, Whom God hath predestinate, them also he called: (as I told you) hence we may gather a second conclusion following from hence, namely this.

[Doct. 4] That none but such as belong to God's election, are or shall • e effectually called. Only they, and none but they, who in God's eternal purpose are fore-appointed to life and salvation, are or shall be in time effectually wrought on by the word and Spirit of God, and brought out of ignorance and unbelief into the state of true knowledge, and true faith in Christ, and set out of the state of nature into the state of grace. Indeed others may be and are outwardly called, and may and do hear the sound of God's voice in the ministry of his word, as Christ saith, Matth. 20.16. Many are called, but only such as belong to God's election are or shall be inwardly called, and effectually wrought on by the work of God's Spirit. And to this purpose is that, Act. 13.48. As many (saith the text) as were ordained to eternal life believed: they only that were ordained to eternal life believed, they only were called to faith, and others were not. And hence it is that the Apostle calls faith the faith of God's elect, Tit. 1.1. And hence it is that when the disciples asked Christ why he spake to the people in parables, he answered and said to them, Matth 13.11. To you it is given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given: making that proper and peculiar to his disciples, to know and to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, and to be acquainted with them, and not a thing common to all that heard him. And Matth. 11.25. saith the Lord Jesus, I give thee thanks O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding, and hast opened them unto babes. Things concerning life and salvation are hid from most of the wise of the world, and are revealed to others that are but babes in comparison of them. We read Act. 16.13.14. that Paul preached to many women that were gathered together, but in that great number only Lydia was wrought on, and her heart only did the Lord open, that she attended to the things that Paul spake: and she only was effectually called. It is well observed by one, that the Gospel entered into the court of Nero in Rome, and wrought on some in his Court, but it wrought not on Nero himself: and it entered into the family of Narcissus, but not into the heart of Narcissus himself, as we may gather, Rom. 16.11. And to these we might add many other examples, all proving and confirming the truth of this conclusion, that none but such as belong to God's election, are or shall be effectually called, and they only, and none but they who are fore-appointed to life and salvation, are or shall be in time effectually wrought on by the word and Spirit of God, and brought out of the state of ignorance and unbelief into the state of true knowledge and true faith in Christ. For why,

Howsoever the word of God is said Psal. 19.7.8. to convert, [Reason.] to enlighten, to give wisdom and understanding, yet it doth so only as an instrument, and that not as a natural instrument, as having virtue in itself, as a medicine is a means of health; but as an instrument signifying and testifying that which the Spirit of God doth inwardly work: and only where it pleaseth God to work, there the word doth enlighten: and the Lord is pleased to work by his Spirit effectually, only where he hath set his eternal love, and nowhere else, as we have it, I am. 1.18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be as the first fruits of his creatures. He will not work by his grace where he hath not set his love freely: and therefore though many be and are outwardly called, and may and do hear the sound of God's voice in the ministry of his word, yet only such as belong to God's election are or shall be inwardly called, and effectually wrought on by the word and Spirit of God.

But haply some may say, [Object.] Why then is the word preached to the reprobate? if the Lord will not work on them by his word and Spirit, why then are they made partakers of the preaching of the word? it seems to be in vain that the word is preached to them.

I answer. [Answ.] A man might as well ask, why the Lord suffers the Sun to shine forth on such as are blind and can have no benefit of the light of it, and why the Lord suffers the rain to fall on hard stones that cannot be made fruitful by it. The Lord in his wise dispensation will have his word preached to all, both elect and reprobate mingled together for special ends, as namely, to let his elect see when they are eff • ctually called, how much they are bound to the free and special grace of God: and that their faith and effectual calling was not from any power and strength in themselves, but merely from the work of God's grace, in that they see others partakers with them of the same outward means, and of the same outward calling, still left in their ignorance, and hardness, and unbelief: and also to let such as belong not to God's election see, that God is not wanting to them, he vouchsafing to them the same outward means he doth to his chosen, and to manifest to them their guiltiness of the sin of our first parents, whereby they have voluntarily made themselves unable to receive grace, and so to leave them altogether without excuse, God being not now bound to give them grace, he having once given it to them, and they having willingly forfeited and lost that grace, and so disabled themselves. And thirdly, the Lord will have his word preached to all, both elect and reprobate, even so far to work on the reprobate as to restrain them from extremity and outrage in sin, and to keep them in outward order, and to make them more fit for human society, and more fit to converse with his children, and more serviceable to them in outward offices and duties. And therefore it is not in vain that the reprobate are made partakers of the preaching of the word.

[Object.] But will some say, The reprobate are commanded and exhorted in the ministry and preaching of it to believe, and they are bound to believe the word of God, and to believe forgiveness of sins and life everlasting: and so they are bound to persuade themselves of that which is not true, they being never effectually called.

I answer. [Answ.] Indeed if the Lord in the ministry and preaching of his word did command the reprobate to believe the forgiveness of their sins directly with a purpose to deceive them, then were this something that is said by them.

But the Lord in commanding and exhorting them to believe the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting, he hath no such purpose but only to convince them. Abraham by God's commandment, Gen. 20.2. was bound to persuade himself that Isaac was to die under his own hand, yet was he not bound to persuade himself of an untruth, because the intent of that commandment of God was but to prove him, and so God may bid the reprobates believe this or that, whilst he doth it but to convince their contumacy, and doth see well how far they are from believing any such matter. This then still remains a truth, that none but such as belong to God's election, are or shall be effectually called and w ••• ght on by the word and Spirit of God. And for the use.

First, the consideration of this truth may serve to stay us [Use 1] from wondering and thinking it strange, that whereas many are partakers of the like means, and enjoy the same ministry and preaching of the word, yet all are not wrought on by it, and all are not converted. We are not to marvel at this, and to take offense at it, that where the Gospel and preaching of the word comes to a people, a parish, a family, there it works not on all to their effectual calling, but some still continue in their ignorance, and in their hardness and sin, and are unreformed: we must remember that none are or shall be wrought on by the word and Spirit of God, but such as belong to God's election. And though the Preachers of the Gospel should with Paul wish themselves separate from Christ for the winning of men, yet shall no more be brought to saving knowledge and saving faith, then those whom the Lord hath in his eternal purpose fore-appointed to life and salvation, and those whom the Lord shall draw to Christ, John. 6.44. Consider we the preaching of Christ himself, never man did or shall preach with like holiness and power that he did: were all that heard him wrought on? nay were his own disciples wrought on thoroughly as they ought to have been? No surely, Christ himself often complained of their want of faith. Let us not then think it strange that all are not wrought on that live under the same powerful means, and where the word of God is truly and powerfully preached, neither let us murmur against God's mercy and bounty in spiritual graces vouchsafed to some in their effectual calling, and denied to others. Act. 11.17. it was the fault of the Jews who were angry with Peter that he had gone to the Gentiles, and that they were wrought on by his preaching and had received the Gospel, Who was I (saith Peter) that I could let God?

[Use 2] Again in the second place: is it so that none but such as belong to God's election are or shall be effectually called and wrought on by the word and Spirit of God? Then h • re is matter of great comfort to as many as have good euid •• ce of it that they are effectually called: their effectual calling doth discover to them and seal up to them this comfort, that they are such as God hath loved from all eternity, and that the Lord hath before the world was fore-appointed them to life and salvation in heaven; and that is a ground of sweet comfort. The way to find our selves in the number of God's chosen, and to be such as have been predestinate to life and salvation before the world was, is not to step up into heaven and to search the Court roles of heaven whether our names be there written, but to look into our own hearts and souls, and there to find the work of grace written and imprinted by the finger of God's Spirit. And if thou whosoever thou art, find that work of grace in thee, if thou find thyself effectually called, surely then thou hast cause to rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, 1. Pet. 1.8. thou hast then a sure and a sweet testimony of God's eternal love to thee, and thy salvation is built on a stronger foundation then the very heavens, even on God's eternal and unchangeable purpose, and thou mayest know that thou art effectually called and wrought on by the word and Spirit of God. I have heretofore given notes by which a man may know that he is effectually called, as if he find himself enlightened, and that he now sees his wretched estate by nature, and his cursed condition by sin, and is able to apply the promises of life and salvation to himself particularly, and that he hath now in him an hatred and loathing of those sins that have been formerly most pleasing to him; and that now he is fitted for the high calling of a Christian, with graces needful for the exercise of piety and religion towards God, and of love, and mercy, and equity, and justice towards men, and is able to show forth the power of grace in his life and conversation, and doth now make choice of holy and religious company, and doth now delight in the means by which he hath been wrought on, as in hearing the word, even the Law discovering sin to him, and laying open his hidden corruptions, and especially in hearing the sweet promises of the Gospel touching life and salvation, and that now he doth those things that flesh and blould would never teach him to do; as that he hath a care of religion and of heavenly things in prosperity, and the more the Lord doth prosper him in outward things, the more holy he is: and that in time of adversity he draws nearer to God, and holds close to the profession of religion, and is constant in a disgraced profession, and that now he makes more precious account of his high calling in Jesus Christ then of all the honors and preferments in the world. If a man find these things in himself, he may assure himself that he is effectually called. And howsoever the Papists say to the contrary, that a man cannot certainly know whether he have the Spirit of God working in him or no, yet doubtless he may plainly and sensibly perceive the working of the Spirit of God in his own soul. The Spirit is compared to fire, and to the wind, and as sensible as a man may perceive the burning of the fire, and the blowing of the wind, so sensibly may a child of God perceive in himself the work of the Spirit of God. If thou find that work in thine own soul, thou mayest thereby assure thyself that thou art in the number of God's chosen, and so have strong consolation.

Come we now to the third effect by which God doth witness his eternal love to his chosen, and the third degree by which God's chosen ascend up to their blessedness in heaven, here put down by the Apostle, namely, their justification. Whom he predestinate (saith the Apostle) them also he called: and whom he called, them also he justified: that is, as I shown, they that are effectually called of God, they are also by him acquitted and absolved from the guilt and punishment of all their sins, and they are accounted just & righteous in his sight by Christ his righteousness imputed to them, and apprehended by faith. Now here we see that effectual calling and justification are distinct benefits, and they are here made several and distinct effects of God's love to his chosen, and they are not to be confounded and made one, as they are by the doctrine of the Papists: for according to the doctrine of the Papists, they teaching a double justification in the sight of God, their first justification is nothing else but the calling of a sinner; in effect they make their first justification and calling of a sinner all one, they teaching that their first justification is, when a sinner of an evil man is made a good man by infusion of inward righteousness, whereby the heart is purged and sanctified, and so indeed all one with the calling of a sinner out of the state of nature into the state of grace; and so they confound things that are to be distinguished one from another. I leave that.

Now though effectual calling and justification be distinct benefits, yet they follow one another immediately, and we see they are here linked one to the other inseparably; whom the Lord calls, them also he justifies: whence we are given to understand thus much.

[Doct. 5] That the called of God are also justified in the sight of God: such as are effectually called, they are also at the same time justified. Though in respect of the order of nature, effectual calling goes before justification, yet in time they go together, and whosoever they be that are effectually called, they are at the same time justified, acquitted, and absolved from the guilt and punishment of all their sins, and they are accounted just and righteous in the sight of God, by Christ his righteousness imputed to them, and apprehended by faith. We read Isai. 53.11. that the Prophet there speaking of Christ Jesus, he saith, By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: as if he had said, such as shall be brought out of their ignorance and unbelief, to know my righteous servant, my Son Jesus Christ, and to acknowledge him, and to believe in him, they shall thereupon be justified: they being called to the true knowledge of Christ, they shall by him, on that knowledge of theirs, be justified. Acts 26.18. the Apostle saith, he was sent to the Gentiles, To open their eyes that they might turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that by his preaching the Gospel to them, they might be effectually called, and wrought on, and converted, and then he presently subjoins, That they might receive forgiveness of sins, that they might be justified, remission of sins being one part of justification; plainly teaching, that effectual calling and justification in the sight of God, they go together. And to this purpose speaks the Apostle Peter, Acts 13.39. By him saith the Apostle, that is by Christ, everyone that believeth is justified. Everyone that is brought out of the state of unbelief into the state of true faith in Christ, he is at that very instant justified. And hence it is that Christ sends his Ministers, as his Ambassadors, as the Apostle speaks, 2. Cor. 5.20. With the word of reconciliation, to invite and to call men to believe in him, even to call and to convert men, and to bring them to faith, that so they may receive forgiveness of their sins, and be reconciled to God, that they may be justified in the sight of God, and so have peace with God, as we have it, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We see then the point clear by evidence and testimony of the Scripture, that the called of God are also justified in the sight of God, and such as are effectually called, they are also at the same time justified, they are at the same time acquitted and absolved from the guilt and punishment of all their sins, and they are accounted just and righteous in the sight of God by Christ his righteousness imputed to them, and apprehended by faith. And it must needs be so, the ground of this truth is this.

Such as are effectually called and wrought on by the holy Spirit, they are brought to believe in Christ, [Reason.] and believing in Christ, they are set into Christ, and made actually members of Christ, and so are actually justified. For howsoever God's chosen were justified virtually in Christ when he suffered for their sins, and when he was quit from all their sins, having borne the punishment of them, yet then only are they actually justified in Christ, when they believe in Christ, and that is when they are called to faith, when they are effectually called: and therefore doubtless the called of God are also at the same time justified in the sight of God.

Now here a question [Quest.] may be moved: some may demand how far one that is effectually called, is at the time of his calling justified, and how far he is then acquitted from the guilt and punishment of his sins?

To which I answer, [Answ.] that he is then acquitted from the guilt and punishment, not only of his sins going before his calling, but from the guilt and punishment of all his sins, both of his sins past and before his calling, also of his sins following and after his calling: he hath then a full acquittance and discharge from the guilt and punishment of all his sins, from the first to the last of them: For the blood of Christ cleanseth him from all sin, 1. John. 1.7. And a man that is once purged by the blood of Christ, hath no more conscience of sin, as the Author to the Hebrews speaks, Heb. 10.2. he hath no more his conscience charging him with the guilt of sin, and the peace of his conscience is not once disturbed by his after sin, he having a full remission of all his sins past, present, and to come.

[Quest.] But will some say, Rom. 3.25. the Apostle saith, God is just in foregiuing sins passed before time through his patience: therefore it seems that such as are effectually called, and at the same time justified, are freed only from the guilt and punishment of their sins past and going before.

I answer. [Answ.] The Apostle speaks not of sins done before calling and conversion, but of sins done under the Old Testament: and his meaning is, that as well the sins done before Christ his coming in the flesh, as those done since his coming, are forgiven to God's children which believe.

[Quest.] But will some further say: If the called of God be at the same time justified and acquitted from the guilt and punishment of all their sins past, present, and to come, why then doth any that is effectually called, pray daily for the forgiveness of his sins?

I answer. [Answ.] He doth so pray, not because he is not in the state of being justified and forgiven, but because it is needful that the Lord should as well preserve and continue his gracious pardon as at the first give it to him, and that the Lord's mercy should be more manifested to him, and that he might be further strengthened and confirmed in the assurance of the pardon of his sins, his assurance of it being but weak: and for these reasons he may and ought to make petition for the forgiveness of his sins, though being justified, he be quitted from the guilt of all his sins.

Come we now to make use of the point; and first, is it so that [Use 1] the called of God are also at the same time justified in the sight of God? Doth effectual vocation and justification go together in time? Surely then it must needs follow, that our justification in the sight of God is free, and that it is without respect had to any good in us, or done by us. So soon as ever any of God's chosen is effectually called, he is at the very same instant of his calling justified, before he hath done any good work at all. And therefore the Papists err grossly, in that they ascribe justification in the sight of God to good works; good works are fruits following justification, and therefore cannot be causes of it: and whereas they say, we being justified by faith, are justified by a good work, faith being a good work, they are easily answered: Faith doth not justify as it is a work, as it is a grace wrought in the heart, or for the dignity or worthiness of it self, of any act of it, [Object.] but only by relation to Christ, and instrumentally, [Answ.] because it takes hold of Christ, and as an instrument doth truly apprehend and apply the perfect righteousness and merit of Christ, the matter of our justification in the sight of God; and hence it is called the faith of Jesus, Rom. 3.26. [Use 2]

For a second use: Is it so that the called of God are also at the same time justified? Are such as are effectually called, at the same instant justified? Are they at the same instant of time acquitted from the guilt and punishment of all their sins past, present, and to come? What a sweet comfort may this be to all such as find themselves effectually called? Consider it thou that findest thyself set out of the state of ignorance and unbelief, into the state of true knowledge and true faith in Christ, thou being in that state, thou art in a most happy and blessed state, nothing can hurt thee, no not thine own sins past, present, or to come, sin is the cause of all evils that come to men. Now thou art in such an happy state and condition, as thou needest not fear any evil in regard of thy sins, either past, present, or to come, thy God hath put them all out of his sight, and all blame, and all that is properly a plague or punishment for sin is removed from thee, and though it be so that sin still abides in thee in part, and thou art combred with many sinful infirmities, and thou art sometimes ouercarried to the doing of evil, yet fear not, so soon as thou wast effectually called, even at the very instant of thy effectual calling, wast thou freely acquitted from the guilt and punishment of all thy sins, and the Lord then gave thee full pardon of all thy sins, and that gift of God is without repentance, Rom. 11.29. it is unchangeable: and the consideration of that may yield thee sweet comfort. And withal be thou stirred up to thankfulness to God for so great a mercy: thou canst not be thankful enough for so great a mercy: thou finding thyself combred and clogged with sinful infirmities, or with dullness in prayer, deadness in hearing the word of God, with distrust, with natural fear, and the like, thou wilt freely profess and acknowlede, that if the Lord would take those infirmities from thee, thou wouldest be exceeding thankful to God for so great a mercy. How much more art thou bound to be thankful to him, in that he hath freed thee from the guilt and punishment of those, and of all other thy sins, and howsoever those sinful infirmities do still cleave to thy soul, and trouble and molest thee, yet thy conscience cannot justly condemn thee for them, or for any other of thy sins: and that is a mercy of God for which thou canst not be sufficiently thankful. Let it then be thought on, that thou being effectually called, thou art at the very instant of thy calling justified, and acquitted from the guilt and punishment of all thy sins, past, present, and to come, which is a matter of great comfort: and let it stir thee up to be thankful to God for so great a mercy.

Come we now to the fourth and last effect by which God doth witness his eternal love to his chosen, and the fourth degree by which God's chosen ascend up to their blessedness in heaven, namely, their glorification. Whom he predestinate, them also he called: (saith the Apostle) and whom he called, them also he justified: and whom he justified, them also he glorified. That is, as I made known, they that are justified in the sight of God, and whom the Lord doth acquit from the guilt and punishment of their sins by the merit of Christ his death, and account just and righteous in his sight by Christ his righteousness imputed, they are also by him made glorious, partly in this life, he here making them holy, & sanctifying them in part, and in the life to come in heaven fully glorious, he here making them perfectly holy, and there putting on them on their bodies and souls immortality, eternal life, and full and perfect happiness and glory. Now the word glorified having his extent reaching both to sanctification here in this world, and to full and perfect happiness and glory in the life to come, diverse things are offered, as first this: in the first place we are given to understand thus much.

That sanctification ever follows on justification, and justification [Doct. 6] and sanctification are ever found together. Such as are justified in the sight of God in and through Christ, they are also sanctified by the grace of his Spirit, and they are made holy in part in their souls and bodies, and they are made able to live an holy life here in this world. And to this purpose we find Ezech. 36. the Lord having promised verse 25. that he would pour clean water on his people, and that he would cleanse them from all their filthiness: that he would take from them the guiltiness of their sins, he presently subjoins, verse 26.27. that he would also give them new hearts, and put new spirits within them, and put his own good Spirit within them, and sanctify them in their souls, and so cause them to walk in his statutes, and to keep his judgments, and to do them. 1. Corinth. 6.11. the Apostle saith of the believing Corinthians, that whereas they had been filthy, and guilty of many soul sins there reckoned up, Yet now they were washed from the guilt of those sins in the blood of Christ, and now they were sanctified and justified. He affirms that these two, justification and sanctification met together in them, they were now justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and now also sanctified by the Spirit of God. 2. Thess. 2.13. the Apostle joins faith of truth: that is, faith of the Gospel, or believing the Gospel, and justification and sanctification of the Spirit together, plainly teaching that justification and sanctification are ever found together, and they go hand in hand together. And Jude verse 1. we find that these two, called and sanctified of God, are there joined together, and such as are effectually called (as ye have heard) they are also justified in the sight of God. And so it must needs be a truth, that sanctification ever follows on justification, and such as are justified in the sight of God in and through Christ, they are also sanctified by the grace of his Spirit. For why, the reasons and grounds of this truth are these.

[Reason 1] First, justification in the sight of God is by faith in Christ, and that faith is not an idle faith, or a dead faith, but a lively, operative, and a working faith, It purifieth the heart, Act. 15.9. and it works by love, Gal. 5.6. it puts forth the efficacy and fruit of it by love both to God and men, which is a special part of sanctification.

[Reason 2] And secondly, such as believe in Christ, and are by him justified, they are made partakers of the Spirit of Christ by faith: they receive the Spirit of promise, Galat. 3.14. and he that believes in Christ, Rivers of the water of life flow from him, which is spoken of that Spirit of life, and grace, and holiness, which they receive that believe in Christ: so saith Christ himself, John. 7.38.39. And howsoever none can believe before they have the Spirit, yet we are said to receive the Spirit by faith, because when we believe, we then receive the Spirit, now fully and manifestly dwelling in us to our sanctification. And therefore on these grounds we may resolve on this as a certain truth, that sanctification ever follows on justification, and they are ever found together: and such as are justified in the sight of God in and through Christ, certainly they are also sanctified by the grace of his Spirit. And they are made holy in part in their souls and bodies, and they are made able to live an holy life here in this world.

Now to make use of this: first the ground of truth now delivered [Use 1] serves to discover, that thousands in the world deceive themselves in a matter of special weight and consequence, as namely, touching forgiveness of their sins, and their being in the favor of God, wherein indeed stands the blessedness of man, as Psal. 32.1.2. and without which, though a man have never so much wealth or honor, or whatsoever excellency the world can cast on him, yet he is in a miserable case. Now (as I say) in this matter of such moment do thousands deceive themselves: do not thousands in the world think they are in the favor of God, and their sins are forgiven, and they are washed in the blood of Christ from the guiltiness of their sins, and yet they are not purged in any measure from the filthiness of sin by the sanctifying grace of the Spirit of Christ, they have no dram of true holiness and sanctification in them? No, they are so far from being partakers of the holy and sanctifying Spirit of Christ, as indeed they are possessed with a spirit of sensuality, of fleshly profaneness, of filthiness, of pride, of self love, of covetousness, and the like, and they are so far from living an holy life, as they wallow and tumble in all filthiness, and please themselves in fulfilling the lusts of their hearts; they give themselves over to all manner of riot and excess, especially now at this time, at the feast we now celebrate, they now take liberty to themselves to break out into all disorder. Are such persons sanctified? Surely no, they are far from it, and being not sanctified, assuredly they are not justified: sanctification ever follows justification. Poor souls, they deceive themselves, the devil will suffer any one to say his sins are forgiven, and to fancy to himself on a groundless presumption that Christ shed his blood for him, and such like: but wouldst thou, whosoever thou art, prove that thy sins are forgiven, and have such sound evidence and proof of it, as may silence the devil himself standing against it? then never rest till thou find that thou art truly sanctified both in thy heart and life. And if thou be able from thy true sanctification to prove thy justification, then indeed thy reasoning is sound & good, and such as will never deceive thee, but will yield thee comfort at all times both in life and death.

[Use 2] And so to fall on a second use: is it so that sanctification ever follows on justification, and that justification and sanctification are ever found together? Surely then here is matter of sweet comfort to every man and woman, who find themselves truly sanctified; their sound and true sanctification doth necessarily and infallibly infer their justification. Art thou then truly sanctified in thine heart and soul, not only reformed in thy outward man, and in thy outward carriage, for so a wicked man may be, even one who may tread under foot the blood of Christ wherewith he was sanctified, as the holy Ghost speaks, Hebr. 10.29. namely, externally sanctified, but dost thou find in thy soul a divine efficacy and power, a quality that hath life and spirit in it, turning and moving about all motions that are in thy soul, and working in thee a thorough change in thy mind, will, and effections, mortifying the corruptions and lusts of thy heart, and making thee able to mind, will, and affect good things, and making thee able to live an holy life? Then comfort thyself, thou hast then good evidence to show for thy justification in the sight of God, and thou mayest thereupon conclude and that infallibly, that thou art justified in the sight of God, that thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou art in the favor of God which is better then life it self, yea thou art then in such a blessed state and condition, that though Satan should mingle heaven and earth together, yet shall he not be able to prevail against thee to thy ruin and confusion.

In the next place, in that the Apostle here under the word glorified, comprehends sanctification here in this world, and he means that such as are justified in the sight of God they are made glorious partly in this life, the Lord here making them holy, and sanctifying them, and so glorious in respect of their sanctification: note we.

That the holiness and sanctification of God's children is a [Doct. 7] most glorious thing, it is part of the glory that God bestows on his chosen: and such as are clad with the habit of true holiness, they are glorious in the sight of God, and they are seen of him, as it were appareled with that which is exceeding gracious & pleasing to his holy Majesty; and though it be somewhat spotted by the flesh, as the best holiness of God's children is in it self, yet it is accepted of him in and through Christ his Son. 1. Pet. 4.14. the Apostle saith, The Spirit of glory resteth on God's children: how then can it be but that they are most glorious? And the Prophet Isaiah speaking of them, Isai. 4.5. he saith, That on all the glory there shall be a defense. And the Lord himself speaks thus of his people, Isai. 43.4. Thou wast glorious in my sight and honorable. And hence it is that the Apostle Peter saith, 1. Pet. 3.4. The hid man of the heart, that is, inward holiness and sanctification is a thing much set by before God; that is the thing that makes God's children glorious, and that is part of the glory of God bestowed on them, and that makes them exceeding gracious and pleasing in his sight: and it must needs be so, for why.

True holiness and sanctification is the express image of God in the souls of men, [Reason.] and therein they are like to God himself, even the God of glory: and the more holy they are, the more are they like to God, who is infinitely glorious. And therefore doubtless holiness and sanctification in God's children is a most glorious thing, and it is part of the glory that God bestows on his chosen.

What fools then are wicked and graceless persons, who [Use 1] mock at the holiness of God's children, and deride them for it? They seek to turn their glory into shame, and cast that on God's children as a matter of disgrace, which indeed is their glory, and so they discover their own shame and folly. Well, thou that art a child of God, care not for their mocks, but be thou stirred up to a special care of holiness and sanctification, even to have thy soul invested with it as with a goodly glorious garment; that is part of thy glory begun here to be made perfect in heaven, and that indeed will make thee glorious within and without; that is the clothing of broidered gold, spoken of Psal. 45.13. and that will make thee glorious in the sight of God, and of his holy Angels, and of all good men. Many in the world spend much time, and take great pains in trimming up their bodies, yea some are afraid of nothing more then of true holiness and sanctification: for indeed if proud persons, and the nice dames of our age had true holiness in them, they durst not do as they do, if they had sanctifying grace in their hearts, without question it would cross their pride, and it would not suffer them to make idols of their bodies, and to bestow so much time as commonly they do in tricking and trimming up their bodies in vain and new sangled attire, which indeed makes them odious and ugly in the sight of God and of all good men; yea many times by the just hand of God, in the sight of men and women like to themselves, and men and women like to themselves scorn and contemn them, yea point at them, and say, there goes a proud fool. Oh therefore labor thou whosoever thou art that dost profess the fear of God, labor thou for holiness and sanctification, to adorn thy soul with that, and to decke thy soul with the sanctifying grace of God's Spirit; thereby through Christ thou shalt appear glorious and pleasing in the sight of the highest majesty, whom thou shouldest seek to please above all the world: yea seek thou to please him both in heart and life, and to be gracious in his sight, though thou cross thine own humor never so much, and discontent the best friends thou hast in the world.

Now from hence, that the word glorified here comprehends under it, both sanctification here in this world, and full and perfect happiness and glory in heaven; and in that God's chosen being called and justified, are said to be glorified, that is, to be made glorious in respect of their sanctification begun here in this life, which shall be made perfect hereafter in heaven, I might note.

That true sanctification here in this life, is a beginning of eternal glorification in heaven, and when men or women begin to be truly sanctified, they are then within heaven gate, and they have then as it were one foot already in heaven: but to that we have already spoken in part, and therefore I pass by it, and hence in the third place we may gather.

That true sanctification begun in the souls of men, shall [Doct. 8] certainly hereafter be made perfect. In whomsoever the Lord hath wrought a measure of true holiness and sanctification, he will perfect that good woke of his hereafter in heaven, and whom he hath begun to sanctify in part here in this life, he will assuredly fully sanctify them hereafter in heaven. 1. Cor. 1 • .9.10. the Apostle saith, We now know but in part, and prophecy in part, meaning here in this world, but the time shall come, When that which is now in part shall be abolished, and shall be made perfect, when we shall have perfect knowledge and perfect love, and a full perfection of holiness and sanctification, namely in heaven. For why, not to stand on this.

True sanctification in soul being the work of God, [Reason.] and being wrought by his almighty hand, with a purpose in him to finish it, and to make it perfect, as Philip. 1.6. He that hath begun this good work in you, will perform it, and will make that work of his perfect, and nothing can hinder it from coming to perfection, it must needs be so, that where true sanctification is begun, it shall certainly be made perfect; and the Lord having begun to sanctify any in part here in this life, he will assuredly fully sanctify them hereafter in heaven. And take this as a ground of sweet comfort, it may serve as a notable comfort to thee whosoever thou art, that dost find that the Lord hath begun in thy soul the least measure of true holiness and sanctification. It is many times the complaint of a poor weak Christian, Oh I find in myself but a scant and small measure of grace and holiness, and I find myself oppressed with dullness and deadness in regard of good motions and of good duties, and I cannot serve God and glorify God as I desire. Well, comfort thyself in this, that little and scant measure of grace and holiness that is in thy soul, hath been wrought by that good hand of God which is able to add to the measure of it, & will add to it as he in his wisdom shall see fit here in this life, and in the life to come he will assuredly fill thy soul with fullness of grace, and with holiness in full perfection. The Lord hath laid the groundwork of grace and holiness in thy heart, in that he hath given thee an hatred of thine own sins, a resolved purpose of not sinning against him, and a constant desire of pleasing him in all things; and assure thyself he will go on with his own good work, and he will in his good time perfect it; and though now thou canst not serve God, nor glorify God with a free spirit as thou desirest, yet the time shall come when thou shalt be able to serve him, and to glorify him in full perfection: and therefore bless God for that measure of grace and true holiness he hath vouchsafed to thee, and go on cheerfully using the means that serve for the daily growth of grace in thy soul, and wait thou for full holiness in time to be given to thee. The Lord having begun to sanctify thee in part here in this life, he will assuredly fully sanctify thee hereafter in heaven.

Now further in that the Apostle here under the word glorified, comprehends full and perfect happiness and glory, even full glorification in heaven, this point follows from hence.

[Doct. 9] That all such as are justified in the sight of God, shall assuredly be glorified in heaven: glorification in heaven follows necessarily and infallibly on justification in the sight of God, and whosoever they be that are justified in the sight of God through Christ, they shall certainly have eternal life, happiness and glory in heaven put on them, even full glorification of their souls and of their bodies. And this truth is not only clear from this text, but from other places of Scripture. John. 5.24. saith Christ, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me, and so is justified in the sight of my Father, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but hath passed from death unto life. He sets it down in the time present, as a thing so sure and certain, as that which a man hath in present possession. And John. 10.27.28. He saith again, that he gives to his sheep eternal life, even to them who hear his voice, and know him, and follow him, that is, who believe in him, and yield obedience to his voice and call, and are effectually called, and consequently justified in the sight of God, He gives to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hands. Ephes. 5.25.26. The Apostle saith, Christ gave himself for his Church, that he might cleanse it by the washing of water: that is, that he might wash it, and purge it by his blood from the guilt of sin, washing by the water of Baptism being a sign and seal of that washing: and then he subjoins verse 27. That he might make it unto himself a glorious Church, that it being washed here in his blood, it might hereafter be set before him a glorious Church, and fully glorified in heaven. These testimonies do sufficiently confirm the truth of the point in hand, that glorification in heaven follows necessarily and infallibly on justification in the sight of God, and that all such as are justified in the sight of God, shall assuredly be fully glorified in heaven; and the reason and ground of it is plain, namely this.

Such as are justified in the sight of God, they are in Christ, [Reason.] and they have Christ himself, and having him they have that life that is in him, even life eternal: so saith Saint John, 1. John. 5.11.12. God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son, and he that hath the Son hath life, and is sure of eternal life: and as he saith, Chap. 3.2. We that are now sons of God, we that are now justified in the sight of God, and the adopted sons of God, shall be like to Christ in glory, when he shall appear in glory. It must needs then be a truth, that glorification in heaven follows necessarily and infallibly on justification in the sight of God, and that all that are justified in the sight of God shall assuredly be fully glorified in heaven, and have fullness of glory put on them in their souls and in their bodies in heaven.

[Use 1] Now then for the use in the first place, on this ground of truth it must needs follow, that that is erroneous and false that is held and taught by the Papists and Anabaptists, and other erring spirits: That such as are justified in the sight of God through Christ, they may fall away from that state of theirs, and may come to be out of the favor of God, yea may so far fall, as that they may fall short of glorification in heaven, and may utterly perish and be damned in hell. A doctrine devilish, and directly contrary to the truth now delivered and proved out of the holy word of God: yea it is a position and doctrine directly thwarting and crossing the plain evidence of the word of God in many places of it. Christ saith in the place cited, John. 10.28. I give to my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. Yea, say the Anabaptists, so long as they continue the sheep of Christ. An idle gloss. Christ saith, they shall continue to be his sheep, and shall never perish: they say, so long as they continue his sheep, implying that they may not continue to be the sheep of Christ; clean contrary to the purpose of Christ, he being able to keep them, and none able to take them out of his hand. To which purpose the Apostle Peter saith, 1. Pet. 1.5. True believers, and such as are justified in and through Christ, They be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Their eternal happiness is not in their own keeping, but it is kept for them, and they for it, by the power of God: and is it then possible that they should fall short of life and happiness and glory in heaven? No, no, it cannot possibly be; neither the fraud nor force of the world nor the devil without, nor of their own flesh within, can deprive them of it, their eternal happiness and glorification is laid up in the grace, mercy, and power of God: and therefore they cannot possibly be disappointed of it.

[Use 2] Again, in the second place, the truth now delivered may serve as a ground of sweet and heavenly comfort to as many as find themselves justified in the sight of God through Christ: and a man may find himself so to be by his effectual calling and sanctification. Now then dost thou find thyself in the state of justification in the sight of God? Certainly then thou art sure of glorification in heaven, and thou shalt hereafter as certainly be invested with glory in heaven, as Christ himself is now possessed of it. What an excellent comfort may that be to thy soul? the meditation of that may cheare thee up, and cause thee to sing and rejoice in the midst of thy greatest troubles and afflictions, and when thou art made heavy with diverse temptations. 1. Pet. 1.6. For what though here thou art exceedingly vexed, and hast much disgrace cast upon thee, yet the meditation of this may hold up thy fainting heart, with comfort that one day thou shalt be freed from all, and shalt as surely be invested with eternal happiness and glory in heaven, as Christ himself now lives in heaven: and the meditation of this may indeed sway with thee to thy comfort in thy greatest afflictions. Consider the weight of happiness and glory that shall be put on thee in heaven, and though it be unspeakable and glorious, yet consider it in the beginnings of it here in this life. The peace of a good conscience here in this life, though it be imperfect, and many times intercepted and troubled, yet is it as a continual feast: what then will be the comfort of it in heaven, when it shall be in full perfection? The joy that comes from the assurance of God's love here in this world, is unspeakable and glorious, 1. Pet. 1.8. what then will be the greatness of it, when it shall be in fullness in the kingdom of heaven, where the believing soul shall possess God himself in Christ, as the husband of it, and the sufficient portion of it? Oh then think on the weight of thy happiness and glory that shall be put on thy soul and body in heaven, by the beginnings of it here in this life, and that will be a notable ground of comfort to thee in thy greatest afflictions; and remember to thy comfort, thou being justified in the sight of God through Christ, thou shalt assuredly be glorified in heaven, and thou art as sure of it as if thou wert already in heaven.

We see here that from predestination to glorification, all is of God, and of his free love, and glorification in heaven is as well a fruit of God's love as predestination, effectual calling, and justification: and therefore the praise of all belongs to God, and we are bound to magnify and to praise him for all, for our election, vocation, justification, sanctification, and glorification in heaven: which were not so, if we had free will as the Papists and Anabaptists teach, and of our selves could choose life and salvation; we had then cause to thank our selves, and not God, he having done no more for us then for such as go to hell, it being in their power to choose life and salvation if they would, as in ours, and so we should derogate and detract from the glory of God's free grace and mercy, and of his free love in Jesus Christ, which is the cause and ground of all, from predestination to glorification in heaven. Come we now the 31. verse.

IN this verse our Apostle falls on a third part of this Chapter, the conclusion of it, which is continued from this verse to the end of the Chapter. And in this conclusion the Apostle sets before us the victory and triumph of a true believer, and of a justified person, and he brings him in as it were triumphing over all the assaults and encounters of all enemies, and over all temptations & trials whatsoever, showing that no assault or temptation ought to be feared of a true believer and of a justified person, declaring the confidence of true believers, in regard of their immutable state and condition, and of their certainty of salvation, grounded on the immutable love and counsel of God.

Now the Apostle in setting down this magnificent and glorious triumph of a true believer and of a justified person, opposeth to all temptations and assaults that might disquiet him, and trouble him, contrary causes of comfort, removing every assault with a contrary cause and ground of comfort; and this he doth first generally verse 31. and then more particularly in the verses following: we will lay them forth as we shall come to them.

First then in this verse 31. we have laid down this cause and ground of comfort in general.

That howsoever all things on all sides are against true believes, justified persons, yet indeed none can be against them, because God is on their side, or for them. If God be on our side, or for us (saith the Apostle) who can be against us?

And to this ground of comfort he makes way by a question and interrogation, What shall we say to these things?

So that in this verse, we have first a question which hath respect to the things foregoing, What shall we then say to these things? Secondly, an answer containing a ground of sweet comfort to all true believers, that God being on their side, or for them, what can be against them?

Come we to open and to explain the words of this verse touching the sense and meaning of them. What shall we then say to these things? To what things, may some say? Surely to the things going before, from the beginning of the Chapter hitherto, the grounds of comfort before delivered. As that there is no condemnation to such as are in Christ Jesus: that true believers have the Spirit of Christ: are the children of God: have all things working together for the best unto them: and that they are predestinated, and called, and justified, and glorified. The Apostle having delivered these grounds of comfort, he here breaks out into an admiration and exclamation, and saith, What shall we then say to these things? as if he had said, These things being so, oh then what shall we say to them? And his meaning in these words, What shall we say, is, what comfort may we gather from these things? let us not pass them by, or let them slip without meditation and application, the comfort is exceeding great: what admirable sweetness, and what heavenly comfort may we suck out of these things, if they be duly thought on and soundly applied? If God be on our side, or for us. The word If, is not here used doubtfully, but affirmatively, and the meaning is, God being on our side, or for us. Now God is said to be on our side, or with us, either by his general power upholding us, as he doth uphold and sustain all things in their being by his mighty word, Hebr. 1.3. or by his special care and providence, as a loving and gracious father and protector. In which sense David speaks, Psal. 23.4. Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me: thou Lord art with me as a gracious father and protector. And so Psal. 118.6. The Lord is with me, I will not fear what man can do unto me. And thus it is here meant, God being on our side, or for us, or with us, as a gracious father and protector, as hath been said before, God predestinating us to life and salvation, calling and justifying us, sanctifying of us, purposing in time fully to glorify us: God being thus with us, or for us, Who can be against us? The words are in the original, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , who against us? as if he had said, none against us, more emphatically put down by way of question, who can be against us? Yet the meaning of the Apostle in these words is not, that God being with us or on our side, none are against us, for many bend thenselves against God's children, the devil, the world, persecuting tyrants, idolaters, and such like, yea many times their nearest friends and kindred: but his meaning is, though the devil, the world, and other enemies do set themselves against us, yet they cannot prevail against us in that which they intend, namely, to our hurt; and their setting themselves against us is but as throwing stones against the wind, in vain and to no purpose in respect of their end. Now then thus conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in the words of this verse, as if he had said.

Now then these grounds of comfort being made known to us, that there is no condemnation to such as are in Christ Jesus, that true believers have the Spirit of Christ, and are the children of God, and have all things working together for the best unto them, and are predestinate, called, justified, and glorified: oh what shall we say to these things? what comfort may we that are true believers gather from these things? let us not pass them by, or let them slip without meditation and application. Oh what admirable sweetness and heavenly comfort may we suck out of these things duly thought on, and soundly applied by us! For why, God being on our side, or with us, as hath been said, predestinating us to life and salvation, calling, justifying, and sanctifying us, and purposing in time fully to glorify us, God I say, being thus with us, even by his special care and providence as a loving and gracious father and protector, though the devil, the world, and other enemies do set against us, yet can they not prevail against us to our hurt; and their setting themselves against us is but in vain, and to no purpose, in respect of the end they aim at.

Now first observe we; the Apostle having before delivered grounds of sweet comfort, he here pawseth on them, and here stays his thoughts on them by meditation and application, and he breaks out and saith, What shall we then say to these things? let us not pass them by, or let them slip without meditation and application: oh what sweet and heavenly comfort may we gather from these things duly thought on, & soundly applied by us! Whence we are taught thus much.

That we are to meditate on the good things, the divine [Doct. 1] truths that we hear and learn out of the holy word of God, and to make use of them to our selves: we must not rest only in hearing of good things made known to us out of the word of God, whether they be in matters of instruction or reproof, nor in the vnderstnding and knowledge of them, nor yet in the use and application that is made of them in the public ministry of the word, but we must recall those good things to mind, and further meditate and think on them, and labor to make them more profitable by further and more particular application of them to our selves. When we have heard good things, we must say to our selves and others, what shall we say to these things, and so make a more particular application of them to our selves. And this duty we find urged and pressed on us, Deut. 11.18. saith the Lord, You shall lay up these my words in your heart, and in your soul, and bind them for a sign unto your hand, that they may be as a front let between your eyes. The like is charged on Joshua, Josh. 1.8. Let not this book of the Law depart out of thy mouth, but meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe and do according to all that is written therein: for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. Psal. 1.2. the blessed man is described by this as a special qualification, that he meditates in the Law of God day and night. Job 5. Eliphas having told Job what he conceived was fit for him to do, and shown him the Lord's dealing with good and godly men, he concludes verse 27. Lo thus have we inquired of it, and so it is, hear this and know it for thyself, make thy use of it to thine own particular good. Heb. 12.5. saith the holy Ghost, Have ye forgotten the consolation which speaketh unto you, as unto children? as if he had said, Do not you remember and think on that ye have heard and learned out of the word of God? and then he subjoins a place out of Pro. 3.11. My son, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him: plainly teaching the duty we now stand on, that we are to meditate on the good things that we hear and learn out of the holy word of God, and not rest in hearing or understanding of them, nor yet in the use that is made of them in the public ministry of the word of God, that such a use is to be made of them, but we must further think on them, and labor to make them more profitable by further and more particular application of them to our selves.

[Reason.] For indeed as application is the life of teaching, so is it the life of hearing, and it makes our hearing most profitable; and by meditating and calling to mind things heard, we come to soundest knowledge. And if it please God to open our eyes to see our spiritual state, we are best acquainted with it, and we can better apply good things to our own particular benefit and comfort then our teachers do or can do. And therefore we are not to rest in our hearing or understanding of good things made known to us out of the holy word of God, nor yet in the use that is made of them, as that such a use or such a use is to be made of them; but we must further meditate and think on them, and labor to make them more profitable by further and more particular application of them to our selves; [Use.] a duty wherein most of us are exceeding defective and much wanting. Yea some are so far from meditating and thinking on things made known to them out of the word of God, and from making further and more particular application of them to themselves, as they purposely put them clean out of their minds, and would not willingly think on them unless it be with dislike, especially if they be just reproofs of the sins whereof they are guilty. And for matter of instruction and comfort delivered in the public ministry of the word, alas how few be there that do meditate and think of those things after they have heard them. It may be in the time of hearing of good things, and whilst thou art in the Church, thou art somewhat moved and affected with them, and thou hearest comforts delivered out of the word of God with much delight, and thy mind seems to be ravished with joy in the time of the hearing of them: but that joy and that delight is commonly but as a flash of lightening suddenly gone, and thou lettest good things slip away from thee, as if thou hadst never heard them, and when thou art gone home to thine house thou givest thy mind to think on other things, and thy tongue to speak of other things: thou never sayest, what worthy instructions, or what sweet comforts have this day been made known to us; oh what shall we say to these things? shall we let these things slip from us without meditation, and without further application, and thereupon settest thyself to meditate and to think on them further, and laborest to make them more profitable by further and more particular application of them to thyself? No, no, this is far from the most of us. Well let us take notice of it, that this is our duty, and this we ought to do. And to help us forward in this duty, consider we these things.

First, all the comfort and all the good we do or can gather from the word of God, will be found little enough in the time of trial, and in the hour of temptation, or hour of death.

And again, if we rest in our conceiving and understanding of that we hear and learn in the public ministry of the word, and do not further meditate and think on it, and labor to make it more profitable by further and more particular application of it to our selves, our knowledge may end in ignorance and profaneness. And withal consider, that the holy Spirit of God doth communicate to them that set themselves to meditate and think on good things heard and learned out of the word of God with care and conscience to profit by the same, more heavenly things then they can possibly reach to, either by hearing or reading. And hence it was no doubt that David had more understanding then all his teachers, because the testimonies of the Lord were his counsellors, Psal. 119.99.

Come we now to a second general, laid before us in this verse, in these words, If God be on our side, who can be against us? that is, as we have heard, God being on our side, or for us, or with us, (as hath been said) predestinating us to life and salvation, calling, justifying, and sanctifying us, and purposing in time fully to glorify us, God I say, being thus with us, even by his special care and providence, and so as a loving and gracious father, and powerful protector watching over us by his special care and providence, though the devil, the world, and many enemies set themselves against us to our hurt, and their setting themselves against us is but in vain, and to no purpose in respect of the end they aim at, now these words thus understood, three things are hence offered to be stood on, I will speak of them in order.

[Doct. 2] The first is this: That God is with them after a special manner who belong to his election, and are of him effectually called, and justified in his sight. Though the Lord be with all men and women in the world, sustaining them in their being, otherwise they cannot continue one minute of an hour, and in him they live, move, and have their being, Act. 17.28. yet he is not with all after a special manner, but only with his elect, being now effectually called, and justified in his sight; with them, and with them only is the Lord as a gracious and loving father, and as a powerful protector, watching over them by his special care and providence. Psal. 91.1. They who dwell in the secret of the most High, they abide in the shadow of the Almighty: and who are they? he subjoins verse 2. Such as have God their God, and trust in him: they only are safe. And as it is verse 4. They only are under the cover of his wings, and they are sure under his feathers: the Lord doth as it were cover them, and shelter them as an hen doth her chickens under her wings. To which similitude Christ alludes, Matth. 23.37. How often would I have gathered thy children together, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings? and he is to them as a shield, as a buckler. And to the same purpose speaks the Psalmist, Psal. 33.18. The eye of the Lord is on them that fear him: not on all, but on them that fear him, and on them that trust in his mercy. The meaning is, the Lord hath a special eye and regard to them, and his providence is over them in special manner. The phrase there used is very weighty, it carries this sense, that the Lord as it were sits in his watch-tower spying the wants and necessities of them that fear him, and carefully looking to them, and continually watching over them after a special manner, and over none but them. For why, the reason of this truth is this.

Such as belong to God's election, [Reason.] and are now effectually called and justified in the sight of God, they only are of the household and family of God, Ephes. 2.19. Yea they truly are children in that family, and are accepted of God in and through his beloved Son, the Son of his love the Lord Jesus, who is the foundation and complement of all the promises of God. In him they are Yea, and are in him Amen, 2. Corin. 1.20. and in him justified persons have right and title to all God's promises, and so to the promise of God's special providence and protection, and that he will be with them after a special manner, and they only have title to that promise, and none but they. And therefore howsoever the Lord be with all men and women in the world, sustaining them in their being, yet he is only with his elect now effectually called and justified in and after a special manner, as a loving father, and as a powerful protector. Wouldst thou then, whosoever thou art, be sure of it, [Use.] that God is with thee after a special manner, as a loving and gracious father, and as a powerful protector, watching over thee by his special providence? then labor thou and never rest till thou find that thou hast good evidence of thy election to life and salvation, and that thou art effectually called and justified in and through Christ, and that thou hast true grace in thine heart. Alas, thousands in the world think that God is with them, and God keeps them by his special providence, and yet they have no other ground for it but a vain presumption, and blind hope of their own. When they lie down at night on their beds, they hope God will keep them safe till morning, yet they have no other ground for it but their own blind conceit. And do not many judge of God's presence with them by their thriving in outward things? Do they not think God is with them after a special manner, because they prosper in the world? Is it not a usual speech of wicked worldlings who have gotten abundance of wealth by unlawful means, by usury, extortion, and such like, God hath been with them, and God hath blessed them hitherto, and they hope he will still be with them, & still bless them? Poor souls, they measure God's presence & his being with them after a special manner, by a leaden rule. Profane Esau, and the rich glutton in the Gospel, who suddenly went down to hell, had as good evidence of God's special presence & of his being with them after a special manner as they have. And know it whosoever thou art, if thou be not effectually called and justified in the sight of God, and so a child of God, God is no more with thee then he is with the brute beast, the horse or ox; and he hath no more care over thee, then • e hath over the reprobate and vilest wretches that live in the world, he sustains them in their being, and so he doth thee, & thou art as yet but under the long sufferance of God as the wicked are, and there is but a step between them & destruction. Oh then never rest till thou find that thou art one that dost belong to God's election, that thou art effectually called and justified in and through Christ, and that thou hast true grace in thine heart, and that thou walkest not after the steps of the wicked. That indeed will give thee good assurance of it, that God is with thee after a special manner, as a loving and kind father, and powerful protector, watching over thee continually by his special providence, & that thou art under the special providence of God.

Now a second thing offered from these words, If God be on our side, or for us, or with us, who can be against us? being understood as they have been expounded, is this.

That such as have God on their side, for them, or with [Doct. 3] them, they want not some to oppose them, and to set themselves against them: for (as I have shown you) the Apostles meaning is, in saying God being on our side, or for us, or with us, who can be against us? is not, that none are against God's children and true believers; but though the devil, the world, and other enemies do oppress them, yet they cannot prevail to their hurt. So then this is implied, & it ariseth from hence naturally,

That God's children, justified persons, or members of Christ, who have God on their side, or for them, or with them, they meet with opposition, they have some who oppose them, and set themselves against them, yea many rise up against them, as David complained, when he fled from Absalom, as Psal. 31. The devil, the world, persecuting tyrants, Idolaters, heretics, and such like, these set themselves against God; and this Christ hath foretold, John. 16.33. In the world (saith he) ye shall have affliction and trouble, but be of good cheare, I have overcome the world: in the world ye shall be sure to meet with many rubs, and much opposition. Yea he hath foretold, Luke 12.52.53. that there shall be five dwelling together in one house, divided and set against one another, The father against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. And Math. 10.36. that a man's enemies shall be they of his own household: as David complained out of his own experience, Psal. 41.9. My familiar friend (saith he) whom I trusted, which did eat my bread, hath lift up the heel against me, hath spurned at me, & set himself against me. And this truth might be further exemplified from the beginning since the fall of Adam to this very day, and daily experience shows it so to be: we see it, or we may see it, that the children of God, who have God on their side, or for them, or with them, they are opposed and set against, not only by the devil, and the world, and by enemies abroad, but many times by their own kindred and nearest friends: the father sets himself against the son because he is religious, the son against the father, and the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother: and the reasons of it are these.

[Reason 1] First, God hath put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, Gen. 3.15. and those two seeds are mingled together in this world.

[Reason 2] And again, man as he is man is the object of Satan's malice, and where God hath renewed his image, and by his grace hath made man a new man and a new creature, there Satan doubles his hatred, and he is most mad and raging against such as are most holy, and most like to God.

And therefore it is no wonder that God's children, justified persons, and members of Christ, who have God on their side, for them, or with them, do meet with opposition, and that they have the devil, the world, and many enemies opposing them, and setting themselves against them. And for the use of this.

[Use.] Learn we on this ground, not to think it strange, that God's children have many opposing them, and setting themselves against them, that is no new or strange thing, as 1. Pet. 4.12. it hath been so, and it will be so to the end. The world commonly thinks God's children turbulent and troublesome persons, busy-bodies, and that the course of their life is not good. Why so? For sooth because many speak against them, and many set themselves against them. Oh say men, these Puritans, who are accounted the children of God, are surely vile and bad persons, so many mouths are opened against them, and so many set themselves against them: would men set themselves against them, if there were not just cause? The Apostle saith, 1. Pet. 3.13. Who is it that will harm you, if ye follow that which is good? But mark what the Apostle subjoins verse 14. Notwithstanding blessed are ye, if ye suffer for righteousness sake: giving us to understand, that the wicked of the world do many times harm God's children because they are holy, and the devil and the world will oppose and set themselves against them because they are the children of God. It is no new thing that so they do, and we may not so conclude, that God's children are vile and bad persons, and that the course of their life is not good, because they are opposed and much set against in the world: that is no good conclusion, that is but the conclusion of the blind multitude; and yet sometimes a child of God is ready thus to conclude against himself, and to think, Surely I am not in the right way, and the course of my life is not good and pleasing to God, and to say as Gideon did, Judge. 6.13. If the Lord were with me, why am I then thus troubled, and thus opposed and set against? I find terrors within, and fightings without, and I am on every side hardly dealt withal, and ill entreated, and therefore I doubt of my standing, and that the course of my life is not good and pleasing to God. Now this is no good conclusion, Satan thrusteth it on thee whosoever thou art, taking advantage of thy weakness. The heathen man could say, Laudari à non laudato est illaudari, to be praised of a wicked man is rather dispraise then commendation. And so to be ill spoken of and set against by wicked men, no occasion being given them, is no disparagement, it may rather be an argument of comfort, and may persuade thee that thou art in the right way, and in a good course, because the devil; and the instruments of the devil, the wicked of the world, heretics, and Atheists, and such like, speak evil of thee, and set themselves against thee. The devil were not like himself, nor the world like it self, if they did not set themselves against God's children. John. 15.19. Christ saith, If ye were of the world, the world would love you, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world: because I have called you out of the corrupt state of the world, and you now differ from the world in the disposition of your hearts, and in the course of your lives, Therefore the world hates you, and cannot but oppose against you. Thus it hath been, thus it is, and thus it will be to the end of the world: and therefore think it not strange, thou being a child of God, that thou meetest with opposition, and that the wicked of the world set against thee: the more holy thou art, the more will the devil rage against thee, and the more will the wicked of the world oppose against thee, and be not thereupon discouraged, but draw nearer to God, and go on cheerfully and comfortably.

Come we now to the third thing offered from these words, If God be on our side, who can be against us? These words being understood, as before they have been expounded, do further offer unto us this point.

[Doct. 4] That though the devil, the world, and many enemies, do oppose and set themselves against God's children, justified persons, who have God on their side, for them, or with them after a special manner, yet can they not hurt them, neither men nor Angels, no not all the devils in hell opposing and setting themselves against God's children, who have God on their side, for them, or with them, as a loving and gracious father, and powerful protector watching over them by his special providence, can prevail against them to hurt them. Indeed the devil and the world, persecuting tyrants, Idolaters, and such like, may molest, and trouble, and vex, and disquiet God's. children, justified persons, the Lord suffering them so to do, but they cannot touch one hair of their head further then he giveth them leave: and though they do touch them, yet they cannot possibly prevail against them, either to hinder their comfort or work of grace in them here, or their happiness and glory hereafter in heaven, because God is on their side, or for them, or with them after a special manner. And on this ground doth the Lord comfort his people, and encourage them against the rage and fury of all their enemies, and bids them not to fear their enemies at all, Isai. 41.10.11. Fear not, for I am with thee, be not afraid, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee & help thee, & I will sustain thee with the right hand of my justice. Behold, all they that provoke thee shall be ashamed and confounded, they shall be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish. And verse 14. Fear not thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel, though thou be but as a worm that everyone treads on, I will help thee saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the holy one of Israel. And Chap. 43.1.2. Fear not saith the Lord, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine, when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the floods that they do not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the very fire thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. And hence it was that David was so confident, and held himself so safe and so secure under the Lord's special protection, as he saith, Psal. 3.6. He would not be afraid for ten thousands of the people that should beset him round about. And Psal. 23.4. Though he should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear no evil, for the Lord was with him. And Psal. 27.1. saith he, The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? And verse 3. Though an host pitched against me, mine heart should not be afraid, though war be raised against me I will trust in this. And so in many other Psalms David makes known to us, that he rested secure under the special providence of God, and that he was persuaded, though many enemies should oppose and set themselves against him, yet they should not prevail against him to his hurt, the Lord being on his side, for him, or with him, after a special manner. Other examples we have, proving and confirming the truth of the point delivered: to instance in one or two instead of many. 1. King. 19.2. Jezebel vowed the death 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 of Elijah the holy Prophet of the Lord, yet the Lord being with him he was hid from her hands, and she failed of the evil she intended against him. So wicked Haman fully purposed to root out the Jews, and attempted many ways their destruction for Mordecai his sake whom he hated, but the Lord being with them, they were delivered, and Haman himself was hanged on a tree that he had provided for the death of Mordecai, Hest. 7.10. And we read Act. 23.10.13. That there were more then forty men who had bound themselves with an oath, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul: yet the Lord being with him, we find that their conspiracy was discovered, and Paul was delivered out of their hands. The truth of this point then appears, that though the devil, the world, and many enemies, do oppose and set themselves against God's children, justified persons, who have God on their sides, for them or with them after a special manner, yet can they not hurt them, they cannot prevail in that evil they intend against them, nor so much as touch on hair of their heads, further then the Lord is pleased to suffer them: for why.

[Reason 1] The reasons of this truth are these: first the Lord is omnipotent, almighty, and his power is infinite, he doth whatsoever he will, in heaven, in earth, and in all places, and everything which cometh about is God's effectual working, and he hath an effectual work in everything, Of him, by him, and for him, are all things, Rom. 11.36.

[Reason 2] And again, nothing can withstand the power of God, he suffers no resistance in that which he will. The power of all creatures is finite and limited, and they are but as servants to the hand and providence of God: and as he made them by his great power of nothing, so he can bring them to nothing by the same power he sustains them in their being, And in him, they live, move, and have their being, Act. 17.28. And as he saith, Isai. 43.13. There is none that can deliver out of mine hand, I will do it, and who shall let it? The world is but vanity, the devil as a scarcrow, and the greatest men in the world but as a bubble, in comparison of the great Lord of heaven and earth. And therefore though the devil, the world, and many mighty enemies do oppose and set themselves against God's children, justified persons, yet they having the mighty and powerful God on their side, for them, or with them, what can they do against them? Assuredly nothing to their hurt, they cannot touch one hair of their heads but as he gives them leave: and though the Lord do suffer them to touch his children, yet can they not possibly prevail against them, to the hindering either of their comfort in the work of grace in them here in this world, or the hindering of their happiness and glory in heaven. And for the use of this.

First on this ground of truth it follows, that the devil and [Use 1] his instruments, the wicked of the world, Turks, Jews, Papists, Atheists, and such like, they do but discover their own folly, in setting themselves against the Church and people of God, and against God's children; in so doing, they do but as it were cast stones against the wind, they labor but in vain, they shall never prevail against them to their hurt, God is on the side of his Church and children, and he stands for their defense, and therefore their enemies cannot possibly prevail against them to their hurt. We know that now the enemies of the Church and people of God and of the Gospel, they band themselves together, and they make themselves strong, and they plot & devise all the mischief they can against such as profess the truth of religion, yea they imagine that they shall effect their purpose, & they bear themselves high on it. Well, the Lord is the same strong and powerful God that he hath been, and he is able to disappoint them, & even suddenly to overturn their counsels, and to bring to naught their wicked plots and devices, we have had experience of it. How suddenly did the Lord overturn the wicked purpose of the cursed leaguers, Anno 1588. when that invincible nauie, as they made account, came against this land, and they made no question but that they should certainly overcome it? And how did the Lord wonderfully defeat that gunpowder plot, and bring confusion on the heads of the plotters of it? The Lord is still the same strong God, and he is now as able to bring to naught the counsels of the wicked enemies of his Church as heretofore, and certainly they can go no further in their plots and practices against his people then he will give them leave, and they shall but execute the Lord's own purpose, and what he hath appointed. Indeed I grant they may be as rods in the hand of God for the correction and trial of his children, and the Lord may suffer them to go far for our sins: but assuredly his children shall never be given over, to be used or rather abused and wronged of them at their pleasure and as they list. No, no, the Lord stands for the defense of his children, and will never suffer their enemies to prevail against them to their hurt. The counsel of the Lord shall stand forever, Psal. 33.11. and there is no counsel, policy, or strength, that can prevail against his purpose. The enemies of the Gospel do but what the Lord hath appointed, and what he will suffer them, and no more can they do though they burst themselves, and when they have done the Lord's work he will ease his children of them, and take them as rods and throw them into the fire. And though, as the Apostle saith, 1. Pet. 4.17. Judgment begin at the house of God, yet certainly it shall not there rest, but from thence be derived to the wicked enemies of the Church to continue on them forever.

[Use 2] For a second use: is it so that though the devil, the world, and many enemies, do oppose and set themselves against God's children, justified persons, yet they having God on their side, for them, or with them after a special manner, their enemies cannot prevail against them to their hurt? Surely then the safety and security of God's children is exceeding great. What man living on the face of the earth, be he the greatest Monarch in the world, having the command of many nations, and having many thousands standing about him and garding him continually, can say and that truly, (unless he be a child of God) that he is so safe and so secure, that neither men nor devils can break in on him and prevail against him to his hurt? Now such is the safety and security of a child of God, he may boldly say that he is safe and secure under the shadow of the Lord's wings, and under his special providence, yea so safe and so secure as that none, either men or devils, can hurt him, unless they can overcome God who is omnipotent. Oh then thou that art a child of God, take notice of thy safety and security, and learn not to fear any enemy whatsoever. The highest sinner in the world is unable to hurt thee that art the lowest and the meanest of the Saints of God: thou hast on thy side a stronger then all the men in the world, and then all the devils in hell, and they are not able to touch one hair of thine head further then he gives them leave: and though they do touch thee yet shall they not be able to hurt thee; and therefore fear thou not what either men or devils can do against thee. But haply thou wilt say, [Object.] I find myself weak, and very timorous and fearful, and we are like to see great troubles and persecutions, and if the Lord should bring me to the trial, and bring me to the fire, I doubt I should not be able to hold out, and to abide the trial, but I fear I should shrink and dishonor God. Oh but consider, [Answ.] thou standest not by thine own strength, but by his power who is almighty; and if he bring thee into the trial, he will be with thee in it, as he was with Daniel in the Lions den, and with Joseph in prison, and with the companions of Daniel in the hot fiery furnace, and he will make thee able to stand in the time of the greatest trial, fear it not; keep thou close to God, and be thou with him in the affiance of thine heart, and he will be with thee, as Azariah said, 2. Chron. 15.2. honor thou the Lord so far as to trust in him, and do thou rely, and rest thyself, thy soul, thy body, and all that thou hast on his power and providence, and assure thyself he will not fail thee; he will be with thee after a special manner in thy greatest trouble, and in the greatest trial that can befall thee: think on that to thy comfort. Come we now to the 32. Verse.

IN this Verse our Apostle opposeth to a particular assault and temptation that might haply trouble & disquiet the true believing Romans and other true believers, a contrary ground of comfort: and he here prevents an objection that might be made by them, namely this: They might say, Paul you tell us that God being on our side, for us, or with us, after a special manner, as a loving, kind, and gracious father, and powerful protector, none can be against us, none can prevail against us to our hurt: but in the mean while we must tell you, that we are pressed with want, and penury, and extreme poverty, and lack, and want of things needful. Now this the Apostle meets withal, and in the words of this verse he makes known to the believing Romans and to other true believers, that God will certainly and that freely give them all things needful, and they need not to be distracted and troubled with diffidence and doubting, in respect of any good thing needful for them, but to rest on it, and to be fully persuaded of it, that God will supply all their wants, and not suffer them to want any needful good thing. And this ground of comfort the Apostle here puts down, not nakedly and barely, but in the proof of it, and he proves it by an argument from the greater to the less, that God having given to his children, to true believers, the greater, he will not deny them the less, but will certainly give it to them; he having given them Christ who is the greatest good thing, and more worth then a thousand worlds, he will not suffer them to want other good things needful, that is the Apostles argument, and that is amplified.

1. By a description of Christ, that he is God's own Son, Who spared not his own Son. And

2. By an opposition of actions, that God spared not, but gave up or delivered that Son of his.

Together with the persons for whom, namely, for us all: Who spared not his Son, but gave him for us all.

And then follows the Apostles inference which he infers on that, that God spared not, but gave him for us all. That therefore he will deny us no good thing needful, but together with his Son he will give us all needful good things: which the Apostle delivers more emphetically by way of interrogation: How shall he not with him give us all things also? So then in this verse we have two things in general laid before us.

1. First this proposition, that God hath not spared his own Son, but hath given him for all true believers.

2. An inference following necessarily on this, that therefore God will not deny true believers any good thing.

Let us now examine the words of this verse touching the sense and meaning of them. Who spared not his own Son, or he that spared not: that is, God, spoken of verse before. And those words spared not, are very weighty, they signify more then if it had been said, he gave, though freely, and without any desert at all: for one may give and that freely, out of his own abundance, but under those words spared not, is implied the rarity and excellency of the thing given, and the great worth of the gift, as a man is said to spare no cost when he lays it on and bestows the dearest thing he hath; as if it had been said, God who hath not with held or kept back that gift of the greatest price and worth, even that most rich and precious gift, His own Son: that is, his eternal Son, begotten of him from all eternity, and of the same eternal essence with God the Father, and so his only begotten Son, as he is called, John. 3.16. his own dear Son, But gave him, or delivered him up. The meaning is, God gave his Son to death, (for that being not in the text original, may well be supplied) as the principal cause. Judas is said to be traditor, or to deliver him up, Matth. 26.15. as the cause instrumental, but God delivered him up as the principal cause, ordering and governing the tradition of Judas, and his delivering him up, as we have it, Act. 2.23. He was taken by the hands of the wicked, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and so crucified and slain for us all: that is, for me and you, and all true believers. As if he had said, Not only for me and for other Apostles, and for you and others that are more eminent in grace, but for all that do or shall believe in Christ, according to that of Christ his prayer, John. 17.20. I pray not for these alone, but for them also that shall believe in me through their word. How shall he not with him, namely, with Christ his Son, give us all things? and that freely, for so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies. And by all things, we are to understand all good things, even all the benefits of Christ, and all the good things of this life, so far as he in wisdom sees needful and meet for us. Thus then conceive we the meaning of the Apostle in the words of this verse, as if he had said.

Who hath not withheld or kept back that gift of the greatest price and worth, that most rare and precious gift, his own dear Son, the Son of his love, his eternal Son, his only begotten Son, but hath (as the principal cause) given him or delivered him up to death for me, and you, and all true believers, for all that do or shall believe in him: it cannot be but that together with that Son of his Christ Jesus, he will freely give us all good things, even all the benefits of Christ, and all the good things of this life, so far as he in his wisdom sees needful and fit for us.

Now first observe we, the Apostle here saith not barely, that God gave his own Son to death for his chosen, and for true believers, but he saith, he spared not his own Son; though his Son was most dear to him, the Son of his love, yet he thought him not too dear to be given for his chosen, he spared not the most precious and dear thing that he had, even his own dear Son, but gave him to death for his chosen. Hence then we are given to understand thus much.

[Doct. 1] That God hath manifested his love to his chosen exceeding richly and abundantly, in giving his own Son to die for them. His giving of his Son for his chosen, was not only a fruit of his love, but also a manifestation and a declaration of the exceeding greatness of his love to them, as Christ saith, John. 3.16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life. He loved his chosen, and he loved them so richly and so abundantly, as that he spared not his only begotten Son, but gave him for them. And as the Apostle saith, Rom. 5.8. God setteth out his love towards us, he commended or made his love appear exceeding great and abundant, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That God gave his Son to die for us, therein he set forth the wonderful greatness of his love. Nothing is dearer to a man then his own son: who knows not the strong affection of a tender hearted father towards his son? common experience shows it to be exceeding great. David shown it in bewailing the death of his ungracious and rebellious son Absalom, 2. Sam. 18.33. O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom: would God I had died for thee Absalom, my son, my son. And therefore God set forth his love to be wonderful and unspeakable, in that he sent not an Angel, or an Archangel, or any of his glorious creatures to die for his chosen, but his own dear Son, the Son of his love, & of the same eternal essence with his own holy and glorious Majesty. Great was the love that Abraham shown towards God in y ^t he was ready to offer his son Isaac at the commandment of the Lord, Gen. 22. but the love of God to his chosen far surmounteth that love of Abraham, in that he spared not his own Son, but gave him to die for them. For God loved Christ his Son better then Abraham could love Isaac his son; God's love to Christ being infinite as his own blessed Majesty is, and God voluntarily and freely gave his Son, which Abraham would not have done without a command. Again Isaac was to be offered after the manner of holy sacrifices, but Christ the Son of God was given up to a shameful and an accursed death, and suffered after the manner of malefactors. And yet further, Isaac was in the hands of a tender hearted father, but Christ was delivered into the hands of barbarous and cruel enemies. And therefore doubtless the love of God in giving his Son to die for his chosen, was far beyond the love of Abraham in offering his son Isaac. One calls the love of God in this respect an hyperbole, an excess of love, a miracle of love, and the Apostle calls it a love passing knowledge, beyond the reach of man's brain, Ephes. 3.19.

[Use.] Now then what is our use of this? Surely this, (we professing our selves to be the children of God, as everyone will be held) we are to acknowledge it with all thankfulness, that the Lord hath exceedingly manifested his love towards us, in not sparing his own Son, but hath given him to die for us, and in lieu of his love we are to love him again, and to labor to be thankful to him for his great love. Those who find loving and bounteous Lord's amongst men, how will they tell of their bounty and liberality, and of every circumstance wherein they have done them any favor? and how will they protest themselves to be devoted to their service? How impatient are they if they see or know anything tending to their disparagement? What a shame then is it for us, to walk neither feeling our hearts affected, nor having our mouths opened, to magnify him who hath shown so great love to us, as not to spare his own Son for our sakes? Hath God of his mere free love not spared his own dear Son? how then canst thou find in thine heart to offend such a good God? Oh spare not thou for his sake to cut off thy dearest sin, sin that is as dear to thee as any member of thy body; yea spare not thou thy dearest blood for his sake, if he call thee to shed it: he spared not the blood of his own dear Son for thy sake. Canst thou think thou lovest God as thou art bound, when thou wilt not at his bidding, and when he commands thee, forsake so much as a cup of wine or beer not needful for thee, or not cut off any needless vanity or sensual pleasure? Oh no, deceive not thyself, assuredly there is no argument to this, if it be duly considered, to draw a man to God: and he shows himself senseless that is not moved with the due consideration of this, that God spared not his own Son, but gave him to die for him, to show himself sensible of it, so as that it work in him an holy affection and love towards God again, and stir him up to an holy walking, and to an holy course of life all the days of his life.

In the next place, in that the Apostle here saith, God spared not his own Son, but gave him to die for us all: that is, his own dear Son, the Son of his love, his only begotten Son, begotten of him from all eternity, and of the same eternal essence and substance with God the Father: understanding this of Christ, we have ground for this truth, and we hence are plainly taught thus much.

That Christ who died for the sins of God's chosen, was [Doct. 2] true God, coeternal and coessential with God his Father. Christ Jesus who suffered death for the sins of God's chosen, was not only man but God also, even the Son of God, begotten of God his Father from all eternity, of the same most glorious eternal essence and substance with God his Father. Indeed we must know, that we err not in this point of weight, that Christ considered without relation to the Father, is God of himself equal to his Father, and he received not his Godhead from his Father, his Godhead is of it self, and Christ in regard of his Godhead is of himself as well as the Father, but his person or his Sonship (as I may so speak) is from the Father: and as Christ is the second person in the Trinity, and the eternal Son of God, so he is from the Father, and was begotten of God the Father from all eternity, and is of the same eternal essence and substance with God his Father, even true God coeternal and coessential with God his Father. And for this we have evidence in many places of Scripture. John. 1.1. saith the Evangelist, In the beginning was the Word, even before the world was or had a being, the Word was: that is, the second person in the Trinity, the Son of God, and that Word was with God, and that Word was God. And verse 14. he saith, That Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. We saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father. John. 8.58. Christ saith to the Jews, Before Abraham was I am, not I was, but I am; a speech proper and peculiar to God, as we read, Exod. 3 14. when Moses was to go to the children of Israel being in bondage in Egypt, God bids him say, I am hath sent me unto you. And Rō. 9.5. the Apostle affirms it boldly, that Christ, who concerning the flesh came of the Jews, Is God over all blessed forever, Amen. And Philip. 2.6. the Apostle saith that Christ Jesus who humbled himself even to the death of the cross, was before his incarnation in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God. He was of equal majesty and glory with God his Father, and begotten of him from all eternity. It were easy further to prove the truth of the point in hand, as by the prophetical predictions of the Prophets of God, spoken only of the Lord of hosts, of Jehovah in the Old Testament, and applied by the Apostles to Christ in the New Testament; by the works proper to God truly ascribed to Christ, as to make the world, to forgive sin, to know the hearts of men, and such like: yea the miracles that Christ wrought in the sight of his disciples and of his enemies, were so far above the power of man, as that they may assure us that he was the Son of God, as it is said, John. 20.30.31. Many other signs did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written, but these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. This then we may resolve on for a certain truth, that Christ Jesus who suffered death for the sins of God's chosen, was not only man but God also, even the Son of God, begotten of God his Father from all eternity, and of the same eternal essence and substance with God his Father. Come we now to make our use of it.

[Use 1] And first this ground serves to discover the infinite worth and sufficiency of Christ his death and suffering, and that his blood is of infinite price and value, able to satisfy for the sins of all God's chosen, as Saint John saith, 1. John. 1.7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, he being the Son of God, is able to purge and cleanse from the guilt and punishment of all sin. The ground and worth of the sufficiency of Christ his blood is from the invaluable worth of the person, because the person, namely Christ, who suffered, was not only man but God also; and howsoever Christ his suffering was but for a time, and God's chosen by their sins deserved eternal death and punishment in hell forever, and so there may seem to be no proportion between his suffering and the desert of their sins, for between finite and infinite there is no proportion, yet we must esteem the merit of Christ his death, not by the time of his suffering, but by the person who suffered, that Christ who suffered was not only man, but God also, and by virtue of his Godhead he gave power to his death to be meritorious, and of infinite price and value. And hence the Church is said, To be purchased with the blood of God, Acts 20.28. And 1. Cor. 2.8. the Apostle saith, The Lord of glory was crucified: the meaning is, not that God suffered or shed his blood, for that is impossible, he hath no blood to shed, but those places do note to us the infinite merit and sufficiency of Christ his suffering, that Christ suffering was not as mere man but God also, his death was in respect of the worth of the person infinitely sufficient and effectual, and a sufficient satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

Again, for a second use: is it so that Christ Jesus who suffered [Use 2] death for the sins of God's chosen, was not only man but God also, even the Son of God, of the same eternal essence and substance with his Father? Surely the consideration of this may afford matter of comfort and strength to as many as truly believe in Christ, even to assure them that their sins are fully satisfied for by the death of Christ, and they need not seek for satisfaction for their sins elsewhere. And this truth being duly considered, it may strengthen God's children against a bitter and a dangerous assault of Satan; Satan sometimes sets on a child of God, a true believer, specially in the time of affliction and weakness, and he sets before him the grievousness of his sins, and the furiousness of God's displeasure for his sins, and he labors to persuade him, that his sins are so great as they cannot be forgiven; he tells them that God is a most just God, and that the wrath of God is infinite against him for his sins. Now this assault of Satan a child of God may refell, and beat back on this ground, and may tell Satan, though his sins be great and grievous, and do deserve infinite punishment, being committed against an infinite Majesty, yet the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ (he being not a mere man but God also) is invaluable, and of infinite worth, and is able to countervail the greatness of his sins, and fully to satisfy for them. And though God be a most just God, and his justice will not be corrupted by fear, pity, or bribery, yet it will be satisfied: and though the wrath of God be infinite against his sins, yet an infinite sacrifice may appease it and pacify it: though the Lord will not accept the best thing that he can offer to him, his first borne for his transgression, even the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul, Micah 6.7. yet he will not refuse the sacrifice of his first begotten, yea of his only begotten Son, the Son of his love, and of the same eternal essence and substance with his own Majesty: that sacrifice being of infinite price and value, the Lord will not refuse it. I dare boldly affirm it, that he that knows aright and duly considers it, that the price of his redemption is the blood of Jesus Christ, infinite in value, the greatness of his sins cannot make him despair. No, no, the more that Satan doth extol and set out the justice of God, the more doth he strengthen and confirm a child of God in this, that the sacrifice and death of Christ is accepted of God as a full satisfastion for all his sins, for why: The satisfaction made by Christ being of infinite worth and sufficiency, and God being a just God, he will not, no he cannot deny the sufficiency of it for the sins of all that truly believe in Christ. Indeed if we had to deal with an unjust tyrant, one that regarded not right nor wrong, justice nor equity, whatsoever the satisfaction of our sins were, we could hardly be out of danger, we should have cause still to fear it would not be accepted, but our God is a most just God, who values all things aright, and he finding the sacrifice of Christ sufficient, it being the sacrifice of his own Son, even his Son begotten of him from all eternity, and of the same eternal essence and substance with himself, and so of infinite worth and value, he cannot but accept it as a sufficient satisfaction, & he clearly acquits all them for whom it was offered from the guilt and punishment of all their sins: yea he holds himself so fully satisfied with that sacrifice of his own Son, being of infinite worth and value, as he will never remember the sins of his chosen now believing in Christ anymore against them. And the consideration of that may be matter of great comfort to as many as truly believe in Christ.

Now further, one thing I will further note, in that the Apostle saith, God spared not his own Son, but gave him, or delivered him up to death for us all, that is, as I shown in opening the words, God gave or delivered up his Son to death, as a principal cause of that tradition and delivering of him up: we see we may hold this as a truth of God, grounded on the word of God, that God had a principal working hand in [Doct. 3] the betraying of Christ by Judas, and in crucifying and putting of Christ to death by the Jews, as I shown you out of Acts 2.23. He was taken by the hands of the wicked, he was delivered up and crucified, and slain by the determinate counsel and providence of God: God did appoint, decree, and will his betraying and crucifying. Now this the Anabaptists deny, and they say that God did not determine, appoint, or decree, that by the wicked he should be betrayed or murdered, [Use.] otherwise then by suffering them: say they, God knew what they would do to his Son, & he decreed to suffer them to do that which they did, but he did not decree that they should do it as they did, by betraying him, and by murdering of him. An idle conceit, as if they should say, God decreed not that his Son should be betrayed and murdered by the wicked, but given into their hands, that he should be betrayed and murdered by them, and to suffer them to betray and murder him. A conceit of brainsicke persons, and clean contrary to the plain evidence of the word of God in the place cited, Acts 2.23. and likewise contrary to that, Act 4.27.28. where it is said, That both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatsoever thine hand and thy counsel had determined before to be done. It is not said, that the hand and counsel of God determined to suffer them to do what they did, but it was determined in the counsel and purpose of God, that they should do what they did: & whatsoever they did to Christ the Son of God, the hand and counsel of God had determined to be done. But say the Anabaptists in their Pamphlet, [Object.] pag. 29. God could not appoint Judas to betray Christ, nor the Scribes and Pharisees to murder him, this was wickedness, which God cannot appoint, as (say they) God cannot lie, he cannot destroy the righteous with the wicked, and so he cannot appoint Judas and the rest to commit such horrible wickedness as they did. I answer them, [Answ.] Therein they reason absurdly, for thus stands their argument (if you mark it,) God cannot lie, he cannot destroy the righteous with the wicked, and the like, God cannot do evil, or evil cannot come from God, and therefore he cannot appoint evil and sin to be in the world, or that evil should be done by others. Is this a good consequent? no, no, it follows not, though God cannot do evil, neither can evil come from him, yet he may appoint the being of evil. But they will say, [Object.] the appointing of evil to be, is evil. I answer, [Answ.] No, it is not in God, though sin be not good, yet the being of sin is good to God who can use it to his own glory: and though sin as it is sin hath an outward disagreement to the nature of God, and be evil in the nature of it, yet it is not absolutely evil to God as it is sin, but to the instrument sinning, because God can make sin as it is sin to serve for diverse good uses. To instance in this particular, the betraying and murdering of Christ was absolutely evil in the instruments of doing it, but to God it was not so, because he could and did make it serve for the salvation of his chosen.

[Object.] Why then are the instruments blame-worthy?

[Answ.] I answer, because they had no such purpose, they did betray Christ and crucify him, and murder him, being stirred up so to do by the instigation of Satan, and by the strength of their own corruption, therein aiming at their own wicked ends, and they had no respect at all to the glory of God, or the salvation of his chosen, and therefore their act was execrable and abhominable.

But say the Anabaptists, [Object.] though God determined certainly that his Son should be slain, yet he might have been slain without sin: therefore the betraying and murdering of him was not from God.

Still they reason foolishly: [Answ.] the evil of the act of betraying Christ and murdering of him was not from God, but from the instruments of the doing of it, but the act it self was decreed and fore-appointed by God, and God willed it, for it was the death, and that the death of the cross, and that under the hands of sinners, that God had decreed, and that he willed that Christ his Son should suffer; and God would have Christ his Son not only die, but he would have him suffer being innocent, an unjust condemnation, as he saith, Isai. 53.9. He made h • s grave with the wicked, though he had done no wickedness, neither was any deceit in his mouth. And Christ saith, Luke 22.37. The same which is written must be performed in me, even with the wicked was he numbered: for doubtless those things which are written of me have an end. And therefore doubtless notwithstanding these cavils of the Anabaptists, we may hold this for a certain truth, even an holy truth of God, grounded on the word of God, that God had a principal working hand in the betraying of Christ by Judas, and in crucifying of Christ by the Jews, and they are not able with all their shifts to overturn this holy truth of God.

There is yet one thing to be observed of us in this proposition of the Apostle, God spared not his own Son, but gave him, or delivered him up to death for us all: namely, the persons for whom God gave or delivered up his own dear Son to death, to be crucified and slain, here expressed by the Apostle, for us all, that is, as I shown you, for all true believers, for all that do or shall believe in Christ to the end of the world.

The conceit of universal redemption wrought by Christ, that Christ died for all and every man and woman in the world without exception of any, we have already met withal verse 30. I will not now meddle with it; but these words, for us all, being thus understood, for all true believers, for all that do or shall believe in Christ to the end of the world, afford to us this ground of truth.

[Doct. 4] That the infinite merit of Christ his death belongs to every true believer: everyone whosoever he be that truly believes in Christ, hath part and share in the infinite merit of Christ his death; and though his faith be but weak, yet if it be a true faith, it doth certainly entitle him to the infinite merit of the death of Christ. Indeed the greater measure of faith a man hath, the greater will be his comfort, but the least measure of true faith, gives a man or woman right and title to the infinite merit of the death of Christ Jesus the Son of God; God gave his Son to death for all and everyone that truly believes in him. And to this purpose speaks Christ, and he amplifies his speech by a similitude. John. 3.14.15. saith he, As Moses lift up the serpent in the wilernesse, so must the Son of man be lift up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. The story of Moses lifting up the serpent, we have Numb. 21.9. The people of Israel being stung with fiery serpents in the wilderness, the Lord commanded Moses to make a brazen serpent, and to set it up on a pole, that such of the people as were stung might look to it and live: so saith Christ must the Son of man be lift up, even lift up on the cross, that whosoever believeth in him, whosoever looks on him by the eye of faith hanging on the cross, should not perish, but have eternal life. The similitude is very apt and fit: as those amongst the people of Israel that were able, when they were bitten and stung with fiery serpents, to eye the brazen serpent, though it were but with a squint eye, with a dim or blear eye, or with half an eye, were healed; so whosoever they be that are able to look on Christ lift up on the cross by the eye of faith, and to eye Christ Jesus the Son of God crucified, though it be with a weak faith, and with the least measure of true faith, they are sure to be healed of the bitings of Satan the old serpent, and of the sting of sin, and they are certainly partakers of the infinite merit of the death of Christ Jesus the Son of God, and they are freed from the guilt and punishment of all their sins. For why, it is a ruled case in Divinity, [Reason.] that faith not erring in the proper object of it, but truly apprehending, though never so weakly, the saving promise of the mercy of God and merit of Christ, it is effectual for the good, and for the comfort of the believer, as I shown not long since, that faith doth not justify, as it is an excellent grace or gift, for the dignity, or for the worthiness of it, or for the strength or greatness of it, because it is a strong faith, or such a measure of faith, but objective, and in relation to the object of it, and so faith truly apprehending, though weakly, a right object, it is of force and effect for the good and for the comfort of the believer. And we are to hold this as an holy truth of God, that the infinite merit of Christ his death belongs to every true believer, and whosoever believes in Christ truly, though never so weakly, yet he hath part and share in the infinite merit of the death of Christ Jesus the Son of God, and he is freed from the guilt and punishment of all his sins.

A ground, for the use, [Use.] of it of sweet comfort to as many as truly believe in Christ, though it be in great weakness. Dost thou whosoever thou art believe in Christ truly, though weakly, even with much wrestling and tugging, and thou canst hardly keep thy faith on foot, it is ready to be borne down with every blast of temptation or trial: yet is thy weak faith carried to a right object? Is it truly set on the Lord Jesus? Assuredly then it doth entitle thee to the infinite merit of the death of Christ Jesus the Son of God, and thou art thereby as truly freed from the guilt and punishment of all thy sins, as they be that have the strongest faith, and the greatest measure of true faith. Labor thou to get greater strength of faith, and use all good means that serve to add one measure of faith to another, the greater the measure of thy faith is that thou hast, the greater will be thy comfort; but be thy faith never so weak, yet if it be set on the Lord Jesus the Son of God in truth, certainly the infinite merit of Christ his death belongs to thee, and thou hast part and share in it, as truly as any other who hath the greatest measure of faith: yea thy faith is like precious to the faith of the best of God's children: I have warrant so to speak. 2. Pet. 1.1. the Apostle writing to ordinary believing Christians, he saith, They had obtained like precious faith with him, and with other Apostles. Thy faith being set on the Lord Jesus the Son of God in truth, it is as precious to thee as the faith of the blessed Apostles was, and as the faith of the best of God's children, and doth as truly and as certainly entitle thee to the infinite merit of Christ his death, as theirs did or doth. A ground of sweet comfort to the weakest true believing soul y ^t lives, even to such as are ever complaining of the weakness of their faith, this may refresh and cheare up their hearts with comfort, [Object.] if it be duly considered. But thou wilt say, I doubt of the truth of my faith. I answer [Answ.] thee, try it by that one note, Tit. 2.14. Christ Jesus, saith the Apostle, gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, & purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself, zealous of good works. If thy faith being set on Christ the right object of it, be a purging faith, purifying thy heart, as Acts 15.9. If thou find thy heart turned from sin to God, and purged from corruption, surely then thy faith is a true faith, and though it be but weak, and thou art combred with much doubting, it doth as truly entitle thee to the infinite merit of the death of Christ the Son of God, as the strongest faith of the soundest Christian in the world. Think on that to thy comfort.

Come we to the Apostles inference, which he brings on this proposition, God spared not his own Son, but gave him for us all to death. Hereupon the Apostle infers, that together with that Son of his, God will freely give to all true believers all good things, which he delivers in this manner: How shall he not with him give us all things also? As if he had said, it cannot be but that undoubtedly together with Christ his Son, he will give us all other good things. Now this manner of delivering this inference is to be observed: How shall he not with him give us all things also: and hence we may conclude in the first place thus much.

That it cannot be, it is not possible that God should withhold [Doct. 5] any good thing from true believers. The Lord will not keep from such as truly believe in Christ anything which he in his wisdom fees meet and good for them. Psal. 84.11. the Psalmist saith, The Lord will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly. And hence it is that the Apostle 1. Corinth. 3.21.22. saith to the believing Corinthians, All things are yours, whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, whether they be things present or things to come, all are yours. And he makes this the ground of it, Ye are Christ's, ye believe in Christ, ye belong to Christ, & Christ is yours; and therefore all things are yours, and it cannot be that God should suffer you to want anything that he sees meet and good for you. And not to enlarge the proof of this truth, the grounds of it are these.

First, God who is infinite in power, goodness and mercy, [Reason 1] hath given Christ his Son to all true believers, the greatest good that can be given, and therefore he will not deny them things of less worth. It is Christ his own argument, Matth. 6.25. Your heavenly Father hath given you your bodies and your lives, and he will much more feed you and cloth you.

Again, Christ is the fountain of all good things, in and through him God doth bless his children with all spiritual blessings, Ephes. 1.3. yea with all temporal blessings, and with all good things: and therefore they having Christ, they can want no good thing. And on these grounds it follows necessarily, that the Lord will not keep from such as truly believe in Christ anything which he in his wisdom fees meet and good for them. [Use.]

And the due meditation of this truth may afford matter of strong comfort to every true believer, and to every child of God in the time of any want, or penury, or loss, or distress whatsoever; yea the due consideration of this may arm and strengthen a child of God, a true believer, against the fear of want, or penury, or any other evil. For why 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 shouldst thou that art a child of God, a true believer, fear want, or poverty, or any other evil? Remember this, God hath given thee Christ his own dear Son, the best gift he could give to thee, yea he gave that dear Son of his to thee when thou wast a stranger and an enemy to him, and will he now deny thee any good thing that he sees good for thee, thou being justified and reconciled to him by the death of his Son? No, no, fear it not, it cannot possibly be. Dost thou persuade thyself that thou art Christ's and Christ is thine? and dost thou look for salvation by Christ, and persuade thyself that God will bring thee to heaven by Christ, and wilt thou not trust God for other good things? Oh learn thou on this ground to check thyself when thou art troubled with fear of want, or poverty, or such like, Christ is thine, and therefore all things are thine, life, death, things present, things to come, yea all are thy servants, and what then canst thou want that God sees good for thee? If we could carry this in mind, and duly consider it, without question it would free us from a great deal of carking care, and disburden our souls of much anxiety, and disquietness, and vexation of mind and spirit, and it would be a stronger prop to uphold us, and to keep us from fear of want, or penury, or any other evil, then that promise of God, Heb. 13.5. That God will not fail nor forsake us. For hath God given us Christ, he hath then given us a pawn of his love, yea a rich pawn, and of great price, and that of the greatest love that could be; and will he then withdraw his love from us, and suffer us to want other good things that he sees meet and good for us? it cannot be, it is not possible. It may be thou art poor, God sees it good thou shouldest be so, he will give thee contentment which is better then riches: or thou art sick, God sees it good for thee thou shouldst be so, he will give thee patience and comfort in Christ which is b • tter then health, & so in other particulars. Oh then leave carking care and distrustful thoughts touching the things of this world to the world, and to the men of the world, who have • heir por • ion in this life, and want faith, and have not Christ. Thou hast Christ, thou being a true believer, and having Christ, thou canst want no manner of good thing that the Lord sees meet for thee: and therefore cast out fear of want, of penury, and such like, and learn thou to trust God, as for salvation, so for other good things.

There is yet further matter of instruction offered to us from this inference of the Apostle, How shall he not with him give us all things also? And in the next place observe we, the Apostle here saith, How shall not God with Christ give us all things? as if he had said, It cannot be but that God will together with Christ freely give us both all the benefits of Christ, and all other good things of this life which he in his wisdom sees meet and good for us. Now hence note we thus much.

That Christ and the benefits of Christ cannot be severed: [Doct. 6] they are never found asunder, they ever go together. To whom God gives Christ, to them also he gives all the benefits of Christ: and whosoever he be that hath Christ, he hath also the benefits of Christ, and he is partaker of all the benefits of Christ, and that truly and really, and they are truly and really his; even whatsoever Christ did or suffered as Mediator God and man, it is by the covenant of grace truly and really his who is one with Christ, and who hath Christ himself. John. 6.40. It is the will of him that sent me, that every man which seeth the Son (saith Christ) and believeth in him, should have everlasting life, and I will raise him at the last day. It is the will of my Father, that he should be partaker of all my benefits, that concern his justification, and his eternal happiness and salvation. 1. John. 5.12. it is said, He that hath the Son hath life: he that hath Christ the Son of God, he hath all the benefits of Christ that concern life and salvation, and they are truly and really his, even wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption: as they are reckoned up, 1. Cor. 1.30. This I note in a word: it meets with some erroneous conceits of the Papists. [Use.]

First, that they affirm that the wicked eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood in the Sacrament: and if they so do, they must needs have Christ himself, and be partakers of the benefits of Christ, John. 6.54. and yet they shut them out from all the benefits of Christ, and from eternal life.

Again, they affirm that the imputation of Christ his righteousness to true believers is but a fancy. We hold that Christ his righteousness is truly and really imputed to every true believer: they say it is but a putatiue justice, so they scornfully term it, and a mere supposed imputation, and a mere imagination. They are deceived, the truth now delivered bears down this erroneous conceit of theirs. Such as have Christ, as all true believers have, they being one with Christ by a most near and real union, Even flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, as Ephes. 5.30. certainly they have all the benefits of Christ; and it must needs be that all the graces and benefits of Christ do truly and really belong to them, and they are truly really partakers of the infinite merits of Christ his death, and of his obedience.

Now in a second place, in that the Apostle here saith, With him: that is, with Christ, even together with Christ God gives to true believers not only all the benefits of Christ, but all other good things of this life that he sees meet and necessary for them. God gives Christ to his chosen, to true believers, and together with him all other good things: we are given to understand thus much.

[Doct. 7] That only they, and none but they who have Christ, have true spiritual right and title to the good things of this life. Men may have temporal good things, and they may have them in great abundance without Christ, but they have no just spiritual right and title to them, neither can they have any true comfort in them or from them: only they, and none but they who truly believe in Christ, and that have Christ, they only have true spiritual right & title to the good things of this life, and only they have a comfortable use of them, & true comfort in them and from them. And to this purpose serves that, 1. Cor. 3.21.22. where the Apostle having put it down in the general, All things are yours: you believing in Christ, and Christ being yours, or you having Christ, all things are yours: and then reckoning up particulars, he names the world, The world is yours, even the whole frame of the world and all the good creatures in it are yours, you are the right owners of the world; and though you be not possessed of the world, yet in Christ you have just right & title to the world, and to all the good things that be in the world. Galat. 3.29. saith the Apostle, If ye be Christ's; if ye belong to Christ, and Christ be yours, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs by promise: then are ye heirs of God, and have right and title to all the good things promised in the covenant, then are ye heirs with Abraham both of heaven and of earth. And hence it is that the Apostle saith, Godliness hath the promise of the life present, and of that which is to come. Such as are godly, and none are truly so but such as are in Christ, and have Christ who is the root of true godliness, they have the promise of all good things, not only of the life to come, but also of this life present, they only, and none but they have true spiritual right and title to the good things of this life, they only have true comfort in them and from them: and the ground of this truth is.

Because man who was once Lord of all creatures, [Reason.] having forfeited and lost that privilege, and that right and title by the fall of Adam, it is restored only to all true believers, to all that truly believe in Christ the Son of God, whom God hath made heir of all things, Hebr. 1.2. And true believers are joint heirs, or heirs annexed to Christ, verse 17. of this Chapter: and therefore doubtless only they, and none but they who have Christ, have true spiritual right and title to the good things of this life; and only they, and none but they [Use 1] have the comfortable use of them, and have true comfort in them and from them.

Now then for the use, first this ground of truth serves to discover that they deceive themselves who think that God hath bl • ssed them with the good things of this life that they enjoy, and yet they have not Christ; it is an usual speech, it often breaks out of the mouths of worldlings, of earthwormes, of userers and such like, who have scraped together abundance of wealth, that God hath blessed them with that abundance. They are deceived, the gold and silver, and the good things of this life they do enjoy without Christ (and it cannot be that they have Christ, living in known gross sins as they do) are not blessings to them, but rather curses and snares to them, and they are but given them to leave them without excuse at the day of judgment, and do add weight to their judgment, to make their condemnation heavier and deeper in hell. And take thou notice of it whosoever thou art, thou mayest have temporal good things without Christ, but alas thou hast no true spiritual right to them, thou hast them but as a thief hath a true man's purse, and what shall it profit the thief to have it, when he shall come to hold up his hand for it at the bar? If thou have not Christ, thou art but an usurper of the good things of this life thou dost possess by a lawful civil right, and thou shalt one day be accountable for them, yea for every bit of bread thou hast to put into thy mouth, for every rag thou hast to put on thy back. Yea consider with thyself, if thou have not Christ, and yet hast gold, silver, house, land, and such like, thou art but an intruder into the right, not of a mortal man but of the Son of God, even into the right of the Lord Jesus, God's heir of all things: he is Lord of the whole world, and of all things in it; and assure thyself, thou shalt one day pay dear for thy intruding, the recompense of the wrong done to him will one day fall heavy on thee. And what an heavy account have they to make, who have abundance of outward good things and yet have not Christ? they shall one day cast away their gold and silver, and wish they had never gone beyond the spade or shouell: and what an heavy account have they to [Use 2] make who have abundance of wealth and riches, and do abuse them?

Again for a second use: is it so that only they, and none but they who have Christ, have true spiritual right and title to the good things of this life, and only they, and none but they have a comfortable use of them, and true comfort in them? Here is then matter of comfort for such as have Christ, in regard of the good things of this life they do enjoy: have they little or have they much of the good things of this life, it is their own, and they have true spiritual right and title to it. Art thou a member of Christ? Hast thou Christ? and hast thou abundance of good things of this life well gotten, and cast on thee by the good hand and providence of God? That abundance is thine own, and it is truly comfortable to thee. Or hast thou little, but from hand to mouth? that little is better to thee then the great abundance that worldlings have who have not Christ, they shall be accountable for their abundance, and they have an heavy account to make for it: but thy little is truly thine, thou hast true right to it, even before God; and not only in the courts of men, but also in the high Court of heaven, and thou mayest comfortably use it. If thou hast but brown bread, or a dinner of green herbs, as Solomon speaks, Prov. 15.17. with Christ, it is better then a stalled ox, and the greatest dainties in the world without Christ. If thou know thyself by faith to be a member of Christ, his right gives thee right and title to the good creatures of God thou dost enjoy, and thou mayest lawfully use them for thy necessity, yea sometimes for thy honest delight; the beauty, sweetness, and comfort of them belongs to thee, and thou mayest eat with peace and drink with peace, so as it be with moderation and thanksgiving to God, and thou mayest with peace and comfort possess and use gold and silver, and other good things of this life the Lord is pleased to cast on thee by his good hand and providence: think on that to thy comfort.

One thing yet remains to be noted from these words, How shall he not with him give us all things also? the word signifying (as we have shown) freely give us all things: hence [Doct. 8] it is clear.

That the good things of this life, that true believers and they who have Christ do enjoy, are the free gift of God, they are given to them of God freely, and without any merit or desert of their own. Christ teacheth this plainly, Matth. 6.11. where he bids such as are able truly to call God Father, thus to pray, Give us this day our daily bread. God's children must pray to God their Father to give them every morsel of bread they stand in need of, and every bit of bread they have to use is the mere and free gift of God without any desert of theirs. It is then a good argument, [Use.] a child of God cannot merit the least bit of bread to put into his mouth, therefore he cannot merit and deserve heaven. This argument being used by a reverend Divine now with the Lord, the Papists scoff at it, and they seek to shift it off, but they are not able to avoid the force and dint of it, all is God's free gift to his children to the least bit of bread they have to put into their mouths, and therefore without question they cannot merit heaven. And though we be the children of God, and have true spiritual right and title in Christ to the good things of this life, yet we are to acknowledge every bit of bread we have to put into our mouths, and every rag we have to put on our backs to be the free gift of God, and we are to praise him for it, and to be thankful to his holy Majesty for the same, and we are to use the good things of this life we do enjoy, to the honor and glory of God the giver of them; and to honor God with our riches, Prov. 3.9. that is our duty. Come we now to thee 33. and 34. verses.

Our Apostle having in the verse foregoing armed the believing Romans and other true believers, against the assault and temptation that might arise from the want of good things, and made known to them they need not fear the want of any good thing needful for them, God having given them Christ his Son, he now begins to arm and strengthen them against the assaults and temptations that might come from the presence of evil things, and he opposeth to the particular assaults that might trouble and disquiet them touching the presence of evil things, contrary grounds of comfort: and this he doth from this 33. verse to the end of the Chapter. I will God willing lay forth the grounds of comfort opposed to the particular assaults, as we shall come to them. In these two verses 33. and 34. the Apostle pus down a ground of comfort that might come from the evil of sin, and he shows that the evil of sin cannot hurt God's chosen, either in regard of accusation, or in respect of condemnation. First in regard of accusation, he affirms verse 33. that God's chosen are not to fear any accuser, any that can accuse them for their sins, which he puts down by way of interrogation, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen? And then against the fear of accusation for their sins, he opposeth a strong reason, as a ground of comfort, because God justifieth them, and therefore no accusation for sin need to be feared: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen? It is God that justifieth, saith the Apostle. In regard of condemnation he likewise affirms verse 34. that God's chosen are not to fear that any shall condemn them for their sins. Who shall condemn, saith the Apostle: as if he had said, None shall, or none can condemn. And then he also opposeth to the fear of condemnation this reason and particular ground of comfort, because Christ is dead: It is Christ which is dead. Which he further enlargeth by Christ his resurrection, and his sitting at the right hand of God, and his intercession: It is Christ which is dead, yea or rather which is risen again, who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request also for us. But to keep within the compass of verse 33. two things in general are laid before us in that verse. First this proposition: None can lay anything to the charge of God's chosen, delivered by way of interrogation, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen? Secondly the reason of it, because God justifieth them, Who can lay anything to their charge? It is God that justifieth.

Let us now a little stand to examine the words of this verse touching the sense and meaning of them. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen? as if he had said, none shall, or none can, neither man nor devil, none either in heaven, in earth, or in hell, is able to do it. Lay anything to the charge of God's chosen. These words are metaphorical, borrowed and taken from civil courts, and the verb 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , used in the original, properly signifieth to call one into law, to enter action or suite against him in some open Court, to endite him, to accuse him with some evil, and to charge him with some crime before a Judge: and so the meaning of the Apostle is this, None is able to indite God's chosen, or to accuse them, or to charge them with any crime before the tribunal and judgment seat of God, so as they are not able there to prevail against them by their inditement or accusation, and to convince them as guilty of any crime. Indeed God's chosen have many accusers, and many there be that are ready to charge sin on them; but the words of the Apostle carry this sense, None are able in truth to fasten any crime or any guiltiness on them. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen? that is, of such as God hath in his eternal love, elected and chosen, and set apart before the foundation of the world, as Ephes. 1.4. to eternal life, they now truly believing in Christ; for those the Apostle here calls God's chosen, whom before he said were fore-known of God, predestinate, and called according to his purpose. It is God that justifieth: the words are in the original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , God justifying, or God who justifieth, and some read these words by way of interrogation thus: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen, shall God who justifieth? but that reading obscures the sense, and the words are better thus read, It is God that justifieth. The word justify is diversely taken in the Scripture, there be two special significations of the word, as first it signifies to acknowledge or to declare one to be just; and in this sense it is taken, Matth. 12.37. By thy words thou art justified, that is, by thy words thou shalt be declared to be just, for words do not make but declare a man to be just or unjust. So Luke 7.29. it is said, The people that heard Christ, and the publicans justified God, which must be understood thus, they acknowledged God to be just, or they approved the justice of God.

Secondly, the word justify, is a judicial term, borrowed from the Courts of justice, & it signifies a judicial act, namely, to absolve, and to acquit in judgment, or to pronounce innocent in judgment: in which sense the word is used, Acts 13.39. And from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses, by him is justified: that is, absolved or cleared. The words can signify no other thing thē absolution from sin, and in this sense is the word here used by the Apostle: and that is clear, in that he here sets it against accusing and condemning, which are two acts of judgment, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen, and who shall condemn? It is God that justifieth: and so his meaning is, It is God who doth absolve and acquit his chosen now believing in Christ, from the guilt of all their sins, and doth account or pronounce them innocent and just in his sight through Christ his Son. Thus then conceive we the Apostles meaning in the words of this verse, as if he had said.

Who is able to accuse them whom God hath chosen, and set apart before the foundation of the world to life eternal, now truly believing in Christ, or to charge them with any crime before the judgment seat of God, so as they are able there to make their accusation good, and there to prevail against them, by their accusation to convince them as guilty of any crime? Surely none, either in heaven, in earth, or in hell, is able to do it, for it is God who doth absolve and acquit them from the guilt of all their sins, and doth account or pronounce them innocent and just in his sight through Christ his Son.

Now first in that the Apostle saith, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen? they being justified of God: hereby he implies, that God's chosen now believing in Christ, and justified in the sight of God, are liable to be accused, and to have sin laid to their charge. The Apostle doth not here exempt God's chosen, now believing in Christ, and justified by Christ, altogether from accusation, and from all trouble in respect of sin, but from being hurt by any accusation for their sins: he saith none is able to lay any sin to them, so as they can prevail against them by their accusation before God's tribunal. Hence then we may gather in the first place.

[Doct. 1] That God's chosen, now believing in Christ, and justified in the sight of God, are not in such a state and condition as that they are altogether free from being accused for sin, and from having sin and the guiltiness of sin charged on them, and from being troubled in regard of sin. The best of God's children, and justified persons in this world, are liable to be accused as guilty of sin, and to have sin and guiltiness charged on them, and to be troubled with the guiltiness of sin. Revel. 12.10. Satan is called the accuser of the brethren, and he is said to accuse them before God day and night. He is busy in accusing the best of God's children, and justified persons, and in charging sin on their souls, and in troubling their consciences with the guiltiness of sin day and night. He accused Job to God, even contrary to God's own testimony, and he charged him to be but an hypocrite, and that he served God only in regard of God's gifts and blessings bestowed on him, Job 1.9.10. Doth Job serve God for naught? Hast thou not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the works of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. It is an ordinary thing for the world, and the men of the world to traduce God's children and justified persons, and to charge on them foul sins, as to accuse them to be hypocrites, proud persons, covetous persons: yea wicked men will sift God's children, as a man sifts his corn, and as narrowly search into their words and deeds as Laban did into Jacob's stuff, Genes. 31.33. to see if they can spy out anything whereof to accuse them, and when they can find nothing, they will invent false things, and on shadows of evil be bold to accuse them; witness Joseph, Genes. 39.14. Jeremiah, Jer. 37.13. Amos, Amos 7.10. A cloud of witnesses we have of this kind: Christ himself was thus dealt withal, Matth. 26.61. and so Stephen, Paul and Silas, and many others; yea the conscience of God's children and justified persons are ready to charge sin on them, and they are sometimes troubled in their consciences, not only for sins lately committed, but for sins they have done many years before, and now truly repented of. Psal. 25.7. David desires the Lord not to remember the sins of his youth, nor his rebellions. We see then that God's children and justified persons are in no such state and condition in this world, as that they are altogether exempt from accusation for sin. No, [Reason.] the Lord will have them (which may be the ground of this truth) in this kind exercised to have sin and the guiltiness of sin charged on them by Satan, by the world, and sometimes by their own consciences, for many good ends, as to work in them more fear, and more wariness against it, and to make them the more heedful of Satan's sleights, and to gather more strength against him to prevent sins they might otherwise fall into, and sometimes to make them more fit to comfort others being troubled for sin, that they may comfort others with the comforts wherewith themselves have been comforted. 2. Cor. 1.4. And therefore doubtless the best of God's children, justified persons, are in this world liable to be accused as guilty of sin, and to have sin and guiltiness of sin charged on them, and to be troubled with the guiltiness of sin.

[Use 1] Now then for the use, first this truth gives a check to the rash judgment of the world touching God's children in regard of the accusation and trouble of mind for sin. Men of the world presently judge the state of God's children not good, because they are accused as guilty of sin, and because the mouths of many are open against them, and do charge them with pride, with hypocrisy, and like sins they are never able to prove: and especially if they see or know a child of God troubled in mind and conscience for sin, then they fly on them and conclude; certainly he is but an hypocrite, and God hath found him out: the truth now delivered discovers this to be rash judgment, and meets with it. A child of God, a justified person, is in no such state and condition in this world, as that he is freed from accusation, and from trouble of mind for sin; though he be freed from the venom, poison, and bitterness of it, as afterwards we shall see, yet he is not freed from the thing it self. And know, it is no good argument: the state of such an one is not good, because men charge him with hypocrisy; or because he is troubled in this world for sin, therefore he is an hypocrite: no, no, one may be troubled in this world, yea much terrified and grievously perplexed, and yet be a dear child of God, a justified person, and be acquitted from the guilt of sin in God's sight. Yea know it for a truth, one may be so grievously troubled in this world for sin, as it may force him to show forth strange behavior, as David saith, Psal. 38.8. He roared after the manner of a beast, and yet be a dear child of God, and one justified in the sight of God. And therefore take we heed we judge not any one to be in a bad state and condition, when we see the course of his life to be holy and good, only because he is now troubled in mind and conscience for sin. A child of God may be troubled, yea so troubled, as he may be stirred up to impatiency, and may show forth strange behavior, yea he may die showing forth strange behavior, and yet we are not hereupon to judge him an hypocrite, or forsaken of God, and out of God's favor: if we so do, we judge rashly.

And for a second use, on this ground of truth now delivered, [Use 2] learn thou whosoever thou art, thou having good evidence of the work of grace in thine own heart with power, learn thou, I say, not to judge thyself in a bad state and condition only because thy mind is troubled for thy sins, and thou canst not come to that quietness of conscience thou desirest: do not thou thus reason, If I were a justified person, if I were in the favor of God, surely I should have peace with God, Rom. 5.1. and my conscience would then be at quiet, I should have that peace and that quietness of mind that I see others of God's children have, but alas I cannot find that peace in mine own soul, and therefore I doubt my state is not good. Oh take heed of this kind of reasoning, and know, though it be so that such as are justified by faith in Christ have peace towards God, yet a child of God, a justified person, hath not that peace at all times alike and without any interruption. No, no, the best of God's children have their turbida interualla, their troubled fits, as it were anguish fits, sometimes sweet and gracious feelings, much peace and quietness of mind and conscience, and sometimes again trouble of mind and disquietness, and a just complaining of the want of feeling of God's favor. This is the state of the best of God's children in this world, they are subject to trouble of mind and conscience for sin: and therefore do not thou think thy state is not good, only because thy mind is troubled, and thou canst not come to that quietness of conscience thou desirest. If thou feel grace truly wrought in thee, and there is a true change in thy soul, then comfo • t thyself in this, the Lord will excuse thee under that trouble of mind for a time, and in his good time he will fill thine heart with abundance of peace and comfort, and joy in believing; fear it not but let that be thy comfort.

In the next place, in that the Apostle saith, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's chosen? that is, as we shown, none is able to accuse God's chosen now believing in Christ, and to charge any sin on them, so as they can prevail against them by any accusation, so as they can convince them as guilty of sin before the tribunal and judgment seat of God: and then he subjoins this reason and ground of it, It is God that justifieth: because God doth acquit and absolve them from all their sins, and accounts them just in his sight through Christ his Son. The Apostles proposition here laid down before us, being thus considered, together with the reason and ground of it, it affordeth this point.

[Doct. 2] That God's chosen now believing in Christ, and justified of God, God justifying them in and through Christ his Son, they cannot be hurt by any accusation that can be laid against them before the judgment seat of God. No accusation for sin brought against true believers, now justified of God through Christ his Son, either by the devil, or by the world, or by their own consciences, can hurt them, or prevail against them; they need not fear the accusation of any enemy whatsoever for their sins, that the accusation shall hurt them before the judgment seat of God. We read Isai. 50.8. the Prophet brings in Christ thus speaking, He is near that justifieth, who will contend with me? Let us stand together, who is mine adversary? Let him come near to me. Thus doth Christ challenge all his enemies, that none of them is able to contend with him, or to lay anything to his charge, as he said of the Jews, John. 8.46. Which of you can rebuke me of sin? And thus may any member of Christ, as Christ the head might do it, so he being justified of God in and through Christ, challenge all his enemies and say: God is near to me, who shall contend with me? who can lay anything to my charge, so as his accusation may hurt me, or prevail against me? Isai. 38.17. Hezekiah saith, The Lord had cast all his sins behind his back. And Psal. 103.2.3. David stirs up his soul to praise the Lord, and not to forget his benefits, who forgave him all his iniquity, and healed all his infirmities. And thus it is with all true believers and justified persons, they being justified of God; God justifying them through Christ his Son, they are freed from the guilt of all their sins, so as no accusation brought against them for any sin by any enemy whatsoever, can possibly hurt them or prevail against them before the judgment seat of God: for why,

To God alone are his chosen indebted by their sins, as [Reason 1] David saith, Psal. 51.4. Against thee, against thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight. And God's chosen, now believing in Christ, are taught by Christ himself to pray to God only for the pardon of their sins, Mat. 6.12. Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. God only hath power to forgive the debt of sin, as he saith by his Prophet, Isai. 43.25. I, even I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. And therefore God remitting the debt of sin to his chosen, who can justly charge it on them?

Again, God is the highest Judge, and his tribunal his [Reason 2] judgment seat is the supreme judgment seat from which no appeal can be made. And as amongst men such persons as are accused in some open court may appeal till they come to the highest court, and if there they be acquitted and pronounced innocent, they hold themselves safe enough, none can after that call them into question for the same thing: so God being the highest Judge, and his tribunal being the supreme judgment seat, his chosen being there absolved and acquitted from the guilt of all their sins by God himself, they need not fear what any accuser can lay to their charge. And therefore doubtless God's chosen now believing in Christ, and justified of God, God justifying them in and through Christ his Son, they cannot be hurt by any accusation for sin that can be brought against them, and they need not fear any accuser, or any accusation for their sins that they shall be charged withal before the judgment seat of God. But some may say, True believers, justified persons, [Object.] have sin still abiding in them, and they sin daily, and may be truly charged with sin before the judgment seat of God, and God is a just God, and he cannot account sinners to be just, He makes not the wicked innocent, Exod. 34.7. how then cannot they be hurt by any accusation laid against them for their sins?

I answer. [Answ.] Though justified persons have sin still abiding in them, and they sin daily, and sin may be justly charged on them before the judgment seat of God, and God sees sin in them; it is but a conceit that God sees no sin in justified persons, and God is most just, and cannot account them innocent as they are in themselves, and as he looks on them in themselves: yet we must know, that God looks on justified persons in and through Christ, who hath fully satisfied for their sins, and so in and through Christ they are acquitted from all their sins, and they cease to be sinners in regard of guiltiness. And thus as the Apostle saith, Rom. 4.5. God justifieth the ungodly: that is, God acquitteth such as are ungodly in themselves, and have ungodliness in themselves, looking on them in Christ his Son, who hath fully satisfied for their sins.

[Object.] Why then (will some say) what need justified persons crave pardon of their sins? if true believers and justified persons be acquitted of God from the guilt of all their sins, what need they daily to crave pardon of their sins?

I answer [Answ.] again. True believers and justified persons have need daily to crave pardon of sin, though they be acquitted of God from the guilt of all their sins, because they daily commit new sins, and though those new sins be forgiven of God, and with God they are accounted as if they had not been done in regard of the guiltiness, he still looking on their persons in Christ, yet in respect of themselves, and of the actual being of those sins, they are day by day actually remitted. And again, the assurance that true believers have of the pardon of their sins, is but weak, and had need to be further strengthened, and they are to pray for the pardon of their sins more and more to strengthen them in the assurance of the pardon of those sins they daily commit, and of all their other sins. And therefore this still remains a truth, that God's chosen now believing in Christ, and justified of God, God justifying them in and through Christ his Son, they cannot be hurt by any accusation for sin that can be brought against them before the judgment seat of God, and they need not fear any accuser or any accusation laid against them before God's judgment seat, either by the devil, or by the world, or by their own consciences for their sins. What folly then is it either in the devil, or in the [Use 1] world, and men of the world, to accuse God's children, justified persons, and to charge foul things on them? they do but therein show themselves malicious against God's children, they cannot hurt them or prevail against them before the judgment seat of God. And know it whosoever thou art, thou charging foul things on God's children, and on such as give good evidence that they are true believers, in so doing thou dost but play the devils part, who is styled the accuser of the brethren. Thou wilt say, I know the party to be guilty of that sin that I charge on him. Yea but it may be the party hath truly repented of that sin, [Answ.] and God hath forgiven his sin: and as it was said to Peter, Act. 10.15. That which God hath cleansed do not thou account unclean: so do not thou charge sin on him whom it may be God hath acquitted; set not thou a curse where thou seest the print of God's blessing, do not thou load him with an heavy burden, whom God (for anything thou knowest) hath disburdened: if thou so do, thou makest thyself odious in the sight of God. Prov. 17.15. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, especially whom God hath justified, they are abomination to the Lord, they are odious to the Lord.

Now, is it so that God's chosen, now believing in Christ, [Use 2] and justified of God, God justifying them in and through Christ his Son, they cannot be hurt by any accusation for sin that can be brought against them before the judgment seat of God, and they need not fear any accuser or any accusation laid against them before the judgment seat of God for their sins, that they shall be hurt by that accusation? Here is then ground of sweet and of heavenly comfort to as many as truly believe in Christ, and are justified in the sight of God. This truth tells them they are in a most blessed state and condition; as