SERM. guiding may perform the fame, through our Lord Jefus IV. Chrift. Amen.

14th Sun

Almighty and everlasting Lord, give unto us the increase day after of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promife, make us to love that which thou doft command, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

Trinity.

I Believe, &c.

SERMON V.

OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.

ROM. V. I.

Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift.

:

V.

In order to the understanding of these words, I did for- SERM. merly propound divers particulars to be confidered and difcuffed the firft was, What that Faith is, by which Christians are faid to be justified? This I have difpatched the next is, What Juftification doth import? The which I fhall now endeavour to explain; and I am concerned to perform it with the more care and diligence, because the right notion of this term hath in latter times been canvaffed with fo much vehemence of diffenfion and ftrife.

In former times, among the Fathers and the Schoolmen, there doth not appear to have been any difference or debate about it; becaufe, as it seems, men commonly having the fame apprehenfions about the matters, to ni which the word is applicable, did not fo much examine di or regard the ftrict propriety of expreffion concerning them: confenting in things, they did not fall to cavil and contend about the exact meaning of words. They did in

yuv. Naz.

SERM. deed confider distinctly no such point of doctrine as that of V. juftification, looking upon that word as used incidentally in fome places of Scripture, for expreffion of points more clearly expreffed in other terms; wherefore they do not make much of the word, as fome divines now do.

ftantis et

cadentis

Luth.

But in the beginning of the Reformation, when the difcovery of fome great errors (from the corruption and ignorance of former times) crept into vogue, rendered all Articulus things the fubjects of contention, and multiplied controverfies, there did arife hot disputes about this point; and Ecclefiæ. the right stating thereof feemed a matter of great importance; nor scarce was any controverfy prosecuted with greater zeal and earneftnefs: whereas yet (fo far as I can discern) about the real points of doctrine, whereto this word, according to any sense pretended, may relate, there hardly doth appear any material difference; and all the queftions depending, chiefly feem to confift about the manner of expreffing things, which all agree in; or about the extent of the fignification of words capable of larger or ftricter acception: whence the debates about this point, among all fober and intelligent perfons, might, as I conceive, eafily be refolved or appeased, if men had a mind to agree, and did not love to wrangle; if at least a confent in believing the fame things, although under some difference of expreffion, would content them, fo as to forbear ftrife.

To make good which obfervation, tending as well to the illuftration of the whole matter, as to the stating and decifion of the controverfies about it, let us confider the feveral Divine acts, to which the term Juftification is, according to any fense pretended, applicable: I fay Divine acts; for that the Juftification we treat of is an act of God fimple or compound (in fome manner) respecting, or terminated upon man, is evident, and will not, I suppose, be contefted; the words of St. Paul in feveral places fo Rom. viii. clearly declaring it; as in that, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; Rom. iv. 5. and in that, To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for right

33.

iii. 26.

eoufnefs. Now according to the tenor of Chriftian doc- SERM. trine fuch acts are these.

V.

1. God (in regard to the obedience performed to his will by his beloved Son, and to his interceffion) is fo reconciled to mankind, that unto every person, who doth fincerely believe the Gospel, and, repenting of his former bad life, doth seriously resolve thereafter to live according to it, he doth (upon the folemn obfignation of that faith, and profeffion of that resolution in baptifm) entirely remit all past offences, accepting his perfon, receiving him into favour; affuming him into the ftate of a loyal subject, a faithful fervant, a dutiful fon; and beftowing on him all the benefits and privileges fuitable to fuch a state; according to those paffages: It behoved Christ to sufferand that repentance and remiffion of fins should be preached 46, 47. in his name among all nations: Then Peter faid unto A&s ii. 38. them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins; and, To him give A&ts x. 43. all the Prophets witnefs, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remiffion of fins; and, God 2 Cor. v. was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their fins; and in other places innumerable.

Luke xxiv.

iii. 19. v. 31.

19.

Rom. iii.

24, 25.

2. As any perfon perfifting in that fincere faith, and ferious purpose of obedience, doth affuredly continue in that ftate of grace, and exemption from the guilt of fin; fo in cafe that, out of human frailty, fuch a perfon doth fall into the commiffion of fin, God (in regard to the fame performances and interceffions of his Son) doth, upon the confeffion and repentance of fuch a person, remit his fin, and retain him in or reftore him to favour; according to thofe fayings of St. John, If we confefs our fins, he is 1 John i. 9. faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteoufnefs: and, If any man fin, we have an 1John ii. 1. advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous.

3. To each person fincerely embracing the Gospel, and continuing in steadfast adherence thereto, God doth afford his Holy Spirit, as a principle productive of all inward fanctity and virtuous difpofitions in his heart, enabling alfo and quickening him to discharge the conditions of

14.

Gal. iv. 6.

SERM. faith and obedience required from him, and undertaken V. by him; that which is by fome termed making a person Rom. viii. juft, infufion into his foul of righteousness, of grace, of virtuous habits; in the Scripture ftyle it is called acting 1 Cor. ii. 12. by the Spirit, beftowing the gift of the Holy Ghoft, renova2 Tim. ii. 7. tion of the Holy Ghoft, creation to good works, fanctification Rom.viii.9. by the Spirit, &c. which phrases denote partly the collation of a principle enabling to perform good works, partly the design of religion tending to that performance.

Acts ii. 38.

Tit. iii. 5. (Eph. ii. 22.)

Eph. ii. 10. iv. 23.

Now all these acts (as by the general confent of Chriftians, and according to the fenfe of the ancient Catholic Church, fo) by all confiderable parties seeming to diffent, and fo earnestly difputing about the point of juftification, are acknowledged and afcribed unto God; but with which of them the act of justification is folely or chiefly coincident; whether it fignifieth barely fome one of them, or extendeth to more of them, or comprehendeth them all, (according to the conftant meaning of the word in Scripture,) are queftions coming under debate, and fo eagerly profecuted: of which questions whatever the true refolution be, it cannot methinks be of fo great confequence, as to cause any great anger or animofity in Diffenters one toward another, seeing they all confpire in avowing the acts, whatever they be, meant by the word Juftification, although in other terms; feeing all the dif pute is about the precife and adequate notion of the word Juftification: whence those questions might well be waved as unneceffary grounds of contention; and it might suffice to understand the points of doctrine which it relateth to in other terms, laying that afide as ambiguous and litigious. Yet because the understanding the rightest, or moft probable notion of the word, may fomewhat conduce to the interpretation of the Scriptures, and to clearing the matters couched in it, fomewhat also to the fatisfaction of perfons confiderate and peaceable, I fhall employ fome care faithfully (without partiality to any fide) to fearch it out, and declare it: in order whereto I fhall propound fome observations, seeming material.

I. Whereas it were not hard to speak much, and criti