himself, a Lamb without blemish, and a spotless sacrifice to God, and always did those things that pleased him. John viii. 29. And of the same everlasting righteousness must every true believer partake in himself, by the same eternal spirit by which the saints were both washed, cleansed, sanctified, and justified. 1 Cor. vi. 11. The same eternal spirit, the same power, the same righteousness, the same holiness, the same faith, the same love, the same patience, &c. that was in Christ, do they partake of, who truly follow him and walk in his steps, having his life manifest in them, and having received the spirit of the Son, which receives of his things, and giveth them to those who walk after the spirit, and not after the flesh. Obj. "What can we give to God for our souls, proportionable to so great a loss, to so great suffering? Sanctification and holiness? or a little faith, and the works that follow? This is likely to do!" Answer. A groundless objection, in the first place; no man can redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him; for the redemption of the soul is precious, and that which cannot be procured without a price of infinite value. Christ gave himself a ransom for all. It is Christ himself that ransoms, saves and redeems the soul to God, and that through. sanctification, or washing of regeneration; and Christ is made unto us who believe in him, both righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. However, this man undervalues sanctification and a little faith; and though it be the gift of God to us, (and not ours to him,) and the saints' victory, we have not given to God the ransom nor the price. He loved us first, and therefore we love and believe in him. And, in this was manifested the love of God towards us, because he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him." 1 John iv. p. 101. Again though the phrase "merit of Christ's blood and sufferings," is not a scripture phrase; yet the worth and value thereof, with respect to man's salvation, we never disesteemed, since we knew the true and spiritual application, virtue, and effeets of his blood, &c., through his light and spirit, to the purging our consciences, cleansing, and justifying. Which yet is an inward experience, not shut out nor put afar off by the true Church, whom God hath purchased with his own blood, not redeemed with corruptible things. but with the precious blood of Christ, which therefore is incorruptible. Acts xx. 28. 1. Pet. i. 17, 18. cited by S. S. But then he egregiously mistakes in saying, viz. "Let us then with Paul abhor all sanctification in us, all holiness, all works of faith whatever, as wrought by us, in comparison of what we spy by faith in Christ." p. 102. Answer. A very gross mistake and perversion; an abuse of Paul, and of those hearers to whom S. S. preaches such impious doctrine. It was not sanctification or holiness within, nor yet the works or obedience of faith, that Paul either abhorred or rejected for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, or that he might win Christ. But it was his former confidence in the flesh, his own self-righteousness, which was of the law, and all those things that had been deemed as gain to him, that he counted loss for Christ, and for whom he suffered the loss of all those things, and counted them but as dung, that he might win Christ. He could not so account of all sanctification or holiness, wrought by Christ within, nor of the works of faith. Phil. iii. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Can it be less than blasphemy, (as in this man's sense,) thus to present and read Paul? viz"I abhor all sanctification within, all holiness and works of faith; and I count them but all lost, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus; and have suffered the loss of all my inward holiness, sanctification, and works of faith, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ," &c. How unlike Paul, odious, and gross it is, thus to pervert his words, as to say, "Let us with Paul abbor all sanctification in us," &c. Neither doth Paul make any such difference or repugnancy between Christ's inward work of sanctification, and the excellency of his knowledge; nor between being in the faith, or obedience thereof, and being in Christ and his righteousness; but really desired that he might be found in Christ, not having" said he," mine own righteousness, which is of the law; but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Phil. iii. 9. So far was he from either putting the righteousness of faith afar off, or abhorring sanctification within, that he desired to have it and be possessed of it, as one found in Christ. Argu. 12, 13. "For that only doth God justify us, which doth suffice to turn away his wrath from us, and satisfy his justice for our transgression. But Christ's sufferings only," &c. Answer. I deny his minor, as it depends on the word" only ;" for then, why are not all those in the world justified, for whom Christ suffered and died? which was for all men. He tasted death for every man, for the sins of the whole world. And yet, he that believeth not on the Son bath not life, but the wrath of God abides upon him; therefore without faith, repentance, and. conversion, which are effects of Christ's inherent righteousness and work, the wrath is not turned away, nor are men justified. Obj."Let us then place no confidence in sanctification, holiness, faith, and the works that follow, as if these, (laying aside Christ's death on the cross,) could turn away God's wrath," &c. Reply. Herein he varies from his argument before, which was, that Christ's sufferings only can turn away wrath, justi fy," &c. Note, it is not sanctification, holiness, faith, &c. only, that can do it, without Christ's death, or laying it aside. But while he here implies, that sanctification, holiness, faith, &c., with respect to Christ's death, can turn away wrath, he hath contradicted his own argument before of Christ's sufferings only, which also cannot be slighted; nor his death made void, where true faith and sanctification in him are enjoyed. For therein Christ himself is enjoyed, and we dare not preach nor own such doctrine, as" to abhor all sanctification in us ;" nor the having no confidence in faith and sanctification, which are wrought in the soul by Christ Jesus. CHAPTER IV. Of satisfaction; some serious considerations further opening the doctrine and sense of our opposers. Obj. God will not justify us without full satisfaction to his justice for our sin." page 103, 104. Reply. And what kind of satisfaction is it, that he thinks this justice requires? We confess a satisfaction, or answering his good pleasure, in and by Christ Jesus; but about the manner of it, as supposed and stated, we differ. See how the man states it. He concludes it must be a punishing our fall." "1. From God's judgment. 2. God's truth. 3. God's will and purpose." What is his ground from these? See his answer, viz. 6 "1. God hath said, in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die.' 2. Cursed is he that continues not in all,'" &c. p. 104. Reply. God's truth is concerned in his gracious promises, both absolute and conditional, as well as in his conditional threats. And let it be considered, 1. That man's dying in the day he so eat, was the fruit of his fall into a state of misery, in dying from that state of righteousness and felicity he was in before; and it was the natural effect of his transgression; and yet not so as that God was absolutely bound to bring eternal death on man in that day. Nor was divine justice so narrowly tied up, or short sighted, as not to reserve a remedy, for God had the seed of the woman in his eye. And divine justice doth not require that eternal death, or the second death, shall remain upon any but the finally impenitent, who continue in sin under the power of the first death. For all those who return to God and receive Christ the promised seed, he proves to them both a just God and a Saviour. Neither justice nor the curse of the law can limit him from showing mercy, remission, or salvation to the creature, upon true repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, who overcomes the world and the evil nature, from whence those cursed actions have sprung, mentioned Deut. xxvii. 15, to the end of the chapter. And it is true, the Jews outward, who rejected the righteousness of faith, (that is received in the Spirit,) when Christ was set forth, and brought their righteousness from the letter of the law, did strictly and formally bring themselves under the curse thereof, when they continued not in all that was written. "But there is no condemnation, (or curse,) to them that are in Christ Jesus," [my opposer leaves out what follows, viz.]" that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. viii. 1. p. 106. Yet what the law saith, it saith to them that are under it, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." This law therefore, as thus convicting, is spiritual, and tends to man's conversion, in that it is to prepare him for mercy, which divine justice doth not hinder, nor detain the world under guilt. Divine truth being concerned in the gracious promises, which are yea and amen in the promised seed that ransoms man, slays the enmity, crucifies the transgressors, or first birth which must die, upon which the law and its sentence of death must pass. And man that is guilty must feel this in himself before he be delivered into that state wherein there is no condemnation, or be united to the Lord who kills and makes alive. So that neither justice nor truth in the law are frustrated; the law is not made void through faith, but established in the spirituality and purity of it; the righteousness of the law being fulfilled in them that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. And it is said, that "the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." (Rom. iii.) Christ came to condemn sin in the flesh;" and is "the end of the law for righteousness, to all them that believe," and not for the continuance of unrighteousness. And where sin is put an end to by Christ, the curse and condemnation of necessity ceaseth with it, and the righteousness of faith takes place in the soul. Obj.“ Adam hath sinned-we are by nature children of wrath in our own persons; we have failed, hence God's wrath is up against us, God burning in his wrath is ready to condemn us, to take vengeance on us, to consume us as fire; not to justify and acquit from our ill deserts, &c. If burning ten thousand millions of years in hell is not enough to turn away his wrath," &c. p. 102. Reply. Thus he hath defined divine justice, as he thinks, (which is further spoken to hereafter;) but upon whom does he suppose it must be thus satisfied? S. S. Justice is satisfied upon transgression." p. 103. Reply. Then upon rebellious transgressors, and not upon Christ, who was always innocent, and did the things well pleasing to the Father; and therefore divine justice could never burn, nor take such vengeance on him for satisfaction, and let the guilty go free; for to do so could not be justice. Satisfaction, as it relates to the undergoing the penalty of the law due for the injury done, justice can only require of the offender and guilty, for whom the law was made; not of the innocent or righteous, for whom the law was not made. But where then would be the mercy or forgiveness to the poor creature that hath sinned, if God were so engaged to burn in his wrath, and take the full vengeance upon lost man ? S. S. His truth engageth him to execute his justice in punishing sin, yea to the full; should mercy offer to pronounce any man absolved, his sin unpunished, truth would stop the mouth of mercy, and say, hold, I have * cursed," &c. p. 104. Reply. What strange and lamentable division would this inake in God! and how variable and in contrariety with himself? And how contrary to the testimonies of his faithful witnesses hath this man rendered God? As if absolute revenge and wrath towards all mankind did bear the sole sway in him over all, both his love, goodness, and mercy! Oh sad! Is not his mercy over all his works? and hath he not forgiveness in store, unto whom it is said, “who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, he retaineth not his fanger forever, because he delighteth in merey ?" Mica. vii. 18. "The Lord God merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin." Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. So that even in the law God's mercy and forgiveness, as well as his threats, were signified, which his truth must needs be concerned in. Is it not evident that God is not engaged under revenge, nor his mercy and truth divided or opposite, as this man renders him? For both must be received, and have their place where judgment and merey meet, and men through the law become dead unto the law, so as to know Christ to live in them, and through God's judgment and chastisements to find a ransom and an atonement. And God hath power to turn away wrath, as he doth upon men's true repentance, humiliation, and return to him; as when the king "humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him," 2 Chron. xii. 12. And also Hezekiah • Truth saith not this to Christ, but to the offenders. Deut. xxvii. 1 |