SERM. understand,) or in case you will lay hold upon and IV. apply to yourselves his son's righteousness, by which

he hath procured of the king his father this mercy and favour for you, (not only being persuaded that he hath performed thus much for you, this is not enough;) do you think these messengers should thus well express themselves, or perform their message handsomely and with advantage? Should not they do much better, laying aside such words of metaphor and mystery, to speak in plain language; telling them, that their king's son (by plain characters discernible to be truly such) was come among them upon such an intention; that if they would acknowledge him, and undertake thereafter to obey him, they should receive a full pardon, with divers other great favours and advantages thereby? The case is apparently so like to that which stands between God and man, and doth so fully resemble the nature of the evangelical dispensation, that I need not make any application, or use any more argument to refute that notion: I shall only say, that I conceive these new phrases, for such they are, not known to ancient Christians, nor delivered, either in terms or sense, in scripture; for the places alleged in favour or proof of them by Ames, one of the first broachers of them, (all, we may presume, that they could find anywise seeming to favour their notion,) do not, as, if time would permit, might easily be shewed, import any such thing, but are strangely misapplied-that, I say, these phrases do much obscure the nature of this great duty, and make the state of things in the gospel more difficult and dark than it truly is; and thereby seem to be of bad consequence, being apt to beget in people both dangerous presumptions and

IV.

sad perplexities: for they hearing that they are only, SERM. or mainly bound to have such a recumbency upon Christ, or to make such an application of his righteousness, they begin (accordingly as they take themselves to be directed) to work their minds to it; and when they have hit upon that posture of fancy, which they guess to suit their teachers' meaning, then they become satisfied, and conceit they believe well, although perhaps they be ignorant of the principles of the Christian faith, and indisposed to obey the precepts of our Lord. Sometimes, on the other side, although they well understand, and are persuaded concerning the truth of all necessary Christian doctrines, and are well disposed to observe God's commandments, yet because they cannot tell whether they apprehend Christ's person dexterously, or apply to themselves his righteousness in the right manner, as is prescribed to them, (of which it is no wonder that they should doubt, since it is so hard to know what the doing so means,) they become disturbed and perplexed in their minds; questioning whether they do believe or no. Thus by these notions (or phrases rather) are some men tempted fondly to presume, and other good people are wofully discouraged by them; both being thence diverted, or withdrawn from their duty: whereas what it is to believe, as Christians anciently did understand it, and as we have assayed to explain it, is very easy to conceive; and the taking it so, can have no other than very good influence upon practice, as both reason (as we have insinuated) shews, and the scripture largely and plainly affirms. But let thus much suffice for the inquiry concerning the genuine nature and notion of faith proper to this

SERM. place, (that faith by which in this text we are said IV. to be justified:) the other particulars I cannot so much as touch upon at this time.

5th Sunday after Easter.

14th Sun

day after Trinity.

I end with those good prayers of our church:

O Lord, from whom all good things do come, grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good; and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting Lord, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I Believe, &c

SERMON V.

OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.

ROM. v. 1.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

V.

In order to the understanding of these words, I SERM. did formerly propound divers particulars to be considered and discussed: the first was, What that faith is, by which Christians are said to be justified? This I have despatched: the next is, What justification doth import? The which I shall 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 canvassed with so much vehemence of dissension and strife.

In former times, among the fathers and the schoolmen, there doth not appear to have been any difference or debate about it; because, as it seems, men commonly having the same apprehensions about mì λığıthe matters, to which the word is applicable, did dixcodonot so much examine or regard the strict propriety of expression concerning them: consenting in things, they did not fall to cavil and contend about the ex

yuv. Naz.

SERM. act meaning of words. They did indeed consider

V.

stantis et

cadentis ecclesiæ. Luth.

distinctly no such point of doctrine as that of justification, looking upon that word as used incidentally in some places of scripture, for expression of points more clearly expressed in other terms; wherefore they do not make much of the word, as some divines now do.

But in the beginning of the Reformation, when the discovery of some great errors (from the corrupArticulus tion and ignorance of former times) crept into vogue, rendered all things the subjects of contention, and multiplied controversies, there did arise hot disputes about this point; and the right stating thereof seemed a matter of great importance; nor scarce was any controversy prosecuted with greater zeal and earnestness: whereas yet (so 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 questions depending, chiefly seem to consist about the manner of expressing things, which all agree in; or about the extent of the signification of words capable of larger or stricter acception : whence the debates about this point, among all sober and intelligent persons, might, as I conceive, easily be resolved or appeased, if men had a mind to agree, and did not love to wrangle; if at least a consent in believing the same things, although under some difference of expression, would content them, so as to forbear strife.

To make good which observation, tending as well to the illustration of the whole matter, as to the stating and decision of the controversies about it, let us consider the several divine acts, to which the