_But ye are justified._
The whole verse is: _And such were some of you; but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the
name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and by the Spirit of our GOD_.
IT has been objected by some, who dissent from, nay, I may add, by
others also, who actually are friends to the present ecclesiastical
establishment, that the ministers of the Church of _England_ preach
themselves, and not CHRIST JESUS the LORD; that they entertain their
people with lectures of mere morality, without declaring to them the
glad tidings of salvation by JESUS CHRIST. How well grounded such an
objection may be, is not my business to enquire: All I shall say at
present to the point is, that whenever such a grand objection is urged
against the whole body of the clergy in general, every honest minister
of JESUS CHRIST should do his utmost to cut off all manner of occasion,
from those who desire an occasion to take offence at us; that so by
hearing us continually sounding forth the word of truth, and declaring
with all boldness and assurance of faith, “that there is no other
name given under heaven, whereby they can be saved, but that of JESUS
CHRIST,” they may be ashamed of this their same confident boasting
against us.
It was an eye to this objection, joined with the agreeableness and
delightfulness of the subject (for who can but delight to talk of
that which the blessed angels desire to look into?) that induces me to
discourse a little on that great and fundamental article of our faith;
namely, our being freely justified by the precious blood of JESUS
CHRIST. “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified,
in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and by the Spirit of our GOD.”
The words beginning with the particle _but_, have plainly a reference
to something before; it may not therefore be improper, before I descend
to particulars, to consider the words as they stand in relation to the
context. The apostle, in the verses immediately foregoing, had been
reckoning up many notorious sins, drunkenness, adultery, fornication,
and such like, the commission of which, without a true and hearty
repentance, he tells the _Corinthians_, would entirely shut them out of
the kingdom of GOD. But then, lest they should, on the one hand, grow
spiritually proud by seeing themselves differ from their unconverted
brethren, and therefore be tempted to set them at nought, and say with
the self-conceited hypocrite in the prophet, “Come not nigh me, for
I am holier than thou;” or, on the other hand, by looking back on the
multitude of their past offences, should be apt to think their sins
were too many and grievous to be forgiven: he first, in order to keep
them humble, reminds them of their sad state before conversion, telling
them in plain terms, “such (or as it might be read, these things) were
some of you;” not only one, but all that sad catalogue of vices I have
been drawing up, some of you were once guilty of; but then, at the same
time, to preserve them from despair, behold he brings them glad tidings
of great joy: “But ye are washed; but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and by the Spirit of
our GOD.”
The former part of this text, our being _sanctified_, I have in some
measure treated of already; I would now enlarge on our being freely
justified by the precious obedience and death of JESUS CHRIST: “But ye
are justified in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
From which words I shall consider three things;
_First_, What is meant by the word _justified_.
_Secondly_, I shall endeavour to prove that all mankind in
general, and every individual person in particular, stands in
need of being justified.
_Thirdly_, That there is no possibility of obtaining this
justification, which we so much want, but by the all-perfect
obedience, and precious death of JESUS CHRIST.
_First_, I am to consider what is meant by the word justified.
“But ye are justified,” says the apostle; which is, as though he had
said, you have your sins forgiven, and are looked upon by GOD as though
you never had offended him at all: for that is the meaning of the word
justified, in almost all the passages of holy scripture where this word
is mentioned. Thus, when this same apostle writes to the _Romans_, he
tells them, that “whom GOD called, those he also justified:” And that
this word justified, implies a blotting out of all our transgressions,
is manifest from what follows, “them he also glorified,” which could
not be if a justified person was not looked upon by GOD, as though
he never had offended him at all. And again, speaking of _Abraham_’s
faith, he tells them, that “_Abraham_ believed on Him that justifies
the ungodly,” who acquits and clears the ungodly man; for it is a
law-term, and alludes to a judge acquitting an accused criminal of the
thing laid to his charge. Which expression the apostle himself explains
by a quotation out of the _Psalms_: “Blessed is the man to whom the
LORD imputeth no sin.” From all which proofs, and many others that
might be urged, it is evident, that by being justified, we are to
understand, being so acquitted in the sight of GOD as to be looked upon
as though we never had offended him at all. And in this sense we are to
understand that article, which we profess to believe in our creed, when
each of us declare in his own person, I believe the forgiveness of sins.
This leads me to the
_Second_ thing proposed, to prove that all mankind in general, and
every individual person in particular, stands in need of being
justified.
And indeed the apostle supposes this in the words of the text: “But
ye are justified,” thereby implying that the _Corinthians_ (and
consequently all mankind, there being no difference, as will be shewn
hereafter) stood in need of being justified.
But not to rest in bare suppositions, in my farther enlargement on this
head, I shall endeavour to prove, that we all stand in need of being
justified on account of the sin of our natures, and the sin of our
lives.
1. _First_, I affirm that we all stand in need of being justified,
on account of the sin of our natures: for we are all chargeable
with original sin, or the sin of our first parents. Which, though a
proposition that may be denied by a self-justifying infidel, who “will
not come to CHRIST that he may have life;” yet can never be denied by
any one who believes that St. _Paul_’s epistles were written by divine
inspiration; where we are told, that “in _Adam_ all died;” that is,
_Adam_’s sin was imputed to all: and lest we should forget to make a
particular application, it is added in another place, “that there is
none that doeth good (that is, by nature) no, not one: That we are all
gone out of the way, (of original righteousness) and are by nature the
children of wrath.” And even _David_, who was a man after GOD’s own
heart, and, if any one could, might surely plead an exemption from this
universal corruption, yet he confesses, that “he was shapen in iniquity,
and that in sin did his mother conceive him.” And, to mention but
one text more, as immediately applicable to the present purpose, St.
_Paul_, in his epistle to the _Romans_, says, that “Death came upon all
men, for the disobedience of one, namely, of _Adam_, even upon those,
(that is, little children) who had not sinned after the similitude of
_Adam_’s transgression;” who had not been guilty of actual sin, and
therefore could not be punished with temporal death (which came into
the world, as this same apostle elsewhere informs us, only by sin)
had not the disobedience of our first parents been imputed to them. So
that what has been said in this point seems to be excellently summed
up in that article of our church, where she declares, that “Original
sin standeth not in the following of _Adam_, but it is the fault and
corruption of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring
of _Adam_; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness,
and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth
always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into
this world, it deserveth GOD’s wrath and damnation.”
I have been more particular in treating of this point, because it
is the very foundation of the christian religion: For I am verily
persuaded, that it is nothing but a want of being well grounded in the
doctrine of original sin, and of the helpless, nay, I may say, damnable
condition, each of us comes into the world in, that makes so many
infidels oppose, and so many who call themselves christians, so very
lukewarm in their love and affections to JESUS CHRIST. It is this,
and I could almost say, this only, that makes infidelity abound among
us so much as it does. For, alas! we are mistaken if we imagine that
men now commence or continue infidels, and set up corrupted reason in
opposition to divine revelation merely for want of evidence, (for I
believe it might easily be proved, that a modern unbeliever is the
most credulous creature living;) no, it is only for want of an humble
mind, of a sense of their original depravity, and a willingness to own
themselves so depraved, that makes them so obstinately shut their eyes
against the light of the glorious gospel of CHRIST. Whereas, on the
contrary, were they but once pricked to the heart with a due and lively
sense of their natural corruption and liableness to condemnation, we
should have them no more scoffing at divine revelation, and looking on
it as an idle tale; but they would cry out with the trembling jaylor,
“What shall I do to be saved?” It was an error in this fundamental
point, that made so many resist the evidence the Son of GOD himself
gave of his divine mission, when he tabernacled amongst us. Every word
he spake, every action he did, every miracle he wrought, proved that
he came from GOD. And why then did so many harden their hearts, and
would not believe his report? Why, he himself informs us, “They will
not come unto me that they may have life:” They will obstinately stand
out against those means GOD had appointed for their salvation: And St.
_Paul_ tells us, “that if the gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are
lost; in whom the GOD of this world hath blinded the eyes of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of CHRIST, who is
the image of GOD, should shine upon them.” 2 _Corinthians_ iv. 3, 4.
If it be asked, how it suits with the divine goodness, to impute the
guilt of one man’s sin, to an innocent posterity? I should think it
sufficient to make use of the apostle’s words: “Nay, but O man, who
art thou that repliest against GOD? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?” But to come to a more
direct reply: Persons would do well to consider that in the first
covenant GOD made with man, _Adam_ acted as a public person, as the
common representative of all mankind, and consequently we must stand
or fall with him. Had he continued in his obedience, and not eaten the
forbidden fruit, the benefits of that obedience would doubtless have
been imputed to us: But since he did not persist in it, but broke the
covenant made with him, and us in him; who dares charge the righteous
Judge of all the earth with injustice for imputing that to us also? I
proceed,
_Secondly_, To prove that we stand in need of being justified,
on account of the sin of our lives.
That GOD, as he made man, has a right to demand his obedience, I
suppose is a truth no one will deny: that he hath also given us both
a natural and a written law, whereby we are to be judged, cannot be
questioned by any one who believes St. _Paul_’s epistle to the _Romans_
to be of divine authority: For in it we are told of a law written
in the heart, and a law given by _Moses_; and that each of us hath
broken these laws, is too evident from our sad and frequent experience.
Accordingly the holy scriptures inform us that “there is no man which
liveth and sinneth not;” that “in many things we offend all;” that “if
we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves,” and such like. And if we
are thus offenders against GOD, it follows, that we stand in need of
forgiveness for thus offending Him; unless we suppose GOD to enact laws,
and at the same time not care whether they are obeyed or no; which is
as absurd as to suppose that a prince should establish laws for the
proper government of his country, and yet let every violator of them
come off with impunity. But GOD has not dealt so foolishly with his
creatures: no, as he gave us a law, he demands our obedience to that
law, and has obliged us universally and perseveringly to obey it,
under no less a penalty than incurring his curse and eternal death for
every breach of it: For thus speaks the scripture; “Cursed is he that
continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them;”
as the scripture also speaketh in another place, “The soul that sinneth,
it shall die.” Now it has already been proved, that we have all of us
sinned; and therefore, unless some means can be found to satisfy GOD’s
justice, we must perish eternally.
Let us then stand a while, and see in what a deplorable condition each
of us comes into the world, and still continues, till we are translated
into a state of grace. For surely nothing can well be supposed more
deplorable, than to be born under the curse of GOD; to be charged
with _original guilt_; and not only so, but to be convicted as actual
breakers of GOD’s law, the least breach of which justly deserves
eternal damnation. Surely this can be but a melancholy prospect to view
ourselves in, and must put us upon contriving some means whereby we may
satisfy and appease our offended judge. But what must those means be?
Shall we repent? Alas! there is not one word of repentance mentioned
in the first covenant: “The day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt
surely die.” So that, if GOD be true, unless there be some way found
out to satisfy divine justice, we must perish; and there is no room
left for us to expect a change of mind in GOD, though we should seek
it with tears. Well then, if repentance will not do, shall we plead
the law of works? Alas! “By the law shall no man living be justified:
for by the law comes the knowledge of Sin.” It is that which convicts
and condemns, and therefore can by no means justify us; and “all our
righteousnesses (says the prophet) are but as filthy rags.” Wherewith
then shall we come before the LORD, and bow down before the most high
GOD? Shall we come before Him with calves of a year old, with thousands
of rams, or ten thousands of rivers of oil? Alas! GOD has shewed thee,
O man, that this will not avail: For he hath declared, “I will take
no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goat out of thy fold: for all the
beasts of the forests are mine, and so are the cattle upon a thousand
hills.” Will the LORD then be pleased to accept our first-born for
our transgression, the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls?
Even this will not purchase our pardon: for he hath declared that “the
children shall not bear the iniquities of their parents.” Besides, they
are sinners, and therefore, being under the same condemnation, equally
stand in need of forgiveness with ourselves. They are impure, and will
the LORD accept the blind and lame for sacrifice? Shall some angel then,
or archangel, undertake to fulfill the covenant which we have broken,
and make atonement for us? Alas! they are only creatures, though
creatures of the highest order; and therefore are obliged to obey GOD
as well as we; and after they have done all, must say they have done
no more than what was their duty to do. And supposing it was possible
for them to die, yet how could the death of a finite creature satisfy
an infinitely offended justice? O wretched men that we are! Who shall
deliver us? I thank GOD, our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Which naturally leads
me to the
_Third_ thing proposed, which was to endeavour to prove, that there is
no possibility of obtaining this justification, which we so much want,
but by the all-perfect obedience and precious death of JESUS CHRIST,
“But ye are justified in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
But this having been in some measure proved by what has been said under
the foregoing head, wherein I have shewn that neither our repentance,
righteousness, nor sacrifice, no not the obedience and death of angels
themselves, could possibly procure justification for us, nothing
remains for me to do under this head, but to shew that JESUS CHRIST has
procured it for us.
And here I shall still have recourse “to the law and to the testimony.”
For after all the most subtle disputations on either side, nothing
but the lively oracles of GOD can give us any satisfaction in this
momentous point: it being such an inconceivable mystery, that the
eternal only-begotten Son of GOD should die for sinful man, that we
durst not have presumed so much as to have thought of it, had not GOD
revealed it in his holy word. It is true, reason may shew us the wound,
but revelation only can lead us to the means of our cure. And though
the method GOD has been pleased to take to make us happy, may be to
the infidel a stumbling-block, and to the wise opiniator and disputer
of this world, foolishness; yet wisdom, that is, the dispensation of
our redemption, will be justified, approved of, and submitted to, by
all her truly wise and holy children, by every sincere and upright
christian.
But to come more directly to the point before us. Two things, as was
before observed, we wanted, in order to be at peace with GOD.