Justified in the Spirit
must be gracious sanctified flesh, as Christ's was, and then glorious flesh. Christ must be manifest in our flesh, as he was in his own, that when a man sees a Christian, he may see Christ manifest in him.
Obj. But how shall I come to have Christ manifest in my flesh? My heart is not fit to conceive Christ in. There is nothing in it but deadness, and darkness, and dulness, and rebellion?
Ans. Even as the virgin Mary, she conceived Christ when she yielded her assent. When the angel spake to her, what saith she presently?
'Be it as thou hast said,' Luke 1:38; let it even be so. She yielded her assent to the promise, that she should conceive a son. So when the promises are uttered to us of the forgiveness of sins, of salvation by Christ, as soon as ever we have a spirit of faith to yield our assent, let it be so, Lord, as thou hast promised; thou hast promised forgiveness of sins: let it be so; thou hast promised favour in Christ: let it be so.
As soon as the heart is brought to yield to the gracious promise, then Christ is conceived in the heart. Even as Christ was conceived in the womb of the virgin when she yielded her assent to believe the promise, so Christ is in every man's heart, to sanctify it, to rule it, to comfort it, as soon as this consent is wrought. We should labour, therefore, to bring our hearts to this. So much for this. Because it is of great consequence, and the leading mystery to all that follows, I have been somewhat the longer in unfolding these words, 'God manifest in the flesh.'
'Justified in the Spirit.'
These words are added, to answer an objection that may rise from the former. He was 'God manifest in the flesh.' He veiled himself. He could not have suffered else. When he took upon him to be the mediator, he must do it in abased flesh. If Christ, being God, had not
abased himself, he should never have been put to death. Satan and his instruments would never have meddled with him. Therefore God being veiled in the flesh, being clouded with our flesh and infirmities, thereupon the world had a misconceit of him. He was not generally thought to be what he was indeed. He appeared to be nothing but a poor man, a debased, dejected man; a persecuted, slandered, disgraced man in the world. He was thought to be a trespasser.
It is no matter what he appeared, when he was veiled with our flesh; he was 'justified in the Spirit,' to be the true Messiah; to be God as well as man.
'Justified.'
It implies two things in the phrase of Scripture: a freedom and clearing from false conceits and imputations, and declared to be truly, what he was; to be otherwise than he was thought to be of the wicked world. When a man is cleared from that that is laid to his charge, he is 'justified.' When a man is declared to be that he is, then he is said to be justified in the sense of the Scriptures. 'Wisdom is justified of her children,' Mat. 11:19, that is, cleared from the imputations that are laid upon religion, to be mopish and foolish.
'Wisdom is justified;' that is, cleared and declared to be an excellent thing of all her children. So Christ was 'justified.' He was cleared, not to be as they took him; and declared himself to be as he 'manifested' himself, a more excellent person, the Son of God, the true Messiah and Saviour of the world.
'In the Spirit.'
That is, in his Godhead: that did shew itself in his life and death, in his resurrection and ascension. The beams of his Godhead did sparkle out. Though he were 'God in the flesh,' yet he remained God
still, and was 'justified' to be so 'in the Spirit,' that is, in his divine power, which is called the Spirit; because the spirit of anything is the quintessence and strength of it. God hath the name of Spirit, from his purity and power and vigour. So God is a Spirit; that is, God is pure, opposite to gross things, earth, and flesh; and God is powerful and strong. 'The horses of the Egyptians are flesh, and not spirit,' Isa.
31:3, that is, they are weak. A spirit is strong; so much spirit, so much strength. So, by the purity and strength of the divine nature, Christ discovered himself to be true God as well as true man.
The word Spirit is taken in three senses especially in the gospel.
1. It is taken for the whole nature of God. 'God is a Spirit,' saith Christ to the woman of Samaria, John 4:23. The very nature of God is a Spirit; that is, active and subtile, opposite to meanness and weakness.
2. Then again, Spirit is taken more particularly for the divine nature of Christ, as it is Rom. 1:4: 'Of the seed of David, according to the flesh,' but 'declared mightily to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of sanctification,' or holiness, 'by the resurrection from the dead.' The opposition shews that Spirit is taken there for the divine nature of Christ. He had spoken in the verse before concerning his human nature. He was made 'of the seed of David, according to the flesh;' and it follows, 'declared to be the Son of God, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.' And so likewise in 1 Pet. 3:18: 'He was put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit.' He was put to death in his human nature, but quickened and raised as he was God.
3. The Spirit is taken likewise for the third person in the Trinity, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit. And indeed, whatsoever God the Father or God the Son doth graciously to man, it is done by the Spirit. For,
as the Holy Spirit is in the order of the persons, so he is in the order of working. The Father works from himself; the Son works from the Father; the Holy Spirit from them both. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, as a common principle. Therefore, sometimes the Father is said to raise Christ's body by his Spirit.
Christ is said to do things by the Spirit. Here, in this place, it is especially to be understood of Christ's divine nature, not excluding the Holy Ghost. For as the Holy Ghost, in the incarnation, sanctified his 'flesh,' the second person took flesh, but the third person sanctified it. So in the resurrection of Christ, [it was] the second person that raised itself up, but yet it was by the Holy Ghost too. So when there is mention here of Christ 'justified by the Spirit,' that is, by his Godhead and by the Holy Ghost, which he alway used, not as an instrument—for the Holy Ghost is a common principle with himself, one with himself, of equal dignity, only differing in the order of persons; whatsoever Christ did, he did with the Spirit. That must not be excluded. Christ was as well 'justified in the Spirit,' as God, as 'manifest' in our nature to be man.
And this was in the time of his abasement. In the greatest extremity of abasement, there was somewhat that came from Christ, to 'justify' him that he was the Son of God, the true Messiah. There is no part of his abasement but some beams of his Godhead did break forth in it.
He was made flesh, but he took upon him the 'flesh' of a virgin. Could that be otherwise than by the Spirit, to be born of a virgin, she remaining a virgin? When he was born, he was laid in a manger.
Indeed, there was God in the low estate of the flesh. Ay, but the 'wise men worshipped him,' and the 'star' directed them, Mat. 2:11. There he was 'justified in the Spirit.' He was tossed when he was asleep in the ship, but he commanded the winds and the waves, Mat. 14:24, seq. He wanted money to pay tribute, as he was abased; but to fetch
it out of a fish, there he was justified, Mat. 17:27. The one was an argument of his poverty and meanness, but the other was an argument that he was another manner of person than the world took him for, that he had all the creatures at his command. He was apprehended as a malefactor, but he struck them all down with his word, 'Whom seek ye?' John 18:4.
Come to the greatest abasement of all; when he was on the cross, he hung between two thieves. Ay, but he converted the one of them.
When the thief had so much discouragement to see his Saviour hang on the cross, yet he shewed such power in that abasement, that the very thief could see him to be a king, and was converted by his Spirit.
He did hang upon the cross; but, at the same time, there was an eclipse. The whole world was darkened (h), the earth trembled, the rocks brake, the centurion 'justified' him, 'Doubtless, this was the Son of God,' Mat. 27:40. He was sold for thirty pence (i), but he that was sold for thirty pieces did redeem the whole world by his blood.
Nay, at the lowest degree of abasement of all, when he struggled with the wrath of God, and was beset with devils, then he triumphed.
When he was visibly overcome, then invisibly he overcame. He was an invisible conqueror when he was visibly subdued. For, did he not on the cross satisfy the wrath of God, and by enduring the wrath of God free us from it and from Satan, God's jailor, and reconcile us by his blood? The chief works of all were wrought in his chief abasement. At length he died and was buried; ay, but he that died rose again gloriously. Therefore he was 'mightily declared to be the Son of God by raising himself from the dead.' That was the greatest abasement when he lay in the grave; and especially then he was
'justified' by his resurrection from the dead and his ascension, in his state of glorification especially. So, if we go from Christ's birth to his
lowest degree of abasement, there was alway some manifestation of his justification by the Spirit.
He was 'justified' in a double regard 1. In regard of God, he was justified and cleared from our sins that he took upon him. He 'bore our sins upon the tree,' and bore them away, that they should never appear again to our discomfort. He was made
'a curse for us.' How came Christ to be cleared of our sins that lay upon him? When by the Spirit, by his divine nature, he raised himself from the dead. So he was 'justified' from that that God laid upon him, for he was our surety. Now the Spirit raising him from the dead, shewed that the debt was folly discharged, because our surety was out of prison. All things are first in Christ and then in us. He was acquitted and justified from our sins, and then we.
2. And then he was justified by the Spirit from all imputations of men, from the misconceits that the world had of him. They thought him to be a mere man, or a sinful man. No. He was more than a mere man; nay, more than a holy man; he was God-man. Whence were his miracles? Were they not from his divine power? He overcame the devil in his temptations. Who can overcome the devil, but he that is the Son of God? He cast out devils, and dispossessed them with his word. All the enemies of Christ that ever were, at length he conquered them, and so 'declared himself mightily to be,' as he was,
'the Son of God.' He healed the outward man and the inward man by his divine power; he caused the spiritual as well as the bodily eyes to see, the dead to live, and the lame to go, &c. Whatsoever he did in the body he did in the soul likewise. In those excellent miracles he was
'justified,' and declared to be the Son of God,' especially in his resurrection and ascension, and daily converting of souls by his ministry; all being done by his Spirit, which is his vicar in the world,
ruling his church and subduing his enemies. So that he was every way 'justified in the Spirit' to be God, to be the true Messiah prophesied of and promised to the church. Therefore he was
'justified' in his truth, that all the promises were true of him; and in his faithfulness, that he was faithful in performing the promises he made. He was 'justified' in his goodness and mercy, and all those attributes; he was 'justified in the Spirit.'
Obj. But you will say, it seems he was not 'justified in the Spirit.'
There are many heretics that think not Christ to be God; that take not Christ to be so glorious as he is.
Ans. I answer: When we speak of the justifying of Christ, it is meant to those that have eyes to see him, to those that shut not their eyes.
He was 'justified' to be so great as he was to those 'whose eyes the god of the world had not blinded,' 2 Cor. 4:4; to all that were his; as it is excellently set down, John 1:14, 'The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld his glory, as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.' We 'beheld his glory.' We did; others did not take notice: but they were those 'whose eyes the god of the world hath blinded,' the malicious Scribes and Pharisees, that sinned against the Holy Ghost, and would never acknowledge Christ; and ignorant people, that had not faith nor the Spirit of God. He was justified by the Spirit of God, to all that had spiritual eyes to see and take notice of his course; as St John saith in one of his epistles, 'What we have seen and heard, and our hands have handled, the Word of life, that we declare to you,' 1 John 1:1. So that he was 'God manifest in the flesh,' and he shewed himself to be the 'Word of life' to those that were his apostles and disciples, and those that were converted by him. As we see St Peter, when he had felt his divine power upon his heart by his preaching, 'Lord,' saith he,
'thou hast the words of eternal life; whither shall we go?' John 6:68.
He felt the Spirit in his preaching. And so another time, St Peter, in Matt. 16:16, he confessed him to be 'the Son of the living God.' You see to whom he was 'justified' and declared to be the true Messiah, to be God as well as man by his Spirit.
The reason why he justified himself to be so, 1. It was the more to strengthen our faith. All his miracles were but so many sparkles of his divine nature, so many expressions of his divine power. And after he was raised from the dead, at his ascension and sending of the Holy Ghost, he shewed his divine power more gloriously; and all to strengthen the faith of the elect; and, 2. To stop the mouths of all impudent rebellious persons. For, considering that he wrought such miracles, that he raised men from the dead, and raised himself; considering that he called the Gentiles, and converted the world, by the ministry of weak men, he shewed that he was more than a man.
Well! to make some use of this, that Christ was 'Justified in the Spirit.' Then first of all,
Use 1. Christ will at length justify himself. This is a ground of faith.
However he be now as a sign set up that many speak against and contradict, yet the time will come when he will gloriously justify himself to all the world. Now some shut their eyes willingly, and the opposites of Christ seem to flourish; yet Christ will be 'justified by his
Spirit' to all his elect in every age, especially in the resurrection. For 'when he shall come and appear to be glorious in his saints,' 2 Thes.
1:10, it will appear who he is indeed. Now he suffers many to tread upon his church, and he suffers many heretics to deny him, sometimes in one nature, sometimes in another, and so to offend against him. But the time will come that he will trample all his enemies under his feet; he will be 'justified by his Spirit.' That is our comfort. There are many schismatics and heretics and persecutors,
but Christ will be 'justified' at length. 'The kingdoms of the earth will be the Lord Jesus Christ's,' Rev. 11:15. Are they not now so? They are.
But truly they appear not to be so. But at length they will appear to be so. At the conversion of the Jews and the confusion of antichrist, then it will appear more and more that he is King of the world indeed. Now, as it were, his offices are darkened: his kingly office is darkened and his prophetical office is darkened; but at length it will appear that he is King of the church, and all kingdoms will be
Christ's. There are glorious times coming, especially the glorious day of the resurrection. Christ at length will be cleared, he will be justified. The sun at length will scatter all the clouds. In the morning they gather about the sun, as if they would cover it. Oh, but the sun breaks through all, and gloriously appears at length. So Christ will scatter all clouds, and gloriously appear to be that which the word sets him forth to be.
Again, As Christ will justify himself, so he will justify his church and children, first or last, by his Spirit. His children are now accounted the offscouring of the world. They are trampled and trod upon, they are the objects of scorn and hatred, and who accounted so base? Will
Christ endure this? No. He that 'justified' himself; that is, that declared himself, and will more and more declare himself to be as he is; will he not 'justify' his church, his mystical body, to be as they are indeed? Certainly it shall appear to the world that he will justify them, to be kings and priests, to be heirs, to be glorious, to be so near and dear to him as the Scripture sets them forth to be. Whatsoever the Scripture hath spoken of the saints and children of God, the time will come that all this shall be 'justified' and made good by that Spirit of Christ, whereby he made good whatsoever he hath said of himself.
Therefore in our eclipses and disgraces let us all comfort ourselves in this. Let the world esteem us for the present as the refuse of the
world, as persons not worthy to be acquainted with, not worthy to be regarded; we shall be 'justified' and cleared and glorified, especially at that day 'when Christ shall come to be glorious in his saints.' There is a hidden life of the church and every Christian; they have a life in Christ, but that 'life is hid in Christ,' in heaven, Col. 3:3. As the flowers in winter they have a life, but it is hidden in the root. 'When
Christ shall appear,' as blessed St Paul and St John say, then it 'shall appear who we are.' Then our 'glorious life,' that now is in our Head,
'shall appear;' then we shall be 'justified to be so glorious,' as the Scripture sets us forth to be. The church shall be glorious within and without, too, at that day. Therefore let us comfort ourselves. This hidden life, though it appear not now, yet we shall be justified. And hence we may answer some objections likewise.
Obj. Some may say, How doth it appear that Christ is King of the church? We see how the church is trampled on at this day. Where is the life and glory of the church? What! his spouse, and thus used!
What! his turtle, and thus polluted and plucked by the birds of prey!
Ans. I answer, Look with other spectacles, with the eye of faith, and then you shall see a spring in the winter of the church. However she be now abased and eclipsed, yet she shall be 'justified;' and it will appear that Christ regards his church and people and children more than all the world besides, only there must be a conformity.
It was fit there should be a time of Christ's abasement; how should he have suffered else? The world would never have crucified God.
They could not have done it. Therefore he was abased; he veiled his Godhead under his manhood, under a base condition, so he passed through 'suffering to glory.' So it must be in the body of Christ. It must pass through the veil of infirmities, of weakness, affliction, and disgrace. How else should it be conformable to Christ? If Christ had
'justified' himself at all times in his humiliation, he could not have suffered; if we should be justified now and appear to all the world who we are, who would persecute us? how could we be conformable to Christ? Therefore let us quietly and meekly a-while endure these things, that are nothing but to conform us to our Head, knowing this, that as he was 'justified' by little and little, till he was perfectly
'justified' when he was raised from the dead, so we shall be perfectly 'justified' and freed from all imputations at the last day, when by the same Spirit that raised him we shall be raised up too.
Nay, in this world, when it is for his glory and for our good, he will bring our righteousness to light as the noonday, Ps. 37:6; he will free us from the imputations that the world lays on us; he will have a care of our credit. For as Christ was 'mightily declared to be the Son of God' in a fit time, so shall we when we are fit. Then the world shall see that we are not the men that profane, bitter, malicious persons, led with the spirit of the devil, charged us to be.
Let us take no scandal at the present afflictions of the church. Christ will justify his mystical body by his glorious power in good time.
Antichrist shall not alway ruffle* in the world. Christ will be justified to be the King and Ruler of the world. 'All power is committed to him,' Mat. 28:18. But we see it now. Antichrist rages in the world, and the church seems to be under hatches.† So it is with particular
Christians. Those that belong to God, and indeed are truly such as they profess themselves to be—though with much weakness—we see in what respect and esteem they are had. 'Let us comfort ourselves, beloved.' Christ justified himself by his Spirit, and will he not justify his poor church, and free it from the tyranny of antichrist? Will he not advance those that are trodden on now and made as the dirt in the street, that 'they shall shine as the sun?' Daniel 12:3. Therefore when you hear of the dejected state of the churches abroad, be not
dismayed. Consider there is a glorious King that rules the world, and he will make it appear are long. He will justify himself and his church, for he suffers in his church. He is wise. He sees cause to do this. He is working his own work. He corrects and rules and purgeth his church in the furnace of affliction. But be sure the time will come that he will bring the cause of religion to light, and he will shew what side he owns; he will justify his truth, and tread Satan and all his members under feet. This frame of things will not hold long. As verily as Christ is in heaven, as verily as he is 'justified' in his own person by his Spirit, by his divine power, so he will justify his mystical body.
And as he hath conquered in his own person, so he will by his Spirit conquer for his church.
Use 2. And as he will overcome for his church, so he will overcome in his church; 'stronger is he that is' in the church, 'in you, than he that is in the world,' 1 John 4:4; and God's children will be triumphant.
Though they may be discouraged in respect of the present carriage of things, yet the Spirit that is in them, above the world, will gather strength by little and little, and it will appear at length, notwithstanding present discouragements. Undoubtedly the best things will have a true lustre and glory at length, however they seem to be carried for the present. You see as Christ hath 'justified' himself to be the true Messiah, and as he hath justified himself, so he will justify all his. There is the same reason for both.
For our further instruction and comfort, let us consider, that in regard of God likewise, we shall be 'justified' from our sins in our consciences here and at the day of judgment, before angels and devils and men. As Christ was 'justified' from our sins himself, and he will justify every one of us by his Spirit, his Spirit shall witness to our souls that we are justified; and likewise his Spirit shall declare it at the day of judgment; it shall be openly declared that we are so
indeed. There is a double degree of justification: one in our conscience now, another at the day of judgment. Then it shall appear that we have believed in Christ, and are cleansed from our sins.
When we shall stand on the right hand of Christ, as all that cleave to Christ by faith [will do], then it shall appear that by him we are
'justified' from all our sins whatsoever.
Use 3. Again, Christ was 'justified in the Spirit.' Then hence we may learn our duty; we ought all of us to justify Christ. To whom is Christ justified by the Spirit? Only to his own church and children; not to the reprobate world. We may know, that we are members of Christ, if we be of the number of those that justify Christ.
Quest. How do we justify Christ?
Ans. (1.) We justify Christ when, from an inward work of the Spirit, we feel and acknowledge him to be such an one as he is: Christ is
God. Now, when we rely upon him as our rock, in all temptations, we justify Christ to be so; when we 'kiss the Son' with the kisses of faith, of subjection, of obedience, of reverence and love; this is to justify
Christ to be the Son of God, as it is Ps. 2:12, 'Kiss the Son, lest he be angry.' Those that in temptation are to seek for their comfort, they do not justify Christ; they do not live as if he were a Saviour, not as if he were a God. In temptations to despair, they justify not Christ.
(2.) Those that have Christ illuminating their understandings, to conceive the mysteries of religion, they justify Christ to be the prophet of his church; because they feel him enlightening their understandings.
(3.) Those that find their consciences pacified, by the obedience and sacrifice of Christ, they justify him to be their priest; for they can oppose the blood of Christ sprinkled on their hearts, to all the
temptations of Satan, and to the risings of their own doubting conscience. Their hearts being sprinkled with the blood of Christ, they can go to God, and the blood of Christ speaks for them 'peace;' it pleads 'mercy, mercy.' Thus we justify Christ as a priest, when we rest in his sacrifice, and do not, with papists, run to other sacrifices.
This is not to justify Christ. To justify Christ, God-man, is to make him a perfect mediator of intercession and redemption, to make him all in all. They do not justify Christ, that think God was made man to patch up a salvation; that he must do a part and we must merit the rest. Oh no! Take heed of that; account all our obedience, and all that is from us, as 'menstruous cloths,' Isa. 30:22, not able to stand with the justice of God.
(4.) In a word, we justify and declare and make good that he is our king, and put a kingly crown upon his head, when we suffer him to rule us and to subdue our spirits and our rebellions; when we cherish no contrary motions to his Spirit; when we rest in his word and not traditions, but stoop to the sceptre of Christ's word. This is to justify him as a king. Thus we should labour to justify and declare to the world the excellency and power of Christ in our hearts, that we may make religion lovely, and make it be entertained in the world; because we shew it to be an excellent powerful thing. Let us examine our hearts, whether we thus justify Christ or no; that by our carriage towards him, we make it good that he is such an one as the Scripture sets him forth to be.
In particular, we justify him, that 'he rose from the dead,' when we believe that we are freed from our sins, our surety being out of prison. We justify him as 'ascended into heaven,' when we have heavenly affections, and when we consider him as a public person gone to heaven in our name. We justify him as 'sitting at the right hand of God,' when we 'mind the things that are above,' Col. 3:1, and
not that are here below; or else we deny these things, we believe them not, we justify them not, when our conversations are not answerable to the things we believe. If we be the children of wisdom, undoubtedly we shall justify wisdom. If we be the members of Christ, we shall justify our head. If we be his spouse, we shall justify our husband. Let us examine ourselves that we do in this kind, and never think our state good till we can justify Christ.
In the next place, for our direction; as Christ justified himself by his Spirit, by his divine power, so let us know that it is our duty to justify ourselves, to justify our profession, justify all divine truth. Let us make it good that we are the sons of God, that we are Christians indeed; not only to have the name, but the anointing of Christ; that we may clear our religion from false imputations; or else, instead of justifying our profession, we justify the slanders that are against it.
The world is ready to say none are worse than Christians; and their religion is all but words and shews and forms. Shall we justify these slanders? No. Let us, by the Spirit of God, justify our religion; let us shew that religion is a powerful thing; and so indeed it is. For divine truth, when it is embraced and known, it alters and changeth the manners and dispositions; it makes of lions lambs; it makes our natures mild and tractable and sweet: it raiseth a man from earth to heaven. Let us justify this our religion and profession against all gainsayers whatsoever. 'Wisdom is justified of all her children.' Let us justify our religion and profession, by maintaining it and standing for it, and express in our lives and conversations the power of it.
Quest. How shall this be?
Ans. The text saith, 'by the Spirit.' For as Christ 'justified' himself, that is, declared himself to be as he was 'by his Spirit,' so every
Christian hath the 'Spirit of Christ, or else he is none of his,' Rom.
8:9; and by this Spirit of Christ he is able to justify his profession; not only to justify Christ to be the true head, &c., but all things he doth must be done by the Spirit, or not at all. For as Christ, when he became man and was in the world, he did all by the direction of the Spirit. 'He was led into the wilderness by the Spirit,' he 'taught by the Spirit.' The Spirit that sanctified him in the womb guided him in all his life. So a Christian is guided by the Spirit. God doth all to him by the Spirit. He is comforted, and directed, and strengthened by the Spirit; and he again doth all to God by the Spirit. He prays in the Spirit, and sighs and groans to God in the Spirit. He walks in the Spirit. He doth all by the Spirit. Therefore by the Spirit let us justify and declare ourselves what we are; that there is somewhat in us above nature; that we have love above carnal men, and patience and meekness above the ability and capacity of other men. We justify our profession when we do somewhat more than nature, or when we do common ordinary things in a spiritual holy manner. Religion is not a matter of form, but of spirit. Let us not shew our religion only by word, but by the fruits of the Spirit; by love, and mercy, and meekness, and zeal, when occasion serves. The whole life of a Christian, as far as he is a Christian, it gives evidence that he is a Christian. The whole life of a carnal formal man evidences that he is not a Christian, because he hath nothing in him above other men; as our Saviour Christ saith, 'What peculiar thing do ye,' to distinguish yourselves from other men? Mat. 5:47. So let us ask ourselves. We profess ourselves to be the children of God, the heirs of heaven,
'What peculiar thing do we?' How do we justify ourselves? A true Christian can answer, I can justify it by the Spirit; I find I do things from other principles, and motives, and inducements, than the world doth, who only respect terms of civility and aims of the world, or to content the clamour of conscience. But, I find, I do things out of assurance that I am the child of God, and in obedience to him. Let us see what peculiar thing we do.
Alas! I cannot but lament the poor profession of many. How do they 'justify' their profession? How do they make good that they have the Spirit of God raising them above other men, when they live no better than pagans, nay, not so well, under the profession of the gospel and religion? Would pagans live as many men do? Did they not keep their words better? Were they so loose in their lives and conversations, and so licentious? Would they swear by their gods idly? Most of our ordinary people are worse than pagans. Where is the 'justifying' of religion? If Turks and heathens should see them they would say, You talk of religion, but where is the power of it? If you had the power of it you would express it more in your fidelity, and honesty, and mercy, and love, and sobriety. The kingdom of God, that is, the manifestation of the government of Christ, 'it is not in word but in power.' Therefore let us labour to 'justify' that we are subjects of that kingdom, by the power of it.
Mere civil* persons, the apostle saith of them, 2 Tim. 3:5, they are such as 'have a form of godliness, but deny the power of it.' All that rabblement that he names there, they have 'a form.' A form is easy, but the power of it is not so easy. Therefore, let us justify our religion by our conversation. Let us justify the ordinances of God, the preaching and hearing of the word of God, by reverence in hearing it as the word of God, and labour to express it in our lives and conversations, or else we think it nothing but the speech of man. Let us 'justify' the sacrament to be the seal of God, by coming reverently to it, and by finding our faith strengthened by it. So labour to 'justify' every ordinance of God, from some sweet comforts that we feel by them; and then we shew that we are true members of Christ, that we are like Christ, who 'justified himself in the Spirit.'
Beloved, it is a great power that must make a true Christian, no less than the 'power of the Spirit, that raised Christ from the dead;' as it is
Eph. 1:20, St Paul prays that they might 'feel the power that raised Christ from the dead.' It is no less power for Christ to shine in our dark hearts, than to 'make light to shine out of darkness.'
Now, what power is in the lives of most men? The 'power that raised Christ from the dead'? Certainly no. What power is there in hearing the word, when many are so full of profaneness that they altogether neglect it? What power is there now and then to speak a good word, or now and then to do a slight action? Is this the 'power that raised
Christ from the dead,' when by the strength of nature men can do it?
There must be somewhat above nature, to justify a sound, spiritual Christian. We must have something to shew that we have our spirits raised up by the Spirit of Christ, to justify our profession in all estates. In prosperity, to shew that we have a spirit above prosperity, that we are not proud of it. Then in adversity, then we justify that we are Christians, by a spirit that is above adversity; that we do not sink under it, as a mere natural man would do, when we have learned St Paul's lesson, 'in all estates to be content,' Philip. 4:11. In temptation we justify our Christian profession by arming ourselves with a spirit of faith, to beat back the 'fiery darts of Satan,' Eph. 6:16. When all things seem contrary, let us cast ourselves, by a spirit of faith, upon Christ. That argues a powerful work of the Spirit, when we can, in contraries, believe contraries.
Thus let us shew that we are Christians; that we have somewhat in us above nature; that when the course of nature seems to be contrary, yet we can look with the eye of faith through all discouragements and clouds, and can see God reconciled in Christ. That will justify us to be sound Christians. Therefore let us labour, not only for slight outward performances; that are easy for any to do, but by an inward frame of soul, and by a carriage and conversation becoming our profession, that we may 'walk worthy of our profession,' fruitfully and