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 iv. 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 justi- fied ; 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
* That is, ' swagger or bully.'— G. f That is, = restraint or concealment. — G.
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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 duti/ ; ive ought all of us to justifi/ 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. ii. 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 tempta- tions to despair, they justify not Christ.
(2.) Those that have Christ illuminating their understandings, to conceive the mysteries of religion, they justify Christ to he 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 he 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. xxx. 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 Icing, 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.