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 h?nd of God,' when we ' mind the things that are above,' Col. iii. 1, and not that are here below ; or else we deny these things, we believe them not, we justify them not, when our
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conversations nro not nnswcraljlo to tho things wo believe. If we bo the chilib-cu of wis(bim, undoubtedly wo shall justify wisdom. If we be the members of Christ, wo shall justify our head. If wo be his spouse, wo shall justify our husband. Let us examine ourselves that wo 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 arc tho 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 arc worse than Christians ; and their religion is all but words and shews and forms. Shall we justify these slanders ? No. Let us, by tho 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 gainsaycrs 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.
Qiu'i^t. 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 tho ' Spirit of Christ, or else he is none of his,' Eom. viii. 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. There- fore 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. v. 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
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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 licen- tious ? 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 govern- ment 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.