So died that great emjDcror, Charles V., as Thuanus^ gives the ac- count of his Novissima. So he reasoned with himself: " Se qui- ' For a notice of Tluuuuis, see vol. viii. G12.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIOXS. 33
dem indigniim esse, qui propriis mentis regnuni cceloriim obtiue- ret; sed Dominum Deum suum qui illud duplici jure obtineat, et Patris hsereditate, et passionis merito, altero contentum esse, altenim sibi donare; ex cujus dono illud sibi merito vendicet, hacque fiducia fretus minime confundatur; neque enim oleum misericordise nisi in vase fiducias poni ; banc hominis fiduciam esse a se deficientis et inni- tentis domino suo ; alioquin propriis meritis fidere, non fidei esse sed perfidioe; peccata deleri per Dei indulgentiam, ideoque credere nos debere peccata deleri non ^^osse nisi ab eo cui soli peccavimus, et in quern peccatum non cadit, per quem solum nobis peccata condonen- tur;" — "That in himself he was altogether unworthy to obtain the kingdom of heaven by his own works or merits; but that his Lord God, who enjoyed it on a double right or title, by inheritance of the Father, and the merit of his own passion, was contented with the one himself, and freely granted unto him the other; on whose free grant he laid claim thereunto, and in confidence thereof he should not be confounded ; for the oil of mercy is poured only into the vessel of faith or trust : that this is the trust of a man despairing in him- self, and resting in his Lord ; otherwise, to trust unto his own works or merits, is not faith, but treachery : that sins are blotted out by the mercy of God ; and therefore we ought to believe that our sins can be pardoned by him alone, against whom alone we have sinned, with whom there is no sin, and by whom alone sins are forgiven."
This is the faith of men when they come to die, and those who are exercised with temptations whilst they live. Some are hardened in sin, and endeavour to leave this world without thoughts of another; some are stupidly ignorant, who neither know nor consider what it is to appear in the presence of God, and to be judged by him; some are seduced to place their confidence in merits, pardons, indulgences, and future suf&-ages for the dead : but such as are acquainted with God and themselves in any spiritual manner, who take a view of the time that is past, and approaching eternity, into which they must enter by the judgment-seat of God, however they may have thought, talked, and disputed about their own works and obedience, looking on Christ and his righteousness only to make up some small defects in themselves, will come at last unto a universal renunciation of Avhat they have been, and are, and betake themselves unto Christ alone for righteousness or salvation. And in the whole ensuing discourse I .shall as little as is possible immix myself in any curious scholastical disputes. This is the substance of what is pleaded for, — that men should renounce all confidence in themselves, and every thing that may give countenance thereunto ; betaking themselves unto the grace of God by Christ alone for righteousness and salvation. This God designeth in the gospel, 1 Cor. i. 29-31 ; and herein, whatever diffi-
VOL. V. ' 3
34 ON JUSTIFICATION.
culties we may meet withal in the explication of some propositions and terms that belong unto the doctrine of justification, about which men have various conceptions, I doubt not of the internal concun'ent suffrage of them who know any thing as they ought of God and themselves.
Fifthly. There is in the Scripture represented unto us a commuta- tion between Christ and believers, as unto sin and righteousness ; that is, in the imputation of their sins unto him, and of his righteousness unto them. In the improvement and application hereof unto our own souls, no small part of the life and exercise of faith doth consist.
This was taught the cliurch of God in theoffering^of the scape-goat : " And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat. And the goat shall bear upon liim all their iniquities," Lev. xvi. 21, 22. Whether this goat sent away with this burden upon him did live, and so was a type of the life of Christ in his resurrection after his death ; or whether he perished in the wilderness, being cast down the precipice of a rock by him that conveyed him away, as the Jews suppose ; it is generally acknowledged, that what was done to him and with him was only a representation of what was done really in the person of Jesus Christ. And Aaron did not only confess the sins of the people over the goat, but he also put them all on his head, "^'Vf^ K'N'T^j; nm inJI,— " And he shall give them all to be on the head of the goat." In answer whereunto it is said, that he bare them all upon him. This he did by virtue of the divine institution, wherein was a ratification of what was done. He did not transfuse sin from one subject into another, but transferred the guilt of it from one to another; and to evidence this translation of sin from the people unto the sacrifice, in his confession, " he put and fixed both his hands on his head." Thence the Jews say, " that all Israel was made as in- nocent on the day of expiation as they were on the day of creation;" from verse 30. Wherein they came short of perfection or consumma- tion thereby the apostle declares, Heb. x. But this is the lauguage of every expiatory sacrifice, " Quod in ejus caput sit ;" — " Let the guilt be on him." Hence the sacrifice itself was called HX^n and ^^^, — " sin" and " guilt," Lev. iv. 29, vii. 2, x. ] 7. And therefore, where there was an uncertain murder, and none could be found tliat -was liable to punishment thereon, that guilt might not come upon the land, nor the sin be imputed unto the whole people, an heifer was to be slain by the elders of the city that was next unto the place where the murder was committed, to take away the guilt of it, Deut. xxi. 1-9. But whereas this was only a moral representation of the punish- ment due to guilt, and no sacrifice, the guilty person being not known, those who slew the heifer did not put their hands on hun,