AN Interposal in this Case is Nice and Tender, whe­ther we consider the persons concern'd, or the Case it self.

If we consider the persons, They are Dr. Crisps in his Memory, who being a Person Dissolv'd, and as we have Great Reason to be assur'd, with Christ in Spirit near these Fifty years, and who being Dead, yet speaketh, His Memory ought to be precious to us, and to be embalm'd with Honour: On the other side is Mr. Baxter, grown now in his excellent Ministe­rial Labours of all Kinds, Such a one, as the Aged Servant of Je­sus Christ, and a Father: Great Estimation, Reverence, and Tenderest Regard are therefore due to Him.

If we consider the Case it self, it Requires much Greater Caution; For it is a seeming Controversie between the Justifi­cation, and the Sanctification of the Gospel, betwixt Justifying Faith, and Good works.

Notwithstanding the Great Nicety, and Caution, necessa­ry to be us'd, I am yet most desirous to Contribute my utmost service, to mediate betwixt a Dead, and a Living Servant of Christ, as also to fix the Scituation, and order of Two so Great Points of Christian Religion, and thereby to conciliate the Two Ministeries before us.

And certainly in the first place, the so often calling the Righteousness of Christ, by which we are Justified, the Righteous­ness of God, does without any more words, determine it to be our supreme, not only Righteousness, but Holiness; And no di­stinctions, or Limitations can dethrone, or confine it: If it be divine, It must be Infinite, and Supreme; And All Inherent Righteousness of Faith, Repentance, Sanctification, or what­ever names of Qualification of the persons, who Receive it, can be no more, then the Wise and Holy Oeconomy of that Su­preme Righteousness, that so manages, and fits the Person, to whom it communicates it self to a Fitness, and Agreeableness [Page 4] to so High a Communication; If it be Divine and Infinite, All must flow from it; nothing can be Brought, or Added to it.

Now that it is Divine, is out of measure clear by Jesus Christ, being styl'd Jehovah our Righteousness, Jerem. 23.6. by the Apostle Paul's so often calling the Righteousness of Christ, the Righteousness of God, Rom. 3.21.22. 2 Cor. 5.21. Phil. 3.6. This then being once declar'd, fully determines the Case; That this Righteousness is the Supreme Righteousness, and Holy­ness also, to whom soever it is a Righteousness; And no Restri­ctions can be Receiv'd to the diminution of it, nor can any Thing be spoken too High, too Great, too much of it: For what is our Righteousness is also that Holiness, by which we stand Accepted before God, seeing Righteousness, and Holiness are the same, the Abundance of which we Receive by Grace and Free Gift.

Now that it can come to us, upon us, that we may be Found in Christ, and have not our own, but it; that we are made the Righteousness of God by it, that it is Imputed to us; are all Scrip­ture Expressions, Assuring, It may be made ours; And what­ever is divine, where it Communicates to us it self, is so Uni­tive, that it is nearer to us, then we our selves, or any Thing of ours can be to our selves.

It nevertheless follows, That this Righteousness prepares for it self by Humiliation, by Faith, by Repentance, a Recepti­on suitable to it self in the person, who is to Receive it, but so that these Things are not offered in Sacrifice to the Righte­ousness of Christ to encline, or draw it, but are wholly from it by Emanations, Emissions, divine Effluviums from it self, winning, Atracting, and uniting that Spirit to it, to which it is pleas'd to unite it self; And where it is pleas'd so to be united, it Prints, and Enstamps its own Image upon the Heart, and Life by Sanctification.

And These Things are All done by so Infallible and Insepara­ble an Efflux from Christ, that a Thousand Times sooner may the Beams be cut off from the Sun, the streams from the Fountain, then the inward Holiness, and Righteousness of Faith, Repentance, the new Creation and good works can be cut off from the Righteousness of Christ, imputed to any Person.

But withal it is to be known, that the Communication in this Life is but to such degrees, and these so various, and in the Best, Leaving a Body of Sin, and Death, that as till the very Kingdom of Redemption, There is not a perfect washing of the [Page 5] Robes of Saints in the Blood of the Lamb; so there is not a perfect Communication of the Image of that Righteousness in Holiness; So that That Righteousness depended upon by Faith, and wit­ness'd by the Spirit, is our only Title to Righteousness; and yet the Signatures of Holiness, the clearer They are, the Great­er is the Evidence, that Righteousness is ours; and the more Cloudy they are, the Greater Reason of doubt, and fear, It is not ours, and therefore the more Earnest ought the Applica­tion to be, that we may have the more lively Impresses of it self upon us; And in that supposed Justification, or Title to the Righteousness of Christ, as ours, made good by Faith, and Holiness; The Righteousness of Christ is still Supreme; For the Image, the Reflex, or Reverse of that Righteousness imputed, is Christs owning us, as His, and Justified by Him; Hence is our humble Appeal to God in Him, that it is so: But Christ first owns his Servants Graces, as Appears, Mat. 25.35. I was an Hunger'd, &c. They plead His Righteousness only.

And even when this Righteousness is indeed communicated, There is always Uprightness, and Sincerity; but still the Eye of a Mans Spirit is turn'd by the Spirit of God, so to this Righ­teousness, that when It is in Darkness, and sees no Light, It moves to it, and against Hope believs in Hope; and when it sees no other Light, It Trusts in the Name of the Lord, and Stays on its God, which is certainly from the divine Witness of the Spirit of God to a Man's Spirit, that He is Christs.

If it should be said, the State of the Righteousness of Christ thus Communicating it self, seems not to agree with so Great parts of Scripture, insisting upon Holiness of Heart and Life; And there are but some chosen places of Scripture, that speak of the Righteousness of Christ; Our great work therefore seems to be in minding inward and active Righteousness, that we may be Righteous according to 1 John 3.7. Be not deceiv'd, He that doth Righteousness is Righte [...]us, even as He is Righteous.

It is very True, a Greater Proportion of Scripture is taken up in Rules of Holiness, Precepts, Commands, Promises, Threatnings, Exhortations, Expostulations, Reproofs pressing hereunto, in regard of the variety of persons, and of Cases herein concern'd; and that there might be a Vindication of of the Holiness, and Purity of the Salvation of Christ before Natural Conscience, and against the Enemies of Grace: Further, so many Scriptures pressing to Holiness, are Barriers, that pro­phane [Page 6] and unholy Men, who Hate to be Reform'd, and Hypo­crites may not presume upon an Interest in Christ, and his Righteousness, till they Find their Hearts chang'd; But especi­ally, Scripture is so large in all these Methods of perswading Men to Holiness, because They are serviceable to that Oecono­my of Grace, that moves and acts upon the Intellectual Spirit of Man Rationally, while it Supremely moves, and Subordi­nates it thereby to its own operations: And Secondarily, These Abundant discourses of Holiness, shew to Man his own Unrighteousness by his so Great Falls, Failings, and Imper­fections, even under the Covenant of Grace; That Boasting in Regard of Sanctification under that Grace may be excluded, and we may make mention of the Righteousness of the Lord, and Glory in that Alone.

But then that so little Comparatively is spoken of the Righ­teousness of Christ; Though very much, and very Great is spoken of it, is, because All divine is simple, clear, One, spo­ken of, as it were at once; and as the Being, and Attributes of God, though often spoken of, need not many words at a time, but are to be especially Meditated upon; Even so, though up­on occasion, the Righteousness of Christ requires larger Discour­ses, as Rom. c. 3. c. 4. c. 5. Gal. c. 2. c. 3. c. 4. Ephes. c. 1. c. 2. Philip. c. 3. Yet it is rather continually spoken of, as our only Foundation and Hope, and always imply'd.

This Righteousness then being Infinite, Therefore Justification by it is Attributed to Faith without works, because an Infinite Righteousness can be only Receiv'd, and not Aided by our works, it can only be believ'd in, not help'd out by any thing in us.

If it be said, the Apostle James seems to have decided the Point much otherwise by Asserting, Faith does not, nor can Justifie or save without Works: And if so, then it must follow, Not the Righteousness of Christ only, but Works of Sanctification, under that, are our Righteousness also, and Conditions of our Justification, as our Acts and Works; And so this notion of the Righteous­ness of Christ being Infinite, and giving Room to no other Righ­teousnes cannot Hold.

To that I Answer, To any Attent Considerer of that Apo­stles discourse, It will be found; He does not discourse of Faith, and Works, as Two distinct compleat things, but as Two parts of one, and the same Thing compleat; viz. A compleat [Page 7] Faith; As if we discourse of the Body, and Spirit of a Man; It is not a discouse of Two compleat Beings, but of that one compleat Being, Man, compounded of Body, and of Spirit: Of this we may find Great proof in many Expressions, and in the last verse, the Key of All; As the Body without the Spirit is dead, so Faith without Works is dead also. James 2. last.

Now in Faith, there is the outward Profession, or, as we call it, Confession of Faith, which the Apostle Intimates in those words; Thou believest, There is one God, with which Article Confessions of Faith generally begin; and this Confession, tho' the Body of Faith only, the Apostle calls Faith, as we Vulgarly speaking, call the Body oftnest, the Man: But then there is the [...], as the Apostle Paul calls it, the Work of Faith with Power, 2 Thes. 1.11. or as the Apostle James speaks the [...], the works, viz. of Faith; With which Faith, Those Works of Faith are to be close connected, and understood only of Faiths own Works. And the difference between [...] Work in the Apostle Paul, and [...] Works in the Apostle James, makes no more difference, then [...] Works and [...] Work in the Apostle Paul himself, Rom. 11.6. in another case.

Now this Work of Faith with Power is such, that when the whole Result shall be seen in the High Operation of True Faith, in relation to Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification; It will be seen to the Admirable Glory of God in Christ, in his Saints, and of their Glory in Him; for the Holiness, Wisdom, and yet infinite Grace of all, to the Admiration of All Angels and Saints, and Confusion of Devils and wicked Men, as v. 10. and 12. compar'd, make out.

Now these Two, the Confession of Faith, and the Work of Faith are, as I may call it, Hypostatically, or as it were Personally united; Confession the Body; Work and Power, or Works the Spirit; And when they are thus united, The Confession Works with that Operation of Faith, or Vis Effectrix, that Spirit of Faith, as the Body works with the Mind, or the instrument with the Work-man, and thereby the Confession of Faith is perfected into a compleat Faith, by being thus united with the Works of Faith.

Now to shew This was the Apostles meaning; He does not instance in the Works of a Holy, Regular Conversation accor­ding to the Moral Law, but in Two Solitary, Single, Emi­nent, and Extraordinary Acts of Abraham, and Rahab; and such, as the general Face of the Moral Law would rather Condemn, then Justifie upon.

But as the First, and Specific Act of Justifying Faith, is Appre­hending the Righteousness of Christ, for whieh it is first Apprehend­ed of Christ, and so Justifies by this Righteousness of Christ, Appre­hended by this Operation. From which Operation of Apprehending Christ, if the Confession be divided, it cannot Justifie, because it misses the Righteousness of Christ.

Even so the Apostle Instances in Acts of Abraham, and Rahab's Faith, that were nearly Related to Christ, and as it were a Mirrour of Christ Apprehended, viz. Abraham's offering Isaac, so Great a Type of the Sacrifice of Christ; and Rahab's Receiv­ing the People of the Promised Messiah, under whom she desir'd shelter from the common Wrath, coming on her Own People; So that Thread of Typical Scarlet, Purifying Sin was given her as a Type of the Blood of Christ.

Now the occasion of all this discourse Appears to be, to make good, that the True Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, that hath that First work of Seeing, and Receiv­ing Him so essential to it, hath such a sight of him, and of his Glory, that it puts Glory on the meanest Christians, so that Christ in them is highly Precious, though without the Worlds Trappings of Glory, because of Christ in them, whieh Faith seeing Christ hath always in its Eye. c. 2. v. 1. &c.

But if any One think this Explication too narrow, though I am much perswaded, deep Consideration will be satisfied; and the rather, because the Trembling of the Devils Confessionary Faith of God, that hath no operation into the Mediator is op­pos'd to the Rest, a Justifying Faith in Christ gives. Yet if any One think it too narrow, He may enlarge it by considering, that from the Righteousness of Christ in his Death, and Resurrecti­on, Justification, and Sanctification Flow as in an Hypostolick Ʋnion; So the Faith that receives the one, Receives the other: and That Faith which hath that Specific Operation of Receiving Christ, By that Operation, it hath Receiv'd therein, can in All other Things Act like it self; and as it Receives the Righteousness of Christ, so it Receives the Image of it, in which All Good Works lye Treasur'd. Ephes. 2.10. But seeing the Apostle Paul hath once so Fully, and Expresly Asserted to Faith, that it Justifies in Receiving Christ, and the Abundance of Grace, and the Gift of Righteousness from Him; It can never be dismounted from that dignity, but whatever is said to Justifie, must be so Personally united with Faith, Receiving Christs Righteousness, as to Justifie [Page 9] only, as it is so united to Faith, and Faith to Christ. For as Infinite Righteousness can have no Additions of any other Righ­teousness; So there can be nothing added to Believing in it, but what must fall into the Essence of Believing or Receiving, in this point of Justification: For else something must be added to the Righteousness it self, which cannot be, if it be, an Infinite Righ­teousness, without a Contradiction. And even this Faith can not be Rais'd out of our selves, but is from the Beams of that Righteousness shining about the Heart, the Spirit Strength­ning the Inner Man, and drawing it to Christ, that he may dwell in it.

I come then to the Conclusive point, the Reconciling Dr. Crisps's Sermons with Mr. Baxter; In order to which, I make these observations.

1. God gives to the Variety of his Servants a diversified poiz of Spirit; In some it comes nearest to the Sons of Thun­der; In others to the Sons of Oyl, or Consolation. Thus the Apo­stle James in his Epistle, is as a Son of Thunder; the Apostle Paul in the Doctrine of Free Grace, as a Son of Consolation; But in both these Two Breathed One, and the same Spirit, Dividing to each, as it pleased Him: And so I doubt not in these Two Eminent Ministers of Christ; The same Spirit hath wrought, wherein their way of Preaching or Writing seems to differ most, abating to each Humane Infirmity, and not Attribu­ting to either the Infallible Spirit, that Guided the Writers of Scripture in their writing.

2. I observe in Scripture, the Spirit often in the Point it is upon, moves strait forward, and in a Stream like a Torrent, and takes notice of nothing, to hinder, but hath in due place Ballanc'd every Truth, one with another.

Thus the Apostle Paul moves on in the Doctrine of Justifica­tion of the ungodly by Faith in Christ without Works, Rom. c. 3. c. 4. c. 5. and then c. 6. considers, and Fore-prizes the bad consequences that may be drawn from it.

The Apostle James dictated to by the same Spirit, even de­rides a Confession of Faith, that hath not Works, that is, an effe­ctive Power of doing Things like it self, as utterly Impotent, to Justifie or Save, because it Receiving none of the mighty Influences of the Righteousness of Christ, it is thence Evident, it hath not Receiv'd that Righteousness it self; And herein the Spirit in the Apostle James runs so high, as to offer a seeming Con­tradiction [Page 10] to it self in the Apostle Paul, and Leaves to the Search­ers of Scripture to find the True Key of the Intrepretation.

But herein was no Cause to either Apostle to be offended one with Another, or for the Readers of either to be offended with either of them, but they are to lay both together, and there­by to deduce the whole Scripture Truth.

In the very same matter, though not with so high a Defe­rence to either of these Two Ministers of Jesus Christ; All which, They both have spoken according to the Truth of Christ, is to be laid together; and neither part to be consider'd princi­pally, as from them, but as from one and the same Spirit, Guiding both in each part of Truth, according to his word, and the Dispensation committed to each of them; One singly, and Solely exalting the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, as our whole Foundation, and Comfort, and in Cases of Great diffi­culty, and darkness to be Rested upon alone; and yet always implying, and many times Expressing, and never contradicting that this Righteousness of Christ Flows out with all Holiness; The other more insisting upon the Righteousness of Christ in its Impress of Mortification, by Conformity to his Death, and of San­ctification by the Power of his Resurrection; The one most necessa­ry, when Conscience hath to do with God; The other neces­sary in the Course of a Christian Conversation.

But it must be Acknowledg'd, the Increated Righteousness of Christ being infinite, and all Inherent Righteousness consider'd as ours, and distinct from Christ's, from which yet it can never be separated, being Created; and not only so, but very Scanty, and imperfect; the Righteousness of Christ is most Radical, and the Standard, by which all Inherent Righteousness must in the discourse of it be Bounded; and wherever the Righteousness of Christ is Receiv'd, Holiness infallibly follows; whereas a seem­ingly good Conversation often misses that Root; But far be it to suppose, Mr. Baxer in all his discourses, pressing Mortifica­tion, and Holiness hath not so Learnt, and so taught, as the Truth is in Jesus, that His Righteousness is our alone Justification.

But I am much perswaded, Dr. Crisp was rais'd up on pur­pose by God to Break that Box of Spikenard, that sent out so High, and Sweet a savour of Christ; And I do not perceive, He attain'd that Height of his Ministery, till the latter end of it; so I Collect from the Additional Sermons, which are not of so Rich a Savour of those Good Oyntments; And speedily after, [Page 11] He attained that Height, God Took Him, even early out of the World: For but a little of so Great a Cordial God Al­lotted the World; And if any say, why did not Dr. Crisp Ballance that Doctrine of Christ, with the Treaty of other Scriptures, pressing Holiness, it may very well be Answer'd; The Preaching of Christ was his peculiar Ministerial Lot, and Talent, Assign'd him by God, as in the fore-nam'd differences of Holy Writers. And He is not to be consider'd as alone in the Hand of Christ, or as a single Star, but with all the other Stars, by whom the Holy Spirit hath Abundantly written, what may Ballance his preaching of Christ so singly, and wholly; For tho' He, and They are several Men to us, and their preach­ing several; yet They are All Stars together in the Hand of Christ, and the Truth taken together one; Though the Truth He preach'd was certainly of the Highest Orb, and it shall be Remembred to his Honour, when the Everlasting Gospel is Preach'd.

For I am much perswaded, as the Preaching these Sermons was before a notable Breaking out of Gospel Light, and Truth, and a Dawn of the Kingdom of Christ in his Redemption; Not concerning my self in the civil differences of that Time, nor the miscarriges of wild opinions; So I cannot but hope, The Reprinting of these Sermons is order'd by Providence, as a Fore-Running of a much Clearer opening of that Kingdom of Redemption, in preparation whereunto, the Song of Redemption shall be, as it were, a New Song set to a Higher Elah; even when the Fourty Two Months of the Apostasie, that now clouds it, shall come to an end.

Let us then in Conclusion of the Matter magnifie the Ministry of the Righteousness of our Lord Jesus, as Excelling in Glory, 2 Cor. 3.9. Great was the Ministery, that gave us his Great Sermon in the Mount, his other most Powerful Sermons, as the Voice of Thunder; and that Prayer of the Kingdom, we style the Lord's Prayer, together with many High Emanations of the Spirit upon Him, to Preach the Jubilee of the Lord; But the Be­loved Disciple gave us the more constant still Voice of his most Evangelical discourses, and his Mediatory Prayer, spreading it self over All. John 17.

Great was the Ministery of the Apostle James, who when He Appear'd, as a Son of Thunder against a Liveless Confession of Faith, as a Dead Body; yet so gives the Working Spirit of Faith, that He [Page 12] dares not describe it, as in the Appearance of Works of the Mo­ral Law, least he should establish Works contrary to the Spirit in the Apostle Paul; but in the Acts of Obedience, as Extraordi­nary to the Moral Law, as Imputation of the Righteousness of Ano­ther to us is to it; Nor in a whole Conversation of Evangelical Obedience, least He should seem to set up that in the place of the Works of the Law, but in single Acts; and those Acts look­ing to Christ; Abraham seeing, and Rejoicing in Christs day in Isaac; Rahab looking on the Brazen Serpent, and not Perishing with them that Believed not, Heb. 11.31. and shewing in A [...]l, He did but Explorate by Works like it self, for a Faith Reach­ing Christ in that Fundamental Operation of it, as the Imma­nent Spirit of it;The Scrip­ture was Fulfill'd, which said long before Abraham believ'd, &c. And It was Imputed, &c. James 2.23. and therefore chooses the Operation of Abra­ham's Faith, that God stay'd, er'e it became a Full Transient Act, or pass'd into Full Work; that He might no way injure Infi­nite Righteousness: And yet He, who as the Chief of Forgiven Sinners, Lov'd most, Publish'd Free Grace more Abundantly, then They All; Yet not He, but the Grace of God with Him; Let us therefore learn with Him to Know nothing, but Christ, and Him Crucified; Till in Robes wash'd in his Blood, we sing that, as it were new Song of Redemption, as Kings, and Priests to the Fa­ther on the Throne, and to the Lamb, to whom be Glory for Ever and Ever, Amen.