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<DATE>2014-05-30</DATE>
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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s A BELIEVER's Sure&s;t PLEA for ETERNAL LIFE: OR, The Doctrine of JUSTIFICATION by the Imputation of the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of Chri&s;t, Stated, Cleared, and Vindicated; IN SEVERAL SERMONS On <HI>ROM.</HI> 3.22.</P>
<P>By <HI>MICHAEL HARRISON,</HI> Mini&s;ter of <HI>Casfield</HI> in <HI>Bucks.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Rom. 10.3, 4.</HI></BIBL> For Chri&s;t is the End of the Law for Righteou&s;ne&s;s to every one that believeth.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Nathanael Ranew,</HI> at the <HI>King's Arms</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-Yard, 1691.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
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<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. To All that de&s;ire to be found in Chri&s;t, not having their own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is of the Law; but that which is through the Faith of Chri&s;t, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is of God by Faith; and more particularly, the Hearers of the&s;e Ser|mons.</HEAD>
<P>IT mu&s;t needs be acknowledged by all to whom the Preaching of the Go&s;pel was been <HI>the Power of God to their Salvation,</HI> Rom. <HI>1.16.</HI> That when Chri&s;t di&s;plays his victorious Banners upon the Walls of the Sinner's proud and &s;tony heart, and makes all, the Power of the Soul to &s;toop to the Sceptre of Chri&s;t in the ble&s;&s;ed work of Regeneration; that from that very day there appears a great and wonderful Change in the whole Man; Body and Soul, Heart and Life are all changed: And as in other things, &s;o it is very wonderful to ob&s;erve what a change there is in the Mind and Judgment, concerning this own Righteou&s;ne&s;s; for whereas, before Conver&s;ion, he &s;eeks to cover him&s;elf with the Fig-leaves of his own Duties, he thinks it ea&s;ie to make God amends by his own Performances. This you may &s;ee in the Exam|ple of <HI>Paul,</HI> when an uncoverted Phari&s;ee, <HI>Rom. 7.9.
<PB REF="4"> I was once alive without the Law.</HI> Phil. <HI>3.6. Tou|ching the Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is in the Law, blamele&s;s:</HI> Yet when he is converted, he has quite other Apprehen&s;ions of him&s;elf; now he &s;ees what be|fore he admired, were but <HI>&s;plendida Peccata,</HI> &s;hining and gli&s;tering Sins; and therefore he flings all away as <HI>filthy Rags,</HI> and flies to Chri&s;t for <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Strength,</HI> Phil. <HI>3.7. What things were gain to me, tho&s;e I counted lo&s;s for Chri&s;t.</HI> V. <HI>8. Yea doubtle&s;s, and I count all things but lo&s;s for the excellency of the knowledge of Chri&s;t Je&s;us my Lord, for whom I have &s;uffered the lo&s;s of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Chri&s;t.</HI> Ver. <HI>9. And be found in him, not having mine own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is by the Law; but that which is through the Faith of Chri&s;t, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is of God by Faith.</HI> Henceforward, though he acts from much bet|ter Principles than he did before; yea, though he en|deavours to live and walk in the fear of God all the day long, denying all ungodline&s;s and worldly lu&s;ts, living &s;oberly, righteou&s;ly, and godly in the World, working out his Salvation, adorning the Go&s;pel with all holy and becoming conver&s;ation, highly valuing all the Fruits of the Spirit, both in him&s;elf and others; yet when he looks at future Glory, and con&s;iders what it is that gives him a right and title to it, he files from him&s;elf as a filthy leprous Creature, and his be&s;t works are e&s;teemed as <HI>rotten Rags,</HI> I&s;a. <HI>64.6.</HI> And as <HI>Lo&s;s and Dung,</HI> Phil. <HI>3.8.</HI> Now Chri&s;t is exalted, and the Cry of Faith is, <HI>In the Lord</HI> (not in our &s;elves) <HI>have we Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Strength,</HI> I&s;a. <HI>45.24, 25.</HI></P>
<P>Thus it is with all the Children of God that have ta&s;ted of the heavenly Gift in a &s;aving manner, though
<PB REF="4"> not with all in a like mea&s;ure: For &s;ome, after they are got through the Straits of the New Birth, pre|&s;ently get upon the wing of Faith, feeding and fea&s;ting upon the riches of Free Grace; fetching all their Com|forts immediately from Chri&s;t, the Original of all Grace; Faith every day bringing fre&s;h Supplies from him; they are not &s;o much ca&s;t down with a &s;en&s;e of their own imperfections, and weakne&s;s in Grace, (tho' they are humbled for the&s;e,) knowing they appear be|fore God, not in their own, but Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s. Hence it is they can triumph in Chri&s;t, and in the holy boldne&s;s of Faith, even dare their Accu&s;ers to bring in all their Accu&s;ations again&s;t them, <HI>Rom. 8.33, to the end;</HI> and the&s;e, of all Chri&s;tians under Heaven, live the &s;weete&s;t, and mo&s;t joyful Lives.</P>
<P>Yet others, and tho&s;e the greate&s;t Number of Chri|&s;tians, (though the Work upon their hearts be &s;ound, and they have heartily given up them&s;elves to Chri&s;t, to be &s;aved by him,) are either kept bowed down by a Spirit of Bondage, and legal Terrors, or el&s;e &s;tay in the Rudiments of Chri&s;t in their own hearts, and neg|lect Chri&s;t him&s;elf; are &s;till poring upon their Graces, and enquiring after Signs and Marks of Sincerity, and accordingly are lifted up, or ca&s;t down, as they find it in them&s;elves.</P>
<P>Now the Signs and Marks of Grace are of great &V;&s;e to Believers; for hereby we may prove our &s;elves, whether we are in the Faith or no.</P>
<P>The&s;e Graces we may view with comfort and de|light, as Signs and Tokens of the Love of Chri&s;t to us; but yet it is a great Errour among Chri&s;tians, who are married to Chri&s;t, to look at Chri&s;t our &s;pi|ritual Husband, only by reflexion, and at &s;econd hand, through the int<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">vention and a&s;&s;i&s;tance of our own Graces; whereas Christ him&s;elf &s;hould be admired above all.</P>
<PB REF="5">
<P>For the great Work and Office of Faith, is, to carry us out of our &s;elves, above all Graces, and in|herent Excellencies, to Chri&s;t, to live immediately on Chri&s;t, for Pardon, Ju&s;tification, and Life; as may be &s;een, <HI>I&s;a. 45.24. In the Lord have we Righteou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> Therefore, whenever we take a view of our Graces, let us be &s;ure fir&s;t to look out of our &s;elves to Chri&s;t for Ju&s;tification.</P>
<P>Now one great Rea&s;on why many Heaven-born Souls do &s;o rarely and &s;lenderly act Faith on Christ immediatly, for Ju&s;tification, but are more familiarly conver&s;ant with their Graces, I take to be that of the Apo&s;tle. <HI>2 Pet. 1.8. Barrenne&s;s in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> and par|ticularly this ble&s;&s;ed Truth of Ju&s;tification by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t; for I have often ob&s;erved, that though it be a received Principle among Chri&s;ti|ans, that we are &s;aved, and ju&s;tified by Chri&s;t; yet there remains (too often) &s;o much darkne&s;s and con|fu&s;ion upon the under&s;tanding, in this Matter, that their eyes are but half open; and &s;o cannot act Faith with that clearne&s;s and di&s;tinctne&s;s that they &s;hould do.</P>
<P>Now, as a Remedy again&s;t this, let us &s;tudy this ble&s;&s;ed Doctrine of Ju&s;tification. The right under|&s;tanding of this Truth, will &s;et Matters right with us in the&s;e Ca&s;es; &s;o that we &s;hall be able to live in the u&s;e; and right improvement of our Graces, and yet to live above them, immediately by Faith in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t thing that engaged me in the &s;tudy of this Point, was, that I might rectifie the afore&s;aid Er|rors in my &s;elf, and others. I had then no other End in Preaching, nor have none el&s;e now in Publi&s;hing, but that the &s;avoury Knowledge of Chri&s;t may be pro|pagated
<PB REF="5"> in the hearts of tho&s;e who were then Hearers, or that &s;hall now be Readers of this heavenly Truth.</P>
<P>If any de&s;ire a Rea&s;on of the Publication hereof, let them know, 'tis not a Volunteer, but a pre&s;&s;ed Sol|dier into the Field of the Church: For, &s;ince the Preaching, which was &s;ome Months ago, I have been much &s;olicited to make it publick. And yet I have as mean Thoughts of it, &s;o far as it is mine, as any other can have, and did endeavour to have had it done by a more skilful Hand. If any &s;ay, there is no need of any Things more on this Subject, it has been &s;o well and clearly handled by &s;everal Learned Men: I An&s;wer, This is only de&s;igned for &s;uch as have not Time to peru&s;e, or Money to purcha&s;e larger Volumes. And therefore, whatever Weakne&s;&s;es you may &s;py in the Author, and &V;nskilfulne&s;s in han|dling the Subject, the Truth it &s;elf calls for your &s;erious Attention. It is a Truth that infinitely con|cerns the Peace and Comfort of every one of your Souls. And therefore let me commend it to you; e&s;pecially you that were the Hearers of it; it is prin|cipally intented for your &V;&s;e and Comfort. And that you may the more freely and chearfully receive it in the love of it; Con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1"><HI>1.</HI> It is no new, or novel Doctrine; but what has been owned by the Church and People of God in every Age.</P>
<P>&V;nder the Law it was clearly typified, <HI>P&s;al. 51.7.</HI> as you will find clearly proved in the en&s;uing Sermon. And then in the Go&s;pel it was fully open'd, Rom. <HI>1.17.</HI> as hereby al&s;o will appear at large. And then by the ancient Fathers it was clearly taught in the &s;everal Ages of the Church, as may fully appear by the&s;e Ex|amples
<PB REF="6"> <HI>Hilarius</HI> &s;aith, Faith alone ju&s;tifieth,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot"><HI>Can.</HI> 8 in <HI>Math.</HI> Fides enim &s;ola ju&s;tificat.</NOTE> St. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> often u&s;es the Term, <HI>Sola Fide,</HI> Faith alone ju&s;tifieth. St. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI> &s;aith, the Thief believed only, and was ju&s;tified<NOTE N="&Verbar;" PLACE="foot">In <HI>Hom.</HI> de Fide &amp; Lege Naturae.</NOTE>. St. <HI>Augu&s;tin</HI> &s;aith, Works go not before Ju&s;tification, but follow it<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Contra duas <HI>Epi&s;t Pelag. cap.</HI> 21. &amp; <HI>Tom.</HI> 4. <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> ad <HI>Rom pag.</HI> 11 93. Non enim merito &s;ui tanquam ex ope|ribus &s;ed Dei Gratia Fide Ju&s;tificatus e&s;t Homo.</NOTE>. And here let me tell you, that although this Heaven|ly Doctrine be much oppo&s;ed by a Generation of Men, that pretend a great Tenderne&s;s and Honour for the Church; yet in Truth, are the Church's back friends, or rather real Enemies: For while they &s;hew much Zeal and Tenderne&s;s for a di&s;putable Ceremony, they invade the Church in her Fundamental Articles. Now that you may know what was the Sen&s;e of our fir&s;t Reformers, and what is the Judgment of the Church of <HI>England</HI> in this Point of Ju&s;tification, I'll here &s;et down the 11th Article in their own Words.</P>
<Q>We are accounted righteous before God, only for the Merits of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t, by Faith, and not for our own Works and De&s;er|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ings: Wherefore that we are ju&s;tified by Faith on|ly, is a mo&s;t whol&s;ome Doctrine and very full of Comfort, as more largely is expre&s;&s;ed in the Ho|mily of Ju&s;tification.</Q>
<P>And then in the Homily of Ju&s;tification, which this Article refers us to, we read, <Q>That becau&s;e all Men are Sinners, and Breakers of his Law; there|fore can no Man by his own Works (&s;eem they ne|ver &s;o good) be ju&s;tified and made righteous before
<PB REF="6"> God; but every Man is con&s;trained of nece&s;&s;ity to &s;eek for another Righteou&s;ne&s;s to be received at God's own Hands;&mdash;and this Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which we &s;o receive of God's Mercy and Chri&s;t's Merits, embraced by Faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God for our perfect and full Ju&s;ti|fication.&mdash;Chri&s;t has made Satisfaction and Amends to his Father for our Sins: And <HI>pag. 13.</HI> Three things mu&s;t go together in our Ju&s;tification; upon God's Part, his great Mercy; on Chri&s;t's Part, Ju&s;tice, <HI>i. e.</HI> the Satisfaction of God's Ju|&s;tice, or the Price of our Redemption, by offering his Body, and &s;hedding his Blood, with fulfilling of the Law perfectly. And on our part a true and lively Faith in the Merits of Chri&s;t: &mdash; And <HI>p. 15.</HI> Who&s;oever denieth this Doctrine of Ju&s;tifi|cation by Faith alone, is not to be accounted for a Chri&s;t-man: And again, <HI>p. 17.</HI> They that preach, Faith only ju&s;tifieth, do not teach carnal Liberty.</Q> But why &s;hould I &s;tand tran&s;cribing, the whole Ho|mily doth clearly declare and a&s;&s;ert the Doctrine of Ju&s;tification by Faith alone. Therefore I be&s;eech you, receive it in the Love of it; and that the rather, be|cau&s;e in the next Place,</P>
<P N="2"><HI>2.</HI> It is a Fundamental Truth. <HI>Luther</HI> calls it, <HI>Articulus &s;tantis &amp; Cadentis Eccle&s;iae,</HI> that Truth with which the Church &s;tands or falls: And <HI>Chem|nitius</HI> calls it, <HI>Arx &amp; Propugnaculum Religionis Chri&s;tianae,</HI> The very Strength and Bulwork of the Chri&s;tian Religion. If we lo&s;t it, we lo&s;e one of the mo&s;t &s;acred Truths in the Bible; that which has been &s;ealed to by the Blood of Martyrs; therefore Chri&s;tians hold it fa&s;t, <HI>Rev. 2.25. Hold fa&s;t till I come.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><PB REF="7"><HI>3.</HI> The right &V;nder&s;tanding of this Doctrine will tend very much in &s;catter Temptations, and &s;ettle a la&s;ting Peace in the Souls of the Godly. I have often ob&s;erved, that tho&s;e Chri&s;tians that are either igno|rant of, or erroneous in this Fundamental Truth, they &s;ink deepe&s;t into, and lie longest in tho&s;e Plunges of Spiritual Horror and Soul Agonies, that the dearest of Gods Children are liable to: And they &s;oonest re|cover them&s;elves from under all Satan's pre&s;&s;ing and &s;inking Temptations, that by this hand of Faith can &s;ingle out Chri&s;t, and hang on him for Relief, as appears, <HI>Rom. 5.</HI> when this conclu&s;ion is once clear to the Soul, <HI>that Chri&s;t died for our Sins; and ro&s;e again for our Ju&s;tification,</HI> as <HI>Chap. 4. v. 25.</HI> And <HI>that we are ju&s;tified by Faith,</HI> Chap. <HI>5.1.</HI> Then the Soul can triumph, as it follows, <HI>we have Peace with God through our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, v. 2. We can then rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God;</HI> Yea; <HI>Glory in Tribulation.</HI> See <HI>Rom. 8.33.34.</HI></P>
<P N="4"><HI>4.</HI> That Oppo&s;ition corrupt Nature makes again&s;t this Truth may not a little commend it to us, its a Truth that carnal Rea&s;on cannot &s;ubmit to: Hence is that Saying, that every Man is born with a Pope in his Belly; <HI>i. e.</HI> Man naturally is a proud Creature; he will not be beholden to Chri&s;t for Righteou&s;ne&s;s, but would bring in his own Righteou&s;ne&s;s to have &s;ome &s;hare in the Work.</P>
<P>Here's nothing that may plea&s;e the Curious, but much that may profit the &s;erious: Read with a de&s;ire to profit; the Faults are the Authors, but the Truths
<PB REF="7"> are Chri&s;t's. To conclude, I &s;hall as heartily pray that every Reader may get good by Reading, as I heartily beg that all that reap any Profit, would put up a Prayer to the Throne of Grace, for an unworthy Servant of Chri&s;t in the Mini&s;try,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Michael Harri&s;on.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="8">
<PB REF="8">
<HEAD>THE CONTENTS.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>THE Text opened; and that Phra&s;e, <HI>The Righteo&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> cleared.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doct.</HI> There is no other Way for a Sinner to be ju&s;ti|fied in the &s;ight of God, but by the Imputation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, received by Faith a|lone.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Here Four Things.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>I.</HI> What Ju&s;tification is: Where Three Things are &s;poke to.
<LIST>
<PB REF="9">
<ITEM><HI>1.</HI> The Per&s;ons ju&s;tified, <HI>viz.</HI> awakened, convinced, believing Sinners.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>2.</HI> The Plea the Sinner makes at God's Bar, <HI>viz.</HI> Satisfaction to the Ju&s;tice of God, by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>3.</HI> The Sinner's Acquittance at God's Bar; which is, <HI>1.</HI> &V;pon Believing. <HI>2.</HI> At Death. <HI>3.</HI> At Judgment.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>II.</HI> The Point proved. Ju&s;tification cannot be with|out a Righteou&s;ne&s;s: This Righteou&s;ne&s;s not in us; <HI>Proved:</HI> but it is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Christ; <HI>Proved,</HI> &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>III.</HI> How Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s becomes ours,
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>1.</HI> On God's part; It is imputed to us. <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> As the Sin of <HI>Adam</HI> makes us Sinners; &s;o Chri&s;t's Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s makes us righteous. <HI>Secondly,</HI> As our Sins were imputed to Chri&s;t; &s;o Chri&s;t's Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s is imputed to us. <HI>This farther appears; 1.</HI> In that Chri&s;t was a common Per&s;on. <HI>2.</HI> A Surety, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>2.</HI> On our part; We received it by Faith. <HI>Where is &s;hewed, Fir&s;t,</HI> What Saving Faith is. <HI>Second|ly,</HI> How Faith ju&s;tifies.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<PB REF="9">
<ITEM><HI>IV.</HI> Objections again&s;t Ju&s;tification by Imputed Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s; <HI>An&s;wered.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Application. <HI>1.</HI> Of Information; in Six Things. <HI>2.</HI> Of Examination. <HI>3.</HI> Of Exhortation.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB REF="10">
<PB N="1" REF="10">
<HEAD>Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s, A BELIEVER'S PLEA for ETERNAL LIFE.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Rom. 3.22.</HI></BIBL> Even the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, which is by Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t into all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>MY Purpo&s;e being to open unto you that Hea|venly Doctrine of Ju&s;tification, by the Im|putation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, I have cho&s;en this Text, as very pertinent thereunto.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="11">
<P>The Apo&s;tle, in the Ninth Ver&s;e of this Cha|pter, &s;hews us what a &s;ad and mi&s;erable E&s;tate and Condition both <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles</HI> are in by Nature <HI>(viz.)</HI> under Sin<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Subjectos &s;eu obnoxios e&s;&s;e Maledictioni at&abque; Damna|tioni quae Peccatis debetur, <HI>Pi&s;cat</HI> in Locum.</NOTE>; that is, liable to the Cur&s;e and Wrath of God; and to the eter|nal Damnation of Hell, which is the ju&s;t Reward of Sin. This is the State and Condition of all, none excepted, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.3. <HI>And were by Nature Children of Wrath, even as others.</HI></P>
<P>And becau&s;e it is hard to convince Men, that they are thus vile and mi&s;erable by Nature; therefore the Apo&s;tle proves it by a Te&s;timony out of <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 14.3. <HI>They are all gone a&s;ide, they are altogether become filthy,</HI><NOTE N="&Verbar;" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Ne-ela-hhu,</HI> The Word &s;ignifies <HI>Stinking, Nau&s;eous, Loath&s;ome, Abominable:</HI> And &s;uch is every un|regenerate Man in God's Sight, and all that he doth.</NOTE> <HI>There is none that doth good, no not one:</HI> In which Scripture we may &s;ee what vile, &s;inful, mi&s;erable Creatures we are all by Nature: To which the Apo&s;tle adds many other Te&s;timonies, to prove how Sin has diffu&s;ed its malignant Influences throughout the whole Man, Body and Soul. Man, &s;ince the Fall, is &s;uch a degenerate filthy Creature, that <HI>from the Soal of the Foot to the Head, there is no Soundne&s;s; but Wounds, Brui&s;es, and putrifying Sores,</HI> I&s;a. 1.6.</P>
<P>Now Ver&s;e 20. and &s;o on, in this, and Cha|pter 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. The Apo&s;tle &s;hews us the way
<PB N="3" REF="11"> of Recovery out of this &s;inful, and mi&s;erable State. Now Salvation from Sin and Mi&s;ery, is only by <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> who, that he may &s;ave us, doth the&s;e two things for us. Fir&s;t, he fulfills the Law for us, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.3, 4. And pre&s;ents us righ|teous to the Father in his pure and &s;potle&s;s Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, which is our Ju&s;tification. Secondly, He infu&s;es a Righteou&s;ne&s;s, by his Holy Spirit, into our Hearts, as <HI>Ezek.</HI> 36, 25, 26, 27. which is our Sanctification. The latter of the&s;e, <HI>(viz.)</HI> the Doctrine of Sanctification is treated on in the Sixth and Seventh Chapters; as a Con&s;equent of Ju&s;tification, which is directly handled in the latter part of this Third Cha|pter; and &s;o throughout the Fourth and Fifth Chapters. It is the fir&s;t of the&s;e, <HI>(viz.) Ju&s;ti|fication,</HI> that we are now to treat on.</P>
<P>Now <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> mu&s;t either be by an inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s in our &s;elves, which is the Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s of Works, or el&s;e, by a Righteou&s;ne&s;s without us; which is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>But not by the Works of the Law, or inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s in our own Per&s;ons. <HI>Ver.</HI> 20. <HI>By the Works of the Law &s;hall no Fle&s;h be ju&s;tified in his &s;ight;</HI> that is, it is altogether impo&s;&s;ible, that any of the lap&s;ed Race of <HI>Adam,</HI> &s;hould be re|covered, ju&s;tified, and have a Title to Eternal Life by any Righteou&s;ne&s;s of their own. For though our Natures be &s;anctified, and our Obe|dience &s;ound and &s;incere; yet can it not procure for us Pardo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Sin, and Acceptance in God's
<PB N="4" REF="12"> Sight: No, this is only by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as in the Text; not by the Law: How then? <HI>Even (by) the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, which is by Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, unto all, and upon all that believe.</HI></P>
<P>In the Text you may take notice of the&s;e Four Things:</P>
<P N="1">1. The internal moving Cau&s;e of our Ju&s;tifica|tion; and that is, the Free Grace and Favour of God, intimated here, in this Phra&s;e, The <HI>Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of God:</HI> And more fully expre&s;s'd, <HI>v.</HI> 24. <HI>Being ju&s;tified freely by his Grace.</HI> Nothing el&s;e could move God to &s;ave, and ju&s;tifie Sinners, but his mere Free Grace and Mercy. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.8. <HI>By Grace ye are &s;aved.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Here is the Material Cau&s;e of our Ju&s;tifica|tion, and that is, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t imputed; called in the Text, <HI>The Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God;</HI> that is, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of him who is God ble&s;&s;ed for ever, Amen, as, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.1. <HI>Through the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, and our Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> Not the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, and our Saviour, as denoting Two Per&s;ons, <HI>viz.</HI> the Father, and the Son; but God and our Saviour; that is, our Sa|viour, who is God; as Bi&s;hop <HI>Downham</HI> ob|&s;erves.</P>
<P N="3">3. Here are the Per&s;ons ju&s;tified, (<HI>viz. All that believe,</HI> Gentiles, <HI>as well as</HI> Jews; <HI>bound, as well as free; for there's no difference of Per&s;ons or Na|tions;</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ut all true Believers have a &s;aving In|tere&s;t
<PB N="5" REF="12"> in this Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and &s;hall be ju&s;tified by it.</P>
<P N="4">4. Here is the Internal In&s;trument of our Ju&s;ti|cation; whereby, as with a Hand, the Believer apprehends, and lays hold on Chri&s;t: for Ju&s;tifica|tion; and that is <HI>Faith: Even the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, which is by Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Before we come to the Doctrine, let us &s;hew what is here meant by the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God.</HI> Some by it under&s;tand, The <HI>Mercy of God;</HI> and &s;o it is &s;ometimes taken in the Old Te&s;tament: <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 103.17. <HI>The Mercy of the Lord is upon them that fear him, and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s unto Childrens Children.</HI></P>
<P>Where <HI>Mercy</HI> and <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> &s;eem to be the &s;ame; but in the New Te&s;tament, where this Phra&s;e often occurs, it is never &s;o taken: Some take it to be the &s;ame with <HI>Sanctification,</HI> or inhe|rent Righteou&s;ne&s;s in the Per&s;on of the Believer: But our Graces, though they come down from Heaven, are never called <HI>The Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God;</HI> but are &s;till called <HI>Our own Righteou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> there|fore we read, <HI>Your Faith,</HI> Rom. 1.8. <HI>Your Love,</HI> 2 Cor. 8.8 <HI>Your Patience,</HI> Luke 21.19 <HI>Your Faith and Hope,</HI> 1 Pet. 1.21. <HI>Your Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> Mat. 5.20. That which the Scripture calls <HI>The Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> is not the &s;ame with that which is here, and in other places, called <HI>our own:</HI> If by the <HI>Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of God,</HI> were meant Inherent Grace, then <HI>Faith</HI> would be a part of it; but this Righteou&s;|ne&s;s is by <HI>Faith;</HI> therefore it is not <HI>Faith.</HI> The Text &s;aith, This <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God is upon them that believe;</HI> therefore 'tis not in them. Others
<PB N="6" REF="13"> take it for <HI>Pardon;</HI> but this cannot be; for <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.3. The <HI>Jews</HI> were <HI>ignorant of God's Righteou&s;|ne&s;s;</HI> but they were not ignorant that God was a <HI>God pardoning Sins.</HI> No, but they were ignorant of being made righteous in the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of ano|ther. They did not look for a Righteou&s;ne&s;s without them&s;elves: But by the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> is there meant the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t; as manife&s;tly appears, <HI>v.</HI> 4. <HI>Chri&s;ts the end of the Law for Righteou&s;ne&s;s to every one that believeth; i. e.</HI> Ju&s;tification by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, was what the Moral Law directed us to, by con|vincing us of Sin, and &s;hewing our own inability to help our &s;elves; and therefore if we will have Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Life, we mu&s;t &s;eek it in another. The Ceremonial Law was our School-ma&s;ter to bring us to Chri&s;t; for all the Ceremonial Law was <HI>a &s;hadow of good things to come,</HI> Heb. 10.1. All directed to Chri&s;t, and Salvation by his Bloud. And &s;o all tho&s;e Places in the New Te&s;tament, that &s;peak of the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> &s;till the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t is to be under&s;tood.</P>
<P>Having now cleared the Text, we come to the Point of Doctrine that naturally flows from it.</P>
<P REND="hangingIndent">Doct. <HI>There is no other Way for a Sinner to be ju&s;tified in the &s;ight of God, but by the Imputation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, received by Faith alone.</HI></P>
<P>In &s;peaking to this Heavenly Truth, I &s;hall do the&s;e Five Things:
<LIST>
<PB N="7" REF="13">
<ITEM>1. Shew you what <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> is.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Prove that it is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t imputed, for which we are accounted ju&s;t and righteous at God's Bar.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Shew how the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t be|comes ours.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. An&s;wer &s;ome Objections, u&s;ually made a|gain&s;t Ju&s;tification by Faith alone.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. Make Application of the whole.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t.</HI> What is <HI>Ju&s;tification?</HI></P>
<P>And here, that we may not &s;tumble at the Thre&s;hold, and &s;o lo&s;e our Way; let us not con|found <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> and <HI>Sanctification</HI> together, as if there were no Difference. For although <HI>Ju&s;ti|fication</HI> and <HI>Sanctification</HI> do always go together, and are ever found together in the &s;ame per&s;on; a ju&s;tified per&s;on is always &s;anctified, and a &s;ancti|fied per&s;on is ever ju&s;tified; yet they differ one from another: For <HI>Sanctification</HI> is that heavenly and ble&s;&s;ed Work of the Holy Spirit in our Hearts, whereby an elect Sinner being awakened, convinced, and humbled for Sin, and being re|newed in the whole Man, after the Image of God, heartily repents of all Sin, and turns from it unto God; as, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55.7. walking ever after in New|ne&s;s of Life. In <HI>Sanctification,</HI> the Work is with|in us; but in <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> without us: For,</P>
<P><HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> is an Act of God's free Grace unto Sinners; wherein he pardoneth all their Sins, and accepteth, and accounteth their Per&s;ons righte|ous in his &s;ight; not for any Righteou&s;ne&s;s wrought in them; but only for the perfect Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s
<PB N="8" REF="14"> of Chri&s;t, imputed to them by God, and received by Faith alone.</P>
<P>And for the better under&s;tanding this Heaven|ly Truth, let us con&s;ider the Proce&s;s at God's Bar in the Act of <HI>Ju&s;tification,</HI> in the&s;e Three Things:</P>
<P N="1">1. The Per&s;ons ju&s;tified, <HI>viz. Sinners.</HI> For &s;o the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.5. That tho&s;e that are ju&s;tified by God, are fir&s;t ungodly; and it mu&s;t needs be &s;o; for if a Man be innocent, guilty of no Crime, and nothing laid to his charge, he may be prai&s;ed, his Innocency and Righteou&s;ne&s;s declared, and publi&s;hed; but he is not properly ju&s;tified.</P>
<P>But it is not all Sinners that are made partakers of this ble&s;&s;ed Privilege; but accu&s;ed, impeached, awakened Sinners: He that is ju&s;tified, mu&s;t fir&s;t be accu&s;ed at God's Bar, the injured and vi|olated Law puts in its Plea again&s;t the Sinner, <HI>John</HI> 5.45. <HI>Think, not that I will accu&s;e you to the Father; there is one that accu&s;eth you, even</HI> Mo&s;es, <HI>in whom ye tru&s;t; i. e.</HI> the Moral Law of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> in the Works whereof you tru&s;t to be ju&s;tified, &s;hall condemn you who <HI>continue not in all things written therein, to do them,</HI> Gal. 3.10.</P>
<P>Now we are all Sinners, and Breakers of the Law; the Law cites us to appear at God's Bar, there to an&s;wer what &s;hall be laid to our Charge.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="14">
<P>Now by the way, examine, Have you ever been convinced of your Guilt? The fir&s;t Step to Ju&s;tification, is Accu&s;ation, <HI>John</HI> 16.8. <HI>When he, (i. e.</HI> the Spirit,) <HI>is come, he will convince the World of Sin.</HI></P>
<P>Many do not think them&s;elves to be thus guil|ty, that the Law has any &s;uch great Matter to charge upon them; as St. <HI>Paul</HI> before Conver&s;ion, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.9, 10. <HI>I was alive without the Law once;</HI> that is, I once thought my &s;elf in a happy and &s;afe condition, as to my Soul; my Con&s;cience never troubled me, being a Stranger to my Sin and Mi|&s;ery; but when the <HI>Commandment came, Sin revi|ved, and I died;</HI> that is, when I had right appre|hen&s;ions of the Law, I found my Peace was fal&s;e and deceitful; the Law cur&s;ed, and accu&s;ed me; my Con&s;cience then was wounded, I did &s;ee my &s;elf a lo&s;t Man.</P>
<P>O my dear Friends in Chri&s;t, has it been thus with you? Ju&s;tified you can never be, till you are fir&s;t brought to God's Bar, and your Hearts wounded for Sin, <HI>Acts</HI> 2.37.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Second Step is, that Plea that the Ac|cu&s;ed Sinner makes for him&s;elf at God's Bar: He that is arraigned mu&s;t plead <HI>Guilty, or not Guilty, Not Guilty</HI> we cannot plead; for we are all Sin|ners, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.9. <HI>All,</HI> both <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles, are un|der Sin.</HI> As to this Plea, every Mouth is &s;topped, and all the World become <HI>guilty before God,</HI> Rom. 3.19.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="15">
<P>Now the Sinner's Plea at God's Bar, is, <HI>Guilty,</HI> O Lord, <HI>We are guilty of all that thy righteous Law charges upon us; we de&s;erve the Cur&s;e and Penalty it threatens.</HI> Now there is a double Plea that the guilty Sinner may make.</P>
<P N="1">1. For the accu&s;ed, condemned Sinner to plead meer Mercy; as when a Per&s;on is arraigned, con|vinced of the Crime; but before Sentence is pro|nounced, he is asked what he has to &s;ay why Sentence of Condemnation &s;hould not be pro|nounced; he freely confe&s;&s;eth the Crime, only pleads Mercy, throws him&s;elf upon the Mercy of the Judge; but this is not to plead, but rather to beg. I do not &s;ay, God could not have &s;aved Man this way, by pa&s;&s;ing a meer Act of Sove|reign Grace, di&s;charging a Sinner out of meer Mercy, without re&s;pect to his Ju&s;tice; but this I may be bold to &s;ay, God will not &s;ave Men &s;o, but that his Ju&s;tice, as well as Mercy may be glo|rified thereby. True it is, we are &s;aved of meer Grace and Favour; but yet it is with re&s;pect to &s;ome &s;atisfaction made to the Ju&s;tice of God: And therefore,</P>
<P N="2">2. The only Plea for a guilty Sinner to be ju|&s;tified upon, is to plead Satisfaction to the Ju&s;tice of God; and this is the only Plea that a Sinner has to make, when cited to God's Bar; O Lord, <HI>I readily acknowledge that I have grieved thy Spirit, broken thy Law, procured to my &s;elf the Cur&s;e; and that I can make no reparation, or &s;atisfaction in my own per&s;on; and though I have nothing to plead in
<PB N="11" REF="15"> or from my &s;elf, why Sentence &s;hould not immediately be pronounced again&s;t me; yet I have this to &s;ay for my &s;elf, why I &s;hould not be condemned; Thou ha&s;t given thy dear Son to be a Saviour for lo&s;t Sinners; he was made under the Law; in his holy Life he obey'd all its Precepts; and in his bitter Death endured the Cur&s;e and Penalty it threatned; and this he did in the room and &s;tead of all his Elect, of all that were given him by thee from Eternity; yea, of all that re|ceive him, tru&s;t in him, rely upon him by a true and &s;a|ving Faith. I have this &s;aving Faith; I &s;ee my need of Chri&s;t, that there is no way to the Father, but by him; I have received him as he is offered to me in the Go|&s;pel; I lean upon him, I tru&s;t in him alone for Par|don and Life; he died for me, his Soul was made an Offering for my Sins, what he did was in my place; as my Surety, he has died for my Sins; therefore thou can&s;t not in Ju&s;tice damn me for them; I plead his Satisfaction; I &s;tand before thy Tri|bunal in his perfect Righteou&s;ne&s;s; he was made Sin for me, and I am made the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in him.</HI></P>
<P>This is the Believer's Plea, yet do not mi&s;take here; I do not mean, That a Per&s;on is never ju&s;tified till he can thus in the Triumph of a &s;trong Faith, with A&s;&s;urance, apply Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s to him&s;elf; but that we are ju&s;tified only in the &s;ight of God, for the Satisfa|ction of Chri&s;t alone; and it is the Satisfaction, or Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t alone, that Faith pleads again&s;t all the Accu&s;ations that are brought in again&s;t the Sinner; and this is clearly proved in
<PB N="12" REF="16"> the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 51.7. <HI>Sprinkle me with</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot"><HI>i e.</HI> A&s;per&s;ione Sanguinis Chri&s;ti, quae &s;ignificata, at&abque; praefi|gurata fuit per a&s;per&s;ionem Apuae Lu&s;tralis, de qua Lex extat, <HI>Num. 19.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Hy&s;op, and I &s;hall be clean; wa&s;h me, and I &s;hall be whiter than Snow. David</HI> here, from the Guilt of Sin, flies to the Bloud of Sprinkling; for it was the Bloud of Chri&s;t that was &s;ignified by the <HI>Water of Separation,</HI> to be &s;prinkled with <HI>Hy&s;op, Num.</HI> 19.18, 20. as al&s;o the Sprinkling of the <HI>Bloud of the</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot"><HI>Item,</HI> Per A&s;per&s;ionem Legalem atque Ceremonialem, in|telligitur A&s;per&s;io Spiritualis, <HI>i. e.</HI> Sanguis Chri&s;ti, <HI>Pi&s;c.</HI> in loc.</NOTE> <HI>Bird,</HI> Lev. 14.6. Which was to be done with <HI>Cedar-wood, Scarlet, and Hy&s;op:</HI> To which <HI>David</HI> here looks. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.34. <HI>Who is he that condemneth? It is Chri&s;t that died; yea rather, that is ri&s;en again,</HI> &amp;c. Where you may &s;ee what it is that the Apo&s;tle oppo&s;eth again&s;t all the Ac|cu&s;ations that the Law, World, Sin, Con&s;cience, or Devils can bring in again&s;t the Believer. And this brings us to the Third Step in our Ju&s;tifica|tion; and that is,</P>
<P N="3">3. Upon this Plea the Sinner is acquitted, and di&s;charged at God's Bar; a Sinner is then ju&s;ti|fied, when he is, by God, at who&s;e Bar he was arraigned, acquitted, and di&s;charged from all the Penalties, Cur&s;es, and Threatnings of the Law. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.33. <HI>Who &s;hall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect? it is God who ju&s;tifieth: Who &s;hall condemn? it is Chri&s;t that died.</HI> The Law
<PB N="13" REF="16"> cur&s;es, Satan, and Con&s;cience, and the World accu&s;e; but to little purpo&s;e; for <HI>God ju&s;tifieth, i. e.</HI> for the &s;atisfaction of Chri&s;t, which he made to the Law, as our Surety, God doth freely ab|&s;olve, acquit, and di&s;charge all his Elect, and pronounce them ju&s;t and righteous in his &s;ight.</P>
<P>Now there are Three Times in which God doth thus ju&s;tifie a Believer.</P>
<P N="1">1. Immediately upon his Believing; in that very moment when a Sinner comes to Chri&s;t by Faith, believeth in him in a &s;aving manner, he is by God pardoned, and acquitted from all Crime, and owned in Chri&s;t a righteous Per&s;on. Faith is that Grace which entitles to Eternal Life: Therefore we are &s;aid to be ju&s;tified by Faith; <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.5. <HI>But to him that worketh not, but belie|veth on him that ju&s;tifieth the &V;ngodly, his Faith is accounted for Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. At Death: When a Believer dies, God then in Chri&s;t accepts him as a righteous Per&s;on; the Soul comes to God's Tribunal; there God pa&s;&s;es Sentence: As the Wicked are at Death doom'd to Hell, and Everla&s;ting Fire, &s;o the Godly are ju&s;tified, and taken to Glory.</P>
<P N="3">3. At the great Day of Judgment, that will be more eminently a Day of Ju&s;tification to the Righteous, and a Day of Condemnation to the
<PB N="14" REF="17"> Wicked; then the Saints &s;hall be declared righ|teous by publick Sentence of the Judge of Quick and Dead.</P>
<P>So that upon the whole, we may reduce Ju&s;ti|fication to the&s;e two Things, 1. In the Free Pardon and Forgivene&s;s of all our Sins, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.24.25. <HI>Being ju&s;tified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, whom God hath &s;et forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, to declare his Righteou&s;ne&s;s for the Re|mi&s;&s;ion of Sins that are pa&s;t,</HI> Eph. 1.7. <HI>In whom we have Redemption through his Bloody, even the Re|mi&s;&s;ion of Sins.</HI> 2. The Acceptation of our Per|&s;ons, as righteous in his Sight; the giving us an actual Right and Title to Glory; this is more than Pardon. Pardon of Sin only takes away the Obligation to Puni&s;hment; but it gives no actual Right to Glory. God might pardon a Sinner; and yet annihilate him: But in Ju&s;tifica|tion, the Believer has a Right and Title to Glo|ry, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.1, 2. <HI>Being ju&s;tified freely by his Grace, we have Peace with God through our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> v. 2. <HI>By whom al&s;o we have acce&s;s by Faith into this Grace, wherein we &s;tand and rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God,</HI> v. 18.&mdash;<HI>By the Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of one,</HI> viz. <HI>Chri&s;t, the free Gift came upon all Men (i. e.</HI> all Believers) <HI>unto Ju&s;tification of Life.</HI></P>
<P>Thus you have &s;een what Ju&s;tification is, that it is the ab&s;olving and di&s;charging a Sinner accu|&s;ed at God's Bar, and accepting, and accounting him righteous in the &s;ight of God; not for any
<PB N="15" REF="17"> inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s wrought in him&s;elf, but for the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t alone.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> We come now to the Proof of the Point, that it is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t a|lone, for which we are ju&s;tified, and accounted righteous in the Sight of God. To clear this, con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1">1. Ju&s;tification cannot be without a Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s; that God who is ju&s;t, and judgeth ac|cording to Truth, doth not e&s;teem us righteous, unle&s;s we are &s;o: We are all Violators of God's righteous Law, and are therefore under its Cur&s;e. <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.10. <HI>Cur&s;ed. is every one that conti|nueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law, to do them:</HI> Though we &s;in, yet the Law &s;tands firm; the Promi&s;es indeed we had &s;inned away, but the Cur&s;e and Threatnings remain. The Law may be con&s;idered in a double Notion: Fir&s;t, In its primordial Rigour, requiring per|fect per&s;onal Obedience from us, and threatning Death, in ca&s;e of the lea&s;t Di&s;obedience: Or el&s;e the Law may be taken, as it is by God &s;o relaxed, as to admit of a Satisfaction, when violated and broken by us; &s;o that we mu&s;t have a Righteou&s;ne&s;s to an&s;wer the Law; we mu&s;t &s;ome way or other be con&s;tituted righte|ous, as to the Law: And that Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which the Law requires mu&s;t be found in us, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.4. or we can never be ju&s;tified. God will never do that him&s;elf which he abominates in others. <HI>Prov.</HI> 17.15. <HI>He that ju&s;tifieth the Wicked is abomination to
<PB N="16" REF="18"> the Lord:</HI> So that we mu&s;t have a Righteou&s;ne&s;s, for which we may be con&s;titiited righteous in the Sight of God. And this being granted; then,</P>
<P N="2">2. This Righteou&s;ne&s;s mu&s;t either be a Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s inherent in our own Per&s;ons, which is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Works or Sanctification; or el&s;e a Righteou&s;ne&s;s without us inherent in the Per&s;on of another.</P>
<P>But 'tis certain, we are not ju&s;tified or accoun|ted righteous in the Sight of God, by, or for any Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Works or Sanctification, inherent in our &s;elves, as may appear,</P>
<P N="1">1. If we are ju&s;tified, and accounted righ|teous in God's Sight, by Works, or by any Righteou&s;ne&s;s in us, or done by us; then that Righteou&s;ne&s;s mu&s;t an&s;wer the Law, that we are under. Now the Law requires perfect Obedience; and indeed if any can be found that have not violated the Law, but are righteous, as <HI>Adam</HI> in Innocency was, then &s;uch may have Eternal Life for their Works. But we are all Sinners, Jews <HI>and</HI> Gentiles <HI>all under Sin,</HI> Rom. 3.9. <HI>All the World is become guilty before God,</HI> v. 19. <HI>So that by the Works of the Law, no Fle&s;h can be ju|&s;tified in the Sight of God,</HI> v. 20.</P>
<P N="2">2. If we are ju&s;tified by Works, or any Thing inherent in our &s;elves; then we have whereof we may glory, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.2. <HI>If</HI> Abraham <HI>were ju&s;tified by Works, he hath whereof to glory,</HI> if <HI>Abraham</HI> was ju&s;tified by any thing in him&s;elf; then he had
<PB N="17" REF="18"> &s;omething to glory of before God: But <HI>Abraham,</HI> and all Believers are ju&s;tified in &s;uch a way, as excludech all boa&s;ting. <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.27. <HI>Where is boa&s;ting then? It is excluded. By what Law? Of Works? Nay, but by the Law of Faith.</HI> So <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.8, 9. <HI>By Grace ye are &s;aved through Faith; and that not of your &s;elves, it is the Gift of God; not of Works, le&s;t any Man &s;hould boa&s;t.</HI> So 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.30. <HI>But of him are ye in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who of God is made unto us Wi&s;dom, and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Sanctification, and Redemption,</HI> v. 31. <HI>That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. If we were ju&s;tified by an inherent Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s in our &s;elves; then we are ju&s;tified not of Grace, but of Debt, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.4. <HI>Now to him that worketh, the Reward is not reckoned of Grace, but of Debt.</HI> But the Reward is not of Debt, but of Grace, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.24. <HI>Being ju&s;tified freely by his Grace.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Objection,</HI> If God accept us as righteous for our own &s;incere Obedience to the Go&s;pel, as if we were perfectly righteous; Is not this of Free Grace?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;wer.</HI> Though it be granted, that all good Works done by the Children of God, are the Effects and Fruits of God's Grace in them; other|wi&s;e they are no ways acceptable to God, <HI>Prov.</HI> 15.8. <HI>The Sacrifice of the Wicked is abomination to the Lord.</HI> Yet when the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>We are ju&s;tified freely by Grace, according to the Redem|tion
<PB N="18" REF="19"> that is in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Grace is there op|po&s;ed to all manner of Works; not only done by the Power and Strength of Nature, but &s;uch as are done by the help of Free Grace. He that has any thing in him&s;elf, to bring him off at God's Bar, may challenge Ju&s;tification as due to it. But we have before proved, that Faith and Works are oppo&s;ed one again&s;t the other by the Apo&s;tle: So to be ju&s;tified by Free Grace, is to be ju&s;tified by Faith, apprehending Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>who of God is made Righteou&s;ne&s;s to us,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.30.</P>
<P N="4">4. If <HI>Abraham,</HI> who was the Father of the Faithful, was not ju&s;tified by Works; then not we: But <HI>Abraham</HI> was not ju&s;tified by Works, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.2, 3, 4. but by Faith in Chri&s;t; or for the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t apprehended by Faith.</P>
<P>Therefore that Righteou&s;ne&s;s, by, and for which we are ju&s;tified, mu&s;t be the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of another; that is, of Chri&s;t, who is the Lord our Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P>
<P>Now here take notice what is meant by the Rightou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t: By the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t is meant the whole Obedience of Chri&s;t, which he performed to the Law in his E&s;tate of Humiliation, from his Conception in the Womb of the Virgin <HI>Mary,</HI> to his Re&s;urrection from the Grave, taking in both his active Obedience to the Law, as al&s;o his bitter Death and Suffe|rings: This is that Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is imputed to us, and for which we are ju&s;ti|fied,
<PB N="19" REF="19"> and accounted righteous in the Sight of God.</P>
<P>Now that we are ju&s;tified only for the Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, abundantly appears from the&s;e Scriptures:</P>
<P>Rom. 3.21. <HI>But now the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God without the Law, is manife&s;ted, being witne&s;&s;ed by the Law and the Prophets.</HI> Some might object, If there be no Ju&s;tification by the Law, how then may a Per&s;on become righteous? Is there any other Way? To this, the Apo&s;tle an&s;wers, yes, there is another Way of Ju&s;tification, and becoming righteous in the Sight of God: There is another Righteou&s;ne&s;s, be&s;ides <HI>The Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of the Law;</HI> viz. <HI>The Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> which is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t; which un|der the Law, was witne&s;&s;ed by many clear Pro|phecies of Chri&s;t, and Salvation by Faith in him: As that to <HI>Abraham, Gen</HI> 12.3. <HI>In thee &s;hall all the Families of the Earth be ble&s;&s;ed.</HI> As al&s;o by Types, &s;uch as the <HI>Brazon Serpent,</HI> the <HI>Pa&s;chal Lamb,</HI> the <HI>Cloud and Rock in the Wilderne&s;s:</HI> As al&s;o all the Sacrifices, Ceremonies; and Offerings of the Law: The&s;e all &s;ignified Chri&s;t, and Sal|vation by Faith in his Blood and Righteou&s;|ne&s;s.</P>
<P>And then in the Text, he &s;hews what Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s he means; namely, that Righteou&s;ne&s;s which is found not in us, but in Chri&s;t<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Ju&s;titiam inquan Dei, paucis Verbis o&s;tendit qualis &s;it haec Ju&s;tificatio; nempe, quod in Chri&s;to re&s;ideat <HI>Calv.</HI> in locum.</NOTE>. And
<PB N="20" REF="20"> for this Righteou&s;ne&s;s alone, we are freely ju&s;ti|fied, and accounted righteous in the Sight of God, v. 24. <HI>Being ju&s;tified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>And then <HI>v.</HI> 25. he &s;hews that the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, is the only Righteou&s;ne&s;s that God hath &s;et forth and ordained: And which in the Go&s;pel is revealed, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.17. And held out to our Faith, to be received and tru&s;ted in for Pardon, Ju&s;tification, and Life.</P>
<P>And <HI>v.</HI> 26. the Apo&s;tle &s;hews, that this way of Ju&s;tification by Faith in Chri&s;t; or Faith ap|prehending, and tru&s;ting in the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, is that way wherein the Ju&s;tice of God, as well as his Mercy, is manife&s;ted. God is ju&s;t and righteous; and therefore when the Ju&s;tice of God was affronted by Sin, God could not, in Ju&s;tice, remit the Sin, without &s;ome Satisfaction to Ju&s;tice. Now here God appears to be ju&s;t, in that he &s;everely puni&s;hed our Sins in the Per|&s;on of his own dear Son; and then freely ju&s;ti|fieth us for the Obedience of Chri&s;t, imputed to us.</P>
<P>From all which, the Conclu&s;ion is very clear, <HI>v.</HI> 28. <HI>Therefore we conclude, that a Man is ju&s;ti|fied by Faith without the Deeds of the Law;</HI> that is, that all good Works wrought by us, either before, or after Conver&s;ion; either by the Strength of Nature, or Grace, have nothing to do at all in our Ju&s;tification, in the Sight of God: But it is only the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, apprehended by a true Faith, that is, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s for which we are
<PB N="21" REF="20"> ju&s;tified, and accounted righteous in the Sight of God.</P>
<P>Again, this Doctrine of Ju&s;tification, by Faith in Chri&s;t, is yet more fully proved, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.3. Abraham <HI>believed God, and it was imputed unto him for Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> Con&s;ider what it was, that <HI>Abraham</HI> believed; the Object of <HI>Abraham</HI>'s Faith, was Chri&s;t, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.8. <HI>The Scripture fore|&s;eeing, that God would ju&s;tifie the</HI> Heathen, <HI>through Faith, preached before the Go&s;pel unto</HI> Abraham, <HI>&s;aying in thee</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">In te; id e&s;t, in Chri&s;to ex te na&s;cituro, in quem tu Credis, <HI>Pi&s;cator</HI> in Locum.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall all Nations be ble&s;&s;ed;</HI> that is, in Chri&s;t, to be born of thee according to the Fle&s;h; and him, in whom thou believe&s;t. And we read, <HI>Joh.</HI> 8.56. that <HI>Abraham</HI> could &s;ee Chri&s;t's Day, and rejoice in it: So it was Chri&s;t, in whom <HI>Abraham</HI> believed; and that ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;t he expected, was not in his Works, or Obedience to the Law, but in the promi&s;ed <HI>Me&s;&s;iah:</HI> So that <HI>Abraham</HI> was ju&s;tified by Faith in Chri&s;t, as all Believers now are. Now <HI>Abra|hams</HI> the Pattern of Ju&s;tification; as he was ju&s;ti|fied, &s;o are all Believers: But he was ju&s;tified by the imputation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s received by Faith, and con&s;equently, &s;o are all that believe according to the Pattern and Example of <HI>Abra|ham.</HI></P>
<P>Again, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. This Doctrine of Ju&s;tification by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t imputed, is clearly proved; where the Apo&s;tle parallels the <HI>Two Adams;</HI> &s;hewing, that, as we are ruined by the one, &s;o we are re&s;tored by the other, <HI>Ver.</HI> 18.
<PB N="22" REF="21"> <HI>As by the Offence of one, Judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even &s;o, by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of one, the free Gift came upon all men to Ju&s;tification of Life.</HI> Hence you &s;ee, All, by the Sin and Offence of <HI>Adam,</HI> are brought into a &s;tate of Condem|nation; not the Sin inherent in us, but in the Per|&s;on of <HI>Adam; i. e.</HI> The imputation of <HI>Adam</HI>'s Sin to us, puts us into a &s;tate of Guilt and Condem|nation, even &s;o the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, not inherent in us, but that which Chri&s;t perfor|med to the Law in our &s;tead, is that Righteou&s;|ne&s;s that frees us from the Guilt of <HI>Adam</HI>'s Sin, and makes us ju&s;t and righteous in the &s;ight and pre&s;ence of God: Here <HI>Adam</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> are held out, not as two private Per&s;ons; but as two Roots: From the one &s;pringeth Sin and Death by Nature; from the other &s;pringeth Righteou&s;|ne&s;s and Life, by Grace; only with this diffe|rence, <HI>Adam</HI>'s <HI>All,</HI> are all Mankind; but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s <HI>All,</HI> are only his Spiritual Seed, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53.10. <HI>He &s;hall &s;ee his Seed.</HI> P&s;al. 22.30. <HI>A Seed &s;hall &s;erve him;</HI> that is, &s;uch as were eternally elected by the Father. <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.4. <HI>Given to Chri&s;t in the Cove|nant of Redemption.</HI> John 6.37. <HI>Drawn to Chri&s;t by the Father.</HI> V. 44. <HI>&V;nited to Chri&s;t by Faith;</HI> and made &s;piritually <HI>living Members in him,</HI> John 3.36.</P>
<P>Again, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.30. <HI>Of him are ye in Chri&s;t Je|&s;us, who of God is made unto us Wi&s;dom, Sanctifica|tion, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Redemption.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Papi&s;ts, Socinians, Arminians,</HI> and <HI>Qua|kers</HI> confound Sanctification and Ju&s;tification to|gether; but here you &s;ee they are plainly di&s;tin|gui&s;hed
<PB N="23" REF="21"> from each other, Sanctification is, as you have heard, the ble&s;&s;ed Work of the Spirit of God in us; but Chri&s;t his being made Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s to us, as Learned Mr. <HI>Calvin,</HI> on the Place, ob&s;erves, is, that we are for the Merit and Satisfaction of Chri&s;t, imputed to us, made acceptable and righteous in the &s;ight of God. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.21. <HI>He hath made him to be &s;in for us, who knew no &s;in, that we might be made the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in him.</HI> I&s;a. 45.24. <HI>In the Lord &s;hall one &s;ay, &s;urely have I righteou&s;ne&s;s and &s;trength.</HI> And again, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23.6. <HI>This is the Name wherewith he &s;hall be called, The Lord our Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee how pregnant, and abundant the Scripture is in this Heavenly Truth; That that Righteou&s;ne&s;s that con&s;titutes and makes a Sinner righteous in God's &s;ight and confers an actual Title to Eternal Life, is not our own Works, or the inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Sanctification; but the active and pa&s;&s;ive Obe|dience of Chri&s;t, imputed to us. And &s;o we pa&s;s on to the Third Thing premi&s;ed; and that is to &s;hew how this Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t becomes ours.</P>
<P>Now the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t becomes ours the&s;e two Ways:</P>
<P N="1">1. On God's Part; It is imputed to us.</P>
<P N="2">2. On our Part; It is received by Faith.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> On God's Part, we are made partakers of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, by the free
<PB N="24" REF="22"> imputation of it to us. The imputation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t to Believers, is that free action of God, wherein he accounteth the whole Obedience of Chri&s;t, from his Concepti|on to his Re&s;urrection, to be &s;o far ours, as that for it we &s;hould be accounted righteous in the &s;ight of God, and Heirs of eternal Life. This imputation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t to us, is more than Imputation in the Effects, for the pardon of Sin; but as that Learned Bi&s;hop<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Ip&s;i&s;&s;ima Chri&s;ti Obedientia nobis imputatur, qua&s;i e&s;&s;et no&s;tra per&s;onalis. <HI>B. Davenant,</HI> De Ju&s;tificat. <HI>p. 364, 373.</HI></NOTE> expre&s;&s;es it; The very Obedience of Chri&s;t is imputed to us, as if it were our per|&s;onal Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P>
<P>And this heavenly Doctrine, however much it be oppo&s;ed in this corrupt Age, by <HI>Rome</HI>'s Advocates; yet it is a Truth that &s;hines forth with much clearne&s;s from the Word of God. <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.3. <HI>Abraham</HI> was ju&s;tified by imputed Righteou&s;ne&s;s. We have before proved, that Chri&s;t was the Object of <HI>Abraham</HI>'s Faith; it was the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t received by his Faith, that was imputed to him; and &s;o all that believe, mu&s;t be ju&s;tified in the &s;ame way as <HI>Abraham</HI> was.</P>
<P>Now the better to conceive the manner of this Imputation, con&s;ider the&s;e two Things:</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="25" REF="22">1. As <HI>Adam</HI>'s Sin is imputed to his Po&s;te|rity; even &s;o is Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s impu|ted to Believers: Now <HI>Adam</HI>'s Sin was impu|ted to all his Po&s;terity, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.12. <HI>For that all have &s;inned;</HI> &s;o in our Engli&s;h Tran&s;lation; but the Words &s;hould rather be read, <HI>In whom all have &s;inned;</HI> as in the Margin<NOTE N="&dagger;" PLACE="foot"><GAP DESC="foreign">; Tho&s;e Words, <GAP DESC="foreign">, one Rela|tive; and &s;o <HI>Beza, Pi&s;cator, Pareus, Montanus,</HI> &amp;c. read them; <HI>In quo omnes peccarunt,</HI> i. e. <HI>In Adamo.</HI></NOTE>: That is, his Sin was imputed to all, and brought all into a &s;tate of Condemnation; as appears at large, in <HI>ver.</HI> 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Even &s;o the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t is imputed to all Be|lievers; and as <HI>Adam</HI>'s Sin makes us Sinners by Imputation; &s;o Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s makes us righteous by Imputation. <HI>Ver.</HI> 19. <HI>As by one Man's Di&s;obedience many were made Sinners; &s;o by the Obedience of one &s;hall many be made righ|teous.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. As the Sins of all the Elect were impu|ted to Chri&s;t, and he treated as a Sinner, con|demned as a Sinner; as appears from <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53.4. <HI>Surely he hath born our Griefs, and carried our Sorrows.</HI> Ver. 5. <HI>He was wounded for our Tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions, he was brui&s;ed for our Iniquities.</HI> Ver. 6. <HI>All we, like Sheep, have gone a&s;tray; we have tur|ned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all.</HI> Ver. 8. <HI>For the Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions of my People was he &s;mitten.</HI> 1 Per. 2.24. <HI>Who his own &s;elf bore our Iniquities
<PB N="26" REF="23"> in his own Body upon the Tree.</HI> Thus 'tis cer|tain that our Sins were laid upon Chri&s;t; and this could be no otherwi&s;e than by Imputa|tion.</P>
<P>Now even &s;o is Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s impu|ted to Believers. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.21. <HI>He hath made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in him;</HI> that is, as our Sins were imputed to Chri&s;t, and he for them reputed, and treated as a Sinner; &s;o is his Righteou&s;ne&s;s imputed to us, and we for it reputed, and treated as righteous Per&s;ons in the &s;ight of God.</P>
<P>Now if any ask, how that Righteou&s;ne&s;s which Chri&s;t performed in his own Per&s;on, can be imputed to us; let the&s;e Two Things be con&s;idered:</P>
<P N="1">1. That what Chri&s;t did, he did it as a common Per&s;on. A common Per&s;on is one who repre&s;ents, per&s;onates, and acts the Part of another; and what he doth as &s;uch, in the Name of another, is looked on as done by the Per&s;on whom he repre&s;ents: Such a common Per&s;on was <HI>Adam;</HI> he repre&s;ented, and per&s;o|nated all Mankind; therefore his Sin was the Sin of all: Such a common Per&s;on was the High-Prie&s;t under the Law; he acted in the Name, and on the behalf of the People: And &s;uch a common Per&s;on is Chri&s;t; as is fully proved in the Parallel of the Two <HI>Adams, Rom.</HI> 5. He did what he did in our &s;tead; and
<PB N="27" REF="23"> this e&s;pecially in his Prie&s;tly Office. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.1. That <HI>every Prie&s;t is ordained for Men,</HI> to act in their behalf towards God; he paid our Debt, attoned Divine Ju&s;tice for us; he was the Repre&s;enta|tive of all Mankind; he &s;u&s;tained our Per&s;ons, he &s;tood in our room, he &s;uffered in our &s;tead, not only for our Good, but in our Place; and &s;o all he did was ours.</P>
<P N="2">2. Con&s;ider al&s;o, that Chri&s;t was our Sure|ty, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7.22. <HI>He was a Surety of a better Te&s;ta|ment.</HI> A Surety is one that is bound to do &s;omething for another; as, to pay a Debt, or bring one &s;afe to &s;uch a Place: So Je&s;us Chri&s;t was bound for his Elect, to &s;ee all their Debts di&s;charged, and the violated Law, and the Ju|&s;tice of God fully &s;atisfied, and the elect Sin|ner brought &s;afe to Heaven; &s;o that what Chri&s;t did, he did it as our Surety to the Father And hence it is, that all that Chri&s;t did be|comes ours.</P>
<P>And &s;o much may &s;uffice to be &s;poken to the Fir&s;t Thing; That the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t becomes ours by Imputation.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> We are made Partakers of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t on our Part, by Faith; &s;o in the Text; <HI>The Righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, which is by Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> The Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t here, is not to be under&s;tood, for that Faith Chri&s;t had, or by which he
<PB N="28" REF="24"> believed<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Fides Je&s;u Chri&s;ti non activ&egrave;, quam ip&s;e Chri&s;tus ha|bet; &s;ed pa&s;&s;iv&egrave;, qua ip&s;e Chri&s;tus habetur, &s;eu po&s;&s;idetur, &s;eu non qua ip&s;e credit, &s;ed qua in ip&s;um creditur. <HI>Parcus</HI> in Locum.</NOTE>; but that Faith, by which he is had and received; not Chri&s;t's Faith in the Father, but our Faith in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Now here I &s;hall do two things,</P>
<P N="1">1. Shew you the Nature of ju&s;tifying Faith.</P>
<P N="2">2. How Faith ju&s;tifieth.</P>
<P N="1">1. What is that Saving Faith in Chri&s;t, by which we are ju&s;tified in the Sight of God.</P>
<P>Ju&s;tifying Faith, is a &s;aving Grace wrought in the Heart of a Sinner by the Spirit and Word of God; whereby he being convinced of his Sin and Mi&s;ery, and of the Di&s;ability in him|&s;elf, and all other Creatures, to recover him out of his lo&s;t Condition; not only a&s;&s;enteth to the Truth of the Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, but re|ceiveth and re&s;teth upon Chri&s;t, and his Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s therein held forth, for Pardon of Sin, and for the accepting, and accounting of his Per&s;on righteous in the Sight of God for Salva|tion.</P>
<P>Or thus:</P>
<P>Faith in Je&s;us Chri&s;t is a Saving Grace, whereby we receive, and re&s;t upon him alone
<PB N="29" REF="24"> for Salvation, as he is offered to us in the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Here ob&s;erve,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Nature of it is a &s;aving Grace; hereby its di&s;tingui&s;hed from, and &s;et above common Grace, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.39. <HI>We are not of them who draw back unto Perdition, but of them that believe to the &s;aving of the Soul.</HI> There is a common Faith, &s;uch as Hypocrites have, and there is a believing, to the &s;aving of the Soul; yet it ju&s;tifieth not as our Act, but in&s;trumental, as it apprehends Chri&s;t; <HI>Act.</HI> 16.31. <HI>Believe on the Lord Je&s;us, and thou &s;halt be &s;aved.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. The Author of Faith in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and that is God, who&s;e Gift it is, and who works it by his Spirit; <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.8. <HI>Faith is the Gift of God;</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.13. The Holy Gho&s;t is the Spirit of Faith. See <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.17, 18, 19.</P>
<P N="3">3. The In&s;trument whereby the Spirit ordi|narily works Faith, is the Word preached; <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.17. <HI>Faith comes by hearings and hea|ring by the Word of God;</HI> 1 Cor. 15.11. <HI>So we preach and &s;o you believe;</HI> the Word and Spirit go together in producing this Heaven|ly Grace: The Word without the Spirit can|not, and the Spirit without the Word will not work Faith; therefore wait on the Mi|ni&s;try of the Word, but beg the quickning Virtue of the Spirit.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="30" REF="25">4. Here is the Subject in which Faith is found.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Subject of Denomination, or the Per&s;on in whom alone &s;aving Faith is found; and the&s;e are only the Elect; Hypocrites may believe with common Faith, but none but the Elect believe to the &s;aving of the Soul, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.1. <HI>according to the Faith of God's Elect; Act.</HI> 13.28. <HI>as many as were ordained to Eternal Life be|lieved.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Subjectum Ricipiens;</HI> the Parts of the Soul in which Faith is placed; and that is the Heart, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.10. <HI>With the Heart Man believeth to Salvation.</HI> The Heart includeth Will and Af|fections; its not the Under&s;tanding only; and its in the Heart of a Sinner; an innocent Per&s;on cannot thus act Faith upon a Medi|ator.</P>
<P N="5">5. Here's the Object of Faith, and that is Je&s;us Chri&s;t; Faith indeed looks at the whole revealed Will of God; but Chri&s;t is the proper immediate Object of ju&s;tifying Faith; 'tis not &s;o properly Chri&s;t on the Throne, as Chri&s;t on the Cro&s;s; not Chri&s;t reigning, but Chri&s;t dying; <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.25. <HI>whom God hath &s;et forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood.</HI></P>
<P>O here's the proper Act of Faith, as it ju&s;ti|fieth; <HI>viz.</HI> a receiving, and re&s;ting upon Chri&s;t, and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s held out in the Go&s;pel, for Pardon and Eternal Life.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="31" REF="25">1. Man is convinced of Sin, and made to &s;ee what a woful &s;tate he is in by Nature, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.9, 10.</P>
<P N="2">2. Je&s;us Chri&s;t is freely offered to him in the Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, to &s;ave him from Sin and Hell. <HI>Mat.</HI> 11.28. <HI>Come to me all you that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you re&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The Heart being drawn by the Spirit, draws near to Chri&s;t, throws it &s;elf into his Arms, hangs on the Promi&s;e, or rather, on Chri&s;t held out in the Promi&s;e, and will not leave him. Have you not &s;een how a poor Babe, in the Apprehen&s;ion of &s;ome danger, flies to the Mother's Arms, and hangs about her Neck; even &s;o a poor Sinner, pur&s;ued by the Terrors of the Law, runs to Chri&s;t, to hide him from Wrath to come; the Soul is now re&s;olved to live and die with Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>And though he doth not pre&s;ently get a Smile, or A&s;&s;urance that Chri&s;t will own him; yet he hangs on him, and with holy <HI>Job,</HI> re|&s;olves, <HI>Job.</HI> 13, 15. <HI>Though he &s;lay me, yet will I tru&s;t in him.</HI></P>
<P>Now that Ju&s;tifying Faith is a tru&s;ting and recumbency of heart on Chri&s;t, is clear from that one Text, among others, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.12. <HI>I know whom I have believed,</HI> (or tru&s;ted,) <HI>and am per&s;uaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him</HI> (or entru&s;ted him with, or, delivered up to his keeping,) <HI>again&s;t that day.</HI> And what was that be had thus committed to
<PB N="32" REF="26"> Chri&s;t, but his Soul, and the eternal Salvation thereof?</P>
<P N="2">II. How doth Faith ju&s;tifie?</P>
<P N="1">1. It is &s;o clearly laid down in Scripture, that we are ju&s;tified by Faith, that few deny it. <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.28. <HI>We conclude a Man is ju&s;tified by Faith.</HI> Rom. 4.9. <HI>Abraham's Faith was imputed to him for righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> Rom. 5.1. <HI>Being therefore justified by Faith,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="2">2. But the greate&s;t difficulty is, how Faith ju&s;tifies?</P>
<P>Negatively; We are not ju&s;tified by Faith in it &s;elf, as a Work, Quality, or Action in us, or done by us having worth or dignity in it to merit Ju&s;tification at God's hands: In this Sen&s;e <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> allow Ju&s;tification by Faith; but to be thus ju&s;tified, is to be ju&s;tified by our own inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P>
<P>But Faith ju&s;tifieth, in re&s;pect of its Object, as an In&s;trument; looking at Chri&s;t, and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s. Faith is not our Righteou&s;ne&s;s,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Fides non e&s;t Ju&s;titia no&s;tra, &s;ed Manus apprehen|dens, <HI>&amp;c. M. Mart.</HI></NOTE> but the Hand, or In&s;trument apprehending the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, whereby we are ju&s;ti|fied in the &s;ight of God.</P>
<PB N="33" REF="26">
<P>And therefore, when the Scripture &s;aith. <HI>We we ju&s;tified by Faith,</HI> it is ever to be under&s;tood, we are ju&s;tified by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, apprehended by Faith. As al&s;o this Phra&s;e, <HI>We are ju&s;tified by Faith alone:</HI> Although this Parti|cle <HI>[alone]</HI> be not found in &s;o many Letters and Syllables in Scripture, yet we often meet with what is equivalent to it; as, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.24. <HI>We are ju&s;tified freely by his Grace, according to the redemption that is in Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> So, <HI>Ver.</HI> 27. All <HI>Works</HI> are excluded; therefore 'tis by Faith alone. And, <HI>ver.</HI> 28. <HI>By Faith without the Deeds of the Law.</HI> So, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.8.</P>
<P>Indeed that Faith that ju&s;tifieth, is not alone; but is ever accompanied with all other Fruits of the Spirit, in its nature, it is inclu&s;ive of all good Works; yet, as it ju&s;tifieth, it excludes all Works, and therefore is alone. As the Sun in the Heavens, is not alone, there are Thou|&s;ands of Stars; yet not the Stars, but the Sun alone makes Day: So here Faith in the heart of a Believer, is not alone; there is in the &s;ame Soul all other heavenly Graces; as, Love of God, holy Fear, Repentance, Humility, Patience, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> yet Faith alone ju&s;tifieth.</P>
<P>I &s;hall here conclude this Head, by giving you a Scheme of the &s;everal Cau&s;es of our Ju&s;ti|fication.</P>
<P N="1">1. The internal moving Cau&s;e is meer Grace in God. <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 24. <HI>We are ju&s;tified freely by his Grace.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><PB N="34" REF="27">2. The external moving Cau&s;e of Ju&s;tificati|on is Chri&s;t, God-Man; for as he is our Medi|ator, he hath procured this Gift for us.</P>
<P N="3">3. The Material Cau&s;e is the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of his whole Satisfaction; whereby he both obeyed the Law, and &s;uffered the puni&s;hment due to us for Sin.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Formal, is the Imputation of our Sins to Chri&s;t, and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s to us, where|by it is made ours, as if we had performed it our &s;elves, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.21.</P>
<P N="5">5. The external in&s;trumental Cau&s;e is the Go&s;pel; in which Chri&s;t and his Righteou&s;|ne&s;s is offered, the way of Acceptance with God through Chri&s;t is &s;hewed us, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.16. <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.21.</P>
<P N="6">6. The internal in&s;trumental Cau&s;e is Faith; which ju&s;tifies no otherwi&s;e than as an In&s;tru|ment, apprehending Chri&s;t. So hence it may appear how tho&s;e Scriptures do agree, in which we are &s;aid to be ju&s;tified, now by Grace, then by Chri&s;t's Merits, and then again, by Faith; for we are ju&s;tified through God's Grace, for Chri&s;t's Merits, apprehended by Faith.</P>
<P N="7">7. The Declarative Cau&s;e of Ju&s;tification, is good Works; whereby our Faith is proved to be not a dead, but a living Faith.</P>
<P N="8"><PB N="35" REF="27">8. The Final Cau&s;e of our Ju&s;tification, is God's Glory, and our Salvation.</P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI> We come now to an&s;wer &s;ome Ob|jections made again&s;t this heavenly Doctrine.</P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD><HI>Objection</HI> 1.</HEAD>
<P>This Doctrine of Ju&s;tification by Faith alone, or the Imputation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, apprehended by Faith, &s;eems contrary to the Doctrine of the Apo&s;tle <HI>James;</HI> who &s;aith expre&s;ly, <HI>Jam.</HI> 2.21. that <HI>Abraham was ju&s;tified by works.</HI> And, <HI>Ver.</HI> 24. <HI>Ye &s;ee then how that Man is ju&s;tified by works, and not by Faith only.</HI> Now the&s;e two Propo&s;itions &s;eem very contra|ry; that of S. <HI>Paul, We are ju&s;tified by Faith, without the deeds of the Law;</HI> and that of St. <HI>James, We are ju&s;tified by works, and not by Faith only.</HI></P>
<DIV3 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Notwith&s;tanding this &s;eeming Difference, there is neverthele&s;s a &s;weet Accord between the&s;e two Apo&s;tles; they both &s;pake by the holy Spirit, which is a Spirit of Truth, and never utters any thing contradictory to it&s;elf, though it may &s;eem &s;o to us.</P>
<P>There are two ways to reconcile St. <HI>Paul,</HI> and S. <HI>James.</HI></P>
<P N="1"><PB N="36" REF="28">1. By rightly di&s;tingui&s;hing the Word <HI>Ju|&s;tification;</HI> which &s;ometimes &s;ignifies the Ab&s;olu|tion of a Sinner at God's Bar; and &s;o it is u&s;ed by St. <HI>Paul,</HI> in the 3d. 4th. and 5th. Chapters to the <HI>Romans,</HI> where he treats of Ju&s;tification; but then it is &s;ometimes ta|ken for the Declaration of a Man righteous before Men; and in this &s;en&s;e St. <HI>James</HI> u&s;eth it. When <HI>James</HI> &s;aith, <HI>We are ju&s;tified by works,</HI> he doth not mean, that by, or for our works we are pronounced righteous at God's Bar; but declared righteous before Men: And this needs no farther proof, than that In&s;tance of <HI>Abraham,</HI> Chap. 2. v. 21. That <HI>Abraham was ju&s;tified by Works, when he offered up</HI> I&s;aac <HI>upon the Altar;</HI> its certain <HI>Abraham</HI> was ju&s;tified in the &s;ight of God long before, at lea&s;t twenty five years, <HI>Gen.</HI> 15.6. Therefore <HI>Abraham</HI>'s Ju&s;tification here is nothing el&s;e but the mani|fe&s;tation of it by his Works to the World.</P>
<P N="2">2. Another Way to reconcile the&s;e &s;eeming Differences, is, by rightly di&s;tingui&s;hing the Word <HI>Faith,</HI> Which,</P>
<P N="1">1. Sometimes &s;ignifies a true and living Faith, which works by Love, and is productive of all manner of holy Obedience: And this is that Faith St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks of, when he &s;aith, <HI>We are ju&s;tified by Faith alone;</HI> he means, that Faith that &s;ets the Soul at work in hearty and &s;incere Obedience to God's Word:, and this St. <HI>James</HI> doth not deny,</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="37" REF="28">2. The Word <HI>Faith,</HI> is &s;ometimes taken for a fal&s;e, barren, and dead Faith, &s;uch as Devils and Hypocrites have; which con&s;i&s;ts in meer O|pinion, owning, and acknowledging the Arti|cles of Religion as true, but is it &s;elf dead, not producing Holine&s;s of Heart and Life. This is that Faith here oppo&s;ed by S. <HI>James:</HI> And there|fore when he &s;aith, that <HI>Abraham, Rahab,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>were ju&s;tified by Works,</HI> he means no more but this, they were ju&s;tified by a working Faith; a Faith that is not barren, but productive of all good Works. So you &s;ee whatever &s;ee|ming difference there is in Words, between the&s;e two Apo&s;tles, there is none in Sen&s;e. St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;eparates Works from Ju&s;tification, but not from Faith; St. <HI>James</HI> joyns Works to Faith, but not to Ju&s;tification.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD><HI>Objection</HI> 2.</HEAD>
<P>If we are ju&s;tified by the imputation of Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s alone, all Works exclu|ded, doth not this open a Gap to Licentiou&s;|ne&s;s,; what need we endeavour to be holy? Chri&s;t hath done all, and left nothing for us to do, but to believe.</P>
<P>This is an old Objection urged again&s;t St. Paul, and therefore no wonder that Men of the &s;ame Spirit, yet make it again&s;t us. <HI>Rom.</HI> 6.1. <HI>Shall we continue in Sin, that Grace may abound?</HI> As if they had &s;aid, this Doctrine of being made righteous in the &s;ight of God, by the imputa|tion of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, if it be true,
<PB N="38" REF="29"> gives us liberty to fulfil the Lu&s;t of our Fle&s;h, to indulge our &s;elves in &s;inful Ways.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. Though Faith alone ju&s;tifies; yet that Faith that doth ju&s;tifie, is not alone, but is ever accompanied with good Works, it is a working Faith; and where-ever it is, engages the whole Man in a cour&s;e of holy obedience to God. <HI>James</HI> 2.17. <HI>Faith without Works is dead being alone.</HI> Ver&s;. 26. <HI>As the Body without the Spi|rit is dead, &s;o Faith without Works is dead.</HI> Gal. 5.7. <HI>Faith that works by Love.</HI> Now let all judge what tendency this heavenly Truth can have to make Per&s;ons loo&s;e, that <HI>we are ju&s;tified by Faith alone;</HI> that that Faith that ju&s;tifieth, is not a dead, but living Faith, a heart-purifying Faith, that makes him that hath it, <HI>zealous of good works.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Ju&s;tification and Sanctification always go together; he that is ju&s;tified is certainly &s;an|ctified, and he that is &s;anctified is likewi&s;e ju&s;tified: And &s;o the Apo&s;tle joins them together, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.30. <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who of God is made unto us Sanctification and Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> 1 Cor. 6.11. <HI>But ye are &s;anctified, but ye are ju&s;tified;</HI> &s;o that he that is ju&s;tified mu&s;t needs be a holy Per&s;on.</P>
<P N="3">3. Although Sanctification hath nothing to do in the Bu&s;ine&s;s of Ju&s;tification in the &s;ight of God, that being only by <HI>Faith without the Deeds of
<PB N="39" REF="29"> the Law;</HI> yet there is no other way to evi|dence to our own Souls, that we are ju&s;tified, but only by a work of Sanctification upon our hearts. He that would know whether he be ju&s;tified before God or no; mu&s;t examine his own Heart, concerning his Sanctification; for they that, are in Chri&s;t, <HI>walk not after the Fle&s;h, but after the Spirit. Rom.</HI> 8.1.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD><HI>Objection</HI> 3.</HEAD>
<P>This Doctrine of Ju&s;tification by the Impu|tion of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, &s;eems to di&s;&s;olve the Law, as if it did no longer ob|lige to Obedience.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>This is an old Objection made again&s;t St. <HI>Paul,</HI> and his Preaching, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.31. <HI>Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid; yea, we rather e&s;tabli&s;h the Law.</HI> The Apo&s;tle's An|&s;wer is, That the Doctrine of Ju&s;tification by Faith alone, is &s;o far from de&s;troying, that it rather e&s;tabli&s;heth the Law. And that it doth in the&s;e two re&s;pects:</P>
<P N="1">1. The Law is e&s;tabli&s;hed in Ju&s;tification by Faith in Chri&s;t, in that Chri&s;t has both ful|filled the Precepts of the Law in his Life; as al&s;o fully &s;atisfied for the Breach of the Law in his Death and Sufferings; and hence the
<PB N="40" REF="30"> Righteou&s;ne&s;s of the <HI>Law is fulfilled in us,</HI> Rom. 8.4. <HI>i. e.</HI> in Chri&s;t our Surety.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Law, though it be void to a Belie|ver, in re&s;pect of obtaining Ju&s;tification; but in that re&s;pect it is become weak, and unable to an&s;wer its End, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.3. Yet it is e&s;ta|bli&s;hed as a Rule of Obedience to all Believers in Chri&s;t. We mu&s;t obey it, not to be ju&s;ti|fied by it; but by our obedience to it, to te|&s;tifie our Thankfulne&s;s to God; not as a Cau&s;e of our Ju&s;tification, but as an Evidence of our Intere&s;t in Chri&s;t. Our Obedience to the Law, is not our Title to Heaven; but it is our nece&s;&s;ary Qualification to &s;it us for Heaven. <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.14. <HI>Without Holine&s;s no Man &s;hall &s;ee God.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="objection">
<HEAD><HI>Objection</HI> 4.</HEAD>
<P>If we are righteous before God in the Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, then God &s;ees no Sin in us.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>True it is, God &s;ees no Sin in a Saint with a vindictive Eye; but with an intuitive one he doth: He doth not &s;ee Sin in a ju&s;tified Per|&s;on, &s;o as to revoke his Ju&s;tification, and con|demn him for it. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.1. <HI>No Condemnation to them that are in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> No Sin in a Believer le&s;&s;ens his Title to Heaven.</P>
<PB N="41" REF="30">
<P>But yet neverthele&s;s God bo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> &s;ees, and is angry with the Sins of his People: And as a Father (not as an angry and revenging Judge) corrects and afflicts them for Sin, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 89.30. <HI>If his Children</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Per Filios Chri&s;ti hic intelligantur credentes. <HI>Pi&s;c.</HI> in Locum.</NOTE> (<HI>i. e.</HI> Chri&s;t's &s;piritual Seed and Off&s;pring that are united to him by Faith) <HI>for&s;ake my Law and walk, not in my Judgments.</HI></P>
<P>Ver&s;e 31. <HI>If they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandments.</HI></P>
<P>Ver&s;e 32. <HI>Then will I vi&s;it their Tran&s;gre|&s;&s;ions with the Rod, and their Iniquities with Stripes.</HI></P>
<P>Ver&s;e. 33. <HI>Neverthele&s;s my loving Kindne&s;s will I not utterly take from him, nor &s;uffer my Faithfulne&s;s to fail.</HI></P>
<P>Ver&s;e 34. <HI>My Covenant will I not break,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>I now proceed to the Application of the Doctrine.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="application">
<PB N="42" REF="31">
<HEAD>Application.</HEAD>
<P>Is this &s;o, that there is no other way for a Sinner to be ju&s;tified in the Sight of God, but by the imputation of the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t received by Faith alone; then we &s;hall make a threefold U&s;e of this ble&s;&s;ed Truth.</P>
<P>A U&s;e of
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Information.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Examination.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Exhortation.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The fir&s;t U&s;e &s;hall be of Information in Five Things.</P>
<P N="1">1. If this be &s;o, that there is no other way of Ju&s;tification, but by the Imputation of Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s, then this informs us, that the way of Ju&s;tification taught by the Papi&s;ts, is dangerous and de&s;tructive to Souls for they join Works with the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t; or rather &s;et up Works in the point of Ju&s;tifica|tion, in oppo&s;ition to Chri&s;t; as <HI>Va&s;ques,</HI> a Popi&s;h Author &s;aith, where he a&s;cribes all to Works, nothing to Chri&s;t, as he is quoted by Mr. <HI>Pool,</HI> in his Dialogue: Saith, <HI>That Eternal Life is due to a good Man without any Covenant, or Favour of God: And, that the Merits of Christ add no Worth to the Works of
<PB N="43" REF="31"> a good Man.</HI> Many more &s;uch like Sayings may be &s;een in <HI>Pool</HI>'s Dialogue, <HI>pag.</HI> 206. 207. A Book I could wi&s;h were in all Prote&s;tant-Hands<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Being not above 12 Pence price; and of admi|rable U&s;e to principle Chri&s;tians again&s;t Popi&s;h Er|rors.</NOTE>. But I be&s;eech you hold fa&s;t this ble&s;&s;ed Truth, That we are ju&s;tified in the Sight of God by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t imputed; and then all Antichri&s;tia Fogs will be di&s;&s;ipated.</P>
<P N="2">2. This being &s;o, that we are ju&s;tified by Faith alone; then this &s;hews the Fal&s;ene&s;s and Dangerou&s;ne&s;s of the <HI>Arminian</HI> Way of Ju&s;ti|fication: Which they thus expre&s;s, That we are ju&s;tified by Faith in a proper Sen&s;e; <HI>i. e.</HI> the Act of believing, is that that is imputed to us; and for which we are accepted with God, as if it were the perfect Righteou&s;ne&s;s of the Law. Or more plainly thus: Our Faith and &s;incere Obedience to the Go&s;pel, is our Evangelical Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which God for Chri&s;t's &s;ake accepts, as if it were perfect; but this Doctrine being true, that we are ju|&s;tified by Faith, as it apprehends Chri&s;t, this mu&s;t needs be fal&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. This being &s;o; then &s;ee what a rotten Sect the <HI>Quakers</HI> are; and as in mo&s;t other, &s;o they are very rotten in this fundamental Point, for whatever crafty Words they &s;peak;
<PB N="44" REF="32"> that they are ju&s;tified by Chri&s;t, and his im|puted Righteou&s;ne&s;s, they mean nothing but their adored Light within: For in their De|claration of Faith, <HI>pag.</HI> 19, 20. though they endeavour to hide and cover their Error in this Point, by many crafty Words, &s;uch as this, that Acceptance with the Father is on|ly in Chri&s;t, and by his Righteou&s;ne&s;s impu|ted to us, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But they, as the Papi&s;ts, with whom they agree in many fundamen|tal Errors, have &s;ecret Re&s;erves; &s;ay one thing, but mean another; they deny Faith, to receive Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s, calling it &s;coffingly an Act of the Creaturely Skill, and a Fiction of Man's Brain; and bring all to our Walking, as may there be Seen. And when they &s;ay, <HI>pag.</HI> 20. that it is not by Acts of Righteou&s;ne&s;s done by our &s;elves, that we are ju&s;tified; but by Chri&s;t, who works tho&s;e Acts in us, and for us. Here you &s;ee 'tis Acts in us for which we we ju&s;tified; not done by us, but by the Light in us, which they bla&s;phemou&s;ly call &s;ometimes God, and &s;ometimes the Holy Gho&s;t, by, and from which the Holy Scriptures were written, as in the forecited Book, <HI>pag.</HI> 6. and &s;ometimes Chri&s;t. Tho&s;e that would &s;ee how gro&s;s they are in this Point, See the&s;e<NOTE N="*" PLACE="foot">Rea&s;on again&s;t Railing, <HI>pag.</HI> 8. <HI>Whitehead's Append.</HI> 27. 28. <HI>Smith</HI> Collect. 56. <HI>Fox</HI>'s My&s;t. 10. 23. 131. Quakeri&s;m no Popery, 44 <HI>ad</HI> 57.</NOTE> Books writ|ten by Ringleaders among&s;t them. But, dear
<PB N="45" REF="32"> Chri&s;tians, let me beg of you to receive this ble&s;&s;ed Truth, that you have &s;een clearly proved from the Word of God; and then all <HI>Popi&s;h, Arminian,</HI> and <HI>Quaking</HI> Errors will vani&s;h.</P>
<P N="4">4. See here al&s;o the Errors of the <HI>Anti|nomians</HI> confuted; who &s;ay, <HI>That we are ju&s;ti|fied from Eternity:</HI> But this cannot be; be|cau&s;e we mu&s;t he charged with Guilt before we can be ju&s;tified, this could not be before we had &s;inned. Again, none can be ju&s;tified till they believe. <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.36. actual Faith is not from Eternity. Again, there is a time when the Saints that are now ju&s;tified, were under Condemnation, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.2. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.11.</P>
<P N="5">5 This then informs of the great Sin and Guilt that is committed and contracted, by tho&s;e Mini&s;ters that have received Charge of Souls and do not faithfully &s;hew poor Sin|ners this way to Life and Glory; <HI>i. e.</HI> by the Imputation of Chri&s;t's Righteou&s;ne&s;s. Tho&s;e are undoubtedly Enemies to their own, and Peoples Souls, who do not direct their People to the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t for Ju&s;tifica|tion and Eternal Life, and whatever &s;uch may now think or &s;ay, they'll find their Account very terrible, when the chief Shepherd &s;hall appear, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9.16. <HI>A Nece&s;&s;ity is laid on me to peach the Go&s;pel and wo unto me if I preach not the Go&s;pel.</HI></P>
<PB N="46" REF="33">
<P>The Second U&s;e &s;hall be of Examination. Is this &s;o, that we are ju&s;tified in the Sight of God, by the Imputation of Chri&s;t's Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s received by Faith alone?</P>
<P>Then let me be&s;eech every one of you to make a pau&s;e here: Stand a while, and reflect &s;eriou&s;ly upon your &s;elVes; put this Query to your own Hearts, Whether am I ju&s;tified, or no? Clothed with the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, or no?</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> But how may I know whether I am a ju&s;tified Per&s;on or no?</P>
<P N="1">1. Negatively, There be &s;everal &s;orts of Per&s;ons that may be &s;ure they are not ju&s;ti|fied, are not in Chri&s;t, have no Right or Ti|tle to Eternal Life. As, 1. All open, &s;canda|lous, and profane Sinners; who though in Words they may own Chri&s;t, yet in Works deny him, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. <HI>ult.</HI> &s;uch as Swearers, Drun|kards, Scoffers at Holine&s;s, Enemies to the Life and Power of Godline&s;s, Profaners of Sabbaths, proud, covetous Worldlings, Athei&s;ts, &s;uch as live and allow them&s;elves in a Trade and Cour&s;e of Sin. The World is full of the&s;e; the Nation, Towns, Pari&s;hes, &s;warm with &s;uch: To be &s;ure you that are &s;uch are not ju&s;tified, <HI>Exod.</HI> 23.7. <HI>The Lord will not ju|&s;tifie the Wicked.</HI></P>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<PB N="47" REF="33">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P>But is not God &s;aid to ju&s;tifie the Ungodly? <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.5.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>Though God find Sinners ungodly, yet he doth not leave them &s;o; but always whom he ju&s;tifies he &s;anctifieth, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.30. <HI>Whom he called, them he ju&s;tified,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.9, 10, 11. <HI>Know you not that the &V;nrighteous &s;hall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Be not deceived:</HI> (and then he gives you a Catalogue of &s;uch as are marching in the forlorn Hope for Hell:) And then adds, <HI>Such were &s;ome of you; but ye are wa&s;hed, but ye are &s;anctified, but ye are ju&s;ti|fied.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Such are not ju&s;tified, as are ignorant of, and Strangers to the Way of Salvation by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.3. <HI>'Tis Life Eternal to know God and Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> I do not here &s;peak of Infants or Idiots, but adult Per&s;ons; 'tis &s;ad not to know Chri&s;t, to &s;it under a Mini&s;try that does not reveal Chri&s;t: Igno|rance of any of the Fundamentals of Religion is dangerous, but Ignorance of Chri&s;t is dam|nable, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1.8. <HI>Taking Vengeance on them that know not God.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Such as have no &s;aving Work of God upon their Hearts, are Strangers to the Life
<PB N="48" REF="34"> and Power of Godline&s;s: The&s;e are not ju&s;ti|fied; for Ju&s;tification and Sanctification always go together.</P>
<P N="2">2. Po&s;itively; If you are &s;anctified, you are ju&s;tified. Now I be&s;eech you, examine whe|ther ever you have felt that Heavenly Change upon your Hearts, mentioned <HI>Ezek.</HI> 36.25, 26, 27.</P>
<P>But particularly, let me put you upon the Trial of your Faith; if you have &s;aving Faith, you are ju&s;tified Per&s;ons: Faith is that Grace that lays hold on Chri&s;t; and whoever hath it, hath Chri&s;t and Eternal Life in him, <HI>Mark</HI> 16. <HI>He that believeth &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI> Take the&s;e Signs of true &s;aving Faith.</P>
<P N="1">1. If your Hearts lie under the commanding Power of the Word of God, de&s;ire to obey every Command; then your Faith is right, and you are ju&s;tified Per&s;ons, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.4, 5, 6.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection">
<HEAD>Objection.</HEAD>
<P>Alas, I am &s;o far from obeying all, that I obey none as I &s;hould.</P>
<DIV4 TYPE="answer">
<HEAD>An&s;wer.</HEAD>
<P>But can you not &s;ay with <HI>David,</HI> you re&s;pect all, <HI>v.</HI> 6. God accepts the Will for the Deed; if your Faith be right, its productive of Ho|line&s;s, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.17.</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="49" REF="34">2. Where there's &s;aving Faith, Je&s;us Chri&s;t is prized above all the World, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.7. <HI>To you that believe, he is precious.</HI> Now what Thoughts have you of Chri&s;t, and what Affe|ctions to him? Do not you love him? Are not the De&s;ire of your Souls to his Name? Do you prize Chri&s;t above all, and count it a &s;ingular Fa|vour and Honour to be employed for him, to wait on him in any of his Ordinances.</P>
<P N="3">3. Faith purifies the Heart, <HI>Act.</HI> 15.9. its not &s;o much for Shews as for Heart &s;oundne&s;s, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.30. Do you long for Heart-purity; then you are ble&s;&s;ed, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5.6.</P>
<P>O try your Faith, <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.36. <HI>He that believeth, hath Eternal Life.</HI></P>
<P>The third U&s;e &s;hall be of Exhortation, in two Branches.</P>
<P N="1">1. To Sinners yet unju&s;tified.</P>
<P N="2">2. To the Saints, and &s;uch as are in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="1">1. To you who are yet unconverted, and in a State of Condemnation; How dreadful is your Condition? God's righteous Law cur&s;es and condemns you, <HI>Gal</HI> 3.10. You are Sin|ners, God-provoking, Hell de&s;erving Sinners: A Helli&s;h Nature you brought into the World
<PB N="50" REF="35"> with you, and Helli&s;h Fruits hath it brought forth in your Lives. God hath been excee|dingly di&s;honoured by you: The Spirit of Grace has been grieved by you. The pre|cious things of God, and the great Things of Eternity, have been much &s;lighted and ne|glected by you. You have been full of Cares and Projects for the Body and bodily Con|cerns; but your immortal Souls have been little regarded: You have lived, as if there had been no other World but this: As if the terrible Threatnings again&s;t Sin and Sin|ners, had been but meer Bugbears; and the precious Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, but Fa|bles. And yet die you mu&s;t, and enter up|on an Eternity of Glory in Heaven, or Mi|&s;ery in the burning Lake in a very &s;hort Time.</P>
<P>O, Sirs, I beg of you in the Bowels of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that you will &s;eriou&s;ly &s;et your &s;elves to con&s;ider, how dreadful it will be to die before you live; to die a natural Death, before you live a &s;piritual Life. It will be dreadful for you to appear at the Bar of God out of Chri&s;t; to &s;tand trembling before the Judge of Quick and Dead, without either the inherent Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Sanctification, or the imputed Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Ju&s;tification; for if you have not the former, to be &s;ure you have not the latter.</P>
<P>You &s;ee here is Provi&s;ion made; here is a perfect &s;potle&s;s Righteou&s;ne&s;s, able to co|ver all your &s;piritual Deformities, and to
<PB N="51" REF="35"> pre&s;ent you without Spot and Blemi&s;h before God's Tribunal.</P>
<P>And it is offered to you in the Go&s;pel; you may have it if the Fault be not in your &s;elves; you are fairly invited to come to Chri&s;t, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55.1. <HI>Ho, every one that thir|&s;teth, come ye to the Waters; and he that hath no Money, Come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy Wine and Milk without Money, and without Price.</HI> So v. 7.</P>
<P>And therefore be not &s;o cruel to your own Souls, as to go on, and die in your Sins: Therefore let me beg this &s;mall Re|que&s;t of you; I am not begging your Silver or Gold, nor your Favours to my &s;elf, but what infinitely concerns your own Everla&s;ting Good. My Reque&s;t is, that this Evening before you &s;leep, you would get alone, and put this Que&s;tion &s;olemnly and &s;eriou&s;ly to your &s;elves: What am I? Whether am I ju&s;tified by the Imputation of the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of Chri&s;t or no? If not; as there's no|thing &s;o &s;ure, as that I am not ju&s;tified, if I am not &s;anctified, what will become of me when I die? How &s;hall I dare to appear at God's righteous Bar? Now is this Reque&s;t unrea&s;o|nable? If I could tell what Words would af|fect your Hearts, I would &s;peak them. I be&s;ecch you, my Brethren, one and another, young and old, rich and poor, be reconciled to God; nay, not I, but Je&s;us Chri&s;t, by me, be|&s;eeches you to be reconciled. Suppo&s;e Je&s;us
<PB N="52" REF="36"> Chri&s;t were now in this Pulpit, thus be&s;eeching and inviting you to come to him&s;elf, believe in him, How would your Hearts melt? Why I am his Servant and Me&s;&s;enger, I come not of my &s;elf, he &s;ent me; if you de&s;pi&s;e this Me&s;&s;age, from my Mouth, you de&s;pi&s;e Chri&s;t, <HI>Luk.</HI> 10.16. <HI>He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that de&s;pi&s;eth you, de&s;pi&s;eth me.</HI> We are Amba&s;&s;adors for Chri&s;t: as though God did be&s;eech you by us. <HI>We pray you in Chri&s;t's Stead, be ye recon|ciled to God,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.20.</P>
<P>The Second Branch of this Exhortation &s;hall be to you that are in Chri&s;t: You are the Children of God by Faith; you can prove your Title to Chri&s;t's imputed Righteou&s;ne&s;s by the Fruits of the Spirit in your Hearts, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5.22.</P>
<P N="1">1. Have you a &s;aving Intere&s;t in Chri&s;t? live to him. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.6. <HI>As ye have received Chri&s;t Je&s;us the Lord, &s;o walk in him.</HI> Remember, &s;uch as are in Chri&s;t walk not after the Fle&s;h, but after the Spirit. O labour to be righte|ous as he is righteous; walk circum&s;pectly, not as Fools, but as wi&s;e; as you call on the Name of Chri&s;t, depart from all iniqui|ty: Be much in Prayer to him, &s;ecret Prayer, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6.6. <HI>Enter into thy Clo&s;et, &s;hut thy Door, pray to thy Father in &s;ecret.</HI> Let thy Heart run out, run over in Love to him. <HI>Cant.</HI> 1.7. <HI>O thou whom my Soul loves!</HI> The ignorant World calumniates this heavenly Do|ctrine
<PB N="53" REF="36"> of Ju&s;tification, to lead to Loo&s;ne&s;s. O convince Gain&s;ayers by a &s;trict, holy, heaven|ly Walk, that they that will &s;peak evil of you, may have nothing rightly to accu&s;e your good Conver&s;ation: Prize all the Truths of God: Stick clo&s;e to every Ordinance; as new born Babes de&s;ire the &s;incere Milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. O have a care that while you &s;eek to be ju&s;tified by Chri&s;t, you your &s;elves are not found Sinners. <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.17. <HI>Be holy in all manner of Conver&s;ation.</HI> Be holy in your Clo&s;ets, in your Families, in the inward Frame of your Hearts, and in all your dealing and conver&s;e in the World.</P>
<P N="2">2. Do not only live to Je&s;us Chri&s;t; but live upon him; live by Faith. <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.20. <HI>The Life I live in the World, is by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him&s;elf for me.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. Live upon Chri&s;t for Temporals; and this you may do with much comfort and ea&s;e; bani&s;h all anxious, di&s;tru&s;tful, di&s;tracting Cares and Fears about the World. Ca&s;t your Care on him, he cares for you. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 55.22. <HI>Ca&s;t thy Burthen upon the Lord, and he &s;hall &s;u|&s;tain thee; he will never &s;uffer the righteous to be moved.</HI> 1 Pet. 5.7. He that has given the greater, will certainly give the le&s;&s;er. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.32. <HI>He that &s;pared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how &s;hall he not with him freely give us all things?</HI> Al&s;o he that has given you Chri&s;t and Pardon, will give you Food and
<PB N="54" REF="37"> Raiment, Provi&s;ion and Protection, and what|ever may be nece&s;&s;ary for you in this Life. <HI>Heb.</HI> 13.5, 6. <HI>Let your Conver&s;ation be without Covetou&s;ne&s;s; and be content with &s;uch things as you have; for he hath &s;aid, I will never leave thee, nor for&s;ake thee.</HI> So that we may boldly &s;ay, <HI>The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear what Man &s;hall do unto me.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Live upon Chri&s;t for Spirituals: e&s;pecial|ly Pardon of Sin, and Acceptance in his &s;ight; when at any time you are a&s;&s;aulted with Temp|tations about the &s;tate and Condition of your Souls; live in Duties, &amp; exerci&s;e Grace; but do not live upon them; but live wholly by Faith on Chri&s;t: When the Guilt of Sin &s;tares you in the Face, and rai&s;es &s;ome Terror within, do as <HI>David</HI> did in the like ca&s;e, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51.7. Fly to the Blood of Sprinkling. It would much conduce to the Peace and Comfort of Chri&s;tians, if they did more believingly con&s;ider, that our Accep|tance with God is not for our Duties and Graces, but only for Chri&s;t's Merits. God doth not love his People the le&s;s for their remaining Infirmities. Sin in a Believer, may darken his Evidences, and put him upon true Acts of Humiliation and Repentance; but it cannot annul his Ju&s;ti|fication. And therefore &s;et not your own Du|ties and Graces, but the Death and Satisfacti|on of Chri&s;t, in oppo&s;ition to all Charges that may be brought again&s;t you, either from the Law, Satan, or Con&s;cience. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.34. <HI>Who is he that condemneth? 'Tis Chri&s;t that died.</HI> Be as
<PB N="55" REF="37"> holy and heavenly as you can; but live only upon Chri&s;t by Faith, for Pardon, Per&s;everance, and Eternal Life.</P>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<CLOSER>Triuni Deo Gloria.</CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="38" MS="y">
<HEAD>Books lately Printed for <HI>Na|thanael Ranew,</HI> at the <HI>King</HI>'s-<HI>Arms</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s <HI>Church-Yard, 1691.</HI></HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>DI&s;cour&s;es, or Sermons on &s;everal Scriptures. By <HI>Ezekiel Hopkins,</HI> late Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>London-Derry.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>The Naked Go&s;pel: Di&s;covering, 1. What was the Go&s;pel our Lord and his Apo&s;tles prea|ched. 2. What Additions and Alterations lat|ter Ages have made in it. 3. What Advanta|ges and Damages have thereupon en&s;ued. By <HI>Arthur Bury,</HI> Rector of <HI>Exeter</HI> Colledge, in <HI>Oxford.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>The True Intere&s;t of Nations &s;tated. By <HI>An|thony Walker,</HI> D D.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Midnight Cry, a Sermon on the Parable of the Ten Virgins. By <HI>J. Ma&s;on.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>The Holy Life of Mrs. <HI>Elizabeth Walker,</HI> late Wife of Dr. <HI>A. Walker.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>The be&s;t Match: Or, A Believers Marriage with Chri&s;t: A Sermon on the Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son. By <HI>Michael Harri&s;on.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
