V. term Justification is, according to any sense pre- SERM. tended, applicable: I say divine acts; for that the justification we treat of is an act of God simple or compound (in some manner) respecting, or terminated upon man, is evident, and will not, I suppose, be contested; the words of St. Paul in several places so clearly declaring it; as in that, Who shall lay Rom. viii. any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God 33. that justifieth; and in that, To him that worketh Rom. iv. 5. not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Now according to the tenor of Christian doctrine such acts are these. iii. 26. 1. God (in regard to the obedience performed to his will by his beloved Son, and to his intercession) is so reconciled to mankind, that unto every person, who doth sincerely believe the gospel, and, repenting of his former bad life, doth seriously resolve thereafter to live according to it, he doth (upon the solemn obsignation of that faith, and profession of that resolution in baptism) entirely remit all past offences, accepting his person, receiving him into favour; assuming him into the state of a loyal subject, a faithful servant, a dutiful son; and bestowing on him all the benefits and privileges suitable to such a state; according to those passages: It behoved Christ to Luke xxiv. suffer—and that repentance and remission of 46, 47. sins should be preached in his name among all nations: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be Acts ii. 38. baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and, To him give Acts x. 43. all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins; and, God was in Christ, reconciling the world 2 Cor. v. iii. 19. SERM. unto himself, not imputing their sins; and in other places innumerable. V. Rom. iii. 24, 25. 2. As any person persisting in that sincere faith, and serious purpose of obedience, doth assuredly continue in that state of grace, and exemption from the guilt of sin; so in case that, out of human frailty, such a person doth fall into the commission of sin, God (in regard to the same performances and intercessions of his Son) doth, upon the confession and repentance of such a person, remit his sin, and retain him in or restore him to favour; according to those 1 John i. 9. sayings of St. John, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to 1 John ii. 1. cleanse us from all unrighteousness: and, If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 3. To each person sincerely embracing the gospel, and continuing in steadfast adherence thereto, God doth afford his Holy Spirit, as a principle productive of all inward sanctity and virtuous dispositions in his heart, enabling also and quickening him to discharge the conditions of faith and obedience required from Rom. viii. him, and undertaken by him; that which is by some Gal. iv. 6. termed making a person just, infusion into his soul of righteousness, of grace, of virtuous habits; in the Acts ii. 38. scripture style it is called acting by the Spirit, beTit. iii. 5. stowing the gift of the Holy Ghost, renovation of 22.) the Holy Ghost, creation to good works, sanctificaEph. ii. 10. tion by the Spirit, &c. which phrases denote partly 14. I Cor. ii. 12. 2 Tim. ii. 7. Rom.viii. 9. (Eph. ii. iv. 23. the collation of a principle enabling to perform good works, partly the design of religion tending to that performance. Now all these acts (as by the general consent of Christians, and according to the sense of the ancient V. catholic church, so) by all considerable parties seem- SERM. ing to dissent, and so earnestly disputing about the point of justification, are acknowledged and ascribed unto God; but with which of them the act of justification is solely or chiefly coincident; whether it signifieth barely some one of them, or extendeth to more of them, or comprehendeth them all, (according to the constant meaning of the word in scripture,) are questions coming under debate, and so eagerly prosecuted of which questions whatever the true resolution be, it cannot methinks be of so great consequence, as to cause any great anger or animosity in dissenters one toward another, seeing they all conspire in avowing the acts, whatever they be, meant by the word justification, although in other terms; seeing all the dispute is about the precise and adequate notion of the word justification: whence those questions might well be waved as unnecessary grounds of contention; and it might suffice to understand the points of doctrine which it relateth to in other terms, laying that aside as ambiguous and litigious. Yet because the understanding the rightest, or most probable notion of the word, may somewhat conduce to the interpretation of the scriptures, and to clearing the matters couched in it, somewhat also to the satisfaction of persons considerate and peaceable, I shall employ some care faithfully (without partiality to any side) to search it out, and declare it in order whereto I shall propound some observations, seeming material. I. Whereas it were not hard to speak much, and criticise about the primitive sense of the word, and about its various acceptions both in holy scripture and other writings, I do question whether doing that V. lent ut nummi. SERM. would be pertinent or conducible to our purpose of understanding its right notion here: for knowing Verba va- the primitive sense of words can seldom or never determine their meaning any where, they often in common use declining from it; and the knowing variety of acceptions doth at most yield only the advantage of choosing one suitable to the subjacent matter and occasion. We are not therefore to learn the sense of this word from mere grammarians. ἀντὶ τοῦ δί Bals. in Syn. II. The sense of this word is not to be searched in extraneous writers; both because no matter like to that we treat upon did ever come into their use or consideration, and because they do seldom or never use the word in a sense anywise congruous to this Ἐδικαίωσαν matter: in them most commonly the word δικαιόω Xix, doth signify (as the like word aów) to deem a thing just, equal, or fit, (or simply to deem about a thing.) Sometimes also, yet not often as I take it, being applied to an action, or cause, it importeth to make it appear lawful, or just, as when we ordinarily say, to justify what one saith or doth, (whence dikaiwμa in Aristotle is an argument proving the justice of a cause, firmamentum causæ ;) but in them very seldom or never it is applied to persons; and an example, I conceive, can hardly be produced, wherein it is so used. Can. I. III. In the sacred writings at large it is commonly applied to persons, and that according to various senses, some more wide and general, some more restrained and particular. It there sometime denoteth generally to exercise any judicial act upon, in regard unto, or in behalf of a person; to do him right, or justice, in declaring the merit of his cause, or pronouncing sentence about him; in acquitting or con 4. V. demning him for any cause, in obliging him to, or SERM. exempting him from any burden, in dispensing to him any reward or punishment, indifferently: thus Absalom said, O that I were made a judge in the 2 Sam. xv. land, that every man, which hath any suit or cause, might come unto me, v kai dikaιwow avтòr, and I would justify him, that is, I would do him right: and in the eighty-second Psalm, this charge is given to the princes, or judges; Defend the poor fatherless, dikaisoare, justify the poor needy; that is, do right and justice to them. and Ps. lxxxii. and 3. But more particularly the word signifieth (and that according to the most usual and current acception) so to do a man right, as to pronounce sentence in his favour, as to acquit him from guilt, to excuse him from burden, to free him from punishment; whence we most often meet with the word placed in direct opposition to that of condemnation : as in that law, If there be a controversy between men, and Deut. xxv. they come unto judgment, that the judges may" judge them, then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked: and in Solomon's prayer, Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy Kingsviii. servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way 2 Chr. vi. upon his head, and justifying the righteous, to give 23. him according to his righteousness: and in the Proverbs, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that Prov. xvii. condemneth the just, even both are an abomination 15. unto the Lord: and in the gospel our Saviour saith, By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy Matt.xii. words thou shalt be condemned. 32. 37. (Is. v. 23. In consequence upon this sense, and with a little xliii. 9.) deflection from it, to justify a person sometime denoteth to approve him, or esteem him just, a mental |