death." John viii. 51. "if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." Rev. ii. 11. "he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." xiv. 13. "blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth." Over Satan; Eph. vi. 10, &c. "be strong in the Lord.. that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil :" being clothed with "the whole armour of God" to oppose him. James iv. 7. “resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 1 John ii. 14. "ye have overcome the wicked one." Rev. xii. 11. " they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony."

Hence such as are strenuous in this conflict, and earnestly and unceasingly labour to attain perfection in Christ, though they be really imperfect, are yet, by imputation and through the divine mercy, frequently called in Scripture perfect, and blameless, and without sin; inasmuch as sin, though still dwelling in them, does not reign over them. Gen. vi. 9. "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations." xvii. 1. "walk before me, and be thou perfect." 1 Kings xv. 14. "the high places were not removed; nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with Jehovah all his days." See also 2 Chron. xv. 17. Philipp. iii. 15. "let us therefore as many as be perfect, be thus minded." Heb. x. 14. "by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." 1 John iii. 6 "whosoever abideth in him sinneth not." See also v. 18. Coloss. ii. 2. "that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ." Eph. iii. 18, 19. "that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

CHAP. XXII.-OF JUSTIFICATION."

HAVING considered the absolute or internal increase of the regenerate, I proceed to speak of that which is relative or external.

Some ambiguity is caused in this chapter from the two significations

This increase has reference either to the Father exclusively, or to the Father and Son conjointly.

That which has reference to the Father exclusively is termed JUSTIFICATION and ADOPTION. Rom. viii. 30. "whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified-.'

JUSTIFICATION is THE GRATUITOUS PURPOSE of God,

WHEREBY THOSE WHO ARE REGENERATE AND INGRAFTED IN CHRIST ARE ABSOLVED FROM SIN AND DEATH THROUGH HIS MOST PERFECT SATISFACTION, AND ACCOUNTED JUST IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, BUT

THROUGH FAITH.

:

THE GRATUITOUS PURPOSE. Rom. iii. 24. “being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." v. 16, 17. "not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification: for if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." Tit. iii. 7. “being justified by his grace.'i

OF GOD, that is, the Father. Rom. iii. 25, 26. "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.' viii. 33. "it is God that justifieth." In the Son through the Spirit. 1 Cor. vi. 11. "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

THROUGH THE SATISFACTION OF CHRIST. Isai. liii. 11. "by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.' Rom. v. 9. "much more then being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." v. 19. "by the obedience of one shall

of the word dikatoσúvn, which our translators have sometimes rendered by the word justification, sometimes by righteousness. In Latin justitia has the same double sense. Without attention to this circumstance the applicability of some of the quotations will scarcely be perceived by the English reader.

many be made righteous." x. 4. "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

As therefore our sins are imputed to Christ, so the merits or righteousness of Christ are imputed to us through faith." 1 Cor. i. 30. " of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." 2 Cor. v. 21. "he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Rom. iv. 6. "even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." v. 19. "for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.' It is evident therefore that justification, in so far as we are concerned, is gratuitous: in so far as Christ is concerned, not gratuitous: inasmuch as Christ paid the ransom of our sins, which he took upon himself by imputation, and thus of his own accord, and at his own cost, effected their expiation; whereas man, paying nothing on his part, but merely, believing, receives as a gift the imputed righteousness of Christ. Finally, the Father, appeased by this propitiation, pronounces the justification of all believers. A simpler mode of satisfaction could not have been devised, nor one more agreeable to equity.

Hence we are said to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Rev. xix. 8. " to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is. the justification of the saints." For the same reason are also called the friends of God. James ii. 23. "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

we

ARE ABSOLVED FROM SIN AND DEATH. Acts x. 43. "to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." xxvi. 18. "that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith which is in me." Rom. v. 18. "by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." viii. 1. "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ

Imputed becomes theirs by faith. Paradise Lost, XII. 408.

Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 34. "who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died—." Coloss. ii. 14. "blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." Even from the greatest sins. 1 Cor. vi. 9-11. "neither fornicators nor idolaters.... &c. and such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified." Jer. 1. 20. "in that time, saith Jehovah, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I reserve.' Isai. i. 18. "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

ACCOUNTED JUST IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. Eph. v. 27. “that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." On the same principle the faithful both before and under the law were accounted just; Abel, Gen. iv. 4. Enoch, v. 24. Noah, vi. 8. and vii. 1. and many others enumerated Heb. xi. Nor is it in any other sense that we are said not to sin, except as our sins are not imputed unto us through Christ.

NOT BY WORKS OF THE LAW BUT THROUGH FAITH. Gen. xv. 6. "Abraham believed in Jehovah, and he counted it to him for righteousness." Habak. ii. 4. "the just shall live by his faith." John vi. 29.," this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Acts xiii. 39. "by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Rom. iii. 20-23. “ therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin; but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." v. 27, 28. "where is boasting then? it is excluded: by what law? of works? nay, but by the law of faith: therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." v. 30. seeing it is one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumsion through faith." iv. 2-8. "for

if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God: for what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness: now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt: but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness even as David also described the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered: blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." ix. 30-33. "what shall we say then? that.... Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness: wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone." Gal. ii. 16. "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." v. 21. "I do frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Chist is dead in vain." iii. 8-12. "the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed: so then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham: for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them: but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith: and the law is not of faith, but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." Philipp. ii. 9. "that I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Heb. xi. 4, &c. "by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." Eph. ii. 8, 9. "that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." In all these numerous passages we are said to be justified by faith, and through faith, and of faith; whether through faith as an instrument, according to the common doctrine, or in any

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