VI. It is objected, "That upon the fuppofed impu"tation of the righteousness of Chrift, it will follow, that every believer is juftified by the works of the law; for the obedience of Chrift was a legal righteoufnefs, and if that be imputed to us, then are we juftified by the law, which is contrary to Scrip"ture."

Anf. The Scripture, which affirms, that " by the deeds of the law no man can be justified," affirms alfo, that by faith we do not make void the law, but establish it" that "the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us"--and, that "Chrift is the end of the law for righteousness unto them that believe." But " we are not juftified by the law, or the works of it, in the true and only sense of that propofition, which is, that only "the doers of the law fhall be justified,” Rom. ii. 13. and that he who doth the things of it, fhall live by them," chap. x. 5. namely, in his own perfon, which the law requires: But if we, who have not fulfilled the law by perfonal obedience, are justified by the imputation of the righteoufnefs of Chrift to us, then are we justified by Christ, and not by the law.

VII. Neither, on the fuppofition of this imputation, can any be faid to merit their own falvation;" for fatisfaction and merit are properties of the righteousness of Chrift, as formally inherent in his own perfon; but which do not accompany that righteousness, as it is imputed to individual believers.

CHA P. X.

Arguments for Juftification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Chrift. The firft Argument from the Nature and Use of our own perfonal Righteoufness.

THERE

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HERE is a Juftification of convinced finners on their believing hereon their fins are pardoned, their perfons accepted with God, and a right is given them to the heavenly inheritance. This ftate they are immediately taken into upon their believing in Jesus Christ and a state it is of actual peace with God.

These things, at prefent, I take for granted; and they are the foundation of all that I shall plead in the prefent argument. And I take notice of them, becaufe fome perfons feem to me, to deny any real actual fuftification in this life; for they make it only a conditional fentence declared in the Gofpel; which, as to its execution, is delayed till the day of judgment: for while men are in this world, the whole condition of it not being fulfilled, they cannot be absolutely justified. Hence it follows, that there is no real ftate of affured reft and peace with God for any perfons in this life. This, at prefent, I fhall not difpute about, because it feems to me to overthrow the whole Gospel, and all the comfort of believers, about which I hope we are not yet called to contend.

Our inquiry is, how convinced finners do, on their believing, obtain Juftification? If this can be done only by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Chrift, then, thereby alone are they justified. And this affertion proceeds on a fuppofition, that a righteousness is required to the Juftification of every perfon: and if there be no other righteousness, whereby we may be thus juftified, but that of Chrift imputed to us, then thereby must we be justified, or not at all. And if there be

any

ARGUMENTS FOR JUSTIFICATION, &C. ΙΟΙ

any other fuch righteoufnefs, it must be our own, inherent in us, and wrought by us: But that there is no fuch righteoufnefs of our own, whereby we may be juftified before God, I fhall now prove: First, From exprefs teftimonies of Scripture; and, Secondly, From the confideration of the thing itself.

First, We shall produce fome teftimonies of Scripture. Pfal. cxxx. 3, 4. "If thou, Lord, fhouldeft mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall ftand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayeft be feared." These words include an inquiry, How a man may be juftified, or stand, before God, fo as to be accepted of him. That which firft offers itself to this end, is his own obedience; for this both the law and his confcience demand: but the Pfalmift declares, that no man can plead this with fuccefs; because, notwithstanding the best obedience of the best men, " iniquities are found with them against the Lord their God ;" and if men come to their trial, thefe must be taken into the account; and then no man can stand. Wherefore, the wifeft and fafeft courfe is utterly to forego this plea, and not to insist on our own obedience, left our fins also should appear, and be heard.

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Two things are required in this trial, that a finner may stand: (1.) That his iniquities be not observed; for if they be he is loft for ever. (2.) That a righteoufnefs be produced, that will endure the trial; for the first of thefe, the Pfalmift tells us it must be through pardon-" there is forgiveness with thee;" the other cannot be by our own obedience, because of our iniquities; wherefore the fame Pfalmift directs us to go in the ftrength of the Lord God, and make mention of his righteoufnefs, and that only:" -the righteoufnefs of God, not his own; yea, in oppofition to his own, is his only plea. If no man, then,. can ftand a trial before God upon his own obedience, because

K 3

Pfal. i. 5. † Pfal. lxxi. 16.

because of his iniquities; and if our only plea in that cafe be the righteoufnefs of God, and not our own; then is there no perfonal righteousness in believers by which they may be juftified.

The fame is afferted ftill more plainly, Pfal. cxliii. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy fervant, for in thy fight shall no man living be justified *.”

The perfon who infifts on this plea with God, profeffeth himself to be his fervant-one that loved, feared, and obeyed him; not an unbeliever, nor an unregenerate perfon, whofe works were only legal. It was David, who was not only converted; a true believer; had the Spirit of God, and the aids of his grace in his obedience, but had this teftimony, that he was 66 a man after God's own heart;" and this witness he had in his own confcience, which he frequently avows. This perfon then, thus circumstanced; thus teftified unto by God and his own conscience, confiders how he may "ftand before God, and be juftified in his fight." Why doth he not now plead his own merits? -No: he left this plea for a future neration of men, who would " juftify themselves, and defpife others." But fuppofing he had no fuch confidence in the merit of his works as fome have now attained; yet why doth he not enter into judgment with God, by pleading, "that he had fulfilled the condi"tion of the new covenant?" for upon a fuppofition of the procurement of that covenant and its terms by Jefus Chrift, this was all that was required of him +. Is it not to be feared he was one of thofe, who fee no neceflity, or leave none, for perfonal holiness, seeing he makes no mention of it, when it should ftand him in the greatest ftead? At least, he might plead his faith,

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This teftimony is the more to be confidered, because, as it is derived from the law (Exod. xxxiv. 7.), fo it is transferred into the Gofpel; and twice urged by the Apoftle to the fame purpofe, Rom. iii. 20. Gal. ii. 16.

For I fuppofe the virtue of that purchase he made of it is allowed to extend to the Old Teftament.

faith, as a work of his, to be imputed to him for righteoufnefs. But, whatever the reason be, he waves them all, and abfolutely deprecates a trial upon them.

The Pfalmift gives us the reason, in this general axiom ; for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified;" that is, by his own obedience or works. This is an eternal rule of truth, that by his own obedience, no man living can be justified.

From hence we argue; If the moft holy of God's fervants, after a courfe of fincere fruitful obedience, teftified unto by God himself, and witneffed in their own confciences, do renounce all thoughts of such a righteousness thereby, on which, in any fenfe, they may be juftified before God; then there is no fuch righteoufnefs in any; but it is the righteoufness of Chrift alone, whereon they are so justified *.

Another teftimony to the fame purpose, we have in the prophet Ifaiah, who fays, in the name of the church, (chap. Ixiv, 6.) "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteoufneffes are as filthy rags.” Here the Prophet makes a confeffion of the fins of the people, including himfelf; afferting at the fame time, that God was their father, and they his people; yet their righteousneffes were fuch, that Juftification in the fight of God was not to be expected on account of them.

Many others, to the fame purpose, I fhall omit : namely, all those wherein the faints, in an humble confeffion of their own fins, betake themfelves to the mer. cy and grace of God alone, as difpenfed through the mediation of Chrift: And all thofe, wherein God promifeth" to pardon fin for his own name's fake;" to blefs the people; "not for any good, or righteoufnefs that

was

It is true, that a man may plead his integrity and obedience before God himself, but only with refpect to temporal deliverance, or any other particular end wherein the glory of God is concerned. So did Hezekiah, for the fparing of his life, Ifa. xxxviii. 3. and Neh. xiii. 22. but refolves his perfonal acceptance with God into pardoning mercy Spare me, O God, according to thy mercy."