and treats us as righteous perfons, and gives us a claim to his fpecial favor. This juftification is obtained by believing in Jefus for all the prophets and apoftles bear witnefs to Chrift, A&t. 10. 43. that, through his name, whofoever believeth

in him fhall receive remiffion of fins By him Act. 13. 38, all that believe are juftified from all things, 39. from which they could not be juftified by the law of Mofes, or any other law. The righteoufness of God by faith of Jefus Chrift is unto Rom. 3. 21all and upon all them that believe. We are 26, juftified freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift, whom He hath fet forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness. for the remiffion of fins, that he might be just, and yet the juftifier of him which believeth in Jefus. As by one man's disobedience many Rom. 5. 19 were made finners, fo by the obedience of one fhall many be made righteous and being Rom. 5. 1. juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Juftification

CHRIST is the end of the law for righteouf- by faith oppofed to righnels to every one that believeth; and they teoufnefs by who go about to eftablifh their own righte- the law. cufnels according to the law of righteousness, Rom. 10. 3— and through ignorance, have not fubmitted 11. themselves unto the righteoufness of God, are yet far from righteoufnefs For the law directs us to righteoufnefs in this manner-The man that doth thofe things fhall live by them: But the righteoufnefs which is of faith speaks in this encouraging language-that If thou fbalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and halt believe in thine heart that God hath raised bim from the dead, thou shalt be faved; for with the heart man believeth unto righteouf

nefs

nefs, and with the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation; and the fcripture faith, who foever believeth on him fhall not be ashamed.

If there had been a law given to man which Gal.3.21,22. could have given life, verily righteoufnefs would have been by that law; but the fcripture hath concluded all under fin, that the promife by faith of Jefus Chrift might be given to them that believe. By the deeds of the law no flesh fhall be juttified in the fight of God, Rom. 3. 20. becaufe by the law is the knowlege of fin. Rom.4.4-8. To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt; but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufness, as Abraham's was. Thus the pro

T

mife of the heavenly inheritance (b ing made Rom. 4. 16. to them who are heirs through the righteouf3. 27. nefs of faith) is of grace, and excludes all boating; while we are led to glory only in the 1 Cor. 1. 31. Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom we receive the free gift of eternal life.

6.23.

The law is

not made

Rom.

Tía.

3. 31.

42. 21.

YET we do not, by faith, make void the law, void by faith, but rather eftablish it. For the law is holy, juft, and good, requiring perfection of righ7.7-16, teoufnefs; and for this very reafon we defpair. of being juftified by it, becaufe men cannot attain to that righteoufnefs which it requires, God hath magnified his law, and made it ho norable, by appointing his own Son to be fubject to the law, and bear the curfe of it for ús, in order to our redemption, For this reafon it became him who was our Médiator, to Matt. 3. 15. fulfil all righteoufnefs; and hereby he hath Rom. 15.5. fet us an example of all that holiness which is Heb. 12. 14. to be the conftant aim and purfuit of all his difciples. CHRISTIANS

Gal. 3. 13.

N

CHRISTIANS are not to confider themselves i Cor. 9. 21. as without law toGod; but as under the law to

Chrift. Being delivered from that condemna- Rom. 8. 1,2,
tion to which they were fubjected according 3, 4
to the legal administration of the divine go-

vernment, they are tranflated into the king- Coloff 1.9,
dom of God's dear Son, and brought into 14.
fubjection to the authority of his commands.

Love fecures their obedience; and the law Joh. 14. 15,
and government of the Spirit of life in Christ 21, 23, 24.
Jefus, makes them free, from the law of fin

and death. And being made free from the
dominion of fin; they become the fervants of Rom. 6. 14,
righteoutnefs, and have their fruit unto holi-23..
nefs, and the end everlafting life.

THAT faith which faves the foul is made Good works neceffary evident by good works, and may be diftinguifh- fruits and eed from every kind of faith which falls fhort vidences of of the defign of the Gospel, by the fruits of faith. righteoufnels which it produceth. Faith Gal.5 6. A&t. worketh by love, purifieth the heart, and o- 15.9. Joh.5. vercometh the world. And by works Faith 4 5.

is made perfect; inafmuch as, without them, Jam. 2. 14—
it hath not that full effect, which is neceffary 26.

to prove it to be that faith to which the pro- Joh.11,25,26
miles are made; but being alone, not mani- Gal. 3. 29.
fefted by good fruits, it appears to be effenti-
ally defective, and may be called a dead faith.
Hereby we do know that we know him, if we 1 Joh. 2. 3-
keep his commandments: He that faith, I
know him, and keepeth not his command-
ments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him :
but whofo keepeth his word, in him verily is
the love of God perfected.

6.

The good

works of bes

MOREOVER; though we are now delivered from guilt and condemnation, and juftified in lievers will ba the fight of God as righteous perfons, intirely rewarded at

by the last day

ભા

by believing in Jefus Chrift (for he knoweth our Pfal.50.6.A&t hearts); yet, at the last day, in which God will 17. 31. Ifa.4. make his righteoufnels manifeft to men and 16.Rev22,12 angels, every man will be judged and rewardMatt. 25.31, ed according to his works. The wicked will 46.

then be condemned, after a folemn trial, for all their ungodly deeds, and hard fpeeches which they have uttered againft Chrift. And the righteous will be openly justified, by a declaration of all the good works they have done, and the love they have fhewed to Chrift and his members. By thefe evidences of their faith and love, it will be made to appear that they are righteous as Chrift's faithful fubjects, and worthy of his kingdom and glory and Matt. 10. 41, whosoever hath given a cup of cold water only, even to the leaft of Chrift's difciples in he fhall in no wife lole his reward.

42.

The nature of

renovation.

Joh. 3.3-10.

his name,

SECT. II.

Believers are renewed and fanctified by the
Word and Spirit of God.

IN

TN the language of the new Teftament, be-, 1 Pet. 1. 23. lievers are faid to be born again-born of I Ioh. 5. 1. God-born of the Spirit-begotten, according to Jam. 1. 18. the will of God, by the word of truth. They Joh. 1.12,13. are fpoken of, as men who have paffed thro Rom6 1-13 a kind of death, as to their former finful itate Coloff. 3.1- and character, and recovered to a new life, in

10.

conformity to the death and refurrection of Chrift. They are faid, to have put off, as to their former converfation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts, and Eph. 4. 21- being renewed in the fpirit of their minds, to have put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufaefs and true holiness, Het Eph, 2, 8, 9, They are called God's workmanship, created in

Mat24.

Rom

Christ Jefus unto good works; and fo are af firmed to be new creatures, old things having 2 Cor. 5. 171 paffed away, and all things become new. Such phrafes express that remarkable happy change made by the Gospel, when accompanied with the power of the holy Ghoft unto the heart, in the general state, temper, and character of all who unfeignedly believe it: a change of their condition and manner of life as wonderful, as

if they had died, and put off their old finful Colof.2 . 1 1 min body, and received a new form and state of 13. existence, more perfect and spiritual, from him who at first created man. Thefe Metaphors were most remarkably justifiable when applied

I

9

2. 11-16.

to the converfion of the gentiles, in the be- Eph.2.11,12, ginning of the Gospel, from their grofs igno- 1 Theff, 1. rance, idolatry, and wickedness, to ferve the 10. living and true God. But there is a fimilar change made in all finners who repent and be- Joh. 3. 19, lieve the Gospel with all their hearts. They 20. 21. may be faid, with great propriety, to be turned & 26. 18. from darkness to light, and from the power Jch.2.8--11. Eph. 5.11--14 of fatan unto God. They are delivered from 5. 19, 20. condemnation, and obtain pardon, peace, and Rom 8 1. the hope of eternal life. Their understandings 5• 1—5• are enlightened to judge of fpiritual things in Eph.1.15-23 a fpiritual manner their governing principles, 1Cor 1.23.24 babits, and difpofitions are changed, and their Coloff. 3. 1affections taken off from earthly and fet on heavenly things and their general courfe of Eph.4.17--32 life is, not according to the former lufts, in 1 Pet. 1. 14, their ignorance, but according to the will of 15. God. Once they walked after the flesh, be- Rom.8.4-9ing filled with all fenfual defires and gratifications; but now they make it their greatest care to be holy, in all manner of converfation, as he who hath called them is holy. In all these respects believers are new men; and they are renewed more and more, according E

10

17: