observe his ordinances, to love the nisters, and by his Holy Spirit. brethren, &c., are indeed contained They, therefore, who seek from him in the comprehensive requirement the knowledge of God and of his of supreme love to God, and equal truth and will, with a humble, teachlove to our neighbour: yet they are able, believing, and obedient dispoonly given to sinners through Christ sition, in the use of his appointed and the gospel; and they alone are means, will be made wise to salvahis true subjects who submit to his tion; preserved (in proportion to authority, and from evangelical prin- the simplicity of their dependence) ciples, uprightly endeavour to obey from errors and delusions; guided his commandments (Matt. vii. 21-in the midst of the paths of judg28; John xiv. 21-23; xv. 14). ment; and instructed how to act as But we must also consider the circumstances may require, with ascended Redeemer as the great discretion and propriety: but the Prophet of his church. He indeed self-wise of every description, and personally performed the prophetical all who refuse to receive instruction office on earth, during his humilia- from Christ, will be entangled in tion: but as all the ancient prophets error, and given over to strong dewere his servants and representa-lusion, whatever their talents, optives; so the apostles, evangelists, portunities, attainments, reputation, and penmen of the New Testament or assiduity may be (Matt. xiii. 11 were his delegates; and so are all-15). And even believers will be those who preach according to the left to fall into distressing mistakes, holy Scriptures. Christ is the great if at any time they lean to their teacher of mankind; the whole re-own understanding, neglect to seek velation of God is imparted to him; wisdom from this great counsellor, he is the Word and Wisdom of the or prefer the opinion of some faFather, and the Light of the world; vourite teacher to the word of him all who follow him have the light of who is the Truth itself. life, all others abide in darkness! But these distinct offices of our Divine truth is reposited in him as glorified Lord cannot be separated, in a storehouse for our benefit ; either in respect of his performance thence it is communicated to us of them, or of our dependence on through the Scriptures: the Holy him. The self-righteous and the Spirit was sent forth from him to self-wise may seem willing to own inspire prophets, apostles, and evan-him as their king; whilst the one gelists: and he still furnishes pas-rejects him as a prophet, and both tors and teachers for their work of them refuse to come to God (for these are the gifts of the as- through him as their high-priest: cended Redeemer to rebellious man) on the other hand, the Antinomian (Eph. iv. 8-16). Moreover, the may seem to rely on him as a priest, same Spirit prepares men's minds whilst he determines that " he will to receive the truth in faith and not have him to reign over him.” love, and to understand its nature, These and similar dependences are glory, and tendency; thus he gives mere delusions: for Christ rules as efficacy to the word and applies his a priest on his throne; he intercedes salvation to our souls (John xvi. 14, with regal authority; and he teaches 15). So that the Lord Jesus, as his disciples to rely on his atoneascended on high, is the sole Prophet of the church, and teaches his people by his word, by faithful mi

ment and advocacy, to shelter their souls under his omnipotent protection, and to submit to his sovereign

authority. He reveals as a prophet, God and Father. Is this then our what he purchased and obtains as creed, our experience, and dependa high priest and confers as a mu- ence? Do we thus rely on Christ nificent prince. The obedience our Prophet, Priest, and King? and which he requires of his subjects, do we, in the patient obedience of he by his grace disposes and enables faith and love," wait for the mercy them to perform, and renders it ac- of our Lord Jesus Christ unto etercepted through his intercession. So nal life?" (Jude 20, 21.) For this, that they who truly receive him in and this only, is genuine Chrisone of these combined offices, re- tianity.

ceive him in them all.

ESSAY XI.
On Justification.

Thus our Lord prepares their souls for the inheritance which he hath purchased for them: nor could the utmost efficacy of one of these ALL things having been made ready distinct parts of his mediatorial un- for the salvation of sinners, in the dertaking, accomplish that gracious person and mediation of the great purpose. His sacrifice and inter- Redeemer, it was also necessary cession, indeed, render it consistent that the method or medium of apwith the glory of God to admit us propriating this inestimable benefit, sinners into his presence, to receive should be clearly and expressly reus to his favour, to make us his vealed; and this leads us to the children, and to give us an inherit- consideration of the Scripture docance in his own holy habitation; trine of justification. I shall therebut how should we profit by this fore, in the present Essay, briefly provision, did he not send forth his explain the meaning of the words word and his ministers to proclaim justify and justification, as they are the glad tidings, to give the invita- used by the sacred writers; show tions, and to set before us his pre- that we must be justified before God cious promises and new covenant by faith alone; consider the peculiar engagements? How can we receive nature of faith, and the manner in the advantage even of this revela- which it justifies; assign a few reation without we understand and sons why justification and salvation believe it? or how shall we credit are ascribed to this, rather than any such a humbling spiritual message, other holy dispositions or actions except the eyes of our minds be of the soul; and answer some of the opened by the Holy Spirit? (1 Cor. more plausible objections to the ii. 14.) And, at last, how could we doctrine.

unholy creatures be made meet for The terms justify and justification this holy inheritance, without the are taken from the common concerns influences of his new-creating Spi- of life, and applied, with some nerit? How could we overcome the cessary variation of meaning, to the powers of darkness and all our ene- state of sinners who have found acmies, if he did not fight for us? ceptance with God; and they imHow could we meet the king of ply, that the sinner is now dealt terrors, if he did not engage to with as if he were a righteous persupport and deliver us; and finally son, and therefore he is wholly exto raise our bodies incorruptible, empted from those sufferings which immortal, and glorious, to unite with are strictly speaking penal, and is our souls in the everlasting enjoy- entitled to the reward of perfect ment of the love of our reconciled obedience: though in himself he

hath merited no such a reward, but he is justly entitled to all the privion the contrary hath deserved the leges of a good citizen; and that punishment denounced in the law he is, and ought to be, admissible against transgressors. These are to every post of honour and emolucommonly said to be forensic terms, ment, even as if he had never been referring to the practice of human accused. The meaning of the word, judicatories; and they seem to have in other concerns of life, is the same: been originally taken from such if a man's character has been astransactions; yet this derivation persed, he is said to be completely gives us a very inadequate idea of justified, when the charge is entirely their import. For when a man is refuted and proved malicious or charged with a crime before an groundless, to the satisfaction of all earthly tribunal, he must either be that inquire into it. condemned or acquitted: if he be But, on the other hand, our justicondemned, he may be pardoned, fication before God always connects but he cannot be justified; if he be with pardon, and implies that we acquitted, he may be justified, but are guilty, and we are justified as he cannot stand in need of a pardon. ungodly; "righteousness being imMoreover, a criminal may be ac-puted to us without works" (Rom. quitted for want of legal evidence, iv. 1-8). If we had never sinned, or from other causes, when there we might have been justified before can be no reasonable doubt of his God by our own obedience, accordguilt: yet no accusation for the same ing to the common use of the word crime can be brought against him, justification: no charge could have though he is very far from being been brought or proved against us, fully justified from it, or admitted nor should we have needed any forto the full enjoyment of those privi-giveness. But by breaking the holy leges that belong to an unsuspected law of God, we have forfeited our member of civil society: nor would title to the reward of righteousness, he be a proper person to be confided according to the law; and have inin, or advanced to a place of honour curred the penalty of eternal misery. and responsibility. Whereas, if an The justification, therefore, of a sinaccused person be fully justified ner, must imply something distinct from the charge brought against from a total and final remission of him, he suffers no degradation in the deserved punishment, namely, his character, or disadvantage in a renewed title to the reward of his circumstances; his integrity is righteousness, as complete and efoften placed in a more conspicuous fective as he would have had if he light than before; he is considered had never sinned, but had perfectly as an injured man; and is frequent- performed, during the term of his ly recommended by these circum- probation, all the demands of the stances to the favour and confidence Divine law. The remission of sins of the prince, or of the people. alone would place him in such a Justification, therefore, in the ori-state, that no charge would lie against ginal meaning of the word, is not him: but then he would have no only distinct from pardon, but is title to the reward of righteousness absolutely incompatible with it: it till he had obtained it by performimplies far more than the acquittal ing, for the appointed time, the of an accused person: it is a decla- whole obedience required of him; ration that no charge ought to have for he would merely be put again been made against the man; that into a state of probation, and his

justification or condemnation would according to the hope of eternal life" not be decided till that were termi- (Tit. iii. 1—7), nated but the justification of the Every attentive reader of the pardoned sinner gives him a present Scriptures (especially of the writtitle to the reward of righteousness, ings which the apostles penned by independent of his future conduct, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as well as without respect to his as the last and fullest revelation of past actions. This is manifestly the truth of God to mankind) must the Scripture idea of justification: observe that they constantly declare, it is uniformly represented as im- that a man is "justified by faith mediate and complete, when the only, and not by the works of the sinner believes in the Lord Jesus law." Many have endeavoured to Christ; and not as a contingent ad- explain all such testimonies to mean vantage, to be waited for till death the Mosaic law, as distinguished or judgment: and the arguments from the Christian dispensation, that some learned men have ad- and to confine them principally to duced to prove that justification the abrogated ceremonies. But "is means nothing else than forgiveness the knowledge of sin," by the cereof sins, only show, that the two monial, or by the moral law?" distinct blessings are never sepa- Was the ceremonial law "the mirately conferred. David, for in-nistration of death, written and enstance, says, "Blessed is the man graven on stones?" Did the apostle to whom the Lord will not impute know this law to be "spiritual, holy, iniquity" (Psalm xxxii. 2); and just, and good?" Did "he delight Paul observes, that "David de- in it, after the inner man?" Did scribeth the blessedness of the man, the Mosaic rites, or the tenth comunto whom God imputeth righteous- mandment, convince him," that ness without works" (Rom. iv. 6): concupiscence was a sin," and to now this does not prove, that " not slay his hope of justification by the imputing sin,” and “imputing righ- law? (Rom. vii.) “Did Christ teousness," are synonymous terms; redeem us from the curse of the but merely that where God does ceremonial law alone, by being made not impute sin, he does impute a curse for us?" (Ġal. iii. 13.) righteousness, and confers the title Such questions might easily be multo eternal life, on all those whom tiplied, and each of them formed he rescues from eternal death (Acts into a regular argument, demonxiii. 38, 39). Indeed, exemption strating the falsehood and absurdity from a terrible punishment, and a of this opinion; but the compass of right to an actual and vast reward, this Essay does not admit of it, nor are such distinct things, that one is it necessary in so plain a case. cannot but wonder they should be No law in the universe can both so generally confounded as they are justify and condemn the same perin theological discussions. It may son: if then no man hath always therefore suffice to observe, that loved God with all his heart, and justification signifies in Scripture, his neighbour as himself, no man that God hath given a sinner a right can be justified according to the and title to eternal life, accounting works of the moral law, because all him righteous by an act of sovereign are exposed to condemnation for grace, so that thenceforth there is breaking it: if no human action be no condemnation for him; but being more excellent than the law requires thus justified," he is made an heir, our whole conduct to be, then none

of our works of righteousness can proves his profession to be sincere do any thing to reverse the con- and his faith living, by the fruits of demnation that our sins have in-holy obedience; and is thus justified curred and if the best of our good before men on earth, and will be works come short of perfection, and justified before the world at the last our best days are chequered with day, from that charge of hypocrisy many sins; then we must continue which will be substantiated against to accumulate guilt and condemna- all those, who "say they have faith, tion, so long as we remain under, and have not works." Otherwise, and are judged according to the we should find as much difficulty in law. So that by no works of any reconciling James to himself, as law whatsoever can any transgressor some have done in reconciling Paul of that law be justified in the sight to him: for he adduces the same of God. On the contrary, it is con- example, and quotes the same Scripstantly declared, that a man must ture in illustration of this point, that be justified by faith, and through Paul did; and supposed that he faith alone (Rom. iii. 28-31); had confirmed the true doctrine of that " to him who worketh not, but justification by faith, by distinguishbelieveth in him that justifieth the ing living from dead faith, and by ungodly, his faith is counted for showing, that no faith could justify righteousness" (Rom. iv. 4); and a man before God, which did not that "God is just, and the justifier prove itself genuine, and justify the of him that believeth in Jesus" possessor before his neighbours, by (Rom. iii. 26). This way of justi-influencing him to the practice of fication is constantly and carefully good works, according to the oppordistinguished from that by works; tunity afforded him. nay, opposed to, as incompatible But the general doctrine, that "a with it: 'it must be by faith, that man must be justified in the sight of it might be by grace: because the God by faith alone," is too plain to law worketh wrath: and if by grace, need much proof. They who regard then it is no more of works," &c. the Epistles of St. Paul, must know (Rom. iv. 14-16; xi. 6). And that he not only asserts, but coneven James, who, in another sense, firms this doctrine by various argushows that "a man must be justified ments, illustrations, and examples; by works, and not by faith only," that he declares it impossible for a illustrates his doctrine by the ex-man to be justified in any other ample of Abraham, "who was jus- way; that all the Old Testament tified by works, when he had offered saints were justified by their faith; Isaac his son upon the altar:" and that "they who seek righteousness, then adds, "Seest thou how faith as it were, by the works of the law,” wrought with his works, and by stumble and fall (Rom. ix. 30-33; works was faith made perfect; and x.3-11); and have no benefit from the Scripture was fulfilled, which Christ and the gospel (Gal. v. 2— saith, Abraham believed God, and 6); but remain under the curse; it was imputed to him for righteous and that "if any man, or angel, ness" (Jam. ii. 20-26): now this should preach any other doctrine, was spoken many years before Abra- he would be accursed." Indeed ham was called to sacrifice Isaac, those Scriptures which do not imyea before Isaac was born (Gen. xv. mediately relate to justification, con6). It is therefore evident, that tinually speak of faith as the grand James only meant that the believer distinguishing difference, between

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