Some have supposed that it was necessary to exclude all moral goodness, and consequently all exercise of heart, from the faith by which men are justified, in order to their being justified by free grace, in opposition to justification by works; and have thought, that if there be any moral goodness in justifying faith, especially all that moral goodness which is comprised in gospel holiness, as has been represented in the preceding section; they have a righteousness, of their own, which will recommend them to favour; and therefore do not stand in need, or, at most, in so much need of the righteousness of Christ, and of free grace, as if they had no moral goodness; but have some ground of boasting; and that this therefore tends to flatter the pride of man: Whereas the scripture says, that the way of justification by faith excludes all boasting; and that the ungodly, who have no works, are justified by faith.

What has been already said in the preceding section, and in this, it is thought, is sufficient to show, that such an opinion is wholly without foundation, and contrary to the truth. But as this is a point of no small importance, it is proposed to attend to it more particularly, by bringing into view, and applying some things which have been before observed; and introducing some other considerations, which may serve to remove mistakes, and elucidate and confirm the truth on this head. To this end the following things may be observed.

ness of Christ. But there does not appear any reason for such a construc>, tion. This is, at best, a very obscure and unusual way to express the obedience and righteousness of Christ. This the apostle often mentions, and constantly holds up to view in his writings, in clear and intelligible expressions; such as his righteousness, his dying for sinners, and giving himself for them; the atonement; his obedience; obedience unto death, &c. And since he always means the faith of the believer, when he says men are justified by faith, except in these few places, it seems to be doing violence to those, to understand them in a quite different sense; especially, since the expression, though a little varied, may most naturally be understood to mean faith in Christ, or the faith by which men believe in him and of which he is the object; and more especially, since this phrase must be understood so, in a number of other places. The following are instances of it. Mark xi. 22. "Have faith in God." "Exile içi Oi— Have faith of God. Acts iii. 16. Through faith in his name." In the original it is, Through the faith of his name. Rom. iii. 26. "The justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." In the original it is, TOU Ex Wisews 'Iyrod -Him who is of the faith of Jesus. Jam. ii. 1. "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, with respect of persons." Rev. xiv. 12. "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and that faith of Jesus."

1. It is impossible, according to the reason and nature of things, and the law of God, which is founded on this, that he who has once sinned, should, by any moral qualification, or holiness, render himself acceptable to God, or so as to be looked upon, or treated any otherwise, than an accursed, infinitely odious creature. The reason of this has been given: It is because the law of God, which is most reasonable, just and good, does curse the transgressor; let his character be otherwise what it may, either before or after his sin, this cannot, in the least degree, remove the curse. "For it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, written in the book of the law to do them." As this is the law of God, and perfectly agreeable to unalterable reason and truth, he will look upon the sinner in the light in which the law sets him, and treat him accordingly; and therefore will not pardon him, out of respect to any thing he does, or can do, as recommending him, in the least degree, to any favour. All moral qualifications of his, however great and good, must stand for just nothing, and be of no avail to recommend the sinner to pardon, &c. Whenever such an one is justified, it must be altogether on the account of the atonement and worthiness of Christ, who was made under the law; and so made a curse, that he might deliver the believer in him from the curse. And whatever moral goodness there is in faith, he is not justified on this account, any more than if there were no moral goodness in it. The believer obtains justification by his faith, not out of respect to any moral goodness in it, how much soever it may contain; but, because by it he is united to Christ, so as that it is proper he should have an interest in his righteousness, and be justified out of respect to that, and consistent with the law of God. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth."

It is indeed impossible that he who has once sinned, if he have any degree of virtue and true love to God, in the exercise of that, to seek or desire to recommend himself to God by it, so as to obtain pardon and his favour, merely out of respect to that; for this would be to oppose God, and all goodness; to rise in rebellion

against his law, and holy government; and therefore, contrary to love to God, and all true virtue, or moral goodness.-The reason of this has been given, viz. That it is contrary to the law of God, which curses the sinner, that he should be considered and treated any otherwise than as being accursed, out of regard to any thing he has, or can do, and while he is not united to Christ, so as to have the benefit to his righteousness, by receiving justification purely out of respect to that. Hence it is certain, that if a man seek righteousness and justification by the works of the law, or by any supposed virtue or goodness of his own, he does in that, act as an enemy to God, and to his law; and his supposed moral goodness is nothing but sin and rebellion. But if it were not so, and he were really and perfectly holy, this could not recommend him to pardon; and would be no reason why he should be pardoned, and delivered from the curse of the law, rather than another, who is wholly destitute of all moral goodness. The reason of this has been given. Therefore, whenever he who has sinned is brought to love God, and exercise any degree of moral goodness, he will not desire to be justified by it, and will be so far from offering it as a righteousness to recommend him to favour, that he will approve of the law of God which curses him, and condemn himself as that does, as infinitely guilty and ill-deserving; and consequently place all his hope of pardon in the atonement of Christ; and with Paul, not desire to be found in his own righteousness, which is of the law; but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, by faith. But of this, more hereafter.

2. Though a sinner, upon his becoming perfectly obedient, after he had sinned, might be justified by his own righteousness, which has been proved to be impossible; yet man is cut off from all hope of acceptance in this way, because every believer is, in this life, very imperfect, and sinful. In every act of his, there is much sin; sin enough to condemn him, had he never sinned before. He has a great degree of opposition in his heart to God, and his law; and all his exercises, in which there is a degree of moral goodness, are so defe ctive, that he has reason to be ashamed of himself, and of

them; for every degree of defect is sinful. He does not love God half so much as he ought, and his heart is exceeding corrupt and abominable, viewed in all the exercises and defects of it. On this account the believer is unworthy of any favour, his goodness is infinitely far from rendering him worthy of the least favour; and every act of his is attended with sin enough to condemn him forever, if viewed and treated as he is in himself, and according to his present character. In this view the Psalmist says, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand! Enter not into judgment with thy servant: For in thy sight shall no man living be justified."* And Job says, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: But now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."+

When it is considered, how much sin attends the believer in all his exercises; how far he falls below his duty in every thing; how much moral evil is constantly in his heart; and how greatly every thing wrong and defective in him is aggravated, and more criminal than it was before he believed, by the greater light and con viction he now has, and the great, peculiar and distin, guishing favours he has received from God: and the advantages and motives he now has to be holy as God is holy, by which his obligations are unspeakably increased: When all this is considered, there will doubtless appear reason to conclude that he is now more criminal in the sight of God, and in this sense a greater sinner, and more hateful and abominable, than he was before he believed, or than any unbeliever whatsoever, notwithstanding his faith, virtue, and holiness. Surely then he has nothing in himself suited to flatter and raise his pride, by becoming a believer, and uniting himself to Christ; but every thing is suited to lead him to humble himself in the sight of the Lord, and walk humbly with God, and constantly cry, 66 God, be merciful to me a sinner." This leads to another particular.

3. All the virtue or holiness; all the right taste and exercises which are implied in saving faith, as described in the foregoing section, as was there observed, imply

• Psalms cxxx. 3. cxliii. 2.

† Job. xlii. 5, 6.

and consist chiefly in disclaiming and renouncing all pretences to any worthiness that the believer has, or can possibly be in man, that should recommend him to any favour, and in coming to Christ, as in himself, infinitely guilty and ill-deserving, and trusting in his atonement and merit for justification. How then can this possibly lead men to trust in themselves that they are righteous, or flatter and encourage their pride? It is the only thing that destroys such a spirit, and tends to pluck it up by the roots, and by which a believer humbles himself in the sight of the Lord, and walks humbly before him all his days. The more of this faith he has, the farther he is from pride, and the more humble. And he who has not this faith, and does not live by it, his soul is lifted up in pride, and is not upright in him.*

Faith, which worketh by love, discerns the excellence of the divine character and law, and the infinite evil of sin; approves of the former and condemns the latter. In the exercise of this faith the law comes, sin revives, and the sinner dies; feels himself undone and lost forever, notwithstanding any help or righteousness in himself, if treated according to the righteous law of God. By this faith the sinner flies to the Redeemer for righteousness, justification and redemption, as a free gift to an infinitely unworthy creature, who has no righteousness of his own to recommend him to the least favour, and never can have any. And the more the sinner has of this faith, which implies love and repentance, and the longer he lives by it, the more he sees and feels the evil nature and ill desert of sin, and a view and sense of his own sinfulness increases; and the more he prizes and trusts in Christ for pardon, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. And if he be not really a greater criminal than he was before, he now sees much more of his sin and guilt, and a view and sense of this increases, as he grows in faith and grace. Thus all boasting is most effectually excluded by the law of faith, as faith itself discards and opposes all that which could be the ground of boasting.

Hence it appears, that they who exclude repentance and love from faith, take an effectual way to support

• Hab. ü. 4.