person: this is implied in the text, and expressly mentioned, chap. iv. 6, " Even as David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works," saying, ver. 8, "Blessed is the men to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Here is the non-imputation of sin, and the imputation of righteousness both expressed.

The instrumental cause is faith, here called, " faith in his blood." Faith is the hand whereby we receive Christ's righteousness for the justifying our persons in the sight of a holy God.

The final cause of a sinner's free justification is expressed in the following words, ver. 26, "To declare his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Here God shews to men and angels how exactly righteous he is in punishing of sin, though not in the person of the sinner, yet in his surety: so that free justification is carried on in such a way as all grace comes down on the sinner, and the glory of all returns to the great God.

Thus the words being opened, I take up this point of doctrine:

That there is much of the free grace of God shines forth in the justification of a sinner, by faith in Christ.

By justification I understand that gracious and just act of God, whereby through the imputation of Christ's righteousness, the believer is judicially freed from the guilt of all sin, and accepted as righteous in Christ unto eternal life, to the praise of God's free grace and justice.

Now there is much of the free grace of God shines forth in this way of justification, therefore, says Paul, “ being justified freely by his grace." Freely, in opposition to any thing done by man; so that we have God's free act held forth in this blessed doctrine of justification.

And by his grace, that is, God's free favour, not in any wise deserved by us, but freely extending itself to all those that, through grace, believe in the Lord Christ.

Now, for the clearing of this doctrine, I shall

First, Open it by answering some questions which concern the same.

Secondly, Shew wherein free grace so much shines forth by this doctrine. And

Thirdly, How this doth concern the comfort and practice of all true believers.

As for the questions which concern the doctrine take these:

Whose and what kind of act is this justifying act?

It is God's act, he doth it, as Rom. viii. 33, "It is God that justifieth." And it is opposed to condemnation, verse 34, " Who is he that condemneth?" Now it being opposed to condemnation, it most plainly appears to be an external act of God, who as supreme judge is here brought in: then we have also the person justified, and that is an elect person, one who is effectually called. ver. 30, " Moreover, whom he did predestinate them he also called, and whom he called them he also justified." Here is also the only ground of the believer's plea brought in, ver. 34, "It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand, of God, who also maketh intercession for us." And from hence arises a full discharge, God justifies. Ver. 35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" So that the Holy Ghost seems here to carry a sinner's justification in a way of judicial process, that so it may most evidently appear that justification is an external act of God, and so done in time; and not an internal act, which ever was, and always remains in God, but makes no change in a person justified: but God's act in justification, makes a relative change, it changes a person's state.

As, suppose a malefactor be condemned to die, a pardon comes from his prince; now, of a condemned person he becomes uncondemned, his state is hereby changed. So, justification makes a real change of a person's state, and therefore must needs be an external act of God's free grace and justice, and so done in time. It is an act of free grace as it is devolved on the believer, but it is an act of justice as it is carried with respect to the merit of Christ, and in each respect it appears to be acted in time.

Again, If justification were by an internal act in God, then would the elect be justified from eternity: but that it is not so, will thus appear.

All men naturally are " children of wrath," says Paul, Eph. ii. 3, which could not be, had they come into the world in a justified state; for a person cannot be in two contrary states

at one and the same time. How a person can be obnoxious to wrath, and yet at the same time be in a justified state; how persons can be under the guilt of sin, and yet at the same time be justified from the same guilt, seems somewhat strange; but thus it must be, if persons were justified from eternity. Sure I am that Paul doth both clearly and fully prove other doctrine. "For we have before proved both Jews and gentiles, that they are all under sin," Rom. iii. 9. Under the guilt of sin, which is directly opposite to a justified state: so that the persons of the elect could in no wise be justified from eternity.

Justification being opposed, as hath been shewn, to condemnation, they can in no wise stand together, but the setting up of the one destroys the other, as John iii. 18, " He that believeth on him, (on Christ) is not condemned; (that is, he is justified,) but he that believeth not, is condemned already." Hence we may see there is nothing more obvious than this, that on a person's believing in Christ, there is a passing from one state to another, from a state of condemnation to a state of justification. Thus we find the same, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life," John v. 24. Here we are to take notice that this life here spoken of comes in a way of believing, and so is to be understood of the life of justification: and here we have a passing from death to life, on a person's believing; here is a passing from a state of condemnation to a state of justification, and that on a person's believing; from whence it doth most evidently appear, that justification, properly so called, is not until persons believe in Christ, for then, and not until then, is their state changed.

That justification is not until believing, will clearly appear from Christ's own words, "Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood ye have no life in you," John vi. 53. Here Christ asserts the absolute necessity of the application of a crucified Saviour, without which there can be no life. Now, the eating here intended is plainly meant of believing, "Jesus said, this is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent." ver. 29. And

Christ being here speaking to his followers under the metaphor of eating, he holds forth himself as the only bread of life; and believing in him is the eating of his flesh here intended in this chapter. "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger," which the next words shew, is meant of believing, " and he that believes on me shall never thirst," ver. 35. Now the eating here being believing, the life intended by Christ, must be meant of justification; so that from Christ's own mouth, we have it evidently asserted, that no man is personally justified until believing and so not from eternity.

If persons are justified in a proper sense by faith, then are we not justified from eternity, for we believe in time, not from eternity. And that we are justified by faith, is the doctrine of the gospel, as is apparent from the whole current of God's word: "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," Gal. ii. 16. That the apostle is here speaking of personal justification in the sight of God, is beyond all doubt, to any that shall duly consider the scope of the Holy Ghost in the place; though some to evade the force of the text, would have no more intended than this: that we might know we are justified. And this opinion makes all faith to be assurance, which would condemn many of the generation of the just. Christ speaks for the comforting of those who were true believers, that knew not their own state, so as to take that comfort that did belong to them. Matt. v. They were poor in spirit, mourning, and wanted comfort; they were meek, yea, they were hungring and thirsting after righteousness. Under many blessed promises they were, and so assuredly were true believers, yet they wanted assurance of their interest in those promises; so that their faith, though justifying and saving, was not risen so high as assurance. And if all faith were assurance, then might John have spared himself that labour of writing to those that had eternal life, but did not know they had it, 1 John v. 13. Now, by eternal life, in this place, no doubt but justification is one principal part, if not the main thing intended by the Holy Ghost. Now, this he says they had, and true believers they were, though they did not know it;

so that their faith was not assurance, though their justification was in a way of believing. The apostle brings in the example of Abraham as a pattern in this work of justification: " For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness," Rom. iv. 3. And the same way are the gentiles justified: "And 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," Gal. iii. 8. Here are two words in this text, that lie directly against justification before believing: thar God would justify the heathen; this must needs respect time to come, and cannot properly be said of that which is then past: the other is, " In thee shall all nations be blessed," that is, justified; now, how can a shall be, be put on a thing already done? Thus, " In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified," Isa. xlv. 25. That is, in union with Christ, shall the persons of all the elect be not only declared, but justified. Paul also speaks to the same purpose, "For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one man, many shall be made righteous," Rom. v. 19. Here it is remarkable, when the Holy Ghost speaks of Adam's sin, condemning of his posterity, he speaks of it as already past. But when he speaks of Christ's righteousness for the justification of poor sinners, he changes the tenses, and says, " Many shall be made righteous:" as if the Spirit on purpose designed, to prevent our thoughts in running after justification before believing. And thus the Scripture speaks of our personal justification to be wrote in time only.

Again, if the elect were justified from eternity, then should they be righteous from eternity; for when God justifies any person, he clothes him with righteousness, as with a garment. And this is one great thing the church of God hath to glory in, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God," Isa. lxi. 10. Now, what is the ground of all this joy, but this: "For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." Here is the true state of those that believe in Christ. But, if we would see the true state and condition persons are in before believing, let us hear what the Holy Ghost saith in this case, "For we have before proved both