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that doth them shall live in them." If the righteousness that is imputed be the ground and foundation of our justification, and made ours by that imputation, state it how you will, that justification is of grace and not of the law.

These objections I have in this place taken notice of, because the answers given unto them do tend to the farther explanation of that truth, whose confirmation by arguments and testimonies of Seripture I shall now proceed unto,

1:

CHAPTER, X.

Arguments for Justification by the imputation of the righte ousness of Christ. The first argument from the nature anduse of our own personal righteousness.

THE

HERE is a justification of convinced sinners on their believing. Hereon are their sins pardoned, their persons accepted with God, and a right is given unto them, unto the heavenly inheritance. This state they are immediately taken into upon their faith, or believing in Jesus Christ. And a state it is of actual peace with God. These things at present I take for granted, and they are the foundation of all that I shall plead in the present argument.

Our inquiry is, how convinced sinners do on their believing obtain the remission of sins, acceptance with God, and a right unto eternal life. And if this can no other way be done, but by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ unto them, then thereby alone are they justified in the sight of God. And this assertion proceedeth on a supposition that there is a righteousness required unto the justification of any person whatever. For whereas God in the justification of any person, doth declare him to be acquitted from all crimes

laid unto his charge, and to stand as righteous in his sight, it must be on the consideration of a righteousness, whereon any man is so acquitted and declared; for the judgment of God is according unto truth. And if there be no other righteousness whereby we may be thus justified, but only that of Christ imputed unto us, then thereby must we be justified or not at all. And if there be any such other righteousness, it must be our own, inherent in us, and wrought out by us, For these two kinds inherent and imputed righteousness, our own and Christ's divide the whole nature of righteousness, as to the end inquired after. And that there is no such inherent righteousness, no such righteousness of our own whereby we may be justified before God, I shall prove in the first place. And I shall do it, first from express testimonies of Scripture, and then from the consideration of the thing itself. And two things I shall premise hereunto.

1. That I shall not consider this righteousness of our own absolutely in itself, but as it may be conceived to be improved and advanced by its relation unto the satisfaction and merit of Christ; for many will grant that our inherent righteousness is not of itself sufficient to justify us in the sight of God. But take it as it hath value and worth communicated unto it from the merit of Christ, and so it is accepted unto that end, and judged worthy of eternal life. We could not merit life and salvation, had not Christ merited that grace for us whereby we may do so; and inerited also that our works should be of such a dignity with respect unto reward. We shall therefore allow what worth can be reasonably thought to be communicated unto this righteousness from its respect unto the merit of Christ,

2. Whereas persons of all sorts and parties do take various ways in the assignation of an interest in our justification unto our own righteousness, I shall so far as it is possible in the ensuing arguments have respect unto them all. For my design is to prove, that it hath no such interest in our justification before God, as that the righteousness of Christ

should not be esteemed the only righteousness whereon we are justified.

And first, we shall produce some of those many testimonies which may be pleaded unto this purpose, Psalm cxxx. 3, 4. "If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity, O Lord, who should stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared," There is an inquiry included in these words, how a man, how any man may be justified before God; how he may stand, that is, in the presence of God, and be accepted with him; how he shall stand in judgment, as it is explained, Psal. 1. 5. "The wicked shall not stand in the judgment," shall not be acquitted on their trial. That which first offereth itself unto this end, is his own obedience. For this the law requires of him in the first place, and this his own conscience calls upon him for. But the Psalmist plainly declares that no man can. thence manage a plea for his justification with any success. And the reason is, because notwithstanding the best of the obedience of the host of men, there are iniquities found with them against the Lord their God. And if men come to their trial before God whether they shall be justified or condemned, these also must be heard and taken into the account, then no man can stand, no man can be justified as it is elsewhere expressed. Wherefore the wisest and safest course is, as unto our justification before God, utterly to forego this plea, and not to insist on our own obedience, lest our sins should appear also, and be heard. No reason can any man give on his own account, why they should not so be. And if they be so, the best of men will be cast in their trial, as the Psalmist declares.

But

Two things are required in this trial that a sinner may stand. (1.) That his iniquities be not observed, for if they be so, he is lost for ever. (2.) That a righteousness be produced and pleaded that will endure the trial. For justification is upon a justifying righteousness, Forthe first of these, the Psalmist tells us it must be through pardon or forgiveness. But there is forgiveness with thee, wherein lies our only re

lief against the condemnatory sentence of the law with respect unto our iniquities; that is, through the blood of Christ; for in him we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Eph. i. 7. The other cannot be our own obedience, because of our iniquities, Wherefore this the same Psalmist directs us unto, Psal. lxxi. 16. "I will go in the strength of the Lord God, I will make mention of thy righteousness, of thine only," The righteousness of God, and not his own, yea in opposition unto his own, is the only plea that in this case he would insist upon.

If no man can stand a trial before God upon has own obedience, so as to be justified before him, because of his own personal iniquities; and if our only plea in that case be the righteousness of God, the righteousness of God only, and not our own, then is there no personal inherent righteousness in any believers whereon they may be justified; which is that which is to be proved.

The same is again asserted by the same person, and that more plainly and directly, Psal. exliii. 2. "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified". This testimony is the more to be considered, because as it is derived from the law, Exod. xxxiv. 7. so it is transferred into the gospel, and twice urged by the Apostle unto the same purpose, Rom. iii, 20. Gal. ii. 16.

The person who insists on this plea with God, professeth himself to be his servant. Enter not into judgment with thy servant; that is, one that loved him, feared him, yielded all sincere obedience, He was not an hypocrite, not an unbeliever, not an unregenerate person, who had performed no works but such as were legal, such as the law required, and such as were done in the strength of the law only; but it was David, who was not only converted, a true believer, had the spirit of God, and the aids of special grace in his obedience, but had this testimony unto his sincerity, that he was a man after God's own heart, We have therefore a case stated in

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