they were Things before God or in his sight is one thing and things as to us or as actually existing is another thing That God sees the Elect justified and glorified too from Eternity is evident who are not actually and personally justified nor indeed can be said so to be until they personally exist and are in Jesus Christ 2. That to be federally fundamentally and representatively justified in Christ is one thing and to be actually and personally justified is another thing or Christ's receiving our Discharge and Justification as our Head and Surety for us is one thing and the application thereof or his giving of it out unto us pronouncing us just and righteous before God in our own Consciences and before all the World is another thing Thirdly We infer from hence that God magnifies his rich Grace exceedingly to us who believe or that the work of Grace is a glorious work upon the Soul and that Union with Christ is to be esteemed as one of the richest manifestations of his electing Love Fourthly That all Men out of Christ may see cause from hence to tremble considering what a woful State they are in and so strive to fly to Christ with speed Fifthly That such who are in Christ have cause to admire God's Free Grace and may from hence also take in a most precious and rich Cordial of the highest comfort and consolation for therefore Now there is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus But no more at this time A POSTSCRIPT containing a few Reflections upon some Passages in Mr. Clark's new Book intituled Scripture-Justification NEver more need for all that are Orthodox I mean who are established in the Doctrine of Justification by the imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ or by his active and passive Obedience alone according to the Scripture and as maintained by most of the Antient Fathers and all our worthy modern Protestant Divines to cement together in Love and Union and to pass by small matters of Difference considering what a grand design is carrying on by the great Enemies of the true Christian Religion for Satan never appeared in his Instruments more bold and bare-fac'd against this grand Fundamental of Christianity viz. that of Justification since blessed Luther's days who as an Instrument with others gave him such a Wound than at this present time Reader we had need bestir our selves and rouse up with holy Zeal for God for all even the Foundation is struck at Just as this precedent Sermon was going to the Press a Book came to my hand wrote by Mr. Samuel Clark a Man of great Learning and who indeed writes without much seeming Gall or Invectives against any Man's Person the better to vent his Indignation against the Doctrine he opposes striving to revive and maintain the Baxterian Error with such Confidence and barefacedness that if some able Pen do not answer him it may do much harm to weak and unwary Christians He says He would not for a World lift up the least thought much less a Finger or Pen or utter the least word derogatory to the free Grace of God or cast the least blemish or speck upon the Reformation or the worthy Persons that were Instruments in it Yet he hath been so unhappy as to attempt the razing and utter overthrowing of that grand Truth in which mainly the Reformation consisted viz. Justification by the imputation of Christ's active and passive Obedience through the free Grace of God apprehended and received by Faith alone without any thing wrought in us or done by us not by imputing Faith or any other act of Evangelical Obedience but the imputing of Christ's Obedience and Satisfaction exclusively of all things else whatsoever And that Faith is only said to justify us objectively or in respect had to the Object Jesus Christ which it taketh hold of To this purpose Luther Melancthon Calvin Zanchy Perkins Ames Dr. Vsher Dr. Goodwin Dr. Owen Dr. Sibs Dr. Preston Norton Burroughs Caryl Pemble the Assembly and indeed all other Antient and Modern Writers generally But contrary to this Doctrine see what Mr. Clark saith viz. That justifying Faith is the same thing in substance with effectual Calling Repentance Regeneration Conversion Sanctification Renovation forming of Christ in the Soul c. Ans What now is the Purport of this Notion Why that Faith in a large or comprehensive Sense i.e. Faith with all other Graces and inherent Righteousness God hath instituted and ordained to be our justifying Righteousness in his Sight as in other places in his Book he doth assert without mincing the matter Again he saith I would avoid many figurative Expositions of Scripture which others are feign to make use of to salve their Phaenomena as when we are said to be justified by Faith they take it Metonymically for the Object of Faith viz. the Righteousness of Christ which what is it else than to make the Scripture a meer Nose of Wax and a Leaden Rule and to comply with our Fancies c. Answ This is much like Bellarmine in another case it appears the Doctrine we are established in and upon which we build all our Hopes of Justification and eternal Life is but a Fancy What is now become of that Doctrine Paul preached and all our worthy Reformers How will this make the Papists and Quakers smile 'T is not according to Mr. Clark the Object of Faith not Jesus Christ that Faith apprehends and we alone trust in but it is Faith that justifieth us comprehensively taken that is Faith Love Charity good Works and sincere Obedience that is imputed to us to our Justification in the sight of God And that so far as you act in Faith Holiness and in sincere Obedience so far you are justified For he positively affirms viz. That our Justification at present while we are in this World is but partial imperfect and incompleat These are his Words Answ Now if we are not perfectly justified it follows then we are not perfectly delivered from Condemnation nor acquitted from the Guilt of all Sin and so not in a state of Life nor made free indeed by the Son of God and then also Christ's Dove is not without spot nor undefiled in respect to Justification And then also it follows as the Papists say there is no assurance can be had or attained in this Life or until Death nor can we be said to be compleat in Christ besides it confounds Justification with Sanctification nay it makes them but one and the same thing Nay more that by a Law Righteousness is to be obtained and so Christ is dead in vain Now I profess I can see but little difference between this Doctrine and that of Bellarmin's and other Papists If famous Luther and other worthy Reformers had wrought no better Reformation than this the Church of God would have received but little benefit from them nor would the Papists have been so angry with them
not or whilst an Unbeliever or before he believed And is it not good nay best to keep to the form of sound Words For tho it is said that God justifies the Vngodly yet they are not ungodly when justified true that excludes all previous Qualifications to Faith but not that God justifies an Unbeliever that is in his Sins in the first Adam Obj. Is it not Christ and his Righteousness that which justifies us or is the matter of our Justification Will ye make Faith to be a Cause or the condition of our Justification before God Answ No by no means tho I know some Learned Men and sound in the Faith seem to hint as if Faith was a condition of our Justification But how that which God himself gives to us by his free and absolute Promises can be a condition of the Covenant or of our Justification I see not that which is part of the Covenant on God's part can't be the Condition of it on our part Also they call Faith the instrumental cause of Justification which we must leave them to explain they mean I think but as the Hand that applies a Plaister is a cause of the Cure We must say with a late learned Author Faith is no qualifying Condition nor any procuring Cause of our Justification tho without Faith God declares no Man a justified Person 2. Faith doth not cause or render the Satisfaction of Christ any ways the more satisfactory unto God for God was as much satisfied in Christ for his Elect before Faith as after tho the Satisfaction Merits and Righteousness of Christ are not applied so as the Man is pronounced a justified Person until he is united to Christ by the Spirit and so is help'd to believe on him Faith being the Hand that receives or that apprehends Jesus Christ Brethren The Holy Spirit in our Union with Christ puts upon us the Robe of Righteousness which was not upon us before we obtained that Spiritual Union it is offered unto all but it is upon all them that believe All our Orthodox Divines agree with us that Faith neither as a Habit or Grace or as an Act much less in respect of the Fruits thereof justifies us when therefore 't is said we are justified by Faith it intends not any Moral or Physical Causality in Faith as a Qualification but only by virtue of the Object it apprehends Mr. Bradford that Holy Martyr saith Not the Action it self of believing as it is a quality in Man doth so deserve but because it taketh that Dignity and Virtue from the Object Jesus Christ We do not mean that Faith by it self and of it self doth justify us which is only as an Instrument whereby we apprehend Christ who is our Justice Faith was accounted to Abraham for Righteousness not the action by which but that which he did believe or Faith not in respect of it self apprehending but in respect of the Object apprehended Faith justifies a Sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces that do always accompany it or of good Works which are the Fruits thereof nor as if the Grace of Faith or any act thereof were imputed to him for Justification but only as an Instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his Righteousness For any to say otherwise is to render Faith to be part of our Reconciliation or Satisfaction to God which is to lessen the Merits of Christ and take the Crown from his Head and make Justification not to be by Grace alone or by Christ alone Faith we know is the Creatures act tho given of God or a Grace bestowed upon us by which we are helped so to do yet with the Heart Man belâ—eveth c. The Doctrine of some Men about Faith justifying the Sinner tends to bring in a new Covenant of Works i.e. a mild Law of Faith and sincere Obedience in the stead of the severe Law of perfect Obedience and plainly renders the Satisfaction and Righteousness of Christ defective or insufficient as if Faith was part of our justifying Righteousness or as if we were not fully reconciled to God by the death of his Son but that he was only reconcileable and that it is Faith and sincere Obedience indeed which compleats that Reconciliation Brethren Faith I say again is said to justify us only in respect of the Object Jesus Christ whom it apprehended and it is no part of the matter which doth justify us the Righteousness of Christ being alone the material cause of our Justification nor doth Faith add any thing to Christ's Satisfaction or to his Righteousness which alone is imputed to us to our Justification before God Tho we say that Righteousness is not imputed to the actual and personal Justification of any Man till he has actual Union with Christ yet I deny that Faith in order of Nature is before Union or at least before the reception of the Spirit in order to Union tho not as to time for Christ takes hold of us before we can take hold of him also Faith is a Fruit of the Spirit and sure the Seed must be sown before there can be Fruit. We are passive in Regeneration but not in the act of Faith But when a poor Sinner receives the Spirit then it is that he in his own Person is declared and pronounced righteous he being in Christ is pardoned and actually acquitted and discharged from that Legal Guilt or from that Obligation he lay under to Condemnation in the first Adam the Sentence being then taken off and he loosed from those Fetters and Chains by which he was before bound and this therefore is more no doubt than simply justified in his own Conscience For tho Christ as our Surety when he rose from the dead received a full discharge for us yet until we are united by the Spirit unto him by which Faith is wrought in our Souls and our Eyes are inlightned we have not this great Blessing made over to us Mind that Passage of the Apostle again By whom now we have received the Atonement Now the Case is altered now we are in Christ Jesus Brethren we have not the Portion until we have the Person now the Law 's Sentence and Condemnation can no more reach us now that Husband is dead that cruel Husband and we are married unto another now we are actually acquitted or not till now personally justified Some add justified Foro Dei or in God's sight but so expressing it I fear hath clouded the matter because known to God before him or in his sight were all his Works from everlasting Justified before God may be taken two ways 1. In distinction from that before Men or in a Man 's own Conscience if they mean that I grant it 2. In respect had to that sight he hath of things who calls things and seeth things that are not as if they were As Abraham is called the Father of many
the World which until we do believe he could not do for according to the revealed Rules of his Word which he professeth to proceed by at the latter day there is a Curse and Sentence of Condemnation pronounced against us under which we stand till he shall take it off by giving us Faith unto which he hath in the same word made the promise of justifying us in our own Persons as before he had done in Christ Yet still notwithstanding so as altho when we first believe then only Justification is actually and personally applied to us c. Thus the Doctor which I agree with Eighthly All Men are in a State of Condemnation before they are in Christ or have actual Union with him doth appear because Ministers in preaching the Gospel are commanded and do preach it to lost undone and miserable Sinners or to such as are in a deplorable State even under Wrath and Condemnation and do declare this to be the State of all out of Christ without exception Not to offer Christ to justified Persons to such that are dâ—liver'd from Condemnation and so in a good State but to such who are in a lost state condemn'd to eternal Misery and under the Curse of the Law which is God's Curse and Children of Wrath. I am told lately that some there are who affirm the Elect did not fall in Adam but this I can't tell how to believe why then did Christ die Brethren must Christ be offered to righteous Persons to justified Persons or to Sinners condemned or do any of us preach that which we believe not do any preach thus or have they any Authority so to do viz. Sinners if you are elected you are in a good State and are actually justified whether you believe or not only you do not know it or have not the evidence of it in your own Consciences Or do we not all preach to all out of Christ as unto ungodly ones to such that are under Wrath and Condemnation in their own Persons and so remain until they believe or have Union with Christ Our Lord came not to call the Righteous as such neither self-righteous ones nor such who in a Gospel-Sense are righteous Persons but Sinners to Repentance to such that were really lost in the first Adam and under the Bondage of Sin and the Law True the Jews said indeed that they were free and never were in Bondage c. How saist thou ye shall be made free but what says our Blessed Lord he that committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin If the Son therefore shall make you free then are you free indeed And doth Christ make any free until they are united to him and so believe in him But to put the matter to an issue I find we are all agreed in this Point who preach free Grace Dr. Crisp who I think is abused both by his Friends and Enemies says All by Nature are under the Curse of the Law Cursed cursed cursed saith he every Moment every Hour But how actual Condemnation can consist with actual Justification I see not or how a Man can be under the curse of the Law and yet be blessed with the chiefest Gospel-blessing is strange to me Ninthly and Lastly All are under Condemnation c. before they are in Christ Jesus appears because the Holy Spirit by its Convictions represents this to be the state of every elect Soul by nature namely Children of Wrath even in a condemned state and not only so in their own Consciences but even as others And hence a Minister when he meets with a Person under Convictions on whom God hath begun a good work asketh him what do you judg your State is by Nature O Sir saith he a woful state and condition as in the first Adam and without Christ under God's fearful Wrath being condemned to Eternal Misery having originally and actually broken the Law of God which lays every Man obnoxious to everlasting Burning Now sure the Divine Spirit in Convictions would never hold forth or represent this to be the state of the Soul before it is in Jesus Christ if it was not really so because he is a faithful and true Witness and because he is God and cannot lie So much shall suffice to prove this premised Proposition Application Caution 1. Shall be a Use of Caution to such to take heed how they seek to render the state of the Elect to be good before Grace and actual Union with Jesus Christ 1. Because the holy Word of God declares their State to be very bad and as to the present State of their Persons whilst Unbelievers there is no difference 2. Because such a Notion cannot tend to the Glory of God nor the profit of any Person either before or after they do believe I challenge any to shew what Glory it can bring to God or benefit it can be to any Sinner to hear he is justified or discharged from Wrath and Condemnation before he is in Christ or that it can be of profit to him when he doth believe to be told that his State was good before he did believe in Christ Jesus tho he knew it not 3. But contrariwise it may tend to encourage Unbelievers to conclude that their State is good tho Swearers Drunkards and what not and so harden them in their Sins and to disbelieve or cast contempt upon what some faithful Ministers daily declare to the contrary 4. It also clearly tends to lessen or extenuate the rich Grace of God in giving his Spirit to regenerate the Soul and to work Faith in us if the relative and real change were not at one and the same time which the Scripture doth affirm it is But you are sanctified but ye are justified c. Also then Grace received could not be any sign of our being passed from a state of Death unto a state of Life which the Apostle asserts it is By this we know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death The Apostle no doubt intends a state of Death 2ly It puts also a just rebuke upon such as cause trouble or divisions amongst Christians on such a Notion Brethren were it a Truth that the Elect were actually delivered from Condemnation and were personally justified before they are in Jesus Christ yet certainly it cannot be judged to be an Essential of Salvation nor of Church-communion Are all such Persons not to be communicated with that can't believe the Elect are acquitted or delivered from Condemnation or personally justified before they are in Christ Jesus Secondly This I hope may tend to clear up the matter and shew the present difference is but little and rises rather from mistaking of words than otherwise for according to what I have said and proved it appeareth 1. That God sees things even all his works from everlasting and calls things that are not as if
Duty and that Debt we owed to God Dare you deny Christ as our Surety paid it Certainly had he not fulfilled the Preceptory part of the Law as well as born the Penal part for us we could not be justified from the Charge and Curse thereof But why must we because we say Surety hath done this be justified by the Law or Covenant of Works Are we Saviours or Mediators because we have his Righteousness imputed to us of meer Grace Is the Debtor the Surety because the Surety's Payment is accepted for him The old Covenant-Righteousness was an inherent Righteousness a Righteousness in a Man's self i. e. Adam's own Righteousness not a Righteousness imputed but inherent the Righteousness of your new Law is a Legal or Law-Righteousness and looks more like an old Covenant-Righteousness because 't is inherent or infused into you not put upon you or imputed to you as being wrought out for you without you And Sir is there no favour shewed to us because our Surety has paid this Debt Was it not great Love great Grace and Favour for God to accept of a Surety nay to substitute his own Son in our stead to satisfy all the Demands of the Law and Justice True we are not simply dealt with in a way of Mercy I mean pardoned only but in a way of Justice and Righteousness also Justification has more than Pardon in it as your Notion allows we found not the Surety but God found him therefore all is of God's free Grace tho also all is by the Obedience of Christ i. e. by his keeping Law for us and dying in our stead To plead for a Righteousness by Obedience to any mild Law is no other than to plead for a Legal Righteousness in our selves to justify us and that is as opposite to the Righteousness of God as the trusting in the Moral and Ceremonial Law it being opposite to Grace the Righteousness therefore of the Law by which no Flesh can be justified is a Righteousness rested in or trusted to that is inherent in us whatsoever Thoughts a Person may have of it i. e. as perfectly or only sincerely kept But to proceed Did not God send his Son that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us c that is in our Nature in our Head Christ and Believers as I said before are one in a Law-sense and evident it is that the Righteousness of the Law is not fulfilled in us in Sanctification because that is imperfect that is far from fulfilling it and there is no other way it can be said to be fulfilled in us but by imputation Moreover by Christ's coming to keep the Law in our Nature God hath magnified the Law and made it honourable and hereby we do not make void the Law through Faith but establish the Law in that the Son of God in Man's Nature yielded perfect Obedience thereto and died for our breach of it whose Obedience is ours by imputation to our Justification at his Bar. Pray observe that through Faith we attain a perfect Righteousness i. e. are interested in the most compleat Obedience of Christ to the Moral Law but now if Christ only satisfied for our breach of the Law by his Death and his perfect active Obedience has no hand in or is not the material Cause of our Justification before God how do we by believing in him establish the Law I say the Righteousness of the Law which is so called which the Apostle decries as unable to justify us is a resting in or trusting to our inperfect Conformity to it or to any other Law tho never so sincerely performed for this sort of Righteousness is always opposed to the Righteousness of Faith or of Grace If it be of Works of any Works whatsoever it is not of Grace all works of sincere Obedience to any Law of God are alike materially good But God has not ordained any Law of sincere Obedience to justify us because Grace excludeth all Works done by us in point of Justification in God's Sight We can no more be justified by the Law of the Gospel i.e. the New Law than by the Old Mr. Clark says The Justification Paul speaks of in the Romans and that which James speaks of is the same And further he says to be justified by Faith according to Paul and by Works according to James is all one Justification by Works springing from Faith is Justification by Faith in this Sense Answ Now we and the Orthodox say that Paul speaks of our Justification before God or of the Person James of the Justification of our Faith good Works demonstrating our Faith to be of the right kind or do declare to Men and to our own Consciences that we are justified Persons Paul speaks of the Justification of a Sinner James of the Justification of a Believer as it is said the People justified God that is declared he was just so our Gospel-Works springing from Faith declare that our Faith is true and we sincere Believers Yet he would have his Reader believe he is no Heterodox Person in this Point Paul speaks of Justification and Absolution of a Sinner at God's Bar through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness James speaks of the Manifestation or Declaration of that Justification to the Conscience Paul speaks of the cause of our Justification before God James of the signs of it before Men. Paul speaks of the Imputation of Righteousness James of the Declaration of Righteousness Paul speaks of the Office of Faith by God's Ordination as it apprehends Christ c. James of the quality of Faith or of its own excellent Virtue Paul speaks of the Justification of a Person James of the Justification of the Faith of that Person Paul speaks of Abraham how justified James of Abraham's good Works as already justified and as declaring him so to be Paul speaks of Justification in a proper Sense as God's gracious act through Christ's Righteousness whereby a Man is imputed or counted Just and Righteous in God's Sight James speaks of Justification whereby we are not made Just before God but declared to be justified being sincere Believers and free from Hypocrisy Paul had to do with Legal and Judaizing Christians such who either brought in a Law or a self-Righteousness instead of God's Grace in imputing Christ's Righteousness or else setting up an inherent Righteousness with it as these Men do now And James had to do with such who might be justly called Antinomians i.e. such that abused the Grace of God or Doctrine of free Grace to encourage themselves in Sin boasting of a false and presumptuous Faith a dead Faith Now James's work is to shew the effects and nature of true Faith therefore he speaks not of Justification in a proper Sense when he says Abraham was justified by Works but declaratively only Faith wrought not with Abraham's Works in the Justification of his Person at God's Bar but in declaring and evincing that his
the charge of God's Elect i.e. such of them that are called and are united to Jesus Christ for before that both Law and Justice could charge them It is God that justifieth who is he that shall condemn It is Christ that died Who can arrest impeach accuse find guilty and condemn such Object Perhaps some may say 1. The Devil may both accuse them and condemn them 2. Wicked Men may traduce and condemn them 3. And through Satan's Temptations such that are in Christ Jesus may accuse and condemn themselves Answ What of this For altho Satan wicked Men and their own Hearts may lay many things to their Charge and so pass a false Judgment upon them yet since God justifies them neither Law nor Justice can condemn them and none else can do it let all the Devils of Hell condemn them and all wicked Men on Earth nay tho many good Men should ignorantly accuse and condemn them as Job's three Friends dealt by him yet they stand justified Persons before God The Apostle doth not say there is no Sin in them which are in Christ Jesus nor any thing worthy or deserving Condemnation Nor doth he say there is no Affliction no Correction no fatherly Chastisements to them which are in Christ but there is no Condemnation 'T is one thing to be chastned and another to be condemned tho all Legal Guilt is for ever gone yet many Infirmities may attend such as are in Christ Jesus and tho God punisheth them not as an angry Judg yet he may correct them as an offended Father When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World Tho God is not so severe and unjust to condemn them yet he is so wise so holy and so faithful as to correct them Now This Now refers as some think to what precedes others take it as an Adverb of Time i.e. in time past it was otherwise once they who are now in Christ Jesus were in the first Adam dead and condemned Adam and were under the Law and Children of Wrath by nature as others and so under the Sentence of Condemnation But now being transplanted into Jesus Christ or into the Second Adam they are actually freed and for ever acquitted and delivered from Condemnation as were all those also under the Law when they were in Christ which walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit These are the happy Persons and this is their Character that are in Christ Jesus Let me note here three things 1. Here is an account of their special Vocation They are in Christ Jesus 2. Here is implied their Justification There is now no Condemnation 3. Here is comprehended also their Sanctification who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Negatively They walk not after the Flesh they are not unsanctified or unholy Persons they lead not ungodly Lives they are not under the Power and Dominion of Sin nor carried away whither ever carnal Affections would lead them Affirmatively But after the Spirit they are influenced by the Holy Spirit they follow the Dictates of the Spirit tho there is Flesh in them much Corruption in them yet they walk not after the Flesh they resist Sin mortify Sin or have crucified Sin with the Affections and Lusts they walk in a holy course of Life and not as they did in times past they live according to the rule of the new Creature Note here by the way that negative Holiness is not enough we must not only forsake Sin but follow after Holiness and bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness not only cease from doing evil but learn to do well Therefore Wherefore look back to the precedent Chapters particularly to Chap. 7.25 I thank God through Jesus Christ tho I have a Body of Sin in me that makes me cry out and tho it be thus also with all Believers yet Christ hath delivered me and them from the Guilt the Power and Slavery thereof There is now therefore no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not c. And as this therefore may look backward to what precedes so it may look forward to what succeeds ver 3. But first take notice of the 2d verse For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath delivered me from the Law of Sin and Death Brethren The Law of Sin and the Law of God are opposites now the remainders of Sin or indwelling Sin the Apostle calls in chap. 7. the Law of Sin and Death or the Law in the Members c. By the Law of Sin therefore is doubtless meant the Power and Rule of Sin God's Law is no where called the Law of Sin no God forbid The Law is holy just and good By the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ I understand the Root of all Grace in the Person of Christ which is made over to Believers by the Spirit in their mystical Union in which Sense Christ is not only made to us Wisdom and Righteousness but Sanctification also and Redemption Brethren of that fulness of Grace or of the Spirit which is in Christ we do not only all receive and Grace for Grace but the Grace and Spirit in him is ours as he is our Root or Head 'T is worthy to be noted that the Apostle brings in what he speaks in ver 2 and 3. to confirm what he speaks in ver 1. Yet I conclude what he speaks ver 2. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus c. refers to what he speaks in the close of the 1st verse Who walk not after the Flesh c. And that in the 3d verse refers to the former part of the 1st verse For what the Law could not do c. The Law could not justify us acquit us discharge us from Condemnation but contrariwise through our inability to keep it that condemns us and so he illustrates and confirms his Consolatory Proposition of our free Discharge and Justification by Jesus Christ in ver 1. by that in ver 3. In the 2d verse the Spirit is set forth two ways 1. By the Subject in whom it is radically i.e. in Christ Jesus 2. By the Property i.e. it is the Spirit of Life which in our Union flows to us as Sap from the Root that so all the Branches in the True Olive might be made alive and bring forth Fruit to God or lead holy Lives So much as to the Parts Scope and Explanation of the Terms of our Text. From hence I shall observe this one Proposition viz. Doct. That all those that are in Christ Jesus or have obtained actual Vnion with him are justified Persons and for ever delivered from Condemnation In speaking to this Doctrine I shall I. By way of premise lay down four Propositions II. Shew you what it is to be in Christ or open the Nature of the Soul's Union with the Lord Jesus III.