Law but this Personal Righteousness is Evangelical But 1 It will be hard to prove that our Personal Righteousness is any other but our own Righteousness and our own Righteousness is expresly rejected from any Interest in our Justification in the places quoted 2 That Righteousness which is Evangelical in respect of its efficient cause its motives and some especial Ends is legal in respect of the formal Reason of it and our Obligation unto it For there is no Instance of Duty belonging unto it but in general we are obliged unto its performance by virtue of the first Commandment to take the Lord for our God Acknowledging therein his essential verity and soveraign Authority we are obliged to believe all that he shall reveal and to obey in all that he shall command 3 The Good Works rejected from any Interest in our Justification are those whereunto we are created in Christ Jesus Ephes. 2.8 9. the Works of Righteousness which we have done Tit. 3.5 wherein the Gentiles are concerned who never sought for Righteousness by the Works of the Law Rom. 9.30 But it will yet be said that these things are evident in themselves God doth require an Evangelical Righteousness in all that do believe This Christ is not nor is it the Righteousness of Christ. He may be said to be our legal Righteousness but our Evangelical Righteousness he is not And so far as we are Righteous with any Righteousness so far we are justified by it For according unto this Evangelical Righteousness we must be tried if we have it we shall be acquitted and if we have it not we shall be condemned There is therefore a Justification according unto it I answer 1 According to some Authors or Maintainers of this Opinion I see not but that the Lord Christ is as much our Evangelical Righteousness as he is our Legal For our Legal Righteousness he is not in their Judgment by a proper Imputation of his Righteousness unto us but by the Communication of the fruits of what he did and suffered unto us And so he is our Evangelical Righteousness also For our Sanctification is an effect or fruit of what he did and suffered for us Eph. 5.25 26. Tit. 2.14 2. None have this Evangelical Righteousness but those who are in order of nature at least justified before they actually have it For it is that which is required of all that do believe and are justified thereon And we need not much enquire how a man is justified after he is justified 3. God hath not appointed this Personal Righteousness in order unto our Justification before him in this life though he have appointed it to evidence our Justification before others and even in his sight as shall be declared He accepts of it approves of it upon the account of the free Justification of the person in and by whom it is wrought So he had respect unto Abel and his Offering But we are not acquitted by it from any real charge in the sight of God nor do receive Remission of sins on the account of it And those who place the whole of Justification in the Remission of sins making this personal Righteousness the condition of it as the Socinians do leave not any place for the Righteousness of Christ in our Justification 4. If we are in any sense justified hereby in the sight of God we have whereof to boast before him We may not have so absolutely and with respect unto merit yet we have so comparatively and in respect of others who cannot make the same plea for their Justification But all boasting is excluded And it will not relieve to say that this personal Righteousness is of the free Grace and Gift of God unto some and not unto others for we must plead it as our Duty and not as Gods Grace 5. Suppose a person freely Justified by the Grace of God through Faith in the Blood of Christ without respect unto any Works Obedience or Righteousness of his own we do freely grant 1 That God doth indispensably require personal Obedience of him which may be called his Evangelical Righteousness 2 That God doth approve of and accept in Christ this Righteousness so performed 3 That hereby that Faith whereby we are justified is evidenced proved manifested in the sight of God and men 4 That this Righteousness is pleadable unto an acquitment against any charge from Satan the World or our own Consciences 5 That upon it we shall be declared Righteous at the last day and without it none shall so be And if any shall think meet from hence to conclude unto an Evangelical Justification or call Gods acceptance of our Righteousness by that name I shall by no means contend with them And where-ever this enquiry is made not how a sinner guilty of death and obnoxious unto the Curse shall be pardoned acquitted and justified which is by the Righteousness of Christ alone imputed unto him but how a man that professeth Evangelical Faith or Faith in Christ shall be tried judged and whereon as such he shall be justified we grant that it is and must be by his own personal sincere Obedience And these things are spoken not with a design to contend with any or to oppose the opinions of any but only to remove from the principal question in hand those things which do not belong unto it A very few words will also free our enquiry from any concernment in that which is called sentential Justification at the day of Judgment For of what nature soever it be the person concerning whom that sentence is pronounced was 1 actually and compleatly justified before God in this World 2 made partaker of all the Benefits of that Justification even unto a blessed Resurrection in Glory it is raised in Glory 1 Cor. 15. 3 The Souls of the most will long before have enjoyed a blessed Rest with God absolutely discharged and acquitted from all their labours and all their sins There remains nothing but an actual Admission of the whole person into eternal Glory Wherefore this Judgment can be no more but declaratory unto the glory of God and the everlasting Refreshment of them that have believed And without reducing of it unto a new Justification as it is no where called in the Scripture the ends of that solemn Judgment in the manifestation of the Wisdom and Righteousness of God in appointing the way of Salvation by Christ as well as in giving of the Law the publick conviction of them by whom the Law hath been transgressed and the Gospel despised the vindication of the Righteousness power and wisdom of God in the rule of the World by his providence wherein for the most part his paths unto all in this life are in the deep and his footsteps are not known the Glory and Honour of Jesus Christ triumphing over all his Enemies then fully made his footstool and the glorious exaltation of Grace in all that do Believe with sundry other things of an alike tendency
the Souls and Consciences of them that are justified or others that is the Church and the World And each of these have the name of Justification assigned unto them though our real Justification before God be always one and the same But a man may be really justified before God and yet not have the evidence or assurance of it in his own mind Wherefore that evidence or assurance is not of the nature or essence of that Faith whereby we are Justified nor doth necessarily accompany our Justification But this Manifestation of a mans own Justification unto himself although it depends on many especial causes which are not necessary unto his Justification absolutely before God is not a second Justification when it is attained but only the Application of the former unto his Conscience by the Holy Ghost There is also a Manifestation of it with respect unto others which in like manner depends on other causes then doth our Justification before God absolutely yet is it not a second Justification For it depends wholly on the visible effects of that Faith whereby we are justified as the Apostle James instructs us yet is it only our single Justification before God evidenced and declared unto his Glory the benefit of others and encrease of our own Reward There is also a twofold Justification before God mentioned in the Scripture 1 By the works of the Law Rom. 2.13 chap. 10.5 Matth. 19.15 16 17 18 19. Hereunto is required an absolute conformity unto the whole Law of God in our natures all the faculties of our Souls all the principles of our moral operations with perfect actual Obedience unto all its commands in all instances of Duty both for matter and manner For he is cursed who continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them And he that breaks any one Commandment is guilty of the breach of the whole Law Hence the Apostle concludes that none can be Justified by the Law because all have sinned 2 There is a Justification by Grace through Faith in the Blood of Christ whereof we treat And these ways of Justification are contrary proceeding on terms directly contradictory and cannot be made consistent with or subservient one to the other But as we shall manifest afterwards the confounding of them both by mixing them together is that which is aimed at in this distinction of a first and second Justification But whatever respects it may have that Justification which we have before God in his sight through Jesus Christ is but one and at once full and compleat and this distinction is a vain and fond invention For 1. As it is explained by the Papists it is exceedingly derogatory to the merit of Christ. For it leaves it no effect towards us but only the infusion of an habit of Charity When that is done all that remains with respect unto our Salvation is to be wrought by our selves Christ hath only merited the first Grace for us that we therewith and thereby may merit life eternal The merit of Christ being confined in its effect unto the first Justification it hath no immediate influence into any Grace Priviledge Mercy or Glory that follow thereon but they are all effects of that second Justification which is purely by works But this is openly contrary unto the whole tenor of the Scripture For although there be an order of Gods appointment wherein we are to be made partakers of Evangelical Priviledges in Grace and Glory one before another yet are they all of them the immediate effects of the death and obedience of Christ who hath obtained for us eternal Redemption Heb. 9.12 and is the Authour of eternal Salvation unto all that do obey him Chap. 5.9 Having by one offering for ever perfected them that are Sanctified And those who allow of a secondary if not of a second Justification by our own inherent personal Righteousnesses are also guilty hereof though not in the same degree with them For whereas they ascribe unto it our acquitment from all charge of Sin after the first Justification and a Righteousness accepted in Judgment in the Judgment of God as if it were compleat and perfect whereon depends our final Absolution and Reward it is evident that the immediate efficacy of the satisfaction and merit of Christ hath its bounds assigned unto it in the first Justification which whether it be taught in the Scripture or no we shall afterwards enquire 2. More by this distinction is ascribed unto our selves working by vertue of inherent Grace as unto the merit and procurement of spiritual and eternal good than unto the Blood of Christ. For that only procures the first Grace and Justification for us Thereof alone it is the meritorious cause or as others express it we are made partakers of the effects of it in the pardon of Sins past But by vertue of this Grace we do our selves obtain procure or merit another a second a compleat Justification the continuance of the favour of God and all the fruits of it with life eternal and Glory So do our works at least perfect and compleat the merit of Christ without which it is imperfect And those who assign the continuation of our Justification wherein all the effects of Divine Favour and Grace are contained unto our own personal Righteousness as also final Justification before God as the pleadable cause of it do follow their steps unto the best of my understanding But such things as these may be disputed in debates of which kind it is incredible almost what influence on the minds of men Traditions Prejudices Subtilty of Invention and Arguing do obtain to divert them from real thoughts of the things about which they contend with respect unto themselves and their own condition If by any means such persons can be called home unto themselves and find leasure to think how and by what means they shall come to appear before the High God to be freed from the sentence of the Law and the Curse due to Sin to have a pleadable Righteousness at the Judgment Seat of God before which they stand especially if a real sense of these things be implanted on their minds by the convincing power of the Holy Ghost all their subtle Arguments and Pleas for the mighty efficacy of their own personal Righteousness will sink in their minds like Water at the return of the Tide and leave nothing but Mud and Defilement behind them 3. This Distinction of two Justifications as used and improved by those of the Roman Church leaves us indeed no Justification at all Something there is in the branches of it of Sanctification but of Justification nothing at all Their first Justification in the infusion of an habit or principle of Grace unto the expulsion of all habits of Sin is Sanctification and nothing else And we never did contend that our Justification in such a sense if any will take it in such a sense doth consist in the Imputation of the
the Righteousness of Christ is so far imputed unto us that on the account thereof God gives unto us Justifying Grace and thereby the Remission of Sin in their sense whence they allow it the meritorious cause of our Justification But on a supposition thereof or the reception of that Grace we are continued to be justified before God by the works we perform by vertue of that Grace received And though some of them rise so high as to affirm that this Grace and the works of it need no farther respect unto the Righteousness of Christ to deserve our second Justification and life eternal as doth Vasquez expresly in 1.2 q. 114. Disp. 222. cap. 3. Yet many of them affirm that it is still from the consideration of the merit of Christ that they are so meritorious And the same for the substance of it is the Judgment of some of them who affirm the continuation of our Justification to depend on our own works setting aside that ambiguous term of merit For it is on the account of the Righteousness of Christ they say that our own works or imperfect obedience is so accepted with God as that the continuation of our Justification depends thereon But the Apostle gives us another account hereof Rom. 5.1 2 3. For he distinguisheth three things our Access into the Grace of God 2 Our standing in that Grace 3 Our Glorying in that station against all opposition By the first he expresseth our absolute Justification By the second our continuation in the state whereinto we are admitted thereby and by the third the assurance of that continuation notwithstanding all the oppositions we meet withal And all these he ascribeth equally unto Faith without the intermixture of any other cause or condition And other places express to the same purpose might be pleaded 3. The examples of them that did believe and were justified which are recorded in the Scripture do all bear witness unto the same Truth The continuation of the Justification of Abraham before God is declared to have been by Faith only Rom. 4.3 For the instance of his Justification given by the Apostle from Gen. 15.6 was long after he was justified absolutely And if our first Justification and the continuation of it did not depend absolutely on the same cause the instance of the one could not be produced for a proof of the way and means of the other as here they are And David when a justified Believer not only placeth the Blessedness of man in the free Remission of sins in opposition unto his own works in general Rom. 4.6 7. but in his own particular case ascribeth the continuation of his Justification and acceptation before God unto Grace Mercy and forgiveness alone which are no otherwise received but by Faith Psal. 130.3 4 5. Psal. 143.2 All other works and duties of obedience do accompany Faith in the continuation of our justified estate as necessary effects and fruits of it but not as causes means or conditions whereon that effect is suspended It is patient waiting by Faith that brings in the full accomplishment of the Promises Heb. 6.12 16. Wherefore there is but one Justification and that of one kind only wherein we are concerned in this Disputation The Scripture makes mention of no more and that is the Justification of an ungodly person by Faith Nor shall we admit of the consideration of any other For if there be a second Justification it must be of the same kind with the first or of another if it be of the same kind then the same person is often justified with the same kind of Justification or at least more than once and so on just reason ought to be often Baptized If it be not of the same kind then the same person is justified before God with two sorts of Justification of both which the Scripture is utterly silent And the continuation of our Justification depends solely on the same causes with our Justification it self CHAP. VI. Evangelical Personal Righteousness the Nature and Vse of it Final Judgment and its respect unto Justification THe things which we have discoursed concerning the first and second Justification and concerning the continuation of Justification have no other Design but only to clear the principal subject whereof we treat from what doth not necessarily belong unto it For until all things that are either really heterogeneous or otherwise superfluous are separated from it we cannot understand aright the true state of the Question about the nature and causes of our Justification before God For we intend one only Justification namely that whereby God at once freely by his Grace justifieth a convinced sinner through Faith in the Blood of Christ. Whatever else any will be pleased to call Justification we are not concerned in it nor are the Consciences of them that believe To the same purpose we must therefore briefly also consider what is usually disputed about our own personal Righteousness with a Justification thereon as also what is called sentential Justification at the day of Judgment And I shall treat no farther of them in this place but only as it is necessary to free the principal subject under consideration from being intermixed with them as really it is not concerned in them For what Influence our own personal Righteousness hath into our Justification before God will be afterwards particularly examined Here we shall only consider such a notion of it as seems to enterfere with it and disturb the right understanding of it But yet I say concerning this also that it rather belongs unto the Difference that will be among us in the Expression of our conceptions about spiritual things whilst we know but in part than unto the substance of the Doctrine it self And on such differences no breach of Charity can ensue whilst there is a mutual Grant of that liberty of mind without which it will not be preserved one moment It is therefore by some apprehended that there is an Evangelical Justification upon our Evangelical Personal Righteousness This they distinguish from that Justification which is by Faith through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ in the sense wherein they do allow it For the Righteousness of Christ is our Legal Righteousness whereby we have pardon of sin and acquitment from the sentence of the Law on the account of his satisfaction and merit But moreover they say that as there is a Personal inherent Righteousness required of us so there is a Justification by the Gospel thereon For by our Faith and the plea of it we are justified from the charge of Unbelief by our sincerity and the plea of it we are justified from the charge of Hypocrisie and so by all other Graces and Duties from the charge of the contrary sins in Commission or Omission so far as such sins are inconsistent with the Terms of the Covenant of Grace How this differeth from the second Justification before God which some say we have by works on the supposition
5.15 Eph. 2.4 8 9. 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 3.4 5. Being justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the LXX render the Hebrew particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without price without merit without cause and sometimes it is used for without end that is what is done in vain as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by the Apostle Gal. 2.21 without price or reward Gen. 29.15 Exod. 21.22 2 Kings 24.25 without cause or merit or any means of procurement 1 Sam. 19.5 2 Sam. 24.24 Psal. 69.4 Psal. 102. In this sense it is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 15.25 The design of the word is to exclude all consideration of any thing in us that should be the cause or condition of our justification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 favour absolutely considered may have respect unto somewhat in him towards whom it is shewed so it is said that Joseph found grace or favour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the eyes of Potiphar Gen. 29.4 but he found it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any consideration or cause for he saw that the Lord was with him and made all that he did to prosper in his hand v. 3. But no words can be found out to free our justification before God from all respect unto any thing in our selves but only what is added expresly as the means of its participation on our part through faith in his blood more emphatical than these here used by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his grace And with whom this is not admitted as exclusive of all Works or Obedience of our own of all conditions preparations and merit I shall despair of ever expressing my conceptions about it intelligibly unto them Having asserted this Righteousness of God as the cause and means of our justification before him in opposition unto all Righteousness of our own and declared the cause of the communication of it unto us on the part of God to be meer free Sovereign grace the means on our part whereby according unto the ordination of God we do receive or are really made partakers of that Righteousness of God whereon we are justified is by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by faith alone Nothing else is proposed nothing else required unto this end It is replied that there is no intimation that is by faith alone or that Faith is asserted to be the means of our Justification exclusively unto other Graces or Works But there is such an exclusion directly included in the description given of that faith whereby we are justified with respect unto its especial object by faith in his blood For Faith respecting the blood of Christ as that whereby propitiation was made for Sin in which respect alone the Apostle affirms that we are justified through faith admits of no association with any other Graces or Duties Neither is it any part of their nature to fix on the blood of Christ for Justification before God wherefore they are all here directly excluded And those who think otherwise may try how they can introduce them into this context without an evident corrupting of it and perverting of its sense Neither will the other evasion yield our Adversaries the least relief namely that by faith not the single grace of Faith is intended but the whole obedience required in the new Covenant Faith and Works together For as all works whatever as our works are excluded in the declaration of the causes of our Justification on the part of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his grace by vertue of that great Rule Rom. 11.6 If it be of grace then no more of works otherwise Grace is no more Grace so the determination of the object of faith in its act or duty whereon we are justified namely the blood of Christ is absolutely exclusive of all Works from an interest in that duty For whatever looks unto the blood of Christ for Justification is faith and nothing else And as for the calling of it a single act or duty I refer the Reader unto our preceding discourse about the nature of justifying Faith Three things the Apostle inferreth from the declaration he had made of the Nature and Causes of our Justification before God all of them further illustrating the meaning and sense of his words 1. That Boasting is excluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 27. Apparent it is from hence and from what he affirms concerning Abraham Chap. 4. v. 2. that a great part at least of the controversie he had about Justification was whether it did admit of any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in those that were justified And it is known that the Jews placed all their Hopes in those things whereof they thought they could boast namely their Priviledges and their Righteousness But from the declaration made of the Nature and Causes of Justification the Apostle infers that all Boasting whatever is utterly shut out of doors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boasting in our language is the name of a vice and is never used in a good sense But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words used by the Apostle are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an indifferent signification and as they are applied may denote a Vertue as well as a Vice So they do Heb. 3.6 But alwayes and in all places they respect something that is peculiar in or unto them unto whom they are ascribed Wherever any thing is ascribed unto one and not unto another with respect unto any good end there is fundamentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foundation for boasting All this saith the Apostle in the matter of our Justification is utterly excluded But wherever respect is had unto any condition or qualification in one more than another especially if it be of works it giveth a ground of boasting as he affirms Chap. 4.2 And it appears from comparing that verse with this that wherever there is any influence of our own works into our Justification there is a ground of boasting but in Evangelical Justification no such boasting in any kind can be admitted Wherefore there is no place for Works in our Justification before God for if there were it is impossible but that a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one kind or other before God or man must be admitted 2. He infers a general conclusion that a man is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law v. 28. What is meant by the Law and what by the Works of the Law in this discourse of the Apostle about our Justification hath been before declared And if we are justified freely through Faith in the Blood of Christ that Faith which hath the Propitiation of Christ for its especial Object or as it hath so can take no other Grace nor Duty into Partnership with it self therein and being so justified as that all such boasting is excluded as necessarily exults from any differencing Graces or Works in our selves wherein all the