Imatges de pàgina
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has accepted him in it, the foundation is fure and permanent; and it is suited to beget in them that build upon it, the most unlimited confidence of fuccefs. In the view of the ftability and glory of this ground of hope in Chrift, the believer can truft his eternal all, and exultingly fay, I know whom I have believed.

It is faid alfo, that we are juftified by bis blood. Rom. v. 9. This intends, evidently, the fame ground of juftification with his knowledge, or his faith, or covenant righte oufnefs, which he held unto the death.-Again, it is faid, that God for Chrift's fake hath forgiven you. Ephefians iv. 32. And that, your fins are forgiven you for his name's fake. 1 John ii. 12. Forgivenefs from God, for Chrift's fake, and for his name's fake, is forgiveness upon the fame and only ground of forgiveness, the faith or covenant righteous. nefs of Chrift. Moreover, when it is faid that God is not afhamed to be called the God of believers, on the account of his hav ing prepared for them a city; there is offered the fame reafon and ground of the divine favour; for the covenanted work of the Son, and covenanted reward of the Father, wherein the wretched and miferable build their hope of favour and life, frame the foundati ons of the city of foundations, and compofe the glory of the habitation of glory.

The righteoufnefs of God in Chrift, it is believed, is the only ground of our hope.The covenant righteousness, fubfifting in the immutable engagement of the Son to per

form the work of redemption, which the Father gave him to do, together with the fecurity of the promise and oath of the Father, to reward him with a feed to ferve him, and glory and a kingdom, upon the performance of the work-this righteoufnefs, which is of the Lord. Ifai. liv. 17-this righteoufnefs, which is in the Lord. Ifai. xlv. 24-this righteousness, which is Jehovah himself. jer. xxiii. 6-is the only righteoufnefs that can avail to the juftification of the ungodly.-But this righteoufnefs, which endureth for ever, by the death of Chrift, is brought in; and, in the everlafting gospel, is exhibited as a free gift unto all, and is upon all them that believe. And though the righteoufnefs of the law, being of a moral nature, can never be imputed or given to another; neither it, nor its benefits-and the man, and he only, that doth the works of the law, fhall live in them; yet this divine righteoufnefs may be bestowed upon, and made over to another, 2. e. God can difpofe of himself, and give away himself; and this righteoufness, through grace, becomes ours as ftrictly, and in the fame fenfe, as Chrift is ours; and God in Chrift is our inheritance and portion.

I have made a covenant with my chofen, fays the Father, I have fworn unto David my fervant. Thy feed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. To this Covenant the Son, David our King, gave the anolt ready confent, when it was propoled, and when the work was delineated, so that was clearly before him; and in it he en

gaged, with the purest zeal to perform it.→ Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he faith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body haft thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and facrifices for fin thou host had no pleafure: Then faid I, Lo I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above, when he faid, Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for fin thou wouldeft not, neither hadft pleasure therein (which are offered by the law;) Then faid he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he might establish the Jecond. By the which will, we are fanctified through the offering of the body of Jefus Chrift once for all. Heb. x. 5-10.

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When it is faid, therefore, that we are juft ified by the faith of Chrift; or that we are juftified by his knowledge, or by his blood; or that we receive forgiveness of God, for his name fake; or that we are made righteous by the obedience of one. Rom. v. 19. or that we are fanctified by the divine will; or that God is not afhamed to be called our God, on account of a city which he has prepared for us; or that grace reigneth through rightcoufnefs unto eternal life; we are not to underftand, that there are different ways for the exercife of the divine favour towards finners; but that all thefe, and many other like terms, are used in the fcriptures, to exprefs the fame and only ground of our par don and acceptance with God.

In the numerous places, in which the reafon of the divine favour is affigned, the only

difference observed, is that which relates to the diftinction of the fubftance and evidence of faith-fometimes, the righteoufnefs of Chrift, as it existed from eternity, in his confent to the covenant, is directly given; and fometimes, that exhibition of his righteousnefs, which he has made in the world, is more immediately in view; or, perhaps, it may be obferved, that fometimes the divine will is contemplated in all its parts; and fometimes more particularly, the part of duty.

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The will of the Father has always been a law to the Son. This law has always been in his heart; he has always delighted in it, and the Father has always loved the Son; he has always delighted in him, as his only begotten, and honored and glorified him with himself. And this everlasting righteoufnefs is fully exhibited in the work of redemption; for, as the Son, in his fervice-work, has given public evidence of his righteousness, and fully declared his regard to the divine will, a foun dation is laid for the Father to give public evidence alfo of his righteoufnels, and declare his love to his Son, and his delight and pleasure in his work. This is done by his pardoning and justifying finners for his Son's fake, according to his promise to him in the covenant.-But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifefted, being witnessed. by the law and the prophets; Even the righteoufnefs of God which is by faith of Jefus Chrift unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: For all have finned and come fhort of the glory of God; Being juflified

freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift; Whom God hath set forth through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remiffion of fins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I fay, at this time his righteoufness: that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him which believeth in Fefus. Romans iii. 21-26.

And all the honor which is conferred upon Christ, declaratively, and all the favor which is conferred upon men, are to testify the di vine acceptableness of his faith, or covenant righteoufnefs; evidenced in his blood, or in his making himfelf a facrifice according to the divine will.-God, now, has a reason to be affigned, as the ground of his fhowing favor to finners; acting upon the ground of the exhibited righteoufnefs of his Son, God makes it to be feen, that he loves righteouf nefs and hates iniquity. God is, now, just to his own engagement, and just to his righte ous fervant; when, according to his promife in the covenant of redemption, he justifieth him who believeth in Jefus.

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Section 5. Grace fovereign through Faith.", Grace is a thread of gold, appearing every where in the doctrine of the Old and New Teftament, the whole fyftem of redemption difplays it; and every one truly enlightened by the gofpel muft fee and admire it. Grace as ufed in the fcriptures, in relation to

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