therefore both Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin and Condemnation and that by the law The Gentiles by the light and law of nature and the work of it written in their Hearts Rom. 2.14 15 16. And the Jews by the law written in tables of Stone by Gods own hand and given unto them by Moses at mount Sinai which law was added by reason of Sin and Sin in the Jews taking occasion by the commandment became exceedingly more Sinful in them who were Jews by nature than in the Gentiles as being against more clear light and greater Obligations than the poor Gentiles were indulged with And thus is fulfilled the design of God by Moses in giving the law which was not that any Man should be justified and obtain righteousness and life thereby but that the offence against it might so much the more abound and be made to appear And Man be instructed from the desperateness of his case and the utter impossibility ever to get righteousness and life by works and the law to seek it only by Grace and Faith in Jesus Christ as Rom. 5.20 21. This position being already proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin Rom. 3.9 the Apostle doth further confirm by a text out of the old Testament Rom. 3. 19. where he concludes that quotation Now we know that whatsoever the law saith it saith to them that are under the law intimating that the Jews must needs be concerned in this charge as well as the Gentiles And that the Prophets of the old Testament did plainly declare and confirm this truth that by the works of the law no flesh should be justified For both David and Esaias whose words these are if they would have understood them in saying there is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one c. do both testifie from God by whose Spirit they speak that in the sight of God all Men are Sinners and transgressors by the law both Jews and Gentiles and that there is not one righteous Man by the works of the law in the whole World for Jew and Gentile comprehended the whole world And if so and this be true that Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin and that there is not one righteous Man by the works of the law in Gods sight then it follows as a necessary consequence that by the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified Therefore we conclude c. And thus I have done with the context In the text it self we have a great foundation truth or point of Doctrin ready prepared to our Hand in words which the Holy Ghost teacheth together with the reason of it And therefore we shall take the point as it lieth in the Text c. That by the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God The truth of this doctrin is expresly testified also Psal. 143.2 For in thy sight shall no Man living be justified i. e. by his own works and righteousness for otherwise there were then and are now many Men justified in Gods sight by the free Grace of God through Faith in Jesus Christ. And again Gal. 2.16 Knowing c. For the opening this position or point of Doctrin we shall take it into parts and Enquire 1 Who or what is meant by Flesh. 2 What is meant by Justified 3 What is mean by the works of the law 1 What is meant Or What we are to understand by Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not any Flesh or as it is Translated no Flesh. In answer whereunto Flesh is sometimes taken in Scripture for the Human Nature separate from the sinfulness thereof so John 1.14 And the word was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flesh is here put for the Human Nature seperate from Sin as Adam had it in the state of innocency And Christ the second Adam took it in the Womb of the Virgin Mary and Heb. 10.20 Through the vail i. e. his Flesh put for the whole Human Nature which was a vail to his Godhead and which he offered upon the Cross for our Sins and so consecrated a new and living way for us into the Holiest i. e. Heaven it self And though in propriety of Speech the Flesh or Body is but a part of the Human Nature the Spirit or Soul being the other and more noble part yet is by a figure Synechdoche put for the whole as 1 Peter 2.24 where Christ is said to have born our sins in his own body on the tree Body is there put for the whole Human Nature and so the Soul or Spirit is also sometimes put as Isa. 53.10 When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin yet 't is manifest both Soul and Body were offered for Sin and the Soul of Christ is there put for both but in this sense of the Human Nature separate from Sin the word Flesh is not to be understood in this Text And therefore 2. Flesh is also and indeed most frequently put for the Human Nature as it is corrupt and depraved by Sin since the fall of the first Adam and so Rom. 8.3 where the law is said to become weak through the Flesh i. e. Mans Nature now corrupted by Sin and so not able to rise up unto that true and perfect holiness which the law doth require And in this sense the word Flesh is to be taken and understood in the text Shall not any flesh or shall no flesh be justified i. e. no Man that is a Sinner and corrupted by Sin as all Men now are by Nature And there is a kind of vehemency in the expression The Holy Ghost thereby casting a holy contempt upon Man that is called Flesh i. e. an unclean and a corrupt thing so Eliphas in Job 15.14 15 16. What is Man tha◠that he should be clean c. And thus shall n◠flesh be justified i. e. no Man no Person of Mankind Man Woman nor Child 2ly What it s meant And what i◠to be understood by the word justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall no Flesh be justified In answer hereto 1. To be justified in the proper significancy and notion thereof is to be made righteous to become righteous or to stand righteous before God justificari is justum fieri to be justified is to be made or to become righteous and so to stand a righteous Person in Gods sight It is a foreinsick term and here is an allusion to courts of Judicature amongst Men wherein the person arraigned is in the issue of the Plea either Condemned i. e. found Guilty and then we say such a Man is cast that is in his Plea or else is acquited and discharged and so justified in the sight of the Court as an Innocent and righteous person and so he is said to stand as
Psam 130.3 And therefore it is added in his sight to shew that whatsoever Man may be in his own sight or in the sight of other Men like himself yet in Gods sight no flesh shall or can be justified by the works of the law And as in Condemnation there are two things First a fixing of the Guilt and therefore we say when a person is found guilty he is condemned so Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God 2ly A binding or Obligation unto the punishment which is Death and therefore we say of a Criminal when he is brought in guilty that he is a dead Man because the obligation unto punishment is now fixed upon him and he must inevitably suffer death which is the punishment due to his offence So on the other hand there are two things implyed in Justification first a just discharge and acquitment from the guilt of Sin he that is justified is not guilty in Gods sight his Sin is not imputed to him and Ps. 32 1 2. where David describeth the blessedness of a justified person saying Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity 3ly There is also a dissolving and making void and null the Obligation unto punishment so that a justified person is no more in danger of that death which is the wages of Sin nor of the curse of the law and the infinite and eternal wrath of God which is the punishment due to Sin to every Sin the least Sin as well as the greatest therefore as Condemnation is called Death because of the Obligation unto punishment so justification is called Life because of the dissolving and making void that Obligation So John 5.24 where the believer is said to be passed from death to life i. e. from a state of Condemnation which is Death to a state of Justification which is Life and Rom. 5.18 It is called justification of Life And upon that account 't is Written the just shall live by Faith i. e. be justified by Faith for justification is his life 3ly But there is yet somewhat more implyed in this word Justified and that is a positive righteousness answering to the perfection of the holy law of God in the utmost extent and demand of it for though non imputation and pardon of Sin makes a Man no more a Sinner nor guilty before God yet to make him a righteous person in Gods sight there must of necessity be a positive righteousness for as it cannot consist with the perfect justice of God to justifie a Man without righteousness so it cannot consist with his veracity and justice to justifie any Man without a perfect righteousness such as is commensurate and adequate to the perfection of his law for otherwise the law should be made void even by faith itself contrary to Rom. 3.31 And to speak with holy reverence as it is impossible for God to lie so it is as impossible for him to be unjust which he should be should he justifie any Man by an imperfect righteousness it is therefore a foolish vain and wicked imagination in any person to think or affirm that a Man may be justified in Gods sight without a perfect righteousness and this I may be bold to say from the clear light of Gods holy word that he which hath not a better righteousness than his own neither is nor ever shall be justified in the sight of God and whoever he be who affims the contrary let him answer it for sure I am the judgment of God is according to truth as it iâ— written Rom. 2.2 and again Rom. 3.4 Let God be true and every Man a liar thaâ— thou mightest be justified in thy sayings anâ— mightest overcome when thou art judged 3. What is here meant and what are we to understand by the deeds or works of the law Ans. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the needs of the law of or by or upon the account of the deed of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 works operations or deedâ— do imply all sorts of works deeds or operatiâ—ons Internal and External 1 There are internal deeds and operatiâ—ons deeds of the mind and of the spirit withâ—in works of the inward Man wherein thâ— inward faculties of the Soul the Mind thâ— Conscience the Understanding the will and affections are operative and working in thâ— sight of God before whom our spirits arâ— naked and bare Heb. 4.13 And there arâ— internal vertues and habits and these are opâ—â—rative within and the holy law of God is Spiâ—ritual and reacheth the inward Man yea thâ— very thoughts and imaginations of the Hearâ— and than inward disposition enclination and habits Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust if the law had not said thou shalt not covet 2. There are external deeds the outward actions and deeds and operations of the light and Conversation which should all be regulated and are judged by the law which is the rule of righteousness to the inward and to the outward Man to the inward frame of Heart with all the Imaginations Thoughts Principles Habits Affections Intentions and Designs thereof and to the outward Man in all a Mans external Actions words and deeds together with the nature and tendency of them whether they be good or evil true or false sincere or feigned so Acts 5.3 4 9. and Acts 8.20 21. 2 Chron. 25.2 Ezek. 33.31 32. So that by the deeds of the law we are to understand all the inward qualifications and inherent virtues and goodness of a Mans Heart together with all the external actions of his life done in the utmost conformity and Obedience to the law that Man can reach unto by these deeds of the law whether internal or external there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Quest. But the greater question is what law is here meant whether the Ceremonial law only or the Moral law also Those that are unsound in the Doctrin of Justification do contend that by the law here is only meant the Ceremonial law And that the Apostle Paul here and in other places contending with the Jews in this point of Justification speaketh only of the Ceremonial law and so far they yield that by the works of the Ceremonial law indeed no flesh shall be justified but the works of the Moral law are not here excluded from the matter of Mans justification insinuating thereby that a Man may be justified in Gods sight by good works done in confirmity and obedience to the Moral law Ans. In answer whereunto we do affirm and shall plainly prove that not the Ceremoâ—nial law only but the Moral law also yeâ— mainly and principally is meant by the Apostle And that law unto the works or deed whereof justification in the sight of God iâ— denied to every Man is the Moral law and not the Ceremonial law only though it iâ— true also of the Ceremonial law And this wâ— prove by two Argumenrs
by the Spirit of our God So that the same holy Spirit of God which applieth Christ to our Faith for righteousness and justification doth also apply Christ to us as and for our sanctification And every person that is truly justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus is also as truly sanctified by the Spirit and 't is as impossible for a justified person to be distitute of inherent Grace and Sanctification as it is for a man living in the body to be so without the Soul James 2.26 Nevertheless Justification and Sanctification Righteousness imputed and inherent are distinct and different things and must fall under a distinct consideration and must not cannot be confounded They differ as the cause and effect as the antecedent and consequent and though inherent Grace and Sanctification doth always accompany the person justified yet inherent Grace and Sanctification is not that Righteousness by or upon which any person is or can be justified in the sight of God For inherent Grace and Sanctification is no more can rise no higher than the writing of the Law in a mans heart and so it is described and set out by God himself Heb. 8.10 Quoted out of Jer. 31.33 I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts The work of grace inherent is but the writing of the Law in the heart and all Sanctification and Holiness is but the outward expression of this Law internally written in the Heart Now if a man could be justified in Gods sight by inherent Grace and Sanctification he might be justified by the Deeds and Works of the Law and that by imperfect Deeds and Works too for such is sanctification but the imperfect writing of the Law in the Heart and such are all even the highest attainments of inherent righteousness and acts of new and holy obedience in the Saints but imperfect Phil. 3.12 And Rom. 7.22 23 24 25. Now forasmuch as No flesh can be justified in his sight by the Deeds of the Law it is manifest and followeth by necessary â—â—nsequence that no man can be justified by inherent sanctification and obedience seeing all inherent Sanctification and Obedience is but the writing of the Law in the Heart and the Deeds of that Law so written And that which some men have imagined and endeavoured to maintain that a believer is justified in the sight of God by Evangelical righteousness i. e. his sincere obedience or obedience of Faith And that having obtained remission of sins through Faith in Christs blood his Sincere or Evangelical obedience is accepted of God as if it were perfect will plainly appear to be a false and unsound assertion and most contrary to the truth of the Gospel for although both parts of this assertion be true in sensu divisio i. e. in their different sense and with respect to the different matters to which they do relate yet in sensu conjuncto as they are confounded and referred to one and the same matter they are utterly false and corrupt as namely That a believer is justified by Evangelical righteousness is a blessed truth if referred to the right subject and matter of justifying righteousness which the Gospel doth reveal But this righteousness then is no other than the righteousness of God i. e. the personal and perfect obedience and righteousness which Christ who is God Man hath performed for us and in our stead as the Second Adam and Head of the whole Church of the Elect And is therefore called The righteousness of God in opposition to all a mans own or inherent righteousness Rom. 10.3 4. Phil. 3.9 And that this is the only Evangelical righteousness i. e. that only Righteousness which the Gospel doth reveal For Justification is clear from Rom. 1.16 17. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written the just shall Live by Faith i. e. not in his own but in the righteousness or another which is Jesus Christ Who is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 But if you will understand Evangelical righteousness of and refer it to inherent grace and sanctification then it is utterly false for then a man is justified by the Law and the Deeds of it Seeing inherent Grace and Sanctification is no other as hath been already shewed And again as to the other part of this Assertion namely that God doth accept the sincere Obedience of a Believer as if it were perfect is also a blessed truth if you refer it to Sanctification only but if you refer it to Justification it is utterly false for no Righteousness of Man is or can be accepted of God as the matter of his Justification in his sight as hath been already proved for that were for a Man to be justified by the Works of the Law or his own Righteousness which is contrary to the Scriptures Now therefore the sum of the matter is that no Righteousness can be mentioned or accepted of God in Justification but the Righteousness of Christ only and although Inherent Righteousness namely Sanctification of Heart and Holiness of Life in a Believer is accepted of God through Christ as if it were perfect yet 't is so accepted as the truth and matter of his Sanctification but not as the matter of his Justification wherein none but Christ and his Righteousness can or ought to be mentioned Use 2. Let the consideration of this truth caution and warn every man to beware and take heed how he goeth about directly or indirectly to establish his own Righteousness or to seek Righteousness in and of himself by the Deeds and Works of the Law i. e. by his own inherent qualifications and internal or external acts of Obedience and so become disobedient and not submit himself to the Righteousness of God by Faith in Christ. The carnal Jews of old called Israel fell under this woful mistake Rom. 9.31 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone they followed after the Law of Righteousness i. e. they served God instantly day and night as Acts 26.7 they attended to all the services of the Law in Sacrifices and costly Offerings and toilsom as well as chargeable observances in which they spared no cost nor pains but continued day and night and that with zeal and fervency for so was that Service carried on by Sacrifices and Offerings of divers sorts and kinds which were day and night made and some of them continually before the Lord and when the old were 〈◊〉 moved new were brought in and placed 〈◊〉 their room so that there was no vacancy
Rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh these two must go together in the heart and walking of a Christian You cannot rejoyce in Christ Jesus if you have or put any confidence in the flesh and ye cannot have confidence in the flesh if ye do aright rejoyce in Christ Jesus To have confidence in the flesh is to have trust and confidence in the Law and in the Deeds and Works of the Law done by you either before or after your laying hold upon Christ as your Refuge the internal Deeds of the Law which are the qualifications virtues and graces of the mind and the external Deeds of the Law which are the external actions of thy Life and Conversation both with respect to God and Man done and wrought in conformity to the holy Law of God so far as thou art able to reach it The Duties of the first Table and of the second those which respect Religion towardâ— God and those which respect Righteousnesâ— towards Man as they are or can be performed by thee these all are comprehended in the word flesh as appeareth plainly by the Apostle Phil. 3.4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof to trust in the flesh I more And then he addeth all his Legal qualifications priviledges and performances before his Conversion v. 5 6. Circumcised the eight day c. and then he adds all his own Righteousness of the Law in the internal and external Deeds of it after his Conversion and Faith in Christ v. 9. And be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith So that all his own Righteousness both before and after Conversion he sets in opposition to the Righteousness of God by Faith in Christ and this all this that is a mans own Righteousness he calleth flesh and forbids and denies any confidence or trust to be put in it either by himself or by any other man so as that he or any other person should think or judge or reckon himself righteous and justified in Gods sight by his own Righteousness either of inherent qualifications or external obedience no no this is abominable this the Apostle abhors in himself and deters all others from But on the other hand to trust alone unto Christ and rely and depend upon the perfect Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of God and is made ours by Faith and not by Works this is to rejoyce in Christ Jesus but to have confidence in our own Righteousness this is to have confidence in the flesh And there are two reasons why all a mans own Righteousness is called flesh 1. Because it is weak and unable to bear the weight of mans hope and confidence as touching his being righteous thereby or justified before God and thus the Horses of the Egyptians are said to be flesh not spirit because of their weakness and inability to answer the sinful trust and confidence which the Jews had in them Isa. 31. v. 3. And 2. Because it is polluted sinful and unclean by the infirmity and imperfection of grace in the best and by the mixtures of sin and corruption that attend us in our best Duties as Isa. 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags and therefore not to be trusted in and relied upon when we come before and have to do with God Now therefore ye that are in Christ and desire to rejoyce in Christ Jesus have see that ye have no confidence in the flesh covet earnestly the best gifts strive after the highest attainments of inherent grace and holiness but trust not to put no confidence in your own Works and Righteousness for by the Works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight 3. And last of all See that ye worship God in the Spirit Phil. 3.2 For we are the true Circumcision which worship God in the spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh So that to your rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh you must add this also To worship God in the spirit Now to worship God in the spirit implieth these three things namely 1. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship God in Christ those of the Concision spoken of in the beginning of Phil. 3. Who trusted to Circumcision and the Works of the Law or their own Righteousness Worshipped God in the Deeds and Works of the Law which the Apostle here calls Flesh and so they Worshipped God not in the Spirit but in the Flesh They rested in their own Deeds and Works and looked not to Christ Jesus who was the End Perfection and Substance of the Ceremonial Law And so indeed their Worship terminated in their own Righteousness and they did not by Faith go out of themselves unto Christ and his Righteousness and so they did not Worship God in the Spirit i. e. Evangelically and by Faith in Christ but legally and presuming upon their own Merit and Worthiness without Christ and so all their Worshipping was Carnal and in the Flesh after the Old Covenant and Works but not Spiritual and Evangelical i. e. after the New Covenant and Grace To Worship God therefore in Christ and by Faith in him as your only Righteousness and always to come unto the Father by the Son this is indeed to Worship him in the Spirit relying upon his Mediation Merit Blood and Righteousness as the Mediator of the New Covenant and not upon the Old Covenant and Works 2. To Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him sincerely and with a true heart and thus to Worship God in the Spirit is to Worship him in truth Joh. 4 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth These Concisionisâ— did Worship God not in Truth but iâ— outward Shew and Hyporisie for they Worshiped him in the outward Circumcision oâ— the Flesh but the inward Circumcision of the Heart which is in the Spirit and Soul and Mind that was wanting that they looked not after Thus whilst they doted upon and boasted of the external Sign they lost they minded not the thing signified i. e. the internal Grace and Spirit and there was not that in the Heart and Spirit within that might accord and stand with and answer to Circumcision without i. e. the Answer of a good Conscience no the Conscience was neither sprinkled with the Blood of Christ nor sanctified by his Spirit and hence they did not they could not draw near to God with a true heart nor in that full assurance of Faith that God would either hear
a great and glorious truth of God in Christ but also most sure and stedfast and worthy of their utmost trust and confidence their inward relyance and dependence upon it as to their hope of Justification and Eternal Life in Christ yea an object of their Spiritual joy and delight their rejoycing in Christ their inward peace with God and comfort doth flow from it Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God and v. 2. We rejoyce in the hope of the Glory of God Which we could not do if we had not perfect and compleat Righteousness by Faith in Christ as it is written Col. 2.10 And ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power Now it hath been shewed how Jesus Christ as the Author of this Righteousness is exalted far above all principality and power and is made head thereof Angels Men all things in Heaven Earth being made subject to him as a reward of his obedience by which exaltion he is declared in Heaven and Earth to be Jesuâ— Christ the Righteous And therefore ye are compleat in him saith the Apostle i. e. ye have that perfect and compleat Righteousness by Faith in him by which ye are now Justified before God the Father The perfection of his Righteousness which ye have by Faith in him renders you compleat and perfect ye are compleat â—n him which you could not be if ye had not a perfect Righteousness in him by Faith to stand before God in The force of the Argument lyeth in this ye are compleatly and perfectly Righteous in him i. e. in Christ your Head and need not any thing of mans Wisdom or Works to make addition unto this Righteousness which ye had in him No no all the Wisdom of Angels and Men can add nothing to your perfection in Christ ye are compleat in him And therefore Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ as vers 8. And let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility c. as verse â—8 As if he had said there are many pretences amongst men both Philosophers and false Christians to invent and find out a Righteousness of their own after their own wisdom and after their own traditions and each striveth to exceed other in their inventions of this sort and some place their Righteousness in this and others in that work and esteem of their own superstion according to the strictness of their order and way But beware ye and let no man spoil you of your reward Spoil and Rob you of your hope of Righteousness by Faith in Christ alone without works either works of the Law or works of mans superstition fâ—r ye are compleat in him And therefore adhere unto and rely upon yea also rejoyce in this perfect Righteousness which is in him and by Faith in him alone And be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel upon any pretence whatsoever for ye are compleat in him And such is the perfection of this Righteousness which is by Faith in Christ unto all and upon all them that believe that as Rom. 10.3 'T is written for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth The end of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now there is a twofold end of a thing there is finis extensionis the end unto which any thing is or may be extended and there is finis perfectionis the end by which any thing is perfected and consummated now Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness in both he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both finis extensionis and finis perfectionis 1. He is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finis extensionis the utmost end which the Law doth or can extend or be extended and stretched out unto Now the Law is of great and large extent as Psal. 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandement is exceeding broad Creature perfection is that which a man may easily search out and see to the end of he may search out and see the utmost extent thereof how far it can go and how far it doth extend So here saith the Psalmist I have seen an end of all perfection but thy comandment is exceding broad A man cannot so easily see to the the end of the commandment and find out the extent thereof No saith the Psalmist again It is exceeding broad The Law and Holy Commandment extends to all within as well as to all without it extends to the Soul and Spirit of a Man within to all the Internal Faculties The Mind and Conscience the Understanding Will and Affections and to all the Internal motions and operations thereof whether they be good or evil It extends to all the thoughts and imaginations of the thoughts in the heart of a man as Gen. 6.5 It extends to the Principle and End of a mans way and work as Zech. 7.5 6. It extends to the most Secret thoughts and intentions of the Heart and divideth asunder betwixt the marrow and the bones Heb. 4.12 13. It extendeth to all the words and actions of a mans Life and Conversation to all his religion and religious performances Mat. 5.23 24. and v. 27 28. and v. 40 41 42. and v. 43 44. to the end The Law in the Spirituality and purity of it extends to all that a man is every way as a man and as a Christian as considered in his place station and relations and it extends to all that a man hath and to all that a man doth Oh! well might the Psalmist say But thy Commandment is exceeding broad But yet as broad as the Commandment is and considered in the utmost extent of it the Obedience and Righteousness of Christ extendeth its self to the utmost breath and length yea to the utmost extent of the Law in the Spirituality and Purity and Diffusiveness thereof yea it doth exceed and go beyond the Law For the Law required but a mans Righteousness and Obedience as Rom. 10.5 The Man that doth these things shall live by them But lo here is a Righteousness brought in and an Obedience performed to the whole Law in the utmost extent of it by him who is God as well as Man even the Righteousness of God! And thus Christ is The end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth as the end of the Law is finis extensionis But then again Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of the Law is finis perfectionis i. e. the perfection accomplishment and finishing of the Law in the spirituality purity universality and perpetuity of it And in this sense also Christ is the end i. e. the perfection of the Law as
and in a state of Death and Condemnation they were not justified from Eternity no not one of them that Live and are Justified by Faith in Christ for they all and always thus judge that they were all dead i e. condemned and not justified before they believed in Christ and do freely confess the truth and therefore not one of them doth profess or can profess any such Faith that he was Justified from Eternity Part. 6. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity denyeth and overthroweth the Doctrine of Regeneration or new Birth and the necessity thereof which Christ himself doth plainly affirm and urge upon every man in this World John 3.3 5 8. and so do all the holy Prophets and Apostles as may be easily proved if there were any so bold as to deny it Now he that is Justified by Faith in Christ and hath this power and priviledge given unto him to become a Son of God as every true believer hath John 1.11 12. he also is born of God as John 1.13 which were born not of blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God as James 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth not one Believer and so Justified person in this World but he is born of God and begotten of God and so is born again as 1 Pet. 1.23 being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever ver 25. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is Preached unto you so that not one person is or can be justified by Faith but at the same time and by the same word of Faith Preached to him and Believed by him he is also born again he therefore that saith he was justified from Eternity saith also that he was born of God from Eternity and he that was born of God from Eternity needeth not nor can be born again for Regeneration is but once and those that were born of God from Eternity are far from being new born Babes as all true Believers are after their first Conversion and Calling and as the Apostle Peter calleth and styleth them 1 Pet. 2.2 3. Part. 7. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity denieth destroyeth and overthroweth the Doctrine of Repentance and Conversion to God by Christ and by consequence takes away the necessity thereof the holy Scriptures do every where establish both in the Old and New Testament the necessity of Repentance and Conversion to God as Isa. 55.6 7. Act. 3.19 Act. 26.17 18. Luke 24.45 46 47. But he that saith he was justified from Eternity by consequence saith that he had remission of Sins from Eternity and that his Sins were blotted out from Eternity for Justification is Remission of Sins as Psalm 32.1 2 3. And blotting out of Sins as Isa. 43.25 And so he needeth not to Repent and be Converted for asmuch as he had his sins blotted out from Eternity and was Righteous from Eternity and well it is if men of these notions and traditions which they have received to hold do not become as the Pharisees of old so Whole as they need no Physician and so Righteous in their own Eyes that like the 99 Just Persons they need no Repentance or Conversion as Luke 15.4 8. And if the name of Repentance and Conversion shall still be pretended to and boasted of amongst them it shall only consist in making Proselytes to this their Tradition of Justification from Eternity which they call the Gospel and a more glorious Light than former Ages have enjoyed And some have not blushed to affirm than perhaps the Apostles had But let them take heed lest that Wo come upon them spoken by the Mouth of Truth himself Mat. 23.15 Part. 8. This Doctrine doth frustrate and make void all the ends of Christ Death and Suffering which are the Justification and Salvation of Gods Elect for if they were Justified from Eternity what need was there of Christs dying to obtain that for them which they had from all Eternity So that if this Doctrine be true as they affirm then as the Apostle saith in another case Gal. 2.21 Christ is dead in vain Part 9. This Doctrine of Justification from Eternity destroyeth and overthroweth the Doctrine and Order of God's new Creation in Christ and making all things new in him which the Holy Scriptures do every where establish both in the Old and New Testament This is certain the Old Creation was first and before the New else it were not new Adam was before Christ or the first Adam before the Second as Rom. 4.12 and 1 Cor. 15.45 46 47. And so it is written the first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit howbeit that was not first which is Spiritual but that which is Natural and afterward that which is Spiritual The first or old Creation in Adam is the natural and the second or new Creation in Christ the Spiritual now that was not first which is Spiritual but that is first which was natural therefore the Workmanship of God in the natural or old creation was first And the workmanship of God in the new Creation in Christ is the Spirâ—tual and therefore last the second must be after the first or else 't is not second the new must be after the old or else the old is not old nor the other new Now Justification by Faith in Christ is Gods Workmanship in the new Creation as 2 Cor. 5.17 18. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things i. e. the things of the first Creation in Adam are passed away behold all things are become new And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. And therefore Reconciliation and Justification by Jesus Christ as ver 19. are parts of the new Creation in Christ as also is most manifest Eph. 2.8 9 10. 't is manifest I say that God at first setled all things So the first Adam and all men in him upon the foundation of the Law or Covenant of Works which settlement was broken or dissolved by the first transgression and Death entred upon all men by Sin and no hope or possibility of Righteousness or Life by that Law or Covenant any more therefore now God bringeth forth Christ the second Adam and settles all things again upon a new Covenant of Grace restoring Righteousness and Life by Jesus Christ to all that believe this is the new Creation that which is Spiritual Now therefore Justification and Salvation by Faith in Christ was not from Eternity because 't is Gods new Creation in Christ And forasmuch as the Old Creation and that which is Natural was not from Eternity but in Time 'T is manifest that Gods new Creation in Christ to any man in this World was not from Eternity but in Time for the first must be before the second and the old