righteoufnefs of God is revealed *." All men who have any knowledge of God and themselves cannot but inquire after righteoufnefs, for it is the only mean of an advantageous relation to God. Now the only notion of it that the generality of men have is, that this righteoufnefs must be their own; inherent in them, and performed by them+: this is the uniform language of natural confcience, of the law, and of the philofophers; this therefore is the only righteoufnefs which they feek after. But the Apoftle declares, that in the Gofpel another righteousness is revealed-the righteoufnefs of another; the righteoufnefs of God, and that is revealed to faith: for not only is the righteoufness itfelf different from the principles juft mentioned, but alfo the way in which we partake of it. Righteousness, it should seem, should rather be from works to works— from the work of grace in us, to the work of obedience done by us, as the Papifts affirm: No, faith the Apoftle, it is from faith to faith.

This is his general Thefis; in the confirmation of which he excludes from Juftification every thing but the righteousness of God, and the faith of believers. For this purpose he confiders all perfons who seek after righte

* Rom. i. 17. + Rom. x. 3.

"The

Mr. Polhill, in his Speculum Theologia, page 415, gives us the fentiments of fome of the most celebrated Pagans on this head. "Philofopher, faith Epictetus, expects all from himself. Deorum im"mortalium munus eft, quod vivimus; Philofophiæ, quod bene vivimus. Our life is from the gods; but, which is greater than life, 66 our virtue, is from philofophy." Thus Seneca, their virtuofo, could vie perfection with God himself: "Hoc eft quod philofo"phia mihi promittit, ut me parem Deo faciat, faith Seneca :-Philofophy was to inake him equal to God" Nay, there is a train higher: "Eft aliquid, quo fapiens antecedet Deum, ille naturæ bene"ficio, non fuo, fapiens eft," faith he. "There is fomething where"in a wife man hath the precedence of God: God is God by nature, "but the wife man is fo by his reafon and will." Some Pagans, as we are affured by Austin, would not be Chriftians, quia fufficiunt fibi de bona vita fua-because they could live well of themselves. (Edit.)

demption that is in Jefus Chrift; whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remiffion of fins that are paft, through the forbearance of God: to declare at this time his righteoufnefs, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jefus. Where is boafting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the law of faith.. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,” Rom. iii. 24—28. "Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffednefs of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, faying, Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are covered; bleffed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute fin," Rom. iv. 2-8. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made finners, fo by the obedience of one fhall many be made righteous," chap. v. 15-19. "There is therefore no condemnation unto them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law of fin and death," chap. viii. 1, 2. —“ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness unto every one that believeth," chap. x. iv.-" And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace; but if it be of works, then it is no more grace, otherwife work is no more work," chap. xi. 6."For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21.-" Knowing that a man is not juftified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift: even we have believed in Jefus Christ, that we might be juftified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law fhall no flesh be justified," Gal. ii. 16.-" For by grace ye are faved, through faith, and that not of yourfelves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, left any

man

might pretend to an intereft herein, as inconfiftent with the righteoufnefs of God.

The whole Scripture fpeaks the fame language: The Grace of God; the Promife of Mercy; the free Pardon of Sin; the Blood of Chrift; his Obedience, and the Righteoufness of God in him, received and refted on by faith, are every where afferted to be the caufes and means of our Juftification, in oppofition to every thing in ourselves. Some places to this purpose may be recited.

The foundation of the whole is laid in the first promife, wherein the deftruction of the work of the devil, by the suffering of the Seed of the woman, is proposed as the only relief for finners :-" It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel," Gen. iii. 15.-" Abraham believed in the Lord, and he counted it unto him for righteouínefs," Gen. xv. 6." And Aaron fhall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confefs over him all the iniquities of the children of Ifrael, putting them on the head of the goat," Lev. xvi. 21, 22.—" I will go in the strength of the Lord God, I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only," Pfa. lxxi.16.-" Surely fhall one say, in the Lord have [ righteousness and ftrength; in the Lord fhall all the feed of Ifrael be juftified, and shall glory," Ifa. xlv. 24, 25. "All we like sheep have gone aftray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on

Ifa. liii. 6.—“ For this is

him the iniquity of us all," his name whereby he fhall be called, the Lord our righteousness," Jer. xxiii. 6.—" He fhall finish the transgreffion, and make an end of fin, and make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteoufnefs," Dan. ix. 24" Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of fins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Mofes," Acts xiii. 38, 39. "Being juftified freely by his grace, through the re

demption

demption that is in Jefus Chrift; whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blond, to declare his righteousness for the remiffion of fins that are paft, through the forbearance of God: to declare at this time his righteoufnefs, that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him that believeth in Jefus. Where is boafting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the law of faith.. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law," Rom. iii. 24—28. "Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffednefs of the man unto whom God imputeth righteoufnefs without works, faying, Bleffed are thofe whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are covered; bleffed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute fin," Rom. iv. 2—8. For as by one man's disobedience many were made finners, fo by the obedience of one fhall many be made righteous," chap. v. 15-19. "There is therefore no condemnation unto them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law of fin and death," chap. viii. 1, 2. "For Chrift is the end of the law for righteousness unto every one that believeth," chap. x. iv.-" And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace; but if it be of works, then it is no more grace, otherwife work is no more work," chap. xi. 6..

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For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21.- "" Knowing that a man is not juftified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift: even we have believed in Jefus Christ, that we might be juftified by the faith of Chrift, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law fhall no flesh be juftified," Gal. ii. 16.—“ For by grace ye are faved, through faith, and that not of yourfelves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, left any

"Yea doubt

man should boaft," Eph. ii. 8-10. lefs, and I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord; for whom I have fuffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him ; not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteousness which is of God by faith," Phil. iii. 8, 9.

These are some of the places in which the Scripture reprefents to us the grounds of our acceptance with God, and in which every thing of our own is excluded; faith alone excepted, whereby we receive the atone

ment.

And on the other hand, the whole is affigned to grace, mercy, the obedience and blood of Christ.

The inquiry then, upon the confideration of the State of the perfon to be justified, as before defcribed, and the proposals of relief as now expreffed, is fimply this-Whether it be the wifeft and fafeft courfe for fuch a person, seeking to be justified before God, to betake himself abfolutely to fovereign Grace and the Mediation of Chrift; or to place fome confidence in his own graces, duties, works, and obedience? And I cannot but fuppofe that a convinced finner, will readily determine which to do. In putting this great difference to umpirage, that we may not be thought to fix on a partial arbitrator, we shall refer to Cardinal Bellarmine, one of our greatest and most learned adverfaries in this cause. And he pofitively gives us his determination in these well-known words: " By reafon of the uncertainty of our own righteousness, and the danger of vain-glory, it is the fafeft course to repose our whole trust in the mercy and kindness of God alone *." This determination he confirms by two fcriptures:

The first is, Dan. ix. 18. "We do not prefent our fupplications before thee for

* Propter incertitudinem propriæ juftitiæ, et periculum inanis gloriæ, tutiffimum eft fiduciam totam in fola mifericordia Dei et benignitate reponere.-Bellar. de Juftificat. lib. 5. cap. 7. prop. 3.