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'fication, and redemption. Rev. xiv. 13. ' And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are, the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them.' I The. iv. 14. If 1 * we believe that Jefus died, and rose again, even 'fo them alfo which fleep in Jefus, will God 'bring with him.' Compared with Col. i. 27. To whom [the faints] God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is, Chrift in you, the hope of glory.' The chief of these Benefits, which the effectually called do, in Communion with Chrift, partake of, in this Life, are Juftifica tion, Adoption, and Sanctification: Rom. viii.

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Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo called: and whom he called, them he also justified.' Eph. i. 5. Having predeftinated us unto the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himfelf. Cor. i. 30. forecited. And there are feveral other Benefits, which, even in this Life, do either accompany these chief ones, or flow from them, And they partake of them alfo accordingly, in this Life, 1 Cor. i. 30. forecited.

Queft. 33. What is Juftification? Anf. Juftification is an Act of God's free Grace, wherein he pardoneth all our Sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his Sight, only for the Righteousness of Chrift imputed to us, and received by Faith alone,

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EXPLICATIO N.

All who are effectully called, are juftified: Rom. viii. 30. 'Whom he called, them he alfo juftified.' The juftifying of a Perfon doth never, in the Scripture-fenfe of the Word, fignify, to make one righte bus with inherent Righteoufnefs or Holiness: But commonly and ordinarily it fignifies, To declare one righteous Exod. xxiii. 7. Keep thee far from a falfe matter: and the innocent and the righteous lay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. Compared with Rom. iv. 5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs. Prov. xvii. 15. He that jufti'fieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juft, even they both are abomination to the Lord." 1.v. 23. Wo unto them which juftify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteouf nefs of the righteous from him. The juftifying of a Perfon fometimes fignifies, to fhew one righteous: Job xxxiii. 32. If thou haft any thing to fay, anfwer me: fpeak, for I defire to juftify thee. Chap. xxxii. 2. Against Job was Eli"hu's wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.' Gen. xliv. 16. And Judah C faid, How fhall we clear ourselves? &c. Luke xvi. 15. And he faid unto the Pharifees, Ye are 'they which juftify yourselves before men; but "God knoweth your hearts. Rev. xxii. 11. He that is unjuft, let him be unjuft ftilland he 'that is righteous, let him be righteous ftill.' Now, fince God's juftifying a Sinner cannot be a fhewing him righteous in his Sight, it must be a decla ring him righteous in his Sight. Wherefore our

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Juftification

Juftification is not a Change of our Nature, but of our State.

The State a Sinner is brought out of, in his Juftification, is the State of Condemnation : Rom. viii. 33. 34. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth?' Compared with verf. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus.' All Men, before they are juftified, are in a State of Condemnation : John iii. 18. He that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name ' of the only begotten Son of God. Compared with Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace win God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. And they are fo, in virtue of the Curfe of the Law still lying on them: Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' Compared with Rom. iii. 19. 'Now we know that what things foever the law faith, it faith to them who are under the law that eve'ry mouth may be stopped, and all the world may

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become guilty before God.' But Sinners are, in their Juftification, delivered from the Curse: Gal. iii. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us." Compared with Rom. viii. 33. 34. forecited. And the Curfe never returns upon them thereafter, Rom. viii. 1. forecited. J. liv. 9. As I have fworn

that the waters of Noah fhould no more go over the earth; fo have I fworn, that I would not be wroth with thee, hor rebuke thee.'

Juftification is not a Work carried on by Degrees, but an Act perfected in an Inftant: John

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v. 24. Verily verily I fay unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and fhall not come into condemnation; but is paffed from death unto life. Compared with Rom. i. 17. The juft fhall live by faith." A Sinner is juftified in the first Inftant of his believing on Chrift, and not before, Rom. v. 1. forecited. Chap. iii. 22. The righte 'oufnefs of God is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe.' John iii. 18. 'He that believeth on him, is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is condemned already, 'because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.'

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Juftification is the Act of God himfelf: And in it he acts in the Character of a Judge: Rom. viii. 33. 34. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth: who ' is he that condemneth?". Compared with Deut. XXV. 1. If there be a controverfy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them, then they fhall juftify the righte

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ous, and condemn the wicked.' The Throne of Judgment on which God juftifies a Sinner, is his Throne of Grace: Heb. iv. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. And he is to be found on that Throne, only in Chrift: 2 Cor. v. 19. God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himfelf, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them.' The Sinner is brought, for Juftification, unto the Throne of Grace, by the Spirit in effectual Calling: 1 Cor. vi. 11. And fuch were fome of you but ye are justi'fied in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the

Spirit of our God.' The poor Sinner comes unto the Throne of Grace, on that Occafion, á guilty, felf-condemned, and Law-condemned Creature: Ezra ix. 15. O Lord God of Ifrael, be hold, we are before thee in our trefpaffes: for we cannot ftand before thee, becaufe of this. Rom. iii. 19. forecited. verf. 23. 24. All-have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God: Being juftified freely by his Grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift. A Law-condemned Sinner can be justified by a holy God there, by an Act of free Grace.

Our Juftification is an Act of God's free Grace: And by God's free Grace is meant, his free Favour and Good-will. Howbeit, it is an Act of free Grace, not in refpect of Chrift, but in refpect of us, Rom. iii. 23. 14. above cited. It is purely an Act of free Grace to us, infomuch that we are juftified before we have done any good Work at all: Rom. iv. 5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs.' The Parts of the Act of our Juftification, paffed by God the righteous Judge, are two; namely, his pardoning all our Sins, and his accepting us as righteous in his Sight.

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Pardon of Sin is the freeing of the Sinner from the Guilt of his Sin: Matth vi. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' The Guilt of Sin that lies upon us, till fuch Time as we are juftified, is the Guilt of revenging Wrath, John iii. 18. forecited. verf. 36. He that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.' The Pardon, then, given to a Sinner in Jultification, is the freeing him from

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