C H A P. 17. ReaEons enforcing a clofeing with this way. 153 ftification , through the Imputed Righteoufnefsof Chrift , received & lean- ed to by faith , do interpretativly fay as much , as that Chrift is dead in vai- ne : for the A poille tels us Get1. 2: 2I. that he did not fin ßfra&egrace of God; for if righteoufnefs come by the Law , then Chrifl is dead in vaine . thereby teach - ing us , that the crying up of the Law, & the Righteoufnefs thereof, and urging people to Peek after a Righteoufnefs by which they may be ju- ftified , in their Obedience ro the Law , is a real frufirating of the grace of God , & a declaring that Chrift is dead in vaine : and confequently , who - ever feek after a Righteoufnefs , confining in their perfonal obedience to the Law, & will not accepte of, nor heartily & practically clofewith the Go- fpel -way of juftification, through faith in Chrift, do really fruftrate, fo far as in them lyeth, all the grace of God , manifefted in & brought to light by the Gofpel , where this noble way of recovering finners is revealed, & more clearly & fully explained , than it was formerly. And it isa laying upon the matter, that Chrifl hath died in vaine : for if he died not to fatís- fie for finners, after he had finished his courfe of Obedience , & fo to make up a compleat Righteoufnefs , which might anfwere all the neceffities of fin- ners , lying under the fentence ofa broken Law ; and having no way , with- out Chrift , to obtaine the Crown of life, but by perfect & perfonal Obe- dience to the whole Law, which was & is to them utterly impofïible : If, I fay , Chrift died not for this end , he died in vaine ; & all fuch , as will not . heartily imbrace this way , do on the matter fay , he died not for this end ; & fo, as far as they can, they make him to have died in vaine. 13. This Confideration might an have force with us, that what Paul taught , as to this matter, he did alto practife, & fweetly complye with; thereby calling us a copie, in his own practice: for thus he fpeaketh Phil. 3b S, 9. Yea doubtlefs & I count all things but loft , for the excellency Hof the know - ledg of Chrifl7efus my Lord : for wham I have fuf red the lots of all things , é7 do count them but dung, that I may win Chrifl , ds be found in him, noihavingmine own Righteoufnefs, which is of the Law, but that which it through the faith of Chrifl the righteoufnefs , which it of Goal by faith. So Gal. 2: I 6. knowing that a man is not juflifiedby the works of the Law, but by the faith of jefus Chrifi; even we have beleeved in geffur Chrifl, that we might be juflified by the faith of Chrifi &c. If therefore, we would be lure in this matter, we mull take this courfe, which is fo correfponding in all points , with the Gofpel -do- ¿trine in this matter. Therefore who ever would expect to have it going well with them for evermore , mull refolve upon this courfe, to be clothed with the Righteoufnefs of Chrift , and get on that robeof Righteoufnefs, which is had through the faith of Chrift , the-Righteoufnefs, which is of God by faith. z CHAR,
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