3 3 2 Faith is not our 3tufiifac,ition C II A P. _ 5, Pardon & Juflification, upon his own Faith , or Gofpel - Righteoufnefs, as the only Righteoufnefs, wherewith he is to be covered , & the only Righte- oufnefs, which is imputed unto him ; & not upon Chritl & his Righteouf- nefs, for what Chrift did or purchafed was common to all , & had only a. conditional vertue , which the perfonal Righteoufnefs reduceth into at , & fo mull have a principal share of the glory ; for as to what Chrift did , gudar had the fame ground of thankfulnefs &praife , that Peter had , & Peter no more then Judas; and thus Peter was to fing the Fong of praife for his jufti- fication & Pardon , unto his own perfonal Faith & Gofpel - Righteoufnefs. If this be not the Native refult of this dodtrine , let any put it in-to pradtice ( which I shall he loath to advife ) & trye , whether thereby more of their weight is laid on Chrift, or on their own faith : And on the other hand, let any ferions & exercifed Christian be enquired, & fee if theirpradlice a- gree with this dodrine. If it be Paid , That there is no fuch hazard , fo long as Faith is not confi- dered here as abttraded from its Objet Chrift, but is confidered with a re -. fpedl: thereunto. I "Inf. (t) We have feen , what a poor & general refpedt faith by forne of our Adverfaries is faid to have to Chrift , whereby it is ma- de nothing but a meer hiiloricai faith & the Author of the D:Jcourfe of thetwo Covenants,p, 31. faith,that even that faith,that had not the Meffias in the pro - mile is imputed for Righteoufnefs. (z) As for fuch as confe(fe that juftifying faith bath a fpecial refpe& to Chrift & his Righteoufnefs , we would know, whether it path this refpedt, that it peculiarly refugeth the foul there from the ftorme of wrath , and bringeth in thence Chrift's Righteoufnefs or car - tieth the man out to it , that he may lean upon it , & plead the fame , as the only ground of his Abfolution from the fenrence oldie Law ? And if this be granted , thenit is manifeft, that the beleever hath no Righteoufnefs, but Chrift's Surety- righteoufnefs, where - withall he defireth to appeare before God , & this is it alone , to which he leaneth , & through which alone he hopeth for Pardon & Acceptance, without the lea(t refleding ad of foul upon his own Faith. (3) But againe if fo , faith muft (land alone , as a&ing thus in a peculiar manner on Chrift, which no work elfe is fitted to do; & therefore Faith & Works muft not be joyned together ;.nor mutt Faith be confidered , in this affaire, as comprehending all Obedience in it, as we fee , they fay. (4) But when Faith is made our Gofpel- Righteoufnefs, in whole , or in part , howbeit they fay , they confider Faith , as acting n its objedt Chritl ; yet it is manife9, that it is then confidered with relation to its objedt, in a Phyfical, or metaphyfical manner, as all as (fpecified from their objedts) may & muft be confidered; but not in a theological fen - fe, as requited in the Gofpel , to bring -in the Surety Righteoufnefs of Chrift & to leane the foul thereupon , as itsonly Righteoufnefs : for when it is laid to be our whole Gofpel Righteoufnefs , it is confidered as a moral vertne , & as an ad of Obedience in us , conilituring us Righteous in a for- mal fenfe, according to the new Law , which is hereby fully & in all points performed & obeyed; much more, when works are joytied with it, Both it with works put on a far other refpedl , than to be the hand receiving the atonement, & the gift of Righteoufnefs. au
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=