3° a life of juiifacation, C 11 t, 3. Hereby they are abfolved and acquitted from all, that could be juftly. laid unto their charge: for juftificationin Scripture, is expreflive of a juri- dical Aft ofa juft Judge , abfolving a perfon from theguilt laid to his charge, and from the fentence of the Law, due upon the account of that, where with he was charged ; and never Both denote a making of righteous by in- fufing of rigteoufnefs , or by snaking any real phyfrcal change within , what- ever Papiftr fay , as wee fee, Deut. 25: r, z Sam. i 5: 4. Prov.17: 15. Efai. 50: S. r long. 8:31, 32. Exod.23:7. Mat, 12: 37. Luk.7:29. & 16: 15. And in multitudes of moe places. O ! what a life is here , when a poor felf- condemned (inner flandeth before the Judge, the righteous Lord , & hath his finnes charged upon him, and the Law brought forth , curling every tranfgrefour, for every tranfgrefliorl, and juftice appearing againft him, calling for the execution of the fenteuce, according to Law and for death & vengeance due by Law ; and upon all this can look for nothing but doom and prefent execution of the dreadful fentence : what a life , I fay , is it for fuch a Miner; flanding in this pofture , to have a fentence of abfolution pro- nounced , and be openly declared righteous , and not worthy of death , or free of the charge given in againft him : and thus is it with Beleevers , ac- cording to the Gofpel conflitution ; for though they have finned & come short of the glory of God , in themfelves ; yet now they are juflified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrifl and that by faith , Rom. 3: 22, 23...28. Gal. 2:16. Though they were Unrighteous , For- nicators , Idolaters , Adulterers , Effeminat , Abiders of themfelves with mankind, Theeves, Covetous, Drunkards, Revilers, and Extortioners; yet now they are juftífied, in the name of the Lord Jefus , i Cor. 6: 9,10,1 r. God juftified the Ungodly, Rom. 4: 5. The Circumci (ion by faith and the Un- circumcifion through faith , from. 3:3o. 4. The ground of this fentence of AbfoIution , pafï'ed upon them or in their favours, wil-lmore manifeft both the Reality and Excellency of this life. Though they in themfelves have been, and are (inners and ungodly , ßz cannot plead not guilty,noradduceany ground in themfelverwhere upon they can plead Exemption from the penalty of the Law; but as they fland guilty in Law, fo they Eland convieted in their own Confciences , their mouthes are flopped, and they are become guilty, Rpm. 3: 19. They know and acknow- lege that they have finned, and come short of the glory of God vers 23. & fo can cxpeó nothing but death & deftruEtion , if the Lord should enter with them injugdment, and mark iniquity, Pfal. 130:3. &143.2. Yet, the judgment of the Lord being alwayes according to truth, Rem. 2: 2. Such as He pronunceth Righteous, and abfolveth from the fentence of the Law, as fuch, muff be Righteous; for to juftifie the wicked is an abo- mination to the Lord, Prov. 17: xg. And feiug they are not, neither can be Righteous, in themfelves, nor have a Righteoufnefs of their own , which they can prefent to juflice, and in which they can appear before God,w ho is a righteous Judge, they muff needs have a righteoufnefs from fome other; and this is a Surety - righteoufnefs, the righteoufnefs of the Mediator and Cautioner, Jefus Chritt, Imputed to them ,and received by faith ; and being do-
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