Brown - BS2685 B86 1695

C z3 A P. 6. What myleries in ju fiificatton, 3S and powers may look into , and wonder at ; as it is Paid to be made known unto them , by the Church Ephef. 3: Io. That is , by what they fee and ob- ferve, in theadminiflk'ation thereof, in the Church. And in this part of Gospel- device , th 're are feveral things remarkable, that may give us ground to wonder t this manifold Wifdom of God. The whole is a myfterie, and thi. is a prime part of the mytlerie , and in this myfte- rie there are many myflertes, a short view o: which may be of Come uCe to us. I. What a mysterious and wonderful thingis it , That fuch , as are dead by Law, lying under the sentence thereof, & fo bound over to the wrath of God , according to the threatning ofthe Law , which isjufland righteous in all points ; and fuch , as have nothing to defend themfelves by from the threatned death , unto which they are obnoxious ; nor any thing , whereby to make SatisfaEtion to the demandes of the Law , or to the offended Law- maker , or where with toappeale Him ; should notwithstanding hereof be Really , Formally andEffe6tually abfolved from the fentence of the Law, by the fentence of the Judge; and fo made and declared to live juridically & in Law -fenfe ; and to be as free ofthe curse and penalty of the Law , as if they had never been guilty of the tranfgreflìon thereof. And thus is it here indeed ; Such , as were dead in trefpa jj'es and f nnes, and in the uncircumcifon of the flesh , are quickened together with Chrifl , Ephef : 2: z, 5. Col. 2: t 3 He , who before had the wrath of God on him , and abiding on him , by be- leeving on the Son of God, bath everlafting life, job. 3: ;6. And they, who were in a manner condemned already yet by beleeving on Him, are not condemned , yea have eternal life , job. 3: x 5, i8. 2. What amyfterieis this , That God , who is righteous and jutl, and the righteous Judge of the World , and who hath declared, that he looketh upon it , as an abomination for any man to juflifie the wicked Prov. 1 : 15. And whofe judgement isalwayes according to truth. Rom. 2: 2. Should be one that juflifieth the Ungodly ? And yet fo is He faid to be, and fo is He filed, and fo is He held forth , as the objet of faith, 'tom. 4. 5. But to him that workethnot, but beleeveth on Him, that juflifieth the Ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefr. Papijls & others, who will not fuffer their Reafon to follow Revelation , but willmeafure all the myfleries of the Gofpel , by the corrupt rule of Reafon; and wiredraw thole, according to the diEtats of this, pretend an Inconfiflency here; and therefore will rather pervert the whole nature ofGofpel- juftification, than yeeld to the Spirits Revelation of the matter. Hence it is, that they fay , a perfon cannot be juflified by God, untill he be a Godly man, and have a Righteoufnefs within him, upon the account of which he mutt be juflified ; little adverting That by their own principles it would follow , that no man should ever be juftified : for , feing God is a God of righteoufnefs, and it is a fureand certaine thing , that His judgment is ales according to truth,He could not abfolve aPerfon as righ- teous, that seár$ not perfealy righteous , and void of all fin ; & where is the man , (not out of his wits) that dar <fay this , remembering what David faid, Pfal. Igo. 3. fit 143.2. But here l.yetÉthe truth & the mytlery. Such

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