C H A P. G, what myfieries are in juffi fication; 5 E accepted of God & juftified : & fo bringeth him to dole with Chrift & to accept of His righteoufnefs, & put it on , that he may appear in it be- fore God , & fo receive the Atonement & abundance ofgrace and & of the gift of righteoafnefs Rim. 5: ri, 17. And albeit it may fatiffie us to know, that fo the Lord God bath ordained it , that the felf-condemned firmer should flee to the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, held forth in the Gofpel , lay hold on it, & lean to it , thereby he may attaine Juftification and Remif- Pion, without enquireing after reafons of this Contrivance : Yet we may clearly fee the wifdom of God shining forth , in this appointed way of jufti- fication : for the firmer is hereby brought to fwear ( as it were ) himfelf bare , to renounce all in himfelf, to declare & profefs himfelf a plaine ban= kruft; and fo to defpare in himfelf; that the riches of the free grace of God , & everlafting love may fhine forth in him ilia more divine luftre & in a fingular heavenly beauty : & hereby all ground of pride , boafìing, or glorying in himfelf is taken away ; & the firmer is made to fee & to fub. fcribe unto the glorious wifdom , that then appeareth in that contrivance, & to wonder; as alto to fee his everlaling obligation unto the Lord con- triver , & to the Lord Ranfotner. So is he made to fee the perfeéì ground of fecurity & faifty in this way , when he feeth , that in order to his par- taking of the great ble Pings & favoures , his foul longeth for , he mutt fill be united unto Jefus Chrift himfelf, & married unto Him , in a per- petual marriage - Covenant, ttaat fhall taever be diflolved. And he winneth hereby to a fure ground of peace & Tranquillity of foul, when he feeth, that it is nothing in himfelf, that is taken , as Satisfaction to the Infinite juftice of God ; but the Righteoufnefs of Chrift who is God & Man in one perfon; & fo a perfect & Infinite Righteoufnefs , able fully to repare the breach made, & to make SatiffaCtion for the wrong done to the Infinite God. So that upon this ground, he may boaft & glory in the Lord alone,& triumph over all affaults & Temptations of Satan. Hereby then as the Lord bath confulted His own glory; for the tanner, fleing to the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, as his only refuge, & refìing there, doth proclame God to be Holy , Juft, Righteous , Gracious & only Wife fo he hath confulted the faifty , Peacç, joy , & Confidence of His own. The confideration whereof fhould make us comply fweetly with this noble contrivance; & in {lead of difputing againft it, or ourfelves out of it, acquiefce with all our heart in it, & reft there. 13. We may obferve further another myftery, in this matter of juftifi- cation to wit. That the way of juftification, through the Imputed Righ- teoufnefs of Chrift, doth not take away the neceffity & Ufefulnefs of the Exercife of the Grace of Repentance. Socinians & others , who follow their footfteps, can obferve no harmony here, & cry -out againft the Imputation of Chrift's Righteoufnefs, becaufe (as they fuppofe) it evacuateth the Ufe and Neceffity of Repentance, and enervateth all the commands en- joining it. But (c.) This miftake muff certainly flow from mifconception . of the true Nature Ufe & ends of Gofpel-repentance , for they mutt of taecetlity Suppofe, that Gofpel - Repentance is required for the fame Ends G z. -.
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