5e IOW myfieries i +z ju fliicatien. C H A P. 6. oppofition here : But miltakingly they think , that the Righteoufnefs of Chrilt muff be made the meritorious caufe of is felf , or of that Righ- teoufnefs, which is imputed; whileas we only fay, That Chrift's Right - teoufnefs is the meritorious caufe of our juftification, Adoption &c. and that it is alto imputed to us, for this end , that we may be thereby formal- ly righteous , juridically & in Law fenfe ; and fo judified. &c. And who feeth not, that it mutt be fo, feing we can be judified by noRighteouf- nefs , which is not a proper meritorious caufe of our juftification : & con - fequently that we cannot be juftified by any other Righteoufnefs than the Righteoufnefs of Chrilt; & fo not by our own Gofpel- righteoufnefs, nor by faith , as fuchsa Righteoufnefs ; for that cannot be a meritorious caufe of our juftification. IS. This is allo a confiderable part of thismyftery, which carnal eyes cannot fee , and which men, carried away with prejudice at the pure do- trine of the Grace of God , in the Gofpel , cannot fweetly comply with ; to wit. That our juftification is Solely upon the account of the Imputed Righteoufnefs of Chrilt , and not upon the account, or becaufe of any thing wrought in us, or done by us : & yet our obligation to holinefs & confor- mity to the Law of God in all points, is not hereby in the leaft weakened. Paul's frequent preoccupying of this Obleó'ion, in his Epiftles, may let us fee , how ready carnal hearts are to abufe the doftrine of the Grace ofaod, revealed in the Gofpel, to carnal liberty ; and what a propenfìty the eis in us , to look for jultification upon the account of our works only; fo that ifwe hear ofany thing , toput us of this apprehenfion , we prefently are ready to conclude, that all ftudy of and endeavour after holinefs , is wholly ufelefs & unneceffary : and that we need not wonder much at Soci- n;ans & others, who do thus reafone again(' the Imputation of the Righ- teoufnefs of Chrif. But Paul doth cleare to us a (weer confif'ency betwixt free juffification upon the account of Chrif''s Righteoufnefs imputed, and the ferious ftudy of holinefs. He taw no Inconliltency betwixt the Rudy of obedience to the Law, in all points, and the expeEtation of juftification by faith in Chrilt alone, whatever men who would teem sharp.fighted , & zealous for the Rudy of holinefs, dofuppofe they cannot but fee. And albeit men in thofe dayes were ready enough to except againf free juftifica- tion, through the Imputed Righteoufnefs ofChri(t; and to pretend, that the a(ferting thereof did take away all Rudy of holinefs: yet ( & this is ve- ry remarkable) the Apof'le, to remove that objection, never giveth the leaf hint of the necefïìtyof our works of obedience, in order to our juRi- fication. And though He doth frequently press to holinefs; yet he never maketh ufe of any argument thereunto, which might fo much asinfìnuat, that we were juftified by works, in one meafure , or other. Nay, we will finde, that He draweth arguments, prefling unto holinefs, from the very nature of their Gofpel- juftification , & of their State by vertue thereof. And experience proveth , this day : that the molt effeétual Medium to ho- linefs, is taken from free juftification , through faith in Chrilt alone; and that the holinefs and obedience of fuch , as pra Life the orthodox do&rine, con-
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