Chap. 3 3. An iixpofition upsn the Bookof J o B. Verf. 26. 445 upon him. ( Rom: r©. 3. ) They being ignorant of thee rigCiteouf- nefs of God, andgoing about to eftablifh their owne rightoaufnefs, have not fubmitted themfelves to the rigliteooefnefs of God;lt isGods righteoufnefs not our owne, and yet it is our owneas well as the righteoufnefs of God, it being imputedand reckoned unto us for our righteoufnefs;it is the believers righteoufnefs asgiven to him, it is Chrifks righteoufnefs as wrought by him. Secondly, Obferve. A juflified perfon undergreat a iîfioris and temptations óftete loofeth the comfortable light andfence ofhis owne righteoufnefs. And fo may look upon himfelfe as an unrighteous perfon, as ha- ving no righteoufnes,or asbeing unreconciled & unjullified.For, asmany bold tanners &hypocrites prefume they have a righteouf- nefs when they have none, and boafk themfelves to be in the num- ber of the juflified when they are not. So many an afili&ed and tempted foule, who is indeed juflified in the fight of God , may be unjufkified in his owne. Great aftlicîions have an appearance ofdivine difpleafure, which (lands moll} oppofite to juaifcation. As affli&ion is a kinde ofdarknefs, fo it often leaves the foule in much darknefs. And he that is in the dark is fullof feare, he is apt to queikion his (late, whetherhe bath any thing of Ged inhim or no. Forthough it be not good for .a Chriftian alwayes tobegin to . live, he fhould come to a poynt, and labour for a certainty ; yet force are broughtto fuch a pats that their former evidences and experiences are even deadand lye proftrate,ard they conftrained CO begin a new reckoning about their fpirituall eflate, or, as it were, to begin againe to. live. Thirdly , Note. Ol1ans righteoufnefs orjuftification, is as loft tohim when he wants the evidence, that is, the comfort, fveetnefs, andpeace of it. When his foul - fiate is fo ravel'd and intangled, that he can make nothing of it, then his righteoufnefs is as loft. Thole things which appeare not,are to us as if they were not. toot to lenow what we have, is a degreeofnot having. When grace doth not aft or is not afed, we are fayd inScripture to lack grace, or to have none. (2 Pet: s. 9'.) But he that lacketh thefe things is bland, and can-, L I l not
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