Ver. 33. the 8th Chapter to the R U tvi A N S. 333 committing and omitting many things, contra} to the l..w of God, jaws 3. 2. in ma- ny things we offend all ; fo that 'tis not an abfolute denial of a legal accufation: How then can the Apoftle fay, Who ¡hall lay any thing to our charge ? 1 anfwer, ',is to be interpreted as to the fuccefs ; they cannot prevail in the plea;. if they charge, Coi will difcharge. The Devil is often a (landerer ; the world raileth, confcience may give a wrong judgment ; but when the accufation cannot be wholly denied, yet there is a re- medy for the penitent believer : 'cis in vain to accufe tnoiè, whom God upon juft rea- fons acquitteth. God is not in danger to be miftaken by falle accufation, or to do us any injuftice; but when our real guilt is before our face, and the malice of Satan will Peek thereupon to procure our condemnation, yet there are juft reafons to b: prcfented before him to procure our pardon. 2. The perfons, God's elect, who in jut ification are confidered, not as Elea, but as effeaually called, for the order is let down,. verfe the 39th. whom he did prcdellinate, them he called; and whom he called them he juflìfted. Thole whom God hath cho- fen before the foundation of the world, and now truly believing in Chrill, there are juftified, for otherwife they are condemned already, Jahn 3. 18. Children of wrath as well as others, Eph. 2. 3. for we mufi confider the elect as to the purpofe of his grace, or the fentence of hisi -taw 5 for till the elect are effe &wally called and iu(iified, they-are children of wrath as well as Others. 2. The repl, and anfwer, 'tit God that jet ih'eth This implyeth two things, his finding out a -way to aeq it jh<m, according to the terms of the Gofpel, as'whe,-t all men wereáa\\ddar=% 007 obnoxious to Gods vengeance; but now a clear and lure way of pardon, Rorryr37i9, 2 2;22. Now me. know, thatzrhatfever things lie law faith, it faith to theta Mat er the lam, that every mouth may be f opoed, and all the world may become e are God. Therefore by the deeds of the law thee! fhall no kh be ju- flifted in hi tg t; for by the lam is the knowledge of fin ; but the rigbteouf ,efs cfGod with. out the lam is manifefled, being witnefd by the lam and the Prophets ; even the rrghteoufnefr of God which is by frith of 'icing Chri/l, unto all, and upon all that believe. There is mercy for all penitent believers, to accept and biefs them. 2 He doth a tually acquit all thole that fubmit to thefe terms, Eph. i. 6. ffha hath accepted us in the beloved, to the praife of his.glórious grace. The Covenant fetterh down the terms; and by performing them, we are capable of this benefit of Abfolurion. Dofrine. That no charge or acenfation.,will take e, ffeel, to prejudice the acceptation of them whom God juffifteth. 1. What is juftification? It confi(teth in two things, firft in the pardon of all our fins; fecondly, in the acceptationof us as righteous in Chrili. The fill is neceflàry, for God doth not vindicate us as innocent, but pardoneth us as guilty: thofe that are im- pleaded before his Tribunal, are all (inners, and (inners are not vindicated, but pardoned and the Apofile defcribeth juftification by the pardon of fin, Rom. 4. 6, 7. As David deferibéth the blejednefs of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteouJnefs with,rut works; Paying, Bled are they whofe iniquities are forgiven, whole fins are covered. God in j.titi- fying his people againfi the imputations of the world, doth bring forth their righteous - nefs as thenoon -day; but in jaftifying them againfi the accufation brought before his own Tribunal, doth not vindicate our innocency, but (hew his own mercy in a free: difcharge of all our fins. This is fometimes let forth in Scripture by the blotting out of all our tranfgre(l -runs, as Ifa. 43.25. l even I, am he that blotteth out thy tranAreffions, f r my own names fake, and will remember thy fins no more. As we are no more charged with what is cancelled or blotted out of a debt- book; fo Ira. 38. 17. Thou hall call my fins be hind thy back, as men call behind them fach things as they lift not to look on; and Micah 7. 19: Thou wilt call our fins ir4o the depth of the fed; as that which is call into the fea is loft, forgotten, and cannot be recovered; to fin (hall not be brought into the judg- ment againfi the pardoned (inner. 2. In accepting us as righteous in Chrift, who dyed for our fin to reconcile us unto God; and therefore fometimes he is Paid to be made righteónfäefe to us, t Cor. 1. 3o. and we are faid to be made the righteoufnef of God in him, 2 Cor. 5. 21. that is, we have the effect of his fufferings, as if we had fuffered io perlon s for they were undergone in ye 'Read, and for our fakes, and the fruit of it given to us by God himfelf z. How many ways doth God jufiifie ? Four ways efpecia''y. (r) By way ofConiti- tution.
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