336 SERMONS upon Serm.XLIlI. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the croft. 'Tis by the merit of his facri- tìce and obedience, God took this courfe to exalt the glory of his juftice, as well as his grace; and in the myflery of our falvation, thereis filch a temperamentof both, that they thine with an equal glory. a 3. We are juftified by faith, As 13. 39. And by him all that believe are juflifred from all things from which ye could not be juflified by the law of Mnfs certainly none are juftified in a Bate of impenitency and unbelief; 'tis not enough to look to the firft mo- ving caufe, the grace of God, or the impetration of it by the blood of Chrift, but how it is applied to our (elves, and what right we have. For the righteoufnefs of Chrift is none of ours, till we do repent and believe: let us fee how our title doth mite; when we thankfully, ferioufly, and broken - heartedly accept Chrift as our Lord and Saviour, then we are found in him not having our own righteoufnefs. 4. We are juftified by works, and not by faith only ; by which are meant the fruits of fin&ification: for true faith, and true holinefi, will thew its felt by good works; faith giveth us the firft right, but works continue it, for otherwife a courfe of fin would put us into a Bate of damnation again : therefore at the laft judgment thefe are cone- dered, Revel; 20. 12. And the dead were judged out of theft things which were written in the books, according to their works. Matth. 25. 35, 36. For Iwas an hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thrrj ?y, and ye gave me drink; I was a firanger, and ye took me in naked, and ye cloathed me; I wastick, ,and ye vifted me ; I was in prif n, and ye came unto me. Faith-is our confent, but obedience verifieth it , or is our performance of what we confented unto; the one as covenant making, the other as covenant - keeping; we are admitted by covenant - making, but continued in our priviledges by covenant - keeping, PCal. 25. 1e. All the paths of the Lord are mercy, and truth, unto _Inch 44, keep his Co- venant. But yet a little more mutt be faid to reconcile the two Apoftles. Paul faith, A man .isjufiifred by faith, without the deeds of the law, Rom. 3. 28. and James faith, Chapt. 2. 24. Te fee then how by works a man is jut ifted, and not by faith only. There is a two- fold charge commenced againft us, as finners, and breakers of the law ; as hypocrites and unfound believers. To the firft we have nothing but the merits of Chrift to plead; to the fecond, a fruitful obedience; or elfe, Paid in the oppofition between work: and faith, nieaneth by works, legal obfervances, by faith true Chriftianity. The jeers boafled of their legal obfervances, to the reje&ion of the faith of Chrift; and fames by faith, a dead faith; and by works, Chriftian duties, or.a &s of obedience to God; not external obfervances of the law of man, 4. Why no charge or accufation can lie against them whom God jultifieth. 1. Becaufe God is the fupream law- giver, to appoint the terms and conditions upon which we shall be juftified, and when he hath Bated them, and declared his will, who [hall reverie it , or revoke it ? Heb. 6. L7, 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to thew unto the heirs bf promi/i, the immutability of his count 1, confirmed it by an oath : that by two immutable things, in which it was impolfible for God to lie, we might have firong confolation. No caufe of revocation can be imagined in God, or out of God : wrthin' God ; not want of wifdom, for nothing can fail out but what he forefaw at firft, Pfal. 110. 4. The Lord bath(morn, and will not repent. Not inconftancy of will, for he is not as man that he fhould repent, 1 Sans. 15. 29. Nor can his will be fruftrated through any defe& of power, for he is Almighty. Nothing without God; neither Devils, nor An- gels, nor Men, have power to null and fruftrate the force of his conftitutions. The New Covenant is his refolved will and purpofe, not to be altered'; furely in making it, Cod determineth of his own, and not another's right ; 'tis in his power to ablolve or Condemn, upon what ternis'he pleafeth; therefore if out of his Soveraign will, he hath put our juftification in fuch a courfe, who can reverie it ? 2. Becaufe the promife of juflification is built upon Chrifts everlafling merit and fa. tisfa &ion; and therefore it will hold good for ever, Heb. 10. 14. By one offering be bath perfdled for ever them that are fanílified. Chrift procured thefe promises for us, and that by his death; therefore everlaftingly they hold good, 2 Ccr 1. 26. For all the promif 1 of God in him, are yea, and in him Amen ; and called the everlafting Covenant; 'Tis even become the intereft of God to juflifie us, that he may not lofe the glory of his grace, and the merit and oblation of Chrift, lfa. 43. 11. By his knowledge float! my righteous fervant juflie many, for he (hall bear their iniquities. He that bath born our fins, all
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