Tt effiecial Objet farther cleared. 149 in the whole New Teftament with agenitive cafe, (nor in any other good Author) but it denotes an inflrumental Efficiency at leaft. In the divineWorks of the Holy Trinity, the opera- tion of the fecondPerfon,who is in them a principal Efficient, . yet is fometimes exprefied thereby ; it may be to denote the order of Operation in the Holy Trinity anfwering the order of Subfiftence, though it be applied unto God abfblutely or the. Father; Rom. i i. 3 5. di by him are all things. Again, ti p 4' v61.0x ; and ;.4,t, 7ifsEws are dire &ly oppofed, Gal. 3. 2. But when it is:faid that a man is not juflifaed, i zfywv vss, by tie works of the. Law, it is acknowledged by all that the meaning, of the Expreffion is to exclude all efficiency in every kind of fuch works from our Juftification. It follows therefore . that where in oppofition hereunto, we are Paid to be juftified wkse,4, by Faith ; an inftrumental efficiency is intended. Yet .. will I not therefore make it my controverfie with any, that Faith is properly an inflrument, or the infirumental caufe its or of our Juftification; and fo divert into an impertinent contef t about the nature and kinds of Inftruments and Inftru- mental caufes as they are metaphyfically huntedwith a confufed Cry of futilous terms and diffinffions. But this I judge, that . among all thofe notions of things which may be taken, from common ufe and underftanding to reprelènt unto our .minds the meaning and intention of the fcriptural .Expreffions fo often ufed, as s -se,s, there. is - none 1b proper as this of an Infirument or Inftrumental caufè, feeing a eauta lity is included in them, and that of any, other kind certainly excluded ; nor hash it any of its own. But it may be ftid, that if Faith,be the .I f rumental czuf of Juftification ; it is either the .Inftrument of God, or the Inftrument of Believers themfelves. That it is not the Infirm, ment of God is plain, in.that it is a.duty which he prefcribcth unto us it is an Aét of our own; and it is we that believe not God 5 nor can any Ad of ours be the Inftrument of his Work,
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