Second Yuf1ification Examined. 195 merit of Chrifi, without which it is imperfe&. And thofe who affign the continuation of our ju.ffification wherein all the effe &s ofDivine Favour and Grace are contained unto our own perfonal Righteoufnefs, as alga final Juftification before Godas the pleadable.caufe of it, do follow their fleps unto thebelt of my underftanding. But fuch things as thefe , may be difputed; in debates of which kind it is incredible almofi what influence on themindsóf men, Traditions, Prejudices, Subtilty of Invention and Arguing do obtain, to divert them from real thoughts of the things about which they contend, with refpe& unto themfelves and their own condition. If by any means fuch perlons can be called home unto themfelvec,. and find leafureto think how, and by what means they (hall come to appearbefore the High God, to be freed from the fentence of the Law, and the . Curfe due to Sin, to have a pleadable Righteoufnefs at the Judgment Seat of God be- fore which they fland, efpecially if a real fenfe of there things be implanted on their minds by the convincing power of the Holy Ghoft, all their fubtle Arguments and Pleas for the mighty efficacy of their own perfonal Righteoufnee, will fink in their minds like Water at the return of the Tide, and leave nothing but Mud and Defilement behind them. 3. This Difiin &ion of two yu ifications as ufed and im- proved by thole of the Roman Church, leaves us indeed no Juftification at all. Something there is in the branches of it, of Sanc` ification, but of Jr flification nothing at all. Their firft Juftification in the infuuion of an habit or principle of Grace, unto the expulfion of all habits of Sin, is San &ificati- on and nothing elfe. And we never did contend' that our Juftification in fuch a fenfe, if any will take it in filch a fenfe, doth confift in the Imputation of the Righteoufnefs of Cbri f}. And this Juftification, if any will needs call it fo, is capable of degrees, both of encreafe in its felf, and of exercife in its fruits, as was newly declared. But not only to call this '(1r C c 2 7 fli-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=