Senn. CLXXII. Sancfifles, Iscliiier and Saves. rr.---- 479 Teflament, I deny not. Sometimes it lignifies approbation in general of a thing, or perfon. So the word is ufed, Luke 7.29..Andall thepeople that heardhim, and the Publicans, jufifedGod, being baptized with the Baptifm of John. yufüffed God, How is that ? that is, they approved and followed his Counfel, as appears evidently by the oppofition in the next words ; But the Pharifees and Lawyers rejeíted the counfel of God againfi themfclves, being not baptized of him. Thofe that rejetied the counfel of God, arc oppofed to thole that jufiir ed God. And fo at the 35, ver. But Wifdom is juflifred of her Children, that is, is approved. And fo very probably it may be underftood in the Parable of the Pharifee and the Publican, I tellyou, this Man went dawn to his houfe juflejed rather than the other; that is, of the two, God did rather approve of his humble Carriage, than the Pharifees proud and infolent Behaviour. Sometimes it fignifies any Proof or Declaration of a thing. So Rom. 3.4. Let Godbe true, but everyMan a liar, as it is written, That thou mightefl be juf1ifted in thy fayings,andmightefl overcome when thou art judged, that is, that all thy Words or Promifes might be proved and declared to be true, and that thou may'ft prevail whenever thou art impleaded by Men of Unfaithfulncfs and Unrighteoufnefs. And fo i Tim.. 3. 16. Chrift is find to be jullifted in the Spirit ; that is, by the Teftimony of the Spirit concerninghim ; as alto by theMiracles which he wrought by the Holy Ghoft, and theMiraculous Gifts of the Spirit which were pour'd forth on the Apoftles, he was proved and declared to be the true Mefias, and the Son of God. And this Phrafe of Chrift's being juflifred by the Spirit, teems to be of the fame fenfe with that expreffion, Rom. s. q. Declared to le the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of Flolinefs, by the Refurreflion from the Dead, that is, he was evidently proved to be the Son of God, by the great Miracle of his Re- furre.ion, which was wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghoft. But moft fre- quently, to Jultifie, in Scripture, lignifies to Pardon. Thus the word Juftifie, loth liignifie varioully, according to the fubjeft or mat.; ter it is applied to but when it is applied to a Sinner, it lignifies nothing elfo but Pardon of his Sin. Nor can I poflibly apprehend what other Notion Men can frame to themfelves, of a Sinner's being Juflified, diflinét from Pardon and Remiffion. Indeed if a Perron be not really guilty, that is unjuftly accufed of a Crime, he-may -be faid to be jnfilfied, when he is cleared from the Charge and Accufation which is brought agatñflbim : but if a Man be guilty, he cannot other- wife be laid to be juftified than by having the Guilt removed ; that is, by being pardoned: And that the Scripture underflands the fame thing by Juflificarion, and Pardon, or Remifiîon of Sins, is, I think, very evident from thefe two Texts. Afie 13. 38, 39, That through this Man is preached untoyou the forgivenefs offins ; that is, in and through `fezo Chrifl the way of Pardon and Forgivenefs is declared, and by him, all that believe are juliifted from all things, from which ye could not be jufifed by the Law of Mofes ; that is, and according co this declaration, all that do believe, are by him, that is, by the virtue of his Sacrifice, acquitted and cleared from the guilt of all thole Sins, for which there was no way of expiation provi- ded by the Law of M%s, that is, of Prefumptuous Sins, for which there was no Sacrifice, but the Man was to be cut off; Now if the meaning of this Text be this, that in and through Chri the way of Pardon and Eorgivenefs is declared, and accordingly all that do believe in him are Pardon'd, then to be Juftified and Pardoned, are all one in this place ; but this is the meaning ofthe Text, ifby the Phrafe of being 1n/lijîed from all things, from which we could not be Jufüfied by the Law of Mofes, be meant the pardoning of fucia Sins and Tranfgreflions, for which, by the Law of Mofes there was no way of Expiation : but this muff of neceffity be the meaning of this Phrafe ; for what are thofe things, from which it is Paid, we could not be :uJlifred by the Law of Mofes, but finfui Tranfgreffions and Viola- tions of the Law ? And how can a Man be faid to be yulliftedfrom any Sin and Tranfgrefon, otherwife than by the Pardon and Forgivenefs of it? The other Text is Rom. 4. 6, 7, 8. Even as David alfa defcribeth the bleffednefo of the Man, unto whom God imputeth Righteoufnefs without works, Paying, , Bleffed are they whofe Iniqui- ties are forgiven, andwholeSins are covered; Bleed is the Man to whom the Lend will not impute Sin. The Man unto whomGod imputeth Righteoufnefs, is the Man whom
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