3 76 An Expofition upon Chap.9, eafi er for Sodom then for Capernaum. pentance for a neceffary companion and T s M. But was this Gods purpofe to make fruit, All. 20. 21. which is fhewed by menflumble,by laying this flow in their way ? works, f am.2.18. For though we teach that only faith juftifieth, yet this jufti- lying faith is not alonc,butas a Qi.leen, is attended with a train of Chriftian graccs.As I obferve this in behalf of the Papifts, which falfly charge us to fet forth to the people in our books & Ser- mons,a bare,barren,idle and dead faith; fo in regard of certain other Hereticks, Servetus executed atGenéva, and Sorinus, andHarminius, Bertiue, who of late trou- bled the Churches in Holland and Zeland. I further note that we efchew (as a Shelf or Rock) their dangerous (if not blafphemous) conceit, that faith pro- perly taken,or the a& and work of be- leeving,doth juffifieus, and isaccoun- ted to the beleeverfor perfc& righteouf- neffe with God,as if in his own perfon he haddone the Law fully: which erro- nious conceit croffeth the expofition of all Chriftian Churches andDivines,ex- pounding this propofition (we are ju- ftified by faith)figuratively.(Faith,by a Metonymy or Metalepfis, put for the obje& Chrift applyed by faith) and all thofe plain Scriptures which fay', the obedience of one man made us righte- ous, Rom. 5. 19. and;Chrift is made to usofGod righteoufneffe, s Cor. 1. 3O' and we are 'made the righteoufneffe of God in him, (not in us, in our faith) 2Cor.5.21.and,Chrift the end of Law, (not faith) for righteoufneffe, Rom.s o. 4. And fighteth alto with fuch texts as make equipolent thefe propofitions,A man is juftified by faith, and, A man is juftified by the blond ofChrift, by the redemption of Chrift, Rom.3.22,24,25. Laftly, it is repugnant to all found rea' fon; for faith (or to beleeve) it is a work, and all works univerfally (both of Law and Gofpel) be excluded from juftification (as works.) Alfo ir is bue one part of legal juftice to beleeve God, erro,not our whole juftice; yea,it is un- perfe& and contaminated with igno- rance,doubting, &c. How then can it abfolve us before the molt juft Judge ? S 1 L. God indeed had fet Chrift,to be the riling and fall of many, Luk; 2. Bone precious to fuch as beleeve, but a rock of offence to difobedient ones, I Pet. 2.6. But this is to be imputed to the wickedneffe of men, who turn to their deftru&ion,that which might have been for their weal ; howbeit this is certain, that howfoever God delight nor in the Rumbling and unbelief of the reprobates, (as their contumacy is a fin,) yet as it is a punifhment of for- mer lins, and a mean to manifell his ju- 11ice, he path willed and determined it. T t M. What more is to be learned from verf. 33 ? S t L. That unbeleevers are in a mof} miferable cafè, becaufe they refufe Chrift, out of whom nothing is to be lookt for,but confufion and death eter- nall. Secondly,that molt happy are fuch as have found mercy to beleeve,becaufe they Thal enjoy the thing in which they do beleeve,and therefore Thal not be put to confufion. Whereas Inch as through unbelief make haft to be juftified by their own merits, fhall miffe of true righteoufneffe,whereof will follow ex- te earn confufion. Men which run head - kongly without looking what is in their way, do (tumble and take harm, yea fometimeto their undoing. So it fareth with all unbeleeving perfons, which batten unto falvation by their own running and working, not thin- king of Chrift, to become righteous through faith in him, they do miffe of that they fhot and aimed at, and meet with extreme confufion. Finally, once tor all I note it,thatin the difputation of righteoufneffe by works,or by faith, here in the end of this Chapter, and in the beginning of the next, as in verf. 3. and in the 3,4,5, Chapters of this Epi- ftle,it is at any hand to be taken heed of, that we underftand no other faith but that which worketh, by charity, Ga1.5. which purifieth the heart, All. 15. 9. which bath vertue and godlineffe joy - ned with it, 2 ?et.1,6,7. which hath re- Note. CHAP.!
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