TREATISE VI SEVERAL ENQUIRIES, I. Concerning Juftification. V I Z. II. Concerning the sense and meaning of our Lord's words, viz. Son, thy fins be forgiven thee; as in Mark ii. 5. III. Concerning finners deliverance from condemnation; wherein the case of Christ's fatisfaction is particularly confidered. IV. Concerning the juftice of God. V. Concerning infinite Juftice, and infinite Satisfaction. VI. Concerning Faith, and Mysteries. VII. Concerning the use of Reason in matters of Revelation. IX. Concerning the unity of the Church, or body of Chrift. To which is added, Part of a Letter to another Gentleman, relating to the prece dent enquiry. A N ENQUIRY CONCERNING JUSTIFICATION. T HIS enquiry confifts of two parts; first, of justification in general; and, fecondly, of the justification of a chriftian in particular. Firft, Of juftification in general. I observe that as juftification is a law term, fo it imports (in the first and most proper sense) that difcharge or act of acquitment which he that fits in judgment pronounces upon the perfon under trial; and therefore juftification prefuppofes feveral things, viz. a governour and governed, a law or rule that the governed is to act by, and a tribunal or act of enquiry, whether the perfon governed has walked exactly according to that rule. And as juftification is an acquitting of the perfon under trial, fo that acquitment is either an act of debt, or of grace. If when due enquiry hath been made, the perfon under trial is found innocent, that is, hath acted exactly agreeably to the rule which was given him, and by which he is tried, then justification is a debt which the judge is, in ftrict juftice, obliged to make good, and the innocent perfon may lawfully demand as his right. But if when enquiry hath been made, the perfon under trial is found guilty, that is, hath acted difagreeably to the rule given him to walk by, then if he is acquitted, that acquitment must be an act of grace, and not of debt, because the judge is fo far from being obliged, in justice, to acquit him, that on the contrary he might justly condemn him. His tranfgreffion of the rule justly expofes him to that fentence of condemnation, which is a proportional punishment to his tranfgreffion; and confequently, if he is acquitted, it must be wholly of grace, and not of debt. Secondly, Of the juftification of a chriftian. I obferve, first, that as justification is a two-fold ftream which flows from two different fountains, the one of debt, flowing from the innocency of the perfon juftified, the other of grace, flowing from the merciful goodness of the lawgiver; fo the juftification of a christian is wholly of the later fort, viz. of grace. The chriftian hath no right founded in innocency to claim an acquitment at God's bar, because he is a tranf tranfgreffor of God's law; and therefore his acquitment is founded in the merciful goodness of God the lawgiver. For the proof of this obfervation, fee Rom. iii. 9, 23. We have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin. All have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God. James iii. 2. In many things we offend all. 1 John i. 8, 10. If we fay that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we fay that we have not finned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Here we fee that all chriftians are chargeable with fin; and confequently, if they are acquitted at God's bar, their juftification must be of grace, and not of debt. Moreover, this is directly afferted by St. Paul, Rom. iii. 24. Being justified freely by his grace, thro' the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift. Eph. ii. 4, &c. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he hath loved us, even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrift, (by grace ye are faved.) -For by grace ye are faved, thro' faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works (or as a debt) left any man fould boaft. This is likewife farther prov'd, from all thofe texts wherein God is faid to pardon and to forgive fins, as in Matt. vi. 14. If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you. Eph. iv. 32. Forgiving one another, even as God, for Chrift's fake, hath forgiven you. 1 John i. 9. If we confess our fins, he is faithful. and juft to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteousness. Chap. ii. 12. I have written unto you, little children, because your fins are forgiven you, for his name's fake. From all which I think it is abundantly evident, that chriftians have no right, founded in innocency, to claim an acquitment at God's bar, feeing they are tranfgreffors of his law; but their acquitment is founded wholly upon the merciful goodness of God the lawgiver, who gives them their difcharge wholly of his free grace. I obferve, fecondly, that as the juftification of a christian is wholly of grace, and not of debt, fo there is fomething pre-requifite which makes the chriftian the fuitable object of this favour of juftification, viz. repentance, and faith: not that this pre-requifite is a meritorious caufe of that juftification, for then it would be of debt, and not of grace; but only that it difpofes him (in whom it is found) and makes him a fuitable object for this grace to be exercised upon. By repentance, I understand an awakening fenfe of the evil nature, and the dreadful confequences of fin; a conviction of our own guilt; a deep forrow, humiliation or pain of mind, that we have done amifs; a confeffion of our folly, and an actual forfaking it. By faith I understand two things, first, faith in Chrift, that is, a believing or being perfuaded, upon rational grounds, that he is the true Meffiah, the only begotten, and the most beloved Son of God, the anointed Lord and Saviour of mankind; and that the glad tidings which he published to the world are true, viz. that God is in and by him reconciling finful mankind to himself. Secondly, Faithfulness to him, that is, an honeft profeffion of his name and truth; an humble and dutiful fubmiffion to his kingdom and government, a patient bearing of his crofs, and a perfevering in hope of the heavenly inheritance. For the proof of this obfervation, fee Luke xiii. 3, 5. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewife perish. Mark xvi. 16. 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