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regeneration, for they cannot be good, the man himself not being so, Matt. xii. 33. Not by good works after regeneration: for soon as he is initially sanctified, he is also justified, 1 Cor. vi. 11. He is then created unto good works, Eph. ii. 10. not justified by them. To say that men are justified for their works, is teaching, in effect, not that God justifieth the ungodly, but the righteous. Shall not such doctrine, when weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, be found wanting? « In that fire which shall try every man's work, of what sort it is, 1 Cor. iii. 13. it shall be consumed as the dry stubble," ver. 12. Faith itself cannot be counted for perfect righteousness in order to justification. It never is perfect, and being in very different degrees in believers; if it were their righteousness, some would be more righteous than others: and accordingly, some would be justified for more, some for less. Dull divinity indeed! The good old doctrine was, that not the act of believing, but its object, the righteousness of Christ, is imputed to believers. Westminister Confession, chap. ii. 1. And O how depraved must his taste be, who comparing the two, does not find that the old is better! True it is, that Phinehas's act was counted to him for righteousness, Psal. cvi. 31. not, however, in order to his justification before God. Only it was reckoned among his works of righteousness in the sight of his heavenly Father, and which, like other good works, will be honourably mentioned, and rewarded at the last day, Rom. ii. 6, 7. Matt. xxv. 34.-40. Compare Deut. vi. 25. xxiv. 13. 2 Cor. ix. 9. There seems to have been

a peculiar reason for marking that act with approbation. Zealous for his God, he took a javelin in his hand, and smote the audacious sinners unto death. Had not that act been approved of God, men would have been ready to accuse the priest of dropping the censer for the sword, and intruding himself into the office of the magistrate.

No. 11.-Page 72.

The Palatine, or Heidelberg Catechism, is used in most of the Reformed Churches, and was adopted by the Church of Scotland, till we had the happiness to join with the venerable Assembly at Westminster. In my copy, printed at Amsterdam, 1772, the whole of the passage to which our Author refers, runs thus: Quest. 60. "How art thou righteous before God? Ans. Only by true faith in Christ Jesus, so that although my conscience accuse me that I have grievously transgressed against all the commands of God, and have not kept one of them, and further, am as yet prone to all evil; yet notwithstanding (if I embrace these benefits of Christ with a true confidence of mind) the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, (without any merit of mine, from the mere mercy of God) is imputed and given unto me, and that so, as if neither I had committed any sin, neither any corruption did inhere in me; yea, as if I myself had perfectly accomplished that obedience which Christ accomplished for me.”

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same thing with obeying the commandments, is a doctrine pregnant with absurdities. For,

1st. Hereby cause and effect are confounded. And if this be bad in philosophy, it is no better in divinity. Faith is that which purifieth the heart, Acts xv. 9. xxvi. 18. It is expressly distinguished from sanctification, 2 Thess. ii. 13. Faith, hope, and love are mentioned as three, the last of which is the greatest, I Cor. xiii. 13. Therefore, though nearby allied, they are not identified, are not one and the same. Love is greater than faith, therefore not the same with it. A thing cannot be greater than itself. Faith, though an act of the soul, is quite different from working. Hence we are said to be justified by the one, not by the other. Rom. iii. 28. Gal. ii. 16. To believe a testimony, receive a gift, or rely upon a promise, trusting that he who made it, will do as he has said, is very different from doing pieces of service which he enjoins. Faith and works are not to be blended, Rom. xi. 6. Eph. ii. 8, 9. Faith is an act by which, not the obje& upon which I lean. And thus it excludes itself, in the matter of justification, that all the glory may devolve upon its object. To boast of my faith, would be as absurd as to rest upon my act of resting. Though faith worketh, Gal. v. 6. it is not in justification, but in sanctification. In the one, it is a receiving, in the other, a working hand. Works do not give life or efficacy to it, but are so many proofs, arguments, or evidences, that it is liveby and efficacious, 1 Thess. i. 3.

2dly. If men be justified by observing Christ's commandments, then it is not simply true that they are not justified by works; but only, that they are

not justified by some works; viz. neither by perfect works, nor by those of the ceremonial law. Still however, it is a truth, according to this doctrine, that they are justified by works, viz. by obedience to the law of Christ. But this is to distinguish where the Apostle has not. Instead of allowing him to speak his own sentiments, we make him speak ours. If Christ's commandments be the same with those of the moral law, as undoubtedly they are, 1 Cor. ix. 21. John xv. 12. Gal. vi. 2. it unavoidably follows, that they who are justified by obeying the former, are justified by the works of the latter.

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3dly. If men be justified by keeping the commandments of Christ, it necessarily follows, that they are justified by good works. No man cant think that we are justified by evil works, or by what scripture calls dead works, Heb. vi. 1. ix. 14 If they exclude from the kingdom of God, surely they cannot give a right to it, 1 Cor. vi. 10. Eph. v. 5. Rev. xxi. 27. If men be justified by good works, this supposes that they are not justified while engaged in performing them. To say that the justified are engaged in a certain course of conduct, that they may be justified, is as absurd as to teach that men ought to labour hard to obtain what they have already. But how can the unjustified really perform good works? Are such as have neither the pardon of sin, nor a title to heaven, capable of good works? If not justified, one would conclude that neither are they regenerated. For as justification and sanctification accompany one another, so must their contraries. This must be granted, or it must

be allowed that the unjustified are not unregenerated. And indeed, unless regenerated, how can they perform good works? For according to our Saviour's own maxim, as the tree, so must be its fruits, Matth. vii. 17, 18. xii. 33.; a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit; and if so, neither can unregenerate men do good works. They being filthy, Tit. i. 15. Rev. xxii. 11. so must all their works. It follows therefore, that in order to do good works, men must first be made good themselves; must be created unto good works, Eph. ii. 10.; must be made alive unto God, otherwise both they and their works must still be dead, Eph. ii. 1. But to be sanctified, and yet not justified, is a doctrine unknown in scripture. The Corinthians, all covered with crimson crimes, were sanctified and justified together, and at once. How preposterous is it then to work in order to justification! Can men have the Spirit of Christ in them, and not his righteousness upon them? Be quickened with the one, and not clothed upon with the other?

4thly. But why talk of Christ's surety-righteousness? They of whom we speak, seek not righteousness by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, Rom. xi. 32. Ignorant of Christ's righteousness, they go about to establish their own, chap. x. 3. They rest not on that obedience which he gave to the law, but on that which they themselves give to the gospel. A difficulty, however, attends their corrupt doctrine, and it is this: When are they justified by their sincere obedience? when is the covering so broad, that they can wrap themselves in it? Isa. xxviii. 20. Is it at any given period in this life? or does the web

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