Page images
PDF
EPUB

For the proof of this obfervation, fee As x. 4. And be (viz. the angel ) faid unto him (Cornelius) thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Heb. xiii, 16. To do good, and to communicate, forget not; for with fuch facrifices God is well pleafed. I obferve farther, that the good works of hypocrites and wicked men, who perform fome acts of obedience to God's law, but live in the wilful habitual breach of the most cofiderable parts of it; fuch men's good works, or righteoufneffes, are as filthy rags, which ftink in the noftrils of God (if I may fo fpeak.) The people of Ifrael put on an appearance of holiness. and did many acts of obedience to the ceremonial part of God's law, which the Prophet calls their righteousnesses, when at the fame time their hands where full of blood and rapine, and other abominations. And this their abominable wickedness made even their acts of obedience, which otherways were good (because commanded to be done) to be as filthy rags in God's fight. And that this is the true state of the cafe, appears plainly in the first chapter of Ifaiah's prophecy, where he tells the people, That their new moons, and their appointed feafts, were hateful to God, and that he was weary to bear them, verfe 14. And the reafon given is, that their hands were full of blood, verfe 15 As to the words of St. Paul, in Phil, iii. 9. he is there speaking of a two-fold righteoufnefs, not fuch a righteoufnels as gave a legal title to juftification, but only fuch as made men the fuitable objects of that grace. The first fort was that righteoufnefs which confifted in a ftrict obfervance of the ceremonial law of Mofes, which he mentions, verfe 6. as touching the righte oufnefs which is in the law, blameless. The fecond fort of righteoufnefs was chriftian obedience, or a conformity of mind and life, to the mind and life of Chrift, which the gofpel required as

neceffary

neceffary to our acceptance in God's fight. Now the Apostle defir'd that he might be found in Chrift, that is a true chriftian, not having the former, but the latter fort of righteoufnefs; because the former would do him no fervice as a christian, but the latter would render him a fuitable object of divine grace. And tho' the Apostle ufes the term, mine own righteousness, this is not oppofed to the righteoufnefs of another, which he defired to be found in, but it is the righteoufnefs of the ceremonial law of Mofes, oppofed to the righteousness of chriftian obedience, which the gofpel recommended. And to make the text anfwer the full and true meaning of the Apostle, I conceive it may be fill'd up, and read thus; tho' I have as much ground to boaft as any man, with refpect to external privileges and performances; yet thefe are fo mean, in my opinion, that I efteem them but as drofs and dung in comparifon of that ineftimable treasure the gofpel, for which I have fuffer'd the lofs of all things, and count them but dung that I may win Chrift, and be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, or that righteoufnefs which confifts in an external obfervance of the ceremonial law of Mofes (which the Jews and Judaizing christians value themselves upon) but I do defire to be found a true chriftian, having that righteousness, or christian obedience, which my faith in Chrift ought to produce in me, and which will make me the fuitable object of God's grace, As to the words of St. John, he defined hereby to convince men that it was in vain for them to expect that their faith in Chrift, or their profeffion of the chriftian religion, or any extraordinary illumination, or any pretended love to God or Chrift, or union with them, would be of any fervica to them, with respect to their acceptance with God,

except they brought forth the fruits of righteousness or chriftian obedience. And as to the term even as the Apostle did not intend an equality, but only the certainty and likeness of the thing to which it is compared. A cafe like this we have in verse 3 Every man that bath this hope in him (viz. of feeing Chrift, and being made like unto him) purifieth himself even as he (viz. Christ) is pure. Here St. John doth not mean by the term even as, an equality of purity, but only a likenefs, and the certainty of the thing; which is as much as if he had faid, every man, that in good earnest hopes to fee Chrift at his appearing, and be made like unto him, purefies himselflike as Chrift is pure, or as certainly as Chrift is pure. So in like manner, by the term even as, in the prefent cafe, the Apostle means that he which doth righteoufnefs is righteous, like as Chrift did righteoufnefs, and is righteous; or he is righteous as certainly, as Chrift did righteously, and is fo. Here I think likewife that there are feveral words wanting to exprefs the full and true meaning of the Apostle, which when fill'd up may be read thus; little children, let no man deceive you in this important point, for he, and only he, that doth righteoufnefs, is righteous in God's acceptance, ven like as Chrift did righteoufly, and is rightcous, or as certainly as Chrift did righteousness, and is fo. Again,

et

We learn, thirdly, from the foregoing obfervations, that the doctrine of Chrift's paying a full and equal fatisfaction (in the original and ftrict fenfe of the word) to the juftice of God, for the fins and offences of mankind, and of chriftians being juftified upon that foot; I fay, we learn that thefe doctrines are erroneous: for if finners are juftified freely by God's grace, if God exercies his mercy in the forgiveness of their fins, if

this forgiveness is obtain❜d to them by the interceffion of Chrift, who ufes his intereft with God for them, and if God pardons the beleiving penitent upon Chrift's account, and for his fake, (as I have fhewn from hence it will neceffarily and unavoidably follow, that there hath been no fuch equal fatisfaction paid to God, because if there had been, then juftification would be of debt, and not of grace; for, whatever grace might be exercifed in the fatisfier, there could be none in the fatisfied. When fuch fatisfaction had been made, a release became due, and there could be no fuch thing as forgiveness of fins, because there would be no fin to be forgiven; neither could Chrift become an interceffor for the finner's pardon, because he had prevented himself by making full fatisfaction for the damage done; neither could God forgive the penitent upon Christ's' account, and for his fake, because there was no room nor place for the exercifing of fuch mercy,

TRACT.

A N

ENQUIRY

Concerning the fenfe and meaning of our Lord's words, viz. Son thy fins be forgiven thee; as in Mark ii. 5.

F

OR the right understanding of these words, it is neceffary to obferve, that as fint is a tranfgreffion of God's law; fo God is pleafed to manifeft his diflike of fin, by punishing the tranfgreffors of that law: which punishment is two-fold, either, first, by inflicting upon temporary afflictions and death in this world; or fecondly, by punishing them with everlasting death in the world to come. Thus we read, A&ts xii. 23. that Herod, for his impiety, was fmitten with a fore disease, that he was eaten of worms and died And St. Paul informs us, that the Corinthians, for the abuse of the Lord's fupper (an ordinance inftituted to perpetuate the memory of Chrift's death to all pofterity, and to awaken and keep alive in the minds of chriftians an affecting fenfe of Chrifts love in laying down his precious life in their cause, and for their fake) I fay, for the abuse of this ordinance, fome of them were fickly, and some were fallen asleep (or dead) 1 Cor. xi. 30. So again we read, Luke xvi. 22. 23. That the rich man also died and in hell be lift up his eyes, being in torment.

And

verse 25. Abraham faid nnto him, fon, remember that thou in thy life received thy good things, and Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And Chrift is represented, in

Matt.

« PreviousContinue »