them, that the believing Gentiles flood in the church of God upon as just and sure a ground as themfelves; and to induce them to a free and peaceable communion with them, upon the common profef fion of faith alone. And therefore, he sometimes addreffes the believ ing Jews directly, as Chap. vii. 1, "Know ye not, brethren, (for I fpeak to them that know the law), &c."

306. It is evident enough the epiftles to the Romans and Galatians have relation to different forts of Jews. But as the principles of thofe Jews did in some things coincide, and their sentiments were the fame with regard to the perpetual obligation of the law of Mofes; fo there may be an affinity and agreement in the arguments, which the apoitie advances in confutation of the one and the other *.

307. Now, against the mistakes of the infidel Jews, the apoftle thus argues in the epiftle to the Romans. Jews, as well as Gentiles, have corrupted themfelves, and are become obnoxious to divine wrath; and, if they reform not, will certainly fall under the wrath of God in the last day. Confequently, as both are obnoxious to wrath, both must be indebted to grace and mercy for any favour fhewn them. The continuance of the Jews in the church, as well as the admittance of the Gentiles into it, is wholly of grace, mere grace, or favour. Upon which foot, the Gentiles must have as good a right to the bleflings of God's covenant, as the Jews themfelves. And why not? Is not God the creator and governour of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews? and, if both Jews and Gentiles have corrupted themfelves by wicked works, it is impofiible either fhould have a right to the privileges of God's church and people on account of werks, or obedience to the law of God, whether natural or revealed. It must be pure mercy, accepted by faith, or a perfuafion of that mercy, en their part, which gives that right. All must be indebted to grace. The works of law never gave the Jews themselves a right to the privileges and promifes of the covenant. Even Abraham himself,

(the head of the nation, who was firft taken into God's covenant, and from whom the Jews derive all their peculiar bleffings and advan tages) was not juftified by works of the law. It was free grace, or favour, which at once admitted him, and his pofterity, into the covenant and church of God. And that the grace of the gofpel actually extends to all mankind, appears from the univerfality of the refurrec tion; which is the effect of God's grace, or favour, in a Redeemer; and is the first and fundamental part of the new difpenfation, with regard to the gift of eternal life. For as all were involved in death, in confequence of Adam's fin, fo all fhall be restored to life at the laft day, in confequence of Chrfti's obedience. And therefore it is certain that all men actually have a thare in the mercy of God in Christ Jefus. Thus the apostle argues.

308. And we ought particularly to obferve; How he combats the ingroffing temper of the Jews in his arguments. They could not

ingrofs

*Had Mr. Locke confidered these things, he would hardly have faid in his preface to the Galatians, that the fubject and def gu of this Epiftle is march the fame with that of the Epistle to the Romans."

ingrofs all Virtue to themselves; for they were as bad as other People. They could not ingrofs God and his Favour to themselves; for he was the Governour and Creator of Gentiles, as well as Jews. They could not ingrofs Abraham, and the Promife made to him, to themfelves; for he is the Father of many Nations; and the believing Gentiles are his Seed, as well as the Jews. They could not ingrofs the Refurrection, the neceffary Introduction to eternal Life, to themfelves; because it is known, and allowed, to be common to all Mankind.

309. And he had good Reafon to be fo large and particular in confuting the Miftakes of the infidel Jews. For had their Principles prevailed, the Gofpel could not have maintained it's Ground. For if we must have performed the Works of Law, before we could have been interested in the Bleflings of the Covenant, then the Gospel would have loft its Nature and Force. For then it would not have been a Motive to Obedience, but the Refult of Obedience; and we could have had no Hope towards God, prior to Obedience. Therefore, the Apoftle has done a fingular and eminent Piece of Service to the Church of God, in afferting and demonftrating the free Grace and Covenant of God, as a Foundation to ftand upon, prior to any Obedience of ours, and as the grand Spring and Motive of Obedience. This fets our Interest in the Covenant, or Promife of God, upon a Foundation very clear and folid.

310. To understand rightly the Epiftle to the Romans, it is further neceffary to obferve; That the Apoftle confiders Mankind as obnoxious to the Divine Wrath, and as standing before God the Judge of all. Hence it is, that he uses Forenfic, or Law-Terms ufual in Jewish Courts; fuch as the Law, Righteousness or Juftification, being Juftified, Judgment to Condemnation, Juflification of Life, being made Sinners, and being made Righteous. Thefe I take to be Forenfic, or Court-Terms; and the Apoftle, by using them, naturally leads our Thoughts to fuppofe a Court held, a Judgment-Seat to be erected by the most high God, in the feveral Cafes whence he draws his Arguments. For Inftance; Chap. v. 12-20 he fuppofes Adam ftanding in the Court of God, after he had committed the firit Tranfgreffion; when the Judgment, paffed upon him for his Offence, "came upon all Men to Condemnation;" and when he and his Pofterity, by the Favour, and in the Purpofe of God, were again made righteous, or obtained the Juftification of Life.-Again; Chap. iv, he supposes Abraham ftanding before the Bar of the fupreme Judge: When, as an Idolater, he might have been condemned; but, through the pure Mercy of God, he was juftified, pardoned and taken into God's Covenant, on Account of his Faith. He alfo fuppofes, Chap. iii. 1929, all Mankind ftanding before the univerfal Judge, when Chrift came into the World. At that Time, neither Jew nor Gentile could pretend to Juftification, upon the Foot of their own Works of Righteoufnefs; both having corrupted themfelves, and come fhort of the Glory of God. But at that Time, both had a Righteoufnefs, or Salvation, prepared for them in a Redeemer; namely, the Righteoufnefs, which refults from the pure Mercy, or Grace of God, the Lawgiver and Judge. And fo, both (inftead of being deftroyed)

ECA

had

had Admittance into the Church and Covenant of God, by Faith, in order to their external Salvation.

311. But, befides these three inftances, in which he fuppofes a Court to be held by the fupreme Judge, there is a fourth to which he points, Chap. ii. 1-17; and that is the final Judgment, or the Court which will be held in the Day, when" God will Judge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ." And it is with Regard to that future Court of Judicature, that he argues Chap. ii. 117. But in the other Cafes, whence he draws his Arguments, he fuppofes the Courts of Judicature to be already held; and confequently argues in Relation to the Economy, Conftitution, or Difpenfation of Things in this prefent World. This is very evident, with Regard to the Court, which he fuppofes to be held, when our Lord came into the World, or when the Gofpel-Conftitution was erected in its full Glory. For, fpeaking of the Juftification, which Mankind then obtained, through the Grace of God in Chrift, he exprefsly confines that Juftification to the prefent Time, Chap. iii. 26;" To demonftrate, I fay, his Righteousness, [E NTN xa;*] at the prefent Time." This plainly diftinguishes the Righteousness, or Salvation, which God then exhibited, from that Righteoufnefs, or Salvation, which he will vouchfafe in the Day of Judgment, to pious and faithful Souls.

CHAP. XVI.

The grand Key to the Epiftles. The Scripture Notion of Righteousness, Juftification, and Justify demonftrated.

312. TH

HIS Distinction, between the Salvation, which God exhibited at the first Preaching of the Gofpel, and that which he will vouchfafe to good Men in the Day of Judgment, leads us to the grand Key to the Epiftles; particularly, to the Romans and Galatians. Which is this; That the Juftification, Righteoufnefs, being juftified without Works, which the Apoftle fpeaks of, is not final and eternal Juftification; but that firft, antecedent, and abiolute Juftification already spoken of [275]; whereby we Gentiles, who were Sinners and Idolaters, deferving of Condemnation and Destruc tion, were pardoned, and, upon our Faith, delivered from the Power of Darkness, and tranflated into the Kingdom of the Son of God's

.Love.

313. That, I conceive, which has occafioned Miftakes upon this Head, is this; That Righteoufnefs, which fometimes fignifies a moral Character in general, or a Perfon's being juft and upright, has always been understood in that Senfe, and distinguished into inherent, or per fonal Righteoufnefs, and imputed Righteoufnefs; which is, as Divines have told us, when the perfonal Righteoufnefs of another is made ours,

or

or is put to our account. Whereas righteousness, befides moral rectitude in general, admits of two or three other fenfes. Likewife juftification, juftify, being juftified, have been applied to one cafe only; namely, our full and final acceptance with God, or our being totally delivered from condemnation, and accounted worthy of eternal falvation through Jefus Chrift. Whereas these terms are applied to various cafes, or to any inftance of deliverance and falvation, through the mercy and goodnefs of God.

314. To fettle this point in a proper manner, let it be observed; That the apostles, in the New Teftament, use the language and fpirit of the Old. They were Jews, well verfed in the Jewish fcriptures, accustomed to their style and fentiments, and infpired with the fame spirit of truth and wisdom, which spake in the ancient prophets. Therefore we must explain the phrafeology of the apostles by that of Mofes and the prophets. And the Greek of the Septuagint verfion, which was commonly read by thofe Jews who lived in foreign countries, and fpake the Greek language, will ferve to fhew us what words in the Hebrew correfpond to the Greek words which the Apoftles ufe. For the Apoftles ufe the Helleniftick Greek, into which the Old Testament is tranflated, and which the Jews in their difperfion commonly read.

315. Now the word, which in the New Testament we render Righteoufnefs, is ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΥΝΗ, And the word in Hebrew, which anfwers to the Greek word AIKAIOSYNH righteoufnefs, is 3, or PT, which is fometimes, but more rarely tranflated mom, kindhefs to the poor, Eu@gorum, joy, gladness, and Exos mercy. And when thofe words, PT, Sixaoum, which we tranflate righteoufnefs, are applied to God, they frequently fignify that goodnefs, kindnefs, benignity, mercy, favour, by which he faves and delivers from any enemy, danger, evil or fuffering. And hence they are used to fignify the falvation and deliverance itself, which the goodness and favour of God vouchfafes. Conformable to this, to be justified (dansoda) is to be delivered, faved, refcued from any danger, enemy, evil or fuffering. I fay, thefe terms refer to any cafe of deliverance and falvation whatsoever as will appear from the following collection of

texts.

316. Judges v. 11. "They that are delivered from the noife of archers in the places of drawing water; there fhall they rehearse the Righteousness the gracious deliverances] of the Lord, even the Righteousness [dinancovas gracious deliverances] of his villages in Ifrael." Here it is applied to a national deliverance from the oppreflions of a foreign power.

317. Pfalm iv. 1. "Hear me when I call, O God of my RighteoufAixalotus ue, of my falvation, juftification] thou haft enlarged me when I was in [temporal] diftrefs, have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."

318. Pfalm xxii. 31. "They fhall come and fhall declare his Righteousnes [his juftification, his faving mercy to the Gentile world Aixam unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this."

319. Pfalm xxiv. 5. "He fhall receive the bleffing from the Lord, and

Righteouf

Righteoufnes [preferving goodness, or deliverance

from the God of his falvation."

320. Pfalm xxxi. 1. "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust, let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy Righteousness," [in thy goodness*, η δικαιοσύνη σου.]

בצדקתך

321. Pfalm xxxv. 28. "And my tongue fhall speak of thy Righteoufses, [thy juftification, goodness, faving mercy, 3 dixaooover] and of thy praise all the day long."

322. Pfalm xxxvi. 10. "O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee; and thy Righteoufnefs

y dixcrom ow, thy juftification, goodness, faving mercy] to the upright in heart."

323. Pfalm xl. 10. "I have not hid thy Righteousness [juftification, mercy, goodness, dialousy cou] within my heart, [but] I have declared thy faithfulness, and thy falvation; I have not concealed thy loving kindness."

324. Pfalm xlviii. 10. " According to thy name, O God, fo is thy praife unto the ends of the earth: thy right-hand is full of Righteousne [juftification, falvation, faving goodness, datums.]

325. Pfalm li. 14. "Deliver me from blood-guiltinefs, O God, thou God of my falvation: and my tongue fhall fing aloud of thy Righteouf efs" [juftification, forgiving, faving mercy, as our σe.] 326. Pfalm Ixix. 27. " Add iniquity [fuffering, punishment] to their iniquity: and let them not come into thy Righteousness" [juftification, faving mercy, 3 & dix100m 08.]

Ε

327. Pfalm

* Agreeably to this fenfe the adjectives dias, righteous, juft, fignify good, kind, gracious, &c. 1 Sam. xxiv. 17, Thou art more righteous than 1, &c. Ezra ix. 15, O Lord God of Ifrael, thou art righteous [good], for eve re main yet efcaped. Pfal. cxii. 4, Unto the upright there arifeth light in the dark efs; he is gracious, and full of compaffion, and righteous [good, kind]. Pfal. cxvi. 5, Gracious is the Lord and righteous: yea, our God is merciful. Prov. xii. 10, Arighteous man regardeth the life of his beaft. xxi. 26, The righteous giveth and Spareth not. Hai. xlv. 21,- A jutt [gracious] God, and a Saviour. Ivii. 1, The righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken away. Zech. ix. 9,thy King comes-he is just, and having salve tion. Mat. i. 19,-her husband being a just [tender and compaffionate] man, and not willing to make her a public example. Mat. xxv. 37, 46. The righteous are defcribed as the kind, and beneficent. Rom. iii. 26, that he might be juft [gracious] and the juftifier of him that believes in Jefus. 1 John i, 9, He is faithful and juft [gracious] to forgive us our fins.

In this fenfe juftus and juftitia are fometimes ufed in Latin, Precor, nequis Afiæ Rex fit, quam ifte tam juftus [facilis, humanus ] hoftis, tam mifericors vider. Q. Curt. Lib. IV. cap. 10. ad finem. Darium ut pacem a te peteret, nulla vis fubegit: fed juftitia & continentia tua expreffit. Ibid. Lib. IV. Cap. 11. Perfae juftiffimum ac mitiffimum dominum- invocantes. Ibid. Lib. X. Cap. V. Hunc morem Æneas pietatis idoneus auctor attulit in terras, jufte Latine, tuas Ovid. Faftor. Lib. II. Vir Trojane, quibus coelo, te laudibus aequem? Juftitiae ne prius mirer, belline laborum? Virg. Æneid. XI. 125. Mi Chreme, peccavi, fs Nunc hoc te obfecro: Quanto tuus efi animus natu gravier, ignas centior, ut meae ftultitiae in juftitia tua fit aliquid præfidi. Ter. Heauton. Act. 4. Scen. 1. 1. 33. Semper tibi apud me jufta & clemens fuerit Servitus. Andr. 1. 1. 9. Agreeably to this Injuftitia fignifies unkind, cruek, ufage, Eum (g bine ejeci miferum injuftita med. Heauton. Act 1. Scen. 1. 1. 82.

teor, vincor.