to be fastening the one hand as we loofe the other, for man would ftill grip at fomething. Thus doth Paul no fooner difcover the error of expecting falvation by works, but he as foon pointeth forth the right way of juftification by faith in Chrift. III. God hath fo contrived the way and manner of finners juftification, as man might be no fharer of the glory of the work; for it did not breed in his breaft; it is not his righteoufnefs, but God's, in which he must appear; and as he had no hand in the contriving and procuring of this, fo had he no hand fo much as in publishing it for it was a hidden myftery, and ftill would have been hid from the knowledge of man, if God had not made it manifeft: therefore he fays, this righoufnefs of God is now made manifeft.

IV. Tho' fuch was God's goodness to his church in all ages, as he did not leave them without fome meafure of knowledge of the right way of falvation; yet it feemcd good unto the moft wife God, for holy and wife ends, to let out the knowledge of this mystery of falvation but fparingly, and darkly, as under a vail of ceremonies, and through a lattice of dark prophecies and types, unto the church under the law, 2 Cor. iii. 13. And not as Mofes, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Ifrael could not fedfaftly look to the end of that which is abolished: fo as even they who knew moft of the mystery were neceflitated to ufe a farther inquiry and fearch, and to double their diligence in prying into the meaning of the types and fhadows, under which the mystery was wraped; 1 Pet. i. 10. 11. 12. Of which falvation the prophets have inquired, and fearched diligently, who prophefied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did fignify, when it teftified before-hand the fufferings of Chrift, and the glory that should follow, &c. So, Matth. xiii. 17.---Many prophets and righteous men have defired to fee

thofe things which ye fee, and have not fien them, &c. And to referve the full and clear breaking up of this hidden mystery unto the days of the gofpel, in which it is clearly and fully manifeft: for now, says the apostle, the righteousness of God is revealed; as if, comparatively, it had never been revealed before: See Ephef. iii. 5. 9.

V. As under the law, when gospel myfteries were darkly held forth, it had been a deadly guilt, and a fundamental error, to have looked for falvation or ju ftification by the works of the law; fo it is no lefs now, nay rather a more heinous doing of injury unto the Spirit, that now fhineth fo clearly, and manifefteth faving truths fo fully, and affronting of God, who hath difpelled the former clouds, and blown by the mist, and taken away the vail: what an abominable thing is it, willingly to wander at the noon-tide of the day; for the apoftle bringeth this forth, as an argument which might fufficiently confute that error, Now the righteoufnefs of God is revealed, and therefore, would he fay, away with thinking to be juftified by works.

VI. Tho', according to the draught and tenor of the covenant of works, the Lord appointed the works of the law to have been the way unto falvation; yet now under the covenant of grace, wherein Go has drawn a quite contrary draught, the works of the law ftand in a diametrical oppofition unto the righteoufnefs of God cannot folder together, in any measure in the matter of being the price of ou redemption, or in making up that which might anfwer juftice; for here the apo ftle maketh the one fhut out the othe fo Phil. iii. 9. Hence thefe two righte oufneffes have different phrafes in fcrip ture; the one is called, the righteousness God, Rom. i. 17. and x. 3. Righteoufne which is of God, Phil. iii. 9. Righteousness the faith of Christ, as here; and throug the faith of Chrift, Phil. iii. 9. Righteou nefs in Chrift's blood, Rev. v. 9. Right

oufn

children of God by faith in Chrift Jefus, &c. V. Believers, and none but believers, even fuch as have received Chrift in the gofpel, and welcomed him in their hearts, and have fubmitted to him upon his own terms, are heirs of this righteoufnefs, and perfons to whom it properly belongs: for

it is to them that believe.

VI. Whoever will flee in to Jefus Chrift offered in the gofpel, and anchor their fouls on this Rock of Ages, may be affur ed, that that righteousness of God which he hath purchafed, fhall be theirs; it fhall be given to them, and put upon them: and therefore he fays, it is unto all that believe. And, as if that would not fatisfy, nor be enough to make it true, he adds, and upon all, &c. as if he could not get expreflions enough, and fit enough, to fet out its certainty.

VII. So large and free is this covenant of grace, that whofoever will come fhall be welcome; there are none excepted that mind to come; whoever believeth, be they Jew, be they Gentile, for now the middle wall of partition is broken down, Eph. ii. 14. and whatever they have been formerly, they fhall now be welcome, and all fhall be alike fharers, be they weak or ftrong in the faith, if they have the like precious faith, 2 Pet. i. 1. the righteoufnefs of God hall be a cloathing to them; for it is upon all them that believe, and there is no difference. VIII. Jefus Chrift and his righteoufnefs is the common stock of all believers, in all ages, of all fizes; they all wear one and the-felf fame garment, and bought with one and the felf fame price: for it is this one righteousness of God, which is unto and upon all them that believe.

the one hand, that it would be matter of great comfort unto the Gentiles, to be affured that it were true; and, upon the other hand, the proud Jew would hardly let it light; he doth now prove, that the way of juftification is but one to both: and that by this argument, all, both Jew and Gentile, are alike in the mire, and therefore the way to come out again must be alike; all have finned actually against God, and fo are become guilty, befide the finfulness of their nature, which they were born with. They have come short of the glory of God; that is, they have now loft all ftrength and ability, having their understandings corrupted, and wills depraved, of ever attaining, through their own ftrength and industry, their former condition and felicity; they have fitten up in the race, and cannot attain that life of glory in communion with God, which the Lord at firft propofed as their end; for it is a metaphor taken from folks falling behind, and fiting up in a race.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. That the children of God be not glad at a thing of naught, and that their joy and rejoicing may be folid and ferious, the fervants of God fhould endeavour, that whatever matter of comfort they hold forth, be well grounded, left they be thought to deceive them with vain fancies; and therefore Paul would not only fay, that the Gentiles might expect juftification the fame way with the Jews, but he would prove it, that their joy at fuch glad tidings might be the more folid and grounded.

II. It is dangerous to fofter any root of pride or felf-conceitedness in people, and therefore the fervants of the Lord fhould be

TH

HE apoftle having formerly faid, that there was no difference betwixt Jew and Gentile, as to the way of being juftified before God; and knowing, upon

grounds and principles, as the apoftle doth here; knowing that the Jews fwelled with pride because of their privileges; and of this one among others, that they had a fhorter cut to falvation and juftification than the poor Gentiles: he not only de

vileged and not privileged, rich and poor, of whatever nation, kindred, and language they be of, is this, that they have finned, and so are become guilty before God.

IV. Such is the wonderful love and condefcendence of God, that though he might have created man, and left him withcut any hopes of ever enjoying himfelf, for his portion; yet he was pleafed to offer life and glory to man, upon conditions which fometime were in his power: for here there is the glory of God, which man might have attained.

V. All men and mothers children have fitten up, and run fhort of their race, and loft all the hopes they had of attaining that glorious life of communion with God, which once they started fair for; for all bave come bort of the glory of God.

VI. All men of whatsoever quality and rank, being now plunged in one and the fame gulph, muft all alfo come forth at one and the fame door; all being alike condemned and curfed, must be alike juftified: for this is the force of his reafon by which he proves, that there is no difference betwixt Jew and Gentile, in the way of being juftified, becaufe all have finned, and come foort of the glory of God.

VII. Howbeit men take pleasure in fin, and act it with great delight and complacency, and imagine great gain to themfelves thereby; yet it is that which doth cut folks from heaven and glory, and procureth that incomparable lofs; for all have finned, and then have come fhort of the glory of God.

VIII. As juftification by grace refpecteth finners, that have thereby fhot short of heaven; fo the best way for us to embrace this way of juftification, by the righteoufnefs of Chritt imputed to us, by faith, is to be made fenfible of this our finfulness, and mifery, in lofing all well grounded hopes of heaven: for the object of jufti

VERSE 24. Being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift

A

Nother main proof of the principal

thefis is here; which alfo ferves to confirm what he had faid in the laft verfe. The principal thefis is thus confirmed: 1. If we be juftified freely by grace, then are we not juftified by works; and this is clear, for otherways grace is no more grace,. as he fays, Rom. xi. 6. But fo it is that we are juftified freely by grace; Therefore,

c. 2. Thus: If we be juftified through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift, then we are not juftified by works; for we cannot be juftified by a price laid down by another, and a price paid by ourselves: But fo it is that we are juftified through the redemption that is in Chrift; Therefore, &c. This alfo confirmeth what he had faid, verfe 2 3d, viz. That we have all finned, and come hort of the glory of God, thus: If we cannot be juftified, and con-fequently faved, but by God's free grace,. thro' the redemption that was made by another, then, of ourselves, have we all come fhort of glory: But the former is true; Therefore, &c. So then here this noble privilege of juftification is farther defcribed and explained, first, from the inward impulfive caufe, the free grace of God; his free undeferved mercy and goodness, which is the fountain from whence floweth pardon, righteoufnefs, and falvation: and fo feeing grace, and free grace, is opposed to debt, Rom. iv. 4. it excludes all our works, whether before or after faith, from making up any part of this price; as alfo, all our preparations. Next, from the outward impulfive caufe, or the meritorious price; and that is, the redemption which is in Chrift; a wonderful redemption indeed! And fo there is an emphafis here; it is that

redemption,

redemption, even that which is in Chrift; that fpiritual redemption which was by price, whereby we were freed from guilt, the curfe of God, the law, Satan, and death.

HENCE OBSERVE,

I. That God paffeth the fentence of abfolution upon us freely, may abundantly confirm and perfuade us, that we have fined, and are become guilty before God, and that we shall never be accepted for any thing in ourselves; and to expec justification through our own works, is to cry down the freedom of God's grace, in abfolving and juftifying of us: for, as we fhewed in the explication, this proves both. II. Juftification is an act of God's free grace, he freely, and of his own free grace and good-will, purpofing and decreeing to juftify, in his own time and way, for even election is of grace, Rom. xi. 5. and according to his own good pleafure, Eph. i. 5. 6. 9. 11. and there being nothing required of us, in way of fatisfaction, in whole or in part; and there being no prerequifite or preparatory difpofitions that merit it at God's hand: therefore are we 'faid to be justified freely, and by fome thing without us, viz. the redemption of Chrift: for freely excludes both price, Matth. x. 8. 2 The. iii. 8. and merit, John xv. 25. See Rom. viii. 30. 32. Ifa. xliii. 26.

III. Much of God's grace, condefcendency, love and good-will, is manifefted in this matter of juftification: For, 1ft, Whereas he might, as a juft Judge, have purfued finners according to the rigour of the law, yet he was pleafed to difpenfe with it, or relax it; that is, take away the obligation of the law in force, as to certain perfons and things, viz. the proper fubjects of the penalty, the parties offending; and fo was content of a fatisfaction rendered by a cautioner, which he might have exacted of themselves, Eph. v. 2. 2dly, In that he himself provided this Cautioner and Ranfom-payer, and fent him. And, 3dy, In that this Cautioner was his own

ii

only begotten Son, and yet he fent him out of the bofom of his love; John iii. 16. Heb. ii. 9. Rom. v. 8. 9. Tit. i 11. and iii. 4. 1 Tim. ii. 5. 6. 4thly, In that he put this only Son of his love to death for our juftification, Rom. iv. 25. 5thly, And made over that righteoufnefs of his to us, Heb. x. 10. 2 Cor. v. 2 1 1 Pet. i. 18. 19. Ifa. liii. 4. 5. 6. 10. 11. 12. 6thly, Only upon the condition of faith, Rom. iii. 25. And, 7thly, In that he bestoweth this fame faith, Eph. i 7. Therefore we are faid to be juftified by his grace.

IV. Whatever privilege and liberty once we had, yet now, by reafon of fin, all is mortgaged, and we are captives under the juftice of God, lying under the curfe, Gal. iii. 13. Satan being our jailor, and death our prifon, Heb. ii. 14. 15. and are held under by fin and wickedness, Tit. ii. 14.

Pet. i. 18. And, moreover, are unable to relieve ouríelves, or procure our own redemption. All this is fupoted in the word redemption here, which is a redemption made by another, even Chrift.

3.

V. Whatever God might have done, if we fpeak of his abfolute power not limited by a decree, yet now having made a law, according to which he purpofed and determined to walk with man, and being a righteous God, Pfal. cixv. 17. and xi. 7. and a righteous Fudge, 2 Tim. iv. 8. Gen. xviii. 25. who cannot behold iniquity, Hab. i. nor hath pleasure in it, Pfal. v. 4. and fo will not acquit the guilty, Exod. xxxiv. 7. he could not fuffer fin to go away unpunished, nor fuffer man to win free without a fatisfaction. This is alfo implied in the word redemption. There was a neceffity that a fatisfactory ransom should be paid, because of the law, Gen. iii. which God would not abrogate or annul, nor yet difpenfe with altogether.

VI. This price of redemption was laid down by Jefus Chrift the fecond perfon of the Trinity, who came in the likeness of finful flefh, Heb. ii. 14. 17. and took upon him the form of a fervant, PhiL ii. 7

and