by faith, feeing before faith they are liable fent act, working a real change upon the | creature, bringing him from a ftate of damnation, to a ftate of falvation; they not being actually guilty, (albeit God foreknew their guilt, for that fays it was not from eternity, but was to be in time) and fo not capable of pardon, nor of punish ment; otherways, from eternity they should have been heirs of the kingdom, contrary to Heb. xi. 7. Tit. iii. 7. Gal. iii. 26. 29. Rom. iv.11. 12. 13. 14. and viii. 16. 17. Eph. iii. 6. James ii. 5. and never children of wrath deferving condemnation, contrary to Eph. ii. 1. 2. 3. Rom. viii. 1. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. John vi. 53. John v. 12. nor bound to confefs themselves fuch, and be humbled for it, nor pray for pardon and a right to heaven, nor use any other means for that end; all which are grofs: for the apoftle faith, We are justified by faith, not speaking of a juftification from eternity: For, 1, he fpeaketh of fuch a juftification as is either by faith or by works; but juftification from eternity is neither by faith nor by works, but before either we believe or work. 2dly, He fpeaketh of fuch a juftification as is merited by the blood of Chrift; but juftification from eternity (which can be no other thing, but God's purpose to juf-ing it; yet faith in this business is not to be tify in time) is not merited by Chrift's death; yea, it overthroweth Chrifs merits, for then Chrift fhould not have died to have procured pardon, and fatisfy juftice, but only to manifeft God's love; and juftification fhould have been our due, whether Chrift had died or not. See, moreover, Acts x. 43. Rom. v. 1. 2. Gal. ii. 16. and iii. 22. Acts xiii. 39. VII. Howbeit when Paul fays, we are juftified by faith, he does not exclude Chrift from being the meritorious caufe, but include him; fo that faith is taken as having reference to its object, and connotat confidered only objectively, as if the meaning of the apoflle was this, we are justified by faith; that is, we are juftified by Chrifl's blood meritorioufly, and fo faith fhould be excluded from being a condition; but faith is taken fubjectively, with connotation to its object; and the meaning is this; we are juftified by Chrift's blood, laid hold on by faith; or, by faith griping Chrift and his merits: for he infers this from what he faid before, touching the merito VI. Albeit Chrift as a public perfon, fuffering for the elect, made full fatisfaction to justice for their fins, and thus meritorious caufe in Chrift, as a conclufion; and riously purged their fins, Heb. i. 3. and took them away, John i. 29. fo as God requireth no more fatisfaction, either at his hands or theirs, Matth. i. 17. and thereby procured a right to heaven; yet are not the elect actually and perfonally justified then, no, not until this be applied fo it must not be the fame, proven by the fame. Befide that, it is hard to think the apoftle would so often fay, we are juftified by faith, putting always faith for Chrift; efpecially when he is clearing how and what way we are juftified, that is, how juftification is procured, and how it be cometh cometh ours now, if faith had no interest in juftification, as a mean applying it, the apoftle would not fay, as he doth, that we are justified by faith.. VIII. Faith, being true and fincere, is the mean of juftification, whether it be veak or ftrong; it justifieth as a true and lively faith, and not as ftrong in fuch and fuch a degree, nor as enduring fo long or fo long: for he concludes, that we are juftified by faith, not telling of what degrees it fhould be. IX. Whether faith, in juftification, be confidered as an inftrument (in that it applieth the righteousness of Christ, which muft immediately be presented to God's juice, and hath a peculiar aptitude for that effect, and doth the fame in juftification, which the lung people their looking on the brazen ferpent did in recovery of their health; and is that which is ufed by the Lord, the principal agent in juftification, it being his gift and work, as fubfervient to him, in producing this effect of juftification, far more noble than itfelf; not that the Lord had any need thereof, but fo it feemed good to him, to make ufe of faith for this end, fo that he would not juftify without it) or only a mere condition and no inftrument, left man, or any act of his, fhould fhare of Christ's honour, which is but a ground lefs fear; yet it hath a peculiar interest in our juftification, which no other grace hath; to our being put into a ftate of juftification it doth concur, fo as no other work can fhare with it, no other grace having fuch a peculiar aptitude to apply and rest on Chrift; therefore we are faid to be justified by faith, without the deeds of the law: fo that as we are not juftified for the deeds of the law, they not being the meritorious caufe; nor are we juftified by them, or put into a juftified estate by them, even as conditions, however they be neceffary to falvation, and required of thofe who are in a juftified ftate. VERSES 29. 30. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not alfo of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles afo: Seeing it is one God, which fhall juftify the circumcifion by faith, and uncircumcifion through faith. the Efore he proceeds he anfwereth two queftions, which might ferve to clear doctrine of juftification. The one is in these two verfes, viz. Whether this way of juftification by faith be meant only in reference to the Jews, or in reference to the Gentiles alfo? and thus it is proposed: Is he the God of the Jews only is he not alfo of the Gentiles? That is, is he thus a reconciled God, or a God in covenant to the Jews who have the law of Mofes ? and is he not thus alfo reconciled to the Gentiles, who have not the law? As if he had faid, I this way of juftification by faith, without the works of the law, com mon both to Jew and Gentile? He anfwereth, Yes, it is common to both. And why? because it is one God, or God is one, who shall justify the circumcifion, or the Jews who were circumcised, by faith, and the uncircumcifion, or the Gentiles, through faith. As if he had faid, There is but. one God, and fo but one way of becom ing his people; he dealeth not one way with one people, and another way with another people: Or, God is the fame unchangeable Jehovah, who is conftant in all his promises, both thefe which he made before, as to Adam, and after the difference began betwixt Jew and Gentile; and therefore he becometh reconciled to all, after one and the fame manner, for he is no accepter of perfons. This by faith, and through faith, are materially the fame, as Rom. xi. 36. (and even the Gentiles are faid to be juftified by faith, Gal. iv. 7.) hereby fhewing, that for all the good things that were among the Jews, who had the law, yet only their faith was taken notice of as to their juftification; and the Gentiles had an open door to the privileges of the Sons of God, even through faith. His expreffing of the fame thing thus diverfly, was to give a check unto the pride of the Jews, who would ftill have fome difference put betwixt them and the Gentiles; therefore he fays, If you will have a difference put, it is only in this, that you are juftified by faith, and they through faith. ence there be otherways among people, in refpect of external enjoyments, there is one and the fame way for all, of what rank, condition, or quality they be, of winning in faveur with God, and no way but one: for he is the God of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jews, and one God, and justifieth the one and the other by faith. OBSERVATIONS. I. Men are apt to think that God will value more, and deal after another manner with, thofe who have been favoured with external privileges, (as if thefe would commend them more to him, and he saw as men feeth) than with thofe who have never enjoyed fuch; for this is the ground of this question which the apoftle propoundeth, and cleareth, for the fatisfaction of the Romans, faying, Is he the God of the Jews only? &c. II. Tho' all flesh have forfeited their interest in God as theirs by covenant, by tranfgreffing his law; yet there is a poffibility, and a way found out, in the depth of his wifdom, who doth all things according to the good pleasure of his will, how this covenant intereft may be renewed, and he may become a God again to fome peculiarly, in a covenant way; for the apoftle fays, he is Ged to fome both among Jews and Gentiles. III. This intereft will not be, fo long as juftice is not fatisfied for the wrong done, and the breach made; but ere God become a covenanted God to any, they must be juftified, and fo acquited from all their former guilt; for the apoftle clears him to be God to Jews and Gentiles, because he juifieth both; fo that he is not a God to any but whom he juftifieth, and juftifica tion will clearly evince a covenant intereft in God. IV. Seeing all have finned, and come Aart of the glory of God, whatever differ V. This way of geting an intereft in God, as it is none of our invention, fo it is a business carried on wholly in a manner without us, we being rather paffive than active therein; and a bufinefs in which the hand of God is eminently and allenarly to be feen; for, fays he, it is one God who juftifieth: he both fell upon this device, and he carrieth it on; he justifieth us, and not we ourselves. VI. Sinners, have they never fo many privileges to dote on, muft, ere they be juftified, come out of themselves, grip to, and reft upon another, even Jefus Chrift; he must be received, John i. 11. stayed on, and trufied in, Ifa. xxvi. 3. 4. and without this fiducial act of faith, ftaying on, rolling the foul upon, firmly adhering and leaning, and humbly fubmiting unto, and relying upon Jefus Christ, there is no juftification; for he is the juftifier even of the uncircumcifion, by faith. VII. There is no condition a people can be in, but if they will caft themselves over on Christ, and renouncing their own ftrength and righteoufnefs, will wholly reft upon him for falvation, they fhall be accepted and juftified; for he is the juftifur of the uncircumcifion through faith. VERSE 21. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, w eftablish the law. without the works of the law; for it might be objected, By this your doctrine, crying up faith and down works, in the matter of juftification, you feem to make the law null and void, as being useless, and of none effect, without any force or efficacy: but this is not right, and therefore your doctrine is the more to be fufpected. He anfwereth, by denying that his doctrine tendeth to make void the law; yea, rather, fays he, by this doctrine of juftification by faith I eftablish the law, both ceremonial and moral, in that hereby it is made apparent, that Chrift was pointed out by the ceremonial law, as the only Lamb taking away the fins of the world; and as for the moral law, that is established alfo, in that hereby is made manifeft, that the pepalty thereof is fuffered by him, even death; and that he fulfilled all righteoufnefs, and did every thing which the law required; and in that hereby believer's are not left loofe to walk as they pleafe, but are the more constrained by the law of love and thankfulness to yield obedience, and are enabled in part to walk in conformity thereto: therefore fays he, yea, we establish the law. OBSERVATIONS. I. Enemies to truth, who love not to receive the fame in love, are ready to fpread abroad their diffatisfaction very liberally, and to load the truth with bafe and fcul calumnies, according to their pleafure; for thefe that liked not the doctrine of faith, were ready to reproach it with this, that hereby the law was altogether rendered ufelefs, and fo object, that Paul made void the law through faith. trine of faith fome were ready to gather a lawlefs liberty, or rather lientioufnefs, to caft afide all law, and fay, the law is made void through faith. III. It is no new thing to fee men of corrupt minds, loving to follow pernicious principles, fmoothing over their corrupt opinions with fair and fpecious colours, and pretending a gofpel privilege warranting them thereto, and fo with fair fhews of reafon and plaufible pretexts, hide their damnable and foul-deftroying defigns and practices: for even in Paul's days there were fome ready to lay afide all law, under pretext of faith in Chrift, and cry out, The law is void by faith. IV. Tho' many unftable fouls, who have not the truth rooted in their hearts, may foon be deceived with fair pretences, and fuch grounds as a deceived heart, fet on work by Satan to deceive, may make appear very plaufible; yet it is the duty of all fo much the more to abhor thefe errors, as they pretend to shelter themfelves under the wings of comfortable gofpel-truths, and to reject them, not without a teftimony of abhorrence, as the apoftle doth here, faying, God forbid. V. Albeit there be no poffibility now of being juftified and abfolved before God from the guilt of a broken covenant, by fulfilling the law; but now the only way is by fleeing in unto, and embracing of Chrift by faith; yet is not the bridle laid on the neck of believers, as if they were no more to ftudy conformity unto the law of God, nor as if it were a law wholly a brogated and laid afide, as to all its ufes and ends: for when the objection is propofed thus, Then the law is made void by faith; he anfwereth, God forbid. II Licentious fpirits, who love not to VI. As Chrift was the end of the law be bound by the law of God, liking ra- for righteoufnefs, and fo fulfilled all that ther to walk according to the lulls of their was typified of him in the ceremonial law, own heart, are ready to turn the grace and alto did and fuffered all which we 1 of God into lafcivioufnefs, and to fuck were bound to do and fuffer by the morank poifon from the moft comfortable ral law, and hereby ftrengthened and eftapoints of truth; for even from the doc-blifhed the law of righteoufuefs; fo our R resting refting on what Chrift did and fuffered, for juftification and falvation, is fo far from allowing us to caft at the law as a rule of righteoufnefs, that, on the contrary, it lays strong bonds and obligations on be lievers to glorify their Lord Redeemer by a chriftian conversation: Yea, fays the apoftle, we establish the law. A CHAPTER IV. he bath whereof to glory, but not before God. IS argument is this; If Abraham be FTER the apoftle has thus confirmed, and from folid undeniable reafon concluded, that we are juf tified by faith, without the deeds of the Jaw, he now brings forth an example to not juftified by works, then no man clear and illuftrate the matter, (examples is juftified by works. This they would being of great force to that effect) and al- not queftion, feeing they all accounted him fo to confirm it, it being hereby made out, the father of the faithful, and looked on that it was no new doctrine that he was him as a moft eminent man in holiness: here teaching; and the example is of A- But Abraham was not justified by works. braham, an example which they could not This he firft fets down, verfe 1. by way reject, having always him in their mouths, of queftion, What shall we say that AbMatth. iii. 9. John viii. 39. and fo glory-raham our father, as pertaining to the file, ing much in him whom they all accounted to be the father of the faithful; and for this caufe he pitcheth on this example; as also because it would prove a most convincing argument: for if Abraham, a rare example of virtue, was not juftified by works, then no man could expect to be juftified by works; therefore he proveth that Abraham was not juftified by works, to verfe 9. then propofeth a queftion much like that answered, chapter iii. 29. 30. if there be one way of attaining righteoufnefs both to the Jew and Gentile? This he answereth affirmatively, and cleareth up the way how, together with other difficulties that arife by the way, to the end. VERSES 1. 2. What shall we fay then, bath found? That is, can ye, or I either, fay, that Abraham our father (fo he calls him, left they fhould think that he had made defection from the faith of Father Abraham) was juftified, or attained righ teoufnefs, as pertaining to the flesh, that is, by the works of the law, (for fometimes the commands of the law are stiled carnal, Heb. vii. 6.) or works done in his own ftrength, after the way of the flesh; for to have confidence in the flesh, and in our own righteoufnefs which is of the law, is all one, Phil. iii. 3. with 9. Now, would he fay, you cannot make it out, that Abraham was fo juftified. And thus he puts them to it, by propofing the queftion to them, and in that it is left unanfwered, it is equivalent to a flat denial. Now, after this propofition is thus fet down, he confirms it with one argument, verse 2. faying, If Abraham were jufti |