15. Ifa. liii. 10. 11. 12. Heb. ii. 14. 15. Eph. v. 25. 26. 2 Cor. v. 2 1.; fo did he lay down his life (not to purchase a liberty unto God, who might have freely pardonel fins without the mediation and fatisfaction of Chrift, if it had feemed good in his eyes to have decreed otherwife; for there is no hint for this in fcripture, and if for it might have come to pafs,. that not one foul had been actually redeemed, but) for us, that the good things purchafed might be actually applied in due time, to thofe for whom they were purchased, Tit. ii. 14. John xvii. 19. Gal. i. 4. and iii. 13. Heb. ix. 12. 14. 26. and i. 13. 1 Pet. ii. 24. Col.. i. 21. 22. therefore it is faid, that we are justified by his blood, and re conciled by his death.

VII. Albeit Christ did not die, nor fhed his blood, to purchafe juftification and reconciliation conditionally, fo as the good things purchased could not be faid to be purchased, until the condition be performed, which is abfolutely in our power, and not purchased; but to make an abfolute purchase, so as both the condition and the good thing to be applied upon the condition, are abfolutely purchaf ed for his own, and fhall undoubtedly be actually applied and beftowed, and that in due time; yet are not we inftantly upon his death, actually, perfonally and completely justified and reconciled; our reconciliation and justification was at Chrift's death compleat and perfect on his part, his purchase being fufficient; yet were not we perfonally and actually juftified then, feeing Chrift never purchased thofe good things in fuch a manner that inftantly they hould be applied, but that in the due time condefcended on by the Father, and the Son, and in fuch a manner as they agreed on, viza when we fhould flee in to Chrift

by faith; for he says, now being juftified; which now is in oppofition to the time wherein they were finners, and fo denotes their time of believing; and being reconciled we shall be faved, faith he now cer

tain it is, that none are faved, until they believe, and fo this reconciliation must suppole faith in Chrift.

VIII. By nature (tho' at firft, in the time of innocency, there was a good understanding betwixt God and man, and fweet communion and a thorough peace) we are born because of fin, enemies to God, Col. i. 21. Rom. viii. 7. fo that: God is an enemy to us, for we are faid to be under his wrath and curfe; and thus there is enmity on both fides, which is not only held forth by the word reconciliation, or reconciled, which properly fignifieth, to turn away the anger of the perfon offended, and bring the offender into favour with him again; but alfo it is exprefly faid, that we were enemies, and that we fhallbe faved thro' him from wrath; we shall be faved from wrath through him; for if when when we were enemies, &c..

IX. Albeit, to fpeak properly, there is no wrath nor anger in God, he being free of all paffions and fuch affections; yet finners are faid to be under his wrath, in that they are lying under the stroke of juftice, and liable to punishment the effect of wrath: fo we are faid to be faved from wrath..

X. Chrift Jefus by his death and blood did fully, as to merit and the procuring caufe, reconcile God to finners, not only removing the enmity on our parts, or pur chafing the removal thereof, but also turning away God's wrath and difpleasure, and bringing us into favour again; for as there was enmity on God's part, (to speak so) we lying under wrath, fo the reconciliation behoved to be mutual, fo as his wrath might be averted, and we might have his favour and good-will inftead thereof; and the word reconciled imports a mutual reconciliation on both fides, Job xlii. 7. 8. 9. be-fide that the perfons who are here faid to be reconciled are called finners, verfe 8. and fo are lying under God's curfe and wrath, and when reconciled this wrath is averted: and further, to be reconciled, is

the

the fame with being justified; and to justify is an act of God, and fo imports God's reconciliation to us: wherefore we find, verse 11. that we are faid to receive this reconciliation or atonement, and fo it cannot be our reconciliation or converfion, which we are no where faid to receive; thus are we faid to be reconciled to God.

XI. Seeing Chrift did not die, nor fhed his blood, that God might, if he thought fit, juftify, and be reconciled unto finners, as we fhewed, Doctrine VI. nor did purchase these favours conditionally, but abfolutely, fo as certainly and undoubtedly they were to be applied in God's own time and manner, as was fhown, Doctrine VII. it doth undoubtedly follow, that Chrift died for no more than fuch as fhall actually be made partakers of juftification and reconciliation; and all fuch for whom his blood was thed, fhall, in due time, be juftified and reconciled; therefore fays he, Being justified by his blood, and we are reconciled by his death.

XII. As there is no juftification nor reconciliation of finners but in and through Christ, so is there no falvation, nor free. dom from wrath, but in and through him : We Shall be faved from wrath through him, tue fhall be faved by his life.

XIII. As Chrift's blood-fheding and death was useful for his own, being a price wherewith justice was fatisfied, and whereby pardon and reconciliation was purchafed, fo was his refurrection for the behoof of his own, that thereby the good things purchafed might be applied, and actually bestowed; hence are we faid to be faved by his life.

XIV. As life eternal, and deliverance from the wrath and Vengeance of God, is to be expected by none but fuch as are juftified, and actually reconciled; fo all fuch, whatever fad difpenfations they may meet with in a world, because of their folly, fhall certainly be keeped from wrath, and fhall enjoy life and falvation: for being

justified, we shall be faved from wrath; and being reconciled, we shall be faved.

XV. Howbeit believers certainty and affurance of life and falvation be oftentimes darkened and brangled by Satan, and even they be oftentimes afraid for wrath; yet the right uptaking, and clear and diftin& knowledge of that which Chrift has done for them formerly; and in particular, the clear knowledge of his dying for them, when they were enemies, and fo purchafing reconciliation unto them, when they had nothing to commend them to Chrift, may abundan ly confirm and perfuade them that they shall get life; for this is the force of the argument, Much more then being now justified we shall be faved,---if when we were enemies we were reconciled--much more being reconciled, fhall we be faved, &c.

VERSE It. And not only fo, but we also joy in God, through our Lord Jefus Christ, by whom we have now received the atone

ment...

His verfe containeth the laft of these

fruits, which the apofile mentioneth as flowing from juftification by faith; and as he mentioned the former, fo doth he mention this, with a gradation, as rifing higher and higher, faying, And not only fo, but we alfo joy in God, or glory in him; that is, we rejoice in wardly, and boaft, as being made up for ever, that we have God for our God, propitious towards, and dwelling in us, engaged for us, and all his attributes forthcoming for our good, his power, wisdom, goodness, mercy, &c. all of them on our fide; and this is more than to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, though even in tribulations; for here we have God himself immediately, as it were, to glory in, who is the fum and compound of all goodnefs, and in whom all goodness, and every thing defirable is centered, and exifts in its prime.

And.

of the gospel, fo as he may become theirs, even their Lord Jefus Chrift; for it is faid, we joy in God, through our Lord JeChrift.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Howbeit believers have oftentimes little in a world to put their hand to; yet having fled in to Chrift, they have an intereft in God as theirs, whereby they get all their wants fupplied and neceffities anfwered; as they have a right to his rich benefits and allowances, fo, which is far more, they have a right to himself; fo that all that is in him, is, in a manner, forthcoming for their good: We joy in God

II. Howbeit the fpirits of God's children be oftentimes low, and they ready to faint through manifold difcouragements, occafioned by their own folly, and Satan's temptations; yet the Lord alloweth them ftrong confolation, and hath given them the greatest grounds imaginable whereupon to boast, exult, glory and rejoice, and alloweth them to make ufe thereof, and to rejoice thereupon, even here away, tho' the day wherein their joy fhall be completed be to come: We glory in God.

III. As believers have many rich and unfpeakable favours granted to them, and all of them folid grounds of joy and rejoicing; fo this is one among the reft, and one of the higheft, that not only they have a right to his graces, fpiritual favours and manifeftations, but alfo to himfelf, which is better than all; and believers, in reckoning up their privileges, fhould end in this, as that in which all the reft are fwallowed up, as rivers in the ocean: therefore this is the laft time that the apofle fays, not only fo; and now he is as high as he can win: And not only fo, but we joy in God, fays he.

IV. Before any can, upon good ground, claim any right to God as theirs, they must first clofe with Chrift in the offers

V. Though believers have a right to God as theirs, which is a notable ground of rejoicing; yet it is above their firength to make use of this ground of joy, and actually to rejoice thereupon; and Chrift muft help them to look aright upon this rich privilege, and teach them how to improve it for their comfort, and, withal, ftir them up to an actual ufe-making thereof: for it is added, We joy in God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift.

VL. This intereft in God is procured to us by the death of Chrift, who did really pacify God, and appeafe his wrath, which was burning against us, and fo reconciled God to us, (for this atonement, or reconciliation, is faid to be received, and fo must be different from our reconciliation to God, which is nothing but our converfion; fee verfes 9. 10. Doctrine X.) without whofe interceffion God would have. been ftill a confuming fire, and we would never have had any right to him, by whom we received the atonement.

VII. As all the privileges and rich favours we enjoy, who believe in God, come down to us in and through the merits of Jefus Chrift; fo we never take' them up aright, but when we cleanse our felves of having any hand,. less or more, int the procurement, and afcribe the purchafing of all unto him, to whom the glory thereof allenarly doth belong: then do the favours fmell aright. The apostle, as in all the reft, fo here, will not mention this without mentioning of Christ by whom it was purchased; faying, Through our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom we have received the atonement.

VERSE 12. Wherefore, as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin; and fo death puffed upon all men, for that all have finned,

I

N this fecond part of this chapter, the apostle is farther clearing the doctrine of juftification, which he hath been handling at large; and as he hath been clearing and amplifying the fame, from the precious and excellent effects and fruits that flow therefrom, in the former part; fo doth he here amplify and illuftrate the fame, by comparing the first and fecond Adam together, that is, Christ and Adam, the type and the antitype. And this illuftration ferves to clear a doubt which fome might propose, viz. How can it be, that we who are many, can be all juftified by the righteoufnefs of one? How can the righteoufnefs of one ferve fo many, and be a fufficient ground of their acceptation? This he cleareth by fhewing, that as Adam was a public perfon reprefenting all mankind, and brought fin and death upon all his pofterity, by his tranfgreffion; fo Chrift was a public perfon, and brings righteoufnels and life to all, whom as a public perfon he did reprefent by his obedience. Now this comparison is fet down, verfe 12. (where we have only the first part of the comparifon, the other being left to be gathered, which may cafily be done from the following verfes; and the fame is farther confidered and explained, verfes 13. 14.) and again more fully, verfes 18. 19. And that this bufinefs might be the more clear, and his doctrine of juftification more confirmed and illuftrated, he fets down fome particulars wherein thofe perfons differ, and how the advantage lieth upon Chrift's fide, verfes 15. 16. 7. and in end answereth an objection which might have been made against what he was faying, verles 20. 21.

In this verse the comparison is begun, and the first part only fet down, and the reft left to be gathered from the nature of contraries, and from the last part of verfe 14. where, 1. we have the perfon who was the type of Christ, and that is Adam, called one man, meaning him alone, (tho' we find Eve having a hand in the

guilt, yea, is faid to be firft in the tranf greffion, 1 Tim. ii. 14. where the Apostle is fpeaking of the order and manner of Adam's finning, and fo indeed it began at Eve.) because he is now fpeaking of the manner how this fin is propagated to pofterity, which is by the man, and not by the woman. 2. There is that which he did communicate unto his, as a public perion; and that is fet down in two particulars, (.) Sin entered into the world: He having tranfgreffed the commandment of God, became guilty, and loft the image of God which he at first received, and had nothing but pravity and corruption inftead thereof; and as he himself became corrupt, fo did all his iffue and pofterity: thus fin creeped into the world, or rushed in as an enemy upon all mankind; he being a public perfon, and reprefenting them all, conform to the tenor of the covenant which was made with him, and all his pofterity in his loins. And, (2.) death by fin; that is, because of this tranfgreffion by which Adam himself became corrupt, and the fame corruption was conveyed by propaga. tion to all his children, feeing they were begoten in his own likeness, Gen. v. . all mankind becaîne obnoxious to death, and to all the miferies of this life, which are antecedent to death, and to hell-fire for ever; for by death we understand every thing that goeth under that name in the fcriptures, and fo take in both spiritual and temporal death, with all the antecedents, confequents or effects thereof. 3. There is the extent of this, how far it reacheth, viz. to all mankind, and fo death passed on all men; on all ranks and conditions of people, none are excepted, death has overfpread them all. And, 4. there is the ground of this, and the reafon why death has thus paffed on all men, in these words, for that all have finned, which fome do read thus, in whom alt have finned, (the original will fuffer both) as 1 Cor. xv. 22. but either of them will ferve to the fame purpofe, upon the matter; and fo how