all for juftification? They were lofs, and drofs, and dung, no other, no better, expreffions of the highest contempt; wholly worthlefs and unavailable, what he could not truft in, would therefore abfolutely and entirely renounce and disclaim, for this purpose. As elfewhere he fpeaks of it as a known thing, a granted point, Gal. that alone for juftification, unless it were the viler and bafer fort of them, but thereto their own duties of morality, as is plain from the parable, Luke xviii. 11, 12. The Apoftle therefore muft renounce fome other righteoufnefs, befides that wlrich lay in the obfervance of ceremonial inftitutions; unless we will fay, that be renounces no other righteoufnels, but what the worst of that fuperftitious fect depended on. 4. Suppofing, but not granting, that the Apoftle fpeaks here only of that righteoufnefs, which lay in a conformity to the ceremonial law, he muft intend a great deal more in the 9th verfe, where the righteou nefs, that he difclaims for juftification, is a righteoufnefs in oppofition to that which is by faith; and faith in juftification is all along oppofed not only to the works of the ceremonial law, but to all works whatever, See Rom. in. 28. iv. 4, 5, 6. Gal. ii. 16. I might add, that the righteousness of the law, is in the original without the article prefixed to voμos; and fo according to Mr. Locke's rule (fee above page 40.) ought to be tranflated righteoufnefs of law, not referring to the ceremonial and ritual law of Mofes, but to law in general, or the eternal rule of right and wrong: And if we understand it in this fenfe, it will include a quite other righteoufnefs, than what lay in the obfervance of any pofitive law whatever. Nor is there any difficulty in what this writer fuggefts, that the Apoftle could not fay, that he counted that "degree of moral righteoufnefs to which he had at"tained to be lofs, or a prejudice to him." For he fpeaks of it as fuch, only in a comparative view, or as a dependance thereon diverted him from Chrift, and hazarded his falvation by him. Gal. ii. 16. Knowing that a man is not justi 'fied by the works of the law, but by the faith ' of Jefus Chrift; even we have believed in Je'fus Chrift; that we might be juftified by the 'faith of Chrift, and not by the works of the 'law for by the works of the law fhall no flesh 'be juftified.' What fome have pretended that the Apostle by his own righteousness, and the works of the law, intends only the ceremonial law, and the obfervances of that, I have before obviated *. It is felf-righteoufnefs in every shape and form that he thus renounces and difclaims as the church readily acknowledges, 'but we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteoufneffes are as filthy rags,' Ifa. Ixiv 6. ' and we do not prefent our fupplications before thee for our righteoufneffes, but for thy great • mercies. Dan. ix. 18. The church would not plead her own righteoufnefs with God for any mercy, fhall he then truft in it for justification? And therefore, as our text represents this as the fenfe and language of the church collectively confidered, we shall find, through the whole fcripture, that it is likewise the fenfe and language of every individual believer. Jacob who readily owns, that he is less than the leaft of all God's mercies, Gen. xxxii. 10. will as readily own himself to have no righteousness to plead with God for pardon. Job, with what shame and confufion of face, does he confefs his fins and his guilt? I have finned, and what fhall I do unto thee? am vile, and what fhall I answer * See-above page 28. ⚫ thee? 4 thee? He abhors himself:' and when he thinks of standing before God in judgment, How 'fhall man be just with God? If he will con tend with him, he cannot answer him one of ' a thousand,' Job ix. 2, 3. The Pfalmift exactly in the fame humble language, and enter not into judgment with thy fervant: for in thy fight shall no man living be justified,' Pfal. cxliii. 2. He dreads nothing more than God's dealing with him upon the foot of any righte oufness of his own: as elsewhere he cries out with great anxiety and concern, If thou Lord fhouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who fhall ' stand?' Pfal. cxxx 3. The best know themfelves to be but unprofitable fervants; and ' when they know nothing by themselves, yet are they not hereby juftified.' The Prodigal when the power of grace had reached and changed his heart, how does he return to his father's house, confeffing his guilt, and readily owning he had no pretenfions to the leaft favour? His language fpeaks the deepest sense of his own fins and unworthinefs; Father, I ' have finned against heaven, and before thee ' and am no more worthy to be called thy fon,' Luke xv. 18, 19. In the very fame fpirit the convinced Publican humbles himself at the footftool of mercy; he fmites upon his breaft with deep compunction of heart, hardly dares lift up an eye to heaven, nor has he any plea, but what he draws from the free and unbounded mercy of God, Luke xviii 13. This therefore is deeply inlaid in the hearts of all the faints; they have the clearest discovery of the abfolute infufficiency of their own beft righteoufnefs for their their juftification with God; and, therefore, they fo entirely and readily renounce and difclaim it for this purpose, and feek a justifying righteousness in Christ alone *. I can. * Thefe are the natural and undifguifed fentiments of thofe eminent faints, which we find in fcriptore dealing with God about the pardon of their fins, and their acceptance with him. And they fhise with fo much evidence, that they have fometimes forced an acknowledgment from fome of the moft eminent men of the church of Rome. I cannot forbear inferting hete a remarkable inftance of this in Cardinal Hofius, who prefided at the Council of Trent, under Pias the IVth. Thefe are fome of the expreffions of his laft will, when he came to fee things in a very different light from what he did, when prefiding in that council under the direction of the Pope. I approach the throne of thy grace, O Father of mercies and of all confolation, to the end that I may obtain mercy, and find grace in thy fight!I am not worthy, that thou shouldeft behold me with the eyes of thy majelly; but as it is most worthy, that for the fake of his death and paffion, thou fhouldft not only look upon me, but crown me alfo; It is therefore that I come unto thee, moft dear Father, and that without any merits, but thofe ineftimable ones of thy Son Fefus Chrift, my Lord, and my Redeemer. I bring thee the merit of that death, wherein alone I place all my hope and my confidence; that is my righteoufnefs, my fatisfaction, my redemption, and my propitiation. The death of the Lord is my merit. See here what the confcience fays, when it beholds its fins and its good works; and it will never fpeak otherwise, efpecially at the hour of death, where it fcatters away its illufions. So true is it, fays that excellent writer from whom I have tranfcribed this paffage, that confcience cannot always be feduced by the terrors of the understanding: It is true alfo, that when men are approaching the throne of God's juftice, it is difficult to preferve that fpirit of pride, which is in the Roman school. I cannot conclude this head, in which I have reprefented the agreeing fentiments of the faints, through the whole fcripture, in renouncing every thing in their own righteoufnefs, and betaking themselves by humble faith to the righteoufness of Chrift alone for juftification, better than in the words of the firft and earliest writer of Chriftianity, Clement, the fellow-labourer of the Apoftle Paul, and whofe name, he tells us, was in the book of life, Phil. iv. iii. This venerable father of the church, in his epiftle to the Corinthians, having mentioned the faith and bleffing of Abraham, from whom so many great and good men came, who were bleffed with him, thus goes on *, They were all "therefore greatly glorified not for their own "fake, or for their own works, or for the righteoufnefs that they themselves wrought, "but thro' his will.. And we alfo being called "by the fame will in Chrift Jefus, are not justi"fied by ourselves, neither by our wisdom, or "knowledge, or piety, or the works which we "have done in the holiness of our hearts: but P fchool, See a difcourfe concerning the merit of good works, among the tracts in the Popish controverfy, fuppored to be written by Dr. Alix. pag. 30, 31. * Πάνες ἓν ἐδοξάθησαν καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθησαν, ὦ δι αυτῶν, ἢ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν, τῆς δικαιοπραγίας ἧς κατειργάσανο, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆ θελήματος αυτά. Καὶ ἡμεῖς ἦν διὰ θελήματος αυτῷ ἐν Χρισῷ Ἰησ κληθέντες, ὦ δι ἑαυτῶν δικαιώμεθα, ἐδὲ διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας σοφίας, η συνέσεως, ἢ ἐνσεβείας ἢ ἔργων ὧν κατειργασάμεθα ἐν ὁσιότητι Харδίας· ἀλλὰ διὰ της πίςεως, δι ἧς πάντας τὰς ἀπ' ἀιῶνος ὁ παντοκρα τωρ Θεὸς ἐδικαίωσεν· ὦ ἔσω δόξα εις τὺς ἀιῶνας τῶν ἀιωνῶν. Ἀμὴν Clementis Epift. 1. ad Corinth. apud Cotteler. Patr Apoftol. Vol. I. page 166. Se&. 32. |