The life of justification opened, or, A treatise grounded upon Gal. 2, II wherein the orthodox doctrine of justification by faith, & imputation of Christ's righteousness is clearly expounded, solidly confirmed, & learnedly vindicated from the various objections of its adversaries, whereunto are subjoined some arguments against universal redemption / by that faithful and learned servant of Jesus Christ Mr. John Broun ...

CHAP. IX.

Other passages of the N. T. briefly mentioned, which plead for this Imputation of Christs Righteousness.

THere are other passages of Scripture, beside these mentioned, in the preceeding chapter, and against which I finde no Exceptions made by Mr. Goodwine, in the forecited Book, which yet do with no small clearness and fulness of evidence plead for the truth, which we owne, to wit, The Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto Be∣leevers, in order to their Justification. These we shall not insist upon, but only mentione in short; seing the full insisting upon them will not be necessary, after what is said, in the Explication & Vindication of foregoing passages.

1 Rom. 1: 17. For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. The Apostle is here giving a reason, proving the Gospel, whereof he was not ashamed to be a preacher of, to be the power of God unto Salvation, & that to every one that beleeveth, be he jew, or be he Gentile; viz. Because there is a Righteousness revealed therein, which sinners only stand in need of; & that Righteousness of God; that is, not only a Righteousness, which is devised by God, and is ac∣cepted in His sight; but an excellent Righteousness, even the Righteous∣ness of one, who is God; and a Righteousness revealed for faith to lay hold on & receive, & that which faith leaneth to first and last, when it is weakest, and when it is strongest; that thereby the poor sinner, who formerly was dead by law, may live, as one reconciled to God. So that hence we see, Sin∣ners have need of a Righteousness; and this Righteousness is the Righ∣teousness of God, & is revealed in the Gospel, that it may be received by faith, and so Imputed & made over to the poor sinner, in order to his Justi∣fication, and acceptance with God.

2 Rom. 4: 11. And he (i. e. Abraham) received the signe of circumcision, a seal of the Righteousness of the faith, which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that righ∣teousness might be imputed to them also. Here is a Righteousness, and a Righ∣teousness called the Righteousness of faith, because received & applied only

by faith; and a Righteousness, whereof circumsion was appointed a seal, & granted to Abraham as such; and a Righteousness, which was imputed to Abraham, that he might be the Father of all them, that beleeve: for it is added, that Righteousness might be Imputed to them also: And this must be the same Righteousness, that was Imputed to Abraham, & the same way Imputed, & the same way received, that there migt be no essential diffe∣rence betwixt the way of justification of Father and Children. The Aethio∣pick Version may serve for a commentary, and he had circumsion, a signe of his righteousness, which He gave him, and the signe thereof; that this might be made known unto him, that God justified Abraham by faith, when he was not at that time circumcised, that they may know, that they also are justified by faith.

3. Rom. 4: 24, 25. But for us also, to whom it shall be Imputed, if we beleeve on Him, who raised up tesus, our Lord, from the dead, who was delivered for our offences, & was raised againe for our justification. Here is some thing said to be Imputed, & this must be in order to justification: And this that is Imputed, cannot be faith it self, or our act of beleeving; for what is said to be Imputed, is promised to be Imputed upon condition of faith, or our beleeving on Him, who raised up Iesus our Lord. So that it must be the Righteousness of Christ, consisting in His Mediatory work, which He un∣dertook & performed for His owne: for it is added, that He was delivered for their offences; that is, He was delivered unto the death, to make satis∣faction for their sinnes; & He rose againe, that He might declare, He had given full Satisfaction; & that He might apply this Surety-righteousness of His, to the end, they might be justified. Socinus doth not understand this, & therefore de Servat. part. 4. p. 333 saith, It is most certaine, that the Apostle doth not speak of any Imputation of the righteousness of Christ; but assert, that the faith or credite, we give God, because He hath called Iesus Christ, our Head, from death to eternal life, shall be accounted unto us, in the place of righteousness; just as faith, whereby Abraham gave credite to the words of God, was Imputed to him for righteousness. But the Text hereby is manifestly perverted: for it saith, that some thing shall be imputed, if we beleeve, which can not be faith; but something distinct from faith, which is to be Imputed, upon con∣dition of faith. And what can this be else, than the Surety-righteousness of Christ, who is here mentioned, as dying & riseing, in the place, and for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 good of His people, that they might be justified. And further, if it were faith it self, that were here said to be Imputed, in order to justifica∣tion, the justified man should not be one, that is in himself ungodly, be∣cause he hath a Righteousness in himself; and he, who hath a Righ∣teousness in himself, is not ungodly: & yet it is said, Rom. 4: 5. That God justifieth the ungodly. Againe, That, which is Imputed, must be a Righ∣teousness without works, vers 6. but if faith it self be Imputed, a work is Imputed, and not a Righteousness without works: and this would also lay down a ground of boasting, & make the reward of debt, & not of grace, v. 14.

4. Rom. 10: 10. For with the heart man beleeveth unto Righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. The Apostle had been before

vers 4. telling us, That Christ was the end of the law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth; & thereafter he discriminateth the way of justi∣fication by the law and by the Gospel, under the Notion of a Righteousness which is of the law, and a Righteousness, which is of faith: & then more particularly he describeth the Righteousness of faith, or a Righteousness is had unto Salvation, in & through faith vers 9. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, & shalt beleeve in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved; which he proveth in the 10. vers, now cited; & therein sheweth, how by this beleeving that God hath raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, Salvation is brought about; viz. That by beleeving with the heart, a Righteousness is obtained & received: and this righteous∣ness must be Christs, even His Surety-righteousness; for faith looketh on Him, as raised from the dead, & that by God, as having now received full Satisfaction from Him; & thereupon bringing Him, as it were, out of pri∣son. And in the Text cited, we see, that by faith a Righteousness is re∣ceived; or faith is the way unto the possession of a Righteousness, as Confession is the way unto Salvation, or as the actual possession of Sal∣vation is had by Confession. And as Confession it self is not Salva∣tion, but the way thereto, and the mean thereof; so faith it self is not the Righteousness, but the way thereunto, and the meane or medium thereof.

5. Gal. 2: 21. I do not frustrat the grace of God; for if Righteousness come by the law, Christ is dead in vaine. Whence we see, that a Righteousness must be had; and that this cannot be had by the law, or by our obedience to the law; but by Christ; & to deny this, is in plaine termes, to frustrat the grace of God, & to say, that Christ is dead in vaine. And if we look back to vers 16. & forward, we shall see, that the Apostle is speaking of justifica∣tion by faith in opposition to the works of the law; that is, by faith in Jesus Christ, receiving a Righteousness, which He hath wrought in His estate of Humiliation.

6. Gal. 3: 21, 22. For if there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law: but the Scripture hath con∣cluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve. Whence we see, that Righteousness is required un∣to life, viz. the life of justification; and by whatever way life is had, by the same is Righteousness had: and that neither life, nor Righteous∣ness is had by the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ: and both are held forth in a free promise, & given to the Beleever in Christ.

7. Gal. 4: 4, 5. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a Woman, made under the law, to redeem them, that were under the law, that we might receive the Adoption of sones. Christ, we see, was made under the law, & that to redeem such, as were under the law, that they might be freed from what they were liable to by the law, and by being under the law, and withall receive the Adoption of sones, which necessarily ta∣keth in His Obedience, as the Aethiopik Version explaineth it saying, He was begotten of a Woman, & was a doer of the command, in the law. And that

His Sufferings are here included, is plaine from the one end assigned, that he might redeem them, who were under the law, or under the lawes curse. The end therefore here being twofold, viz. Deliverance from under the law, and receiving the Adoption of sones; the Cause must have a subtableness thereunto; and say, That this compleat Righteousness, comprehending both, must be Imputed unto us, for the ends mentioned.

8. Gal. 5: 5. For we through the Spirit, wait for the hope of Righteousness by faith. Whether we take here the hope of Righteousness, for justification, as the Aethiopick Version doth, translating the words thus, and we in the Holy Spirit, and in faith hope to be justified; to which also the scope may give some countenance; or for the Recompence of glory, which is the thing hoped for; that which we intend, will be equally confirmed; for if Justification be immediatly here spoken of, it is manifest, that hereunto a Righteousness is requisite, and that this Righteousness is had by faith; and so is not in our selves; and therefore must be the Righteousness of Christs, unto whom faith carrieth forth the soul, & of whom he spoke, vers 4. Saying, Christ is be∣come of none effect unto you, who soever of you are justified by the law. If glory be here immediatly intended, we may see, that the Apostle, to perswade the Galatians, not to seek after a Righteousness by the law, tels them, what he & others did, and were resolved to do; to wit, how they ventured their whole Salvation on the truth he delivered; for they waited and looked for heaven and happiness (which is here called, hop, by a Metonymy) not by the works of the law (for heaven with them was not the hop of the law, or of the works of the law) but by the Righteousness of faith; that is, by & through that Righteousness, which is by faith; & therefore it is called the hope of Righteousness by faith; that is, that which they hope for, through the help of the Spirit, and expect in & through the Righteousness of Christ; which Righteousness is had by faith in Christ: & that this Righteousness is none else but the Righteousness of Christ, the following verse cleareth, where he saith; for in Iesus Christ, &c.

9. Philipp. 3: 8, 9. That I may win Christ, & be found in Him, not having mine own Righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the Righteousness, which is of God by faith. This place is so clear and full, that by speaking much of it, we may rather darken it, than explaine it. We see, what was the maine thing Paul designed, in opposition to what he once intended and sought after: what he did formerly look upon, as gaine, and was hote in the pursuite of, he now had no better account of, than of as much loss & dung: yea he had no better esteem of all things beside Christ, & in this judgment, he persisted, accounting all but dung, that he might win Christ, & have Him for all his gaine. And what would he make of Christ? He would be found in Him, hid in Him, covered with Him, and united to Him. In opposition to this, he desireth not to be found in, or having on his own righteousness, which is of the law; thereby showing us, That it was the Righteousness of Christ, he desired to be clothed with, and found in; & therefore addeth; but that (i. e. that Righteousness) which is through the faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by faith. The he was

seeking, is the Righteousness of God, and which is of God by faith, and is had through the faith of Christ; and all this was said in opposition to the way, that the dogs, the evil workers, the concision, mentioned vers 2. were crying up, and following, viz. the observation of the law, in order to justification.

10. Hebr. 11: 7. By faith Noah became heir of the righteousness, which is by faith: Where there is a Metonymy, the Cause puth for the Effect; Righteousness put for that life, which is had by this righteousness: which sheweth, ••hat a righteousness is necessarily required, unto the life of acceptance with God, and unto Salvation; and that this righteousness is not in or of our selves, but in and from another; for it is had by faith; and therefore is called, the Righ∣teousness, which is by faith: and faith layeth hold on no Righteousness, but on that, which is Christs.

These and other passages, which might be mentioned, are evident proofs of the Truth, we are asserting, with all such, as are unprejudiced, in the point; beside all those passages, which prove justification not to be by the works of the law, but by faith; for they also confirme this truth, That in order to our justification and Salvation; we must be clothed with the Righ∣teousness of Christ; which is that, which faith grippeth to & apprehendeth, that the shame of our nakedness may not appear, and we may be in case to stand before the Tribunal of God.