The nature of the two testaments, or, The disposition of the will and estate of God to mankind for holiness and happiness by Jesus Christ ... in two volumes : the first volume, of the will of God : the second volume, of the estate of God / by Robert Dixon.

SECT. XXXIII.

If then the true Title to our Justification by Faith be Grace, then the wrong Title is Works. So Grace excludeth Works; for he that claimeth by one Title, must exclude all the rest.

Therefore no works of the Law either in the Literal sense, as delivered by Moses, and understood by the Israelites, or in the Spiritual sense, as it was declared by Christ, and is understood by the Faithful, are of efficacy or virtue to create us a true Title to the Right of Eternal Blessedness.

Seeing then the true Title to Justification by Faith is Grace under the Gospel, that of Works under the Law is to be relinquished, as an act of God once propounded, but ever ineffectual, and now altogether expired, and dead together with the Law it self that required it. —For we are dead to the Law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we might live unto God.

For seeing God by Christ hath declared his New Will and Testament of the Gospel, therefore his former Will of the Law, though for a time it were good and useful, is now utterly infringed, cancelled and void. For by the Works of the Law no Flesh living can be justified: That is, no mor∣tal Man, whose life is exactly scann'd by the Law, shall by observance thereof be found so compleat as to have performed universal and perpe∣tual obedience to every Precept in every sense thereof without failing.

The reasoning of this Point by the Apostle runs thus; If a Man will be jurally justified by the works of the Law, i. e. If he will claim a right to Heaven by the Title of his works, then he must be legally justified, i. e. declared never to have offended the Law.

For supposing, but not granting, that the Law can justifie morally; yet it cannot do this to any, but to such as are upright every way in the sight of God: for if a Man offend in any one Law, he is guilty of all, and the work of the Law is presently to condemn him without mercy, imputing to him a Right to a future Curse, saying, Cursed is every one that walketh not in all the Commandments of God to do them. —The Law worketh wrath; and whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty

of all, i. e. is guilty of Death, and of more he could not be guilty, if he broke all, because Death is a final punishment, beyond which there can be no other, there being no subject of punishment, because the offender is not.

Now, though in Mens Tribunals, some may be legally justified; as Paul might be —Touching the righteousness of the Law blameless, yet was he not thereby justified in the sight and knowledg of God. So Job was a perfect and upright Man before Men, but not before God. So Zacharias and Eli∣zabeth were said to be both Righteous before God, walking in all the Com∣mandments of God blameless; yet truly, before God no Man living, save Je∣sus Christ, ever was or ever will be legally justified; i. e. sinless or blame∣less before Almighty God. See Ro. 1, & Ro. 2.

Such are all Men shut up under sin by the Law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the World may become guilty before God; because all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God.

Therefore all Men being, and being declared sinners by Law, Heaven can come no other way, but to them that are made Righteous, and de∣clared so by promise.

The Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

The summe is this: If a Man have right to Eternal Life by works ju∣rally, then he must by these works, be declared upright legally, before God: But no Man living can be declared upright legally before God by his works, and therefore works are a wrong Title to Justification, which was the thing to be demonstrated.

Yet though works are no Title to acquire a Right, yet they are a tenure to hold a Right that is acquired.

To be justified or to have righteousness imputed, reckoned or account∣ed, is to be absolved and quitted from sin and misery, and to be intitled to holiness and happiness, and all by Faith not Law; v. Gal. 2.21. Gal. 3.18. Ro. 4.3, 45. Reward may be of debt to the worker, but it is properly and purely of Grace to the Promissary. A promise creates a right; and he to whom the promise of an inheritance is made, by his ac∣ceptance thereof is a Person invested with right unto it.

1. Therefore Justification is the Acquitting of the penitent Believer, by a Judicial act of God's Grace in the Covenant of the Gospel through Christ. —Justified freely by his Grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

2. Therefore Justification is the Approving, commending, reward∣ing, adjudging, or giving right to holiness and happiness.

As to impute no sin is to forgive sin, so to impute Righteousness is to adjudg to the high reward of Faith, i. e. to be accounted for Righteous∣ness, and the reward to be reckoned of Grace are all one. For all our Justification from sin and misery to holiness and happiness, is by the Grace or kindness of God. —The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, i. e. the kindness of God, for it is opposed to wrath, v. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrigh∣teousness of Men, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law, is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the Righteousness of God, which is by Faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all that believe; for there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God, being justified freely by

his Grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Bloud, to declare his Righteousness, for the remission of sins that are past, through the for∣bearance of God: To declare I say at this time his Righteousness, that he might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting, then? it is excluded; by what Law, of Works? Nay, but by the Law of Faith. Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith, without the deeds of the Law. —That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace, in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ; for by Grace ye are saved through Faith, and that not of your selves, it is the Gift of God. Not of Works, lest any Man should boast. But after that the kindness and the Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared, Not by works of Righteousness, but according to his mercy, he saved us.

The Conclusion will be, That by Faith in Christ we have, through God's kindness or Grace.

1. Legal Righteousness; i. e. we are accepted for exactly righteous before God, who imputes no sin unto us through the merit of the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ.

2. Jural Righteousness; i. e. we are imputed or accounted heirs at present to the future inheritance of Eternal Life, through the Righteous∣ness of Christ, the righteous heir of God to whom all the promises were made, and in him are Yea and Amen, and through him are derived to all his Seed, who are partakers of the same rights with him.

So by Faith in Christ

• 1. We give credence to the report of a promise.
• 2. We trust thereto and rely upon it.
• 3. We accept and embrace it.
• 4. We re-promise, and so enter into Covenant with God, which is the state of Grace and Salvation.

Notes

• Works.
• Gal. 2.19.
• Gal. 2.16.
• Rom. 4.15.
• Phil. 3.6.
• Luc. 1.6.
• Rom. 3.9, 19.
• Gal. 3.22.
• Rom. 3.24.
• Rom. 4.4.
• Ro. 1.17, 18.
• Ro. 3.21, &c.
• Eph. 2.7, 8.
• Tit. 3.4.