fervile works of wickednefs. 2dly, That it con-^ demns him. The dominion is destroyed by fanctificatiom: the power of condemning, by juftification. Both these are bestowed on the Elect in the name of the the Lord Jefus; that is, on account of his merits, and by his authority and will; and by the Spirit of cur God, who is the author of fanctification, and sweetly infinuates the fentence of juftification into the minds of believers. Both thefe benefits are fealed in Baptifm, to the washing of which there is here an evi dent allufion. Nor fhould it offend us, that fanctification is here put before juftification; a diligent enquirer cannot but know, that the Scripture does not always exactly obferve that order, as that things first in time are fet in the first place. Thus even Peter puts vocation before election, 2 Pet. 1. 10. Befides, juftification confifts of various articles, as we will fhew more diftinctly in its place.

feems to

more than a mere de. claration.

XIII. However, I cannot conceal that there are If. 53. 11, two places, in which the term pwn juftify may feem the term to denote fomething more than a mere declaration of righteousness, tho' that be also included. The firft denote is, If. 53. 11, by his knowledge shall my righéous fer fomething vant pas pa' justify many. It is indeed true, that our Lord Jefus Chrift is conftituted judge by the father, and confequently empowered to abfolve his Elect, who were given him: but here he is not reprefented as a judge, pronouncing fentence, but as the caufe, which, both by merit and efficacy, brings and gives to his own people, that righteoufnefs, on account of which they may be abfolved at the bar of God: and the unusual conftruction of the word with the article of the dative cafe, calls for our notice. It is therefore the fame, as if the Prophet had

be will make a righteounes יעשה הצדקה לרבים,faid

unto many, that which he himfelf performed as the cause of righteoufnefs, he will communicate to many: and thus dia bis righteousness will redound to many VOL. II.

12

H

and

3,

unto juftification of life, as the Apoftle fpeaks, Rom. 5. 18, which I would have to be compared with this paffage.

Dan. 12. XIV. The other teftimony, I hinted at, is Dan. 12. 3. where the faithful preachers of the Gofpel are faid to be ', justifying many. None doubts, that it belongs to the office of the minifters of the Gofpel, to publish, in the name of God, abfolution from fin to the contrite in heart. But the compafs of their function is much more extenfive, namely, that, by their preaching, example and prayers, they may bring as many, as poffible to fuch a state, as remiffion of fins may be preached, and that with fpecial application unto them, who, by faith and repentance, are reconciled unto God, and are diligent in the practice of holinefs. The miniftry of reconciliation, with which they are entrusted, comprizes all this. They who are diligent in the performance of these things, are faid to justify many, because they stir them up to repentance, which is the beginning of righteoufnefs or holinefs; to faith, whereby they lay hold on the righteousness of Chrift, on account of which they may be pardoned; to the practice of a holy life which when they prove by their works, they may obtain fuller affurance of their juftification by the minifters in the name of God.

God's de

L

XV. We have been the fuller on the fignification of this word juftify, that, at the fame time, we might fhew the force of various reftimonies of Scripture, nothing being more pleafant and ufeful than the ftudy of this. But when treating of juftification, we thall always take that term in the declarative fenfe. Which being obferved once for all, let us now addrefs ourselves to the more diftinct examina tion of the thing itself.

XVI. The declaration of God concerning men claration either regards fome of their particular actions, or concern their whole ftate. The actions of men are confidered, ing men, either in relation to the rule of the divine will, or in

comparison

either their ac

comparison with the actions of others, whether more regards or lefs evil. God pronounces abfolutely on actions, when he declares them either evil, condeming man tions or in them; as Nathan faid to David in the name of their state. God, 2 Sam. 12. 9, thou hast defpifed the commandment

.

of the Lord, to do evil in his fight: or good, justifying a man in them; in which fenfe David, having his eyes intent on the juftice of his caufe against his enemies, prays Pf. 7. 8, judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is Thus God juftified Job, when he declared that he spoke of him the thing which is right. Job 142. 8.

in me.

1

action was

XVII. The example of Phinehas is here very me- How Phimorable, PS, 106. 30, 31, then stood up Phinehas and nehas's executed judgment; and fo the plague was stayed. And imputed that was accounted unto him for righteousness, unto all for rightgenerations for ever more. The fact of Phinehas was eoufness. thus: Zimri, one of the princes of the tribe of Simeon brought into his tent, with an incredible impudence, Cozbi a daughter of the king of Midian, in the fight of the princes of his people, with an intent to polute her and himself with whoredom; while Mofes, with the whole congregation ftood, in tears, at the door of the tabernacle, to deprecate the vengeance of God already broke out. Phinehas, fon of Eleazar, the High Prieft, and himself a prieft, could not bear this -fight; but being inflamed with a mighty zeal, and moved with the indignity of the action, rufhed from amidst the congregation, and taking up a javelin, thrust them both through in the very act of their whoredom.t

20

XVIII. There were many things in this action, Objectwhich, to outward appearance, were faulty. 1ft, ions there. Phinehas was a priest, whom it did not become to to. imbrue his hands in human blood. For, if it brought guilt on a prieft, to be expiated by facrifice, to have touched a dead body, much more to have made a living man a dead carcafe. 2dly, He was

Anfwered.

none of the judges of Ifrael, whom Mofes, at the command of God himself, deputed to punish the guilty, by hanging them up before the Lord. Numb 25. 4, 5. 3dly, He did not obferve the due order or courfe of justice, because he began with the execution. 4thly, The whole feemed to breath an enraged paffion of mind, rather than a zeal, tempered with due lenity. For these reasons, Phinehas might be thought to have been guilty of a horrid murder; and, on that account, to have forfeited the honour of the priesthood.

XIX. But it is plain, it appeared otherwife in the fight of God, who pronounced the action right, commending this zeal of his, and declaring, that he was fo pleased with it, that therefore he averted his great wrath from the children of Ifrael. And Phinebas was fo far from being divefted of the priesthood on that account, that, on the contrary, God adjudged to him and his feed after him a perpetual priesthood, by a covenant of peace that was to laft for ever, Numb. 25. 11, 12, 13. And this is what David fings, it was counted unto him for righteousness, that is, it was judged that he had acted in a due and regular manner, and was therefore more worthy of praife and reward, than of blame and punish

ment.

The jufti- XX. And as this man was juftified in that abfofication of lutely, fo others are juftified in their actions, compafomecom-ratively, or when compared with the actions of others parative which are far worse. In this fenfe it is faid, fer.

3. 11, the backfliding Ifrael bath justified berfelf more than treacherous Judah. That is, by her works hath fhewed herself more righteous and innocent, profeffing according to the fentiments of her heart, and not acting fo hypocritically and deceitfully, as the prevaricating and diffembling Judah, who would appear, as if he was converted to me, while, in the mean time, the profanes my name. In like man

ner,

ner, Ezek. 16. 31, thou hast juftified thy fifters in all thine abominations, which thou hast done. Thou haft behaved in fuch a manner, that, in comparison of thee, they may feem to be innocent.

confiders

XXI. Thus much for the declaration of God con- God cerning the actions of men. On the other hand, his judging of declaration as to their ftate, is of feveral kinds. For, the state, either God confiders them, as they are in themselves, men either according to inherent qualities, either vitious thro' in themcorrupt nature, or boly and laudable thro' reforming felves, or grace; or as they are reputed in Chrift the furety.

in their

furety. XXII. God can neither confider nor declare men Declares to be otherwife than as they really are. For, his men to be judgment is according to truth, Rom. 2. 2, and there- fuch as fore they, who are ftill under the dominion of fin, they are, and walk with delight, according to their depraved lufts, are judged and declared by God to be unregenerate, wicked and flaves of the devil, as they really are; for, by no means does he clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 7; but they who are regenerated by his grace, created anew after his image, and heartily give themfelves up to the practice of fincere holinefs, are by him abfolved from the fin of profanenefs, impiety and hypocrify, and are no longer looked upon as dead in fins, flaves to the devil, children of the world; but as true believers, his own children, reftored to his image, and endowed with his life. It was thus he juftified his fervant Job, declaring, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and efheweth evil, Job. 1. 8.

eousness

XXIII. And this is ftill the cafe of all believers. Such as The devil indeed, who is the accufer of the bre- apply to thren, frequently charges them with hypocrify be. true rightfore God, as if they did not ferve him in fincerity; he proand he not only thus accufes them before God, but nounces he alfo difquiets their confcience, as if all their faith righteous, and piety were only a mafk and outward fhew, by which they have hitherto imposed not only on others,