forth, for pardon of fino, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the fight of God for salvation". Q. 73. How doth faith justify a finner in the Jight of God? A. Faith juftifies a finner in the fight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it; nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification'; but only as it is an inftrument, by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteoufnefs'. Q. 74. What is adoption? A. Adoption is an act of the free grace of God', in and for his only Son Jesus Christ', o Acts 1o. 43. To him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name whofoever believeth in him fhall receive remiffion of fins. Acts 16. 31. John 1. 12. p Phil. 3. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufness which is of God by faith. Acts 15. 11. But we believe, that through the grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, we fhall be faved even as they. q Gal. 3. 11. But that no man is juftified by the law in the fight of God, it is evident: for, The juft fhall live by faith. Rom. 3. 28. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children", have his name put upon them*, the Spirit of his Son given to them', are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the fons of God, made heirs of all the promifes, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory3. Q75. What is sanctification? A. Sanctification is a work of God's grace, whereby they, whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chofen to be holy, are, in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit", applying the death and refurrection of Chrift unto 4,54 But when the fulness of time was come, God fent 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 fons. w John 1. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fous of God. x Rev. 3. 12. And I will write upon him my new name. 2 Cor. 6. 18. y Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are fons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 2 Pfa. 103. 13. Like as a father pitieth his children, fo the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Prov. 14. 26. In the fear of the Lord is ftrong confidence: and his children fhall have a place of refuge. Mat. 6. 32.-For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. a Rom. 8. 17. And if chil dren, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift: If fo be that we fuffer with him, that we may be alfo glorified together. Heb. 6. 12, b Eph. 1. 4. According as he hath chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we fhould be holy and without blame before him in love: I Cor. 6, II. And fuch were fome of you: but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juflified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. 2 Theff. 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, becaufe God hath from the beginning T them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God; having the feeds of repentance unto life, and all other faving graces, put into their hearts, and thofe graces fo ftirred up, encreased and ftrengthened, as that they more and more die unto fin, and rife unto newness of life. Q. 76. What is repentance unto life? chofen you to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth c Rom. 6. 4, 5, 6. Therefore we are buried with him by baptifm into death, that like as Chrift was raifed up from the dead, by the glory of the Father; even fo we alfo fhould walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likenefs of his death: we fhall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection: &c. Phil, 3. 10. d Eph. 4. 23, 24. And be renewed in the fpirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufncfs, and true holinefs. e Ads II. 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God faying, Then hath God alfo to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. 1 John 3. 9. Whofoever is born of God doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him; and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. f Jude 20. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghoft Eph. 3. 16, 17, 18. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be firengthened with might, by his Spirit in the inner man: that Chrift may dwell in your hearts by faith: that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all faints, &c. Col. 1. 10, 11. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleafing, being fruitful in every good work, and increafing in the knowledge of God; ftrengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-fuffering with joyfulness. g Rom. 6. 4, 6, 14. Even fo we alfo fhould walk in newnefs of life. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of fin might be deftroyed, that hence forth we fhould not ferve fin. For fin fhall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace. A. Repentance unto life is a faving grace", wrought in the heart of a finner by the Spirit' and word of God, whereby out of the fight and fenfe, not only of the danger', but alfo of the filthinefs and odioufnefs of his fins", and upon the apprehenfion of God's mercy in Chrift, to such as are penitent", he fo grieves for", and hates his fins", as h 2 Tim. 2. 25. If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. i Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon the houfe of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the Spirit of grace and of fupplication; and they fhall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they fhall mourn for him. k Acts 11. 18, 20, 21. And fome of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who when they were come to Antioch, fpake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jefus. And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Pfalm 19. 7. to the 14th verfe 2.37. Acts i Ezek. 18. 28, 30, 32. Repent, and turn yourfelves from all your tranfgreffions; fo iniquity fhall not be your ruin. Turn, and live ye. Luke 15. 17, 18. m Ezek. 36. 31. Then fhall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourfelves in your own fight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Ezek. 16. 61, 63, Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be afhamed. That thou mayeft remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more becaule of thy fhame, Ifa. 30. 22. n Pfal. 130. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. If thou, Lord, fhouldest mark iniquities; O Lord who fhall ftand? But there is forgive. nefs with thee, that thou mayeft be feared. Joel 2. 12, 13. Rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Zec. 12. 10. o Jer. 31. 18, 19. I have furely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou haft chaftifed me, and I was chaftifed, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I fhall be turned; for How many hired fervants of my father's have bread enough, and to fpare, and I perish with hunger! Hof. 2. 6, 7. that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavouring conftantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience". Q. 77. Wherein do juftification and sanctification differ? A. Although fanctification be infeparably joined with juftification', yet they differ, in that God, in justification, imputeth the righteousness of Chrift'; in fanctification his Spirit infuseth thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, i repented; and after that I was inftructed, I fmote upon my thigh; I was afhamed, yea, even confounded, becaufe I did bear the reproach of my youth. p 2 Cor. 7. 11. For behold, this felf fame thing that ye forrowed after a godly fort, what carefultiefs it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourfelves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement defire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! q Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Ezck. 14. 6. Repent, and turn yourfelves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations 1 Kings 8. 47, 48. If they fhall bethink themfelves-and fo return unto thee with all their heart and with all their foul. 1 Sam. 7. 3. I r Pfal. 119. 59. 128. thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy teftimonies. Therefore I efteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way. Luke 1. 6. f 1 Cor. 6. 11. And fuch were fome of you but ye are wafhed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juftified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. I Cor. 1. 30. But of him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and redemption. t Rom. 4. 6, 8 Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffednefs of the man unto whom God imputeth righteoufne fs without works. Bleffed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 3. 24. |