fo fhould fetch all its vertue from the ob- | fhould think this tolerable, yet if we conject, which is truth) but any other thing; fider how these words are brought in by and fo a dogmatical and historical faith, the apoftle, as a limitation of that gene fhould be the faith that juftifieth; and foral affertion, But unto us also, unto whom devils, and all who have this faith, fhould it shall be imputed; least all that bear of be justified; whereas the faith which the this, fhould challenge an intereft in this apostle fpeaks of here, is that which looks imputation, he addeth, It is only to fuch to Chrift crucified, and is called faith in as believe, for fo runeth the words in the his blood, Rom. iii. 25. 8thly, Then Chrift's original. Now, if the apoftle meant, that righteoufnefs fhould not be imputed unto it is faith properly taken which is here imus, nor we faid to be cloathed therewith; puted, what need were there of this limitafor this faith fhall be all our covering, and tion? Could the apoflle imagine, that any having it, we fhall be accounted perfectly would think that faith fhould be imputed righteous before God: but the apostle, in to them that never had faith? and for this this bufinefs of juftification, takes faith in caufe fhould fay, that faith is only imputed fuch a fenfe, as doth no way juftle with the to fuch as have faith. So that the thing imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, but as which is faid to be imputed here to righterather neceffarily prefuppofeth the fame, oufnefs, must be fome other thing than faith. as being only founded thereupon; fo, verfe 5. And fo taking righteoufnefs only for 11. he fays, that righteousness might be Chrift's righteoufnefs, we fay, it is that imputed, which is the righteoufnefs of an-which is imputed and made over to beother. lievers; and therefore faith, must be taken as connotating its object, where it is faid to be imputed; and fo the meaning fhall be, Chrift's merits, laid hold on by faith, is imputed to believers as theirs, and ouly imputed to them; and faith is the way how this righteoufnefs of Chrift's becometh theirs. This will be further clear, if we confider how this promife, which Abraham is faid to have believed, was a promife, for fubftance, of fpiritual things. The promife that he food be the heir of the world, and that he should become the father of many nations, in the letter, were carnal; yet, for fubftance and fignification, they were 4. We fay, faith is not faid here to be imputed for righteoufnefs, as if it were our evangelical righteoufnefs; that is to fay, that all that which the apostle meaneth hereby, is only, that faith is the condition of the new covenant, and of juftification. I grant, that by faith we are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, and fo are juftified; yet I fay, in thefe words, faith imputed for, or unto righteufnefs, righteoufnefs must be taken for Chrit's righteoufnefs, and not for our gospel righteousness, (as fome are pleafed to ftile faith, or the condition of the new Covenant, as diftinct from Chrift's righteoufnefs, which they call our legal righ-fpiritual, Heb. vi. 12. 13. 14. 15. and did teoufnefs) for the reafons mentioned in not concern hinfelf alone, but all believers, the expofition of verfes 3. 4. And, more- who are therefore, Heb. vi. 17. called, the over, because it is added afterward, to heirs of promife: and for their fakes no whom it all be imputed: What fhall be lefs, if not more, than for Abraham's, it imputed? even the righteoufnefs here men- was, that the promife was confirmed by oath, tioned. Now, this cannot be faith, be- even to fhew unto the heirs of promise the cause it is added, if we believe, or, to fuch immutability of his counfet; and that we as believe; and how incongruous a fpeech might have trong conflation, who have fled were it to fay, Faith fhall be imputed to for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet be us if we have faith: and though fomefore us, verfes 17. 18. So then feeing these were spiritual promises, and of common concernment to all the feed; Christ, in whom all the promises are yea, and amen, must be looked to in them; they must all fpeak of him, he being the kirnel of them all and fo Abraham believed God, holding forth Chrift in thefe promifes, and leaned upon them, or Chrift in them, and therefore it was accounted to him for righteoufnefs; that is, Chrift, or his merits, refted on, was imputed to him as his rightcoufnefs. All that can be obferved on this verfe, hath been obferved on verfes 3. 5. II. and needeth not to be here repeated. VERSES 23. 24. 25. Now it was not written for his fake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us aljo, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jefus our Lord from the dead, Who was delivered for our offences, and was raifed again for our juftification. there is more use of this truth, It was not written for his fake alone, 3. but for us aljo to whom it fall be imputed. This imputation of righteoufnels was not peculiar to Abraham, but imputation of righteousness is a benefit that fhall have place in the church through all ages, even unto the end; it fhall ftill be a-doing, for the words may be read thus, To whom it shall come to pass that it fall be imputed. 4. Yet left any fhould lay claim to this righteoufnefs, and expect to have it imputed to them without ground, he addeth a limitation, and fheweth who these are unto whom it fhall be imputed, viz. fuch as believe on him that raised up Chrift. And fo, 5. he points out the object of this juftifying faith to be Chrift, dying and rifing again for us, according to the appointment and good-will of the Father; who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our juftification. And, 6. he fo fets forth this object, as that our faith may be seen not to be of another nature than that faith of Abraham's; he believed in IN end, the apoftle is applying his whole God who raifeth the dead, and we believe difcourfe about Abraham, unto the prefent purpose, and brings it in as anIwering an objection: they might fay, It fpeaks little to the point, to bring in Abraham's inftance, for he was a man of a strong faith, and fo though righteousnefs was imputed to him, who was fuch an eminent believer, yet it may be, it shall not be imputed unto us, whose faith is no way fo ftrong: And, might they fay, Abraham's faith was of another nature than ours; he had fome fpecial promises made to him, and his faith firmly acted on them; now we have not the like, and cannot act faith upon the like; and fo his example will be of no ufe to us. To this he anfwereth by these particulars: 1. It is true, this truth was fet down in fcripture, to fhew, how acceptable Abraham's faith was to God, and how his faith was imputed unto righteoufnefs; and fo it was for his confolation and hope; But 2. that is not all, on God who raifed up Jefus our Lord from the dead. So that here, in few words, we have the fum of the gospel: Chrift as our Cautioner and Mediator set forth, 1st, in his humiliation, he was dead; a chief part is put for the whole. 2dly, In his exaltation, he was raised; a part alfo is put for the whole. 3dly, In the chief and principal of all this, God, who both delivered him, and raised him. 4thly, The procuring caufe, it is for our offences, or great and grievous tranfgreffions; and the final caufe, and fo he died that they might be removed. And, 5thly, The end, for our juftification; that we might be abfolved from the fentence of the law, and the curfe of God, which was hanging above our heads: Or, he died to expiate our fins and rose that we might be made righte ous; not that either of those can be fevered from the other, nor as if his death did contribute nothing to our juftification, and hi his refurrection did contribute nothing to the expiation and pardon of our fins; for we find that fometimes our whole redemption is attributed to his death, as Rom. iii. 24. and v. 10. and fometimes to his refurrection, Rom. x. 9. fo that the apoftle doth not feparate or divide these two ftates of his, as Mediator, but only differenceth them by their proper nearest ends; expiation of fin being the neareft end of his death, and imputation of righteoufnefs the nearest end of his refurrection; and fo heweth, that as we needed both thefe effects, fo he not only died, but became victor; and fo procured our pardon and righteoufnefs, and by his refurrection fhewed forth that death was overcome, for the fting of death is fin, and this fting he hath removed, and by his refurrection applieth the redemption purchased. OBSERVATIONS. III. Whatever special favour or benefit, abfolutely neceffary, we find bestowed upabfolutely neceffary, we find bestowed up on believers, in fcripture, upon whatfoever particular occafion we find it mentioned, tho' upon an occafion whereof we shall poffibly never have the like; yet may we expect the fame who have fled in to Chrift; for albeit we find it faid, that righteousness was imputed to Abraham upon a fpecial occafion, yet may believers in all ages expect that it shall be imputed to them alfo. IV. The imputation of righteoufaefs fhall be a benefit which fhall have place in the church in all ages, and a benefit which every believer in all time coming may expect, and must have; feeing there is but one door, even Chrift, who is the way, the truth, and the life, John xiv. 6. for it all be imputed to us alfo. V. As it is the fame righteousness wherewith believers, firft and laft, are cloathed; fo this robe is one and the fame way put on, and is imputed upon the fame terms unto all to whom it is imputed, viz. upon the condition of faith: for it shall be imputed to us alfo, if we believe. 1. Howbeit upon particular emergent occafions, fcripture was commited to write; yet therein may we fee the goodness and wifdom of God, confulting our eftablishment and comfort, against our fpiritual enemies, in that his mind was fo commited to write, not for that age only, but also for his church in all ages to come, to whom it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and inftruction, 2 Tim. iii. 16. fee 2 Pet. i. 19. Rom. xv. 4. fo he fays, it was not written for his fake alone,----buting to thefe exigences; yet for substance for us allo. VI. The faith by which we are juftified, and have righteoufnefs imputed to us, however it may vent differently in divers perfons, upon diverfe occafions, and as fetching in fomething anfwerable to their particular cafes and exigences from the Lord, and fo be diverfly exercised accord it is one and the fame in all juftified perII. Albeit the condition of the church, fons; for Abraham was justified by faith, at the time when the Lord's word was and fo are we; tho' his faith, as to partiwritten unto them, and the cafe of particular promises, answering his particular cular perfons, upon occafion whereof we cafe, did otherways vent itfelf than our find it written, doth not agree to our cafe, faith doth; fo as it was imputed to him in every particular circumftance; yet the who believed, fo is it to us, if we believe. ftraits and neceflities, and fpiritual condition of the church in all ages, being for fubftance the fame, the word written will be ufeful and edifying to us; for that which was written of Abraham, whofe cafe in fome refpect was fingular, was written alfo for us. See again, Ron. xv. 4. VII. That faith whereby we are justified, doth, in all ages, look out to, and reft upon a Meffiah fatisfying juftice, and acquiring a righteoufnefs, according to the will and appointment of God; and fo it carrieth a man quite out of himself, and to look for acceptance in and through an X 2 other: other: it fhall be imputed to us, if we believe in him who raised up Chrift, &c. otherways not. tion in their behalf: therefore fays he, if we believe on him that raifed up Chrift. VIII. Faith will be accepted as that upon which righteoufnefs will be imputed, if it look out fincerely and honeftly to Chrift, and reft on him, dying and rifing again, tho' it be not fo ftrong as was in Abraham tho' we cannot win to a plerophory and full perfuafion, yet if we receive and reft on a crucified Cautioner heartily and fincerely, righteoufnefs fall be imputed; faith as fincere, and not as faith in fuch a meafure and degree, is the condition therefore fays the apostle, it Shall be imputed to us aljo, if we believe on him that raifed up Chrift, tho' we cannot win to fuch a degree as Abraham wan to, yet it fhall be imputed to us aljo. : IX. True and faving faith muft look out to Chrift, not only as dying and laying down the price of our redemption, but as rifing again, and fo as fully fatis fying juftice; and thus the weakest faith believeth that God quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things that be not as though they were, as Abraham did, if we believe on him that raised up Chrift from the dead. X. True and faving faith, as it carrieth a man quite out of himself for righteoufnefs and falvation; fo it makes the foul reft upon God's noble device of fending his Son to die, and to roll itself upon him who is fent, as all-fufficient, and to confide on him, and on God through him: If we believe on him that raifed up Chrift from the dead. XI. That our faith may be established on fure grounds, and keeped from staggering, we fhould look on God as having a chief hand in this gofpel-contrivance, as fending his Son to die, and raifing him up again; then fhall we not question the Lord's willingness to accept of any that clofe with this foul-faving defign, nor quetion his accepting of Christ's media From Verfe 25th OBSERVE, I. Man having tranfgreffed the covenant, and fo having fallen from his bleffed eftate of integrity in which he was created, is unable to recover himfelf, but there is a neceflity of another to make fatisfaction, and man being unable to feek out fuch an one who might redeem him, the only gracious God, for the glory of his great name, hath fallen upon the device which man nor angel could never have invented, and therefore has fent his only Son; therefore fays he, who was delivered. II. Tho' God neither is nor can be the author of fin, being holiness itself; yet hath he decreed from all eternity, that fin fhall exift in the world thro' his permiflion, and in due time doth he, thro' his actual providence, bring this about; and in particular, he hath foreordained that Chrift his only Son fhould fuffer at the hands of wicked men, and fhould be killed by them, and accordingly in his appointed time, by his over-ruling providence, did bring it about; thus Chrift is faid to be delivered, both from eternity and in time, who was delivered. See Acts ii. 23. and iv. 28. III. There being a neceffity that justice fhould be fatisfied because of our guilt, by reafon of the decree, therefore we fhould look on our iniquities as that for which Chrift laid down his life, and as that which nothing would expiate, except the death of Chrift; for he was delivered for our offences. IV. Chrift by his death did fully fatisfy juftice for our tranfgreffions, and his death was a fufficient price in God's account for all our iniquities; for he was delivered for our tranfgreffions. See Ifa. liii. 5. 1 Pet. Hi. 18. finitely, and fo for all the fins of his own people. VI. Chrift did lay down his life properly, not that God, notwithstanding of his juftice, might deal with finners upon new covenant terms; but to make fatisfaction for our tranfgreffions, who in time believe in him: be was delivered for our tranfgreffions. 1 out of prifon, 1 Cor. xv. 7. and that he might apply the purchased redemption unto us in his own time and manner: he was raifed for our juftification. See Rom. xiv. 9. IX. Chrift Jefus, in all he did and fuffered, both in his eftate of humiliation and exaltation, was confulting our good, and acted all, not for himself, but for us; fo as he was wholly ours, and for us: he was delivered for our offences, and raised for our justification. VII. As Chrift did really die, and lay down his life a ranfom for fin; fo, having made complete fatisfaction to juftice, he rofe again really: he was raised again X. As this plot of the redemption of VIII. Tho' Chrift by his death and o- loft man was only the device of the only ther fufferings, which did precede his wife God, who is rich in wisdom and death, did make a full and complete fatis- goodnefs; fo his hand is eminently to be faction unto the Father, for all the fins of feen in every piece of the work, and should his own; yet there was a neceffity of his be acknowledged accordingly, that we may rifing again, not only because it was im- conceive aright of him in the matter, and poffible for him to corrupt in the grave, read his love which no less shineth forth, Palm xvi. 10. Acts ii. 31. and xiii. 34. than the love of his Son: for it is faid, he but alfo for our caufe, that thereby it was delivered for our iniquities, and raised might be declared, that he had fully fatis-again for our juflification, viz. by him on fied justice in our behalf, and was now fent whom we are to believe, that is God. 2222222222222222222 IN CHAPTER V. N this chapter, the apoftle further [VERSE 1. Therefore being justified by cleareth the doctrine of juftification faith, we have peace with God, through by faith, and thereby confirmeth it- our Lord Jefus Chrift. the more. He cleareth it, 1. by holding forth feveral fruits and effects of juftificati-thefis, which he hath been confirmHE apoftle here firft fets down the on by faith, to verfe 12.: And 2. by comparing Chrift with Adam, he further illuftrateth the matter, and fheweth how all believers partake of Chrift's righteoufnefs, and of life thereby, no lefs, yea much more than we did all partake of fin and death thro' Adam's tranfgreffion, to the end of the chapter. In this first point, he 1. enumerates these fruits; and 2. confirmeth them from their grounds. ing hitherto, faying, Therefore being juftified by faith; (and thus muft we read it, and not by puting a diftinction after juftified, as fome, who maintain juftification, from eternity, would have us doing, without any cogent reason,) and then fets down one of the fruits and effects of juftification, faying, we have peace with God; that is, being now juflified thro' faith: that vari ance which fin occafioned betwixt God and man, |