2. He considers the Jeius, who enjoyed the written law, and the privileges wherewith it was accompanied, especially that of circum- cision, which was the outward seal of God's covenant : and on many considerations, with many ai'guments, he excludes them also from any possibility of attaining justification before God, by any of the privileges they enjoyed, or their own compliance therewithal, chap. ii. And both sorts he excludes distinctly from this privilege of right- eousness before God, with this one argument, that both of them sinned openly against that which they took for the rule of their righteous- ness,— namely, the Gentiles against the light of nature, and the Jews
26 ON JUSTIFICATION.
against the law; whence it inevitably follows, that none of them could attain unto the righteousness of their own rule. But he proceeds farther, unto that which is common to them all; and, —
3. He proves the same against all sorts of persons, whether Jews or Gentiles, from the consideration of the universal depravation of nature in them all, and the horrible effects that necessarily ensue thereon in the hearts and lives of men, chap. iii. ; so evidencing that as they all were, so it could not fall out but that all must be shut up under sin, and come short of righteousness. So, from persons he proceeds to things, or means of righteousness. And, —
4. Because the law was given of God immediately, as the whole and only rule of our obedience unto him, and the works of the law are therefore all that is required of us, these may be pleaded with some pretence, as those whereby we may be justified. "Wherefore, in particular, he considers the nature, use, and end of the law, manifest- ing its utter insufficiency to be a means of our justification before God, chap. iii. 19, 20.
5. It may be yet objected, that the laiu and its works may be thus insufficient, as it is obeyed by unbelievers in the state of nature, with- out the aids of grace administered in the promise; but with respect unto them who are regenerate and do believe, whose faith and works are accepted with God, it may be otherwise. To obviate this objec- tion, he giveth an instance in two of the most eminent believers under the Old Testament, — namely, Abraham and David, declaring that all works whatever were excluded in and from their justification, chap. iv.
On these principles, and by this gradation, he peremptorily con- cludes that all and every one of the sons of men, as unto any thing that is in themselves, or can be done by them, or be wrought in them, are guilty before God, obnoxious unto death, shut up under sin, and have their mouths so stopped as to be deprived of all pleas in their own excuse; that they had no righteousness wherewith to appear before God ; and that all the ways and means whence they expected it were insufficient unto that purpose.
Hereon he proceeds with his inquiry, how men may be delivered from this condition, and come to be justified in the sight of God. And in the resolution hereof he makes no mention of any thing in themselves, but only faith, whereby we receive the atonement. That whereby we are justified, he saith, is " the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Christ Jesus;" or, that we are justified " freely by grace through the redemption that is in him," chap. iii. 22-24. And not content here with this answer unto the inquiry how lost con- vinced sinners may come to be justified before God, — namely, that it is by the " righteousness of God, revealed from faith to faith, by
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 2 1
grace, by the blood of Christ," as he is set forth for a propitiation, — he immediately proceeds unto a positive exclusion of every thing in and of ourselves that might pretend unto an interest herein, as that which is inconsistent with the righteousness of God as revealed in the gospel, and witnessed unto by the law and the prophets. How contrary their scheme of divinity is unto this design of the apostle, and his manage- ment of it, who affirm, that before the law, men were justified by obe- dience unto the light of nature, and some particular revelations made unto them in things of their own especial private concernment ; and that after the giving of the law, they were so by obedience unto God according to the directions thereof ! as also, that the heathen might obtain the same benefit in compliance with the dictates of reason, — cannot be contradicted by any who have not a mind to be contentious.
Answerable unto this declaration of the mind of the Holy Ghost herein by the apostle, is the constant tenor of the Scripture speaking to the same purpose. The grace of God, the promise of mercy, the free 'pardon of sin, the blood of Christ, his obedience, and the right- eousness of God in him, rested in and received by faith, are every- where asserted as the causes and means of our justification, in oppo- sition unto any thing in ourselves, so expressed as it useth to express the best of our obedience, and the utmost of our personal righteous- ness. Wherever mention is made of the duties, obedience, and personal righteousness of the best of men, with respect unto their justification, they are all renounced by them, and they betake them- selves unto sovereign grace and mercy alone. Some places to this purpose may be recounted.