The foundation of the whole is laid in the first promise ; wherein the destmction of the work of the devil by the suffering of the seed of the woman is proposed as the only relief for sinners, and only means of the recovery of the favour of God. " It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel," Gen. iii. 15. " Abraham be- lieved in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness," Gen. XV. 6. " And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat ; and the goat shall bear upon him all their ini- quities unto a land not inhabited," Lev. xvL 21, 22. " I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD : I mil make mention of thy righteous- ness, even of thine only," Ps. Ixxi. 16. " If thou. Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared," Ps. cxxx. 8, 4. " Enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified," Ps. cxhii. 2. " Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: how much less in them that
28 ON JUSTIFICATION.
dwell in houses of clay, wliose foundation is in the dust?" Job iv. 18, 19. " Fury is not in me: Avho would set the briers and thorns against me in battle ? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me," Isa. xxvii. 4, 5. "Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength : in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory," chap. xlv. 24, 25. " All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the ini- quity of us all. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities," chap. liii. 6, 11. "This is his name whereby he shall be called. The Lord our Righteousness," Jer. xxiii. 6. " But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our risfht- eousnesses are as filthy rags," Isa. Ixiv. 6. " He shall finish the transgression, and make an end of sins, and make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness," Dan. ix. 24. " As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name," John i. 12. " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life," chap. iii. 14, 15. " Be it known unto you, there- fore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses," Acts xiii. 38, 89. " That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me/' chap. xxvi. 18. " Being justified freely by his grace through the re- demption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God ; to declare 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 with- out the deeds of the law," Rom. iii. 24-28. " For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that -worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 29