These and the like imaginations arise from tlie unwilHngness of men to admit of the introduction of the mystery of gi'ace into our relation unto God. For suppose us to stand before God on the old constitution of the covenant of creation, which alone natural reason likes and is comprehensive of, and we do acknowledge these things to be inconsistent. But the mystery of the wisdom and grace of God in Christ cannot stand without them both.
So, likewise, God's efficacious grace in the conversion of sinners, and the exercise of the faculties of their minds in a way of duty,
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 53
are asserted as contradictory and inconsistent. And although they seem both to be positively and frequently declared in the Scripture, yet, say these men, their consistency being repugnant to their reason, let the Scripture say what it will, yet is it to be said by us that the Scripture doth not assert one of them. And this is from the same cause ; men cannot, in their wisdom, see it possible that the mystery of God's grace should be introduced into our relation and obedience unto God. Hence have many ages of the church, especially the last of them, been fiUed with endless disputes, in opposition to the grace of God, or to accommodate the conceptions of it unto the interests of corrupted reason.
But there is no instance more pregnant unto this purpose than that under our present consideration. Free justification, through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, is cried out against, as in- consistent with a necessity of personal holiness and obedience : and because the Socinians insist principally on this pretence, it shall be fully and diligently considered apart; and that holiness which, with- out it, they and others deriving from them do pretend unto, shall be tried by the unerring rule.
Wherefore I desire it may be observed, that in pleading for this doctrine, we do it as a principal part of the introduction of grace into our whole relation unto God. Hence we grant, —
1. That it is unsuited, yea foolish, and, as some speak, childish, unto the principles of unenlightened and unsanctified reason or un- derstandings of men. And this we conceive to be the principal cause of all the oppositions that are made unto it, and all the depravations of it that the church is pestered withal. Hence are the wits of men so fertile in sophistical cavils against it, so ready to load it with seem- ing absurdities, and I know not what unsuitableness unto their wondrous rational conceptions. And no objection can be made against it, be it never so trivial, but it is highly applauded by those who look on that introduction of the mystery of grace, which is above their natural conceptions, as unintelligible folly.
2. That the necessary relation of these things, one unto the other, — namely, of justification by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, and the necessity of our personal obedience, — will not be clearly understood, nor duly improved, but by and in the exercise of the wisdom of faith. This we grant also ; and let who will make what advantage they can of this concession. True faith hath that spiritual light in it, or accompanying of it, as that it is able to receive it, and to conduct the soul unto obedience by it. Wherefore, reserving the particular consideration hereof unto its proper place, I say, in gene- ral,—
(1.) That this relation is evident unto that spiritual wisdom
54 ON JUSTIFICATION.
whereby we are enabled, doctrinally and practically, to comprehend the harmony of the mystery of God, and the consistency of all the parts of it, one with another.
(2.) That it is made evident by the Scripture, Avherein both these things — -justification through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, and the necessity of our personal obedience — are plainly as- serted and declared. And we defy that rule of the Socinians, that seeing these things are inconsistent in their apprehension or unto their reason, therefore we must say that one of them is not taught in the Scripture: for whatever it may appear unto their reason, it doth not so to ours; and we have at least as good reason to trust unto our own reason as unto theirs. Yet we absolutely acquiesce in neither, but in the authority of God in the Scripture; rejoicing only in this, that we can set our seal unto his revelations by our own ex- perience. For, —
(3.) It is fully evident in the gracious cond*uct which the minds of them that believe are under, even that of the Spirit of truth and grace, and the inclinations of that new principle of the divine life whereby they are acted; for although, from the remainders of sin and darkness that are in them, temptations may arise unto a con- tinuation in sin because grace hath abounded, yet are their minds so formed and framed by the doctrine of this grace, and the grace of this doctrine, that the abounding of grace herein is the prin- cipal motive unto their abounding in holiness, as we shall see after- ward.
And this we aver to be the spring of all those objections which the adversaries of this doctrine do continually endeavour to entangle it withal. As, — 1. If the passive righteousness (as it is commonly called), that is, his death and suffering, be imputed unto us, there is no need, nor can it be, that his active righteousness, or the obedience of his life, should be imputed unto us ; and so on the contrary : for both to- gether are inconsistent. 2. That if all sin be pardoned, there is no need of the righteousness ; and so on the contrary, if the righteous- ness of Christ be imputed unto us, there is no room for, or need of, the pardon of sin. 3. If we believe the pardon of our sins, then are our sins pardoned before we believe, or we are bound to believe that which is not so. 4. If the righteousness of Christ be imputed unto us, then are we esteemed to have done and suffered what, indeed, we never did nor suffered ; and it is true, that if we are esteemed our- selves to have done it, imputation is overthrown. 5. If Christ's right- eousness be imputed unto us, then are we as righteous as was Christ himself 6. If our sins were imputed unto Christ, then was he thought to have sinned, and was a sinner subjectively. 7. If good works be excluded from any interest in our justification before God,