' Dr Owen refers to a treatise written by David Clarkson, his colleague in the charge of his congregation in London, and published in 1676. Clarkson had been tutor to Archbishop Tillotson, and in 1662 had been ejected from Mortlake in Surrey. lie was held in high esteem, and wrote some other works, which are considered able and judicious. His sermons were published in one folio volume, 1696; and his miscellaneous works are contained in one of the volumes issued under the auspices of the Wycliffe Society. He jjreached the funeral sermon on the death of ])r Owen, whom he did not long survive. On the occasion of his death in 1686 Dr Bates preached the funeral sermon, and commended the excel- lence of the deceased in terms of great force and beauty, as one whose " life was a silent repetition of his holy discourses." Howe and Baxter also unite in praising his great learning and singular worth. — Ed.
TESTIMONIES FROM THE EVANGELISTS. 801
transgression ; and if he came to fulfil it for us (all which are declared by himself) ; — then is his righteousness, even [that] which he wrought for us in fulfilling the law, the righteousness wherewith we are justified before God. And whereas here is a twofold righteousness proposed unto us — one in the fulfilling of the law by Christ; the other in our own perfect obedience unto the law, as the sense of it is by him de- clared ; and other middle righteousness between them there is none, — it is left unto the consciences of convinced sinners whether of these they will adhere and trust unto ; and their direction herein is the principal design we ought to have in the declaration of this doctrine.
I shall pass by all those places wherein the foundations of this doc- trine are surely laid, because it is not expressly mentioned in them ; but such they are as, m their proper interpretation, do necessarily infer it. Of this kind are they all wherein the Lord Christ is said to die for us or in our stead, to lay doAvn his life a ransom for us or in our stead, and the like ; but I shall pass them by, because I will not digress at all from the present argument.
But the representation made by our Saviour himself of the way and means whereon and whereby men come to be justified before God, in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, is a guide unto all men who have the same design with them. Luke xviii. 9-14: " And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publi- can. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful unto me, a sinner. I tell you, that this man Avent down unto his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased ; and every one that hum- bleth himself shall be exalted."
That the design of our Saviour herein was to represent the way of our justification before God is evident, — 1. From the description given of the persons whom he reflected on, verse 9. They were such as " trusted in themselves that they were righteous ;" or that they had a personal righteousness of their own before God. 2. From the general rule wherewith he confirms the judgment he had given concerning the persons described : " Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted," verse 1 4. As this is applied unto the Pharisee, and the prayer that is ascribed unto him, it declai'es plainly that every 2)lea of our oivn works, as unto our justification before God, under any consideration, is a self-exal-
802 ON JUSTIFICATION.
tation which God despiseth; and, as applied unto the pubHcan, that a sense of sin is the only preparation on our part for acceptance with him on believing. Wherefore, both the persons are represented as seeking to be justified; for so our Saviour expresseth the issue of their address unto God for that purpose : the one was justified, the other Avas not.
The plea of the Pharisee unto this end consists of two parts: —
1. That he had fulfilled the condition vfheveon he might be justi- fied. He makes no mention of any merit, either of congruity or condignity. Only, whereas there were two parts of God's covenant then with the church, the one with respect unto the moral, the other with respect unto the ceremonial law, he pleads the observation of the condition of it in both parts, which he showeth in instances of both kinds: only he adds the way that he took to farther him in this obedience, somewhat beyond what was enjoined, — namely, that he fasted twice in the week ; for when men begin to seek for righte- ousness and justification by works, they quickly think their best reserve lies in doing something extraordinary, more than other men, and more, indeed, than is required of them. This brought forth all the Pharisaical austerities in the Papacy. Nor can it be said that all this signified nothing, because he was a hypocrite and a boaster; for it will be replied that it should seem all are so who seek for justifi- cation by works; for our Saviour only represents one that doth so. Neither are these things laid in bar against his justification, but only that he " exalted himself" m " trusting unto his own righteousness."