And, first, it is said of him that he is 6 imti l^ya^o/isi/og, — " who worketh not." It is not required unto his justification that he should not work, that he should not perform any duties of obedience unto God in any kind, which is working ; for every person in the world is always obliged unto all duties of obedience, according to the light and knowledge of the will of God, the means whereof is afforded unto him: but the expression is to be limited by the subject-matter treated of; — he " who worketh not," with respect unto justification ; though not the design of the person, but the nature of the thing is intended. To say, he who worketh not is justified through believing, is to say that his works, whatever they be, have no influence into his justification, nor hath God in justifying of him any respect unto them: wherefore, he alone who worketh not is the subject of justi- fication, the person to be justified ; that is, God considereth no man's works, no man's duties of obedience, in his justification, seeing we are justified hupiav rfi avrov %ap/r/, — *' freely by his grace." And when God affirmeth expressly that he justifieth him who worketh not, and that freely by his grace, I cannot understand what place our works or duties of obedience can have in our justification; for why should we trouble ourselves to invent of what consideration they may be in our justification before God, when he himself affirms that they are of none at all? Neither are the words capable of any
S 1 G ON JUSTIFICATION.
evading interpretation. He tliat worketh not is lie that luorketh not, let men say what tliey please, and distinguish as long as they will : and it is a boldness not to be justified, for any to rise up in opposition unto such express divine testimonies, however they may be harnessed with philosophical notions and arguings; which are but as thorns and briers, which the word of God will pass through and consume.
But the apostle farther adds, in the description of the subject of justification, that God " justifieth the ungodly." This is that expres- sion which hath stirred up so mucli wrath amongst many, and on the account whereof some seem to be much displeased with the apostle himself. If any other person dare but say that God justifieth the un- godly, he is personally reflected on as one that by his doctrine would overthrow the necessity of godliness, holiness, obedience, or good works ; " for what need can there be of any of them, if God justi- fieth the ungodly V Howbeit this is a periphrasis of God, that he is 6 dixaiojv rev affsC^, — " he that justifieth the ungodly." This is his prerogative and property; as such will he be believed in and wor- shipped, which adds weight and emphasis unto the expression; and we must not forego this testimony of the Holy Ghost, let men be as angry as they please.
" But tlie difference is about the meaning of the words." If so, it may be allowed without mutual ofi:ence, though we should mistake their proper sense. Only, it must be granted that God "justifieth the ungodly." "That is," say some, "those who formerly were ungodly, not those who continue ungodly when they are justified." And this is most true. All that are justified were before ungodly; and all that are justified are at the same instant made godly. But the question is, whether they are godly or imgodly antecedently in any moment of time unto their justification? If they are considered as godly, and are so indeed, then the apostle's words are not true, that God justifieth the ungodly; for the contradictory proposition is true, God justifieth none but the godly. For these propositions, God justi- fieth the ungodly, and God justifieth none but the godly, are con- tradictory; for here are expressly Kara<^a6ii and a'x6(f>acig a.vrr/,ii/j,smif which is avTj<paaig.
Wherefore, although in and with the justification of a sinner, he is made godly, — for he is endowed with that faith which purifieth the heart and is a vital principle of all obedience, and the conscience is purged from dead works by the blood of Christ, — yet antecedently unto this justification he is ungodly and considered as ungodly, as one that worketh not, as one whose duties and obedience contribute nothing unto his justification. As he worketh not, all works are ex- cluded from being the " causa per quam ;" and as he is ungodly, from being the " causa sine qua uou" of his justification.
JUSTIFICATION AS DECLARED BY PAUL, 817
The qualification of the subject, or the means on the part of the person to be justified, and whereby he becomes actually so to be, is faith, or believing : " But believeth on him who justifieth the un- godly ;" — that is, it is faith alone. For it is the faith of him who worketh not ; and not only so, but its especial object, God as justifying the ungodly, is exclusive of the concomitancy of any works whatever.
This is faith alone, or it is impossible to express faith alone, with- out the literal use of that word alone. But faith being asserted in opposition unto all works of ours, "unto him that worketh not;" and its especial nature declared in its especial object, God as "justifying the ungodly," — that is, freely by his gTace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ; — no place is left for any works to make the least approach towards our justification before God, under the covert of any distinction whatever. And the nature of justifying faith is here also determined. It is not a mere assent unto divine revelations; it is not such a firm assent unto them as should cause us to yield obedi- ence unto all the precepts of the Scripture, — though these things are included in it; but it is a believing on and trusting unto him that justifieth the ungodly, through the mediation of Christ.