ROMANS iv. 5.
_To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righteousness._
1. HOW a sinner may be justified before God, the Lord and judge of all, is a question of no common importance, to every child of man. It contains the foundation of all our hope; in as much as while we are at enmity with God, there can be no true peace, no solid joy, either in time or in eternity. What peace can there be, while our own heart condemns us? And much more, he that _is greater than our heart and knoweth all things_? What solid joy, either in this world or that to come, while _the wrath of God abideth on us_?
2. And yet how little hath this important question been understood? What confused notions have many had concerning it? Indeed not only confused, but often utterly false; contrary to the truth, as light to darkness: notions absolutely inconsistent with the oracles of God, and with the whole analogy of faith. And hence, erring concerning the very foundation, they could not possibly build thereon: at least, not _gold, silver, or precious stones_, which would endure when _tried_ as _by fire_; but only _hay and stubble_, neither acceptable to God, nor profitable to man.
3. In order to do justice, as far as in me lies, to the vast importance of the subject, to save those that seek the truth in sincerity, from _vain jangling and strife of words_, to clear the confusedness of thought, into which so many have already been led thereby, and to give them true and just conceptions of this great mystery of godliness, I shall endeavour to shew,
_First_, What is the general ground of this whole doctrine of justification.
_Secondly_, What justification is.
_Thirdly_, Who they are that are justified. And,
_Fourthly_, On what terms they are justified.
I. I am, first, to shew, What is the general ground of this whole doctrine of justification.
1. In the image of God was man made, holy as he that created him is holy; merciful as the Author of all is merciful, perfect as his Father in heaven is perfect. As God is love, so man dwelling in love, dwelt in God, and God in him. God made him to be _an image of his own eternity_, an incorruptible picture of the God of glory. He was accordingly pure, as God is pure, from every spot of sin. He knew not evil in any kind or degree, but was inwardly and outwardly sinless and undefiled. He _loved the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his mind and soul and strength_.
2. To man thus upright and perfect, God gave a perfect law, to which he required full and perfect obedience. He required full obedience in every point, and this to be performed without any intermission, from the moment man became a living soul, till the time of his trial should be ended. No allowance was made for any falling short. As indeed there was no need of any; man being altogether equal to the task assigned, and thoroughly furnished for every good word and work.
3. To the entire law of love which was written in his heart (against which perhaps he could not sin directly) it seemed good to the sovereign wisdom of God, to superadd one positive law: _Thou shalt not eat of the fruit of the tree that groweth in the midst of the garden_: annexing that penalty thereto, _In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die_.
4. Such then was the state of man in paradise. By the free, unmerited love of God, he was holy and happy; he knew, loved, enjoyed God, which is (in substance) life everlasting. And in this life of love, he was to continue for ever, if he continued to obey God in all things: but if he disobeyed him in any, he was to forfeit all. _In that day_, said God, _thou shalt surely die_.
5. Man did disobey God. He _ate of the tree, of which God commanded him, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it_. And in that day he was condemn’d, by the righteous judgment of God. Then also the sentence whereof he was warned before, began to take place upon him. For the moment he tasted that fruit, he died: his soul died, was separated from God; separate from whom the soul has no more life, than the body has when separate from the soul. His body likewise became corruptible and mortal; so that death then took hold on this also. And being already dead in spirit, dead to God, dead in sin, he hastened on to death everlasting; to the destruction both of body and soul, in the fire never to be quenched.
6. Thus _by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men_, as being contained in him who was the common father and representative of us all. Thus _through the offence of one_, all are dead, dead to God, dead in sin, dwelling in a corruptible, mortal body, shortly to be dissolved, and under the sentence of death eternal. For as _by one man’s disobedience, all were made sinners_; so by that offence of one, _judgment came upon all men to condemnation_, Rom. v. 12, _&c._