VIII. grounds of contention; and it might fuffice to un-S ER M, derstand the points of doctrine which it relateth to in other terms, laying that afide as ambiguous and litigious. Yet because the understanding the righteft, or moft probable notion of the word, may fomewhat conduce to the interpretation of the Scriptures, and to clearing the matters couched in it, fomewhat alfo to the fatisfaction of perfons confiderate and peaceable, I shall employ fome care faithfully (without partiality to any fide) to fearch it out, and declare it in order whereto I fhall propound fome obfervations, seeming material. I. Whereas it were not hard to speak much, and criticise about the primitive sense of the word, and about its various acceptions both in holy Scripture and other writings, I do queftion whether doing that would be pertinent or conducible to our purpose of understanding its right notion here: for knowing the primitive sense of words can feldom or never deter- Verba valent mine their meaning any where, they often in common use declining from it; and the knowing variety of acceptions doth at most yield only the advantage of choofing one fuitable to the fubjacent matter and occafion. We are not therefore to learn the sense of this word from mere Grammarians. ut nummi. ἀντὶ τῇ δί II. The sense of this word is not to be searched in extraneous writers; both because no matter like that we treat upon did ever come into their use or confideration, and because they do feldom or never ufe the word in a fenfe any-wife congruous to this matter: in them moft commonly the word δικαιέω Ἐδικαίωσαν, doth fignify (as the like word aw) to deem a thing ev xovav. juft, equal, or fit, (or fimply to deem about a thing.) Balf, in Syn. Sometimes alfo, yet not often as I take it, being ap- Can. 1. plied to an action, or caufe, it importeth to make it appear lawful, or juft, as when we ordinarily fay, to justify what one faith or doth, (whence dixaiw in Ariftotle is an argument proving the juftice of a cause, firmamentum caufa ;) but in them very feldom Chalced. SÉR M. or never it is applied to perfons; and an example, VIII. I conceive, can hardly be produced, wherein it is fo used. III. In the facred Writings at large it is commonly applied to perfons, and that according to various fenfes, fome more wide and general, fome more restrained and particular. It there fometimes denoteth generally to exercife any judicial act upon, in regard unto, or in behalf of a perfon; to do him right, or justice, in declaring the merit of his cause, or pronouncing fentence about him; in acquitting or condemning him for any caufe, in obliging him to, or exempting him from any burthen, in difpenfing to him any reward or punishment, indifferently: thus Abfalom said, O that I were made a judge in the land, that every man, which hath any fuit or caufe, might come unto me, tym, xai dixaiwow avTov, and I would juftify him, that is, I would do him right and in the 82d Pfalm, this charge is given Pfal. lxxxii. to the princes, or judges; Defend the poor and fatherless,, dixanoate, juftify the poor and needy; that is, do right and juftice to them. 2 Sam. xv. 3. Deut. xxv. 1. : But more particularly the word fignifieth (and that according to the most usual and current acception) fo to do a man right, as to pronounce fentence in his favour, as to acquit him from guilt, to excuse him from burthen, to free him from punishment; whence we most often meet with the word placed in direct oppofition to that of condemnation: as in that law, If there be a controverfy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them, then they fhall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked: and in Solomon's prayer, Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy fervants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head, and juftifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness: Prov. xvii. and in the Proverbs, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juft, even both are an abomination unto the Lord: and, in the Gospel, our Saviour faith, 1 Kings viii. 32. 2 Chr. vi. 23. 15. By By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words SE RM. thou shalt be condemned. VIII. Matt. xii xliii. 9.) Luke x. 29. In confequence upon this fenfe, and with a little deflection from it, to juftify a perfon fometime de- 37. noteth to approve him, or efteem him juft, a mental judgment, as it were, being paffed upon him; fo Widom is faid to be justified, that is, approved, by her Matt. xi. children: fo in the Gofpel fome perfons are faid to 19 juftify themselves, that is, to conceit themselves right- xvi. 15. eous: and the Publican went home juftified rather than Luke xviii. the Pharifee, that is, more approved and accepted by 14 God: fo alfo it is faid, that All the people and the Luke vii. publicans juftified God, being baptized with John's bap-29. tifm; they justified God, that is, they declared their approbation of God's proceeding, in the miffion of John. In like manner, Juftification is taken for exemption from burthens; as where in the Acts St. Paul faith, And from all things, from which by the law of Acts xiii. Mofes ye could not be juftified, in this is every one that 39. believeth juftified. It may also fometimes be taken for deliverance from punishment; as where in the Law God faith, The innocent and righteous flay thou not; for I will not Exod. xxiii. juftify the wicked; that is, not let him escape without " impunity; according to that in the Proverbs, Though hand join in hand, the wicked fhall not go unpunished. IV. We may obferve, that (as every man hath fome phrases and particular forms of speech, in which he delighteth, fo) this term is fomewhat peculiar to St. Paul, and hardly by the other Apostles applied to that matter, which he expreffeth thereby they ufually in their Sermons and Epiftles do fpeak the fame thing, whatever it be, in other terms, more immediately expreffive of the matter. St. James A&ts xiii. indeed doth use it, but not fo much, it seemeth, ac- 38. ii. 38. cording to his usual manner of speech, as occafion- 31. x. 43. ally, to refute the falfe and peftilent conceits of Luke xxiv. some perfons, who, mistaking St. Paul's expreffions 47. and iii. 19. v. SER M. and doctrine, did pervert them to the maintenance VIII. of Solifidian, Eunomian, and Antinomian pofitions, greatly prejudicial to good practice. And feeing the term is so proper to St. Paul in relation to this matter, the right fenfe and notion thereof feemeth best derivable from confidering the nature of the subject he treateth on, obferving the drift of his difcourfe and manner of his reafoning, comparing the other phrases he useth equivalent to this, and interpretative of his meaning. V. Following this method of inquiry, I do obferve and affirm, that the last notion of the word, as it is evidently moft ufual in the Scripture, so it beft fuiteth to the meaning of St. Paul here, and otherwhere commonly, where he treateth upon the fame matters; that God's juftifying folely, or chiefly, doth import his acquitting us from guilt, condemnation, and punishment, by free pardon and remiffion of our fins, accounting us and dealing with us as just persons, upright and innocent in his fight and efteem: the truth of which notion I fhall by divers arguments and confiderations make good. 1. This fenfe doth beft agree to the nature of the fubject matter, and to the defign of St. Paul's difcourfe; which I take to be this, the afferting the neceffity, reasonableness, fufficiency, and excellency of the Chriftian difpenfation, in order to that, which is the end of all religion, the bringing men to happiness, and confequently to the rendering men acceptable to God Almighty, who is the fole Author and Donor of happiness; this is that, which in general he aimeth to affert and maintain. This, I fay, is that which he. chiefly driveth at, to maintain, that it is not unreasonable that God fhould fo proceed with men (whofe good and felicity, as their gracious Maker, he greatly tendereth) as the Chriftian Gospel declareth him to do, but that rather fuch proceeding was neceffary and fit, in order to our falvation; and withal conformable to the ordinary nary method of God's proceedings toward the fame S ER M. purpose. VIII. Now God's proceeding with man according to the Gofpel, the general tenour thereof doth fet out to be this; that God out of his infinite goodness and mercy, in confideration of what his beloved Son, our bleffed Lord, hath performed and fuffered, in obedience to his will, and for the redemption of mankind, (which by tranfgreffion of his laws, and defailance in duty toward him, had grievoufly offended him and fallen from his favour, was involved in guilt, and ftood obnoxious to punishment,) is become reconciled to them, (paffing by, and fully pardoning all offences by them committed against him,) fo as generally to proffer mercy, upon certain reafonable and gentle terms, to all that fhall fincerely embrace fuch overtures of mercy, and heartily refolve to comply with those terms required by him; namely, the returning and adhering to him, forfaking all impiety and iniquity, conftantly perfifting in faithful obedience to his holy commandments; this, I fay, is the proceeding of God, which the Chriftian Gofpel doth especially hold forth, and which, according to our Lord's commiffion and command, the Apoftles Luke xxiv. did firft preach to men; as whofoever will confider 47. the drift and tenour of their preaching, will easily difcern; which therefore St. Paul may reasonably be fuppofed here to affert and vindicate against the Jews, and other adverfaries of the Gofpel: confequently the terms he ufeth fhould be fo interpreted as to exprefs that matter; whence being juftified, will imply that which a person embracing the Gospel doth immediately receive from God, in that way of grace and mercy, viz. an abfolution from his former crimes, an acquittance from his debts, a ftate of innocence and guiltleffnefs in God's fight, an exemption from vengeance and punishment; all that which by him fometimes, and by the other Apoftles, is Acts xiii. couched under the phrafes of remiffion of fins, having 16. 38. xxii. |