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and followed his Counfel, as appears evidently by the oppofition in the next words; But the Pharifees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themfelves, being not baptized of him. Thofe that rejected the counfel of God, are opposed to those that juftified God. And fo at the 35. ver. But Wisdom is justified of her children, that is, is approved. And fo very probably it may be understood in the Parable of the Pharifee and the Publican, I tell you, this man went down to his houfe juftified rather than the other; that is, of the two, God did rather approve of his humble carriage, than the Pharifees proud and infolent behaviour. Sometimes it fignifies any Proof or Declaration of a thing. So Rom. 3. 4. Let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy fayings,and mighteft overcome when thou art judged,that is,that all thy words or promifes might be proved and declared to be true, and that thou may'ft prevail whenever thou art impleaded by men of unfaithfulness and unrighteousness. And fo 1 Tim. 3. 16. Chrift is faid to be juftified in the Spirit; that is, by the Teftimony of the Spirit concerning

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him, as alfo by the Miracles which he Volume wrought by the Holy Ghoft, and the XII. miraculous gifts of the Spirit which were pour'd forth on the Apostles, he was proved and declared to be the true Meffias, and the Son of God. And this Phrase of Ghrift's being justified by the Spirit, feems to be of the fame sense with that expreffion, Rom. 1. 4. Declared to be the Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the refurrection from the dead, that is, he was evidently proved to be the Son of God, by the great Miracle of his Refurrection, which was wrought by the Power of the Holy Ghoft. But most frequently, to Juftifie, in Scripture, fignifies to Pardon.

Thus the word Juftifie, doth fignifie variously, according to the fubject or matter it is applied to: but when it is applied to a finner, it fignifies nothing else but Pardon of his fin. Nor can I poffibly apprehend what other notion men can frame to themselves, of a finners being Juftified, diftin&t from Pardon and Remiffion. Indeed if a perfon be not really guilty, that

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is unjustly accused of a crime, he may be faid to be juftified, when he Sermon is cleared from the charge and accu- VIII. fation which is brought against him : but if a Man be guilty, he cannot otherwise be said to be juftified, than by having the guilt removed; that is, by being pardoned. And that the Scripture understands the fame thing by Juftification, and Pardon, or Remiffion of fins, is, I think, very evident from thefe two Texts. Acts 13. 38, 39. That through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of fins; that is, in and through Jefus Chrift the way of Pardon and Forgiveness is declared, and by him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses; that is, and according to this declaration, all that do believe, are by him, that is, by the virtue of his Sacrifice, acquitted and cleared from the guilt of all thofe fins, for which there was no way of expiation provided by the Law of Mofes, that is, of prefumptuous fins, for which there was no Sacrifice, but the Man was to be cut off. Now if the meaning of this Text be this,

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that in and through Chrift the way of Volume Pardon and Forgiveness is declared, XII. and accordingly all that do believe in him are pardon'd, then to be juftified and pardoned, are all one in this place; but this is the meaning of the Text, if by the Phrase of being juftified from all things, from which we could not be juftified by the law of Mofes, be meant the pardoning of fuch Sins and Tranfgreffions, for which, by the Law of Mofes there was no way of expiation : but this must of neceffity be the meaning of this Phrafe; for what are those things, from which it is faid, we could not be justified by the Law of Mofes, but finful tranfgreffions and violations of the Law? And how can a Man be faid to be justified from any fin and tranfgreffion, otherwife than by the Pardon and Forgiveness of it? The other Text is Rom. 4. 6, 7, 8. Even as David alfo defcribeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness withont works, faying, Blef fed are they whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are covered; Blef fed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin. The Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness, is the Man

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whom God juftifies. Now, how does David defcribe the blessedness of the Man whom God juftifies? Thus, Blef- VIII. fed is the man whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are covered, which is a Metaphorical expreffion of the fame thing, covering of fin being the pardoning of it. From hence I reafon, If according to the Apoftle thofe Propofitions be equivalent, Bleffed is the man whofe iniquities are forgiven, and Bleffed is the man whom God Juftifies, then according to the Apoftle, Juftification and Forgiveness of fins are all one: but those Propofitions are equivalent, if the Apoftle cite the Text out of the Pfalms pertinently.

2. That Faith can in no tolerable propriety of Language be faid to be the inftrument of our Pardon, and confequently not of our Juftification. An inftrument is fomething fubordinate to the principal efficient Cause, and made ute of it, by it to produce the Effect; and this in natural and artificial Causes may be understood, but what notion to have of a moral inftrument, I confefs I am at a lofs. But to bring the business out of the + clouds,

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