Rom. iv. 25. iii. 26. 1 Tim. iii. 16. He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our juftification.-God is just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jefus.-God was juftified in the Spirit.

TH

cation.

HE next thing propofed to be confidered, was, The time of juftifiAs juftification is God's act, fo it is to be confidered, either as immanent, or tranfient, and timed accordingly.

1. As immanent, or an act of God's will, that always abideth the fame in his divine mind, from eternity to eternity: and fo it was from everlafting; as 2 Cor. v. 19. God was in Chrift, (who can tell how early? Surely he was in him, by his eternal counfel, will, and covenant) reconciling the world unto himself, not imput-. ing their trefpaffes unto them.

2. The act of juftification is to be con

fidered as tranfient; or, as it is an act of God that paffeth upon the creature in time *. And as fuch, it admits of a twofold confideration.

(1.) As paffing upon the whole body of the elect together, and at once, in Chrift their head and representative. And fo the time of it was when Chrift, our Surety, made full payment of all the debts of his people, and received a full acquittance, or a full and open difcharge, in their name and room. our offences, and raised again for our justification, Rom. iv. 25. As he died, as a public perfon, for our fins; fo, as a public perfon, he was raised again for our juftification. When God the Father raised him from the dead, he thereby did openly difcharge him from all our fins, which before lay upon him; and in his difcharge, we were discharged likewife. He was dif charged for us, and we were discharged in him, as he was our great representative.

For, he was delivered for

Though, from eternity, God decreed to "juftify all the elect; yet they are not actually "juftified, until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, apply Chrift, and his righteoufnefs, unto them, "I Pet. i. 2, 19, 20. Rom. viii. 30. Gal. ii. 16. "Tit. iii. 4, 5, 6, 7." Conf. chap. xi. § 4.

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And thus the apoftle founds his triumphant challenge, to all the enemies of God's people, to bring ought against them, if they can, Rom. viii. 33, 34. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died; yea, rather, that is rifen again. As the act of God juftifying, gives being to, and is the foundation of our juftification; fo, he first founds his triumph here, and anfwers all the charges which might be brought with this, It is God that justifieth: and then he proceeds, It is Christ that died; yea, rather, that is rifen again. So that, by Chrift's death and refurrection, and at the time thereof, the whole body of the elect, as fuch, had a full difcharge, a complete juftification, in Chrift their Head. * But,

*Jefus Chrift being once juftified himself, Ifa. 1.8. 1 Tim. iii. 16.; fo all his people are juftified in him; and God is just in doing fo, Rom. iii. 26. Chrift died as a public reprefentative for the iniquities of his people, Ifa. liii. 1.; and the facrifice and oblation be offer ed up was of a fweet-fmelling favour unto God, Eph. v. 2. And therefore, Jehovah declares, that he is not only well-pleafed for his righteousness fake, Ifa xlii. 21.; but that he is near to justify him, Ifa. 1. 8.; yea, that he is juftified in the Spirit,

(2.) Juftification, as a tranfient act, is to be confidered, as paffing upon every individual person of God's chofen; and fo the time of it is, when the foul is first enabled to believe in Jefus. For, with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, Rom. X. 10. And God is just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jefus, chap. iii. 26. For, notwithstanding the fecret state of an elect perfon God-ward, before believing, is a state of peace and favour, as he has a fecret interest in God's justifying act, and in Chrift's full difcharge; yet his open ftate, as in himself, related to old Adam, and the first covenant, is a ftate of law-charge, and fo of wrath and condemnation. is of the works of the law, and as a lawbreaker, is under the curfe; as the wrath of God, in his holy, righteous law, is re vealed from heaven against all unrighteoufnefs of men. He is in the fame common ftatè with all the children of Adam, of whom it is faid, there is none righteous, no not one';

He

1 Tim. iii. 16. and confequently Chrift's refurrection, afcenfion, feffion at his Father's right-hand, interceffion for his people, and having all judgment committed to him, is an evidence that all his people are virtually juftified in him as their head, and fhall all rife and reign with him in due time.

and fo, a child of wrath by nature, even as others.

And there is no way, appoint

ed of God, whereby he can pafs from this open ftate of wrath, and condemnation by the law, into an open state of justification by grace, but by faith in Chrift: for he that believeth on the Son, bath everlasting life, the life of juftification; and he that believeth not the Son, Shall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, John ië. 36. So that, according to the declaration of God, in his word, by which he will judge all men at the last day, no person is in a juftified ftate, but he that believeth in Jefus. And therefore, the time of justification, as applied to a particular person, or as God's justifying act, paffeth upon a finner, in the declaration of his word, and is brought home to the confcience, is when the foul believes; or, when being warned of its mifery, and acquainted with its remedy, it first flees for refuge, from the wrath to come, to lay hold upon Christ, the hope fet before it. And in this fenfe, all that believe, and none but they, are juftified from all things, from which they could not be juftified by the law of Moses.