LETTER V.

On the Predictions, of the great Bleffings, which in this Life are bestowed on every Believer; viz. Juftification, Adoption, and Sanctification; Bleffings abfolutely necessary to the Safety, the Comfort, and Happiness of every Man; and which import a great Variety of Benefits; even Afflictions are intended as a Means to promote the Holiness, and the future Happiness of Chriftians; and likewife of Predictions, encouraging Backsliders to return unto God.

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Shall now proceed more particularly to confider thofe PREDICTIONS of the Bleffings, which are given to fincere Chriftians in this Life; but muft obferve that there are no Predictions of Immunity to them from Troubles in this World, but feveral of Afflictions in this Life, which therefore they should expect.

It is faid, Man that is born of a Woman is of few Days, and full of Trouble. Job xiv. 1.

And it is faid, Pfal. xxxiv. 19. Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous, but it is there foretold, that the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Our

Our bleffed Saviour foretold to his Difciples, that Troubles would befal them; for in John xvi. 32. he faid to them, In the World ye shall have Tribulation.

In Heb. xii. 6. it is faid, Whom the Lord loveth be chafteneth, and fcourgeth every Son whom he receiveth, and ver. 8. But if ye be without chaftifement, whereof all are Partakers, then are ye Baftards, and not Sons.

Yet notwithstanding all the Troubles and Afflic tions, which true Believers meet with in this Life, it will appear from the Predictions of Bleffings relating to them, that they are truly happy, and the only Perfons that are fo in this World, as well as in the next: Particularly from the following.

I. Prediction. JUSTIFICATION is one of the Bleffings purchased by Chrift, and revealed in his Gofpel, and is that Act of God by which he accepts of a Sinner as righteous in his Sight, and forgives all his Sins, and becomes reconciled to him And this Act of Divine Grace is predicted; It is foretold that they fhould be juftified, and pardoned.

In Ifa. xlv. 25. it is faid, In the Lord (that is, the Lord Jefus Chrift) fhall all the Seed of Ifrael be justified, and shall glory, that is, all the fpiritual Seed, all who truly believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, fhall be juftified in him by Faith; and in Ifa. liii. 11. it is faid, By his Knowledge hall my righteous Servant justify many; for he shall bear their Iniquities. (i. e. the Punishment, which their Iniquities deferved.)

In Acts xiii. 39. it is faid, By him, all that believe are juftified from all Things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

The Apostle Paul fays, Rom. v. 1. Being juftified by Faith, we have peace with God through

our

our Lord Jefus Chrift; and ver. 9. Being juftified by his Blood, we shall be faved from Wrath through him.

In Tit. iii. 7. That being justified by his Grace, we should be made Heirs, according to the Hope of eternal Life.

It

appears

from the Texts now cited,

1. That Men are juftified by Faith: And therefore as soon as Sinners truly believe in Chrift, they are juftified.

2. That no Perfons are justified by a Course of evangelical Obedience perfifted in till their Death; for if Juftification was to be obtained in that Way, Men could not be juftified and their Sins pardoned, till that Course of Obedience fhould be compleated; and till then, they would remain under Condemnation by God's Law, and deftitute of the Pardon of their Sins, and of a folid Ground for Peace and Comfort in their Confciences.

Miferable Comforters are they who preach fuch Doctrine; but the Gospel affures us that we are juftified by Faith, that is, as foon as we believe.

3. That they who believe have the Pardon of their Sins, a Discharge from Condemnation, Peace with God, and are made Heirs of God.

There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the Flefb, but after the Spirit. Rom. viii. 1.

The Prediction of the Bleffing of Juftification to them who believe, and the Accomplishment of it, fhews that fincere Chriftians are brought into a very happy Condition.

Before their Faith in Chrift, they were under a dreadful Sentence of Condemnation to everlasting Punishments and Miferies: Not one of their numberlefs Sins was pardoned; but the wretched Perfons were Objects of God's Wrath and Curse, G

and

and they were obnoxious to the Pains of Hell for ever, till they believe.

They that remain in a State of Unbelief, and of wilful Difobedience to the Holy, and good God, do remain in a miferable Condition! A Condition, miferable beyond Expreffion, and beyond Thought; and no Honours, no Dignities, in this World, no stately Houses, no great Estates, no large Poffeffions, nor Heaps of Riches, nor all the Pleasures of Senfe, can render their Condition better.

In the Midft of the greatest Affluence of earthly Felicities, they are but condemned Malefactors in the Sight of God; and the Lord the Judge of all, may unexpectedly fend Death the Executioner to take them away, and remove them to be among the Devils, who are referved in Chains under Darkness against the Judgment of the great Day.

But as foon as any Sinner by a Faith unfeigned clofes with Chrift, be he high or low, or rich, or poor, he is immediately freed from the Guilt of all his Sins; the Sentence of his Condemnation is cancelled; all his Iniquities are forgiven; the Holy, and offended God is at Peace with him, and reconciled to him, and he is justified in his Sight.

But how is it, that a Sinner is justified?

This indeed is a Question, and a Question of the utmost Moment; and the Gospel answers it. That it is by Faith; by Faith as the Inftrument, or Means, and by Faith alone.

St. Paul fays, not by Works of Righteousness, which we have done. Titus iii. 5.

Therefore by the Deeds of the Law, there fhall no Flesh be juftified in his Sight. (that is in the Sight of God,) for by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin, Rom. iii. 20. as if he had faid, No

Man

Man by performing the Deeds, which the Law requires, fhall be juftified; because by examining his Course of Life, and all his Actions by the Law, he will know himself guilty of many Sins, notwithstanding the Number of Duties he may have performed.

And ver. 9. the Apoftle takes Notice, that they had before proved both Jews, and Gentiles, that they are all under Sin; (that is under the Guilt and Curfe of Sin.)

But what is Righteoufnefs? It may be replied to this Question, that Righteousness in a rational Creature, Righteousness in a Man is that Course of Life, and Actions, which confifls in the Performance of the Duties he owes to God, to himfelf, and to his Fellow Creatures, and in a total Abftinence from every Thing, which God has forbidden.

If there is a Neglect of any of the Duties commanded, or a Doing any Thing that is forbidden by the Divine Law, that Man's Righteoufnefs is imperfect, and the more numerous his Omiffions of Duty, and his Tranfgreffions are in doing the Things forbidden, the more imperfect it is.

If his Righteousness was perfect for a Course of Years, yet that Righteousness could make no Amends for the Sins committed before that Course was begun But there is no fuch Thing as a perfect Course of Righteoufnefs performed by any Man through the Space of one Year, or Month, or Day; and an imperfect Righteousness can : never make any Man to appear perfectly righteous in the Sight of the Holy God.

Therefore no Man can be justified by the Duties he performs.

We may well fay with the Pfalmift, If thou, Lord, fhouldeft mark Iniquities, O Lord who shall

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Stand?