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nouncing them righteous. He ap-||which he believes, is counted unto points the way, provides the means, him for righteousness, Rom. iv, 4, and imputes the righteousness; 5. Gal. ii, 17. Here, then, we and all in perfect agreement with learn, that the subjects of justifithe demands of his violated law, cation, considered in themselves, and the rights of his offended jus-are not only destitute of a perfect tice. But although this act is in righteousness, but have performed some places of the infallible word no good works at all. They are more particularly appropriated per-denominated and considered as the sonally to the Father, yet it is ma- ungodly, when the blessing is benifest that all the Three Persons stowed upon them. Not that we are concerned in this grand affair, are to understand that such remain and each performs a distinct part ungodly. "All," says Dr. Owen, in this particular, as also in the" that are justified, were before whole economy of salvation. The ungodly; but all that are justified, eternal Father is represented as are, at the same instant, made appointing the way, and as giving godly." That the mere sinner, his own Son to perform the con- however, is the subject of justifi ditions of our acceptance before cation, appears from hence. The him, Rom. viii, 32. The divine Spirit of God, speaking in the Son as engaged to sustain the scripture, repeatedly declares that curse, and make the atonement; we are justified by grace. to fulfil the terms, and provide grace stands in direct opposition to the righteousness by which we are works. Whoever, therefore, is justified, Tit. ii, 14. And the justified by grace, is considered as Holy Spirit as revealing to sinners absolutely unworthy in that very the perfection, suitableness, and instant when the blessing is vouchfreeness of the Saviour's work, safed to him, Rom. iii, 24. The enabling them to receive it as ex-person, therefore, that is justified, hibited in the gospel of sovereign is accepted without any cause in grace; and testifying to their con- himself. Hence it appears, that, sciences complete justification by if we regard the persons who are it in the court of heaven, John justified, and their state prior to xvi, 8, 14. the enjoyment of the immensely As to the objects of justification, glorious privilege, Divine grace the scripture says, they are sinners, appears, and reigns in all its glory. and ungodly. For thus runs the As to the way and manner in Divine declaration: To him that which sinners are justified, it may worketh is the reward of justifica-be observed that the Divine Betion, and of eternal life as con- ing can acquit none without a nected with it; not reckoned of complete righteousness. Justifigrace, but of debt. But to him cation, as before observed, is evithat worketh not, but believeth on dently a forensic term, and the Him that justifieth-whom? the thing intended by it a judicial act. righteous the holy? the emi-So that, were a person to be justinently pious? Nay, verily, but fied without a righteousness, the the ungodly; his faith, or that in judgment would not be according

to truth: it would be a false andmands of the Divine law. It unrighteous sentence. That right-could not, therefore, without an eousness by which we are justified error in judgment, be accounted must be equal to the demands of a complete righteousness. But that law according to which the the judgment of God, as before Sovereign Judge proceeds in our proved, is according to truth, and justification. Many persons talk according to the rights of his law. of conditions of justification (see That obedience by which a sinner article CONDITION;) but the only is justified is called the righteouscondition is that of perfect righte-ness of faith, righteousness by faith, ousness: this the law requires, nor and is represented as revealed to does the gospel substitute another. faith; consequently it cannot be But where shall we find or how faith itself. Faith, in the business shall we obtain a justifying righte-of justification, stands opposed to ousness? Shall we flee to the law all works; to him that worketh not, for relief? Shall we apply with di-but believeth. Now, if it were our ligence and zeal to the perform-justifying righteousness, to consiance of duty, in order to attain der it in such a light would be highthe desired end? The apostle po-ly improper. For in such a consitively affirms, that there is no ac-nexion it falls under the consideceptance with God by the works of ration of a work; a condition, on the law; and the reasons are evi-the performance of which our acdent. Our righteousness is im-ceptance with God is manifestly perfect, and consequently cannot suspended. If faith itself be that justify. If justification were by on account of which we are acthe works of men, it could not cepted, then some believers are be by grace: it would not be justified by a more, and some by a righteousness without works.-a less perfect righteousness, in exThere would be no need of the act proportion to the strength or righteousness of Christ; and, last-weakness of their faith. That ly, if justification were by the which is the end of the law is our law, then boasting would be en-righteousness, which certainly is couraged; whereas God's design, not faith, but the obedience of in the whole scheme of salvation, our exalted substitute, Rom. x, is to exclude it, Rom. iii, 27. Eph.4. Were faith itself our justifyii, 8, 9. Nor is faith itself our ing righteousness, we might derighteousness, or that for the sake pend upon it before God, and reof which we are justified: for, joice in it. So that, according to though believers are said to be this hypothesis, not Christ, but justified by faith, yet not for faith: faith, is the capital thing; the obfaith can only be considered as ject to which we must look, which the instrument, and not the cause. is absurd. When the apostle says, That faith is not our righteous-"faith was imputed to him for ness, is evident from the following righteousness," his main design considerations: No man's faith was to prove that the eternal soveis perfect; and, if it were, it reign justifies freely, without any would not be equal to the de-llcause in the creature.

Nor is man's obedience to the If, then, we cannot possibly be gospel as to a new and milder law justified by any of our own perthe matter of his justification be-formances, nor by faith itself, nor fore God. It was a notion that even by the graces of the Holy some years ago obtained, that a Spirit, where then shall we find relaxation of the law, and the se-a righteousness by which we can verities of it, has been obtained by be justified? The scripture furChrist; and a new law, a remedial nishes us with an answer-" By law, a law of milder terms, has Jesus Christ all that believe are been introduced by him, which is justified from all things from which the gospel; the terms of which they could not be justified by the are faith, repentance, and obe-law of Moses," Acts xiii, 38, 39. dience; and though these are im-" He was delivered for our ofperfect, yet, being sincere, they fences, and raised again for our are accepted of by God in the justification," Rom. iv, 25. "Being room of a perfect righteousness. justified by his blood, we shall be But every part of this scheme is saved from_wrath through him," wrong, for the law is not relaxed, Rom. v, 9. The spotless obedience, nor any of its severities abated; therefore, the bitter sufferings, there is no alteration made in it and the accursed death of our heaeither with respect to its precepts venly Surety, constitute that very or penalty: besides, the scheme is righteousness by which sinners are absurd, for it supposes that the justified before God. That this law which a man is now under righteousness is imputed to us, and requires only an imperfect obe-that we are not justified by a perdience but an imperfect righte-sonal righteousness, appears from ousness cannot answer its de-the scripture with superior evimands; for every law requiresdence. "By the obedience of one perfect obedience to its own pre-shall many be made righteous," cepts and prohibitions. Rom. v, 19. "He hath made him

Nor is a profession of religion, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, or sincerity, or good works, at all that we might be made the rightethe ground of our acceptance with ousness of God in him," 2d Cor. God, for all our righteousness is v, 21. "And be found in him, imperfect, and must therefore be not having mine own righteousness entirely excluded. By grace, saith which is of the law, but that which the apostle, ye are saved, not of is through the faith of Christ; the works, lest any man should boast, righteousness which is of God by Eph. ii, 8, 9. Besides, the works of faith," Phil. iii, 8. See also sanctification and justification are Jer. xxiii, 6. Dan. ix, 24, the two distinct things: the one is a whole of the ivth ch. Romans, work of grace within men; the and the ii ch. of Galatians. See other an act of grace for or towards articles RECONCILIATION, RIGHTmen: the one is imperfect, the EOUSNESS.

other complete; the one carried As to the properties of justifion gradually, the other done at cation: 1. It is an act of God's once. See SANCTIFICATION: free grace, without any merit

whatever in the creature, Rom. iii,|| version and glorification of them. 24.-2. It is an act of Justice as That it was eternally determined well as grace: the law being per- that there should be a people who fectly fulfilled in Christ, and Di- should believe in Christ, and that vine justice satisfied, Rom. iii, 26. his righteousness should be imPs. lxxxv, 10.-3. It is an indivi-puted to them, is not to be disdual and instantaneous act done at puted; but to say that these once, admitting of no degrees, things were really done from eterJohn xix, 30.-4. It is irrever-nity (which we must say if we besible, and an unalterable act, Mal. lieve eternal justification) this iii, 6. would be absurd. It is more con

As to the time of justification, sistent to believe, that God from divines are not agreed. Some have eternity laid the plan of justificadistinguished it into decretive, vir- tion; that this plan was executed tual, and actual. 1. Decretive, is by the life and death of Christ; and God's eternal purpose to justify that the blessing is only manifested, sinners in time by Jesus Christ.-received, and enjoyed, when we 2. Virtual justification has a refer-are regenerated; so that no man ence to the satisfaction made by can say, or has any reason to conChrist.-3. Actual, is when we are clude, he is justified until he beenabled to believe in Christ, and by lieves in Christ, Rom. v, 1. faith are united to him. Others say The effects or blessings of justiit is eternal, because his purpose fication are, 1. An entire freedom respecting it was from everlasting; from all penal evils in this life, and that, as the Almighty viewed and that which is to come, 1st his people in Christ, they were, of Cor. iii, 22.-2. Peace with God, consequence, justified in his sight. Rom. v, 1.-3. Access to God But it appears to me, that the through Christ, Eph. iii, 12.—4. principle on which the advocates Acceptance with God, Eph. v, 27. for this doctrine have proceeded is-5. Holy confidence and securiwrong. They have confounded ty under all the difficulties and the design with the execution; troubles of the present state, 2d for if this distinction be not kept Tim. i, 12.-6. Finally, eternal up, the utmost perplexity will fol- salvation, Rom. viii, 30. Rom. v, 18. low the consideration of every sub- Thus we have given as comject which relates to the decrees prehensive a view of the doctrine of God; nor shall we be able to of justification as the nature of form any clear ideas of his moral this work will admit; a doctrine government whatever. To say, as which is founded upon the sacred one does, that the eternal will of scriptures; and which so far from God to justify men is the justifi-leading to licentiousness, as some cation of them, is not to the pur- suppose, is of all others the most pose; for, upon the same ground, replete with motives to love, dewe might as well say that the pendance, and obedience, Rom. eternal will of God to convert and vi, 1, 2. A doctrine which the glorify his people is the real con- primitive Christians held as con

stituing the very essence of their||cation; Edwards's Sermons on system; which our reformers con- ditto; Lime Street Lect. p. 350; sidered as the most important Hervey's Theron and Aspasio, and point; which our venerable mar-Eleven Letters; Witherspoon's Contyrs gloried in, and sealed with nexion between Justification and their blood; and which, as the Holiness; Gill and Ridgley's Div. church of England observes, is a but especially Booth's Reign of very wholesome doctrine, and Grace, to which I am indebted full of comfort." See Dr. Owen on for great part of the above artiJustification; Rawlins on Justifi-\cle.

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KEITHIANS, aparty which se-and exercise government, that parated from the Quakers in Penn-men may be admitted to or exsylvania in the year 1691. They cluded from the chuch, as is prowere headed by the famous George per. See ABSOLUTION.

Keith, from whom they derived In St. Gregory we read, that it their name. Those who persisted was the custom for the popes to in their separation, after their send a golden key to princes, leader deserted them, practised wherein they inclosed a little of baptism, and received the Lord's the filings of St. Peter's chain, supper. This party were also kept with such devotion at Rome; called Quaker Baptists, because and that these keys were worn in they retained the language, dress, the bosom, as being supposed to and manner of the Quakers.

contain some wonderful virtues! Such has been the superstition of past ages!!

KEYS, power of the, a term made use of in reference to ecclesiastical jurisdiction, denoting the power KIRK SESSIONS, the name of of excommunicating and absolv- petty ecclesiastical judiciary in ing. The Romanists say that the Scotland. Each parish, according pope has the power of the keys, to its extent, is divided into seveand can open and shut paradise as ral particular districts, every one he pleases; grounding their opi- of which has its own elder and nion on that expression of Jesus deacon to oversee it. A consisChrist to Peter" I will give theeory of the ministers, elders, and the keys of the kingdom of hea-deacons of a parish form a kirk ven," Matt. xvi, 19. But every session. These meet once a week, one must see that this is an abso-the minister being their moderator, lute perversion of scripture; for but without a negative voice. It the keys of the kingdom of hea-regulates matters relative to public ven most probably refer to the worship, elections, catechising, vigospel dispensation, and denotes sitations, &c. It judges in matters the power and authority of every of less scandal; but greater, as faithful minister to preach the adultery, are left to the presbygospel, administer the sacraments,tery, and in all cases an appeal VOL. I. 3 N

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