Paul, it is true, speaks of our juftification in one refpect, and the Apostle James in another, as I have formerly obferved to you: But each of them retain one invariable view of their subject, and continue the fame idea of the juftification about which they treat. There is not a word spoken by either of them, of a first and second, of an original and additional juftification. Indeed the Scriptures know nothing at all of this diftinction. The children of God learn nothing of it from their own experience. And you must pardon me, Sir, if I must demand fome better foundation of my eternal hope, than the fubtile inventions of fuch men, who would eftablish and vindicate their principles by new and unfcriptural doctrines of religion, which have no foundation at all, but their own teeming imagination. This is the common fource of all the errors which

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obtain among us. Men of learning and parts, fufficiently apprehenfive of their own capacities, inftead of an humble fubjecting their reafon to the wisdom of God in his word, are first for forming Schemes which appear to them moft reasonable; thefe they take for principles; and then they must force fome construction or other upon the most oppofite texts of Scripture, and invent fome arbitrary diftinctions, to obviate the difficulties that lie in their way. -This is plainly the cafe before us. It does not look reasonable to the Papifts, to the Socinians, to the Arminians, and to the Neonomians, that our obedience should be wholly excluded a part in our juftification. It is true, the Scripture does in multitudes of most plain and familiar expreffions, in the most exprefs and strongest language, utterly exclude it. But there must be one unnatural conftruction or another forced upon these texts of Scripture to make them confiftent with their fcheme, which they take for a poftulatum, whatever

is faid in the Scripture to the contrary. When this refuge fails, the prefent diftinction is coined, to fupport the finking caufe. It were a fufficient answer to all these pretences, to say, The foolishness of God is wifer than men, and the weakness of God is Stronger than men. And he that feemeth to be wife in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wife.

But I have this further objection against the diftinction you mention, that it is not only a human device, without any appearance of Scripture-warrant; but it is utterly inconfiftent with the Scrip. ture-doctrine of juftification.-There is fo much afcribed, in the Scripture, to what they call our first juftification, as leaves no poffible room for a fecond.

I have obferved fomething of this to you, upon another occafion, in a former letter; and you must bear with me, if you here meet with fome repetition, in order to fet the prefent cafe in a true and proper light.-By virtue of the righteoufness imputed to us, and received through faith, we have a free pardon of all our fins. Rom. iv. 5, 6, 7. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufness. Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, faying, Bleffed are they whofe iniquities are forgiven, and whofe fins are covered. Bleffed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin.-By vir tue of this juftification we are freed from the wrath of God, and actually reconciled to him. Rom. v. 9, 10. Much more then being justified by his blood, we shall be faved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be faved by his life.-By this juftification we are made righteous in the fight of God.

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Rom. v. 18, 19. By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto juftification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made finners; fo by the obedience of one shall many be made righte ous.-By this justification we have the adoption of children. John i. 12. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God; even to them that believe on his name.-By this juftification I we have the spirit of adoption, peace with God, and a joyful profpect of our eternal inheritance. Rom. v. 1, 2. Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.-By this juftification we are fanctified, and receive needed fupplies of grace. Heb. x. 10. By the which will we are fanctified, through the offering of the body of Fefus Christ once for all. Rom. v. 17. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they who receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, fhall reign in life, by one Fefus Chrift.-By this juftification, we are fecured of perfeverance in grace, against all charges, accufations, perfecutions, and malignant endeavours of hell and earth to the contrary. Rom. viii. 33. 35. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth. Who shall feparate us from the love of Chrift? Shall tribulation, or distress, or perfe cution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or fword? -And, in a word, by this justification we are en titled to, and fhall finally be poffeffed of eternal glory. Rom. viii. 30. Whom he justified, them he alfo glorified.

And now, Sir, what is there left for your fecondary juftification to do? We have God himself, pardon, peace, with all the benefits, comforts, and privileges of the children of God in this life, and eternal glory hereafter, bestowed upon us, or made over to us, in confequence of what you call the first juftification.

juftification. Your fecondary juftification must therefore be a mere immaginary thing, an unaccountable fiction; which hath as little foundation in the na ture of things, as it has in the word of God.

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I may add to this, that our continuance in a juftified state is by the fame means by which we were firft juftified. It is true, believers (as well as others) are daily finning, in thought, word, and deed; and there may therefore appear fome difficulty in conceiving how our once being juftified by faith can secure to us a remiffion of future fins. cannot be fuppofed that our fins are actually pardoned, before they are committed; or our guilt cancelled, before it was contracted. How then can one fingle juftification ftand us in ftead, through a future scene of fin and guilt, and entitle us to eter nal glory, notwithstanding a repeated forfeiture of the divine favour, and notwithstanding our renewed deferts of God's wrath and difpleafure?

This deferves fome particular confideration. I fhall therefore endeavour, in a few words, to folve this difficulty, before I proceed diftinctly to confider in what manner our juftification is continued.

Let it then be obferved, that as the meritorious procuring caufe of our juftification, with all its benefits of grace here and glory hereafter, was at once completed; the body of Chrift was offered once for all, and by his obedience unto death he brought in everlafting righteousness: So the believer, upon his first being actually interested in the redemption by Chrift, and receiving his righteousness through faith, is at once unalterably acquitted from condemnation, reinstated in the paternal favour of God, and fecured in fuch a continuing progrefs of grace and holinefs, as will end in eternal glory. For by one offering Chrift hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified, Heb. x. 14. As our Lord Jefus Chrift by bearing

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our fins in his own body on the tree has finished tranfgreffion, made an end of fin, made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness, Dan. ix. 24.-So by faith that is in him we receive the forgiveness of fins, and an inheritance among them that are fanctified, Acts xxvi. 18. and are complete in him, Col. ii. 10. He therefore that believeth, bath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life, John v. 24. and is bleffed with all fpiritual bleffings in heavenly things in Chrift, Eph. i. 3.

But this, notwithstanding, though our juftification, as to the meritorious procuring cause of it, be at once perfected and completed, and by virtue of the immutability of God's counfel, the infinite merit of the righteoufnefs imputed, the ftability of the covenant of grace, and the faithfulness of the promifes, the believer immutably remains a child of God, and an heir of eternal glory: He neverthelefs, by reafon of his daily fins and imperfections, stands in daily need of a renewed application of the benefits of Chrift's redemption to his foul, and in daily need of pardon and juftification.-But then it fhould be remembered, that this is not a fecondary juftification, diftinct from the former, but the fame renewed and confirmed. If the believer fins, he hath an Advocate with the Father, to make continual interceffion for him, for renewed pardon and grace, and for a continuance of his justified state. He ever liveth to make interceffion for them; who needeth not daily, as thofe high priests after the order of Aaron, to offer facrifice, firft for his own fins, and then for the people's; for this he did once, when he offered up himself, Heb. vii. 25. 27.

These things being premised, the question now recurs, By what means are believers continued in a juftified state? To which I answer as before, by Z

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