An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

And in the other verses he confirms both, but inverso ordine, first, he confirms their Sanctification, from the great Origen of it; the holy Spirit, The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death, vers. 2. The power of the holy Spirit hath subdued the power of sin; and then he confirms their Justification from the sufferings of Christ (with which his active obedience is to be taken in conjunction) What the Law could not do in that, it was weak through the flesh; God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, vers. 3. Their sins were condemned in the flesh of Christ; there was an atonement made for them, which certainly must relate to Justification: from these sufferings of Christ (with which his active obedience must be taken in conjunction) the Apostle infers, That the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, vers. 4. The Law was not able to justify us, for want of a perfect obedience in us; but God translated the impletion of the Law upon Christ; Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for ⟨p. 374⟩us: Christ bore the wrath of God for us, and (these things being imputed unto us) the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us: But then the Apostle returns again to Sanctification, and subjoins, Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; assuring us, that those who are justified by the imputed Righteousness of Christ, are also Sanctified and led by his holy Spirit: This I take to be the meaning of the place: But let us hear our Church treating upon this place in conjunction with other Scriptures:¹ St. Paul saith, Rom. 3. We are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ: And Rom. 10. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth: And Rom. 8. That which was impossible by the Law; in as much, as it was weak by the flesh; God sending his own Son, in the similitude of sinful flesh, by sin, damned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, which walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit: In these places the Apostle toucheth three things, which must go together in our Justification; upon Gods part his great mercy and grace; upon Christ's parts justice;