Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

But 'tis evident that the Saints under the old Testament were not justified in any measure, by the Works of the ceremonial Law. This may be proved proceeding on the Foot of our Adversaries own Interpretation of the Apostle's Phrase of the Works of the Law; and supposing him to mean by it only the Works of the ceremonial Law. To Instance in David, 'tis evident that he was not justified in any wise, by the Works of the ceremonial law, by Rom. 4▪ 6, 7, 8▪ Even as David also described the blessedness of the Man, unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works, saying, blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven▪ and whose Sins are covered; blessed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin. 'Tis plain that the Apostle is here speaking of Justification, by the preceding Verse, and by all the Context; and the Thing spoken of, viz. forgiving Iniquities, and covering Sins, is what our Adversaries themselves suppose to be Justification, and even the whole of Justification. This Dav•• speaking of ⟨p. 47⟩himself, says (by the Apostle's Interpretation,) that he had without Works. For 'tis manifest that David in the Words here cited, from the beginning of the 32d Psalm, has a special Respect to himself: He speaks of his own Sins being forgiven and not imputed to him: as appears by the Words that nextly follow, When I kept Silence, my Bones waxed old, through my roaring all the Day long; for Day and Night thy Hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer I acknowledged my Sin unto thee, and mine Iniquity have I not hid: I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. Let us therefore understand the Apostle which way we will, by Works, when he says, David describes the blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputes Righteousness without Works, whether of all manner of Works, or only Works of the ceremonial Law, yet 'tis evident at least, that David was not justified by Works of the ceremonial Law. Therefore here is the argument; if our own Obedience be that by which Men are justified, then under the Old Testament, Men were justified partly by Obedience to the ceremonial Law, (as has been proved;) but the Saints under the Old Testament were not justified partly by the Works of the ceremonial Law; therefore Mens own Obedience is not that by which they are justified.