Joseph Taylor

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Justification in Christ Alone

We assert that God having out of his mere good pleasure from all eternity, elected some to Salvation, did enter into a Covenant of Grace with his own Son Jesus Christ as the common Head and Representative of the elect; and so with them in him, as the second Adam, to bring them out of their estate of sin and misery into a state of Life and Salvation on condition that he should be their Surety, stand in their Law place, assume human nature and thereby perfectly fulfill the precepts of the Law and make full and complete satisfaction to the justice of God for their sin, by his death and sacrifice, &c.; which Covenant he hath kept, and all the elect are considered in him as his seed, and obeyed in him, were crucified with him, were justified with him, ascended with him, and now are set down in heavenly places in him, and thus all saved, and all called with an holy calling; not according to their own works, but according to his own Purpose and Grace, which was given them in Christ as their Covenant Head before the world began; {Rom.5:19, Eph.1:4, Rom.8:23, Heb.7:22, Eph.2:5, II Tim.1:9;} and that Justification is before faith; that Justification is in Christ alone, and not in our own persons or consciences; and that it was a glorious act of God to transfer and transmit our sins from us to his Son as Surety, who took all upon him, and therefore dis-charged us; and if the Covenant was from eternity, then he must be an Eternal Surety; and if so, God always saw our sins upon him, and not upon us, as we were in Christ justified in God’s sight before the foundation of the world; not that he saw that we would be justified only, but the choosing and viewing us in Christ before the world began; and there he viewed us all fair without one spot; and such a virtue had the sacrifice and death of Christ, as that before God, ii perfected forever them that were set apart or sanctified; {Heb.10:14;} so that it finished their transgressions, made an end of their sins, reconciled for their iniquities and brought in an everlasting Righteousness, {Dan.9:24;} inasmuch as the Apostle declares, “when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son;” {Rom.5:10;} which I think is so far from deserving the name of a wild and extravagant notion, that it is a solid Truth of God, and a glorious article of our Faith; which ought to be maintained against such that would have no other Justification than that by faith, and so they might destroy the freedom, the absoluteness and unconditionality thereof. But we think, that it is equally absurd to deny Justification in Christ, as to deny a being in him before the foundation of the world, which the Scripture is most abundant in setting forth; {Eph.1:4, Tit.1:2, II Tim.1:9;} and yet at the same time we dream not that a man personally, particularly and actually in his own soul is justified before he believes; but this is by faith whereby he comes to see his interest in the Obedience and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ, and so receives that Righteousness of Christ imputed by the Father to his own soul. - Thus the elect, as considered in Christ, and by virtue of his Suretyship, were indeed justified in God’s sight in eternity, and that as represented in him, as they were crucified with him, so they arose with him, and were justified with him in his Resurrection and Justification, and when called, the Spirit justifies them in their own consciences, by the application of Christ’s Blood and Righteousness which is received by faith alone; which Faith is that spiritual eye whereby we view New Covenant blessings in Christ; and by which we are led into the amazing mysteries of electing and redeeming Grace, into the way of God’s saving sinners by Jesus Christ, in whom all is laid up, and wherein all is secured as the Head, the Surety and Mediator of the New Covenant, so that the believer sees his standing safe in Christ, and that because Christ lives he shall live also, and that nothing shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus; neither devils, men, nor sin; that all things are well and securely ordered in a Covenant of Grace made with Christ, the Head and with the elect as the Covenant seed; that every perfection of the Divine Nature are as Towers about the walls of the Covenant; and that Covenant Truth, Holiness and Faithfulness are tied and obliged for the security of his Salvation, and that the word and oath of God hath made it surer than heaven and earth. Joseph Taylor “Beauty of the Lord in His Temple,” 1705.

 

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Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle
and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Hebrews 3:1