A defence of the doctrine of justification, by faith in Jesus Christ

But Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, and for that he took our Nature, and Sin, and Curse, and Death upon him: And for that he did also by himself, by one Offering Purge our Sins. We that have believed have found rest, even there where God and his Father hath smelled a sweet savour of rest; because we are presented to God, even now complete in the Righteousness of him, and stand discharged of guilt, even by the Faith of him: Yea, as Sins past, so Sins to come, were taken up and satisfied for, by that offering of the Body of Jesus, we who have had a due sense of Sins, and of the Nature of the Justice of God, we know that no Remission of the guilt of any one can be, but by Atonement made by Blood, Heb. 9. 22. We also know that where Faith in Jesus Christ is wanting, there can be neither good Principle, nor good Endeavour; ¹for Faith is the first of all Graces, and without it there is nothing but Sin. We know also, that Faith as a Grace in us, severed from the Righteousness of Christ, is only a beholder of things, but not a Justifier of Persons, and that if it lay not hold of, and applieth not that Righteousness which is in Christ, it carrieth us no farther then to the Devils. We know that this Doctrine killeth Sin,² and curseth it, at the very roots; I say, we know it, who have mourned over him whom WE have pierced, and who have been confounded to see that God by his Blood should be pacified towards us,³ for all the Wickedness we have done. Yea, we have a double Motive to be Holy; and Humble before him; one because be dyed for us on Earth, another because he now appears for us in Heaven, there sprinkling for us the Mercy-Seat with his Blood, there ever-living to make Intercession for them that come unto God by him.⁴ If any man Sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, who is the Propitiation for our Sins; Yet this ⟨p. 83⟩Worketh in us no looseness, nor favour to Sin, but so much the more an abhorrence of it:⁵