A discourse of the saving grace of God

The Case standing thus, if the Will comply with the Terms of Salvation, it must be by its own Power, since it has no more from above: And then, in Opposition to the Text, Salvation will be of our selves, by our own Strength, not by Grace; nor will Grace which is Saving, ⟨p. 140⟩be the Gift of God: For if he give neither the Power, nor the Act, who can imagine how it can be counted his Gift? They may as well say, we are Saved by the Power of Nature, as that the Conditions of Salvation are to be Performed by such a Power, without any other Assistance of Grace.

3. No Legal Conditions, no Conditions performed by us, nor our Righteousness. The Righteousness by which we are justified, the Righteousness by which we have Pardon, or by which we have Right and Title to Salvation. Neither Faith, nor sincere Obedience, are required of us for this end; nor can they, when Performed by us, be any such Righteousness. It is Christ, and he alone, that is our Righteousness; it is by his Righteousness, and that alone, that we are Justified: It was he, who by his Obedience to Death satisfied Divine Justice, and procured Title to Eternal Life. It is not pretended that any Performances of ours do or can satisfy Divine Justice; nor can it with more reason be pretended, that our Performances give us Title to Life. Those that say he did not both, may as ⟨p. 141⟩well say he did neither. Our Performances may evidence our Title, but they give it not, nor are the Ground of it. It is Christ, his Righteousness, that is the only Foundation of our Title, Rom. 10. 4. The End of the Law, i. e. of the Covenant of Works, was, that Man, by the Righteousness of Perfect Obedience, might have Title to Eternal Life; this being rendered Impossible in Mans fallen and sinful State, how shall the End of the Law, which the Lord aimed at, be attained? Why, Christ attains the End of the Law by his Righteousness, giving Title to Life to those who believe.