The marrow of true justification, or, Justification without works containing the substance of two…

But that the Condition of perfect Obedience, being broke by Man's Sin; the Law therefore should be dis-annulled, and a new way of treating with Man set up, wherein still Man should be something, and his Works bring about his own Salvation, and God be contented with few and very imperfect Acts of Obedience; this certainly is a prejudice to his Honour; nor doth this make it up, i.e. That our Obedience is accepted for Christ's sake; for Christ only made way for removing the Old Covenant, (say you) and the granting a New; but he did not obey in our stead; nor doth add any Worth to our Obedience; unless you will say that we are Justified by our own sincere Obedience, the righteousness of Christ making up the defects of it; and so our own righteousness will be a co-ordinate cause of our Justification with the righteousness of Christ; we say.

When the Apostle saith, By the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be Justified, he doth not mean only the Law, as in the Hands of Moses; but also as it is a-new given forth by Jesus Christ; for we are still under Obedience to the Moral Law, the substance of which is to Love God and our Neighbour as our selves: By the Law is meant that Rule of Life God hath given, whether as written in the Heart, or given by Moses, or as given a-new by Christ as Rule of Life to us; Lusts is a breach of Christ's Law, or as the Law given by Christ, as well as it was given by Moses, no Man, because a Sinner, can be Justified by his own Works, Righteousness, or Obedience; but all Men are Sinners, whether Professors ⟨p. 25⟩or Profane, Rom. 3. 23. (As I said before) he that is justified, must be just or without Sin, or have such a Righteousness imputed to him, God will in no wise clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 7. God is just as well as gracious, Rom. 3. 26. he cannot suffer any wrong to be done to his Holy Law. Consider the Purity of his Nature and Rectitude of his Will: His Justice must be satisfied, his Law fulfilled by us, or by our Surety for us, and will not abate a tittle of that Righteousness it doth require; yet such is also his Goodness, that what we could not do in keeping perfectly the Law, he sent his Son in our Nature, as our Surety and Representative, to do it for us,