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

5. All Works done by the Creature are excluded in point of Justification of the Sinner before God, appears, because Gospel-Justification is a great Mystery, and the preaching of it counted Foolishness to the wise Men of this World: to preach Christ and his Righteousness, as that which justifies us they cannot understand; Natural Light and Reason comprehends it not. What, must we be justified by the Obedience and Righteousness of another? This to the learned Greeks was a strange Doctrine.

But to say a Man is justified by sincere Obedience, i. e. by believing the Truth of God's Word, and living a godly Life, suits well with Man's natural Wisdom and Reason: But the Doctrine of Faith, though it be not against humane Reason; yet it is above it, and wholly depends upon divine or supernatural Revelation, through this Man is preached unto you remission of Sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things, by which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses, Acts 13. 38, 39. For as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners; so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous, Rom▪ ⟨p. 26⟩5. 19. How dare any say our Works or sincere Obedience is our Righteousness, sith the Apostle positively asserts, We are made righteous by the Obedience of Jesus Christ? If it be by his Obedience, 'tis not by our own: For as Adam's Sin was imputed to his Seed to Condemnation; so is the Obedience or Righteousness of Christ imputed to all those who believe in him to Justification.

Now the worst of Men that have any sense of Religion, are prone to conclude the only way to obtain God's Favour, and to be justified in his sight, is to make the practice of Holiness and upright Walking a Condition; nay, the only way thereunto, and that Happiness is to be by that means obtained. Hence 'tis, when they meet with any awakening Convictions or Terror of Conscience, they presently begin to think they must amend their Lives, and perform Religious Duties: Nay, this way the Heathens were brought to their best Devotion (as a learned Writer observes) Mankind being made and born under a Covenant of Works, are naturally led to work for Life, or to do something to procure God's Acceptance, and escape his Displeasure. The very Light of natural Reason informs us, that it is just with God to require us to perform Duties of sincere Obedience, or Duties of natural or instituted Religion; and if we fall in doing what our Consciences tells us we ought to do, we presently through self-love and blind hope, persuade our selves God being gracious will pardon us wherein we come short, through Christ, who died for Sinners.