A47599:86
The marrow of true justification, or, Justification without works containing the substance of two…
The marrow of true justification, or, Justification without works containing the substance of two sermons lately preached on Rom. 4:5 ... : wherein the nature of justification is opened, as it hath been formerly asserted by all sound Protestants, and the present prevailing errors against the said doctrine detected / by Benjamin Keach ...
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now such, who have always been looked upon as sound in this great Fundamental Point of Justification, believe and teach, Christ came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it, and in our Nature, and stead as our Head Representative and Surety, to do and perform the terms thereof; I mean the Law of Works, which we had broken, and by his Death made a full compensation to the Justice of God for our breach of it, whose Actual and Passive Obedience, or Righteousness, is imputed to all who believe in him.
We say Obedience supposeth a Man Justified; but these Men say, that Obedience concurs with Faith to Justify, or is part of our Righteousness to Justification: We affirm, as a Worthy Divine Observes, that Faith alone perfectly Justifies, by trusting in the Righteousness of Christ; so that there is no Condemnation to them who are in Jesus Christ, Rom. 8. 1. or truly believe in him; but they teach that Faith and Obedience Justify only, as the Conditions of the Gospel, i. e. as thereby we doing what the Gospel requires of us; and so we are Justified, or accepted, so far as our Faith and Obedience go, and no farther; and when they are perfect at Judgment, we shall be perfectly Justified; so that they render our Justification to be as imperfect as our inherent Personal Holiness or Sanctification is imperfect; or to give it in the Words of a Learned Writer, they intimate, while we are imperfect our Justification is imperfect also; and if our Faith and Obedience be interrupted or utterly lost, Justification is interrupted and utterly lost likewise; nor is it any wonder our Justification should be looked upon by them to be imperfect, while any Imperfections remain in us, if the perfect Righteousness of Christ, be not the matter of our Justification, or that which does Justify us in God's sight; and on the other Hand 'tis impossible, if we are Justified and accepted as just Persons, and graciously acquitted by the Righteousness of Christ, there should be the least stain, imperfection, or spot, in our Justification; but that Christ must needs say of such, in respect of Justification, as he doth of his Spouse, Thou art all fair, my Love, and there is no spot in thee,