The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

For by Grace ye are saved through Faith, and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God; not of Works, lest any Man should boast. For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works, which God hath fore-ordained that we should walk in them.

Unless it had seemed good unto the Holy Ghost to have expressed before hand all the evasions and subterfuges, which the wit of Man in after ages could invent, to pervert the Doctrine of our Justification before God, and to have rejected them, it is impossible they could have been more ⟨p. 517⟩plainly prevented then they are in this context. If we may take a little unprejudiced consideration of it, I suppose what is affirmed will be evident.

It cannot be denied, but that the design of the Apostle from the beginning of this Chapter, unto the end of Ver. 11. is to declare the way whereby lost and condemned sinners come to be delivered, and translated out of that condition into an estate of acceptance with God, and eternal Salvation thereon. And therefore in the first place, he fully describeth their natural state, with their being obnoxious unto the wrath of God thereby. For such was the method of this Apostle, unto the Declaration of the Grace of God in any kind, he did usually, yea, constantly premise the consideration of our sin, misery, and ruin. Others now like not this method so well. Howbeit this hinders not, but that it was his. Unto this purpose he declares unto the Ephesians, That they were dead in trespasses and sins, expressing the power that sin had on their Souls, as unto Spiritual life, and all the actions of it; but withal that they lived and walked in sin, and on all accounts were the children of wrath, or subject and liable unto eternal condemnation, Ver. 1, 2, 3. What such persons can do towards their own deliverance, there are many terms found out to express, all passing my understanding, seeing the entire design of the Apostle is to prove, that they can do nothing at all. But another cause, or other causes of it, he finds out, and that in direct express opposition unto any thing that may be done by our selves unto that end. [Greek or Hebrew], Ver. 4. It is not a work for us to undertake; it is not what we can contribute any thing unto: But God, who is rich in mercy. The adversative includes an opposition, unto every thing on our part, and encloseth the whole work to God. Would Men have rested on this Divine Revelation, the Church of God had been free from many of those perverse opinions and wrangling disputes, which it hath