The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

This blessed Permutation as unto Sin and Righteousness, is represented unto us in the Scripture as a principal object of our Faith; as that whereon our Peace with God is founded. And although both these, the Imputation of Sin unto Christ, and the Imputation of Righteousness unto us, be the Acts of God and not ours, yet are we by Faith to exemplify them in our own Souls, and really to perform what on our part is required unto their Application unto us, whereby we receive the Atonement, Rom. 5.11. Christ calls unto him all those that are weary and heavy laden, Mat. 11.28. The weight that is upon the Consciences of men wherewith they are laden, is the burden of sin. So the Psalmist complains that his sins were a burden too heavy for him, Psal. 38.4. Such was Cains apprehension of his Guilt, Gen. 4.13. This Burden Christ bare when it was laid on him by divine Estimation. For so it is said [Greek or Hebrew] Isa. 53.11. He shall bear their sins on him as a burden. And this he did when God made to meet upon him the Iniquity of us all, ver. 6. In the Application of this unto our own Souls, as it is required that we be sensible of the weight and burden of our sins, and how it is heavier then we can bear, so the Lord Christ calls us unto him with it, that we may be eased. This he doth in the preaching of the Gospel, wherein he is evidently Crucified before our Eyes, Gal. 3.1. In the view which Faith hath of Christ crucified, (for Faith is a looking unto him, Isa. 45.22. chap. 65.1. answering their looking unto the Brazen Serpent who were stung with fiery Serpents, Joh. 3.14, 15.) and under a sense of his Invitation, (for Faith is our coming unto him upon his call and invitation) to come unto him with our Burdens, a Believer ⟨p. 49⟩considereth that God hath laid all our Iniquities upon him, yea that he hath done so, is an especial object whereon Faith is to act it self, which is Faith in his Blood. Hereon doth the Soul approve of, and embrace the Righteousness and Grace of God, with the infinite condescension and love of Christ himself. It gives its consent that what is thus done, is what becomes the infinite Wisdom and Grace of God, and therein it rests. Such a Person seeks no more to establish his own Righteousness, but submits to the Righteousness of God.