The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

(2) That he was not justified by a real efficiency of an habit of Righteousness in him, or by any way of making him inherently Righteous, who was before unrighteous is plain also, because he was Righteous in that sense long before, and had abounded in the Works of Righteousness unto the praise of God. It remains therefore that then, and by the Work mentioned, he was justified as unto the evidencing and manifestation of his Faith and Justification thereon. His other instance is of Rahab concerning whom he asserts that she was justified by Works when she had received the Messengers and sent them away. But she received the Spies by Faith, as the Holy Ghost witnesseth, Heb. 11.31. And therefore had true Faith before their coming; and if so, was really justified. For that any one should be a true believer, and yet not be justified is destructive unto the foundation of the Gospel. In ⟨p. 572⟩this condition she received the Messengers, and made unto them a full Declaration of her Faith, Josh. 2.10, 11. After her believing and Justification thereon, and after the confession she had made of her Faith, she exposed her life by concealing and sending of them away. Hereby did she justify the sincerity of her Faith and Confession, and in that sense alone is said to be justified by Works: And in no other sense doth the Apostle James in this place make mention of Justification, which he doth also only occasionally.

(2) That he was not justified by a real efficiency of an habit of Righteousness in him, or by any way of making him inherently Righteous, who was before unrighteous is plain also, because he was Righteous in that sense long before, and had abounded in the Works of Righteousness unto the praise of God. It remains therefore that then, and by the Work mentioned, he was justified as unto the evidencing and manifestation of his Faith and Justification thereon. His other instance is of Rahab concerning whom he asserts that she was justified by Works when she had received the Messengers and sent them away. But she received the Spies by Faith, as the Holy Ghost witnesseth, Heb. 11.31. And therefore had true Faith before their coming; and if so, was really justified. For that any one should be a true believer, and yet not be justified is destructive unto the foundation of the Gospel. In