The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

It is no part of our enquiry, what God requireth of them that are justified. There is no Grace, no Duty, for the substance of them, nor for the manner of their performance, that are required either by the Law or the Gospel, but they are obliged unto them. Where they are omitted, we acknowledge that the Guilt of sin is contracted, and that attended with such Aggravations, as some will not own or allow to be confessed unto God himself. Hence in particular the Faith and Grace of Believers, do constantly and deeply exercise themselves in Godly sorrow, Repentance, Humiliation for sin, and confession of it before God, upon their Apprehensions of its Guilt. And these Duties are so far necessary unto the continuation of our Justification, as that a justified Estate cannot consist with the Sins and Vices that are opposite unto them. So the Apostle affirms, that if we live after the flesh, we ⟨p. 208⟩shall dye; Rom. 8.13. He that doth not carefully avoid falling into the Fire or Water, or other things immediately destructive of life natural, cannot live. But these are not the things whereon life doth depend. Nor have the best of our Duties any other respect unto the continuation of our Justification, but only as in them we are preserved from those things which are contrary unto it, and destructive of it. But the sole Question is upon what the continuation of our Justification doth depend, not concerning what Duties are required of us, in the way of our Obedience. If this be that which is intended in this position, the continuation of our Justification depends on our own Obedience and Good Works, or that our own Obedience and Good Works are the Condition of the continuation of our Justification, namely, that God doth indispensably require Good Works and Obedience in all that are justified, so that a justified estate is inconsistent with the neglect of them; it is readily granted, and I shall never contend with any about the way whereby they choose to express the conceptions of their minds. But if it be enquired what it is whereby we immediately concur in a way of Duty unto the continuation of our justified estate, that is, the pardon of our sins and acceptance with God, we say it is such alone. For the Just shall live by Faith, Rom. 1.17. And as the Apostle applies this Divine Testimony to prove our first or absolute Justification to be by Faith alone;