A53686:636
The Doctrine of Justification by Faith
The doctrine of justification by faith through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, explained, confirmed, & vindicated by John Owen ...
London: printed for R. Boulter, 1677
Chapter 10: Arguments for Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ. The first…
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.
If the most Holy of the servants of God, in and after a course of sincere fruitful Obedience, testified unto by God himself, and Witnessed in their own Consciences, that is, whilst they have the greatest evidences of their own sincerity, and that indeed they are the servants of God, do renounce all thoughts of such a Righteousness thereby, as whereon in any sense they may be justified ⟨p. 323⟩before God; then there is no such Righteousness in any, but it is the Righteousness of Christ alone imputed unto us whereon we are so justified. But that so they do, and ought all of them so to do, because of the general Rule here laid down, that in the sight of God no man living shall be justified, is plainly affirmed in this Testimony.
I no way doubt but that many learned men, after all their Pleas for an Interest of Personal Righteousness and Works in our Justification before God, do as unto their own practice betake themselves unto this method of the Psalmist, and cry as the Prophet Daniel doth in the name of the Church; we do not present our supplications before thee for our own Righteousness, but for thy great mercies, Chap. 9.18. And therefore Job (as we have formerly observed) after a long and earnest defence of his own Faith, Integrity, and Personal Righteousness, wherein he justified himself against the charge of Satan and men, being called to plead his cause in the sight of God, and declare on what grounds he expected to be justified before him, renounceth all his former Pleas, and betakes himself unto the same with the Psalmist, Chap. 40.4. Chap. 42.6.
I no way doubt but that many learned men, after all their Pleas for an Interest of Personal Righteousness and Works in our Justification before God, do as unto their own practice betake themselves unto this method of the Psalmist, and cry as the Prophet Daniel doth in the name of the Church; we do not present our supplications before thee for our own Righteousness, but for thy great mercies, Chap. 9.18. And therefore Job (as we have formerly observed) after a long and earnest defence of his own Faith, Integrity, and Personal Righteousness, wherein he justified himself against the charge of Sathan and men, being called to plead his cause in the sight of God, and declare on what grounds he expected to be justified before him, renounceth all his former Pleas, and betakes himself unto the same with the Psalmist, Chap. 40.4. Chap. 42.6.