The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

On these Principles, and by this Gradation he peremptorily concludes, That all and every one of the Sons of men, as unto any thing that is in themselves or can be done by them, or be wrought in them, are guilty before God, obnoxious unto Death, shut up under sin, and have their mouths so stopped, as to be deprived of all pleas in their own excuse; that they had no Righteousness wherewith to appear before God, and that all the ways and means whence they expected it, were insufficient unto that purpose.

Hereon he proceeds with his Enquiry how men may be delivered from this condition, and come to be justified in the sight of God. And in the Resolution hereof he makes no mention of any thing in themselves, but only Faith whereby we receive the Atonement. That whereby we are justified, he saith is the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Christ Jesus, or that we are justified freely by Grace through the Redemption that is in him, chap. 3.22, 23, 24, 25. And not content here with this answer unto the enquiry how lost convinced sinners may come to be justified before God, namely, That it is by the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith, by Grace by the blood of Christ, as he is set forth for a Propitiation; He immediately proceeds unto a positive exclusion of every thing in and of our selves that might pretend unto an Interest herein, as that which is inconsistent with the Righteousness of God as revealed in the Gospel, and witnessed unto by the Law and the Prophets. ⟨p. 29⟩How contrary their Scheme of Divinity is unto this Design of the Apostle, and his management of it, who affirm that before the Law men were justified by Obedience unto the Light of Nature, and some particular Revelations made unto them in things of their own especial private concernment; and that after the giving of the Law they were so by Obedience unto God according to the Directions thereof, as also that the Heathen might obtain the same benefit in compliance with the Dictates of Reason, cannot be contradicted by any who have not a mind to be contentious.

Hereon he proceeds with his Enquiry how men may be delivered from this condition, and come to be justified in the sight of God. And in the Resolution hereof he makes no mention of any thing in themselves, but only Faith whereby we receive the Attonement. That whereby we are justified, he saith is the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Christ Jesus, or that we are justified freely by Grace through the Redemption that is in him, chap. 3.22, 23, 24, 25. And not content here with this answer unto the enquiry how lost convinced sinners may come to be justified before God, namely, That it is by the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith, by Grace by the blood of Christ, as he is set forth for a Propitiation; He immediately proceeds unto a positive exclusion of every thing in and of our selves that might pretend unto an Interest herein, as that which is inconsistent with the Righteousness of God as revealed in the Gospel, and witnessed unto by the Law and the Prophets.