The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

1. The principal design of our Blessed Saviours Sermon, especially that part of it which is Recorded Matth. 5. is to declare the true nature of Righteousness before God. The Scribes and Pharisees, from a Bondage unto whose Doctrines he designed to vindicate the Consciences of those that heard him, placed all our Righteousness before God in the Works of the Law, or Mens own obedience thereunto. This they taught the People, and hereon they justified themselves, as ⟨p. 432⟩he chargeth them. Luke 16.15. Ye are they which justify your selves before men; but God knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God: As in this Sermon he makes it evident. And all those who were under their conduct, did seek to establish their own Righteousness, as it were by the works of the Law, Rom. 9.33. Chap. 10.3. But yet were they convinced in their own Consciences, that they could not attain unto the Law of Righteousness; or unto that perfection of obedience which the Law did require. Yet would they not forego their proud, fond imagination of Justification by their own Righteousness, but, as the manner of all Men is in the same case, sought out other inventions to relieve them against their convictions. For unto this end, they corrupted the whole Law by their false glosses and interpretations to bring down, and debase the sense of it, unto what they boasted in themselves to perform. So doth he in whom our Saviour gives an instance of the principle and practice of the whole Society, by way of a Parable. Luk. 18.10, 11, 12. And so the young Man affirmed, That he had kept the whole Law from his youth, namely in their sense. Matth. 19.20.

1. The principal design of our Blessed Saviours Sermon, especially that part of it which is Recorded Matth. 5. is to declare the true nature of Righteousness before God. The Scribes and Pharisees, from a Bondage unto whose Doctrines he designed to vindicate the Consciences of those that heard him, placed all our Righteousness before God in the Works of the Law, or Mens own obedience thereunto. This they taught the People, and hereon they justified themselves, as