The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

But he sufficiently intimates wherein it did consist, in that he affirms of himself, That he came to fulfil the Law, Ver. 17. What he came for, that he was sent for; for as he was sent, and not for himself, He was born to us, given unto us. This was to fulfil the Law, that so the Righteousness of it might he fulfilled in us. And if we our selves cannot fulfil the Law in the proper sense of its commands, which yet is not to be abolished but established, as our Saviour declares; if we cannot avoid the Curse and Penalty of it upon its transgression: ⟨p. 434⟩And if he came to fulfil it for us, all which are declared by himself, then is his Righteousness, even which he wrought for us in fulfilling the Law, the Righteousness wherewith we are justified before God. And whereas here is a twofold Righteousness proposed unto us, one in the fulfilling of the Law by Christ; the other in our own perfect obedience unto the Law, as the sense of it is by him declared, and other middle Righteousness between them there is none; it is left unto the Consciences of convinced, sinners, whether of these they will adhere and trust unto. And their direction herein, is the principal design we ought to have in the declaration of this Doctrine.

I shall pass by all those places wherein the foundations of this Doctrine are surely laid, because it is not expressly mentioned in them. But such they are as in their proper Interpretation do necessarily infer it. Of this kind are they all, wherein the Lord Christ is said to die for us, or in our stead, to lay down his life a ransom for us, or in our stead, and the like; but I shall pass them by, because I will not digress at all from the present Argument.

I shall pass by all those places wherein the foundations of this Doctrine are surely laid, because it is not expresly mentioned in them. But such they are as in their proper Interpretation do necessarily infer it. Of this kind are they all, wherein the Lord Christ is said to die for us, or in our stead, to lay down his life a ransom for us, or in our stead, and the like; but I shall pass them by, because I will not digress at all from the present Argument.