The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

The first thing he doth, is to prove all men to be under sin, and to be guilty before God. This he giveth as the conclusion of his preceding discourse from Chap. 1.18. or what he ⟨p. 444⟩had evidently evinced thereby, Chap. 3. ver. 19, 23. Hereon an inquiry doth arise, how any of them come to be justified before God. And whereas Justification is a sentence upon the consideration of a Righteousness, his grand inquiry is what that Righteousness is, on the consideration whereof a Man may be so justified. And concerning this, he affirms expressly that it is not the Righteousness of the Law, nor of the Works of it; whereby what he doth intend, hath been in part before declared, and will be further manifested in the proofs of our discourse. Wherefore in general he declares, that the Righteousness whereby we are justified, is the Righteousness of God, in opposition unto any Righteousness of our own, Chap. 1.17, Chap. 3.21, 22. And he describes this Righteousness of God by three properties, (1.) That it is [Greek or Hebrew], without the Law, Ver. 21. separated in all its concerns from the Law; not attainable by it, nor any works of it; which they have no influence into. It is neither our obedience unto the Law, nor attainable thereby. Nor can any expression more separate and exclude the Works of Obedience unto the Law, from any concernment in it, then this doth: Wherefore, what ever is, or can be performed by our selves in obedience unto the Law, is rejected from any interest in this Righteousness of God, or the procurement of it to be made ours. (2.) That yet it is witnessed unto by the Law. Ver. 21. The Law and the Prophets.

The first thing he doth, is to prove all men to be under sin, and to be guilty before God. This he giveth as the conclusion of his preceding discourse from Chap. 1.18. or what he ⟨p. 444⟩had evidently evinced thereby, Chap. 3. ver. 19, 23. Hereon an inquiry doth arise, how any of them come to be justified before God. And whereas Justification is a sentence upon the consideration of a Righteousness, his grand inquiry is what that Righteousness is, on the consideration whereof a Man may be so justified. And concerning this, he affirms expresly that it is not the Righteousness of the Law, nor of the Works of it; whereby what he doth intend, hath been in part before declared, and will be further manifested in the proofs of our discourse. Wherefore in general he declares, that the Righteousness whereby we are justified, is the Righteousness of God, in opposition unto any Righteousness of our own, Chap. 1.17, Chap. 3.21, 22. And he describes this Righteousness of God by three properties, (1.) That it is , without the Law, Ver. 21. separated in all its concerns from the Law; not attainable by it, nor any works of it; which they have no influence into. It is neither our obedience unto the Law, nor attainable thereby. Nor can any expression more separate and exclude the Works of Obedience unto the Law, from any concernment in it, then this doth: Wherefore, what ever is, or can be performed by our selves in obedience unto the Law, is rejected from any interest in this Righteousness of God, or the procurement of it to be made ours. (2.) That yet it is witnessed unto by the Law. Ver. 21. The Law and the Prophets.