The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

These are some of the places which at present occur to Remembrance, wherein the Scripture represents unto us the Grounds, Causes, and Reasons of our Acceptation with God. The especial import of many of them, and the Evidence of Truth that is in them will be afterwards considered. Here we take only a general view of them. And everything in and of our selves under any consideration whatever, seems to be excluded from our Justification before God, Faith alone excepted whereby we receive his Grace and the Atonement. And on the other side, the whole of our Acceptation with Him seems to be assigned unto Grace, Mercy, the Obedience and Blood of Christ; in opposition unto our own Worth and Righteousness, or our own Works and Obedience. And I cannot but suppose that the Soul of a convinced sinner, if not prepossessed with prejudice, will in general not judge amiss whether of these things that are set ⟨p. 34⟩in opposition one to the other, he should betake himself unto, that he may be justified.

These are some of the places which at present occur to Remembrance, wherein the Scripture represents unto us the Grounds, Causes, and Reasons of our Acceptation with God. The especial import of many of them, and the Evidence of Truth that is in them will be afterwards considered. Here we take only a general view of them. And everything in and of our selves under any consideration whatever, seems to be excluded from our Justification before God, Faith alone excepted whereby we receive his Grace and the Attonement. And on the other side, the whole of our Acceptation with Him seems to be assigned unto Grace, Mercy, the Obedience and Blood of Christ; in opposition unto our own Worth and Righteousness, or our own Works and Obedience. And I cannot but suppose that the Soul of a convinced sinner, if not prepossessed with prejudice, will in general not judge amiss whether of these things that are set ⟨p. 34⟩in opposition one to the other, he should betake himself unto, that he may be justified.

But it is replied, these things are not to be understood absolutely and without Limitations. Sundry Distinctions are necessary, that we may come to understand the mind of the Holy Ghost and sense of the Scripture in these Ascriptions unto Grace, and Exclusions of the Law, our own Works and Righteousness from our Justification. For (1) the Law is either the moral or the ceremonial Law; the latter indeed is excluded from any place in our Justification, but not the former. (2) Works required by the Law are either wrought before Faith, without the Aid of Grace; or after believing, by the help of the Holy Ghost. The former are excluded from our Justification, but not the latter. (3) Works of Obedience wrought after Grace received, may be considered either as sincere only, or absolutely perfect according to what was originally required in the Covenant of Works. Those of the latter sort are excluded from any place in our Justification, but not those of the former. (4) There is a two-fold Justification before God in this life; a first and a second, and we must diligently consider with respect unto whether of these Justifications any thing is spoken in the Scripture. (5) Justification may be considered either as to its beginning, or as unto its continuation, and so it hath divers causes under these divers respects. (6) Works may be considered either as Meritorious ex condigno, so as their merit should arise from their own intrinsic worth, or ex congruo only with respect unto the Covenant and promise of God. Those of the first sort are excluded at least from the first Justification; the latter may have place both in the first and second. (7) Moral Causes may be of many sorts; preparatory, dispository, meritorious, conditionally efficient, or only sine quibus non. And we must diligently enquire in what sense, under the Notion of what cause or causes, our Works are excluded from our