The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

Here it is, that we may, and ought if any where, to expect the interest of our personal obedience under some qualification or other, in our Justification to be declared. For if it should be supposed (which yet it cannot with any pretence of Reason) that in the foregoing discourse, the Apostle had excluded only the Works of the Law, as absolutely perfect, or as wrought in our own strength without the aid of Grace, or as meritorious; yet having generally excluded all Works from our Justification, Ver. 20. Without distinction or limitation, it might well be expected, and ought to have been so; that upon the full Declaration which he gives us of the nature and way of our Justification in all the causes of it, he should have assigned the place, and consideration which our own personal Righteousness had in our Justification before God; the first or second, or continuation of it, somewhat or other, or at least, made some mention of it, under the qualification of gracious, sincere, or Evangelical, that it might not seem to be absolutely excluded. It is plain the Apostle thought of no such thing, nor was at all solicitous about any reflection that might be made on his Doctrine, as though it overthrew the necessity of our own obedience. Take in the consideration of the Apostles design, with the circumstances of the context, and the Argument from his utter silence, about our own personal Righteousness in our Justification before God, is unanswerable. But this is not all; we shall find in our progress, that it is expressly and directly excluded by him.

Here it is, that we may, and ought if any where, to expect the interest of our personal obedience under some qualification or other, in our Justification to be declared. For if it should be supposed (which yet it cannot with any pretence of Reason) that in the foregoing discourse, the Apostle had excluded only the Works of the Law, as absolutely perfect, or as wrought in our own strength without the aid of Grace, or as meritorious; yet having generally excluded all Works from our Justification, Ver. 20. Without distinction or limitation, it might well be expected, and ought to have been so; that upon the full Declaration which he gives us of the nature and way of our Justification in all the causes of it, he should have assigned the place, and consideration which our own personal Righteousness had in our Justification before God; the first or second, or continuation of it, somewhat or other, or at least, made some mention of it, under the qualification of gracious, sincere, or Evangelical, that it might not seem to be absolutely excluded. It is plain the Apostle thought of no such thing, nor was at all solicitous about any reflection that might be made on his Doctrine, as though it overthrew the necessity of our own obedience. Take in the consideration of the Apostles design, with the circumstances of the context, and the Argument from his utter silence, about our own personal Righteousness in our Justification before God, is unanswerable. But this is not all; we shall find in our progress, that it is expresly and directly excluded by him.