Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

Now there is a double sort of righteousness, Rom. 8.4. That the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us; see then there is a double righteousness; there is a righteousness fulfilled in us, and a righteousness fulfilled by us, that's walking in the Spirit. The righteousness fulfilled in us, is fulfilled by another, and is made ours by imputation; so we have a righteousness without us, and a righteousness inherent in us; the righteousness without us, is forgiveness of sins, and pardon of them, which is a gracious act of God, letting fall all actions against me, and accounting of me as if I had never sinned against him all my life time; then there is a righteousness within me, an inherent righteousness. And if a righteousness, then justification; for that is but a declaration of righteousness. And so that which the Fathers call justification, is taken generally for sanctification; that which we call justification, they call forgiveness of sins; that which we call sanctification, they call justification; so that the ⟨p. 398⟩difference is only in the terms. Justification we must know, is not taken only as opposed to condemnation, which is the first kind of righteousness, Rom. 6.7. He that is dead, is freed from sin; if you look to the Greek or to the Margin, it is, he that is dead, is justified from sin; this is not took in the first sense as opposed to condemnation, but in the other sense as it hath relation to final grace; The perfection of sanctification is wrought in me; for where there is final grace, there is a supersedeas from all sin; so Rev. 22.11. Let him that is righteous, be righteous still; the Greek is, let him that is righteous, be justified still. See then the difference between Saint Paul, and Saint James. Saint Paul speaks of that which consists in remission of sins, as in comparing the Apostle with David will appear, Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven. Saint James speaks of justification in the second acception. You need not fly to that distinction of justification before God, and justification before men; think not that Saint James speaks only of justification before men. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac on the Altar? What justified by killing his son? this was a proper work indeed to justify him before man, to be a parricide;