A brief discourse of justification. Wherein this doctrine is plainly laid down according to…

1. That it is the Justification of sinners that Christ stands engaged for; so the Scripture calls it, Rom,4.4. Believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly: and this is a thing to be well considered, that when God comes to justify any person he is in himself a Sinner, an ungodly one; and the way how such a thing may be so fairly done, calls for a special consideration and enquiry: If the case were only for the justifying of a just person, one ⟨p. 39⟩to whose charge nothing could be laid, there would need no great ado for that: his own righteousness would stand up for him, it would plead his innocence, challenge the discharge of the Law, and his active Obedience were sufficient, for the man was never obnoxious: but it is another manner of thing when it comes to the justifying of a condemned sinner, who hath transgressed the Law, and thereby incensed and opened its mouth against him; and here is a great deal more required to prepare the way that Justice may give such a man an acquittance: and as a sinner can have no righteousness of his own personal, so there must be a manifold Righteousness in him who will obtain this favour for him. Hence,

1. That it is the Justification of sinners that Christ stands engaged for; so the Scripture calls it, Rom,4.4. Believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly: and this is a thing to be well considered, that when God comes to justifie any person he is in himself a Sinner, an ungodly one; and the way how such a thing may be so fairly done, calls for aspecial consideration and enquiry: If the case were only for the justifying of a just person, one ⟨p. 39⟩to whose charge nothing could be laid, there would need no great ado for that: his own righteousness would stand up for him, it would plead his innocence, challenge the discharge of the Law, and his active Obedience were sufficient, for the man was never obnoxious: but it is another manner of thing when it comes to the justifying of a condemned sinner, who hath transgressed the Law, and thereby incensed and opened its mouth against him; and here is a great deal more required to prepare the way that Justice may give such a man an acquittance: and as a sinner can have no righteousness of his own personal, so there must be a manifold Righteousness in him who will obtain this favour for him. Hence,