N00347:107
A brief discourse of justification. Wherein this doctrine is plainly laid down according to…
A brief discourse of justification. Wherein this doctrine is plainly laid down according to the Scriptures. : As it was delivered in several sermons on this subject. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Ten lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by S for Samuel Phillips, 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. When a sinner is declared righteous, he is together with it adjudged to receive the […] reward of Righteousness. Justification not only exempts a sinner from hell, and wrath, and eternal death, which he had been obnoxious unto, but it also appoints him to life, and peace, and salvation; and this also must be done according unto the tenor of the Law. Now if we search, we shall find that the Law of God propounded happiness to man upon condition; it was to be the reward of his keeping this Law, Rom. 10. 5. Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man that doth these things, shall […] by them. It did exact obedience of man […] a duty, and looked upon him as […] under a bond, obliging, of him to […] performance of it; and as he was to […] no reward of life, except he did so […] so t• •ail of or omit it was death: hence, as without such a righteousness he cannot clear himself of the threatening, but it will take hold of him, and bring him under condemnation, so much less can he without it expect to receive the recompense of reward […] and this is that which is called active obedience, and this also must be performed either by him or […] surety, and because he herein […] he did in the former, and ⟨p. 43⟩as he hath not wherewith to satisfy for his offences, so neither hath he any strength to perform what is his duty, hence as Christ did […] all Righteousness, Mat. 3. 15. so he did it for us; his passive obedience was not only for us, and his active for himself, but both served to the ••cs of Redemption, and in whatsoever he was made under the Law, it was that he might redeem such as were under the Law, and makes them partakers in the […] of So••, Gal. 4. 4, 5. his holiness of life old not only fit him to be an acceptable sacrifice for us, but it was also a part of his Mediatorial work on our account; and this is the very matter of the Righteousness for which we are adjudged to receive a Crown of life, and so made heirs of eternal glory, according to the promise made in the Law Covenant on this condition.