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

2. Because, though God in his Justifying of a sinner, looks at, and requires the full merit of Christs Obedience, yet he looks not at any Righteousness at all in the person who is to be justified. He hath no consideration of the person in this case, nor is it enquired about him, whether he have been a greater or lesser sinner, whether he hath lived a longer or a shorter time in a state of alienation from the life of Christ; but this Righteousness is as readily and willingly applied to a chief sinner, such as Paul confesseth himself to have been, 1 Tim. 1. 15. as to one that hath not sinned so notoriously but been more restrained in his conversation: he as well, and as soon justifies one that hath been a blasphemer, ⟨p. 78⟩a Drunkard, an Idolater, a profane Sabbath-breaker, Swearer, &c. as him that hath been a civil and moral man, see what a crew Paul reckons up. 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. and yet tells his Corinthians that though some of them had been such, yet they were Justified, ver: 11. the force of this Reason lies here. That the sinner never struck one stroke to the procuring of his own Justification, of to his deserving to have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him: there is not one grain of his own Righteousness in it, but it is all Christs: this garment of Righteousness is made to his hand; yea, and he doth no so much as put it on of himself: Imputation alone is that which makes it his, and that […] Gods act; and he did never by any thing that he hath done lay any the least obligation upon God to do it; and that must need be most free, to the earning and procuring which, we have never done any thing, […] not so much as to move his favour toward us.

2. Because, though God in his Justifying of a sinner, looks at, and requires the full merit of Christs Obedience, yet he looks not at any Righteousness at all in the person who is to be justified. He hath no consideration of the person in this case, nor is it enquired about him, whether he have been a greater or lesser sinner, whether he hath lived a longer or a shorter time in a state of alienation from the life of Christ; but this Righteousness is as readily and willingly applied to a chief sinner, such as Paul confesseth himself to have been,