N00347:179
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.
1. That the Righteousness by which we are to be justified, is already wrought out and perfected and if so, then there is nothing of ours that can justify us by addition to, or being a complement of that Righteousness: for is hath been made to appear, that it is alone, Christs Righteousness; it admits of no addition to it, or completing of it, it needs no eking out, for then he should not save to the uttermost. As God indented with Christ for so he accepted of his Obedience, as the full price of our Redemption, and the whole Satisfaction to his Law; so that God looks only to this, and there is nothing else that he will look upon as the procuring cause of our pardon and acceptance into favours but only his Sons Righteousness.
1. That the Righteousness by which we are to be justified, is already wrought out and perfected and if so, then there is nothing of ours that can justifie us by addition to, or being a complement of that Righteousness: for is hath been made to appear, that it is alone, Christs Righteousness; it admits of no addition to it, or compleating of it, it needs no eiking out, for then he should not save to the uttermost. As God indented with Christ for so he accepted of his Obedience, as the full price of our Redemption, and the whole Satisfaction to his Law; so that God looks only to this, and there is nothing else that he will look upon as the procuring cause of our pardon and acceptance into favours but only his Sons Righteousness.
2. Hence there is nothing of ours that can have any hand in our Justification, but only that which is instrumental to make this Righteousness of Christ to become actually ours: we ⟨p. 105⟩have nothing to do for our being justified, but to receive Christs Righteousness for it: now there is nothing of ours but only our Faith which is capable of such a thing as this: as for our moral virtues, and all our actions of obedience to the Law of God, they are far from having a virtue of receiving Christ, for they, are truly and properly our returns, or offerings of Thanksgivings into him, in the acknowledgement of his great favours bestowed upon us; so that faith and no other Grace is fitted for this work.