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

Answ. To justify a man, is in Scripture sense, For a Judge to absolve a person from guilt, by pronouncing him Righteous. Now this sentence which is thus past upon this person, is his Justification properly, Justification is a word borrowed from Courts of Civil Judicature and the right understanding of it is best […] unto by considering ⟨p. 9⟩of the allusion, and comparing it by these several steps that are taken in this process in order to such an issue. Here then these things may be observed.

Answ. To justifie a man, is in Scripture sence, For a Judge to absolve a person from guilt, by pronouncing him Righteous. Now this sentence which is thus past upon this person, is his Justification properly, Justification is a word borrowed from Courts of Civil Judicature and the right understanding of it is best 〈…〉 unto by considering ⟨p. 9⟩of the allusion, and comparing it by these several steps that are taken in this process in order to such an issue. Here then these things may be observed.

1. That Justification presupposeth a Legal Trial. The Apostle is here referring to the day of Judgment, and tells us that he would then be found in Christ, when he comes upon his last Trial, that so he may be able to stand it out, and find an absolution at Gods Tribunal. If there were no Judgment wherein men are to appear, and give up their accounts, there would be no need of their Justification: but Paul lives in expectation of such a thing, and hath also given us to understand that all men have as much reason to expect it as he, it being a truth of which there is not the least ground to make any doubt, 2 Cor. 5. 10. we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, Heb. 9. 27