Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not by infusing Righteousness into them, but bya pardoning their Sins, and by accounting and accepting their Persons asb righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; not by imputing Faith itself the Act of Believing, or any otherc evangelical Obedience to them, as their Righteousness, but by imputing Christ’s active Obedience unto the whole Law, and passive Obedience in his Death, for their whole and sole Righteousness; theyd receiving, and resting on him, and his Righteousness by Faith; which they have not of themselves; it is the Gift of God.e
Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his Righteousness, is the alone Instrument of Justification; Yet it is not alone in the Person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving Graces, and is no dead Faith,a but worketh by Love.b
Christ, by his Obedience and Death, did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified; and did by the Sacrifice of himself, in the Blood of his Cross, undergoing in their stead the Penalty due unto them, make a proper, real and full Satisfaction to God’s Justice in their behalf; yet inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, and his Obedience and Satisfaction accepted in their stead, and botha freely, not for any thing in them, their Justification is only of Free Grace, that both the exact Justice and rich Grace of God might beb glorified in the Justification of Sinners.c
God did from all Eternity decree to justify all the Elect, and Christ did in the Fulness of Time die for their Sins, anda rise again for their Justification; nevertheless they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in due Timeb actually apply Christ unto them.c
God doth continue to forgive the Sins of those that are justified; and although they can never fall from the State ofa Justification, yet they may by their Sins fall under God’sb fatherly Displeasure; and in that Condition, they have not usually the Light of his Countenance restored unto them, until theyc humble themselves, confess their Sins, beg Pardon, and renew their Faith and Repentance.d
The Justification of Believers under the Old Testament, was in all these Respects one and the same with the Justification of Believers under the New Testament.a
