Works of John Owen, The : The Holy Spirit

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1826 edition. Excerpt: ...fulfilled or we cannot be justified. we shall prove afterward. 4. We are not hereon justified by the law or the works of it, in the only sense of that proposition in the Scripture, and to coin new senses or significations of it, is not safe. The meaning of it in the Scripture is, that only the doers of the law shall be justified; Rom ii. 13. and that he that doth the things of it shall live by them; chap. x. 5. namely, in his own person, by the way of personal duty which alone the law requires. But if we who have not fulfilled the law in the way of inherent personal obedience, are justified by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ unto us, then are we justified by Christ and not by the law. But it is said, that this will not relieve. For if his obedience be so imputed unto us, as that we are accounted by God in judgment to have done what Christ did, it is all one upon the matter, and we are as much justified by the law, as if we had in our own proper persons performed an unsinning obedience unto it. This I confess I cannot understand. The nature of this imputation is here represented as formerly, in such a way as we cannot acknowledge; from thence alone this inference is made, which yet in my judgment doth not follow thereon. For grant an imputation of the righteousness of another unto us, be it of what nature it will, all justification by the law and works of it in the sense of the Scripture is gone for ever. The admission of imputation takes off all power from the law to justify; for it can justify none, but upon a righteousness that is originally and inherently his own. The man that doth them shall live in them. If the righteousness that is imputed be the ground and foundation of our justification, and made ours by that...… (more)