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Therefore, three periods of justification must be carefully observed here:

The period of Constitution, in which man is first justified: here, not only the efficacy of works in procuring justification is excluded, but even their very presence, insofar as God justifies the sinner Romans 3:23, and the ungodly Romans 4:5.

The period of Continuation, where, although no efficacy of good works is admitted for justification, their presence is still required Galatians 5:6. And perhaps in this sense, James denies that we are justified by faith alone, but also requires works James 2:14–26.

Finally, the period of Consummation, in which the right to eternal life, conferred in the first period and continued in the second, is also promoted to possession: here, not only the presence of good works is required; but also some kind of efficacy, insofar as God does not want to confer the possession of eternal life, the right of which we have long held by the merit of Christ alone, unless, besides faith, there are preceding good works Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 7:21, & 25:34–36, Romans 2:7, 10."