The Believer Exalted in Imputed Righteousness
Preached at the celebration of the Lord's supper, at
Largo, Sabbath morning, June 4, 1721.
"Surely, shall one say, in the LORD
have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are
incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel
be justified, and shall glory." Isaiah 45:24-25
The subject of the
following discourse is high, noble, and excellent. But my design at that time,
being only to preface a little before the action-sermon, by that eminent and
worthy servant of Christ, Mr. William Moncrief, I took care to abridge my
thoughts upon it as much as possible. I have since handled the same text, in my
ordinary, at far greater length. But the discourse having been quarrelled with,
as was hinted in the preface to that on Rev. 3:4, I judged it fit to send it
abroad, in the very same dress in which, to the best of my remembrance, it was
delivered. It is not accuracy of style or method I set up for, but the
edification of the poor, to whom the gospel is preached; and therefore shall
contend with none upon those heads. But as for the doctrines here delivered, if
I durst not hazard my own salvation upon the truth of them, I had never
adventured to preach them as the truths of God to others. I am fully persuaded,
that one great reason why the gospel has so little success in our day, is,
because our discourses generally are so little calculated for pulling down our
own, and exalting the righteousness of Christ, as the alone foundation which
God hath laid in Zion.
Our sermons lose their savour and efficacy for
salvation, if this be wanting: and I humbly think the great apostle Paul was of
this mind, Rom. 1:16, 17: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is
the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth." And if any ask,
Whence comes the gospel to have such power to salvation? He immediately
answers, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith." "In thy name shall they rejoice all the day; and in thy righteousness
shall they be exalted."?Psalm 89:16. The psalmist, in the beginning of this
psalm, having run out at great length in the praise and commendation of the God
of Israel, proceeds, from the 15th verse of the psalm, to declare the happiness
of his Israel, or of true believers, of whom Israel according to the flesh were
a type.
Now, God's Israel are a happy people upon several accounts.
1.
Because they are privileged to know the joyful sound, in the beginning of the
15th verse. The gospel has a joyful sound; a sound of peace, a sound of life, a
sound of liberty and salvation. You are all privileged to hear this sound with
your bodily ears; but the great question is, do you know it, understand it, and
give faith's entertainment to it? Alas! Isaiah's lamentation may but too justly
be continued, with respect to the greatest part of the hearers of the gospel,
"Who hath believed our report?"
2. God's Israel are a happy people, because
they "walk in the light of his countenance," in the close of the 15th verse.
They are privileged with the special intimations of his love, which puts more
gladness in their hearts, than when corn, wine and oil abound.
3. Whatever
discouragement they may meet with from the world, yet still they have ground of
rejoicing in their God: "In thy name shall they rejoice all the day;" and,
"Thanks be unto God," says the apostle, "who always causeth us to triumph in
Christ."
4. Their happiness is evident from this, that they are dignified
and exalted above others, by the immaculate robe of a Surety's righteousness;
as you see in the words of my text, In thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
In which words briefly we may notice,
1. The believer's promotion; he
is exalted. In the first Adam we were debased to the lowest hell, the crown
having fallen from our heads: but in Christ, the second Adam, we are again
exalted; yea, exalted as high as heaven, for we "sit together with him in
heavenly places," says the apostle. This is an incredible paradox to a blind
world, that the believer, who is sitting at this moment upon the dunghill of
this earth, should at the same time be sitting in heaven in Christ, his
glorious head and representative; and yet it is indisputably true, that we "sit
together with him in heavenly places," Eph. 2:6. Yea, in him he "rules the
nations with a rod of iron," and triumphs over, and treadeth upon all the
powers of hell.
2. We have the ground of the believer's preferment and
exaltation; It is in thy righteousness. It is not in any righteousness of his
own; no; this he utterly disclaims, reckoning it but dung and loss, filthy
rags, dogs' meat: but it is in thy righteousness; that is, the righteousness of
God, as the apostle calls it, Rom. 1:17: "The righteousness which is of God by
faith," Phil. 3:9. The righteousness of God is variously taken in
scripture.Sometimes for the infinite rectitude and equity of his nature: Psal.
11:7: "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness." Sometimes for his rectoral
equity, or distributive justice, which he exercises in the government of the
world, rewarding the good, and punishing evil-doers; Psal. 97:2: "Justice and
judgment are the habitation of his throne." Sometimes it is put for his
veracity and faithfulness in accomplishing his word of promise, or in executing
his word of threatening; Psal. 36:5, 6: "Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the
clouds: thy righteousness is like the great mountains." Sometimes it is put for
the perfect righteousness which Christ, the Son of God as our Surety and
Mediator, brought in, by his obedience to the law, and death on the cross, for
the justification of guilty sinners; and this, as I said, is frequently called
the righteousness of God: and in this sense I understand it here in the text,
In thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
The observation is much the
same with the words themselves; namely, That in, or by, the righteousness of
Christ, believers are exalted. Or thus, To whatever honour or happiness
believers are exalted, the righteousness of Christ is the ground and foundation
of it. It is owing to the complete obedience, and meritorious death of the
ever-blessed Surety. This is "the foundation which God hath laid in Zion," upon
which all our happiness in time and through eternity is built. I have not time
now to adduce parallel texts of scripture for the confirmation of this
doctrine, neither can I stand upon a long prosecution of it, considering what
great work you have before you through the day. All I shall do, shall be only,
I. To offer a few propositions concerning this righteousness, that you may
understand both the nature and necessity of it.
II. Give you a few of its
properties, to clear its excellency.
III. Speak a little of the believer's
exaltation by virtue of this righteousness.
IV. Apply. I. For the first
thing, to offer a few propositions respecting this righteousness for clearing
its nature and necessity.
1. Then, you would know, that God having made man
a rational creature, capable of moral government, gave him a law suited to his
nature, by which he was to govern himself in the duties he owed to God his
great Creator. This law was delivered to man in the form of a covenant, with a
promise of life upon the condition of perfect obedience, and a threatening of
death in case of disobedience, Gen. 2:17. Thus stood matters between God and
man in a state of innocence.
2. Adam, and all his posterity in him, and
with him, having broken the covenant, are become liable to the curse, and
penalty of it; so that our salvation is become absolutely impossible, until
justice be satisfied, and the honour of the broken law repaired. The law and
justice of God are very peremptory, and stand upon a full satisfaction and
reparation, otherwise heaven's gates shall be shut, and eternally barred
against man and all his posterity. The flaming sword of justice turns every
way, to keep us from access to the paradise that is above.
3. While man in
these circumstances, was expecting nothing but to fall an eternal sacrifice to
divine justice, the eternal Son of God, in his infinite love and pity to
perishing sinners, steps in as a Mediator and Surety; offering not only to take
our nature, but to take our law-place, to stand in our room and stead: by which
the whole obligation of the law, both penal and preceptive, did fall upon him;
that is, he becomes liable and obliged both to fulfil the command, and to
endure the curse of the covenant of works, which we had violated. And here, by
the way, it is fit to advertise you, that it was an act of amazing grace in the
Lord Jehovah, to admit a surety in our room; for had he stood to the rigour and
severity of the law, he would have demanded a personal satisfaction, without
admitting of the satisfaction of a Surety: in which case Adam, and all his
posterity, had fallen under the stroke of avenging justice through eternity.
But "Glory to God in the highest," who not only admitted of a Surety but also
provided one, and "laid help upon one that is mighty."
4. Christ, the
eternal Son of God, being in "the fulness of time, made of a woman, and made
under the law," as our Surety, he actually, in our room and stead, fulfilled
the whole terms of the covenant of works; that is, in a word, he obeyed all the
commands of the law, and endured the curse of it, and thus brings in a complete
law-righteousness; by which guilty sinners are justified before God. And this
is the righteousness by which we are exalted. By his active and passive
obedience he magnifies the law, and makes it honourable, and the Lord declares
himself to be well pleased for his righteousness sake.
5. Although Christ
obeyed the law, and satisfied justice, and thus brought in an everlasting
law-righteousness for a whole elect world; yet the elect of God are never
exalted by virtue of this righteousness, till, in a day of power, they be
brought to receive it by faith, and submit to it for justification before God.
We disclaim that Antinomian error, of an actual justification from eternity, or
yet of a formal justification, bearing date from the death of Christ. We own,
indeed, with all sound Protestant divines, that it was the purpose of God to
justify his elect from eternity, and that all the elect were represented by
Christ in his obedience unto the death; but that they are actually justified
before conversion, or before their application by faith to the blood of Jesus,
is impossible; because the sentence of the broken law stands always in force
against them, till they actually believe in the Son of God for he that
believeth not, is condemned already. And how can they be both justified and
condemned at the same time? Till then, they are children of wrath even as
others.
6. This righteousness of the Surety is conveyed to us by
imputation; as is abundantly plain from many places of scripture, particularly,
Rom. 4:6,11,12,23,24. God reckons what the Surety did in our room to us; so
that his righteousness becomes as much ours for justification before God, as
though we had obeyed the law, and satisfied justice in our own person.
Now,
this imputation of the Surety's righteousness runs principally upon these two
or three things:
(1.) Upon the eternal transaction between the Father and
the Son, in which the Son of God was chosen and sustained as the Surety of an
elect world. Then it was that he gave bond to the Father, to pay their debt, in
the red gold of his blood, saying, "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not
desire: Lo, I come: I delight to do thy will."
(2.) It is grounded upon the
actual imputation of our sins to him: "The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us
all." There is a blessed exchange of places between Christ and his people: he
takes on our sin and unrighteousness, that we may be clothed with the white
robe of his righteousness: 2 Cor. 5:21: "He was made sin for us, who knew no
sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
(3.) This
imputation goes upon the ground of the mystical union between Christ and the
believer. When the poor soul is determined in a "day of power" to embrace the
Lord Jesus in the arms of faith, Christ and he in that very moment coalesce
into one body, he becomes a branch of the noble vine; a member of that body of
which Christ is the glorious Head of eminence, influence, and government. And
being thus united to Christ, the long and white robe of the Mediator's
righteousness is spread over him; by which he is not only freed from
condemnation, but for ever sustained as righteous in the sight of God; 1 Cor
1:30: "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."
II. The second
general head was, to offer a few properties of this righteousness in which
believers are exalted, from whence its exellency will appear.
1. Then, it
is an every way perfect and spotless righteousness: and how can it be
otherwise, seeing it is the righteousness of God? So perfect is it, that the
holy law is not only fulfilled, but magnified and made honourable thereby, Isa.
42:21. So perfect is this righteousness, that the piercing eye of infinite
justice cannot find the least flaw in it: yea, justice is so fully satisfied
that God speaks of the soul who is clothed with it, as though it were in a
state of innocence, and perfectly freed from sin: "Thou art all fair, my love,
there is no spot in thee. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he
seen perverseness in Israel." Indeed, he beholds many spots in the believer,
considered in himself; but not a spot is in him, considered as under the covert
of this spotless righteousness.
2. It is a meritorious righteousness. The
redemption of the soul is so precious, that it would have ceased for ever,
unless it had been redeemed by this righteousness; for silver and gold, and
such corruptible things, could never do it. Lay heaven, and all the glories of
it, in the balance with this righteousness, they would be all light as a
feather, compared, with it. Heaven is called a purchased inheritance, and this
righteousness is the price that bought it. There is such merit in it, that it
expiates sins of the blackest hue, and redeems a whole elect world from wrath
and ruin. Such is the intrinsic value of it, that, had it been so designed, it
was sufficient to have redeemed the whole posterity of Adam, yea, ten thousand
worlds of angels and men, upon a supposition of their existence and fall. O
with what confidence, then, may a poor soul venture its eternal salvatioa upon
this foundation!
3. It is an incomparable righteousness. There is no
righteousness among the creatures that can be compared with it. Compare it with
our own righteousness by the law, and the apostle Paul will tell us, that he
reckoned his Pharisaical righteousness before conversion, yea, his own
obedience after conversion, but as dung, when laid in the balance with it,
Phil. 3:8. Compare it with Adam's righteousness in a state of innocence, or
with the righteousness of the spotless angels, they are but like glow-worms,
when compared with this sun: the one is but the righteousness of a creature,
but here is "the righteousness of God."
4. It is a soul-beautifying and
adorning righteousness: Isa. 61:10: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my
soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of
salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decketh herself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her
jewels." The poor soul, that was black, by lying among the pots, when clothed
with this robe, shines "as the wings of a dove, covered with silver, and her
feathers with yellow gold."
5. It is an everlasting righteousness, as the
prophet Daniel calls it, chap. 9:24. Indeed, this righteousness had no being,
save in the purpose and promise of God, till Christ actually appeared in our
nature, and satisfied the commands of the law, and demands of justice: however,
upon that very being that it had in the purpose and promise of God, it became
effectual for the justification of all the Old Testament saints. This
righteousness, then, I say, is an everlasting righteousness, both as to the
contrivance and duration of it. The contrivance of it bears date from the
council of peace in the ancient years of eternity; for the Surety was set up
from everlasting. And, as it is everlasting in its root, so also in its fruit;
for upon this righteousness the saints will stand, and be acquitted at the day
of judgment; and upon this bottom they will have their standing in heaven
through eternity. The song of the redeemed for ever will be, "he loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood."
6. It is a soul dignifying and
exalting righteousness. Solomon, (Prov. 14:34,) speaking of equity in the
administration of justice, says, that even that kind of righteousness exalteth
a nation. I am sure this holds true of the imputed righteousness of the Lord
Jesus, as you see in my text, In thy righteousness shall they be exalted. But
this leads to,
III. The third thing in the method, which was to speak of
the believer's exaltation by virtue of this righteousness. And here I will very
briefly show,
1. What evils it exalts him above.
2. What happiness and
dignity it exalts him to.
First, What evils it exalts him above.
1. It exalts him above the law as a covenant of works; yea, above both the
commanding and the condemning power of that covenant. "Ye are not under the
law," says the apostle, "but under grace," Rom. 6:14. And if they be not under
it, it follows that they are exalted above it. Indeed, they are not, and cannot
be above it as a rule of duty; no creature can be dispensed from the obligation
of yielding obedience to the laws of the great Creator; and the believer, in a
peculiar manner, is bound to obey the law of the Creator, in the hand of a
Mediator. But considering the law as a covenant of works, demanding the debt of
obedience as a condition of life, or threatening eternal wrath in case of
disobedience, the believer is indeed exalted above it by the righteousness of
Christ. And if the law at any time attempt to bring the believer in bondage to
it, he is to "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free."
The bond woman Hagar, with her offspring of legal fears and terrors, are cast
out by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Gal. 4:30. If a believer in Christ shall
hear the thunderings and curses of mount Ebal, or Sinai, he has no reason to be
affrighted; for "Christ," by his righteousness, "hath redeemed from the curse
of the law." "Thou art not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that
burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest: but thou art
come unto mount Sion, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the
blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." The
believer is "dead to the law by the body of Christ," being married to a better
husband, even him that is raised from the dead.
2. By this righteousness
the believer is exalted above the world. Rev. 12:1, the "woman clothed with the
sun, has the moon under her feet;" which may not only point at the believer's
duty to soar heavenward in his afflictions, but also his privilege in Christ,
to trample both upon the frowns and flatteries of this lower world; according
to that [declaration] of the apostle, "This is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith."
3. By this righteousness he is exalted above the
power and malice of Satan, indeed, as long as the believer is on this side of
Jordan, the devil will he harassing him with his fiery darts, and do his utmost
to make him go halting to heaven; but by virtue of this righteousness, namely,
the doing and dying of our ever-blessed Surety, the devil is both disarmed and
destroyed. The head of the of the old serpent is bruised; for "through death he
destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. And by faith in
the blood and obedience of the Lord Jesus, the believer treads Satan under his
feet; they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb.
4. By this righteousness
the believer is exalted above death. Perhaps thou art in bondage through fear
of death; thy heart is like to faint and fail thee, when thou lookest to the
swelling of this Jordan. But take a view of this righteousness, and thou shalt
be exalted above the fears of it for although thou be liable to the stroke of
death, yet by this righteousness thou art freed from the sting of it. What I
the sting of death? It is sin. Now, Christ has "finished transgression, and
made an end of sin," by bringing in "everlasting righteousness." And therefore
thou mayest roll that word like a sweet morsel under thy tongue, Hos. 13:14: "I
will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O
death, I will he thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction."
5. By
this righteousness the believer is exalted above all accusations, from whatever
quarter they may come, Rom. 8:23. There the apostle gives a bold challenge,
"who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" The challenge is
universal in every respect of all accusers: as if he had said, Is there any in
heaven, earth, or hell that can accuse them? It is universal in respect of all
the accused; for the whole elect of God are comprehended, among whom there have
been as great sinners as ever breathed on God's earth. And it is universal in
respect of all crimes: it is not said, Who shall lay this, or that, or the
other crime to their charge? But any thing? And what can be more comprehensive?
Now, what is the ground of this bold challenge! It is grounded on the
righteousness of Christ: for, says the apostle, "It is God that justifieth: who
is be that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again,
&c."
Secondly, I come to show what happiness or dignity the
believer is exalted to by virtue of this righteousness. And, in so many words,
I only name these two or three particulars:
1. He is exalted by it to a
state of peace and reconciliation with God: Rom. 5:1: "Being justified by
faith, we have peace with God." God forever lays aside every grudge in his
heart against the soul that is clothed with it.
2. They are exalted by this
righteousness to a state of sonship. Christ was "made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons," Gal.
4:4,5.
3. To a state of fellowship and familiarity with, God and access to
him with holy confidence and boldness: Heb. 10:19-22: "Having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to
say, his flesh; and having a high priest over the house of God: let us draw
near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith." Heb. 4:14,16: "Seeing,
then, that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus
the Son of God, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace." The believer may
come, under the covert of this righteousness, with as great freedom to God as
his Father in Christ, as ever Adam could have done in a state of innocence.
4. At last thou shalt be exalted to a state of endless glory. For heaven
(as I intimated before) is the purchase of the obedience and death of Christ;
and faith acted on this righteousness and satisfaction, is the path of life, by
which we enter into these rivers of pleasures, and that fulness of joy which is
at God's right hand for evermore.
IV. The fourth thing was the
application of the doctrine. And my first use shall be of information, in these
few particulars: 1. Is it so, that in a Surety's righteousness believers are
exalted? then see hence, that whatever account the world may make of them; as
the dross and off-scouring of the earth; yet they are dignified persons in
God's reckoning: "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been
honourable."
2. See, hence, that the believer has no ground of boasting.
Why? Because it is not in his own, but in Christ's righteousness, that he is
exalted: "Boasting is excluded," says the apostle. "By what law? of works! Nay;
but by the law of faith," Rom. 3:27. If it were by our own doings or obedience
that we were exalted, we would have something to boast of: but since it is in
his righteousness that we are exalted, we have nothing whereof to glory in
ourselves. There are three questions that the apostle asks, which may silence
all flesh, and put all boasters to an eternal blush, 1 Cor. 4:7: "Who maketh
thee to differ? What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Why dost thou glory
as if thou hadst not received it?" Let believers themselves ask their souls
these, or the like inquiries, when pride begins to rise in their breasts.
3. See, hence, what obligation we lie under to the Lord Jesus; who,
although he was the great Lawgiver, yet was content to be made under the law;
though he was the Lord of life, yet humbled himself unto the death, to bring in
that righteousness by which we are exalted. He was content to be "numbered
among the transgressors," that we might be counted among the righteous; he was
content to become sin," that we might be made the righteousness of God;"
content to become "a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might rest upon
us." O admire this love, which passeth knowledge.
4. See, hence, a noble
antidote against a spirit of bondage to fear. What is it that thou fearest, O
believer? Indeed, if thou sin, thou mayest fear the rod of a Father; for he
"will visit thy transgression with the rod, and thine iniquity with stripes."
But art thou afraid of vindictive wrath? There is no ground for this, (Luke
1:74:) he has "delivered us out of the hands of our enemies, that we might
serve him without fear;" that is, without all servile or slavish fear of wrath.
Art thou afraid of the tempests of mount Sinai? There is no ground for that,
for the storm broke upon the head of thy Surety; and, therefore, thou mayst
sing and say; as Isa. 12:1, "Though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is
turned away." Art thou afraid, lest thou be refused access to the
presence-chamber? Improve this righteousness by faith, and thou shalt see that
the way to the holy of holiest is opened, and get the banner of love displayed
over thee. Whenever the poor believer takes the righteousness of the Surety in
the hand of faith, and holds it up to God as a ransom of his own finding, he is
so well pleased with it, that his frowns are turned into smiles. In a word, you
shall never get rid of a spirit of bondage, till you learn by faith to improve
this law-biding righteousness; and then, indeed, legal fears and terrors
vanish, like the darkness of the night before the rising of the sun.
Use
second, of reproof to all those who are seeking to exalt themselves by a
righteousness of their own, like the Jews, Rom. 10:3; who "went about to
establish their own righteousness, and would not submit themselves unto the
righteousness of God." There are some of the hearers of the gospel, who exalt
themselves in a negative righteousness: they are not so bad as others: they are
free of gross outbreakings, being no common drunkards, swearers, or
Sabbath-breakers; and, therefore, conclude that all is right with them. But,
sirs, the Pharisee could make this boast: and Paul before conversion could say,
that touching the law he was blameless, and yet, when God opened his eyes, he
found himself lying under the arrest of justice; for, "when the commandment
came, sin revived, and he died." Others are exalting themselves in a moral kind
of righteousness; they not only cease to do evil," but do many things that are
materially good: they are sober, temperate, just in their dealings, liberal to
the poor, good peaceable neighbours; they love every body, and every body loves
them; they keep the commandments as well as they can: and this is the ground
they are standing upon. But I may say to you, as Christ said to the young man,
who told him, "All these things have I kept from my youth up, Yet lackest thou
one thing." O what is that? say you. I answer, it is to be brought off from the
rotten bottom of a covenant of works, that you are standing upon. You want to
see that you are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, and that you are
legally dead, condemned already, and the wrath of God abiding on you. You want
to see, that "all your own righteousness is as filthy rags," and to be made to
say, with the church, "Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength."
Others will go farther than bare morality: they will abound in the duties
of religion, read, bear, pray, communicate, run from sermon to sermon, from
sacrament to sacrament; and upon these things they rest. All these things are
good in their proper places; but if you build your hope of acceptance here, you
are still upon a covenant of works bottom, seeking righteousness, "as it were
by the works of the law;" and while you do so, you do but seek the living among
the dead. All your works are but dead works, till you are in Christ; and they
will but stand for ciphers in God's reckoning, till you be brought to submit to
this righteousness, by which alone guilty sinners can be exalted.
Others
rely upon a mixed kind of righteousness: they will freely own, that their
duties and performances will never exalt them into favour and acceptance with
God; but, O, say they, it is Christ and our duties, Christ and our prayers, he
and our tears and repentance, that must do it. But believe it, sirs, Christ and
the idol of self will never cement; these old rotten rags will never piece in
with the white and new robe of the righteousness of the Son of God: and if you
adventure to mingle them together, "Christ shall profit you nothing," Gal.
5:2-4.
Others again, will pretend to renounce all their works and duties,
and own, with their mouths, that it is by faith in Christ only that they hope
to be accepted: but though they own this with their mouth, yet still their
hearts cleave fast to a covenant of works; they were never "through the law,
dead to the law;" and when nothing else will do, they will make their own act
of believing the righteousness on which they lead for acceptance; which is
still a seeking righteousness in themselves: whereas, if ever we be justified
before God, we must have it in the Lord Jesus, saying, "In him" will we "be
justified," and "in him alone" will we "glory." Faith carries the soul quite
out of itself; yea, faith renounces its own act in the point of
justification.
All these, and many other rooms and lying refuges, have the
devil and our own hearts devised, to lead us off from Christ. But, O sirs,
believe it, these are but imaginary sanctuaries, and the hail will sweep them
away. Nothing but the doing and dying of the Surety, apprehended by faith, will
ever exalt you into favour and fellowship with God, or acquit you from the
curse and condemnation of the broken law. And unless you betake yourselves to
the horns of this blessed altar, to this refuge of God's appointing, you are
undone; and you may read your doom, Isa. 50:11: "Behold, all ye that kindle a
fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks; walk in the light of your
fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand;
ye shall lie down in sorrow."
Use third, of trial. Is it so, that in
Christ's righteousness we are exalted? O then, sirs, try if you be really
exalted by this righteousness. There is a the more need to try this now, that
you are to approach the table of the Lord. This righteousness is the
wedding-garment, without which you cannot be welcome guests. And if you
adventure to meddle with the symbols of Christ's body and blood without it, you
may expect that the master of the feast will say to you, "Friend, how camest
thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment?"
For your trial, I offer
these two or three things:
1. Hast thou seen thyself condemned by the law
or covenant of works? Every man, by nature, "is condemned already," while out
of Christ. Now, the ordinary way that God takes of bringing an elect soul into
Christ, and under the covering of his righteousness, is by discovering to him
the sentence of condemnation that he is under by virtue of the broken law; and
thus paves the way toward his acceptance of Christ as "the Lord our
Righteousness;" for thus it is that "the law is our schoolmaster, to lead us
unto Christ, that we may be justified by faith." The Lord leads the sinner to
mount Zion by the foot of Sinai: the Spirit's way is, first, to "convince of
sin," and then "of righteousness."
2. Has the Lord discovered the Surety
and his righteousness to thee? And has thy soul found rest here? Perhaps the
law, and its curses, justice and wrath, were pursuing thee; and thou couldst
not find a hole in which to hide thy head, "all refuge failed." At length the
Lord drew by the veil, and discovered his righteousness as a sufficient
shelter, saying, "Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope." And
thither thou fledst, as to a city of refuge, saying, "This is my rest, here
will I dwell." Readily, when it comes to this, there is a little heaven of
serenity and joy enters into the soul; so that, if it were possible, it would
make heaven and earth to ring with hallelujas of praise to God for "his
unspeakable gift." Dost thou not know, O believer, something of this, to thy
sweet experience? This says, that in his righteousness thou art exalted.
3.
When an arrow of conviction is at any time shot by the hand of God into thy
conscience, by which thy peace and quiet is disturbed, whither dost thou run
for ease and relief? The man that is "married to the law," runs to the law for
relief and ease: the law is the thing that heals him; his prayers, his tears,
his reformation, is that which stops the mouth of conscience. But, as for the
believer, he can never find rest on this side of "the blood of sprinkling," he
gets his healing only from under the wings of the Sun of righteousness. No
other balm will give him ease, but the balm of Gilead; and no other hand can
apply it, but the Physician there.
4. If you be exalted by imputed
righteousness, you will be the real students of gospel-holiness. It is a gross
perversionn of the gospel, and a turning of the grace of our God into
wantonness, for any to pretend that they are justified by the merit of Christ,
while they are not at the same time concerned to be sanctified by the Spirit of
Christ. Sanctification, or freedom from the power and dominion of sin, is a
part, and no small part, of that salvation which Christ has purchased by his
obedience and death; Tit. 2:14: "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works." Justification and sanctification go always hand in hand. He who is made
of God unto us righteousness, is also made sanctification; we are justified and
sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Try
yourselves, then, by this, whether you be exalted by this righteousness. Are
you delivered from the reigning power of sin? at least, is it so far broken,
that it is become your burden, under which you groan, saying, with the apostle,
"Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Use
fourth shall be of consolation and encouragement to believers who are exalted
in this righteousness. By virtue of it, O believer, thou art entitled to every
thing that possibly thou canst stand in need of. Whatever grace or mercy thou
wantest, thou shalt have it, if thou do but improve this law-biding
righteousness. Dost thou want pardoning grace to take away the guilt of sin?
That is one of the gifts of God, through the righteousness of Christ
apprehended by faith; for "he is set forth to be a propitiation, through faith
in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins." Dost
thou want to have thy peace with God confirmed? Improve this righteousness by
faith; for "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ." Dost thou want "access unto the holiest?" By faith in the blood
of Jesus have we access with boldness. Dost thou want medicinal grace for
healing of soul plagues? Improve this righteousness by faith; for by his
stripes we are healed. Out of the side of our gospel-altar comes forth living
water, that healeth the corrupt and dead sea of indwelling corruption, Ezek.
47:9. This is "the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the
nations." Dost thou want a shadow or covering, to shelter thy weary soul from
the scorching heat of divine anger, or of temptation from Satan or tribulation
from the world? Improve this righteousness, and sit down under the shadow of
it; it is "as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." Dost thou want
courage to look the law or justice of God in the face? Here is a fund for it;
for under this covering thou mayst look out with confidence, and say, Who can
lay any thing to my charge? Dost thou want to have the new covenant confirmed
to thy soul? improve this righteousness by faith; for Christ, by his obedience
and death, confirmed the covenant with many. His blood is the blood of the New
Testament; and when the soul by faith takes hold of it, the covenant of grace
is that moment confirmed to it for ever.
In a word, by virtue of this
righteousness thou mayst come to a communion-table, and to a throne of grace,
and ask what thou wilt; our heavenly Father can refuse nothing to the younger
brethren, who come to him in their Elder Brother's garment. By virtue of this
righteousness, thou mayst lay claim to every thing, to all the blessings of
heaven and eternity. Thou didst, indeed, forfeit thy right in the first Adam;
but the forfeiture is recovered, and the right restored to thee upon a better
ground, namely, upon the obedience and death of the second Adam; and thou
comest in upon his right. May not all this then revive thy drooping spirit, and
make thee take up that song in the text, In thy name will I rejoice all the
day; and in thy righteousness will I be exalted.
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