And, _First_, they say, because they would appear friends to morality,
“That the doctrine of an imputed righteousness is destructive of good
works, and leads to licentiousness.”
And who, pray, are the persons that generally urge this objection?
Are they men full of faith, and men really concerned for good works?
No; whatever few exceptions there may be, if there be any at all,
it is notorious, they are generally men of corrupt minds, reprobate
concerning the faith. The best title I can give them is, that of
_profane moralists_, or moralists falsely so called. For I appeal to
the experience of the present as well as past ages, if iniquity did
and does not most abound, where the doctrine of CHRIST’s whole personal
righteousness is most cried down, and most seldom mentioned: Arminian
being antichristian principles, always did, and always will lead to
antichristian practices. And never was there a reformation brought
about in the church, but by the preaching the doctrine of an imputed
righteousness. This, as that man of GOD, _Luther_, calls it, is
“_Articulus stantis aut cadentis Ecclesiæ_,” the article by which the
Church stands or falls. And though the preachers of this doctrine are
generally branded by those on the other side, with the opprobrious
names of Antinomians, deceivers, and what not; yet, I believe, if the
truth of the doctrine on both sides was to be judged of by the lives of
the preachers and professors of it, on our side the question would have
the advantage every way.
It is true, this, as well as every other doctrine of grace, may be
abused. And perhaps the unchristian walk of some, who have talked of
CHRIST’s imputed righteousness, justification by faith, and the like,
and yet never felt it imputed to their own souls, has given the enemies
of the LORD thus cause to blaspheme. But this is a very unsafe, as well
as a very unfair way of arguing. The only question should be, Whether
or not this doctrine of an imputed righteousness, does in itself cut
off the occasion of good works, or lead to ♦licentiousness? To this we
may boldly answer, In no wise. It excludes works, indeed, from being
any cause of our justification in the sight of GOD; but it requires
good works as a proof of our having this righteousness imputed to us,
and as a declarative evidence of our justification in the sight of
men. And then, how can the doctrine of an imputed righteousness be a
doctrine leading to licentiousness?
♦ “licentousness” replaced with “licentiousness”
It is all calumny. The apostle _Paul_ introduceth an infidel making
this objection, in his epistle to the _Romans_; and none but infidels,
that never felt the power of CHRIST’s resurrection upon their souls,
will urge it over again. And therefore, notwithstanding this objection,
with the Prophet in the text, we may boldly say, “The LORD is our
righteousness.”
But Satan (and no wonder that his servants imitate him) often
transforms himself into an angel of light: and therefore, (such
perverse things will infidelity and Arminianism make men speak) in
order to dress their objections in the best colours, some urge, “That
our Saviour preached no such doctrine; that in his sermon on the mount,
he mentions only morality:” and consequently the doctrine of an imputed
righteousness falls wholly to the ground.
But surely the men, who urge this objection, either never read, or
never understood, our LORD’s blessed discourse, wherein the doctrine of
an imputed righteousness is so plainly taught, that he who runs, if he
has eyes that see, may read.
Indeed our LORD does recommend morality and good works, (as all
faithful ministers will do) and clears the moral law from many corrupt
glosses put upon it by the letter-learned Pharisees. But then, before
he comes to this, ’tis remarkable, he talks of inward piety, such as
poverty of spirit, meekness, holy mourning, purity of heart, especially
hungring and thirsting after righteousness; and then recommends good
works, as an evidence of our having his righteousness imputed to us,
and these graces and divine tempers wrought in our hearts. “Let your
light (that is, the divine light I before have been mentioning) shine
before men, in a holy life; that they, seeing your good works, may
glorify your father which is in heaven.” And then he immediately adds,
“think not that I am come to destroy the moral law: I came not to
destroy, (to take away the force of it as a rule of life) but to fulfil,
(to obey it in its whole latitude, and give the compleat sense of it.)”
And then he goes on to shew how exceeding broad the moral law is. So
that our LORD, instead of setting aside an imputed righteousness in
his sermon upon the mount, not only confirms it, but also answers the
foregoing objection urged against it, by making good works a proof and
evidence of its being imputed to our souls. He, therefore, that hath
ears to hear, let him hear what the Prophet says in the words of the
text, “The LORD our righteousness.”
But as Satan not only quoted scripture, but backed one temptation
after another with it, when he attacked CHRIST in the wilderness; so
his children generally take the same method in treating his doctrine.
And, therefore, they urge another objection against the doctrine of an
imputed righteousness, from the example of the young man in the gospel.
We may state it thus: “The Evangelist _Mark_, say they, chapter x.
mentions a young man that came to CHRIST, running, and asking him
what he should do to inherit eternal life? CHRIST referred him to
the commandments, to know what he must do to inherit eternal life.
It is plain, therefore, works were to be, partly at least, the cause
of his justification: and consequently the doctrine of an imputed
righteousness is unscriptural.” This is the objection in its full
strength: and little strength in all its fulness. For, was I to prove
the necessity of an imputed righteousness, I scarce know how I could
bring a better instance to make it good.
Let us take a nearer view of this young man, and of our LORD’s
behaviour towards him, _Mark_ x. 17. the Evangelist tells us, “That
when CHRIST was gone forth into the way, there came one running (it
should seem it was some nobleman; a rarity indeed to see such a one
running to CHRIST!) and not only so, but he kneeled to him, (perhaps
many of his rank now, scarce knew the time when they kneeled to
CHRIST) and asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do that I may
inherit eternal life?” Then JESUS, to see whether or not he believed
him to be what he really was, truly and properly GOD, said unto him,
“Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is GOD.”
And, that he might directly answer his question, says he, “Thou
knowest the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not bear false
witness, defraud not, honour thy father and thy mother.” This was
a direct answer to his question; namely, That eternal life was not
to be attained by his doings. For our LORD, by referring him to the
commandments, did not (as the objectors insinuate) in the least hint,
that his morality would recommend him to the favour and mercy of GOD:
but he intended thereby, to make the law his schoolmaster to bring him
to himself; that the young man, seeing how he had broken every one of
these commandments, might thereby be convinced of the insufficiency of
his own, and consequently of the absolute necessity of looking out for
a better righteousness, whereon he might depend for eternal life.
This was what our Lord designed. The young man being self-righteous,
and willing to justify himself, said, “All these have I observed from
my youth:” but had he known himself, he would have confessed, all
these have I broken from my youth. For, supposing he had not actually
committed adultery, had he never lusted after a woman in his heart?
What, if he had not really killed another, had he never been angry
without a cause, or spoken unadvisedly with his lips? If so, by
breaking one of the least commandments in the least degree, he became
liable to the curse of GOD: for “cursed is he (saith the law) that
continueth not to do all things that are written in this book.” And
therefore, as observed before, our LORD was so far from speaking
against, that he treated the young man in that manner, on purpose to
convince him of the necessity of an imputed righteousness.
But perhaps they will reply, it is said, “JESUS beholding him, loved
him.” And what then? This he might do with a human love, and at the
same time this young man have no interest in his blood. Thus CHRIST is
said to wonder, to weep over _Jerusalem_, and say, “O that thou hadst
known, &c.” But such-like passages are to be referred only to his
human nature. And there is a great deal of difference between the love
wherewith CHRIST loved this young man, and that wherewith he loved
_Mary_, _Lazarus_, and their sister _Martha_. To illustrate this by
a comparison: A minister of the LORD JESUS CHRIST seeing many amiable
dispositions, such as a readiness to hear the word, a decent behaviour
at public worship, and a life outwardly spotless in many, cannot but
so far love them; but then there is much difference betwixt the love
which a minister feels for such, and that divine love, that union and
sympathy of soul, which he feels for those that he is satisfied are
really born again of GOD. Apply this to our LORD’s case, as a faint
illustration of it. Consider what has been said upon the young man’s
case in general, and then, if before you were fond of this objection,
instead of triumphing, like him you will go sorrowful away. Our
Saviour’s reply to him more and more convinces us of the truth of the
prophet’s assertion in the text, that “the LORD is our righteousness.”
But there is a fourth, and a grand objection yet behind, which is
taken from the 25th chapter of _Matthew_, “where our LORD is described
as rewarding people with eternal life, because they fed ♦the hungry,
cloathed the naked, and such-like. Their works therefore were a
cause of their justification, consequently the doctrine of imputed
righteousness is not agreeable to scripture.”
♦ “they” replaced with “the”
This, I confess, is the most plausible objection that is brought
against the doctrine insisted on from the text; and that we may answer
it in as clear and brief a manner as may be, we confess, with the
Article of the Church of _England_, “That albeit good works do not
justify us, yet they will follow after justification, as fruits of
it; and though they can claim no reward in themselves, yet forasmuch
as they spring from faith in CHRIST, and a renewed soul, they shall
receive a reward of grace, though not of debt; and consequently the
more we abound in such good ♦works, the greater will be our reward when
JESUS CHRIST shall come to judgment.”
♦ “words” replaced with “works”
Take these considerations along with us, and they will help us much
to answer the objection now before us. For thus saith _Matthew_, “Then
shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed children
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty,
and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and
ye cloathed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye
came unto me. I will therefore reward you, because you have done these
things out of love to me, and hereby have evidenced yourselves to be
my true disciples.” And that the people did not depend on these good
actions for their justification in the sight of GOD, is evident. “For
when saw we thee an hungred, say they, and fed thee? or thirsty, and
gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in, or
naked, and cloathed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto thee?” Language, and questions, quite improper for persons
relying on their own righteousness, for acceptance and acquittance in
the sight of GOD.
But then they reply against this: “In the latter part of the chapter,
it is plain that JESUS CHRIST rejects and damns the others for not
doing these things. And therefore, if he damns these for not doing,
he saves those for doing; and consequently the doctrine of an imputed
righteousness is good for nothing.”
But that is no consequence at all; for GOD may justly damn any man for
omitting the least duty of the moral law, and yet in himself is not
obliged to give to any one any reward, supposing he has done all that
he can. We are unprofitable servants; we have not done near so much
as it was our duty to do, must be the language of the most holy souls
living; and therefore, from or in ourselves, cannot be justified in the
sight of GOD. This was the frame of the devout souls just now referred
to. Sensible of this, they were so far from depending on their works
for justification in the sight of GOD, that they were filled, as it
were, with a holy blushing, to think our LORD should condescend to
mention, much more to reward them for, their poor works of faith and
labours of love. I am persuaded their hearts would rise with a holy
indignation against those who urge this passage, as an objection to
the assertion of the prophet, that “the LORD is our righteousness.”
Thus, I think, we have fairly answered these grand objections, which
are generally urged against the doctrine of an _imputed righteousness_.
Was I to stop here, I think I may say, “We are made more than
conquerors through him that loved us.” But there is a way of arguing
which I have always admired, because I have thought it always very
convincing, by shewing the _absurdities_ that will follow from denying
any particular proposition in dispute.
IV. This is the next thing that was proposed. And never did greater
or more absurdities flow from the denying any doctrine, than will flow
from denying the doctrine of CHRIST’s imputed righteousness.
And _first_, if we deny this doctrine, we turn the truth, I mean the
word of GOD, as much as we can, into a lie, and utterly subvert all
those places of scripture which say that we are saved by grace; that
it is not of works, lest any man should boast; that salvation is GOD’s
free gift; and that he who glorieth, must glory only in the LORD. For,
if the whole personal righteousness of JESUS CHRIST be not the sole
cause of my acceptance with GOD, if any work done by or foreseen in
me, was in the least to be joined with it, or looked upon by GOD as an
inducing, impulsive cause of acquitting my soul from guilt, then I have
somewhat whereof I may glory in myself. Now boasting is excluded in
the great work of our redemption; but that cannot be, if we are enemies
to the doctrine of an imputed righteousness. It would be endless to
enumerate how many texts of scripture must be false, if this doctrine
be not true. Let it suffice to affirm in the general, that if we deny
an imputed righteousness, we may as well deny a divine revelation all
at once: for it is the _alpha_ and _omega_, the beginning and the end
of the book of GOD. We must either disbelieve that, or believe what the
prophet hath spoken in the text, “that the LORD is our righteousness.”
But farther: I observed at the beginning of this discourse, that
we are all _Arminians_ and _Papists_ by nature: for as one says,
“_Arminianism_ is the back way to _popery_.” And here I venture further
to affirm, that if we deny the doctrine of an imputed righteousness,
whatever we may stile ourselves, we are really _Papists_ in our hearts,
and deserve no other title from men.
Sirs, what think you? Suppose I was to come and tell you, that you must
intercede with saints, for them to intercede with GOD for you; would
you not then say, I was justly reputed a _popish missionary_ by some,
and deservedly thrust out of the synagogues by others? I suppose you
would. And why? Because, you would say, the intercession of JESUS
CHRIST was sufficient of itself, without the intercession of saints;
and that it was blasphemous to join theirs with his, as though it was
not sufficient.
Suppose I went a little more round about; and told you that the death
of CHRIST was not sufficient, without our death being added to it;
that you must die as well as CHRIST, join your death with his, and then
it would be sufficient. Might you not then, with a holy indignation,
throw dust in the air, and justly call me a “setter forth of strange
doctrines?” And now then, if it be not only absurd, but blasphemous,
to join the intercession of saints with the intercession of CHRIST, as
though his intercession was not sufficient; or our death with the death
of CHRIST, as though his death was not sufficient: judge ye, if it be
not equally absurd, equally blasphemous, to join our obedience, either
wholly or in part, with the obedience of CHRIST, as if that was not
sufficient. And if so, what absurdities will follow the denying that
the LORD, both as to his active and passive obedience, is our
righteousness?
One more absurdity I shall mention, as following the denying this
doctrine, and I have done.
I remember a story of a certain prelate, who, after many arguments
in vain urged to convince the Earl of _Rochester_ of the invisible
realities of another world, took his leave of his lordship with some
such words as these: “Well, my lord, if there be no hell, I am safe;
but if there should be such a thing as hell, what will become of you?”
I apply this to those that oppose the doctrine now insisted on. If
there be no such thing as the doctrine of an imputed righteousness,
those who hold it, and bring forth fruit unto holiness, are safe; but
if there be such a thing (as there certainly is) what will become of
you that deny it? It is no difficult matter to determine. Your portion
must be in the lake of fire and brimstone for ever and ever. Since
you will rely upon your works, by your works you shall be judged. They
shall be weighed in the balance of the sanctuary; and they will be
found wanting. By your works therefore shall you be condemned; and you,
being out of CHRIST, shall find GOD, to your poor wretched souls, a
consuming fire.
The great _Stoddard_ of _Northampton_ in _New-England_, has therefore
well intitled a book which he wrote (and which I would take this
opportunity to recommend) “The Safety of appearing in the Righteousness
of CHRIST.” For why should I lean upon a broken reed, when I can have
the rock of ages to stand upon, that never can be moved?
And now, before I come to a more particular application, give me leave,
in the apostle’s language, triumphantly to cry out, “Where is the
scribe, where the disputer?” Where is the reasoning infidel of this
generation? Can any thing appear more reasonable, even according to
your own way of arguing, than the doctrine here laid down? Have you not
felt a convincing power go along with the word? Why then will you not
believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, that so he may become the LORD _your_
righteousness?
But it is time for me to come a little closer to your consciences.
Brethren, though some may be offended at this doctrine, and may account
it foolishness; yet, to many of you, I doubt not but it is precious,
it being agreeable to the form of sound words, which from your infancy
has been delivered to you; and, coming from a quarter, you would least
have expected, may be received with more pleasure and satisfaction.
But give me leave to ask you one question; Can you say, the LORD our
righteousness? I say, the LORD _our_ righteousness. For entertaining
this doctrine in your heads, without receiving the LORD JESUS CHRIST
savingly by a lively faith into your hearts, will but increase your
damnation. As I have often told you, so I tell you again, an unapplied
CHRIST is no CHRIST at all. Can you then, with believing _Thomas_, cry
out, “My LORD and my GOD?” Is CHRIST your sanctification, as well as
your outward righteousness? For the word righteousness, in the text,
not only implies CHRIST’s personal righteousness imputed to us, but
also holiness wrought in us. These two, GOD has joined together. He
never did, he never does, he never will put them asunder. If you are
justified by the blood, you are also sanctified by the Spirit of our
LORD. Can you then in this sense say, The LORD our righteousness? Were
you ever made to abhor yourselves for your actual and original sins,
and to lothe your own righteousness; for, as the prophet beautifully
expresses it, “your righteousness is as filthy rags?” Were you ever
made to see and admire the all-sufficiency of CHRIST’s righteousness,
and excited by the Spirit of GOD to hunger and thirst after it?
Could you ever say, my soul is athirst for CHRIST, yea, even for the
righteousness of CHRIST? O when shall I come to appear before the
presence of my GOD in the righteousness of CHRIST! nothing but CHRIST!
nothing but CHRIST! Give me CHRIST, O GOD, and I am satisfied! my soul
shall praise thee for ever.
Was this ever the language of your hearts? and, after these inward
conflicts, were you ever enabled to reach out the arm of faith, and
embrace the blessed JESUS in your souls, so that you could say, “my
beloved is mine, and I am his?” If so, fear not, whoever you are. Hail,
all hail, you happy souls! The LORD, the LORD CHRIST, the everlasting
GOD, is your righteousness. CHRIST has justified you, who is he that
condemneth you? CHRIST has died for you, nay rather is risen again, and
ever liveth to make intercession for you. Being now justified by his
grace, you have peace with GOD, and shall, ere long, be with JESUS in
glory, reaping everlasting and unspeakable fruits both in body and soul.
For there is no condemnation to those that are really in CHRIST JESUS.
“Whether _Paul_ or _Apollos_, or life or death, all is yours if you
are CHRIST’s, for CHRIST is GOD’s.” My brethren, my heart is enlarged
towards you! O think of the love of CHRIST in dying for you! If the
LORD be your righteousness, let the righteousness of your LORD be
continually in your mouth. Talk of, O talk of, and recommend the
righteousness of CHRIST, when you lye down, and when you rise up, at
your going out and coming in! Think of the greatness of the gift, as
well as of the giver! Shew to all the world, in whom you have believed!
Let all by your fruits know, that the LORD is your righteousness, and
that you are waiting for your LORD from heaven! O study to be holy,
even as he who has called you, and washed you in his own blood, is
holy! Let not the righteousness of the LORD be evil spoken of through
you. Let not JESUS be wounded in the house of his friends; but grow
in grace, and in the knowledge of our LORD and Saviour JESUS CHRIST,
day by day. O think of his dying love! Let that love constrain you
to obedience! having much forgiven, love much. Be always asking, What
shall I do, to express my gratitude to the LORD, for giving me his
righteousness? Let that self-abasing, GOD-exalting question be always
in your mouths; “Why me, LORD? why me?” why am I taken, and others
left? why is the LORD my righteousness? why is he become my salvation,
who have so often deserved damnation at his hands?
My friends, I trust I feel somewhat of a sense of GOD’s distinguishing
love upon my heart; therefore I must divert a little from
congratulating you, to invite poor christless sinners to come to him,
and accept of his righteousness, that they may have life.
Alas, my heart almost bleeds! What a multitude of precious souls are
now before me! how shortly must all be ushered into eternity! and yet,
O cutting thought! was GOD now to require all your souls, how few,
comparatively speaking, could really say, the LORD _our_ righteousness!
And think you, _O sinners_, that you will be able to stand in the day
of judgment, if CHRIST be not your righteousness! No, that alone is the
wedding-garment in which you must appear. O christless sinners, I am
distressed for you! the desires of my soul are enlarged. O that this
may be an accepted time! that the LORD may be your righteousness! For
whither would you flee, if death should find you naked? Indeed there is
no hiding yourselves from his presence. The pitiful fig-leaves of your
own righteousness will not cover your nakedness, when GOD shall call
you to stand before him. _Adam_ found them ineffectual, and so will you.
O think of death! O think of judgment! Yet a little while, and time
shall be no more; and then what will become of you, if the LORD be not
your righteousness? Think you that CHRIST will spare you? No, he that
formed you, will have no mercy on you. If you are not of CHRIST, if
CHRIST be not your righteousness, CHRIST himself shall pronounce you
damned. And can you bear to think of being damned by CHRIST? Can you
bear to hear the LORD JESUS say to you, “Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Can you
live, think you, in everlasting burnings? Is your flesh brass, and your
bones iron? what if they are? hell-fire, that fire prepared for the
devil and his angels, will heat them through and through. And can you
bear to depart from CHRIST? O that heart-piercing thought! Ask those
holy souls, who are at any time bewailing an absent GOD, who walk in
darkness, and see no light, though but a few days or hours; ask them,
what it is to lose a sight and presence of CHRIST? See how they seek
him sorrowing, and go mourning after him all the day long! And, if it
is so dreadful to lose the sensible presence of CHRIST only for a day,
what must it be to be banished from him to all eternity?
But thus it must be, if CHRIST be not your righteousness. For GOD’s
justice must be satisfied; and, unless CHRIST’s righteousness is
imputed and applied to you here, you must hereafter be satisfying the
divine justice in hell-torments eternally; nay, CHRIST himself shall
condemn you to that place of torment. And how cutting is that thought!
Methinks I see poor, trembling, christless wretches, standing before
the bar of GOD, crying out, LORD, if we must be damned, let some
angel, or some archangel, pronounce the damnatory sentence: but all in
vain. CHRIST himself shall pronounce the irrevocable sentence. Knowing
therefore the terrors of the LORD, let me persuade you to close with
CHRIST, and never rest till you can say, “the LORD our righteousness.”
Who knows but the LORD may have mercy on, nay, abundantly pardon you?
Beg of GOD to give you faith; and, if the LORD gives you that, you will
by it receive CHRIST, with his righteousness, and his All. You need not
fear the greatness or number of your sins. For are you sinners? so am I.
Are you the chief of sinners? so am I. Are you backsliding sinners? so
am I. And yet the LORD (for ever adored be his rich, free and sovereign
grace) the LORD is my righteousness. Come then, _O young men_, who (as
I acted once myself) are playing the prodigal, and wandering away afar
off from your heavenly Father’s house, come home, come home, and leave
your swines trough. Feed no longer on the husks of sensual delights:
for CHRIST’s sake arise, and come home! your heavenly Father now calls
you. See yonder the best robe, even the righteousness of his dear Son,
awaits you. See it, view it again and again. Consider at how dear a
rate it was purchased, even by the blood of GOD. Consider what great
need you have of it. You are lost, undone, damned for ever, without it.
Come then, poor, guilty prodigals, come home: indeed, I will not, like
the elder brother in the gospel, be angry; no, I will rejoice with the
angels in heaven. And O that GOD would now bow the heavens, and come
down! Descend, O Son of GOD, descend; and, as thou hast shewn in me
such mercy, O let thy blessed Spirit apply thy righteousness to some
young prodigals now before thee, and clothe their naked souls with thy
best robe!
But I must speak a word to you, _young maidens_, as well as young men.
I see many of you adorned, as to your bodies: but are not your souls
naked? Which of you can say, the Lord is my righteousness? which of you
was ever solicitous to be dressed in this robe of invaluable price, and
without which you are no better than whited sepulchres in the sight of
GOD? Let not then so many of you, young maidens, any longer forget your
chief and only ornament. O seek for the LORD to be your righteousness,
or otherwise burning will soon be upon you, instead of beauty!
And what shall I say to you of a middle age, you _busy merchants_, you
_cumbered Martha’s_, who, with all your gettings, have not yet gotten
the LORD to be your righteousness? Alas! what profit will there be of
all your labour under the sun, if you do not secure this pearl of
invaluable price? this one thing, so absolutely needful, that it only
can stand you in stead, when all other things shall be taken from you.
Labour therefore no longer so anxiously for the meat which perisheth,
but henceforward seek for the LORD to be your righteousness, a
righteousness that will entitle you to life everlasting. I see also
many _hoary heads_ here, and perhaps the most of them cannot say, the
LORD is my righteousness. O gray-headed sinners, I could weep over you!
your gray hairs, which ought to be your crown, and in which perhaps
you glory, are now your shame. You know not that the LORD is your
righteousness: O haste then, haste ye, aged sinners, and seek an
interest in redeeming love! Alas, you have one foot already in the
grave, your glass is just run out, your sun is just going down, and it
will set and leave you in an eternal darkness, unless the LORD be your
righteousness! Flee then, O flee for your lives! be not afraid. All
things are possible with GOD. If you come, though it be at the eleventh
hour, CHRIST JESUS will in no wise cast you out. Seek then for the LORD
to be your righteousness, and beseech him to let you know, how it is
that a man may be born again when he is old! But I must not forget the
_lambs_ of the flock. To feed them was one of my LORD’s last commands.
I know he will be angry with me, if I do not tell them, that the
LORD may be _their_ righteousness; and that of such is the kingdom of
heaven. Come then, ye little children, come to CHRIST; the LORD CHRIST
shall be _your_ righteousness. Do not think, that you are too young to
be converted. Perhaps many of you may be nine or ten years old, and yet
cannot say, the LORD is our righteousness; which many have said, though
younger than you. Come then, while you are young. Perhaps you may
not live to be old. Do not stay for other people. If your fathers and
mothers will not come to CHRIST, do you come without them. Let children
lead them, and shew them how the LORD may be _their_ righteousness. Our
LORD JESUS loved little children. You are his lambs; he bids me feed
you. I pray GOD make you willing betimes to take the LORD for your
righteousness.
Here then I could conclude; but I must not forget the _poor negroes_;
no, I must not. JESUS CHRIST has died for them, as well as for others.
Nor do I mention you last, because I despise your souls, but because
I would have what I shall say, make the deeper impression upon your
hearts. O that you would seek the LORD to be your righteousness! Who
knows but he may be found of you? For in JESUS CHRIST there is neither
male nor female, bond nor free; even you may be the children of GOD, if
you believe in JESUS. Did you never read of the eunuch belonging to the
queen of _Candace_? a negro like yourselves. He believed. The LORD was
his righteousness. He was baptized. Do you also believe, and you shall
be saved. CHRIST JESUS is the same now as he was yesterday, and will
wash you in his own blood. Go home then, turn the words of the text
into a prayer, and intreat the LORD to be _your_ righteousness. Even so,
come LORD JESUS, come quickly, into all our souls! _Amen_, LORD JESUS,
_Amen_ and _Amen_!