Many there are who, in the day of grace and mercy, despise those
things which are indeed the birthright to heaven, who yet when the
declining days appear will cry as loud as Esau, "Lord, Lord, open to
us;" but then, as Isaac would not repent, no more will God the
Father, but will say, "I have blessed these, yea, and they shall be
blessed; but as for you, Depart, you are workers of iniquity."
When I had thus considered these scriptures and found that thus to
understand them was not against, but according to the Scriptures,
this still added further to my encouragement and comfort, and also
gave a great blow to that objection--to wit, that the Scriptures
could not agree in the salvation of my soul.
And now remained only the hinder part of the tempest, for the
thunder was gone beyond me, only some drops did still remain that
now and then would fall upon me; but because my former frights and
anguish were very sore and deep, therefore it oft befell me still,
as it befalleth those that have been seared with the fire, I thought
every voice was, "Fire, fire'!" Every little touch would hurt my
tender conscience.
But one day, as I was passing into the field, and that too with some
dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not right,
suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul: "Thy righteousness is in
heaven;" and methought withal I saw with the eyes of my soul Jesus
Christ at God's right hand--there, I say, as my righteousness; so
that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say to
me, he wanted my righteousness, for that was just before him. I also
saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my
righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my
righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself,
"the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."
Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed; I was loosed frorn my
afflictions and irons; my temptations also fled away; so that from
that time those dreadful scriptures [Footnote: Numb. 15:30; Jer.
7:16; Heb. 10:31; 12:27.] of God left off to trouble me: now went I
also home rejoicing, for the grace and love of God. So when I came
home, I looked to see if I could find that sentence, "Thy
righteousness is in heaven," but could not find such a saying;
wherefore my heart began to sink again, only that was brought to my
remembrance, "He is made unto us of God wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption." By this word I saw the other
sentence true.
For by this scripture I saw that the man Christ Jesus, as he is
distinct from us as touching his bodily presence, so he is our
righteousness and sanctification before God. Here, therefore, I
lived for some time very sweetly at peace with God through Christ.
Oh, methought, Christ! Christ! there was nothing but Christ that was
before my eyes. I was now not only for looking upon this and the
other benefits of Christ apart, as of his blood; burial, or
resurrection, but considering him as a whole Christ--as he in whom
all these, and all his other virtues, relations, offices, and
operations met together, and that he sat on the right hand of God in
heaven.
Further, the Lord did also lead me into the mystery of the union
with the Son of God--that I was joined to him, and that I was flesh
of his flesh and bone of his bone; and now was that a sweet word to
me in Eph. 5:30. By this also was my faith in him as my
righteousness, the more confirmed in me; for if he and I were one,
then his righteousness was mine, his merits mine, his victory also
mine. Now, I could see myself in heaven and earth at once: in
heaven, by my Christ, by my Head, by my Righteousness and Life,
though on earth by body or person.
Let divine and infinite justice turn itself which way it will, it
finds One that can tell how to match it. For if it say, "I will
require the satisfaction of man," there is a man to satisfy its cry;
and if it say, "But I am an infinite God, and must and will have an
infinite satisfaction," here is One also that is infinite, even
"fellow" with God; fellow in his essence and being; fellow in his
power and strength; fellow in his wisdom; fellow in his mercy and
grace, together with the rest of the attributes of God. So that, let
justice turn itself which way it will, here is a complete person and
a complete satisfaction.
"The law," sayst thou, "must be obeyed." I answer, "Christ Jesus has
done that in his own person, and justified me thereby; and for my
part, I will not labor now to fulfil the law for justification, lest
I should undervalue the merits of the man Christ Jesus, and what he
has done without me; and yet will I labor to fulfil, if it were
possible, ten thousand laws, if there were so many. And Oh, let it
be out of love to my sweet Lord Jesus; for the love of Christ
constraineth me."
Though no man can be justified by the works of the law, yet unless
the righteousness and holiness by which they attempt to enter into
this kingdom be justified by the law, it is in vain once to think of
entering in at this strait gate. Now, the law justifieth not, but
upon the account of Christ's righteousness; if therefore thou be not
indeed found in that righteousness, thou wilt find the law lie just
in the passage into heaven to keep thee out.