himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of God’ (Heb
1:3). I have showed that in Christ, for the accomplishing of
righteousness, there was both doing and suffering; doing, to fulfil all
the commands of the law; suffering, to answer its penalty for sin. This
second is that which in this to the Hebrews is in special intended by
the apostle, where he saith he hath purged our sins, that is, by his
precious blood; for it is that alone can purge our sins, either out of
the sight of God or out of the sight of the soul (Heb 9:14). Now this
was done by himself, saith the apostle; that is, in or by his personal
doings and sufferings. And hence it is that when God had rejected the
offerings of the law, he said, ‘Lo, I come. A body hast thou prepared
me,—to do thy will, O God’ (Heb 10:5-8). Now by this will of God, saith
the Scripture, we are sanctified. By what will? Why, by the offering up
of the body of Jesus Christ; for that was God’s will, that thereby we
might be a habitation for him; as he saith again—‘Jesus also, that he
might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the
gate’ (Heb 13:12).
Second. As it is said, he hath purged our sins by himself, so it was by
himself at once—‘For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified’ (10:14). Now by this word ‘at once,’ or by ‘one
offering,’ is cut off all those imaginary sufferings of Christ which
foolish men conceive of; as that he in all ages hath suffered or
suffereth for sin in us.[30] No; he did this work but once. ‘Nor yet
that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into
the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often
have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the
end of the world,’ in the time of Pilate, ‘hath he appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself’ (Heb 9:25,26). Mark how to the purpose
the Holy Ghost expresseth it: he hath suffered but once; and that once,
now; now once; now he is God and man in one person; now he hath taken
the body that was prepared of God; now once in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; by the
offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Third. It further appears, in that by his resurrection from the dead
the mercies of God are made sure to the soul, God declaring by that, as
was said before, how well pleased he is by the undertaking of his Son
for the salvation of the world: ‘And as concerning that he raised him
up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this
wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David’ (Acts 13:34). For
Christ being clothed with man’s flesh, and undertaking for man’s sins,
did then confirm all sure to us by his resurrection from the dead. So
that by the rising of that man again, mercy and grace are made sure to
him that hath believed on Jesus. Wherefore, from these things, together
with what hath been discovered about his addressing himself to the
work, I conclude ‘that men can be justified from the curse, before God,
while sinners in themselves, by no other righteousness than that long
ago performed by the person of Christ.’ Now the conclusion is true from
all show of contradiction; for the Holy Ghost saith he hath done it;
hath done it by himself, and that by the will of God, at once, even
then when he took the prepared body upon him—‘By the will of God we are
sanctified, through the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all.’
[SECOND.] This being so, the second position is also manifest—namely,
that the righteousness by which we stand just from the curse, before
God, is only inherent in Jesus Christ. For if he hath undertaken to
bring in a justifying righteousness, and that by works and merits of
his own, then that righteousness must of necessity be inherent in him
alone, and ours only by imputation; and hence it is called, in that
fifth to the Romans, the gift, the ‘gift of righteousness’; because
neither wrought nor obtained by works of ours, but bestowed upon us, as
a garment already prepared, by the mercy of God in Christ (Rom 5:17;
Isa 61:10). There are four things that confirm this for a truth—
First. This righteousness is said to be the righteousness of one, not
of many; I mean of one properly and personally, as his own particular
personal righteousness. The gift of grace, which is the gift of
righteousness, it is ‘by one man, Jesus Christ.’ ‘Much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign
in life by ONE, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one,
judgment came upon all to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of
ONE, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as
by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience
of ONE shall many be made righteous’ (Rom 5:15-19). Mark, the
righteousness of one, the obedience of one; the righteousness of one
man, of one man, Jesus.[31] Wherefore, the righteousness that
justifieth a sinner, it is personally and inherently the righteousness
of that person only who, by works and acts of obedience, did complete
it, even the obedience of one, of one man, Jesus Christ; and so ours
only by imputation. It is improper to say, Adam’s eating of the
forbidden fruit was personally and inherently an act of mine. It was
personally his, and imputatively mine; personally his, because he did
it; imputatively mine, because I was then in him. Indeed, the effects
of his personal eating is found in my person; to wit, defilement and
pravity. The effects also of the imputation of Christ’s personal
righteousness are truly found in those that are in him by electing love
and unfeigned faith, even holy and heavenly dispositions; but a
personal act is one thing, and the effects of that another. The act may
be done by, and be only inherent in one; the imputation of the merit of
the act, as also the effects of the same, may be in a manner universal,
extending itself unto the most, or all. This the case of Adam and
Christ doth manifest. The sin of one is imputed to his posterity; the
righteousness of the other is reckoned the righteousness of those that
are his.
Second. The righteousness by which we stand just before God from the
curse is called, ‘The righteousness of the Lord—the righteousness of
God—the righteousness of Jesus Christ,’ &c. (Phil 3:6-9); and that by
way of opposition to the righteousness of God’s own holy law—‘That I
might be found in him, not having on my own righteousness, which is of
the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith.’ Now, by this opposition, as by
what was said before, the truth is made exceeding clear; for by these
words, ‘not having my own righteousness,’ are not only excluded what
qualifications we suppose to be in us, but the righteousness through
which we stand just in the sight of God by them is limited and confined
to a person absolutely distinct. Distinct, I say, as to his person and
performances, who here is called God and Jesus Christ; as he saith also
in the prophet Isaiah, ‘In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be
justified, and shall glory’ (Isa 45:25). In the Lord, not in the law;
in the Lord, not in themselves. ‘And their righteousness is of me,
saith the Lord.’ Of me, not of themselves; of me, not of the law
(54:17). And again; ‘Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I
righteousness and strength’ (45:24). Now, as I have already said, all
this is to be understood of the righteousness that was fulfilled by
acts and works of obedience, which the person of the Son of God
accomplished in the days of his flesh in the world; by that man, I say,
‘The Lord our righteousness’ (Jer 23:5). Christ, indeed, is naturally
and essentially righteousness; but as he is simply such, so he
justifieth no man; for then he need not to bear our sins in his flesh,
and become obedient in all points of the law for us; but the
righteousness by which we stand just before God is righteousness
consisting of works and deeds, of the doings and sufferings, of such a
person who also is essentially righteousness. And hence, as before I
have hinted, we are said to be justified by the obedience and blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ, by the doings and sufferings of the Son of God.
And hence, again, it is that he first is called King of righteousness;
that is, a King of righteousness as God-man, which of necessity
supposeth his personal performances; and after that, ‘King of peace’
(Heb 7:1-3). For what he is naturally and eternally in his Godhead, he
is not to us, but himself; but what he is actively and by works, he is
not to himself, but to us; so, then, he is neither King of
righteousness nor of peace to us, as he is only the eternal Son of the
Father, without his being considered as our priest and undertaker. He
hath ‘obtained,’ by works of righteousness, ‘eternal redemption for us’
(Heb 9:12). So then, the righteousness by which we stand just before
God is a righteousness inherent only in Christ, because a righteousness
performed by him alone.
Now, that righteousness by which we stand just before God must be a
righteousness consisting of personal performances; the reason is,
because persons had sinned; this the nature of justice requireth, that
‘since by man came death, by man’ should come ‘also the resurrection
from the dead’ (1 Cor 15:21). The angels, therefore, for this very
reason, abide under the chains of everlasting darkness, because he
‘took not hold on them’ (Heb 2:16,17); that is, by fulfilling
righteousness for them in their nature. That is a blessed word, to you.
‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord.’ To YOU, not to angels; to you is born a Saviour (Luke
2:11).
Third. It is yet further evident that the righteousness by which we
stand just before God from the curse, is a righteousness inherent, not
in us, but Christ; because it is a righteousness besides, and without
the law itself. Now take away the law, and you take away the rule of
righteousness. Again; take away the rule, and the act as to us must
cease. ‘But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets’ (Rom 3:21). So then, by
such a righteousness we are justified as is not within the power of the
law to command of us.
Quest. But what law is that which hath not power to command our
obedience in the point of our justification with God?
Answ. The moral law, or that called the ten commandments. Therefore we
are neither commanded to love God, or our neighbour, as the means or
part of our justifying righteousness; nay, he that shall attempt to do
these things to be delivered from the curse thereby, by the scripture
is holden accursed of God. ‘As many as are of the works,’ or duties,
‘of the law, are under the curse,’ &c. (Gal 3:10). Because we are
justified not by that of the law, but by the righteousness of God
without the law; that is, without its commanding of us, without our
obedience to it—‘Freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through
faith in his blood’ (Rom 3:24,25). This is the righteousness of God
without the law; that is, without any of our obedience to the law.
Wherefore the righteousness by which we stand just, in the sight of
God, cannot be inherent in us, but in Christ the King thereof.
Fourth. This is further made apparent, by the capacity that God will
consider that soul in, to whom he imputeth justifying righteousness;
and that is, ‘as one that worketh not,’ as one that stands ungodly in
the judgment of the law (Rom 4:4,5). But this I have handled before,
and therefore shall pass it here.
Fifth. To conclude. If any works of ours could justify us before God,
they would be works after faith received; but it is evident that these
do not; therefore the righteousness that justifies us from the curse
before God is a righteousness inherent only in Christ.
That works after faith do not justify us from the curse, in the sight
of God, is evident—
1. Because no works of the saints can be justified by the moral law,
considering it as the law of works for life (Gal 3:10). For this must
stand a truth for ever—Whatsoever justifieth us must be justified by
the moral law, for that is it that pronounceth the curse; unless, then,
that curse be taken away by the work, the work cannot justify us before
God (Rom 3:21). But the curse cannot be taken away but by a
righteousness that is first approved of by that law that so curseth;
for if that shall yet complain for want of a full satisfaction, the
penalty remaineth. This is evident to reason, and confirmed by the
authority of God’s Word, as hath been already proved; because the law,
once broken, pronounceth death, expecteth death, and executeth the same
on him that will stand to the judgment of the law; but no work of a
believer is capable of answering this demand of the law; therefore none
of his works can justify him before God; for the law, that
notwithstanding, complaineth.
2. No works of faith can justify us from the curse before God, because
of the want of perfection that is in the greatest faith in us. Now, if
faith be not perfect, the work cannot be perfect; I mean with that
perfection as to please Divine justice. Consider the person, one that
hath to do with God immediately by himself. Now, that faith is not
capable of this kind of perfection, it is evident, because when men
here know most, they know but in part. Now he that knows but in part,
can do but in part; and he that doth but in part, hath a part wanting
in the judgment of the justice of God. So then, when thou hast done all
thou canst, thou hast done but part of thy duty, and so art short of
justification from the curse by what thou hast done (1 Cor 8:2, 13:12).
3. Besides, it looks too like a monster that the works of faith should
justify us before God; because then faith is turned, as it were, with
its neck behind it.[32] Faith, in its own nature and natural course,
respecteth the mercy of God through the Mediator, Jesus Christ; and as
such, its virtue and excellency is to expect justification by grace
through him; but by this doctrine faith is turned round about, and now
makes a life out of what itself hath done; but, methinks, faith should
be as noble as its fruits, that being the first, and they but the
fruits of that.
Besides, seeing the work is only good because it floweth from faith
(for faith purifieth the heart), therefore faith is it that justifies
all its works (Acts 15:9). If, then, we be justified by either, it is
by faith, and not by his works; unless we will say there is more virtue
in the less than in the greater. Now, what is faith but a believing, a
trusting, or relying act of the soul? What, then, must it rely upon or
trust in? Not in itself; that is, without Scripture; not in its works,
they are inferior to itself; besides, this is the way to make even the
works of faith the mediator between God and the soul, and so by them
thrust Christ out of doors; therefore it must trust in Christ; and if
so, then no man can be justified from the curse, before God, by the
works that flow from faith.
4. To put all out of doubt; the saint, when he hath done what he can to
bring forth good works by faith, yet he dares not show these works
before God but as they pass through the Mediator Christ, but as they
are washed in the blood of the Lamb. And therefore Peter saith, those
sacrifices of ours that are truly spiritual are only then accepted of
God, when offered up by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). And therefore it is
said again, that the prayers of the saints, which are the fruits of
faith, come up before the throne of God through the angel’s hand; that
is, through the hand of Christ, through his golden censer, perfumed
with his incense, made acceptable by his intercession (Rev 8:3,4). It
is said in the Book of Revelation, that it is granted to the bride, the
Lamb’s wife, that she should be ‘arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white; which white linen is the righteousness of saints.’ This fine
linen, in my judgment, is the works of godly men, their works that
sprang from faith. But how came they clean? How came they white? Not
simply because they were the works of faith. But mark, they ‘washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ And
‘therefore they stand before the throne of God’ (Rev 7:14,15). Yea,
therefore it is that their good works stand there too.
I conclude, then, ‘our persons are justified while we are sinners in
ourselves.’ Our works, even the works of faith, are no otherwise
accepted but as they come through Jesus Christ, even through his
intercession and blood. So then, Christ doth justify both our person
and works, not by way of approbation, as we stand in ourselves or works
before God, but by presenting of us to his Father by himself, washing
what we are and have from guilt in his blood, and clothing us with his
own performances. This is the cause of our acceptance with God, and
that our works are not cast forth of his presence.
THE USE.
USE FIRST.—Is justifying righteousness to be found in the person of
Christ only? Then this should admonish us to take heed of seeking it in
ourselves; that is, of working righteousness, thereby to appease the
justice of God, lest by so doing we affront and blaspheme the
righteousness of Christ. He that shall go about to establish his own
righteousness, he, as yet, doth defiance to that which is of God, of
God’s appointing, of God’s providing; and that only wherewith the
justice of the law must be well pleased. Wherefore take heed, I say, of
doing such a thing, lest it provoke the eyes of the Lord’s glory—‘When
I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to
his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses
shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed,
he shall die for it’ (Eze 33:13). Mark, though he be righteous, yea,
though he have a promise of life, yet he shall die. But why? Because he
sinned against the Lord by trusting to his own righteousness, therefore
he must die for it. There are some things that will preserve a man from
splitting upon this rock. As,
First. Get good acquaintance with the covenant of grace, and of the
persons concerned in the conditions of that covenant. The conditions of
that covenant are, that a righteousness shall be brought into the world
that shall please the justice of God, and answer and so remove the
curse of the law. Now he that doth perform this condition is Christ;
therefore the covenant is not immediately with man, but with him that
will be the Mediator betwixt God and man: ‘As for thee also, by the
blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners,’ speaking of
Christ (Zech 9:11). So then, Christ, the Man Christ, is he who was to
bring in these conditions; to wit, everlasting righteousness. And hence
it is that God hath said, Christ shall be the covenant of the
people—that is, he shall be our conditions to Godward (Dan 9:23,24).
He, therefore, is all our righteousness as to the point of our
justification before God; he is the covenant of the people, as well as
the light of the Gentiles; for as no man can see but in the light of
his Spirit, so no man can stand but in and by him; he is the covenant
of the people, the conditions and qualifications of the people (Isa
52:6). So that to Godward Christ is all in all, and no man anything at
all. He hath made with me an everlasting covenant; with me, as I stand
in my head, Christ, who, because he hath brought in everlasting
righteousness, therefore hath removed the curse of the law; wherefore
he adds, this covenant ‘is ordered in all things, and sure,’ because
all points that concern me, as to redemption from the curse, are taken
away by Christ, as before is discoursed (2 Sam 23:5). Look, then, upon
Christ as the man, the mediator, undertaker, and accomplisher of that
righteousness in himself, wherein thou must stand just before God; and
that he is the covenant or conditions of the people to Godward, always
having in himself the righteousness that the law is well pleased with,
and always presenting himself before God as our only righteousness.
Second. That this truth may be the more heartily inquired into by thee,
consider thine own perfections;[33] I say, study how polluted thou art,
even from the heart throughout. No man hath a high esteem of the Lord
Jesus that is a stranger to his own sore. Christ’s church is an
hospital of sick, wounded, and afflicted people; even as when he was in
the world, the afflicted and distressed set the highest price upon
Jesus Christ. Why? They were sick, and he was the Physician; but the
whole had no need of him. And just thus it is now: Christ is offered to
the world to be the righteousness and life of sinners, but no man will
regard him save he that seeth his own pollution; he that seeth he
cannot answer the demands of the law, he that sees himself from top to
toe polluted, and that therefore his service cannot be clean as to
justify him from the curse before God—he is the man that must needs die
in despair and be damned, or must trust in Jesus Christ for life.
Further, This rule I would have all receive that come to Jesus Christ
for life and salvation—
1. Not to stick at the acknowledgment of sin, but to make that of it
which the law makes of it: ‘Acknowledge thine iniquity,’ saith the Lord
(Jer 3:13). This is a hard pinch, I know what I say, for a man to fall
down under the sense of sins by acknowledging them to be what the Lord
saith they are; to acknowledge them, I say, in their own defiling and
polluting nature; to acknowledge them in their unreasonable and
aggravating circumstances; to acknowledge them in their God-offending
and soul-destroying nature, especially when the conscience is burdened
with the guilt of them. Yet this is duty: ‘If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just to forgive’ (1 John 1:9). Yea, to this is annexed
the promise, ‘He that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy.’
This made David, as it were, lay claim to the mercy of God—‘Wash me
thoroughly,’ said he, ‘from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin;
for I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is ever before me.’
Though, then, thou art to blush and be ashamed when thou rememberest
thy sins and iniquities, yet do not hide them—‘He that covereth his
sins shall not prosper.’ Do not lessen them; do not speak of them
before God after a mincing way—‘Acknowledge thine iniquities, that thou
hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways
to the strangers under every green tree; and ye have not obeyed my
voice, saith the Lord’ (Jer 3:13).
2. If we would come to Christ aright, we must only acknowledge our
sins; we must ONLY acknowledge them, and there stop; stop, I say, from
attempting to do aught to present us good before God, but only to
receive the mercy offered. ‘Only acknowledge thine iniquities.’ Men are
subject to two extremes, either to confess sins notionally and by the
halves; or else, together with the confession of them, to labour to do
some holy work, thereby to ease their burdened consciences, and beget
faith in the mercy of God (Hosea 5:15). Now both these are dangerous,
and very ungodly—dangerous, because the wound is healed falsely; and
ungodly, because the command is transgressed: ‘Only acknowledge thy
sin,’ and there stand, as David, ‘till thy guilt is taken away.’ Joshua
stood before the angel, from top to toe in filthy garments, till the
Lord put other clothes upon him (Zech 3:3-5). In the matter of thy
justification thou must know nothing, see nothing, hear nothing, but
thine own sins and Christ’s righteousness—‘Only acknowledge thine
iniquities.’ Now the Saviour and the soul comes rightly together; the
Saviour to do his work, which is to spread his skirt over the sinner;
and the sinner to receive, by believing this blessed imputed
righteousness. And hence the church, when she came to God, lieth down
in her shame, and her confusion covereth her; and so lieth till pardon
comes (Jer 3:25).
USE SECOND.—I come now to the second use—Have faith in Christ.
But what are we to understand by faith?