SC^*13C1 3£~W#3S— ~* schism lvJ\ 1 $ THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION THROUGH IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, A DIVINE DOCTRINE ; THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF BELIEVERS DECLARED BY GOD HIMSELF TO BE, NOT OF THEMSELVES, BUT OF HIM. A DISCOURSE FROM ISAIAH LIV. 17. BY THE REV. DAVID WILSON, MINISTER OF THE GOSrEL IN LONDON, AUTHOR OF PALJEMON'S CREED REVIEWED, ETC. In tby righteousness shall they be exalted. — Psalm lxxxix. EDINBURGH: JAMES WOOD, 88 PRINCES STREET. GLASGOW : W. COLLINS. DUNDEE : W. MIDDLETON. AND ALL BOOKSELLERS. MDCCCXLV. EDINBURGH : ANDREW JACK, PRINTER, NIDDRY STREET PREFACE. To give an easy and Scriptural view of the doc- trine of justification through an imputed right- eousness, which I take to be the principal cha- racteristic of the true doctrine of the grace of God, the peculiar excellence and glory of the gospel, — and to contribute my weak endeavours for directing both saints and sinners to make a proper improvement of it, was my design in publishing the few reflections on that important subject that are contained in the following Dis- course. Those who impugn and endeavour to subvert this fundamental article of the Christian faith, — as too many, particularly some modern Armi- nians, do in our day, — attempt to rob our blessed Redeemer of the brightest diadem in his mediatorial crown, and to obliterate the memory IV of that glorious name by which it was foretold, long before his incarnation, that he should be called, especially under the New Testament economy, " Jehovah our Righteousness," Jer. xxiii. 6. They also do the greatest injury to the church and people of God, by doing what they can to sap the very foundation of their faith, hope, and comfort, and deprive them of that which is the sole ground of their confidence before God, and of all their pleas in prayer. But their sacrilegious attempts have hitherto proved unsuccessful, and ever shall. Luther, that renowned champion for the truth of the gospel, did, on a certain occasion, express himself in the following manner, " I, Martin Luther, an unworthy preacher of the gospel, and servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, assert and firmly believe, that this article of justification by faith, without the works of the law, is what neither Caesar, Turk, nor Tartar, nor the Pope, with all his cardinals, bishops, priests, monks or nuns, &c, nay, nor all the devils, shall ever be able to overthrow/''"" What the pope, cardinals, * Melchior Adam, in vita Lutheri. Romish priests, and their auxiliaries, terrestrial or infernal, could never accomplish, I am confi- dent none of our modern critics, sophists, or seducers, shall ever be able to effect. Great is this truth, and will prevail. Where - ever the gospel shall be purely preached, to the end of time, this will make a part, a distinguish- ed part of it. The Redeemer's name, as the Lord our righteousness, will ever be remem- bered," acknowledged, and gloried in by be- lievers on earth; and through eternity it will be celebrated in the songs of the redeemed in hea- ven. The ancient prophecy, Jer. xxiii. 6, has only a partial accomplishment in the church militant below; it will have its principal, its full and most glorious accomplishment in the church triumphant above. That the lig>\t of the gospel, in these latter ages, may shine with such a refulgent splendour as will dispel all the mists of error, heresy, and sophistical reasonings against the truth; that the purity of gospel doctrine, which too many who bear the name of Protestants have long endea- * Psalm xlv. 17. VI voured to obscure and pervert, may be restored in all the churches; that, wherever it is preached, it may be accompanied with the demonstration, efficacy, and energy of the Holy Spirit, and thus be the rod of the Redeemer s strength for sub- jecting a people to himself; and that by it be- lievers may be built up in their most holy faith, is the earnest desire and prayer of, An unworthy Servant of Jesus Christ, D. TV. London, July 31, 1775. DISCOURSE. Thkir righteousness is ok me, saith thk Lord. Isaiah liv. 17. This chapter contains many gracious and en- couraging promises made to the church and people of God, which, though they might be primarily designed for the comfort of the Jewish captives in Babylon, and partly fulfilled in what God did for them after their return to their own land, seem to have had a special respect to the Gospel-church that was to be erected among the Gentiles after the coming of the Messiah. Ac- cordingly, they are so interpreted by the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Galatians.* In the beginning of the chapter, we have a glorious prophecy of the erection and enlarge- ment of Christ's kingdom among the Gentiles in the last days. It is foretold that " more should be the children of the desolate, than the child- ren of the married wife;" that believers, the * Gal. iv. 26. 27. genuine children of the church, should be more numerous among the Gentiles, — the little sister that had long been barren and without any breasts, — than ever they were among the Jews, whom God had for many ages owned a special and conjugal relation to, verse 1. It is further intimated, that after the coming of the Messiah the church should be so wonderfully enlarged by the accession of Gentile sinners to her com- munion, and so highly favoured by God, that her numerous offspring, her prosperous condition, and the manifold blessings bestowed upon her, would be more than sufficient to wipe off the reproach she had lain under before, when she was " as a woman forsaken and grieved in spi- rit/' and like a wife of youth that is refused, or abandoned by her husband. And, to correct a mistake she was very ready to fall into during her affliction, it is also intimated to her, that, however God had seemed to desert her, cast her off, and drop all gracious correspondence with her for a time, the relation between him and her still subsisted; that he still owned her as his spouse, and had the same favour and affection for her as before, ver. 2 — 6. In the subsequent part of the chapter, we have some great and precious promises, designed for the encouragement of the church, and particu- lar believers, in every period, especially when they are in a deserted, distressed, and disconso- late condition ; exposed to manifold dangers, and to the assaults of strong and powerful enemies. Here we hare, 1. A promise of God's gracious return to them, after a dark and melancholy night of desertion, ver. 7, 8. 2. A promise of the continuance of his favour and loving-kindness towards them, notwith- standing all their failings and infirmities, un- worthiness and sinfulness, ver. 9, 10. " This is as the waters of Noah unto me : for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn, that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee." The promise of God made to his people, would have afforded them sufficient security for their deliverance from wrath and all the effects of his vindictive anger, notwithstanding their many sinful infirmities, and the remainders of sin in their souls; but in condescension to their weakness, and for the further confirmation of their faith, he has added to it his oath. Thus, " by two immutable things, in which it is im- possible for God to lie, they may have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them;""" or, who, by believing the promise of pardon and salvation through Christ, addressed to sinners in the gos- pel, have obtained an interest in his justifying righteousness. God assures his people, that though their love to him was liable to many changes and sad de- cays, he would never take his love from them; that though they might not at all times be pri- vileged with the manifestation of it, or sensible tokens of it, it would still be the same in itself, the same under the most afflictive and trying dispensations they might meet with; and that however they might deal treacherously and break covenant with him, he never would re- tract his promise, or break covenant with them. He intimates to them, that as he set his love upon them without regard to any merit or wor- thiness in them, he would in the same manner execute all the designs of his love upon them, or do all for tnem in a way of sovereign mercy. 3. We have the promise of a glorious deliver- ance from all their troubles and afflictions, sor- rows and discouragements, ver. 11, 12. " Oh thou afflicted, tossed with tempests, and not * Heb.vi. J 8. comforted; behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours/' &c. This promise is sometimes in part fulfilled to believers in this world, when, after they have been exercised with many and griev- ous afflictions, harassed with violent temptations, and plunged into horrible depths of discourage- ment and despondency, God works a gracious deliverance for them, and restores them to a state of peace, tranquillity, prosperity, and joy; but it will be fully accomplished to them in the other world, when all tears shall be wiped away from their eyes, and a final period put to all their sorrows. 4. We have a promise of Divine teaching and instruction, ver. 13, " And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord." This is something more than a promise of external teaching by word and ordinances, sermons and sacraments, namely, a promise of internal and supernatural teaching. As the people of God, w T hile they are in this world, are like diseased persons in an hospital, and need still to be under the care of the Great Physician; they are also like young children at school, beginning to learn, and therefore need still to receive new instructions from the Great Prophet. God not only teaches his people in a saving manner at first conversion, but gives them new lessons and instructions from time to time during their state of minority in this world ; and they are most likely to grow in spiritual know- ledge who are most sensible of their own igno- ranee, and most frequent in their applications to Him whom God hath appointed to be the teacher, as well as the steward of his family; who, like Mary, sit at his feet and hear his words; and whose daily prayer, the prayer of each for himself, is, " That which I see not, teach thou me."'" " Teach me thy statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy pre- cepts/'t 5. God promises to bless his people — those that are born in Zion, with peace; " Great shall be the peace of thy children. " Peace is the pri- vilege of all true believers. " Being justified by faith, they have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ/' They seldom have peace with the world, or in it; we mean outward peace; but they are blessed with an inward and spiritual peace. "When faith is in lively exercise, they have such a sweet peace within as no out- ward troubles can deprive them of, or even dis- turb. This is a peace that no man, no tribula- tion or persecution, can take from them. Hence the people of God have often enjoyed the great- est degree of it when they were exposed to the most grievous sufferings for the name of Christ. * Job xxxiv. 32. f Psalm cxix. 12, 27. It is a great, an abundant peace; for it is peace with God, peace with conscience, and peace with all the creatures of God; such as the beasts of the earth, and the stones of the field, which the godly are said to be in league with.* It is a peace which comprehends all good, and is an earnest of everlasting happiness and glory. 6. Another promise here made to the people of God is, the promise of a happy establishment; namely, in the possession of all those gracious privileges which he has been pleased to confer upon them; — "in righteousness shalt thou be established/' &c. ver. 14. When God delivers his church, he must also establish her; establish her in that happy state he has brought her into, and in the enjoyment of her spiritual privileges; otherwise she would soon be reduced to as bad a condition as before. When God brought David out of " the horrible pit, and miry clay," and set his "feet upon a rock," he also "established his goings."t When he brings his people into a state of reconciliation, and favour with himself, he establishes them in it. He makes them to stand in that grace.% They are so established in it by the immutability of his love, covenant, and promises, that they can never lose their in- * Job v. 23. + Psalm xl. 2. } Rom. v. 2; xiv. 4. 8 terest in his favour, or in any of those precious privileges that they become entitled to by their iustification, and adoption into his family; and far less can they ever again become obnoxious to his wrath, or fall under the condemnation and curse of a broken law. The righteousness of Christ imputed to them is not only a perfect righteousness, to procure their acceptance with God; but it is also an everlasting righteousness, and therefore effectually secures their continu- ance in a state of justification. It is by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them that their acceptance with God, and all their spiritual privileges, are secured; and it is in the practice of righteousness, or by walking with God in a course of holy obedience, that a sense of the Divine favour, and their spiritual comforts, are preserved, according to what our Lord says, John xiv. 21, — " He that hath my command- ments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me : and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." Thus in righteousness are they established. 7- God further promises to deliver his people from all those fears and terrors that they were subject to before, during his absence and the hiding of his face, and while he saw meet to try them with afflictions of various kinds; — " Thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear ; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee/' When God had withdrawn from them, and they lost all comfortable views of his love, every thing was apt to intimidate them, and put them into a fright. But it is intimated, that after his gracious return to them nothing should make them afraid ; but that a holy composure, confidence, and joy in God, should take place of all those melancholy apprehensions that formerly disquieted their minds. Deserted believers too often, like the wicked, " fear where no fear is,"* where there is no cause of fear. When God hides his face from them, they are apt to look upon all the troubles, afflic- tions, and temptations they are tried with, as indications of his anger and displeasure against them. Then every thing burdens and oppresses them, and fills their mind with fear. But when he returns to their souls in mercy, and lifts up on them the light of his countenance, they are put far from oppression ; from such oppression as was occasioned by their own melancholy and unbelieving fears. Now, being assured of God's love to their souls, or at least enabled firmly to rely upon his gracious promises^they trust that " all things shall work together for their good ;" * Psalm liii. 5. 10 and therefore, instead of sinking under their afflictions, as they did before, they can make them the matter of their song, saying, yvith David, li Thou who hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again; and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side;*" and with the blessed apos- tle, ' ; Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."* 8, God here comforts his people with a promise of protection amidst the greatest dangers, and of victory over all their enemies, ver. 15, 16, 1J. k * Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me : whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper/' &c. That they might know how safe, how happy they were under the Divine protection, and be assured of complete victory over all those that sought to do them hurt, God asserts his absolute power over all their enemies, ver. 16. The adversaries of the church are here compared to " the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire," and frame tli instruments of war and mischief, and to the warier who destroys ; and God having created * Psalm lxxi. 20, 21. - 2 Cor. iv. 17. II both, can easily limit them, and overrule all their designs and operations, so that they shall not be able to effect what they intend, or do any thing but what he is pleased to permit ; and he will never permit them to hurt, and far less to destroy, his people ; or, in other words, he will never suffer them to frustrate his own purposes and promises. The conclusion drawn from thence, for the comfort of the church, is just and very native, " No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper," ver. 17» All who form or use any weapons against the church, being wholly under the power of her God and King, who has under- taken to protect her, and frustrate all the malig- nant designs of her enemies against her, it is impossible that any of them should prosper. But though the enemies of God's people cannot pre- vail, so far as to destroy their souls, or even hurt their bodies without his permission, per- haps they may give a lasting and deadly wound to their character by their false ' accusations, lying reproaches and calumnies. No, saith the Lord, " Every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn." " The tongues, as well as the hands of all thine enemies, are under my control, and wholly subject to my power ; therefore they shall not be able to hurt thee by the former, more than by the latter. 1*2 You shall in due time be fully cleared from all false aspersions thrown upon you, and have oc- casion to triumph over all your accusers and enemies." The promises already mentioned are what believers have a common interest in. The blessings promised are their heritage; and a goodly heritage they are ; for they comprehend all happiness. Hence it is said, " This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord." A man may make free with his own inheritance, by claiming and using whatever it contains, as his own. Thus believers are warranted to apply and improve, claim the benefit, and take the comfort of all the promises formerly mentioned. " This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord ;" and if it is, they are certainly a blessed people. It is as if God had said, " After what has been declared concerning the great privileges and blessings secured to my people by the pro- mises which I have made them, let all judge w T hether they are not a happy people, notwith- standing the troubles and afflictions that they meet with in the world ; and whether, notwith- standing their mean, low, and despicable condi- tion at present, I have cause to be ashamed to own a special relation to them, or they to be ashamed of the sufferings they are exposed to in my service." Jo O Should any ask, Why is all this good, why are all these blessings promised to a number of sinful and guilty creatures, who are in them- selves as unworthy as any other; yea, so un- worthy as to deserve nothing but death and wrath, hell and damnation ? — We have a satis- fying answer to the question in the words of our text, " Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." This is as if he had said, " I have un- dertaken to do all these great and glorious things for them, and to bestow all these precious blessings upon them, not on account of any merit or worthiness in them, but for the sake of a righteousness that I have graciously provided for them, and freely made over to them. Not only is their salvation and all their happiness of me, but that righteousness which entitles them to it is also of me; it is my free gift to them: Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." By the righteousness of God's servants here, some understand the righteousness of their cha- racter which God undertook to vindicate, or the righteousness of their cause which he undertook to plead against all their enemies, so as to make their innocence and integrity to appear, after all the lying accusations brought against them, and spiteful reproaches cast upon them by their ad- versaries. But, without offering any violence to the text, by their righteousness, which is here B 14 said to be of the Lord, we may understand that righteousness by which they are justified in the sight of God; that righteousness which is the meritorious cause of all the precious blessings and privileges mentioned in this chapter as their heritage, and effectually secured to them by the promise of God; that righteousness which in other places of Scripture is called, " the right- eousness of God," and " the righteousness of faith ;" and is said to be "upon all them that believe/' or imputed to them for their justifica- tion. Not only will the text bear this interpre- tation, it being as agreeable to the grammatical construction of the words, and scope of the place, as any other; but, as it affords us a plain and easy view of the passage, we cannot help think- ing that it exhibits the true sense of the words; and that the Spirit of God intended, by speaking in this manner, to remind his people that the righteousness by which they are justified, and obtain a kind of legal claim to all the blessings promised in the new covenant, is not a right- eousness wrought out by themselves, or inherent in them, but a righteousness which God has in sovereign mercy provided for them, and which they receive of him as a free gift, and become possessed of by faith. Thus the words of our text may be considered as asserting that important and glorious truth, 15 which is a fundamental article of the Christian faith, the grand characteristic of the true doc- trine of the grace of God, the very substance and marrow of the gospel, and that which makes it indeed to be " good tidings of great joy to all people:" namely, That sinners are justified, ab- solved from the condemning sentence of the Divine law, binding them over to eternal death for their sins, both original and actual; received into a state of favour with God, and admitted to the enjoyment of all spiritual blessings and privileges ; not for their own personal merit, for any good done by them, or inherent in them, but on account of a righteousness which God in infinite wisdom and love has provided for them, which God, in the person of the Son, wrought out for them in the human nature, and which is brought near to them in the gospel, as a gift to be received by faith. This doctrine is pregnant with comfort to believers, and lays a foundation, not for some fluctuating hopes of the Divine favour only, but for the confidence and full as- surance of faith in their approaches to God. The language of faith which the believer, under the influence of the Divine Spirit, is enabled to speak, saying, " Surely, in the Lord have I righteousness;"* and, " I will make mention of * Isa. xlv. 24. 16 thy righteousness, even of thine only;"* is just the echo of the soul to the gracious declaration in our text, " Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." In these words, which are spoken of all true believers, more particularly we may observe, 1. The foundation of their acceptance with God, and of all the glorious privileges that they enjoy or are entitled to. It is a righteousness; such a righteousness as answers all the demands of the Divine law, a righteousness with which God is well pleased. Man cannot be justified before God without a righteousness; and the righteousness on account of which he is justified must be every way perfect; for the person in justification being pronounced righteous in the eye of the law, if God should justify one that is not perfectly righteous, either in himself or by imputation, his judgment would not be accord- ing to truth; since the least sin, or defect in that righteousness which is supposed to be the ground of justification, makes one as really guilty in the eye of the law, as if he had violated all its precepts. The law, which is just a declaration of the will of the great Lawgiver and Judge, con- demns the sinner for the least transgression of * Psal. lxxi. 16. 17 it, yea, for the least failure in that obedience which it requires.* If, therefore, God should justify one that is not perfectly righteous, or whose righteousness is not commensurate to all the demands of the law, the sentence of the judge and the sentence of the law would be opposite to each other, the judge absolving whom the law condemns, and the law condemn- ing whom the judge absolves. In this case, the sentence passed by the one or the other would be unjust; and the sentence of the law being also the sentence of the Supreme Judge and Lawgiver, God would act contrary to his own veracity, justice, and holiness; to suppose which would be highly impious. It is, therefore, a righteousness every way perfect, that is the ground of a believer's acceptance with God, that furnishes him with an answer to all accusations and challenges brought against him, and on which his claim to all spiritual blessings and privileges is founded. 2. We may observe how believers obtain, or become possessed of this righteousnees. They have it not of themselves. It is not a righteous- ness wrought out by them or inherent in them, but a righteousness which they have of God. God, in the person of the Father, devised and * Gal. iii. 1 0. James ii. 1 0. 18 provided it; God, in the person of the Son, wrought it out for them; for he condescended to be " made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law;" namely, by fulfilling the law, and satisfying offended jus- tice for them, and so bringing in an everlasting righteousness for their justification. It is also through the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to believe the report of the Gospel, and receive Christ exhibited and freely offered" to them in it, that they come to be actually possessed of this righteousness. The * I am aware that this expression will be disliked by some, who affirm that in the gospel no offers of grace are made to sinners. But though it would be easy to prove by irrefragable arguments drawn from the sacred writings, from the nature of the gospel itself, and from the view that every awakened and sensible sinner must necessarily have of the matter, when he first believes on Christ for justification and salvation, that this is a very great mistake, we shall at present only refer the objectors to a passage in the New Testament, John vi. 32, where our Lord, speaking of himself and the bene- fits of redemption, declares that they were given by the Father to those who were then hearing him, many of whom never truly believed in him. Giveth, there, is doubtless equivalent to offereth, and is a much stronger expression. Should any be still so wedded to their own opinion as not to reckon this verdict given by the lips of truth decisive in the matter, it would be to little pur- pose to reason with them. 19 righteousness by which they are justified may be said to be of God, because he freely gives it, and graciously imputes it to them. It is a righteous- ness without works, a righteousness which the believer becomes possessed of, and is justified by, without the least regard to any works of obedience to the law performed by himself. Hence, says the apostle, " David — describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God im- puteth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they w T hose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered/'* According to that covenant w 7 hich was made with man in a state of innocence, he w T as to be justified by his own personal obedience to the law; but accord- ing to the tenor of the new covenant, or grace, he is justified in a very different way, namely, by the obedience of another. This the apostle teaches, when, giviDg an account of the gospel method of justification, he says, " By the obedi- ence of one, shall many be made righteous."t 3. Another thing observable in the words of our text, is the interest that believers have in that righteousness which is the ground of their justification. It is called their righteousness. " Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Though it is not theirs originally, or subject- * Rom. iv. 6, 7. f Rom. v. If). 20 ivelij, it is theirs really. It is theirs by the free gift of God, and his gracious imputation, to all the ends and purposes of justification, as really, as if they had wrought it out in their own per- sons ; even as what is made over to a man by way of free gift, upon his receiving it, becomes as really his, as if it had been originally his own property. "When believers receive this righte- ousness by faith, it affords them a just and legal claim to everlasting happiness, and to all the blessings promised in the new covenant. It is what they may as confidently rely upon, and set in opposition to all the demands of law and justice, and all the accusations of Satan and their own consciences, founded on their perso- nal iniquities and most criminal transgressions, as if it consisted wholly of their own works of obedience to the law, and sufferings undergone in their own persons for satisfying the offended justice of God. The great Jehovah himself calls it theirs ; and therefore they may warran- tably claim it, confide in it, and improve it for all the purposes of justification, as their own. 11 Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.'' 4. We may observe the certainty of the great and important truth asserted in the text, name- ly, that the righteousness of believers, or that righteousness by which they are justified, and on which their title to everlasting life and all 21 the blessings of salvation is wholly founded, is a righteousness which they have not of them- selves, but of God, or by his free gift and gra- cious imputation. This is what Jehovah him- self declares and attests in the plainest manner, " Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." It would be great presumption for men, desti- tute of all personal righteousness, to claim ac- ceptance with God, or any blessing, on account of a righteousness wrought out by another, or through an imputed righteousness, had not God himself declared that their righteousness is of him, or a righteousness which he in sovereign mercy has provided for them, and makes over to them bj*way of free gift. But since he hath said in a way of grace, '* Their righteousness is of me," they may warrantably say in a way of believing, every one for himself, " Surely in the Lord have I righteousness." From the words we may observe, That the righteousness by which believers, the spiritual Israel of God, are justified, and on which their claim to all spiritual and saving blessings is founded, is a righteousness which they have not of themselves, but of God ; or, That it is ground of comfort to believers, conscious of much personal guilt and sinfulness, that the righteousness by w T hich they are justi- 22 fied in the sight of God, and on which their claim to all spiritual and promised blessings is entirely founded,, is not a righteousness wrought out by themselves, or inherent in them, but a righteousness which God has graciously pro- vided for them, or which they have of him, by his free gift and gracious imputation. In discoursing on this subject, we shall, by Divine assistance, First, Show that believers are not justified by their own righteousness, or works of obe- dience to the law of God. Secondly, Speak of that righteousness by which they are justified, and on which their claim to eternal life and all spirituaHblessings is wholly founded. Thirdly, Show in what respects that righte- ousness may be said to be of God. Fourthly, Inquire a little into the import of the gracious declaration in the text, " Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Lastly, Make some practical improvement of the subject. The Jirst thing proposed in the method, then, was to show that believers are not justified by their own personal righteousness or obedience to the law of God. This is a truth clearly taught and frequently inculcated in Scripture. 23 It is a most important article of the Christian faith, and what no sound Protestant will ven- ture to deny or call into question. But though multitudes profess to believe it, and have a speculative knowledge of it, the practical belief of it is very rare. As there are many who " profess to know God, but in works deny him/' so there are not a few who profess to be- lieve this and other doctrines of the gospel, while by their practice, and in their hearts, they deny them. Some have much of the gospel in their heads, who have little of it in their hearts. Many will readily allow, that by the works of the law no man living can be justified, who yet secretly rely upon their own righteousness, and make their duties, frames, attainments, and good qualifications, the ground of their confi- dence before God. Their hopes of acceptance with God are founded in the good opinion they have of themselves, or on some good that they imagine to be in or about themselves. As long as they can think well of themselves, they hope God w T ill have favourable thoughts of them, and deal graciously with them. But when they can perceive nothing in themselves that can any w T ay recommend them to his acceptance, their confidence fails, and they sink in discourage- ment and despondency. Thus it appears, that whatever they may pretend, their hearts are still 21 "wedded to the law, as a covenant of works ; and that, like the Jews of old, they are seeking to be justified by, or, " as it were by the works of the law."* The people of God themselves are too often culpable in this respect ; for there are sad remainders of a legal disposition to be found even with them. Hence, when they have found any sensible assistance in the performance of duty, are in a good frame, or can perceive any evidences of grace and sanctification in their souls, they can appear before God with some confidence; but when they lose all views of their own experiences and attainments, and can per- ceive nothing in or about themselves but un wor- thiness and vileness, sin, guilt, and misery, their courage, confidence, and hope do fail them in their approaches to God, and they are apt to conclude that God will not accept of them, or show them any favour. This shows the work- ing and prevalence of a legal spirit, and too much of a practical disbelief of the great truth asserted in the text ; that their righteousness is not of themselves, but of God ; that their own righteousness, their best services and attain- ments, cannot procure their acceptance with God. nor their unrighteousness, multiplied trans- gressions, and most highly aggravated guilt, ex- * Rom. ix. 32. 25 elude them from his favour ; if they are found taking hold of that righteousness which he has provided for them, and brings near to them in the gospel, relying upon it, and improving it as the sole ground of their justification before God, and meritorious cause of all their happiness. As this is a truth upon which the hope and comfort of believers, conscious of many sinful infirmities, great un worthiness, and accumulated guilt, do wholly depend, and a firm belief of it is necessary, in order to their approaching unto God in the immediate and solemn acts of his worship, with becoming confidence, we shall offer a few things which may be of use for esta- blishing them in the faith of it. That believers, then, are not justified by their own righteousness, or works of obedience, ap- pears, 1. From the very tenor of the law, or cove- nant of works, which requires perfect obedience to all its commands, as the condition of life, and consequently of justification and acceptance with God ; and condemns the sinner for the least breach or transgression of it. The condition of the covenant of works, or of justification and life according to the tenor of that covenant, is clearly set forth by our Lord in those remarkable words addressed to the young man in the gos- pel, who was puffed up with a vain opinion of c 26 his own righteousness,, " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."* They who w T ould obtain life, or be justified by their own obedience, must keep the commandments, all the commandments, in thought, word, and deed, and in the most perfect manner; for he who breaks one of them, does interpretatively break them all. Yea, if there is any defect, even the least failure in his obedience, he forfeits all claim to the blessing promised, and falls under the curse or condemning sentence of the law. Were it possible for one to keep the law so per- fectly as only to offend in one point, his obe- dience w T ould be no way available for his justi- fication; but the breach of the law, or w r ant of conformity to it, in that one thing, would render him as obnoxious to the curse, or make him as really guilty in the eye of the law, as if he had never obeyed any of its precepts.f What the apostle says, holds true in this case, " Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all;"J for the law condemns for the least omission of duty re- quired, or failure in obedience, as well as for the most enormous transgressions. Hence it is evi- dent that no man descended from Adam can be justified by his own righteousness, or obedience * Matt. xix. 17. + Gal. iii. 10. J James ii. 10. 27 to the law; for u there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. All have sinned/'" They who talk of a new law, milder than the law of works that was first given to man for the rule of his obedience, requiring obedience to its precepts, as the condition of justification and salvation, but making allowance for failings and defects in obedience, and even for less criminal transgressions of the law, do greatly dishonour the law, and also the glorious Lawgiver; as if the former gave some indulgence to sin, and the latter could forgive sin without satisfaction made to his justice, or at least such a satisfaction as is adequate to its demands. The demands of the law, as a covenant of works, are invariably the same. It ever did, and ever will, require perfect obedience to all its precepts, as the condition of life or happiness; and with re- spect to sinners, its demands are increased, as it requires not only obedience to all its commands to be performed in the most perfect manner, but also full satisfaction to the justice of God for the least breach or violation of it. They who maintain that the gospel reveals a new and more mild law, still requiring obedience, though not insisting on perfect obedience, as the condition of justification; and consequently that * Eccl. vii. 20. Rom. iii. 23. 28 the law of works given to man in a state of in- nocence is wholly vacated, or set aside, betray great ignorance both of the law and of the gospel; both of the covenant of works, and of the cove- nant of grace; or by unhappily confounding them, obscure the doctrine of the grace of God, and pervert the gospel of Christ. The gospel was never designed to make void the law, or to teach fallen men that less is required of them in order to justification and the enjoyment of everlasting happiness now, than formerly under the cove- nant of works; but to show them where they may find, and how they may become possessed of a righteousness that answers all the demands of the law as a covenant, — those which it makes upon man in his fallen state, as well as those which it made upon him in a state of primitive integrity. The scope of it is, not to inform sin- ners how they may work out a righteousness of their own for their justification, by performing obedience to any law, more or less rigorous, legal or evangelical, but to direct them to Jesus Christ, as " the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."* 2. The truth of this doctrine is further evi- dent from the account given in Scripture of the state of all men bv nature, before thev are united * Rom. x. 4. 29 to Christ and obtain an interest in his righte- ousness. They are said to be " concluded un- der sin — guilty before God — children of wrath,"* and consequently heirs of hell and everlasting damnation. Let men be ever so diligent and exact in performing the duties which the law requires; let them seem ever so strict, holy, and devout; the Scripture assures us that they are still in a state of wrath, till by faith they are united to Christ, and have an interest in his righteousness. None are justified, freed from the curse of the law, and received into a state of favour with God,, but those who are " in Christ Jesus;" who by virtue of their union with him have his righteousness imputed to them. Hence the apostle intimates, that God is " the justifier of" none but " them that believe in Jesus." t If none are justified but those who believe in Christ, and have his righteousness imputed to them, it is evident that none are justified by their own righteousness, or obedience to the law. Should any object, that though the works done by men in an unregenerate state, or before their union with Christ by faith, cannot be available for their justification, [yet] the good works done by believers after they have been u renewed in the spirit of their minds/' and had a principle * Gal. iii. 22. Rom. ill. 10. Eph. ii. 3. f Rom. iii. 26. 30 of holiness implanted in their souls, entitle them to acceptance with God, and may be considered as a cause of their justification; or, at least, of the continuance of it, or as a condition without which they would forfeit all claim to that privi- lege; we answer, that the good works done by believers after their conversion, arejruits of jus- tifying faith, and follow justification, and there- fore cannot be the cause or condition of it. The believer's justification is complete, before he can do any good works, or perform any acceptable obedience to the law of God,* and being once justified, the continuance of his justification is infallibly secured; as in justification he is freed from the guilt of all sin, so that it shall no more be imputed to him for his condemnation, t and obtains a sure title to everlasting life, altogether independent on his own works of obedience to the law; it being the gift of God to him through Jesus Christ our Lord.J 3. That believers are not justified by their own righteousness, or personal obedience to the law, appears from what is declared concerning the righteousness by which, or on account of which, they are justified; and from the various desig- nations that are given it in the word of God. The righteousness by which believers are justi- * Heb. xi. 6. Rom. v. i. f Rom. viii. 1. % John v. 24. Rom. vi. 23. 31 fled, is called a " righteousness without works," and a righteousness " not their own. Doubtless/' says the apostle, — " I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,"* &c. His own righteousness plainly includes all good works done by him, all his own endeavours, qualifications, and attainments, of any kind. These, with every thing of a like na- ture, he renounces and disclaims; not only as insufficient by themselves to recommend him to the Divine favour and acceptance, but also as making no part of that righteousness on account of which he hoped to be justified before God. Again, that righteousness on account of which believers are justified before God, is called " the righteousness of faith, — a righteousness by faith; — a righteousness which is by faith of Jesus Christ upon them who believe."t Concerning this righteousness the Spirit of God in Scripture further intimates, that it is graciously imputed to believers^ and consequently nothing done by themselves, or inherent in their own persons; that it is " a righteousness to be sought by faith, * Phil. iii. 8, 9. t Rom. iv. 11; and iii. 22. X Rom. iv. 6; and iii. 24. 32 and not by works,"* and a righteousness which is