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20 - The Lord our Righteousness - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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The Lord our Righteousness. This is his name, whereby he shall be called
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the Lord our Righteousness. Jeremiah twenty three, verse six. How dreadful and
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how innumerable are the contests that have arisen about religion. And not only among
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the children of this world, among those who knew not what religion was,
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but even among the children of God, those who had experienced the Kingdom of
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God within them, who had tasted of righteousness and peace and joy in the
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Holy Ghost. How many of these in all ages, instead of joining together
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against the common enemy, have turned their weapons against each other, and so
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not only wasted their precious time, but hurt one another's spirits, weakened each
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other's hands, and so hindered the great work of their common master. How
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many of the week have hereby being offended. How many of the lame turned
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out of the way. How many sinners confirmed in their disregard of all religion
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and their contempt of those that profess it. And how many of the excellent
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ones upon earth have been constrained to weep in secret places. What would not
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every lover of God and his neighbor do, What would he not suffer to
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remedy this sore evil? To remove contention from the children of God, to
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restore or preserve peace among them. What but a good conscience would he think
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too dear to part with in order to promote this valuable end. And suppose
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we cannot make these wars to cease in all the world, Suppose we cannot
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reconcile all the children of God to each other. However, that each do
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what he can, let him contribute. If it be but two mites toward
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it happier they who are able in any degree to promote peace and good will
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among men, especially among good men, among those that are all listed under
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the banner of the Prince of Peace, and are therefore peculiarly engaged as much
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as lies in them, to live peaceably with all men. It would be
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a considerable step towards this glorious end if we could bring good men to understand
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one another. Abundance of disputes arise purely from the want of this from mere
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misapprehension. Frequently neither of the contending parties understands what his opponent means. Whence
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it follows that each violently attacks the other while there is no real difference between
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them. And yet it is not always an easy matter to convince them of
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this, particularly when their passions are moved. It is then attended with the
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utmost difficulty. However, it is not impossible, especially when we attempt it,
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not trusting ourselves, but having all our dependence upon Him with whom all
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things are possible. How soon is he able to disperse the cloud, to
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shine upon their hearts, and to enable them both to understand each other and
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the truth as it is in Jesus. One very considerable article of this truth
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is contained in the words above recited. This is his name, whereby he
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shall be called the Lord our Righteousness. A truth, this which enters deep
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into the nature of Christianity, and in a manner supports the whole frame of
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it. Of this undoubtedly may be affirmed what Luther affirms of a truth closely
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connected with it. It is articulus stantis velcadentis ecclesia. The Christian Church stands
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or falls with it. It is certainly the pillar and ground of that faith
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of which alone cometh salvation, that catholic or universal faith which is found in
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all the children of God, and which unless a man keep whole and undefiled
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without doubt, he shall perish, everlastingly might not one therefore reasonably expect that,
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however they differ in others, all those who name the name of Christ
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should agree in this point. But how far is this from being the case?
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There is scarce any wherein they are so little agreed, wherein those who
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all profess to follow Christ seem so widely and irreconcilably to differ. I say
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seem, because I am thoroughly convinced that many of them only seem to differ.
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The disagreement is more in words than in sentiments. They are much nearer
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in judgment than in language, and a wide difference in language there certainly is,
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not only between Protestants and Papists, but between Protestant and Protestant, nay,
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even between those who all believe justification by faith, who agree as well
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in this as every other fundamental doctrine of the Gospel. But if the difference
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be more in opinion than real experience, and more an expression than an opinion,
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how can it be that even the children of God should so vehemently contend
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with each other on the point. Several reasons may be assigned for this.
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The chief is they are not understanding one another joined with too keen an attachment
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to their own opinions and particularly modes of expression. In order to remove this,
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at least in some measure, in order to our understanding one another.
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On this head, I shall, by the help of God, endeavor to
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show what is the righteousness of Christ, when and in what sense it is
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imputed to us? And conclude with a shortened plain application, And what is
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the righteousness of Christ? It is twofold, either his divine or his human
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righteousness. His divine righteousness belongs to his divine nature, as he is whole
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on he that existeth over all, God, Blessed forever, the Supreme,
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the eternal, equal with the Father, as touching his Godhead, though inferior
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to the Father as touching his manhood. Now this is eternal, essential,
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immutable holiness, his infinite justice, mercy and truth in all which He and
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the Father are one. But I do not apprehend that the divine righteousness of
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Christ is immediately concerned in the present question. I believe few, if any,
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do now contend for the imputation of this righteousness to us. Whoever believes
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the doctrine of imputation understands it chiefly, if not solely of his human righteousness.
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The human righteousness of Christ belongs to him in his human nature, as
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he is the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. This
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is either internal or external. His internal righteousness is the image of God stamped
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on every power and faculty of his soul. It is a copy of his
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divine righteousness, as far as it can be imparted to a human of spirit.
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It is a transcript of the divine purity, the divine justice, mercy,
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and truth. Involves love, reverence, resignation to his Father, humility,
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meekness, gentleness, love to lost mankind, and every other holy and
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heavenly temper, and all these in the highest degree, without any defect or
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mixture of unholiness. It was the least part of his external righteousness that he
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did nothing amiss, that he knew no outward sin of any kind, neither
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was guile found in his mouth, that he never spoke one improper word,
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nor did one improper action. Thus far, it is only a negative righteousness,
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though such, and one as never did nor ever can belong to any
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one that is born of a woman, save himself alone. But even his
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outward righteousness was positive too, he did all things well. In every word
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of his tongue, in every work of his hands, he did precisely the
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will of Him that sent him. In the whole course of his life,
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he did the will of God on earth, as the angels do it in
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heaven. All he acted and spoke was exactly right in every circumstance. The
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whole and every part of his obedience was complete. He fulfilled all righteousness.
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But his obedience implied more than all this. It implied not only doing,
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but suffering, suffering the whole will of God, from the time he came
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into the world till he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree
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Yea, till having made a full atonement for them, he bowed his head
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and gave up the ghost. This is usually termed the passive righteousness of Christ.
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The former is active righteousness. But as the active and passive righteousness of
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Christ were never in fact separated from each other, so we never need separate
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them at all, either in speaking or even in thinking. And it is
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with regard to both these conjoint thee that Jesus is called the Lord our righteousness.
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But when is it that any of us may truly say the Lord our
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righteousness. In other words, when is it that the righteousness of Christ is
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imputed to us? And in what sense is it imputed? Look through all
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the world, and all the men therein are either believers or unbelievers. The
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first thing, then, which admits of no dispute among reason simble men as
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this to all believers, the righteousness of Christ is imputed. To ue believers
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it is not. But when is it imputed? When they believe in that
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very hour the righteousness of Christ is theirs. It is imputed to every one
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that believes, as soon as he believes, faith and righteousness of Christ are
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inseparable. For if he believes, according to scripture, he believes in the
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righteousness of Christ. There is no true faith, that is, justifying faith
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which has not the righteousness of Christ for its object. It is true.
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Believers may not or speak alike. They may not all use the same language.
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It is not expected that they should, and cannot reasonably require it of
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them. A thousand circumstances may cause them to vary from each other in the
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manner of expressing themselves. But a difference of expression does not necessarily imply a
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difference of sentiment. Different persons may use different expressions and yet mean the same
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thing. Nothing is more common than this, although we seldom make sufficient allowance
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for it. No, it is not easy for the same persons, when
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they speak of the same thing at a considerable distance of time, to use
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exactly the same expressions, even though they retain the same sentiments. How then,
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can we be rigorous in requiring others to use just the same expressions.
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With us, we may go a step farther. Yet, men may differ
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from us in their opinions as well as their expressions, and nevertheless be partakers
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with us at the same precious faith. It is possible they may not have
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a distinct apprehension of the very blessing which they enjoy. Their ideas may not
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be so clear, and yet their experience may be as sound as ours.
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There is a wide difference between the natural faculties of men, their understandings in
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particular, and that difference is exceedingly increased by the manner of their education.
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Indeed, this alone may occasion an inconceivable difference in their opinions of various kinds,
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and why not upon this head as well as on any other. But
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still, though their opinions as well as expressions may be confused and inaccurate,
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their hearts may cleave to God through the son of his Love, and be
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truly interested in his righteousness. Let us then make all that allowance to others,
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which were we in their place, we would desire of ourselves. Who
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is ignorant to touch again on that circumstance. Only are the amazing power of
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education, and who that knows it can expect. Suppose a member of the
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Church of Rome either to think or speak clearly on this subject. And yet
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if we had heard even dying Bellamine cry out when he was asked, unto
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which of the saints will our turn? For deare meritus christi tatiselmum it is
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safest to trust in the merits of Christ. Would we have affirmed that,
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notwithstanding his wrong opinions, he had no share in his righteousness? But in
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what sense is this righteousness imputed to believers? In this all believers are forgiven
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and accepted, not for the sake of anything in them, or of anything
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that ever was, that is, whatever can be done by them, but
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wholy and solely for the sake of what Christ hath done and suffered for them.
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I say again not for the sake of anything in them or done by
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them of their own righteousness or works. Not for works of righteousness which we
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have done, but of His own mercy. He saved us by grace.
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He are saved through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast,
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but wholly and solely for the sake of what Christ hath done and suffered
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for us. We are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that
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is in Jesus Christ. And this is not only the means of our obtaining
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the favor of God, but of our continuing therein. It is thus we
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come to God at first. It is by the same we come unto Him.
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Ever after we walk in one and the same, new and living way,
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till our spirit returns to God. And this is the doctrine which I
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have constantly believed and taught for near eight and twenty years. This I published
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to all the world in the year seventeen thirty eight, and ten or twelve
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times since. In those words and many others to the same effect, extracted
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from the homilies of our Church. These things must necessarily go together in our
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justification upon God's part, his great mercy and grace, upon Christ's part,
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the satisfaction of God's justice, and on our part faith in the merits of
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Christ, so that the grace of God doth not shut out the righteousness of
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God in our justice notification, but only shut it out the righteousness of man
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as to deserving our justification. That we are justified by faith alone, is
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spoken to take away clearly all merit of our works, and wholly to ascribe
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the merit and deserving of our justification to Christ. Only. Our justification comes
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freely of the mere mercy of God. For whereas all the world was not
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able to pay any part toward our ansom, it pleased Him without any of
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our deserving, to prepare for us Christ's body and blood, whereby our ransom
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might be paid. And is justice satisfied. Christ therefore is now the righteousness
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of all them that truly believe in Him. The hymns, published a year
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or two after this, and since republished several times, clear testimony that my
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judgment was still the same, speak full to the same purpose. To cite
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all the passages to this effect would be to transcribe a great part of the
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volumes. Take one for All, which was reprinted seven years ago. Five
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years ago, two years ago and some months since. Jesus, Thy blood
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and righteousness, my beauty are my glorious dress midst flaming worlds. In these
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arrayed with joy, shall I lift up my head. The whole hymn expresses
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the same sentiment from the beginning to the end. When the Sermon on Justification
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published nineteen and again seven or eight years ago, I expressed the same thing
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in these words page fifty five. In consideration of this, that the Son
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of God hath tasted death for every man, God hath now reconciled the world
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unto himself, not imputing to them their former trespasses, so that for the
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sake of his well below its son, of what he hath done and suffered
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for us, God now vouchsafes on one only condition, which himself also enables
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us to perform, both to omit the punishment due to our sins, to
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reinstate us in His favor, and to restore our dead souls to spiritual life
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as the earnest of life eternal. This is more largely and particularly expressed in
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the Treatise on Justification, which I published last year. If we take the
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phrase of imputing Christ's righteousness for the bestowing, as it were, the righteousness
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of Christ, including his obedience, as well as passive as active in the
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return of it, that is, in the privileges, blessings, and benefits
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purchased it. So a believer may be said to be justified by the righteousness
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of Christ imputed. The meaning is God justifies the believer for the sake of
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Christ's righteousness, and not for any righteousness of his own. So Calvin institutes
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one point two Chapter seventeen, Christ, by his obedience procured and merited for
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us grace or favor with God the Father. And again Christ, by his
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obedience procured and purchase righteousness for us. And yet again, all such expressions
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as these, that we are justified by the grace of God, that Christ
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is our righteousness, that righteousness was procured for us by the death and resurrection
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of Christ, import the same thing, namely, that the righteousness of Christ,
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both his active and passive righteousness, is the meritorious cause of our justification
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and has procured for us at God's hand, that upon our believing, we
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should be accounted righteous by Him. But perhaps some will object nay, but
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you affirm that faith is imputed to us for righteousness. Saint Paul affirms this
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over and over. Therefore I affirm it too. Faith is imputed for righteousness
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to every believer, namely faith in the righteousness of Christ. But this is
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exactly the same thing which has been said before. For by that expression I
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mean neither more nor less than that we are justified by faith, not by
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works, or that every believer is forgiven and accepted merely for the sake of
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what Christ has done and suffered. But is not a believer invested or clothed
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with the righteousness of Christ. Undoubtedly, years and accordingly, the words above
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recited are the language of every believing heart. Yes, thy blood and righteousness,
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my beauty are my glorious dress, that is, for the sake of
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thy active and passive righteousness. I am forgiven and accepted of God. But
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must not we put off the filthy rags of our own righteousness be before we
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can put on the spotless righteousness of Christ. Certainly we must, that is,
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in plain terms, we must repent before we can believe the Gospel.
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We must be cut off from dependence upon ourselves. Before we can truly depend
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upon Christ. We must cast away all confidence in our own righteousness. Or
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we cannot have a true confidence in His till we are delivered from trusting in
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anything that we do. We cannot thoroughly trust and what He has done and
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suffered. First we receive the sentence of death in ourselves. Then we trust
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in Him that lived and died for us. But do not you believe inherent
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righteousness, Yes, in its proper place, not as the ground of our
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acceptance with God, but as the fruit of it. Not in the place
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of imputed righteousness, but as consequent upon it. That is, I believe
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God implants righteousness in every one to whom He has imputed it. I believe
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Jesus Christ is made of God unto us sanctification as well as righteousness, or
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that God sanctifies as well as justifies all them that believe in Him. They
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two whom the righteousness of Christ is imputed, are made righteous by the spirit
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of Christ, are renewed in the image of God after the likeness wherein they
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were created in righteousness and true holiness. But do not you put faith in
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the room of Christ or of His righteousness. By no means. I take
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particular care to put each of these in its proper place. The righteousness of
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Christ is the whole and sole foundation of all our hope. It is by
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faith that the Holy Ghost enables us to build upon this foundation. God gives
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this faith. In that moment we are accepted of God. And yet not
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for the sake of that faith, but of what Christ has done and suffered
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for us. You see, each of these has its proper place, and
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neither clushes with the other. We believe, we love, We endeavor to
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walk in all the commandments of the Lord blameless. Yet while thus we bestow
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our moments below ourselves, we forsake and refuge in Jesus righteousness sake His passion
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alone. The foundation we own and pardon. We claim an eternal redemption in
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Jesus name. I therefore no more deny the righteousness of Christ than I deny
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the Godhead of Christ. And a man may fully as justly charge me with
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denying the one as the other. Neither do I deny imputed righteousness. This
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is another unkind and unjust accusation. I always did and do still continually affirm
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that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to every believer. But who deny it?
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Why all infidels, whether baptized or un baptized, All who affirm the
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glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to be a cunningly devised fable. All
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Sicinians and Arians, all who deny the Supreme god Head of the Lord that
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bought them, They, of consequence deny his divine righteousness, as they suppose
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him to be a mere creature. And they deny his human righteousness as imputed
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to any man, seeing they believe everyone is accepted for his own righteousness.
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The human righteousness of Christ, at least, the imputation of it as the
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whole and sole meritorious cause of the justification of a sinner before God, is
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likewise denied by the members of the Church of Rome, by all of them
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who are true to the principles of their own church. But undoubtedly there are
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many among them whose experience goes beyond their principles, who, though they are
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far from expressing themselves justly, yet feel what they know, not how to
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expect. Yea, although their conceptions of this great truth be as crude as
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their expressions, yet with their heart they believe they rest on Christ alone,
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both under present and eternal salvation. With these we may rank those even in
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the Reformed churches, who are usually termed mystics. One of the chief of
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these in the present sentry, at least in England, was mister Law.
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It is well known that he absolutely and zealously denied the imputation of the righteousness
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of Christ, as zealously as Robert Barclay, whose scruples not to say imputed
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righteousness imputed nonsense. The body of the people known by the name of Quakers
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espous the same sentiment. Nay, the generality of those who profess themselves members
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of the Church of England are the totally ignorant of the manner, and know
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nothing about imputed righteousness, or deny this and justification by faith. Together as
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distracted of good works. To these we may add a considerable number of the
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people vulgularly styled and are Baptists, together with thousands of Presbyterians and independents,
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lately enlightened by the writings of Doctor Taylor. On the last, I am
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not called to pass any sentence. I leave them to him that made them.
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But will anyone dare to affirm that all mystics, such as mister Law
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in particular, all Quakers or Presbyterians, or independence and all members of the
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Church of England who are not clear in their opinions and expressions are void of
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all Christian experience, though consequently they are all in a state of damned nation,
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without hope, without God in the world. However confused their ideas may
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be, however improper their language, may there not be many of them whose
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heart is right toward God and who effectually know the Lord our righteousness. But
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blessed be God. We are not among those who are so dark in their
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conceptions and expressions. We no more deny the phrase than the thing, but
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we are unwilling to obtrude it on other men. Let them use either this
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or such other expressions as they judge to be more exactly scriptural, provided their
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heart rests only on what Christ hath done and suffered for pardon, grace and
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glory. I cannot express this better than in mister Hervey's words, worthy to
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be wrote in letters of gold. We are not solicitous as to any particular
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set of phrases. Only let men be humbled as repenting criminals at Christ's feet.
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Let them rely as devoted pensioners on His merits, and they are undoubtedly
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in the way to a blessed immortality. Is there any need? Is there
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any possibility of saying more? Let us only abide by this declaration, and
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all the contention about this or that articular phrase is torn up by the roots.
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Keep to this, All who are humbled as repenting criminals at Christ's feet
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and relie as devoted pensioners on his merits, are in the way to a
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blessed immortality. And what room for dispute? Who denies this? Do we
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not all meet on this ground? What then shall we wrangle about? A
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man of peace here proposes terms of accommodation to all the contending parties. We
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desire no better. We accept of the terms, We subscribe to them with
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heart and hand. Whoever refuses so to do should a mark upon that man.
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He is an enemy of peace and a troubler of Israel, a disturber
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of the Church of God. In the meantime, what we are afraid of
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is this, lest any should use the phrase the righteousness of Christ or the
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righteousness of Christ is imputed to me as a cover for his unrighteousness. We
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have known this done a thousand times. A man has been reproved suppose for
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drunkenness. Oh, said he I pretend to no righteousness of myne own.
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Christ is my righteousness. Another has been told that the extortion at the unjust
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shall not inherit the kingdom of God. He replies with all assurance. I
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am unjust in myself, but I have a spotless righteousness in Christ. And
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thus, though a man be as far from the practice as from the tempests
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of a Christian, though he neither has the mind which was in Christ,
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nor in any respect walks as He walked, yet he has armor of proof
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against all conviction in what he calls the righteousness of Christ. It is the
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seeing so many deplorable instances of this kind which makes us sparing in the use
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of these expressions. And I cannot but call upon all of you who use
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them frequently, and beseech you, in the name of God, our Savior,
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whose you are, and whom you serve earnestly, to guard all that
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here you against this accursed abuse of them. I warn them, it may
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be they will hear your voice against continuing in sin that grace may abound.
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Warn them against making Christ the minister of sin, against making void that solemn
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decree of God. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord by vain
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imagination of being wholly in Christ. Oh, warn them that if they remain
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unrighteous, the righteousness of Christ will profit them nothing. Cry aloud? Is
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there not a cause that for this very end the righteousness of Christ is imputed
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to us, that the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us,
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and that we may live soberly, religiously and godly in this present world.
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It remains only to make a short and plain application. And first I would
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address myself to you, who violently oppose these expressions, and are ready to
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condemn all that use them as antinomians. But is not this bending the bow
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too much the other way? Why should you condemn all who do not speak
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just as you do? Why should you quarrel with them for using the phrases
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they like any more than they with you for taking the same liberty? Oh,
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if they do quarrel with you upon that account, do not imitate the
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bigotry which you blame. At least allow them the liberty which they ought to
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allow you. And why should you be angry at an expression? Oh,
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it has been abused, and what expression has not? However, the abuse
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may be removed, and at the same time, the use remain. Above
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all, be sure to retain the important sense which is couched under that expression.
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All the blessings I enjoy, all I hope for in time and in
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eternity, are given holy and solely for the sake of what Christ has done
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and suffered for me. I would secondly at a few words to you who
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are fond of these expressions, and permit me to ask, do you not
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I allow enough? What can any reasonable man desire more? I allow the
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whole sense which you can tend for that we have every blessing through the righteousness
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of God, our Savior. I allow you to use whatever expressions you choose,
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and that a thousand times over, only guarding them against that dreadful abuse
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which you are as deeply concerned to prevent as I am. I myself frequently
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use the expression in question, imputed righteousness, and often put this and the
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like expressions into the mouth of a whole congregation. But allow me liberty of
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conscience herein, allow me the right of private judgment. Allow me to use
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it just as often as I judge it preferable to any other expression, And
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be not angry with me if I cannot judge it proper to use any one
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expression every two minutes. You may if you please, but do not condemn
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me because I do not do not for this represent me as a papist or
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an enemy to the righteousness of Christ. Bear with me as I do with
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you. Else how shall we fulfill the law of Christ? Do not make
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tragical out Christ, as though I were subverting the very foundations of Christianity.
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Whoever does this does me much wrong. The Lord lay it not to his
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charge. I lay, and have done for many years, the very same
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foundation with you. And indeed other foundation can no man lay than that which
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is laid even Jesus Christ. I build inward and outward holiness thereon, as
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you do, even by faith. Do not therefore suffer any distaste or unkindness,
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know nor any shyness or coldness in your heart. If there were a
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difference of opinion? Where is our religion? If we cannot think? And
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let think? What hinders? But you may forgive me as easily as I
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may forgive you. How much more when there is only a difference of expression,
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nay hartless so much as that all the dispute being only whether a particular
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mode of expression shall be used more or less frequently. Surely we must earnestly
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desire to contend with one another before we can make this a bone of contention.
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Oh, let us not any more, for such very trifles as these
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give our common enemies room to blaspheme. Rather, let us at length cut
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off occasion for them that seek occasion. Let us at length, Oh,
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why was it not done before? Join heart and hands in the service of
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our great master. As we have one lord, one faith, one hope
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of our calling. Let us all strengthen each other's hands in God, and
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with one heart and one mouth, declare to all mankind the Lord our righteousness.
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End of Section twenty