when he had, in the fore-cited paffage, Rom. x. 4, 5. mentioned on the one hand, Chrift as the end of the law for righteousness; and on the other, the ftrict terms of the law, as calling for perfect and finless obedience, as ever we hope to be justified by it, presently falls into a train of reflections to this purpose, verse 6, : II. Say not in thine heart, who fball afcend into heaven? (that is to bring Chrift down from above.) Or who fball defcend into the deep? (that is to bring up Chrift again from the dead.) As tho' there was fomething ftill wanting to be added to what Chrift hath done and fuffered, to make his righteoufnefs more complete and perfect than it is: But what faith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach, that if thou fbalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and fbalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be faved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteoufnefs, and with the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation. For the fcripture faith, whofoever believeth on him fball not be afbamed. In fhort, fo far as we overlook the abfolute purity and perfection of the law, fo far we fhall be in danger of growing cold of all the glories of this righteousness, and of fliding at length into a fecret and habitual contempt of it. But on the other hand, were our minds filled and impreffed with a fuitable and lively fenfe hereof, this would fix the conviction of the want of this righteousness, teach us to blefs God for it, fettle our dependance on it, and determine us living and dying to abide by it. Add to this, That 3. That being the righteoufnefs of fo glorious a Perfon, and itfelf fo fully adequate to the law of God, it must be extenfive and ef fectual to answer all the great and blessed pur- · poses, for which it was defigned, and we want it. What indeed are the purpofes, for which we want a juftifying righteoufnefs, and for which this could be defigned, which are not answered by it? Some have ftated the matter thus:: Chrift's paffive obedience in bearing the penalty, is what delivers us from the curfe of the law; whilft this active obedience is fulfilling the precept with so much perfection, gives us a new title to heaven, and every bleffing. But this perhaps may be too nice for us. Who fhall dare to fet bounds either to the active or paffive obedience of Chrift, or affign either of them its particular influence feparate from the other, in the œconomy of our redemption? However, thus far we may fafely go, and here we are u pon fure grounds; that taking them both toge ther they make that one complete, 'perfect, and everlasting righteoufnefs, by which we are not only delivered from condemnation, but confti. tuted righteous in the fight of God; which we may plead against all the accufations of Satan, the law, and confcience; and which eftablishes a firm and fure title to all the bleffings of the covenant, both those of grace and thofe of glory. Thefe are the purposes for which we want a justifying righteoufnefs; and how completely and fully are they answered in the righteousness of Chrift? (1.) By (1.) By this righteousnefs we are abfolved from guilt, and freed from condemnation. If we view ourselves as finners, or as chargeable with the breach of God's holy and righteous law, we are guilty and condemned in his fight. Sin hath fubjected us to the wrath and difpleafure of God, and the law condemns all without distinction; its language is the most dreadful, Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that con"tinueth not in all things which are written in 'the book of the law to do them:' And where is the guilty finner that can either anfwer its challenges, or ftand before its terrors? But how full and bleffed is the provifion, which God hath made in Chrift for our deliverance from this ftate? He hath redeemed us from the 'curfe of the law, by being made a curse for us; and God hath fet him forth to be a pro'pitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of fins.' The atonement in his blood is equal to all our guilt and what procures full remiffion. He hath finifhed tranfgreffions and made an end ' of fins;' expiated the guilt of fin, and made a full end of all its power for condemnation, Dan. ix. 24. We have redemption through his blood, the forgivenefs of fins,' Eph i. 17. And "God forgives for Chrift's fake,' Eph. iv. 32. And when he forgives thro' the blood of Chrift, and for his fake, he forgives all trefpaffes; is 'faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to 'cleanfe us from all unrighteoufnefs: And there ' is no condemnation to them that are in him.' Henceforth Henceforth be fees no fin in his people, so as to charge it upon them to their condemnation ; does not impute fin, and will remember it no more. There is nothing in the guilt of fin, but what the blood of Chrift is effectual to expiate: It cleanseth from all fin, and we may fafely truft in it for free and full forgiveness. As the Apostle in this gives us the fubftance and glory of the gospel, Acts xiii. 38, 39. Be 'it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached ' unto you the forgiveness of fins and by him all that believe are juftified from all things, 'from which ye could not be justified by the 'law of Mofes.' (2.) By this righteoufnefs' we are juftified, and conftituted righteous in the fight of God, So the Apostle represents the nature and value of the bleffing of juftification in oppofition to the guilt and mifery of that state into which we were brought by the fin of Adam, Rom. x. 19. For as by one man's disobedience many were 'made finners: So by the obedience of one, 'fhall many be made righteous.' "We are as "truly righteous with the obedience of Chrift "imputed to us, as Adam was or could have "been, by a complete righteousness of his own "performance*:" And this is more than being barely pardoned. This righteoufnefs avails not only for the annulling the fentence of the law, which lay against us, but in the imputation of it, the foul is made righteous in the fight of God, and * Dr. Owen of communion, page 207. and according to the conftitution of the gospelcovenant will for ever remain fo. Such is the plain import of the language of the text, that in the Lord we have righteoufnefs: and this the Apostle represents in very fignificant terms, as the great end, why fin was charged upon Christ, as the Surety of his people, 2 Cor. v. 21. For • he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteouf'nefs of God in him,' i. e. might have in him that righteousness, which not only fcreens from wrath and condemnation; but which brings in. to a state of perfonal and everlasting acceptance with God, and in which we may be conftituted righteous before him. There is not only a nonimputation of fin, but an imputation of righteoufness. So we read of the righteoufnefs of 'God, which is by faith of Jefus Chrift unto 'all, and upon all them that believe,' Rom. iii. 22. And, David defcribeth the bleffedness of 'the_man_unto whom God imputeth righte'ousness without works,' Rom. iv. 6. And how great and exalted is this privilege? To have a righteousness in which God declares and accepts as righteous: to be accepted in the beloved, and have that righteoufnefs imputed to us in believing, in which we are fecure of finding full and gracious acceptance with God, and through which he will for ever smile, and blefs. (3.) The Chriftian may plead this righteoufnefs against the accufations and challenges of all his enemies. As the Chriftian has many and powerful enemies, it is no wonder to see them often |