the pharisee and the publican-第21章

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　righteous。

2。　　Righteousness　unto　justification　must　be　first；　because　the　first　duty　that　a　Christian　performeth　to　God；　must　be　accepted；　not　for　the　sake　of　the　principle　from　which　in　the　heart　it　flows；　nor　yet　for　the　sake　of　the　person　that　acts　it；　but　for　the　sake　of　Christ；　whose　righteousness　it　is　by　which　the　sinner　stands　just　before　God。　And　hence　it　is　said；　〃By　faith　Abel　offered　unto　God　a　more　excellent　sacrifice　than　Cain；〃　Heb。　xi。　　By　faith　he　did　it；　but　faith　in　respect　to　the　righteousness　that　justifies；　for　we　are　justified　by　faith；　not　by　faith　as　it　is　an　acting　grace；　but　the　righteousness　of　faith；　that　is；　by　that　righteousness　that　faith　embraceth；　layeth　hold　of；　and　helpeth　the　soul　to　rest　and　trust　to；　for　justification　of　life；　which　is　the　obedience　of　Christ。　Besides；　it　is　said；　by　faith　he　offered；　faith　then　in　Christ　was　precedent　to　his　offering。

Now；　since　faith　was　in　act　before　his　offer；　and　since　before　his　offer　he　had　no　personal　goodness　of　his　own；　faith　must　look　out　from　home；　I　say　to　another　for　righteousness；　and　finding　the　righteousness　of　Christ　to　be　the　righteousness　which　by　God　was　designed　to　be　performed　for　the　justification　of　a　sinner；　it　embraces　it；　and　through　it　offereth　to　God　a　more　excellent　sacrifice　than　Cain。

Hence　it　follows；　〃By　which　he　obtained　witness　that　he　was　righteous；〃　by　which；　not　by　his　offering；　but　by　his　faith；　for　his　offering；　simply　as　an　offering；　could　not　have　made　him　righteous　if　he　had　not　been　righteous　before；　for　〃an　evil　tree　cannot　bring　forth　good　fruit。〃　　Besides；　if　this　be　granted；　why　had　not　God　respect　to　Cain's　offering　as　well　as　to　Abel's？　　For　did　Abel　offer？　So　did　Cain。　　Did　Abel　offer　his　best？　　So　did　Cain　his。　　And　if　with　this　we　shall　take　notice　of　the　order　of　their　offspring；　Cain　seemed　to　offer　first；　and　so　with　the　frankest　will　and　forwardest　mind；　but　yet；　saith　the　text；　〃The　Lord　had　respect　to　Abel　and　to　his　offering。〃　　But　why　to　Abel？　　Why；　because　his；　person　was　made　righteous　before　he　offered　his　gift：　　〃By　which　he　obtained　witness　that　he　was　righteous；〃　God　testifying　of　his　gifts；　that　they　were　good　and　acceptable　because　they　declared　Abel's　acceptation　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　through　the　riches　of　the　grace　of　God。

By　faith；　then；　Abel　offered　to　God　a　more　excellent　sacrifice　than　Cain。　　He　shrouded　himself　under　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　and　so；　of　that　righteousness；　he　offered　to　God。　　God　also　looking　and　finding　him　there　（where　he　could　not　have　been；　as　to　his　own　apprehension；　no　otherwise　than　by　faith）；　accepted　of　his　gift；　by　which　acceptation　（for　so　you　may　understand　it　also）　God　testifieth　that　he　was　righteous；　for　God　receiveth　not　the　gifts　and　offerings　of　those　that　are　not　righteous；　for　their　sacrifices　are　an　abomination　unto　him；　Prov。　xxi。　27。

Abel　then　was；　I　say；　made　righteous；　first；　as　he　stood　ungodly　in　himself；　God　justifieth　the　ungodly；　Rom。　iv。　　Now；　being　justified；　he　was　righteous；　and　being　righteous；　he　offered　his　sacrifice　of　praise　to　God；　or　other　offerings　which　God　accepted；　because　he　believed　in　his　Son。　　But　this　our　Pharisee　understandeth　not。

3。　　Righteousness　by　imputation　must　be　first；　because　we　are　made　so；　to　wit；　by　another〃By　the　obedience　of　one　shall　many　be　made　righteous。〃　　Now　to　be　made　righteous；　implies　a　passiveness　in　him　that　is　so　made；　and　the　activity　of　the　work　to　lie　in　some　body　else；　except　he　had　said；　they　had　made　themselves　righteous；　but　that　it　doth　not；　nor　doth　the　text　leave　to　any　the　least　countenance　so　to　insinuate；　nay；　it　plainly　affirms　the　contrary；　for　it　saith；　by　the　obedience　of　one；　of　one　man；　Jesus　Christ；　many　are　made　righteous；　by　the　righteousness　of　one；　Rom。　v。　　So　then；　if　they　be　made　righteous　by　the　righteousness　of　one；　I　say　if　many　be　made　righteous　by　the　righteousness　of　one；　then　are　they　that　are　so；　as　to　themselves；　passive　and　not　active；　with　reference　to　the　working　out　of　this　righteousness。　　They　have　no　hand　in　that；　for　that　is　the　act　of　one；　the　righteousness　of　one；　the　obedience　of　one；　the　workmanship　of　one；　even　of　Christ　Jesus。

Again；　If　they　are　made　righteous　by　this　righteousness；　then　also　they　are　passive　as　to　their　first　privilege　by　it；　for　they　are　made　righteous　by　it；　they　do　not　make　themselves　righteous　by　it。

Imputation　is　also　the　act　of　God。　　〃Even　as　David　also　describeth　the　blessedness　of　the　man；　unto　whom　God　imputeth　righteousness。〃　The　righteousness　then　is　a　work　of　Christ；　his　own　obedience　to　his　Father's　law；　the　making　of　it　ours　is　the　act　of　the　Father；　and　of　his　infinite　grace：　　〃For　of　him　are　ye　in　Christ　Jesus；　who　of　God　is　made　unto　us　wisdom　and　righteousness。〃　　〃For　God　hath　made　Jim　to　be　sin　for　us；　who　knew　no　sin；　that　we　might　be　made　the　righteousness　of　God　in　him。〃　　And　both　these　things　God　shewed　to　our　first　parents；　when　he　acted　in　grace　towards　them　after　the　fall。

There　it　is　said；　the　Lord　God　made　unto　Adam；　and　unto　his　wife；　coats　of　skins；　and　clothed　them；　Gen。　iii。　21。

Whence　note；

（1。）　　That　Adam　and　his　wife　were　naked；　both　in　God's　eye　and　in　their　own；　verses　10；　11。

（2。）　　That　the　Lord　God　made　coats　of　skins。

（3。）　　That　in　his　making　of　them；　he　had　respect　to　Adam　and　to　his　wife；　that　is；　he　made　them。

（4。）　　That　when　he　had　made　them；　he　also　clothed　them　therewith。

They　made　not　the　coats；　nor　did　God　bid　them　make　them；　but　God　did　make　them　himself　to　cover　their　nakedness　with。　　Yea；　when　he　had　made　them；　he　did　not　bid　them　put　them　on；　but　he　himself　did　clothe　them　with　them：　　for　thus　runs　the　text；　〃Unto　Adam　also；　and　to　his　wife；　did　the　Lord　God　make　coats　of　skins；　and　clothed　them。〃　　O　it　was　the　Lord　God　that　made　this　coat　with　which　a　poor　sinner　is　made　righteous！　　And　it　is　also　the　Lord　God　that　putteth　it　upon　us。　　But　this　our　Pharisee　understandeth　not。

But　now；　if　a　man　is　not　righteous　before　he　is　made　so；　before　the　Lord　God　has　by　the　righteousness　of　another　made　him　so；　then　whether　this　righteousness　comes　first　or　last；　the　man　is　not　righteous　until　it　cometh；　and　if　he　be　not　righteous　until　it　cometh；　then　what　works　soever　are　done　before　it　comes；　they　are　not　the　works　of　a　righteous　man；　nor　the　fruits　of　a　good　tree；　but　of　a　bad。　　And　so　again；　this　righteousness　must　first　come　before　a　man　be　righteous；　and　before　a　man　does　righteousness。　　Make　the　tree　good；　and　its　fruit　will　be　good。

Now；　since　a　man　must　be　made　righteous　before　he　can　do　righteousness；　it　is　manifest　his　works　of　righteousness　do　not　make　him　righteous；　no　more　than　the　fig　makes　its　own　tree　a　fig…tree；　or　than　the　grape　doth　make　its　own　vine　a　vine。　　Hence　those　acts　of　righteousness　that　Christian　men　do　perform；　are　called　the　fruits　of　righteousness；　which　are　by　Jesus　Christ　to　the　glory　and　praise　of　God；　Phil。　i。　11。

The　fruits　of　righteousness　they　are　by　Jesus　Christ；　as　the　fruits　of　the　tree　are　by　the　tree　itself；　for　the　truth　is；　that　principle　of　righteousness；　of　which　mention　has　been　made　before；　and　concerning　which　I　have　said　it　comes　in　in　the　second　place；　it　is　also　originally　to　be　found　for　us　nowhere　but　in　Christ。

Hence　it　is　said　to　be　by　Jesus　Christ；　and　again；　〃Of　his　fulness　have　we　all　received；　and　grace　for　grace；〃　John　i。　16。　　A　man　must　then　be　united　to　Christ　first；　and　so　being　united；　he　partaketh　of　this　benefit；　to　wit；　a　principle　that　is　supernatural；　spiritual；　and　heavenly。　　Now；　his　being　united　to　Christ；　is　not　of　or　from　himself；　but　of　and　from　the　Father；　who；　as　to　this　work；　is　the　husbandman；　even　as　the　twig　that　is　grafted　into　the　tree　officiateth　not；　that　is；　grafteth　not　itself　thereunto；　but　is　grafted　in　by　some　other；　itself　being　utterly　passive　as　to　that。　Now；　being　united　unto　Christ；　the　soul　is　first　made　partaker　of　justification；　or　of　justifying　righteousness；　and　now　no　longer　beareth　the　name　of　an　ungodly　man；　for　he　is　made　righteous　by　the　obedience　of　Christ；　he　being　also　united　to　Christ；　partaketh　of　the　root　and　fatness　of　Christ；　the　root；　that　is；　his　divine　nature；　the　fatness；　that　is；　the　fulness　of　g