the pharisee and the publican-第25章

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at　rewards　God　can　give　to　the　operations　of　his　own　grace　in　us；　but　whether　he　can　in　a　way　of　justice　（or　how　he　will）　bestow　any　spiritual　blessing　upon　sinful　creatures；　against　whom；　for　sin；　he　has　pronounced　the　curse　of　the　law；　before　he　hath　found　them　in　a　righteousness；　that　is　proved　to　be　as　good　justice　and　righteousness；　as　is　the　justice　and　righteousness　of　the　law；　with　which　we　have　to　do。

I　assert　he　cannot；　because　he　cannot　lie；　because　he　cannot　deny　himself：　　for　if　he　should　first　threaten　the　transgression　of　the　law　with　death；　and　yet　afterwards　receive　the　transgressor　to　grace；　without　a　plenary　satisfaction；　what　is　this　but　to　lie；　and　to　diminish　his　truth；　righteousness；　and　faithfulness；　yea；　and　also　to　overthrow　the　sanction　and　perfect　holiness　of　his　law？　　His　mercy；　therefore；　must　act　so　towards　the　sinner　that　justice　may　be　satisfied；　and　that　can　never　be　without　a　justifying　righteousness。

Now　what　this　justifying　righteousness　should　be；　and　when　imputed；　that　is　the　question。　　I　say；　it　is　the　righteousness；　or　obedience　of　the　Son　of　God　in　the　flesh；　which　he　assumed；　and　so　his　own；　and　the　righteousness　of　no　body　else　otherwise　than　by　imputation。

I　say　again；　that　this　righteousness　must　be　imputed　first；　that　the　sinner　may　stand　just　in　God's　sight　from　the　curse；　that　God　might　deal　with　him　both　in　a　way　of　justice　as　well　as　mercy；　and　yet　do　the　sinner　no　harm。

But　you　may　ask；　how　did　God　deal　with　sinners　before　his　righteousness　was　actually　in　being？

I　answer；　He　did　then　deal　with　sinners　even　as　he　dealeth　with　them　now；　he　justified　them　by　it；　by　virtue　of　the　suretyship　of　him　that　was　to　bring　it　in。　　Christ　became　surety　for　us；　and　by　his　suretyship　laid　himself　under　an　obligation　for　those　for　whom　he　became　a　surety　to　bring　in　this　everlasting　and　justifying　righteousness；　and　by　virtue　of　this；　those　of　his　elect　that　came　into　and　went　out　of　the　world　before　he　came　to　perform　his　work　were　saved　though　the　forbearance　of　God。　　Wherefore；　before　the　Lord　came；　they　were　saved　for　the　Lord's　sake；　and　for　the　sake　of　his　name。　　And　they　that　were　spiritually　wise　understood　it；　and　pleaded　it　as　their　necessities　required；　and　the　Lord　accepted　them；　Heb。　vii。　22；　Rom。　iv。　24；　Dan。　ix。　17；　Psalm　xxv。　11。

7。　　Righteousness　by　imputation　must　be　first；　that　justification　may　be　certain；　〃Therefore　it　is　of　faith　（of　the　righteousness　that　faith　layeth　hold　on）；　that　it　might　be　by　grace；　to　the　end　the　promise　might　be　sure　to　all　the　seed；〃　Rom。　iv。　16。　　〃That　the　promise；〃What　promise？　　The　promise　of　remission　of　sins；　&c。；　might　be　sure。

Now　a　promise　of　remission　of　sins　supposeth　a　righteousness　going　before；　for　there　is　no　forgiveness　of　sins；　nor　promise　of　forgiveness；　for　the　sake　of　righteousness　that　shall　be　by　us；　but　that　already　found　in　Christ　as　head；　and　so　imputed　to　the　elect　for　their　remission。　　〃God　for　Christ's　sake　hath　forgiven　you；〃　Eph。　iv。　32；　For　Christ's　sake；　that　this；　for　the　sake　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ。　　Imputed　righteousness　must　be　first；　yea；　it　must　be　before　forgiveness；　and　forgiveness　is　extended　by　God　then　when　we　lie　in　our　blood；　though　to　us　it　is　manifested　afterwards。　Therefore　it　is　OF　faith；　he　saith　not　BY　it；　respecting　the　act　of　faith；　but　of；　respecting　the　doctrine　or　word　which　presenteth　me　with　this　blessed　imputed　righteousness：　　they　that　are　of　faith　are　the　children　of　faithful　Abraham。　　They　that　are　of　the　doctrine　of　faith；　for　all　the　elect　are　the　sons　of　that　doctrine　in　which　is　this　righteousness　of　Christ　contained；　yea；　they　are　begotten　by　it　of　God　to　this　inheritance；　to　their　comfortable　enjoyment　of　the　comfort　of　it　by　faith。

That　the　promise　might　be　sure　to　all　the　seed；　to　all　them　wrapped　up　in　the　promise；　and　so　begotten　and　born。　　That　it　might　be　sure；　implying　that　there　is　no　certain　way　of　salvation　for　the　elect　but　this；　because　God　can　never　by　other　means　reconcile　us　to　himself；　for　his　heavenly　eyes　perceive；　yea；　they　spy　faults　in　the　best　of　our　gospel　performances；　yea；　our　faith　is　faulty；　and　also　imperfect：　　how　then　should　remission　be　extended　to　us　for　the　sake　of　that？　　But　now　the　righteousness　of　Christ　is　perfect；　perpetual　and　stable　as　the　great　mountains；　wherefore　he　is　called　the　rock　of　our　salvation；　because　a　man　may　as　soon　tumble　the　mountains　before　him；　as　sin　can　make　invalid　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　when；　and　unto　whom；　God　shall　impute　it　for　justice；　Psalm　xxxvi。　　In　the　margin　it　is　said　to　be　like　the　mountain　of　God；　to　wit；　called　Mount　Zion；　or　that　Moriah　on　which　the　temple　was　built；　and　upon　which　it　stood；　all　other　bottoms　are　fickle；　all　other　righteousnesses　are　so　feeble；　short；　narrow；　yea；　so　full　of　imperfections；　for　what　the　law　could　not　do　in　that　it　was　weak　through　the　flesh；　Christ　did　for　us　in　the　similitude　of　sinful…　flesh。　　But　what　could　not　the　law　do？　　Why；　it　could　not　give　us　righteousness；　nor　strengthen　us　to　perform　it。　　It　could　not　give　us　any　certain；　solid；　well…grounded　hope　of　remission　of　sin　and　salvation。

Wherefore　this　righteousness　being　imputed；　justice　findeth　no　fault　therewith；　but　consenteth　to　the　extending　to　the　sinner　those　blessings　that　tend　to　perfect　his　happiness　in　the　heavens。

8。　　Righteousness　by　imputation　must　be　first；　that　in　all　things　Christ　may　have　the　pre…eminence。　　Christ　is　head　of　the　church；　and　therefore　let　him　have　the　highest　honour　in　the　soul；　but　how　can　he　have　that；　if　any　precede　as　to　justification　before　his　perfect　righteousness　be　imputed？　　If　it　be　said；　grace　may　be　in　the　soul；　though　the　soul　doth　not　act　it　until　the　moment　that　justifying　righteousness　shall　be　imputed：

I　ask；　What　should　it　do　there　before；　or　to　what　purpose　is　it　there；　if　it　be　not　acted？　　And　again；　how　came　it　thither；　how　got　the　soul　possession　of　it　while　it　was　unjustified？　or；　How　could　God　in　justice　give　it　to　a　person；　that　by　the　law　stood　condemned；　before　they　were　acquitted　from　that　condemnation？　　And　I　say；　nothing　can　set　the　soul　free　from　that　curse　but　the　perfect　obedience　of　Christ；　nor　that　either；　if　it　be　not　imputed　for　that　end　to　the　sinner　by　the　grace　of　God。

Imputed；　that　is；　reckoned　or　accounted　to　him。　　And　why　should　it　not　be　accounted　to　him　for　righteousness？　　What　did　Christ　bring　it　into　the　world　for？　for　the　righteous　or　for　sinners？　　No　doubt　for　sinners。　　And　how　must　it　be　reckoned　to　them？　　Not　in　circumcision；　but　in　uncircumcision；　not　as　righteous；　but　as　sinners。　　And　how　are　they　to　consider　of　themselves；　even　then　when　they　first　are　apprehensive　of　their　need　of　this　righteousness？　　Are　they　to　think　that　they　are　righteous；　or　sinners？

And　again；　How　are　they　to　believe　concerning　themselves；　then　when　they　put　forth　the　first　act　of　faith　towards　this　righteousness　for　justification？　　Are　they　to　think　that　they　are　righteous；　or　sinners？　　Sinners；　doubtless；　they　are　to　reckon　themselves；　and　as　such　to　reckon　themselves　justified　by　this　righteousness。　　And　this　is　according　to　the　sentence　of　God；　as　appeareth　by　such　sayings。

〃For　when　we　were　yet　without　strength；　in　due　time　Christ　died　for　the　ungodly。〃

〃But　God　commendeth　his　love　toward　us；　in　that；　while　we　were　yet　sinners；　Christ　died　for　us。〃

〃For　if；　while　we　were　enemies；　we　were　reconciled　to　God　by　the　death　of　his　Son；〃　&c。；　Rom。　v。

Out　of　these　words　I　gather　these　three　things。

1。　　That　Christ　by　God's　appointment　died　for　us。

2。　　That　by　his　death　he　reconciled　us　to　God。

3。　　That　even　then；　when　the　very　act　of　reconciliation　was　in　performing；　and　also　when　performed；　we　were　ungodly；　sinners；　enemies。

Now；　the　act　by　which　we　are　said　to　be　reconciled　to　God；　while　ungodly；　while　sinners；　and　while　enemies；　was　Christ's　offering　himself　a　sacrifice　for　us；　which　is；　in　the　words　above　mentioned；　called　his　death。　　Christ　died　for　the　ungodly；　Christ　died　for　us　while　sinners；　Christ　reconciled　us　to　God　by　his　death。　　And　as　Christ　is　said　to　die　for　us；　so　the　Father　is　said　to　impute　righteousness　to　us；　to　wit；　as　we　are　without　works；　as　we　are　ungodly。　　〃Now