02.04.04. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Contains Arguments to prove that the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to Men in order to Justification. And an Enquiry into the Foundation of the Charge of Sin on Christ, and of the Imputation of his Obedience to his People. MY Design in this Chapter, is to offer to the Consideration of the Reader, such Arguments, which I apprehend clearly demonstrate and prove, that Christ alone is the Subject of that Righteousness, by which we can be justified in the Sight of God, and be intitled to eternal Life; they are as follow:

1. We cannot be justified by an imperfect Righteousness: The Holiness and Justice of God, before whom the Heavens are not clean, and who charges his Angels with Folly, is such, that no Service tinctur’d with Sin, can ever be accepted with him, as in itself considered, and be the Foundation of the Acceptance of our Persons in his Sight. He cannot esteem an Action, which hath the least Mixture of Evil in it, pure, and impute it to the Subject of it for Righteousness: For if so, God must be thought to account his Creatures just and unjust, righteous and unrighteous, and that with a View to the same individual Actions, which imply a most manifest Contradiction, and therefore cannot be true. Our own Acts of Obedience are all defil’d, and when compared with the holy Law of God, deserve the Name of filthy Rags: Of these filthy Rags we must be diverted, and be cloathed with Change of Raiment: With fine Linnen, clean and white, that is to say, with a Righteousness absolutely pure and without any Spot, or else we can never be the Objects of divine Approbation. No such perfect Righteousness we have of our own, if therefore we are not furnished with such a Righteousness by our dear Redeemer, our Justification is a Thing impossible. God of his infinite Mercy grant, that such as depend on their own imperfect Obedience, and now think of putting themselves upon Trial at the Bar of God, to be justified or condemn’d, as their Actions are agreeable or disagreeable to his Law, may see the Danger of that Dependence, before their Appearance there, if not the Consequence will be dreadful.

2. Justification is not of Works, or of the Works of a Law, that is to say, not by the personal Actions of Men performed in Obedience to any divine Law whatever, new or old: For there is no Law given which can give Life, and by which a justifying Righteousness, may by Men be wrought out. To say, that if we are justified by the Righteousness of Christ, we are justified by Works conformable to the Law, is a glorious Truth; but is no Objection to this Assertion, that Righteousness is imputed to us without Works, in the Apostle’s Sense, who speaks of Works in a personal View, or of Men’s personal Actions. And therefore to infer from the Imputation of Christ’s Obedience, that we are justified by Works in such a Sense, as contradicts the Design of the inspired Writer, concerning the Exclusion of Works, from having any Concern in Justification, is no better than an impertinent Cavil, and is most unworthy the lovely Name of Reasoning. If Justification is of Works, or of the personal Actions of Men, it is not of Grace: It is of the one wholly, and exclusively of the other, it cannot be of both, of Grace, and of the personal Acts of Men too: There are Opposites, and it is impossible they should ever be blended, or enter into a Composition. We are justified freely by the Grace of God, thro’ the Redemption, that is in Christ. His Righteousness alone therefore, is the Cause, Matter and Foundation of our Acceptance with the divine Being.

3. Our Righteousness is in Christ, he only is the Subject of it: Surely shall one say in the Lord have I Righteousness. That it is a Righteousness for Justification, which is designed in the Text, plainly appears from what is immediately subjoyn’d: In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified. We are justified in him, in whom our Righteousness is, who is no other than Christ: Nor are we justified by any other Righteousness, than what is in him; his Obedience therefore, is our justifying Righteousness, and is imputed to us for our Justification.

4. One of Christ’s glorious Titles is: Jehovah our Righteousness. This Name of his, is as Ointment poured forth, which causes the Virgins to love him. It Is our Righteousness in the divine Account, which is the Matter of our Justification, Christ in the Esteem of God, is our Righteousness, and therefore we are only justified by and thro’ him, or by the Imputation of his siness and perfect Obedience to us.

5. He is expressly declared to be the End of the Law for Righteousness to every one who believes. The Law of God required an exact Observation of all its Precepts, in order to Justification and Life: Through the Weakness of our Nature, it was impossible for us to keep it: God in infinite Goodness and Mercy to us lent his Son, in the Likeness of sinful Flesh, and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh, that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, i.e. by the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness to us, which is commensurable to the extensive Commands of the Law. So that the Law now, as it was fulfilled by Christ for us, proposes no such End of Obedience to us, as obtaining Justification and Life, that End is brought about by Christ’s Subjection to it, and Observation of it for us, as our Surety.

6. By the Obedience of Christ, we are made or constituted righteous: This only can be by the Imputation of that Obedience to us. Say some, we are intitled to the Reward, or God deals with us, as if we were righteous, on Account of Christ’s Righteousness; but we are not so made. If this Interpretation of Scripture is allow’d of, what Principles may not be defended, or what evangelical Truths can be establish’d? It is only saying the Intention of the inspired Writers, was to convey Ideas, very different to what their Terms are proper Signs of, Truth is banished and Error is introduc’d: Nor have we any Way left us, to defend the former or detect the latter. If indeed the Language of Scripture, might be understood, in its proper Sense and Meaning, we should have nothing to fear, from the most subtle and violent Opposers of the Gospel. But this is a Favour which will not be granted us, tho’ as we think, in Point of Right and Justice we may demand it: But we must it seems wait to see what Sense some Persons will please to put upon the Words of Scripture, different from their plain, natural and obvious Import, before we may safely interpret them, and yet none in the World know, how they came to be invested with this extraordinary Authority, which they assume to themselves. No two Ideas are more different and distinct, than Obedience or Righteousness, and the Reward, or the Result of Righteousness and Obedience. We think, that when the Apostle says, we are made righteous by the Obedience of one, i.e. Christ, his Language was properly expressive of his Sense; no, say some, he intended a very different Thing, not that we are made or constituted righteous; but we are proceeded towards, as righteous Persons might expect to be, tho’ such this Obedience makes us not. If we take the Liberty to ask there Persons, what Foundation they have to support their Opinion, truly they are able to assign no other Reason for it, than, that to them the Thing express’d seems not reasonable, which with us is of no Weight at all; because we know, that the Mysteries of the Gospel, have always been censured, as irrational and foolish Notions by many.

7. God is well pleased, for Christ’s Righteousness sake. With what is God well pleas’d for the sake of the Obedience of his Son? We think it is with the Persons of his People, who are the Objects of his infinite Delight, as he beholds them in the spotless Righteousness the Mediator, as so view’d he pronounces them all fair and without Spot. The Persons of God’s Elect are the Objects of the eternal and invariable Complacency of Christ: His Delights were with the Sons of Men, before the World was framed. In no other View could they so be, than, as clothed with his own Robe of Righteousness, and ‘tis as invested therewith, that God sees no Iniquity or Perverseness in them, and declares them perfect: Thou art perfect, through my Comeliness, that I have put upon thee.

8. Christ is the entire Cause of our Justification. One Branch of which, is our Discharge from Guilt, that is owing to his Sufferings, and Death: Being justified by his Blood. The other Branch of our Justification, is God’s accounting us righteous; Christ solely and alone is the Cause of this, as he is of the former, or else he is only a partial Saviour, which we don’t take to be true; on the contrary, we are fully persuaded, that, he is a perfect Saviour, and all in all, to the Saints: ALL in their Acceptance with the Father, as well as in their Redemption, which he is not, if our Faith or Obedience is imputed to us for Righteousness. There Arguments are so clearly deducible from Scripture. and contain so much Evidence in them, that we think no Exception can reasonably be made to them. If it would not be interpreted as expecting more than we ought, we should desire those, who differ from us, in this grand Article of Faith, to produce at least, one Argument equally clear, in Favour of their Opinion of Justification, by any Acts, or Act of our own, which if they will please to do, it shall have all the Weight and Consideration the Importance and Evidence of it may require.

Query. What is the Foundation of the divine Procedure in the Charge of Sin on Christ, and in the Imputation of his Righteousness to his People? In the Resolution of this Question, lies no small Part of the Mystery and Glory of the Gospel.

1. There is a most near and intimate Union between Christ and his People, that Union is the Ground of this Imputation in each Instance: If this Union is of such as a Nature, as cannot subsist between Men, then such Acts may follow upon it, towards Christ and towards his People, as may not take Place in the Conduct of Men towards one another. And that this is really the care, may be concluded, from the various Unions the Scripture uses, to express that of Christ: and his People by. Christ is represented as the Vine, and his Saints as the Branches in him: He is the Husband and his People are his Bride: They are Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh: They are of Him as Eve was of Adam. Christ and they constitute one Mystical Person, they are his Members, and he is their Head: God considers them as one, in such a sense, as any Number of Men cannot be constituted one. Christ and they therefore may be treated, in such a Manner, as no Number of Men may be by one another, by reason of the peculiar Conjunction between them. This Union is set forth by the most near in Nature, that of the Soul and Body There is one Body, and there is one Spirit. As a reasonable Soul, and a human Body united, constitute the Person of a Man; so Christ and his People constitute one mystical Person, in the Repute of God, hence it is that their Sins were imputed to him, and that his Righteousness is imputed to them.

2. Christ is their Surety, he is expressly called the Surety, of a better Testament. The Socinians indeed speak of him, as a Surety for God to Men, wherein they are followed by the Arminians. But this is no other than a mere Figment of theirs, invented with a Design to evade the Force of several Arguments, form’d from thence in Favour of the most solid and important Truths of the Gospel. God had no need of a Surety, ‘tis blasphemous to imagine it. He is Truth and cannot but fulfil all his Promises and Engagements: He is omnipotent and able to perform all the good and great Things for his People, he gives them Reason to hope for. Christ therefore was a Surety for us to God, and not the Surety of God to us, as these Men affirm he is, without the least Evidence from Scripture or Reason. ‘Tis hence our criminal Actions were charged on him, and this is the Foundation of the Imputation of his Righteousness or Obedience to us. Suretyship may be and frequently is allow’d of among Men, in Affairs of mere Debt; but it ought not to be admitted in capital or corporal Punishments, for Offences against the Law: The Reasons are, no human Legislature have Power to require, or to accept of the Engagement of an innocent Person to suffer for a Transgressor: Justice obliges to protect the Life and Safety of every guiltless Subject: Nor is there such an Union subsisting among Men, or can be, as lays a proper Foundation, for the Law, or Legislature, to consider them as one Person, and therefore the criminal Actions of one Man, cannot legally be charged on another: Neither hath any Man Power over his Life, or over the Members of his Body, but to preserve it: He therefore may not engage to die, or to suffer the loss of any Member, for and in the Stead of an Offender. But God had Power over the human Nature of Christ, and might will and design him to suffer for his People. Christ also had Power over his Life, and might dispose of it, to effect the important End of the Redemption of Sinners. And since such a Union subsists between Christ and those Persons, whom he intended to save, as is a proper Foundation for the Charge of their Offences on him, and the Imputation of his Righteousness to them, he and they being considered as one by the Law, and were such in the Repute of God; in neither of there singular Transactions, is there any thing absurd, or inconsistent with Justice, tho’ no such Acts, may take Place in human Conduct.

3. Christ became subject to the Law by a special divine Constitution: He was not born under it, as all mere Men are; their Subjection to the Law follows upon their being the natural Descendants of Adam, to whom the Law was originally given, and his being to them a Representative; but as Christ was not a natural Descendant of Adam: Nor was the first Adam a Representative of the second Adam, who is the Lord from Heaven; his Obligation to the Law arises not from his Birth but he was made under it, by an Appointment peculiar to himself, to answer a special End, viz. the Redemption of sinful Men: And therefore what the Law required of them, either in a Way of Suffering or Obedience, he became obliged by this divine Constitution to undergo and perform: And by Vertue of this peculiar Appointment, both are reckoned or imputed to them, without which, their Redemption from the Law, as a Covenant of Works threatening Death in case of Offence, and promising Life only on Condition of perfect Obedience, was impossible.