being found in him and so it is upon all them that beleeve for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus That vers 24. answers to and shews the reason of both the former branches viz. That the righteousness of God is unto all and upon all them that beleeve though all have sinned c. and so is to be understood in a two-fold sence 1 The whole Nature is justified in the second man Christ Jesus that stood for all to bear their sins in which all have already sinned and with which the whole Nature is thence polluted in that he is justified for them from the sins imputed to him in his Resurrection and this is freely by his grace through the Redemption in Jesus 2. All that beleeve every one of them beleeving what he hath done and is become for sinners and so through his Name beleeving on him are in their particular persons justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in him God accepts them in his Son and remembers not nor doth impute to them their former wickedness or present unprofitableness but imputeth to them righteousness without works as in Acts 10. 35. 43. that saying That in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him vers 35. is thus explicated as fulfilled among those where the Gospel comes That through his name whosoever beleeveth on him shall receive the forgiveness of sins vers 43. So Acts 13. 39. By him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses they are delivered from under the condemnation of the wrath which in respect of the execution of it is yet to come under which they all abide that on hearing beleeve not on the Son of God 1 Thes 1. 10. Joh. 3. 18. 36. He justifieth even the ungodly beleeving and so coming to and being found in the righteous one that being justified freely by his grace they might be more and more made heirs according to the hope of eternal life given us in Christ that through the righteousness of God and our Saviour they might be made to be meet partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Rom. 3. 20-22-24 25 26. 4. 3 4 5. Tit. 3. 4-7 And so 3 Therefore also are such beleevers on his name called The righteous because the end and fruit of this righteousness of God and our Saviour in which beleeving they are accepted is also that through the knowledge and faith thereof the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them even the righteous affections and services the Law required but gave no strength to bring forth as well as the life and peace it was ordained to but could not give that the beleever might bee filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ Rom. 8. 2 3 4. Phil. 1. 10 11. even the fruites of the Spirit whose evidence and demonstration is of Christ in his testimony bringing forth in the beleeving receiver love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance And they that are Christs have in the light and strength of the Lord crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts That henceforth they should not serve sin Rom. 6. Gal. 5. They beleeving with the heart that God hath raised Christ from the dead doe through the grace and power of that beleeved and beleeved in receive in a first fruits of the Spirit the end of their faith even the salvation of their souls for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousness in this sence also Giving all diligence through the knowledge of him they adde to or in their faith vertue his goodnesse compassions holinesse c. as manifested in Christ frames to some likenesse or conformity to him in like love bowels mercies holinesse c. And so in their vertue they adde or proceed to further knowledge tastes and proof of his graciousnesse and therein temperance and so godlinesse brotherly kindness charity Hence it is the Apostles would have these things namely the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour through which they were made partakers of such precious and operative faith to bee always bad in remembrance seeing hereby they were saved if they kept in memory 1 Cor. 15. 1-4 2 Pet. 1. 1-12 c. this word of faith and so this faith that is of the operation of God is not without its works It works through love as from the consideration of Gods love in Christ as the foundation and fountaine of it whence it hath all its fresh Springs so in a channel of love towards God and man It favours therefore of ignorance of the righteousness of God and our Saviour and of the preciousnesse of this faith of Gods operation through it when any say to us That it is not enough for us with the heart to beleeve and close with Gods testimony concerning Christ but we must also look for the work of the Spirit inwardly to quicken save and sanctifie us such sayings at least signifie that the work of the Spirit for quickning saving and sanctifying the soul is another thing besides and divided from this testimony and not certainly met with in this way of beleeving and having the heart and minde exercised and stayed on that name and grace of his beleeved so that a man may with his heart beleeve and confesse that God hath raised Christ from the dead and yet not therein experiment the quickning and saving work of the Spirit contrary to Rom. 10. 9 10. 1 Cor. 15. and so doe indeed lead beleevers having begun in the Spirit to seek to bee made perfect by the flesh True it is a man may say he hath faith when yet his faith hath no works nor spirit left in it only an empty and idle opinionating such a thing or professing to beleeve it as true without any hearty mindfulnesse of the importance or grace of the truth he pretends to cleeve And of such a faith James saith Can it save faith if it have no works is dead a spiritlesse and unprofitable thing being alone yea even that faith is signified by him to be nothing else but a dead Carcasse pretence outside profession or shew of that which indeed is not or not with the heart not kept in beleeving remembrance and mindfulnesse for even there he signifies that if it were unfeigned or with the heart according to the discoveries given lesse or more it would work savingly like as the same Propositions beleeved to be true by the Devils works horror because they speak as much against them as they doe for man even so man any of mankind beleeving with the heart it would be unto righteousnesse Let God bee true and every man a lyar if any say hee stedfastly and with his heart beleeves the truth and greatnesse of Gods love to man ward as
sin because they beleeve not on Christ and evidences it to be great unrighteousness from the consideration of what great things he hath done for them as also from the faithful evidences thereof to them instructing and moving to it as their reasonable service so that indeed they render him hatred for his love and evil for his good will and are without cause his adversaries yea against and contrary to all right reason or cause They not regarding the work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands which was true in him for and towards them that through him they might have beleeved Joh. 16. 8. 14. 1 Sam. 12. 24 25. Psal 68. 18-21 2 Corinth 5. 11-21 6. 1 2. Psal 28. 5. 109. 4 5. 3 This work of faith in Jesus is a righteous work directed in truth as may be seen in every act or branch of this faith of the operation of God For 1 Such it is as in which they acknowledge God to be true in his testimony concerning Christ which is the great things of his Law and in all the instructions and sayings thereof and therein acknowledge and disown themselves and all their own imaginations and the traditions of men as discovered and detected in the light of Gods testimony to be vanity and lyes he that hath received his testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true whereas on the other hand hee that beleeveth not God hath made him that is the God Fountain of all truth a Lyar because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son even this record that God hath given us eternal life in his Son so as to bee received in receiving him in his testimony c. Joh. 3. 33. 1 Joh. 5. 10-12 What greater unrighteousness than to make God a Lyar and yet this is done by all that when they hear beleeve not the record of God concerning Christ but in the faith of Gods operation God is acknowledged to be true and every man a lyar his Word received as his and reverenced and preferred before all the Traditions or Precepts of men if never so many and those never so learned or holy 2 Such it is as in which they ascribe righteousness to their Maker and make their boast of his righteousness and of his only Job 36. 2 3. Psal 71 15 16. As that in which Law is answered Truth fulfilled a Door of approach to God opened and without which they must have been for ever cast out as an uncleane thing so as in this they acknowledge their owne sinfulness and vileness as therein evidenced They are the true confessors of sins that doe in the belief of that testimony of God concerning Christ owne them as theirs according to the discoveries of the true Light and so confess and disowne and give them up as filthy as thereby detected to be purged and such confession and acknowledgement of our owne vileness is certainly included in this faith of the operation of God If a man with the heart beleeve Gods testimony concerning Christ then doth he therein beleeve what it faith concerning himself or concerning Sin or Righteousness to bee true and so beleeving ownes its reproofs whence the Apostle John faith If we any of those great Apostles and so consequently any beleever in this life say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Lyar and his word is not in us 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. If any object against the righteousness of this act of faith That it is affirmed of Zacharias and Elizabeth that they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements of the Lord blameless to this we answer This confirms what we have already said for if they walked in all the Commandements of the Lord blameless then they walked in this of confessing our sins always acknowledging our owne vileness and wretchedness And truly this was contained in all those Commandements and Ordinances of the Law under which he served in the Priests Office for in those Sacrifices there was a remembrance againe of sins every year Heb. 10. 3. yea the High Priest himself ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sin 8 Heb. 5. 3. And now the prefect Sacrifice is offered and the Purgation for all Sins compleatly made in the vertue of the bloud of Christ men are in the testimony of this Foâ—untainepened discovered to be sinners and all their righteousness as filthy raggs and so their owne vileness and the need of coming to this Fountains for washing always shewed in the opening of it so that he that walks not in the confession or acknowledgement of his sinfulness vileness and wretchedness as there discovered ascribing righteousness only to his Maker he doth not righteousness hee makes God a Lyar the truth is not in him hee walks not blameless for by the deeds of the Law shall no man be justified as blameless in the sight of God for all have sinned and are sinners have Sin in them as well as Death upon them while in this mortal body rendring it vile and wretched Phil. 3. last Rom. 7. 18-24 And for a sinner to hide his sin is most worthy of blame the just are they that live by faith in the righteousness of another even of Jesus Christ the just and righteous one Behold his Soul which is lefted up is not upright in him Galath 3. 11 12. Rom. 1. 16 17. Hab. 2. 4. Hence the confessing of our sins answers to and is put for the walking in the light as he is in the light 1 Joh. 1. 7. 9. and good reason for God is always in the discovery and demonstration of Christ the true light discovering our sinfulness and vileness that we may not trust in our selves but receive the sentence of Death there that we may learn in the beleife and mindfulness of his testimony concerning Christ to trust in him that raiseth the dead So that if we bee walking in the light beleeving and acknowledging Christ in his testimony we must needs be found in the beleeving view and remembrance of what he hath done and is become for us and Gods glory in him confessing our sins and so he that is borne of God that is led of the Spirit of God that always leads into and in Christ for all righteousness and life though he have sin in him for which simply God holds no man underblame or Condemnation by Christ yet so farre forth as he is born of God that is as he abideth in Christ he sinneth not hee doth not commit or serve sin no not in hiding his sins which is the first step of making provision for it which who so doth shall not prosper truly he should sin with a very high hand even to the making God a Lyar if he should say that hee had no sin in him warring and moveing for service or that he had not sinned yea
even the death of the Cross He laid down his life that he might take it again even as he received Commandement of his Father Phil. 2. 7 8. Joh. 10. 17 18. Heb. 12 2. 1 Pet. 2. 24. and because of this 3 He is made perfect for us the Righteous and just one or justified Person in our Nature and for us acquit off all our trespasses and sins that were imputed to him and so therein a Victorer over all Curse and Death laid upon him having by himself purged our sins he is accepted and set down on the right hand of God as a perfect Ransome and price of Redemption for men and standing propitiation for the sins of the whole world yea a Prince and Saviour for to give repentance and forgiveness of sins and the Judge of all Heb. 1. 3 4 12. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. 1 Job 2. 1 2. Acts 5. 31. 10. 36. 42. Yea 4 He is righteous and faithful in all appointed him A faithful Mediator and High Priest a faithful testimony of Gods goodness to men in due time that through him they might be saved and the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him and the righteous Judge of quick and dead by whom God shall judge the world in righteousness even by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead for to this end he dyed rose and revived that he might be Lord of dead and living so that hee is properly and absolutely the righteous One in and of himself and for us the Lord our righteousness in whom and in whom only weehave righteousness and strength yet is not he the righteous that are here spoken of For 1 This Text speaks in the plural number of righteous ones merciful men men of kindness or godliness nor is he included as one of the righteous ones here spoken of For 2 He was not nor could be holden of Death as David and others that sleep in Jesus are his flesh saw no corruption Psal 16. 10. with Acts 2. 25 31. so that he did not perish out of the earth by death as they Mich. 7. 1 2. He was raised again the third day and after seen of many witnesses Yea 3 Though he was taken from the earth in his Ascension yet that was no chastisement or correction and so no cause of grief or sorrow to us no nor to them that did enjoy his personal presence on the earth but cause of great joy for if hee had not so personally ascended to the Father The Comforter that coming forth of the Spirit of truth in the evidence and demonstration of the works finished in his Body accepted and for ever vertuous with the Father for us could not have come Joh. 7. 39. 14. 26 28. 16. 7 8. yea he went to prepare places for us that he might come again Personally and receive us to himself that we even all that by him beleeve in God might be ever with him in his glory Job 14. And so neither is he so perished from the earth or from among men in his being personally received up into glory as to be no more capable of conversing with them helping or doing them good but is thereby absolutely perfected in such capacity even in that body in mans nature through sufferings glorified for being ascended farre above all heavens even in Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God for us even the same that descended into the lower parts of the earth he fills all things with his influences and operations and is in his gracious and Spiritual presence and vertues in the hearts and societies of his people that through grace beleeve in him Ephes 4. 7. 8 10. 11. Matth. 28. 20. Joh. 14. 17 18. By all which it appears he is none of the righteous spoken of in this text yet the consideration already propounded of him as the righteous one will help us to understand who are the righteous that are here spoken of and therefore is no digression from our business for from these two considerations viz. That of the Natural Race or Children of Adam there is none in â—â—r of themselves or in any thing they can doe righteous or that doth good nor that is so accepted owned and justified in the sight of God no not one and that he and he only in mans Nature is the righteous one and that for us also The Lord our Righteousness I say from these two considerations it appears That of all the Children of men they only are righteous that in the light and power of Gods testimony concerning Christ doe so beleeve and receive it that in belief and acknowledgement thereof they disowne and run out of themselves into Christ for righteousness and life 2 Cor. 1. 9. Phil. 3. 3 9. It is a good description or character of the righteous that on hearing of the Name of the Lord that it is a strong tower they as men therein made sensible of it acknowledge their own nakedness and the lyingness of other refuges and therefore the danger of abiding out of this they run into the Name of the Lord Prov. 18. 10. they fly for refuge even in the light and powerful drawing of the Name and Grace of God in Christ which bringeth Salvation to all men in due time unto the hope set before them in Christ that they may lay hold of that Heb. 6. 18. The righteous then are they whoever they be or whatever they have been that through his name beleeve in him Acts 10. 35. 43. for what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousness now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt but to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness for that was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our effences and raised againe for our justification Rom. 4. 3 4 5. 23 24 25. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousness chap. 10. 10. Therefore even the sinners of the Gentiles which before followed not after righteousness yet when the light of Gods testimony concerning Christ came to them they falling down in the acknowledgement of their own vileness as therein discovered and seeking righteousness by faith in Christ attained righteousness when Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness yet attained it not because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth for Moses describeth the