Aphorisms of Justification, Thesis 22
THESIS. XXII.
IN this fore-explained sence it is, that men in Scripture are said to be personally righteous: And in this sence it is, that the Faith and duties of Beleevers are said to please God, viz. as they are related to the Covenant of Grace, and not as they are measured by the Covenant of Works.
EXPLICATION.
THose that will not acknowledg that the godly are called righteous in the Scripture, by reason of a personal Righteousness, consisting in the rectitude of their own dispositions & actions, as well as in regard of their imputed righteousness, may be convinced from these Scriptures, if they will beleeve them. Gen. 7. 2. & 18. 23, 24. Iob 17. 9. Psa. 1. 5, 6. & 37. 17, 21, &c Eccl. 9. 1, 2. Ezek. 18. 20, 24. & 33. 12, 13, 18. Mat. 9. 13. & 13. 43. & 25 37, 46. Luk. 1. 6. Heb. 11. 4. 1 Pet. 4. 18. 2 Pet. 2. 8. 1 Ioh. 3. 7, 12. Rev. 22. 11. Mat. 10. 41. Rom. 5. 7. So their ways are called Righteousness. Psal. 15. 2. & 23. 3. & 45. 7. &c. Mat. 5. 20. & 21. 32. Luke 1. 75. Act. 10. 35. Rom. 6. 13. 16, 18, 19, 20. 1 Cor. 15. 34. 1 Ioh. 2. 29. & 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24. &c.
That men are sometime called righteous, in reference to the Laws and Judgments of men, I acknowledge: Also in regard of some of their particular actions, which are for the substance good: And perhaps sometimes in a comparative sense, as they are compared with the ungodly: As a line less-crooked should be called streight in comparison of one more crooked: But how improper an expression that is, you may easily perceive. The ordinary phrase of Scripture hath more truth and aptitude then so. Therefore it must needs be that men are called Righteous in reference to the new Covenant only; Which is plain thus: Righteousness is but the denomination of our actions or persons, as they relate to some rule. This rule when it is the Law of man, and our actions suit thereto, we are then righteous before men. When this Rule is Gods Law, it is either that of Works, or that of Grace: In relation to the former, there is none righteous, no not one: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Only in Christ, who hath obeyed and satisfied, we are righteous. But if you consider our actions and persons in relation to the rule of the new Covenant, so all the Regenerate are personally righteous, because they all perform the conditions of this Covenant, and are poperly ponounced righteous thereby. Neither can it be conceived how the works of Beleevers, should either please God, or be called righteousness, as they relate to that old Rule, which doth pronounce them unrighteous, hatefull, and accursed.
Two sorts among us therefore do discover intolerable Ignorance in this point. 1. Those that commonly use and understand the words [Righteous, and Righteousness] as they relate to the old Rule: as if the Godly were called righteous (besides their imputed Righteousness, only because their Sanctification and good Works have some imperfect agreement to the Law of Works: As if it were a streight line which is in one place streight and another crooked; much less that which is in every part crooked in some degree, I have been sorry to hear many learned Teachers speak thus; most they say to maintain it, is in this simple objection. If we are called holy, because of an imperfect Holiness: then why not righteous, because of an imperfect Righteousness? Ans. Holiness signifieth no more but a Dedication to God, either by separation only, or by qualifying the subject first, with an aptitude to its Divine imployment, and then separating or devoting it: as in our Sanctification. Now a person imperfectly so qualified, is yet truly and really so qualified; and therefore may truly be called holy so far. But Righteousness signifying a Conformity to the Rule; and a Conformity with a quatenus, or an imperfect Rectitude, being not a true Conformity or Rectitude at all (because the denomination is of the whole Action or Person, and not of a certain part or respect therefore imperfect Righteousness is not Righteousness, but Unrighteousness; It is a contradiction in adjecto. Object. But, is our personal Righteousness perfect as it is measured by the New Rule? Ans. Yes: as I shall open to you by and by.
I could here heap up a mulitude of orthodox Writers, that do call our personall Righteousness by the title of [Evangelicall] as signifying from what Rule it doth receive its Name.
The second sort that shew their gross ignorance, of the nature of Righteousness, are the Antinomians, (and some other simple ones whom they have misled) who if they doe but hear a man talk of a Righteousness in himself; or in any thing he can do, or making his own duty either his Righteousness, or conducible thereto; they startle at such Doctrine, and even gnash the teeth, as if we preached flat Popery, yea as if we cryed down Christ, and set up our selves: The ignorant wretches not understanding, the difference between the two sorts of Righteousness; that of the old Covenant, which is all out of us in Christ; and that of the New Covenant, which is all out of Christ in our selves: (though wrought by the power of the Spirit of Christ.)
Quest. But how then is Ahabs and Nineve's humiliation accepted, and such other works of those that are not in Christ, seeing they are yet under the Law?
Ans. 1. No man is now under the Law as Adam was before the new Covenant was made; that is, not so under the Law alone, as to have nothing to do with the Gospel; or so under the old Covenant, as to have no benefit by the new. 2. So that wicked men may now find that tender and mercifull dealing from God, that even those works which are less unjust and sinfull, and draw neerest to the rectitude required by the Gospel, shall be so far accepted as that, for their further encouragement, some kind of reward or suspension of wrath shall be annexed to them, and God will countenance in them that which is good, though it be not so much as may denominate it a good work. 3. But yet the best of an unregenerate mans works have more matter in them to provoke God then to please him, and he never accepteth them as Evangelically Righteous; for they that are in the flesh, and are without faith, cannot possibly so please God, Rom. 8. 8. Heb. 11. 6. As their righteousness is but a less degree of unrighteousness, and therefore is most improperly called righteousness; so their pleasing God is but a lower degree of displeasing him, and therefore but improperly called pleasing him.