The Life of Justification Opened, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ, cleared out of the Old Testament, & the Passages Vindicated from the exceptions of JOHN GOODWINE.
WE shall now proced unto another use, & mentione another way, how this Truth, That belevers in Christ attaine unto a life in justification, ought to be improved, to wit Secondly That we may hence take notice of a loud call herein to all Persons, not yet justified, to beware of a cheate in this matter, & not fix upon a wrong bottom in Justification, nor lay their weight on any thing within themselves, or on any thing else whatever, except upon the Imputed Righteousness of Christ alone, which they are to embrace & to leane to by faith. If they leane to their own works, and make them the condition & ground of their justification, they will be disappointed; for by the works of the Law…an no man be justified, in the sight of God, as the Apostle asserteth, & proveth, in our Text, & irresragably concludeth Rom. 3: 20, 28. & in several other places. Yea, if they leane unto faith it self, which is called for only to interesse us in the Righteousness of Christ, that free grace may be exalted, & proud man abased, they deceive themselves; & not only disappoint themselves of what they are expecting, but even destroy the very Nature & Ends of true Gospel-justifying faith: for its native & proper work is, to carry the man out of him self wholly unto Christ, for Righteousness, Life & Salvation: for faith is the Mans looking to Christ, as the stung Israelite in the wilderness did look unto the brazen serpent Ioh. 3: 14, 15. and saying, as it is Esai. 45: 24. In the Lord have I righteousness: and it is the beleevers putting-on of the Lord Jesus, that he may be found in Him, & clothed with His Righteousness Phil. 3: 9. It is the Man's receiving of Christ Ioh. 1: 12, and receiving of the Atonement in Him, & through Him. Rom. 5: 11. and of aboundance of grace & of the gift of Righteousness. Rom. 5: 17. Therefore it is called a beleeving on His name. Ioh. 1: 12. & on Him, whom the Father hath sent &c. Ioh. 6: 29 & 7: 35. & 17: 20. Act. 16: 31. & 19: 25. And because faith laid hold on this Righteousness of Christ; therefore is this Righteousness called the Righteousness of faith Rom. 4: 11. & the righteousness, which is of faith Rom. 9: 30. & that, which is through the faith of Christ, the Righteousness, which is of God by faith, Phil. 3: 9. Now if this be the native work of justifying faith (as we shall more fully cleare afterward) to receive Christ, and His Righteousness; & consequently to carry the Man out of himself, that he may finde & partake of that al sufficient Righteousness of Christ, to the end he may with confidence stand before God, and expect pardon and Acceptance; It cannot be said without destroying the & Native work of justifying faith, that faith is that Gospel-Righteousness, unto which they may leane, & upon the account of which they may expect justification. Faith, in this matter, is as the eye of the Soul…, that, seeth not it self, but looketh out to another. Beside, this would overturne the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace, and is irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Apostle Paul about justification, as shall be manifested hereafter. Therefore, all, who would live the life of justification, must betake themselves to Jesus Christ, & leane to Him, & to His Righteousness: for with the rob of His Righteousness must they alone be cloathed, & in Christ alone must they be found; & they must think of standing before God, having on His Righteousness, that God imputeth unto Beleevers, & which they receive by faith, in order to their justification.
I know, this doctrine is not favourie to many, now adaies, & as Papists, Socinians & Arminians do oppose themselves with all their Industrie & learning unto this doctrine of the Imputation of the Surety-Righteousness of Christ; so there are now a dayes, and have been of late, who would not willingly be reckoned among either of these mentioned, and yet do oppose this foundamental truth, the sure ground of our Hop, Peace & Comfort. As the Principles, whereupon these mentioned go, are different, so are the grounds, upon which they plead against this truth; yet they do unanimous enough joine in this: …, & argu… against this Imputation, which the Orthodox have owned and do owne.
Before I come to consider the chiefe (at least) of their Arguments against the Truth, which hath been now asserted, I shall, with what brevity & plainness I can, lay down & vindicate the Grounds and Reasons of our Assertion; and then take notice of their contrary Objections; that this Truth may be made plaine & clear to such, as are concerned therein. As to our Grounds, I shall first beginne with Scripture Authority; & here propose our Reasons from the Old Testament.
First The First passage to this purpose, which I shall take notice of, is Esai. 45: 24. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness, (or in the Lord is all righteousnesses) to wit, for me: and this following upon what was said vers 22. look unto me, & be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; which was an Invitation & call to them, to act faith upon Him, in order to their Salvation; as the stung Israelites did look unto the brazen serpent, in order to their recovery; this looking being clearly explained by coming vers 24. Even to Him shall men come (and we know how frequently faith is held forth & expressed by coming, in the Gospel) saith, that hereby is pointed forth the rich Advantage, that such shall have, who look & come to Him by faith, & submit unto Him heartily & cheerfully, imported by bowing of the knee, & swearing with the tongue, to wit. That they shall have a righteousness in Him; & this they shall avow & profess: and this being exclusive of all others, as the Context cleareth, saith, that they should be brought to that, that they should renounce all other righteousness what somever, & rest on this God alone, who is the only God vers 22. & on His righteousness; for in Him they shall be made to look for it, & that in rich aboundance: And upon this followeth their justification, & glorying in the Lord alone vers 25. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, & shall glory. This passage therefore doth clearly hold forth a justification, through the righteousness of the Messiah, of the true & living God, laid hold upon & applied by faith, or owned & embraced, as their only righteousness: & this righteousness is not a righteousness wrought in them; for such a righteousness is aboundantly hold forth by the word strength; but a righteousness made over over Beleevers, & which they owne as theirs, and rest upon.
It is too narrow & scanty an Interpretation, to limite this justification, to the Lords vindicating of His peoples sincerity & Innocency, in respect of their Enemies, at whose hands they suffered great things, and that unjustly; & not to take in their Spiritual justification, & delivery from the guilt of sin, through faith in the Messiah; especially seing there is an Invitation going before to them, to lay hold on the Lord Messias by faith, according to the Gospel Methode; and upon this followeth their glorying in the Lord conforme to what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1: 30, 31. that the Lord Jesus is made of God Righteousness to His people, that he that glorieth, may glory in the Lord.
Nor is there any weight in that, which Io … in this Treatise of justification Par…. 2. pag. 129. 130. alleigeth, to Infringe the authority of this Testimony, to wit. That the meaning only is this, that they receive these favoures, of the free grace and donation of God, by Iesus Christ. For, as the expressions are more emphatick; so all the circumstances of the Text, pointe out their eyeing of the Lord, and coming to Him, and that in order to their justification and Salvation; together with their profession of owneing the Lord's Righteousness alone, for their Righteousness, renouncing all other Righteousness, in themselves, or in others, in order to justification: and thereby declaring, that they look upon it as necessary for them to have a Righteousness; and that this is onelyonly the Righteousness of Jehovah, or of the Messiah, where with they desire to be clothed, and rest satisfied. All which import the Lords bestowing of this Righteousness upon them, that is, imputing of it unto them; for without this they cannot have it, nor glory in it, as their owne.
Secondly, it is faid Esai. 61: 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; My Soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with garments of Salvation, He hath covered me with the rob of Righteousness &c. And this coming in upon the back of what was said, in the beginning of the Chapter, concerning Christ's furniture for His work of Mediation, His Call thereto, and His special work, or the End, for which He was sent, to wit, to binde up the broken-hearted, to proclame liberty to the Captives &c. pointeth forth the sweet welcome, and hearty acceptance, that the anointed Messiah should have among His own chosen ones: for these words hold forth their expression of their sense of what they had received from Him, and of their joy upon the account thereof. They professe openly their joy & rejoiceing in the Lord, because He had clothed and covered them with the garments of Salvation, and with the rob of Righteousness. Now this rob could not be a rob of their owne making; nor can it be understood of their Inherent holiness; for it is a Garment put on, and wherewith they are covered. Thus are we said to put on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13: 14. Gal. 3: 27. And Iohn Rev. 19: 8. helpeth us to understand the meaning of this Expression, when he saith. And to her was granted, that the should be arayed in white Linen, clean and white: for the fine Linen is the Righteousness of Saints.
Against this Testimony; the fore-named Author Io. Goodwin. pag. 130. &c. maketh some Exceptions. as 1, These Expressions (sai's he) concerne the jewes onelyonly, and are meaned of their deliverance out of Babylon; if not out of their present Condition; which is an effect of God's faithfulness and truth, or of his goodness and graciousness. Ans. (1.) To limite this to the jewes, and to their outward and temporal delivery, is but a part of their Socinian fiction, without any apparent ground in the Text. Nay, the first part of the Chapter, which Christ applieth to Himself Luk. 4. and the several particulars there mentioned, may shame this out of countenance; unless we minde to make Christ only a temporal deliverer…, as the jewes did dream their Messias would be. And the Gospel reacheth us Spiritually to expound, as pointing forth Spiritual promises, even such promises, as savoure more of temporal things, as to the letter, that what are here mentioned do (2.) it is but ground-less to imagine (and a piece of the ordinary course of Socinians, in evading clear Testimonies of Scripture, brought against them) that Righteousness here doth signify God's faithfulness: for though somewhere, where mention is made of God's Righteousness, and other circumstances of the Text make it evident, this sense might be admitted; yet it cannot be so understood here, where the Righteousness is said to be granted to the people, as a rob and a garment to cover them: and the very following words of the verse show, that this is meaned of Some thing, bestowed upon them, for it is added, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth her self with her jewels; or, as Some render the words, He hath decked me with ornaments, as a bridegroom, and with jewels as a bride.
2. He excepteth, If these words be taken in a Spiritual sense, the promise, which is contained in them, cannot suite the Church; because the Church is at all times and alwayes clothed with Christ's Righteousness, being justified in Him Ans. This one answere will destroy all the Spiritual promises, hold forth by the prophets, as the fruits & effects of Christ's coming; for the Church of true and faithful beleevers was really, in some measure answerable to that more dark dispensation, made partaker of these Saving and Spiritual benefites, both at that time, and before, even from the beginning: and thus there shall be no promises in all the old Testam of Spiritual things, touching pardon of Sin, Justification, Grace and Sanctification, and the like, made unto the Church; but all of them must be interpreted of carnal things: though the New Test. teacheth us the contrary, as might be evinced by multitudes of places. But the matter is clear, to wit. That this is mentioned, as the open profession of the Church, with joy and thankfulness, of what she was blessed with, and made partaker of in Christ; and had, as a fruit and effect of His performing His Mediatory work; that is, That she was clothed with a rob of Righteousness; and that by Him, which was, and would be to her a ground of perpetual joy, and rejoiceing in the Lord.
Against that passage Rev. 19: 8. which was adduced for clearing of the place, now under hand, he excepteth thus, These words only pointe forth the honour and dignity, which Christ now conferreth upon the Church, in remembrance of her Righteousness: for it is parallel to that other place Rev. 3: 4. Ans. This is nothing, but a plaine perversion of the Scriptures; for it is not said, for her Righteousness; nor for the Righteousness of the Saints: but in these words a reason is given, why by this araying in fine Linen, the bride is said to be made ready; and withall hereby the signification and Import of that finelinen is held forth, when it is said, for the fine linen is the Righteousness of the Saints. The Spirit of the Lord is here speaking of the returne of the jewes, and of their marrying of new with their former husband, from whom they had so long departed, by playing the harlot; (as worthy and judicious M. Durham sheweth, in his comment on the place) and of this new Bride it is said, that she is arayed in fine linen, clean and white; and this linen is explained to be the Righteousness of Saints, or justifications of Saints, the word is foreign, the same, that is used Rom. 5: 16, 18. Where it is translated justification; and it is called here the Righteousness, or justifications of Saints, because it is no other, than that which is common to all Saints; whereby is signified, that the jewes, at their conversion, shall be accepted and justified, after the same manner, that all the Saints have been; even after that self same manner, at which they formerly stumbled, and which wickedly and peremptorily they refused and rejected. This Righteousness therefore can be nothing else, than the Righteousness of Christ imputed: for this only is cleane and white, all other having spots and defilements. This is not within, but from without, and is put on, & is granted to the Church, and so imputed.
Against that saying of putting on Christ, twice mentioned, he excepteth saying. That none of them speak of justification, but that Rom. 13: 14. speaketh of Sanstification; and that Gal. 3: 27. of profession. Ans. If we are said to put on Christ in Sanctification, and as to a profession, much more may we be said, to put Him on in justification, which is the basis and ground work of Sanctification, and the truth & reality of that which is professed. Without justification there is no Sanctification; and except we be clothed with Christ, and put Him on in order to justification, we cannot put Him on, in order to Sanctification. And as such, as are baptized in Christ, have declared, that they have put on Christ; so such have done it in truth and reality, who are the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and are Christ's and are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3: 26, 29. Not could they be said to do this outwardly, as to a profession, in their Baptisme, if a real putting on of Christ were not to be found in such, as had the Spiritual and inward thing Imported & signified by outward Baptisme.
Thirely a 3 passage is Ier. 23: 5, 6. Bohold the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch, and a King shall reigne & prosper, and shall execute judgment & justice, in the earth. In his dayes judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell saifly: and this is His name, whereby He shall becalled, the Lord, our Righteousness. It is undeniable and manifest, that this is spoken of Christ, who was the Branch, raised up unto David; and the King that should reigne and prosper; and it is through Him, that judah is saved, and Israel made to dwell sai…ly. Now of this Righteous Branch, it is said, that His name shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness: He shall be owned and embraced as such; whereby it is declared, that as we have need of a Righteousuess, and have none of our owne; so this Righteous Branch shall become a Righteousness to us: in Him, and in Him alone shall all His people have a Righteousness: He and His Righteousness shall be made over unto them. And as they shall glory in Him, acknowledging all their Righteousness to be in and from Him; so He shall glory in that stile and Title, which shall be given to Him upon that account, and He shall owne it, as His glorious Title and Name, for their further refreshment and Consolation. He shall look upon that, as His greatest honour, to be called the Lord our Righteousness, Jehovah that purchaseth and prepareth for and bestoweth a sufficient Righteousness on His people. This passage with its forcible light so opened the eyes of Bellarmine, the popish adversary to the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, that he was forced to confess, That Christ is said to be our Righteousness, because he hath made Satisfaction for us to the Father; and doth so give and communicat that Satisfastion unto us, when He justifieth us, that it may be said to be our Satisfaction & Righteousness—and in this sense, it would not be absurd, if any should say, that the Righteousness of Christ & His merites are imputed unti us, as if we our selves had satisfied. De justif. lib. 2. cap. 10.
Fourthly, adde to this Ier. 33: 15, 16. where, as Iunius & the Dutch translation have it, this same Title is repeated, as given unto the righteous Branch: but if we take the words, as they are rendered by others, & as they are in our Translation, as the Stile & name of the Church, they willcon tribute not a little to our present purpose. And this, wherewith she shallbe called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNES: for hereby is clearly Imported the Churches glorying in that Title, & in having all her righteousness in & through her Head & Husband; that as she owned herself to be the Spouse of Christ, & had His name called upon her; so this would be all the name, that she would owne, as her greatest glory; & by that alone would she be called; thereby professing, with glorying & satisfaction, that she had no righteousness of her own; & if any would know her aright, & give her her highest titles, they should know her under that notion, & give her that Name, that should openly declare, that she were void of Righteousness in her self, & were ungodly, & had all her Righteousness from her husband, & would appear before God in no righteousness, but in her husbands. So that she would owne that Title alone, which should be a proclamation to all the world, that she was covered with her Husbands, righteousness, & with that alone, & a constant Memorandum, to keep her in the fresh conviction, Faith & Profession of this.
Against these clear & pregnant passages Ioh. Goodwine excepteth. pag. 127. saying, It is not here said, the righteousness of the Lord shall be our righteousness, or shall be imputed to us for righteousness. Avs. Though this be not said, in so many words & syllabs, yet that same is said in a more clear, convinceing & emphatick manner: so that he, who seeth not this lying in these words, must be more blinde than Bellarmine was. When this righteous Branch is raised up by Jehovah, & gotteth this name, the Lord our Righteousness, what can be more manifest, than that, He is made Righteousness to His people; Yea & all their Righteousness; & that this Righteousness is made over to them; so that He is, in a manner, wholly theirs, & nothing but theirs, & all that He hath is theirs; & particularly that His Righteousness is all the Righteousness they owne, as their Righteousness.
He excepteth 2 That in no tolerable sense, can Christ, being a person, be said to be imputed to us. Ans. Do we not hear, that a childe was born to us, & a Son was given to us? Esai. 9: 6. & was not that child & Son a person? And may not a person be as well said to be Imputed, as given, seing imputation, upon the matter, is nothing but a giving, or bestowing? Yet we do not say, that Christ is Imputed; but that this expression here used, doth manifestly evince, that we are righteous through the righteousness of Christ made ours, & that Christ is become the Lord our righteousness, & that true beleevers receive & owne Him, as such, & rest upon His righteousness alone by faith.
He excepteth 3. The plaine & direct meaning is, that He shall be generally acknowledged & celebrated by his people of the jewes, as the great author & procurer of that righteousness, or justification in the sight of God, upon which aboundance of outward glory, peace & prosperity should be cast upon them, Ans. (1.) That this is not to be restricted to the jewes, is manifest, seing it is spoken of the Gospel times, when the righteous Branch shall be raised up unto David, & a King shall reigne & prosper. (2.) It is too carnal an Interpretation, to think, the text speaketh only of such a justification, as is followed with aboundance of outward Glory, peace & Prosperity; whileas the whole Gospel informeth us of something more spiritual, attending upon & following justification. (3.) Righteousness & justification are here made Synonymous, which ought not to be; though these two be inseparably lincked together; yet they are formally different. (4.) Wherein standeth this righteousness & justification? He tels us, in the place, to which he here referreth us, that it standeth in Remission of sins: But pardon of sins is no righteousness; though a man pardoned hath freedom from the obnoxiousness to punishment; yet righteousness is another thing, & respecteth the obligation to duty, required in the Law. (5.) Though it is true, Christ is indeed the author of our justification & pardon (which is an effect of God's pronouncing us righteous, & of His accepting of us, as righteous in justification) as of our peace; yet that needeth not destroy what we assert, there being no inconsistency here, but a necessary & essentiall agreement betwixt the Imputation of Christ' righteousness & justification; but it rather contributeth to the establishment of our Assertion: Yet it is obvious, that when Christ is called the Lord our Righteousness, there is more Imported, than His being the author of our peace & justification; even the way also, how He bringeth about our peace & justification, is here denoted, to wit, His being made of God righteousness to His people; so that His righteousness becometh theirs, in order to their peace & justification.
But to confirme his Interpretation, he tels us, 1. That the Imposition of name upon either thing or person, often notes the quality, or proprity in either, or same benefite redounding from either, answereable thereunto, as Esai. 9. his name shall be called wonderfull, that is, he shall be acknowledged & looked upon by men, as a doer of things very strange. Ans. Seing all these names given to Christ Esai. 9. cannot be so interpreted, as to have this import mentioned; for who will say, that the name everlasting Father, & the mighty God can be so interpreted, as to denote only some answerable benefite redounding there from; who seeth not how little this can satisfie? But (2.) be it so, that this name shall denote some benefite, redounding therefrom, why may it not denote this Effect, which is only answerable hereunto, to wit, that His people shall be made partaker of His Surety-righteousness, & have the same made over unto them, as they become united unto Him, & have His name called upon them.
He tels us 2. That it is familiar to attribute the Effect to its Cause, or Author, by a verbe substantive only; as when Christ is called our Hop, our life, Resurrection, peace & Glory, meaning that he is the author & purchaser of all these. Ans. Yet this proveth not, that He is the author of all these Effects after one & the same way. He is otherwise our hope, of which He is the Object▪ as well as the Author, than He is our life: And He is otherwise our life and peace, which He worketh & createth in us, than He is our Resurrection and Glory. So He is our Righteousness, by making us partaker of His Surety-righteousness, & imputing it unto us, that it may be reckoned on our Score; for this the nature of the thing requireth, seing a Righteousness we must have, ere we be justified; and a Righteousness of our owne we have not; and therefore must have one imputed to us: and what Righteousness can suite us better than His, who is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS?
He tels us 3. That by Righteousness is meaned that justification, which standeth in Remission of Sinnes: and the meaning is, that through Him God would be reconceled to them and pacified with them. Ans. Justification is something else, than pardon of sins; for a justified man is one, that is declared and pronunced Righteous in order to pardon of Sins; and in order to a persons being declared such, by God, who alway judgeth according to truth, he must be Righteous; & Righteous can no man be in the sight of God, in order to his justification, by what is in himself; & therefore he must have a Righteousness from some other: & seing Christ is called, the Lord our Righteousness, it must be His Righteousness, which must be bestowed upon them, in order to God's being reconciled to them, & pacified with them.
Fiftly another passage is Dan. 9: 24. to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, & to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting Righteousness. That all this is to be understood of the gr…at & spiritual effects of power & Grace, which are to be brought about by the Messiah, no Christian candeny; and among the rest we see, He is to bring in a Righteousness, and a Righteousness of ages, an everlasting Righteousness, that shall endure for ever, & shall have everlasting effects: and this Righteousness is something more, than Remission of Sins, & is distinct from it, which is sufficiently held forth by the foregoing Expressions of finishing transgressions, of making an end of Sins, and of making reconciliation for iniquity: which saith, that to justification there is a Righteousness required, & that this Righteousness is not meer Remission of Sins; but some thing beside, that must endure, when sin is taken away. This Righteousness is to be brought in by the Messiah, as a favoure, distinct from the preceeding, & yet inseparable there from, & firmly connected therewith. This Righteousness, which the Messiah is to bring in, being something beside Remission of Sins, must be a Righteousness wrought by the Messiah, & brought in for the use and advantage of His people, who, as they are to be made partaker of the foregoing favoures, are also to be made partaker of this; and consequently must have it imputed to them▪ seing no other way, it can be made theirs.
Sixtly We way adduce to this purpose, Zech. 3: 4. take away the filthy garments from him: and unto him he said, behold, I have caused thine iniquity to go from thee; I will cloth thee with change of rayment. Here by a vision is signified to the propher, how the Lord would at length be reconciled to His Church, & bring her in to His favour againe, that her service might become acceptable to Him, which now was wholly defiled, and so defiled, that even their High priest, who should weare the holy garments, whereupon was engraven Holiness to the Lord, is said to have had on filthy garments; whereby the accuser of the Brethren, Satan the enemie, had no small advantage against them: and the way is set down in borrowed termes, which are in part explained. First the Lord caused to take away the filthy garments from the High Priest; and this is more plainely expressed, in these words, I have caused thine iniquity to go from thee. But beside this, there is a Righteousness required, in order to acceptance with God, as was said above: therefore that this work of justification may be compleated, it is added, & I will cloth thee with change of rayment. Some, it is true, would referre this to Sanctification; but others unto justification. Iunius's Notes, & the English annot, take in both: and sure, if this be true of Sanctification, which is wrought in us, it is much more true of the Righteousness, that is required unto justification, which is without us, and must be put on. And the Chaldee Paraphrase turneth it thus, behold I have taken away thine iniquity, & have clothed thee with Righteousness. The word in the original, which is translated change of rayment, importeth some suite of apparell, that is not for ordinary wearing, but kept for solemne times, & so may well import the Saints wedding or Marriage-suite: & that which is added in the sollowing verse, may be understood, as denoting Sanctification, which is added with the Mitre on his head, signifying the graces of the Spirit, qualifying the High priest, for his work.