The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 3 · Section 12
SECT. 12.
12. THe Grace of imputed righteouſneſs is turned into wantonneſs: 12. The grace of imputed Righteouſneſs is turned into wantonneſs.Even the everlaſting Righteouſneſs, Daniel propheſied, which ſhould be wrought in the Perſon of the Meſſiah, Dan. 9. 24. hath had no little Injury in the World: This ſtupendious Goſpel-myſtery, That a loſt ſinner ſhould be juſtified by anothers righteouſneſs, which is the holy Angels wonder, and will be glorified Saints raviſhing admiration, hath been ill intreated, even of profeſſed Chriſtians. And leſt the charge ſeem too general, I ſhall clear it in two particulars: The Grace of imputed Righteouſneſs is wronged, when this is abuſively pleaded againſt inherent Righteouſneſs: When inherent Righteouſneſs is fooliſhly and perilouſly reſted on for ſalvation, without imputed Righteouſneſs: The former is a plain Libertine in wickedneſs, the latter doth play the wanton with Chriſts goodneſs.
1. The grace of imputed righteouſneſs is abuſed, when it is 1. Imputed righteouſneſs is abuſed, when it is pleaded againſt inherent righteouſneſs.pleaded againſt inherent righteouſneſs: This is an eaſie and common cheat: Corrupt fleſh, and the arch Deceiver, can eaſily pleaſe the Fancy, and perſwade the Judgement, that the fair hand of Grace hath put the rich and large Robe of Chriſts Perſonal Righteouſneſs, on the leprous and unmortified Body of ſin; yea, that this holy cover is ſo thick, that in the abſurd Antinomian, God doth not ſo much as ſee Believers ſins; as if one Divine Attribute had ſwallowed up another, his mercy his omniſcience: Now when the looſe ſinner can ſay the Lord is his righteouſneſs, he believes himſelf in a ſtate of Grace, as if now nothing could indanger his immortal Soul, and he had enough for Glory: If unregenerate nature give the deceived Tranſgreſſor the largeſt line and ſcope, to live in ſinful luſts, pleaſures, and idolized ſenſualities, and the Conſcience begin to grumble in the free choice affections and purſuances of ſinful courſes; This is ever the remedy at hand: We are all ſinners: This is our infirmity: Chriſt died for us: Hath ſatisfied his Fathers juſtice: He is our righteouſneſs: Thus while they plead to Chriſts legal righteouſneſs without them, they live without Chriſts Goſpel righteouſneſs within them. It is enough for them they are juſtified above, they ſeek not to be ſanctified within, as if there were not need as well of an Evidence to Salvation by inherent righteouſneſs, as of a Title to eternal life by imputed righteouſneſs: This great abuſe of the glorious imputed righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, in oppoſition to inherent, and the ſingular peril to be loſt for ever, that they are in, who are contented with a bare imputed righteouſneſs, will appear in ſeven things: As,
1. No glory will redound to God in ſuch a contentment: Can the free gift of Chriſts perfect obedience, made over to the ſinner, have the glory of praiſe, when it hath the infamy of this diſhonor? This heavenly Robe is purpoſely put on the moſt licentious perſons, to hide them, not to amend them: Though there be no abſolute change from the ſtate of ſin, to the dominion of ſanctifying Grace: Though the ſtate of total unregeneracy, be enmity to the holineſs of Chriſt and his Goſpel: Sins ſervants, are Heavens darlings, by the favor of a pretended imputation: Can God have the glory of bringing forth much fruit, while there is no implantation in Jeſus Chriſt? Iohn 15. 5. Can God be honored in his Sons honor, John 5. 23. and magnified in the glorifying of his name, 2 Theſſ. 1. 12. when there is no new nature to honor him, but the predominant old man to abuſe him? A ſolitary imputed righteouſneſs without, is wronged without a righteouſneſs within: God miſſeth of his honor where theſe are put aſunder.
2. No honor will be to the Goſpel: Bare appropriating Chriſts obedience, will not ſecure the glorious Goſpel from that unrighteouſneſs and unholineſs, that licentious wickedneſs would pin upon it: This part of Goſpel, Chriſt is our righteouſneſs, the fleſh will like; but that part of it, The Juſtified muſt be holy, penitent, mortified, it cannot endure: It pleaſingly believes the Goſpel is to them the power of God unto ſalvation, though it never was the power of God unto Converſion. It is a Goſpel Precept, we ſhould walk as becomes the Goſpel, Phil. 1. 27. Can an unregenerate man ſo walk? Can night Birds abide the noon Light? Can Children of darkneſs walk as children of light? Can they be thought tranſlated into the Kingdom of Chriſt, that are ſtrongly kept and abide in Satans Kingdom? No confidences of imputed righteouſneſs can keep a wicked man from an infamous un-goſpel life: When his corruptions break out, the Goſpel ſuffers: Then Satan jeers in his Inſtruments; Theſe are your Profeſſors; Theſe are your Goſpellers, as if the holy Goſpel gave liberty to ſin: But nothing leſs, for as it proclaims imputed righteouſneſs, ſo on pain of damnation it requires inherent.
3. No thankful return will be to Jeſus Chriſt: The gift and benefit of everlaſting righteouſneſs, deſerves everlaſting thanks: It was never yet known, that an unſanctified perſon was thankful to Jeſus Chriſt: He challengeth cordial, verbal, vital thanks, but all this is above the reach of unregeneracy: A carnal perſon can complement Chriſt with the cheap praiſe of the lips, but his ſoul, and all that is within him, Pſal. 103. 1. His converſation can never bleſs him: He wants the Goſpel-power of an holy and a righteous life.
4. No reputation will be to Faith: Indeed it hath the honor to be the Grace that lays hold on Chriſts perfect Righteouſneſs; but this is not its onelyonly office, It ſanctifies as well as juſtifies, Acts 26. 18. Rom. 5. 1. It purifies as well as pacifieth the heart, Acts 15. 9. Rom. 5. 1. The Juſt lives by it, as well religiouſly, Hab. 2. 4. as ſafely and peaceably, Mark 5. 34. and is not onelyonly freed by it from the guilt but the filth of ſin: The name of Faith divided from holineſs, hath this aſperſion and diſ-reputation, to be ſtiled a vain faith, a dead faith, Jam. 2. 20. a faith like the Devils faith, Jam. 2. 19.
5. No conviction will be to unbelievers: Can the Chriſt rejecting World, be drawn to own and love ſuch pretenders to intereſt in his perfect righteouſneſs, who live unrighteouſly: They are apt to think the happineſs of this imputation is but a fancy and a fable, that produceth not ſhining and glorious fruits: When they that for Chriſts ſake ſtand righteous in Gods account, ariſe and ſhine, and the glory of Gods holineſs is ſeen upon them; even wicked men will enquire after Chriſt, and be conſtrained to think well of that Maſter, whoſe name is ſo ſanctified and illuſtrious in his ſervants.
6. No communion will be with the holy God: Were it poſſible an ungodly Man ſhould be cloathed with Chriſts righteouſneſs, yet if he have not Chriſts Spirit, Chriſts Image, God and ſuch a one could have no fellowſhip: Communion requires likeneſs: Contrary natures can have no converſe: Two cannot walk together except they be agreed: How can a wicked perſon, and the pure God walk together?
7. No capacity nor ability of new obedience: Suppoſe a Rebel againſt Chriſts Crown and Government were juſtified, yet if he were not ſanctified, he could not do the will of God, 1 Pet. 1. 2. Till ſanctifying Grace ſubdue the natural rebellion of the heart, Gods commands will be laid aſide; as if a Traytors heart be changed, he will be ſubject to his Prince; if unreformed, he will ſtill rebel.
2. The Grace of imputed righteouſneſs is abuſed; When 2 Imputed righteouſneſs is abuſed, when inherent righteouſneſs is reſted on for ſalvation, without imputed righteouſneſs.inherent righteouſneſs is reſted on for ſalvation, without imputed righteouſneſs. This is one of Satans wiles to ruine ſouls: If there be appearing ſtrictneſs in the ways of holyneſs, and godlineſs be deemed a ſufficiency for eternal life, ſo that Chriſts perfect righteouſneſs be caſt out of the Saint-like Profeſſors Creed, and the great weight of the ſouls confidence of happineſs, laid on the ſandy foundation of imperfect obedience, then the great title to eternal life, Imputed righteouſneſs, is ſhouldred out and abuſed. The largeſt tale of duties, and ſharpeſt ſufferings of this life, cannot make up a compleat righteouſneſs. When perſonal, deficicient performances, will wantonly get up into the throne, and juſtle out the abſolute obedience of Chriſt: This ſetting up of a weak righteouſneſs within, above Chriſts perfect one without, will to the hazard of the guilty ſinners periſhing, fail in ſeven things.
1. There will be no pacification of an angry God: No gracious hearts nor godly lives atone God. Chriſts Sacrifice onelyonly was Propitiatory: We joy in the Atonement, ſaid the Apoſtle, Rom. 5. 11. but by Chriſts death. The higheſt meaſures of Believers doings or ſufferings, cannot turn away Gods wrath for the leaſt ſin: It was Jobs Faith, when a penitent ſinner ſeeth his righteouſneſs, he ſeeth his atonement, Job 33. 23, 24. That is onelyonly by Chriſt, not a Believer: His own Prayers, Tears, Alms, Duties, do not pacifie God, but the righteouſneſs of Chriſt. It is a common practical error, we will be weeping and doing to turn away Gods avenging diſpleaſure: For though theſe duties are means appointed by God, yet we muſt look through them unto Jeſus Chriſt.
2. There will be no ſatisfaction of Gods Juſtice: Sin hath done infinite wrong: Juſtice would have an infinite reparation: Now it is impoſſible that finite doings and ſufferings can make infinite ſatisfaction: A reſt then in failing inherent holineſs, at once leaves infinite Juſtice unſatisfied, and ſouls unſaved, Who of the beſt can tell that he hath done and ſuffered enough to make God amends for his ſins, yea for the leaſt ſin?
3. There will be no proportion to the rigid Laws requiries; It will not abate one Law nor Circumſtance of Duty: The Law is exceeding broad. The eminenteſt of Saints that have ſtudied the Law, and their own hearts and lives, could never bring before God an exact obedience parallel to command: Had not Chriſt perfectly fulfilled the Law, the exacteſt Chriſtians could have no grounded hope of Heaven. The Law would ſay even to a Paul, Here is much wanting; He durſt not expect Juſtification from the unparalell'd ſervices, ſufferings, and ſucceſs of his Apoſtleſhip; I know nothing by my ſelf, yet am I not thereby juſtified. 1 Cor. 4. 4. The Lord Chriſt his perſonall duty is beleevers perfect righteouſneſs, not their own ſanctification.
4. There will be no eſcaping the curſe of the Law: Chriſt crucified was made a curſe for his people. Galat. 3. 13. that they might not be accurſed. Their ſervices and penalties are no deliverances from Gods curſe, which unremoved will flame in everlaſting burnings. All beleevers have infinite reaſon to ſay, The Lord Jeſus, not their own Graces, hath delivered them from the wrath to come.
5. There will be no refuge againſt conſcience ſtormes, in a 1 Theſ. 1. 10.truſted-in righteouſneſſe of graces. Bare inherent holyneſſe, failing and polluted, with corrupt mixtures, cannot ſecure a tempted ſoul by the Laws arreſts, the accuſing conſcience, and Satans indictments. This ſubtle and potent pleader will drive aſſaulted Chriſtians from the weak holds of their pettie performances, yea bring them to the brink of deſpair, untill they run to the Croſs of Chriſt, and get within the invincible and royal Fort, Chriſts imputed Righteouſneſſe: This is the Saints refuge againſt their ſharpeſt temptations, and conſcience-ſtormes. Heb. 9. 12, 14. and 10. 2.
6. There will not be a ſufficient Argument, utterly to ſtrip believers from all glorying in themſelves about a perfect Righteouſneſſe: Would our own bare obedience be a current title to glory, beleevers might wantonly applaud themſelves, and dance about their high duties, as the Iſraelites about their Golden Idol, they might commend themſelves, and boaſt in heart, for the glory of their holyneſſe, their Prayers, Tears, Alms, Mortification, as they are too apt to do. But when they know and beleeve the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 21.Chriſt is made Righteouſneſs unto them, there was not ſo much as a good thought either in them, or from them contributed, to the making of this glorious robe imputed righteouſneſs; now they are denyed all glorying in themſelves. As to their perfect legal obedience, they onelyonly glory in Jeſus Chriſt: He is of God made our righteouſneſſe, that according as it is written, he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. 2. 30, 31.
7. There will be no ſure title to eternal life. The perfect and infinite righteouſneſs of the God-man Jeſus Chriſt, is an equivalent intitling purchaſe, to the Goſpels infinite reward of the next life. As God is juſt and a juſtifier of beleevers, ſo he is juſt and will be their glorifier, Rom. 3. 26. 2 Tim. 4. 8.
Let theſe things be a warning to all thoſe that would ſecure their hopes, confidences, and joyes of ſalvation, from miſcarrying, to ſtudy that righteouſneſſe, which will fully and equally anſwer the demands of infinite juſtice, and as to a juſtified eſtate from the guilt of ſin, to account their imperfect obedience, polluted, defective, yea as dung, compared with the complere perſonal righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt: But alaſs! this error is too common, yea too much an error in reall Chriſtians, very ignorant of the myſtery of an imputed Righteouſneſſe, to lay either the whole, or the greateſt weight on a weak foundation. The Philoſophers ſpake much of virtue, but their external ſhining virtues were headleſs virtues, becauſe they were without the knowledge and worſhip of the true God; ſo were it poſſible that an unjuſtified perſon ſhould eminently ſhine in all the graces of the Spirit, and be voted the none-ſuch of the Age in contempt of the world, mortification, and new obedience; theſe graces would be headleſs graces: Chriſt would profit him nothing in his choiceſt doings and ſufferings, while his active and paſſive obedience is nor a ſinners infinite, compleat, and everlaſting righteouſneſſe.