II. That inherent righteousness can never justify even the regenerate: and for this one simple reason, that the righteousness of the very best is altogether imperfect before God.
We all know what a vast change is wrought in a man when he is born again of the Holy Ghost, a change sometimes compared to a resurrection, sometimes to a new creation, and always ascribed to the arm of God’s omnipotent sovereignty. In this change the heart of stone is taken away, and the heart of flesh is granted; the eagle is transformed into the dove; the lion becomes the lamb; the wild bramble is changed into the fruitful vine; the barren waste rejoices and blossoms like the rose. Let us none lower the character of this vast and most lovely change. It is more beautiful than that of the chrysalis to the butterfly; more wonderful than that of the buried corpse to the living man; more gladdening, than when the vast world sprang out of nothing at the command of God. There are only two occasions mentioned in the Bible, in which the company before the throne are described as finding increase to their already perfect joy; the one was the creation, when “all the sons of God shouted for joy:”[25a]—the other, the gathering in of the new born penitent, for “there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.” [25b]
But yet the righteousness thus implanted cannot justify, for just look at
(1) The works produced.
There is a constant activity to be seen amongst the people of God; they delight to do his will; they labour, and labour diligently, to relieve distress, to comfort sorrow, to spread the glad tidings of the kingdom of our Lord. Such works are the fruits of the Spirit, and they are gladdening both to God and man. To witness them in the flock is the highest joy of the Christian minister, and never do we know such true pleasure, as when we see you, dear brethren, thus striving to labour stedfastly for Christ. Ay! and they are the joy of one higher far than we. They are the fruits of the Spirit, the delight of Christ himself, the sacrifice well pleasing, acceptable unto God. St. Paul desires such results as these, when he prays, [25c] “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” And Christ himself has put his seal and stamp upon them, saying, [26a] “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” But how vain it is to suppose that they can justify! they may please the Father, but they cannot satisfy the law. They may seem fair before men, but who is bold enough to pronounce them perfect before God? For remember that motives must be considered as well as acts. See how St. Paul argues this, 1st Cor. xiii. 3, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” What could be a nobler thing than martyrdom? What liberality equal to the consecration of all his goods to feed the poor? Yet if there be one secret, hidden defect of motive perceived by God alone, the Apostle becomes nothing, “it profiteth me nothing.” [26b] “Cut off then those things wherein we have regarded our own glory, those things which men do to please men, and to satisfy our own likings, those things we do for any by respect, not sincerely and purely for the love of God, and a small score will serve for the number of our righteous deeds.” It is with them as with the drop of water. To the naked eye it seems clear and sparkling, but when you see it under the searching light of the solar microscope, you find it full of all uncleanness. So it is with the best of human actions. To the naked eye they may appear pure and even brilliant, but let the light of divine truth beam on their inward character and motive, and there is so much defect, so much defilement, that we are filled with wonder, not because they fail to justify, but because God is so gracious as to condescend to say they please. Yea, verily! if the whole church of Christ were to select from all its multitudes the very holiest of all living men, and if that holiest of men were to select the holiest action that he ever wrought in the holiest period of his most holy life, that one act when referred to the heart searching, motive judging, law of God, would be found so tainted with defiling sin, that if his justification were to depend on its righteousness alone, he must abandon for ever all hope of life with God. “There is none that doeth good, no not one.” [27]
(2) We have here referred to outward actions, let us now trace the stream up to its source, and look at the inward state of heart, or as it is sometimes called “habitual righteousness.” Can this justify? We all know what an inward change is wrought by the Holy Ghost in those who are truly born of God. Their whole heart and mind and will are changed. They love that they once despised, they long for that which they once scorned, they walk with Jesus, whereas before they were the slaves of sin. To recur to the simile employed before, as heat is diffused through iron, so a new love, a new righteousness is spread through the soul. But yet it cannot justify, for it is not perfect. It is sufficient to please, but it is defective still. There may be great heat spread through the iron, while still the metal retains its substance. The ice may be melted, and the water retain the winter’s chill. Just so it is with the righteousness planted in us by the Holy Ghost. There is a new warmth, but the nature retains too much of its iron hardness: there is a melting of the soul, but the winter’s chill is still found in the melted spirit. This is the meaning of our article when it says “The infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerate,” and this remaining corruption destroys at once all hope of justification through the righteousness of the heart. Take one or two examples from the Scriptures. There can be no doubt of the inward righteousness of David. He was “the sweet psalmist of Israel,” “the man after God’s own heart.” If the Holy Ghost ever gave the new life to any man it was to David. But was David’s inward righteousness such that he was justified? Listen to his own prayer, Ps. cxliii. 2, “Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” There can be no doubt of the change of heart in Peter. The ardour of his noble mind was nobly consecrated to Christ. But was Peter justified by his inward righteousness? See how it failed. One wave of strong temptation broke down his faith, and for the time chilled his love: so that on one evening even Peter was thrice guilty of the denial of his Lord. Could Peter then be justified by his inward love? There can be no doubt of the inward righteousness of Paul. He was God’s chosen vessel to bear his name among the Gentiles. His whole life bore witness to the constraining power of the love of Jesus. But was he justified by that inward love? Listen to his own affecting language, Rom. vii. 22–24, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Or refer the matter to your own personal experience. It is a case that requires no farfetched arguments. There are multitudes amongst you, I am well persuaded, in whom the Holy Ghost has wrought this sanctifying change. It is your joy, your delight, your chief desire to walk with God. And now we would appeal to you. Are you walking with God so perfectly that by that righteousness you can be justified? Has there been no neglect, no languor, no forgetfulness, no sloth in his service? Has the whole life been like the vigorous, active, cheerful, service of the angels around the throne? Or, to go farther: is there any one hour that you have passed from the moment of your new birth till now, upon the perfect holiness of which you would dare to stake your salvation throughout eternity? Select the time of greatest spiritual enjoyment, the happy season when your soul glowed most fervently with the love of Jesus; when Heaven seemed the nearest, and God rose before you as the loveliest of the lovely; and decide whether you can truly say “For that time at least I did fully, completely, and without defect, rise to the measure of the perfect will of God.” How then can Rome declare that we are justified by the righteousness within us? How can she presume to curse those who differ from her sentence? How can she say “If any man say, that we are justified by the sole imputation of Christ’s righteousness, or by the sole remission of our sins, and not by an inherent grace diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; let him be anathema?” Who is there either in Rome or England that can have any hope, but in free, simple, unfettered mercy—that can have any plea before the throne of God but that of the poor publican, who said “Lord be merciful to me a sinner?” [30]
And this leads us, thirdly, to remark
III. That the imputed righteousness of Christ is of itself perfect and sufficient. This is plainly the truth denied in the decree above quoted. Justification is there ascribed in part to the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, but this alone is said to be insufficient. The article of our church and this decree have evident reference to each other. The article says “We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” The Council of Trent “If any man shall say that men are justified by the sole imputation of Christ’s righteousness, let him be accursed.” The turning point, therefore, of the whole question is the complete sufficiency of the work of Christ.
1. Consider, then, his atonement. [31] “He died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God.” He was our substitute, he took our place, he endured the curse of our guilt, “he bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” Was the price sufficient, or was it not? Was the substitute accepted, or was it not? Was the law satisfied, or was it not? If it was, the atonement was complete, the believer free, and no further justification through righteousness can be required. If not, of this one thing I am persuaded, that nothing we can do can supply the deficiency of the work of Jesus. No tears, no toils, no fastings, penances, or alms deeds can supply that which is lacking in the price paid for the sinner. If we were to weep till the ocean overflowed with the swelling tide of penitential tears, it would avail less than one single drop of the most precious blood of God’s well beloved Son. If we were to lacerate the body with fastings and self-inflicted sufferings, till the very life sunk under the penance, it would procure no gift that is not already purchased, it could satisfy no law that is not already satisfied by the life of Jesus.