4. And now, where is such a righteous character to be found? The heart and life of Adam, indeed, previous to his fall, literally exemplified it in its greatest perfection. But since that melancholy event, there is an end of all human righteousness. For “the scripture concluding all under sin,” declareth that “there is none righteous, no not one.” Rom. iii. 10. A declaration, which equally affects Gentiles as well as Jews, and places the fallen children of Adam upon an equal footing, in point of justifying righteousness. “Every mouth must now be stopped, and ALL THE WORLD become GUILTY before God.” Rom. iii. 19. Man cannot justify himself: for an attempt to do so would only “prove him perverse,” and be an additional manifestation of his unrighteousness. The law cannot justify him, because “it is weak through the flesh,” or the inherent corruption of human nature. “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified.” Rom. iii. 20. For, “if righteousness come by the law”—if a sinner could be justified by his obedience to it—“then Christ is dead in vain.” Gal. ii. 21. This inability to justify, is not the effect of any absolute weakness in the law itself, but is eventually occasioned through the dreadful degeneracy of human nature, styled in scripture, “the flesh.” The law still retains as intrinsic a power in itself to constitute righteous, as it ever did; and if any man could be found capable of fulfilling its condition of perfect obedience, it would not only justify him, but also entitle him to glory, independent of the Son of God: for its condition and promise are connected, when it says on this wise, “Do this, and live.” But man’s original guilt and practical disobedience, incurring a double forfeiture of the promised reward, the law possesseth an eventual incapacity of making righteous: and this is, what the apostle says, “the law could not do,” Rom. viii. 3, or το αδυνατον του νομου is, the impossibility of the law. So that, whoever seeks justification by it, seeks an impossibility; and by having recourse to its obligation of perfect obedience, and failing notwithstanding in a fulfilment of that obligation, he lays himself open to the full force of its condemning sentence, its penal sanctions, and tremendous curse. “As many as are of the works of the law, are under the CURSE.” Gal. iii., 10.
5. But, since, according to numerous testimonies of scripture; agreeably to the purity, spirituality, and indispensable requirements of the law; and consistently with the universal depravity of human nature; man cannot, without the highest arrogance, and even blasphemy, lay any claim to personal merit: how then is he to become righteous? This is an inquiry of infinite importance; since it is declared, that “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God;” and since, without an exemption from guilt and an interest in a positive righteousness, man can have no scriptural ground to hope for a deliverance from death or a title to life; to expect the favor of God here, or to claim his kingdom hereafter. In illustrating this point, it will be necessary to consider, how a man’s person may be righteous towards God, and how his works may so justify his religious profession before the world, as to vindicate his character from the imputation of hypocrisy, and demonstrate the genuineness of his faith.
6. As to the manner, in which a sinner is to be made righteous before God; since it has already been demonstrated, by irrefragable proof from the scriptures of truth, as well as by arguments deduced from the corruption of human nature, and the sanctions and sentence of the law, that all obedience of the sinner is insufficient towards his justification before the majesty of heaven; nothing farther in a negative way need be added, to corroborate, what is, indeed, in itself, so evident, and incontrovertible. It may, however, be necessary to quote a few scriptures, in which two of the most illustrious saints, in language of the deepest self-renunciation, disclaim any the least pretensions to justification before the most High and Holy God, howsoever they might esteem their conduct justifiable before fallible creatures, like themselves. “Behold I am vile!” says he, who was a mirror of patience, “what shall I answer thee?” Job, xl. 4. “How can man be JUSTIFIED WITH GOD?” says the same person, “or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon and it shineth not: yea the stars are not pure in his sight; how much less man that is a worm!” Job, xxv. 4, 5. Hear how the man after God’s own heart trembleth at the thought of Jehovah’s entering into judgment with him, or any other creature. “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities; O Lord, who shall stand?” Psal. cxxx. 3. “Enter not into judgment with thy servant: for, in THY sight shall no man living be justified.” Psal. cxliii. 2.—Passages these, which are but few out of the multitudes that might be produced, to demonstrate the impossibility of being justified in ourselves before a heart-searching God, as well as the dreadful peril of abiding the sentence and scrutiny of his righteous law.
7. But how, then, can man stand before this holy Lord God, and be constituted righteous in his sight? This question cannot better be answered than in the words of the XIth article of the Church of England. “We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and not for our own works or deservings.” I quote this excellent article of our church, not with any design of establishing its authority as infallible and decisive, but merely because it affords a plain and scriptural definition of the point in question, as well as exhibits a striking proof, that our sentiments, on the mode of a sinner’s justification before God, are supported by the venerable sanction of the Church of England: and I believe it will satisfactorily appear, that it is not without scriptural ground, that she requires of all her ministers, an unequivocal and solemn subscription to this, as well as every other article in the thirty-nine.
8. According to our church, therefore, and the word of God, with which, on this head, she perfectly accords, our justifying righteousness is the meritorious work of Christ; which consisteth in a perfect obedience to the law, and a full satisfaction to divine justice; the one including what he did, the other what he suffered; and both, in inseparable connexion, constituting that glorious and “everlasting righteousness,” which the Mediator hath brought in, by his entire obedience to the death of the cross. This is called by our church, “the merit” of Christ, because when the dignity of his person is taken into consideration, it appears that an infinite sufficiency is thereby communicated to his obedience, and every part thereof; and that he possesseth an inherent power of meriting for others, or of constituting others righteous, as well as being righteous himself. This he can only do, as being “God over all, blessed for evermore.” For, if he had been a mere creature, though his righteousness might be sufficient to justify himself, yet it could never have transferred a power of justifying others: because, it is repugnant both to reason and scripture, that any created being, even the first-born seraph round the throne of God, should not only merit for himself, but also possess a redundancy of merits transferable to others. But that the Redeemer is possessed of such a power, is evident from the words of the apostle, “By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Rom. v. 19. This argument proves, therefore, that Christ is very God, as well as very man: that there is a translation of merit infinitely sufficient in a sinner’s justification: and that the active and passive obedience of the Mediator, is, through the infinite dignity of his person, a divine righteousness. Hence it is written, “This is his name whereby he shall be called, Jehovah our righteousness.” Jer. xxiii. 6. And again, “We are made the righteousness of God in him.” 1 Cor. v. 21.
9. “We are accounted righteous before God ONLY for the merit of Christ,” says our church: and so saith the scripture. “There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved,” Acts, iv. 12. “I will make mention of thy righteousness,” says David, “even of thine ONLY.” Psal. lxxi. 17. To suppose, that any thing but the righteousness of Christ can justify us before God, is a supposition big with pride, blasphemy, and absurdity:—with pride; because it inclines a man to esteem himself a sort of coadjutor in the work of salvation with Christ:—with blasphemy; because, by implying an insufficiency in the Redeemer’s righteousness fully to justify, without the co-operation of human merit, it detracts from his personal and mediatorial honor, and gives a share of glory where none is due:—with absurdity; because it implies, that Christ came only to be a half Saviour; and attempts to establish a coalition between human works and divine grace, by making eternal salvation depend partly upon the one, and partly upon the other; a heterogeneous mixture this, which the scriptures disavow in most explicit terms. “If by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more of grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Rom. xi. 6.
10. The righteousness, by which we are justified, is made over to us by an act of gracious and sovereign imputation. Thus “David describeth the blessedness of the man, to whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, blessed are they, &c.” Rom. iv. 7. And, because faith is the instrument in receiving and cleaving to this righteousness; therefore this grace is said in a secondary and subordinate sense, to operate in our justification. So “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted ελογισθη imputed to him for righteousness. But, that faith itself cannot constitute a justifying righteousness, properly so called, is evident, because it is opposed to working, to him that worketh not but believeth,” &c. Rom. iv. 5; and because, if it justified in the proper sense of the word, as an act, our justification being in that case by works, we should then claim heaven as a reward due to personal merit. For, “to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt.” Rom. iv. 4. But, that faith cannot found any such claim, is abundantly demonstrable, from the distinction which the scriptures observe between faith and its object; making use so frequently of the terms, “the righteousness which is by and through faith,” Phil. iii. 9, and “faith in the righteousness of Christ.” 2 Pet. i. 1. So that, when our church says “we are justified by faith only” in opposition to works, it means that we are justified instrumentally by faith, but that the object which it apprehends, viz. the righteousness of Christ, is the primary and meritorious cause of our justification.
11. The grace of faith, by which we are justified, is also the great instrument in the inward work of sanctification; because it “receives from Christ’s fulness,” grace to “purify the heart” and “work by love.” It cleanseth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God; and lays the axe to the root of corruption, by destroying the love, and mortifying the power of sin. An increase of faith produceth a proportionable increase of sanctification: for, as the first production of the fruits of righteousness originates from this life-giving grace, so the subsequent abounding of them derives its prosperity from its fructifying influence. And, as “works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his spirit are not pleasing to God, because they do not spring from faith;” (see the article); consequently, those which follow after justification, derive their acceptableness from that faith, which offers them upon the golden altar of the Redeemer’s sacrifice, which sanctifieth the gift. Hence we see how a sinner is made inherently holy, as well as personally righteous; viz. by one and the same faith, apprehending Christ as our sanctification, as well as our righteousness in justification. And, from hence it is apparent, 1. that no good works can go before justification; or that, until a sinner is made partaker of divine faith, he can perform nothing acceptable in the sight of God; because, “whatsoever is not of faith, is sin:” 2. and therefore, that he cannot bring forth the fruits of righteousness in his heart and life before men, until the person is accepted before God, through the infinitely meritorious work of the Mediator.
12. This inward work of the spirit is absolutely necessary to the sinner’s meetness for heaven; and the external fruits of it justify his religious character before the world. Thus Abraham was justified by works before men, and by faith before God. The intentional offering up of his son was the illustrious instance of the strength and genuineness of his faith, and constituted his declarative justification before the world: but his “believing in the promised Messiah, which was accounted to him for righteousness,” was the ground of his justification before God, and preceded his justification by works. So that the father of the faithful himself, “if he were justified by works, hath whereof to glory, but not before God.” Rom. iv. 2. And thus the scripture, without incurring the charge of self contradiction, was eminently fulfilled, when it saith, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness:” and, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works?” James, ii. 21, 23.
13. By this scriptural distinction, every thing is kept in its proper place. Justification and sanctification are not confounded; and their respective offices are so ascribed to faith and works, as that the honor of the one is not vacated, nor the declarative evidence of the other superseded; but both are established in their proper stations;—that to justify before God;—these to justify before men. By this distinction, the word of God is easily reconciled with itself; and while one branch of it furnishes an antidote to the insolent claims of self-righteousness, the other equally secures obedience to the law, against the presumptuous hope of the antinomian hypocrite. “Do we make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea we establish the law.” Rom. iii. 31.—“By grace ye are saved through faith: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephes. ii. 8, 9.