(2.) The Scriptures declare that justification proceeds upon the ground of a righteousness. ‘The righteous- ness of the law,” ‘their own righteousness,” is con- trasted with ‘ the righteousness of God,’ ‘“ the righteousness of faith.” The former is declared not to be, but the latter to be, the ground of justification. Hence Christ is said to be ‘The Lorp our Righteousness” (Jer, xxiii, 6), and “the end of the law for righteous- ness to every one that believeth” (Rom. x. 3-6); and we are said to be ‘‘ made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor, v. 21, and 1 Cor. i. 30). | Justification is para- phrased as ‘the imputation of righteousness without works;” and “faith” is said to be “imputed for righteousness” (Rom. iv. 6, 22). ‘They who receive the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the OFFENCE of one judgment came upon all men to CONDEMNATION; even so by the RIGHTEOUSNESS of one the free gift came upon all men unto JUSTIFICATION of life. For as by one man’s dis- obedience many were made sinners, so by the OBEDIENCE of one shall many be made RIGHTEOUS” (Rom. v. 17-19), The essence of pardon is that a man is forgiven without righteousness ; the essence of justification is that a man is pronounced to be possessed of a righteousness which fulfils the law..
(3.) According to his eternal covenant with the Father, the work of Christ secures for his people not merely pardon, but both (a) remission of the penalty due to sin, and (b) a title to the purchased possession (Eph. i. 14). Pardon effects nothing more than remis- sion. But the promise is that “the just by faith shalé live” (Rom. 1.17; Hab. ii. 4), Justification carries with it the effects or consequences of “ peace with God,” “ace
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CHAPTER XIv.
Justifica- tion a judicial, not a sovereign act: its ground the right- eousness of Christ imputed and re- ceived by faith.
208 THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT,
cess and rejoicing in the glory of God,” “ reconciliation with God, and salvation” (Rom. v. 1--10). The blood of Christ is said to procure not only remission of sins, but also ‘‘inheritance among them that are sanctified,” and the elevation of those for whom it was shed to be “kings: and priests unto God” (Rev. 1. 5, 6; Acts xxvi. 18).
2. The ground wpon which God pronounces the justi- fication of sinners is not sovereign prerogative, but the all-perfect “ righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.”
When we say that justification is a judicial, and not a sovereign act of God, it is by no means intended, by the most rigid adherent of the old Calvinism that ever lived, to deny either of the following great and precious truths :—(a.) That the substitution of the person of Christ in the place of his people, for the purpose of ful- filing both the precept and the penalty of the law in our place, was an act of absolute sovereignty, the only reason of which is the “counsel of his own will.” Nor (b.) That the election of any individual sinner to a part in that body which Christ represents in his obedience and suffering was an act of sovereignty. Nor (¢.) That, as far as any claims of any sort on the part of the elect sinner himself are concerned, the application of this redemptive work of Christ to him, in the gift of faith, repentance, and their gracious sequences, is any the less absolutely and unconditionally sovereign. These prin- ciples belong fully as much to the old Calvinism as to the New England theology. But what we do mean to affirm is precisely this: that God having, as Sovereign, admitted the substitution of Christ in the law-place of his elect; and having sovereignly chosen a given indi- vidual to a place in their number ; and having, according to his promise to the Son, but sovereignly as far as con- cerns the man himself, conferred upon him the gift of
DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION. 209
faith, he then proceeds as Judge to pronounce the fact cuarrm that the law is satisfied with respect to (that ‘man, 228 because of the perfect work wrought in his behalf by his Substitute. Justification is Pauly this judicial decision, recognizing the believer as righteous (forensically), and providing for his being so regarded and treated for ever.
Now, the foundation of this act must be the righteous- ness of Christ, because—
(1.) Justification has been proved above to be a forensic and judicial act, and not to be mere pardon, but a pronouncing a man to be right before the law. It must, therefore, proceed upon the ground of a righteous- ness of some sort-—that is, upon the application to the case of that which will in the sense of strict justice satisfy the demands of law, and not the self-will of the Sovereign. But—
(2.) The law demands either perfect obedience, past and present, or the execution of the penalty. Conse- quently, “by the law can no flesh be justified,” if respect be had to their own imperfect obedience.