* 1 Ciiron. xxix. 9 ; Job xxvii. 4-6 ; Neh. xiii, 14, 22, 3 ; Isa. xxxviii. 31 ; Prov. ixi. 14 ; 2 Cor. i. 12 ; 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4, and v. 4.
244 NINE STRONG CONSOLATIONS THAT FLOW FROM
Job xxix. 14, ' I put on righteousness, and it clothed me ; my judg- ment was as a robe and a diadem unto me.' Look, as sober, modest, comely apparel doth much set forth and adorn the body in the eyes of men, so doth inherent grace, inherent holiness, inherent righteousness, when it sparkles in the faces, lips, lives, and good works of the saints, much more beautify and adorn them in- the eyes both of God and man. Now if this garment of inherent righteousness, that hath so many spots and rents in it, will adorn us, and joy us so much, what a beauty and glory is that which the Lord our God hath put upon us, in clothing us with the robe of his Son's righteousness ; for by this means we shall recover more by Christ than we lost by Adam. The robe of righteousness which we have gotten by Christ, the second Adam, is far more glorious than that which we wqre deprived of by the first Adam. But,
7. Seventhly, Then know for your comfort, that you have the highest reason in the world to rejoice and triumph in Christ Jesus, Gal. vi. 14 : Phil. iii. 3, * For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus.' We rejoice in the person of Christ, and we rejoice in the righteousness of Christ: 2 Cor. ii. 14, ' Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in. Christ' Deo gratia^ was ever in Paul's mouth, and ever in Austin's mouth, and should be ever in a Christian's mouth, when his eye is fixed upon the righteousness of Christ. Every believer is in a more blessed and happy estate, by means of the righteousness of Christ, than Adam was in innocency. And that upon a threefold account ; all which are just and noble grounds for every Christian to rejoice and triumph in Christ Jesus.
(1.) That righteousness which Adam had was uncertain, and such as it tods possible for him to lose, Gen. iii. ; yea, he did lose it, and that in a very short time, Ps. viii. 5. God gave him power and free- dom of will either to hold it or lose it ; and we know soon after, upon choice, he proved a bankrupt ; but the righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ is made more firm and sure to us. It is that good part, that noble portion, that shall never be taken froip us, as Christ said to Mary, Luke x. 42. Adam sinned away his righteousness, but a be- liever cannot sin away the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is not possible for the elect of God so to sin as to lose Christ, or to strip themselves of that robe of righteousness which Christ hath put upon them, 1 John iii. 9 ; Kom. viii. 35, 39. The gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against that soul that is interested in Christ, that is clothed with the righteousness of Christ, Mat. xvi. 18. Now what higher grouad of joy and triumph in Christ Jesus can there be than this? But, •
(2.) The righteousness that Adam had was in his oiun keeping; the spring and root of it was founded in himself, and that was the cause why he lost it so soon. Adam, like the prodigal son, Luke xv. 12, 13, had all his portion, his happiness, his holiness, his blessedness, his righteousness, in his own hands, in his own keeping ; and so quickly lost stock and block, as some speak. Oh but now, that blessed right- eousness that we have by Jesus Christ, is not in our own keeping, but in our Father's keeping. Look, as our persons, graces, and inherent
THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST's RIGHTEOUSNESS. 245
righteousness are kept, as in a garrison,^ by the power of God unto salvation, 1 Pet. i. 5 ; so that righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ is kept for us by the mighty power of God unto salvation. God the Father is the Lord Keeper, not only of our inherent righteousness, but also of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ unto us. ' My sheep shall never perish,' saith our Saviour, John x. 28, 29, * neither shall any pluck them out of my hand ; my Father that gave them me is greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father s hands.' Though the saints may meet with many shakings and tossings in their various conditions in this world, yet their final perseverance, till they come to full possession of eternal life, is certain. God is so unchangeable in his purposes of love, and so invincible in his power, that neither Satan, nor the world, nor their own flesh, shall ever be able to separate them from ' a crown of righteousness,' 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8 ; ' a crown of hfe,' Kev. ii, 1 0 ; 'a crown of glory,' 1 Pet. v. 4. The power of God is so far above all created opposition, that it will cer- tainly maintain the saints in a state of grace. Now what a bottom and ground for rejoicing and triumphing in Christ Jesus is here ! But,
(3.) Admit, that the righteousness that Adam had in his creation had been unchangeable, and that he could never have lost it; yet,. it had been but the righteousness of a man, of a mere creature ; and what a poor, low righteousness would that have been, to that high and glori- ous righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ, which is the righteous- ness of such a person as was God as well as man ; yea, that right- eousness that we have by Jesus Christ is a higher righteousness, and a more excellent, transcendent righteousness than that of the angels. Though the righteousness of the angels be perfect and complete in its kind, yet it is but the righteousness of mere creatures ; but the right- eousness of the saints, in which they stand clothed before the throne of God, is the righteousness of that person which is both God and man. Look, as the second Adam was a far more excellent person than the first Adam was : ' The first man was of the earth, earthy,' as the apostle speaks ; ' the second was the Lord from heaven,' 1 Cor. xv. 47 ; not for the matter of his body, for he was made of a woman, but for the original and dignity of his person ; whereof you may see a lively and lofty description in Heb. i. 2, 3 -,2 so his righteousness also must needs be far more excellent, absolute, glorious, and every way all-sufficient to satisfy the infinite justice of God, and the exact perfection of his holy law, than ever Adam's righteousness could possibly have done. Kemember, sirs, that that righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ is called the righteousness of God : ' He made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,' saith the apostle in 2 Cor. v. 21. Now that righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ, is called the righteousness of God : (1.) Be- cause it is such a righteousness as God requires ; (2.) As he approves of and accepts ; (3.) As he takes infinite pleasure and delight and
^ (ppovpovfM^vovs. The original is a military word, and signifies safe keeping ; kept as with a guard, or in a garrison, that is, well fenced with walls and works, and so is made impregnable.