In this general sense I take it here, and observe this point —
1. The word of God is righteousness. This is one of the notions by which it is expressed in this psalm ; so it is called in the text.
The reasons.
[1.] Because it is the copy of that righteousness which is in God. God's natural perfections are represented in the creatures, his majesty and omnipresence in the sun, but his moral perfections in the word.
4 SERMONS UPON PSALM CX1X. [SER. CLIX.
The heavens declare his excellent majesty and glory, but his law, his purity, righteousness, and holiness — Ps. xix., the sun and the law are compared together, — as the creatures in their kind set forth God, so doth the word in its kind. Well may it be called righteousness, be- cause it is the fairest draught and representation of God in his moral perfections, the chief of which are called righteousness and holiness. The knowledge we get by the creatures tendeth to exalt God ; the knowledge we get by the law to humble and abase man, because of our impurity ; and therefore the prophet, when he saw God, cried out, Isa. vi. 3, ' Woe is me ! I am undone; I am a man of unclean lips ; ' and David, when he contemplated the holiness of the law, cried out presently, Ps. xix. 12, ' Lord, cleanse me from my secret sins.'
[2.] It is the rule and pattern of all righteousness and justice in man; for our righteousness is a conformity to God's law. Indeed, habitual righteousness is a conformity to God's nature ; actual righteousness, to his law. His Spirit reneweth our nature according to the image of God, and telleth us what is pleasing to God : Isa. li. 7, ' Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law.' They that have the law of God in their hearts do only know righteous- ness, that is, know what belongs to it ; the new nature is tried, and all our ways tried by it.
[3.] It is the great instrument to promote righteousness. It maketh the man that doth observe it just and righteous before God. There is a twofold righteousness before God — the righteousness of justification and the righteousness of sanctification. The righteousness of justifi- cation, that is the great truth revealed in the scriptures. Nature saw nothing of that; the heathen. saw something of a breach, that there was need of appeasing God, but nothing of a righteousness before God : that secret was hid from the wise men of the world, and reserved for the scriptures ; and therefore the apostle saith, Bom. iii. 21, 22, ' But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all that believe.' The law and the prophets set forth this mystery to teach men, that we are to be justified before God by faith in Christ. Nature could convince us of guilt, but not of a righteousness.
2. For the way of sanctification, or how a man that is justified should approve himself to God and men. The scripture crieth up another righteousness, that becometh justified persons; that is, the way to be righteous is to do righteousness : 1 John iii. 7, ' Little children, let no man deceive you ; he that doth righteousness is right- eous.' So it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth, Luke i. G, that ' they were righteous before God, and walked in all the commandments ami ordinances of the Lord blameless/ So Deut. vi. 25, ' And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments, before the Lord our God, as he commanded us.' This wisdom we learn from the word, where nothing but righteousness is recommended ; for it cometh from the righteous God, who is essentially good and holy, and cannot be contrary to himself in commanding unjust things : and therefore his commandments are in all points right. There is no way right to prove principles but by arguing ab absurdis, and so prove
VER. 142.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 5
the goodness of them. What a miserable case would the world be in if there were not such a law and rule ! a place of villanies and wicked- ness. And therefore here is righteousness, and all righteousness ; we need not seek further for direction. Sure God can tell what will best please him, and our sense and experience inform us what things are good and honest in the sight of men.
Use. Let us live as becometh them that have such a righteous rule : ' Wisdom is justified of her children,' Mat. xi. 19. Let us bear wit- ness by our faith, profession, and godly life to the doctrine of God. This is to glorify the word, Acts xiii. 40, when we express the excel- lencies of it in our practice ; do not only approve it in our judg- ments, and commend it with our mouths, but express it in our lives. Practice glorirleth more than verbal praise. Let us show that the word is righteousness , that is to say, the copy of God's righteous- ness, by being the rule and instrument of ours. Let us look after the righteousness of jastification. We can never be truly righteous, unless we lay the foundation of the spiritual life in faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works, that maketh way for the spirit and power of godliness ; for Christ is made of God to us righteousness before he is made sanctification, 1 Cor. i. 30. There is no acceptance with God without it : Bom. v. 19, ' By the obedience of one, many were made righteous.' Thereby our persons are accepted. In ourselves there is none righteous, no not one ; and it is dangerous to look after any other righteousness while this is neglected : Bom. x. 3, ' Being ignorant of God's righteousness, they went about to establish their own righteous- ness,' &c. Again, let me press you to look after the righteousness of sanctification, to see that we be renewed by the Spirit, and entered into a holy course ; and not only so, but we go on still in righteous- ness : Bev. xxii. 11, ' He that is righteous, let him be righteous still.' We are renewed but in part : Prov xv. 9, ' The Lord loveth him that followeth after righteousness ; ' that maketh it his business to grow more righteous every day, and increase the acts, to perfect the habit ; this earnest endeavour must never be left off.