VeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 309
our own, nor yet in the bare gift of another, but in the merit of another conjoined with his free gift. So by Christ's being made sin for us, we have not only freedom from the curse, but title to glory, 1 Thes. V. 9, 10. And our estate in heaven is called redemption : Eph. i. 14, ' Until the redemption of the purchased possession.' Christ's people are purchased by his blood, and are his possession, and his peculiar people ; and they shall at length come to their full and final deliverance, which is there called redemption ; as also, Eph. iv. 16, chiefly because it is a fruit of Christ's death, and something that accrueth to us by virtue of his laying down his soul as an offering for sin.
2. The abstract is used concerning our privileges, as well as con- cerning Christ's sufferings. He made sin, we made righteousness, not only accounted, or accepted as righteous; but made righteousness, which ismore emphatical, and doth heighten our thoughts in the apprehension of the privilege, as Christ's being made sin doth in the greatness of his sufferings.
3. Observe, this is called the righteousness of God. Why ?
[1.] Because it is the righteousness of that person who is God : Jer. xxiii. 6, 'The Lord our righteousness.' There is an essential righteous- ness, which Christ as God hath in common with the Father and the Spirit, and is incommunicable either as to men or angels, no more than God can communicate to his creatures any other of his essential attributes, omnipotency and eternity. But the righteousness of Christ, God-man, is conditionary and surety righteousness, which he performed in our stead ; his doing and suffering in our stead, this may be com- municated to us, and is the ground of our acceptance with God, and may be called the righteousness of God, because the person that pro- cured it is God.
[2.] It may be called the righteousness of God, because the only wise God found it out, and appointed it. It was not the device of man, but the result of his eternal counsels, Col. i. 19, 20. So when the apostle had proved that Jews and Gentiles were under a deep guilt, viroSiKo^i 0€co, Rom. iii. 19, liable to the challenges of the law, and the process of his revenging justice, and therefore needed a righteousness to render them acceptable to God. The light of nature, and the law of Moses, could give them no remedy, but rather rendered them more miserable, discovering sin, and affording them no help against it, but left them under uncertainty, bondage and horrors of conscience ; what should the fallen creature do ? The Lord in his mercy found out a righteotisness, ' Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference,' Eom. iii. 21, 22, &c.
[3.] Because it is accepted by God — a righteousness wherein God acquiesceth, and which he accepteth for our absolution, Mat. iii. 17. God is satisfied with Christ's obedience, as a perfect ransom for us, and is well pleased with those who make use of it and apply it in the ap- pointed way by the subordinate new testament righteousness. Now, as it is the righteousness of God, it is a great comfort, for the righteousness of God is better than the righteousness of a mere creature. With the righteousness of God, we may appear before God, with all confidence, and look for all manner of blessino:s from him. The law which con-
310 SEKilOXS UPON 2 CORINTHIAIS^S V. [SeR. XL.
demneth us is the law of God ; the wrath and punishment which we fear is the wrath of God ; the glory which we expect is the glory of God ; the presence into which we come is the presence of God ; and to suit ■with it, the righteousness upon which we stand is the righteousness of God, which is a great support to us.
4. Mark again, how the business is carried on by way of exchange ; Christ made sin, and we righteousness. Christ is dealt with as the sin- ner in law, and we are pronounced as righteous before God ; our surety is to bear our punishment, and is to be accepted as pleasing and ac- ceptable to God ; thus by a wonderful exchange he taketh our evil things upon himself, that he might bestow his good things upon us. He took from us misery, that he might convey to us mercy ; he was made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us by faith, Gal. iii. 13, 14 ; he suffered death that he might convey life ; took our sin upon himself, that he might impart to us his righteousness. This exchange agreeth in this, that, on both sides, something not merited by the person himself is transferred up jn them. What more averse from the holy nature of Christ than sin ? ' He knew no sin,' and yet is made sin. What more alien and strange on our part than righteousness, who are so many ways culpable ? yet we are made the righteousness of God in him. This is by no error of judgment, but the wise contrivance, ordination, and ap- pointment of God, that by something done by another it should be im- puted and esteemed to that other, as if done in his own person. So, for our sin was death imposed upon Christ, as if he had been the sinner ; and for Christ's righteousness, life and the heavenly inheritance is be- stowed upon us, as if we had fulfilled the law, and satisfied it in our own person. But here is the difference, our sins are imputed to Christ out of God's justice, he being our surety ; his righteousness is imputed to us out of God's mercy. Our sin was transferred upon him, that he might abolish it or take it away ; for he came to take away sin, 1 John iii. 5. His righteousness was imputed to us, that it might continue as an ever- lasting gi'ound of our acceptance with God, therefore he is said to ' finish transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in an everlasting righteousness.' The virtue of his righteousness is never spent, it abideth for ever. He was made a curse for us, that this curse might be dissolved and swallowed up, but his blessing is derived to us, that it may abide and continue with us to all eternity. He took our filthy rags, that he might throw them into the depth of the sea ; but we have the garment of our elder brother, that we might put it on, and minister in it before the Lord, and find grace in Ms sight. Hence is it, that though we may be said truly to be right- eous, and the children of God, yet Christ cannot be said to be a sinner or the child of wrath, because he had no sin of his own, and the wrath of God did not remain on him, but only pass over him.