238 SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 5-9.
strivinf:^ who should win the goal or carry away the prize of justifica- , tion. So the apostle represents them, Rom. ix. 30-32, ' What shall we say then ? that the gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith ; but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore ? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law ; for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone.' It is agreed among the learned that the terms there used are agonistical, and that there is an allusion to racers. The approbation or mercy of God was the prize that all ran for, both Jews and gentiles; these were the two competitors. And as in all racing, they had a law prescribed which they were to ob- serve, so both took their several ways. Now, who got the goal? Tlie Jews strained themselves all that they could to get it by their law, and the gentiles by the law of faith. The business is, who would soonest come to the goal, or be accounted favourites of God ? — the gentiles, upon faith and repentance, though formerly they had been idolaters ; or the Jews, that would be justified by the observances of their law, rejecting Christianity ? The apostle determineth that the Jews, though they did most earnestly contend to be justified by the law, 3''et did not outrun the gentiles, so as to get to the goal, or obtain the prize of justification from them. Why ? Because they sought it not by the evangelical way, and could not endure it when it was revealed to them, but thought their legal observances would commend them to God, and so stumbled in the very midst of their race, out of impatiency that their law should be abolished, and they levelled with the gentiles, and required to believe in a Messiah who lived and died in a mean condition ; and so they utterly miscarried in their pursuit of justifica- tion and acceptance with God. These were the two litigant parties, and the case in debate at that time. Now, to take off the Jews from this vain and dangerous attempt, the apostle bringcth the two ways to a fair hearing, and proveth that the law can be no way to justify sinners, even from Moses himself, whose authority they so much cried up. He proveth it from his description of the righteousness which is by the law. The sum of his argument is this, there is no justification but either by the law or by faith ; you must forego the one, and cleave to the other, for you cannot hold by both. Now you are left to your choice, which way you will take to run to the goal and obtain the prize. If you will hearken to Moses, he himself propoundeth two ways of justification — by the law and by faith. What he saith of the righteousness of faith we shall see by-and-by ; but what he saith of the righteousness of the law is evident : ' The man that doeth these things shall live by them.' The law is no way to justify sinners, for by the law you are accurseil if you sin ; we cannot live if we do not all that is required of us and contained in the law. Now, we that are conscious to so many frailties have no reason to be fond of justification by the law, which exacteth such a strict, rigid obedience in all moral duties, even to the least tittle, and addeth so many burdensome ceremonies. The law promiseth life on doing all that was required of them to do, and threatened a curse on them that did it not, without allowing repentance ; but in the law of faith, sure mercy and pardon is provided for the penitent believer.
SERMON UPON ROMAJIS X. 5-9. 239-
And therefore justification is not put upon such impossible and diffi- cult terms. It dependeth upon what Christ did for us, as he died, and rose again ; and what we are to do ourselves is plain and easy : plain to be understood, and easy by grace to perform.
Secondly, What is the tenor of the righteousness of faith ? This is set forth negatively and positively ; what it saith not, and what it saith.
1. Negatively, what it saith not : ver. 6, 7, * But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise : Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven ? (that is, to bring down Christ from above) ; or, Who shall descend into the deep ? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead).'
Here two questions are removed, as inconsistent with or improper to the righteousness of faith —
[1.] The first question, ' Who shall ascend into heaven ? ' that is, to fetch the knowledge thence of heavenly mysteries, or to bring down Christ from above ; as if he had never been on earth to make known the doctrine of salvation, but were as yet to be called from heaven for this purpose. No ; that is sufficiently done already : John iii. 13, ' No man hath ascended up into heaven but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven.' To comprehend heavenly mysteries is Christ's prerogative, who came from the bosom of the Father in our nature to communicate this knowledge to us, and to show us upon what terms we may be justified before God, and enjoy his grace and favour.