So also, Phil. iii. 9, " And be found in him, not having my o^vn i-ighteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." The right-
104 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
eousness we receive is opposed to our own obedience to the law; opposed to it, not as something in another kind, but as something in the same kind excluding that from such an end which the other obtains. Now this is the obedience of Christ to the law, — himself thereby being " made to us righteousness," 1 Cor. i. 30.
Rom. V. 10, the issue of the death of Christ is placed upon recon- ciliation ; that is, a slaying of the enmity and restoring us into that condition of peace and friendship wherein Adam was before his fall. But is there no more to be done? Notwithstanding that there was no wrath due to Adam, yet he was to obey, if he would enjoy eternal life. Something there is, moreover, to be done in respect of us, if, after the slaying of the enmity and reconciliation made, Ave shall enjoy life: "Being reconciled by his death," we are saved by that perfect obedience which in his life he yielded to the law of God. There is distinct mention made of reconciliation, through a non-im- putation of sin, as Ps. xxxii. 1, Luke i. 77, Rom. iii. 25, 2 Cor. v. 19; and justification through an imputation of righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6, Rom. iv. 5, 1 Cor. i. 30; — although these things are so far from being separated, that they are reciprocally affirmed of one another : which, as it doth not evince an identity, so it doth an eminent conjunction. And this last we have by the life of Christ.
This is fully expressed in that typical representation of our justifi- cation before the Lord, Zech. iii. 8-5. Two things are there expressed to belong to our free acceptation before God : — 1. The taking away of the guilt of our sin, our filthy robes ; this is done by the death of Christ. Remission of sin is the proper fruit thereof; but there is more also required, even a collation of righteousness, and thereby a right to life eternal. This is here called "Change of raiment;" so the Holy Ghost expresses it again, Isa. Ixi. 10, where he calls it plainly "The gai-ments of salvation," and " The robe of righteousness." Now this is only made ours by the obedience of Christ, as the other by his death.
Objection. " But if this be so, then are we as righteous as Christ himself, being righteous with his righteousness."
A nswer. But first, here is a gi-eat difference, — if it were no more than that this righteousness was inherent in Christ, and ]iroperly his own, it is only reckoned or imputed to us, or freely bestowed on us, and we are made righteous with that which is not ours. But, secondly, the truth is, that Christ was not righteous Avith that righteousness for himself, but for us; so that here can be no comparison: only this we may say, we are righteous with his righteousness which he A\T0ught for us, and that completely.
And this, now, is the rise of the purchased grace Avhereof we speak, — the obedience of Christ ; and this is the influence of it into our ac-
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. 165
ceptation witli God. Whereas the guilt of sin, and our obnoxiousness to punishment on that account, is removed and taken away (as shall farther be declared) by the death of Christ; and whereas, besides the taking aAvay of sin, we have need of a complete righteousness, upon the account whereof we may be accepted with God ; this obedience of Christ, through the free grace of God, is imjouted unto us for that end and purpose.
This is all I shall for the present insist on to this purpose. That the passive righteousness of Christ only is imputed to us in the non- imputation of sin, and that on the condition of our faith and new obedience, so exalting them into the room of the righteousness of Christ, is a thing which, in communion with the Lord Jesus, I have as yet no acquaintance Avithal. What may be said in the way of argu- ment on the one side or other must be elsewhere considered.
(2.) The second spring of our communion with Christ in purchased grace, is his death and oblation. He lived for us, he died for us; he was ours in all he did, in all he suffered.^ I shall be the more brief in handling of this, because on another design I have ^elsewhere at large treated of all the concernments of it.
Now, the death of Christ, as it is a spring of that purchased grace wherein we have communion with him, is in the Scripture proposed under a threefold consideration: — [1.] Of a price. [2.] Of a sacri- fice. [3.] Of a penalty.
In the first regard, its proper effect is redemption ; in the second, reconciliation or atonement ; in the third, satisfaction ; which are the great ingredients of that purchased grace whereby, in the first place, we have communion with Christ.