I answer, — 1. According to some authors or maintainors of this opinion, I see not but that the Lord Christ is as much our evangeli- cal righteousness as he is our legal. For our legal righteousness he is not, in their judgment, by a proper imputation of his righteous-
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ness unto us, but by the communicatiofi of the fruits of what he did and suffered for us. And so he is our evangelical righteousness also ; for our sanctification is an effect or fruit of what he did and suffered for us, Eph. V. 26, 27; Tit. ii. 14.
2. None have this evangelical righteousness but those who are, in order of nature at least, justified before they actually have it ; for it is that which is required of all that do believe, and are justified thereon. And we need not much inquire how a man is justified after he is justified.
8. God hath not appointed this personal righteousness in order unto our justification before him in this life, though he have appointed it to evidence our justification before others, and even in his sight ; as shall be declared. He accepts of it, approves of it, upon the account of the free justification of the person in and by whom it is wrought : so he had " respect unto Abel and his offering." But we are not acquitted by it from any real charge in the sight of God, nor do receive remission of sins on the account of it. And those who place the whole of justification in the remission of sins, making this personal righteousness the condition of it, as the Socinians do, leave not any place for the righteousness of Christ in our justifi- cation.
4. If we are in any sense justified hereby in the sight of God, we have whereof to boast before him. We may not have so absolutely, and -with respect unto merit ; yet we have so com^^aratively, and in respect of others who cannot make the same plea for their justifi- cation. But all boasting is excluded ; and it will not relieve, to say that this personal righteousness is of the free grace and gift of God unto some, and not unto others ; for Ave must plead it as our duty, and not as God's grace.
5. Suppose a person freely justified by the grace of God, through faith in the blood of Christ, without respect unto any works, obedi- ence, or righteousness of his own, we do freely grant, — (1.) That God doth indispensably require ji&f^sonal obedience of him ; which may be called his evangelical righteousness. (2.) That God doth approve of and accept, in Christ, this righteousness so performed. (3.) That hereby that faith whereby we are justified is evidenced, proved, mani- fested, in the sight of God and men. (4.) Tha.t this righteousness is pleadable unto an acquitment against any charge from Satan, the world, or our otun consciences. (5.) That upon it we shall be de- clared righteoiis at the last day, and without it none shall so be. And if any shall think meet from hence to conclude unto an evan- gelical justification, or call God's acceptance of our rigliteousness by that name, I shall by no means contend Avith them. And Avherever this inquiry is made, — not hoAv a sinner, guilty of death, and obnoxious
160 ON JUSTIFICATION.
unto the curse, shall be pardoned, acquitted, and justified, which is by the righteousness of Christ alone imputed unto him — but how a man that professeth evangelical faith, or faith in Christ, shall be tried, judged, and whereon, as such, he shall be justified, we grant that it is, and must be, by his own personal, sincere obedience.
And these things are spoken, not with a design to contend with any, or to oppose the opinions of any ; but only to remove from the principal question in hand those things which do not belong unto it.
A very few words will also free our inquiry from any concernment in that which is called sentential justification, at the day of judg- ment ; for of what nature soever it be, the person concerning whom that sentence is pronounced was, — (1.) Actually and comjjletely jxisti- fied before God in this world ; (2.) Made jMi^taker of all the bene- fits of that justification, even unto a blessed resurrection in glory : " It is raised in glory," 1 Cor. xv. 43. (3.) The souls of the most will long before have enjoyed a blessed rest with God, absolutely dis- charged and acquitted from all their labours and all their sins ; there remains nothing but an actual admission of the whole person into eternal glory. Wherefore this judgment can be no more but declara- tory, unto the glory of God, and the everlasting refreshment of them that have believed. And without reducing of it unto a new justifi- cation, as it is nowhere called in the Scripture, the ends of that solemn judgment, — in the manifestation of the wisdom and righteous- ness of God, in appointing the way of salvation by Christ, as well as in giving of the law ; the public conviction of them by whom the law hath been transgressed and the gospel despised ; the vindication of the righteousness, power, and wisdom of God in the rule of the world by his providence, wherein, for the most part, his paths unto all in this life are in the deep, and his footsteps are not known ; the glory and honour of Jesus Christ, triumphing over all his enemies, then fully made his footstool; and the glorious exaltation of grace in all that do beheve, with sundry other things of an alike tendency unto the ultimate manifestation of divine glory in the creation and guid- ance of all things, — are sufficiently manifest.