236 ON JUSTIFICATION.
search in any measure, by a spiritual light, into his own heart and soul, will find " God be merciful to me a sinner," a better plea than any he can be furnished withal from any worth of his own. " What is man, that he should be clean ? and he that is bom of a woman, that he should be righteous?" Job xv. 14-lG, iv. 18, 19. Hence saith Gregory, in Job. ix., lib. ix. cap. 14, " Ut ssepe diximus omnis justitia humana injustitia esse convincitur si distincte judicetur." Bernard speaks to the same purpose, and almost in the same words, Serm. i. fest. omn. sanct., " Quid potest esse omnis justitia nostra coram Deo? nonne juxta prophetam, velut 'pannus menstruatas' reputabitur; et si districte judicetur, injustitia invenietur omnis justitia nostra, et minus habens." A man cannot be justified in any sense by that righteousness which, upon trial, will appear rather to be an unright- eousness.
2. It is imperfect with respect unto every act and duty of it, whether internal or external. There is iniquity cleaving unto our holy things, and all our " righteousnesses are as filthy rags," Isa. Ixiv. 6. It hath been often and well observed, that it a man, the best of men, were left to choose the best of his works that ever he performed, and thereon to enter into judgment with God, it only under this notion, that he hath answered and fulfilled the condition required of him as unto his acceptation Avith God, it would be his wisest course (at least it would be so in the judgment of Bellarmine) to renounce it, and betake himself unto grace and mercy alone.
8. It is imperfect by reason of the incursion of actual sins. Hence our Saviour hath taught us continually to pray for the " forgiveness of our sins ;" and " if we say that we have no sins, Ave deceive ourselves," for " in many things Ave offend all." And Avhat con- fidence can be placed in this righteousness, Avhich those Avho plead for it in this cause acknoAvledge to be Aveak, maimed, and im- perfect ?
I have but touched on these things, Avhich might have been handled at large, and are indeed of great consideration in our present argu- ment. But enough hath been spoken to manifest, that although this righteousness of believers be on other accounts like the fruit of the vine, that glads the heart of God and man, yet as unto our justifica- tion before God, it is like the Avood of the vine, — a pin is not to be taken from it to hang any weight of this cause upon.
Two things are pleaded in the behalf of this righteousness, and its influence into our justification: — 1. That it is absolutely com- plete and perfect. Hence some say that they are perfect and sinless in this life; they have no more concern in the mortification of sin, nor of growth in grace. And indeed this is the only rational pre- tence of ascribing our justification before God thereunto; for Avere it
IMPUTATION PROVED. 237
SO with any, what should hinder him from being justified tliereon before God, but only that he hath been a sinner? — which spoils the whole market. But this vain imagination is so contrary unto the Scripture, and the experience of all that know the terror of the Lord, and what it is to walk humbly before him, as that I shall not insist on the refutation of it.
2. It is pleaded, " That although this righteousness be not an exact fulfilling of the moral law, yet is it the accomplishment of the con- dition of the new covenant, or entirely answereth the law of grace, and all that is required of us therein."
Ans. (1.) This wholly takes away sin, and the pardon of it, no less than doth the conceit of sinless perfection which we now rejected; for if our obedience do answer the only law and rule of it whereby it is to be tried, measured, and judged, then is there no sin in us, nor need of pardon. No more is required of any man, to keep him abso- lutely free from sin, but that he fully answer, and exactly comply with, the rule and law of his obedience whereby he must be judged. On this supposition, therefore, there is neither sin nor any need of the pardon of it. To say that there is still both sin and need of pardon, with respect unto the moral law of God, is to confess that law to be the rule of our obedience, which this righteousness doth no way answer; and therefore none by it can be justified in the sight of God.
(2.) Although this righteousness be accepted in justified persons by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, yet consider the principle of it, with all the acts and duties wherein it doth consist, as they are re- quired and prescribed in the gospel unto us, and they do neither jointly nor severally fulfil and answer the commands of the gospel, no more than they do the commands of the law. Wherefore, they cannot all of them constitute a righteousness consisting in an exact conformity unto the rules of the gospel, or the law of it; for it is impious to imagine that the gospel requiring any duty of us, suppose the love of God, doth make any abatement, as unto the matter, man- ner, or degrees of perfection in it, from what was required by the law. Doth the gospel require a lower degree of love to God, a less perfect love, than the law did ? God forbid. The same may be said concerning the inward frame of our natures, and all other duties wdiatever. Wherefore, although this righteousness is accepted in jus- tified persons (as God had respect unto Abel, and then unto his offering), in the way and unto the ends that shall be aftenvard de- clared; yet, as it relates unto the commands of the gospel, both it and all the duties of it are no less imperfect than it would be if it should be left unto its trial by the law of creation only.