4. All the obedience of Christ had still respect unto the sacrifice of himself which was to ensue, wherein it received its accomplish- ment, and whereon its efiicacy unto our justification did depend : for as no imputation of actual obedience would justify sinners from the condemnation that was passed on them for the sin of Adam ; so, although the obedience of Christ was not a mere preparation or qualification of his person for his suffering, yet its efiicacy unto our justification did depend on his suffering that was to ensue, when his soul was made an offering for sin.
5. As was before observed, reconciliation and the pardon of sin through the blood of Christ do directly, in the first place, respect our relief from the state and condition whereinto we were cast by the sin of Adam, — in the loss of the favour of God, and liableness unto death. This, therefore, is that which principally, and in the first place, a lost convinced sinner, such as Christ calls unto himself, doth
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838 ON JUSTIFICATION.
look after. And therefore justification is eminently and frequently proposed as the effect of the blood-shedding and death of Christ, which are the dnect cause of our reconciliation and pardon of sin. But yet from none of these considerations doth it follow that the obedience of the one man, Christ Jesus, is not imputed unto us, whereby grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life.
The same truth is fully asserted and confirmed, Rom. viii. 1-4. But this place hath been of late so explained and so vindicated by another, in his learned and judicious exposition of it (namety, Dr Jacomb), as that nothing remains of weight to be added unto what hath been pleaded and argued by him, part i. verse 4, p. 587, and onwards. And indeed the answers which he subjoins (to the argii- ments whereby lie confirms the truth) to the most usual and impor- tant objections against the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, are sufficient to give just satisfaction unto the minds of unpreju- diced, unengaged persons. I shall therefore pass over tliis testi- mony, as that which hath been so lately pleaded and vindicated, and not press the same things, it may be (as is not unusual) unto their disadvantage.
Rom. X. 3, 4. " For they" (the Jews, who had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge), " being ignorant of God's righteous- ness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness unto eveiy one that believeth."
What is here determined, the apostle enters upon the proposition and declaration of, chap. ix. 30. And because what he had to pro- pose was somewhat strange, and imsuited unto the common appre- hensions of men, he introduceth it with that prefatory interrogation, T/ ouv epo\J/j,sv; (which he usetli on the like occasions, chap. iii. 5, vi. 1, vii. 7, ix. 14) — " What shall we say then V that i.s, " Is there in this matter 'unrighteousness with God?'" as verse 14; or, " What shall Ave say unto these things ?" or, " This is that wliich is to be said herein." That which hereon he asserts is, " That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the right- eousness which is of faith ; but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness;" that is, unto righteousness itself before God.
Nothing seems to be more contrary unto reason than what is here made manifest by the event. The Gentiles, who lived in sin and pleasures, not once endeavouring to attain unto any righteousness before God, yet attained unto it upon the preaching of the gospel. Israel, on the other hand, which followed after righteousness diligently in all the works of the law, and duties of obedience unto God thereby,
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came short of it, attained not unto it. All preparations, all disposi- tions, all merit, as unto righteousness and justification, are excluded from the Gentiles ; for in all of them there is more or less a following after righteousness, which is denied of them all. Only by faith in him who justifieth the ungodly, they attain righteousness, or they attained the righteousness of faith. For to attain righteousness by faith, and to attain the righteousness which is of faith, are the same. Wherefore, all things that are comprised any way in following after righteousness, such as are all our duties and works, are excluded from any influence into our justification. And this is expressed to declare the sovereignty and freedom of the grace of God herein, — namely, that we are justified freely by his grace, — and that on our part all boasting is excluded. Let men pretend what they will, and dispute what they please, those who attain unto righteousness and justifica- tion before God, when they follow not after righteousness, they do it by the gratuitous imputation of the righteousness of another unto them.
It may be it will be said : " It is true in the time of their heathenism they did not at all follow after righteousness, but when the truth of the gospel was revealed unto them, then they followed after right- eousness, and did attain it." But, — 1. This is directly to contradict the apostle, in that it says that they attained not righteousness but only as they followed after righteousness; whereas he affirms the dhect contrary. 2. It takes away the distinction which he puts be- tween them and Israel, — namely, that the one followed after right- eousness, and the other did not. 3. To follow after righteousness, in this place, is to follow after a righteousness of our own : " To establish their own righteousness," chap. x. 3. But this is so far from being a means of attaining righteousness, as that it is the most effectual ob- struction thereof