But that is no consequence at all; for GOD may justly damn any man for omitting the least duty of the moral law, and yet in himself is not obliged to give to any one any reward, supposing he has done all that he can. We are unprofitable servants; we have not done near so much as it was our duty to do, must be the language of the most holy souls living; and therefore, from or in ourselves, cannot be justified in the sight of GOD. This was the frame of the devout souls just now referred to. Sensible of this, they were so far from depending on their works for justification in the sight of GOD, that they were filled, as it were, with a holy blushing, to think our LORD should condescend to mention, much more to reward them for, their poor works of faith and labours of love. I am persuaded their hearts would rise with a holy indignation against those who urge this passage, as an objection to the assertion of the prophet, that “the LORD is our righteousness.”
Thus, I think, we have fairly answered these grand objections, which are generally urged against the doctrine of an _imputed righteousness_. Was I to stop here, I think I may say, “We are made more than conquerors through him that loved us.” But there is a way of arguing which I have always admired, because I have thought it always very convincing, by shewing the _absurdities_ that will follow from denying any particular proposition in dispute.
IV. This is the next thing that was proposed. And never did greater or more absurdities flow from the denying any doctrine, than will flow from denying the doctrine of CHRIST’s imputed righteousness.
And _first_, if we deny this doctrine, we turn the truth, I mean the word of GOD, as much as we can, into a lie, and utterly subvert all those places of scripture which say that we are saved by grace; that it is not of works, lest any man should boast; that salvation is GOD’s free gift; and that he who glorieth, must glory only in the LORD. For, if the whole personal righteousness of JESUS CHRIST be not the sole cause of my acceptance with GOD, if any work done by or foreseen in me, was in the least to be joined with it, or looked upon by GOD as an inducing, impulsive cause of acquitting my soul from guilt, then I have somewhat whereof I may glory in myself. Now boasting is excluded in the great work of our redemption; but that cannot be, if we are enemies to the doctrine of an imputed righteousness. It would be endless to enumerate how many texts of scripture must be false, if this doctrine be not true. Let it suffice to affirm in the general, that if we deny an imputed righteousness, we may as well deny a divine revelation all at once: for it is the _alpha_ and _omega_, the beginning and the end of the book of GOD. We must either disbelieve that, or believe what the prophet hath spoken in the text, “that the LORD is our righteousness.”
But farther: I observed at the beginning of this discourse, that we are all _Arminians_ and _Papists_ by nature: for as one says, “_Arminianism_ is the back way to _popery_.” And here I venture further to affirm, that if we deny the doctrine of an imputed righteousness, whatever we may stile ourselves, we are really _Papists_ in our hearts, and deserve no other title from men.
Sirs, what think you? Suppose I was to come and tell you, that you must intercede with saints, for them to intercede with GOD for you; would you not then say, I was justly reputed a _popish missionary_ by some, and deservedly thrust out of the synagogues by others? I suppose you would. And why? Because, you would say, the intercession of JESUS CHRIST was sufficient of itself, without the intercession of saints; and that it was blasphemous to join theirs with his, as though it was not sufficient.
Suppose I went a little more round about; and told you that the death of CHRIST was not sufficient, without our death being added to it; that you must die as well as CHRIST, join your death with his, and then it would be sufficient. Might you not then, with a holy indignation, throw dust in the air, and justly call me a “setter forth of strange doctrines?” And now then, if it be not only absurd, but blasphemous, to join the intercession of saints with the intercession of CHRIST, as though his intercession was not sufficient; or our death with the death of CHRIST, as though his death was not sufficient: judge ye, if it be not equally absurd, equally blasphemous, to join our obedience, either wholly or in part, with the obedience of CHRIST, as if that was not sufficient. And if so, what absurdities will follow the denying that the LORD, both as to his active and passive obedience, is our righteousness?
One more absurdity I shall mention, as following the denying this doctrine, and I have done.