9. This is more largely and particularly expressed in the Treatise on Justification, which I published last year. “If we take the phrase of _imputing Christ’s righteousness_, for the bestowing (as it were) the righteousness of Christ, including his obedience, as well passive as active in the return of it; that is, in the privileges, blessings and benefits purchased by it: So a believer may be said to be justified, by _the righteousness of Christ imputed_. The meaning is, God justifies the believer, for the sake of Christ’s righteousness and not for any righteousness of his own. So Calvin (Instit. l. 2. c. 17.) ‘Christ by his obedience procured and merited for us grace or favour with God the Father.’ Again, ‘Christ by his obedience procured or purchased righteousness for us.’ And yet again: ‘All such expressions as these, That we are justified by the grace of God, that Christ is our righteousness, that righteousness was procured for us by the death and resurrection of Christ, import the same thing:’ Namely, that the righteousness of Christ, both his active and passive righteousness, is the meritorious cause of our justification, and have procured for us at God’s hand, that upon our believing, we should be accounted righteous by him.” p. 5.
10. But perhaps some will object, “Nay, but you affirm, that _faith is imputed to us for righteousness_.” St. Paul affirms this over and over; therefore I affirm it too. Faith is imputed for righteousness to every believer; namely, faith in the righteousness of Christ. But this is exactly the same thing, which has been said before. For by that expression, I mean neither more nor less than that we are justified by faith, not by works: Or that every believer is forgiven and accepted, merely for the sake of what Christ has done and suffered.
11. “But is not a believer, invested or cloathed with the righteousness of Christ?” Undoubtedly he is. And accordingly the words above recited, are the language of every believing heart.
“Jesu, thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress.”
That is, for the sake of thy active and passive righteousness, I am forgiven and accepted of God.
“But must not we put off the filthy rags of our own righteousness, before we can put on the spotless righteousness of Christ?” Certainly we must; that is in plain terms, we must _repent_, before we can _believe the gospel_. We must be cut off from dependence upon ourselves, before we can truly depend upon Christ. We must cast away all confidence in our own righteousness, or we cannot have a true confidence in his. Till we are delivered from trusting in any thing that we do, we cannot throughly trust in what he has done and suffered. First _we receive the sentence of death in ourselves_; then we trust in him that lived and died for us.
12. “But do not you believe _inherent_ righteousness?” Yes, in its proper place: Not as the _ground_ of our acceptance with God, but as the _fruit_ of it: Not in the place of _imputed_ righteousness, but as consequent upon it. That is, I believe God _implants_ righteousness, in every one to whom he has _imputed_ it. I believe _Jesus Christ is made of_ God _unto us sanctification_, as well as righteousness: or, that God sanctifies, as well as justifies, all them that believe in him. They to whom the righteousness of Christ is imputed, are made righteous by the Spirit of Christ, are renewed in the image of God, _after the likeness wherein they were created, in righteousness and true holiness_.
13. “But do not you put faith in the room of Christ, or of his righteousness?” By no means. I take particular care, to put each of these in its proper place. The righteousness of Christ is the whole and sole _foundation_ of all our hope. It is by faith that the Holy Ghost enables us, to build upon this foundation. God gives this faith. In that moment we are accepted of God: and yet, not for the sake of that faith, but of what Christ has done and suffered for us. You see, each of these has its proper place, and neither clashes with the other: We believe, we love; we endeavour to walk in all the commandments of the Lord blameless. Yet,
While thus we bestow Our moments below, Ourselves we forsake, And refuge in Jesus’s righteousness take. His passion alone, The foundation we own: And pardon we claim, And eternal redemption in Jesus’s name.