faith to faith0:" and " it is unto all, and upon all, them that believe d." From the moment that any one believes in Christ, this righteousness becomes his; yea, "Christ is made unto him righteousness6;" and he is entitled to call the Lord Jesus, " Jehovah our Righteousnessf;" and to say, " In the Lord have I righteousness and strength g." Arrayed in this spotless robe, he will be so pure, that the eye of God himself will not discern a spot or blemish in himh.]
Confession will insure to us his final approbation —
[True, it will add nothing to Christ's perfect righteous- ness : but it will evince the sincerity of our faith : and on it will the veiy sentence of our Saviour's approbation be grounded, as displaying, beyond a doubt, the equity of his procedure. Our Lord has said, that on this shall his ultimate proceedings with us depend : " Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven. But who- soever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven1." Nor is this a mere arbitrary appointment : for the confessing of Christ openly has a great tendency to improve our character, and to prepare us for his glory. Doubtless it will be an occasion of many trials and many sufferings : for the ungodly world will hate the servants even as they hated the Master, and persecute them even as they persecuted him. But " he was made perfect through suf- feringsk:" and by the fire of affliction must we also be purged from our dross1. Our afflictions are but, in fact, the com- pleting of that which was yet lacking in hism: and, in enduring them, we are assimilated to his image". Thus, though our confession of him adds not any thing to his perfect righteous- ness, it tends to fit us for the recompence which his overflow- ing bounty will accord to us. Assuredly, therefore, we may expect, that " if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him," and to all eternity " be glorified together0."]
Let, then, your faith in Christ be cordial —
[It is not to be a mere assent of the understanding, but an acquiescence of the heart. Twice is this mentioned in our text : nor is it possible for us to lay too great a stress upon it. In point of strength, I doubt not but that the faith of devils is superior to that of men : but they have no love to Christ, nor any delight in any thing relating to him. But ye, beloved, must see a glory in the whole of his mediation, and must feel
c Rom. i. 17. d Rom. iii. 22. e i Cor.i. 30.
f Jer. xxiii. 6. s Isai. xlv. 24. h Eph. v. 27.
1 Matt. x. 32, 33. k Heb. ii. 10. '1 Pet. i. 6, 7.
«> Col. i. 24. "1 Pet. iv. 13.
0 2 Tim. ii. 12. Rom. viii. 17.