the pharisee and the publican-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Now；　this　is　the　righteousness　with　which　the　Christian；　as　to　justification；　is　made　righteous；　to　wit；　a　righteousness　that　is　neither　essential　to　his　Godhead；　nor　to　his　manhood；　but　such　as　standeth　in　that　glorious　person　（who　was　such）　his　obedience　to　the　law。　　Which　righteousness　himself　had；　with　reference　to　himself；　no　need　of　at　all；　for　his　Godhead；　yea；　his　manhood；　was　perfectly　righteous　without　it。　　This　righteousness　therefore　was　there；　and　there　only　necessary；　where　Christ　was　considered　as　God's　servant　（and　our　surety）　to　bring　to　God　Jacob　again；　and　to　restore　the　preserved　of　Israel。　　For　though　Christ　was　a　Son；　yet　he　became　a　servant　to　do；　not　for　himself；　for　he　had　no　need；　but　for　us；　the　whole　law；　and　so　bring　in　everlasting　righteousness　for　us。

And　hence　it　is　said；　that　Christ　did　what　he　did　for　us。　　He　became　the　end　of　the　law　for　righteousness　for　us；　he　suffered　for　us；　he　died　for　us；　he　laid　down　his　life　for　us；　and　he　gave　himself　for　us。　　The　righteousness　then　that　Christ　did　fulfil；　when　he　was　in　the　world；　was　not　for　himself　simply　considered；　nor　for　himself　personally　considered；　for　he　had　no　need　thereof；　but　it　was　for　the　elect；　the　members　of　his　body。

Christ　then　did　not　fulfil　the　law　for　himself；　for　he　had　no　need　thereof。　　Christ　again　did　fulfil　the　law　for　himself；　for　he　had　need　of　the　righteousness　thereof；　he　had　need　thereof　for　the　covering　of　his　body；　and　the　several　members　thereof；　for　they；　in　a　good　sense；　are　himself；　members　of　his　body；　of　his　flesh；　and　of　his　bones；　and　he　owns　them　as　parts　of　himself　in　many　places　of　the　holy　scriptures；　Eph。　v。　30；　Acts　ix。　4；　5；　Matt。　xxv。　45；　x。　40；　Mark　ix。　37；　Luke　x。　16；　1　Cor。　xii。　12；　27。　　This　righteousness　then；　even　the　whole　of　what　Christ　did　in　answer　to　the　law；　it　was　for　us；　and　God　hath　put　it　upon　them；　and　they　were　righteous　in　it；　even　righteous　as　he　is　righteous。　　And　this　they　have　before　they　do　acts　of　righteousness。

Secondly；　There　is　righteousness　put　into　them；　before　they　act　righteous　things。　　A　righteousness；　I　say；　put　into　them；　or　I　had　rather　that　you　should　call　it　a　principle　of　righteousness；　for　it　is　a　principle　of　life　to　righteousness。　　Before　man's　conversion；　there　is　in　him　a　principle　of　death　to　sin；　but　when　he　is　converted　to　Christ；　there　is　put　in　him　a　principle　of　righteousness；　that　he　may　bring　forth　fruit　unto　God；　Rom。　vii。　4…6。

Hence　they　are　said　to　be　quickened；　to　be　made　alive；　to　be　risen　from　death　to　life；　to　have　the　Spirit　of　God　dwelling　in　them；　not　only　to　make　their　souls　alive；　but　to　quicken　their　mortal　bodies　to　that　which　is　good；　Rom。　viii。　11。

Here；　as　I　hinted　before；　they　that　do　righteousness　are　said　to　be　born　of　him；　that　is；　antecedent　to　their　doing　of　righteousness；　1　John　ii。　29；　〃born　of　him；〃　that　is；　made　alive　with　new；　spiritual；　and　heavenly　life。　　Wherefore　the　exhortation　to　them　is；　〃Neither　yield　ye　your　members　as　instruments　of　unrighteousness　unto　sin；　but　yield　yourselves　unto　God；　as　those　that　are　alive　from　the　dead；　and　your　members　as　instruments　of　righteousness　unto　God；〃　Rom。　vi。　13。

Now　this　principle　must　also　be　in　men；　before　they　can　do　that　which　is　spiritual：　　for　whatever　seeming　good　thing　any　man　doth；　before　he　has　bestowed　upon　him　this　heavenly　principle　from　God；　it　is　accounted　nothing；　it　is　accounted　sin　and　abomination　in　the　sight　of　God；　for　an　evil　tree　cannot　bring　forth　good　fruit：　　〃Men　do　not　gather　grapes　of　thorns；　neither　of　a　bramble　gather　figs。〃　　It　is　not　the　fruit　that　makes　the　tree；　but　the　tree　that　makes　the　fruit。　A　man　must　be　good；　before　he　can　do　good；　and　evil　before　he　can　do　evil。

This　is　that　which　is　asserted　by　the　Son　of　God　himself；　and　it　lieth　so　level　with　reason　and　the　nature　of　things；　that　it　cannot　be　contradicted：　　Matth。　vii。　16…18；　Luke　vi。　43…45。　　〃A　good　man；　out　of　the　good　treasure　of　his　heart；　bringeth　forth　that　which　is　good：　　and　an　evil　man；　out　of　the　evil　treasure　of　his　heart；　bringeth　forth　that　which　is　evil。〃　　But　notwithstanding　all　that　can　be　said；　it　seemeth　very　strange　to　the　carnal　world；　for　they　will　not　be　otherwise　persuaded；　but　that　they　be　good　deeds　that　make　good　men；　and　evil　ones　that　make　evil　men。　　And　so；　by　such　dotish　apprehensions；　do　what　in　them　lieth　to　fortify　their　hearts　with　the　mists　of　darkness　against　the　clear　shining　of　the　word；　and　conviction　of　the　truth。

And　thus　it　was　from　the　beginning。　　Abel's　first　services　to　God　were　from　this　principle　of　righteousness；　but　Cain　would　have　been　made　righteous　by　his　deeds；　but　his　deeds　not　flowing　from　the　same　root　of　goodness；　as　did　Abel's；　notwithstanding　he　did　it　with　the　very　best　he　had；　is　yet　called　evil：　　for　he　wanted；　I　say；　the　principles；　to　wit；　of　grace　and　faith；　without　which　no　action　can　be　counted　good　in　a　gospel…sense。

These　two　things；　then；　that　man　must　have　that　will　do　righteousness。　　He　must　have　put　upon　him　the　perfect　righteousness　of　Christ：　　and　he　must　have　that　dwelling　in　him；　as　a　fruit　of　the　new　birth；　a　principle　of　righteousness。　　Then　indeed　he　is　a　tree　of　righteousness；　and　God　is　like　to　be　glorified　in　and　by　him；　but　this　the　Pharisee　was　utterly　ignorant　of；　and　at　the　remotest　distance　from。

You　may　ask　me　next；　But　which　of　these　are　first　bestowed　upon　the　Christianthe　perfect　righteousness　of　Christ　unto　justification；　or　this　gospel…principle　of　righteousness　unto　sanctification？

Answ。　　The　perfect　righteousness　of　Christ　unto　justification　must　first　be　made　over　to　him　by　an　act　of　grace。　　This　is　evident；

1。　　Because　he　is　justified　as　ungodly；　that　is；　whilst　he　is　ungodly：　　but　it　must　not　be　said　of　them　that　have　this　principle　of　grace　in　them；　that　they　are　ungodly；　for　they　are　saints　and　holy。　But　this　righteousness；　by　it　God　justifieth　the　ungodly；　by　imputing　it　to　them；　when　and　while　they；　as　to　a　principle　of　grace；　are　graceless。

This　is　further　manifested　thus：　　The　person　must　be　accepted　before　his　performance　can；　〃And　the　Lord　had　respect　unto　Abel；　and　to　his　offering；〃　Gen。　iv。　　If　he　had　respect　to　Abel's　person　first；　yet　he　must　have　respect　unto　it　for　the　sake　of　some　righteousness；　but　Abel　as　yet　had　no　righteousness；　for　that　he　acted；　after　God　had　a　respect　unto　his　person。　　〃And　the　Lord　had　respect　unto　Abel；　and　to　his　offering：　　but　unto　Cain；　and　to　his　offering；　he　had　no　respect。〃

The　prophet　Ezekiel　also　shews　us　this；　where；　by　the　similitude　of　the　wretched　infant；　and　of　the　manner　of　God's　receiving　it　to　mercy；　he　shews　how　he　received　the　Jews　to　favour。　　First；　saith　he；　〃I　spread　my　skirt　over　thee；　and　covered　thy　nakedness。〃　　There　is　justification；　〃I　covered　thy　nakedness。〃　　But　what　manner　of　nakedness　was　it？　　Yes；　it　was　then　as　naked　as　naked　could　be；　even　as　naked　as　in　the　day　that　it　was　born；　Ezek。　xvi。　4…9。　　And　as　thus　naked；　it　was　covered；　not　with　any　thing　but　with　the　skirt　of　Christ；　that　is；　with　his　robe　of　righteousness；　with　his　obedience；　that　he　performed　of　himself　for　that　very　purpose；　for　by　the　obedience　of　one；　many　are　made　righteous。

2。　　Righteousness　unto　justification　must　be　first；　because　the　first　duty　that　a　Christian　performeth　to　God；　must　be　accepted；　not　for　the　sake　of　the　principle　from　which　in　the　heart　it　flows；　nor　yet　for　the　sake　of　the　person　that　acts　it；　but　for　the　sake　of　Christ；　whose　righteousness　it　is　by　which　the　sinner　stands　just　before　God。　And　hence　it　is　said；　〃By　faith　Abel　offered　unto　God　a　more　excellent　sacrifice　than　Cain；〃　Heb。　xi。　　By　faith　he　did　it；　but　faith　in　respect　to　the　righteousness　that　justifies；　for　we　are　justified　by　faith；　not　by　faith　as　it　is　an　acting　grace；　but　the　righteousness　of　faith；　that　is；　by　that　righteousness　that　faith　embraceth；　layeth　hold　of；　and　helpeth　the　soul　to　rest　and　trust　to；　for　justification　of　life；　which　is　the　obedience　of　Christ。　Besides；　it　is　said；　by　faith　he　offered；　faith　then　in　Christ　was　precedent　to　his　offering。

Now；　since　faith　was　in　act　before　his　offer；　and　since　before　his　offer　he　had　no　personal　goodness　of　his　own；　faith　must　look　out　from　home；　I　say　to　another　for　righteousness；　and　finding　the　righteousness　of　Christ　to　be　the　righteousness　which　by　God　was　designed　to　be　performed　for　the　justification　of　a　sinner；　it　embraces　it；　and　through　it　offereth　to　God　a　more　excellent　sacrifice　than　Cain。

Hence　it　follows；　〃By　which　he　obtained　witness　that　he　was　righteous；〃　by　which；　not　by　his　offering；　but　by　his　faith；　for　his　offering；　simply　as　an　offering；　could　not　have　made　him　righteous　if　he　had　not　been　righteous　before；　for　〃an　evil　tree　cannot　bring　forth　good　fruit。〃　　Besides；　if　this　be　granted；　why　had　not　God　respect　to　Cain's　offering　as　well　as　to　Abel's？　　For　did　Abel　offer？　So　did　Cain。　　Did　Abel　offer　his　best？　　So　did　Cain　his。　　And　if　with　this　we　shall　take　notice　of　the　order　of　their　offspring；　Cain　seemed　to　offer　first；　and　so　with　the　frankest　will　and　forwardest　mind；　but　yet；　saith　the　text；　〃The　Lord　had　respect　to　Abel　and　to　his　offering。〃　　But　why　to　Abel？　　Why；　because　his；　person　was　made　righteous　before　he　offered　his