the pharisee and the publican-第19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！


　was　made　righteous　before　he　offered　his　gift：　　〃By　which　he　obtained　witness　that　he　was　righteous；〃　God　testifying　of　his　gifts；　that　they　were　good　and　acceptable　because　they　declared　Abel's　acceptation　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　through　the　riches　of　the　grace　of　God。

By　faith；　then；　Abel　offered　to　God　a　more　excellent　sacrifice　than　Cain。　　He　shrouded　himself　under　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　and　so；　of　that　righteousness；　he　offered　to　God。　　God　also　looking　and　finding　him　there　（where　he　could　not　have　been；　as　to　his　own　apprehension；　no　otherwise　than　by　faith）；　accepted　of　his　gift；　by　which　acceptation　（for　so　you　may　understand　it　also）　God　testifieth　that　he　was　righteous；　for　God　receiveth　not　the　gifts　and　offerings　of　those　that　are　not　righteous；　for　their　sacrifices　are　an　abomination　unto　him；　Prov。　xxi。　27。

Abel　then　was；　I　say；　made　righteous；　first；　as　he　stood　ungodly　in　himself；　God　justifieth　the　ungodly；　Rom。　iv。　　Now；　being　justified；　he　was　righteous；　and　being　righteous；　he　offered　his　sacrifice　of　praise　to　God；　or　other　offerings　which　God　accepted；　because　he　believed　in　his　Son。　　But　this　our　Pharisee　understandeth　not。

3。　　Righteousness　by　imputation　must　be　first；　because　we　are　made　so；　to　wit；　by　another〃By　the　obedience　of　one　shall　many　be　made　righteous。〃　　Now　to　be　made　righteous；　implies　a　passiveness　in　him　that　is　so　made；　and　the　activity　of　the　work　to　lie　in　some　body　else；　except　he　had　said；　they　had　made　themselves　righteous；　but　that　it　doth　not；　nor　doth　the　text　leave　to　any　the　least　countenance　so　to　insinuate；　nay；　it　plainly　affirms　the　contrary；　for　it　saith；　by　the　obedience　of　one；　of　one　man；　Jesus　Christ；　many　are　made　righteous；　by　the　righteousness　of　one；　Rom。　v。　　So　then；　if　they　be　made　righteous　by　the　righteousness　of　one；　I　say　if　many　be　made　righteous　by　the　righteousness　of　one；　then　are　they　that　are　so；　as　to　themselves；　passive　and　not　active；　with　reference　to　the　working　out　of　this　righteousness。　　They　have　no　hand　in　that；　for　that　is　the　act　of　one；　the　righteousness　of　one；　the　obedience　of　one；　the　workmanship　of　one；　even　of　Christ　Jesus。

Again；　If　they　are　made　righteous　by　this　righteousness；　then　also　they　are　passive　as　to　their　first　privilege　by　it；　for　they　are　made　righteous　by　it；　they　do　not　make　themselves　righteous　by　it。

Imputation　is　also　the　act　of　God。　　〃Even　as　David　also　describeth　the　blessedness　of　the　man；　unto　whom　God　imputeth　righteousness。〃　The　righteousness　then　is　a　work　of　Christ；　his　own　obedience　to　his　Father's　law；　the　making　of　it　ours　is　the　act　of　the　Father；　and　of　his　infinite　grace：　　〃For　of　him　are　ye　in　Christ　Jesus；　who　of　God　is　made　unto　us　wisdom　and　righteousness。〃　　〃For　God　hath　made　Jim　to　be　sin　for　us；　who　knew　no　sin；　that　we　might　be　made　the　righteousness　of　God　in　him。〃　　And　both　these　things　God　shewed　to　our　first　parents；　when　he　acted　in　grace　towards　them　after　the　fall。

There　it　is　said；　the　Lord　God　made　unto　Adam；　and　unto　his　wife；　coats　of　skins；　and　clothed　them；　Gen。　iii。　21。

Whence　note；

（1。）　　That　Adam　and　his　wife　were　naked；　both　in　God's　eye　and　in　their　own；　verses　10；　11。

（2。）　　That　the　Lord　God　made　coats　of　skins。

（3。）　　That　in　his　making　of　them；　he　had　respect　to　Adam　and　to　his　wife；　that　is；　he　made　them。

（4。）　　That　when　he　had　made　them；　he　also　clothed　them　therewith。

They　made　not　the　coats；　nor　did　God　bid　them　make　them；　but　God　did　make　them　himself　to　cover　their　nakedness　with。　　Yea；　when　he　had　made　them；　he　did　not　bid　them　put　them　on；　but　he　himself　did　clothe　them　with　them：　　for　thus　runs　the　text；　〃Unto　Adam　also；　and　to　his　wife；　did　the　Lord　God　make　coats　of　skins；　and　clothed　them。〃　　O　it　was　the　Lord　God　that　made　this　coat　with　which　a　poor　sinner　is　made　righteous！　　And　it　is　also　the　Lord　God　that　putteth　it　upon　us。　　But　this　our　Pharisee　understandeth　not。

But　now；　if　a　man　is　not　righteous　before　he　is　made　so；　before　the　Lord　God　has　by　the　righteousness　of　another　made　him　so；　then　whether　this　righteousness　comes　first　or　last；　the　man　is　not　righteous　until　it　cometh；　and　if　he　be　not　righteous　until　it　cometh；　then　what　works　soever　are　done　before　it　comes；　they　are　not　the　works　of　a　righteous　man；　nor　the　fruits　of　a　good　tree；　but　of　a　bad。　　And　so　again；　this　righteousness　must　first　come　before　a　man　be　righteous；　and　before　a　man　does　righteousness。　　Make　the　tree　good；　and　its　fruit　will　be　good。

Now；　since　a　man　must　be　made　righteous　before　he　can　do　righteousness；　it　is　manifest　his　works　of　righteousness　do　not　make　him　righteous；　no　more　than　the　fig　makes　its　own　tree　a　fig…tree；　or　than　the　grape　doth　make　its　own　vine　a　vine。　　Hence　those　acts　of　righteousness　that　Christian　men　do　perform；　are　called　the　fruits　of　righteousness；　which　are　by　Jesus　Christ　to　the　glory　and　praise　of　God；　Phil。　i。　11。

The　fruits　of　righteousness　they　are　by　Jesus　Christ；　as　the　fruits　of　the　tree　are　by　the　tree　itself；　for　the　truth　is；　that　principle　of　righteousness；　of　which　mention　has　been　made　before；　and　concerning　which　I　have　said　it　comes　in　in　the　second　place；　it　is　also　originally　to　be　found　for　us　nowhere　but　in　Christ。

Hence　it　is　said　to　be　by　Jesus　Christ；　and　again；　〃Of　his　fulness　have　we　all　received；　and　grace　for　grace；〃　John　i。　16。　　A　man　must　then　be　united　to　Christ　first；　and　so　being　united；　he　partaketh　of　this　benefit；　to　wit；　a　principle　that　is　supernatural；　spiritual；　and　heavenly。　　Now；　his　being　united　to　Christ；　is　not　of　or　from　himself；　but　of　and　from　the　Father；　who；　as　to　this　work；　is　the　husbandman；　even　as　the　twig　that　is　grafted　into　the　tree　officiateth　not；　that　is；　grafteth　not　itself　thereunto；　but　is　grafted　in　by　some　other；　itself　being　utterly　passive　as　to　that。　Now；　being　united　unto　Christ；　the　soul　is　first　made　partaker　of　justification；　or　of　justifying　righteousness；　and　now　no　longer　beareth　the　name　of　an　ungodly　man；　for　he　is　made　righteous　by　the　obedience　of　Christ；　he　being　also　united　to　Christ；　partaketh　of　the　root　and　fatness　of　Christ；　the　root；　that　is；　his　divine　nature；　the　fatness；　that　is；　the　fulness　of　grace　that　is　laid　up　in　him　to　be　communicated　unto　us；　even　as　the　branch　that　is　grafted　into　the　olive…tree　partaketh　of　the　root　and　fatness　of　the　olive…tree。　　Now　partaking　thereof；　it　quickeneth；　it　groweth；　it　buddeth；　and　yieldeth　fruit　to　the　praise　and　glory　of　God；　Rom。　xi。　17。

But　these　things；　as　I　have　often　said；　the　poor　Pharisee　was　ignorant　of；　when　so　swaggeringly　he；　with　his　〃God；　I　thank　thee；〃　came　into　the　temple　to　pray。　　And；　indeed；　in　that　which　hath　been　said　is　something　of　the　mystery　of　God's　will　in　his　way　with　his　elect；　and　such　a　mystery　it　is；　that　it　lieth　hid　for　ever　to　nature　and　natural　men；　for　they　think　of　nothing　less　than　of　this；　nor　of　nothing　more；　when　they　think　of　their　souls　and　of　salvation；　than　that　something　must　be　done　by　themselves　to　reconcile　them　to　God。　Yea；　if　through　some　common　convictions　their　understandings　should　be　swayed　to　a　consenting　to　that；　that　justification　is　of　grace　by　Christ；　and　not　of　works　by　men；　yet　conscience；　reason；　and　the　law　of　nature；　not　being　as　yet　subdued　by　the　power　and　glory　of　grace　unto　the　obedience　of　Christ；　will　rise　up　in　rebellion　against　this　doctrine；　and　will　over…rule　and　bow　down　the　soul　again　to　the　law　and　works　thereof　for　life。

4。　　Righteousness　by　imputation　must　be　first；　because；　else　faith；　which　is　a　part；　yea；　a　greater　part　of　that　which　is　called　a　principle　of　grace　in　the　soul；　will　have　nothing　to　fix　itself　upon；　nor　a　motive　to　work　by。　　Let　this　therefore　be　considered　by　those　that　are　on　the　contrary　side。

1。　　Faith；　so　soon　as　it　has　a　being　in　the　soul；　is　like　the　child　that　has　a　being　in　the　mother's　lap；　it　must　have　something　to　feed　upon；　not　something　at　a　distance；　afar　off；　to　be　purchased　（I　speak　now　as　to　justification　from　the　curse）；　but　something　by　promise　made　over　of　grace　to　the　soul；　something　to　feed　upon　to　support　from　the　fears　of　perishing　by　the　curse　for　sin。　　Nor　can　it　rest　content　with　all　duties　and　performances　that　other　graces　shall　put　the　soul　upon；　nor　with　any　of　its　own　works；　until　it　reaches　and　takes　hold　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ。　　Faith　is　like　the　dove；　which　found　no　rest　any　where　until　it　returned　to　Noah　into　the　ark。　But　this　our　Pharisee　understandeth　not。

Perhaps　some　may　object；　that　from　this　way　of　reasoning　it　is　apparent；　that　sanctification　is　first；　since　the　soul　may　have　faith；　and　so　a　principle　of　grace　in　it；　and　yet；　as　yet　it　cannot　find　Christ　to　feed　and　refresh　the　soul　withal。

Answ。　　From　this　way　of　reasoning　it　is　not　at　all　apparent　that　sanctification；　or　a　principle　of　grace；　is　in　the　soul　before　righteousness　is　imputed　and　the　soul　made　perfectly　righteous　thereby。　　And　for　the　clearing　up　of　this；　let　me　propose　a　few　things。

1。　　Justifying　righteousness；　to　wit；　the　obedience　of　that　one　man；　Christ；　is　imputed　to　the　sinner；　to　justify　him　in　God's　sight；　for　his　law　calls　for　perfect　righteousness；　and　before　that　be　come　to；　and　put　upon　the　poor　sinner；　God　cannot　bestow　o