can want for our complete and everlasting juf tification

What I therefore propose, is to take occasion from this paffage to difcourfe upon that glorious and perfect righteousness for juftification, which believers have in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and will for ever feek and find in him.

And in treating upon this very important fubject, the bafis of all religion, the great article of the faith and hope of the church, that I may throw all the light upon it that I can, I fhall in the

First place, more particularly fhew, what that righteousness is, which is to be had in the Lord Jesus Christ, and which the church is here reprefented as feeking in him.

Secondly, I fhall enquire how we come to have an intereft in this righteousness; how this righteousness, which is originally and fubjectively without us, comes to be made ours for our actual and perfonal juftifica. tion.

Thirdly, I fhall confider that difpofition and tendency of foul, which believers exprefs and difcover towards this righteoufnefs, as it is here intimated in the language of the church concerning it, furely, fball one fay,

B 3

in

tum ob amplitudinem, qua omnibus peccatoribus credentibus ad falutem fufficiat ; tum ob effecta, quatenus amplectitur omnia jura filiorum Dei. Vitringa in lo

cum.

in the Lord have I righteousness; there I feek and hope to find it.

Fourthly, I fhall reprefent the fulness and extent of this righteousness; how com plete it is in itself, and how fully it anfwers all the purposes for which we want it.

And when I have gone over these heads of difcourfe, I hope to find room to reply to the principal objections, with which this doctrine is wont to be affaulted.

And fo to conclude with a practical application of the whole. I am in the

First place, to fhew what that righteousness is, which is to be had in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and which the church is here reprefented as feeking in him.

I have already obferved, that this is to be understood of a righteoufnefs for juftification, as grace for fanctification, and all the duties of new and acceptable obedience, is included in that ftrength, which we have in him. And as this paffage is a comprehenfive defcription of what the humble faint applies unto Christ for, and hopes to find in him, most certainly it must include in it this leading and eminent bleffing of the covenant: Agreeable to what is faid of him elsewhere--that he is the Lord our righteoufnefs--and was made fin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Once more; we are directed in the context, ver. 22. to look unto him for falvation: Look unto me,

and

and be ye faved all the ends of the earth; But is there any being faved without a righteousness for juftification? If faved we must be justified; but how, and in what way can we be juftified, but only by the righteousness of Christ, and the free grace of God in and through him? We are justified by his blood, and faved from wrath thro' bim, Rom. v. 9.

It is, therefore, of a righteousness for justification that our text fpeaks, as what is provided in Chrift, and is to be had in him. And what this righteoufnefs is, and wherein it confifts, and that we have it in Chrift, when we have it not in ourselves, nor can have it elfewhere, is what I am now to represent: And this is what I fhall endeavour by laying down a fhort series of propofitions, plain and easy to be understood, which, I hope, will give us a view of this fubject, without any perplexity or confufion.

Prop. I. That man is naturally and neceffarily under a law to God.

Prop. II. That man being under a law to God, fome righteoufnefs is abfolutely neceffary to his juftification.

Prop. III. That every righteousness is not fufficient for this purpose, but it must be fuch a righteoufnefs, as fully anfwers to the purity and perfection of that law under which man is, and which God hath given him as the rule of his obedience

Prop. IV. That we have no fuch righteoufnefs of our own, nor can any mere creature furnish us with it. From whence will follow.

Prop. V. That if ever we are justified, it must be by the righteousness of Christ, confifting in that complete and perfect obedience, which he hath performed to the law in our room and stead.

Each of these propofitions, I fhall endeavour to illuftrate, and vindicate as I go along.

Prop. I. That man is naturally and neceffarily under a law to God. This refults as from the fupereminent dignity of the divine nature, fo from the neceffary and unalterable relation between God and man, as the one is the Creator, and the other his creature. For man being the creature of God, owing his exiftence to him, and having received all his powers and faculties from him, he is hereby neceffarily placed in a state of dependance upon God, and fubjection to him. And as man was created an intelligent and free agent, and therein capable of moral government, this ftrengthens the proof of his being under a law to his great Creator. He was made capable of knowing, and loving and ferving, and worshipping God, and what more fit, and right than that he fhould do fo? It is, I apprehend, impoffible to conceive of a creature without being under a law to this. This is what is commonly called the law of nature, and the moral law. Angels are under fuch

fuch a law, and it was the violating this law in fome inftance, in which it called for their homage and obedience, that was the fin of the angels that fell. Adam in Paradife was under fuch a law; and it is in its principal, articles engraven upon the hearts of all mankind. Hence the Apostle inftances in the Heathens, who having not the written and revealed law, are nevertheless a law to themselves, whilft their confciences either acquit, or condemn them accord. ing as they either conform to, or violate this law in the plain dictates of it, Rom. ii. 14, 15. Thus all mankind are naturally and neceffarily under a law to God, a law to love, and fear, and ferve him, and conform to his will in whatever instance he fhall make it known. This law is of univerfal extent, and perpetual obligation, and in the nature of things unalterable for ever. The fupreme caufe and Author of all things must be Lord, and Law-giver to his creatures: And indeed, as I faid, it is impoffible to conceive of a reasonable creature without his being under fuch a law as this. This is the first propofition that I would lay down; that man is neceffarily under a law to God. I would only obferve farther, that this law is for fubftance the fame with that, which was given to man in Paradife; which was afterwards folemnly promulgated upon mount Sinai, and is fummarily comprehended in the ten commandments; and is a law, that calls for perfect holiness, and unfinning obedience as the neceffary condition of our acceptance with God. But I do not infift longer upon this now, becaufe the purity, extent, and unchangeable obligations of the law,

will