Part 5

Part 5

This moral change is what some call, repentance, some, conversion,

some, regeneration; choose what name you please, I only pray God, that

we all may have the thing. The scriptures call it holiness,

sanctification, the new creature, and our Lord calls it a "New birth,

or being born again, or born from above." These are not barely

figurative expressions, or the flights of eastern language, nor do they

barely denote a relative change of state conferred on all those who are

admitted into Christ's church by baptism; but they denote a real, moral

change of heart and life, a real participation of the divine life in

the soul of man. Some indeed content themselves with a figurative

interpretation; but unless they are made to experience the power and

efficacy thereof, by a solid living experience in their own souls, all

their learning, all their labored criticism, will not exempt them from

a real damnation. Christ hath said it, and Christ will stand, "Unless a

man," learned or unlearned, high or low, though he be a master of

Israel as Nicodemus was, unless he "be born again, he cannot see, he

cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

If it be inquired, who is to be the potter? And by whose agency this

marred clay is to be formed into another vessel? Or in other words, if

it be asked, how this great and mighty change is to be effected? I

answer, not by the mere dint and force of moral suasion [persuasion].

This is good in its place. And I am so far from thinking, that

Christian preachers should not make use of rational arguments and

motives in their sermons, that I cannot think they are fit to preach at

all, who either cannot, or will not use them. We have the example of

the great God himself for such a practice; "Come (says he) and let us

reason together." And St. Paul, that prince of preachers, "reasoned of

temperance, and righteousness, and a judgment to come." And it is

remarkable, "that whilst he was reasoning of these things, Felix

trembled." Nor are the most persuasive strains of holy rhetoric less

needful for a scribe ready instructed to the kingdom of God. The

scriptures both of the Old and New Testament, every where abound with

them. And when can they be more properly employed, and brought forth,

than when we are acting as ambassadors or heaven, and beseeching poor

sinners, as in Christ's stead, to be reconciled unto God. All this we

readily grant. But at the same time, I would as soon go to yonder

church-yard, and attempt to raise the dead carcasses, with a "come

forth," as to preach to dead souls, did I not hope for some superior

power to make the word effectual to the designed end. I should only be

like a sounding brass for any saving purpose, or as a tinkling cymbal.

Neither is this change to be wrought by the power of our own free-will.

This is an idol every where set up, but we dare not fall down and

worship it. "No man (says Christ) can come to me, unless the Father

draw him." Our own free-will, if improved, may restrain us from the

commission of many evils, and put us in the way of conversion; but,

after exerting our utmost efforts (and we are bound in duty to exert

them) we shall find the words of our own church article to be true,

that "man since the fall hath no power to turn to God." No, we might as

soon attempt to stop the ebbing and flowing of the tide, and calm the

most tempestuous sea, as to imagine that we can subdue, or bring under

proper regulations, our own unruly wills and affections by any strength

inherent in ourselves.

And therefore, that I may keep you no longer in suspense, I inform you,

that this heavenly potter, this blessed agent, is the Almighty Spirit

of God, the Holy Ghost, the third person in the most adorable Trinity,

coessential with the Father and the Son. This is that Spirit, which at

the beginning of time moved on the face of the waters, when nature lay

in one universal chaos. This was the Spirit that overshadowed the Holy

Virgin, before that holy thing was born of her: and this same Spirit

must come, and move upon the chaos of our souls, before we can properly

be called the sons of God. This is what John the Baptist calls "being

baptized with the Holy Ghost," without which, his and all other

baptisms, whether infant or adult, avail nothing. This is that fire,

which our Lord came to send into our earthly hearts, and which I pray

the Lord of all lords to kindle in every unrenewed one this day.

As for the extraordinary operations of the Holy Ghost, such as working

of miracles, or speaking with divers kinds of tongues, they are long

since ceased. But as for this miracle of miracles, turning the soul to

God by the more ordinary operations of the Holy Ghost, this abides yet,

and will abide till time itself shall be nor more. For it is he that

sanctifieth us, and all the elect people of God. On this account, true

believers are said to be "born from above, to be born not of blood, nor

of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Their

second, as well as their first creation, is truly and purely divine. It

is, therefore, called "a creation;" but put ye on (says the apostle)

the new man which is created" -- And how? Even as the first man was,

"after God in righteousness and true holiness."

These, these are the precious truths, which a scoffing world would fain

rally or ridicule us out of. To produce this glorious change, this new

creation, the glorious Jesus left his Father's bosom. For this he led a

persecuted life; for this he died an ignominious and accursed death;

for this he rose again; and for this he now sitteth at the right hand

of his Father. All the precepts of his gospel, all his ordinances, all

his providences, whether of an afflictive or prosperous nature, all

divine revelation from the beginning to the end, all center in these

two points, to show us how we are fallen, and to begin, early on, and

complete a glorious and blessed change in our souls. This is an end

worthy of the coming of so divine a personage. To deliver a multitude

of souls of every nation, language and tongue, from so many moral

evils, and to reinstate them in an incomparably more excellent

condition than that from whence they are fallen, is an end worthy the

shedding of such precious blood. What system of religion is there now,

or was there ever exhibited to the world, any way to be compared to

this? Can the deistical scheme pretend in any degree to come up to it?

Is it not noble, rational, and truly divine? And why then will not all

that hitherto are strangers to this blessed restoration of their fallen

natures, (for my heart is too full to abstain any longer from an

application) why will you any longer dispute or stand out against it?

Why will you not rather bring your clay to this heavenly Potter, and

say from your inmost souls, "Turn us, O good Lord, and so shall we be

turned?" This, you may and can do: and if you go thus far, who knows

but that this very day, yea this very hour, the heavenly Potter may

take you in hand, and make you vessels of honor fit for the Redeemer's

use? Others that were once as far from the kingdom of God as you are,

have been partakers of this blessedness. What a wretched creature was

Mary Magdalene? And yet out of her Jesus Christ cast seven devils. Nay,

he appeared to her first, after he rose from the dead, and she became

as it were an apostle to the very apostles. What a covetous creature

was Zaccheus? He was a griping cheating publican; and yet, perhaps, in

one quarter of an hour's time, his heart is enlarged, and he made quite

willing to give half of his goods to feed the poor. And to mention no

more, what a cruel person was Paul. He was a persecutor, a blasphemer,

injurious; one that breathed out threatenings against the disciples of

the Lord, and made havoc of the church of Christ. And yet what a

wonderful turn did he meet with, as he was journeying to Damascus? From

a persecutor, he became a preacher; was afterwards made a spiritual

father to thousands, and now probably sits nearest the Lord Jesus

Christ in glory. And why all this? That he might be made an example to

them that should hereafter believe. O then believe, repent; I beseech

you, believe the gospel. Indeed, it is glad tidings, even tidings of

great joy. You will then no longer have any thing to say against the

doctrine of Original Sin; or charge the Almighty foolishly, for

suffering our first parents to be prevailed on to eat such sour grapes,

and permitting thereby their children's teeth to be set on edge. You

will then no longer cry out against the doctrine of the New Birth, as

enthusiasm, or brand the assertors of such blessed truths with the

opprobrious names of fools and madmen. Having felt, you will then

believe; having believed, you will therefore speak; and instead of

being vessels of wrath, and growing harder and harder in hell fire,

like vessels in a potter's oven, you will be made vessels of honor, and

be presented at the great day by Jesus, to his heavenly Father, and be

translated to live with him as monuments of rich, free, distinguishing

and sovereign grace, for ever and ever.

You, that have in some degree experienced the quickening influence (for

I must not conclude without dropping a word or two to God's children)

you know how to pity, and therefore, I beseech you also to pray for

those, to whose circumstances this discourse is peculiarly adapted. But

will you be content in praying for them? Will you not see reason to

pray for yourselves also? Yes, doubtless, for yourselves also. For you,

and you only know, how much there is yet lacking in your faith, and how

far you are from being partakers in that degree, which you desire to

be, of the whole mind that was in Christ Jesus. You know what a body of

sin and death you carry about with you, and that you must necessarily

expect many turns of God's providence and grace, before you will be

wholly delivered form it. But thanks be to God, we are in safe hands.

He that has been the author, will also be the finisher of our faith.

Yet a little while, and we like him shall say "It is finished;" we

shall bow down our heads an give up the ghost. Till then, (for to thee,

O Lord, will we now direct our prayer) help us, O Almighty Father, in

patience to posses our souls. Behold, we are the clay, and thou art the

Potter. Let not the thing formed say to him that formed it, whatever

the dispensations of thy future Will concerning us may be, Why dost

thou deal with us thus? Behold, we put ourselves as blanks in thine

hands, deal with us as seemeth good in thy sight, only let every cross,

ever affliction, every temptation, be overruled to the stamping thy

blessed image in more lively characters on our hearts; that so passing

from glory to glory, by the powerful operations of they blessed Spirit,

we may be made thereby more and more meet for, and at last be

translated to a full, perfect, endless, and uninterrupted enjoyment of

glory hereafter, with thee O Father, thee O Son, and thee O blessed

Spirit; to whom, three persons but one God, be ascribed, as is most

due, all honor, power, might, majesty and dominion, now and to all

eternity. Amen and Amen.

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The Lord Our Righteousness

Jeremiah 23:6 -- "The Lord our Righteousness."

Whoever is acquainted with the nature of mankind in general, or the

propensity of his own heart in particular, must acknowledge, that self-

righteousness is the last idol that is rooted out of the heart: being

once born under a covenant of works, it is natural for us all to have

recourse to a covenant of works, for our everlasting salvation. And we

have contracted such devilish pride, by our fall from God, that we

would, if not wholly, yet in part at least, glory in being the cause of

our own salvation. We cry out against popery, and that very justly; but

we are all Papists, at least, I am sure, we are all Arminians by

nature; and therefore no wonder so many natural men embrace that

scheme. It is true, we disclaim the doctrine of merit, are ashamed

directly to say we deserve any good at the hands of God; therefore, as

the Apostle excellently well observes, "we go about," we fetch a

circuit, "to establish a righteousness of our own, and," like the

Pharisees of old, "will not wholly submit to that righteousness which

is of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

This is the sorest, though, alas! the most common evil that was ever

yet seen under the sun. An evil, that in any age, especially in these

dregs of time wherein we live, cannot sufficiently be inveighed

against. For as it is with the people, so it is with the priests; and

it is to be feared, even in those places, where once the truth as it is

in Jesus was eminently preached, many ministers are so sadly

degenerated from their pious ancestors, that the doctrines of grace,

especially the personal, All-Sufficient Righteousness of Jesus, is but

too seldom, too slightly mentioned. Hence the love of many waxeth cold;

and I have often thought, was it possible, that this single

consideration would be sufficient to raise our venerable forefathers

again from their graves; who would thunder in their ears their fatal

error.

The righteousness of Jesus Christ is one of those great mysteries,

which the angels desire to look into, and seems to be one of the first

lessons that God taught men after the fall. For, what were the coats

that God made to put on our first parents, but types of the application

of the merits of righteousness of Jesus Christ to believers hearts? We

are told, that those coats were made of skins of beasts; and, as beasts

were not then food for men, we may fairly infer, that those beasts were

slain in sacrifice, in commemoration of the great sacrifice, Jesus

Christ, thereafter to be offered. And the skins of the beasts thus

slain, being put on Adam and Eve, they were hereby taught how their

nakedness was to be covered with the righteousness of the Lamb of God.

This is it which is meant, when we are told, "Abraham believed on the

Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." In short, this is

it of which both the law and the prophets have spoken, especially

Jeremiah in the words of the text, "The Lord our righteousness."

I propose, through divine grace,

I. To consider who we are to understand by the word Lord.

II. How the Lord is man's righteousness.

III. I will consider some of the chief objections that are generally

urged against this doctrine.

IV. I shall show some very ill consequences that flow naturally from

denying this doctrine.

V. Shall conclude with an exhortation to all to come to Christ by

faith, that they may be enabled to say with the prophet in the text,

"The Lord our righteousness."

I. I am to consider who we are to understand by the word Lord. The Lord

our righteousness.

If any Arians of Socinians are drawn by curiosity to hear what the

babbler has to say, let them be ashamed of denying the divinity of that

Lord, who has bought poor sinners with his precious blood. For the

person mentioned in the text, under the character of the Lord, is Jesus

Christ. Ver. 5, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will

raise unto David a righteous branch, a king shall reign and prosper,

and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days (ver.

6) Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his

name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness." By the

righteous branch, all agree, that we are to understand Jesus Christ. He

it is that is called the Lord in our text. If so, if there were no

other text in the Bible to prove the divinity of Christ, this is

sufficient: for if the word Lord may properly belong to Jesus Christ,

he must be God. And, as you have it in the margin of your Bibles, the

word Lord is in the original Jehovah, which is the essential title of

God himself. Come then, ye Arians, kiss the son of God, bow down before

him, and honor him, even as ye honor the Father. Learn of the angels,

those morning-stars, and worship him as truly God: for otherwise you

are as much idolaters, as those that worship the Virgin Mary. And as

for you Socinians, who say Christ was a mere man, and yet profess that

he was your Savior, according to your own principles you are accursed:

for, if Christ be a mere man, then he is only an arm of flesh: and it

is written, "Cursed is he that trusteth on an arm of flesh." But I

would hope, there are no such monsters here; at least, that, after

these considerations, they would be ashamed of broaching such monstrous

absurdities any more. For it is plain, that, by the word Lord, we are

to understand the Lord Jesus Christ, who here takes to himself the

title Jehovah, and therefore must be very God of very God; or, as the

Apostle devoutly expresses it, "God blessed for evermore."

II. How the Lord is to be man's righteousness, comes next to be

considered.

And that is, in one word, by Imputation. For it pleased God, after he

had made all things by the word of his power, to create man after his

own image. And so infinite was the condescension of the high and lofty

One, who inhabiteth eternity, that, although he might have insisted on

the everlasting obedience of him and his posterity; yet he was pleased

to oblige himself, by a covenant or agreement made with his own

creatures, upon condition of an unsinning obedience, to give them

immortality and eternal life. For when it is said, "The day thou eatest

thereof, thou shalt surely die;" we may fairly infer, so long as he

continued obedient, and did not eat thereof, he should surely live. The

3rd of Genesis gives us a full, but mournful account, how our first

parents broke this covenant, and thereby stood in need of a better

righteousness than their own, in order to procure their future

acceptance with God. For what must they do? They were as much under a

covenant of works as ever. And though, after their disobedience, they

were without strength; yet they were obliged not only to do, but

continue to do all things, and that too in the most perfect manner,

which the Lord had required of them: and not only so, but to make

satisfaction to God's infinitely offended justice, for the breach they

had already been guilty of. Here then opens the amazing scene of Divine

Philanthropy; I mean, God's love to man. For behold, what man could not

do, Jesus Christ, the son of his Father's love, undertakes to do for

him. And that God might be just in justifying the ungodly, though "he

was in the form of God, and therefore thought it no robbery to be equal

with God; yet he took upon him the form of a servant," even human

nature. In that nature he obeyed, and thereby fulfilled the whole moral

law in our stead; and also died a painful death upon the cross, and

thereby became a curse for, or instead of, those whom the Father had

given to him. As God, he satisfied, at the same time that he obeyed and

suffered as man; and, being God and man in one person, he wrought out a

full, perfect, and sufficient righteousness for all to whom it was to

be imputed.

Here then we see the meaning of the word righteousness. It implies the

active as well as passive obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. We

generally, when talking of the merits of Christ, only mention the

latter, -- his death; whereas, the former, -- his life and active

obedience, is equally necessary. Christ is not such a Savior as becomes

us, unless we join both together. Christ not only died, but lived, not

only suffered, but obeyed for, or instead of, poor sinners. And both

these jointly make up that complete righteousness, which is to be

imputed to us, as the disobedience of our first parents was made ours

by imputation. In this sense, and no other, are we to understand that

parallel which the apostle Paul draws, in the 5th of the Romans,

between the first and second Adam. This is what he elsewhere terms,

"our being made the righteousness of God in him." This is the sense

wherein the Prophet would have us to understand the words of the text;

therefore, Jer. 33:16, "She (i.e. the church itself) shall be called,

(having this righteousness imputed to her) The Lord our righteousness."

A passage, I think, worthy of the profoundest meditation of all the

sons and daughters of Abraham.

Many are the objections which the proud hearts of fallen men are

continually urging against this wholesome, this divine, this soul

saving doctrine. I come now,

III. To answer some few of those which I think the most considerable.

And, First, they say, because they would appear friends to morality,

"That the doctrine of an imputed righteousness is "destructive of good

works, and leads to licentiousness."

And who, pray, are the persons that generally urge this objection? Are

they men full of faith, and men really concerned for good works? No;

whatever few exceptions there may be, if there be any at all, it is

notorious, they are generally men of corrupt minds, reprobate

concerning the faith. The best title I can give them is, that of

profane moralists, or moralists false so called. For I appeal to the

experience of the present as well as past ages, if iniquity did and

does not most abound, where the doctrine of Christ's whole personal

righteousness is most cried down, and most seldom mentioned. Arminian

being antichristian principles, always did, and always will lead to

antichristian practices. And never was there a reformation brought

about in the church, but by the preaching the doctrine of an imputed

righteousness. This, as the man of God, Luther, calls it, is "Artienlus

statntis out cedentis Eichlesin," the article by which the Church

stands or falls. And though the preachers of this doctrine are

generally branded by those on the other side, with the opprobrious

names of Antinomians, deceivers, and what not; yet, I believe, if the

truth of the doctrine on both sides was to be judged of by the lives of

the preachers of professors of it, on our side the question would have

the advantage every way.

It is true, this, as well as every other doctrine of grace, may be

abused. And perhaps the unchristian walk of some, who have talked of

Christ's imputed righteousness, justification by faith, and the like,

and yet never felt it imputed to their own souls, has given the enemies

of the Lord thus cause to blaspheme. But this is a very unsafe, as well

as a very unfair way of arguing. The only question should be, Whether

or not this doctrine of an imputed righteousness, does in itself cut

off the occasion of good works, or lean to licentiousness? To this we

may boldly answer, In no wise. It excludes works, indeed, from being

any cause of our justification in the sight of God; but it requires

good works as a proof of our having this righteousness imputed to us,

and as a declarative evidence of our justification in the sight of men.

And then, how can the doctrine of an imputed righteousness be a

doctrine leading to licentiousness?

It is all calumny. The apostle Paul introduceth an infidel making this

objection, in his epistle to the Romans; and none but infidels, that

never felt the power of Christ's resurrection upon their souls, will

urge it over again. And therefore, notwithstanding this objection, with

the Prophet in the text, we may boldly say, "The Lord is our

righteousness."

But Satan (and no wonder that his servants imitate him) often

transforms himself into an angel of light; and therefore, (such

perverse things will infidelity and Arminianism make men speak) in

order to dress their objections in the best colors, some urge, "That

our Savior preached no such doctrine; that in his sermon on the mount,

he mentions only morality:" and consequently the doctrine of an imputed

righteousness falls wholly to the ground.

But surely the men, who urge this objection, either never read, or

never understood, our Lord's blessed discourse, wherein the doctrine of

an imputed righteousness is so plainly taught, that he who runs, If he

has eyes that see, may read.

Indeed our Lord does recommend morality and good works, (as all

faithful ministers will do) and clears the moral law from many corrupt

glosses put upon it by the letter-learned Pharisees. But then, before

he comes to this, tis remarkable, he talks of inward piety, such as

poverty of spirit, meekness, holy mourning, purity of heart, especially

hungering and thirsting after righteousness; and then recommends good

works, as an evidence of our having his righteousness imputed to us,

and these graces and divine tempers wrought in our hearts. "Let your

light (that is, the divine light I before have been mentioning) shine

before men, in a holy life; that they, seeing your good works, may

glorify your father which is in heaven." And then he immediately adds,

"Think not that I am come to destroy the moral law: I came not to

destroy, (to take away the force of it as a rule of life) but to

fulfill, (to obey it in its whole latitude, and give the complete sense

of it.") And then he goes on to show how exceeding broad the moral law

is. So that our Lord, instead of setting aside an imputed righteousness

in his sermon upon the mount, not only confirms it, but also answers

the foregoing objection urged against it, by making good works a proof

and evidence of its being imputed to our souls. He, therefore, that

hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Prophet says in the words of

the text, "The Lord our righteousness."

But as Satan not only quoted scripture, but backed one temptation after

another with it, when he attacked Christ in the wilderness; so his

children generally take the same method in treating his doctrine. And,

therefore, they urge another objection against the doctrine of an

imputed righteousness, from the example of the young man in the gospel.

We may state it thus: "The Evangelist Mark, say they, chapter 10,

mentions a young man that came to Christ, running, and asking him what

he should do to inherit eternal life? Christ referred him to the

commandments, to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. It is

plain, therefore, works were to be, partly at least, the cause of his

justification; and consequently the doctrine of an imputed

righteousness is unscriptural." This is the objection in its full

strength: and little strength in all its fullness. For, was I to prove

the necessity of an imputed righteousness, I scarce know how I could

bring a better instance to make it good.

Let us take a nearer view of this young man, and of our Lord's behavior

towards him, Mark 10:17, the Evangelist tells us, "That when Christ was

gone forth into the way, there came one running (it should seem it was

some nobleman; a rarity indeed to see such a one running to Christ!)

and not only so, but he kneeled to him, (perhaps many of his rank now,

scarce know the time when they kneeled to Christ) and asked him,

saying, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

Then Jesus, to see whether or not he believed him to be what he really

was, truly and properly God, said unto him, "Why callest thou me good?

There is none good but one, that is God." And, that he might directly

answer his question, says he, "Thou knowest the commandments: do not

commit adultery, do not bear false witness, defraud not, honor thy

father and thy mother." This was a direct answer to his question;

namely, That eternal life was not to be attained by his doings. For our

Lord, by referring him to the commandments, did not (as the objectors

insinuate) in the least hint, that his morality would recommend him to

the favor and mercy of God; but he intended thereby, to make the law

his schoolmaster to bring him to himself; that the young man, seeing

how he had broken every one of these commandments, might thereby be

convinced of the insufficiency of his own, and consequently of the

absolute necessity of looking out for a better righteousness, whereon

he might depend for eternal life.

This was what our Lord designed. The young man being self-righteous,

and willing to justify himself, said, "All these have I observed from

my youth;" but had he known himself, he would have confessed, all these

have I broken from my youth. For, supposing he had not actually

committed adultery, had he never lusted after a woman in his heart?

What, if he had not really killed another, had he never been angry

without a cause, or spoken unadvisedly with his lips? If so, by

breaking one of the least commandments in the least degree, he became

liable to the curse of God: for "cursed is he (saith the law) that

continueth not to do all things that are written in this book." And

therefore, as observed before, our Lord was so far from speaking

against, that he treated the young man in that manner, on purpose to

convince him of the necessity of an imputed righteousness.

But perhaps they will reply, it is said, "Jesus beholding him, loved

him." And what then? This he might do with a human love, and at the

same time this young man have no interest in his blood. Thus Christ is

said to wonder, to weep over Jerusalem, and say, "O that thou hadst

known, Me." But such like passages are to be referred only to his human

nature. And there is a great deal of difference between the love

wherewith Christ loved this young man, and that wherewith he loved

Mary, Lazarus, and their sister Martha. To illustrate this by

comparison: A minister of the Lord Jesus Christ seeing many amiable

dispositions, such as a readiness to hear the word, a decent behavior

at public worship, and a life outwardly spotless in many, cannot but so

far love them; but then there is much difference betwixt the love which

a minister feels for such, and that divine love, that union and

sympathy of soul, which he feels for those that he is satisfied are

really born again of God. Apply this to our Lord's case, as a faint

illustration of it. Consider what has been said upon the young man's

case in general, and then, if before you were fond of this objection,

instead of triumphing, like him you will go sorrowful away. Our

Savior's reply to him more and more convinces us of the truth of the

prophet's assertion in the text, that "the Lord is our righteousness."

But there is a fourth, and a grand objection yet behind, which is taken

from the 25th chapter of Matthew, "where our Lord is described as

rewarding people with eternal life, because they fed the hungry,

clothed the naked, and such-like. Their works therefore were a cause of

their justification, consequently the doctrine of imputed righteousness

is not agreeable to scripture."

This, I confess, is the most plausible objection that is brought

against the doctrine insisted on from the text; and that we may answer

it in as clear and brief a manner as may be, we confess, with the

Article of the Church of England, "That albeit good works do not

justify us, yet they will follow after justification, as fruits of it;

and though they spring from faith in Christ, and a renewed soul, they

shall receive a reward of grace, though not of debt; and consequently

the more we abound in such good works, the greater will be our reward

when Jesus Christ shall come to judgment."

Take these consideration along with us, and they will help us much to

answer the objection now before us. For thus saith Matthew, "Then shall

the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed children of my

Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the

world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and

ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye

clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came

unto me. I will therefore reward you, because you have done these

things out of love to me, and hereby have evidenced yourselves to be my

true disciples." And that the people did not depend on these good

actions for their justification in the sight of God, is evident. "For

when saw we thee an hungered, say they, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and

gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in, or

naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and

came unto thee?" Language, and questions, quite improper for persons

relying on their own righteousness, for acceptance and acquittance in

the sight of God.

But then they reply against thee: "In the latter part of the chapter,

it is plain that Jesus Christ rejects and damns the others for not

doing these things. And therefore, if he damns these for not doing, he

saves those for doing; and consequently the doctrine of an imputed

righteousness is good for nothing."

But that is no consequence at all; for God may justly damn any man for

omitting the least duty of the moral law, and yet in himself is not

obliged to give to any one any reward, supposing he has done all that

he can. We are unprofitable servants; we have not done near so much as

it was our duty to do, must be the language of the most holy souls

living; and therefore, from or in ourselves, cannot be justified in the

sight of God. This was the frame of the devout souls just now referred

to. Sensible of this, they were so far from depending on their works

for justification in the sight of God, that they were filled, as it

were, with a holy blushing, to think our Lord should condescend to

mention, much more to reward them for, their poor works of faith and

labors of love. I am persuaded their hearts would rise with a holy

indignation against those who urge this passage, as an objection to the

assertion of the prophet, that "the Lord is our righteousness."

Thus, I think, we have fairly answered these grand objections, which

are generally urged against the doctrine of an imputed righteousness.

Was I to stop here, I think I may say, "We are made more than

conquerors through him that loved us." But there is a way of arguing

which I have always admired, because I have thought it always very

convincing, by showing the absurdities that will follow from denying

any particular proposition in dispute.

IV. This is the next thing that was proposed. And never did greater or

more absurdities flow from the denying any doctrine, than will flow

from denying the doctrine of Christ's imputed righteousness.

And First, if we deny this doctrine, we turn the truth, I mean the word

of God, as much as we can, into a lie, and utterly subvert all those

places of scripture which say that we are saved by grace; that it is

not of works, lest any man should boast, that salvation is God's free

gift, and that he who glorieth, must glory only in the Lord. For, if

the whole personal righteousness of Jesus Christ be not the sole cause

of my acceptance with God, if any work done by or foreseen in me, was

in the least to be joined with it, or looked upon by God an in

inducing, impulsive cause of acquitting my soul from guilt, then I have

somewhat whereof I may glory in myself. Not boasting is excluded in the

great work of our redemption; but that cannot be, if we are enemies to

the doctrine of an imputed righteousness. It would be endless to

enumerate how many texts of scripture must be false, if this doctrine

be not true. Let it suffice to affirm in the general, that if we deny

an imputed righteousness, we may as well deny a divine revelation all

at once; for it is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end of

the book of God. We must either disbelieve that, or believe what the

prophet has spoken in the text, "that the Lord is our righteousness."

But further: I observed at the beginning of this discourse, that we are

all Arminians and Papists by nature; for as one says, "Arminianism is

the back way to popery." And here I venture further to affirming that

if we deny the doctrine of an imputed righteousness, whatever we may

stile ourselves, we are really Papists in our hearts; and deserve no

other title from men.

Sirs, what think you? Suppose I was to come and tell you that you must

intercede with saints, for them to intercede with God for you; would

you not say, I was justly reputed a papist missionary by some, and

deservedly thrust out of thy synagogues by others? I suppose you would.

And why? Because, you would say, the intercession of Jesus Christ was

sufficient of itself, without the intercession of saints, and that it

was blasphemous to join theirs with his, as though he was sufficient.

Suppose I went a little more round about, and told you that the death

of Christ was not sufficient, without our death being added to it; that

you must die as well as Christ, join your death with his, and then it

would be sufficient. Might you not then, with a holy indignation, throw

dust in the air, and justly call me a "setter forth of strange

doctrines?" And how then, if it be not only absurd, but blasphemous to

join the intercession of saints with the intercession of Christ, as

though his intercession was not sufficient; or our death with the death

of Christ, as though his death was not sufficient: judge ye, if it be

not equally absurd, equally blasphemous, to join our obedience, either

wholly or in part, with the obedience of Christ, as if that was not

sufficient. And if so, what absurdities will follow the denying that

the Lord, both as to his active and passive obedience, is our

righteousness?

One more absurdity I shall mention, as following the denying this

doctrine, and I have done.

I remember a story of a certain prelate, who, after many arguments in

vain urged to convince the Earl of Rochester of the invisible realities

of another world, took his leave of his lordship with some such words

as these: "Well, my lord, if there be no hell, I am safe; but if there

should be such a thing as hell, what will become of you?" I apply this

so those that oppose the doctrine now insisted on. If there be no such

thing as the doctrine of an imputed righteousness, those who hold it,

and bring forth fruit unto holiness, are safe; but if there be such a

thing (as there certainly is) what will become of you that deny it? It

is no difficult matter to determine. Your portion must be in the lake

of fire and brimstone for ever and ever. Since you will rely upon your

works, by your works you shall be judged. They shall be weighed in the

balance of the sanctuary; and they will be found wanting. By your works

therefore shall you be condemned; and you, being out of Christ, shall

find God, to your poor wretched souls, a consuming fire.

The great Stoddard or Northampton in New England, has therefore well

entitled a book which he wrote (and which I would take this opportunity

to recommend) "The Safety of appearing in the Righteousness of Christ."

For why should I lean upon a broken reed, when I can have the rock of

ages to stand upon, that never can be moved?

And now, before I come to a more particular application, give me leave,

in the apostle's language, triumphantly to cry out, "Where is the

scribe, where the disputer?" Where is the reasoning infidel of this

generation? Can any thing appear more reasonable, even according to

your own way of arguing, than the doctrine here laid down? Have you not

felt a convincing power go along with the word? Why then will you not

believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that so he may become the Lord your

righteousness?

But it is time for me to come a little closer to your consciences.

Brethren, though some may be offended at this doctrine, and may account

it foolishness; yet, to many of you, I doubt not but it is precious, it

being agreeable to the form of sound words, which from your infancy has

been delivered to you; and, coming from a quarter, you would least have

expected, may be received with more pleasure and satisfaction. But give

me leave to ask you one question; Can you say, the Lord our

righteousness? I say, the Lord our righteousness. For entertaining this

doctrine in your heads, without receiving the Lord Jesus Christ

savingly by a lively faith into your hearts, will but increase your

damnation. As I have often told you, so I tell you again, an unapplied

Christ is no Christ at all. Can you then, with believing Thomas, cry

our, "My Lord and my God?" Is Christ your sanctification, as well as

your outward righteousness? For the word righteousness, in the text,

not only implies Christ's personal righteousness imputed to us, but

also holiness wrought in us. These two, God has joined together. He

never did, he never dies, he never will put them asunder. If you are

justified by the blood, you are also sanctified by the Spirit of our

Lord. Can you then in this sense say, The Lord our righteousness? Were

you ever made to abhor yourselves for your actual and original sins,

and to loathe your own righteousness; for, as the prophet beautifully

expresses it, "your righteousness is as filthy rags? Were you ever made

to see and admire the all-sufficiency of Christ's righteousness, and

excited by the Spirit of God to hunger and thirst after it? Could you

ever say, my soul is athirst for Christ, yea, even for the

righteousness of Christ? O when shall I come to appear before the

presence of my God in the righteousness of Christ! Nothing but Christ!

Nothing but Christ! Give me Christ, O god, and I am satisfied! My soul

shall praise thee for ever.

Was this ever the language of your hearts? And, after these inward

conflicts, were you ever enabled to reach out the arm of faith, and

embrace the blessed Jesus in your souls, so that you could say, "my

beloved is mine, and I am his?" If so, fear not, whoever you are. Hail,

all hail, you happy souls! The Lord, the Lord Christ, the everlasting

God, is your righteousness. Christ has justified you, who is he that

condemneth you? Christ has died for you, nay rather is risen again, and

ever liveth to make intercession for you. Being now justified by his

grace, you have peace with God, and shall, ere long, be with Jesus in

glory, reaping everlasting and unspeakable fruits both in body and

soul. For there is no condemnation to those that are really in Christ

Jesus. "Whether Paul or Apollos, or life or death, all is yours if you

are Christ's, for Christ is God's. My brethren, my heart is enlarged

towards you! O think of the love of Christ in dying for you! If the

Lord be your righteousness, let the righteousness of your Lord be

continually in your mouth. Talk of, O talk of, and recommend the

righteousness of Christ, when you lie down, and when you rise up, at

your going out and coming in! Think of the greatness of the gift, as

well as the giver! Show to all the world, in whom you have believed!

Let all by your fruits know, that the Lord is your righteousness, and

that you are waiting for your Lord from heaven! O study to be holy,

even as he who has called you, and washed you in his own blood, is

holy! Let not the righteousness of the Lord be evil spoken of through

you. Let not Jesus be wounded in the house of his friends, but grow in

grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, day by

day. O think of his dying love! Let that love constrain you to

obedience! Having much forgiven, love much. Be always asking, What

shall I do, to express my gratitude to the Lord, for giving me his

righteousness? Let that self-abasing, God-exalting question be always

in your mouths; "Why me, Lord? Why me?" why am I taken, and others

left? Why is the Lord my righteousness? Why is he become my salvation,

who have so often deserved damnation at his hands?

My friends, I trust I feel somewhat of a sense of God's distinguishing

love upon my heart; therefore I must divert a little from

congratulating you, to invite poor Christless sinners to come to him,

and accept of his righteousness, that they may have life.

Alas, my heart almost bleeds! What a multitude of precious souls are

now before me! How shortly must all be ushered into eternity! And yet,

O cutting thought! Was God now to require all your souls, how few,

comparatively speaking, could really say, the Lord our righteousness!

And think you, O sinner, that you will be able to stand in the day of

judgment, if Christ be not your righteousness? No, that alone is the

wedding garment in which you must appear. O Christless sinners, I am

distressed for you! The desires of my soul are enlarged. O that this

may be an accepted time! That the Lord may be your righteousness! For

whither would you flee, if death should fine you naked? Indeed there is

no hiding yourselves from his presence. The pitiful fig-leaves of your

own righteousness will not cover your nakedness, when God shall call

you to stand before him. Adam found them ineffectual, and so will you.

O think of death! O think of judgment! Yet a little while, and time

shall be no more; and then what will become of you, if the Lord be not

your righteousness? Think you that Christ will spare you? No, he that

formed you, will have no mercy on you. If you are not of Christ, if

Christ be not your righteousness, Christ himself shall pronounce you

damned. And can you bear to think of being damned by Christ? Can you

bear to hear the Lord Jesus say to you, "Depart from me, ye cursed,

into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Can you

live, think you, in everlasting burnings? Is your flesh brass, and your

bones iron? What if they are? Hell-fire, that fire prepared for the

devil and his angels, will heat them through and through. And can you

bear to depart from Christ? O that heart-piercing thought! Ask those

holy souls, who are at any time bewailing an absent God, who walk in

darkness, and see no light, though but a few days or hours; ask them,

what it is to lose a light and presence of Christ? See how they seek

him sorrowing, and go mourning after him all the day long! And, if it

is so dreadful to lose the sensible presence of Christ only for a day,

what must it be to be banished from him to all eternity!

But thus it must be, if Christ be not your righteousness. For God's

justice must be satisfied; and, unless Christ's righteousness is

imputed and applied to you here, you must hereafter be satisfying the

divine justice in hell-torments eternally; nay, Christ himself shall

condemn you to that place of torment. And how cutting is that thought!

Methinks I see poor, trembling, Christless wretches, standing before

the bar of god, crying out, Lord, if we must be damned, let some angel,

or some archangel, pronounce the damnatory sentence: but all in vain.

Christ himself shall pronounce the irrevocable sentence. Knowing

therefore the terrors of the Lord, let me persuade you to close with

Christ, and never rest till you can say, "the Lord our righteousness."

Who knows but the Lord may have mercy on, may, abundantly pardon you?

Beg of God to give you faith; and, if the Lord gives you that, you will

by it receive Christ, with his righteousness, and his All. You need not

fear the greatness or number of your sins. For are you sinners? So am

I. Are you the chief of sinners? So am I. Are you backsliding sinners?

So am I. And yet the Lord (for ever adored be his rich, free and

sovereign grace) the Lord is my righteousness. Come then, O young man,

who (as I acted once myself) are playing the prodigal, and wandering

away afar off from your heavenly Father's house, come home, come home,

and leave your swines trough. Feed no longer on the husks of sensual

delights: for Christ's sake arise, and come home! Your heavenly Father

now calls you. See yonder the best robe, even the righteousness of his

dear Son, awaits you. See it, view it again and again. Consider at how

dear a rate it was purchased, even by the blood of God. Consider what

great need you have of it. You are lost, undone, damned for ever,

without it. Come then, poor, guilty prodigals, come home: indeed, I

will not, like the elder brother in the gospel, be angry; no, I will

rejoice with the angels in heaven. And O that God would now bow the

heavens, and come down! Descend, O Son of God, descend; and, as thou

hast shown in me such mercy, O let thy blessed Spirit apply thy

righteousness to some young prodigals now before thee, and clothe their

naked souls with thy best robe!

But I must speak a word to you, young maidens, as well as young men. I

see many of you adorned, as to your bodies, but are not your souls

naked? Which of you can say, the Lord is my righteousness? Which of you

was ever solicitous to be dressed in this robe of invaluable price, and

without which you are no better than whited sepulchers in the sight of

God? Let not then so many of you, young maidens, any longer forget your

chief and only ornament. O seek for the Lord to be your righteousness,

or otherwise burning will soon be upon you, instead of beauty!

And what shall I say to you of a middle age, you busy merchants, you

cumbered Martha's, who, with all your gettings, have not yet gotten the

Lord to be your righteousness? Alas! what profit will there be of all

your labor under the sun, if you do not secure this pearl of invaluable

price? This one thing, so absolutely needful, that it only can stand

you in stead, when all other things shall be taken from you. Labor

therefore no longer so anxiously for the meat which perisheth, but

henceforward seek for the Lord to be your righteousness, a

righteousness that will entitle you to life everlasting. I see also

many hoary heads here, and perhaps the most of them cannot say, the

Lord is my righteousness. O gray-headed sinner, I could weep over you!

Your gray hairs, which ought to be your crown, and in which perhaps you

glory, are now your shame. You know not that the Lord is your

righteousness: O haste then, haste ye, aged sinners, and seek an

interest in redeeming love! Alas, you have one foot already in the

grave, your glass is just run out, your sun is just going down, and it

will set and leave you in an eternal darkness, unless the Lord be your

righteousness! Flee then, O flee for your lives! Be not afraid. All

things are possible with God. If you come, though it be at the eleventh

hour, Christ Jesus will in no wise cast you out. Seek then for the Lord

to be your righteousness, and beseech him to let you know, how it is

that a man may be born again when he is old! But I must not forget the

lambs of the flock. To feed them was one of my Lord's last commands. I

know he will be angry with me, if I do not tell them, that the Lord may

be their righteousness; and that of such is the kingdom of heaven. Come

then, ye little children, come to Christ; the Lord Christ shall be your

righteousness. Do not think, that you are too young to be converted.

Perhaps many of you may be nine or ten years old, and yet cannot say,

the Lord is our righteousness: which many have said, though younger

than you. Come then, while you are young. Perhaps you may not live to

be old. Do not stay for other people. If your fathers and mothers will

not come to Christ, do you come without them. Let children lead them,

and show them how the Lord may be their righteousness. Our Lord Jesus

Christ loved little children. You are his lambs; he bids me feed you. I

pray God make you willing betimes to take the Lord for your

righteousness.

Here then I could conclude; but I must not forget the poor negroes; no,

I must not. Jesus Christ had died for them, as well as for others. Nor

do I mention you last, because I despise your souls; but because I

would have what I shall say, make the deeper impression upon your

hearts. O that you would seek the Lord to be your righteousness! Who

knows but he may be found of you? For in Jesus Christ there is neither

male nor female, bond nor free; even you may be the children of God, if

you believe in Jesus. Did you never read of the eunuch belonging to the

queen of Candace? A negro like yourselves. He believed. The Lord was

his righteousness. He was baptized. Do you also believe, and you shall

be saved. Christ Jesus is the same now as he was yesterday, and will

wash you in his own blood. Go home then, turn the words of the text

into a prayer, and entreat the Lord to be your righteousness. Even so,

come Lord Jesus, come quickly, into all our souls! Amen, Lord Jesus,

Amen and Amen!

__________________________________________________________________

The Righteousness of Christ, an Everlasting Righteousness

Daniel 9:24 -- "And to bring everlasting Righteousness."

On reading these words, I cannot help addressing you in the language of

the angels to the poor shepherds, who kept watch over their flocks by

night, "Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy," such tidings,

that if we have ears to hear, if we have eyes to see, and if our hearts

have indeed experienced the grace of God, must cause us to cry out with

the Virgin Mary, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit doth

rejoice in God my Savior." The words which I have read to you, are part

of one of the most explicit revelations that was given of Jesus Christ,

before he made his public entrance into this our world. It has been

observed by some, and very properly too, that it is one mark of the

divine goodness to his creatures, that he is pleased to let light come

in gradually upon the natural world. If the sun from midnight darkness,

was immediately to shine forth in his full meridian blaze, his great

splendor would be apt to dazzle our eyes, and strike us blind again:

but God is pleased to make light come gradually in, and by that means

we are prepared to receive it. And as God is pleased to deal with the

natural, so he has dealt with the moral, with the spiritual world. The

Lord Jesus Christ did not appear in his full glory all at once, but as

the sun rises gradually, so did the Lord Jesus, the Sun of

righteousness, rise gradually upon men, with healing under his wings.

Hence it was, that our first parents had nothing to fix their faith

upon, but that first promise, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the

serpent's head." And in future ages, at sundry times, and after divers

manners, God was pleased to speak to our fathers by the prophets,

before he spake to us in these last days by his Son; and the prophets

that were more peculiarly dear to God, it should seem had more peculiar

and extraordinary revelations vouchsafed to them, concerning Jesus

Christ.

It is plain from the accounts we have in Scripture, that the Prophet

Daniel was one of these; he is stiled by the angel, not only a "man

that was beloved," but a "man that was greatly beloved," or as it is in

the margin of your bibles, "he was a man of desires," of large and

extensive desires to promote the glory of God; he was a desirable man,

a man that did much good in his generation, and therefore his life was

much to be desired by those who loved God. The words which I have

chosen for the subject of our present meditation, contain part of a

revelation made to this man. If you look back to the beginning of this

chapter, you will find how the good man was employed, when God was

pleased to give him this revelation; verse 2, "In the first year of

Darius's reign, I Daniel understood by books the number of the years,

whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he

would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." Daniel

was a great man, and withal a good man; great as he was, it seems he

was not above reading his Bible; he made the Bible his constant study;

for it is the Bible we are to understand by what is here termed books,

and elsewhere, the scriptures of truth. He found, that the time for

God's people being delivered from the captivity, was now at hand. Well,

one would have thought, that therefore Daniel needed not to pray; but

this, instead of retarding, quickened him in his prayers: and therefore

we are told in the third verse, "I set my face unto the Lord God, to

seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth, and

ashes." It is beautifully expressed: "he set his face," as though he

was resolved never to let his eye go off God, till God was pleased to

give him an answer; he was resolved, Jacob-like, to wrestle with the

Lord God, until God should be pleased to give him the desired blessing.

We are told in the fourth verse, that "he prayed unto the Lord, and

made confession," not only of his own sins, but the sins of his people.

And when ye retire hence to your houses, before ye go to bed, I would

recommend to you the reading of this prayer; every word of it bespeaks

his exceeding concern for the public good. It would take me up too much

time, was I to make such observations as indeed the prayer deserved; to

bring you sooner to the words of the text, let us go forward to the

twentieth verse, and there you will find the success that Daniel met

with, when praying. Says he, "And whiles I [was] speaking, and praying,

and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting

my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;

Yea, whiles I [was] speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I

had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly,

touched me about the time of the evening oblation. The manner in which

Daniel expressed himself, is very emphatical: "While I was speaking in

prayer;" implying, that God suffers us, when we draw near to him by

faith in prayer, to lay all our complaints before him; he suffers us to

speak unto, and talk with him, as a man talketh with his friend. Daniel

at this time too was making confession one part of his prayer; for we

are never, never in a better frame to receive answers from above, than

when we are humbling ourselves before the Lord. He was not only

confessing his own sins, but he was confessing the sins of his people;

he was praying for those, who perhaps seldom prayed for themselves;

"while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel:" which word, by

interpretation, signifies the strength of God; a very proper name, says

Bishop Hall, for that angel who was to come and bring the news to the

world, of the God of strength, the Lord Jesus Christ. This angel is

here represented as flying, and as flying swiftly; to show us how

willing, how unspeakably willing those blessed spirits are, to bring

good news to men. And it is upon this account, I suppose, that we are

taught by our Lord to pray, "that God's will may be done by us on

earth, as it is done in heaven," that we may imitate a little of that

alacrity and vigor, which angels employ, when they are sent on errands

for God.

Well, here is not only mention made of the angel's flying swiftly, but

there is mention made of the time that he came; "He came and touched

me, about the time of the evening oblations," that is, about three

o'clock in the afternoon; at this time there was a sacrifice made to

God, and this sacrifice was in a peculiar manner a type of the Lord

Jesus, who in the evening of the world was to become a sacrifice for

sinners. We are told in the 22nd verse, what message this angel

delivered, "He informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I

am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding; at the

beginning of thy supplication, the commandment came forth, and I am

come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved, therefore understand

the matter, and consider the vision." This passage, with such like

passages of scripture, hath often comforted my soul, and may comfort

the hearts of all God's people. There are a great many of you, perhaps,

have prayed, and prayed again to God, and probably you do not find any

answer given you: you pray for an enlarged heart, you pray for comfort,

you pray for deliverance; God is pleased to withhold it for a while;

then the devil strikes in, and says, God has shut out your prayers, God

will never hear, God will never regard you, therefore pray no more.

But, my dear friends, this is a mistake; a thousand years are with God

as one day; and the Lord Jesus had bid us, "to pray always, and not

faint." You may have had your prayers heard, the very moment they went

out of your lips, though it may not please your God, (and it may not be

proper for you) to let you know that they are heard. "At the beginning

of thy supplication, the commandment went forth;" and this very angel

some hundred years after, told Zecharias, that his prayer was heard;" a

prayer for what? A prayer for a child: it could not be supposed that at

the very time Zecharias was praying for a child; but his prayer he had

put up forty years before, God was pleased to answer so long

afterwards.

But to proceed with Gabriel's declaration, ver. 24, Seventy years are

determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish

transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for

iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness." I do not intend

to trouble you about the critical exposition of these seventy weeks;

commentators are divided exceedingly upon this subject; some of them

explain them one way, and some another, and perhaps we shall never know

till the day of judgment, till the glorious day spoken of in the New

Testament, which are right. My intention is to dwell upon this

particular part of the angel's message, that some one person was to do

something unspeakable for God's people, even "to bring in an

everlasting righteousness."

If you want to know who was the person that was to do this, look to the

26th verse, and you will find the person mentioned, the Lord Jesus

Christ: "after threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off,

but not for himself:" he is the person spoken of, he was "to put an end

to sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in

everlasting righteousness."

From these important words, I shall endeavor,

First, To show you what we are to understand by the word,

"Righteousness."

Secondly, I shall endeavor to show you, upon what account it lay that

the righteousness mentioned in the text, is called an "everlasting

righteousness."

Thirdly, I shall show, what we are to understand by "bringing it in."

And,

Then speak a word to saints and sinners. And while I am speaking to

your ears, may God, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, speak to your

hearts!

First, To explain what we are to understand by the word,

"righteousness." If I was to ask some people what we are to understand

by the word, righteousness; if the person was an Arminian, or an enemy

to the doctrine of free grace, he would answer me, it signifies what we

commonly call moral honesty, or doing justice between man and man. And,

indeed, in various passages of scripture, the word righteousness has no

other meaning, at least, it bears that meaning. I suppose, we are to

understand it in this sense, when we are told, that Paul, preaching

before Felix, "reasoned of temperance, of righteousness, and of a

judgment to come." Felix had been a very unrighteous and unjust man,

and therefore, to convince him of his wickedness, to alarm his

conscience, to put him upon seeking help in the Lord Jesus, Paul

preached not only of temperance, (for Felix had been a very intemperate

man) but he preached to him of righteousness, of the necessity of doing

justice because he had been an unjust man; and he puts before him the

judgment to come, in order to make him fly to Jesus Christ for

deliverance from the bad consequences of that judgment; and there are

other places of scripture, where the word righteousness may be

understood in this sense.

It likewise signifies inward holiness, wrought in us by the blessed

Spirit of God. But, I believe, the word righteousness in my text

signifies, what, I trust most, I should be glad if I could say, all who

attend this night, will be glad to hear of: What is that? It is what

all reformed divines, that have clear heads and clean hearts, call an

imputed righteousness, or the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to

be imputed to poor sinners upon their believing: and, if you ask me,

what I mean by an imputed righteousness, not to shoot over you heads,

but rather, if God shall be pleased to make me, to reach your hearts, I

will tell you by the word "righteousness," I understand all that Christ

hat done, and all that Christ hath suffered: or, to make use of the

term generally made use of by sound divines, "Christ's active, and

Christ's passive obedience;" put those two together, and they make up

the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. My dear friends, thus stood

the case between God and man: at first God made man upright. Moses

gives us a short, but never was so full a description of the origin and

nature of man given by any other but himself. "In the image of God made

he man, says the sacred historian, being inspired by the Spirit of God.

God said, and it was done; God commanded, and the world arose before

him; "Let there be light," and instantaneously behold light appeared:

but when that lovely, that divine, that blessed creature Man, the Lord

of the creation, God's vicegerent was to be made; God calls a council,

and says, "Let us make man after our own image." Now, this image is to

be understood, no doubt, in respect of man's soul; for God being no

corporeal substance, man could not be made after his image that way.

Well, in this condition God made man. Adam stood as our representative.

Adam and Eve had but one name originally, "God made man, and called

their name Adam. God left Adam to his own free will; he was pleased to

enter into a covenant with him, which, indeed, is an amazing instance

of God's condescension. God might have ordered man to do so and so, and

not made him any promise of a reward: but the great Creator was pleased

to promise him, that if he performed an unsinning obedience, if he

abstained from eating a particular tree, that he and his posterity

should live forever; but if he broke that command, in the day that he

ate thereof, he and all his prosperity were to die. Now, I verily

believe, had you and I been there present, however some people may

object against God's severity, in imputing Adam's sin to us; yet I

believe, if you and I, and all the world had been present, we should

have heartily come into this agreement. Supposing God had called the

whole creation together, and had said, "Ye, my creatures, I have made

here a man after my own image, I have breathed into him the breath of

life, I have caused him to become a living soul, I have filled him with

righteousness and true holiness; he has not the least propensity to

sin, only he is a fallible and mutable creature; all that I desire of

this man is, that he abstain from yonder tree; I have given to him all

the trees of the garden, I have made him, and planted for him a garden

with mine own right hand, I desire he may abstain from plucking yonder

fruit! Will ye stand or fall by this m an, will ye let him be your

representative, will ye be content that his obedience or disobedience

be imputed to you?" If we had been all there, every one of us would

have said, "Lord God, we will let him be our representative;" the terms

were so easy, the improbability of his falling was so exceeding great;

that I believe every one of us should have all put our hand to the

covenant. And supposing us alive, and that we had agreed to that

covenant, who is that man or woman that could find fault with God's

imputing Adam's sin to us. Well, my friends, God made man in this

condition; the devil envied his happiness; it is supposed by some, that

man was made to supply the places of the fallen angels. But the devil

envied man, and had leave to tempt him; Eve soon reached out her hand

and plucked of the forbidden fruit, and afterwards Adam transgressed

also; and from that very moment, to make use of Mr. Beston's words,

"Man's name was Ichabod," the glory of the Lord departed from him. Adam

and Eve then fell; you, and I, and all their posterity (whom they

represented) fell in them. Mankind had but one neck; and God might have

served mankind, as Caligula would have served Rome, according to his

own words, "I wish it had but one neck, and I would cut it off with one

blow." God, if he pleased, might have sent us all to hell. Here Calvin

represents God's attributes as struggling one with another; Justice

saying to God, seeing Justice had framed the sanction, "Is the law

broken, damn the offender, and send him to hell." The mercy of God, his

darling attribute, cries out, "Spare him, spare him." The wisdom of God

contrives a way, that justice might be satisfied, and yet mercy be

triumphant still. How was that? The Lord Jesus interposes, the

days-man, the dear Redeemer! He saw God wielding his flaming sword, and

his hand taking hold of vengeance; the Lord Jesus Christ saw the sword

ready to be sheathed in the blood of the offender; when no eye could

pity, when no angel or archangel could rescue, just as God was, as it

were, about to give the fatal blow, just as the knife was put to the

throat of the offender, the Son of God, the eternal Logos, says,

"Father, spare the sinner; let him not die; Father, Father, O hold thy

hand, withdraw thy sword, for I come to do thy will; man has broken thy

law, and violated thy covenant: I do not deny but man deserves to be

damned forever; but, Father, what Adam could not do, it thou wilt

prepare me a body, I in the fullness of time will go, and die for him;

he has broken thy law, but I will go and keep it, that thy law may be

honored; I will give a perfect unsinning obedience to all thy

commandments; and that thou mayst justify ungodly creatures, I will not

only go down and obey thy law, but I will go down and bleed; I will go

down and die: here I am; I will step in between thee and sinners, and

be glad to have thy sword sheathed in my heart's blood for them."

In the fullness of time descends the eternal Logos, "In the fullness of

time God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to

redeem them that are under the law from the curse of it, being made a

curse for us." The Lord Jesus Christ being clothed in human nature,

fulfilled all righteousness; he submitted to every institution of God,

and was pleased to obey the whole moral law; and afterwards, O can we

think of it, O can you hear of it, without a heart leaping with joy, at

last the Lord Jesus bled and died! And when he was just expiring, just

as he was about to bow down his head, and give up the ghost, what do ye

think he said? He said, "It is finished!" As much as to say, "Now the

arduous work, the difficult task I had undertaken, blessed be God, is

not completely over; all the demands of the law are finished; now God's

justice is satisfied; now a new and living way is opened by my blood to

the holiest of all for poor sinners."

So that when Christ's righteousness is here spoken of, we are to

understand "Christ's obedience and death," all that Christ has done,

and all that Christ has suffered for an elect world, for all that will

believe on him. And blessed be God for this righteousness! Blessed be

God for the epithet which in the text is put to this righteousness; it

might be called a blessed righteousness, it might be called a glorious

righteousness, it might be called an invaluable righteousness; but the

angel calls it an everlasting righteousness: God give you to take the

comfort of it!

Secondly, I am to show, on what account, this righteousness is here

called an everlasting righteousness; and pray why do you think is

Christ's righteousness called an everlasting righteousness?

I suppose it is called an everlasting righteousness,

First, Because Christ's righteousness was intended by the great God to

extend to mankind even from eternity. All of you know, that old love is

the best love. When we have an old acquaintance, a friend, that has

loved us for many years, indeed that love is sweet: though we may love

new friends, yet when an old friend and a new friend meet together, we

may say, that the old is better. Now this should endear God to us, to

think that from all the ages of eternity God had thoughts of you; God

intended the Lord Jesus Christ to save your souls and mine: hence it

is, that God, to endear Jeremiah to him, tells him, I have love thee

with an everlasting love. Hence it is, that the Lord Jesus when he

calls his elect people up to heaven, says, "Come, ye blessed of my

Father;" what follows? "receive the kingdom prepared for you;" how

long? "from the foundation of the world." All that we receive in time;

all the streams that come to our souls, are but so many steams flowing

from that inexhaustible fountain, God's electing, God' s sovereign,

God' s distinguishing, God's everlasting love; and, therefore, the

righteousness of Jesus Christ may properly be called an everlasting

righteousness, because God intended it from everlasting.

Secondly, It is called an everlasting righteousness, because the

efficacy of Christ's death took place immediately upon Adam's fall.

Christianity, in one sense, is as old as the creation. Great Professor

Franck, of Germany, says, "That Christ is the sum and substance of all

righteousness." Mr. Henry observes, "That the Lord Jesus Christ is the

treasure hid in the field of the Old Testament, under the types and

shadows of the Mosaic dispensation." We have the Sun of Righteousness

shining in his full meridian in the New Testament dispensation." We

have the Sun of Righteousness shining in his full meridian in the New

Testament dispensation. Now the righteousness of Jesus Christ, may be

called an everlasting righteousness, because all the saints that have

been saved, or that ever will be saved, are all saved by the

righteousness of Christ. A great many censorious people are mighty

inquisitive to know, what will become of the heathens, that never heard

of Jesus Christ. I would say to such persons, as the Lord Jesus Christ

did to another curious inquirer, "What is that to thee? Follow thou

me." Pray, for what should you and I trouble ourselves about the

heathens? Are not we heathens? It is too true, that we have too much of

a heathens temper and practice with us. But why should we lost our time

in inquiring about what will become of the heathen, and not rather

inquire what will become of our own souls? We may be sure God will deal

with heathens according to their light: if he has given them no

revelation, they will not be judged by a revelation; if they have not

had a law, they will be judged without law. But as for the Jews and

Gentiles, who have the gospel revealed to them, however Deists may

argue contrary to it; however they may set up reason in opposition to

divine revelation; we may be sure none were ever saved, or will be

saved, but by the righteousness of Christ. It was through faith in him,

that Abel was saved; it was through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that

Abraham was accepted, and that all the prophets of old were accepted;

and there is none other name given under heaven, whereby we can be

saved, but that of Christ. And therefore, since persons under the law,

and under the gospel, are to be saved only through Christ; therefore,

Christ's righteousness may properly be called an everlasting

righteousness. But this is not all.

Thirdly, The righteousness of Jesus Christ, is not only to be called an

everlasting righteousness, because that all persons under the law and

all persons under the gospel, are saved by it; but because the efficacy

thereof, blessed be God for it! Is to continue till time shall be no

more. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ! The efficacy of whose blood,

death, and atonement, is as great and as effectual now to the salvation

of poor sinners, as when he bowed his blessed head, and gave up the

ghost: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever;" and

whosoever believes on him, now, whosoever comes to, and accepts of him,

shall now see his power, shall taste of his grace, and shall be

actually saved by him, the save as if he had been in company with those

who saw him expiring.

Fourthly, Christ's righteousness may be called an everlasting

righteousness, because the benefit of it is to endure to everlasting

life. Indeed, some people tell us, that a person may be in Christ

today, and go to the devil tomorrow: but, blessed be God, ye have not

so learned Christ! No, my dear friends, thanks be to God for that

divine text, "There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ

Jesus." Though God's people may fall foully; and though many are full

of doubts and fears, and say, "One day I shall fall by the hands of

Saul;" however your poor souls may be harassed, yet no wicked devil,

nor your own depraved heart, shall be able to separate you from the

love of God: God has loved you, God has fixed his heart upon you, and

having loved his own, he loves them unto the end. The Lord of life and

of glory, the blessed Jesus, will never cease loving you, till he hath

loved and brought you to heaven; when he will rejoice, and say, "Behold

me, O my Father, and the dear children that thou hast given me; thou

gavest them me; thine they were, I have bought them with my blood, I

have won them with my sword and with my bow, and I now will wear them

as so many jewels of my crown." Therefore, Jesus Christ's righteousness

may be called an everlasting righteousness, because those who once take

hold of, and are interested in it, shall be saved everlastingly by

Christ: "It is God that justifies us, (says St. Paul) who is he that

condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again." He

gives devils the challenge, "O death, where is thy sting, O grave,

where is thy victory? Who shall separate us from the love of God? I am

persuaded that neither death nor life, neither principalities nor

powers, nor any other creature, shall ever be able to separate us from

the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Those whom God

justifies, he also glorifies. And because Christ lives, blessed be God,

we shall live also. I know not what you may say; but though I trust I

have felt the grace of Christ every day for fresh strength as if I had

never believed before: and if I was to depend upon my own faithfulness,

and not the faithfulness of the Son of God, I am sure I should soon

desert the Lord Jesus Christ. But glory be to God, he is faithful that

hath promised! Glory be to God, our salvation depends not upon our own

free will, but upon God's free grace! Here is a sure bottom; the

believer may build upon it; let the storms blow as long and as high as

they please, they may make the poor creature tremble, but blessed be

God, they never shall be able to take him off the foundation; though

they may shake him, they shall only shake off his corruption: and I

believe all that fear God, will be glad to part with it. On all these

accounts, Christ's righteousness may be called an everlasting

righteousness.

III. It is said, in my text, that Jesus was to bring it in. What are we

to understand by his bringing it in? Our Lord's promulgating and

proclaiming it to the world. Indeed, it was brought in under the law,

but then it was brought in under types and shadows, and most of the

Jews looked no further. But Jesus Christ brought life and immortality

to light by the gospel. The light of Moses was only twilight; the light

of the gospel, is like the sun at noon-day, shining in his full

meridian. Therefore, Jesus Christ may be said to bring in this

everlasting righteousness, because he proclaimed it to the world, and

commanded it to be preached, that God sent his Son into the world, that

the world through him might be saved.

Again, The Lord Jesus Christ brought in this righteousness, as he

wrought it out for sinners upon the cross. Some Antinomians, for want

of a proper distinction, run into a grievous error, telling us, Because

God intended to justify by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, therefore

man is justified from all eternity: which is absurd: a person cannot be

justified, till he is actually existing; therefore, though man is

justified, as it lies in God's mind from all eternity, yet it was not

actually brought in till the Lord Jesus Christ pronounced those blessed

words, "It is finished;" the grand consummation! Then Jesus brought it

in. A new and a living way was to be opened to the Holy of Holies, for

poor sinners, by the blood of Christ. But I do not think that the

expression, brought in, is to be limited to this sense, though I

suppose it is the primary one; it implies not only Christ's bringing it

into the world, as promulgating, and having it written in the word of

God, and as having wrought it out for sinners in his life, and on the

cross; but he brings it in, in a manner, which, I pray God may take

place this night; I mean, bringing it, by his blessed Spirit, into poor

believers hearts. All that Christ hath done, all that Christ hat

suffered, all Christ's active obedience, all Christ's passive

obedience, will do us no good, unless by the Spirit of God, it is

brought into our souls. As one expresses it, "An unapplied Christ is no

Christ at all." To hear of a Christ dying for sinners, will only

increase your damnation, will only sink you deeper into hell, unless we

have ground to say, by a work of grace wrought in our hearts, that the

Lord Jesus hath brought this home to us. Hence it is, that the Apostle,

speaking of Christ, says, "Who love me, and gave himself for me." O

that dear, that great, that little, but important word, me. Happy they,

who can adopt the Apostle's language! Happy they that can apply it to

their own heart; and when they hear that Christ has brought in an

everlasting righteousness, can say, Blessed be God, it is brought in by

the blessed Spirit to my soul!

Are there any here that can go along with me on this doctrine? But why

do I ask this question, when preaching to numbers, who, I hope, have

tasted of the grace of God long ago? I do not know, I cannot

distinguish you; you are just like other people, as to your looks and

habits; but if I do not, and if your neighbors cannot know you, that

great God, in whose presence you are, knows you; He, before whose

tribunal we are shortly to appear, knows you. If Christ Jesus hath

brought his everlasting righteousness into your heart; if it is applied

by the Spirit of God to your soul, what shall I say to you? I will say

as the Angel to John, "Come up hither," thou child of God! Come up

hither, thou son, thou daughter of Abraham! Come and join with me, in

calling upon angels and archangels, in calling upon the spirits of just

men made perfect, to help thee to praise that loving Redeemer, that has

brought in an everlasting righteousness. O was ever love like this!

When Abraham was about to offer up his son, God said, "Now I know that

thou lovest me, since thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son

from me." Now may each child of God say, "Now, O God, I know that thou

hast loved me, since thou hast not withheld thy Son, thy dear Son, the

Lord Jesus Christ, from dying for me." If thou hast got Christ brought

into thy soul by faith, O look forward, look towards a happy eternity;

O look towards those everlasting mansions, into which God will bring

thee after death. My dear friends, I could say much from this text to

comfort God's people: But

I must address myself to you, poor souls, who cannot say, that this

righteousness has been brought home to your souls; but if it was never

brought home before, may God, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, bring

it home now! Are any of you depending upon a righteousness of your own?

Do any of you here, think to save yourselves by your own doings? I say

to you, as the Apostle said to one that offered money for a power to

confer the gift of the Holy Ghost, your righteousness shall perish with

you. Poor miserable creatures! What is there in your tears? What in

your prayers? What in your performances, to appease the wrath of an

angry God? Away from the trees of the garden; come, ye guilty wretches,

come as poor, lost, undone, and wretched creatures, and accept of a

better righteousness than your own. As I said before, so I tell you

again, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is an everlasting

righteousness: it is wrought out for the very chief of sinners. Ho,

every one that thirsteth, let him come and drink of this water of life

freely. Are any of you wounded by sin? Do any of you feel you have no

righteousness of your own? Are any of you perishing for hunger? Are any

of you afraid ye will perish forever? Come, dear souls, in all your

rags; come, thou poor man; come, thou poor, distressed woman; you, who

think God will never forgive you, and that your sins are too great to

be forgiven; come, thou doubting creature, who art afraid thou wilt

never get comfort; arise, take comfort, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord

of life, the Lord of glory, calls for thee: through his righteousness

there is hope for the chief of sinners, for the worst of creatures.

What if thou hadst committed all the sins in the world? What if thou

hadst committed the sins of a thousand, what if thou hadst committed

the sins of a million of worlds? Christ's righteousness will cover, the

blood of the Lord Jesus Christ will cleanse, thee from the guilt of

them all. O let not one poor soul stand at a distance from the Savior.

My dear friends, could my voice hold out, was my strength equal to my

will, I would wrestle with you; I would strive with arguments, till you

came and washed in this blood of the Lamb; till you came and accepted

of this everlasting righteousness. O come, come! Now, since it is

brought into the world by Christ, so in the name, in the strength, and

by the assistance of the great God, I bring it now to the pulpit; I now

offer this righteousness, this free, this imputed, this everlasting

righteousness to all poor sinners that will accept of it. For God's

sake accept it this night: you do not know but ye may die before

tomorrow. How do he know, but while I am speaking, a fit of the

apoplexy may seize, and death arrest you? O my dear friends, where can

ye go? Where will ye appear? How will ye stand before an angry God,

without the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ put upon your souls?

Can ye stand in your own rags? Will ye dare to appear before a

heart-searching God, without the apparel of your elder brother? If ye

do, I know your doom: Christ will frown you into hell: "Depart, depart,

ye cursed, into everlasting fire," shall be your portion. Think, I pray

you, therefore, on these things; go home, go home, go home, pray over

the text, and say, "Lord God, thou hast brought an everlasting

righteousness into the world by the Lord Jesus Christ; by the blessed

Spirit bring it into my heart!" then, die when ye will, ye are safe; if

it be tomorrow, ye shall be immediately translated into the presence of

the everlasting God: that will be sweet! Happy they who have got this

robe on; happy they that can say, "My God hath loved me, and I shall be

loved by him with an everlasting love!" That every one of you may be

able to say so, may God grant, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the dear

Redeemer; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

__________________________________________________________________

The Observation of the Birth of Christ, the Duty of All Christians; Or the True

Way of Keeping Christmas

Matthew 1:21 -- "And she shall bring forth a Son, and then shalt call

his Name Jesus: For he shall save his People from their Sins."

The celebration of the birth of Christ hath been esteemed a duty by

most who profess Christianity. When we consider the condescension and

love of the Lord Jesus Christ, in submitting to be born of a virgin, a

poor sinful creature; and especially as he knew how he was to be

treated in this world; that he was to be despised, scoffed at, and at

last to die a painful, shameful, and ignominious death; that he should

be treated as though he was the off-scouring of all mankind; used, not

like the son of man, and, therefore, not at all like the Son of God;

the consideration of these things should make us to admire the love of

the Lord Jesus Christ, who was so willing to offer himself as a ransom

for the sins of the people, that when the fullness of time was come,

Christ came, made of a woman, made under the law: he came according to

the eternal counsel of the Father; he came, not in glory or in

splendor, not like him who brought all salvation with him: no, he was

born in a stable, and laid in a manger; oxen were his companions. O

amazing condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ, to stoop to such low

and poor things for our sake. What love is this, what great and

wonderful love was here, that the Son of God should come into our world

in so mean a condition, to deliver us from the sin and misery in which

we were involved by our fall in our first parents! And as all that

proceeded from the springs must be muddy, because the fountain was so,

the Lord Jesus Christ came to take our natures upon him, to die a

shameful, a painful, and an accursed death for our sakes; he died for

our sins, and to bring us to God: he cleansed us by his blood from the

guilt of sin, he satisfied for our imperfections; and now, my brethren,

we have access unto him with boldness; he is a mediator between us and

his offended Father.

Therefore, if we do but consider into what state, and at how great a

distance from God we are fallen; how vile our natures were; what a

depravity, and how incapable to restore that image of God to our souls,

which we lost in our first parents: when I consider these things, my

brethren, and that the Lord Jesus Christ came to restore us to that

favor with God which we had lost, and that Christ not only came down

with an intent to do it, but actually accomplished all that was in his

heart towards us; that he raised and brought us into favor with God,

that we might find kindness and mercy in his sight; surely this calls

for some return of thanks on our part to our dear Redeemer, for this

love and kindness to our souls. How just would it have been of him, to

have left us in that deplorable state wherein we, by our guilt, had

involved ourselves? For God could not, nor can receive any additional

good by our salvation; but it was love, mere love; it was free love

that brought the Lord Jesus Christ into our world about 1700 years ago.

What, shall we not remember the birth of our Jesus? Shall we yearly

celebrate the birth of our temporal king, and shall that of the King of

kings be quite forgotten? Shall that only, which ought to be had

chiefly in remembrance, be quite forgotten? God forbid! No, my dear

brethren, let us celebrate and keep this festival of our church, with

joy in our hearts: let the birth of a Redeemer, which redeemed us from

sin, from wrath, from death, from hell, be always remembered; may this

Savior's love never be forgotten! But may we sing forth all his love

and glory as long as life shall last here, and through an endless

eternity in the world above! May we chant forth the wonders of

redeeming love, and the riches of free grace, amidst angels and

archangels, cherubim and seraphim, without intermission, for ever and

ever! And as, my brethren, the time for keeping this festival is

approaching, let us consider our duty in the true observation thereof,

of the right way for the glory of God, and the good of immortal souls,

to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; an event which ought

to be had in eternal remembrance.

It is my design to lay down rules for the true keeping of that time of

Christmas, which is now approaching.

I. I shall show you when you may be said, not to observe this festival

aright.

II. I shall show you, when your observation and celebrating of this

festival is done according to the glory of God, and to the true manner

of keeping of it.

III. Shall conclude with an exhortation to all of you, high and low,

rich and poor, one with another, to have a regard to your behavior at

all times, but more especially, my dear brethren, on this solemn

occasion.

I. My brethren, I am to show when your celebration of this festival is

not of the right kind.

And First, you do not celebrate this aright, when you spend most of

your time in cards, dice, or gaming of any sort.

This is a season, for which there is no more allowance for wasting of

your precious time in those unlawful entertainments, than any other.

Persons are apt to flatter themselves that they are free and at liberty

to spend whole evenings now at cards, at dice, or any diversion

whatsoever, to pass away, as they call it, a tedious evening. They can

do any thing now to pass away that, which is hastening as fast as

thought: time is always upon the wing; it is no sooner present but it

is past, and no sooner come but it is gone. And have we so much to do,

and so little time to do it in, and yet complain of time lying heavy

upon our hands? Have we not the devil and the beast to get our of our

souls? Are not our natures to be changed, our corruptions to be

subdued, our wills to be brought over to God, or hard hearts to be

softened, all old things to be done away, and all things to become new

in our souls? Is there not all this to be done? And yet we have too

much time upon our hands! It is well, that instead of having too much

time, it be not found that we have got too little, when we come to die:

then we shall wish, my brethren, that we had made more account of our

time, that we had improved it for the glory of God, and the welfare of

our immortal souls.

Good God! How amazing is the consideration, that many can go to church

in the morning, and take the Sacrament, and come home and spend the

afternoon and evening in cards. Is this, my brethren, discerning the

Lord's body? Is this taking the sacrament according to its institution?

Is not this a pollution thereof, and making the blood of the covenant

an unholy thing.

Therefore, those of you who have made this your practice in times past,

let me beseech you, in the bowels of mercy, not to do so any more; for,

indeed, it is earthly, it is sensual, it is devilish. Consider what is

said of those who eat and drink at the Lord's table unworthily, that

they eat and drink their own damnation: And can they, my brethren, be

said to eat and drink any otherwise, who no sooner go from the table of

the Lord, but run to the diversions of the devil? Indeed this is

exceeding sinful, and displeasing unto the Lord; then forbear those

diversions which are so evil in themselves: O be not found in those

exercises, and in that pleasure, which you would not be found in when

you come to die. Thus, my brethren, you se it is not a right

celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus, to spend it in cards, dice,

or any other diversions, which proceed so directly from the devil, and

are destructive to all true goodness.

Secondly, They cannot be said truly to celebrate this time, who spend

their time in eating and drinking to excess.

This is a season when persons are apt to indulge themselves in all

manner of luxury: iniquity now abounds apace; nothing is scarcely to be

seen but things of the greatest extravagance imaginable; not only for

the necessities of the body, but to pamper it in lust, to feed its

vices, to make it go on in sin, to be a means for gratifying our carnal

appetite; and this is a means to make us forget the Lord of glory. This

makes us only fit to do such drudgery, as the devil shall set us about;

this is only preparing to run wheresoever the devil sends: this,

instead of denying ourselves, is indulging ourselves, this is not, nor

cannot be called, a celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ,

when we are making ourselves worst than the beasts that perish.

I am not speaking against eating and drinking of the good things of

life, but against the eating and drinking of them to excess, because,

thus they unqualify us for the service of God; and to our

fellow-creatures they make us unsociable, and may occasion us to be

guilty of saying and acting those things, which we should be ashamed to

think of, if we had only ate or drank with moderation.

Therefore, my dear brethren, let me beseech you to set a watch over

yourselves; be careful that you do not run into that company which may

tempt you to evil, for would a man run himself into danger on purpose?

Would a man enter himself into that company, where, before he goes, he

knows he shall be exposed to great temptations; and therefore, if you

have any reason to think that the company you are going into will be a

temptation, I beseech you, by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, that

you would not run into it.

How can you say, "Lead us not into temptation," when you are resolved

to lead yourselves into it, by running into the occasions of sins. You

are commanded to keep from the appearance of evil; and do you do that,

by running into the place and company where it is like to be committed?

No, this is so far from avoiding, and shunning it, that it is a plain

proof to the contrary; therefore, if you are for observing this time,

this festival of our church, let it not be done by running to excess;

for you plainly see, that those who are guilty thereof, cannot be said

properly to celebrate it.

Thirdly, Nor can they, my brethren, be said to keep, or rightly observe

the commemoration of the birth of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ,

who neglect their worldly callings to follow pleasures and diversions.

Alas! many, instead of keeping this time as it ought to be, run into

sin with greediness; instead of devoting their time to the Lord, it is

only devoted to the devil and their own lusts. How many who thus

mispend their time, at this season, lay by the work of their callings

for a considerable time, with no other view, but to follow earthly,

sensual, and devilish pleasures. If they should go to hear a sermon, or

to a society, my brethren, the mouths of all the Pharisees at once are

open against them, that they are not only a going to be ruined

themselves, but are going to ruin their families too; they think it

needless to make so much ado; this is being righteous over-much; but

you may be as wicked as you please, and they will not cry out; however,

when you are wicked over-much, by serving the devil and your own

pleasures for a week or a month together, then, my brethren, with them

you are only taking a little recreation, spending your time in innocent

diversions; no one cries out against you, there is no outcry that you

are going to be ruined. Again, if you give never so small a matter

among the poor people of God for their relief, then you are robbing

your families, then you are going to turn madmen! And in a few days

will be to methodistically mad, that you are not fit for a polite

gentleman's conversation; but if you spend one hundred times the money

in playhouses, &c. on your lusts and pleasures, then you are liked and

esteemed as a good friend and companion; but, my dear brethren, these

good companions in the world's account, are never so in the Lord Jesus

Christ's. You cannot serve God and mammon; you must either lost your

lusts, your pleasures, and your delights, or you cannot expect to find

favor with God; for indeed, and indeed, the ways that too many follow

at this time, are sinful, yea, they are exceeding sinful. You see they

cannot be said to celebrate this holy time, who thus mispend their

precious time to the neglect of their families; such are destroying

themselves with a witness.

Thus, my dear brethren, I have shown you who they are who do not

observe this holy festival.

II. I come now, in the second place, to show you, who they are who do

rightly observe, and truly celebrate the birth of our Redeemer.

And I shall show you who they are in two particulars, directly opposite

to the others; and then, my brethren, take your choice: you must choose

the one or the other, there is no medium, you must either serve the

Lord or Baal; and, therefore, my dear brethren, let me beg of you to

consider,

First, That those spend their time aright, and truly observe this

festival, who spend their hours in reading, praying, and religious

conversation.

What can we do to employ our time to a more noble purpose, than reading

of what our dear Redeemer has done and suffered; to read, that the King

of kings, and the Lord of lords, came from his throne and took upon him

the form of the meanest of his servants; and what great things he

underwent. This, this is an history worth reading, this is worth

employing our time about: and surely, when we read of the sufferings of

our Savior, it should excite us to prayer, that we might have an

interest in the Lord Jesus Christ; that the blood which he spilt upon

mount Calvary, and his death and crucifixion, might make an atonement

for our sins, that we might be made holy; that we might be enabled to

put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, even the

Lord Jesus Christ; that we may throw away the heavy yoke of sin, and

put on the yoke of the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, my brethren, these

things call for prayer, and for earnest prayer too; and O do be earnest

with God, that you may have an interest in this Redeemer, and that you

may put on his righteousness, so that you may not come before him in

your filthy rags, nor be found not having on the wedding garment. O do

not, I beseech you, trust unto yourselves for justification; you

cannot, indeed, you cannot be justified by the works of the law. I

entreat that your time may be thus spent; and if you are in company,

let your time be spent in that conversation which profiteth: let it not

be about your dressing, your plays, your profits, or your worldly

concerns, but let it be the wonders of redeeming love: O tell, tell to

each other, what great things the Lord has done for your souls; declare

unto one another, how you were delivered from the hands of your common

enemy, Satan, and how the Lord has brought your feet from the clay, and

has set them upon the rock of ages, the Lord Jesus Christ; there, my

brethren, is no slipping; other conversation, by often repeating, you

become fully acquainted with, but of Christ there is always something

new to raise your thoughts; you can never want matter when the love of

the Lord Jesus Chris is the subject: then let Jesus be the subject, my

brethren, of all your conversation.

Let your time be spent on him: O this, this is an employ, which if you

belong to Jesus, will last you to all eternity. Let others enjoy their

cards, their dice, and gaming hours; do you, my brethren, let your time

be spent in reading, praying, and religious conversations. Which will

stand the trial best at the last day? Which do you think will bring

most comfort, most peace, in a dying hour? O live and spend your time

now, as you will wish to have done, when you come to die.

Secondly, Let the good things of life, you enjoy, be used with

moderation.

I am not, as the scoffers of this day tell you, against eating and

drinking the good things of life; no, my brethren, I am only against

their being used to an excess; therefore, let me beseech you to avoid

those great indiscretions, those sinful actions, which will give the

enemies of God room to blaspheme. Let me beseech you, to have a regard,

a particular regard to your behavior, at this time; for indeed the eyes

of all are upon you, and they would rejoice much to find any reason to

complain of you. They can say things against us without a cause; and

how would they rejoice if there was wherewith they might blame us? Then

they would triumph and rejoice indeed; and all your little slips, my

dear brethren, are, and would be charged upon me. O at this time, when

the eyes of so many are upon you, be upon your guard; and if you use

the good things of this life with moderation, you do then celebrate

this festival in the manner which the institution calls for.

And instead of running into excess, let that money, which you might

expend to pamper your own bodies, be given to feed the poor; now, my

brethren, is the season, in which they commonly require relief; and

sure you cannot act more agreeable, either to the season, to the time,

or for the glory of God, than in relieving his poor distressed

servants. Therefore, if any of you have poor friends, or acquaintance,

who are in distress, I beseech you to assist them; and not only those

of your acquaintance, but the poor in general. O my dear brethren, that

will turn to a better account another day, than all you have expended

to please the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of

life. Consider, Christ was always willing to relieve the distressed; it

is his command also; and can you better commemorate the birth of your

king, your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, than in obeying one of his

commands?

Do not, my dear brethren, be forgetful of the poor of the world;

consider, if providence has smiled upon you, and blessed you with

abundance of the things of this life, God calls for some returns of

gratitude from you; be ye mindful of the poor, and when you are so,

then you may be said to have a true regard for that time which is now

approaching; if you would truly observe this festival, let it be done

with moderation, and a regard to the poor of this world.

Thirdly, Let me beg of you not to alienate too much of your time from

the worldly business of this life, but have a proper regard thereunto,

and then you may be said rightly to observe this festival.

God allows none to be idle: in all ages business was commended; and

therefore do not think that any season will excuse us in our callings;

we are not, my brethren, to labor for the things of this life

inordinately, but we are to labor for them will all moderation: we are

not to neglect our callings; no, we are to regard those places and

stations of life, which God in his providence has thought convenient

for us; and therefore, when you neglect your business of the hurt of

your families, whatever pretense you thereby make for so doing, you are

guilty of sin; you are not acting according to the doctrine of the

gospel, but are breaking the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ, both

according to his word, and to his own practice.

At this festival, persons are apt to take a little more liberty than

usual; and if that time from our vocations is not prejudicial to

ourselves or families, and is spent in the service of God, and the good

of immortal souls, then I do not thing it sinful; but there is too much

reason to fear, that the time spent upon our own lusts, and then it is

exceeding sinful, it is against our own souls, and it is against the

good of our families, and instead of commemorating the birth of our

dear Redeemer, we are dishonoring him in the greatest degree possibly

we can.

Therefore, inquire strictly into your end and design in spending your

time; see, my brethren, whether it proceeds from a true love to your

Redeemer, or whether there is not some worldly pleasure or advantage at

the bottom: if there is, our end is not right; but if it proceed

entirely from love to him that died, and gave himself for us, our

actions will be a proof thereof; then our time will be spent, not in

the polite pleasures of life, but according to the doctrine and

commands of the blessed Jesus; then our conversation will be in heaven;

and O that this might be found to be the end of each of you, who now

hear me; then we should truly observe this festival, and have a true

regard to the occasion thereof, that of Christ's coming to redeem the

souls of those which were lost.

Let me now conclude, my dear brethren, with a few words of exhortation,

beseeching you to think of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Did Jesus

come into the world to save us from death, and shall we spend no part

of our time in conversing about our dear Jesus; shall we pay no regard

to the birth of him, who came to redeem us from the worst of slavery,

from that of sin, and the devil; and shall this Jesus not only be born

on our account, but likewise die in our stead, and yet shall we be

unmindful of him? Shall we spend our time in those things which are

offensive to him? Shall we not rather do all we can to promote his

glory, and act according to his command? O my dear brethren, be found

in the ways of God; let us not disturb our dear Redeemer by any

irregular proceedings; and let me beseech you to strive to love, fear,

honor and obey him, more than ever you have done yet; let not the devil

engross your time, and that dear Savior who came into the world on your

accounts, have so little. O be not so ungrateful to him who has been so

kind to you! What could the Lord Jesus Christ have done for you more

than he has? Then do not abuse his mercy, but let your time be spent in

thinking and talking of the love of Jesus, who was incarnate for us,

who was born of a woman, and made under the law, to redeem us from the

wrath to come.

Now to God the Father, God the Son, &c,

__________________________________________________________________

The Temptation of Christ

Matthew 4:1-11 -- "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the

wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty

days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the

tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that

these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written,

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth

out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy

city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him,

If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He

shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they

shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a

stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt

the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high

mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory

of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou

wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee

hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,

and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold,

angels came and ministered unto him."

Dearly beloved, today you are invited to take a walk into the

wilderness, to behold, sympathize with, and get instruction and comfort

from a Savior tempted. In the conflict, he approves himself to be God's

beloved Son; and the Father gives demonstrable evidence, that with, and

in him he is indeed well pleased. Let us with serious attention

consider when, where, and how, our great Michael fought with and

overcame the dragon. The Evangelist Matthew is very particular in

relating the preparations for, the beginning, process, and issue of

this glorious and important combat.

"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted

of the devil." In the close of the foregoing chapter we are told, that

the blessed Jesus had been publicly baptized, and was also solemnly

inaugurated in his mediatorial office, by the opening of the heavens,

by the Spirit of God descending on him like a dove, and by a voice from

heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;"

and then it was, when he came from the solemn ordinance of baptism;

when he was about to show himself openly unto Israel; when he was full

of the Holy Ghost (Luke 4:1); even then was he led, with a holy

unconstrained violence, as a champion into the field, to engage an

enemy, whom he was sure to conquer. But whither is this conqueror led?

Into a lonesome, wide, howhng wilderness; probably, says Mr. Henry,

into the great wilderness of Sinai; a wilderness, not only lonesome,

but inhabited by wild beasts, Mark 1:13. Hither was our Lord led, not

only that he might prepare himself by retirement and prayer, but also

that he might be alone, and thereby give Satan all the advantages he

could desire. In this combat, as well as that of his last agony, "of

the people, there was to be none with him." Neither does he content

himself with praying, but he fasts also, and that "forty days and forty

nights," (verse 9): as Moses and Elias had done, many years before, it

may be, in the very same place. All these fasts were miraculous; and

therefore, though we are taught hereby, that fasting is a Christian

duty, yet, to pretend, in an ordinary way, to imitate them, by fasting

for so long a term together, in no doubt superstitious , presumptuous,

and sinful; but few people, I believe, need such a caution.

During these forty days, we may suppose, our Lord felt no hunger;

converse with heaven, to him was instead of meat and drink; but

"afterwards he was an hungered:" exceedingly so, no doubt. And now, the

important fight begins. For, then "the tempted," emphatically so

called, because he first tempted our first parents to sin, and hath

ever since been unwearied in tempting their descendants; then the

tempter, who in an invisible manner had been attacking our blessed Lord

all the whole forty days, when he saw him hungering, and in such

distressing circumstances, came to him, as it should seem, in a visible

shape, and probably transformed into the appearance of an angel of

light. And what does he tempt him to? To nothing less, than to doubt of

his being the Son of God." "If thou be the Son of God." What! Put an if

to this, Satan, after the glorious Jesus had been proved to be God's

son, and repeatedly too in such a glorious manner? Surely, thou thyself

couldst not but see the heavens opened, and the Spirit descending;

surely, thou didst hear the voice that came to him from heaven,

immediately after his baptism, saying, "This is my beloved Son:" And

dost thou now say unto him, "If thou be the Son of God." Yes; but Satan

knew, and believed he was full well; but he wanted to make our Lord to

doubt of it. And why? Because he was in such a melancholy situation. As

though he had said, "If God was thy father, he would never suffer thee

to starve to death in a howhng wilderness, among wild beasts. Surely,

the voice thou lately didst hear, was only a delusion. If thou wast the

Son of God, especially his beloved Son, in whom he was so pleased, thou

wouldst be taken more care of by him." Thus he attacked our first

parents, by suggesting to them hard thoughts of their all-bountiful

Creator: "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree in the

garden?" "Hath he placed you amidst such a variety of delicious fruits,

only to tease and make you miserable?" And how artfully now does he

labor to insinuate himself into our Lord's affections, as he then did

to ingratiate himself with our first parents. "If thou be the Son of

God, says he, come, prove it, by commanding these stones (a heap of

which, probably, lay very near) to be made bread: this will demonstrate

thy divinity, and relieve thy pressing necessity at the same time."

Thus, as in all his other temptations, Satan would fain appear to be

his very kind friend; but the holy Jesus saw through the disguised

enmity of his antagonist; and scorning either to distrust his righteous

Father on the one hand, or to work a miracle to please and gratify the

devil on the other, although he had the Spirit of God without measure,

and might have made use of a thousand other ways, yet answers him with

a text of scripture: "It is written, that man shall not live by bread

alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." This

is a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3, and contains a reason given by the

great God, why he chose to feed the Israelites with manna; that they

might learn thereby, man doth not live by bread alone, but by every

word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. This our blessed Lord

here applies to himself; and his being in the wilderness, made the

application of it still more pertinent. Israel was God's son: out of

Egypt was he called to sojourn in the wilderness, where he was

miraculously supported. And therefore our Lord, knowing that he was

typified by this Israel, and that, like them, he was now in a

wilderness, quotes this scripture as a reason why he should not, at

Satan's suggestion, either despair of receiving help from his Father in

his present circumstances, or distrust the validity of his late

manifestations, or make use of any unwarrantable means for his present

relief. For as God was his father, he would, therefore, either in an

ordinary way spread a table for him in the wilderness, or support and

sustain him, as he did his Israel of old, in some extraordinary way or

other without it: "For man shall not live by bread alone, but by every

word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Thus is the tempter foiled in the first onset; but he hath other arrows

in his quiver, with which he will farther strive to wound the

immaculate Lamb of God. Since he cannot draw him in either to distrust,

or despair, he will not try if he cannot prevail on him to presume. In

order to effect this, "He taketh the blessed Jesus up into the Holy

City," or Jerusalem, called by our Savior, the city of the Great King,

and here called holy, because the holy temple was in it, and, we would

hope, many holy people. This was a populous place, and therefore, would

greatly befriend the devil's design. And not only so, but "he setteth

him on a pinnacle," a battlement or wing, "of the temple," the top of

which was so very high, that, as Josephus observes, it would make a

man's head run giddy to look down from it. And some think this was done

at the time of public worship. How the holy Jesus suffered himself to

be taken hither; whether he was transported through the air, or whether

he followed Satan on foot, is uncertain; but certainly it was an

instance of amazing condescension in our Lord, that he would permit so

foul a fiend, to carry or lead his holy body about in this manner.

Well! Satan hath now gotten him upon the pinnacle of the temple, and

still harping upon this old string, "If thou be the Son of God, (says

he) cast thyself down," and thereby show to this large worshipping

assembly, (who will assuredly then believe) that thou art God's beloved

Son, under the special protection of heaven, and art the Messiah, "who

was to come into the world." This was artful, very artful. But he seems

to improve in cunning: for he brings his Bible with him, and backs his

temptation with a text of scripture; "For it is written, (says he) he

shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they

shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a

stone." But is Saul also among the prophets? Does the devil quote

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