He argues from man's guiltiness, to show the folly of expecting (continued)
Faith 9] "Come short of the glory of God." First, we have come short of glorifying Him (Rom. i. 21). "They glorified Him not as God."" Man was placed at the head of the visible creation, actively to glorify that great Creator whom the inferior creatures could glorify only objectively. But man by sin comes short of this, and instead of glorifying God, dishonours Him. It is a very melancholy consideration, to look upon the children of men, who were made to glorify God, and to think how few there are that do it. Secondly, we have come short of glorying before God. We may glory before men, who are short-sighted and cannot search our hearts—who are corrupt as we are, and well enough pleased with sin. But there is no glorying before God, who cannot endure to look upon iniquity. Thirdly, we have come short of being glorified by God. Come short of justification, or acceptance with God, which is glory begun; come short of holiness or sanctification which is the glorious image of God upon man, and have overthrown all hopes and expectations of being glorified with God in heaven by any righteousness of our own. It is impossible now to get to heaven by way of spotless innocency. The passage is blocked up. There is a cherub and a flaming sword set to keep that way to the tree of life.
4. THE GLory oF Gop He argues from God's glory to prove that justification must be expected only by faith in Christ's righteousness. There is no justification by the works of the law. Must guilty man then remain eternally under wrath? Is there no hope? Is the wound become incurable because of transgression? No, blessed be God, it is not. There is another way laid open for us, "'the righteousness of God without the law is manifested'' now under the Gospel. Justification may be obtained without the keeping of Moses' law. This is called "the righteousness of God''. This is a righteousness of His ordaining, and providing, and accepting—righteousness which He confers upon us.
Concerning this righteousness of God observe: (a) That it is mantfested. The Gospel way of justification is a highway, a plain way. It is laid open for us. The brazen serpent is lifted up upon the pole. We are not left to grope our way in the dark. It is manifested to us. (b) It ts without the law. Here he obviates the method. of the Judaizing Christians, who would needs join Christ and