the highest reason in the world to rejoice and triumph in
That text is worthy to be written in letters of gold: Isaiah 61:10, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord," says the sound believer, "my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation." He has imputed and given unto me the perfect holiness and obedience of my blessed Savior, and made it mine. "He has covered me (all over, from top to toe) with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Though a Christian's inherent righteousness is weak and imperfect, maimed and stained, blotted and blurred, as it is—yet it affords much comfort, peace, joy, and rejoicing, as you may see by comparing these scriptures together. [1 Chron. 29:9; Job 27:4-6; Neh. 13:14, 22; Isaiah 38:31; Proverbs 21:14; 2 Cor. 1:12; 1 Pet. 3:3-4, and 5:4.]
Job was much taken with his inherent righteousness: Job 29:14, "I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban." Look, as sober, modest, lovely apparel does much set forth and adorn the body in the eyes of men; just so does inherent grace, inherent holiness, inherent righteousness, when it sparkles in the faces, lips, lives, and good works of the saints, much more beautify and adorn them in the eyes both of God and man. Now if this garment of inherent righteousness, that has so many spots and rips in it, will adorn us, and joy us so much, what a beauty and glory is that which the Lord our God has put upon us, in clothing us with the robe of his Son's righteousness; for by this means we shall recover more by Christ than we lost by Adam. The robe of righteousness which we have gotten by Christ, the second Adam, is far more glorious than that which we were deprived of by the first Adam. But,
7. Seventhly, Then know for your comfort, that you have the highest reason in the world to rejoice and triumph in Christ Jesus, Gal. 6:14: Phil. 3:3, "For we are the true circumcision,
who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus." We rejoice in the person of Christ, and we rejoice in the righteousness of Christ: 2 Cor. 2:14, "Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ." Deo gratias was ever in Paul's mouth, and should be ever in a Christian's mouth, when his eye is fixed upon the righteousness of Christ. Every believer is in a more blessed and happy estate, by means of the righteousness of Christ, than Adam was in innocency. And that upon a threefold account; all which are just and noble grounds for every Christian to rejoice and triumph in Christ Jesus.
(1.) That righteousness which Adam had was uncertain, and such as it was possible for him to lose, Gen. 3; yes, he did lose it, and that in a very short time, Psalm 8:5. God gave him power and freedom of will either to hold it or lose it; and we know soon after, upon choice, he proved a bankrupt. But the righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ is made more firm and sure to us. It is that good part, that noble portion, which shall never be taken from us, as Christ said to Mary, Luke 10:42. Adam sinned away his righteousness—but a believer cannot sin away the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is not possible for the elect of God, so to sin as to lose Christ, or to strip themselves of that robe of righteousness which Christ has put upon them, 1 John 3:9; Romans 8:35, 39. The gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against that soul who is savingly interested in Christ, who is clothed with the righteousness of Christ, Mat 16:18. Now what higher ground of joy and triumph in Christ Jesus can there be than this? But,
(2.) The righteousness that Adam had was in his own keeping; the spring and root of it was founded in himself, and that was the cause why he lost it so soon. Adam, like the prodigal son, Luke 15:12-13, had all his portion, his happiness, his holiness, his blessedness, his
righteousness—in his own hands, in his own keeping; and so quickly lost it all. Oh but now, that blessed righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ, is not in our own keeping—but in our Father's keeping. Look, as our persons, graces, and inherent righteousness are kept, as in a strong refuge, by the power of God unto salvation, 1 Pet. 1:5; so that righteousness which we have by Jesus Christ is kept for us by the mighty power of God unto salvation.
God the Father is the Lord Keeper, not only of our inherent righteousness—but also of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ unto us. "My sheep shall never perish," says our Savior, John 10:28, 29, "neither shall any pluck them out of my hand; my Father who gave them me is greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hands." Though the saints may meet with many shakings and tossings in their various conditions in this world—yet their final perseverance, until they come to full possession of eternal life—is certain. God is so unchangeable in his purposes of love, and so invincible in his power—that neither Satan, nor the world, nor their own flesh—shall ever be able to separate them from the "crown of righteousness," 2 Tim. 4:7, 8; "the crown of life," Rev. 2:10; "the crown of glory," 1 Pet. 5:4. The power of God is so far above all created opposition, that it will certainly maintain the saints in a state of grace. Now what a foundation and ground for rejoicing and triumphing in Christ Jesus is here! But,
(3.) Admit, that the righteousness that Adam had in his creation had been unchangeable, and that he could never have lost it—yet, it had been but the righteousness of a man, of a mere creature; and what a poor, low righteousness would that have been, compared to that high and glorious righteousness which we have by Jesus Christ, which is the righteousness of such a person as was God as well as man. Yes, that righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ is a higher
righteousness, and a more excellent, transcendent righteousness than that of the angels. Though the righteousness of the angels be perfect and complete in its kind—yet it is but the righteousness of mere creatures—but the righteousness of the saints, in which they stand clothed before the throne of God, is the righteousness of that person who is both God and man. Look, as the second Adam was a far more excellent person than the first Adam was: "The first man was of the earth, earthy," as the apostle speaks; "the second was the Lord from heaven," 1 Cor. 15:47; not for the matter of his body, for he was made of a woman—but for the original and dignity of his person; whereof you may see a lively and lofty description in Heb. 1:2-3; so his righteousness also must needs be far more excellent, absolute, glorious, and every way all-sufficient to satisfy the infinite justice of God, and the exact perfection of his holy law—than ever Adam's righteousness could possibly have done.
Remember, sirs, that that righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ is called the righteousness of God: "He made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," says the apostle in 2 Cor. 5:21. Now that righteousness that we have by Jesus Christ, is called the righteousness of God:
(1.) Because it is such a righteousness as God requires.
(2.) As he approves of and accepts.
(3.) As he takes infinite pleasure and delight and satisfaction in.
The righteousness the apostle speaks of in that scripture last mentioned, is not to be understood of the essential righteousness of Christ, which is infinite, and no ways communicable to the creature, unless we will make a creature a God. But we are to understand it, of that righteousness of Christ which is imputed to believers, as their
sin is imputed to him. Now what a well of salvation is here! What three noble grounds and what matchless foundations are here for a Christian's joy and triumph in Christ Jesus, who has put so glorious a robe as his own righteousness upon them! Ah, Christians, let not the consolations of God be small in your eyes, Job 15:11. Why do you take no more comfort and delight in Christ Jesus? Why do you not rejoice more in him? Not to rejoice in Christ Jesus is a plain breach of that gospel command, "Rejoice in the Lord always," that is, rejoice in Christ, "and again I say, rejoice," says the apostle, Phil. 4:4. He doubles the mandate, to show the necessity and excellency of the duty. Phil. 3:1, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord." Now, in some respects, the breach of the commands of the gospel are greater than the breach of the commands of the moral law; for the breach of the commands of the gospel carries in it a contempt and light esteem of Jesus Christ, see Heb. 2:2-3, 8:6, and 10:28-29. Men's not rejoicing in Christ Jesus must flow from some dangerous sin, and base corruption or other, which highly distempers their precious souls. If all created excellencies, if all the privileges of God's people, if all the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them, were to be presented at one view, they would all appear as nothing and emptiness—in comparison of the excellency and fullness which is to be found in Christ Jesus. Therefore the greater is their sin, who rejoice not in Christ Jesus.
"Do you ask me where be my jewels? my jewels are my husband and his triumphs," said Phocion's wife. "Do you ask me where be my ornaments? my ornaments are my two sons brought up in virtue and learning," said the mother of the Gracchi. "Do you ask me where be my treasures? my treasures are my friends," said Constantius, the father of Constantine. But now, if you ask a child of God, when he is not clouded, tempted, deserted, dejected, where be his jewels, his treasures, his ornaments, his comfort, his joy, his delight; he will
answer with that martyr, "none but Christ, none but Christ! Oh! none to Christ, none to Christ! Christ is all in all unto me!" Col. 3:11. That joy lasts forever, whose object remains forever. Such an object is our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore the joy of the saints should still be exercised upon our Lord Jesus Christ. Shall the worldling rejoice in his barns, the rich man in his bags, the ambitious man in his honors, the voluptuous man in his pleasures, and the wanton in his Delilahs; and shall not a Christian rejoice in Christ Jesus, and in that robe of righteousness, and in those garments of salvation, with which Christ has covered him? Isaiah 61:10.
The joy of that Christian who keeps a fixed eye upon Christ and his righteousness cannot be expressed, it cannot be painted. No man can paint the sweetness of the honeycomb, nor the sweetness of a cluster of Canaan's grapes, nor the fragrance of the rose of Sharon. As the being of things cannot be painted, so the sweetness of things cannot be painted. The joy of the Holy Spirit cannot be painted; nor can that joy be painted, which arises in a Christian's heart, who keeps up a daily converse with Christ and his righteousness; it cannot be expressed. Who can look upon the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and seriously consider, that even every vein of that blessed body did bleed to bring him to heaven—and not rejoice in Christ Jesus? Who can look upon the glorious righteousness of Christ, imputed to him—and not be filled with an exuberance of spiritual joy in God his Savior?
There is not the pardon of the least sin, nor the least degree of grace, nor the least drop of mercy—but cost Christ dear, for he must die, and he must be made a sacrifice, and he must be accursed—that pardon may be yours, and grace yours, and mercy yours. And oh, how should this draw out your heart to rejoice and triumph in Christ Jesus! The work of redemption sets both angels and saints a-