7. Righteousness
7. Righteousness
Righteousness is diverse, for blind reason imagines many manners of righteousness.
There is the righteousness of works (as I said before), when the heart is away, and feels not how the law is spiritual and cannot be fulfilled, but from the bottom of the heart: as the just ministration of all manner of laws, and the observing of them, for a worldly purpose and for our own profit, and not of love unto our neighbor, without all other respect and moral virtues, wherein philosophers put their felicity and blessedness, which all are nothing in the sight of God in respect of the life to come.
There is in like manner the justifying of ceremonies, which some imagine26 themselves, some counterfeit27 others, saying in their blind reason, “Such holy persons did thus and thus, and they were holy men; therefore, if I do so likewise, I shall please God.” But they have no answer of God, that it pleases [Him]. The Jews seek righteousness in their ceremonies, which God gave unto them not for to justify, but to describe and paint Christ unto them. Paul testifies of the Jews, saying how that they have affection to God, but not after knowledge, for they go about to establish their own justice, and are not obedient to the justice or righteousness that comes of God, which is the forgiveness of sin in Christ’s blood, unto all that repent and believe. The cause is verily that, except a man cast away his own imagination and reason, he cannot perceive God and understand the virtue and power of the blood of Christ.
There is a full righteousness, when the law is fulfilled from the ground of the heart. This had not Peter nor Paul in this life perfectly, unto the uttermost, that they could not be more perfect, but sighed after it. They were so far forth blessed in Christ, that they hungered and thirsted after it. Paul had this thirst. He consented to the law of God that it ought so to be, but he found another lust in his members contrary to the lust and desire of his mind, that letted28 him, and therefore cried out, saying, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? thanks be to God through Jesus Christ” (Rom 7:24-25).
The righteousness that is of value before God is to believe the promises of God, after the law has confounded the conscience. As when the temporal29 law ofttimes condemns the thief or murderer and brings him to execution, so that he sees nothing before him but present death; and then come good tidings, a charter from the king, and deliver him. Likewise, when God’s law has brought the sinner into knowledge of himself and has confounded his conscience and opened unto him the wrath and vengeance of God, then comes good tidings. The evangelion shows unto him the promises of God in Christ, and how that Christ has purchased pardon for him, has satisfied the law for him, and appeased the wrath of God. And the poor sinner believes, lauds, and thanks God through Christ, and breaks out into exceeding inward joy and gladness, for that he has escaped so great wrath, so heavy vengeance, so fearful and so everlasting a death. And he henceforth is an hungered and athirst after more righteousness, that he might fulfill the law, and mourns continually, commending his weakness unto God in the blood of our Savior Christ Jesus.
Here shall you see compendiously30 and plainly set out the order and practice of everything afore rehearsed.