FOURTH. The righteous man therefore in the text is, and ought to be, thus described: 1. He is one whom G.o.d makes righteous, by reckoning him so. 2. He is one that G.o.d makes righteous, by possessing of him with a principle of righteousness. 3. He is one that is practically righteous.
First. He is one that G.o.d makes righteous. Now, if G.o.d makes him righteous, his righteousness is not his own, I mean this sort of righteousness: "Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord" (Isa 54:17). G.o.d then makes a man righteous by putting righteousness upon him--by putting the righteousness of G.o.d upon him (Phil 3:6-9).
Hence we are said to be made the righteousness of G.o.d in Christ: "For G.o.d hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of G.o.d in him" (2 Cor 5:21). Thus G.o.d, therefore, reckoneth one righteous, even by imputing that unto us which is able to make us so: "Christ of G.o.d is made unto us--righteousness" (1 Cor 1:30). Wherefore he saith again, "In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory"
(Isa 45:25).
The righteousness then by which a man is made righteous, with righteousness to justification of life before G.o.d, for that is it we are speaking of now, is the righteousness of another than he who is justified thereby. Hence it is said again by the soul thus justified and made righteous, "The Lord hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Isa 61:10). As he also saith in another place, "I spread my skirts over thee, and covered thy nakedness" (Eze 16:8).
This we call a being made righteous by reckoning, by the reckoning of G.o.d; for none is of power to reckon one righteous but G.o.d, because none can make one so to be but him. He that can make me rich, though I am in myself the poorest of men, may reckon me rich, if together with his so reckoning, he indeed doth make me rich. This is the case, G.o.d makes a man righteous by bestowing of righteousness upon him--by counting the righteousness of his Son for his. He gives him righteousness, a righteousness already performed and completed by the obedience of his Son (Rom 5:19).
Not that this righteousness, by being bestowed upon us, is severed from Jesus Christ; for it is still his and in him. How then, may some say, doth it become ours? I answer, by our being put into him. For of G.o.d are we in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us, of him, "righteousness." And again, we are made "the righteousness of G.o.d in him." So then, the righteousness of Christ covereth his, as a man"s garments cover the members of his body, for we are "the body of Christ, and members in particular" (1 Cor 12:27). The righteousness therefore is Christ"s; resideth still in him, and covereth us, as the child is lapped up in its father"s skirt, or as the chicken is covered with the feathers of the hen. I make use of all these similitudes thereby to inform you of my meaning; for by all these things are set forth the way of our being made righteous to justification of life (Matt 23:37; Eze 16:8; Psa 36:7).
Now thus a man is made righteous, without any regard to what he has, or to what is of him; for as to him, it is utterly another"s.
Just as if I should, with the skirts of my garments, take up and clothe some poor and naked infant that I find cast out into the open field. Now if I cover the person, I cover scabs and sores, and ulcers, and all blemishes. Hence G.o.d, by putting this righteousness upon us, is said to hide and cover our sins. "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Rom 4:7,8). For since this righteousness is Christ"s, and counted or reckoned ours by the grace of G.o.d, it is therefore bestowed upon us, not because we are, but to make us righteous before the face of G.o.d. Hence, as I said, it is said to make us righteous, even as gay clothes do make a naked body fine. "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of G.o.d in him."
This is of absolute necessity to be known, and to be believed. For without this no man can be counted righteous before G.o.d; and if we stand not righteous before G.o.d, it will benefit us nothing as to life eternal, though we should be counted righteous by all the men on earth. Besides, if G.o.d counts me righteous, I am safe, though in and of myself I am nothing but a sinner, and unG.o.dly. The reason is, because G.o.d has a right to bestow righteousness upon me, for he has righteousness to spare; he has also a right to forgive, because sin is the transgression of the law. Yea, he has therefore sent his Son into the world to accomplish righteousness for sinners, and G.o.d of his mercy bestows it upon those that shall receive it by faith. Now, if G.o.d shall count me righteous, who will be so hardy as to conclude I yet shall perish? "It is G.o.d that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of G.o.d, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
(Rom 8:33-35).
Thus therefore is a man made righteous, even of G.o.d by Christ, or through his righteousness. Now if, as was said, a man is thus made righteous, then in this sense he is good before G.o.d, before he has done anything of that which the law calls good before men; for G.o.d maketh not men righteous with this righteousness, because they have been, or have done good, but before they are capable of doing good at all. Hence we are said to be justified while unG.o.dly, even as an infant is clothed with the skirt of another, while naked, as touching itself (Rom 4:4,5). Works therefore do not precede, but follow after this righteousness; and even thus it is in nature, the tree must be good before it bear good fruit, and so also must a man. It is as impossible to make a man bring forth good fruit to G.o.d, before he is of G.o.d made good, as it is for a thorn or bramble bush to bring forth figs or grapes (Matt 7:15,16).
But again, a man must be righteous before he can be good; righteous by imputation, before his person, his intellectuals, can be qualified with good, as to the principle of good. For neither faith, the Spirit, nor any grace, is given unto the sinner before G.o.d has made him righteous with this righteousness of Christ. Wherefore it is said, that after he had spread his skirt over us, he washed us with water, that is, with the washing of sanctification (Eze 16:8,9).
And to conclude otherwise, is as much as to say that an unjustified man has faith, the Spirit, and the graces thereof; which to say is to overthrow the gospel. For what need of Christ"s righteousness if a man may have faith and the Spirit of Christ without it, since the Spirit is said to be the earnest of our inheritance, and that by which we are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph 1, 4). But the truth is, the Spirit which makes our person good, I mean that which sanctifies our natures, is the fruit of the righteousness which is by Jesus Christ. For as Christ died and rose again before he sent the Holy Ghost from heaven to his, so the benefit of his death and resurrection is by G.o.d bestowed upon us, in order to the Spirit"s possessing of our souls.
Second. And this leads me to the second thing, namely, That G.o.d makes a man righteous by possessing[3] of him with a principle of righteousness, even with the spirit of righteousness (Rom 4:4,5).
For though, as to justification before G.o.d from the curse of the law, we are made righteous while we are unG.o.dly, and yet sinners; yet being made free from sin thus, we forthwith become, through a change which the Holy Ghost works in our minds, the servants of G.o.d (Rom 5:7-9). Hence it is said, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom 8:1). For though, as the apostle also insinuates here, that being in Christ Jesus is antecedent to our walking after the Spirit; yet a man can make no demonstration of his being in Christ Jesus, but by his walking in the Spirit; because the Spirit is an inseparable companion of imputed righteousness, and immediately follows it, to dwell with whosoever it is bestowed upon. Now it dwelling in us, principles[4] us in all the powers of our souls, with that which is righteousness in the habit and nature of it. Hence the fruits of the Spirit are called "the fruits of goodness and righteousness," as the fruits of a tree are called the fruit of that tree (Eph 5:9).
And again, "He that doth righteousness is righteous," not only in our first sense, but even in this also. For who can do righteousness without he be principled so to do? who can act reason that hath not reason? So none can bring forth righteousness that hath not in him the root of righteousness, which is the Spirit of G.o.d, which comes to us by virtue of our being made sons of G.o.d (1 John 2:19, 3:7; Gal 4:5-7). Hence the fruits of the Spirit are called "the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of G.o.d" (Phil 1:11). This then is the thing we say, to wit, that he that is made righteous unto justification of life before G.o.d, is also habituated with a principle of righteousness, as that which follows that righteousness by which he stood just before. I say, as that which follows it; for it comes by Jesus Christ, and by our being justified before G.o.d, and made righteous through him.
This second then also comes to us before we do any act spiritually good. For how can a man act righteousness but from a principle of righteousness? And seeing this principle is not of or by nature, but of and by grace, through Christ, it follows that as no man is just before G.o.d that is not covered with the righteousness of Christ, so no man can do righteousness but by the power of the Spirit of G.o.d which must dwell in him. Hence we are said through the Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body, which works are preparatory to fruitful actions. The husbandman, says Paul, that laboureth, must first be partaker of the fruit; so he that worketh righteousness, must first be blessed with a principle of righteousness (2 Tim 2:1-6). Men must have eyes before they see, tongues before they speak, and legs before they go; even so must a man be made habitually good and righteous before he can work righteousness. This then is the second thing. G.o.d makes a man righteous by possessing him with a principle of righteousness; which principle is not of nature, but of grace; not of man, but of G.o.d.
Third. The man in the text is practically righteous, or one that declareth himself by works that are good; a virtuous, a righteous man, even as the tree declares by the apple or plum it beareth what manner of tree it is: "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matt 7:16). Fruits show outwardly what the heart is principled with: show me then thy faith, which abideth in the heart, by thy works in a well spent life. Mark how the apostle words it, We being, saith he, "made free from sin, and become servants to G.o.d, have our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life" (Rom 6:23).
Mark his order: first we are made free from sin; now that is by being justified freely by the grace of G.o.d through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ, whom G.o.d has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. Now this is G.o.d"s act, without any regard at all to any good that the sinner has or can accomplish; "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy" thus he saveth us (t.i.tus 3:5; Rom 3:24; 2 Tim 1:9).
Now, being made free from sin, what follows? We become the servants of G.o.d, that is, by that turn which the Holy Ghost makes upon our heart when it reconciles it to the Word of G.o.d"s grace. For that, as was said afore, is the effect of the indwelling and operation of the Holy Ghost. Now having our hearts thus changed by G.o.d and his Word, the fruits of righteousness put forth themselves by us.
For as when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which is in our members, did bring forth fruit unto death, so now, if we are in the Spirit, and we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be the Spirit of Christ dwells in us, by the motions and workings of that we have our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life (Rom 8:6,9).
But now by these fruits we are neither made righteous nor good; for the apple maketh not the tree good, it only declares it so to be. Here therefore all those are mistaken that think to be righteous by doing of righteous actions, or good by doing good. A man must first be righteous, or he cannot do righteousness; to wit, that which is evangelically such. Now if a man is, and must be righteous, before he acts righteousness, then all his works are born too late to make him just before G.o.d; for his works, if they be right, flow from the heart of a righteous man, of a man that had, before he had any good work, a twofold righteousness bestowed on him; one to make him righteous in the sight of G.o.d, the other to principle him to be righteous before the world. "That he might be called a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Isa 63:3).
The want of understanding of this, is that which keeps so many in a mist of darkness about the way of salvation. For they, poor hearts! when they hear of the need that they have of a righteousness to commend them to G.o.d, being ignorant of the righteousness of G.o.d, that is, of that which G.o.d imputeth to a man, and that by which he counteth him righteous, have it not in their thoughts to accept of that unto justification of life. But presently betake themselves to the law of works, and fall to work there for the performing of a righteousness, that they may be accepted of G.o.d for the same; and so submit not themselves to the righteousness of G.o.d, by which, and by which only, the soul stands just before G.o.d (Rom 10:1-3).
Wherefore, I say, it is necessary that this be distinctly laid down. That a man must be righteous first, even before he doth righteousness; the argument is plain from the order of nature: "For a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit": wherefore make the tree good, and so his fruit good; or the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt (Luke 6:43).
Reason also says the same, for how can Blacks beget white children, when both father and mother are black? How can a man without grace, and the spirit of grace, do good; nature is defiled even to the mind and conscience; how then can good fruit come from such a stock?
(t.i.tus 1:15). Besides, G.o.d accepteth not any work of a person which is not first accepted of him; "The Lord hath respect unto Abel and to his offering" (Gen 4:4). To Abel first, that is, before that Abel offered. But how could G.o.d have respect to Abel, if Abel was not pleasing in his sight? and how could Abel be yet pleasing in his sight, for the sake of his own righteousness, when it is plain that Abel had not yet done good works? he was therefore first made acceptable in the sight of G.o.d, by and for the sake of that righteousness which G.o.d of his grace had put upon him to justification of life; through and by which also the Holy Ghost in the graces of it dwelt in Abel"s soul. Now Abel being justified, and also possessed with this holy principle, he offers his sacrifice to G.o.d.
Hence it is said, that he offered "by faith," by the faith which he had precedent to his offering; for if through faith he offered, he had that faith before he offered; that is plain. Now his faith looked not for acceptance for the sake of what he offered, but for the sake of that righteousness which it did apprehend G.o.d had already put upon him, and by which he was made righteous; wherefore his offering was the offering of a righteous man, of a man made righteous first; and so the text saith, "By faith Abel offered unto G.o.d a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous" (Heb 11:4); that is antecedent to his offering; for he had faith in Christ to come, by which he was made righteous; he also had the spirit of faith, by which he was possessed with a righteous principle; and so being in this manner made righteous, righteous before G.o.d, and also principled to work, he comes and offereth his more acceptable sacrifice to G.o.d. For this, all will grant, namely, that the works of a righteous man are more excellent than are even the best works of the wicked. Hence Cain"s works came behind; for G.o.d had not made him righteous, had no respect unto his person, had not given him the Spirit and faith, whereby alone men are made capable to offer acceptably: "But unto Cain and to his offering, the Lord had not respect" (Gen 4:5).
From all which it is manifest, that the person must be accepted before the duty performed can be pleasing unto G.o.d. And if the person must first be accepted, it is evident that the person must first be righteous; but if the person be righteous before he doth good, then it follows that he is made righteous by righteousness that is none of his own, that he hath no hand in, further than to receive it as the gracious gift of G.o.d. Deny this, and it follows that G.o.d accepteth men without respect to righteousness; and then what follows that, but that Christ is dead in vain?
We must not therefore be deceived, "He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he," the Lord, "is righteous" (1 John 3:7).
He doth not say he that doth righteousness shall be righteous; as if his doing works would make him so before G.o.d; but he that doth righteousness IS righteous, antecedent to his doing righteousness.
And it must be thus understood, else that which follows signifies nothing; for he saith, "He that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he," the Lord his G.o.d, "is righteous." But how is the Lord righteous? Even antecedent to his works. The Lord was righteous before he wrought righteousness in the world; and even so are we, to wit, every child of G.o.d. "As he is, so are we, in this world"!
(1 John 4:17). But we must in this admit of this difference; the Lord was eternally and essentially righteous before he did any work, but we are imputatively righteous, and also made so by a second work of creation, before we do good works. It holds therefore only as to order; G.o.d was righteous before he made the world, and we are righteous before we do good works. Thus, therefore, we have described the righteous man. First. He is one whom G.o.d makes righteous, by reckoning or imputation. Second. He is one that G.o.d makes righteous by possessing of him with a principle of righteousness. Third. He is one that is practically righteous. Nor dare I give a narrower description of a righteous man than this; nor otherwise than thus.
1. I dare not give a narrower description of a righteous man than this, because whoever pretends to justification, if he be not sanctified, pretends to what he is not; and whoever pretends to sanctification, if he shows not the fruits thereof by a holy life, he deceiveth his own heart, and professeth but in vain (James 1:22-27).[5]
2. Nor dare I give this description otherwise than thus, because there is a real distinction to be put between that righteousness by which we should be just before G.o.d, and that which is in us a principle of sanctification; the first being the obedience of the Son of G.o.d without us, the second being the work of the Spirit in our hearts. There is also a difference to be put betwixt the principle by which we work righteousness, and the works themselves; as a difference is to be put betwixt the cause and the effect, the tree and the apple.
[WHAT ARE THE DESIRES OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN?]
SECOND. I come now to the second thing into which we are to inquire, and that is,
WHAT ARE THE DESIRES OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN?
My way of handling this question shall be, FIRST, To speak of the nature of desire in the general. SECOND, And then to show you, more particularly, what are the desires of the righteous.
[Desires in general.]
FIRST. For the first; desires in general may be thus described:--They are the workings of the heart or mind, after that of which the soul is persuaded that it is good to be enjoyed; this, I say, is so without respect to regulation; for we speak not now of good desires, but of desires themselves, even as they flow from the heart of a human creature; I say, desires are or may be called, the working of the heart after this or that; the strong motions of the mind unto it. Hence the love of women to their husbands is called "their desires" (Gen 3:16); and the wife also is called "the desire of thine" the husband"s "eyes" (Eze 24:16). Also love to woman, to make her one"s wife, is called by the name of "desire" (Deut 21:10,11).
Now, how strong the motions or pa.s.sions of love are, who is there that is an utter stranger thereto? (Cant 8:6,7).
Hunger is also a most vehement thing; and that which is called "hunger" in one place, is called "desire" in another; and he desired "to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man"s table"
(Luke 16:21; Psa 145:16). Exceeding l.u.s.tings are called "desires,"
to show the vehemency of desires (Psa 106:14, 78:27-30). Longings, pantings, thirstings, prayers, &c., if there be any life in them, are all fruits of a desirous soul. Desires therefore flow from the consideration of the goodness, or profitableness, or pleasurableness of a thing; yea, all desires flow from thence; for a man desires not that about which he has had no consideration, nor that neither on which he has thought, if he doth not judge it will yield him something worth desiring.
When Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was a beautiful tree--though her sight deceived her--then she desired it, and took thereof herself, and gave to her husband, and he did eat; yea, saith the text, "when she saw that it was a tree to be desired, to make one wise, she took" (Gen 3:6). Hence that which is called "coveting"
in one place, is called "desiring" in another; for desires are craving; and by desires a man seeks to enjoy what is not his (Exo 20:17; Deut 5:21). From all these things, therefore, we see what desire is. It is the working of the heart, after that which the soul is persuaded that it is good to be enjoyed; and of them there are these two effects.
First. One is--on a supposition that the soul is not satisfied with what it has--to cause the soul to range and hunt through the world for something that may fill up that vacancy that yet the soul finds in itself, and would have supplied. Hence desires are said to be wandering, and the soul said to walk by them; "Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire," or than the walking of the soul (Eccl 6:8,9). Desires are hunting things, and how many things do some empty souls seek after, both as to the world, and also as to religion, who have desirous minds!
Second. The second effect is, If desires be strong, they carry all away with them; they are all like Samson, they will pull down the gates of a city; but they will go out abroad; nothing can stop the current of desires, but the enjoyment of the thing desired, or a change of opinion as to the worth or want of worth of the thing that is desired.
[What are the desires of the righteous.]
SECOND. But we will now come to the thing more particularly intended, which is, To show what are the desires of the righteous; that is that which the text calls us to the consideration of, because it saith, "The desire of the righteous shall be granted."
We have hitherto spoken of desires, as to the nature of them, without respect to them as good or bad; but now we shall speak to them as they are the effects of a sanctified mind, as they are the breathings, pantings, l.u.s.tings, hungerings, and thirstings of a righteous man.
The text says "the desire of the righteous shall be granted"; what then are the desires of the righteous? Now I will, First. Speak to their desires in the general, or with reference to them as to their bulk. Second. I will speak to them more particularly as they work this way and that.
[The desires of the righteous in the general.]
First. For their desires in the general: the same Solomon that saith, "The desire of the righteous shall be granted," saith also, "The desire of the righteous is only good" (Prov 11:23). This text giveth us, in the general, a description of the desires of a righteous man; and a sharp and smart description it is: for where, may some say, is then the righteous man, or the man that hath none but good desires? and if it be answered they are good in the main, or good in the general, yet that will seem to come short of an answer: for in that he saith "the desires of the righteous are only good," it is as much as to say, that a righteous man has none but good desires, or desireth nothing but things that are good.
Wherefore, before we go any further, I must labour to reconcile the experience of good men with this text, which thus gives us a description of the desires of the righteous.
A righteous man is to be considered more generally, or more strictly.
1. More generally, as he consisteth of the whole man, of flesh and spirit, of body and soul, of grace and nature; now consider him thus, and you can by no means reconcile the text with his experience, nor his experience with the text. For as he is body, flesh, and nature--for all these are with him, though he is a righteous man--so he has desires vastly different from those described by this text, vastly differing from what is good; yea, what is it not, that is naught, that the flesh and nature, even of a righteous man, will not desire? "Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us l.u.s.teth to envy?" (James 4:5). And again, "In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing" (Rom 7:18). And again, "The flesh l.u.s.teth against the spirit" (Gal 5:17). And again, The l.u.s.ts thereof do "war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11).
From all these texts we find that a righteous man has other workings, l.u.s.ts, and desires than such only that are good; here then, if we consider of a righteous man thus generally, is no place of agreement betwixt him and this text. We must consider of him, then, in the next place, more strictly, as he may and is to be distinguished from his flesh, his carnal l.u.s.ts, and sinful nature.
2. More strictly. Then a righteous man is taken sometimes as to or for his best part, or as he is A SECOND CREATION; and so, or as so considered, his desires are only good.