XVI. The truth pleaded farther confirmed by testimonies of Scripture.--
Jer.23:6

Testimonies of Scripture confirming the doctrine of justification by the
imputation of the righteousness of Christ--Jer.23:6, explained and
indicated
 

That which we now proceed unto, is the consideration of those express
testimonies of Scripture which are given unto the truth pleaded for, and
especially of those places where the doctrine of the justification of
sinners is expressly and designedly handled. From them it is that we must
learn the truth, and into them must our faith be resolved; unto whose
authority all the arguing and objections of men must give place. By them
is more light conveyed into the understandings of believers than by the
most subtile disputations. And it is a thing not without scandal, to see
among Protestants whole books written about justification, wherein scarce
one testimony of Scripture is produced, unless it be to find out evasions
from the force of them. And, in particular, whereas the apostle Paul has
most fully and expressly (as he had the greatest occasion so to do)
declared and vindicated the doctrine of evangelical justification, not a
few, in what they write about it, are so far from declaring their
thoughts and faith concerning it out of his writings, as that they begin
to reflect upon them as obscure, and such as give occasion unto dangerous
mistakes; and unless, as was said, to answer and except against them upon
their own corrupt principles, seldom or never make mention of them; as
though we were grown wiser than he, or that Spirit whereby he was
inspired, guided, acted in all that he wrote. But there can be nothing
more alien from the genius of Christian religion, than for us not to
endeavour humbly to learn the mystery of the grace of God herein, in the
declaration of it made by him. But the foundation of God stands sure,
what course soever men shall be pleased to take into their profession of
religion.

   For the testimonies which I shall produce and insist upon, I desire
the reader to observe,--1. That they are but some of the many that might
be pleaded unto the same purpose. 2. That those which have been, or yet
shall be alleged, on particular occasions, I shall wholly omit; and such
are most of them that are given unto this truth in the Old Testament. 3.
That in the exposition of them I shall, with what diligence I can,
attend,--First, Unto the analogy of faith; that is, the manifest scope
and design of the revelation of the mind and will of God in the
Scripture. And that this is to exalt the freedom and riches of his own
grace, the glory and excellency of Christ and his mediation; to discover
the woeful, lost, forlorn condition of man by sin; to debase and depress
every thing that is in and of ourselves, as to the attaining life,
righteousness, and salvation; cannot be denied by any who have their
sense exercised in the Scriptures. Secondly, Unto the experience of them
that do believe, with the condition of them who seek after justification
by Jesus Christ. In other things I hope the best helps and rules of the
interpretation of the Scripture shall not be neglected.

   There is weight in this case deservedly laid on the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as promised and given unto us,-- namely,
"The LORD our Righteousness," Jer.23:6. As the name Jehovah, being given
and ascribed unto him, is a full indication of his divine person; so the
addition of his being our righteousness, sufficiently declares that in
and by him alone we have righteousness, or are made righteous. So was he
typed by Melchizedek, as first the "King of righteousness," then the
"king of peace," Heb.7:2; for by his righteousness alone have we peace
with God. Some of the Socinians would evade this testimony, by observing,
that righteousness in the Old Testament is urged sometimes for benignity,
kindness, and mercy; and so they suppose it may be here. But the most of
them, avoiding the palpable absurdity of this imagination, refer to the
righteousness of God in the deliverance and vindication of his people. So
Brenius briefly, "Ita vocatur quia Dominus per manum ejus judicium et
justitiam faciet Israeli". But these are evasions of bold men, who care
not, so they may say somewhat, whether what they say be agreeable to the
analogy of faith or the plain words of the Scripture. Bellarmine, who was
more wary to give some appearance of truth unto his answers, first gives
other reasons why he is called "The LORD our Righteousness;" and then,
whether unawares or overpowered by the evidence of truth, grants that
sense of the words which contains the whole of the cause we plead for.
"Christ," he says, "may be called 'The LORD our Righteousness,' because
he is the efficient cause of our righteousness;"--as God is said to be
our "strength and salvation." Again, "Christ is said to be our
righteousness, as he is our wisdom, our redemption, and our peace;
because he has redeemed us, and makes us wise and righteous, and
reconciles us unto God." And other reasons of the same nature are added
by others. But not trusting to these expositions of the words, he adds,
"Deinde dicitur Christus justitia nostra, quoniam satisfecit patri pro
nobis, et eam satisfactionem ita nobis donat et communicat, cum nos
justificat, ut nostra satisfactio et justitia dici possit". And
afterward, "Hoc modo non esset absurdum, si quis diceret nobis imputari
Christi justitiam et merita, cum nobis donantur et applicantur, ad si nos
ipsi Deo stisfecissimus", De Justificat., lib.2 cap.10;--"Christ is said
to be our righteousness because he has made satisfaction for us to the
Father; and does so give and communicate that satisfaction unto us when
he justifies us, that it may be said to be our satisfaction and
righteousness. And in this sense it would not be absurd if any one should
say that the righteousness of Christ and his merits are imputed unto us,
as if we ourselves had satisfied God." In this sense we say that Christ
is "The LORD our Righteousness;" nor is there any thing of importance in
the whole doctrine of justification that we own, which is not here
granted by the cardinal, and that in terms which some among ourselves
scruple at and oppose. I shall therefore look a little farther into this
testimony, which has wrested so eminent a confession of the truth from so
great an adversary. "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will
raise up unto David a righteous Branch; ... and this is his name whereby
he shall be called, The LORD our Righteousness," Jer.23:5,6. It is
confessed among Christians that this is an illustrious renovation of the
first promise concerning the incarnation of the Son of God, and our
salvation by him. This promise was first given when we had lost our
original righteousness, and were considered only as those who had sinned
and come short of the glory of God. In this estate a righteousness was
absolutely necessary, that we might be again accepted with God; for
without a righteousness, yea, that which is perfect and complete, we
never were so, nor ever can be so. In this estate it is promised that he
shall be our "righteousness;" or, as the apostle expresses it, "the end
of the law for righteousness to them that do believe." That he is so,
there can be no question; the whole inquiry is, how he is so? This [is,
say the most sober and modest of our adversaries, because he is the
efficient cause of our righteousness; that is, of our personal, inherent
righteousness. But this righteousness may be considered either in itself,
as it is an effect of God's grace, and so it is good and holy, although
it be not perfect and complete; or it may be considered as it is ours,
inherent in us, accompanied with the remaining defilements of our nature.
In that respect, as this righteousness is ours, the prophet affirms that,
in the sight of God, "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags" Isa.64:6. "Kol tsidkoteinu" comprises
our whole personal, inherent righteousness; and the Lord Christ cannot
from hence be deminated "Yehovah Tsidkenu",--"The LORD our
Righteousness," seeing it is all as filthy rags. It must therefore be a
righteousness of another sort whence this denomination is taken, and on
the account whereof this name is given him: wherefore he is our
righteousness, as all our righteousnesses are in him. So the church,
which confesses all her own righteousnesses to be as filthy rags, says,
"In the LORD have I righteousness," chap.45:24, (which is expounded of
Christ by the apostle, Rom.14:11;) "'ach bayhovah li tsdakot",--"Only in
the LORD are my righteousnesses:" which two places the apostle expresses,
Phil.3:8,9, "That I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine
own righteousness, which is of the law" (in this case as filthy rags,
"but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith." Hence it is added, "In the LORD shall all the seed
of Israel be justified," Isa.45:25,--namely, because he is, in what he
is, in what he was, and did, as given unto and for us, "our
righteousness," and our righteousness is all in him; which totally
excludes our own personal, inherent righteousness from any interest in
our justification, and ascribes it wholly unto the righteousness of
Christ. And thus is that emphatical expression of the psalmist, "I will
go in the strength of the Lord GOD" (for as unto holiness and obedience,
all our spiritual strength is from him alone); "and I will make mention"
"tsidkotcha levadecha", Ps.71:16, "of thy righteousness, of thine only."
The redoubling of the affix excludes all confidence and trusting in any
thing but the righteousness of God alone. For this the apostle affirms to
be the design of God in making Christ to be righteousness unto us,--
namely, "that no flesh should glory in his presence; but that he that
glorieth, should glory in the Lord," 1 Cor.1:29,31. For it is by faith
alone making mention, as unto our justification, of the righteousness of
God, of his righteousness only, that excludes all boasting, Rom.3:27.
And, besides what shall be farther pleaded from particular testimonies,
the Scripture does eminently declare how he is "The LORD our
Righteousness,"--namely, in that he "makes an end of sin and
reconciliation for iniquity, and brings in everlasting righteousness,"
Dan.9:24. For by these things is our justification completed,--namely, in
satisfaction made for sin, the pardon of it in our reconciliation unto
God, and the providing for us an everlasting righteousness. Therefore is
he "The LORD our Righteousness," and so rightly called. Wherefore, seeing
we had lost original righteousness, and had none of our own remaining,
and stood in need of a perfect, complete righteousness to procure our
acceptance with God, and such a one as might exclude all occasion of
boasting of any thing in ourselves, the Lord Christ being given and made
unto us "The LORD our Righteousness," in whom we have all our
righteousness (our own, as it is ours, being as filthy rags in the sight
of God); and this by making an end of sin, and reconciliation for
iniquity, and bringing in everlasting righteousness: it is by his
righteousness, by his only, that we are justified in the sight of God,
and do glory. This is the substance of what in this case we plead for;
and thus it is delivered in Scripture, in a way bringing more light and
spiritual sense into the minds of believers than those philosophical
expressions and distinctions which vaunt themselves with a pretence of
propriety and accuracy.