connected with them. And bad actions are imputed to those who do them, and they are punished accordingly, unless forgiven. "This will appear, if we consider the Scripture account of imputation. According to the Scripture, a man's own actions are imputed to himself, when he receives the due reward of his deeds." Abraham believed God, and it was counted, or imputed, to him for righteousness. It was Abraham's faith, which consisted in exercises of his own mind that was imputed to him, and not the faith of another. It is not said Christ believed God, and this faith or virtue was imputed to Abraham. But Abraham himself believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness. Abraham was rewarded according to his faith, and he received the benefits of his own righteousness. Abraham became a righteous man when he was converted from idolatry, being called of God from the land of Ur of the Chaldees.* If Abraham, when called from the land of idolatry, had not been effectually called, or converted from sin to holiness, he would not have believed God; and there would have been no true virtue in him to be imputed for righteousness, or for which he would, in any sense, be entitled to a reward. If Abraham had not been the friend of God, had he not walked in the fear of God with a perfect and upright heart, there would have been no virtue in his faith; and God would not have said unto him, "Fear not, Abraham; I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." The faith of Abraham was imputed for righteousness, because it included in its nature cordial love to God his Maker

Shimei, who had deserved to die for cursing David came to him and said, "Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me." That is, "let me not suffer the just consequence of my own personal criminality. Thus men's actions are imputed to themselves, when they receive the good or evil which their actions deserve."

* Gen. xi, 31.

嘴

It may be thought by some that there are certain texts of Scripture, which militate against the sentiment now expressed. Let us attend then and examine some of those passages of Scripture which seem to favour a contrary sentiment: as 1 Corinthians i, 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. The object of the apostle in what is here declared is evident from the inference which he draws from it; which is contained in the next verse. That according as it is written, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." But why should he draw such an inference? Answer, because we receive wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, from God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. Man by nature is destitute of all these things. By nature, he is unwise, unrighteous, unholy, unhappy. He is foolish, stout-hearted, and far from righteousness, and, therefore, far from redemption or salvation. Have we true wisdom? Have we ceased to say in our heart, with the fool, there is no God? Then we are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom. That is, God has made us wise through Jesus Christ. By nature there is none righteous, no, not one. Are we righteous? if so, we are new creatures; we have "put off the old man," and "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Through the grace of God we are made righteous, by Christ Jesus: we are sanctified by the spirit of grace, and redemption is ours: we are the redeemed of the Lord. Hence, "all things are of God, who hath recon. ciled us to himself through Jesus Christ."

These things explain the text referred to, and agree with the context; "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, . yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought

things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption: that according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord."

Some, perhaps, will say, there is a text in Jeremiah which favours the opposite sentiment. The Prophet, speaking with reference to days of the Messiah, says, "his name whereby he shall be called, is, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." The Prophet introduces the phrase, The Lord our Righteousness, thus: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called. The Lord our Righteousness." As Judah and Israel were to be saved, by the righteousness of the righteous Branch, which God would raise up unto David; there was no impropriety in his name being called, not only the Righteous Branch, but the Lord our Righteousness. Not only Judah and Israel must be saved by the Righteous Branch; but there is no other name given under heaven among men. whereby any man can be saved, beside the name of Him, whose name is, The Lord our Righteousness. But it does not follow from this, that the righteousness of Christ is transferred, or imputed to us, in any other sense, than, that we are benefited by it.* This righteousness is the foundation of our salvation, the only ground of hope. Were it not for this Righteous Branch, whose name is, The Lord our Righteousness none could be saved. All mankind must sink into eternal despair. Hence, if we would be saved, we

"They who say, that Christ is made our righteousness, by his righteousness imputed to us, have the same reason to say also, that he is made our wisdom, oy his wisdom, imputed to us,' &c. [WHITBY.] "But who can have wisdom, health, or liberty, by imputation!" "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." If we be not righteous ourselves, the righteousness of another will not save us. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"

must look to him whose name is The Lord our Righteousness. "Look unto me," says God by the prophet Isaiah, "and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory" peace of them therefore, who obey the Lord shall be as the River, and their blessedness as the floods of the

The

But let us illustrate more particularly, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, how, or in what sense, Christ is The Lord our Righteousness. Christ is The Lord our Righteousness, as it is through his righte ousness that we become righteous. By nature, we all are entirely destitute of righteousness "There is none righteous, no, not one." We are all, not only destitute of righteousness, but dead in trespasses and sins. And of ourselves we can never become righteous. Being dead in sin, none can arise but by the mighty power of God. And the same Power which raised Christ from natural death, is displayed in raising the sinner from moral death. And this glorious display of the power of God in raising sinners from sin to righteousness and true holiness, is through the righteousness of Christ; the righteousness of him whose name is The Lord our Righteousness. This agrees with the saying of the apostle, "By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.'

Paul says to the Colossians, set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth For ye arc dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is Our Life, shall appear, then shall ye also

*Lowth's Translation.

appear with him in glory." So then Christ is said to be the Life of the believer: but he cannot be the Life of the believer in any other sense than that he is the Cause of the believer's life. So Paul, in another place, says; "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Paul lived a spiritual life: he himself lived: it was not an imputed life. The life of Christ was not imputed or transferred to him: he lived, but Christ was the Cause of his living. Had it not been for the righteousness of him whose name is The Lord our Righteousness, Paul would never have lived; he would have remained eternally in a state of moral death.

Jesus said to Martha, after the death of Lazarus, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection, at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am The Resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Now, does Christ, or the power of Christ, mean the same as the rising of Lazarus from the dead? None can suppose this. Christ's saying, I am the Resurrection, means that he had power to raise the dead. Christ was the life of Lazarus, that is, it was Christ who raised him from death. Christ is the Life of the good man that is, it is Christ who raises him to spiritual life. We see by these illustrations in what sense the righteous Branch is The Lord our Righteous iess. There is a "concinnity" in the name given to Christ by the prophet. And if good things, yea, the best things come to us through this name, which is termed The Lord our Righteousness; then let Christ, whose name is the righteous Branch, be celebrated by men and angels for ever and

ever.

It is perhaps the opinion of some, that there is a passage in the prophecy of Isaiah, which makes it evident, that the righteousness of Christ is made over,