even the death of the Cross He laid down his life that he might take it again even as he received Commandement of his Father Phil. 2. 7 8. Joh. 10. 17 18. Heb. 12 2. 1 Pet. 2. 24. and because of this 3 He is made perfect for us the Righteous and just one or justified Person in our Nature and for us acquit off all our trespasses and sins that were imputed to him and so therein a Victorer over all Curse and Death laid upon him having by himself purged our sins he is accepted and set down on the right hand of God as a perfect Ransome and price of Redemption for men and standing propitiation for the sins of the whole world yea a Prince and Saviour for to give repentance and forgiveness of sins and the Judge of all Heb. 1. 3 4 12. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. 1 Job 2. 1 2. Acts 5. 31. 10. 36. 42. Yea 4 He is righteous and faithful in all appointed him A faithful Mediator and High Priest a faithful testimony of Gods goodness to men in due time that through him they might be saved and the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him and the righteous Judge of quick and dead by whom God shall judge the world in righteousness even by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead for to this end he dyed rose and revived that he might be Lord of dead and living so that hee is properly and absolutely the righteous One in and of himself and for us the Lord our righteousness in whom and in whom only weehave righteousness and strength yet is not he the righteous that are here spoken of For 1 This Text speaks in the plural number of righteous ones merciful men men of kindness or godliness nor is he included as one of the righteous ones here spoken of For 2 He was not nor could be holden of Death as David and others that sleep in Jesus are his flesh saw no corruption Psal 16. 10. with Acts 2. 25 31. so that he did not perish out of the earth by death as they Mich. 7. 1 2. He was raised again the third day and after seen of many witnesses Yea 3 Though he was taken from the earth in his Ascension yet that was no chastisement or correction and so no cause of grief or sorrow to us no nor to them that did enjoy his personal presence on the earth but cause of great joy for if hee had not so personally ascended to the Father The Comforter that coming forth of the Spirit of truth in the evidence and demonstration of the works finished in his Body accepted and for ever vertuous with the Father for us could not have come Joh. 7. 39. 14. 26 28. 16. 7 8. yea he went to prepare places for us that he might come again Personally and receive us to himself that we even all that by him beleeve in God might be ever with him in his glory Job 14. And so neither is he so perished from the earth or from among men in his being personally received up into glory as to be no more capable of conversing with them helping or doing them good but is thereby absolutely perfected in such capacity even in that body in mans nature through sufferings glorified for being ascended farre above all heavens even in Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God for us even the same that descended into the lower parts of the earth he fills all things with his influences and operations and is in his gracious and Spiritual presence and vertues in the hearts and societies of his people that through grace beleeve in him Ephes 4. 7. 8 10. 11. Matth. 28. 20. Joh. 14. 17 18. By all which it appears he is none of the righteous spoken of in this text yet the consideration already propounded of him as the righteous one will help us to understand who are the righteous that are here spoken of and therefore is no digression from our business for from these two considerations viz. That of the Natural Race or Children of Adam there is none in â—â—r of themselves or in any thing they can doe righteous or that doth good nor that is so accepted owned and justified in the sight of God no not one and that he and he only in mans Nature is the righteous one and that for us also The Lord our Righteousness I say from these two considerations it appears That of all the Children of men they only are righteous that in the light and power of Gods testimony concerning Christ doe so beleeve and receive it that in belief and acknowledgement thereof they disowne and run out of themselves into Christ for righteousness and life 2 Cor. 1. 9. Phil. 3. 3 9. It is a good description or character of the righteous that on hearing of the Name of the Lord that it is a strong tower they as men therein made sensible of it acknowledge their own nakedness and the lyingness of other refuges and therefore the danger of abiding out of this they run into the Name of the Lord Prov. 18. 10. they fly for refuge even in the light and powerful drawing of the Name and Grace of God in Christ which bringeth Salvation to all men in due time unto the hope set before them in Christ that they may lay hold of that Heb. 6. 18. The righteous then are they whoever they be or whatever they have been that through his name beleeve in him Acts 10. 35. 43. for what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousness now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt but to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness for that was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our effences and raised againe for our justification Rom. 4. 3 4 5. 23 24 25. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousness chap. 10. 10. Therefore even the sinners of the Gentiles which before followed not after righteousness yet when the light of Gods testimony concerning Christ came to them they falling down in the acknowledgement of their own vileness as therein discovered and seeking righteousness by faith in Christ attained righteousness when Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness yet attained it not because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth for Moses describeth the
doubtless in any thing wherein his heart is departing from his refuge or his eye wandring into corners the immortal Seed the Word of God not retained in his heart in beleeving mindfulness Sin gets the advantage of him and his readiness to halt appears and so in many things we offend all and are therein of Satan not of God 1 Joh. 3. 5 8-10 Psal 38. 17 18. Prov. 28. 13 14 Psa 19. 12 13. 119. 8. 11. 133. 176. 51. 1-7 3 Such also is this beleeving with the heart that God hath raised Christ from the Dead that in it the Lord himself becomes the Beleevers hope his expectation of all further grace and glory is in him begot and strengthened from the infinite grace of God to man ward commended in this that while we were sinners and enemies in due time Christ dyed for us and the infinite vertue of his Bloud in which the peace and attonement was made with God for us while we were yet enemies This grace in Christ beleeved renders him precious fills the heart with high esteeme of the greatness and truth of Gods love in him and of the infinite and abiding vertue of his Bloud and his fitness and faithfulness throught it to perfect what concerns them So that in this faith of Gods operation their expectation and hope is not grounded either on a peremptory conclusion that they cannot fall or miscarry or on their act of beleeving or faithfulness and resolutions of constancy and abiding nor are they left to draw up their consolation and hope by way of Argument from their being such or in such a state as to which such Promises are made but the grace in Christ understood and beleeved the heart being exercised in the hearty beleef and mindfulness of him what he hath done and is become for sinners and his office faithfulness and readiness to help teach and draw them and to accept all commers without upbraiding and to give them through his name in the vertues and openings of it forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the knowledge and faith of it and first fruites of the Spirit now and in the hope of the Harvest in due time I say the heart and mind being exercised in the hearty belief and mindfulness of this grace in Christ and so stayed on his name is not then left to reflect back into it self to draw up its consolation and hope from its being such a beleever but is filled with strong consolation and hope through the grace understood and perceived in Christ while the heart is only minding him that is the ground and object of hope the hope is begot and strengthened in a Divine and Spiritual way through the opening of that name and shedding abroad his love in the heart therein so that Jesus Christ received by faith in his testimony and not their receit of him is unto them and in their hearts the hope of glory the ground and foundation of it and he from whom viewed it springs and in whom it iâ— And that after the same consideration of him as hee is in the Gospel preached to every man He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things See Rom. 5. 5-10 8. 32. Col. 1. 26 27. Gal. 2. 20. Joh. 6. 51. And such is the truth and excellency of this name of God in Christ that they that kâ—â—w it will trust in it if any man whatever did know own listen and seek to it according to the discoveries of it brought him it would beget trust and hope of which he should not be ashamed it quickens to new and living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Again in this faith of the operation of God their expectation is so in him even of all things pertaining to life and godliness to be now given with him not without him or in any other way but through the knowledge of him whom he spared not but delivered up for us all that even that hope retained in them purifies their hearts from ways of iniquity in which presumptuously growing careless or wandering from him they might miscarry and fayl of the grace of God so as they are instructed and admonished by it to give diligence and attend always to read the vision of God as written in the face of Christ that so they may be strengthened to run and kept through faith to the Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Yea such it is as from the excellency and grace in the ground of it as also in the way in which it is to be met with rather to bee chosen then any other way or rule and the excellent glory of the end of it as strengthens them to all patience and long suffering with joyfulness and as those that beleeve in him and look for such things not to make hast to fancy an accomplishment of the great things hoped for in this day or to bring about the accomplishment of Gods promises he that beleeves makes not hast Behold his soul that is lifted up either above the reading of the Vision of God in Christ in his testimony given for guiding his feet in the way of peace that he may run with patience the race set before him as Heb. 12 1 2. or to imagine and boast of an enjoyment of the Vision so as by seeing and possessing the great things the glory in the hope of which we are called by the Gospel or to put to his hand in striving and fighting for the hasting or bringing forth of Gods righteousness in the things behind His soul is not upright in him but the just shall live by faith In all which considerations it appears they are in this beleâ—ving through his name workers of righteousness doers of the truth and therefore truly called The righteous As well as also 2 Because they are herein justified in the sight of God imputed accounted and accepted righteous in that perfect righteousness Christ hath wrought and is become for them with which faith closeth By the deeds of the Law shall no man be justified in the sight of God but now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus that is by the Preaching or Doctrine of Jesus So now manifested unto all and upon all them that beleeve unto all by way of redundancy tender and manifestation but upon all that beleeve even by way of imputation of it to them and acceptation of them in it so in the next Chapter God is said to impute righteousness without works unto them to accept their persons into delightful favour and fellowship by and in the vertue of that perfect righteousness which they have by faith accepted and so they are made accepted in the Beloved they are made or pronounced and presented good just righteous in the sight of God
not some way in which men may be made again the righteousness of God and made partaker of his holiness they must all bee shut out for ever from God under the curse of the Law but God hath made his Son that knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and according to that rule the sixth verse of that Psalme gives us the next and fundamental description of the subjects of the glorious priviledge fore-mentioned or rather the description of those Persons in whom the truth of the former description is found and so an answer to the question Who are the righteous This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob or O God of Jacob that seek the Lord for righteousnesse and strength that through his Name beleeving in him seek righteousnesse by faith in Jesus as Isa 55. 3 4 5 6. 45. 22 24 25. Rom. 9. 30. and as before is shewed by the Scriptures On them comes that blessednesse of Gods not imputing former iniquities but imputing righteousnesse without works Rom. 3. 25 26. 4. 3 6. yea they through the understanding and faith of Jesus have their hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and their whole man in all their actings and conversation therein continually washed with that pure water of the love of God through the blond of Christ shed abroad in their heart Heb. 10. 19-22 1 Pet. 1. 18-22 that in the issue they may be presented without spot or wrinckle or any such thing Ephes 5. 26 27. Col. 1. 21 22 23. And truly this large description and explication of the righteous and merciful men or men of kindness and godliness gives us a true character of him whose being taken from us occasioned this Discourse We come in the next place to consider 2 In what sence they may be said to perish and when they so doe Here give me leave for our instruction and encouragement First to propound to consideration in what sence they perish not in respect of themselves or as with reference to their hope towards God They perish not they for their parts are not driven away or cut off from God or from their hope in death the wicked dying in his sins even in his stubborn refusall of him that came to save him from his sins and so out of Christ he is therein driven away in his wickedness cut off and shut out from God and from the hope of a better life and from all opportunities of ever being made partaker of that hope doth not their excellency which is in them even their hope goe away and perish with them They dye without wisdome But the righteous hath hope in his death hee retaines or holds his hope and joy even in death yea then goes to a more full enjoyment of it Prov. 14. 32. Whence our Saviour saith If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death hee shall never dye in the full and proper sence of the word he shall not in or by death be separated or cut off from God or from his hope and portion in him Joh. 8. 51. 11. 26. but from thenceforth shall be more especially blessed in and with his presence and with more immediate and uninterrupted fellowship with him in spirit even while out of the body and while that sleeps in the dust whence the Apostle desired in respect of himself much rather to depart out of the body out of the flesh that he might enjoy that more immediate and free presence of fellowship with Christ which to him would be farre better 2 Cor. 5. 1-6-8 Phil. 1. 20. 23. neither are their bodies though resting in Death and so sleeping in the dust of the earth lost cut off or perished as indeed they should be if there were no Resurrection of the Dead as the Apostle reasons 1 Cor. 15. 18 c. If Christ be not raised and so If the dead rise not then those which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished If in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable then indeed there had been some ground for and truth in their saying Ezek. 37. 11. Beholdour bones are dryed our hope is lost and we are cut off for our parts for even those that having seen those great and precious promises afarre off which were before confirmed of God in Christ and were perswaded of them and embraced them yet dyed not having received them But what saith the answer of God to them vers 12. Behold O my people I will open your Graves and cause you to come up out of your Graves and bring you into the Land of Israel c. And now also for the confirmation of our faith the ground of it is actually come forth and manifested Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep for since by man even by the offence and disobedience of one man sin and so death by sin the first death reigneth on all men and so it is appointed to the whole kind once to dye though all shall not sleep or rest in death some of this Body of righteous ones shall survive at the Personal appearance of Christ in his glory and they shall immediately and on a sudden bee changed and passe through death yet so as therein they shall dye though not sleep or rest in death Death is passed on all in the ordinance and appointment of God by reason of the Sin entring by one man even so by man viz. by the obedience and righteousness of one man Jesus Christ in which the transgression of the first one man in which all have sinned and the sin and sinfulness thence entring into and over-spreading the whole Nature is so finished and made an end of in the Court of Heaven or purged and put away from before the Father that no man shall eternally perish or bee separated from God in it nor are they left under the power of that Judgement of Banishment the curse of the Law but all Judgement committed to the Son and he impowred to execute Judgement also because he is the Son of Man by him is the Assurance and certainty of the Resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all dye even in the influence demerit as the fruit of his transgression even so in Christ in the merit influence and vertue and as the fruit of his Righteousness shall all be made alive raised out of the first Death that they may all appear before his Judgement Seat to be judged according to the rule of his Gospel all shall bee raised by him but every man in his own order Christ the first fruits being already raised from the dead afterwards namely immediately at the time of his second Personal coming those that are his peculiar ones the righteous Nation that keepeth the truth those in whose heart the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the