but a righteousnesse wrought for us not in our selves but in the Lord. In the Lord have I righteousnesse and in the Lord shall all Israel be justified Hence Jer. 23.6 This is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOUSNES And as it is the language of the Prophets so of the Apostles Hence is it that they call it the Righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested V. 22. The righteousnesse of God which is by the Faith of Jesus And Phil. 3.9 The righteousnesse which is of God by Faith 2. That this Righteousnesse of God is received by Faith So the Apostle there explains it in Phil. 3.8 9. I count all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith By Faith it is that we receive Christ Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name To receive him and to believe on him is one and the same By faith we receive Christ so by faith we receive the righteousnesse of Christ And take notice of the manner how it is worthy your observation that you may know the nature of that Faith which justifies 1. We receive this righteousnesse into our heads hence knowing sometimes is set for believing Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Then 2. We receive this righteousnesse into our hearts As we know it so we love it Hence that phrase Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith And then 3 We receive this righteousnesse into our lives and conversations As we love it so in some measure we are transformed into it So the Apostle followes it Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death Where there is a receiving of the righteousnesse of Christ by saith there is a conforming to the same likenesse For you must know that true faith is not an idle speculative notion of the brain but a powerful working grace upon the heart Faith is sometimes reckoned amongst the gifts of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.9 And sometimes it is reckoned amongst the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. Faith is sometimes a Gift and sometimes a Grace As it is a Gift so it is speculative and notional as it is a Grace so it is powerful and practical And this at once if righly understood easily reconciles St. Pauls conclusion That a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law with that of St. James Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only Not by faith which is alone but by a working Faith Though works be not the meritorious cause in point of justification but the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith yet this faith is working and it works this righteousnesse as into our heads so into our hearts and into our lives Though it be not this work of righteousnesse wrought in us that properly justifies but the righteousnesse of Christ wrought for us yet true justifying faith thus receives this righteousnesse 3. That this Faith thus receiving Christ is accounted unto us for righteousnesse God imputes that righteousnesse of Christ to us if we thus believe Jam. 2.23 Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God That righteousnesse whereby Abraham was justified in the sight of God it was a righteousnesse imputed Not a Putative righteousnesse as our Adversaries scornfully reproach it but a reall righteousnesse the righteousnesse of Christ yet an imputed righteousnesse So is that righteousnesse by which we are justified Rom. 4.23 It 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 believe on him who raised up Jesus from the dead We are justified in the same way and by the same faith that Abraham was Gal. 3.6 Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse So it is with us Vers 7. They that are of the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham Vers 9. They which be of the faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham What Abraham's faith was we read Heb. 11.7 Abraham when he was tryed by faith offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure Did Abraham see no further then this figure Yes doubtlesse In this he beheld God sacrificing his own son on that very mount where he should have offered Isaac Isaac was but the Figure Christ is the Substance Saith our Saviour Joh. 8.56 Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad And so all the Patriarchs 1 Cor. 10.4 They all did drink of the same spiritual drink for they drank of that rock that followed them and that rock was Christ They of that rock that followed them as we of that rock that is gone before us Abraham saw Christ with the eye of Faith and believed on him and testified his faith by his works faith working by love saith God Gen. 22.12 Now I know thou lovest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me And this faith was counted unto him for righteousnesse Thus may you see what that righteousnesse is by which we stand justified in the sight of God It is not the righteousnesse of Works that exact unsinning obedience to the whole Law of God but it is the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith which is accounted unto us for righteousnesse And thus you may easily resolve the Riddle How a man may be righteous and yet a sinner Though a sinner in himself in relation to the righteousnesse of Works yet without sin in Christ in relation to the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousnesse of Christ through faith imputed unto us for righteousnesse And this is that righteousnesse which intitles us to all the promises and gives us an interest in this joy of Saints 1 Pet. 1.8 Believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory But because this is a point of such high concernment for the further clearing of it a question must be here propounded How a man may be justified by the righteousnesse of another This is indeed the dark side of the cloud not to be discern'd with the eye of sense or reason Consult we with the sacred Oracles which cannot deceive us Rom. 4.5 6. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly
no portion in his death 2. The nature of that faith by which we receive this righteousnesse True faith as I told you is not an idle speculative notion of the brain but a powerfull working grace upon the heart Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith Those that pretend to faith and have not their hearts in some measure purified they do but flatter themselves with a meer fancy and a vain presumption It is but a counterfeit a false faith Faith without Works is dead saith St. James and St. Paul tels us that faith worketh by love As faith without works is but a dead faith so works without love they are but dead works Though I give all my goods unto the poor and have not charity I am nothing Now faith it begets love and the more we believe that God hath done all this for us the more it inflames our heart with the love of God And love is of a constraining nature it sets a man upon work indeed David's three Worthies will adventure through the whole host of the Philistims to fetch water from the well at Bethlehem out of their love to David And St. Paul commends the Macedonians that to their power yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves As St. James therefore Show me O man thy faith by thy works So true faith is no invisible grace but a grace which may be seen seen by its works Such is the faith by which we obtain the blessing When Isaac blessed his son Jacob he cals to him Come near I pray thee that I may feel thee my son whether thou be my very son Esau or not He would not blesse him by the voice but he will feel and handle him whether his hands be the hands of Esau so God will not blesse us by the voice because we say that we believe but he will feel and handle us whether our hands be the hands of faith hands that work the works of faith And take further notice that true faith it hath two hands as with the one it holds upward and layes hold upon the righteousnesse of Christ for justification so with the other it works downward and conveys this righteousnesse into the head and into the heart and into the life for sanctification Those that flatter themselves with a good faith to God-ward and yet without works they do but prophesie to themselves a lie a false vision and a divination and a thing of nought the deceit of their own heart It is but a counterfeit a false faith and receives but a counterfeit a false righteousnesse not the righteousnesse of God which is by the faith of Jesus 3. The nature of God whose righteousnesse this is Where the righteousnesse of God is there must needs be a change for will God cast pearls before swine or give holy things to dogs Will he put this new wine into old bottles or these holy things into unclean vessels No but first he gives us a new heart and creates in us a right spirit For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse Where the righteousnesse of God is it transformes us in some measure into its own likenesse 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. You have seen the glory of the Lord the glory of his righteousnesse We all and with open face if the God of this world hath not blinded our eyes behold though but as in a glasse on w th an eye of faith yet thus beholding it hath wrought a change and into the same likenesse so will it transform us from glory to glory from the glory of grace here to that glorie of glories in the highest heavens But thus there is a work of the Spirit here here it begins the change and we are changed into the same image When the Sun comes in at the window it inlightens the room so when the Sun of righteousnesse shines into a soul the beams of that righteousnesse must needs reflect upon that soul When Moses had been talking with God we read that his face shined So is it impossible that we should have to do with this righteousness of God but the splendor of it will in some measure put upon our hearts the beauties of holinesse It must needs be thus The Apostle followes it with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more Heb. 9.13 If the bloud of buls and of Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the Bloud of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God If there was any thing in those outward shadowes how much more in the bloud of Jesus If they purified the flesh how much more shall this purge your consciences If there be not this purging work upon your souls never speak of this righteousnesse of God received by the faith of Jesus Thus you see though we be not justified by works but by the righteousnesse of God which is by faith yet doth it not loosen the rains to profane liberty but rather layes weight upon us and works as naturally flow from it as the stream from the fountain It is the end of our redemption that we might be a people zealous of good works it is the nature of true faith it cannot lie idle but it works by love and the righteousnesse of God transforms us in some measure into the same likenesse And thus we know that we have title to the promises and an interest in the seed-time of light here and that harvest of joy hereafter An Exhortation to walk in this Righteousnesse For conclusion therefore you that profess the faith not the righteousness of works but the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith remember there is one thing necessary one thing in comparison of which all other things are but as losse as nothing nay as dung worse then nothing It is that of the Apostle that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Labour O labour for this righteousnesse that ye may get it first into your heads that ye may know it then into your hearts that ye may love it then into your lives that ye may shew forth the power of it as the Apostle followes it Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death So that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal bodies O let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel Do not O do not cause the Adversary to reproach It is the lewdness of your lives that casts the reproach upon this Doctrine O let not the name of
God and his doctrine be evill spoken on through your vain conversation As ye have received this righteousness of Christ so walk as those that are arrayed in these long white robes Get into the number of the righteous Beloved I know that ye desire it at least when you come to die I know there is none in this congregation but could wish with Balaam Num. 23.10 O let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his And if we desire it at our deaths why should not we endevour it in our lives What a folly is it nay do but consider seriously what a desperate madness that we should desire this so seriously at our end and yet never look after it till we come to die that this should be the first the chief in our desires and yet the least the last in our endevours Nay whilest thus we cast off the care of Christ and of his righteousness in our health is it not just with him so to cast off the care of us when we lie upon our beds of languishing Go cry unto the gods whom ye have chosen let them deliver you now in the time of your tribulation Whilest we disown him in our lives have we not just cause to fear that so he will disown us at our deaths Depart from me ye workers of iniquity verily I know you not If there be yet a profane heart in this congregation Oh do not deceive your selves with the righteousness of your faith nor flatter your selves with the hopes of joy As Peter to Simon Magus I perceive thou art yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity and hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee This is a messe provided only for a Benjamin Rejoyce ye righteous Beloved we have now found out the righteous man I have been long in this discovery So it concerns us A wise builder will be carefull to lay his foundation firm And a steward must be faithfull to give every man his own portion So here lest on the one hand we should take the childrens bread and give it unto dogs or on the other hand lest we should withhold bread from the children Having therefore thus clear'd the way now we may more cheerfully proceed to The joy of the Righteous Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart In these words we finde a Trinity in Unity a trinity of expressions in an unity of sense Be glad and rejoyce and shout for joy all to set forth the greatnesse of the joy of these happy men Yet here not only to word it to the ear but to lay it open to the eye let us look about us Where can we fix our eye but we finde matter of the greatest joy I shall now give the reasons of it 1. While we look above us God is our father and have ye not here Homers Iliads in a nut-shel Heaven in a word 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be a father unto you and ye shall be me sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Is not here matter of great joy How did it raise the spirit of David when Saul had given him his daughter Seemeth it a small thing unto you to be the son-in-law of a King But then 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God But farther as God is our Father so Christ is our Saviour The birth of Christ is glad tidings of great joy so it was sung by a whole quire of Angels O ye that are highly favoured climb up into the Sycomore-tree Do ye not hear his voice and it is sweet This day is salvation come unto thy house Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace saith old Simeon for mine eyes have seen thy salvation And the blessed Virgin My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour So the Ethiopian Eunuch when he had got but a glimpse of Christ he went on his way rejoycing Nay 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce even with joy unspeakable and glorious But yet further as Christ is our Saviour so the Holy Ghost our Comforter Joh. 14.16 I will pray unto the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive but ye know him Do we not finde the comforts of this Spirit confirming the Adoption of the Father He hath given us the earnest of the Spirit even the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father So sealing the redemption of the Son Oh grieve not the Spirit by which ye are sealed unto the day of redemption And now do not your hearts leap for joy whilest thus you behold God your Father Christ your Saviour and the Holy Ghost your Comforter the whole Trinity of Persons in the unity of your consolation Perhaps the world frowns upon you And what a poor thing was that of Haman so to vex and fret himself for want of the knee of Mordecai when he had the favour of the King himself But then what a pitifull thing is this in us to vex and torment our selves at the frowns of men whilest we have the love and favour of the Lord himself Why art thou cast down Oh my soul As once Elcanah to his wife Am I not better to thee then ten sons So is not the love of God better to us then ten thousand worlds Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us This puts gladnesse in the heart more then in the time that corn and wine and oyle increaseth Oh ye Favourites of heaven be not awanting to your selves If Haman had cause to pride himself in the favour of Ahasuerus that great King of Assyria how much more may it cheer up your spirits that ye have the favour of God the great God of heaven Rejoyce ye Righteous 2. Whilest we look below us Behold the Pit that bottomless pit Are you not affrighted with the horror of it such a fearfull pit So think upon that place of darknesse that blacknesse of darknesse Oh how comfortlesse how frightful to be reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse with the prince of darknesse And think upon those chains those everlasting chains Ah wofull eternity Were it on a bed of down if chain'd upon that bed how wearisome but there bound for ever Oh what heart is able to conceive the horror of this word for ever Nay yet worse Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Do not your sinews shrink to think upon this fire this everlasting fire Oh how afflictive and tormenting
your own souls that cousen and defraud your brethren that grinde and oppresse your poor neighbours that make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience because you will be rich what needs all this adoe Why will ye go to the Devil for it He may shew you indeed as he did our Saviour All the Kingdomes of the word and the glory of them so doubtlesse he will flatter you with hopes All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Alas he doth but feed you with the winde He can bestow nothing without Gods permission They are none of his to give However this is but about Here is the way a ready a compendious way Mat. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all other things shall be added unto you O ye that are greatly beloved ye are in this way so ye injoy contentment knowing that if more were better for you God would bestow it on you so far as may be for your good all things are yours And if others rejoyce when their corn and wine and oyle increaseth how much more may ye that enjoy this fulnesse Rejoyce ye righteous 4. Whilest we look within us Though we have lesse abroad yet we have enough at home We have God within us 1 Cor. 14.25 God is in you of a truth We have Christ within us 2 Cor. 13 5. Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates We have the Spirit within us 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And is not here matter of rejoycing How can that soul but be very merry if not a stranger to its own happinesse that entertains such Guests But further take we notice of the manner of Gods dwelling in us It is not according to his Essence only for so he is in all places Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Nor yet according to his Power for so he is in all his creatures In him we live and move and have our being But God is in us according to the working of his grace and favour informing reforming transforming us into his own likenesse Consider that treasure of gifts which he hath bestowed upon us those unsearchable riches of his grace those fruits of the Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance saith our Saviour to his Disciples In patience possesse your souls Though you have little else yet ye have patience in you and when things are at the worst yet in that ye may still possesse and injoy your selves Besides you have faith within you and that is a good portion a sufficient living of it self Hab. 2.4 The just man shall live by his faith But above all remember you have the love of God within you Rom. 5.5 The love of God shed abroad in your hearts And is not that joy enough Cant. 1.2 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine O ye that are the Favourites of the King of Saints cheer up your spirits you have that within you sufficient to make you happy were you as poor as Job upon the dunghill Oh do not live besides your wealth Others may flatter themselves with their abundance as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art poor and miserable and blinde and naked and hast nothing Alas poor miserable blinde deceived creatures lean empty and poor starved souls But these have it Ye have that within you which crowns you the happy men Felices nimium bona si sua nôrint did ye but know your own happinesse And are not your spirits as yet up Why what is it that still troubles you Alas my sins But love covers all Jer. 50.20 In those dates shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve There shall be none God himself findes none not that God is blinde that he sees not what we see but he gives you the meaning in the latter clause he sees none unpardoned none that shall be imputed none that shall be laid unto our charge Rom. 5.11 We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement The cloud 's now removed can you yet see your wealth I shall give you heaven in a word Luk. 17.20 The Kingdome of heaven is in you And what 's that Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost O do not rob your selves of any part of your own happinesse but as you have a righteousnesse within you so adde to your righteousnesse peace and to your peace joy Rejoyce ye Righteous 5. Whilest we look upon the right hand Whilest we sit under the sunshine of Gods favours and that all things go well with us Whilest we look upon the mercies God bestowed upon us be they lesse or more We see the men of the world how glad they are when their corn and wine and oyl increaseth The righteous live as merrily as they do and have better reason for rejoycing then they have more solid and true joy in the least mercy they receive then others in a great abundance Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Their little is better then anothers much better then their riches then the riches not of one but many nay put all together Though their fare be not so delicate nor their cloathes so gay nor their bed so soft yet they eat their bread with more delight and take their sleeps with more sweet refreshment and enjoy the mercies God bestowes upon them with more comfort and content then others can And the reason 's evident 1. Because they draw their wealth from the head of the well the spring Dulcius ex ipso fonte and there the water drinks more sweetly Whilest others drink only in the channell receive their blessings from the hand of fortune or perhaps they sacrifice to their own net as if by them their portion were made fat these they receive them from the hand of God the fountain of mercies As once Jacob to his brother Esau These are the children which God hath graciously given to thy servant 2. Because they receive these mercies as pledges of Gods love and kindnesse towards them Whilest others feed upon the husk satisfie themselves in those poor injoyments and look no further then the creature these feed upon the kernell they feast themselves upon God in the holy injoyments they see his mercy and goodnesse in thus providing for them And this affords a sweet refreshment to their souls infinitely beyond all their creature-comforts whilest thus they injoy God in the creatures and receive
in the blackest ignominy a comfort in the saddest misery Nay then when all other delights fail us when the evil daies come upon us and the years draw nigh wherein we say I have no pleasure in them When the keepers of the house begin to tremble and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out at the window are darkned and the daughters of musick are brought low Can thy servant taste either what I eat or what I drink saith old Barzillai Can I hear any more the voice of singing men or singing women But then especially when we lie upon our death-beds what are all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them Ah miserable comforters are ye all In stead of rejoycing perhaps they affright us Ah woe worth the day that ever mine heart hankered after riches that ever mine eyes dazled upon honours that ever my teeth watered after pleasures these these are they for which I first wounded conscience and now they stare in my face worse then either hell or devil But our righteousness stands by us and an upright heart it speaks comfort to us and when we are to go out of the world 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing even the testimony of a good conscience that in sincerity and godly simplicity we have had our conversation in the world In this way there 's joy both in life and death and at the day of judgement and your joy shall no man take away from you Rejoyce ye righteous 3. An Exhortation Be righteous and Rejoyce 1. Be righteous As you are made righteous through the righteousnesse of Christ imputed so exercise your selves in the waies of righteousnesse as ever you expect true joyes I have shew'd you before what this righteous man is As one that is cloathed in the righteousnesse of God through faith in Christ Jesus so one that receives this righteousnesse into his head he knows it into his heart he loves it and into his life he works it 1 Joh. 3.7 He that doth righteousnesse is righteous In a word he is a man of an honest and an upright heart So you have him in this verse the latter part explains the former Rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart This is the man that hath solid and true joy And the more we exercise our selves in this way the greater is our rejoycing Oh what a sweet encouragement So let it stir us up to exercise our selves in the waies of righteousnesse righteousnesse toward God righteousnesse toward men It is that of the Apostle Act. 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men 1. In the way of righteousnesse toward God that is in the way of his Commandements The way of Gods Commandements that is a right way and it is a heart-rejoycing way Psal 19.8 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Do ye not finde it by experience I appeal to your own consciences When ye have spent the day in Gods service and sit down at night and review the works that ye have done doth it not afford a more solid and sweet contentment to your souls then if you had surfeited your selves in the vain empty pleasures of the world Rom. 6.19 As therefore ye have yeelded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity so now yeeld your members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse The Apostle presses it with arguments pro and con vers 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death But now being made free from sin ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end thereof everlasting life It will be your eternal joy 2. In the way of righteousnesse toward men Nor can you indeed be righteous before God except ye make conscience of your waies with men Because God requires both Ps 15.1 Lord who shal dwel in thy tabernacle who shall rest in thy holy hill even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life and doth the thing which is right and speaketh the truth from his heart he that hath used no deceit with his tongue nor done evil to his neighbour That just and faithful servant it is he that shall enter into the joy of his Lord. Oh then do no wrong to any man neither by word nor deed Though you have it in your power and might be gainers by it yet what you get by fraud will it not be your sorrow in the end So will it breed a worm in your consciences that ever gnawing never dying worm yea a moth in your estates and a curse upon your posterity Psal 37.35 I have seen the wicked in great prosperity and spreading himself like a green bay tree yet he passed away and lo he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found But mark the righteous man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Oh what a joyful end Nay in the way when troubles come upon us what a brest-plate is righteousnesse to ward off the blow But think with your selves what a rejoycing it was to Samuel when the people had cast off his government that yet he could challenge them 1 Sam. 12.3 Behold I am here witnesse against me before the Lord and before his Anointed whose oxe have I taken or whose asse have I taken or whom have I defrauded This is our encouragement and so we shall finde it in the day of trouble at least when we lie upon our death-beds the rejoycing of our souls Learn we therefore not only not to wrong but to give every man his due even honour to whom honour is due nay to the very meanest nor only in a way of equity but in a way of charity for this also is a part of the righteousnesse of Saints So Daniel gives the counsel to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.27 Break off thy sins by righteousnesse and thine inquities by shewing mercy to the poor The more we lay out our selves in the righteousnesse of charity the more shall be our joy at that great day Psal 112.9 He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor his righteousnesse endureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honour For we must know that our works they follow us not what we have gotten but what we have given I was hungry and ye gave me meat Come ye blessed And so will God judge us according to our works According to the measure of this righteousnesse so shall be our measure and degree of joy Thus to awaken us to the waies of righteousnesse both before God and man But 3. Whatsoever we do to do it with an honest and an upright heart This is that which gives us pure and unmixed joy when we do it in the integrity and uprightnesse of our souls Many are discouraged in the waies of righteousnesse because they finde not those joyes in them they expected