THE BREAST-PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Book IV. Uoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye CP.n in no wife enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matt. v. 20. Paul valued not his own Righteoufnefs that was of the Law. All ou~ Righteoufnefs, viz. that which flows not from Faith, or from a renewed Principle of the Spirit, is but as filthy Rags. Therefore that cannot be the Righteoufnefs here intended. II. Evangelical Righteoufnefs is twofold: I. Imputed. z. Imparted. Firft, The Righteou!nefs impmed is that which was wrought by Chrift for the Believer in the Days of his Flefh, by his aCtive and paffive OI:.edience to the Law of God, wf>ich is put upon the Soul by Faith, called the Righteoufnefs ofGod by Faitb, Phi/. iii. 9· Secondly, The Righteotlfnefs imparted is that which is wrought by Chrift in the Soul ; it is a fupernatural \'Vork, or a new Life planted in the Heart of every Be– iiever, by the powerful Operations of the Holy Ghoft, whereby he is made holy, and enabled to approve himfelf to God and Men, in all Purity of Life and Converfation. By the Breajl.plate of Righteo:ifnefs in the Text, we underfland the Riahteoufn~fs of SanCtification is principally intended; for otherwife this Piece of C l~iftian Ar– mor would interfere with the Shield of Faith, which comprehends the Righteoufnefs of J u(bfication. See Shield. It is, we fay, a Principle of new Life, which the Spirit works in the Heart of a Believer; hence the feveral Graces of llolinefs are calkd the Fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22. Man by the Fall had a double Lofs; firft, the Love of God; fecondly, the Image or Likenefs of God: Chrift reftores both to his Chrldren; the firft, by his Righteoufrrefs imputed ; the fecond, by his Spirit impartin" the loft Image of God to them, which confifts in Righteoufnefs and true Holinef~. Who but a Man can impart his own Nature, and beget a Child like himfelf? So who but the Spirit of God can make a Creature like God, by caufmg him to partake of the divine Nature? 1 • This is that Principle of new Life, viz. an inward Difpofition, and divine Quality, fweetly, powerfully, and conflamly flirring up and inclining to that which is holy, and fpiritually good. 2 • The Work of the Spirit in this refpeCI: was not to recover what was dying, but to work Life de uovo in a Sou l quite dead; hence called a creating, quickening, form– iner, and renewing Work. 0 3 . It is a fupernatu.ral Principle, by which we diflinguirn it from Adam's Righte· vufnefs, which was co.natural to him, as Sin is to us. Holintf'i was as nawral to him, as Health was to his Body;_ they both refulted ex Principiis refie con/litutis, from Principles pure and rightly tlrfpofed. Why Righteoufnefs is called a Breaft-plate, will appear by the following Parallel. METAPHOR. I. A Breaft-plate is a main and principal Piece of Armor, that belongs to a Soldier. I!. A Breaft-plate is a Piece of Armor that every Soldier ought to have on, when he engages his Ene· iny ; he muft not· come into the Field without it. Ill. A Breaft·plate preferves the principal Part of the Body, viz. the Breaft, where the very Vitals of a Man are clofely couched together, and where a Shot or a Stab is more deadly, than in other Parts, that are more remote from the Foun– . tain of Life. A Man may out– live many. Wounds received .in the PARALL EL. I. RIGHTEOUSNESS in ltke Manner is a principal Thing belonging to all Chrifti– ans, who are called Soldiers of Chrifl : Endur< Hardnejs as a good Soldier, &c. o :Tim. iii. 3· I!. Righteoufnefs is fo neceflary for every Be– liever, that he oughr nor, cannot be without it; there is no engaging an Enemy of the Soul with– out a Principle of Holine!s be wrought in him. Ill. Righteoufnefs and 1-Jolinef< prefcrves the principal Part of a Chri!tian, <'iz. his Soul. Satan aims to hit him there where he may difpatch hrm fooneft. A \¥ound in a Man's Credit, Eftare, Relations, &c. hazard not the Life of his Soul ; but Sin expofes it to imminent Danger. This is that Dart, that flruck the )'OIIIIg Man through the Liver, as a Bird bajleth to the Snare, that knowetb not it is for bis Lif<, Prov. vu. 23. And this is that
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