JEHOVAH oúR RIGHTEOUSNESS. t35 How the Righteoufnefs ofChrs becomes the Righteouf- nefs of his People? We may anfwer, with the Apoftle, That it is imputed. The Righteoufnefs, by which they merit Heaven (for Heaven is not obtained without Me- rit), is the Righteoufnefs of their LORD, reckoned to them as their own. They receive it by Faith into their Confciences, in Bar ofCondemnation from the broken Law; and they truft in it before. GOD, as, the whole Ground of their Acceptance with him. The Righte- oufnefs, likewife, which is imparted to their Souls, and by which they live and a& as Chriftians, is Chriß's Righteoufnefs imparted. He is their Head of Influ- ence; and whatever of Goodnefs they poffefs, they de- rive it entirely from him. He is the Vine, which fup- plies and fupports them as the Branches: And they, as the Branches, can have no Exiftence, and can yield no Fruit, but by Him,their Vine. They have no Stock of their own; but, livingupon him from Moment to Mo- ment, they receive from him Grace for Grace. In this View then, we may ,perceive ; how juftly JE= HOVAH, 1.11 our Nature, is JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUS- NESS. Hence it is, that we find the Apoftle Paul fo frequently ftyling our juftifying Righteoufnefs, The Righteoufnefs of GOD. For the Merit of aril' was not the Merit of a Creature, or his Merit as mere Man, but the Merit ofGOD himfèlf. So the Apoftle Peter cele- brates the Faith of GOD's People, as precious Faith in the Righteoufnefs of OUR GOD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. * 'Tis the Righteoufnefs of GOD ; becaufe GOD alone can have Righteoufnefs to impute : And 'tis the Righteoufnefs ofa Saviour ; becaufe Salvation flows through the Imputation of it. The very Jews had this ICnowledge or Faith ; and one ofthem, (peaking of the MESSIAH, dire&ly calls him The Mea.b our Righteouf- nefs. By hisObedience we are made Righteous ; becaufe it the Prophet 7eremiah : And, therefore, Chrift is here fet forth as the proper jufiifying Righteoufnefs ofhis People, and as ehovah effen- tially in himfelf. t Coi. i, 3o, 31. Jer. ix. 23, 24. * á. Pet. i, i. K4 was
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