s JEHOVAH ouR RIGHTEOUSNESS. was theObedience ofGOD in our Nature. Take away the Idea of his Divinity ; and there cannot poß'ibiy remain the Shadowof an Obedience, which can make us righte- ous in any Senfe whatever ; and much left fuch an Obe- dienée, as by it we might he made the Righteoufnefs of ,hod in him.* The Doctrines, of Chrift's Merit, and Chrift's Divini;y, are fo infeparable; that, if the one be removed, the ether muff fall of çourfe ; and, with them, the whole Fabric of Revelation and Redemption. If it were not going too widely out of the way, it might here be noticed, how many Obje6tions have been framed againft the Imputation of'Chrifl's alive Obedi- ence to the Law for his People's Juttification. We may however alk; If Righteoufnefs be not imputed to a Sin- ner, who has neither Hdp nor I-Jope in himfelf; how' can fuch a Sinner be made righteous, and in a Moment too (as the Thief upon the Crofs and others were in the Gofpel) in the prefence ofan holy GOD ? If Man has vone of his own, he muff have a derivative Righteouf pelt; and, from whom can it be derived, but from Çhrift ? If this derivative Righteoufnefs, be not in him- felf, and does not virtually render him inherently and ab- folutely perfect, which has never been the Cafe with any mere Man upon Earth fence "Liam; it molt be a Righter oufnefs reckoned or imputed to him. If it be imputed, as the Scripture declares it to be ;-f- what Kind of Righte- oufnefs can be thus imputed and reckoned ? Surely no other Kind than what Man requires. Now, Man re- quires, for his Jutrifcation, a Righteoufnefs commenfu- rate with the revealed Ltjill and Law of GOD. GOD revealed his Law to thewMan the Meáfure of the Obe- dience and Righteoufnefs, which GOD requires. The Righteoufnefs, then, imputed, moil be an obedient Con- formity to this Will and Law. But, what Righteouf- pefs can we find in the World, thus capableof Imputa- tion to Man, and thus conformable to the Will and Pu- rity ofGOD, but the afive Obedience of our Lord and v. 2 ¡. t Rom. iv. palimt ri Saviour ?
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