Therefore, for these reasons, were there sufficiency in our personal works to justify us, it would be even more inconsistent with the being of God to suffer it. So then, ‘men are justified from the curse, in the sight of God, while sinners in themselves.’
Eleventh. ‘But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness’ (Rom 4:5).
These words show how we must stand just in the sight of God from the curse of the law, both as it respects justification itself and the instrument or means that receives that righteousness which justifies it that righteousness that justifies, it is not a personal performance in us; for the person here justified stands, in that respect, as one that worketh not, as one that is ungodly. 2. As it respects the instrument that receives it, that faith, as in the point of justifying righteousness, will not work, but believe, but receive the works and righteousness of another; for works and faith in this are set in opposition. He doth not work, he doth believe’ (Gal 3:12). He worketh not, but believeth on him who justifies, ungodly. As Paul also saith in another place, The law is not of faith (Rom 10:5,6). And again10:5, 6s saith on this wise; faith, far different. The law saith, Do this and live. But the doctrine of faith says, ‘If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in the heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,’ &c. (Rom 10:9,10).
Object. But faith is counted for righteousness.
Answ. True, but yet consider, that by faith we do oft understand the doctrine of remission of sins, as well as the act of believing.
But again; faith when it hath received the Lord Jesus, it hath done that which pleases God; therefore, the very act of believing is the most noble in the world; faith sets the crown upon the head of grace; it seals to the truth of the sufficiency of the righteousness of Christ, and giveth all the glory to God (John 3:33). And therefore it is a righteous act; but Christ himself, he is the Righteousness that justifieth’ (Rom 4:20,25). Besides, faith is a relative and hath its relation as such. Its relation is the righteousness that justifieth, which is therefore called the righteousness of faith, or that with which faith hath to do (Rom 10:6). Separate these two, and justification cannot be because faith now wants his righteousness. And hence it is you have so often such sayings as these—’ He that believeth in me; he that believeth on him; believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved’ (John 6:35,40). Faith, then, as separate from Christ, doth nothing; nothing, neither with God nor man; because it wants its relative; but let it go to the Lord Jesus—let it behold him as dying, &c., and it fetches righteousness, and life, and peace out of the virtue of his blood, &c. (Acts 10:29,31,33). Or rather, sees it there as sufficient for me to stand just thereby in the sight of Eternal Justice For him ‘God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith [belief] in his blood,’ with intent to justify him that believeth in Jesus (Rom 3:25,26).
Twelfth. ‘Even as David also described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputed righteousness without works’ (Rom 4:6).
Did our adversaries understand this one text, they would not so boldly affirm, as they do, that the words, ‘impute, imputed, imputed, imputing,’ &c., are not used in scripture but to express men really and personally to be that which is imputed unto them; for men are not really and personally faith, yet faith is imputed to men; nay, they are not really and personally sin, nor really and personally righteousness, yet these are imputed to men: so, then, both good things and bad may sometimes be imputed to men, yet themselves be really and personally neither. But to come to the point: what righteousness hath that man that hath no works? Doubtless none of his own; yet God imputed righteousness to him. Yea, what works of that man doth God impute to him that he yet justifies as ungodly?
Further, He that hath works as to justification from the curse before God, not one of them is regarded of God; so, it matters not whether thou hast righteousness of thine own or none. ‘Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes righteousness without works.’ Man’s blessedness, then, the blessedness of justification from the curse in the sight of God, lieth not in good works done by us, either before or after faith received, but in righteousness which God imputes without works; as we ‘work not’ as we ‘are ungodly.’ ‘Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sin is covered’ (v 7). To forgive and to cover are acts of mercy, not the cause of our merit. Besides, where sin is real, there can be no perfect righteousness; but the way of justification must be through perfect righteousness, therefore by another than our own, ‘Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin’ (v 8). The first cause, then, of justification before God, depends upon the will of God, who will justify because he will; therefore the meritorious cause must also be of his own providing, else his will cannot herein be absolute; for if justification depends upon our personal performances, then not upon the will of God. He may not have mercy upon whom he will, but on whom man’s righteousness will give him leave. But his will, not ours, must rule here; therefore his righteousness, and his only (Rom 9:15,18). So, then, ‘men are justified from the curse, in the sight of God, while sinners in themselves.’
