Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD. 345

 

SECOND. THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD, WHILE SINNERS IN THEMSELVES, BY NO OTHER RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND REMAINING WITH, THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

THE USE/APPLICATION

2. By this, means the Holy Spirit is plentifully received (Gal 3:1-3). Now the Spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom and revelation; but yet so as in the knowledge of Christ; otherwise the Spirit will show to man not any mighty thing, its great delight being to open Christ and to reveal him unto faith (Eph 1:17). Faith indeed can see him, for that is the eye of the soul; and the Spirit alone can reveal him, that being the searcher of the deep things of God; by these therefore the mysteries of heaven are revealed and received. And hence it is that the mystery of the gospel is called the 'mystery of faith,' or the mystery with which faith only hath to do (1 Tim 3:9).

Wouldst thou, then, know the greatest things of God? Accustom thyself to the obedience of faith,[34] live upon thy justifying righteousness, and never think that to live always on Christ for justification is a low and beggarly thing, and as it were a staying at the foundation; for let me tell you, depart from a sense of the meritorious means of your justification with God, and you will quickly grow light, and frothy, and vain. Besides, you will always be subject to errors and delusions; for this is not to hold the head from or through which nourishment is administered (Col 2:19). Further, no man that built forsakes the good foundation; that is the ground of his encouragement to work, for upon that is laid the stress of all; and without it nothing that is framed can be supported, but must inevitably fall to the ground.

Again; why not live upon Christ always? and especially as he stands as the mediator between God, and the soul, defending thee with the merit of his blood, and covering thee with his infinite righteousness from the wrath of God and the curse of the law. Can there be any greater comfort ministered to thee than to know thy person stands just before God? Just and justified from all things that would otherwise swallow thee up? Is peace with God and assurance of heaven of so little respect with thee that thou slightest the very foundation thereof, even faith in the blood and righteousness of Christ? and are notions and whimsies of such credit with thee that thou must leave the foundation to follow them? But again; what mystery is desirable to be known that is not to be found in Jesus Christ, as Priest, Prophet, or King of saints? In him are hid all the treasures of them, and he alone hath the key of David to open them (Col 2:1,2; Rev 3:7). Paul was so taken with Jesus Christ, and the knowledge of this, that he was crucified for us, that he desired, nay, determined not to know anything else among the Corinthians, that itched after other wisdom (1 Cor 2:2).

Object. But I see not that in Christ now, that I have seen in him in former days. Besides, I find the Spirit leads me forth to study other things.

Answ. In the first part of this objection, I would answer several things.—The cause why thou sees not that in Christ now, which thou hast seen in him in former days, is not, but in thy faith; he is the same, as fresh, and as good, and as full of blessedness, as when thou didst most rejoice in him (Heb 1:11,12). And why not now, as well as formerly? God is never weary of being delighted with Jesus Christ; his blood is always precious with God; his merits being those in which justice hath everlasting rest, why shouldst thou wander or go about to change thy way? (Prov 8:30; Jer 2:36). Sin is the same as ever, and so is the curse of the law. The devil is as busy as ever and beware of the law in thy members. Return, therefore, to thy rest, O soul! for he is thy life, and the length of thy days. Guilt is to be taken off now, as it was years ago; whether thou sees it or not, thou sinned in all thy works. How, then, canst thou stand clear from guilt in thy soul who neglects to act faith in the blood of the Lamb? There thou must wash thy robes, and there thou must make them white (Rev 7:14,15). I conclude, then, thou art a polluted, surfeited, corrupted, hardened creature, whosoever thou art, that thus objects.

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD. 344

 

SECOND. THAT MAN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD, WHILE SINNERS IN THEMSELVES, BY NO OTHER RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND REMAINING WITH, THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

USE SECOND.—I come now to the second use—Have faith in Christ.

But what are we to understand by faith?

Answ. Faith imported as much as to say, Receive, embrace, accept, or trust in, the benefit offered. All of which are, by holy men of God, words used on purpose to show that the mercy of God, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life, are not to be had by doing, or by the law; but by receiving, embracing, accepting, or trusting to the mercy of God through Christ: 'We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they' (Acts 15:11; John 1:12; 2 Cor 4:1, 11:4; Col 2:6; Heb 11:13; 1 Tim 1:15; Eph 1:12-13). Thus you see what the gospel is, and what faith does do in the salvation of the soul. Now, that faith might be helped in this work, for great are they that oppose it, therefore the Scriptures, the Word of truth, hath presented us with the invitation in most plain and suitable sentences: as 'That Christ came into the world to save sinners—Christ died for our sins—Christ gave himself for our sins—Christ bare our sins in his body on the tree—and that God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.' Further, as the invitations are plain and easy, so the threatening's to the opposers are sore and astonishing: 'He that believeth not shall be damned—Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God gave them up to strong delusions, that they all might be damned' (Mark 16:16; 2 Thess 2:10-12).

Object. But faith is said to be an act of obedience.

Answ. And well it may, for it is the most submitting act that a man can do; it throws out all our righteousness; it makes the soul poor in itself; it lived upon God and Christ, as the alms-man doth upon his lord; it consented to the gospel that it is true; it giveth God and Christ the glory of their mercy and merit; it loveth God for his mercy, and Jesus Christ for his service; whatever good it doth, it still cried, hereby, am I not justified, but he that justified me is the Lord. Well, but is there in truth such a thing as the obedience of faith? Then let Christians labor to understand it, and distinguish it right, and to separate it from the law and all man's righteousness; and remember that it is a receiving of mercy, an embracing of forgiveness, an accepting of the righteousness of Christ, and a trusting to these for life. Remember, again, that it put the soul upon coming to Christ as a sinner, and to receive forgiveness as a sinner, as such. We now treat justification.

But a little to insert at large a few more of the excellencies of it, and so draw towards a conclusion. The more thou believes for the remission of sins, the more of the light of the glorious gospel of Christ thou receive into thy soul—' For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith' (Rom 1:17). That is, according to the degree of faith. Little faith see but little but great faith see much; and therefore he saith again, that by faith we have 'access into the grace of God' (Rom 5:2). The reason is,

1. Because faith, having laid hold upon Christ, hath found him 'in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col 2:3). In him, therefore, it finds and sees those heights and depths of gospel mysteries that are nowhere else to be found; nay, let a man be destitute of faith, and it is not possible he should once think of some of them.

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD. 343

 

SECOND. THAT MAN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD, WHILE SINNERS IN THEMSELVES, BY NO OTHER RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND REMAINING WITH, THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

THE USE.

USE FIRST.—Is justifying righteousness to be found in the person of Christ only? Then this should admonish us to take heed of seeking it in ourselves; that is, of working righteousness, thereby to appease the justice of God, lest by so doing we affront and blaspheme the righteousness of Christ. He that shall go about to establish his own righteousness defies what is which of God, of God's appointing, of God's providing; and that only wherewith the justice of the law must be well pleased. Wherefore take heed, I say, of doing such a thing, lest it provoke the eyes of the Lord's glory—' When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trusts to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it (Eze 33:13). Mark, though he be righteous, yea, though he has a promise of life, yet he shall die. But why? Because he sinned against the Lord by trusting his own righteousness, he must die for it. Some things will keep a man from splitting upon this rock. As,

First, get yourself well acquainted with the covenant of grace and of the persons concerned in the conditions of that covenant. The conditions of that covenant are, that a righteousness shall be brought into the world that shall please the justice of God, and answer and so remove the curse of the law. Now he that does perform this condition is Christ; therefore, the covenant is not immediately with man, but with him, who will be the Mediator between God and man: 'As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners,' speaking of Christ (Zech 9:11). So then, Christ, the Man Christ, is he who was to bring in these conditions, to wit, everlasting righteousness. And hence it is that God hath said, Christ shall be the covenant of the people—that is, he shall be our conditions to Godward (Dan 9:23,24). He, therefore, is all our righteousness as to the point of our justification before God; he is the covenant of the people, as well as the light of the Gentiles; for as no man can see but in the light of his Spirit, so no man can stand but in and by him; he is the covenant of the people, the conditions and qualifications of the people (Isa 52:6). So that to Godward Christ is all in all, and no man anything at all. He hath made with me an everlasting covenant; with me, as I stand in my head, Christ, who, because he hath brought in everlasting righteousness, therefore hath removed the curse of the law; wherefore he adds, this covenant 'is ordered in all things, and sure,' because all points that concern me, as to redemption from the curse, are taken away by Christ, as before is discoursed (2 Sam 23:5). Look, then, upon Christ as the man, the mediator, undertaker, and accomplisher of that righteousness in himself, wherein thou must stand just before God; and that he is the covenant or conditions of the people to Godward, always having in himself the righteousness that the law is well pleased with, and always presenting himself before God as our only righteousness.

Second, that this truth may be the more heartily inquired into by thee, consider thine own perfections; I say, study how polluted thou art, even from the heart throughout. No man hath a high esteem of the Lord Jesus that is a stranger to his own sore. Christ's church is a hospital of sick, wounded, and afflicted people; even when he was in the world, the afflicted and distressed set the highest price upon Jesus Christ. Why? They were sick, and he was the Physician, but the whole had no need of him. And just thus it is now: Christ is offered to the world to be the righteousness and life of sinners, but no man will regard him save he that sees his own pollution; he that sees he cannot answer the demands of the law, he that sees himself from top to toe polluted, and that therefore his service cannot be clean as to justify him from the curse before God—he is the man that must needs die in despair and be damned, or must trust in Jesus Christ for life.

Further, this rule I would have all receive that come to Jesus
Christ for life and salvation—

1. Not to stick at the acknowledgment of sin, but to make that of it which the law makes of it: 'Acknowledge thine iniquity,' saith the Lord (Jer 3:13). This is a hard pinch, I know what I say, for a man to fall down under the sense of sins by acknowledging them to be what the Lord saith they are; to acknowledge them, I say, in their own defiling and polluting nature; to acknowledge them in their unreasonable and aggravating circumstances; to acknowledge them in their God-offending and soul-destroying nature, especially when the conscience is burdened with the guilt of them. Yet this is duty: 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive' (1 John 1:9). Yea, to this is annexed the promise, 'He that confesses and forsakes them shall find mercy.' This made David, as it were, lay claim to the mercy of God—'Wash me thoroughly,' said he, 'from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is ever before me.' Though, then, thou art to blush and be ashamed when thou remember your sins and iniquities, yet do not hide them—' He that covers his sins shall not prosper.' Do not lessen them; do not speak of them before God after a mincing way—' Acknowledge thine iniquities, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree; and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord' (Jer 3:13).

2. If we would come to Christ aright, we must only acknowledge our sins; we must ONLY acknowledge them, and there stop; stop, I say, from attempting to do ought to present us well before God, but only to receive the mercy offered. 'Only acknowledge thine iniquities.' Men are subject to two extremes, either to confess sins notionally and by the halves; or else, together with the confession, to labor to do some holy work, thereby easing their burdened consciences, and begetting faith in the mercy of God (Hosea 5:15). Now both these are dangerous, and very ungodly—dangerous, because the wound is healed falsely; and ungodly, because the command is transgressed: 'Only acknowledge thy sin,' and there stand, as David, 'till thy guilt is taken away.' Joshua stood before the angel, from top to toe in filthy garments, till the Lord put other clothes upon him (Zech 3:3-5). In the matter of thy justification, thou must know nothing, see nothing, hear nothing, but thine own sins and Christ's righteousness—' Only acknowledge thine iniquities.' Now the Saviour and the soul come rightly together; the Saviour to do his work, which is to spread his skirt over the sinner; and the sinner to receive, by believing this blessed imputed righteousness. And hence the church, when she came to God, lieth down in her shame, and her confusion covered her, and so lied till pardon comes (Jer 3:25).

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD. 342

 

SECOND. THAT MAN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD, WHILE SINNERS IN THEMSELVES, BY NO OTHER RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND REMAINING WITH, THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

Third. It is yet further evident that the righteousness by which we stand just before God from the curse is a righteousness inherent, not in us, but in Christ; because it is a righteousness besides, and without the law itself. Now take away the law, and you take away the rule of righteousness. Again; take away the rule, and the act as to us must cease. 'But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets' (Rom 3:21). So then, by such righteousness we are justified as is not within the power of the law to command of us.

Quest. But what law is that which hath not power to command our obedience in the point of our justification with God?

Answ. The moral law is called the Ten Commandments. Therefore we are neither commanded to love God, nor our neighbor, as the means or part of our justifying righteousness; nay, he that shall attempt to do these things to be delivered from the curse thereby, by the scripture is holden accursed of God. 'As many as are of the works,' or duties, 'of the law, are under the curse,' &c. (Gal 3:10). Because we are justified not by that of the law, but by the righteousness of God without the law; that is, without its commanding of us, without our obedience to it—' Freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood (Rom 3:24,25). This is the righteousness of God without the law; that is, without any of our obedience to the law. Wherefore the righteousness by which we stand just, in the sight of God, cannot be inherent in us, but in Christ the King thereof.

Fourth. This is further made apparent, by the capacity that God will consider that soul in, to whom he imputed justifying righteousness; and that is, 'as one that worketh not,' as one that stands ungodly in the judgment of the law (Rom 4:4,5). But this I have handled before and therefore shall pass it here.

Fifth. To conclude. If any works of ours could justify us before God, they would be works after faith received; but it is evident that these do not; therefore the righteousness that justifies us from the curse before God, is a righteousness inherent only in Christ.

That works after faith do not justify us from the curse, in the sight of God, is evident

1. Because no works of the saints can be justified by the moral law, considering it as the law of life works (Gal 3:10). For this must stand a truth forever—Whatsoever justified us must be justified by the moral law, for that is it that pronounced the curse; unless, then, that curse be taken away by the work, the work cannot justify us before God (Rom 3:21). But the curse cannot be taken away but by a righteousness that is first approved of by that law that so cursed; for if that shall yet complain for want of full satisfaction, the penalty remained. This is evident to reason and confirmed by the authority of God's Word, as hath been already proved; because the law, once broken, pronounced death, expected death, and executed the same on him that will stand to the judgment of the law; but no work of a believer is capable of answering this demand of the law; therefore none of his works can justify him before God; for the law, that notwithstanding, complained.

2. No works of faith can justify us from the curse before God, because of the want of perfection in our greatest faith. Now, if faith is not perfect, the work cannot be perfect; I mean with that perfection as to please Divine justice. Consider the person, that had to do with God immediately by himself. Now, that faith is not capable of this kind of perfection, it is evident, because when men here know most, they know but in part. Now he that knows but in part, can do but in part; and he that doth but in part, hath a part wanting in the judgment of the justice of God. So then, when thou hast done all thou canst, thou hast done but part of thy duty, and so art short of justification from the curse by what thou hast done (1 Cor 8:2, 13:12).

3. Besides, it looks too like a monster that the works of faith should justify us before God; then faith is turned, as it were, with its neck behind it. Faith, in its own nature and natural course, respected the mercy of God through the Mediator, Jesus Christ; and as such, its virtue and excellency is to expect justification by grace through him; but by this doctrine, faith is turned roundabout, and now makes a life out of what itself hath done; but, methinks, faith should be as noble as its fruits, that being the first, and they but the fruits of that.

Besides, seeing the work is only good because it flowed from faith (for faith purifies the heart), therefore faith is it that justifies all its works (Acts 15:9). If, then, we be justified by either, it is by faith, and not by his works; unless we will say there is more virtue in the less than in the greater. Now, what is faith but a believing, trusting, or relying-on act of the soul? What, then, must it rely upon or trust in? Not in itself; that is, without Scripture; not in its works, they are inferior to itself; besides, this is the way to make even the works of faith the mediator between God and the soul, and so by them thrust Christ out of doors; therefore it must trust in Christ; and if so, then no man can be justified from the curse, before God, by the works that flow from faith.

4. To put all out of doubt; the saint, when he hath done what he can to bring forth good works by faith, yet he dares not show these works before God but as they pass through the Mediator Christ, but as they are washed in the blood of the Lamb. And therefore Peter saith, those sacrifices of ours that are truly spiritual are only then accepted of God when offered up by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). And therefore it is said again, that the prayers of the saints, which are the fruits of faith, come up before the throne of God through the angel's hand; that is, through the hand of Christ, through his golden censer, perfumed with his incense, made acceptable by his intercession (Rev 8:3,4). It is said in the Book of Revelation, that it is granted to the bride, the Lamb's wife, that she should be 'arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; which white linen is the righteousness of saints.' This fine linen, in my judgment, is the works of godly men, their works that sprang from faith. But how came they clean? How came they white? Not simply because they were the works of faith. But Mark, they 'washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' And 'therefore they stand before the throne of God' (Rev 7:14,15). Therefore it is that their good works stand there too.

I conclude, then, 'our persons are justified while we are sinners in ourselves.' Our works, even the works of faith, are not otherwise accepted but as they come through Jesus Christ, even through his intercession and blood. So then, Christ doth justify both our person and works, not by way of approbation, as we stand in ourselves or works before God, but by presenting of us to his Father by himself, washing what we are and have from guilt in his blood, and clothing us with his own performances. This is the cause of our acceptance of God, and our works are not absent from his presence.

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD. 341

 

SECOND— THAT MAN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD, WHILE SINNERS IN THEMSELVES, BY NO OTHER RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND REMAINING WITH, THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

[SECOND.] This being so, the second position is also manifest—namely, that the righteousness by which we stand just from the curse, before God, is only inherent in Jesus Christ. For if he hath undertaken to bring in justifying righteousness, and that by works and merits of his own, then that righteousness must of necessity be inherent in him alone, and ours only by imputation; and hence it is called, in that fifth to the Romans, the gift, the ‘gift of righteousness’; because neither wrought nor obtained by works of ours, but bestowed upon us, as a garment already prepared, by the mercy of God in Christ (Rom 5:17; Isa 61:10). There are four things that confirm this for a truth—

First, this righteousness is said to be the righteousness of one, not of many; I mean of one properly and personally, as his own particular personal righteousness. The gift of grace is the gift of righteousness, which is ‘by one man, Jesus Christ.’ ‘Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by ONE, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of ONE, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of ONE shall many be made righteous (Rom 5:15-19). Mark, the righteousness of one, the obedience of one; the righteousness of one man, of one man, Jesus. Wherefore, the righteousness that justified a sinner is personally and inherently the righteousness of that person only who, by works and acts of obedience, did complete it, even the obedience of one, of one man, Jesus Christ; and so ours only by imputation. It is improper to say, that Adam’s eating of the forbidden fruit was personally and inherently an act of mine. It was personally his, and imputatively mine; personally his, because he did it; imputatively mine, because I was then in him. Indeed, the effects of his personal eating are found in my person; to wit, defilement, and gravity. The effects also of the imputation of Christ’s personal righteousness are truly found in those that are in him by electing love and unfeigned faith, even holy and heavenly dispositions; but a personal act is one thing, and the effects of that another. The act may be done by, and be only inherent in one; the imputation of the merit of the act, as also the effects of the same, may be in a manner universal, extending itself unto the most, or all. This is the case of Adam and Christ doth manifest. The sin of one is imputed to his posterity; the righteousness of the other is reckoned the righteousness of those that are his.

Second. The righteousness by which we stand just before God from the curse is called, ‘The righteousness of the Lord—the righteousness of God—the righteousness of Jesus Christ,’ &c. (Phil 3:6-9); and that by way of opposition to the righteousness of God’s own holy law—’ That I might be found in him, not having on my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.’ Now, by this opposition, as by what was said before, the truth is made exceeding clear; for by these words, ‘not having my own righteousness,’ are not only excluded what qualifications we suppose to be in us, but the righteousness through which we stand just in the sight of God by them is limited and confined to a person absolutely distinct. Distinct, I say, as to his person and performances, who here is called God and Jesus Christ; as he saith also in the prophet Isaiah, ‘In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory’ (Isa 45:25). In the Lord, not in the law; in the Lord, not in themselves. ‘And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.’ Of me, not of themselves; of me, not of the law (54:17). And again; ‘Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength’ (45:24). Now, as I have already said, all this is to be understood of the righteousness that was fulfilled by acts and works of obedience, which the person of the Son of God accomplished in the days of his flesh in the world; by that man, I say, ‘The Lord our righteousness’ (Jer 23:5). Christ, indeed, is naturally and essentially righteousness; but as he is simply such, so he justified no man; for then he need not to bear our sins in his flesh, and become obedient in all points of the law for us; but the righteousness by which we stand just before God is righteousness consisting of works and deeds, of the doings and sufferings, of such a person who also is essentially righteousness. And hence, as before I have hinted, we are said to be justified by the obedience and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the doings and sufferings of the Son of God. And hence, again, it is that he first is called King of righteousness; that is, a King of righteousness as God-man, which of necessity supposes his personal performances; and after that, ‘King of peace’ (Heb 7:1-3). For what he is naturally and eternally in his Godhead, he is not to us, but himself; but what he is actively and by works, he is not to himself, but to us; so, then, he is neither King of righteousness nor of peace to us, as he is only the eternal Son of the Father, without his being considered as our priest and undertaker. He hath ‘obtained,’ by works of righteousness, ‘eternal redemption for us’ (Heb 9:12). So then, the righteousness by which we stand just before God is a righteousness inherent only in Christ because righteousness is performed by him alone.

Now, that righteousness by which we stand just before God must be a righteousness consisting of personal performances; the reason is, that persons had sinned; this the nature of justice requires, that ‘since by man came death, by man’ should come ‘also the resurrection from the dead’ (1 Cor 15:21). The angels, therefore, for this very reason, abide under the chains of everlasting darkness, because he ‘took not hold on them’ (Heb 2:16,17); that is, by fulfilling righteousness for them in their nature. That is a blessed word, to you. ‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ To YOU, not to angels; to you is born a Saviour (Luke 2:11).

Tagged W

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, THAT MEN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD. 340

 

SECOND. THAT MAN CAN BE JUSTIFIED FROM THE CURSE BEFORE GOD, WHILE SINNERS IN THEMSELVES, BY NO OTHER RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THAT LONG AGO PERFORMED BY, AND REMAINING WITH, THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

For the better prosecution of this position, I shall observe two

things—FIRST, the righteousness by which we stand just before

God, from the curse, was performed by the person of Christ. SECOND,

That this righteousness is inherent only in him.

FIRST. As to the first of these, I shall be but brief. Now, that the righteousness that justifies us was performed long ago by the person of Christ, besides what hath already been said, is further manifest thus—

First, He is said to have purged our sins by himself—’ When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of God (Heb 1:3). I have shown that in Christ, for the accomplishing of righteousness, there was both doing and suffering; doing, to fulfill all the commands of the law; suffering, to answer its penalty for sin. This second is that which in this to the Hebrews is in special intended by the apostle, where he saith he hath purged our sins, that is, by his precious blood; for it is that alone can purge our sins, either out of the sight of God or out of the sight of the soul (Heb 9:14). Now this was done by himself, saith the apostle; that is, in or by his personal doings and sufferings. And hence it is that when God rejected the offerings of the law, he said, ‘Lo, I come. A body hast thou prepared me,—to do thy will, O God (Heb 10:5-8). Now by this will of God, saith the Scripture, we are sanctified. By what will? Why, by the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ; for that was God’s will, that thereby we might be a habitation for him; as he saith again—’ Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate’ (Heb 13:12).

Second. As it is said, he hath purged our sins by himself, so it was by himself at once—’ For by one offering he perfected forever those that are sanctified’ (10:14). Now by this word at once,’ or by ‘one offering,’ is cut off all those imaginary sufferings of Christ which foolish conceive of; as that he in all ages had suffered for sin in us. No; he did this work but once. ‘Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world,’ in the time of Pilate, ‘hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself’ (Heb 9:25,26). Mark how to the purpose the Holy Ghost expressed it: he hath suffered but once; and that once, now; now once; now he is God and man in one person; now he hath taken the body that was prepared of God; now once at the end of the world had he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; by the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, NO WAY TO HEAVEN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST. Proofs of the first position. 339

 

[Fifth.] But again; another thing that hath great influence upon the heart to make it lean to the law for life is, the false names that Satan and his instruments have put upon it; such as these—to call the law the gospel; conscience, the Spirit of Christ; works, faith; and the like: with these, weak consciences have been mightily pestered; yea, thousands deluded and destroyed. This was the way whereby the enemy attempted to overthrow the church of Christ of old; as, namely, those in Galatia and at Corinth, &c. (2 Cor 11:3,4,13,14). I say, by the feigned notion that the law was the gospel, the Galatians were removed from the gospel of Christ; and Satan, by appropriating to himself and his ministers the names and titles of the ministers of the Lord Jesus, prevailed with many at Corinth to forsake Paul and his doctrine. Where the Lord Jesus hath been preached in truth, and something of his doctrine known, it is not there so easy to turn people aside from the sound of the promise of grace, unless it be by the noise and sound of a gospel. Therefore, I say, the false apostles came thus among the churches: ‘another gospel, another gospel’; which, in truth, saith Paul, ‘is not another; but some would pervert the gospel of Christ,’ and thrust that out of doors, by gilding the law with that glorious name (Gal 1:6-8). So again, for the ministers of Satan, they must be called the apostles of Christ, and ministers of righteousness; which thing, I say, is of great force, especially being accompanied with so holy and just a doctrine as the word of the law is; for what better to the eye of reason than to love God above all, and our neighbor as ourselves, which doctrine, being the scope of the ten words given on Sinai, no man can contradict; for, in truth, they are holy and good.

But here is the poison; to set this law in the room of a mediator, as those do that seek to stand just before God thereby, and then nothing is so dishonorable to Christ, nor of so soul-destroying a nature as the law; for that, thus placed, hath not only power when souls are deluded, but power to delude, by its real holiness, the understanding, conscience, and reason of a man; and by giving the soul a semblance of heaven, to cause it to throw away Christ, grace, and faith. Wherefore it behooved all men to take heed of names, and of appearances of holiness and goodness.

[Sixth.] Lastly, Satan will yet go further; he will make use of something that may be at a distance from a moral precept, and therewith bring souls under the law. Thus he did with some of old; he did not make the Galatians fall from Christ by virtue of one of the ten words, but by something that was aloof off; by circumcision, days, and months, that were Levitical ceremonies; for he knows it is no matter, nor in what Testament he found it, if he can therewith hide Christ from the soul—’Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law (Gal 5:2,3). Why so, seeing circumcision is not one of the ten words [commandments]? Why, because they did it in conscience to God, to stand just before him thereby. Now here we may behold much cunning of the devil; he begins with some at a distance from that law which curse, and so by little and little bringeth them under it; even as by circumcision the Galatians were at length brought under the law that condemned all men to the wrath and judgment of God. I have often wondered when I have read how God cried out against the Jews, for observing his own commandment (Isa 1:11-14). But I perceive by Paul that by these things a man may reject and condemn the Lord Jesus; which those do, that for life set up aught, whether moral or other institution, besides the faith of Jesus. Let men therefore warily distinguish betwixt names and things, betwixt statute and commandment, lest they by doing the one transgress against the other (2 Cor 1:19,20). Study, therefore, the nature and end of the law with the nature and end of the gospel; and if thou canst keep them distinct in thy understanding and conscience, neither names nor things, neither statutes nor commandments, can draw thee from the faith of the gospel. And that thou mayest yet be helped in this matter, I shall now come to speak to the second conclusion.

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, NO WAY TO HEAVEN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST. Proofs of the first position. 338

 

2. The law veils and blinds by that guilt and horror for sin that seize the soul by the law; for guilt, when charged close upon the conscience, is attended with such aggravations, and that with such power and evidence, that the conscience cannot hear, nor see, nor feel anything else but that. When David’s guilt for murder and blood did roar by the law in his conscience, notwithstanding he knew much of the grace of the gospel, he could hear nothing else but terror, the sound of blood; the murder of Uriah was the only noise that he heard; wherefore he cried to God that he would make him hear the gospel. ‘Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice’ (Psa 51:8). And as he could not hear, neither could he see; the law had struck him deaf and blind. ‘I am,’ saith he, ‘not able to look up’; not up to Christ for mercy. As if David had said, O Lord, the guilt of sin, which is by the law, makes such a noise and horror in my conscience, that I can neither hear nor see the word of peace unless it is spoken with a voice from heaven! The serpents that bit the people in the days of old were types of guilt and sin (Num 21:6). Now, these were fiery serpents, and such as, I think, could fly (Isa 14:29). Wherefore, in my judgment, they stung the people about their faces. They so swelled up their eyes, which made it more difficult for them to look up to the brazen serpent, which was the type of Christ (John 3:14). Just so doth sin by the law do now. It stings the soul, the very face of the soul, which is the cause that looking up to Jesus or believing in him, is so difficult a task in times of terror of conscience.

3. This is not only so at present, but so long as guilt is on the conscience, so long remains the blindness; for guilt standing before the soul, the grace of God is intercepted, even as the sun is hidden from the sight of mine eyes by the cloud that cometh between. ‘My sin,’ said David, ‘is ever before me,’ and so kept other things out of his sight; sin, I say, when applied by the law (Psa 51:3). When the law came to Paul, he remained without sight until the good man came unto him with the word of forgiveness of sins (Acts 9).

4. Again; where the law comes with power, there it begets many doubts against the grace of God; for it is only a revealer of sin, and the ministration of death; that is, a doctrine that shows sin, and condemned for the same; hence, therefore, as was hinted before, the law being the revealer of sin, where that is embraced, there sin must needs be discovered and condemned, and the soul for the sake of that. Further, it is not only a revealer of sin, but that which makes it abound; so that the closer any man sticks to the law for life, the faster sin cleaves to him. ‘That law,’ saith Paul, ‘which was ordained to be unto life, I found to be unto death,’ for by the law I became a notorious sinner; I thought to have obtained life by obeying the law, ‘but sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me’ (Rom 7:10-14). A strange way of deceivableness, and it is hidden from most of men; but, as I have already told you, you see how it comes to pass. (1.) Man by nature is carnal, and the law itself is spiritual: now betwixt these two arises great difference; the law is exceeding good, the heart exceeding bad; these two opposites, therefore, the heart so abiding, can by no means agree. (2.) Therefore, at every approach of the law to the heart with the intent to impose a duty, or to condemn for the neglect thereof; at every such approach the heart starts back, especially when the law comes home indeed, and is heard in his own language. This being thus, the conscience perceiving this is a fault, begins to tremble at the sense of judgment; the law still continues to command to duty and to condemn for the neglect thereof. From this struggling of these two opposites arises, I say, those doubts and fears that drive the heart into unbelief, and that make it blind to the word of the gospel, that it can neither see nor understand anything but that it is a sinner, and that the law must be fulfilled by it, if ever it be saved.

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, NO WAY TO HEAVEN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST. Proofs of the first position. 337

 

Third. take heed of fleshly wisdom. Reasoning so much with the law. 'I thought verily that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus,' and so to have sought for life by the law; my reason told me so. Thus, reason will say: Here is a righteous law, the rule of life and death; besides, what can be better than to love God, and my neighbor as myself? Again; God has thus commanded, and his commands are just and good; therefore, doubtless, life must come by the law. Further, to love God and keep the law is better than to sin and break it; seeing men lose heaven by sin, how should they get it again?

Fourth. Man's ignorance of the gospel suited well with the doctrine of the law; they fall in love with God's righteousness through their ignorance of God's righteousness (Rom 10:1-4). Yea, they do not only suit, but, when joined in the act, the one strengthened the other; that is, the law strengthened our blindness, and bound the veil more fast about the face of our souls. The law suited much our blindness of mind; for until this day remains the veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; especially in the reading of that which was written and engraved on stones; to wit, the ten commandments, that perfect rule for holiness; which veil was done away in Christ (2 Cor 3:15,16). But 'even to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is over their hearts'; they are blinded by the duties enjoined by the law from the sight and hopes of forgiveness of sins by grace. 'Nevertheless, when IT,' the heart, 'shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.' The law, then, doth veil the heart from Christ, and holds the man so down to doing and working for the kingdom of heaven, that he quite forgets the forgiveness of sins by mercy through Christ. Now this veiling or blinding by the law is occasioned—

1. Because of the contrariety of doctrine in the law to that in the gospel. The law requires obedience to all its demands upon pain of everlasting burnings; the gospel promises forgiveness of sins to him that worketh not, but believeth. Now the heart cannot receive both these doctrines; it must either let go of doing or believing. If it believes, it is dead to do; if it is set to do for life, it is dead to believing. Besides, he that shall think both to do and believe for justification before God from the curse, he seeks for life but as it were by the law, he seeks for life but as it were by Christ; and he being not direct in either, shall for certain be forsaken of either. Wherefore? Because he seeks it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law' (Rom 9:32).

Works of John Bunyan: JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS; OR, NO WAY TO HEAVEN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST. Proofs of the first position. 336

 

To conclude this. If righteous men, through the knowledge of the gospel, are made to leave the law of God, as despairing of life thereby, surely righteousness is not to be found in the law; I mean that which can justify thee before God from the curse who lives and walks in the law. I shall, therefore, end this second reason with what I have said before—'Men must be justified from the curse in the sight of God while sinful in themselves.'

The Third Reason.—Another reason why not one under heaven can be justified by the law, or by his own personal performances to it, is because since sin was in the world, God hath rejected the law and the works thereof for life (Rom 7:10).

It is true before man had sinned, it was ordained to be unto life; but since, and because of sin, the God of love gave the word of grace. Take the law, then, as God hath established it; to wit, to condemn all flesh (Gal 3:21); and then there is room for the promise and the law, the one to kill, the other to heal; and so the law is not against the promises, but make the law a justifier, and faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect (Rom 4:14); and the everlasting gospel, by so doing, thou endeavors to root out of the world. Methinks, since it hath pleased God to reject the law and the righteousness thereof for life, such dust and ashes as we are should strive to consent to his holy will, especially when in the room of this [covenant] of works there is established a better covenant, and that upon better promises. The Lord hath rejected the law, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof; for, finding fault with them of the law, 'The days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,' &c. (Heb 8:8). Give God leave to find fault with us, and to condemn our personal performances to death, as to our justification before him thereby; let him do it, I say; and the rather, because he doth by the gospel present us with a better. And certainly, if ever he is pleased with us, it will be when he finds us in that righteousness that is of his own appointing.

Six things that incline the heart to seek the law for life.

To conclude. Notwithstanding all that hath or can be said, six things have great power with the heart to bend it to seek life before God by the law; of all which I would caution that soul to beware, that would have happiness in another world.

First, Take heed thou be not made to seek to the law for life, because of that name and majesty of God which thou find upon the doctrine of the law (Exo 20:1). God indeed spoke all the words of the law and delivered them in that dread and majesty to men that shook the hearts of all that heard it. Now this is of great authority with some, even to seek for life and bliss by the law. 'We know,' said some, 'that God spoke to Moses' (John 9:29). And Saul rejected Christ even of zeal towards God (Acts 22:3). What zeal? Zeal towards God according to the law, which afterward he left and rejected because he had found a better way. The life that he once lived, it was by the law; but afterward, saith he, 'The life which I now live,' it is by faith, 'by the faith of Jesus Christ' (Gal 2:20). So that though the law was the appointment of God, and had also his name and majesty upon it, yet now he will not live by the law. Indeed, God is in the law, but yet only as just and holy, not as gracious and merciful; so he is only in Jesus Christ. 'The law,' the word of justice, 'was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ' (John 1:17). Wherefore, whatever of God thou found in the law, yet seeing grace and mercy is not there, let neither the name of God nor that majesty that thou found of him in the law, prevail with thee to seek life by all the holy commandments of the law.

Second. Take heed that the law, by taking hold on thy conscience, doth not make thee seek life by the law (Rom 2:13-15). The heart of man is the seat of the law. This being so, understanding and conscience must need to be in danger of being bound by the law. Man is a law unto himself, and showed that the works of the law are written in his heart. Now, the law being thus nearly related to man, it easily takes hold of the understanding and conscience; by which hold, if it is not quickly broken off by the promise and grace of the gospel, it is captivated to the works of the law; for conscience is such a thing, that if it once is possessed with a doctrine, yea, though but with the doctrine of an idol, it will cleave so fast thereto that nothing but a hand from heaven can loosen it; and if it is not loosed, no gospel can be there embraced (1 Cor 8:7). Conscience is Little-ease, if men resist it, whether it be rightly or wrongly informed. How fast, then, will it hold when it knows it cleaves to the law of God! Upon this account, the condition of the unbeliever is most miserable; for not having faith in the gospel of grace, through which is tendered the forgiveness of sins, they, like men a-drowning, hold fast that they have found; which being the law of God, they follow it; but because righteousness flies from them, they at last are found only accursed and condemned to hell by the law. Therefore, heed that thy conscience is not entangled by the law (Rom 9:31,32).