The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

as I have known some crying up the righteousness of Christ to our justification, their tongues could speak of nothing but this, how pure we were, so that God could see no sin in his people, [not to see it, that is, not to impute it to a justified person in Christ, we owned, but that was too low, not enough, God could see none] but inherent righteousness, was never made mention of: and if the question were put, But how shall I know I am in this justified state? Their answer was, For that you must look to it; and that was all the answer that ever I heard them give. Thus I say, for a lax Gospeller, the notion may please him; but for a man from the sense of the imperfection of his inherent righteousness, the sin, the mixtures that cleave to his own duties and performances, from the high estimation he hath of Gods righteousness, Rom. 10.3. The righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, Phil. 3.9. in earnest, to say, Surely in the Lord have I righteousness, Isai. 45.24. ⟨p. 256⟩In him, who is Jehovah our righteousness, Jer. 23.6. In him do I glory, Isai. 45.25. Making mention of thy righteousness, even thine only, as David, Psal 71.16. saith: Though in another sense [yet Calvin saith, ¹that B. Austin doth a hundred times make use of this Text to overthrow the merits of works, and did plausibly oppose this righteousness which is freely given of God, against the meritorious righteousness of men] this frame is not found in all Gospellers; this the proud heart of man will not set up; and upon this for a guilty, self condemned Soul to rest and roll it self, it cannot, in a day of sin appearing, unless as faith is the gift of God, so this act of saith be given from above. But still upon this imputed Righteousness, blood of Atonement, Christ his High-Priest, doth the real Christian venture and lay the stress of his Soul, if these crack I am gone. Examine Christian, doest thou experience this in thy heart feelingly?