An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

And first, as is meet, let us open our eyes upon Scripture, which is the only infallible Rule; there often occurs that memorable phrase, the righteousness of God, which cannot but be of considerable moment in this matter: And what doth it import? our own inherent Graces, or Christ's Righteousness? Not our inherent Graces, ⟨p. 290⟩for these, though they come down from Heaven, are never called the Righteousness of God; nay, on the contrary, they are called our own: Hence the Faith of the Romans is called, your Faith, Rom. 1.8. the Love of the Corinthians, your Love. 2 Cor. 8.8. the Patience of Christ's Disciples. your Patience, Luk. 21.19. the Hope of the scattered Christians, your Hope, 1 pet. 1.21. That which is called in Scripture the Righteousness of God is not the same with that which is called our own there, but it imports the Righteousness of Christ, which by Imputation is made ours: This is called the Righteousness of God, because it is the Righteousness of Christ who is God, (for so his Blood is called, the blood of God, and his Life laid down, the life of God) and not a Righteousness inherent in us: And withal it is a perfect Righteousness (which can consist before the Tribunal of God himself, and in which the pure Eyes of the holy One can find no spot or blemish at all) and not an imperfect one, such as our inherent Graces are. But that the Righteousness of God imports Christ's Righteousness will further appear by the places wherein that phrase is used: ⟨p. 291⟩Thus Rom. 1.17. For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to saith: In the precedent Verse he saith, That the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth; and how so? Why, because it reveals the Righteousness of God, which saves the Believer, and delivers him from the wrath, which in the subsequent Verse is declared to be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men: And can our inherent Graces expiate sin and avert wrath? Oh, no; these, such are their spots and imperfections, must pass with God cum Venia, with a pardon of their defects, and under the Wings of Christ's Righteousness; that, that alone expiates sin and averts wrath; no other but that can be the Righteousness of God within that Text. Thus