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

Paul, while he was a Pharisee, did perfectly observe the Moral Law, which those, who ⟨p. 359⟩talk so much of the impossibility of keeping Gods laws, will be loath to own: So that my own righteousness which is of the Law, is so far from signifying an inherent Righteousness, that it signified only an external one, which consisted only in some external Rites, or external Privileges, or an external Civility: This Righteousness he had reason to reject, because God will reject it: This was all the Righteousness he had, while he was a Pharisee, and this he accounts dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord; that is, for the sake of the Gospel, which is the knowledge of Christ, which contains a more excellent and perfect Righteousness than the Law did: and that he might win Christ, that he might attain to Evangelical Righteousness, such as Christ was the Preacher and Example of: And that he might be found in him, not having his own righteousness which is of the Law; that at the last day he might appear to be a sound and sincere Christian, whose righteousness does not consist only in external observances or external conformity to Gods Law; but, that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; that is, that inward vital Principle of ⟨p. 360⟩Holiness, that new Nature which the Gospel of Christ requires of us, and which this Christian Faith will work in us; which is a Righteousness of Gods own choosing, which he commands, and which he will reward.

Paul, while he was a Pharisee, did perfectly observe the Moral Law, which those, who ⟨p. 359⟩talk so much of the impossibility of keeping Gods laws, will be loath to own: So that my own righteousness which is of the Law, is so far from signifying an inherent Righteousness, that it signified only an external one, which consisted only in some external Rites, or external Privileges, or an external Civility: This Righteousness he had reason to reject, because God will reject it: This was all the Righteousness he had, while he was a Pharisee, and this he accounts dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord; that is, for the sake of the Gospel, which is the knowledge of Christ, which contains a more excellent and perfect Righteousness than the Law did: and that he might win Christ, that he might attain to Evangelical Righteousness, such as Christ was the Preacher and Example of: And that he might be found in him, not having his own righteousness which is of the Law; that at the last day he might appear to be a sound and sincere Christian, whose righteousness does not consist only in external observances or external conformity to Gods Law; but, that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; that is, that inward vital Principle of