The truly blessed man

1. The Righteousness by which we are denominated Righteous, is a benefit which we receive from Christ. It is not any thing inherent in us, but something that God graciously reckons to us: and it must have a foundation, which can be no other than his Righteousness, made ours by Gods accepting it of him on our account. So that if he had not been Righteous, we could not be so reckoned on his account; we are accepted in him, Eph. 1.6. It is one of his benefits, and to be acknowledged to derive ⟨p. 595⟩to us from him, but for which we had stood condemned as unrighteous; for so the Law will •nd the best of us, if tried on account of the best that we do.

2 We receive Christ himself in order to our receiving of any of his benefits. There is an order in which God communicates his favours to us: it is the person of Christ that is proposed, whom we are to receive in the New Covenant; he espouseth us to himself, Hos. 2.19. We must be in him, if we partake in any thing of his, Phil. 3.9. It his person please us not, and we cannot comply with this Relation, •n which we are to receive him in all his Offices, we can have nothing to do with, nor make any •ust claim to those privileges that go wi•h him; •f we be none of Christ's, nothing of his is ours.

2 We receive Christ himself in order to our receiving of any of his benefits. There is an order in which God communicates his favours to us: it is the person of Christ that is proposed, whom we are to receive in the New Covenant; he espouseth us to himself,