SERMON XVI. CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.* 1 COR. 1: 30.-Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us,-righteousness. EVERY truth ought to be made the object of our attention in proportion to its importance. And though all the doctrines of the gospel are important, yet some are more so than others. The doctrines of the present fallen state of mankind; of the possibility and mode of salvation by Christ; of the necessity of union to him, and of justification through him: these are among the most important truths implied in the words of our text. Particularly it is there implied, 1. That all real christians are in Christ: "of him are ye in Christ Jesus;" that is, ye Corinthian converts, and doubtless all other real converts to the christian faith; and 2. That in and through Christ all real believers obtain righteousness or justification: "Who of God is made unto us, righteousness." As the doctrines of the union of believers to Christ, and of justification through him have, in every age of the church, been accounted doctrines of great importance, so they are peculiarly important and necessary to be thoroughly understood at the present day, when they have been perverted to the support of several dangerous tenets which are totally subversive of christianity itself. It may be useful therefore, in view of our text, to inquire, 1. In what sense believers are in Christ, or are united to him; and 2. In what sense he is made righteousness unto them, or they are justified through him. I. In what sense are believers in Christ, or united to him? "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus." These words doubtless point out a peculiar relation between Christ and believers; a relation which is often mentioned in the New Testament. John 15: 5, "I am the vine; ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered." John 17: 21, "That * Preached before the General Association of Connecticut, June 19, 1786. they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I in thee; that they may be one in us." Eph. 1: 6, "He hath made us accepted in the beloved;" and chap. 5: 30, "For we are members of his body; of his flesh and of his bones." 1 Cor. 12: 27, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular," etc. The same relation is illustrated by that which subsists between the husband and wife; and the whole body of believers is called "the bride, the lamb's wife." But what is this union between Christ and believers? In what respect are they one? To these inquiries I reply, there is a two-fold union between Christ and believers; a vital union and a relative union; or what may more properly be called a union of affection and a union of relation; or a union which is real and a union which is constituted. Each of these requires a distinct explanation. 1. By a vital union, or the union of affection is meant, that cordial and mutual love or affection which subsists between Christ and all true believers. This love is implied in the true and saving faith of the gospel. Every real christian being the subject of this faith, is therein united in heart and affection to Christ. The first act of this faith is the uniting act; and in its exercise the believer cordially receives Christ; is sincerely pleased with him; loves those things which Christ loves; desires and seeks those objects which he seeks, and in affection becomes one with him. He has the very spirit of Christ. "The same mind is in him which was also in Christ Jesus." He is also united to him in the exercise of trust and reliance on him. He leans on Christ his beloved, and lives by communications of grace from him. "His life is hid with Christ in God;" and "the life which he now lives in the flesh, he lives by faith on the Son of God." This is the vital or real union; the union of affection between Christ and believers. Faith has by some been called the hand or instrument by which believers lay hold on and receive Christ. But with more propriety may it be called the act of unition itself, or the uniting act, by which Christ and the believer become one. We are also to inquire, 2. What is meant by the relative and constituted union between Christ and believers. This has been variously explained, and in some instances so as to give erroneous impressions. Some have said that the believer, in consequence of faith is viewed or considered by God as one with Christ, and is treated accordingly; is pardoned, justified and received to glory, because he is one with Christ. If the meaning of this be that the believer is viewed as one with Christ in affection, and as cordially united to him in faith and love, and therefore is pardoned and accepted, this is undoubtedly true; but it contains very little if any important meaning. It amounts only to this, that the believer being viewed by God as united to Christ in affection, or in faith and love, or what is the same thing being viewed as a believer, is pardoned, etc. Doubtless God pardons none but believers; and he pardons them viewing them as being what they are, that is real believers, and under no other conception. But it is manifest that in the expression just mentioned, something further than this is intended by those who use it. The expression is that the believer, in consequence of faith, is viewed or considered by God as one with Christ, and is treated accordingly. Yet in what other sense are Christ and the believer one, than that they are one in affection? None will pretend that they are really one person; that the believer by faith becomes Christ, and Christ the believer. How then can it be true that God views and considers them as one? Does God view or consider them as one when in reality they are not? No! for this is impossible. That he treats and acts toward them in certain respects, as if they were one, is granted. He in certain respects treats believers in justification, as if they had themselves wrought out the perfect satisfaction of Christ. He as completely acquits and justifies them, as completely exempts them from the curse of the law, and admits them to the happiness of heaven, as he would have done if they had wrought out the perfect righteousness of Christ. Yet in reality the believer is not Christ; nor did he work out that satisfaction to divine justice which Christ effected; nor has he any righteousness of his own which answers the demand of the law. Some have said concerning this relative union between Christ and the believer, that they are one in law. But what is intended by this expression? The most obvious meaning of it is, that what the law demands of one it demands of the other, and what it does not demand of the one it does not demand of the other. If this be the real meaning of those who say that Christ and the believer are one in law, then, if they are correct, the consequence is, that as the law has now no demand on Christ, so it has none on the believer; and that as Christ is justified and accepted by the father on the footing of strict law, so is the believer. But this is utterly contrary to the whole doctrine of the New Testament, which asserts peremptorily "that by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified" in the sight of God. But perhaps some may say that by the proposition, "that Christ and the believer are one in law," is meant, not that they are one in the eye of the moral law, but in the eye of the gospel, or the new law of grace, as they are pleased to call it. But this also needs expla nation. For surely the meaning cannot be that the gospel does not consider the believer as a sinner deserving the curse of the law, and capable of being exempted from that curse only by a free and gracious pardon. Yet the gospel by no means considers Christ in this light. It by no means supposes that Christ is exempted from punishment by mere free grace and pardon. So that it still appears that the gospel does not consider or suppose that the believer and Christ are strictly one. It seems to be supposed by many who dwell on this subject, that there is a threefold union between Christ and the believer; that first the individual becomes a believer, or exercises faith, and thus becomes one with Christ in affection; that immediately on this, by the divine constitution, commences a relative union, or God appoints that Christ and the believer be one; and in the last place, that he proceeds to treat them as one. But this middle kind of union I conceive to be a mere imagination. God does not ordain that the believer in consequence of faith, shall be one with Christ, and then proceed to treat him as one with him; but in consequence of faith, though he sees and knows the believer to be a person as entirely distinct from Christ as from God the father or from the Holy Spirit, yet he proceeds to treat him and conduct towards him in certain respects as if he were one with Christ; I mean in these respects, in exempting him from condemnation; in justifying him; in receiving him to the divine favor, and admitting him in due time to eternal glory. Therefore the constituted union of Christ and the believer consists, not in God's view or opinion or judgment that they are one person, or in his determination or constitution that they shall be one; but wholly in his treating the believer in certain respects as if he were one with Christ, and were possessed in his own person of Christ's merits; which treatment is indeed founded on the divine constitution or determination. Nor is there any intermediate oneness between the oneness of affection and the oneness of treatment. Now this idea of the relative oneness between Christ and the believer entirely coincides with the representations of scripture. According to these representations Christ is the bridegroom, the husband; and the church, which is the whole body of believers, is the bride, the lamb's wife. Now no one ever imagines that the husband and wife among men are one and the same being and person; yet we often treat them as if they were the same. We treat the wife with the same honor as we do the husband, and that for his sake, or on his account. And when it is said that they are one in law, or that the law considers them as one, all that is meant is, that in certain legal respects and proceedings VOL. II. 23 they are treated as if they were one, and as if what is done by one of them, were done by the other or by both. At the same time, the judge and other officers of the law never think or imagine that they are really one and the same person. Again, Christ calls himself the friend of his disciples. "Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, but I have called you friends." Now between friends there is a real and sincere oneness of affection, and it is sometimes said that we consider one of two friends as being the other, or as being the same as the other. But such expressions never mean that it is our real opinion that one is the other; but merely that we treat one with the same respect and kindness as we should the other if he were present. The expression wholly refers to the identity of treatment, and not to any belief on our part that the two are in fact one-that there is a real identity. But I am to inquire, II. In what sense Christ is made righteousness to believers, or in what sense they are justified through him. Here I purpose, 1. To inquire into the meaning of the term justification; 2. To show in what sense we are not justified by our own good works; and 3. In what sense we are justified through Christ. very term 1. What is the meaning of the term justification, as it is used in the New Testament? It is a matter of importance that we affix right ideas to this term; for I doubt not that the itself, from its common acceptation, may have given occasion to erroneous sentiments as to this important doctrine. It is said that justification is a forensic term, originally and primarily used in civil courts; and this is undoubtedly true. A man is said to be justified in a civil court, when in consequence of a fair trial it appears that he is innocent, or that he has not broken the law by which he has been tried. In this case he is declared to be innocent, or is justified and acquitted on the footing of justice and merit, not of grace; nor has the judge any right to condemn him. On the contrary the individual has a right, on the ground of personal innocence, to demand acquittal or justification; and to condemn him would be gross injury and oppression. This is justification in the civil courts, and in the original and most strict sense of the word. But the same word is used in a very different sense in the gospel; if it were not, it would be wholly inconsistent with that gospel, and with the grace of it. The justification of the civil courts is an act of pure law and justice; but the justification of the gospel is an act of pure grace or favor. Rom. 3: 24, “Being |