BOOK 5. THE MESSAGE.
CHAPTER 4.
5.4.2. Of the Distinctions, or several Divisions of Christ's Righteousness.
Of the Distinctions, or several Divisions of Christ's Righteousness.
For the better understanding of Christ's righteousness, we usually distinguish, that Christ's righteousness is either that righteousness inherent in him, or performed by him: the righteousness performed by him, is either his fulfilling the commandments, or his satisfying the curse of the law. The same distinction is given by others, in these terms, Christ's righteousness is either his original conformity, or his active and passive obedience unto the law: his original conformity, is that gracious inherent disposition in Christ, from the first instant of his conception, whereby he was habitually conformable to the law; and this original righteousness answered for our original unrighteousness? His active obedience, is his doing of legal obedience unto the command; and his passive obedience, is his suffering of punishment due unto us for our sins. -- I shall yet a little further enlarge this distinction of the righteousness of Christ, and give it in thus, viz. The righteousness of Christ is either negative, (if I may so speak) or positive. By the negative, I understand the absence of all sins and vices forbidden in the law. By the positive, I mean both a presence of all virtues and duties required to the perfect fulfilling of the law, as also a voluntary suffering of the penalty, to satisfy the commination and curse of the law.
1. The negative righteousness, is that which we call the innocency of Christ; we read often in scriptures, that he was both blameless and spotless.
(a). Blameless, free in himself from all imputation of sin: to this purpose Christ challenged the Jews, John viii. 46. "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" In all his life he was unblameable and unreprovable; and therefore now, towards the end of his life, he asks the people with whom he had conversed. Which of you convinceth me of sin?
(b). Spotless, free from all infection of sin. Peter calls him, 1 Pet. i. 9 "A Lamb without blemish and without spot." And Paul, Heb. vii. 26. "An High Priest, holy, harmless, and undefiled;" one who never did evil; nor spake evil: "he did no sin (saith the apostle) neither was guile found in his mouth," 2 Pet. ii. 22. One who never offended so much as in thought, but was absolutely, and in all respects (choris amartias) "without all sin," Heb. iv. 15.
2. The positive righteousness of Christ is two fold, his perfect fulfilling of all things commanded, and his perfect satisfying of the punishment threatened: the former is the holiness of Christ; this also is twofold, the holiness of his nature, and the holiness of his life and conversation: the former is that we call his habitual righteousness; the latter is that we call his actual obedience. And thus much of the distinction of the righteousness of Christ.