I will not have mine own righteousness; but, ‘I desire not to be found in my righteousness,’ so as to merit salvation thereby. But that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by Faith: that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. That is, that righteousness which is in Christ, but laid hold on of me and apprehended by faith; and all that righteousness that he had, both active and passive obedience as Mediator, but especially his passive. For he was born, lived, and died for us; and this is that which St Paul desired to be ‘found in,’ and this is that which we must trust to. But how can this righteousness, performed wholly by him, be mine? I answer, By faith it is made ours; for if Christ be ours, all his righteousness must consequently be made ours. But how can this righteousness performed by Christ be sufficient for us? I answer, First, Because God ordained it to that purpose: 1 Cor. i. 30, ‘Christ by God is made to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption and to this end God the Father sealed him,’ John vi. 27. Secondly, I say, Christ is a ‘second Adam,’ and a public person, and became ours, we then being in his loins; so the righteousness of Christ is made ours, we being born in Christ by faith and found in him. He being our head, we have a spiritual life descending upon us; he being our husband, all his goods are ours also. This point is the soul of the church, and the golden key which opens heaven for us. If we join any other thing to it, it opens hell to us, as God will reveal at that great day. It is true the papists do acknowledge now that their good works are not of themselves but from God; but thus did the Pharisee, ‘he thanked God that he was not as other men, nor as the publican,’ Luke xviii. 11. But the poor publican, disclaiming all such goodness, went away justified rather than the other. Let it be our wisdom therefore to rely only on Christ, whose obedience and righteousness is so all-sufficient as nothing may be added thereto, and say with the apostle, ‘Not I, but the grace of God in me,’ 1 Cor. xv. 10.
"Heaven is my throne...Isaiah 63"
GOD'S REJECTION OF ALL MATERIAL TEMPLES. There was a time when it could be said that there was a house of God on earth. That was a time of symbols, when as yet the Church of God was in her childhood. She was being taught her A B C, reading her picture-book, for she could not as yet read the Word of God, as it were in letters. She had need to have pictures put before her, patterns of the heavenly things. Even then, the enlightened amongst the Jews knew well that God did not dwell between curtains, and that it was not possible that He could be encompassed in the most holy place within the veil It was only a symbol of His presence. But the time of symbols is now passed altogether. In that moment when the Saviour bowed His head, and said "It is finished! " the veil of the temple was rent in twain, so that the mysteries were laid open. So, one reason why God saith He dwelleth not in temples made with hands, is, because He would have us know that the symbolical worship is ended...
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