August 7

I will make mention of thy righteousness. - Psalms 71:16.

HERE let us inquire what we are to understand by God’s righteousness. Now, righteousness, in the Scripture, means his essential rectitude; as where it is said, “He is holy in all his ways and righteous in all his works.” And we may mention this righteousness of his, and his only, too, in all the difficulties arising from his administrations, in all the perplexities we feel with regard to many things: how sin entered into the world; what will be the condemnation and the state of the heathen; how it is that the gospel has spread so little, and a thousand other things which may occur, and concerning which we have no satisfaction; but we “will make mention of his righteousness,” and say, “Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne.” “Is there unrighteousness with God? How then shall God judge the world?” Here, and here alone, is our relief in a multitude of perplexities and difficulties:-“The Judge of all the earth shall do-right.”

Sometimes the righteousness of God, especially in the Psalms, means his faithfulness. And thus Paul says “He is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love.” He is not unrighteous to his promise, but he will do it. Hence David prays to be delivered from blood-guiltiness, and then says, “My tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.” Now, God has given in his word numberless promises; and it is well that in all these we can make mention of his righteousness,-that is, of his faithfulness. Hath he not promised that “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord”? Yes, and “the Lord is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent.” And with regard to all God’s promises, he assures us we can plead them from time to time, suing God at his own court:- “Remember the word upon which thou hast caused thy servant to hope.” “Do as thou hast said,” and what righteousness can be mentioned in comparison with his? that is, his faithfulness. “Let God be true, and every man a liar.”

But the word, the righteousness of God, often and more commonly means- especially in the New Testament-the method by which God makes a sinner righteous, and the way in which he justifies the ungodly who believe in Christ. “Now, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” This is the righteousness of God, as he is the Author of it. “The righteousness of faith;” this is the apprehension of it. This is the righteousness which the apostle so much desired to be found in; and this is the righteousness which every Christian resolves to make mention of, and to make mention of only.