Romans 4:7,8

DISCOURSE: 1837
THE PARDONED BLESSED

Romans 4:7. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin [Note: The Author’s uniform rule has been, where passages in the Old Testament are cited in the New Testament (which in some instances occurs several times), to treat them only once. Here he deviates from his accustomed plan, because, in his Discourse on Psalms 32:1. his object was to trace David’s experience as there delineated: whereas the two first verses of that Psalm which are here cited, being of singular importance in relation to Christian experience in general, he treats them here again: and, if this Discourse be made use of by any one, the two first verses of Psalms 32. may be adopted as the text, in preference to them as here cited by the Apostle. In that case, however, the Exordium must be a little changed.].

TO enter into the real scope of these words, it will be proper to compare them with the Psalm from whence they are cited. In themselves, they are simple, and easy to be understood: but taken in their connexion with the context before us, and with the interpretation put upon them by the Apostle, they are involved in considerable difficulty: and more especially, when we observe the peculiar omission of the closing words of David, which seem necessary to a just exhibition of his mind, and a full comprehension of his meaning, we are rather surprised at the way in which they are here referred to, and at the obscurity that is thrown around them. On comparing the two passages together, we find the Apostle, in appearance at least, adding to David’s words what he never distinctly uttered, and omitting a very essential part of what he did utter. But the Apostle spake by inspiration of God; and if we attentively consider his statement, we shall not only find it unexceptionable, but shall feel greatly indebted to him for throwing much additional light upon a most interesting and important passage of Holy Writ.
To unfold these words so that they may be clearly and fully understood, I will,

I. Explain their true import—

This will appear if we consider David’s words,

1. According to the plain meaning of the terms themselves—

[“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” It is an acknowledged truth, that sin, by whomsoever committed, involves the soul in guilt, and subjects it to God’s heavy displeasure. And how terrible his wrath is, no words can express, no imagination can conceive. But, if a man have attained the forgiveness of his sins, his obligation to punishment is cancelled, and he is liberated from all the miseries to which, without such forgiveness, he must have been subjected to all eternity. Now who that contemplates this great deliverance, must not congratulate the man on his escape? Who must not account him “blessed?” To have the punishment due to his offences mitigated, or to have them shortened to the space of ten thousand years, would be a state of comparative blessedness; but to have it altogether remitted, must surely entitle the man to conceive of himself as truly “blessed.”]

2. According to the construction put upon them by St. Paul—

[St. Paul says, that David in these words “described the blessedness of the man, to whom God imputeth righteousness without works [Note: ver. 6.].” Now this does not appear in the words themselves, nor should we ever have known that such an idea was comprehended in them, if we had not been assured of it by God himself, that is, by an Apostle writing under his immediate inspiration. But, being so instructed, we know for certain that this construction of the words is unquestionably correct.

The fact is, that no one ever has his sins pardoned without having at the same time the righteousness of Christ imputed to him for his acceptance before God. We sometimes distinguish between the active and passive righteousness of Christ, as if his death atoned for our sins, and his obedience to the law constituted a meritorious righteousness, to be made over to us in a way of imputation [Note: Romans 5:19.]: and this may perhaps be warranted by what is said by the Apostle, “Christ, who knew no sin, was made sin (a sin-offering) for us, that we (who neither had, nor could have, any righteousness of our own) might be made the righteousness of God in him [Note: 2 Corinthians 5:21.].” But whatever ground there may appear to be in Scripture for this distinction, the two can never be separated from each other: the whole of Christ’s life and sufferings constituted his one obedience unto death, by which salvation, in its full extent, was purchased for us [Note: Philippians 2:8.]: and he who partakes of salvation, receives it, not in part only, but in the full extent to which it has been obtained for him. It is obvious that a man whose iniquities stood in need of pardon, could not purchase heaven by any merits of his own. He could neither possess, nor procure by any works of his own, a righteousness wherein to stand before God. Yet such a righteousness he must have: and if he ever possess such a righteousness, it must be, by having the righteousness of another imputed to him. When therefore the Apostle quotes the words of David, he puts upon them the true construction which they were designed to bear: for though David, in words, speaks only of a non-imputation of sin, he must of necessity be considered as speaking also of an imputation of righteousness without works, seeing that the one is of necessity involved in the other, and can never exist without it.

Now then take the words of David in this sense, and say whether that man who is clothed in the robe of the Redeemer’s righteousness, and so covered, that God himself cannot behold a spot or blemish in him, be not “blessed [Note: Ephesians 5:27.]?” Surely it is impossible to entertain a doubt of this, or to withhold for a moment our assent to David’s assertion, according to the construction put upon it by the Apostle Paul.]

3. According as they stood associated in David’s mind—

[David says, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” But these concluding words the Apostle entirely omits. What was his reason for this? Did Paul conceive that any man who was not purged from “guile” could be happy? or had he less jealousy on the subject of holiness than David? Why then did he stop short, and quote the words of David in such an imperfect way? Did he act thus by accident only, or by design? Surely this matter needs explanation.

I doubt not but that he acted thus by design, exactly as our blessed Lord himself did in his first sermon that he ever preached, when, in citing the words of the Prophet Isaiah, he stopped short, when he came to the words which were irrelevant to his present subject, and never mentioned them at all [Note: Compare Isaiah 61:1. with Luke 4:17. where our Lord stopped short in the middle of the sentence, omitting all mention of “vengeance” when he wished to impress his hearers with nothing but the words of “grace.”] — — — The Apostle was engaged in a most important topic, and establishing by argument the doctrine of justification by faith without works. He had shewn that Abraham, who had so abounded in good works, had nothing whereof he could glory, and that he had been justified solely by faith in the promised Seed [Note: ver. 1–3.]. He proceeds then to establish the same doctrine from the words of David, who had pronounced that man blessed, not whose good works could avail, whether in whole or in part, for his justification before God, but, “whose transgressions were forgiven, and whose sins were covered;” and who, consequently, if saved at all, must be saved by a righteousness imputed to him. But, if the Apostle had proceeded to cite the remaining words of David, he would have obscured his argument, and given occasion to an adversary to misrepresent, or at all events to misunderstand, his meaning. An adversary, if the last clause of David’s words had been inserted by Paul, might have said, ‘I agree with you, Paul: we are to be justified by faith: but then it is not by faith as apprehending the righteousness of another, but by faith as working out a righteousness for itself; or, in other words, not by faith without works, but by faith as an active, operative, sanctifying principle: and the person who possesses and exercises such a faith, has somewhat of his own to glory in.’ Now this would have utterly subverted the Apostle’s argument: and therefore the Apostle, not choosing to give occasion for any such objection to his statement, altogether omitted the words on which the adversary would have founded it. He could indeed easily have answered the objection: but he judged it best to cut off all occasion for it.

But David had no such reason for restraining his words; and therefore he gave full scope to what was in his mind: and knowing that the justifying office of Christ is never separated from the sanctifying office of the Holy Spirit, and that no man under the power of sin could be blessed, he added, “and in whose spirit there is no guile.” He knew it would be to no purpose that a man was pardoned, if he was not also renewed in the spirit of his mind. Suppose Satan himself to be pardoned; suppose further, that he was admitted into heaven; he could not be happy even there, unless he was made a new creature: for, being enslaved by all manner of evil dispositions, and under the influence of all his malignant habits, he would, though in heaven, be a devil still; and consequently far from any thing approximating to real blessedness. The very essence of happiness lies in a conformity to the Divine image: and he only who possesses that, is happy. The truly blessed man, and the only man that can be called “blessed,” is “the Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.”]
The words of my text being thus explained, I proceed to,

II.

Confirm the sentiment contained in them—

Here I speak without hesitation. The man thus justified through faith in Christ, and thus renewed by the Holy Spirit, is blessed. For,

1. In him are all the wonders of redeeming love accomplished—

[What did the Father design in giving his only dear Son to take our nature upon him? What, but that we might be “saved from wrath through him [Note: John 3:16 and 1 John 4:10.]?” And for what end did the Lord Jesus Christ shed his precious blood for us upon the cross, but “to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works [Note: Titus 2:14.]?” And for what purpose did the Holy Ghost come down and dwell in our hearts, but to transform us into the Divine image, and to “make us meet for the inheritance” which Christ has purchased for us? Now in the person before described, all these things are already attained. His sins are pardoned: the robe of Christ’s righteousness is put upon him [Note: Romans 3:22.]: and he is “sanctified throughout in body, soul, and spirit [Note: 1 Thessalonians 5:23.].” Is not he then “blessed?” If not, I only ask, where will you find a “blessed” man on earth?]

2. In him all the great ends of life are answered—

[For what has God preserved our souls in life unto this hour, and given us so many opportunities for spiritual improvement? Has it not been that we might be brought to the knowledge of him, and into a state of acceptance with him, and to a conformity to his blessed image? That God has assigned us many works to do, and many duties to perform, I readily acknowledge: but they are all in subserviency to the great work of salvation. That is “the one thing needful:” and whatever we may have done, or whatever we may have attained, without that, we have done nothing, and attained nothing. Suppose us to have laboured successfully, and acquired crowns and kingdoms, what would they be in comparison of pardon, and peace, and holiness? Ask Solomon, who possessed a greater measure of earthly joys than any other man, what he thought of them? He pronounced them all to be “vanity and vexation of spirit:” so far were they from rendering him truly “blessed.” The man possessed of earthly things knows not how soon he may have to relinquish them, and to curse the day that he ever attained them: but the man whom David pronounces “blessed,” is prepared for every thing. He is prepared either for life, or death. If God see fit that he should live, he is prepared to fill up any station either of action or of suffering. In action, he will do every thing for God’s honour; and in suffering, he will receive it all as from God, and improve it all for the advancement of his soul’s eternal welfare. On the other hand, if God see fit to call him hence, he is ready to depart, at whatever hour his Lord shall call him. In fact, though willing to continue on earth his appointed time, “he is longing to be dissolved, that he may be with Christ.” He numbers death amongst his richest treasures; and, in whatever shape it may come, he welcomes it, as Jacob did the waggons that were to bear him to the presence of his exalted and beloved Joseph.

I ask then now again, is not this man justly called “blessed?”]

3. In him is the felicity of heaven already begun—

[Wherein does the blessedness of heaven consist? Is it not in near access to God, in an assured consciousness of his love, and in an incessant ascription of praise to him? All this is begun in the believing and renewed soul. “God has shined into the heart of him whom he has pardoned and sanctified, and has revealed to him all the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ [Note: 2 Corinthians 4:6.].” He even dwells in the bosom of the believer, and sheds abroad his love there, and enables him to “rejoice in the Saviour with a joy that is unspeakable and glorified,” that is, of the very same nature with that which the glorified saints and angels possess in heaven. True, he enjoys these things but in part: but still the little he does enjoy, is both an earnest and a foretaste of what he shall one day be filled with to the utmost extent of his capacity for ever and ever.

It is needless that I pronounce him “blessed:” for I am well assured that there is not a soul here present that has not already anticipated me in this, and said, “O that I were that happy man!”]

Let me in conclusion address a few words to,
1.

Those who are seeking their happiness in earthly things—

[I will suppose you to have attained all that mortal man can possess: find me in all the sacred volume one single passage that pronounces you blessed. Find me but one single passage, and I will say, “Go on, and prosper.” But I need only appeal to your own experience. What has all that you have ever attained done for you? Has it made you truly happy? You know it has not — — — Nothing short of that state which we have before contemplated can make you happy. Seek then blessedness where alone it can be found. Seek it in a reconciled God and Saviour. Seek it in a sense of his pardoning love, and in conformity to his mind and will. The creature, in its utmost fulness, is only “a cistern that will hold no water:” but in your Saviour you shall find “a Fountain of living waters.”]

2. Those who profess to have attained the blessedness here spoken of—

[“What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness!” Do but look at the millions around you, who are yet unpardoned, unsanctified, unsaved! What do you owe to God, who has made such a difference between you and others, yea, and between you and your former selves! Surely there should be no bounds to your gratitude, no limits to your devotion to such a Benefactor — — —]