Romans 10:3

That is, the Jews being ignorant of God's way of justification by faith in Christ discovered in the gospel, and relying upon and trusting to their own works, their obedience to the ceremonial and moral law, to justify and save them, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God; that is, to the way and method which the wisdom of God has discovered for the justification of. sinner by the blood of his Son.

Observe here, 1. That by God's righteousness, we are to understand that righteousness which Christ has wrought for us, which God bestows upon us, and the gospel reveals unto us; by establishing their own righteousness, is to be understood their resolution and endeavour to depend upon their own works; their obedience to the law for their justification before God, in opposition against and in contradiction to, that way of justification which God has declared; namely, by faith in Christ Jesus, the one and only Mediator.

Observe, 2. That upon the first opening of the gospel, no evangelical doctrine was more disrelished by the Jews than justification by the righteousness of Christ. They were possessed with this principle then, that eternal life was attainable only by the works of the law: and according to the example of the Jews at the beginning, persons ever since, even to this very day, are fond of that way of justification.

The natural man is. proud man, he likes to live upon his own stock, he cannot stoop to. sincere and universal renunciation of his own righteousness, and to depend wholly upon that of another. 'Tis natural to. man to choose rather to eat. brown crust, or wear. coarse garment, which he can call his own, than to feed upon the richest dainties, or wear the costliest robes, which he must receive as an alms from another.

Lord! how hard is it to subdue this pride of spirit, and to be thoroughly convinced of the absolute necessity of another and. better righteousness than our own to constitute us righteous in the sight of God!

From the whole learn, 1. How dark-sighted the wisest men are by nature in God's way of justifying and saving sinners: Ignorant of God's righteousness, that is, of the way which the wisdom of God has discovered for justifying guilty sinners by faith in his son.

This is known only by divine revelation: The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Romans 1:17. It is purely an object of faith, and hangs all upon divine revelation, both as to the righteousness itself, and the manner of imparting it.

Learn, 2. How absurd is the attempt, and how injurious the design, to set up and establish. righteousness of our own, either in opposition to, or in conjunction with, the righteousness of God.

Alas! we fulfil the law only in sincerity, we cannot fulfil it to perfection; and if it be not to perfection, it cannot be to justification.

Therefore to trust to any righteousness of our own for justification before God, which is imperfect and polluted, is both sinful and unsafe. Sinful, because it is confronting the plain declarations of the gospel; and unsafe, because it evacuates Christ: for Christ is of no effect unto us: whosoever are justified by the law, are fallen from grace, Galatians 5:4.

Learn, 3. What an hinderance is pride to the salvation of men! it stiffens the will, that it won't stoop to God's terms: they will not have justification in God's way, and they shall not have it in their own. Here it stuck with the Jews; they would not submit to the righteousness of God: and here it sticks with too many at this day.

Learn, 4. Not to count. righteousness of your own needless to be possessed of, because you want of righteousness of another to confide and trust in. We plead the meritorious righteousness of Christ, to answer the demands of the law; but contend for. personal righteousness of our own, to answer the commands of the gospel.

Christ doth indeed ease us of the load of our sins, but not discharge us from the care of our duty. Our being in Christ frees us indeed from condemnation, but then that in-being must be proved by our holy walking; not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, Romans 5:1.

Learn, 5. To submit to the righteousness of God, as ever you would enjoy peace with God. The more holy we are, and the more sanctified we grow, the meaner opinion we shall have of ourselves, and the more need of. Saviour, and of justification by him; and shall bless God for the gospel, in which the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; and shall dread it as hell to be found amongst the number of those who, though they be not ignorant of God's righteousness, yet will go about to establish their own righteousness, refusing to submit to the righteousness of God.