Christ was righteous before he did righteousness, with a twofold righteousness. He had a righteousness as he was God; his Godhead was perfectly righteous: yea, it was righteousness itself. His human nature was perfectly righteous, it was naturally spotless and undefiled. Thus his person was righteous, and so qualified to do that righteousness, that because he was born of woman, and made under the law, he was bound by the law to perform. Now, as he is, so are we; not by way of natural righteousness, but by way of resemblance thereunto. Had Christ, in order to his working of righteousness, a two fold righteousness inherent in himself?—the Christian, in order to his working of righteousness, had belonging to him a twofold righteousness. Did Christ’s twofold righteousness qualify him for that work of righteousness that was of God designed for him to do?—why, the Christian’s twofold righteousness doth qualify him for that work of righteousness that God hath ordained that he should do and walk in this world. But you may ask, What is that righteousness with which a Christian is made righteous before he doth righteousness? I answer, It is a twofold righteousness. 1. It is a righteousness put upon him. 2. It is a righteousness put into him. For the first, It is a righteousness put upon him, with which also he is clothed as with a coat or mantle, Rom. iii. 22, and this is called “the robe of righteousness;” and this is called “the garment of salvation;” Isa. lxi. 10. This righteousness is none other but the obedience of Christ; the which he performed in the days of his flesh, and can properly be called no man’s righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ; because no man had a hand therein, but he completed it himself. And hence it is said, that “by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous;” Rom. v. 19. By the obedience of one, of one man Jesus Christ (as you have it in verse 15); for he came down into the world, to this very end; that is, to make a generation righteous, not by making of them laws, and prescribing unto them rules (for this was the work of Moses, who said, “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us;” Deut. vi. 25; xxiv. 13); nor yet by taking away by his grace the imperfections of their righteousness, and so making of that perfect by additions of his own; but he makes them righteous by his obedience, not in them, but for them, while he personally subjected himself to his Father’s law on our behalf, that he might have a righteousness to bestow upon us. And hence we are said to be made righteous, while we work not, and to be justified, while ungodly (Rom. iv. 5), which can be done by no other righteousness than that which is the righteousness of Christ by performance, the righteousness of God by donation, and our righteousness by imputation. For, I say, the person