liever's preferment and exaltation, it is in thy righteouſneſs. It is not in any righteouſneſs ⟨of⟩ his own: No this he utterly diſclaims, reckoning it but dung and loſs, filthy rags, dog's ⟨meat⟩, but it is in thy righteouſneſs; that is the righteouſneſs of God; as the apoſtle calls it, Rom. i. 17. The righteouſneſs which is of God by faith Phil. iii. 9. The righteouſneſs of God is variouſly taken in ſcripture. Sometimes for the infinite rectitude and equity of his nature, Pſal. xi. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteouſneſs. Sometimes for his rectoral equity, or distributive juſtice, which he exerciſeth in the government of the world, rewarding the good, and puniſhing evil-doers, Pſal. xci. 2. Righteouſneſs and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. Sometimes it is put for the veracity and faithfulneſs in accompliſhing his word of promiſe or in executing his word of threatening, Pſal. xxxvi. 56. 'Thy faithfulneſs reacheth unto the clouds, thy righteouſneſs is like the great mountains.' Sometimes it is put for the perfect righteouſneſs which Chriſt the Son of God as our ſurety and Mediator brought it, by the obedience to the law, and death on the croſs, for the juſtification of guilty ſinners: And this, as I ſaid is frequently called the righteouſneſs of God⟨;⟩ and in this ſenſe I underſtand it here in the text. In thy righteouſneſs ſhall they be exalted.
The obſervation is much the ſame with the words themſelves, namely, 'That in or by the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, believers are exalted.' Or thus, "Whatever honour or happineſs believers are exalted to, the righteouſneſs of Chriſt is the ground and foundation of it:" It is all
