him you
are complete by faith, his righteousness being imputed to you.

But, my friends, let me entreat you not to deceive yourselves, in so
important a point, as is that of your immortal souls. If you have true
faith in Christ, your faith will make you clean; it will sanctify you:
for the saints' faith was their victory of old: by this they overcame sin
within, and sinful man without. And if thou art in Christ, thou walkest
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, whose fruits are manifest.
Yea, thou art a new creature: new made, new fashioned, after God's will
and mould. Old things are done away, and, behold, all things are become
new: new love, desires, will, affections, and practices. It is not any
longer thou that livest; (thou disobedient, carnal, worldly one;) but it
is Christ that liveth in thee; and to live is Christ, and to die is thy
eternal gain: because thou art assured, that thy corruptible shall put on
incorruption, and thy mortal, immortality, and that thou hast a glorious
house, eternal in the heavens, that will never wax old or pass away. All
this follows being in Christ, as heat follows fire, and light the sun.

Therefore have a care how you presume to rely upon such a notion, as that
you are in Christ, whilst in your old fallen nature. For what communion
hath light with darkness, or Christ with Belial? Hear what the beloved
disciple tells you: "If we say we have fellowship with God, and walk in
darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." That is, if we go on in a
sinful way, are captivated by our carnal affections, and are not
converted to God, we walk in darkness, and cannot possibly in that state
have any fellowship with God. Christ clothes them with his
righteousness, that receive his grace in their hearts, and deny
themselves, and take up his cross daily, and follow him. Christ's
righteousness makes men inwardly holy; of holy minds, wills, and
practices. It is not the less Christ's, because we have it; for it is
ours, not by nature, but by faith and adoption: it is the gift of God.
But, still, though not ours, as of or from ourselves, (for in that sense
it is Christ's, for it is of and from him,) yet it is ours, and must be
ours, in possession, efficacy, and enjoyment, to do us any good; or
Christ's righteousness will profit us nothing. It was after this manner
that he was made to the primitive Christians, righteousness,
sanctification, justification, and redemption; and if ever you wi