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What are the personal attributes that go to make up, constitute, and distinguish a righteous character before God?

I. IT HAS CHRIST FOR ITS GROUNDWORK. Being "over all God blessed for ever," His life was not derived from, nor dependent on, any other. His life was not only innocent of every transgression, in thought, word, and deed; but He was "Jesus Christ the Righteous." He neglected no duty, personal, relative, or official. His life was a service; His death was a sacrifice — of propitiation for the sins of the world.

II. IT HAS FAITH FOR ITS PRINCIPLE, OR INSTRUMENT OF APPROPRIATION. Is faith, then, in itself, a meritorious, or deserving act or exercise? No more than the outstretching of the arm, the opening of the hand to receive Christ, or of the opening of the eye to look to Him, or the moving of the feet to come to Him. It is simply the instrument, the graciously furnished, and Divinely appointed instrument, the only Divinely appointed instrument, or organ, by which the sinner receives, and becomes united to "Christ the righteousness of God." "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace."

III. IT HAS THE HEART FOR ITS SEAT. Justification is a change of state, by which we are freed from condemnation; sanctification is a change of nature, by which we are brought into resemblance and communion with Him. The one indicates a relative change in relation to the law; the other, a real and personal change in God's sight. By the one, we receive a title to the promised recompense of reward; by the other, we are "made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."

IV. IT HAS THE LIFE FOR ITS EVIDENCE. A man is not certainly known by what he says, but he is known by what he does, and does habitually in every condition and relation of life.

(G. Robson.)

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KJV: The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

WEB: The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked;