as there is a way appointed in which we may receive it, and be interested in it, fhall we not apply to it, and look after an intereft in it in that way? Receive it by faith, receive the atonement, and bid the Redeemer and his righteousness welcome? O, my foul! this nearly concerns thee: Haft thou an intereft in the righteoufnefs? It is an all-fufficient righteoufnefs, a divine appointment for pardon and acceptance with God; as fuch, haft thou received it, and doft thou by humble faith reft all thy hopes upon it?

SERMON

SERMON IV.

• ISAIAH xlv. former part of the 24th

Verse.

Surely, fhall one fay, in the Lord have I righteousness.

IN

N our laft difcourfe on these words, we entered upon the enquiry, how the righteoufnefs of Chrift, that righteoufnefs which is originally and fubjectively without us, comes to be made ours for our actual and perfonal juftification: To which it has been answered in general, that this is done by Imputation. God mercifully and gracioufly imputes and reckons it to the foul in believing; and fo we come, according to the tenor and conftitution of the new covenant, to have a real and pleadable intereft in it. And as this is a point of great importance in the gospel scheme of juftification, feveral things have been obferved to clear up the nature of this Imputation, and explain the grounds on which it proceeds; which having been diftinctly confidered, I am now to add,

VII. That

VII. That the righteoufnefs of Christ being in this way made the believer's, for his actual and perfonal juftification, none of the parties concerned have any reason to complain; but it is to the fatisfaction, and with the full confent of them all *.

The parties concerned in this important tranfaction are, the law, which we have broken and violated by fin; God himself, offended by the fin of man, and concerned to maintain the honour of his own law; the Lord Jefus Chrift who wrought out this righteousness, and whofe it originally is; and the believing finner to whom it is imputed, and who is interested in all the effects and bleffings of it. Let us examine how the matter stands as to each of these. And,

1. The law cannot complain, for that is satis fied, and fatisfied in a nobler way, and more perfect manner, than it could have been by any righteoufnefs or obedience of ours.

(1.) It is fatisfied, fully fatisfied. The law confifts of two parts, the precept and the penalty; and Chrift acting as the Surety of his people, hath fatisfied both of them.

Take

This is a thought that has been made good ufe of in relieving fome of the main difficulties, that have been laid upon our scheme of juftification upon a fatisfaction; and as I apprehend it to be an important one, and what throws a good deal of light all round it, I have entered the more largely upon it, See Cafe as above, page 149. and Witf Oeconom. Lib. ii. cap v. fect. 4, 5, 6. &c. where there are feveral juft and excellent remarks to the purpofe of what I have more fully reprefented.

Take it as to the preceptive part of the law; what does or could the law call for which is not to be found in the obedience and righteousness of Chrift? Does it require holiness of nature, or an exact conformity of all our powers to its own abfolute and perfect rectitude? He was conceived in all the beauties of spotlefs and per fect holiness. The pollution of original fin never reached him; that fin of our natures, and which is derived down upon all mankind from the fountain head of our beings, the leaft taint of it never fastened upon him. As the angel describes him with an eye to his immacu late conception of the Virgin, Luke i. 35. That holy thing which shall be born of thee. Does it likewife require perfect and finlefs obedience in the life? This was no lefs to be found in Chrift. He fulfilled all righteousness; was God's righteous fervant, and ever did the things that pleafed him. As he was made under the law, fo he perfectly obeyed it. The law of God was in his heart: He fet it ever before him as a perfect rule of obedience, and from that law he never fwerved. His life was a bright and unspotted mirrour of all that obedience, which the law calls for, in its most perfect and amiable forms. He could ap peal to his most bitter and implacable enemies, which of you convinceth me of fin? Was tempted in all things like as we are, yet without fin; and through every period of life could still say, Wift ye not that I must be about my Father's work? He obeyed the law in its utmost extent and lati tude; obeyed it with the utmost perfection with regard to the manner, as well as the matter of ebedience; and this he did to the end, with the greatest

greatest chearfulness, and without fainting: As once more, he payed down all this obedience to the law, from that nobleft principle to the nobleft ends. It was his meat to do the will of him that fent him, and to finifh his work: And he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that fent him. An ardent concern for the falvation of his people engaged him in it, and a facred regard to the glory of God carried him through it: And therefore, when he was entering upon the laft ftage of his obedience, he could look upwards, Father, I have glorified thee on earth: I have finifbed the work which thou gavest me to do, John xvii. 4. Supreme love to God, and the highest love to the fouls of men animated his whole conduct: And from thefe principles how full, entire, and complete was his obedience to the law under which he was? As it is very obfervable, that Chrift fubmitted to thofe ordinances as were of a pofitive nature upon this foot, that it became him to fulfil all righteoufnefs, Matth. iii. 15. It was a neceffary part of that obedience, which was owing to divine institution, and therefore he came under the ordinance of baptifm, though he had no fin to be washed away by it; As before in infancy, though he had no impurities to be put off, he had paffed under the ordinance of circumcifion: Or he was circumcised to intimate his communion with the Jewish church; and baptized to fignify his communion with the Chriftian church, the ordinances of which were both alike of God.

Hence the Apostle, when reprefenting Christ's fitness and qualification for his work as our great K

high