branches, active and passive, being Immanuel, God with us, forms a righteousness of infinite value, to which there is nothing like it in heaven or earth, and this is well pleasing and delightful to God, for all who are united to Jesus by faith. It is an immoveable axiom in the gospel, "He that believeth, shall be "saved." The holy obedience of all the angels of heaven, the sufferings and torments of all the offenders in hell, could not shed such glory and honor upon the law, as the obedience and sufferings of the Son of God. His being obedient unto death, did more to render the law respectable, than the highest possible obedience and sufferings of all creatures. That which renders the blood of Jesus so available with God, for the justification of sinners, is his obedience.

The single point of instruction, to which your attention is invited on this subject at present, is this:

That the value, meritoriousness and acceptableness of Christ's righteousness in the sight of God, and that which renders it well pleasing to him, for the justification of sinners who believe, arises entirely from the virtue of his obedience to the law, manifested in the unstained rectitude of his life, and in the dreadful and humiliating circumstances of his death.

The grand enquiry is, how the obedience of Jesus Christ can be accepted with God for the sins of mankind, who for their base apostacy and unnatural revolt, deserved everlasting punishment from the presence of God and the glory of his power. This obedience became a substitute for all these evils solely from the character, rank and dignity of him who interposed in the infinite breach between God and man. In this business three things claim our consideration.

First, That the obedience of Christ in his life, sufferings and death, conspicuously manifested that God was infinitely worthy of obedience. The sin and rebellion of man openly implicated a charge against God, that a servile submission to his decrees was

a degradation to a rational being; in every sin it is involved tha God is unworthy of obedience. This was a leading feature in the first sin. Our first parents believed in God when he pronounced all creation very good; and a restriction from eating of a certain tree conspicuously placed in the centre of the garden of happiness, between which and others, they could 'perceive no distinction only its superior beauty, and the transcendant desirableness of its fruit. The suggestions of their hearts, by satanical influence were, can God allow us inferior fruits, and prohibit us those of superior excellehce both in beauty and fragrancy? This God is unworthy of obedience; we relinquish his dominion. The nature of the first offence has entered into all the sins that have ever since taken place; that is, that God is unworthy of obedience. Is it not infinitely fit that the great Supreme should vindicate his reputation? Surely it is of infinite moment to the whole extent of being, that God should keep up the respect due to his character. Therefore, it is reason in the highest degree, that God should have the implicit and universal obedience of all his rational creatures. This reason is founded in nature, and is immutable; its force cannot be evaded, nor its right superseded. Any thing, therefore, which impeaches the character of God as unworthy the obedience of his creatures, must be highly dishonorable to him. It is an insult of his supreme prerogative, and on which rests all his rights of government. He never could claim the incessant obedience of his creatures, only because of his es sential dignity and infinite excellency.

Disobedience or sin, is the highest possible reflection upon God, therefore, it is proper that his perfections should be vindicated from every aspersion, and all rational creatures throughout the whole extent of his dominions, be convinced of his worthiness of obedience by some notable demonstration. This we have in the obedience of his eternal Son. His submission to obey the law, though in perfect equality with the Father, exhibits in the clearest light God's worthiness of obedience; not only for a per

Son of such dignity and independence to come into a state of duty and subjection, but voluntarily to become obedient unto death. In how strong a point of view, does this place the honor of the divine majesty and the dignity of the law, that so exalted a per-zon as Christ Jesus, so perfect a judge of the rights of the Godhead, the merit of characters, and the decency of things, should descend to the rank of a subject, and in all matters be obedient. He himself declares, he always did the things which were pleasing to his Father; it was as his meat and drink to do his will.There is herein a brighter display of God's worthiness of obedience, than the unfailing and perfect obedience of all intelligent beings besides. This arises from the dignity and excellency of Christ, and his perfect knowledge of the divine nature. If we depreci ate the excellency and divinity of Christ, in proportion thereto, we depreciate the value of his obedience and death, and in this way is diminised the evil of sin, the infinite unworthiness of God, and sink the honors of divine law, so that it may be truly said of those who renounce the Godhead of Christ, "That they know "not what they do." But Christ is God..

Therefore, the glory of God and his government, is more eminently displayed by the obedience of Jesus, than if man had never sinned. This demonstrates the manifold wisdom of God, that he has so turned that evil, by which Satan intended to mar all his glory in this lower creation, so as more effectually to bring out to the view of all intelligences, the fullness of the perfections of Jehovah, and the excellencies of his law. Hence, says one, in language too daring, "Sin is a blessing to the uni66 verse; God and man is more glorified, than if it had never

happened." From these things it appears that the life, obedience, and sufferings of Christ, manifest the worthiness of God. above all conception.

Secondly, The obedience of Christ is the highest possible proof, that the law of God is perfectly holy, just and right. In what a conspicous light does the obedience of Jesus of Nazareth

set the divine law? How transcendantly glorious and excellent must that rule be, to which the co-equal Son of the great eternal, thought it no indignity to subject himself and adjust his actions? How sacred is its authority, how holy and just are its demands? How is the law magnified and made honorahle by the righteousness and obedience of Christ? Obedience to the law is glory; it is happiness. Disobedience or sin, is the highest possible reflection on the law, that it is too rigorous, and a compliance therewith is incompatible with the interest and felicity of the creature. Its language is, it was never fit to have been given, much less to be continued in force as a rule of duty but the obedience of Christ has wiped away all these reproaches from the holiness, goodness, and reasonableness of the law. The law stands firm upon this Apostolic foundation," that it is holy, just, and good."

There is an irresistable force of evidence in the obedience of the Redeemer unto death, to give irrefragable conviction of this truth, that it is only in perfect consistency with the rights of the law, that any sinner can be recovered to everlasting life. The law must be fulfilled, and established as illustrious and honorable in the salvation of every transgressor. The obedience of Christ displays the law in a full blaze of glory, while the sinner, resting on the merit thereof, enters triumphantly into heaven. Thus justification by faith, is so far from abrogating or pouring contempt on the law, that it confirms and supports it in all its honors. Thus argues St. Paul, "Do we then make void the "law through faith? God forbid, yea, we establish the law."

Thirdly, Christ's sufferings and death in satisfaction of the law which man had broken, do serve in the most perfect manner, to declare the equity, pro riety and justice of the penalty. God had annexed a sanction of infinite punishment to the law, as the just demerit of sin and transgression; Jesus, in his obedisnce, suffered a punishment of infinite value; this vindicates the law, from every appearance of severity, or disproportion of the penalty to the demerit of rebellion. The value of these sufferings arises

from his obedience. "The Lord is well pleased for his righte 66 ousness sake, he will magnify the law and make it honorable."

The value of his sufferings constitute his mediatorial righteousness, to which God has respect, and with which he has delight in the justification of the believer. The sufferings of Christ receive not their virtue from the extent of them or their intenseness, but from the infinitude of his person. Common sufferings of martyrs and others, may raise affections bursting out into floods of tears; but natural feelings and sympathy may be an abundant source of these appearances, and neither faith nor religious affections in them. In reading or hearing any tragical story, how will the heart dissolve, and eyes weep, without the least thought of God, Christ, sin or law. Sympathy and tears. for injured and oppressed innocence, suffering and expiring under the hands of cruelty and injustice, are but natural effects from a natural cause.

To understand the value of Christ's sufferings and death, we must consider them in the representation of scripture in a twofold view. As a substitution in our place; and performed in obedience to the law of God.

First, As a substitution in our room and stead. What we justly deserved, but for this substitution, would have been our unhappy portion forever. Under this consideration the sufferings of Christ, as a satisfaction for the curse and penalty of the law, which sinners had incurred, is of infinite moment, it is all and every thing to them that believe.

Secondly, They were underwent in pure obedience to the law. This alone renders his sufferings propitiatory and meritorious, both as an atonement for guilt and a procurement of blessings. It was not mere sufferings themselves abstractly considered, that could create any worth or merit, but it was the divine obedience with which they were impregnated, that gave them all their va