and glorious truth, a righteousness to be worn for ever and ever—a righteousness involving in it all the glories of Deity—a righteousness involving an atonement for sin, and at the same time, reconciliation and justification for the sinner. We read every thing, as I have often told you, in the Saviour's work. in morals that may not be There is nothing fully illustrated; indeed, nothing that can be well understood, till we come to consider the Saviour in all his glories. The sun shines, and while he fertilizes the earth, beautifies creation likewise. We can only see the beauties and blessings he confers in his own light. And thus it is in the Saviour's work. Consider his impartiality between God and man. If an upright judge were called upon to try a cause pending between a king and a beggar, in the balances of justice the king and the beggar would be both alike. We should condemn the judge if he evinced the least partiality towards either. The beggar must have justice as fully as the king, and the king as fully as the beggar. The Saviour of mankind was chosen and appointed Mediator between God and man: see him holding the scales of justice -one end is filled with the glory of God, and the other with the salvation of man. When the Saviour stands between God and man he gives all the glories to the sinner which he gives to his Father. The glory visits them, indeed, in blessings-this is the only difference. This glory is described as presenting itself to all the Divine attributes which expand all their beauties in the graces of the Saviour's humanity. This, properly speaking, is the righteousness which delivers from death. David was conscious of this, at this time, for he was invested with his eldest brother's robe. Connected with this righteousness, there must necessarily be another; I mean now, RECTITUDE OF PRINCIPLE. The covenant of eternity is so comprehensive that as it has provided every thing for us, so it confers every thing upon us. A sacrifice, glorious as it is, would not have been sufficient of itself to raise us from earth to heaven. It would involve an absolute impossibility. Man could not enter heaven exclusively in the robe of Christ's righteousness, he must have an internal robe, and this seems to be the import of that passage, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof." That is, put him on, not only in his righteousness to justify, but put him on internally, in his holy image. David must have taken both into consideration, for this plain reason, he could not possibly do justice to one, without, at the same time, doing justice to the other. If ever we behold the face of God, either here or hereafter, in triumph, we must behold it in the image as well as in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I proceed, in the second place, to consider God intended that we should, even in this life, have very glorious views of his perfections. Rom: xiii. 14. Do not think me presumptuous if I tell you that we may know much more of God, even in this state of existence, than the angels could have known, till they witnessed the obedience of the Son of God. In Him "mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." It was the Lord's purpose from eternity that we should have very glorious and comprehensive views of His perfections, in the redemption and salvation of ruined man. I need not tell you that the face is very frequently an index to the bosom ;—an enemy frowns a friend smiles. By the face of God, is sometimes meant, his anger. "The face of the Lord is AGAINST THEM that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." In the last day the enemies of God are represented as invoking the rocks and mountains to fall on them, to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. O cowards that are!-can you, you 1 Ps: lxxxv. 10. E 2 Ps: xxxiv. 16. after so much vaunting here below, can you tremble in the presence of the Lamb? Yesyou must tremble. While you insulted him, and pretended to deny his deity, he was a patient Lamb for many years; but, when you meet him, that Lamb is a Lion. His vengeance must then seize you, and rend you in pieces throughout eternity. By the face of the Lord, is sometimes meant, the loving kindness of the Lord. "God be merciful to us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us. When we have obtained correct and spiritual views of the Almighty, we find that all his perfections are our friends :-every one of them. Think me not paradoxical if I tell you that the believer's heaven will flow as much from the vengeance of Jehovah, as it flows from his mercy. This must necessarily be the case, because salvation involves in it all the glories of the Saviour's sufferings-those sufferings which honoured the vengeance of Jehovah infinitely Ps: Ixvii. 1. |