to obey it for life; these establish the law: in that they, by faith, take hold of Christ's obedience, who has fulfilled it perfectly, and is become the end of it for righteouf nefs, to every one that believeth; and in that, to all unbelievers who remain under it, they affert its equity and eternity, in requiring of them complete, and conftant obedience, and binding them over to death, both in foul and body, in time and to eternity, for the non-performance thereof.

Thus, as it is the duty of the creature, man, to do whatever his Creator commands in his holy law, which yet he cannot do: fo it appears to be utterly impoffible for him to be juftified by his own obedience; and the mifery of man, with regard to the law, is exceeding great indeed: and therefore, the good news the gospel brings muft needs be glad tidings; as it reveals pardon and life for a finner, through the complete obedience of Jefus Chrift, imputed to him for his justifying righteousness before God, which is to be received by faith alone.

X

SECT. VII.

The CONCLUSION.

ISA. xlv. 24.

Surely, ball one fay, In the Lord have I righteousness.

N the laft place, I fhall add fomething by way of ufe from what has been faid, as a conclufion of the whole. And,

1. Since the justification of a finner is by the complete obedience of Jefus Christ, imputed to him, and received by faith, and produceth fuch great and glorious effects; we may hence learn, what reason we have to admire that infinity of wisdom, which fhines forth in the contrivance of this wonder; and to adore that immenfity of grace which is displayed in this glorious provifion made for the favourites of

heaven *! When the beloved John was favoured with a vifionary fight of the the woman-bride, the Lamb's wife, as clothed with Chrift, the Sun of righteousness,

* This divine righteoufnefs of the adorable Redeemer, which is the alone ground of a guilty finner's juftification, has many ingredients in it, and peculiar excellencies appertaining to it, that should excite wonder and admiration in thefe who have had it imputed unto them. It is not only in itself, a full, fufficient, complete, and meritorious righteousness; but a righteoufnefs of God's contrivance, Pfal. lxxxix. 19, 20. Ifa. xlii. 6, 7.;—of God's working out, Heb. ii. 17. John xvii. 4, 19, 30.; -of God's_approving, Ifa. xlii. 21. ;—of God's accepting, Eph. v. 2.;—of God's revealing, Rom. i. 17. iii. 21. ;-of God's bringing near, Heb. ix. 23, 24. Ifa. xlvi. 13.:- -But it is alfo a righteoufnefs by which the law is magnified, Ifa. xlii. 21.; -justice fatisfied, Rom. viii. 34. Pfalm lxxxv. 10.; -fin expiated, Heb. i. 3. ix. 26. ;-tranfgreffion finished, Dan. ix. 24.—wrath appeased, and deliverance from it obtained, Micah vii. 18. 1 Theff. i. 10.;

the curfe removed, Gal. iii. 13.;-the guilty affoiled, Rom. viii. 33, 34;-freedom from condemnation fecured, Rom. viii. 1. ;-the finner eternally faved, Ifa. xlv. 17.;-Heaven purchased, Heb. x. 19, 20.;-God glorified, Ifa. xlix. 3. John xvii. 4.; Christ honoured, Ifa. liii. 12. Phil. ii.8, 9.; -believers adorned and exalted, Ifaiah lxi. 10. Pfalm lxxxix. 16.:- And, to crown all, it is a permanent and an everlasting righteoufnefs, Dan. ix. 24. Ifaiah xlv. 17.- -What reafon then have the redeemed ones to be filled with wonder and admiration in contemplating the finished furetyrighteoufnefs!

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he says, he

And a won

that it calls

and fhining forth in the refplendent rays of her Bridegroom's glory; faw a WONDER, Rev. xii. 1. der it is indeed; fo great, for the admiration both of men and of angels. This is one of those glorious things, that by the gospel is revealed unto us, Which the angels defire to look into, 1 Pet. i. 12. And while finful men have the forgiveness of their fins, through Chrift's blood, and the acceptation of their perfons, in him the Beloved, according to the riches of the Father's grace, wherein he has abounded towards them, in all wisdom and prudence; it becomes them to admire, and adore the fame, and to cry out, with the apostle, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out! Eph. i. 6, 7, 8. Rom. That the obedience of the Son of God fhould be made our righteousness, the righteousness of a finner, to his complete juftification before God, is fuch a project of infinite wisdom, such a provision of infinite grace, for the falvation of God's chofen, that it every way becomes the great JE

xi. 33.

HOVAH! And will be the endless wonder of men and angels!

2. Since the juftification of a finner is wholly by the righteousness of another, which is a way of life above nature, above being discovered by nature's light, and feen by nature's eye, or discovered by the light of the law, and difcerned by natural reason; we may hence learn, what an abfolute neceffity there is of a fupernatural revelation thereof, in order to the foul's receiving of this righteousness, and fo of the grace of juftification thereby. This is one of those things that God has prepared for his people, that never entered into the heart of the natural man to conceive of, which he has neither known nor can understand; and therefore deems it foolishnefs, or a foolish thing, for any to think they shall be justified by the obedience of Chrift, exclufive of all their own works. But the people of God, receive not the Spirit which is of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that they may know the things which are freely given them of God. And this, of the free gift of righteousness, is revealed unto them by his Spirit, though it is one of those deep things of God, which