998 righteous. We have here a further display of the love of God in Christ. The pardon of sin— the remission of his people's guilt, was doubtless procured solely by the one oblation of his dear Son; for, as Peter says, we" were not redeemed "with corruptible things, but with the precious "blood of Christ." This is the fountain in which we must all" wash and be clean." But although " without shedding of blood there (could have been) "no remission," and without the individual application of that "blood of sprinkling," there can be no effectual benefit conveyed by it; yet the sufferings and death of the Mediator would not have been all-sufficient for us, had he not previously rendered an entire obedience to that just and holy law which we had so universally violated, and of the demands of which we still come lamentably short. That broken Law imperatively called for reparation from the soul that sinned."-But the guilty themselves could not repair the breach. How could a sinner atone for sinners; or, by any obedience that he could at present render, (even supposing it to be perfect,) supply the innumerable deficiencies of the past? The execution of the sentence of death, therefore, impended on the transgressors. What remained, then, but for the "Mediator between God and men" "— the 4 "God Substitute of sinners-the second Adam, to remedy this inability of his people-to "stand in the gap" and stay the effusion of God's wrath, by appeasing his offended justice with the offering of a consummate obedience and spotless holiness-by working out an "everlasting righteousness "s that might justify perfectly, and justify for evermore, the souls of "the rebellious." Thus it became "him to fulfil all righteousness," that the righ"teousness of the law might be fulfilled in us."2 It is this fulfilment of the law's demands that confers on us (though with humility be it spoken) an indisputable right to the favor of God. "was in Christ reconciling the world unto "himself." And if we are "in Christ," God is reconciled to us, and we unto God. Pleading the merits of our Redeemer, covered in “ white raiment -his robe of righteousness," our claims to the forgiving mercy of God are just and equitable, being authorised by his own unerring word. For Christ is declared to be "made of God unto us " righteousness; and in the prediction of this benefit, he is called "the Lord our Righteousness."' Now Christ can only be "made righteousness "unto us," and his obedience can only be imputed unto us, by a strict union with Him; so that we may be considered as "joined to the Lord" by one 66 9 Psl. lxviii. 18, 3 2 Cor. v. 19, 6 Jer. xxiii. 6, Head, and made one with Christ. Then "there "is no condemnation" to us,-the curse of the law cannot reach us,—we are safe from its overwhelming power,- -for we "are in Christ Jesus," we are one with him, we are his "peculiar people." The thunders of Sinai may roll around us, but the Lord is not in the thunder; - the whirlwind of destruction may sweep before us, but the Lord is not in the whirlwind;-" the terrors of the Lord" need not affright us, for the "still small voice" of appeased Justice is heard amidst the storm-speaking pardon and peace to our trembling consciences, and conveying to us, as a message from "the throne "of grace," this consolatory assurance" fury is "not in me," and "your sins and iniquities will I "remember no more."4 "The Lord then taketh "pleasure in his people." Now the bond of union between Christ and us, is faith; and, therefore, destitute of this grace, we cannot “be justified in his sight." But thus united to Christ, his merits and righteousness are as effectually considered ours, as if, in our own persons, we had obeyed the law. "This is the will of God," that we should be made "accepted in the Beloved," -that we should be accounted righteous with his righteousness, "which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe." 7 Rom, viii. 1. This 8 Tit. ii. 14. 9 2 Cor. v. 11. 1 1 Kings xix. 12. 2 Heb. iv. 16. 3 Isa. xxvii. 4. 6 Eph. i. 6. 4 Jer. xxxi. 34. Heb. x. 17, 7 Rom. iii. 22. gift of God, however, must be properly understood. Justification, as here stated, is the act of God, whereby he considers and accepts his people as just or righteous,-as if they were perfect in themselves; although, at the same time, they are "unprofitable servants," "not worthy of the least of "all mercies." There is no holy principle, nor any degree of spiritual strength, communicated in this gift. It is a mere act of God's free grace. He had covenanted with his own Son, that by his knowledge (should his) righteous servant justify many." By his knowledge he teaches us, and imparts to us a knowledge of God and of himself. This knowledge of " God, and of Jesus Christ "whom he has sent, is life eternal." And to know Christ thus savingly, is to " know him and the 66 66 66 9 994 power of his resurrection." And "the power "of his resurrection " consists, primarily, in procuring this "free gift of justification of life;" for, as the Apostle says, he "was raised again for our "justification.' Hence St. Paul, amplifying the challenge in the text, thus transfers the basis of a sinner's hope from the death to the resurrection of the Mediator-"It is Christ that died, yea, rather "that is risen again, who is even at the right hand "of God, who also maketh intercession for us." This free gift, then, is the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us, and not the communication of any spiritual principle; as the Apostle clearly demonstrates in the case of Abraham :-" Abraham "believed God, and it was counted unto him for 66 righteousness: now (he adds) it was not written "for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; "but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we "believe." In the same respect as Christ is said to have been "made sin for us, who knew no sin (in himself,) that we might be made the righ"teousness of God in him:"7 that is, he was made a sin-offering-he endured the punishment of sin; and as he suffered not "for his own sins," but for his people's, he must have been regarded by his heavenly Father in the same state of condemnation, as if he had been full of sin. He was the creature's Substitute, and had "the iniquity of us all laid "upon him" reckoned his imputed to his charge. And this burden of human guilt was transferred to him, "that the righteousness of the "law might be (imputed to us and so) fulfilled in "us," that we might be "justified from all things "from which we could not be justified by (our "own obedience to) the law," and "might be "made the righteousness of God in him ;" that is, accounted righteous by the imputation of the active obedience of Christ, who thus becomes " the end "of the law for righteousness to every one that "believeth."3 6 Rom. iv. 3. 23, 24. 7 2 Cor. v. 21. 8 Isa. liii. 6. 9 Rom. viii. 4. 1 Acts xiii. 39. 2 2 Cor. v. 21. 3 Rom. x. 4. |