46 MEDITATIONS A First. It shines forth in the exaltation of the right- eousness of God in the forgiveness of sins. There isno more adequate conception of the divine nature, than that of justice in rule and government. Hereunto it belongs to punish sin according unto its desert: and herein consisted the first actings of God as governor of the rational creation; they did so in the eternal punish- ment of the angels that sinned, and the casting ofAdam out of paradise, an emblem also of everlasting ruin. Nowall the church, all the elect of God are sinners: they were so in Adam: they have been and are so in themselves. What doth become the justice of God to do thereon? Shall it dismiss them all unpunished? Where then is that justice which spared not the angels who sinned, nor Adam at the first? Would this proce- dure have any consonancy thereunto, be reconcilable unto it? Wherefore the establishment of the righteous- ness of God on the one hand, and the forgiveness of sin on the other, seem so contradictory, as that many stumble and fall at it eternally. Rom. x. S, 4. w For " they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and go- " ing about to establish their own righteousness, have " not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of s' God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteous- " ness to every one that believeth." But in this interposition of Christ, in this translation of punishment from the church unto him, by virtue of his conjunction therewith, there is a blessed harmony between the righteousness of God and the forgiveness of sins; the exemplification whereof is his eternal glory. O blessed change! O sweet permutation!" as Justin Martyr speaks. By virtue of his union with the church, which of his own accord he entered into, and his undertaking there- in to answer for it in the sight of God, it was a-right- eous thing with God to lay the punishment of all our sins upon him, so as that he might freely and gracious- ly pardon them all, to the honour and exaltation of his justice, as well as of his grace and mercy. Rom. iii. 24-26. Herein is he glorious in the sight of God, angels, and men. In him there is at the same time, in the same divine actings, a glorious resplendency of justice and mercy; of the one in punishing, of the other in pardoning. The appearing. inconsistency between the righteousness of God and the salvationof sinners, where- ND DISCOURSES. with the consciences of convinced persons are exercised and terrified, and which is the rock on which most of them split themselves unto eternal ruin, is herein remo- ved and taken away. In his cross were divine holiness and vindictive justice exercised and manifested; and through this triumph, grace and mercy are exerted to the utmost. This is that glory which ravisheth the hearts, and satiates the souls of them that believe. For what can they desire more, what is further needful un- to the rest and composure of their souls, than at one view to behold God eternally well pleased in the decla- ration of his righteousness, and the exercise of his mer- cy, in order unto their salvation? In due apprehen- sions hereo; let my soul live: in the faith hereof let me die; and let present admiration of this glory make way forthe eternal enjoyment of it in its beauty and fulness. He is glorious,- in that the law of God in its precep- tive part, or as unto the obedience which it required, was perfectly fulfilled and accomplished. That it should be so, was absolutely necessary from the wisdom, boll- ness, and righteousness of him, by whom it was given: for what could be more remote from those divine per- fections, than to give a law, which never was to be ful- filled in them unto whom it was given, and who were to have the advantagesof it? This could not be done by us; but through the obedience of Christ, by virtue of this his mystical conjunction with the church, the law was so fulfilled in us, by being fulfilled for us, as that the glory of God in the giving of it, and annexing eternal rewards unto it, is exceedingly exalted. Rom. viii. -;f, 4. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,. God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin con- " demised sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the ii law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the " flesh, but after the Spirit." This is thatglory of Christ whereof one view by faith, will scatter all the fears, answer all the objections, and give relief against all the despondencies of poor, tempt- ed, doubting souls; and an anchor it will be unto all believers, which they may cast within the veil, to hold them firm and stedfast in all trials, storms, and temp- tations, in life and death.
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