132 JEHOVAH OvR RIGHTEOUSNESS. fore, the Prophet ftyles the great Me9ah,- by an Effitfiort ofthe Holy Spirit, JEHOVAH RIGHTEOUSNESS ; he de- dares at once his effential Divinity, and the unalterable Holinefs and PerfeF1ion of his Kingdom and Office. He does not call Him the righteous one, in the Concrete; but Righteoufnefs itfelf in the Abítraft; in order to thew, that this Perfe&ìon of his Nature is abfolutely his own, and that he is the very Source of all which can be termed Righteoufnefs, in the vifible or invifible World. It would have been robbing,GOD of his Honor,. if the Prophet had denominated a Creature, even the firft Creature and the neareft to the everlafting Throne, or all the perfe&Creatures whomGOD ever made, Righte- aufnefs, effential and abftraéted Righteoufnefs : And therefore, feparate from the ConGderationof the Name JEHOVAH, the diredt Application of this Title Righte- oufnefs to the Lord Jefus Chrifl, is fufficient of itfelf to prove him, truly and properly, GOD. Creatures may be righteous, or Poffeffors of a Righteoufnefs given them ; but . Jehovah alone is or can be, in Truth, Righteoufnefs itfelf. There is yet a Word, which in the Original makes up the End of the Name, * and which mutt not be omitted for a thoufand Worlds. It is the little, yet, in this place, invaluable Monofyllable,OUR. Chrift is JEHOVAH: This is glorious for himfelf. Grill is JE- SSOVAH RIGHTEOUSNESS : This is a farther Illuftration of his Glory. But, bleffed be GOD, Chrift is alfo JE- HOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. This renders him un-. fpeakably precious to his People. T'he Name, whereby be (hall be called; the Appellation, by which he thall be- known to his Redeemed ; the Relation he (hall Band in to them; is this grand, yet endearing one, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,t His People were born, like others, Children of Wrath ; and, with the whole of Mankind, were " very far gone [quàsn longi/mè] from original Righteoufnefs." Jehovah tzidkelu, Jer. 5,6. sxXiii. 16. Indeed,
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