414 FAITH. BUILTON KNOWLEDGE. DISC. IX. justice acknowledges the receipt in full : He has fulfilled the commands of God's perfect law, which we could never fulfil : And he has borne the curse which would have made us for ever miserable : And all this not for himself, but in our stead ; and that with this design, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law, and pre- .sent us before God in his own righteousness, " that we might receive the adoption of sons, and be for ever accepted in the beloved ;" Gal. iii. 13. and iv. 5, Eph. i. .6. Here is an all-sufficient righteousness, in which the severe eye of the holiness of God can find no flaw or defect, which is the foundation of our hope ; whereas our .righteousnesses are mingled with many defilements. Here is a righteousness that shall not be abolished, though the heavens wear away, and the earth wax old. Therefore the isles where sinners dwell " shall wait upon him, and on his arm shall they trust ;" 'Is. li. 5, 6. It was the great business of the Messiah to finish trans- gression, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity and " bring in everlasting righteousness ;" .Dan. ix. 24. And this is of such necessity to our salva- tion, because of the perpetual frailties of our nature, that a poor trembling believer could not venture his soul safely into any hands but where such a glorious righte- ousness was found ; and from this character our Saviour is pleased to take one of his honourable titles :" Jer. xxiii, 6. The Lord our righteousness. Surely therefore, saith a humble, convinced and guilty wretch, in such a one will I trust, for I have no merit in me to obtain pardon, I have nó righteousness of my own to render me accepted With God, And I must for ever perish without it. "Surely in the Lord I shall find righteousness-as well as wisdom and strength ." Is. xlv. 24. And to him I commit my soul. 5. He has great interest with God the Father, and al- ways prevails when he pleads. " Father, I know that thou hearest me always;" John xi. 42. .. He never prays in vain,', for he is ever worthy of the Father's ear. He appears in all the virtúe of his original sonship, even when he appears in the name of sinful worms ; and when he pleads their cause before the throne, he does it in all the power of his meritorious righteousness, and kith the cries of his dying blood. We might doubt of
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