ness of God, I am sure, may be vindicated in the conscience of the greatest sinner on earth ; yea, the devil liimself is but a faint disputant, when faith pinches liim with this arginnent : it is a trencli which he is not able to climb. Indeed, God laid out salvation in this method, that even we weak ones might be able to justifv him, in justifying us, to the most malicious devil in hell. Peruse that incompai'able place, which hath balm enough in it to heal the wounds of all the bleeding consciences in the world, where there is but faith to drop it in, and for ever to quench the fire of this dart, which is headed with t!ie justice of God: ' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the foi'bearance of God : to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness ; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believcth in Jesus,' Rom. iii. 2t — 26. O, what work will faith make of this scripture ! A soul castled within these walls is impregnable. First, observe, Christ is here called ' a propitiation,' or if you will, 'a propitiatory,' alhuling to the mercy-seat, where God promised to meet his people, that he might converse with them, and no dread from his majesty fall upon them, Exod. xxv. Now, you know, the mercy-seat was placed over the ark, to be a cover thereunto, it being the ark wherein the holy law of God was kept, fi'om the violation of which all the fears of a guilty soul arise ; therefore it is observable, that the dimensions of the one was proportioned to the other. The mercy-seat was to be as long and broad to the full as the ark, that no part thereof might be unshadowed by it; ver. 10, compared with ver. 17. Thus, Christ, our true * Propitiatory,' covers all the law, which else would come in to accuse the believer ; but not one threatening now can arrest him, so long as this screen remains for faith to interpose between God's wrath and the soul. Justice now hath no mark to level at; God cannot see the sinner, because Christ hides him. This is not the man, saith wrath, that I am to strike. See how he flies to Christ, and takes sanctuary in his satisfaction, and so is got out of my walk and reach, that being a privileged place, where I must not come to arrest any. It is usual, you know, in battle to wear a ribband, handkerchief, or some such thing, to distinguish friends from foes. Christ's satisfaction, worn by faith, is the sign that distinguisheth God's friends from his enemies. The scarlet thread on Rahab's window, kept the destroying sword out of her house: and the blood of Christ pleaded by faith, will keep the soul from receiving any hurt at the hands of Divine justice.
Secondly, Observe, what hand Christ hath his commission from, — 'whom God hath set forth, to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.' Christ, we see, is the great ordinance of heaven ; him the Father hath sealed ; he is singled out from all others, angels and men, and set forth as the person chosen of God, to make atonement for sinners, as the Lamb was taken out of the flock, and set apart for the passover. When, therefore, Satan sets forth the believer's sins in battle array against him, and confronts him with their greatness ; then faith runs under the shelter of this rock. Surely, saith faith, my Saviour is infinitely greater than my greatest sins. I should impeach the wisdom of God, to think otherwise, who knew what a heavy burden he had to lay upon his shoulders, and was fully satisfied of his strength to bear it. He that refused sacrifice and burnt-oft'ering, because of their insufficiency, would not have called him, had he not been all-sufficient for the work. Indeed, here lies the weight of the whole building ; a weak faith may save, but a v/eak Saviour cannot ; faith hath CIn'ist to plead for it, but Christ hath none to plead for him : faith leans on Christ's arm, but Christ stood upon his own legs : and if he had sunk inider the biu'den of our sins, he had been past the reach of any creature in heaven or earth to help him up.
Thirdly, Observe the reason why God chose this way of issuing out his pardoning mercy, and that is, to ' declare his righteousness for the remission of sins.' Mark, not to declare his mercy, — that is obvioiis to every eye ; every one will believe him merciful who is forgiving; but to conceive how God slioidd be righteous in forgiving sinners, this lies more remote from the creature's appre- liensions; and therefore it is i-epcated, Rom. iii. 20, 'To declare, Isay, atthistime his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which bclieveth in Jesus ;' as if God had said, I know why it appears so incredible, poor sinners,
532 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.