God to the uttermost fartliing^ and to take off all his judicial anger and fury. The mediatory righteousness of Christ is so perfect, so full, so exact, so complete, and so fully satisfactory to the justice of God, as that divine justice cries out, I have enough, and I require no more ; I have found a ransom, and I am fully pacified towards you, Ezek. xvi. 61-63 ; Heb. x. 10-12, 14 ; Isa. liii. 4-6. It is certain that Christ was truly and properly a sacrifice for sin ; and it is as certain that our sins were the meritorious cause of his sufferings. He did put himself into poor sinners' stead, he took their guilt upon him, and did undergo that punishment which they should have undergone ; he did die, and shed his blood, that he might thereby atone God and expiate sin, Kom. v. 6-12 ; and therefore we may safely and boldly conclude, that Jesus Christ hath satisfied the justice of God to the uttermost ; so that now the believing sinner may rejoice and triumph in the justice as well as in the mercy of God, Heb. vii. 25 ; for doubt- less the mediatory righteousness of Christ was infinitely more satis- factory and pleasing to God, than all the sins of believers could be displeasing to him. God took more pleasure and delight in the bruis- ing-of his Son, in the humiliation of his Son, and he smelt a sweeter savour in his sacrifice, than all our sins could possibly offend him or provoke him, Isa. liii. 10. When a believer casts his eyes upon his many thousand sinful commissions and omissions, no wonder if he fears and trembles ; but then, when he looks upon Christ's satisfac- tion, he may see himself acquitted, and rejoice ; for if there be no charge, no accusation against the Lord Jesus, there can be none against the believer, _ Rom. viii. 33-37. Christ's expiatory sacrifice hath fully satisfied divine justice ; and upon that very ground every believer hath cause to triumph in Christ Jesus, and in that righteous- ness of his by which he stands justified before the throne of God, 2 Cor. ii. 14 ; Rev. xiv. 4, 5. Christ is a person of infinite, transcen- dent worth and excellency, and it makes highly for his honour to justify believers, in the most ample and glorious way imaginable, &c. ; and what way is that, but by working out for [them], and then investing them with, a righteousness adequate to the law of God ; a righteousness that should be every way commensurate to the miserable estate of fallen man, and to the holy design of the glorious God. It is the high honour of the second Adam that he hath restored to fallen man a more glorious righteousness than that he lost in the first Adam ; and it would be high blasphemy, in the eyes of angels and men, for any mortal to assert that the second Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ was less powerful to save, than the first Adam was to destroy. The second Adam is ' able to save to the uttermost all such as come to God through him,' Heb. vii. 25. The second Adam is able to save to all ends and purposes perfectly, saith Beza ; perpetually, or for ever saith Tremellius; in oeternum, saith Syrus ; in 'peri^etuum, saith the Vulg. ; ad 'plenum, saith Erasmus ; ad perfectum, saith Stapul- ensis.i He is able to save to the uttermost obligation of the law preceptive, as well as penal ; and to bring in perfect righteousness, as well as perfect mnocency. He is able to save to the uttermost demand of divine justice, by that perfect satisfaction that he has given to
* fi'y t6 TTo^'TcXes, ' to the uttermost' of time, at all times, and for ever &c.
236 NINE STRONG CONSOLATIONS THAT FLOW FROM
divine justice. ' Christ is mighty to save,' Isa. Ixiii. 1; and as he is mighty to save, so he loves to save poor sinners, in such a way wherein he may most magnify his own might ; and therefore he will purchase their pardon with his blood, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19, and make reparation to divine justice for all the wrongs and injuries which fallen man had done to his Creator and his royal law ; and bestow upon him a better righteousness than that which Adam lost ; and bring him into a more safe, high, honourable, and durable estate than that which Adam fell from when he was in his created perfection. All the attributes of God do acquiesce in the imputed righteousness of Christ, so that a believer may look upon the holiness, justice, and righteousness of God, and rejoice, and lay himself down in peace, Ps. iv. 8. I have read in story, that Pilate being called to Rome, to give an account unto the emperor for some misgovernment and mal-administration, he put on the seamless coat of Christ ; and all the time that he had that coat upon his back, Caesar's fury was abated. Christ has put his coat, his robe of righteousness, upon every believer, Isa. Ixi. 10 ; upon which account all the judicial anger, wrath, and fury of God towards believers ceaseth : Isa. liv. 9, ' For this is as the waters of Noah unto me : for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth ; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.' Ver. 10, ' For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed ; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.' But,