of death ; and as the high-priest, when he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices before the mercy-seat, confessed that the hope of all Israel was derived from that blood d; so when we look to Christ as our sacrifice, or approach him as our mercy-seat, we must carry, as it were, his blood with us, and sprinkle it on our consciences before him, as an acknowledgment that by the justice of God we were deservedly condemned, and that we have no hope of mercy except in such a way as will consist with the immutable rights of justice. Thus it is not sufficient for Christ to have honoured divine justice once by enduring its penalties ; but every individual sinner must also honour it for himself by an explicit acknowledgment, that its demands must be satisfied.]
3. In pardoning sinners out of respect to this pro- pitiation—
[That sinners are justified through Christ, may well appear an act of transcendent mercy : but it is also an act of justice ;' and the justice of God is as much displayed in it, as it would be in consigning sinners over to everlasting perdition. It is not an act of mercy, but of justice, to liberate a man whose debt has been discharged by a surety. But when Christ has paid our debt, and we, in consequence of that payment, claim our discharge, we may expect it even on the footing of justice itself. And whereas it is found, that no living creature ever applied to God in vain, when he pleaded Christ's vicarious sacrifice, it is manifest, that God has been jealous of his own honour, and has been as anxious to pay to us what Christ has purchased for us, as to exact of him what he undertook to pay on our behalf: so that his justice is as conspicuous in pardon- ing us, as it has been in punishing him.']
Infer —
1. How certain is the salvation of believers !
[That which principally alarms those who stand before a human tribunal, is an apprehension that justice may declare against them. But there is no such cause for alarm on the part of a believer, seeing that justice is no less on his side than mercy. Let all then look to Christ as their all-sufficient pro- pitiation, and to God as both "a just God and a Saviour." Then shall they find " that God is faithful and just to forgive them their sinse," yea, is "just in justifying all that believe."]
2. How awful will be the condemnation of un- believers !
[While they slight the united overtures of mercy and justice, what do they but arm both these attributes against <> Lev. xvi. 2, 14. e j j0]m j, 9.