An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

but truly, nothing to satisfy Gods justice, can any give account, for Christ himself could not do it: And indeed so marvellously did God accept this kind of defence that our Saviour makes, that he hath crowned this faithfulness of Christ with everlasting honour unto all ages: he hath so fully, so graciously accepted him, as that he hath for ever ratified it in Heaven, that no man shall ever pass away righteous from the judgement seat of God that can plead any righteousness of his own: Whoever he be that will not stand righteous before the judgement seat of God by any righteousness of his own, he must stand mute as Christ himself stood: and if he be just, he must be just by his righteousness. Christ could plead nothing for us of our own, not our active obedience, nor any passive obedience of ours: but he having suffered for us, the punishment that all the wickedness of the Elect have deserved, Now he doth ever live to make intercession for us, Heb. 7. 25. Now he hath arguments enough to plead: If any man sin now, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 2 John 2. 1. Why did he not plead before? Truly he could not open his mouth before, because he had not yet suffered: but now he hath suffered, the just for the unjust, and now that he hath borne the censure of Church and Common-wealth, now he hath enough to plead in the behalf of the poorest christian. And if so be that any plead against his Saints and servants, and say that they are guilty of these & these sins, God will say, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom, Job 33. 24. He now pleads satisfaction to the justice of his Father; and having satisfied for all, there is a sufficient plea in his mouth ⟨p. 162⟩for all the Elect of God: whatever our actual transgressions have been, the Lord hath abundant plea for all his people: that so he may both obtain of the Father, the spirit to bestow good things upon us; and having given us such things, as faith, and love, and repentance, he may plead our sincerity of heart, and that argues communion with himself, and saith in his blood: But that which doth make us stand righteous before him is this, that he himself was a Lamb without spot, and yet did not plead his own innocency, but did bear all for us, and for us all, that we might ever be righteous in the sight of God.