The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

2. Christ may suit,¹ by virtue of both the Surety Covenant and by the justice of God, his condign merit to, me, a fixed will to run the way of his Commandments. Christs appearing with blood, Heb. 9. and his prayer as high Priest, Joh. 17. prove that, in Christs Bill for us, there is justice, the merit of blood, and that his Advocation is, 1 John 2.1. grounded upon justice, and he stands there as Jesus Christ, [Greek or Hebrew], the righteous without sin now imputed, not now made sin, nor made a curse, but by order of strict justice justified and righteous, and the act of Suretyship taken off, and as the hand-writing against us is cancelled upon the Cross, Col. 2. So the hand-writing of obliged punishment due to Christ as our Surety is removed, and he now justified in the Spirit, without sin, Heb. 9.28. Such a one as cannot die, Rom. 6.9. Rev. 1.18. and cannot die a death satisfactory for sin,² because as believers cannot die the second death, Christ having died for them, neither can Christ suffer the second death again, or be twice a curse, for once he died for all. But our faith is so supported not a little in this, I dare not put merit or justice in my suits to God, but I believe it is, and must be in Christs bill, and that bill is for me: mercy, and only mercy is in the sinners bill, but the justice of a condign ransomer is in Christs suits, and so faith looks to Christ: As 1. having the first Covenant-right to heaven, as the great Lord receiver of the promises. And then we have a second right in him▪ 2. Faith looks to Christ as having more right to us, because he hath the right of justice, then we have to our selves; for its free-graces