1. There is an Infinite Merit fountained in Christ, for the taking away the Guilt of Sin, & the Justification of •he Sinner. We observed that this Guilt is an obligation lying upon the Sinner by reason of the threatening, to suffer the penalty menaced by the Law. The Removal of this Guilt, with respect to the Sinner himself, can be only by a free pardon; for he hath nothing of his own to make compensation to the Law withal: But the removal of it with reference to the Covenant of works, and the Established Rule of Relative Justice in it, must be by Justification. God, as a Judge, must either Justify or Condemn him, upon his ⟨p. 82⟩Trial: and yet, in Justifying him, he must also pardon him. These two are inconsistent in the procedure of humane Judges, but they are inseparable in Gods process upon believers. It is called Justifying the Ungodly, Rom. 4.5. But the ungodliness must be forgiven to the person freely, and so Justification is an act of Grace, Rom 3.24. Being Justified freely by his Grace. And yet it must be upon a Satisfaction and Merit, else the Law cannot be answered in it, nor the Justice of God consist with his Grace, and it must so do; Verse 26. That God may be just, and the Justifier of him that believeth. In this Justification there are two things, viz. the pardon of sin, and the declaring the person righteous; for which there must be found the Law answered in both parties; the threatening must be satisfied for, which is to be done by a bearing of the whole penalty denounced against the Sinner for sin; and the condition of the promise of life must be complied with, which is by perfect Obedience to the whole Law. That this may be done for the Sinner by a Surety, the Gospel assureth us; and that Christ was a Surety on this account, we are there informed, Heb. 7.22. Jesus was made a Surety of a better Covenant. And this is also implied in that, 2 Cor. 5.21. He hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God through him. And those several expressions ⟨p. 83⟩amount to as much, Isa. 53.4, 5, 6. He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, &c. Now Christ, by the Redemption that he wrought out, laid in an infinite treasure of Righteousness for this end, and on this account it is called, the Righteousness of God, Phil. 3 9. Rom. 3.21. And Everlasting Righteousness, Dan. 9 24.
1. There is an Infinite Merit fountained in Christ, for the taking away the Guilt of Sin, & the Justification of •he Sinner. We observed that this Guilt is an obligation lying upon the Sinner by reason of the threatning, to suffer the penalty menaced by the Law. The Removal of this Guilt, with respect to the Sinner himself, can be only by a free pardon; for he hath nothing of his own to make compensation to the Law withal: But the removal of it with reference to the Covenant of works, and the Established Rule of Relative Justice in it, must be by Justification. God, as a Judge, must either Justify or Condemn him, upon his ⟨p. 82⟩Trial: and yet, in Justifying him, he must also pardon him. These two are inconsistent in the procedure of humane Judges, but they are inseparable in Gods process upon believers. It is called Justifying the Ungodly, Rom. 4.5. But the ungodliness must be forgiven to the person freely, and so Justification is an act of Grace, Rom 3.24. Being Justified freely by his Grace. And yet it must be upon a Satisfaction and Merit, else the Law cannot be answered in it, nor the Justice of God consist with his Grace, and it must so do; Verse 26. That God may be just, and the Justifier of him that believeth. In this Justification there are two things, viz. the pardon of sin, and the declaring the person righteous; for which there must be found the Law answered in both parties; the threatning must be satisfied for, which is to be done by a bearing of the whole penalty denounced against the Sinner for sin; and the condition of the promise of life must be complied with, which is by perfect Obedience to the whole Law. That this may be done for the Sinner by a Surety, the Gospel assureth us; and that Christ was a Surety on this account, we are there informed, Heb. 7.22. Jesus was made a Surety of a better Covenant. And this is also implied in that, 2 Cor. 5.21. He hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God through him. And those several expressions ⟨p. 83⟩amount to as much, Isa. 53.4, 5, 6. He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, &c. Now Christ, by the Redemption that he wrought out, laid in an infinite treasure of Righteousness for this end, and on this account it is called, the Righteousness of God,
