him, though I were righteous,"
chap. ix. 14, 15, 21. So unspeakably pure and clean is his holiness, that
all created holiness hath a spot in it before his, and evanisheth, as the
stars disappear when the sun riseth, which seem something in the darkness.
The angels' holiness, the heaven's glory, is nothing to him, before whom
the nations are as nothing; so that it is all the wonder of the world,
that ever God stooped so far below himself, even to righteous Adam, as to
make such a covenant with him, to account him righteous in obedience.
"What is man that thou shouldst magnify him? When I look to the heavens,
and the sun, the work of thine hands, Lord, what is man?" What is innocent
man in his integrity, that thou shouldst magnify him, to give him a place
to stand before thee, magnify him to be a party-contractor with thy
glorious Majesty? Psalm viii. 4-6. But now, when this covenant is broken,
it is become impossible to a son of Adam ever to stand before God in his
perfection, for, how should man be righteous that is born of a woman? Job
xv. 14. Since we once sinned, how should our righteousness ever come in
remembrance? Therefore hath God chosen another way to cover man's
wickedness and righteousness both, with his own righteousness, his Son's
divine human righteousness, which is so suited in his infinite wisdom for
us. It is a man's righteousness, that it may agree with men, and be a fit
garment to cover them; it is God's righteousness, that it may be beautiful
in God's eyes, for he seeth his own image in it. And it is not the created
inherent righteousness of saints glorified, that shall be their upper
garment, that shall be their heaven and glory-suit, so to speak. They will
not glory in this, but only in the Lamb's righteousness for evermore.
Saint-holiness must have a covering above, for it cannot cover our
nakedness; and all the songs of those that follow the Lamb make mention of
his righteousness, even of his only. The Lamb is the light and sun of the
city, the Lamb is the temple of it; in a word, he is all that is beautiful
and glorious. Every saint hath put on the Lord Jesus, and is perfect
through his comeliness. At least, if the holiness of spirits of just men
made perfect be the glorious habit above; yet all the beauty and glory of
it is from Christ Jesus, whose image it is, and the Spirit whose work it
is. It shall be still true, all--all our righteousness, as ours, is filthy;
and all holiness, as it hath a r