Cor. v. 21.) and this holds out a
threefold excellence in it. (1.) It is God's righteousness, because he
alone devised it, and found it out. All the world could not have imagined
a way possible to save lost mankind, or ever one sinner of that wretched
number. Satisfaction to justice was needful, and there was none righteous
among Adam's posterity. But here God himself in his everlasting counsel
hath found it out, and all hath flowed from his love. The mission of Jesus
Christ to be the propitiation for our sins, comes from this blessed
fountain, 1 John iv. 9, 10; Rom. iii. 24, 25. God hath been framing this
righteousness from all eternity, and even this world seems to be made for
this end. All God's dispensation with Adam, his making a covenant of works
with him, his mutability and liableness to fall, and so governing all
things in his holy providence that he should fall from his own
righteousness, and involve all his posterity in the same condemnation with
himself,--all this seems to be in respect of God's intention and purpose,
even ordained for this end, that the righteousness of Jesus Christ might
be commended to you, far more than all the dispensation of the law upon
Sinai, more than the curse and the command, the thunder and the lightning.
The very condemnation of the scripture was all in God's own mind and
revealed will also, as the means appointed to lead sinners to this
righteousness, Rom. x. 4. Therefore, how precious should that be to us,
that God keeps and preserves the world for?

(2.) By this righteousness alone, we can stand before God, and therefore
it is termed God's righteousness; and is not this enough to make it lovely
in the eyes of all men? This is the righteousness without the law, though
it was witnessed both by the law and the prophets. This is the only
righteousness that justifies, when all men are found guilty before God,
Rom. iii. 19, &c. Now, what is it in this world can profit you, if ye want
this? Condescend(493) upon all your pleasures and heart-wishes, let you
have them all, and now, poor soul, pray what hast thou? Though thou hast
gained the world, thou losest thy soul, that thou should use the world
with? Let you then get what you so eagerly pursue in the world, what will
ye do when your soul is required by the hand of justice? "Then whose shall
these things be?" Luke xii. 20, 21. By all these things, a man neither
knows love nor hatred, as Solomon speaks of external enjoyments, Eccles.