accusations of our sins. Here is
one for all, one above all. You would have particular answers to satisfy
your particular doubts. You are always seeking some satisfaction to your
consciences besides this, but believe it all that can be said, besides
this atonement and propitiation, is of no more virtue to purge your
consciences, or satisfy your perplexed souls, than those repeated
sacrifices of old were. Whatsoever you can pitch upon besides this, it is
insufficient, and therefore you find a necessity of seeking some other
grace or qualification to appease your consciences, even as they had need
to multiply sacrifices. But now since this perfect propitiation is offered
up for our sins should not all these vain expiations of your works cease?
Truly, there is nothing can pacify heaven but this, and nothing can
appease thy conscience on earth but this too. If you find any accusation
against you consider Christ hath, by a sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in
his own flesh. The marks of the spear, of the nails, of the buffetings of
his flesh,--these are the tokens and pledges, that he encountered with the
wrath due to your sins, and so hath cut off all the right that sin hath
over you. If thou canst unfeignedly in the Lord's sight say, that it is
thy soul's desire to be delivered from sin as well as wrath, thou wouldst
gladly fly from condemnation, then come to him who hath condemned sin, by
suffering the condemnation of sin, that he might save those who desire to
fly from it to him.

Sermon XIV.

Verse 4.--"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in
us."

God having a great design to declare unto the world both his justice and
mercy towards men, he found out this mean most suitable and proportioned
unto it, which is here spoken of in the third verse,--to send his own Son
to bear the punishment of sin, that the righteousness of the law might be
freely and graciously fulfilled in sinners. And, indeed, it was not
imaginable by us, how he could declare both in the salvation of sinners.
He could not have found out a way to declare his righteousness and
holiness, which would not have obscured his mercy and grace, nor a way to
manifest his grace and mercy which would not have reflected upon his
holiness and justice, according to the letter of the law that was given
out as the rule of life. He that doth them shall live in them, and cursed
is every one that doeth them not, &c. What could we expect, if