for He himself declares, "I form the light, and I create the darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things" ;) yet He calls upon the heavens above to drop down, and unto the skies to pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; (these are inseparable, for by the first the last is obtained;) I the Lord have created it. Thus saith the Lord, the holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I have raised him up in righteousness, (and God will not now accept him in dishonour,) and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts. Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end. Therefore look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth : for I am God, and there is none else: a just God and a Saviour. I have sworn by myself; the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength even to him shall men come. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." (xlv. 7, 8. 11-13. 17. 21-25.) "I will bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry and I

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will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory." (xlvi. 13.) "As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the holy One of Israel." (xlvii. 4.) "His righteousness is near; his salvation is forth." (li. 5.) gone For his salvation is near to come, and his righteousness to be revealed." (lvi. 1.) "For he saw that there was no man," (for no man may redeem his brother, all having sinned and fallen short of God's glory,)" and wondered that there was no intercessor;" (that no being could be found throughout the universe of God worthy to approach unto their God. Rev. v.) "therefore his own omnipotent arm brought salvation to him." And how did He obtain salvation for the universe? Why, by his perfect righteousness; it was his righteousness sustained him. "For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord." (Isa.lix. 16,17.20.) "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch; and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness.' (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6.) "For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the

flock, and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all. The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness." (xxxi. 11, 12. 23.) "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness." (xxxiii. 15, 16.) "For I will raise up for them a plant of renown." (Ezek. xxxiv. 29.) And “ "seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision, and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city, and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." (Dan. ix. 24— 26.) Therefore "sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy: break up your fallowground for it is time to seek the Lord, till He

come and rain righteousness upon you." (Hosea x. 12.) "And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." (Zech. vi. 12.) "And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." (viii. 8.) " In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin, and for uncleanness." (xiii. 1.) And "in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord." (xiv. 20.) For, "behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap; and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings." (Mal. iii. 1-3; iv. 2.) Therefore we should act as

becometh Christians, and endeavour to the utmost of our power to fulfil all righteousness, as did our blessed instructor; and who, by his perfect righteousness, atones for all defects that are not wilful failures. (Matt. iii. 15.) And "blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled:" (v. 6:) they shall depart in peace, and see God's great salvation which He has prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel." (Luke ii. 29, 30.32.) But without firm faith in this promised salvation, we shall not obtain it; for faith engendereth hope, and hope maketh not ashamed; for those who are cherishing in themselves the hope of glory, will purify themselves even as the blessed Author of this hope is pure; and seek to adorn their souls in that marriage garment in which they must appear if they hope to be received at the great marriage supper.

The best of us must loath and abhor ourselves, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of a pure and jealous God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, (through faith in that righteousness which was evinced through sufferings,) to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just:" first, just to himself as a jealous God, by having ordained the vindication of his honour;