Isaiah 1:8

"He is near that justifieth me."—Isaiah 1:8.

My soul, hast thou ever considered one of the sweet properties of justification; not only in the fulness and completeness of it, and in all the several blessings connected with it, as it ariseth out of Jehovah in his own threefold character of persons; all and each taking part in it; but also in that which this portion points out, the nearness in which Jesus, the glorious justifier, always stands to thee, and surrounds thee? Sit down, this evening, and contemplate the subject of justification in this point of view, for it is indeed most blessed. All the persons of the Godhead have, and are engaged in making it effectual to every poor sinner, so as to give the mind always somewhat to rest upon, in the assurance of it. God the Father is the source and fountain of it, not only in having provided it in his dear Son, but also as having by the justification of all the Redeemer's work, to all intents and purposes, justified the poor believer in Jesus. Hence the apostle, with rapture, exclaims: "It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?" Rom. viii. 33, 34. And it is Jesus that justifieth all his redeemed, by his blood and righteousness; "for he was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification;" Rom. iv. 25. And that the hand of God the Holy Ghost was in all this, is equally evident; for it is as expressly said, that Christ was "justified in the Spirit;" which would never have been the case, had not both God's law and God's justice been satisfied, and thus justified Jesus, as the sinner's surety. I Tim. iii. 16. Rom. i. 4. But, over and above these glorious truths, as the foundation of every poor believer's hope, I charge thee to mark it down, my soul, in the memorandums of thine inmost thoughts, that as God the Father, who justified Jesus, thy surety, was always near to him, so he that justifieth thee is always near to thee. The charter of grace, and thy pardon written down in it in letters of blood, even the blood of Christ, is always near and at hand. Here it stands on eternal record," that God is just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." And he is near that justifieth, both as thine advocate to plead, that if any doubts should arise in thy poor timid mind concerning it, Jesus might open the volume of record, and there, by his Holy Spirit, shew it unto thee; and also, by the same almighty power, incline thy heart to the perfect belief of it, to thy joy and peace in believing. Now I again charge it upon thee, this night, that thou from henceforth never lose sight of the soul-reviving truth contained in this blessed scripture. But when Satan accuseth, and fears arise, and doubts would creep in, and both law and justice seem to be reviving their claims, look not at thyself, but look to all-precious Jesus. Behold him in all his fulness, suitableness, and all-sufficiency, as thy law-fulfiller and sin-atoning surety, and cry out in those divine words which the Holy Ghost hath given thee," He is near that justifieth me!"