At the Cross of Christ

By the death Jesus, all our horrible filth and defilement, however black, monstrous, aggravated and abominable, however deep and dreadful, was thoroughly and forever . . .

put away,
cast behind God's back,
blotted out as a thick cloud, and
drowned in the depths of the sea!

In the pierced hands, and feet and side of Immanuel, a fountain was opened for all sin and uncleanness!

At the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ . . .
justice and mercy met together,
righteousness and peace kissed each other,
mercy rejoiced over judgment,
grace abounded over sin!

Justice, with all its inflexible requisitions, was thoroughly satisfied; the law, with all its holy, unbending demands fully magnified; every perfection of God eternally glorified; every apparently barring attribute entirely harmonized; so that Jehovah, in all the blaze of ineffable purity, majesty, power, and holiness--can now be just, infinitely just--and yet the justifier of those who believe in Jesus.

Here, then, at the foot of the cross, is pardon and peace for guilty criminals! Here is thorough justification for the self-condemned and self-abhorred! Here is salvation, complete and everlasting, for all the redeemed family of God! Here is a fountain, ever open, full and free! Here is a robe, in which the spouse of Jesus stands without blemish and without spot before the throne of God! Here mercy is magnified forever! Here dying love displays itself in all its breadth, and length, and depth, and height! Here grace, all-glorious, all-triumphant grace, reigns unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord!

--J. C. Philpot