The righteousness of the new covenant is widely different from what the carnal Israelite apprehended to be the righteousness of the old. With respect to their essence, their foundation, their motives and ends, both covenants are the same, differing only in the external mode of revelation; the old being "the shadow," the new "the image of good things to come;" the old, pointing to CHRIST; the new, revealing him in all his fulness to the faithful. CHRIST JESUS, therefore, is and must be, "the end of the law to those that believe;" that is, he is and must be, in himself, that very Righteousness to which the law pointed, but which it could not attain. "As a school-master," it served to instruct its ignorant, dark, and fallen pupils, in the outward rudiments of Divine Truth; but could never communicate to them the Light, Life, and Spirit of that real Evangelical Righteousness, which is only to be found in the INCARNATE WORD OF GOD. It is for this reason, that the prophet, speaking of the approaching kingdom of the MESSIAH, in whom all the law and the prophets were to center, represents him as "a righteous branch springing forth from the root of David; as a king, reigning, prospering, and executing judgment and justice on the earth;" in consequence of whose mild and equitable administration, "Judah should be saved, and Israel should dwell safely:" and, as the most characteristical designation of his nature and office, tells us, that "This is his NAME, whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Let us then enquire, in the first place, why our BLESSED REDEEMER has the name of RIGHTEOUSNESS ascribed to him by the prophet; and secondly, what we are to understand by his being called "OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." I. A name in Scripture is generally put to express the intrinsic nature and qualities of the object named. When, therefore, the name of the MESSIAH is here said to be "Righteousness," we must necessarily conclude, that Righteousness is his very nature, his essence, the substance of all his attributes and perfections. He is not called righteous, but RIGHTEOUSNESS itself; the source and fountain, from whence all that is really and truly righteous, throughout the universe, perpetually proceeds.