Abraham were justified by works, he had whereof to glory, but not before God; for what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned of

debt."

grace, but of

3. Do you not perceive that the great doctrine, that salvation is entirely of grace, which is written with a sun-beam in every page of the holy volume, which is the only refuge of the penitent, the triumph of the saint on earth, and the song of the redeemed sinner in glory, is entirely sapped and undermined by this plea?

4. Do you not perceive, that by this plea you render the death of Christ of none effect, and make his sacrifice useless? Do you not see that it is a contradiction in terms, to say that you can merit forgiveness? Have you the insupportable arrogance to pretend that your works can merit the glories of heaven? Just God! should rebels, should worms of the dust, appear before thy dread tribunal with such pretences, would not thy violated holiness take hold on justice and blast them from thy presence? I do not, my brethren, multiply such reflections; you must feel that this is not a sure hope for your soul; cling not to a covenant and law which utter only curses against you.

Will you then say, 'Though I dare not plead my own works for justification, yet I rely for pardon on the mercy of God: this mercy is infinite, and through it I hope for forgiveness and glory?'

Yes! this mercy is infinite; is far beyond thy conception; far beyond the conception of the most exalted intelligence in heaven: yet, remember, that this mercy flows to the children of men only through

Christ. The contemplation of an absolute God, of a God out of Christ, is enough to make the sturdiest sinner tremble: he that has no other reliance than unconvenanted mercy, must for ever perish. This is the constant testimony of the scripture; you cannot deny it without denying your faith, your religion, your Saviour! If you can be saved by the mere mercy of God, without the atonement; if the Lord, in consistence with his attributes, can pardon your offences without a sacrifice, then every pang that Jesus felt was an act of useless cruelty towards him on the part of his Father.

My dear brother, after reading in the word of God that there is no hope for the children of men, except in Jesus, that mercy cannot be exercised towards the guilty, wilt thou have the madness at the decisive day to approach the holy tribunal, and say, Lord, I expect to be justified through mere uncovenanted mercy; I hope that thy goodness is so great, that for my sake thou wilt falsify thy word, renounce thy holiness, undeify thyself!'

Oh! then, my brethren, renounce all other hopes, and present as the only plea for your justification, the obedience and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only righteousness in which a sinner can appear before God; a righteousness that answers all the demands of the law, and expiates all its curses. Hear your scriptures: "As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous,"- -" and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." "Christ is made unto us righteousness."

"This is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness."

7. This righteousness is imputed by God to the believer; by the obedience and the sufferings of Christ, the perfections of God, the excellence of his government, the holiness and purity of his law, are so fully displayed to the universe, that he can now, without derogating from his character as the moral Governor of the world, justify him who believeth in Jesus; forgive and crown him for the sake of what Jesus had done and suffered.

8. But in order thus to be justified by the righteousness of Christ, we must by faith be united to him. This is asserted in many of the texts which have been quoted to you. Let me add that expressive passage: "Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, 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, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Faith justifies, not because it is accepted in the place of righteousness, not because it is a new condition of the covenant arbitrarily chosen by God, but solely because it is the means and instrument of communion with Jesus Christ. It is efficacious, not from its own dignity, but from the dignity of Him on whom it relies. It is the flight of the trembling soul to a secure ark of safety.

III. Having thus considered the justification of the penitent believing sinner, I have time to say but a few words on the justification of the regenerate man. This we are taught by the scripture is by works. Of two things the believer can be accused before God:

of having broken the law of God, and of not having a true faith. To the first accusation the believer pleads guilty; but flees for pardon to the merit of Christ, which he embraces by a lively faith: but to the second accusation he answers by justifying his faith, proving its reality by his works. It is thus that the sincerity of their faith will be justified by their works at the judgment-day. It is of this second justification that James speaks, when he says, "But wilt thou know, O vain man! that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect." There is not, as some have supposed, the smallest contradiction between him and Paul in the doctrine of justification. Paul speaks of the ground of a sinner's forgiveness, James of the proof of the sincerity of a professor's faith; Paul of imputed righteousness, James of inherent holiness; the one of the justification of the sinner, the other of the justification of the righteous.

And now, my brethren, let us solemnly inquire, Are we justified by faith in Christ Jesus? Let us bring this great question to an issue; it is too serious a consideration to be left in suspense: let us be impartial in our examination respecting it, since ours is not the final or supreme judgment. In order to decide whether we are justified or condemned; in the favour or under the wrath of God; the heirs of heaven or of hell, let us ask ourselves, What knowledge we have of Christ, and of the gospel method of justification through his righteousness? Has your mind been enlightened, so as to perceive that this method which is foolishness to the natural man, is honourable to the

perfections of God, exactly suited to your wants and necessities, and free from those defects that you have found in every other method that you have tried, or that has been invented by the wisdom of man? Are you disposed to say of it, with David in his dying day," It is all my salvation and all my desire?" Have you actually accepted the offer which God makes you in his gospel, of Christ and his righteousness, and have you made that righteousness the sole ground of your pardon and acceptance in the sight of God? Have you, awakened to a sense of your guilt, and of your dangerous condition while exposed to the wrath of the Almighty and the curse of the law, heard the voice of God in the gospel, addressed to you in particular, as really as it ever was to any of Adam's lost family, offering you Christ and salvation; and in a day of divine power have you accepted the gracious proposal, and said in raptures of joy and love," In the Lord have I righteousness ?" Is this still your disposition; are you still disposed to renounce all dependence upon your own righteousness, and to rest only upon Immanuel? Are you inherently righteous, as well as righteous through the merits of Christ? No person is ever made the righteousness of God in Christ, in whose soul the Spirit of Christ does not take up his residence. Are you then a partaker of that Spirit? Is it your daily endeavour to"walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit;" taking the law of Christ as your rule, the example of Christ as your pattern, the glory of God in Christ as your ultimate end? Do you endeavour to obey every precept of the divine law, and on every occasion? Do you obey in the strength of promised grace, and esteem yourself an unprofitable servant