the truth as the necessary condition of promoting this end. Viewed in this light, unbelief always implies infinite guilt and blame-worthiness.

But it is a doctrine of mathematics that infinites may differ. The meaning of the term infinite is simply the negation of finite. It is boundlessness, unlimitedness. That is, that which is infinite is unlimited or boundless in the sense in which it is infinite. But infinites may differ in amount. For example: the area contained between two lines of infinite length must be infinite in amount, however near these lines are to each other. There is no estimating the superficial amount of this area for in fact there is no whole to it. But we may suppose parallel lines of infinite length to be placed at different distances from each other; but in every case the enlargement or diminution of the distances between any two such lines would accordingly vary the space contained between them. The superficial contents would in every case be infinite and yet they would differ in amount according to the distances of the lines from each other.

In every case unbelief involves infinite guilt in the sense just explained; and yet the guilt of unbelief may differ and must differ in different cases indefinitely in amount.

The guilt of unbelief under the light of the gospel must be indefinitely greater than when merely the light of nature is rejected. The guilt of unbelief in cases where special Divine illumination has been enjoyed must be vastly and incalculably greater than where the mere light of the gospel has been enjoyed without a special enlightening of the Holy Spirit.

The guilt of unbelief in one who has been converted and has known the love of God must be greater beyond comparison than that of an ordinary sinner. Those things that are implied in unbelief show that it must be one of the most trying abominations to God in the universe. It is the perfection of all that is unreasonable, unjust, ruinous. It is infinitely slanderous and dishonorable to God and destructive to man and to all the interests of the kingdom of God.

IX. NATURAL AND GOVERNMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF

BOTH FAITH AND UNBELIEF.

By natural consequences are intended consequences that flow from the constitution and laws of mind by a natural necessity. By governmental consequences are intended those that result from the constitution, laws, and administration of moral government.

1. One of the natural consequences of faith is peace of conscience. When the will receives the truth and yields itself up to conformity to it, the conscience is satisfied with its present attitude, and the man becomes at peace with himself. The soul is then in a state to really respect itself, and can as it were behold its own face without a blush. But faith in truth perceived, is the unalterable condition of a man's being at peace with himself.

A governmental consequence of faith is peace with God: (1.) In the sense that God is satisfied with the present obedience of the soul. It is given up to be influenced by all truth, and this is comprehensive of all duty. Of course God is at peace with the soul so far as its present obedience is concerned.

(2.) Faith governmentally results in peace with God in the sense of being a condition of pardon and acceptance. That is, the penalty of the law for past sins, is remitted upon condition of true faith in Christ. The soul not only needs present and future obedience as a necessary condition of peace with self; but it also needs pardon and acceptance on the part of the government for past sins as a condition of peace with God. But since the subject of justification or acceptance with God is to come up as a distinct subject for consideration, I will not enlarge upon it here.

2. Self-condemnation is one of the natural consequences of unbelief. Such are the constitution and laws of mind, that it is naturally impossible for the mind to justify the heart's rejection of truth. On the contrary, the conscience necessarily condemns such rejection and pronounces judgment against it.

Legal condemnation is a necessary governmental consequence of unbelief. No just government can justify the rejection of known truth. But on the contrary all just governments must utterly abhor and condemn the rejection of truths and especially those truths that relate to the obedience of the subject, and the highest well-being of the rulers and ruled. The government of God must condemn and utterly abhor all unbelief, as a rejection of those truths that are indispensable to the highest well-being of the universe.

3. A holy or obedient life results from faith by a natural or necessary law. Faith is an act of will which controls the life by a law of necessity. It follows that when the heart receives or obeys the truth, the outward life must be conformed to it, of course.

4. A disobedient and unholy life results from unbelief also by a law of necessity. If the heart rejects the truth, the life will not be conformed to it of course.

5. Faith will develop every form of virtue in the heart and life as their occasions shall arise. It consists in the committing of the will to truth and to the God of truth. Of course as different occasions arise, faith will secure conformity to all truth on all subjects, and then every modification of virtue will exist in the heart and appear in the life as circumstances in the providence of God shall develop them.

6. Unbelief may be expected to develop resistance to all truth upon all subjects that conflict with selfishness; and hence nothing but selfishness in some form can restrain its appearing in any other and every other form possible or conceivable. It consists, be it remembered, in the heart's rejection of truth and of course implies the cleaving to error. The natural result of this must be the development in the heart and the appearance in the life of every form of selfishness that is not prevented by some other form. For example, avarice may restrain amativeness, intemperance, and many other forms of selfishness.

7. Faith governmentally results in obtaining help of God. God may and does gratuitously help those who have no faith. But this is not a governmental result or act in God. But to the obedient He extends his governmental protection and aid.

8. Faith is a necessary condition of, and naturally results in heart-obedience to the commandments of God. Without confidence in a governor, it is impossible honestly to give up the whole being in obedience to him. But implicit and universal faith must result in implicit and universal obedience. 9. Unbelief naturally because necessarily results in heartdisobedience to God.

10. Faith naturally and necessarily results in all those lovely and delightful emotions and states of feeling of which they are conscious whose hearts have embraced Christ. I mean all those emotions that are naturally connected with the action of the will and naturally result from believing the blessed truths of the gospel.

11. Unbelief naturally results in those emotions of remorse, regret, and of pain and agony which are the frequent experience of the unbeliever.

12. Faith lets God into the soul to dwell and reign there. Faith receives not only the atonement and mediatorial work

of Christ as a redeemer from punishment, but it also receives Christ a3 king to set up his throne and reign in the heart. Faith secures to the soul communion with God.

13. Unbelief shuts God out of the soul in the sense of refusing his reign in the heart.

It also shuts the soul out from an interest in his mediatorial work. This results not from an arbitrary appointment, but is a natural consequence. Unbelief shuts the soul out from communion with God.

These are hints at some of the natural and governmental consequences of Faith and Unbelief. They are designed not to exhaust the subject, but merely to call attention to topics which any one who desires may pursue at his pleasure. It should be here remarked that none of the ways, commandments, or appointments of God are arbitrary. Faith is a naturally indispensable condition of salvation, which is. the reason of its being made a governmental condition. Unbelief renders salvation naturally impossible: it must therefore render it governmentally impossible.

1

LECTURE LIII.

OFFICES AND RELATIONS OF CHRIST.

CHRIST is represented in the gospel as sustaining to men three classes of relations.

1. Those which are purely governmental.

2. Those which are purely spiritual.

3. Those which unite both these.

We shall at present consider Him as Christ our Justification. I shall show,

I. WHAT GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION IS NOT.

II. WHAT IT IS.

III. POINT OUT THE CONDITIONS OF GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION. IV. SHOW WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION.

I. I AM TO SHOW WHAT GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION IS NOT.

There is scarcely any question in theology that has been incumbered with more fiction and technical mysticism than that of justification.

Justification is the pronouncing of one just. It may be done in words, or practically by treatment. Justification must be in some sense a governmental act; and it is of importance to a right understanding of gospel justification to inquire whether it be an act of the judicial, the executive, or the legislative department of government; that is, whether gospel justification consists in a strictly judicial or forensic proceeding, or whether it consists in pardon, or setting aside the execution of an incurred penalty and is therefore properly cither an executive or a legislative act. We shall see that the settling of this question is of great importance in theology; and as we view this subject, so, if consistent, we must view many important and highly practical questions in theology. This leads me to say,

1. That gospel justification is not to be regarded as a forensic or judicial proceeding. Dr. Chalmers and those of his school hold that it is. But this is certainly a great mistake, as we shall see.