persevere through all the obstacles that lie in our way. But thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, grace is secured to us who believe. We may sing with the poet,

"Grace divine that made us thine,

Will keep us thine for ever."

God will work in the hearts of his people, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Now, my friends, how shall we apply this subject, and what shall we infer from it. We may infer, in the first place, from this subject, the deplorable condition of man in his fallen state, possessing a will so perverse, that it is opposed to all that is really and spiritually good; insensible also of his own weakness and inability to extricate himself from his depraved condition in which he lies by nature, and as unwilling as he is unable; and if at any time an idea of the necessity of salvation enter his mind, so insensible is he of his own weakness and insufficiency, that he will not submit to be saved in the way revealed in the gospel, but sets his own will in opposition to the will of God, even in the great matter of salvation.

Secondly. We may infer also, the importance of salvation, and which may well excite fear and trembling in the minds of those who are brought to feel their lost condition by reason of sin, and in whose minds a desire is excited to flee from the wrath to come, to which as sinners they are exposed.

Thirdly. We infer, that the christian life is a life of diligence and labour. They are called to work-not for life, but from life-the principle of which they have derived from the Lord of life and glory. They are called to glorify God in their bodies and in their spirits which are his. To let their light so shine before men, that others seeing their good works, manifesting the genuineness of their principles, may glorify their Father who is in heaven.

Lastly. Let us pray the Holy Spirit of God that he would graciously apply the inference of his own word as drawn in scripture language, and with which I shall conclude, "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth; but of God that sheweth mercy," Rom. ix. 16. "We are not sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God," 2 Cor. ii. 3, 5. "Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us, for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.” Amen.

FRAGMENT.

WHOSOEVER knows what sin is, and what Christ is, that man is wise in God's account, whatsoever else he may be ignorant of! Whosoever knows not himself as a sinner, nor Christ as a Saviour, is a fool in God's account, whatever else he may be acquainted with, and however wise he may be in the world's estimation! No human science can teach a soul the evil of sin: nor can all the learning in the world comfort a distressed conscience!

VOL. VIII.-No. 86.]

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ORIGINAL ESSAYS.

LXXII.

THE BENEFITS OF A STATE OF JUSTIFICATION. THERE are various things involved in a sinner's justification to eternal life. The being of God, who is the cause of the creature's existence-his power and glory which are manifested in his formation-the moral rectitude of the divine nature, which bound God to create man in his first state an upright and innocent being; so that every quality and property which were seated in his nature, were connatural to the law under which he was created. A state of moral freedom from the being of sin was the due of an intelligent nature from God on the ground of strict justice, and the perfection of natural holiness in which Adam was formed was the glory of his nature. That was expressed by him in all his actions so long as he continued an innocent man, and those actions done by him in conformity with the covenant of works were the conditional ground upon which he was to retain his possession of the goodness of God in the garden of Eden. Adam, our father, was created by God the root of a numerous family, in whom as their head in law God provided for them all the good which in equity a creature could have right to possess, and the inheritance of it depended upon the consistent conduct of our first parent. The loss of the rectitude and natural holiness of the state in which Adam was created made him a sinner, and a charge of fault passed upon his seed in him; so that condemnation has passed upon all, for that all have sinned. Here is imputation of crime to millions who were not personally present to commit it, but who had a virtual existence in the person of their earthly and natural representative.

Before the formation of the world, God had made a covenant with his Son; the conditions of which were, that he was to take flesh of a virgin, and to become incarnate; so that as a holy and righteous man he might remove sin, restore the rights of God, magnify the law by obeying of it, and by suffering of its penalty, and thereby become the end of it for to justify his seed from its condemning power. This the great Immanuel has accomplished, and the Father is satisfied with what he has done; and in due order of time, the people for whom the righteousness of the Son of God was wrought, are created anew by the Holy Ghost, to see their own nakedness and defilement, the spirituality of the law of God, and to obtain evidence of the righteousness of Christ, that they may be actually justified in their own consciences.

It is then God who justifies the sinner, and that which is his justification is righteousness. The Father, in this establishment of grace and justice, has vindicated and maintained the right of Deity; and the Son has evidenced his attachment to unalterable justice in his cove

nant with the Father, and by his accomplishing every part of it. Jehovah sovereignly chose and settled this order of things in the person of his Son, who is the head of the spiritual world; and in due time, Christ appeared in our world to accomplish the salvation of the church. Righteousness may be denominated an exact conformity to law. Now as the principle of action evidenced in the obedient life of the Son of God was superior in its kind than that was which Adam lost by sinning against God, since by disobedience condemnation passed upon his seed, justification is pronounced by the Father upon the brethren of Christ, for he has restored what he took not away. Whatever graces, virtues, and holy dispositions of mind were resident in the person of the Son of God, they were exemplified in his life when he obeyed the law. Less than perfection cannot be admitted in equity, when God pronounces a sinner just; for although the justification of a sinner is to him an act of grace, yet God is as just as he is gracious, when he reveals the righteousness of his Son to faith. The man who is elected by God to wear the robe of righteousness is greatly honoured; for in it he is made conformable to law. There is no connivance at iniquity, no provision made to cherish it, nor is the evil quality of it concealed, although the sinner is honourably saved. Grace has extended her friendly hand to rescue the abandoned from misery, but inflexible justice has demanded and obtained at the hand of the sinner's Surety an equivalent for the injury that had been done to the government of God, by withholding from him his undisputed rights. He is the "just God, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Christ."

"In the way of righteousness there is life." Whoever is justified by God has obtained from him, in the righteousness which justifies him, a right to live for ever in the heavenly world. The saved sinner is not only snatched from perdition, but he is redeemed by Christ to God. "He died the just for the unjust to bring us to God." Therefore, as the saving worth of the holy life and sacrificial death of Christ is admitted by the lawgiver to be a redemption from all sin, and the heirs of grace were represented in the person of their Surety, God has unveiled his gracious character in the mediation of his Son, and he has appointed them to live because of his righteousness. It has often been said, that Christ has redeemed his people from sin, which is an important fact; but it is not the whole truth, for he has done more than this for his needy brethren. It was a wonderful display of the Deity of the great Immanuel to redeem the church; and in every part of his mediatorial work his Godhead appears as refulgently as the sun is seen at noon-day in his own light; but this astonishing work has a legal influence with God to acquire at his hand a title for his brethren to reign in life with him in the world of light. When, therefore, the Lord the Spirit appears as a Sanctifier to create anew the heirs of grace, he works faith in the man, by which he receives his justification. A man may be justified by God before he exists; but in order to his knowledge and enjoyment of it, it is necessary that he should be born, and afterwards regenerated. Jus

tification does not produce in the sinner any physical alteration of the qualities of the mind, but it is a legal act by which Jehovah is pleased to pronounce the man just to whom he imputes righteousness; yet it is inseparably connected with sanctification. Regeneration is a physical act wrought on a sinner by the Holy Ghost, by which he is made a new creature. In the principle of life which he is spiritually created to receive, there is comprehended every grace which resides in the man Christ Jesus, and the creation wrought is a subjective qualification of the man to receive the heavenly good obtained for him by the great Redeemer. Release from captivity is effected in the conscience by that which honours the law of God. The gospel revelation of the righteousness of Christ is ever the same; but there is a distinction created by the Holy Ghost in them who evangelically embrace it; therefore, it is beheld by a spiritual man in a different light to what a carnal man views it. In the early day of our religious consciousness the moral rectitude of God is exhibited by the law, and we behold as in a glass our turpitude and defection; we are necessarily led to abhor ourselves: but the remedy provided is not yet clearly discovered to us, and we are greatly distressed under the apprehension that we shall everlastingly perish. This internal discipline is emptying of us, and we are hereby saved from self-sufficiency and conceit. We learn to justify the conduct of God, and to renounce ourselves; and when we are brought to be nothing, the internal revelation of the righteousness of Christ delivers us from condemnation, and we are set at liberty from slavish fear.

The revelation of the righteousness of the Son of God to faith, kindles attachment to his person and all that belongs to him. What an important alteration is effected in the mind by it! Nature when she is convulsed to her centre under a manifestation of the justice of God, will reel like a drunken man. Alarmed and awake to discern and apprehend her state, she is ever employed to improve or to alter it; but as purity can never arise in that which is by nature defiled, she is soon exhausted, and her strength is proved to be perfect weak

ness.

The unexpected and undeserved friendship of the Son of God, manifested by the Holy Ghost, tranquillizes the mind, imparts healing, conveys freedom, effects reconciliation, and produces peace. God is viewed in a different light to what he was before. His being, perfection, greatness, goodness, love, truth, holiness, and justice, in Jesus, conspire to make us happy; because they unite to render us holy. The law which we considered to be our enemy, we find that it was armed with authority to condemn us because of our sin. There is nothing in the law of God opposed to a just man. When, therefore, it is employed by God as a righteous instrument to impart to us a consistent knowledge of sin, it is sin that has armed it with authority to pronounce us accursed. For when we are illuminated to discern, that Christ has magnified the law and made it honourable, instead of aversion to its claims, or hostility to the holiness, justice, and goodness of it, we are effectually reconciled to God, and we adore him for the provision which he made for our justification to eternal life.

Created anew in Christ Jesus, in a state of justification, we live by faith, and have communion with God. Our vital connection with the Prince of peace is the formal reason why there are supplies of grace and sanctity conveyed to the heirs of grace. Every ordinance of God is an inlet of fellowship with him. The duties that he has commanded us to practise are a door of communion opened to us in this world. For as all truth is comprehended in the person of the Son of God, and we are vitally united to him, and as by faith we partake of his fulness, the graces which are comprehended in the holy principle of life within us, are strengthened and preserved. Our food is heavenly in its origin and nature; therefore, we cannot be contented with the good things of this life for our only portion. We are thankful to God for that portion of earthly good which he is pleased to confer upon us, and we relish it because we are saved to know that the bounties of providence are dispensed in subordination to the counsel of eternity. By faith we wait upon God for our daily portion of the bread of life, and we live a life above nature through what we have obtained from heaven. Every event that transpires is an occasion to prove to us, that God in Christ can alone fill the mind with satisfaction and sanctification. Although this fact is easily stated, it has not been a trifling thing with us to be brought to a point about it; and we are now often seriously affected from within, when we attempt in our devotions to maintain the principle. But the incoming of grace from the fountain of life has hitherto supported us; and from the first moment when we were favoured to obtain evidence that God has imputed to us the righteousness of Christ for our justification unto the present, we have humbly endeavoured to renounce self, and to cleave to the Saviour with purpose of heart.

A state of justification is always the same. It cannot decay, nor be improved. Originating in the will of God, and terminating on the conscience of a sinner, the end which was intended is actually accomplished. In this establishment there is a radical distinction from that which was founded in the Eden covenant. This will continue for ever, because the righteousness of Christ, which is the glory of it, is imperishable in its nature, and endless in its duration. That was loseable, and has been actually forfeited. Great indeed was the portion of Adam, and large was the pleasure which he enjoyed while it lasted; but his heritage was alienated, and he was left in poverty, disgrace, and guilt, as the consequences of it. But in the person of the Son of God, who is the lord of Adam, the sinner is justified from all condemnation; and as he is immutably the same, the state of being of which we now speak is unchangeable. Just in the same degree that the Son of God is superior to Adam, the church is honoured and benefited by her connection with him. Justice had no controul over the Redeemer to hold him under the dominion of death; he therefore" was declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead." When in death he bowed his sacred head, he then drank the cup which justice had mingled for him; but when he arose, he proved the truth of his mission, for he arose from the dead, jus