It is by faith alone that the sinner receives Christ and his righteousness as the free gift of God. And hence he is said to be justified by faith.—Rom. v. 1. See the following passages of Scripture, where several expressions occur which clearly prove that justification is by faith, or that Christ's imputed righteousness, by which the sinner is justified, is received by faith.-Rom. iii. 22, 28, and v. 1; Heb. xi. 7; Phil. iii. 9; Gal. ii. 16. But none of them imply that the sinner is justified on account of faith. It is not the receiving of Christ's righteousness, but the righteousness itself, that justifies the sinner; in the same manner as it is not the hand, but what is received by the hand, that nourishes.

But the sinner is also said to be justified by grace, by the blood of Christ, and by works.

1. He is said to be justified by grace (Rom. iii. 24), because grace accompanies every step of salvation. It was grace that provided the sacrifice, and that was pleased to accept of the satisfaction of Christ. It is grace that applies this purchase to the sinner. It is grace that pardons and forgives transgression and sin; for it is for his name's sake that the Lord pardoneth iniquity.-Psal. xxv. 11. And it is grace that enables the believer to hold out to the end, and to be faithful unto death.

2. He is said to be justified by the blood of Christ (Rom. v. 9), because the shedding of his blood was the last act of his obedience. This, however, does not exclude the other parts of his obedience, both active and passive.—See Lev. xvii. 11; Heb. ix. 22.

3. He is said to be justified by works, and not by faith only. -James ii. 24. But this must be understood of evidencing the reality of our faith by those works in sanctification which flow from faith. True faith and true holiness will discover themselves by good works, as naturally as good fruit grows on a good tree.

"If any human doing or suffering could have procured salvation, it is self-evident that God would have spared his Son, and that the Son would have spared himself from the work of redemption. Yea, if by any degree of assistance, however great, we could have been enabled to save ourselves, it is morally certain, from the whole character of God, and from the whole analogy of his government, that he would have enabled us to do so, instead of sending his Son to do it. But as he sent him in the form of a servant, and in the office

of a substitute, it is the very height of absurdity to imagine that salvation can be owing to any cause but his atoning sacrifice."

All these ways, then, entirely agree: they imply no contradiction; grace is the moving cause; faith is the hand which receives the righteousness of Christ; the blood of Christ justifies, because without shedding of blood there is no remission; and works justify, only as they are evidences of the reality of our faith-as they discover to ourselves and to our brethren, that our faith is not dead. Hence all these different ways imply one another. And hence we conclude, that a man is justified by faith alone before God,—that is, by Christ's imputed righteousness received by faith alone.

Obs. 147.-No obedience of ours can in any measure recommend us to an interest in Jesus Christ.

"It is the plan of the Gospel to save sinners entirely by free grace. There is no medium between salvation by the deeds of the law and salvation by grace. As none can plead perfect obedience, they cannot be saved in the former way. All then, whatever their former character has been, must come and be saved in the same way-by the free grace of God through Jesus Christ. This shows how much some misunderstand the Gospel, who, when they are first awakened to a concern about their souls, are disposed to decline coming immediately to the Saviour; hoping that they may previously become (as they think) somewhat better, and have a better claim to his regard. This sentiment, though often assuming the semblance of much humility, plainly savours of a self-righteous spirit. It is attempting, as it were, to divide the honour of our salvation with the heavenly Saviour,—that is, we wish to be allowed to deal a little in this great work, though we would give him the chief share of the glory. Such a spirit is quite opposed to the plan of salvation revealed in the Gospel. There we are required to come as we are, and without delay, to the Lord Jesus. He claims all the glory of the salvation of his people."-Matt. i. 21; Acts ii. 38, and xvi. 30; 1 Tim. i. 15, 16.

Obs. 148. To speak of "sincere obedience as being under the Gospel dispensation substituted in the room of "perfect obedience,” is altogether improper and absurd.

The reason of this is," because the perfect obedience

required by the law, is strictly and fully paid under the Gospel. The moral law is, like its Author, holy, just, and good. Its demands are founded on unchangeable righteousness, and therefore it could not be altered. This appears from the nature of its precepts. Thus, it could never cease to be the duty of man, as a creature of God, supremely to love and obey his Creator, and, agreeably to his command, to love his neighbour as himself. Had the demands of the law been lowered, it would have argued that it originally required too much; and, consequently, that it was not founded on essential rectitude. But although this may be often a reason for changing human laws, it could never apply to the law of the living God. Salvation is, then, revealed in the Gospel, not by altering the standard of law, but by completely fulfilling all its demands. Did it demand the punishment of the transgressor, and a perfect obedience, as necessary to furnish a claim to eternal life? These demands were completely answered by the obedience unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ as the surety of his people. It is not, then, sincere obedience which is under the Gospel substituted in the room of perfect obedience; but the perfect obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the room of his people, is substituted in the place of that perfect personal obedience, which the law would otherwise have required of them."-Matt. v. 17; Rom. vii. 12, and x. 4; Psal. xix. 7.

"But although believers cannot yield perfect obedience to the law of God, they are nevertheless called to yield sincere obedience. This is undoubtedly the case. This sincere obedience, however, is the effect of gratitude to the Saviour, on account of the free communication of pardoning mercy. Deliverance from sin, too, and being enabled to walk in newness of life, is to be viewed as forming a part of that salvation which the Lord Jesus Christ reveals. But it is not to be considered as at all coming in the room of that perfect obedience which the law originally required."

Obs. 149.—The doctrine of salvation through the merits of Jesus Christ alone, has no tendency to encourage men to continue in sin.

Instead of this, "when properly understood and believed, it must have the very opposite effect. This doctrine exhibits the evil, as well as the danger of sin, in the most striking manner. No man, therefore, can embrace it without discovering both of these, and wherever this is the case, there

must be a strong desire to be delivered from it. Deliverance from the power and the love of sin is accordingly revealed as a part of the salvation of the Gospel, as well as freedom from its guilt. Farther, this doctrine tends to promote obedience in another way,-viz., by means of love to the Saviour. No man can believe in Jesus as a Saviour, without loving him; and he who loveth him will keep his commandments." -Matt. i. 21; John xiv. 15, and xv. 14; Rom. vi. 1-14, &c., and viii. 2; Tit. ii. 11; Eph. ii. 1-10. "Such is the testimony of Scripture; and we see it fully confirmed by what takes place in the world around us. We almost uniformly see those who are most disposed to place confidence in their own righteousness, discovering a considerable degree of laxness in their conduct; while such as depend solely on the merits of Jesus for justification and salvation, are much more careful to be found walking in newness of life."

Obs. 150.-This method of acceptance with God, through the righteousness of his Son, redounds more to his honour and glory, than if sinners could have obeyed perfectly in their own persons, or than if they had been doomed to perish for ever in their sins.

By the obedience and death of his own Son, God must be glorified more than if man had obeyed and suffered; because, in the world to come, the praises of the redeemed shall be full of a God in Christ, and his redemption shall be the burden of their song and the subject of their glorying. But surely the doings of man himself, although they were perfect, do not deserve to be once remembered in the presence of a holy and an all-sufficient God. This shows, that the acceptance of the sinner, through the righteousness of the Redeemer, is entirely consistent with the perfections of Jehovah.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. That the greatest sinners may be justified; that grace may apprehend the chief of sinners. 2. The sovereignty of God. 3. The necessity of justification. 4. The happiness of the justified; and the misery of all that continue enemies to God. 5 That the righteousness of Christ is an invaluable gift, seeing it can cover the sinner in the day of God's fierce anger. 6. That we cannot take this righteousness to ourselves; but being the gift of God, it must be imputed to us. 7. That the Gospel is the

best news that ever reached the ears of sinners. 8. The necessity of faith in Christ in order to justification. 9. That God ought to have all the glory of redeeming grace. 10. That works ought to have their own place in the system of grace, and not to usurp the place of that righteousness which is pleasing in the sight of God. 11. That we ought to seek after scriptural views of a sinner's justification before God. 12. That there is no way of becoming his friends, but by the justifying act of God. 13. The necessity of the Gospel and of faith in it. 14. The necessity of pardon of sin. 15. That if guilt be not removed, we are still the enemies of God. 16. That if pardon be obtained, sinners may rejoice in hope of glory, for they are at eace with God. 17. That boasting is excluded from the sinner in the matter of justification. 18. The misery of the sinner who despises the riches of divine grace. 19. That if we are justified, we possess all things.

Of Adoption.

Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That adoption is an act of God's free grace. 1 John iii. 1.-"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!"

2. That by adoption we are received into the number of God's children. Eph. i. 5.-"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children." See also John i. 12.

3. That by adoption we receive a right to all the privileges of God's children. Rom. viii. 27.—“ If children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 151.-Adoption is an act of God's free grace.

To adopt, signifies to take a stranger into a family, and to deal with him as if he were a son and heir.

The adopter of sinners is God essentially considered-God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 1. God the Father adopts,