is earnestly concerned to obtain medical assistance; so those who believe that their souls are, by nature, "full of wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores," will anxiously apply to the Great Physician of souls to obtain a remedy. Under the influence of a belief which is of Divine operation, Jesus will be applied to with the utmost earnestness, as the only refuge from the impending wrath of God. Not the least confidence will be placed in reformations, repentance, or even in the most spiritual frames. Nothing but the Saviour will appear an object worthy of reliance, to the real believer in his name.

These observations will seem perfectly scriptural, when it is further recollected, that believing is compared to coming to the Saviour. "He that cometh to me," saith Christ," shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst:" which words evidently imply, that coming to Jesus, and believing on him, are one and the same thing. Believing in Christ is also compared to receiving him. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God; even to them which believe on his name.' The reason these expressions are considered of the same import is obvious. Belief in the Saviour, will of necessity produce a cordial reception of him as he is offered in the Gospel. Hence the Believer receives him, as his Prophet, to be taught of

him, and guided into all truth. He also receives him in his Priestly office, by which he embraces his sacrifice, as the only atonement for the sin of his soul. And he receives him as his King; by which he bows to his authority with sweet submission, looks to him for defence from every spiritual adversary, and places him on the throne of his heart, that he may reign over every inward motion, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of himself.

Thus, it is hoped, a tolerably correct idea may be formed of the nature of believing; which believing, let it be observed, is the means by which we become partakers of the blessings of Salvation; or in other words, by which we " are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses." It remains now to improve the subject by an appropriate APPLICATION.

Here the importance of self-examination will appear to every thinking mind. Allow me, therefore, my brethren, to inquire whether you are believers in that way which we have described? What do you think of yourselves by nature and by practice? Have you ever been convinced, that your state is exactly what the scriptures have described it to be? Do you believe that your hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked? Do you believe that you are born

in sin, and exposed to the sentence of condemnation, for your offences against the Law of God? Have these sentiments ever sunk so deeply into your hearts, as that you have been glad to accept of Christ on any terms? If it has not been thus with you, I should be an enemy to your immortal souls, were I not to dclare, that you are strangers to the very first principles of christian experience. And what an alarming consideration is this! How exceedingly awful is the thought, of your having sat so long, perhaps many years, under the preaching of the gospel, and that you are yet strangers to the very beginnings of godliness! Are you not aware of your dangerous state? Do not your hearts tremble at the idea of it? Lord, take pity on these souls, and open their hearts that they may learn, and attend to, the things which belong to their everlasting peace!

But I will suppose that I am addressing not a few individuals of a more pleasing description: those I mean who have been awakened to a sense of their danger-who are convinced of their natural sinfulness, lamenting their inward depravity, renouncing all self-dependence, and trusting solely to the merits of the Saviour, for pardon, and peace, and acceptance with God. hearts of many of you, my brethren, I trust are testifying, that this is your experience.

The

You can set to your seal that all your hopes are founded on him who was made sin for you. And is your only reliance, my dear hearers, placed on this rock of ages?-and do you renounce all dependence on your own doings as dross and dung; exclaiming "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ?"-O blessed characters! You have reason to conclude that you are believers. And what an unspeakable privilege is this! For, according to the text, "all that believe are justified from all things, by which they could not be justified by the law of Moses."

You are,

therefore, accounted by that God whose eyes are too pure to look on iniquity, free from every charge of guilt. You are delivered from all condemnation, and will in the great day stand without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down. Take encouragement and hope to the end.

But here let me call to your recollection, those important words, with which the text begins-By him.-By him ye are justified from all things. Never lose sight for a moment of this astonishing truth. Ye are justified not by your own works, but by the LORD JESUS. Stand in amazement ye redeemed souls at this. He that would have been everlastingly blessed and glorious without you, stooped from a throne to a manger;

divested himself of the robes of his glory-and clothed himself in human clay; that he might justify your souls for ever. In short, He who was the brightness of the Father's glory; who lay in his bosom from eternity; whose commands all heaven obeys; and at whose voice, this vast globe, and worlds unknown, sprang into existence-He was made a curse for you. Your deserts he sustained.

Your hell he suffered-and with the wholesome strength of his own right hand, he encountered legions of your spiritual foes, and chained them down for ever, that they might not by any means hurt you. Let then this Saviour be precious in your esteem. Value him as altogether lovely. And throughout your future days, devote your lives to him with more than ten-fold earnestness; exhibiting in every part of your conduct that "The love of Christ constraineth you."

Lastly, is it by the Saviour, and through believing in him, we are justified from all things?-how inconsistently, then, are those persons acting who place their dependence on something short of him in order to be saved. And yet, alas, it is to be feared that there are many of this description! Perhaps some of you, my brethren, are of this number. A good moral life, as it is termed, is substituted in the place of the Saviour by some persons. Repentance and an endeavour to do their best, are relied on