it resists intrusive imaginations, when they are calculated to seduce and to betray: it "prevents us in all our doings, and furthers us with God's continual help" it soothes our slumbers, and cheers us in every active scene it is our support in life, and our comfort on our dying-bed. Why? because it places before us, by every thing without us, and by every thing within us, the happy prospect of that salvation which is the object of our hope, and the end of our desire. Come, then, blessed Spirit of grace! illuminate our understandings, clear our faculty of judging, show us indeed the Son of Man in heaven, and assist us in our ascent to those regions of Divine love, where our best Friend, our eternal Advocate, pleads the cause of every faithful servant!

XV.-Justification.

To arrive at a point of satisfaction in the great inquiry, "What must I do to be saved?" not only gives inconceivable quiet to the mind, but sheds a superior glow upon the spirits, which encourages us to go on to higher degrees of comfort and consolation; even to the firm establishment of a living faith which brings forth fruit unto everlasting life. This it does; not by any visionary or fanciful plan of operations, but such as are founded on the irrefragable word of God,

8

"increasing in us true religion, and nourishing us in all goodness:" not deluding us with vain and unsubstantial expectations, but affording us the firm footstep of salvation.

There are two marks, says a pious writer, by which every man may try himself: "as he takes God for his chief good, and as he heartily accepts Christ for his only Saviour. The former mark is the sum of the first and great commandment of the law: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart: the second mark is the sum of the command of the Gospel. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved; on the performance of these two, rests the whole of godliness and Christianity." This indeed is justifying saving faith. "I do not ask," he adds, "whether thou be assured of salvation; nor whether thou canst believe that thy sins are pardoned, and that thou art beloved of God and Christ? These are no parts of justifying faith, but excellent fruits of it, and they that receive them are comforted by them '."

The harmony of Christian doctrines is much to be admired by every student of the Gospel. They dissolve, as it were, into each other, like the mellowed tints of an ancient picture, till their blended beauties form one delightful whole. It is under this aspect they are viewed by those who have long kept their eyes upon them, and feel the fulness of that reflected light

1 Baxter's Saint's Rest. Chap. viii. § 15.

which illumines the soul. They can trace in this picture what they have once experienced; from the first beam of God's grace shining upon them, they have followed the star till they found the babe at Bethlehem. Such must be the pleasing state of him who contemplates every ascending step in the scale of his own salvation. Short as the contemplation may be, it leaves behind it a sweet impression of thought; it shows that the impulse is not exhausted; that they are still travelling, like the Israelites in the wilderness, towards Sion the Mount of God.

It will be evident then, that a right belief is necessary to perfect the harmony of Christian doctrine: for if we detract one note from the music of the soul we render it discordant. From a deep contemplation of our own corruption, we must proceed by a gradual increase to "build upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the Chief corner-stone ":" for "of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption"." It is clear that, if any of these blessed properties had resided in us, we should not have wanted any communication of them. In the present case, if we wanted righteousness to justify our guilty persons, from whom could we procure it, but from the Lord our righteousness? from him who is made righteousness for us, or in our stead.

1 Eph. ii. 20.

21 Cor. i. 30.

By the word righteousness, we understand justification, and to be justified is to be made righteous. But there is yet a stronger interpretation of the word— Justify, as it signifies, not only to make one just, but deems or declares one just, as conformable to the laws of God, and free from unrighteousness and sin'. But no man can justify himself. Whatever he may be thought in the sight of man, in the sight of God he is a fallen guilty creature. Something therefore must be applied to him to make him acceptable to the Almighty. What this is, is too plain to be mistaken. "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth"." The meritorious death of Christ comes in here for the recovery and restoration of every believing sinner. "God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him"." "Therefore (we conclude) being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ"."

"Wherefore that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort"." But the proof of this doctrine is essential to our salvation. "Albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ,

1 Freylinghausen, p. 123. 4 Rom. v. 1.

2 Rom. x. 4.

3 2 Cor. v. 21.

5 Article XI.

and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively

Justification is the root of salvation under this view, and is so far progressive; but I will not take upon me to say that it is never otherwise. It sometimes occurs that there is an hour when the sinner is convinced of sin, there is an hour when he discovers that all that is past is blank as to his future prospects; but when that hour is come he may say with St. John-" the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth "." Now the energy of the Spirit gives the impulse to his endeavours: " for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God,"-and thus "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." But though the religious state of man be progressive, the means are perfect from the first; and at whatever stage of his existence God is pleased to call him, his end will be blessed, if he continue faithful unto death. The meritorious cause of salvation is thus always in operation. "God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: being now justified by his blood, from wrath through him "."

much more, then, we shall be saved

1 Article XII.

3 Rom. viii. 14, 15.

21 John ii. 8.

4 Rom. v. 8.