Jesus. Where is boasting then ? It is excluded. By what law? Of works ?-Nay, but by the law of faith." Will a man venture to arrogate to himself merit, merely for receiving as true, and embracing as worthy of regard, the testimony of God himself; and a testimony designed to secure the interests of his immortal soul? To refuse credence and confidence to that testimony, must, indeed, be à sin of most peculiar aggravation; but simply to receive that which comes to us with such attestations and such claims, can no more authorize a plea for the reward of merit, than the act of permitting to come into contact with the organs of our corporeal frame, the light we see, or the air we breathe, or the food we taste. 4. The doctrine of Justification by Faith presents the greatest possible encouragement to the repenting and returning sinner. This doctrine is, unquestionably, entitled to the character of good news and glad tidings to such as were ready to perish. To such it is addressed. It meets their case; it meets their exigencies; it meets their feelings. It prescribes not a course of preparatory duties, for which they feel they have no qualifications. It places not, in the distance of dim and remote futurity, the period for obtaining peace with God, and a good hope through grace." No, it exhibits a glorious work, as already accomplished by redeeming love, and as 66 fitted, at the very moment of exhibition, to become the basis of hope to sinful men. It assures them, that "Christ died for the ungodly: that God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." It teaches them, that the honour of God has been so consulted in the obedience and the sufferings of the Saviour, that no obstacle stands in the way of their immediate forgiveness,-their entire Justification. It shews them, that they have only to embrace the testimony, and to trust in the promise, of a faithful God, in order to appropriate the present and eternal blessings of the great salvation. 66 If," observes Mr. Erskine, "the gospel addressed merely our generous feelings, our love of what is right and excellent, our sense of what is beautiful and lovely, it would be a very different thing from what it is; it would be suited to another order of beings, and, with regard to us, would scarcely be deserving the name of glad tidings. But, blessed be the name of our God, he has addressed us in that character which cleaves closest to us. He has spoken to us as base and polluted, but, above all, as selfish beings. The very first principle which he addresses, is that of instinctive self-preservation. He meets the natural cry of misery, and the weary and undefined cravings of the unsatisfied spirit. His loudest and most general invitations, both in the Old and New Testaments, are addressed, not to the moral, but to the natural feelings; to the sense of misery and the desire of happiness. 68 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters."-" Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”"Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." At this despised door of nature the Saviour knocks, and through it he deigns to enter. He came to bind up the broken heart, and to comfort all that mourn. And many come, as it seems, led by the mere instinctive longing after enjoyment, and try the gospel as a last and forlorn experiment, after the failure of every other attempt to obtain happiness.And, oh! what an unlooked-for discovery do they make! He, who had found no restingplace in this world, and who had wandered through it in quest of some object, however insignificant, that might interest him, and for a moment at least remove the sense of that hopeless languor which lay dead upon his heart, finds now an object which his widest desires cannot grasp, even filial communion with God here, and the full enjoyment of Him, through a magnificent eternity, on the very threshold of which he already stands. He, who has felt himself too weak to resist the storms and roughnesses of life, learns to lean with confidence on Omni potence. He, whose conscience of sin has made life a burden to him, and at the same time has taught him to look with a vague horror to futurity, applies to that fountain which was opened in the house of David for sin and for uncleanness, and he has peace with God, through faith in Christ Jesus." 5. The possession of Faith should call forth from the believer the most grateful acknowledg ments. :66 --- By grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." And has this gift been bestowed on me?-well may the christian exclaim, with grateful admiration: Once I lived in unbelief; without faith; without hope; without Christ; without God in the world. I heard the gospel with the outward ear; but my heart was hard and cold. I was dead towards God, and alive only to the pursuits and pleasures of this transient world. For me the name of Jesus had no charms, the bible no beauties, the sabbath no delights, and heaven itself no strong attractions. I lived under the frown of God, and yet did not tremble at that frown. I was daily exposed to the wrath which cometh and abideth, and yet I remained without any awakening apprehensions. There was but. a step between me and death eternal. Oh what dangers have I at length escaped; what happiness have I attained; what glories now await me! "What shall I render to the Lord for benefits such as these?" What do I not owe to the God of my salvation, who, by the life-giving energy of his spirit, convinced me of sin, and especially of the sin of unbelief, chased away the darkness. from my mind, removed the hardness of my heart, rescued me from the power of the tempter and destroyer, justified me freely by his grace, and taught me to live a life of Faith on Him who was "delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification." Let my lips shew forth his praise; let my heart glow with emotions of indescribable gratitude and love, and whatsoever I do in word or deed, let me " do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving glory to God by him." From my inmost soul, would I ever say," Lord, increase my Faith:" like Abraham, may I be "strong in Faith, giving glory to God" like Stephen, may I be "full of Faith, and of the Holy Ghost." With the Apostle of the Gentiles, may I be able to say "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."-" May Christ dwell in my heart by Faith; that being rooted and grounded in love, I may be able to comprehend, |