be wicked or righteous. It will be a revelation of righteous judgment. The decisions of that day will be unquestioned. No impeachment of justice, no charge of partiality; it will be righteous judgment.

1. The nature of the punishment.

It is called "wrath." It is the wrath of God; of omnipotence. Wrath unmitigated-unsweetened with one drop. of mercy. Wrath that will be felt; wrath on the body; wrath on the soul. It will be everlasting. The fire said to be unquenchable; "the worm that dieth not." For ever. It is now "wrath to come," and because it is to come, sinners will not believe it; because it is to come, they think it never will come.

3. The proportion of the punishment. "Treasurest up wrath.' Heaps of wrath. And you will observe the sinner is represented as the author of his own punishment. The idea conveyed is this, that there is an accumulation continually going on as long as he sins. Whatever an impenitent man is doing, he is "heaping up wrath." Every day he is adding something to the heap.

J.

LVIII.

JUSTIFICATION.

ROMANS iii. 24.-" Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Rightly to understand the doctrine of justification is a matter of great importance. It holds a very prominent place in the inspired volume. It is connected with the most momentous concerns of men.

Consider,

I. OUR NEED OF THIS BLESSING.

This arises from the sinfulness of our race, our total want of righteousness, our actual trangression of the law of God. The whole world are sinners. All are under sin; as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one; "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

II. THE NATURE OF THIS BLESSING.

It consists in being accounted just before God. It is pardon for all past sin. It is acquittal from condemnation, "there is now therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus."

III. THE MEANS BY WHICH WE OBTAIN THIS BLESSING.

Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The term redemption denotes a price paid for the deliverance of captives. In the same sense our Saviour tells us that he "came to give his life a ransom for many ;" and the apostle Peter, "that we were redeemed, not with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ;" and again we are told that God " purchased the church with his own blood;" all of these passages convey the same meaning with our text, "that our justification was obtained by the blood-shedding of the Lamb of God."

B.

LIX.

JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE.

ROMANS iii. 24.-"Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The Holy Scriptures teach that the eternal wellbeing of man depends on his present conduct; they also teach that the conduct of man has been such as to expose him to justly merited misery. No question then can be of so much importance to us as that which propounds a method of escape from the misery with which we are threatened.

I. THE NATURE OF THE STATE SPOKEN OF IN THE TEXT. "Being justified."

Justification is a term used in our courts of law in the sense of acquittal. If the charge against a prisoner cannot be proven, or if there be positive evidence of his innocence, he is acquitted, he is set free, the law does not detain, and dare not punish him, it says, "go free.".

The gospel blessing is somewhat analogous to this, though differing essentially in some important particulars.

Notice,

1. Some circumstances in their previous condition. (1.) A charge to have been made.

A charge is preferred against all men of having wilfully, knowingly, and willingly acted in opposition to the Divine law; of having offended the majesty of heaven; of being engaged in rebellion against his authority and government; of audaciously refusing to obey him; and openly acting in defiance of his command.

(2.) The charge is proved.

There is a peculiarity belonging to human beings on this subject, which must not be overlooked; all men everywhere feel themselves to be sinners. However different in other respects, here they are alike. Men are of diversified conditions, they belong to different climes, they speak different languages, they differ one from another in the height of their stature, and in the colour of their skin, and in their personal and mental endowments-but on this point they feel that they agree; each man feels himself a sinner; "all the world is guilty before God."

3. The sentence of death is recorded.

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Thou shalt surely die," it is written in every sinner's heart. The degree has gone forth to all the world, that sin shall be punished with death. Every sinner carries the sentence about him continually.

2. The change that takes place in the sinner's state, when he is justified.

It is evident that justification is not a declaration of innocence, nor is it an acquittal for want of evidence, it is simply an acquittal from all the consequences of sin. It is the opposite of condemnation; it is a repeal of the penalty; it is the removal of punishment; it is rescinding the sentence of death in a word, it is pardon. Pardon for all sin, and this comprehends,

(1.) Deliverance from the penalty.

The ungodly who are justified, are delivered thereby from the wrath of God, they are no longer exposed to it, no longer under the curse of his law.

(2.) An assurance of God's favour.

The penitent sinner who believes in Jesus, is received into the favour and family of God. He has the witness of the Holy Spirit, assuring him of restoration to the favour of God.

(3.) Title to everlasting life.

Justification is the opposite of condemnation. The condemnation is eternal death; justification therefore secures eternal life. He who is now released from the penalty is assured that at the last day, if he continue stedfast in the faith to the end, he will be pronounced pardoned, and put in possession of eternal life. Thus justification is deliverance from all the penal consequences of transgression; the one act of God delivers from the penalty of a whole life of transgression. Now a very important question presents itself. If penal consequences are attached to the commission of sin, how is it that it can be forgiven? What is the consideration for the sake of which the penalty is cancelled? This leads us to notice,

II. JUSTIFICATION IN ITS SOURCE.

The justification of a sinner must have its origin in the grace of God. That man deserves anything but the favour of God, we have already seen. Neither is he in circumstances to regain the favour of God by anything which he can do. Continual uniform obedience will not do it, for this he still owes to God, and present or future obedience will not atone for past transgression. Sacrifices however costly will not do it; for what has he, that he has not received? No! the grace of God alone is the source of justification. This grace is illustrated in the text.

1. In the means by which justification is procured. "Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.' The Scriptures teach us that however willing God might be to pardon man, yet it could not be, unless the honour of his government be upheld, and the authority of his law vindicated; this could only be by exacting all the claims of Divine justice of one who was every way qualified to be the sinner's substitute. Our text informs us, that this was the mode adopted, and other passages of scripture uniformly represent the salvation of man to be connected with the death of Christ; they also teach that his death was necessary; and they also assert that it was substitutionary. If this be the case, how great is the grace of God! In what way could he have made a more illustrious display? God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." The grace of God is also illustrated in the text, 2. By the manner in which justification is bestowed.

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Being justified freely."

(1.) He has no respect to previous character.

He makes no selection from the mass of mankind. Those who may be distinguished for probity, integrity, honesty, virtuous conduct, or kindly dispositions, are on the footing with God as the most abandoned characters. He justifies the ungodly. In his sight all are sinners. A Saul of Tarsus is as welcome as one whose life is stained with no crime; a backsliding Peter as soon as the loved disciple John; the guilty publican before the proud pharisee.

(2.) He has respect to present character.

Although God is willing to pardon the vilest, yet there must be personal application and a compliance with certain conditions. The ungodly must be penitent, or there is no justification. But here is a difficulty. There are two obstacles to man's justification; one in his guilt, the other in his depravity. The death of Christ atones for the one, and makes provisions for the removal of the other. Were it not so, man would not, man could not, repent of his sin, and make personal application for pardon. God has bestowed two great gifts on the world, his Son and his Spirit. Son has opened the way for the exercise of his mercy; his Spirit enables and induces man to apply for it. Thus the grace of God is seen in providing justification freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

G.

His

LX.

ETERNAL LIFE.

ROMANS VI. 23.-The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Secret things belong unto God, but the things which are revealed, unto us and our children. Amongst these are many hard to be understood, much beyond our comprehension; while others, and especially those which concern us most particularly, the knowledge of them being essential to our salvation, are so plain, that he that runneth may read. Some subjects are clearly revealed as facts, but are put forth