have left his glory and have taken on him the nature of man, in order to be made a sacrifice for sin through sufferings and death? Would he have been made a curse for us, if the curse could have been removed by any other means? What does redemption through the blood of the cross imply? What does the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of divine grace, imply? It is clearly implied by each of these phrases that by nature we are lost and ruined sinners, that we are enemies to God and rebels against his authority; that without Christ we are shut up in a state of hopeless condemnation.

I have thus endeavoured to confirm the apostle's assertion, that none can be justified by the law: first, because it denounces all men as sinners; secondly, because it has shut up all in a state of condemnation; thirdly, because such is its nature and character, viewed in connexion with the present condition of man, as to render justification by it an impossibility; and fourthly, because God has appointed another method for man's justification. I now proceed to the third head proposed for our consideration, namely:

III. To illustrate the position that justification is to be obtained only by faith in Jesus Christ.

You have seen, my brethren, what justification is. Those whom God justifies he forgives; he views them as righteous; he receives them into his love and favour, and gives them a right and title to eternal life. The ground on which God confers the blessing, is the obedience and death of Jesus Christ; and the means or instrument by which the sinner receives

it, is faith in Christ. which justification is conferred by God or received by man. Of course I speak not here of infants or such as are physically incapable of exercising faith. This is another dispensation-a necessary exception to a general rule. But I may confidently say of you, and of all to whom the gospel comes, that none are justified and saved who do not believe; and that all who believe are justified and saved. Hence we see

There is no other way in

the vast importance of faith. Faith, as being connected with our salvation, is in a sense, as important to us as Christ himself. For what is ascribed to Christ meritoriously, is ascribed to faith instrumentally. It is necessary therefore that we should know what this faith is; and here I shall make two remarks:

1. First, a justifying faith implies a firm belief of that method of salvation by Christ which the gospel reveals.

Faith in its general acceptation, is belief founded upon the testimony of another. A divine faith is belief founded upon the testimony of God as revealed in his word; and consequently faith in Christ is believing the testimony of God concerning Christ. Hence, faith is said to be a "receiving of the witness of God, which he hath testified of his son;" and unbelief, on the other hand, is "not receiving the record which God gave of his Son." Now, what is the substance of this record, or testimony? Let the apostle John answer this question. "This is the record that God hath given unto us, eternal life, and this life is in his Son." God in the

gospel testifies that he has established a method of bestowing everlasting life upon guilty sinners, who were justly condemned to eternal death and the apostle further declares, that this immortal life, with the glory and blessedness it includes, is only to be obtained in and through His beloved Son Jesus Christ; and that nothing appears from any other quarter, but horror and despair. For the gospel supposes that all are sinners and exposed to condemnation that they are unable to make satisfaction for their sins, or to merit the divine favour, by any thing they can do or suffer. It represents the Lord Jesus Christ as substituting himself in the place of the guilty, bearing the punishment due to their sins, and obeying the law of God in their stead. This is the method, and the only method of reconciliation adopted by God. He receives sinners as justified through the obedience, sufferings, and death of his beloved Son, who became their substitute and surety. This is the substance of the testimony of God in the gospel; and faith implies a firm and affecting persuasion of its truth. This testimony is revealed to your eyes in the scripture, and it is published in your ears by the preaching of the gospel. And if you believe with a justifying faith, you are so convinced of the truth of this representation, as to venture upon it the salvation of your soul.

2. Secondly, a justifying faith includes the approbation and acceptance of this method of salvation by the faith of Jesus Christ.

If you are sensible of your guilt and misery by sin,

and truly believe the testimony of God respecting the ability and willingness of Christ to save sinners, one would suppose that it must follow as a necessary consequence, that you will trust in him for salvation. This the justified believer does. Renouncing himself and all hope in his own righteousness, he places his whole dependence on the Lord Jesus, and desires that God would deal with him entirely on the ground of His merits. This is faith, and this faith justifies instrumentally. For when any one thus believes, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and accepted for him. And thus the love of God is manifested in sending and giving "his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." For on the ground of this love and the principles of the gospel, God no longer views the believer as a sinner condemned by the law; but as pardoned, justified, and having a righteousness equal to all its demands. He pronounces him just, and gives him a title to eternal life, as though he deserved it on his own account, on the principle of perfect and sinless obedience to the covenant of works.

This, my brethren, is the way of salvation. On no other ground can we, with safety, venture our souls, with all their eternal interests. But here we stand on a solid foundation, the rock of ages; and "other foundation can no man lay." Interested in the blood and righteousness of Jesus the Saviour, we are safe and secure (O, may you and I be so!) for time and eternity. The scripture evidence for this

even

plan of salvation is abundant and decisive. It is stated in a great variety of passages. We have a clear summary of it in the third chapter of the epistle to the Romans :-"Under the law, every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God, without the law, is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; the righteousness of God, which is, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the forgiveness of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

What are the lessons of improvement which this subject is calculated to afford? Allow me to notice three.

1. First, we learn from it the danger of those who reject the gospel method of salvation.

Our justification, and, consequently, our salvation, is only "by the faith of Jesus Christ. For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." If, therefore, you do not receive Jesus Christ as your. Saviour, you are