James, in the passage before us, seems to assert a quite contrary doctrine Ye see, then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.' It shall, then, be the business of the following discourse to attempt to clear up the difficulties, and reconcile these two eminent Apostles.

"To be justified' means 'to be forgiven, and accepted of God, as just or righteous persons, to eternal life. This is the grand blessing of the Gospel, and what all who are sincere in religion are seeking as the one thing needful. The ground, or cause of this blessing, is the free grace of God in Christ; the instrument by which it is conveyed to the soul, is faith; and the proof, or evidence of our possessing it, is the practice of good works. By keeping in view this threefold use of the word justification, all difficulties, and appearances of contradiction, will vanish.

"The sole ground of our justification with God, must be his free grace in Christ Jesus; and every thing on our part, whether faith, or works, or both together, is necessarily excluded as the procuring cause of our acceptance. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; and if ever they are justified,' in this proper sense of the word, it must be freely, by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.' Our repentance, faith, or holiness, have no such virtue in them as to atone for our sins, or procure for us the favour of God, and eternal life. All the inspired writers, when speaking of the cause of a sinner's justification, ascribe it to the mere goodness and mercy of God in Christ Jesus, and not to our faith or works. Even St. James himself says, 'Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.' And nothing is more common in Scripture than such expressions as these: 'Salvation belongeth unto the Lord,' By grace ye are saved,' Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his

mercy he saved us,' By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.'

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"When the Apostle says, are justified by faith,' he must be understood to mean the same as the Psalmist does, when he says, Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean;' and as the Prophet, By his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justify many. It was the blood sprinkied, and not the hyssop, that purified; and it was Christ, and not the knowledge of him, that jus tified. Faith, therefore, does not in itself justify, but is that instrument, hand, or mean, by which Christ is apprehended, and the blessings he has purchased conveyed to the soul. By believing the record which God has given of his Son, and, in consequence of this, receiving Christ, trusting in him, and looking to the grace of God in him, we are actually brought nigh to God, and justified from all things. It is not the act of believing, but the truth believed, that saves us.

"But still there is a sense in which we are justified by works, according to the words of the Apostle in the text, 'Ye see how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.' The same thing is asserted, by our Lord, of words: ' By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.' The term 'justified' is not here used with reference to the cause of our acceptance, for that is the grace of God in Christ; nor to the instrument by which we get into a state of reconciliation with God, for that is faith; but it is used in a declarative sense, and with reference to the fruit, the evidence, or proof of our justification. Thus the word is frequently used in Scripture. When, for instance, it is said to God, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest;' of Christ, that he was justified in the Spirit;' and of Wisdom, that she is 'justified of her children;' it does not mean being made righteous, but being declared or manifested to be so. In

this respect we are justified by our words and works, and by them only; for a holy conversation, the fruit of good living, and a patient continuance in well-doing, afford the only sure evidence and proof of our being the children of God.

"These are the three different views in which the doctrine of jus tification is held forth in Scripture ; and by attending to this distinction all the seeming contradiction, where the word is used, will immediately disappear. The Apostles all preached the same doctrine, and laid down the same truths; though the character and circumstances of the people they had to deal with made it necessary for them to dwell sometimes upon one part, and sometimes upon another, of the Christian system. When they addressed themselves to ignorant and self-righteous persons, and treated professedly upon the method of our pardon and acceptance with God, they taught, that, all mankind being sinners, and guilty in his sight, they could not be justi. fied but by his free grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, and through the instrumentality of faith in his blood. But when they had to do with licentious professors, who abused the doctrines of grace, and held the truth in unrighteousness, they shewed the danger and worthless nature of a dead and barren faith, and exhorted them to bring forth fruit to the honour and praise of God. The character of the people to whom St. Paul wrote led him to urge the former part of the doctrines of godliness; and the state of those evil workers, who dishonoured the profession of the Gospel, in St. James's department, led him to insist much upon the latter. And we, who have now the ministry of reconciliation committed unto us, endeavour to follow their example, by rightly dividing the word of life; dwelling by turns upon the various parts of Divine truth, and giving to every hearer the portion that belongs to him. This, indeed, exposes us, as it did them, to the charge of incon

sistency and contradiction; but we are content to bear the imputation, rather than keep back any part of the counsel of God; knowing, especially, as we do, that the charge is unjust, and that there is a perfect harmony between the doctrines that relate to grace, faith, and holiness."

In justice to the subject in hand, as well as to the memory of Mr. Richardson, I would refer your readers to the whole discourse from which the above passage is extracted. Permit me also to take this opportunity of recommending the whole of the three volumes of the posthumous sermons of this truly sound and judicious divine, and most excellent man. The first two volumes have arrived at a second edition. Mr. Richardson presided over the same congregation and parish for nearly fifty years: and how highly he was valued and respected, not only in his own neighbourhood, but wherever his widelydiffused name and character were known, it were superfluous to repeat. He held a close intimacy with the Milners, with Mr. Adam, Mr. Scott, Dr. Buchanan, and many other friends, whose names are still dear to the church of Christ. His sermons, like those of Joseph Milner, were rapidly composed, and are devoid of ornament; but, as is remarked in the preface to the first volume, they possess higher than literary claims to attentionnamely, honesty, good sense, a well-arranged mind, and sound divinity:" and it pleased God to bless them to the edification of many; and he, who for many years stood alone in York, as a truly Evangelical teacher, lived to see all his brethren, the vicars choral of the cathedral, with a majority of the other clergy in that city, partake in his religious views. Under the recurring multitude of new sermons which present their claims to your attention from month to month, those of Mr. Richardson appear to have escaped your notice, and the

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time for reviewing them may have passed by; but it might not be too late to give one of them at length in your pages, as a Family Sermon, for the edification of your readers*.

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curse of the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons; and in the verse before us, he mentions the happy privilege which follows our adoption of God, and by which we know that we are actually made the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. To make this known to

Gal. iv. 6. -" And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

In the verses immediately preceding our text, the Apostle acquaints us that the design of Christ's incarnation, was to redeem us from the

• We have cheerfully complied with the above suggestion, by presenting to our readers a sermon on the Spirit of Adoption, from the first volume. Our chief reason for selecting this discourse is, that a contemporary publication, in its recommendation of the lately published

selection from the Christian Observer Family Sermons, regrets that, in mentioning some of the proper subjects for family sermons, we have not specified election and adoption. Election, as connected with matters of controversy, we do not think among the most useful subjects for a family sermon; though, in that large sense which traces up all the blessings of the new covenant of mercy, general and individual, to that free and unmerited love and mercy which both provided and applies the remedy, no sermon is Evangelical that does not express or imply it. Adoption ought to have been included, both in the thing and the name: it has certainly not been omitted in the former view, having been frequently and habitually introduced in the very staple of our Family Sermons; and if the word does not happen to occur in our cursory enumeration above alluded to, it was not intentionally omitted, and was in fact substantially included. We, however, present,

to our readers Mr. Richardson's sermon on this topic; assuring our respected correspondent that we meant no disrespect to the memory of that excellent man, whom we highly esteemed and loved, in not reviewing his posthumous discourses. We do not profess to review one in a hundred of the books that are published, or one in twenty of those that are expressly sent to us; or one in many of really good books; so that our pretermission is never intended as an indication of disrespect.

f By the late Rev. W. Richardson of York. See the preceding note.

Ghost, and it is a part of his work in which he peculiarly acts as the Comforter of all Christ's real disciples. This is called the spirit of adoption, and it is the distinguishing privilege of all the heirs of promise, though enjoyed by some of them in a higher degree than by others. Every child of God possesses it, however, more or less; for the Apostle says, "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

In treating upon these words, I shall endeavour to shew the nature of the spirit of adoption, and to distinguish it from all counterfeits.

It

The spirit of adoption is that happy temper of mind by which we are enabled to regard God as our Father and Friend, and find ourselves disposed to rejoice in him, to love him, to serve him, and to walk before him as dear and dutiful children. It is generally opposed to the spirit of bondage, which is the natural temper of the human mind with respect to God. is the consequence of a discovery of his inestimable love in our redemption, and of a firm trust in the merits of that Saviour whom he has provided; for till we know God as an Almighty and most merciful Father, graciously disposed to receive those that come to him in his Son's name, we cannot approach him with filial confidence. If we are sincere in our religious duties, the dread of his displeasure, the view of his holiness, and the apprehension of his justice, will make us perform them with servile fear; for the guilt that we have contracted, and the defects which cleave to our best services, must always give us an uneasy

consciousness that we are unfit to appear before this holy Lord God: a spirit of bondage and fear, must therefore be the temper with which all persons begin to serve God, unless they are ignorant both of his character, and their own.

This slavish disposition will increase and gather strength in proportion to their increasing knowledge of God and themselves, and sometimes to such a degree as to fill them with great misery and heaviness. For though the Lord, in convincing them of sin, and awakening in them a spirit of grace and supplication, shews that he has a favour unto them, and intends to make them his own children by adoption, yet they are like the church under the old dispensation, or an heir in his nonage. They differ not from servants, though ordained to be heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, but are under tutors, and governors, and legal fears, till the time appointed of the Father. But when the Holy Spirit has given them a view of God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and enabled them to understand the Word of Truth, the Gospel of their salvation; when in consequence of this discovery they trust in the name of Jesus Christ, and return to God by him, they are no longer servants, but children, and become sons of God and heirs of glory for the Scripture says, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God," "and passed from death unto life." But the sense of this privilege may still be wanting, though it is generally vouchsafed to all true believers; for the Ephesians, after they trusted in Christ, and believed in him, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise: and the Apostle thus addresses the Galatian Christians in my text; "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." When this Spirit is given, it expels the spirit of bondage, and fear. It enables a be

liever to say, Abba, that is, my Father; a word peculiar to children, and which servants were not permitted to use. They can ap proach God, as the glorious Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, with humble confidence and filial love. They are reconciled to him, and he appears reconciled to them. Their hopes of his favour, founded upon his promises in Christ Jesus, are stronger than their fears of his vengeance. The blood that has been shed to make atonement, appears to them more effectual to save, than their sins to condemn; and the name, government, law, and justice of God, more honoured by Christ's obedience, than dishonoured by their transgressions. The holy, blessed, and glorious God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, appears to them so amiable, excellent, good, and gracious, in all his works and ways, and particularly in the scheme of their redemption, that they cannot but love and delight in him. They claim a covenant relation to him, and serve him without slavish fear; their reverence for him is mixed with filial love, and their obedience is the free, willing, unconstrained obedience of a beloved child.

When this spirit of adoption is in full exercise, it is attended with much peace and joy in believing. Those who possess it in a high degree, abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. The service of God is delighful to them, and the ordinances of religion are welcome to their souls; a course of self-denied obedience is esteemed a privilege, and all the Divine dispensations appear wise and gracious. They are fervent in duty, patient in tribulation, kindly affectionate towards their Christian brethren, benevolent towards all men, ready to forgive injuries, and disposed to overcome evil with good. The language of their hearts towards their heavenly Father is of this kind: "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee." "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is

none upon earth that I desire besides thee." "I will praise thee with my whole heart, before the gods will I sing praise unto thee." "I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." "For his name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth." The Saviour, who exhibits in his person and work the brightness of his Father's glory, and has procured for us the favour of God and eternal life, is peculiarly precious to a believer, thus circumstanced. His name is as ointment poured forth, and in all his characters and offices he appears altogether lovely, and the chiefest among ten thousand. Such is the nature, and such are the happy effects, of this spirit of adoption, which the Lord gives to his children for their comfort, and their establishment in grace and holiness. It is not, indeed, vouchsafed to all believers, in the same measure and degree; nor is it main. tained in the same lively exercise, even by those who possess it the most. A strong self-righteous bias, a gloomy and melancholy disposition, a dark cloud of temptation, or a confused view of Gospel truth, may cause some of the real children of God to walk in bondage and heaviness, in doubt and perplexity: and as this spirit cannot be maintained or increased by those who have it, without watchfulness, prayer, and diligence in duty, it is often lost by their giving way to a careless, worldly, and sensual temper. If a child of God is undutiful, he will lose the spirit of a son, and fall into bondage; neither will he recover his peace and joy in believing, till he return again to his Father, by a fresh act of repentance, and renewed faith in the blood of Christ. Those Christians abound most in peace, and hope, and confidence towards God, who are the most instant in

CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 344.

prayer, diligent in duty, and holy in conversation. This is a wise and gracious dispensation; for if the spirit of adoption could be preserved without the spirit of holiness, and the comforts of religion enjoyed in the neglect of its duties, the people of God might relapse into a sinful state, without being sensible of their declension; and remain in it, without seeing the necessity of repentance.

From what has been said upon the nature of the spirit of adoption, it will not be difficult to distinguish it from all counterfeits. As it is given to none but those who have been quickened to newness of life, excited to seek reconciliation with God by supplication and prayer, enlightened to see the glory of God in the person and work of a crucified Saviour, and enabled to trust in him by faith unfeigned; so it cannot be possessed by ignorant, and unbelieving persons. All that peace and joy, therefore, which the self-righteous feel, and all that confidence and hope which they pretend to experience, must be nothing else but false peace and carnal security. Such confidence arises not from an enlightened, but a stupified conscience; not from knowledge, but from ignorance, of God; and not from trust in the merits of Christ, but in their own. A hope not springing from the love of God in redemption, and thus shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto them, is not the hope that maketh not ashamed, but the hope of the hypocrite, that shall perish. Their rejoicing, therefore, is not good. For as they cannot be the children of God without repentance and faith, and as the wrath of God abideth on all the impenitent and unbelieving, they would tremble and be dismayed, rather than rejoice, if they were acquainted with their real situation.

As we must be made the children of God before we can have the temper of children, and as he gives the spirit of sons to those only who 3 Q