justified freely by his grace." Salvation is offered to the greatest of sinners without money and without price. He has only to believe, that God, who has appointed the method of his redemption, will accomplish it, consistently with his honour and glory, and to acquiesce in that method, though he may not be able to describe exactly how the thing is brought about; but, the matter is briefly this, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."* " I believe (replies the sinner) and this is my salvation." That this faith will work by love, and produce good works is certain; but, still, we must carefully distinguish between faith itself and the fruits thereof, which must, according to the order of things, follow that gracious act of the Soul, which accepts the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. So much for the freeness of our justification, which is given us, says the Apostle "through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ."

2d. The word here used signifies the Redemp tion of a captive from captivity, and denotes the spiritual redemption of men by the blood of Christ from the bondage of sin and death. It was observed before, that, in order that the truth, justice and holiness of God might be preserved inviolate, it seemed necessary that sin

*John iii. 36.

should not go unpunished; and it doth not; for Christ, the beloved of the Father, the Son of God, the Word, which was in the beginning with God, and which was God, took our nature upon him, and in the person of man, upon whom, as Isaiah writes, "the Lord laid the iniquities of us all," offered up "a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice and oblation for the sins of the whole world."* Upon this " great mystery of Godliness, God manifest in the flesh,"t depends our salvation. Relying with confidence upon this astonishing exhibition of divine love, we shall see the power of Satan defeated, and ascribe a glorious victory to the arm of the Lord. Pleading this sacrifice no past transgressions may be brought against us to condemnation. They are pardoned, yea, as the prophet Micah speaks, chap. vii. 19. they are cast" into the depths of the sea," never more to be remembered; and since our adorable Redeemer has not only died for our offences, but is risen again for our justification, proving thereby that he hath conquered death, and him that hath the power of death, that is, the Devil, Believers in Jesus overcome the fears of dissolution, by which others are held in bondage, and look forward to a better state with a hope full of immortality. "O Death!" say they

*Communion Service. +1 Tim. iii. 16.

now, "where is thy sting. O grave! where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."* Thus have we redemption through Jesus Christ; and in this way of saving sinners is manifested.

3rd. The Righteousness of God, that is, his perfect justice and equity in pardoning sinners, and receiving them again into his favour. In consequence of what Christ has done and suffered, Believers may be said to have a claim upon the divine mercy; and as the Redeemer is stiled by the prophets " the Lord our Righteousness" we plead, through him, a right to all the blessings of the covenant of grace. He has made the purchase of them, and (to speak with reverence on such a subject) it seems that God cannot now in justice withhold them from any, who in the name of Christ, pour out their supplications in faith before the throne of mercy. "Whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." And again, " Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them." Ask then boldly, and you shall have. The Lord will receive you graciously and love you freely.

* 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56, 57.

Jer. xxiii. 6. || Mat. xviii. 20.

Mat. xxi. 22.

I shall not enlarge upon the doctrinal part of my text, but conclude what I have to say at present by the following considerations; and,

1st. Let us consider the condition of sinners without Christ. They are, as I think has been proved in a former discourse, the degenerate children of a cursed parent; frail, mortal, creatures, acting, for a little while, a busy part on the world's stage, and then suddenly disappearing. They are seeking, by divers employments, to amass wealth; and by various amusements, to live in pleasure. When we see them in public, listen to their conversation, and observe their countenances, where the several passions of the soul display their power, we often think them happy, and are disposed to envy their state, because, at the moment of our observations, they seem to feel no care, nor even to anticipate the hour, when their boisterous joy shall be interrupted. But, let them live as they will; let them be ever so prosperous, or ever so happy, it is not in their power to blot out the hand writing, which exhibits this awful sentence "cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them"* Neither can they promise themselves, that they shall see the accomplishment of any of their favourite

* Mat, xviii. 20.

schemes, since death, who is neither to be bribed by gold, nor soothed by eloquence, in one instant may plunge his fatal dart into their bosoms, and bring them down to the grave. After death cometh the judgment; a judgment awful and tremendous; a judgment from the searcher of hearts; a judgment which none can evade, and which will be inflicted by the hand of the Lord God Almighty. My dear Brethren, it is our duty to direct your thoughts to that scene which you must behold, when your soul is separated from your body, and we are charged to tell you, however unpleasant our message may be, that " he that believeth not shall be damned;"* and that "he that believeth not the Son of God hath not life,"t "but the wrath of God abideth on him."+ see you busily engaged in your your merchandizes, and your other occupations, we cannot but call upon you to pay some attention to more important concerns, and though we know that it is very right and proper for a man to be diligent in his lawful calling, yet we know also, that he will make a most wretched bargain, who, in gaining the whole world, shall lose his own soul. Once more, then, let me earnestly entreat, by that which is most valuable to you, even by your

When we

farms,

Mark, xvi. 16.

+1 John, v. 12.

P

John, iii, 36,