things, which are required in the moral LAW, that is, if we love God with all our heart and our neighbour as ourselves, we shall not fail of justification, neither shall we fail of salvation; for on these TWO COMMANDMENTS hang all the LAW and the PROPHETS. Salvation is as infallibly connected with love to God, as with faith in Jesus Christ. The apostle, therefore, could not mean that we may be justified by Christ, in consequence of believing in him; but that we cannot be justified by him, in consequence of loving God. Justification therefore by faith, and not by the law of Moses, does not mean by faith, without the love of God. For this would make void the LAW. "Do we then," says Paul, speaking of justification without the deeds of the law, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea,we establish the law." It must be evident, however, to every one who understands the reasoning of the apostle, that he did mean to make void the deeds of the law. If we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law, it is plain, that justification by faith makes void the deeds of the law. Consequently, the apostle does not mean by the law, the same as by the deeds of the law. For he establishes the law, but makes void the deeds of the law. Justification, therefore, by faith without the works of the law, means, without any unregenerate works, or any works performed by the unbelieving Jews.

And in order that justification by faith may establish the law, it is necessary that the very nature of that faith should imply love to God, that love which is required in the moral LAW: for, if this were not the case, then, justification by faith would make void the LAW itself, as well as the deeds of the law. Hence, the apostle cannot mean by the law of Moses in the text under consideration, that love to God which is required in the moral LAW; for it is impossible that any man should be justified by faith in Christ without love to God; for no faith will unite us to Christ which does not imply love to God.

This leads us to inquire more particularly into the nature of that faith, which is necessary to justification; for all that believe in Christ are justified from all things, from which we cannot be justified by the law of Moses.

Saving faith, or believing in Christ to the salvation of the soul. is found in the heart, in distinction from the understanding and every other faculty of the mind. To believe with the understanding is to assent to a proposition on conviction of its truth. This however may be done when the truth itself is disagreeable. But, to believe in Christ with the heart, supposes not only evidence that Jesus is the Christ; but it supposes love to God. Hence, "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Justifying faith therefore implies a new heart; it implies a right spirit, which is the Spirit of Christ: "for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his." A true believer therefore, is not in a state of nature his eyes are opened, he sees God to be glorious, and Christ to be precious. If any man therefore, be in Christ he is a new creature. And, between the new creature, and faith in Christ there is no material difference; their essence is the same. For a confirmation of this see Galatians vi, 15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. Compare this with Galatians v, 6. For in Jesus Christ neither cir cumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. And in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, vii, 19, the apostle declares, "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." Hence it is evident that Paul considers the essence of true religion to consist, either in keeping the commandments of God, or in faith, which worketh by love, or in the new creature. These things are not to be separated. Therefore, though Paul preached justifica. tion by faith and not by the law of Moses, or by the

deeds of the law; nevertheless, he did not mean to preach justification by faith without the new creature, or without keeping the commandments of God. Neither did he preach justification by a faith in Christ which did not work by love. A believer in Christ, therefore, is a subject of the special influences of the Divine Spirit. Hence the salvation of the believer is not of himself. He can rejoice in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh. By having no confidence in the flesh the apostle meant, that he had no confidence in any works of righteousness which he had done before his conversion. For all the righteousness which any man has before his conversion is as filthy rags. Such a righteousness as this the true believer renounces. But the righteousness or virtue which consists in renouncing it, he does not, he cannot renounce.

But what is it to be justified from all things, from which we cannot be justified by the law of Moses? Justification is an act of God, in which we are accepted of God "in the beloved." In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Such are justified from all things. That is they have obtained the forgiveness of all their sins None of the sins of the justified will be brought against them in the great day of judgment: they will therefore be exempted from all future punishment: they will come into full possession of eternal life. All that are justified will finally be glorified. For between justification and glorification there is an inseparable connexion. Justification therefore implies regeneration. For God does not justify any whom he does not regenerate. And all the regenerate are justified from all things, from

which they cannot be justified by any works of righteousness antecedent to regeneration. "But," says Paul, "according to his merey he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our/ Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Thus, by Christ all that believe are justified from all things, from which the Jews could not be "justified by the law of Moses; meaning, by the law of Moses, the law of circumcision, or the law of sacrifices and burntofferings, or any Mosaic ceremonies whatever. Neither can Jew or Gentile be justified, aside from Christ, by any works. deeds, or performances whatever. This does not suppose. however, that a person cannot be justified who does the things required in the moral LAW; but then it ought to be remembered that no person ever will or can do the things required in the DIVINE LAW, without the grace of God, the special influences of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.

I would just observe for the illustration of the phrase, Justification from all things, that, among the Jews there were certain crimes, of which, if any were guilty, they could not, according to the Mosaic code of laws, escape punishment, even if, in the sight of God, they were ever so penitent. Achan, therefore, must be stoned to death, even if he were truly penitent, after he had taken the wedge of gold and Babylonish garment.

Hence, there is an essential difference between what the apostle means by the law of Moses, in the text under consideration, and the Law of ten commandments, or the two commandments on which hang all the Law and the Prophets. Therefore repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, or the keeping of the commandments of God, with an upright heart, will secure our justification from all

things, from which, neither Jew nor Gentile can be justified by the law of Moses.*

Justification, when considered as an act of God, in distinction from the work of God in regeneration, must always be looked upon as an act of God, subsequent to the new birth. In this view of justification, it ever supposes some real moral goodness in the person, antecedent to his being justified.† That is, no one can be justified before he has put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness This agrees with a command of God in Deut xxv, 1; "If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked." After this manner, all matters will be conducted in the great day. God will then openly justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. The King will say to the righteous, Come ye blessed; but to the unrighteous, Depart ye cursed. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"

* "Works of evangelical obedience are not opposed to faith in justification. By works of evangeical obedience, I mean such Christian duties, as are fruits, hot of our own power and strength, but of God's Spirit, done by the assistance of his grace. And that these are not opposed to faith, is undeniably evident, because faith as including the new nature, and the keeping of God's commands, is made the usual condition of justification. Nor can it be otherwise, when other graces and virtues of the Christian life, are made the terms of pardon and acceptance with heaven, and of our title to the merits of Christ's death, and the great promise of eternal life.

What privilege then hath faith above other graces in this matter? Are we justified by faith? we are pardoned and accepted with God upon our repentance, charity, and other acts of evangelical obedience. Is faith opposed to the Mosaic law in justification? so are acts of evangelical obedience; circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Does faith give glory to God, and set the crown upon his head? Works of evangelical obedience are equally effects of divine grace, both preventing and assisting us, and indeed are not so much ours as his; so that the glory of all must needs be entirely resolved into the grace of God, nor can any man in such circumstances with the least pretence of reason, lay claim to merit, or boast of his own achievements." [Dr. WILLIAM CAVE, on the life of the ipostle Paul.

Dr. Doddridge, in his Paraphrase on Rom. iv, 5, says, that God "justifieth even the ungodly, if he repent and return." And it is abundantly evident from the Scriptures, that no person is justified, remaining impenitent. These words, "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin," will apply only to the penitent. It is the character of that man to whom this blesseduess belongs, that in his spirit there is no guile,"