The holy Scriptures distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, by doers of good and doers of evil, by doing the sayings of Christ, and doing them not. Justification sometimes expresses nearly the same idea as regeneration. We have an instance of this in Paul's Epistle to the Romans. "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt: but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." In a sense then God justifies the ungodly. But the ungodly are the wicked. Does God justify the wicked? if so he will save them; for, "whom he justified, them he also glorified." God will not, however, justify and glorify the ungodly, as such. Why then is it said, that God "justifieth the ungodly?" Because, in justifying them, he causes them to become godly; that is, in this case, justification necessarily involves regeneration. In no other sense, can it, with any propriety, be said, that God justifies the ungodly. When regeneration and justification are considered as two distinct acts of God, then regeneration, in the order of human thoughts, is prior to justification. Consequently every justified person is a righteous person; the same as, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature." Justification supposes antecedent moral goodness. But before a man is regenerated, he is entirely destitute of all moral goodness, that is, of every saving grace. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" that is, no one is righteous, till he is made so, "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." God, in justifying the ungodly, communicates saving faith; for men are justified by faith, without unregenerate works. Therefore, "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Hence God is "the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." The apostle puts him that believeth, in opposition to him that worketh, because there is no agreement between saving faith, and unregenerate works. Well, then, might the apostle say, that, to him that worketh not, but believeth, &c. his faith is counted for righteousness. He who worketh, in the real sense of the phrase, is not only destitute of true faith, but of every Christian grace or true virtue. Now, to him that worketh, the reward is not of grace, but of debt. If we were justified by unregenerate works, grace would be excluded. "If it be of works. then is it no more grace."* No sinner can be justified until he leaves off working, and believes on him that justifies the ungodly.. Such will be justified from all things, from which they cannot be justified by the law of Moses. Not to do that work, which the apostle puts in opposition to faith, is a Christian grace, a real virtue. Of this virtue or righteousness, the Jews. were ignorant, and therefore, "went about to establish a righteousness of their own." They sought justification, not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, They obtained not the object sought; they stumbled into perdition: for all the while they sought salvation by their own works, they rejected the Saviour, Jesus Christ. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone." So it is now; for they, who are seeking to be justified and saved in a way opposite to faith or holy obedience, are rejecting the only Saviour, Jesus Christ. When the apostle sets faith in opposition to works, he always means the works of the unregenerate. Therefore not to work in this sense, is, no longer, to go about to establish our own righteousness. It is to comply with an exhortation of the prophet Isaiah, "cease to do evil; learn to do well." This saying, "To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt," means the working of the unregenerate. For if God should annex a reward to such works, it would not be of grace, but of debt: Because the subjects of such works are not * Rom. xi, 6. subjects of grace. They are not the fruits of the Spirit of grace. If men, therefore, should receive a reward for such works, it would be a reward of debt in opposition to grace. Nothing of the special grace of God is concerned in the case. Salvation "is therefore of faith, that it might be by grace." Salvation through faith must be by grace, because faith is a gift of grace. The Author of salvation, is also the Author and Finisher of faith. The believer is brought into this blessed condition, by the power of the Holy Ghost in regeneration. And "being justified by grace, he is made an heir according to the hope of eternal life."* If faith did not comprehend in its nature holy love, it would not be saying faith, and salvation would not be inseparably connected with it. And if faith did not consist essentially in love to God, justification by faith would not be by the grace of God: it would be as it were by the works of the law;" it would not be of grace but of debt. To be justified by a faith which did not imply repentance and godly sincerity, would make Christ the ininister of sin. Therefore, when we are said to be justified by faith, without works or without the deeds of the law, it does not mean, that we are justified without charity, or without keeping the commandments of God. None can be justified on whose heart the divine law is not written. But, all who are united to Christ, by whatever name the uniting act is called, are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the latv of Moses. Hence we are led to a correct understanding of the following passage in Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ; even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of *Titus iii, 7. the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." The only foundation, or meritorious cause of justification, and of all good to man, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, to know what is the necessary qualification, in order to justification and salvation, is exceedingly desirable, and highly important. And although we cannot be justified by the law of Moses, as it has now been explained; yet, in order to eternal life, we clearly see the absolute necessity of keeping the commandments of God in the sense in which Samuel and David, Caleb and Joshua, kept them. "For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but the keeping of the commandments of God." "And without holiness no man shall see the Lord." With these things agrees the saying of Peter, when he opened his mouth, and said, "of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."* |