of being cast into hell-fire! He allowed no one, while in an evil course, to take it for granted, that he was, nevertheless, a good man; but pointed him to the end whither that course, if persisted in, would lead him. Warnings are as necessary, in some circumstances, as encouragements are in others: and their being enforced on pain of eternal destruction, may be the appointed means of saving us from it.

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

SERMON XVIII.

ROMANS iii. 24.

Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

HAVING Shown what I conceive to be meant by justification, I proceed to the next head of discourse; namely,

II. TO OFFER EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE DOCTRINE: OR, TO PROVE, THAT WE ARE NOT JUSTIFIED BY ANY Works of our own, BUT OF FREE GRACE, THROUGH THE REDEMPTION OF JESUS CHRIST. There are but two ways in which creatures can be justified before God one is by works, the other by grace. If we had been obedient to the holy, just, and good law of our

Creator, that obedience would have been our righteousness, and we should have been justified on the ground of it: for the man that doeth those things shall live by them. But, having all sinned, we have come short of the glory of God. Instead of gaining his favour, we stand exposed to his righteous curse; for thus it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.

We need not, on this subject, inquire into the degrees of evil. or whether we have gone greater lengths in sin than other men ; Vol. VII.

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for if we had only broken one of God's righteous commandments, that were an everlasting bar to our justification. As well might a murderer plead in arrest of judgment, that he had killed only one man. The number of our sins will, doubtless heighten the degrees of punishment; but it is the nature of them that insures condemnation. Nor does this disprove the equity of the law for we cannot break a single precept without contemning the divine authority; which at once destroys the principle of obedience to every other. We may not actually go into all other sins: but it is not the love of God that restrains us; it is interest or fear, or regard to our own reputation that holds us back. On this principle, he who offendeth but in one point, is said to be guilty of all: For HE THAT SAID, Do not commit adultery; said also do not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. But, if a single offence be an everlasting bar to justification by our own works, what ground can there be to hope for it, when our whole lives have been one continued series of revolt?

We are all transgressors, and, as such, under the curse. Here too, we might have been left to perish. God was not obliged, in justice or in honour, to interpose in behalf of a seed of evil doers. The law by which we stand condemned, being holy, just, and good, might have been executed, and no reproach would have at. tached to the divine character. Having sided with Satan against God, we might justly have had our portion with him and his angels. All who were not themselves implicated, and disaffected to the divine government, would have said, True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord. And we ourselves, at the last judgment, should not have been able to open our mouths against it.

And, now that God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has interposed, and revealed a way in which he can be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus, shall it be objected to by us? Shall man, lying as he does under the dominion of sin, and the righteous condemnation of heaven on account of it, shall man take state to himself, and be ever aspiring to be justified on the ground of, at

least, his comparative righteousness? Such, however, is the fact. When the first-born son of fallen Adam brought his offering, he came as though he had never sinned; bringing no sacrifice, and yet entertaining high expectations of success. Hence, when the signal of acceptance was withheld, his countenance fell. Thus it is that millions are bringing their offerings to this day, overlooking the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. All the false religions that have existed, or do now exist, in the world are so many modifications of a self-righteous spirit; so many devices to appease the conscience, and propitiate the Deity.

Nor is it confined to heathens, Mahometans, and Jews: there are professing Christians who are very explicit in avowing their dependence upon their own works.* Where the divinity and atonement of Christ are disavowed, this is no more than may be expected. But neither is it confined to such. Many who profess to believe these doctrines, yet seem to consider the grand object of the death of Christ to have been, that he might obtain for us, that repentance, faith, and sincere obedience should be accepted as the ground of justification, instead of sinless perfection.t

Many who, in consequence of being educated under a gospel ministry, disavow, in words, all dependence on their own works,

"When will Christians permit themselves to believe, that the same conduct which gains them the approbation of good men here, will secure the favour of heaven hereafter ?"" Mrs. BARBAULD.

"Repentance and a good life are of themselves sufficient to recommend us to the divine favour." Dr. PRIESTLEY. "The practice of virtue is always represented as the only means of attaining happiness, both here and hereafter." Mr. BELSHAM.

✦ This seems to be the idea of Bishop BUTLER. "The doctrine of the gospel," he says, "appears to be, not only that Christ taught the efficacy of repentance; but rendered it of the efficacy which it is, by what he did and suffered for us; that he obtained for us the benefit of having our repentance accepted unto eternal life: not only that he revealed to sinners that they were in a capacity of salvation, and how they might obtain it; but, moreover, that he put them into this capacity of salvation, by what he did and suffered for them; put us into a capacity of escaping future punishment, and obtaining future happiness." Analogy, Part II. Chap. 5. p. 305.-Christ, it seems, was no otherwise our Saviour, than as enabling us to save ourselves!