consideration of them as the meritorious cause, or as making any atonement or satisfaction or compensation, in whole or in part, for his past disobedience, or as at all answering the demands of the law and supporting its authority. Whoever thus holds that the believer's good works do not make satisfaction for his sins, cannot be said to hold that we are justified by our good works, or "by the deeds of the law," in the sense in which the apostle denies it. We come now,

3. To inquire in what sense we are justified through Christ. To this inquiry I answer, that we are justified through Christ, as we are justified on account of his merit alone, or solely on account of his satisfaction and obedience as the meritorious cause. But having repeatedly mentioned this matter in speaking on the preceding particulars, I shall not dwell on it at present. I shall only notice a part of the scriptural evidence of this great and fundamental truth that we are indeed justified solely through the merits of Christ. The expression merits of Christ is not indeed to be found in the scriptures; and yet what is intended by the expression is found there abundantly. Thus Rev. 5: 9, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." Rom. 3: 24, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 5: 18, 19, "Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." And in the same chapter, ver. 9, "Much more, then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Eph. 4: 32, "Even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." And as the authority of this last text, with respect to the present question, has by some been disputed, it being said that according to the original it is, “ Even as God in Christ hath forgiven you," I shall add 1 John 2: 12, which admits of no evasion. The words are, "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake," dia to ovoμa avrov, on account of his name. By these and such like passages of scripture, we are taught that the merits of Christ are the only procuring cause of justification. These merits comprehend his sufferings unto death, and his perfect righteousness. By the former he made satisfaction to the law for sin; by the latter he has exhibited to us an example; has laid a foundation for his own intercession and for the bestowment of justification and eternal life on his disciples, and of all the

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honors of his exalted state on himself, in the way of reward to his tried, persevering, and inviolate obedience.

Having thus finished what was at first proposed from the text, we may now briefly notice some inferences and reflections. And,

1. Hence we may learn the true idea of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to the believer. It consists not in supposing or thinking that the righteousness of Christ is the believer's righteousness, but in the fact that the believer is treated as if it were his. Or if any choose to express themselves thus, "That the righteousness of Christ becomes by imputation the believer's righteousness as to the effects of it," this is no more than that the effects of Christ's righteousness are the same to the believer as if it were his own righteousness; and this comes again to what was just said, that the believer is treated as if the righteousness of Christ were his own.

2. Hence also we may understand what is meant by the imputation of the sins of the elect to Christ. It consists not in thinking or supposing Christ to be a sinner, but wholly in treating him as if he were a sinner; as if he were guilty of all the sins of the elect, and in punishing him, or putting him to suffering and shame accordingly. In this sense "he bare their sins in his own body on the tree," and " on him were laid the iniquities of us all." In this explanation of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the elect and of their sins to him, we avoid various difficulties, and at best seeming absurdities, which are otherwise inevitable; such for example as that there should be a transfer of guilt or merit from one person to another, or that one person should become another, or that God should so be deceived and imposed upon, as to think and judge of persons contrary to the truth.

3. This subject also teaches us in what sense the sin of Adam is imputed to all his posterity. The idea of imputation in this case has been more reprobated than in either of those just mentioned. That Adam's sin should be ours, and that we on account of it should be judged and condemned as sinners, or that we should be the same person as Adam, or that God should so consider or suppose us, has appeared to many to be absurd, impious and impossible. But if we conceive that our standing or falling was suspended on the standing or falling of Adam; that Adam having fallen, God permitted us all to fall also; and that he so ordered things that we are liable to the numberless calamities of life, and thus are treated as if we were sinners; on such a representation, no man, I conceive, can fasten an absurdity. Undoubtedly God who had a right to suffer Adam to fall and become a

sinner, had the same right to have suffered all mankind to become sinners by their own personal acts, without any reference to the sin of Adam. And if so, what can be said to show that he had no right to permit them to fall in consequence of the fall of Adam? If he had a right to permit them to fall though Adam had not fallen, surely the fall of Adam did not deprive him of that right. But the right remaining, he might exercise it, if he saw fit, on occasion and in consequence of Adam's sin, as well as on any other occasion. To determine these things was the part of divine, sovereign wisdom only; so that whatever that should determine and establish, would be perfectly right.

I before observed with regard to the justification of the sinner, that it is not the act of a judge proceeding according to law; but of a sovereign proceeding on the plan of free grace. Just so, I apprehend, we are to conceive of the divine constitution by which all mankind come into the world in a depraved state, that it was not the constitution or act of a judge condemning and punishing them for the guilt of Adam's sin; but of a wise sovereign, permitting in consequence of Adam's sin, all his posterity to fall into the same state of condemnation, and at the same time ordering them to be born into a world full of calamities, and with bodies that should ever be liable to pain, disease and death. And as in the justification and salvation of the believer, God shows his perfect well-pleasedness with the satisfaction and obedience of Christ, so in the dispensation of providence by which the posterity of Adam are born into the world in a fallen and calamitous state, God manifests his abhorrence of the sin of our common father. Again, as in the justification and salvation of the believer, God treats him in certain respects as if he were one with Christ, and were personally possessed of his merits; so in the dispensation of providence by which all men are born in a fallen, depraved and calamitous state, God treats them as though they had personally committed Adam's sin; for the consequences of that sin in this life are the same with respect to all Adam's posterity as to himself. One consequence of Adam's sin to himself was that he became habitually depraved; and the same is the consequence to all his posterity. Another consequence to him was that he became frail in body, and liable to pain, disease, casualty and death; and the same is the consequence to all his posterity. Another consequence to him was that the very earth was cursed for his sake, so that it was only in the sweat of his brow that he could eat bread; and here again the same is true of his posterity. In these respects, therefore, the posterity of Adam, on account of his sin, are treated as sinners. And in this treatment Adam's

sin is imputed to them, and in the treatment itself consists the imputation.

4. Hence we may also learn in what sense faith is accounted or imputed for righteousness to the believer. The imputation of faith for righteousness, as was said concerning the imputation of Christ's righteousness, consists wholly in treatment, not in opinion or judgment. It consists in treating the believer, in consequence of his faith, as if he possessed a righteousness of his own entirely answerable to the demands of the law.

5. In this view of the subject, we may take occasion to inquire why believers are said to be justified by faith, or why faith justifies and is represented to have a more necessary and immediate influence in justification than any other grace. The reason doubtless is, that faith is a cordial acceptation of Christ and trust in him. Therefore God has seen fit to make it in a peculiar sense the condition and prerequisite of justification. Repentance and love to God are also requisite to our justification, as I have already endeavored to show. But they are not exercised immediately towards Christ, nor do they consist in an acceptation of him or trust in him; and therefore they are not represented as having the same influence or instrumentality in justification that faith has. As justification is granted wholly for Christ's sake, so it was doubtless wise in itself, and seemed wise and good to God that it should be granted to the believer in such a way that he should see and know that it was granted wholly and only for Christ's sake; and that as he is really and wholly dependent on Christ for this inestimable blessing, so he should be made sensible of this his dependence, and cordially consent to it. But this is faith, Besides, faith more than any other grace ascribes to all beings their proper place and character. By faith in Christ, as just now observed, we acknowledge and feel our own entire dependence on him. We see his glorious excellence and all-sufficiency, and our own sinfulness and ill-desert; and to see and feel all this is to ascribe to Christ his proper place and character, and to acknowledge and feel and assume our own. And this temper will naturally lead us to right views of Christ, and will bind us most strongly to him. Faith also makes us willing to receive justification as a free gift. It disposes us to be sincerely thankful for it, and to relish and prize it, and all its consequent blessings; and in these respects also it renders the believer the proper subject of justification and the proper heir of heaven.

6. Hence also we see that the dispute between those who hold to justification by our good works, and those who hold to justification by faith alone, is really a dispute as to the necessity

and efficacy of the vicarious satisfaction of Christ. If those who hold justification by works, hold also the necessity of Christ's satisfaction, and that that is the only meritorious cause of our justification, then by their doctrine of justification by works they can mean no more than that christians are justified on occasion of good works, and that they cannot and will not be justified but in consequence of repentance, and faith and such other good works as they may have had opportunity to perform, or as may be necessarily implied in regeneration and its fruits. But this is nothing inconsistent with the doctrine of justification by faith alone or by the the sole merit of Jesus Christ.

7. Besides these inferences and remarks, I might easily pass to several other and practical improvements of this subject. But time forbids. I would only add that we may see what a sure and glorious ground of hope and comfort the doctrine of the text affords to all true believers. It is most safe, most gracious, and fully and forever sufficient for all their wants. What a ground too for their gratitude for the Savior's grace! And by what solemn and tender obligation are all bound to accept it, and to live answerably to it! And if they do not, how inexcusable will they be, to their own consciences and to God! How base their ingratitude; how vile their abuse of mercy, and of the love and merit of Jesus Christ; and how justly will they deserve to be rejected of him when he shall come in the clouds of heaven, and with thousands and tens of thousands of angels to the judgment ! If they reject him and his offered grace now, then they will be rejected of him, and his indignation and fierce wrath will be upon them forever!

If then, my hearers, you would avoid this terrible doom, accept the offered grace of Christ without delay. "Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little." To seek him you have every encouragement, for Christ himself hath said, "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon." Confess him before men, and he will confess and acknowledge you before the assembled universe. Receive him, and he will give you "power to become the sons of God," and to be made "kings and priests unto him," and to reign with him in glory. Receive him as your righteousness, and you shall "shine as the brightness of the firmament and as stars forever and ever!"