of the justified person is attributed to the indwelling of his spirit, Who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.

The believer feels his dependence to be such, as is here described. Whatever of moral worth he possesses, is not, he is convinced, the native growth of the human heart, but is a plant, which his heavenly Father has planted; and would wither and die, unless cultured and nourished by the same hand. He is conscious of propensities, which would lead to disobedience and ruin, were they not restrained and counteracted by influence from on high.

5. The christian religion represents salvation as gratuitous. By grace are ye saved, through faith. Being justified freely by his grace, we have peace with God.

No person can receive this religion to the salvation of his soul; no one can entertain the faith, which it demands, who views himself capable of standing on the ground of his good desert. If I am free from guilt; or if my good deeds compensate for my offences, I am indebted to no one. I cannot therefore be pleased with a religion, which represents me as condemned in the eye of justice, and utterly incapable of being saved, but through the compassion of God. That faith, by which the just shall live, not only assents intellectually to the doctrine of gratuitous justification; but rests upon it with the highest satisfaction and delight. The believer is willing to have it known on earth, in heaven, and through the whole universe, that his salvation is the result of divine mercy. His affections are in unison with theirs, who will, through ceaseless ages, ascribe glory and dominion to him, Who hath loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood. He rejoices in the religion of Christ, not merely because it affords to himself eternal security; but because this security is bestowed on him and innumerable millions, without endangering the order and happiness of God's kingdom.

The lecture will be concluded with a few remarks.

1. From the account of faith which has now been given, it is not difficult to perceive, why so much importance should be at

tached to it in the Christian system. Were it merely an act of the understanding,-an intellectual assent to certain propositions, it would, indeed, create surprise, that our Saviour should have said: He, that believeth on the Son, hath life: but he, that believeth not on the Son, hath not life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

But, if in the term faith we comprehend, not only that assent of the understanding, which evidence demands: but that state of the heart, those moral affections, which the relations of man require; there is an essential difference between the believer and the unbeliever; a difference, which enables us to perceive the propriety of their future separation. The one, yielding to moral obligation, is the friend of real virtue, and therefore the friend of God: the other is alike the enemy of both. The one has a moral principle, which qualifies him to enjoy the presence of God and the employments of the celestial world; the other would, in no place, nor in any society, be less happy, than in that presence, or in those employments.

2. If the sentiments, conveyed in this lecture are true, it is not correct, to speak of saving faith, as the foundation of holiness, or, as that by which we receive Christ. Faith is not the foundation of holiness, any more, than a thing can be the foundation of itself. Faith is holiness, or what is the same thing, true virtue. It is obedience; and will be expressed by external actions. When the Jews inquired of our Lord, What they should do, that they might work the works of God, his reply was: This is the work of God, that ye believe on him, whom he hath sent. For a similar reason, it is not that by which we receive Christ. Faith is the Christian temper existing in the heart; and therefore cannot be that by which we receive the Christian temper.

3. As, from the preceding remarks, it would seem, that the principal excellence of saving faith, consists in a moral resemblance of God, it is natural to inquire, whether the moral resemblance, if found in a pagan, will not ensure the salvation of its possessor? I answer in the affirmative. Wherever there

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is an obedient heart, a sincere love of holiness, there is a virtual agreement between moral feelings and the truths of the Christian religion there is that which would secure those truths a welcome reception, were they made known. If there be truly virtuous heathen, they would embrace, with adoration and love, such a character, as that which the gospel attributes to the Almighty; and, of course, they must abhor the moral character of those deities, who are the common objects of pagan worship. If there be any virtuous heathen, they have that conviction of personal ill desert, which would render the Christian doctrine of salvation by Christ most welcome. If there are in pagan nations, individuals of such feelings and such characters, there can be no room to question, that they are the chosen of God, and, through the merits of Christ, heirs of the heavenly kingdom. For, in every nation, whosoever feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him. God is no respecter of persons; and, therefore, will not receive one person of real holiness, and reject another. But these remarks do by no means express any opinion, as to the actual salvation of heathen. Such characters, wherever found, will inherit eternal life. But whether there be any among pagans, answering to this description, I am not authorized to determine, nor can it be certainly known till the day of retribution.

The subject leads us to notice an objection, frequently made; viz. that it ill comports with the justice of God, to condemn the heathen for not assenting to truths, which were never proposed to them. The heathen will not be condemned for not assenting to truths, which were never proposed to them; but for the want of true virtue ;-genuine uprightness of heart; that quality, in short, by which the friends of God are distinguished from his enemies.

It is obvious to remark, that between the condition of unbelievers in heathen and Christian countries there is an important difference. The latter, by rejecting Christianity, clearly show that their feelings do not correspond with it. They have seen what Christianity is; what purity it ascribes to God; what

perfection to his law: they know its declarations, as to the fall. and recovery of man. If there be not a moral disagreement between themselves and such a religion, why is it not embraced ? If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.

There is tremendous import in our Saviour's words, who said, that the inhabitants of Sodom, all covered as they were with more than brutal pollutions, should experience less severity at his tribunal, than those who rejected his ministry.

LECTURE XLIII.

JUSTIFICATION.

In the state to which we are advancing, all will appear in the character either of those who are justified or of those who are not justified. It must, therefore, be highly important to ascertain both the meaning of the term, and the conditions, on which may be obtained those blessings which it implies.

The subject will be treated agreeably to the following arrangement.

I. We are to inquire, What is justification.

II. How the Jews expected to obtain this by their law. III. On what conditions Justification is obtained; in connexion with which will be noticed the seeming discrepance between the doctrine of the Apostles Paul and James. As to the first; we inquire what is meant by justification. This term, it is conceived, is never used with propriety, but in relation to persons, against whom some crime is alleged. Whenever a person, who is accused, proves either that he did not perform the action, or that the action was no crime, he justifies himself; and this justification, the judge before whom he is tried, is bound to declare.

There is, therefore, as it respects human tribunals, an obvious difference between justification and pardon. When the judge justifies, or pronounces the justification of an accused person, he declares, we have said, either, that the latter never performed the action, of which he is accused; or if he did, that it was no crime. But, when a person is pardoned, it is implied, that he has committed a crime. In human judicatories, he who is justified, cannot be pardoned, because he is innocent; nor is it