whole truft in Jefus, as the end of the law for righteoufness to every one that believeth And this plea is accepted. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him who juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness, and his fins are no more remembered against him ‡.

This juftification, in its own nature, is authoritative, complete, and final. It is an act of God's mercy, which, becaufe founded upon the mediation of Jesus, may, with no less truth, be ftyled an act of his juftice, whereby the believing finner is delivered from the curfe of the law, from the guilt and power of fin, and is tranflated into the kingdom of his dear Son . It includes the pardon of all fin, and admiflion to the ftate of a child of God.-It is a paffing from death unto life §. By faith of the operation of God, the finner, once afar off, is brought nigh, is accepted in the Beloved, and becomes one with him, as the branch is united to the vine, and the members with the head **. The fanctification of a believer is imperfect and gradual; but his juftification, in this fenfe, from the moment when he begins to live a life of faith in the Son of God, is perfect, and incapable of increase. The principle of life in a new-born infant, and the privileges dependent upon his birth, (if he be the heir of a great family), are the fame from the first hour, as at any future time. He is ftronger as he grows up to the ftature of a man, but is not more alive; he grows up likewife more into the knowledge and enjoyment of his privileges, but his right to them admits of no augmentation; for he derives it, not from his years, or his ftature, or his powers, but from the relation in which he ftands as a child to his father. Thus it is with those who are born from above; they are immediately the children and heirs of God, though

* Rom. X. 4. Col, i, 13.

for

for a time, like minors while under age, they may feem to differ but little from fervants *; and it doth not yet appear what they fhall be.

But though juftification in the fight of God be connected with the reality of faith, the comfortable perception of it in our own confciences is proportionable to the degree of faith. In young converts, therefore, it is ufually weak. They are well fatisfied that Jefus is the only Saviour, and they have no doubt of his ability and fufficiency in that character, in favour of those who put their trust in him; but they are fufpicious and jealous of themselves; they are apprehenfive of fomething fingular in their own cafe, which may juftly exclude them from his mercy, or they fear that they do not believe aright. But the weakest believer is a child of God; and true faith, though at first like a grain of mustard-feed, is interested in all the promises of the gospel. If it be true, it will grow †, it will attain to a more fimple dependence upon its great object, and will work its way through a thousand doubts and fears, (which, for a feafon, are not without their use), till at length the weak Christian becomes ftrong in faith, Arong in the Lord, and is enabled to fay, I know whom I have believed! Who fhall lay any thing to my charge? Who fhall condemn? It is God who juftifieth. It is Christ who died for me and rofe again.

But especially at the great day, the Lord the Judge fhall ratify their juftification publicly before affembled worlds. Then every tongue that rifeth in judgment against them fhall be put to filence. Then Satan will be utterly confounded, and many who defpifed them on earth will be aftonifhed, and fay-Thefe are they whofe lives we accounted madness, and their end to be without honour! How are they numbered among the children of God § !

Gal. iv. I, 2.

If. liv. 17.

K 2

'The

The right knowledge of this doctrine is a fource of abiding joy; it likewife ánimates love, zeal, gras titude, and all the nobleft powers of the foul, and produces a habit of cheerful and fuccessful obedience to the whole will of God. But it may be, and too often is, misunderstood and abused. If you receive it by divine teaching, it will fill you with those fruits of righteousness which are by Jefus Chrift to the glory and praife of God. But if you learn it only from men and books, if you are content with the notion of it in your head, inftead of the powerful experience of it in your heart, it will have a contrary effect. Such a lifeless form, even of the truth itself, will probably make you heady and high-minded, cenforious of others, trifling in your fpirit, and unfettled in your conduct. Oh! be afraid of refembling the foolish virgins †, of having the lamp of your profeffion expire in darkness for want of the oil of grace; left, when the Bridegroom cometh, you fhould find the door fhut against you.

*Phil. i. II.

+ Matt. xxv. I,—12.

SER

221

SERMON

XLVII.

The Interceffion of Christ.

ROMANS viii. 34.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for

us.

HE redemption of the foul is precious. Fools

THE `make a mock of fin*. But they will not think

lightly of it who duly confider the majesty, authority, and goodness of him against whom it is committed; and who are taught by what God actually has done, what fin rendered neceffary to be done, before a finner could have a well-grounded hope of forgiveness. For wifdom does nothing in vain. The death of the Son of God would have been in vain, if the great defign in favour of finful men could have been effected by inferior means. But as he, in the office of Mediator, was the hope of mankind from the beginning; fo the great work he has accomplished, and the characters he fuftains, when made known to the confcience, are, in fact, fufficient to relieve in every cafe, to answer every charge, and to fatisfy the believer in Jefus that there is now no condemnation to fear. There are many (as we have obferved) ready to accufe, but it is in vain; the charge may be true, but it is overruled. Who fhall dare to condemn, if things be as the Apostle states them in this paffage? Whoever would impeach the hope of a true believer, must K3 prove

* Prov. xvi. 9.

† Gal. ii. 21.

prove (if he can), that Chrift did not die; or that he did not rife from the dead; or that he was not admitted into the prefence of God on our behalf; or that he is unmindful of his promife, to make interceffion for all who come unto God by him. For if thefe points are indubitable and fure, it is impoffible that the foul which has trufted in Jefus, and put its cause into his hands, can mifcarry.

The death and refurrection of our Lord, his appearance in our nature, clothed with glory, feated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, as the High Prieft of our profeffion, can scarcely be confidered too often. These old truths are always new to thofe who love him, and are the food by which their fouls live. Yet I fhall not at prefent repeat what I have offered upon them from former paffages, but fhall chiefly confine myself to the fubject of his interceffion, which has not, until now, exprefsly occurred to our meditations.

The word the Apostle ufes here, and in Heb. vii. 25-leeing he ever liveth to make interceffion, occurs likewife Acts xxv. 24. where Feftus fpeaks of the procefs managed by the Jews against Paul; and alfo Rom. xi. 2. of Elijah's making interceffion to God. against Ifrael. From thefe paffages compared together, we may obferve that the word is to be taken in a large fenfe. He pleads our caufe, he manages our concerns, he answers our enemies. Who then fhall condemn those for whom the Lord Jefus thus employs his power and his love? He is our advocate *. He takes upon him our whole concern. He pleads as a Priest and manages as a King for those who come unto God by him.

I. He pleads as a Prieft. His office of interceffion has a plain reference to his great inftituted type, the high priest under the Levitical difpenfation;

1 John ii. x)

who,