righteousness of the Lord Jesus? nor can we doubt its sufficiency for this important purpose, when we consider how the word of God abounds in bearing witness to it, the unsearchable love of God in providing it, (for God so loved, as to give his only-begotten Son for this purpose,) the divinity of the Person who wrought and finished it, and the honour that is done by it to the divine law and government. Never was the law so magnified and made honourable; never did God appear so awfully just in his government, nor sin so exceedingly sinful as in this great work of the Lord Jesus. What is the obedience of all the faithful on earth, or all the angels in heaven, when compared with the obedience of the Son of God, the Man that thought it not robbery to be equal with God! What an example of perfect excellence is exhibited in this righteousness of God our Saviour, to the universe of intelligent beings! May we not, then, most safely trust in it for our salvation, for justification, and for all the blessings of holiness and glory.

4. But when may we be considered as justified? Decretively, from eternity; virtually, when Christ Jesus our Lord died on the cross; actually, according to the word of God, when we believe on the Lord Jesus.

(1.) We are justified, as it respects the purpose of God, from eternity. Thus, our Apostle saith in relation to this subject, Tit. i. 2. In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. Here, then, is eternal life promised, promised BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN; surely justification to life is included, as that without which, as sinners, we cannot have eternal life. Thus, to the same purpose, is what we read in 2 Tim. i. 9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Are we now saved from our sins? are we called? are we

justified? it is according to God's own purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Thus the Lord saith unto his church in Jer. xxxi. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee. The thoughts of this antient, this great, this most fruitful love, filled the heart of the Apostle Paul with the most exalted joy and praise; see Eph. i. 3, 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. If we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we may be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, then, in the purpose of God, we are justified in Christ before the foundation of the world; or, in other words, we are NOW JUSTIFIED, as

we WERE CHOSEN IN CHRIST BEFORE THE FOUN

DATION OF THE WORLD; for this great, this leading blessing of salvation, cannot be excluded from ALL spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Thus it is manifest, that our justification was purposed in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world; and had it not been of solid advantage to believers to know it, it would not have been revealed in the word of God.

(2.) Virtually we were justified, when our Lord offered himself a sacrifice for sin on the cross. Then it was that our compassionate Redeemer bore our sins in his body on the tree; then, truly, he bore our sins, and carried our sorrows; then he triumphed over his enemies, and all the slanderous charges they brought against him, according to the prediction of Isa. 1. 8, 9. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me; lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Many

were the slanderous charges brought against our Lord. He was spoken of as an impostor, a deceiver, as in the interest of Beelzebub the prince of the devils, as a notorious sinner. All his claims as the Saviour of men were rejected by his enemies with indignation; but his Father justified him, as Paul also witnesses, 1 Tim. iii. 16. Justified in the Spirit. Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power, by his resurrection from the dead. Thus his testimony was confirmed, that he had given his life a ransom for many; thus he made the only sacrifice for sin that ever will be made. When Christ died on the cross, then it was made evident that God laid on him the iniquities of us all; then he appeared as our sacrifice, sacrificed for us: besides this, there will be no other sacrifice for sin ever made. When the truth and glory of this sacrifice were attested by the resurrection of Christ, the character of Christ shone forth in its divine glory, and all the reproaches cast upon him were completely annihilated, and all his enemies fully manifested as forgers of lies; for when Christ said, It is finished, with his dying breath, sin was borne, atonement was made; then was fulfilled what the Apostle expresses in Heb. i, 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Thus, in the verse before our text, the Lord Jesus is said to be delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. Thus when Paul triumphs in the Christian's justification, it is through the death and the resurrection of the Lord. Jesus, Rom. viii. 33, 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? God? he justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? Christ? he died; yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Is it not then evident, that, virtually, we were justified, when Christ died on

the cross? Thus all other atonements for sin, and grounds of justification, are shewn to be needless, unprofitable, and, when trusted in, inimical to the glorious work of Christ.

(3.) But we are only Now justified, according to the word of God, ACTUALLY justified, when we believe; being justified by faith, we have peace with God.

Justification supposes a trial, and, after trial, a sentence of acquittal. In justification God appears as our Judge, we appear as criminals at his bar; the law is brought forth against us, as men under the law; thus, Rom, iii. 19, 20. Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. We acknowledge the charge is most just; but we plead, that Jesus Christ our Lord has died the just for the unjust, that he has magnified the law we have broken, and made it honourable; that we have received the Lord Jesus as the end of the law for righteousness, that we have cordially received the witness of God concerning him, that we look to him and regard him as our Surety, our Righteousness: our plea is accepted as valid, and the Lord regards his righteousness as to and upon us believing. Thus, believing, we are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses. This justification supposes our existence, that we are under the law, that we are under the curse, because we have not continued in all things written in the book of the law to do them. Therefore, whatever the purposes of the most gracious God may be concerning us, however the Lord Jesus may have borne our sins in his own body on the tree, though he may by himself have purged our sins, we are never testified of as justified, until we believe with the heart

unto righteousness, and make confession with the mouth unto salvation. The word of God witnesses concerning believers, that we are by nature the children of wrath, even as others, Ephes. ii. 3. Whilst we hold the truth in unrighteousness, and live in ungodliness and unrighteousness, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against us, (see Rom. i. 18.) How then can we be regarded as justified, when the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against us? Has not God, in his word, passed a sentence of condemnation on all that believe not on the name of his only-begotten Son. John iii. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. Compare this verse with Rom. viii. 1. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. If, then, we are in Christ Jesus by a living faith, there is no condemnation to us; but if we are not in him, if we have not believed on the only-begotten Son of God, we are condemned already let the sentence be executed, and we are undone for ever, for ever lost. Thus it is evident, that in justification there is a relative change. We pass in it from a state of condemnation to a state of justification: from a state of death in trespasses and sins, to a state of justification to life from a state of distance from God, to a state of nearness to God, by the blood of Christ. Surely the testimony of the word of God is sufficient to satisfy us, concerning this important truth. Why should we desire to be wise above what is written; to oppose our reasonings to the testimony of God in his word? Hath he not plainly said, in his word that cannot deceive us, JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, and THROUGH FAITH. And if we attend to the general sense of the word of God, we shall be sensible, that in order to forgiveness and justification, sinners are exhorted to repent and believe the gospel, to forgive that we may be forgiven. When our Lord opened the understanding of his disciples, that