for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom. iii. 20-26. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that sin might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. v. 19-21. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. vi. 23. "Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. v. 25-27. "God hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body. of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight."

...

Col. i. 13, 14, 21, 22. "For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Tit. ii. 11-14.

Justification through the blood of Christ, and sanctification by his Spirit, are very usually treated on as distinct doctrines; but, different as they are in one point of view, it is nevertheless evident, from the tenor of these extracts, that they are inseparably connected. Both are essential to the work of salvation; both originate in the same divine mercy, and both are described, by the sacred writers, as arising out of the sacrifice of the Son of God. Was Christ "set forth" of the Father, to be "a propitiation through faith in his blood"? Did he bear "our sins in his own body on the tree"? Did he thus give himself for us? It was not only for the "remission of sins that are past," and for the justification of penitent believers, but also, that "he might sanctify and cleanse" his Church

"that he might redeem us from all iniquity" —that our consciences might be "purified from dead works, to serve the living God". "that we,

being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness.” Tit. ii. 14; Heb. ix. 14; 1 Pet. ii. 24.

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," says the Apostle, "hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. viii. 2, 3. Again: "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Tit. iii. 3—6. "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance," said John the Baptist to the Jews: "but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." Matt. iii. 11. Comp. John xv. 26; 1 John ii. 27.

Lastly, we learn from the inspired writers that the same Mediator of the New Covenant, who was a propitiation for our sins, and who sheds

H

forth on mankind the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, is mercifully engaged in pleading for his people before the throne of his Father. "My little children," said the apostle John, "these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John ii. 1, 2. "Who is he that condemneth?" writes another apostle: "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Rom. viii. 34. "But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. vii. 24, 25.

Such are the powerful and harmonious statements presented to us by prophets and apostles, on the great subject of CHRISTIAN REDEMPTION.

Now to the inquiry already suggested-for what mighty and equivalent purpose the Son of God, by whom all things both in heaven and in earth were created, condescended to take our frail nature upon him, to dwell amongst us, and to die on the cross, these statements afford an intelligible and perfectly satisfactory answer. In his adorable mercy, in his almighty power, he came to deliver mankind; to recover them from their lost condition; to save them from the domi

nion of Satan, and from everlasting destruction; to supply all their spiritual need: to reconcile them through his own bloodshedding and mediation to the Father Almighty; to regenerate and sanctify them by his Holy Spirit; to provide for them both indemnity and cure; and thus to secure for them a boundless eternity of perfect happiness. Here are unfolded purposes worthy of the Son of God, and worthy of that peculiar display of his love and condescension revealed to us in the Bible-purposes fully adequate to his divine dignity, and capable of being carried into effect, only by him who, while he suffered in our suffering nature, was ONE with Jehovahpersonally participating in the wisdom, power, and nature, of the only true God. Whether, indeed, we regard the human nature of Christ -in which he died for us, and is still "touched with the feeling of our infirmities,"—or his divine nature, which imparts a mighty efficacy to the whole plan of our redemption;-we cannot but acknowledge, that between the spiritual wants of mankind, on the one hand, and the sure mercies of the MESSIAH OF GOD, on the other, there is a nice, an accurate, a perfect adaptation.