question-What must I do to be saved? Remembering that life has passed away in a course of disobedience to the will of heaven,-conscious that if the Lord should enter into judgment with them they could not be justified; they are alarmed, reasonably alarmed at the thoughts of dying without an assurance of pardon. All attempts of those around them to compose their minds, by denying that they have any serious cause for apprehension, they feel to be a mockery of their state. It is in vain to remind them that they have injured no one, and been kind to their neighbours; it is of no avail to spread before them a catalogue of the duties which they have performed. These give them no peace, for they are conscious that they have not loved and served the Lord as they ought; that if, instead of being judged by the partiality of friends, they should be weighed in the balances of divine justice, they would be found wanting, infinitely wanting: and the fear, the heart-rending cry returns, "How shall I make my peace with God?"

If the importance of this question is felt so painfully towards the close of life by those who have previously neglected it, nothing can be more obvious than the wisdom, the necessity of earnestly meditating upon it while in health, if we would escape the distressing anxieties of a deathbed repentance. That is generally a critical season, when the mind and body are too languid through disease, or too much disturbed by pain,

to give close attention to the important business of the soul. Now, then, while our faculties are unimpaired, while we can command our thoughts and have opportunity to employ them, now is the time to turn with sorrow of heart unto Him from Whom we have "deeply revolted."

But how is this to be done? St. Paul answers the question. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. v. 1.)

Justification is a forensic term, and signifies a person's acquittal in a court of justice of the charges brought against him. In the New Testament, it is applied to the sinner's acquittal at the last judgment of all the crimes for which he would be condemned were the law which he has broken to take its course. The cause of this jus

tification is twofold.

First, the immediate and meritorious cause is, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only Redeemer of fallen man. In order to make satisfaction for sinners, it was necessary for Himself to be without sin, for the same reason that a man must himself be free from debt, or at least solvent, before he would be admitted security as for another. The necessity of innocence in the Redeemer of the world was represented to the Israelites in their Paschal Lamb, and in the other animals slain at Jerusalem in atonement for their transgressions. They were expressly required to select such victims as were without spot and

blemish. Those offerings typified the Lamb of God, who, in fulness of time, was to shed His blood to take away the sins of the world. He was to be without moral defect or stain, free from spot and blemish. Accordingly it is written, He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. (1 Pet. ii. 22.) The heathen judge who delivered Him to be crucified, bore testimony to the perfection of His character; for he declared before the assembled multitudes, I find no fault in this man. (Luke xxiii. 4.)

Thus justified in His own person, He was competent to become our surety, and to give his life a ransom for many, that they also might be justified. The truth and righteousness of our God stood in array against us. His truth required Him to exact the penalties of His law, and to execute its denunciations. His righteousness demanded satisfaction for all the wrongs which we had done. But on Jesus was laid the iniquity of us all. (Isa. liii. 6.) When that immaculate Lamb, as an unoffending victim, poured out His soul unto death, He bore our sins, and carried our sorrows. Then was he wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isa. liii. 4, 5.) For He made our peace through the blood of his cross. (Col. i. 20.) In Him therefore, mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

(Ps. lxxxv. 10.) Every thing that impeded our approach to God, the Saviour hath removed. He took our sins out of the way, nailing them to his cross. So that now, God can be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Rom. iii. 26.) These are the glad tidings which the Apostles proclaimed to the world, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. They went forth every where, saying, We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Cor. v. 20, 21.)

And as Jesus Christ was delivered for our offences, so was he raised again for our justification. (Rom. iv. 25.) Wherefore it is, in every respect, through Him that we have peace with God. He is the immediate, or meritorious cause of the Father's reconciliation to us; as St. Peter describes it, -Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.)

Secondly. The mediate cause of our justification, that is, the act whereby, on our part, we accept the mercy offered in the gospel, and

appropriate it to our comfort, is faith. We are therefore said to be justified by faith. But it is necessary to understand the character of this principle.

A true and lively faith implies a right knowledge of Jesus Christ, as God manifested in the flesh, and a knowledge of the work which He finished on the cross for our redemption. This position may be assumed; for it would be just as reasonable to maintain that a house can be built without a foundation, as that a man can trust in one of whom he has not an intimate knowledge. So argues St. Paul. (Rom. x. 13, 14.) Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

Faith implies the surrender of the heart to God, and the employment of all our talents and strength in His service. There are those who would limit faith to a verbal acknowledgment of Christ as the Son of God, and Redeemer of the world. But if this confession of faith be without any practical effect on him who makes it, wherein does it surpass the faith of devils? Thus far even those apostate spirits believe; but their faith makes them tremble. (James ii. 19.) How then can it be expected to give peace to man? And the faith which does not tranquillize the soul, and cause it to rest in God, cannot be that which justifies. Justifying faith is a living, holy

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