tion upon the motives and conduct of others. It will gladly think the best, and unwillingly receives the confirmation of its fears. It stands directly opposed to that unchristian spirit which causes persons to listen greedily to reports injurious to their neighbour's good name, and quickly decide, though the proofs be not clear, to his disadvantage. Charity is slow to believe the sad tidings of a brother's fall; anxious to find its information incorrect; and would gladly hear an explanation of his conduct, honourable to God and favourable to the offender. And to quote the language of a distinguished writer, whose character, not less than his writings, recommended the cause of piety: "I am rather inclined to overlook faults than to examine them closely, rather to hide than publish, to extenuate and excuse than to exaggerate and excite displeasure. Are words capable of a good sense? Charity will so interpret them. May an action be imputed to a good motive? Charity will suppose it. Does a fault admit of apology? Charity will rejoice to plead in its defence." "Charity endureth all things." This expression is intended to describe what may be called the patience of charity. They who will engage in the blessed work of attempting to promote the happiness of their fellow men, unless the lessons of past experience are of no value, should be prepared for difficulties and disappointments. They should expect that the plans which have been formed with most care will sometimes be unsuccessful, or that the persons, upon whose co-ope- | ration they counted with confidence, will be indifferent, or their opponents. They should be prepared for the ridicule and chilling doubts of the profane and selfish and ignorant; and prepared also for what is of all the most difficult to bear-the ingratitude of the very persons for whom they are labouring with most zeal, and with the purest motives. These are some of the obstacles which lie in the path of him who would do good, and these are difficult to bear with patience. Hard it is to be disappointed when we hoped for success; to have our motives, of whose purity we are conscious, mistaken or misconstrued; to encounter the coldness or opposition of those upon whose cooperation we reckoned with confidence; and hard to bear the contempt or chilling doubts of the selfish and profane and ignorant; and yet harder to have our kindness met with ingratitude, to find the hand, which should be uplifted in prayer, raised in disdain; the eyes which should glisten with the tear of grateful joy, turned on its benefactor with malice or envy ; and the mouth, which should be all his praise -though the Christian seeks not praise of manfilled with calumny: all this is difficult to bear. But the "charity which endureth all things" will enable those who are brought under its influence to pursue their work undeterred and unwearied by these difficulties. The motives by which they are influenced are independent of these difficulties. They are not the confidence of success, or the praise or gratitude of man, but the desire to please God, and the wish to communicate happiness; and, animated by these motives, they will pursue their work and labour of love, not in the confidence, but in the hope of success; though few should co-operate with them, and though their conduct and motives are misrepresented, and contempt and ingratitude the return which they receive for their zeal and wisdom and disinterested benevolence. Such is the patience of charity. The last property of this grace is its permanence, its continuance "Charity never faileth." apostle does not mean merely that the Christian is at all times adorned with this grace. This is most true; for the continuance of this grace is essential to true religion. A man may alter his opinion on some subjects, but he cannot be without charity without ceasing to be a Christian. Nor does he mean only, The | The that in every age of the church this grace will be a feature in the character of believers; time will roll on, and with it changes will come in the habits and manners of persons; but, wherever the gospel is faithfully preached and received into the heart, the faith of that gospel will work by love. apostle meant more than this; he refers to another world. His eye was fixed on things unseen (except by faith) and eternal, when he said, "Charity never faileth." He was then soaring on the wings of faith, and exploring the scenes of the eternal world when he saw this celestial plant, having survived the destruction of this world, and outlived the earthly state of the church, removed to the paradise of God, and flourishing in the spirits of just men made perfect, "Chief grace below, and all in all above." And now having called attention to the remaining properties of this grace, on what has been said let me offer a few words. First, I entreat my readers to make the account which has been given of this grace, the subject of serious and candid self-examination. Consider that you are concerned, in a measure which it is impossible to overrate, to ascertain whether you are in possession of this grace; for without charity you are without faith, and without faith without Christ, and without Christ without God and the hope of eternal life. Again, the account which St. Paul has given us of this grace, and which I have endeavoured to illustrate, will enable us to perceive the force of St. Peter's language when he calls charity "the bond of perfectness;" and also of the beautiful collect, in which it is styled," the very bond of peace and of all virtues :" for it is manifest that, if charity rejoice universally in its full power, every evil temper and lust and action would be abandoned, and every great virtue cultivated and practised. And we can also understand the happy effects which would attend the general diffusion of this grace in its full power. How different would be the condition of families, of society, of the world! How many fruitful sources of misery would be dried up! Then would the beautiful prediction of Isaiah receive its fulfilment-" The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them: They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain." Alas, how painfully contrasted with this, the picture presented in the conduct of professing Christians! How few comparatively possess this mark of the disciples of Christ; how weak even in these the influence of this grace! And shall this bright and consolatory prediction ever be fulfilled? Shall the heart which pants for this lovely scene ever be satisfied? Yes, this world and its sins and sorrows shall pass away, and there shall succeed it a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness: there love shall fill every heart, and flourish in perfect and immortal vigour. And, lastly, seeing the strictness and spirituality of the divine law, let us learn to prize the great redemption which is in Christ. Let us pray that, united to him by faith, we may be made the righteousness of God in him, accepted in the Beloved. And when, united to him by a living faith, we have entered on the path of a new and spiritual obedience, when we have made our farthest advances in holiness, when we walk most closely after the Saviour, and the Spirit of grace and glory rests on us most abundantly, let this be our acknowledgment-"We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty do:" and let this be our confidence-a confidence which even the terror of the judgment-day shall not be able to shake-“God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD, ITS SOURCE AND BENEFITS: A Sermon, BY THE REV. JOHN HALL, B.D., Rector of St. Werburgh's, Bristol. TITUS iii. 7. "That, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." eternal state be fixed. May our minds be I. The first benefit pointed out in the text, as the result of the kindness and love of God to man, is justification. The blessings before spoken of were conferred in order that we might be "justified by his grace." To be THE kindness and love of God our Saviour, justified is to be "accounted righteous before which was manifested in the gift of his be- God." This, man, as a transgressor of the loved Son to be the channel of mercy to his law of God, cannot be; for as such he is ununworthy rebellious creatures, and in having righteous, and therefore exposed to "the appointed means to be used, which, by his wrath of God," which "is revealed from grace, are rendered effectual to promote the heaven against all ungodliness and unrightsalvation of those who make use of them, and eousness of man." As he has broken the seek for the blessing in the way that he has law of God, he cannot be justified by it. His directed, is the subject of the verses which knowledge of the law shows him that he is a precede the text. They state particularly the sinner, and that he cannot plead the works wonderful love of God to man, the unworthi- of righteousness that he has done as the ness of those who are the objects of this love, ground of his justification before God. But, and the blessings which are bestowed in con- while he confesses that "the law is holy, sequence of it. The end proposed by it is and the commandment is holy and just and the salvation of the persons to whom these good," he is compelled to acknowledge that blessings are vouchsafed. The apostle pro- he has "done those things which he ought ceeds to mention in the text further benefits not to have done, and has left undone those conferred through Jesus Christ our Saviour things which he ought to have done." He upon his believing people; to the enjoyment is therefore "guilty before God;" his mouth of which they are led in consequence of being is stopped; he is self-condemned; and, were made partakers of his mercy, and being there no means of obtaining mercy, he would washed from their past sins in the use of the be shut up in despair, having nothing before appointed ordinance of baptism, and being his eyes but "a certain fearful looking-for of renewed by the Holy Ghost, which was "shed judgment and fiery indignation, which shall on them abundantly through Jesus Christ devour the adversaries" of the most high our Saviour," when they called on the name God. But the kindness and love of God to of the Lord for the fulfilment of his gracious man has been manifested in a revelation of promise. These further benefits are justifi- mercy through Jesus Christ our Saviourcation before God, being made heirs of the mercy to pardon the past, and grace to bless heavenly inheritance, having a hope of ever- for the future. This " grace of God" is lasting salvation, and having eternal life en- described in the preceding chapter as that sured to them hereafter as the gift of God," which bringeth salvation to man;" and here through Jesus Christ our Lord. Every thing it is spoken of as the cause of our justificaaround reminds us that "here we have no tion, of our being "accounted righteous before continuing city," that "our days on earth God," and so of our being admitted into his are as a shadow, and there is none abiding." most holy presence, into which "there shall It is our wisdom, therefore, to look forward in nowise enter anything that defileth," beto the time of our departure from this cause he is "of purer eyes than to behold world, under the conviction that we shall evil, and cannot look on iniquity." then enter upon eternity; and that we shall grace of God may be regarded as the favour then have to 66 give an account of the with which he beholds his beloved Son, and deeds done in the body;" and it will then be consequently all those also who believe in his manifest whether or not we have known God, name, who in him "have redemption through and obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus his blood, the forgiveness of sins," and are Christ-whether or not we are numbered made partakers of the working of regeneraamong his saints, and them that have believed tion and renewing of the Holy Ghost." These the testimony of his holy word; and, accord-persons, being "washed and sanctified in the ing as conscience will answer when the secret name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of of all hearts shall be disclosed, will our our God," are also justified before God; so that This they are admitted into his presence as righteous persons, to hold communion and fellowship with him, to come to him as his children, that they may receive the blessing of their heavenly Father. The apostle Paul says to the Romans on this subject-"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." It is by faith, or through putting our confidence and trust in the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ-his perfect obedience to the law of God, as "God manifest in the flesh-" that the sinful children of men are justified before God. It is by his obedience, by relying upon it, by its being placed to our account, that we are made righteous in the sight of God. We are "made the righteousness of God in him: Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." It was an act of grace on the part of God to provide this means of justification in his sight of those who have transgressed his holy law, and incurred the penalty of disobedience. But it is the privilege of those who are thus justified before him-who plead the nerit of the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ as the ground of their acceptance in his presence, to have access to him; to be assured of his favourable regard of them for Christ's sake; to draw nigh to him under the persuasion that he will draw nigh to them; to have " peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;" to behold him as the God of peace and salvation; to come before him as children to their heavenly Father to present their supplications at his footstool for those blessings which they stand in need of; and to thank and praise his holy name for his benefits conferred upon them. It is their privilege, through Christ, to "have access by the Spirit unto the Father," and by Christ to " offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of their lips giving thanks to his name." They plead the atonement of Christ for the pardon of their sins past, and the righteousness of Christ for the acceptance of their persons in the divine presence, and through his mediation, they present their offerings of prayer and praise to God; and thus they are assured that they shall not be sent empty away when they approach the throne of grace, but that "he who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, will with him also freely give us all things" which it is for the glory of God and the good of his believing people that they should receive; so that they are not only "saved from wrath through him," but are "blessed with all spiritual blessings," such as are enjoyed in heavenly places by those who surround the throne of glory, in and through Christ Jesus our Saviour. It is important to have a right understanding and a simple apprehension of this doctrine of justification by faith; for there is no possibility of walking humbly with God as our heavenly Father in Christ Jesus, so as to have communion and fellowship with him in the spirit of our minds, and to live as his children, "as seeing him who is invisible," having respect to his holy will and commandments, but as we are assured of our acceptance with him in his beloved Son, "the Lord our righteousness," our Redeemer and Mediator. This therefore has been called the great doctrine of our blessed reformation from popery, and the article by the belief or the rejection of which the church of Christ stands or falls. Popery had substituted penances, and self-mortifications, and privations, and self-tormentings-very plausible things, as not being "in honour to the satisfying of the flesh," but having "a show of wisdom in will-worship and neglecting of the body"-in the room of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, as the ground of hope for the pardon of sin; and the merit of obedience to the commands of the church, to its ordinances and ceremonies, in the room of the merit of Christ or his righteousness as the ground of acceptance with God, and the mediation of saints and angels in the room of the mediation of Christ: and it asserted that all must pass through the fire of purgatory after death, so that those who received its unchristian and unscriptural doctrines were, through fear of death, all their life-time subject to bondage; and, when conscience accused them of being transgressors of the law of God, there was no means of obtaining relief but by submitting to the grossest delusion; and to those whose consciences were at all tender, there was no means of being pacified but by self-tormenting. This system of iniquity prevailed in consequence of the word of God-the holy scriptures, the volume of divine revelation—having been taken away from the people by the craft and subtlety of those who had obtained the pre-eminence in the visible church-its ecclesiastical rulers; who substituted their own commandments, which they called the commandments of the church, in the room of the book which was given by inspiration of God in order to "make wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus," those who received its blessed doctrines. When the holy bible was opened at the time of our blessed reformation, by being translated into our own language, then appeared the difference between the commandments of men and the word of God; and the divinely revealed way of pardon and us. righteousness, and eternal life through Christ our Saviour, and not by self-tormenting nor by human merit, was brought before those who had been deceived and deluded by the false doctrines and the tyranny and oppression of Rome. May we "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage," to which some modern innovators would reduce us. "Christ is all and in all" to his believing people. His incarnation, his obedience, his sufferings and death, his mediation and intercession, are the only ground of hope towards God, which his holy word sets before It teaches us how we may live happily, day by day, as the children of God, in the enjoyment of his favour, in communion and fellowship with him; casting all our care upon him, looking up to him as our Father and our friend, and partaking of his enriching blessing, both in our bodies and in our souls. Let us seek to enjoy this happiness for ourselves, which is set before us "through Christ Jesus our Saviour," that we may go on our way rejoicing, as it is the privilege of the children of God to do continually, through faith in his redemption. Then, "being justified by faith," and having "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ-" having access into his presence as the hearer of prayer, and standing in his favour in and through his beloved Son-we shall be happy and holy, and shall be enabled also to rejoice in hope of the glory of God hereafter, as it is the privilege of those to do, who, "being justified by his grace," are " made heirs of eternal life." II. This is the next point to which the text directs our attention. Those who by the grace of God are justified before him, and accepted with him through Jesus Christ our Saviour, are accounted "the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus;" and, as the apostle says to the Romans, "If children, then heirs-heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ," who shall "be glorified" hereafter, together with their Lord and Saviour; for "when Christ, who is their life, shall appear, then shall they also appear with him in glory;" for, he will come again to receive them to himself, that where he is, they may be also-in the mansions of his Father's house, where he has prepared a place for them. The apostle Peter speaks of them as being "begotten to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, which is reserved in heaven for them;" and for which they "are kept by the power of God unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time;" wherein it is their privilege "greatly to rejoice," since "honour and glory" await them "at the appearing of Jesus Christ," when they shall "receive the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls." O! how wonderful is it, that the sinful children of men should be permitted to look forward to such unspeakable blessedness to be bestowed upon them hereafter, when they shall have done with all things here below; so that, in anticipation of the blessedness which awaits them, they are termed, even here on earth, "heirs of God, heirs of eternal life, heirs of glory." So St. James says-" Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" The characteristic of the children of God is, they love him as their Father, they love him as their Saviour, they love him as their Guide and Comforter; they believe in him, they put their trust and confidence in him, they live in humble obedience to his holy will and commandments. And this being their character, they are heirs of his kingdom-of the eternal inheritance which he hath promised to bestow upon them. And this is a blessing bestowed upon "the poor of this world," who are "rich in faith," or who are truly believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Although they may be despised by the children of this world, who "have their portion in this life," on account of their poverty, yet they are precious in the sight of the Lord as his children. The gospel of Christ addresses itself indeed to all ranks and conditions of men-to high and low, to rich and poor: all the children of men are equally welcome to receive its blessings. But, as men must be humbled in the sight of God, and lowly in their own eyes-self-abased at his footstool, the poor of this world have a kind of natural advantage in consequence of being led, by the circumstances in which they are placed, not to think so highly of themselves as those who have abundance of this world's goods are usually disposed to do. The poor cannot but be sensible of their dependant condition; while the rich are too apt to regard themselves as independent, not only of their fellow-creatures so as not to need any thing at their hands, but also as being independent of God. Hence it was said by our blessed Saviour," How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!" They that have riches are disposed to trust in them. On which account we find the apostle directing Timothy, "Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good with their earthly abundance, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate," and, above all, that they give diligence "to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come"-not the foundation of uncertain riches, for riches profit not in the day of wrath; but that they "lay up treasure in heaven" by being rich in faith, "that they may lay hold on eternal life," or may be "heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to all them that love him" whether they be rich or poor in this world; "for there is no respect of persons with God.” If we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are also heirs of this heavenly kingdom, this "inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away" which is "reserved in heaven" for the children of God. "abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost." Let us, brethren, seek to enjoy this blessedness for ourselves in our own souls, that we may be animated to press forward in the narrow way to the kingdom of heavento " press toward the mark for the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus," believing that we shall assuredly, for his name's sake, "receive the end of our faith-the salvation of our souls." This prize, this salvation, is termed in the text "eternal life." And it is said elsewhere respecting it," The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." This is the great, the unspeakable blessing which the gospel of Christ sets before the children of men, as to be obtained through faith in his name. "Life and immortality were brought to light through the gospel." The incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, his appearing in our world as a man among men, his life and death, his resurrection and ascension to glory, pointed out the way to eternal life plainly and clearly, as being bestowed by divine grace upon them that believe in his name; so that they shall not be left destitute of the blessing. But what that eternal life is, we know not: we must enter upon it in order to have any right or correct ideas on the subject. If it be said, that "Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him,” even in this life, because "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned"; how much more must eternal life and the things of it be beyond the apprehension of mankind! Our Saviour said respecting the sheep of his pasture, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." This shows that eternal life is the opposite of perishing; in like manner as it is de III. It is the privilege of those who are heirs of this heavenly inheritance to live in the hope of partaking of it. So the text proceeds to mention, "That we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." This hope the apostle speaks of himself as having, in the commencement of this epistle. He calls himself " a servant of God, in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began." This hope is a leaning upon the promise of God. "For this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." And, as he "cannot lie," this promise shall certainly be fulfilled to the heirs of promise: "who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before them" in the gospel of Christ. And this hope, which it is their privilege to entertain, they "have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast," which entereth into that within the vail, whither the forerunner Jesus the high priest of his church and people" is entered" for them; and therefore they shall assuredly follow him thither. Their hope will not make them ashamed; it will be realised to the everlasting joy of their souls. It is their privilege, therefore, "to rejoice in hope of the glory of God." But, as long as the children of God continue in this world, faith and hope must be in con-clared that "whosoever believeth in him shall tinual exercise. They must rely on the promises of God in Christ, and wait for their fulfilment in his own due time. As the apostle says to the Romans," Hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But, if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." And to the Corinthians he observes, "We walk by faith, not by sight." But it is the privilege of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ-by being "followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises to attain " to the full assurance of hope to the end;" because "he is faithful that hath promised." It is their privilege to be "filled with all joy and peace in believing, so as to not perish, but have eternal life." But our Saviour gave some idea of the nature of the blessing when he said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." The knowledge of the true God in all his attributes, and in the relations which he bears to his creatures as their God; a familiar acquaintance with this will be the blessed. ness of heaven, together with entire freedom from all the evils and miseries connected with this present evil world, and the blessedness of being saved and delivered from that wrath which sin deserves. Life and happiness, or blessedness, which will know no end, shall be the portion of the humble believer in the |