tified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Gal. ii. 17. "But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." Ibid. iii. 11. " But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." Col. i. 21. "And you, that were some time alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled." Ibid. i. 22. "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight." Ibid. i. 23. "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." Heb. iii. 6. "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." Ibid. iii. 14. "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. Gal. v. 5. "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." Heb. x. 36. "For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise." Ibid. x. 38. "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Ibid. xii. 23. "To the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." Matt. xii. 36. "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Ibid. xii. 37. “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy word, thou shalt be condemned. In the first text quoted we find, that the good and holy Job said, "I have ordered my cause," that is, he had done all that was necessary to obtain justification, and he asserts," I know that I shall be justified!" From his words it only appears, that he was not then justified, it cannot be collected from them when he expected to be justified, but it may be justly concluded he had done all that was required to effect his justifica tion at a future time; which shews that justification does not take place at the time the justifying acts are done, and nothing further can with any certainty be inferred from his words. In the 1st and 2nd verses of the cxliiid Psalm we find the man after God's own heart in deep supplication to the Great Dispenser of all mercies, praying that he would not enter into judgment with him; which must be understood, that he would not bring forward his sins against him to punishment, but graciously pardon them: by the second verse these three certain facts are proved; the first, no act man can do will justify him; the second, that all men must look to their heavenly Father for pardon of their sins; and the third, that the pardon of sins or justification must take place at the day of judgment. The words speak these three facts so plain, that any elucidation of their meaning seems almost superfluous; but a short explanation of them cannot be deemed improper; the first fact is drawn from the words, "in thy sight shall no man living be justified;" that is, by, or from his own act, and this is confirmed from the words of Christ himself, who says, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do." The second fact 66 Luke xvii. 10. We is drawn also from the same words; as man cannot effect his own justification, and all are included under sin, and none but the just and righteous can have salvation, we must all look up to and rely upon the tender mercies of a most compassionate, benevolent, bountiful, righteous, and just God for pardon and justification. The third fact, that justification will take place at the day of judgment is to be concluded, not only from the word "judgment," but also from the words, "in thy sight," which being connected with, or relating to judgment, are always considered as meaning or having a reference to the day of judgment. The future tense is also used, and it cannot be supposed that God is to enter into judgment either with David or mankind generally at any other time than at the day of judgment; this conclusion cannot be doubted.. The next three verses from Rom. ii. 13. iii. 20. Gal. ii. 16. all speak the same language, that no man can be justified by the law, meaning the law of Moses, and speak of justification as future, not only using the future tense, but with the additional words, either "before God" or or "in his sight," which words generally relate to the day of judgment, but not always. By the last verse it is very plain, the great object St. Paul had in view, was to convince the Galatians, that faith instead of the works of the law was a necessary requisite in justification, and he particularly says, "we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ." Did justification, in fact, take place upon believing, St. Paul, and all who are included in the word, we," were at the time justified; but in the 17th verse (which was written to prove a different fact from what is stated in the 16th) instead of saying in plain direct terms, that "we, who are justified by the faith of Christ," he says, "but if while we seek to be justified," these words in the common acceptation and plain understanding of them must shew, that instead of having actually obtained justification, they were in pursuit of, or using means to obtain it; and it may be remarked, that St. Paul has not in any instance stated he was justified: it is not to be conceived, writing so much as he has upon justification, had he intended to have shewn the fact, that justification took place in this life, he would not have stated it in plain and direct terms, and not left a matter of such importance to be concluded from the tenses of verbs or other doubtful expressions; his great point or intention was to prove that no reliance was to be placed upon the works of the law to obtain justification, and to do away the idea of boasting, and to make faith in Christ an indispensable condition in the work of justification, as the instru |