gone, he stands condemned by the law, and all his hope is fixed on Jesus. While the law was only written upon paper, he found no galling condemnation. His heart like the stony tables received the letter, and felt no impression; but when the commandment reached his inmost soul, then he died. This makes a free salvation highly needful, a whole Saviour truly precious, and a pure covenant of grace delightful. And now the scholar comes to Jesus Christ, with cap in hand, and bended knee, and bleeding heart, and with St. Peter's gospel prayer, "Lord, save, or I perish."

Being thus convinced of sin, his heart can have no rest till he receives a pardon, and finds that peace of God which passes understanding. He feels a real condemnation; and must have absolution, not from man, but from God. Once he prayed for pardon, and rose up from his knees contentedly without it. His heart was whole; he did not want a pardon; nay, it scemed a presumption to expect it. Yet sure what we may ask without presumption, we may expect without presumption. But now the scholar sees his legal title unto heaven is lost, and finds a legal condemnation in his breast besides, which makes him hasten to the surety, and call upon him, as the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, and as the Lord our righteousness. He views the surety, as his law-fu!filler; both as his legal title, and his legal sacrifice; and he wants an application of these blessings to his heart; an application by the Holy Spirit to witness that they are placed to his account.

He sees a need, that both the legal title and the legal sacrifice should be imputed, to answer all the law's

demands.

And he marvels much, that any, who allows the imputation of Christ's death, should yet object to the imputation of his life. Since if the obedience of Christ's death may be imputed, or placed to our account for pardon; why may not the obedience of his life be imputed also for justification, or a title unto glory? One is full as easy to conceive of, as the other; both are purchased by the surety; both are wanted to discharge our legal debts; and both will be embraced and sought with eagerness, when our debts and wants are truly known. But here the matter stops; men do not feel their wants, and so reject imputed righteousness. The heart must be broken down, and humbled well, before it can submit to this righteousness. Till we see ourselves utter bankrupts, we shall go about to establish our own righteousness. We cannot rest upon the surety's obedience, the God-man's righteousness, as our legal title unto glory.

But, Sir, this is not all. Every one who is born of God is made to hunger for implanted holiness, as well as thirst for imputed righteousness. They want a meetness for glory as well as a title to it; and know they could not bear to live with God, unless renewed in his image. Heaven would not suit them without holiness, nor could they see the face of God without it. And, having felt the guilt of sin, and the plague of their sinful nature, by conviction from the Holy Spirit, this has taught them both to dread sin, and loathe it; to loathe it for its deformity and vileness; and to dread it for the curse it brings. They view and detest it as the poison of the moral world, the filthiness of the spirit, the loathing of an Holy God, and

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such an abomination, as nothing but the blood of Christ could purge away.

And, Sir, where imputed righteousness is not only credited as a gospel doctrine, but received by the Holy Spirit's application, it produces love to Jesus, tender love with gratitude. And this divine love not only makes us willing to obey him, but makes us like him, for God is love.

Christian holiness springing from the application of imputed righteousness, is a glorious work indeed; far exceeding moral decency, its thin shadow and its dusky image. It is a true devotedness of heart to God, a seeking of his glory, walking in his fear and love, rejoicing in him as a reconciled Father, and delighting in bis service as the only freedom.

Full provision is made for this holiness in the new covenant, and Jesus, the noble king of Israel, bestows it on his subjects. Let me repeat his words; "I will give a new heart, and put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes." Believers look to him with prayer and faith, and by looking are transformed into his image, and taste the blessed fruits of Canaan, before they pass the banks of Jordan.

But, Sir, the holiest christian can put no trust in his holiness. His daily seeking to grow in grace, proves his holiness defective. Tekel is wrote on every duty. "Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting." And he knows the meaning of those weighty words, applicable both to soul and body, "verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity." His utmost holiness and his freest services do not answer the demand of God's law, and if depended on for justification in any measure, would bring him under the

Taw's penalty and condemn him. He is there forced to fly out of himself entirely, and seek a refuge only in Christ.

Nay, Doctor, you must not take your gloves out yet, nor hand your staff, as if preparing for a march. I have a bag of foxes at my side, which must be let out one by one before we part. If you can hunt them down, it will be well; if not, they may spoil your sheepfold and worry all your doctrine.

Sir, I am sick of foxes. My father gave me one, and I am bound to keep him during life. Every day he troubles me, and I scarce know how to keep him chained in his kennel, he is so crafty. His kennel and your bag, I suppose are just the same, nothing but a human breast. And sure no fox is half so full of wiles as the human heart.

Well, but Doctor, I must open my bag: pray, take a peep on this young cub, and listen to his chatter. “Faith, he cries, what is faith? Every simpleton who has learnt his creed, may believe, though he cannot reckon twenty. Puh! I would not give a straw for all the faith of all your ancient and modern saints, not I; give me a budget of good works. Faith! what can faith do? A poor empty thing, without a grain of merit. The other night I waited on friend Sarle, your honest neighbor, and supped in his hen-roost, amidst a deal of cackling music. When I marched off, a straggling goose was hard at hand, and I was much in clined to ask her to my lodging, for company is pleasant, and the night was dark; but my stomach being crammed well with poultry, and a barking dog appearing, I let the waddling dame go off quietly. This noble act of mercy, such as christians often shew, must

justify me more than a thousand of your piteous acts of faith." You hear, Doctor, how he chatters.

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Yes, Sir, so I could chatter once and we are apt to undervalue what we do not understand. But all possessors of divine faith esteem it highly, and call it as St. Peter does, "precious faith." It brings a precious view of Christ, and draws precious blessings from him. It is a grace which quarrels much with human pride, and makes its only boast of Jesus. It is not meant to be our justifying righteousness, else it might learn to boast too. Faith says, "in the Lord have I righteousness ;" and tells a sinner, "I cannot save thee." "Thou art saved by grace through faith." The grace of Jesus brings salvation; and through faith, as an instrument put in the sinner's hand, he is enabled to reach the grace; just as a beggar, by his empty cap stretched forth, receives alms.

A pole held to a drowning man, and by which he is driven to land, saves him just as faith saves a sinner. In a lax way of speaking we are said to be saved by faith; and so the drowning man might say he was saved by the pole, though in truth he was rescued by the mercy of a neighbor, who thrust a pole towards him, and thereby drew him safe on shore.

For

Faith could have no room in a covenant of grace, if it had any justifying righteousness of its own. desert on man's part is not consistent with such a covenant; "else grace is no longer grace."

If any personal or relative duty, such as temperance or charity, had been made the instrument of obtaining gospel blessings, we might fancy some peculiar worth was in that duty to procure the blessings. But when faith, which is only lifting up an empty hand or a