Christ, and so to be no sinners; therefore, it is no such imputation that must be affirmed. But God justly reputes Christ's holiness and righteousness, active and passive, dignified by His Divinity, to be fully meritorious of our pardon, justification, and salvation. And so it is ours, and imputed as the true meritorious cause of our righteousness, which consists in our right to pardon and salvation."* And again, in another place-" God does not repute or judge us to be such as never sinned, for that were to judge falsely; nor does He judge that our sin is not related to us, as the actors, for that is impossible; nor does He judge that our sins did not deserve punishment, but only that the deserved punishment is forgiven for the merit of Christ's righteousness and sacrifice."+ Many are the subjects that press upon the thoughts, when treating of these articles of our faith,-as arising out of them, and connected with them: such as, the nature of the grace of the sacraments-how and why they "are generally necessary to salvation," in what way, and for what end, we are made partakers of the incarnation of Christ: these are all intimately connected with the doctrine of Christ "our Righteousness;" but time will not allow of our entering upon them now. One subject will especially be brought to our remembrance in the approaching services for Advent season;§ when we shall be called on to look forward to the second coming of Christ, in awful majesty, to "judge the world in righteousness:" "that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad;" and "when they that have done good shall come forth unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." The Lord grant that we all " may find mercy of the Lord in that day."¶ * Wordsworth's Christian Institutes. Vol. 1, p. 331. See "Church Catechism." § See especially the Collect for "The First Sunday in Advent;" the Gospel for "The Second ;" and the Epistle for "The Third Sundays." Acts xvii. 31; II Cor. v. 10; St. John v. 29; St. Matt. xxvi. 46. II Tim. i. 18. I am aware that, in treating of such subjects as those now under consideration, it is not always easy to avoid all obscurity of thought or uncertainty of language; while to very many, any attempt to raise their thoughts to the careful examination of important matters of doctrine is a weariness and vexation. Too many, like Gallio, (( care for none of these things."* But in seasons when so many vain and idle speculations in religion, of every kind and description, are so readily entertained and advocated, it cannot but be well at times (and specially when the Church gives us occasion by the order of her services), to call to our remembrance the Articles of our faith, and to refer "to the law and to the testimony,"-to listen to what holy men of old have taught, and what the Church herself sets forth-even as she speaks in her eleventh Article, "Of Justification by Faith;" "that we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works and deservings." And again, in the following Article, "Of Good Works:" "Albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively faith; insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned by the fruit." What then is the sum of these things? Christ's perfect. righteousness is the meritorious cause of our restoration to God's favour, so that He is "our Righteousness" for Justification. It avails also for our daily pardon on our repentance, when we have sinned; for by Him we have access to the Father, and in His name pray, "Lord forgive us our trespasses." It has purchased also for us that gift of the Holy Spirit, through whose power, indwelling in us, we may, having been justified, do good works pleasing and acceptable to God, though in themselves imperfect. "In truth, our doctrine is no other than that, we have learned at the feet of Christ (to use again the words of Hooker), that God doth justify the believing man, yet not for the worthiness of his belief, but for the worthiness of Him who is believed. God Acts xviii. 17. rewardeth abundantly every one which worketh, yet not for any meritorious dignity, which is or can be in the work; but through His mere mercy, by whose commandment he worketh."* own. Nor will the anxious endeavour to put out to good use the talent which has been committed to our trust, cause any faithful follower of Jesus to boast, as if he therefore possessed any thing of his "The best things which we do, have somewhat in them to be pardoned. Wherefore, while we acknowledge a dutiful necessity of doing well, yet the meritorious dignity of doing well we utterly renounce." The good works of the Christian, at best, are "the fruits of the Spirit" of God: ‡ and what has he then, that he has not received?§ Moreover, those who have most strictly endeavoured to keep their hearts pure, and to order their whole conversation in conformity with the law and will of God, have ever been, as indeed they have great need to be, the humblest of His children; for they feel most deeply the littleness of all they have to offer; and together with those, whom St. John saw in his vision, would "worship Him that liveth for ever," and eagerly "cast their crowns," if they had them, "before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power."|| This was the absorbing feeling of that excellent man, from whose works I have already more than once quoted; for he, on his death-bed, spoke to his friend and said—“ I have lived to see this world is made up of perturbation, and I have long been preparing to leave it, and gathering comfort for the dreadful hour of making my account with God, which I now apprehend to be near. And though I have, by his grace, loved Him in my youth, and feared Him in mine age, and laboured to have a conscience void of offence to Him and to all men, yet if Thou, O Lord, be extreme to mark what I have done amiss, who can abide it? And, therefore, where I have failed, Lord, shew mercy to me; for I plead not my righteousness, but the forgiveness of my unrighteousness, for His merit, who died to purchase pardon for penitent sinners. And since I owe Thee a death, Lord, let it not be terrible, and then take thine own time: I submit to it,-let not mine, O Lord, but thy will be done."* works.' "What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid." Has Christ died and risen again merely to justify the ungodly,-to open heaven on easier terms to the sinner? No: He died to "redeem us from all iniquity, to purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good s."‡ "So run, then, that ye may obtain."§ And if we claim Christ as "Our Righteousness," whereby we are justified, and through Him have access to the Father; let us never forget the high and holy "vocation wherewith we are called,"-remembering also that "the foundation of God standeth sure, having this (double) seal: The Lord knoweth them that are His: and let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity."|| * Isaak Walton's "Life of Hooker." † Rom. vi. 1. § I Cor. ix. 24. Titus ii. 14. II Tim. ii. 19. SERMON XI.* THE CHRISTIAN'S HARVEST. PSALM CXXVi. v. 6. They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. WHEN endeavouring to fulfil the great objects of our Christian mission, as preachers of the Gospel, ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God,-whose business and office it is, by God's grace assisting them, to be the instruments appointed (as St. Paul declares it) "to open the eyes of the people, turning them from darkness to light, and from the powers of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith, that is in Christ Jesus,”—when endeavouring to fulfil these great objects of our office and mission, we must propose some things to you, as matters of faith, viz. : such as are included under what the Apostle terms, "the mysteries of God,"-sometimes, as a consequence of what you are required to believe, we must appeal to your feelings, that we may see, effectually working in you, the great principle of love, that most excellent gift; so that there may be in you/what, the Apostle tell us, is alone of any avail, viz.: "faith working by love." And sometimes, (and as especially useful for certain habits of mind) we must address ourselves to your reason and your understanding, proving our conclusions to you, by the mere force of argnment, (if it be so that we be able to prevail), and then laying it upon your conscience, either to admit the force of the reasoning and to act upon it, or to adopt at once the only other alternative, and own your sin in neglecting it. First, as to the mysteries of God proposed for our belief. Though we cannot practise a law without understanding it, yet A few sentences slightly altered are taken from a sermon of Bishop Sherlock. |