you, each by himself: the righteous shall live, the wicked shall die.'

By living is here meant life in this world: and so there are many passages of a like kind in the Old Testament. They do not belong to the subject we are treating of. They do not touch the question of eternal life, and the soul's salvation. They refer to those rewards and punishments in this world, wherewith God was wont to mark the obedience or disobedience of the Jews as a peculiar people.

But again, there are texts in the New Testament. I allude especially to two, both recorded by St. Luke. In the tenth Chapter of his Gospel you hear of a certain lawyer coming to Jesus. "Master," said he, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus sent him to the Law, "This do, said He, and thou shalt live."

Again, in the eighteenth Chapter, you read of a certain ruler who asked, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He too was taken to the Law. "Thou knowest the com

Now surely, it will be said, this was as much as to teach in both cases, that if they would enter into life eternal, they must keep the Law, and by so doing earn salvation as their reward. Our answer is, just the reverse. Read both narratives through, and see the issue. See for what it was that Jesus took the lawyer and the ruler both to the Commandments. It was to shew them that by the Law neither of them could be justi

fied. They came to Him thinking that some "good thing" which they should do was to save them. They wanted to go to the Law for their salvation. Jesus proves to them both that in that way there was no salvation for them. To the lawyer he proves that he had not loved even his neighbour as he ought. The ruler he convicts of not loving God as he ought.

So that when Jesus pointed these men to the Law, and said, "do this and thou shalt live," he meant in real truth, prove that you have kept, or can keep the Law, then and not till then, speak of doing some good thing yourselves to gain eternal life. You will find that the hope is vain. Appeal to the Law, and it only condemns you.'

In all these instances then it will be found, as well as in every other, that the doctrine of God's word is consistent with itself. The Law was never given for man to save himself by keeping it. Not since Adam fell, has God ever called on man by his own doings to save himself. God is well aware that he cannot.

May you and I, dear brethren, see it too. May we deeply feel how impossible it is for us by works, or goodness, or merits of our own, ever to have righteousness, life and salvation. If we will seek our salvation in that way, then we contradict God. God says, 'believe my promises; we say, 'no, our works shall be our confidence.' Fearful and daring folly! O, selfrighteous sinner, be admonished. Trust to thy doings, trust at all to them, and thou art lost.

Our second instruction flows at once out of what has been already shown: and our text leads us on to it:How is it that we are to be saved? St. Paul replies, "The promise is given to them that believe. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

We are shut up to this. There is no other way. The Scripture leaves us no other door of hope. It gives the alternative, salvation alone by faith in Christ, or no salvation at all.

But what a mercy is this! How good and gracious the hand which closes fast all other ways in order to shut us up to Christ! Do we try any other way, any other path to heaven? A flaming sword meets, and drives us back : but then it is a flaming sword, not, like that at Eden, to keep us from, but to guide us to, the tree of life.

Brethren, there are those of you who feel indeed that as to the Law there is no hope thence for you. The more you look at the Law, and compare yourselves with it, the worse your case appears. By the Law is the knowledge of sin."

Then we call you to the promises: the promises of God in Christ: the free promises of pardon, peace, and acceptance now; promises of grace, guidance, comfort, and help in this world; and to crown the whole, of everlasting glory in the world to come:-all given you in Christ. Christ, the Son of God, has kept the Law which you could never have fulfilled, and has borne the curse which you could never have endured.

Come to Him: his blood is your atonement; his obedience is your righteousness. Look upon Him in all that He is as your Lord and Redeemer, and say, this is my rest, my hope, my confidence Jesus is the Saviour for sinners, the Saviour for me.' The promise then is yours it is "given to them that believe. He that believeth in the Son of God, hath everlasting life.”

:

Brethren, ye who have taken this promise, I bid you rejoice in your Salvation. Remember how it is you stand before your God, even "in Christ, not having your own righteousness which is of the Law," poor, imperfect, and sinful, "but the righteousness which is by faith of Christ," the righteousness which in truth is Christ's, but now is also yours, for you are in Christ, and so are accepted in the Beloved."

Keep this truth distinctly in view. In it lies the secret of your peace, and I will add the secret of your holiness too. For just as you know that you are saved by grace through faith, and not of your own works, so is it that all good works, well pleasing to God, will be in you and abound. Yes, let a man know that he is free from the Law as the ground of his hope, and that is the man who will come to the Law as the guide of his life; and gladly will he confess himself, as did St. Paul, to be "under the law to Christ."

SERMON VI.

EPHESIANS I. 6.

ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVed.

How much cause, my brethren, have we to thank and praise Almighty God, that in his holy word all which is needful to our peace, our sanctity, and our salvation, is made so plain.

The words of our text are few, but they contain a truth of unspeakable importance to the Church of God; and they express that truth so simply, so distinctly, that I know of no words in the whole volume of inspiration more precious to believing souls.

66

Accepted in the Beloved." Christian, it is the description of your standing before God. It is the ground of all your hope, the secret of all your confidence, the source of all your comfort, and the motive to all your obedience and submission.

I pray that our present meditations may be directed and blessed of God the Holy Ghost to the edification of all his people.

"The Beloved." I need not say whom the Apostle intends under this designation. We recognize under it at once our adorable Redeemer,