and more glorious method of reconciliation. is revealed. "The righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe." With what transports of gratitude and joy should these tidings be heard? How cheerfully and thankfully should this divinely perfect righteousness be embraced by every sinner of the human family? Who that was involved in debt without the least prospect of making payment would not accept of relief from the hands of a surety? Who that was convicted of some capital crime would not rejoice at the message of pardon from the lips of his sovereign! But iminunities infinitely greater are procured and now tendered by Jehovah in the character of Jesus. He obeyed the precept of that law which you were unable to obey; he endured that penalty which you had incurred, and under which you must have groaned through eternity; he has blotted out, with his own blood, the hand writing which stood against you, which bound you over to the curse, and has nailed it to his cross. Are you sensible of your danger, and longing for relief? then behold by faith the bleeding, dying Saviour. Are you without strength to perform the high demands of the law?" his name is called the mighty God, because he can save to the uttermost" all who apply. Have your iniquities abounded? mercy, through his atoning

sacrifice, much more abounds: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Now, beloved hearers, what think you of this glorious freedom? Is it answerable to your miseries and wants? Is it worthy of your acceptation? Or in opposition to the dictates of your own consciences, enlightened by the word of truth; in opposition to the experience of the faithful in all ages; in contempt of threatnings. the most awful, of invitations the most endearing, will you dare to appear in the "rotten rags" of your own attainments? Remember that by refusing submission to the righteousness of Jesus, you despise your own mercy, you extinguish the only ray of hope which ever irradiated our benighted world.. The Lord God has proposed the challenge, and the collected wisdom of heaven and earth and hell can never answer it, HOW SHALL YE ESCAPE IF YE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION? May he convince you of sin, then will you be satisfied that a Saviour is necessary; may he discover to you the majesty of his law, then will you. welcome that Jesus who " is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." AMEN..

SERMON VI.

The righteousness of Jesus infinitely sufficient for the justification of all who embrace it.

***

ROMANS X, 4.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

THE wisdom of man is frequently baffled, and his power defeated in attempting to accomplish his most favorite schemes. A thousand designs, conceived in his imagination, are never realized, either through want of skill in the contrivance, or ability for the execution. But the Eternal Mind is restrained by no bounds, nor embarrassed in its operations either by difficulties, or opposition. "With God nothing is impossible. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations.' Does his sovereignty propose a particular plan as eligible in itself, and calculated to advance the majesty of his name? his wisdom readily devises the means, and his power infallibly secures the accomplishment. He beholds the end from the beginning; he surveys at one thought principles with their remotest consequences, and knows the best means for effecting the best designs. With what majesty do his perfections break forth in the creation and redemption of our world?-

"He speaks, and it is done;" the different ranks of being, animate and inanimate, rise into existence, and assume the stations prescribed them; confusion gives place to order, darkness yields before the approaching light, and.from the formless, unsightly mass, creation rises fair at the voice of the Creator. He speaks again,and a work inconceivably more arduous is accomplished; the world is redeemed from that ruin into which it was plunged; the divine glory appears most illustrious where it had been inost obscured, and an open door is door is presented for the return of apostate, miserable man. "And he saw," exclaims the inspired, seraphic Isaiah, "and he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his arm brought salvation, and his righteousness it sustained him:" He has conciliated the seemingly jarring attributes of Deity; he has preserved in perfect harmony "mercy and truth, righteousness and peace," while good will is announced to us. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; he gave him to be the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

In the verse immediately preceding our text the apostle exposes the folly of the Jews in attempting to establish their own righteousness for justification; he maintains,

that acceptance with the Father on the foundation of human works was utterly impossible; that the very expectation of attaining this end arose from ignorance of God; from misapprehensions of his justice in taking vengeance on transgression; from imperfect views of his law in its purity, requiring a perfect, perpetual obedience under the penalty of death; he argues also, that this fond attachment to their own services proceeded from their ignorance of the suitableness, and sufficiency of that righteousness which had been accomplished by the infinitely glorious Redeemer. "For they being ig norant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God." He then adds with peculiar emphasis in the verse which we have read, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

The righteousness of Christ usually signifies his active obedience, his fulfilment of the divine law in its preceptive part; but in the present instance it must be considered in a sense more extensive; as comprehending both his active and passive obedience; his enduring the penalty, no less than fulfilling the precept of the moral law; in short, the righteousness here mentioned includes all that he accomplished for our pardon, and acceptance; for our redemption from that wrath to which we were exposed, and our title to that glory which we had altogether forfeited.