covenant an unholy thing-"That they are doing despite to the Spirit of grace;" and are in the perilous condition of trampling under foot the Son of God himself. And shall the believer be told with impunity that the continual confession of his sin to God, with his conviction of the forgiveness of that sin, is much such an antidote for a guilty conscience, as that supplied by auricular confession, and the absolution of a priest? Long ago, even as far back as the days of Enoch, the Lord proclaimed that he would come, not only to execute judgment upon all, but in particular to convince ungodly sinners of their hard speeches which they have spoken against him. (Jude 15.) But amidst all the scoffs and cavils of the enemy, amidst the taunts and misconstructions of unbelief and ignorance, the disciple holds fast his master's word, and remembers that Christ has said, "Let no man take thy crown." He also repels the fiery darts of the wicked one with the shield of faith. For not only does man oppose the doctrine of continued and abiding justification through faith in Jesus; it is against this truth that Satan wages his most determined warfare. And how should it be otherwise? Can our subtle enemy be ignorant that justification by faith is a mere name, except the justification once obtained be for ever ensured to the believer. If there is no provision in the covenant of grace for the perpetuity of that grace, where is the believer's confidence? He is justified by grace from all offences. But he offends again. He repeats it may be his former sins; or he commits new offences not before committed. Now if there is no remission for new sins, how shall such an one escape from that wrath to come from which the Lord Jesus did most certainly deliver his elect, when he died for our sins, and rose again for our

justification? Satan will suggest to the believer who transgresses, that "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." (Heb. x. 26.) But were it so in the sense supposed by the afflicted conscience, certainly "grace would be no more grace," and "the covenant of the great God, ordered in all things and sure," would appear to be of less value than a man's covenant, which according to the Apostle, "though it be but a man's, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, nor addeth thereto." The accuser of the brethren is to be overcome "by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of that testimony which Jesus has vouchsafed his people." (Heb. xii. 11.) Of how great importance is it then, that believers should be well acquainted with the nature of that testimony which the Scripture gives, concerning the cleansing efficacy of the blood of Christ. In our fierce conflicts with the powers, and principalities, and rulers of the darkness of this world, we have no defence save one -the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. The destroying angel dare not touch us, if we plead that "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us," and that we keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. He will in vain tell us we are sinners, for whilst we plead guilty to that name, we shall point to the blood which Christ shed for sinners, such as we are. Nor can he with success retort upon us, that our profession of faith is insincere, because our present sins witness against us. Our sincerity and truth is at least clear on one point. We would be saved by Jesus. We despair of all other help. We cling to his cross.

We believe

We do not

that he loved us, and gave himself for us. say, when thus coming to Jesus, If we perish, we perish! No. The word of our testimony forbids this. We dare not account the blood of Christ to be perchance unable to

wash away our sin.

What! was the blood of God shed on the cross for my redemption! And was it not of value enough for that redemption? Was the Eternal Son given for me! And was not the gift costly enough? Such thoughts as these the believer rejects, knowing that they are amongst the blasphemies against the Son of God, which although they shall be forgiven, are to be repelled, as hateful suggestions of the adversary of God and man.

The doctrine of continual remission of sin through the blood of Jesus is the strong-hold of faith. Into this fortress we retreat when sorely pressed by sin, and Satan, and accusing man. And the believer can say, The Holy Ghost has testified to the truth of this doctrine, in my heart, and in the experience (oh how frequent!) of my life. I have transgressed, and again and again the Lord has forgiven me all trespasses. My sins have been more in number than the hairs of my head, but his compassions have not failed. My provocations, always fresh, have been accompanied with new forgiveness. Oh how has he borne with my perverseness and my folly! with my pride of heart and self-seeking! with my wretched vanity and nothingness! Above all, how has he endured my hypocrisies and guile, my duplicity in his worship, my little reverence and love of his holy name! The catalogue of my sins witnesses against me; I am undone if the blood of Jesus does not purge away the believer's sins! And let the ungodly professors of morality plead with their scoffs as they may, in behalf of a righteousness which they do not themselves practise; the believer will attest that he finds the doctrine of free and full remission of offences upon confession of the same, to be the cure as well as the rejoicing of his soul. He is assured, let who will maintain the contrary, that his

own wounds, now healed, had remained incurable, but for the balm in Gilead, and the physician there; and that his spiritual maladies, now cured, would for ever have baffled the skill of the most skilful of the infidel and papistical projectors of morality.

All the objections that can be raised against the blessed doctrine of the free grace of God in the remission of the believer's sin, may be traced up to this one prolific source of error: the blindness of the natural understanding, as to the real nature and demerit of sin. The jealousy that so many exhibit when the grace of the gospel is fully proclaimed, does not by any means spring from any real love of holiness, for we find such persons altogether ignorant of the fact of their own death in sin. And as to the law of God, whilst they profess to extol it highly, as far as it enjoins morality, they know not that a curse is annexed to the violation of every one of the least of its commandments. They have no knowledge of a "God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." Much less are they convinced, that their own iniquity is such as God abhors. Hence they look with scorn on those who anxiously inquire, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the most high God?" And more heartily still do they despise those penitents who answer the question and say, that a new and living way has been opened into the holiest of all, even into heaven itself, by the blood of Jesus; that this way is revealed in the Scripture; and that by faith we may walk therein, although defiled with so much remaining corruption of nature, as to be constrained to cry out continually,— Unclean! unclean! " And it is evident, that the experience of the believer, whilst he is passing onward through this new and living way, must be enigmatical

to those who have no corresponding feeling of deep compunction for their sin, and no adequate conception of its malignant nature. The believer cannot maintain any peace in his conscience, except by a continual recurrence to the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness. But those who are heart-whole need no such remedy. Again and again the believer looks upon his Father's face, to assure himself that that august brow is not clouded by a frown. Oh how does he dread an eclipse of that smile, which makes heaven glad, and which reaches even to this fallen earth? But how is his trembling Spirit reassured? How shall he know indeed that sin has not separated between himself and his God? "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." By this word of grace he knows that he has still a Father in heaven, who is also "the God of peace." Here is his charter. It is written in characters of blood. But again we observe, all this is enigmatical to those who are unconscious of their sin; nay more, it is matter of contempt to those, who, but for the intervention of the grace of God, will be ultimately addressed in the fearful language of the Scripture-"Behold! ye despisers, and wonder, and perish." (Acts xxxviii. 41.)

10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

It seems that the Apostle is most anxious to convince us of the great sin of those persons, who persuading themselves that they are righteous, perceive no necessity for the continual remission of their sins. In a former verse he affirmed, that our supposed immunity from sin was the effect of self-deception, and ignorance of the