on that person that is taken? Thus, "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, Rom. ix. 15. And from hence he infers, "That it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy:" ver. 16, and what is here spoken of election, is as applicable to justification. God distinguishes person from person, in justification, "Two men went into the temple to pray, the one a pharisee, and the other a publican," Luke xviii. 10. Now, see how free grace laid hold on the publican, and passed by the pharisee, " I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other," or not the other, ver. 14. Here distinguishing grace did most evidently appear, in the justification of the publican. And was it not free grace that brought Paul from the rest of his companions, and that when he was in the height of rebellion against God? "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Acts ix. Was not this the voice of free, distinguishing grace, that Paul heard? So we have his own words for it, "But by the grace of God, I am what I am," 1 Cor. xv. 10. So that there appears to be much of the free grace of God, in the justification of a sinner, by faith in Christ, by the distinguishing of person from person, in the same.

The more considerable any mercy is, and the less consideration it is given upon, the more free grace shines in that mercy. Now justification is a most considerable mercy, and it is bestowed without the least respect to man's worthiness, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him justifieth the ungodly," Rom. iv. 5. Here we may see, though poor man is in a state of ungodliness, when grace lays hold of him, yet notwithstanding here is free justification bestowed, which is a most considerable mercy, and will evidently appear so to be, by such considerations as these.

If I am justified, then I have peace with God, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. v. 1. Reconciliation with God being the great and fundamental blessing of the gospel, must needs be a considerable mercy: and all justified persons, their state is a state of friendship: Abraham my friend.

Being justified, all our sinful debts are discharged, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins," Acts. x. 43. And here we may see this is the doctrine of all the prophets. And to the same purpose the apostle Paul speaks, "And by him all that believe are justified from all things," Acts xiii. 39. Here is a most complete discharge from all guilt, for the believing person; therefore, justification must needs be a considerable mercy.

And then if justified, God will never leave nor forsake us. It is a good saying of one of the ancients: He that justifieth the ungodly, will never forsake the godly. And the Holy Ghost speaks the same thing, " For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," Heb. xiii. 5. So that justification is a most considerable mercy.

And if justified, then shall we be assuredly glorified, " And whom he justified, them he also glorified," Rom. viii. 30. So that the next remove the saints shall make, will be to glory in the heavens. Now, these and such like blessings following on our justification by faith, shew that it is a very considerable mercy, and that there is much of free grace shines forth in the same.

Thirdly, I come now to shew, how this doctrine doth concern the comfort and practice of true believers. And,

As touching the comfort of the saints of God, this doctrine of justification, by faith in Christ, is a foundation of divine consolation. After Paul had been speaking of justification by faith, Rom. v. 1, he comes ver. 2., to speak of the saints' rejoicing, "We rejoice in hope of the glory of God," that is in that glory, which God hath graciously promised to all his justified children. Here is present justification and future glory, for the saints to solace themselves in, " And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also," ver. 3. This blessed doctrine not only fills the saints' hearts, with respect to future happiness, but makes them rejoice in their tribulations here; nay, in ver. 11 : " and not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ," that is, we not only joy in hopes of heaven hereafter, and in tribulations here, but we joy in God himself, who is our reconciled Father, in Christ. Thus, holy David, "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord," Psa. xxxiv. 2. When he hath been speaking of this blessed doctrine of free remission, "Blessed is he, whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto the Lord imputeth not iniquity," Psa. xxxii. 1, 2, then he comes in ver. 11, to call the saints to rejoice in the Lord, " Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." Whatsoever others do, let the saints of God rejoice in Christ, as holy Paul did, Phil. iii. 3, "For we are of the circumcision, that worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh." As if he had said, let others rejoice in what they will, Christ shall be the true comfort of our souls, we will rejoice in the merit of Christ, in the righteousness of Christ, in the person of Christ, and all that know the doctrine of God's free justification by faith in Christ, in a saving manner, ought to rejoice. This doctrine of free grace is a firm basis of consolation. When the Holy Ghost is speaking of the joyful sound of free grace, Psalm lxxxix. 15, "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound;" then he comes to speak of their true consolation : "They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance (verse 16), in thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." Oh, what a sweet life is the life of faith, that leads the soul to the fountain of free grace for consolation here and for salvation hereafter ! We find the church full of heavenly consolation in Isa. lxi. 10, " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;" and the ground of this joy was this, "For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness."

And thus we see, the doctrine of free justification by faith in Christ, doth much concern the comfort and consolation of the saints of God.

This doctrine of free justification doth much concern the saints' practice, and will thus appear :

Seeing there is so much of free grace shines in this blessed doctrine, then surely it highly concerns us to study the same. Oh, why should we not search more into this doctrine of free justification by faith in Christ. This is the article the church stands or falls by, Rom. xi. 20. "Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith." If this doctrine be kept entire, the church stands; but if this be left, the church falls. When the Jews left this doctrine, they fell. "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." All those persons that do not, by faith, cleave entirely to Christ the only Mediator, for the remission of their sins, and for the justification of their persons, will, no doubt, die in their sins. This doctrine of justification by faith, is the church's Magna Charta, and so greatly concerns all saints to be firmly established in the same. When the church of Rome left this doctrine, she became anti-christian, 2 Thes. ii. 10, "Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." This truth, by which sinners are saved, here spoken of, is beyond all doubt, (to me) justification by faith in Christ, as John xiv. 6. "I am the truth;" that whosoever receives by faith, shall be assuredly saved, and whosoever rejects, through unbelief shall undoubtedly perish, John iii. 36. So that when the church of Rome left this glorious doctrine, then did God give them up, verse 11, " And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie, (namely, that lie of justification before God, by a man's own righteousness) verse 12, That they all might be damned, who believe not the truth.” that is, the truth of free justification, as before. And were this doctrine received, what would become of the pope's pardons, their indulgences, their purgatory, and the like trash ? Now, for a round sum of money, they can, as they say, absolve men in this life, from their sins, and deliver out of purgatory in the life to come. Bnt were this doctrine of free justification understood, all these cursed delusions would soon vanish. So that it highly concerns us to be careful in the study of this blessed doctrine of free justification by faith in Christ. When Peter had made a confession of his faith, Matt. xvi. Christ said to him, "Thou art Peter, and on this rock will I build my church," that is, on the confession he made; which see, verse 16, "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." Here is the main doctrine of the gospel in this confession, and by this it is that the church of Christ stands. O then let us all labour to keep close to this most blessed doctrine of justification by faith in Christ, for it highly concerns us so to do.

This doctrine of justification by free grace, concerns the saints' practice, for it is their main defence against the wiles and artifices of Satan, it is their shield and buckler, as Luther calls it, against the temptations of the devil.

Are you tempted to pride, do you think highly of your own righteousness? a right understanding in this blessed doctrine will lay souls humble at the feet of Christ, as it did Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am." A right understanding in this soul-humbling and Christ-exalting doctrine, brought him from the pinnacle of pride, and laid him at Christ's footstool, crying out, "I am less than the least of all saints." When this proud pharisee came to understand the doctrine of free grace, then did he look on himself as one of the chief of sinners, 1 Tim. i. 15, and his only plea was, Christ's coming into the world to save sinners. Here is not a word that tends to the priding of himself in his own righteousness, those vain conceits are now gone, and Christ and free grace now take place and reign in his heart. And so it will be with us, when we come to have the doctrine of free grace to reign in our hearts. Dagon and the ark could not stand together, neither can man's own righteousness and free grace stand, but the setting up of the one throws down the other. So that a right understanding in the doctrine of free justification, will tend much to allay the pride of our spirits. Or,

Are we tempted to covetousness? a right sense of the doctrine of justification, by free grace, will help much to cure our souls of that evil also: " Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, Phil. iii. 8. Oh, how was his soul cured when he came to know free grace, and what he speaks of, godliness with contentment being great gain, 1 Tim. vi. 6. Now wherein does the practice of true godliness lie, but in exercising of faith in Christ, which both purifies the heart, Acts xv. 9, and works by love, Gal. v. 6. And in this practice the heart will be brought from the love of the world, and all true gain will be brought to the soul thereby, so that this doctrine doth highly concern the practice of all true believers.

Or, are you tempted to despair, this doctrine of free grace only can relieve you; for says the soul, I hear there is abundance of grace, and this grace infinitely free, for the worst of sinners, and that the Lord Christ saves to the utmost, all that come to the Father by him, Heb. vii. 25; oh, how can I then despair of mercy for my soul? Let my condition be what it will, this doctrine of free justification, will carry the