more objectionable it will appear. The principles we have advanced appear to us to be strictly scriptural. They are also fully competent to explain all those passages in the sacred writings, and particularly in the writings of St. Paul, which have been the subjects of so much. controversy, without our being obliged to have recourse to arbitrary assumptions on the one hand, or, on the other, to give what has the appearance of a distorted interpretation to the particular phraseology employed.

St. Paul, the great Apostle of the Gentiles, has written more copiously on the subject of Justification, than any other of the Apostles. He attempts, in his Epistle to the Romans, and in that to the Galatians, to confute the erroneous notions which already began to disgrace Christianity; and he indignantly expostulates with those converts, both Jews or Gentiles, who expected acceptance with God, by corrupting the gospel of his Son, or by enjoining upon its professors, the observance of rituals, which were no longer obligatory upon the descendants of Abraham, and which were unknown to the Gentile world. He minutely states the distinction between the ancient Covenant, which he terms the covenant of works, and the new Covenant, or that of Grace; and he asserts, that the

latter has happily annulled the former. The language of the first Covenant, that of works, is, "this do and ye shall live." Be ye perfect in your obedience, and ye shall be entitled to the inheritance of sons. But the universal law of nature is, " every soul that sinneth shall die." The transgressor can have no title to immortality, and he becomes subjected to the penalty of death.

In his Epistle to the Gentile converts resident in Rome, he proves, that all mankind are "by. nature in this state of condemnation," "for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men;" and he paints, in lively colours, the universal depravity of mankind, which has involved them indiscriminately in the condemnation of death; so that "by the deeds of the law, no flesh living can be justified." For as they had transgressed every precept, they could not contemplate the law of God without a conviction of guilt, and a dread of its penalty: "by the law is the knowledge of sin." He proceeds to state the method of justification according to the covenant of grace. We shall transcribe a passage in his Epistle to the Romans, which states the doctrine in a more ample manner than in any other part of his writings; and upon this we

shall comment, in a manner correspondent with the principles advanced above. If these principles serve to elucidate the arguments of the Apostle, or if there be a more obvious coincidence between them and the favourite expressions of the Apostle, than is to be observed in any of the tenets which are usually adopted, the circumstance will become a corroboration of their truth.

Rom. ch. iii. 19, 20. "Now we know, that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God; therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin;-verse 21, 23, but now 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 in Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ;-v. 24, 25, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath sent forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the

forbearance of God;-v. 26, to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law."

As thoughts are chiefly communicated by words, it is necessary that the most accurate conceptions should be formed of the precise signification of the words employed. In complex terms, the true signification can only be known by their peculiar adaptation to the subject under consideration. St. Paul himself, whose language has been frequently misunderstood, or there could not have been a diversity of opinions about it, observes, "that even things without life, giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in sound, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?”

We shall, therefore, examine into the precise meaning of every essential term, separately, that

we may ascertain its importance in its connected

state.

It is universally known, that a Law is a rule of conduct. When it is prescribed to an inferior whom a superior has a right to command, it is the rule of Obedience. The law of a perfect Being demands implicit obedience, for there can be no opposition of duties, arising from contrary obligations to different masters. When the Apostle speaks of this grand universal law of obedience, he applies it sometimes to the obliga tions which arise from the law of nature; which are soon perceived by a reflecting mind, upon the earliest dawn of reason;-sometimes to the moral law, which was fully revealed to the Jews;-and sometimes to ceremonial ordinances, such as the ordinance of circumcision, or any other ritual, which was expressly enjoined upon the Jewish people, to answer important purposes, although they were of a temporary nature. Thus does he argue both with Jews and Gentiles upon their own principles. For as God hath an undoubted right to command, all his subjects, indiscriminately, are under obligations to obey. Every offence incurs guilt, and exposes to the legal punishment; and the claims which are due to perfect obedience are equally forfeited, whether the injunction be of a moral or ceremonial nature.