righteousness" in their stead and behalf. "Lo! I come to do thy will, O my God!" I do it, not for myself, but for them, that the merit of my obedience may redound to my people, and that they, through my righteousness, may be made righteous.

2. The doctrine of our being made righteous through Christ, may be inferred from his dying as a sinner for us. It is a very remarkable passage, and full to our purpose, where the apostle declares, that the Almighty Father made his Son, "who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness, of God in him."

How you may be affected at present with such a scripture, brethren, I cannot determine; but if ever you come to the knowledge of yourselves, and the heinousness of your sins, and the worthlessness of your duties, such a text will be sweeter to you than the honey or the honey-comb to your taste, and more refreshing than the richest cordial to your souls. However, from St Paul's declaration, we gather this precious truth, that we are made righteous before God, in such a manner as Christ was made a sinner for us: not by any personal demerit; for he had done no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; but "the Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all.”

In like manner, how are the greatest saints made righteous before God? Not by any personal merit. They have done nothing that can deserve God's love, or that is worthy of a reward; but God looks upon them as interested in his dear Son's obedience, and so rewards them purely for their Saviour's sake. God visited our sins upon him; and God rewards his merits upon us: God accounted our transgressions to be his; and, on this footing, he was punished as a malefactor and God esteems his righteousness as ours; and by virtue of this imputation, we are accepted as complete.

3. Once again, the doctrine of our being made righteous through the obedience of Christ, may receive stronger proofs and fuller illustrations from

Adam's sin being imputed unto us. This is an undoubted truth, written, as it were, with a sunbeam in almost every page of Scripture. St Paul assures us that"in Adam all die." And if so, it is certain, that in Adam all sinned. Tell me now, how came that personal sin of Adam to be charged upon us? how can his having eaten the forbidden fruit, render us liable to death and damnation? How, but by imputation? Adam was a public person; he represented the whole race of mankind; his act was imputed to his whole posterity. Such a communion there is between Christ and his elect: he, too, was a public person; he was a representative of all his chosen ones; and his obedience is looked upon as theirs. Thus believers are made righteous by the obedience of their everlasting head, Christ Jesus, even as they were made sinners by the transgression of their mortal father, Adam; because of the analogy and similitude there is between his righteousness to justify, and Adam's iniquity to condemn.*

Let us now make a pause, and review our attempt. We have endeavoured to render the doctrine of the text somewhat clearer, by considering the nature of a surety, from Christ's being made "sin for us," and from the "imputation of Adam's offence" to us. But these, alas! are points little known to the world.

* Mr Hervey seems here to have had an eye to 1 Cor. xv. 22. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." The avres, or all, affirmed by the apostle to have died in Adam, are the same ravis, or all, that shall be made alive in Christ; namely, all the members of Christ's mystic body; all that church which he loved, and for which he gave himself to death. There are two reasons, in particular, which determine the meaning of the word all, in this passage, to the elect, and to them only: 1. Throughout the whole context St Paul treats solely of the first resurrection; the resurrection of the just, the resurrection to life eternal. He says not one word in this chapter concerning the resurrection of the ungodly; but confines himself singly to that of true believers. 2. He, in the very next verse, expressly points out the persons of whose resurrection be here speaks: these, he tells us, are "those that belong to Christ, and are his own peculiar property; who were given to him, by the Father, in the covenant of redemption; and in whom he has a special inamissible interest.

Corrupt nature is prejudiced against them, and Satan is studious to hide them from our eyes. Let us beseech" the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" to reveal the "mystery of godliness" in our hearts, that we may believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and only Saviour of the world; " and that believing, we may have life," not through any fancied goodness of our own, but entirely "through his name."

II. Let us now just take notice, how sufficient Christ's obedience is for the purpose of justification. It is a most incomparably excellent obedience: it exceeds, not only the righteousness of innocent and upright Adam, but the righteousness of angels, principalities, and powers. Extol this righteousness as high as words can reach, or ideas soar! for it is the righteousness of incarnate Divinity; wrought out by him who was God and man in one Christ; whose divine nature gave an infinity, both of efficacy and of dignity, to all he did. "To you that believe" the Godhead of Jesus, his righteousness must needs be inconceivably precious: you will not, you cannot think it strange, that a whole world of believers should be accepted through it, and owe all their salvation to it. The prophet, in the most express terms, sets his seal to this truth when he affirms, that the Lord, the supreme and incomprehensible Jehovah, is "our righteousness:" and who would forsake the "everlasting Rock," in order to lean on a bruised reed? who would quit an illustrious robe, for scanty covering and filthy rags? St Paul accounted "all things but loss," in comparison of his Saviour's righteousness. Yea, his own eminent holiness, and transcendent usefulness, he regarded no more than dross and dung, that he might "win Christ and be found in Him." This is the righteousness, whose influences extend to the earliest days, and will reach to the most distant ages. By this the holy men of old enjoyed the favour of God; by this alone the generations yet unborn will enter into their Master's joy. In a word,

this is the "hope, the sure and sole hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad sea:" for in every nation under heaven, and through all the revolutions of time, God is well pleased with sinners only in his beloved Son. Let me draw one remark from the whole, and I have done. Let me observe the difference between the law of nature, and the law of Moses, and the law of faith. The law of nature says, "Live up to the duties of thy reason, and the conviction of thy own mind, and thou shalt be safe." The law of Moses saith, "Keep the commandments, and execute all the statutes, and thy salvation shall be sure." But faith saith, "Thou needest not attempt these impossibilities. Christ hath done both, hath done all, in thy stead. He hath improved the light of nature, and fulfilled the whole law of God; and this in the capacity of thy Surety." Go then to thy Redeemer; lay hold on his righteousness. Believe truly in Christ Jesus, and what he hath done shall be accounted thine. Thy eternal felicity is already procured. Thou hast nothing else to do, but to look upon it as thy certain portion, and inalienable inheritance, through Christ; and to live in humble and cheerful expectation of that great day, when thy free title shall be changed into actual possession. And, in the mean time, love that divine Benefactor with all thy heart, and study to please him in all holy conversation and godliness.

SERMON II.

ROM. v. 19." By the obedience of One shall many be made righteous."

In the book of Job, iv. 13-17. we have a very awakening lesson of humiliation, most admirably calculated to impress the thought, and to bring down

the conceited mind. Eliphaz relates a vision. * When midnight drew her black curtains over the world, when darkness and deep silence reigned through the whole universe, in these solemn moments a spirit passed before his face. Fearfulness and astonishment seized the beholder; his bones shivered within him; his flesh trembled all over him; and the hairs of his head stood erect with horror. In the midst of these tremendous circumstances, a voice broke forth from the fiery phantom-a voice, for its importance, worthy to be had in everlasting remembrance; and, for its awfulness, enough to alarm a heart of stone. It spake to this effect," Shall mortal man be just before God? shall a man be pure in the sight of his Maker ?" The words thus translated breathe a wonderful dignity of sentiment; and lead our minds into the most exalted notions of God Almighty, immaculate and inconceivable. Certainly they comprise one of the most powerful antidotes against the pride and haughtiness natural to fallen man, that can possibly be imagined. They are a token, in this sense, truly worthy of the awful Being who uttered them, and that air of vast importance with which they were introduced. Our translation sinks the idea exceedingly. It tells us no more than what all the world must acknowledge at the very first reflection; and so scarce deserves to be ushered in with so great solemnity. It seems also to oppose what no one can deny, or have insolence enough to maintain for none, I should imagine, even Lucifer himself, could ever presume to think himself more just, more pure, than the original and standard of all perfections. No: let a person be esteemed ever so just, in comparison of his fellow sinners; let him be accounted most eminently holy, by those that are polluted clay like himself; yet, before infinite and

:

* In the present sermon, the description of Eliphaz's vision resembles the primary sketch, the naked, imperfect outlines of a masterly picture; but, in the Contemplations on the Night, we behold the picture completely finished; and touched, I had almost said, into the very perfection of grandeur and beauty.