this extent, and as equivalent to that name which is elsewhere given him, " The Lord our Righteousness."
To "justify" sinners is the work assigned him by the Father. It is his office to take even the most sin- ful of the human race, and so to purge them from all iniquity that they may stand before God without spot or blemish, and be regarded by him as though they never had sinned at all. This is a work which none other can perform ; nor, if God had not revealed a way in which it might be done, could we have con- ceived it possible that such a marvellous work should ever be accomplished.
By what means he makes us partakers of this bless- ing, we are told in the words before us ; it is " by or through the knowledge of himself;" he enables us to behold him as he is revealed in the Scriptures, and leads us to embrace him as our all-sufficient portion. Knowledge in general has its seat in the understanding only ; but the knowledge of Christ is seated both in the understanding and the heart. Hence, in order to be justified by Christ, we must not only view him as appointed of God to save us, but to this theoretical knowledge we must add the approbation of our hearts : we must have such a full persuasion of our inability to save ourselves, and of his sufficiency to save us, as determines us to renounce all dependence on an arm of flesh, and to glory in him alone. This is the know- ledge of which our Lord speaks, when he says, " This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent : " and it is by this alone that any sinner can be justified.
Now by bringing men thus to know him and believe in him, he has justified many in all ages, and is yet daily communicating to thousands the blessings of salvation. It is true that, in comparison of the un- godly world, the justified have been but few in num- ber, a little flock, a small remnant : but in the last day, when they shall all be collected together, they will be numberless like the stars of heaven, or the sands upon the sea shore. Nor is any one, however vile, excluded from the hope of justification, provided he be willing