of the great body of the Church at Rome, says, " And not only so," (that is, we not only enjoy the fore-mentioned blessings,) " but we also joy in God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
In discoursing on these words, we shall be led to shew,
I. The happy state of believers in general —
The believer has now already received reconcilia- tion with God —
[The word translated " The atonement" is the same with that which twice in the preceding verse is translated " Recon- ciled:" and that is its true import here. Reconciliation has been purchased for men by Christ's obedience unto death : and it is freely offered to them in the name of Christ, by those who go forth as his ambassadors to a guilty world : and it is accepted by those who believe their testimony, and embrace the proffered salvation. It is on this account that the Gospel is called, " The ministry of reconciliation f." Those who receive the glad tidings have all their iniquities blotted out from the book of God's remembrance. He is no more angry with them, as he was in their unbelieving state ; but looks upon them as dear children, in whose happiness he will be eternally glorified. They are now privileged to regard him no longer as an angry Judge, but as a loving Father. Their state is precisely that of the Prodigal Son, after he had returned to his Father's house : they are freely forgiven for Christ's sake ; nor shall so much as one upbraiding word be ever uttered against them. Their Father rejoices over them as restored to his favour, and delights to honour them with all suitable expressions of paternal love. Are not these persons truly blessed s?]
This is the state of every believer without excep- tion—
[If a man have lived in sin for ever so many years, and have at last been led, with deep penitence and contrition, to the foot of the cross, this mercy is instantly vouchsafed to him. The long-continuance of his former iniquities is no bar to his acceptance. The very first moment that he comes weary and heavy-laden to Christ, he finds rest unto his soul.
Neither does the enormity of a man's transgressions make any difference in this respect. He may have been as vile as ever David was ; and yet, on coming truly to Christ, his iniquities
f Deut. xxxiii. 26—29. e 2 Cor. v. 18—20.