for your justification ; and the benefits of both are offered you freely, without money and without price. All that is necessary to your reconciliation on God's part, is already done by Jesus Christ : and all that remains to be done on your part; is to receive gratefully what God offers freely. Truly this is, if I may so call it, the religion of a sinner : it is suited to sinners of every class : and wherever it is received in truth, it shall prove effectual for our present peace, and our everlasting salvation.]
2. Let no man attempt to alter the plan which God himself has devised —
[We are ever leaning to the side of self-righteousness. But the righteousness which God imputes to us is, and ever must be, "a righteousness without worksl" We must be jus- tified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Why should we wish to alter this ? What is it less than madness for a person destitute of one single farthing to undertake to pay ten thousand talents, when he may be freely forgiven his whole debt'^ Be content to be indebted wholly to the grace of God, and the mediation of the Lord Jesus : and let God alone be exalted in your salvation.]
3. Let all who embrace this salvation endeavour to adorn it —
[This is the duty of all, and the privilege of all ; this is what " the grace of God teaches us ;" and it is a most im- portant end of our imion with Christ"^. Are you reconciled to God ? endeavour henceforth to manifest your friendship towards him in every possible way. Think not much of any thing you are called either to do or suffer for his sake. Can any thing be too much to do for one who has done so much for you, or to suffer for one who has suffered so much for you ? If a man will lay down his life for an earthly friend, of how small account should you reckon any temporal interests, or even life itself, for such a friend as this ? Seek to know more and more of this stupendous mystery revealed in our text : and, whilst you are filled by it with rapturous admira- tion, give full scope to all its transforming efficacy, till it has changed you into the very image of your God.]
' Rom. iv. 6. ™ Rom. vii. 4.