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Argument from the Nature of our Union with Christ. 7. The theory which reduces justification to pardon and its consequences, is inconsistent with what is revealed concerning our union with Christ. That union is mystical, supernatural, repre- sentative, and vital. We were in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph. i. 4) ; we are in Him as we were in Adam (Rom. v. 12, 21 ; 1 Cor. xv. 22) ; we are in Him as the members of the body are in the head (Eph. i. 23, iv. 16 ; 1 Cor. xii. 12, 27, and often) ; we are in Him as the branches are in the vine (John xv. 1-12). We are in Him in such a sense that his death is our death, we were crucified with Him (Gal. ii. 20 ; Rom. vi. 1-8) ; we are so united with Him that we rose with Him, and sit with Him in heavenly places. (Eph. ii. 1-6.) In virtue of this union we are (in our measure) what He is. We are the sons of God in Him. And what He did, we did. His righteousness is our righteousness. His life is our life. His exaltation is our exaltation. Such is the pervading representation of the Scriptures. All this is over- looked by the advocates of the opposite theory. According to that view, Christ is no more united to his people, except in sen- timent, than to other men. He has simply done what renders it consistent with the character of God and the interests of his king- dom, to pardon any and every man who repents arid believes. His relation is purely external. He is not so united to his people that his merit becomes their merit and his life their life. Christ is not in them the hope of glory. (Col. i. 27.) He is not of God made unto them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemp- tion. (1 Cor. i. 30.) They are not so in Him that, in virtue of that union, they are filled with all the fulness of God. (Col. ii. 10 ; and Eph. iii. 19.) On the other hand, the Protestant doctrine of justification harmonizes with all these representations. If we are so united to Christ as to be made partakers of his life, we are also partakers of his righteousness. What He did in obeying and suf- fering He did for his people. One essential element of his redeem- ing work was to satisfy the demands of justice in their behalf, so that in Him and for his sake they are entitled to pardon and eternal life.
Arguments from the Effects ascribed to Justification.
8. The consequences attributed to justification are inconsistent with the assumption that it consists either in pardon or in the in- fusion of righteousness. Those consequences are peace, reconcil-
128 part in. Ch. xvn. - justification.
iation, and a title to eternal life. " Being justified by faith," says the Apostle, "we have peace with God." (Rom. v. 1.) But pardon does not produce peace. It leaves the conscience unsatis- fied. A pardoned criminal is not only just as much a criminal as he was before, but his sense of guilt and remorse of conscience are in no degree lessened. Pardon can remove only the outward and arbitrary penalty. The sting of sin remains. There can be no satisfaction to the mind until there is satisfaction of justice. Justification secures peace, not merely because it includes pardon, but because that pardon is dispensed on the ground of a full satisfaction of justice. What satisfies the justice of God, satisfies the conscience of the sinner. The blood of Jesus Christ cleans- eth from all sin (1 John i. 7) by removing guilt, and thus pro- ducing a peace which passes all understanding. When the soul sees that Christ bore his sins upon the cross, and endured the penalty which he had incurred ; that all the demands of the law are fully satisfied ; that God is more honoured in his pardon than in his condemnation ; that all the ends of punishment are accomplished by the work of Christ, in a far higher degree than they could be by the death of the sinner ; and that he has a right to plead the infinite merit of the Son of God at the bar of divine justice, then he is satisfied. Then he has peace. He is humble ; he does not lose his sense of personal demerit, but the conscience ceases to demand satisfaction. Criminals have often been known to give themselves up to justice. They could not rest until they were punished. The infliction of the penalty incurred gave them peace. This is an element in Christian experience. The con- vinced sinner never finds peace until he lays his burden of sin on the Lamb of God ; until he apprehends that his sins have been punished, as the Apostle says (Rom. viii. 3), in Christ.
Again, we are said to be reconciled to God by the death of his Son. (Rom. v. 10.) But pardon does not produce reconciliation. A pardoned criminal may be restored to his civil rights, so far as the penalty remitted involved their forfeiture, but he is not reconciled to society. He is not restored to its favour. Justifica- tion, however, does secure a restoration to the favour and fellow- ship of God. We become the sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal. iii. 26.) No one can read the eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans without being convinced that in Paul's apprehension a justified believer is something more than a par- doned criminal. He is a man whose salvation is secure because he is free from the law and all its demands : because the righteousness