he is drawing out the analogy between the laws of sin and of grace, 66 CHRIST, then, in thus setting us right with God is the exact reversal of the work of Adam, by which we were put in the wrong, and lost the gift of the Divine SPIRIT as an inherent power of original righteousness. The two are contrasted forcibly by S. Paul, who gives us the analogy of fall and restoration in a mere antithetical statement without grammatical connexion. "As by one transgression, unto all men, unto condemnation: So also by one adjustment, unto all men, unto justification of life," (Rom. v. 18, di' évòs dixαiúμatos.) "The gift of grace" recalls the whole world in δικαιώματος.) CHRIST "from many offences"-by which they had aggravated Adam's sin and carried out "the judgment" which they inherited "by one" to its full results in their own condemnation"-" to adjustment, "(Rom. v. 16, siç dixalapa.) The time of being set right with GOD having thus come (Heb. ix. 10, xaipos dioptσews), we are, by grace, partakers of CHRIST's adjustment, and a justification of life, a living inherent justification by virtue of fellowship with the Divine SPIRIT, is the result. The book of the Revelation which exhibits the world paying the penalty which is the original due of sin (Rom. i. 32)—“All nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy adjustments are made manifest," Rev. xv. 4, τὰ δικαιώματά σου)exhibits also the saints who have walked in renewed life as justified in CHRIST; for S. John saw that " to the Lamb's wife was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white; for the fine linen is the adjustments of the saints,” (Rev. xix. 8, τὰ δικαιώματα τῶν ἁγίων). From this review of all the passages in which the word "adjustment" or Sixaiwμa, occurs, we see that justification is a result of the adjustment of CHRIST, Who fulfilled the requirements of the law, and is also the beginning of a living power whereby we may perform the adjustments of the law in spirit and in truth.. Justification therefore is not a mere external difference in the estimate which God makes of us, but it is a change wrought in ourselves so that we are made worthy of GOD. It is the gift of life to us who were dead. It is the gift of the power of the SPIRIT, SO that we may retain that worthiness which has been given to us by abiding in the terms of our New Covenant. It is such a power as invests the Bride of CHRIST with acts of glory, which GoD accepts and shall regard with pleasure through the ages of eternity. Our justification is not a mere forensic decree setting us at liberty from certain penalties, but it is a "justification of life." (Rom. v. 18, dixaiwσis Cons.) We are set at liberty from the penalty of sin by the death of CHRIST: but we need something more than this. Our justification is therefore expressly connected, not with the death, but with the resurrection of CHRIST; our new life with His new life. "He was delivered because of our transgressions, and was raised again because of our justification." (Rom. iv. 25, éyépoŋ διὰ δικαίωσιν ἡμῶν.) "CHRIST is The Christian scheme thus brings near to us a living justification, as a communication of the life of the risen SAVIOUR. As sin is death, so righteousness is life. When dead in sin, we were "the servants of sin unto death," being now made alive in CHRIST as our righteousness, we are pledged as "the servants of obedience unto righteousness." (Rom. vi. 16, úzaxons eis dixion.) The way for CHRIST's adjustment which initiated our justification, was prepared by the law. Indeed the real Divine purpose of the legal dispensation was to prepare the way for this whilst also incidentally convincing man of his own natural incapacity. the end of the law for righteousness," (eis dixαioσúvv)—to bring about righteousness-" to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law (τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν Ex ToŨ vóμov) that He Who doeth those things as a man shall live in them." (Rom. x. 4, 5.) Now the law gave no power to accomplish its enactments, and CHRIST was the first man who had life so as to exhibit its righteousness. The law from Mount Sinai was calculated to show forth man's sinfulness, and to mark out the perfection of CHRIST's righteousness. CHRIST is the end of the Old Law and the beginning of the New. "Out of Zion hath gone forth the law" for us, "and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem," (Isaiah ii. 3.) This new law of life in CHRIST begins with the quickening, enabling fact of our justification, and leads us on by obedience and spiritual adjustments of Divine life to final justification and life eternal. "If there had been a law which could have given life righteousness should have been by the law " of Moses; but righteousness must begin by the gift of life. "The just shall live by faith," (Rom. i. 17; Gal. iii. 11; Heb. x. 38.) Without life there is no righteousness. Justification is therefore a gift of living righteousness to the faithful in CHRIST now, which shall, if kept, lead on to "the crown of righteousness which the LORD the righteous Judge shall give" to His faithful people at that day." (2 Tim. iv. 8, ó rys dixaιoσurns σтépavos). Then shall be revealed “ a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 S. Pet. iii. 13 ἐν οἷς δικαιοσύνη κατοικεῖ). As members of CHRIST "we by the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Gal. v. 5, λnida dixaiσóns áπexdexóμela.) The glory of that righteousness shall consist in the participation of the throne of CHRIST, and the glory of our present justification consists in a participation of the life of CHRIST. "If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him." (1 S. John ii. 29, o To Ty dixoúvny.) "In this are manifest the children of GOD and the children of the devil :" "He that doeth righteousness is righteous even as He is righteous," (1 S. John iii. 10, 7, ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην δικαιός ἐστι): and we have received the Spirit of adoption for this very end, that we may be "filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through JESUS CHRIST unto the glory and praise of GOD," (Phil. i. 11, xxpν dixαions). Therefore the gospel is described as "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, for the righteousness of GOD is revealed in it from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith." (Rom. i. 16, 17, dixαioσúvη Оeoũ.) The Gospel is the revelation of the righteousness of GOD, given to us as our life. This gift of life enabling us who of ourselves must ever be "unprofitable servants" to yield ourselves in obedience after the likeness of CHRIST "a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto GOD, which is our reasonable service, as Christians, is "the mystery hidden from the ages and generations," (Col. i. 26,) "of which the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto us, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of CHRIST which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of CHRIST and the glory that should follow; unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported by them that have preached the Gospel with the HOLY GHOST sent down from heaven," (1 S. Pet. i. 10-12.) They were indeed in the consummation of all things to partake of this glory, but their life on earth was to close with their earnest desire unrealized. Until the HOLY GHOST was given and CHRIST glorified, the living justification could not be imparted to any, for it is a consequence of CHRIST's resurrection. The worthies of the Old Testament therefore waited as "prisoners of hope to be delivered out of the pit wherein was no water," (Zech. ix. 11); but when CHRIST had descended into hell, then "many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after His resurrection," (S. Matt. xxvii. 53.) "The Gospel was " at length "preached to them that were dead that" though they must be judged according to men in the flesh" for what they had done in the body, yet they might attain what their own efforts could not avail to procure, and might "live according to GOD in the Spirit." (1 S. Pet. iv. 6.) "These all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: GOD having provided some better thing for us, that they without us," that is, before the justification of CHRIST was revealed, "should not be made perfect," (Heb. xi. 39, 40); but now "unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places is made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of GOD," (Eph. iii. 10); and "CHRIST hath made in Himself of twain one new man, coming and preaching peace to us that were far off, and to them that were nigh," (Eph. ii. 15, 17); so that we in Him "are come to the city of the living GOD. . . to the general assembly and Church of the first-born ... and to the spirits of just men made perfect." "In Him every one that believeth is justified from all things from which men could not be justified by the law of Moses," (Acts xiii. 39,) justified, not by the mere removal of outward ritual impurity, the filthiness of the flesh," but by "the answer of a good conscience toward GOD," since " baptism saves us by virtue of the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST." (1 S. Pet. iii. 21.) "He that is dead is justified from sin," (Rom. vi. 7, dedixalara,) and “as CHRIST was raised from the dead by the glory of the FATHER, so we also are to walk in newness of life," for "we are dead unto sin, but alive unto GOD in CHRIST JESUS Our LORD." (Rom. vi. 4, 11.) This description of our justification gathered from various parts of Holy Scripture exhibits to us the scheme of the Gospel as a system by admission to which we were justified at the first and in which we are to abide by good works, so that we may be found in the fruitful glory of His justification at the great day. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD, and are to be justified," are to be perfected according to the law of CHRIST's justifying life, not by the unaided efforts of natural obedience, but "freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS." (Rom. iii. 24, dixaιoúμevos.) This justifying life which is held by us now under certain conditions of probation shall be the permanent glory of the redeemed in heaven according to the words of the angel, "He that is righteous, let him be righteous still," (Rev. xxii. 11, ¿ δίκαιος δικαιωθήτω ἔτι),—justified by an inalienable habit of perfected righteousness, acknowledged by all creation in the likeness of CHRIST who was the foundation of his life of righteousness upon earth, and with whom he now appears that he may dwell with Him for ever in glory. We have now traced out the Scriptural teaching upon justification sufficiently far to see that it does not mean merely an imputation of righteousness but a gift of righteousness. "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD." (Prov. xvii. 15.) How then can this be the very attribute of GOD Himself that He justifieth the ungodly? (Rom. iv. 5, dixaιouvтa тòv åσeß.) Clearly because He can justify the ungodly in a way that no one else can. He can create man anew in CHRIST JESUS unto good works," (Eph. ii. 10,) so that by the Divine Justification the sinner actually ceases to be what he was. GOD therefore passes no false verdict, accounting sinners to be what they are not; but the work of restoring grace in CHRIST is an act of spiritual creation, making "those who were sometime darkness to be light in the LORD." (Eph. v. 8.) So in the Psalm to which the Apostle refers as describing the blessedness of the free gift of righteousness, so 1 On the distinction between the continual process implied by the present participle and the initiating act of God through which we were justified by faith at the beginning of our Christian life, vide Sermon II. in Chamberlain's Theory of Christian Worship. |