tittle of that law, as a rule of life and duty, shall ever be compromised.

The death of Christ, so far from abrogating the law or lowering its requirements, establishes it as a rule of life which the believer is bound to regard as the perfect standard to which all his works ought to conform. But as his obedience is necessarily imperfect, as his best performances cannot abide a comparison with this standard, he relies not on them for acceptance, but on the blood of his glorious substitute. Thus, so far from depressing the standard of duty, this scheme of justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ imparts a higher sanction to the law, clothes it with a more august and commanding authority and perpetuates it as an indispensable rule of life and measure of obligation.

IV. Lastly, we observe that this scheme of justification by mere grace presents motives to holiness of life which could be secured on no other scheme.

It is not denied that even if the death of Christ be regarded as not of a strictly vicarious character, that motives of some force may be derived from its contemplation, but we do say that the motives to holiness which the plan of justification proposed by the apostle suggests, are the most powerful that can possibly operate upon the human heart. It is readily acknowledged that they are not of such a character as those which ordinarily prompt to effort. The love of distinction, the desire of happiness, the fear of ill, are not the principal motives which spring from a view by faith of the Lamb of God. But to have been given to Jesus in the covenant of redemption without our personal suffrage, to be regarded as in Him obeying the precept and fulfilling the penalty of the

law which we had violated, to have this all-perfect righteousness imputed to us and thrown as a spotless wedding garment around our souls, to have died on Calvary with Him to the guilt and penalty of our own sins and thus to be plucked by sovereign grace as brands from the everlasting burnings, to be made jointheirs with Christ to an inheritance that fadeth not away-these considerations are suited to inspire that love and gratitude which constitute the only true motives to acceptable obedience. An unmerited favor cannot fail to generate gratitude in a generous heart and that love which unsolicited showers benefits on an enemy can be requited with indifference only by a soul dead to all sense of right. Such favor and such love is conspicuous in the cross of Christ.

The objection to the plan of salvation by mere grace fails to recognize the validity of the choicest motives to action, or at least it seems to be based on the supposition that the scheme of the apostle is characterized by an utter destitution of all motive to holiness, and tends to produce that "ease in Zion," which is fatal to an evangelical effort. But where shall we discover sufficient motive if the free, boundless, undeserved mercy of the Father, the infinite, the unutterable love of the Son, and the long suffering grace of the Spirit which speak from the cradle of Bethlehem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the cross of Calvary and the Ebenezers of our own experience are not competent to produce it? If the spectacle of a bleeding Savior expiring in agonies and blood on the accursed tree for our worthless souls, if this does not move us, what in heaven, earth, or hell can do it? If the love of Christ does not constrain us, in vain will we appeal to the desire of happiness, to the dread

of judgment and the fear of hell. This plan of justification by mere grace does not supply those motives which are based in selfishness, but it does provide others which, while they humble self, assimilate our nature to the character of God. Gratitude to God for His unspeakable gift, love to that blessed Savior who gave Himself a ransom for us, a joyful persuasion of our personal interest in His death, and a blood-bought hope of joining that general assembly and church of the first born who night and day in the upper temple cry, Grace! Grace! these are the motives, these the powerful incentives which induce the believer to follow Christ, to pursue holiness, and to go on from strength to strength till he "appears in Zion before God."

It will be perceived that we have only defended the scheme of salvation by grace from the objection urged against it, in the single point of justification by the righteousness of Christ, as that is the only subject which, up to the time of his notice of the objection, he had handled. But the tendency to holiness of all the other doctrines grace is as manifest as that of justification. If we are elected in the eternal purpose of God it is that we "should be holy and without blame before Him in love." If we have been effectually called by the efficacious grace of God's spirit it is that we should be conformed to the image of His Son. If we are assured that none shall ever pluck us from His hand it is because He who has begun a good work in us will carry it on until the day of Jesus Christ, because we are kept by His power through faith unto salvation.

The whole plan so viewed, instead of depressing the standard of morals, relaxing the bonds of obligation and affording an unqualified license to the carnal desires of the heart, ratifies the immutable distinctions

of right and wrong, elevates the measure of holiness, and furnishes motives to holiness of life which can be equally secured on no other scheme.

It follows from what has been said that the true method by which believers should mortify sin is to maintain the constant persuasion of their union with Christ and their death in Him to the guilt of sin. The apostle enjoins it upon them to reckon themselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. A constant view by faith of a crucified Savior and a joyful sense of our personal interest in His sufferings, death and resurrection is the only thing which can relieve the soul of that sense of guilt and apprehension of wrath that cripples our efforts, beclouds our hope and bows the head in despondency and gloom.

My brethren, let us strive to feel with the apostle when he exclaims, "For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead, and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them, and rose again."

THE OFFICE OF WORKS OF CHAR

ITY IN THE LAST JUDGMENT

Matt. xxv. 40. "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

These words were spoken by Him who is the Prophet of the church and the light of the world. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high." But not only is information in regard to the judicial process of the last day communicated to us by one who is the accredited revealer of God's will, with the extraordinary credentials of His divine commission suspended around His person, but it is extended by one who is also constituted the final judge of the human race. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son"; "and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the son of man.'

NOTE. This sermon was preached in the First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, S. C., on Sabbath night, January 29, 1882. It was prepared at the request of the Ladies' Benevolent Society, and was delivered in the interest of its work. This was the only occasion on which it was preached in exactly this form.