"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. "Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober; putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. Watch ye, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is, or what hour your Lord doth come. Be ye ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.-"And what I say unto you I say unto all: Watch."

10

11 Pet. iv, 6.

51 Thess. v, 4. 9 Mark xiii, 33.

31 Thess. ▼, 3.

2 Rev. i, 7. 4 2 Pet. iii, 10. 62 Pet. iii, 11-14. 71 Thess. v, 6, 8. 8 Luke xxi, 36. 10 Matt. xxiv, 42, 44. 11 Mark xiii, 37.

Chapter Thirty-sixth.

JUSTIFICATION.

The sinner justified by faith in Christ.

"A MAN is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' 5 Therefore by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

"That no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for "The just shall live by faith.' But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Christ once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. There is now no condemnation to them which are in

Christ Jesus. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Gal. ii, 16. 2 Rom. iv, 25. 3 Acts xiii, 39. 5 Gal. ii, 16. 6 Gal. iii, 11, 22-24. 8 Rom. viii, 1, 3, 4, 33, 34. 9 Rom. v, 1.

4 Gal. iii, 10. 71 Pet. iii, 18.

Faith imputed to the believer for righteousness.

"To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. We are all under sin; as it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one.' Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.

"God hath set forth Christ Jesus to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare

his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.-Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.-Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Against hope he believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, 'So shall thy seed be.' And being not weak in faith, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

up

"David describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, 'Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.'

"We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. Know ye therefore that

they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, 'In thee shall all nations be blessed.'-Šo then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

1 Rom. iv, 5.

2 Rom. iii, 9, 10, 20-22, 25-28, 31. 3 Rom. iv, 3, 18-24, 6-9. 4 Gal. iii, 7-9.

The reality of faith proved by good works.

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. 2 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, 'Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;' notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, 'Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.'-Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

"Was not Abraham justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, 'Abraham