Signs of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 10. (3/10/1887)

Signs of the Times

Mar 10, 1887

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 10, 1887

General Articles.

By Mrs. E. G. White

CHRIST THE TRUE VINE.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."

Our heavenly Father planted on earth a goodly vine, whose fruit should be to eternal life. But this precious plant appeared to human eyes as a root out of dry ground, having no form or comeliness. When the claim was put forth that it was of heavenly origin, the men of Nazareth became enraged, and cast it from them. The inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem took the vine of God's own planting, and bruised it, and trampled it under foot, hoping to utterly destroy it forever. But now the Husbandman removed this goodly vine, and planted it in his own garden, beyond the spoiler's reach. The stock and root were concealed from human sight, but still "the branches run over the wall." Thus grafts can be united to the vine, and, partaking of its nourishment, become flourishing branches, and bring forth much fruit.

The figure of the vine is a perfect symbol. God sent his Son from the heavenly courts to a world seared and marred by the curse of sin. In Christ all fullness dwelt; in him was righteousness, peace, life,—everything necessary to man's happiness and well-being. But the world hated the Son of the most high God. The world saw nothing attractive in him. The best gift of Heaven was slighted and spurned. Christ was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;" yet "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." He was hated by evil men because his character was spotless, his works righteous. He came as the Redeemer of the world; yet he was taken by cruel hands, and shamefully entreated and crucified. God raised him from the dead, and he ascended to Heaven to plead his blood as the propitiation for our sins.

Though invisible to mortal sight, Christ still lives as the Redeemer of the world, the representative of man in the heavenly courts, and the medium through whom all blessings flow to the fallen race. His love is without a parallel. We cannot estimate the value of his life of toil and sacrifice, the precious ransom paid for our redemption. Surely it is not too much to ask the heart's best and holiest affections in return for such wondrous love.

Said the Saviour to his disciples: "I am the vine, ye are the branches." "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me." In this vine is all spiritual life. From the fullness of Christ alone can we obtain the nourishment that will enable us to bear fruit unto eternal life. The vine stock is unseen; but the branches, the members of his body, are visible. The branch that was apparently dry and leafless, by being connected with the living vine, becomes a part of it,—a partaker of its life and fatness. Fiber by fiber, and vein by vein, it adheres to the vine, till the life-giving sap causes it to bud, and blossom, and bear fruit.

The scion becomes a part of the vine by forming a perfect union with it. Thus it is with the sinner. The soul, dead in trespasses and sins, must experience a similar process in order to be reconciled to God, and to become a partaker of Christ's life and joy. As the graft receives life when united to the vine, so the sinner partakes of the divine nature when connected with Christ by repentance and faith. This connection joins soul with soul, the finite with the infinite. When thus united, the words of Christ abide in us, and we are not actuated by a spasmodic feeling, but by a living, abiding principle.

Every branch united to the true vine brings forth fruit, not of its own kind, but that of the vine of which it has become a part. The Spirit of Christ flowing into the hearts of all who are truly united with him, makes them partakers of the divine nature. They will walk in the footsteps of their self-sacrificing, self-denying Redeemer. His purity and love will appear in their characters and their daily lives, while meekness and truth will guide their way.

"I am the true vine," says Christ, "and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me [everyone who claims connection with me] that beareth not fruit, he taketh away." This is the solemn warning that is addressed to each disciple. The careless and indifferent will after a time be overcome of temptation, and at last wholly separated from Christ.

But "every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Every fruitful branch is pruned; for even fruitful branches may display too much foliage, and appear what they really are not. Husbandmen clip off the surplus foliage of the vines, and the tendrils that are grasping the rubbish of earth, thus making them more fruitful. And when the Master sees that worldliness, self-indulgence, and pride are cropping out in the lives of his followers, he prunes them. These hindering causes must be removed, and the defective overgrowth cut away, to give room for the healing beams of the Sun of Righteousness.

Said Christ: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love." The branch can maintain its connection with the living vine only on condition that it bear fruit. And the fruit borne on the Christian tree is "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Rich clusters of this precious fruit will appear on every branch that is subjected to the pruning of the wise Husbandman. The result of union with Christ is purification of heart, a circumspect life, and a faultless character. Yet those who have attained to this degree of Christian perfection are the last to claim that they have any merits of their own. "Accepted in the Beloved," objects of their heavenly Father's constant care and unfailing mercy, they feel unworthy of the divine favor, and have too vivid a sense of utter dependence upon God to boast of their exalted position.

It is a sad fact that many who profess to be branches of the true vine show by their lives that they have no connection with it. Their words and actions, destitute of grace and meekness, resemble the stinging branches of the noxious thorn-tree, rather than the lovely, fruit-laden boughs of the precious vine. Love to God and love to our neighbor is the sum and substance of true piety. Those who are destitute of this love, and yet claim that they have gained high attainments in spiritual things, may for a time deceive their fellowmen, but they cannot deceive God. Says the true Witness, "I know thy works." And in

the great day of final accounts, God "will render to every man according to his deeds."

Many misunderstand the object for which they were created. They do not realize that they were placed here to bless humanity and glorify God, rather than to enjoy and glorify self. God is constantly pruning his people, cutting off profuse, spreading branches, that they may bear fruit to his glory, and not produce leaves only. Idols must be given up, the conscience must become more tender, the meditations of the heart must be spiritual, and the entire character must become symmetrical.

Some who claim to be followers of Christ are withered branches, that must erelong be separated from the living vine. The love of the world has paralyzed their spiritual life, and they are not awake to the precious theme of redemption. The impression made on the world by these professed Christians is unfavorable to the religion of Christ. They manifest ambition and zeal in the business of the world; but they have little interest in things of eternal importance. The voice of God through his messengers is a pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and encouragements are all unheeded. Eternal interests are placed on a level with common things. The Holy Spirit is grieved, and its influence is withdrawn. Fruitful Christians are connected with God, and hence they are able to place a right value on eternal things. They feast upon the words of life; and whenever they listen to the "message of glad tidings," they can say, as did the disciples to whom Christ explained the prophecies on the way to Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?" It is the duty of every child of God to store his mind with divine truth; and the more he does this, the more strength and clearness of mind he will have to fathom the deep things of God. And his growth in grace will be more and more vigorous, as the principles of truth are carried out in his daily life.

He who is in harmony with God will constantly depend on him for strength. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." It should be our life-work to be constantly reaching forward to the perfection of Christian character, ever striving for conformity to the will of God. The efforts begun here will continue through eternity. The advancement made here will be sure when we enter upon the future life.

Those who are partakers of Christ's meekness, purity, and love, will be joyful in God, and will diffuse light and gladness around them. The thought that Christ died to obtain for us the gift of everlasting life is enough to call forth from our hearts the most sincere and fervent gratitude, and from our lips the most enthusiastic praise. God's promises are rich, and full, and free. Whoever will comply with the conditions may claim these promises, with all their wealth of blessing, as his own. And being thus abundantly supplied from the treasure-house of God, he may, in the journey of life, "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing," thus blessing his fellow-men, and honoring his Creator. While our Saviour would guard his followers from self-confidence by the reminder, "Without me, ye can do nothing," he has coupled with it for our encouragement the gracious assurance, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit."

Christ’s Return and Reward

"Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12

THE GUIDING STAR.

By Work at Home

O Thou who by a star didst guide The wise men on their way, Until it came and stood beside The place where Jesus lay; Although by stars Thou dost not lead Thy servants now, below, Thy Holy Spirit, when they need, Will show them how to go. As yet we know Thee but in part; But still we trust thy word That blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see the Lord. O Saviour! give us, then, Thy grace, To make us pure in heart, That we may see Thee face to face Hereafter, as Thou art. —Work at Home.

“THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL.”

By Martin Luther

PAUL says (Rom. 7, 14), “The law is spiritual.” What does this mean? Answer: If the law was carnal, it could be satisfied with works. But now that it is spiritual, no one can satisfy it, unless all that he does in accordance with it be done freely and from the heart. But such a heart no one can give except the Spirit of God, who brings the man so to receive the law that he delights in it from his heart, and obeys it in every part, not from fear or by compulsion, but freely and cheerfully. Thus the law is spiritual, and is to be loved and obeyed in a spirit of holy love, every one of its precepts demanding the same spirit. Where this spirit is not in the heart, there dwelleth sin, aversion, and enmity against that law which is ever holy, just, and good. Let it then be deeply impressed on your heart, that it is a very different thing to “do the deeds of the law,” from what it is to “keep the law.” . . . To keep or fulfill the law is to obey it with heartfelt delight and love; to lead a just and godly life freely and from choice, and not from constraint of either law or penalty. Such delight in unconstrained love, the Holy Spirit pours abroad in our hearts, as Paul says (Rom. 5:5). But this Spirit is not given except in, with, and by faith in Jesus Christ, as we are taught in the introductory part of the epistle. In like manner, faith comes only by the word of God, the gospel, which preaches Christ—that he is the Son of God and the Son of man, and how he died and rose again for our sakes. See Rom. 3:25; 4:25; 10:9.

And hence it is that faith alone justifies and causes the law to be fulfilled in us; for it brings to us the Spirit of the treasury of Christ’s merits. The Spirit makes the heart buoyant and free as the law requires it to be, and thus good deeds proceed from faith itself. Of this the apostle speaks (chap. 3:31), after rejecting all “the deeds of the law,” so that it almost seems as though he was about to abolish the law of faith. “God forbid,” says he; “yea, we establish the law by faith.” . . .

Sin, in Scripture language, is not merely the outward work done by the body, but all that which inwardly stirs and impels to outward action, namely, the heart with its springs and powers. The Scriptures regard particularly the heart and look to the root and the main-spring of all sin, which is the “evil heart of unbelief.” Thus, just as faith alone justifies, and imparts to the soul a delight in good outward works, so unbelief, the only spring of sin, excites the carnal mind to wicked outward acts, as was the case with Adam and Eve in Paradise. Gen. 3:6. Hence it is that Christ designates unbelief as the great sin. John 16:8, 9. The Spirit will “reprove the world . . . of sin, because they believe not in me.” Therefore also, as with the good or bad fruits of the tree, before good works are done there must be faith in the heart, or there will be unbelief, the root, sap, and power of all sin. . . .

Faith is not what many fancy it to be, who talk a great deal about faith but without regard to its connection with sanctification of life or good deeds accompanying faith; they fall into error, and say, We are not justified by faith alone, but by good works also. Thus men deceive themselves, because, when they hear the gospel, they are at once ready to make to themselves a faith in their own strength. But as this is merely a human imagination by which the heart itself is not reached, it produces no good fruit, and no sanctification follows such a faith.

But true faith is a divine work in us, which changes us, and regenerates us, so that we are “born of God.” John 1:13. It mortifies the old man, and makes us different men in heart and mind, accompanied as that faith is by the Holy Spirit. Oh, this faith is living, active, efficient, powerful, so that it is quite impossible that it should not incessantly be doing good. It does not stop to ask whether any good work is to be done, but before the question can be put it has accomplished it; it is continually up and doing. And he that is not such is a faithless man; he gropes about in the dark for faith and good works, and knows nothing of either, but merely multiplies words about faith and works without true knowledge.

Faith is a living confidence in the grace of God, so firm that a man may die a thousand deaths rather than doubt. And such confidence in and experience of divine grace makes us happy, frank, and cheerful towards God and all creatures. This is wrought by the Holy Ghost through faith. Hence such a man is willing and forward without any compulsion, to do good to everyone—to serve all men, and to suffer all things, for the love and glory of that God who hath shown towards him such grace. Thus it is as impossible and absurd to separate works from faith as it is to separate heat and light from fire. Beware, therefore, of thine own preconceived notions about faith, and pray to God that he will work faith in you; for without his power you will remain without faith eternally.—Martin Luther, in “Key to Romans.”

THE CHURCHES OF TO-DAY.

By Arthur T. Pierson

THE church is largely leavened with the world, adopts worldly maxims, and robes the gospel in worldly charms, seeking by making it attractive to make it effective. The pulpit sometimes becomes a platform for lectures more fit for the lyceum, and sometimes a stage for dramatic acting more fit for the theater! The service of sacred song is turned into a display of art, in which an appeal to aesthetic taste takes the place of the divine savor and flavor of worship. In His house, where “the Lord alone shall be exalted,” classical music is exalted, pagans and papists are hired to lead us in praise; or a profane, drunken organist sometimes uses the keys of the grandest of instruments to play out the congregation, and play out the impression of the gospel. We build Gothic cathedrals, furnish them with crimson and gold, adorn them with the pencil and chisel of art; then we have concerts and lectures, fairs and festivals, entertainments and excursions; and we say, “surely we shall draw the people to the house of God.” But they do not come. The writer went to a splendid church, on the Pacific Coast, where a silver-tongued preacher had his throne, and a choir of artists warbled music; there were seven performances by organ and quartette, and then a grand oration, but the church was more than half empty.

If we mean to draw souls to God’s house, let it be by proper charms of a pure gospel, simple and soul-satisfying; by praise full of devotion, and prayer full of devoutness; by that atmosphere, which is peculiar to the assembly of true worshipers. Secular attractions, even while their power lasts, make the cross of none effect; they turn the mind from the things of Christ. Even when they draw, it is in the same direction as the world does!

If the church would attract worldly souls, she must offer them what the world does not and cannot—solid, substantial satisfaction, draughts of living water from a divine fountain, and not stagnant water from a broken cistern. Quench the thirst of souls and they will come.—Rev. Arthur T. Pierson, D. D., in the Christian Statesman.

A Soft Answer

“A soft answer turneth away wrath.”

Daily Opportunities for Good

GREAT opportunities come but seldom, and few use them; but the little chances to do good are the privilege of daily life.—Selected.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AMERICA.

THE Roman Catholic Church has, singularly enough, found the United States one of its most profitable fields, and the one in which it has reaped the largest results. In the country of greatest liberty the most absolute despotism has found a place and rooted itself deeply.

The numerical increase has been very great. According to popularly accepted statistics, at the beginning of the present century there was one Catholic to every fifty-three of the population; in 1880 there was one to every eight; or, to put it in another form, the whole population has increased ninefold, and the Catholic population sixty-three-fold.

The gain in wealth has been in an equal ratio. The membership has shared in the general prosperity of the country, and the church as an organization has, with untiring perseverance and consummate skill, secured for itself a large proportion of wealth. The most favored sites have been selected and held; all the agencies of politics have been used to secure special favors and large grants from public funds. By specious appeals large sums have been drawn from Protestant sources, and from its own members all the power of the church and of priestly craft has been used to draw large revenues.

It has gained an alarming degree of political power. The members vote, practically, as a unit, and constitute so large an element as to command the attentions and favors of politicians. It has also a great power in its educational and charitable institutions, which are found in every part of the country, assuming, with characteristic arrogance, a position of immeasurable superiority. And so it comes to pass, that there is a degree of Protestant deference which at one time would have been thought impossible. There are favors shown to the ecclesiastics of the Catholic Church by

Government officials, and a deference and honor given to them by the people at large, which are not accorded to the ministers or other representatives of Protestant churches.

What is to be the issue of this remarkable growth of a church which embodies the most absolute and terrible despotism on the earth? The Catholic Church has not relaxed any of its claims. Doctrinally it stands as the infallible and the unchangeable. It has not lowered any of its claims as the one holy Catholic Church, alone holding the doctrines and the power of the Lord Jesus on the earth. It has not changed its position as to the rightful supremacy of the Pope over all civil governments. It has not changed its attitude of hostility to our free civil institutions and to our public school system. The spirit of its organization is as despotic as it ever was, a spirit that does not minister to the well-being of the people, but regards the people as to be held and used for the church. A Catholic layman writing in the Independent, says of the Catholic Church: "It is supposed to be the church of the poor, but one day it will be known how the poor have looked to it in vain. If a saint came to-day and cried like John the Baptist, to prepare the way of the Lord by the practice of charity, poverty, and evangelical virtue, he would be silenced as a disobedient subject, and persecuted to his death."

—United Presbyterian.

THE LESSON OF NOAH.

By Editor

IN view of the words of the Saviour, “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be,” the following from an article by Rev. S. C. Leonard is to the point:—

Noah must have encountered a great many unbelieving people after it had become common talk that he was building a structure of unheard-of dimensions and partitionment. Curiosity was probably not very different then from what it is now. His work as it slowly progressed must have been looked over by a great many curious eyes. We can readily imagine some passer-by, or self-poised interviewer, stopping before the huge, unfinished structure, not content to go on without some conversation over it.

“What are you building, may I ask?”

“Certainly, an ark.”

“What is it for?”

“There is a flood of water coming upon the earth.”

“How much of a flood?”

“The dry land is to be covered with water deeper than the mountains are high.”

“Did you ever hear of such a flood?”

“No.”

“Have you asked any of the old men whether they ever heard of such a flood? There is your grandfather Methuselah; he must be eight hundred and fifty by this time, and he was two hundred and forty when Adam died, so that he could have talked over events of the early times with Adam himself; have you asked him whether he ever heard Adam speak of anything of the kind?”

“Yes, I have talked with him about it; he never saw such a flood and never heard of one.”

“What makes you think that such a flood is coming?”

“God has said so.”

(With a smile on his countenance) “How much will that immense boat cost you?”

“I don’t know; a great deal.”

“How much time do you expect to give to it?”

“Whatever proves to be necessary.”

“Why are you building it so enormously large?”

“To hold the animals which I am to save.”

“How do you expect to catch them and get them in?”

“They are to come to me, two and two of every kind.”

“Well, you haven’t asked my advice, but if I were in your place I should wait until I had seen some signs of such a flood before I should spend time and money as you are spending it. You never can use that immense box for anything. If your family starve you can’t sell it. Nobody would buy it for a house or a barn. And you ought to remember that you will not always be as young as you are now. You cannot expect to live more than four or five hundred years longer, and you will need something for yourself by and by; after a couple of centuries you will not be able to work as you can now.”

The scoffer passes along, and the faithful and obedient servant of the Lord works on as energetically as ever. “According to all that God commanded so did he.”

Noah’s faith was resolutely firm. Resting on the word of God, it was not vanquished by discouragement. It did not lose heart because all things continued as they were from the foundation of the world. The dark background against which he stood did not impart its hue to him. His faith set God’s word against an unbelieving world.

Faith has its heroes. They are not few in number. The names of many of the heroes and heroines of faith have been lost as centuries have come and gone. But among those which the world will never let die, is the name of him who “prepared an ark to the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

“THE infant heard the nurse devoutly say, ‘The first day of the week is Sabbath-day; Her reasons in the Primer plainly told, And thus the man believes when he is old. When he becomes a man he’s made a priest, Acquires the arts and language of the East; With knowledge vast acquired from every clime, He speaks in strains that one would think sublime. He tells us of a new-made Sabbath-day, And that the former one is done away; The people think it surely must be so, It will not do to say the PRIEST don’t know. Thus round the world the Primer story flies,’ While quite unseen the Scripture doctrine lies. —Wm. Stillman.”

THE SECOND ADVENT.

By C. P. Bollman

THE doctrine of the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ is a scriptural doctrine. It is taught in both the Old and New Testaments, and directly or indirectly in almost every book in the Bible. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of it, saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints.” Jude 14. The patriarch Job, too, when brought as it were to the very brink of the grave, so that he could say, “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth,” saw by faith the glorious triumph of the saints of God and exclaimed: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job 19:25, 26.

Time would fail, however, to tell of David, of Isaiah, of Jeremiah, of Daniel, and of many other Old Testament writers who spake of the glorious coming of Christ when he shall come to take the throne of his father David and “reign in Jerusalem [the new Jerusalem], and over his ancients gloriously.” But it is in the New Testament that we find this doctrine in its clearness and fullness; it is there that we have the promise of the Lord himself, “I will come again;” and it is there that we find recorded the words of the angels to the sorrowing disciples: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:10.

There too we read the words of Paul to the Thessalonian brethren, words wherewith he would comfort them concerning their dead: “This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:15-17.

But neither can we dwell upon all, or even a tithe, of what the New Testament writers have said upon this all-important subject; for it is in every Gospel, in the Acts, in almost every epistle, and it is the burden of “the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.” Rev. 1:1.

Yes; the Scriptures teach the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, but how will he come? The question has been already answered: “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven.” While in Matt. 24:27 we are told in the words of Christ himself: “As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” And when he does come the glad cry will be raised by all his waiting people: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Oh, that all who bear His name, might adopt as their heart-felt petition the devout prayer of the aged John as in vision he beheld the glories of that day, and exclaimed, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

C. P. BOLLMAN.

LEADING AND FOLLOWING.

A GOOD follower is a good leader—for his followers. To every Christian there comes the injunction of Paul, "Be thou an example;" and so far a Christian’s chief duty is to be a good leader. But then there comes to him also the message of Christ, "For I have given you an example;" and so far a Christian’s chief duty is to be a follower. Hence a Christian’s duty of being an example is performed in his showing that he has an example. He who has Christ in mind as his example is by that very fact himself already an example. He whose first solicitude is to be an example to others, is likely to forget his own better Example. But he whose first desire is to follow Christ as his example, is more likely to lead others to Christ by his example. He sets the best example who best exemplifies his own higher Example.—Selected.

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.

THERE is no question more momentous than "How can man be just with God?" "How can God accept, as though he had never sinned, one 'who was shapen in iniquity,' and who has been guilty of numberless transgressions against the law of God?"

What do we mean by the justification of man? Justification, in the language of the Bible, is the opposite of condemnation. It is a forensic or law term, and implies much more than the pardon of one against whom the sentence of law has been remitted. In human law, a man who has committed some crime may escape the punishment of guilt, but not the imputation of guilt. He is pardoned, but he is not justified. The judge looks upon him as a guilty man. He is not regarded in the community as innocent.

Suppose, however, an innocent man to be charged with crime, and it appears, on trial, that another person was the perpetrator of the wrong. In such case the man is acquitted; yea, he is justified in the eyes of the court, and of the world.

But we all have broken God's law, and the question is, How can we stand before his tribunal, and come away not only pardoned, but counted as though we had never sinned? It cannot be, as in the case we have supposed, because of our innocence, for by God's holy law the sinner is condemned; and "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We cannot be justified by the law, because we have broken the law. Nor can the provisions of the law be changed to meet our wants, for our Lord has said, "One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled."

How, then, can God be just to himself, and at the same time not only pardon the sinner, but look upon him with favor as if he had never sinned?

This is the great problem which the gospel solves. In the gospel we have a revelation of the way which God has provided for the justification of sinners. In the gospel is the righteousness of God revealed. And we learn therein that a man is justified through faith in Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law.

But upon this point God and man are at issue. Man continues to ask, What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? and when told to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," he rejects a way so simple, because it does not conform to his preconceived ideas upon the subject.

Now there are two aspects in which the great work of religion in the soul may be considered. There are two parts in salvation; both connected, and yet distinct. There is the righteousness of justification, and the righteousness of sanctification. There is the beginning and the progress in the Christian life. There is God's justifying work, by which we are accounted as righteous through faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and there is God's sanctifying work, by which we are made righteous through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Justification denotes a change of state, or of relation: the sinner passes from condemnation to acquittal, from death unto life; he is restored to God's favor; the prodigal is received to his father's arms. Sanctification denotes a moral change; God works within us, he delivers us from the power of sin, and restores us to holiness. Justification is an instantaneous work without us; sanctification is a progressive work within us. Justification delivers the soul from the penalty of sin; sanctification, from the power, the dominion of sin. Justification by faith only, or the righteousness of Christ imputed or reckoned as the procuring cause of pardon, is one part of salvation; and sanctification, or the righteousness of Christ dwelling in us by his Spirit, is another, and not less important part of the great work. Sanctification is the only sure evidence of justification. Hence, the Bible condemns the notion of a saving faith which is not productive of a godly life.

Now, in answer to the inquiry, "How can man be just with God?" or, "What must I do to be saved?" I reply, that the very first step in religion which avails to salvation, is to accept of Christ's righteousness as a substitute for our need of righteousness, of everything which can atone for our guilt. Man by nature is condemned—lost—dead in trespasses and sins. But God, in the gift of his Son Jesus Christ, "hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor 5:21. Our need Christ stands ready to supply; our guilt he offers to wash away; our debt, to pay; our salvation, to secure.

And the simple condition upon which he offers to do this is, that we believe in him as our Saviour; that we go to him in all our guilt, and in all distrustfulness of ourselves, or of any human arm to save; that we look to him as the dying Israelite looked to the brazen serpent, and live; that we go, adopting as our own the language,

"Just as I am—without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come."

But man, even when awakened to a sense of guilt and want, hesitates in going to the Saviour, and in surrendering himself and his all to him. "I am too great a sinner," he says, "to be accepted. I will reform my conduct. I will break off my evil habits. I will follow after holiness." Or, in other words, he seeks to be justified by the law of works, and not through faith in Christ, by which alone we can be justified and live.

Hence the importance of distinguishing between the cause of justification and its effects. The cause of justification, or the ground upon which we are justified, is Christ's righteousness received by faith. He is "the end of the law for righteousness, to everyone that believeth." "We do not become righteous by doing works of righteousness; but when we are righteous we do righteous works." Or, in other words, when we accept of Jesus as our Saviour, he is made to us our righteousness. And he is made our righteousness, because we believe in him, and not because of any outward reformation or outward observance of religious duties.

Here is the beginning in the Christian life. "By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Acts 13:39.

When the jailer at Philippi asked, "What must I do to be saved?" the apostles did not say to him, "You must reform your conduct. You must try to make yourself better. You must get rid of the sentence of condemnation by your conformity to the externals of religion;" but their plain and emphatic answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." They directed him, as the first step, to the Saviour, to the Lamb of God, who taketh away sin. They said to him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to him and live." He did believe, and he was justified. He looked, and he was healed.

And so with us. Christ is now exalted to give repentance and remission of sins; and in order to our justification, we must look to him, and confide in him as our Saviour. We must go to Christ before we can be Christians. We must go to him in humble and earnest and believing prayer, as poor, and blind, and naked, and as we bow before him we must take him and him only as our Saviour. We must commit our interests for time and for eternity to him, resolving by his grace ever to walk in the path of his commandments.

Such is the wondrous plan which God has revealed to us, by which he can justify the ungodly.—American Tract Society's Tract, No. 647.

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