merciful God would pardon me, but now I feel that I have obtained that pardon, that I obtain it every moment, and that I experience inexpressible delight in seeking it at the foot of the cross.' If God grant you

patience," said a visitor to her during her last illness, "he sees that you merit this

favour."

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Hush," she replied with a most

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expressive eagerness, talk not of merit." "Talk not of merit."

O how much is expressed and taught in that one short sentence. A sinner has no merit, can have none, in the sight of God. How can he? As a sinner he merits punishment, and how then can he merit pardon? A just man falsely charged with a crime, may merit acquittal; but how can a sinner, truly charged with transgression, deserve or merit pardon? The thing is absurd, for it is a contradiction. If we are sinners, we deserve death; and how then by any subsequent conduct of our own can we deserve

life? Even if that subsequent conduct were absolutely perfect, yet inasmuch as we owe it to God for the future, it could not merit the pardon of past transgression. How much less then can it be supposed we can merit that pardon, when we are continually sinning afresh every day. The best doings of even the best of men, have some defects or imperfection attending them; surely then no sinner can be saved by his own merits. Hence the declarations of the apostle, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin,"-Romans, iii. 19, 20. "If by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace,”—Rom. xi. 6. "By grace are ye saved through

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faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man boast,"-Ephesians, ii. 8, 9. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us,"-Titus, iii. 5. In all these passages, as well as through all the New Testament, it is most explicitly declared, that man has no merit, and cannot be pardoned and justified on the ground of his own works. Let him do what he may, as much as he may, either before or after his conversion, either Iwith or without the help of God, he cannot be accepted to the divine favour on the ground of his own doings or sufferings. The very idea that he has any merits of his own, any goodness of nature or conduct that deserves for him, and will secure to him, the favour of God and the pardon of his sin, will prevent him from being saved; it will put salvation far from him, and he cannot be accepted of God till he

has put it away.

This notion was the sin

of the Jews as described by the apostle,

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God," Romans, x. 3. This is self-righteousness, and it is a state of mind which instead of recommending us to God, is exceedingly displeasing in his sight, for it insults his justice in the law, and contemns his mercy in the Gospel.

If then we cannot be justified by our own works, how is this immensely important blessing to be obtained? The apostle answers the question; "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God,"-Romans, v. 1, 2. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that jus

tifieth the ungodly, his FAITH is counted for righteousness. Romans, iv. 5. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,”—Romans, x. 4. Behold then the way of salvation, the true way, the only way, the sure way, the way for all. "BY GRACE ARE WE SAVED He that believeth shall

THROUGH FAITH. be saved. But what are we to believe? That we are lost and ruined sinners, depraved by nature and guilty of innumerable actual transgressions; that we are deserving of the wrath of God, and really exposed to it on account of our sins; that God would be righteous in our destruction; that in a way of mere favour and undeserved mercy, he sent his Son to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus; that he is now willing to receive to his favour every sinner, not excepting