place would be acceptable to me, he would willingly let me have it. I do endeavour to engage the sachems of greatest note to accept the Gospel, because that doth greatly animate those who are well affected, and is a damping to the scoffers and opposers, for many such there be, though they dare not appear so before me.'

From this letter (and there are many similar) it will be seen, that though it was his policy to confine his converts within walled towns and peaceful settlements, he never ceased to journey to the savage parts of the country, in prosecution of his work. At times, be came again to the farmers, to inspect their progress and welfare, and at far greater intervals he returned to dwell in his home at Roxbury. If the richest moments of our life arise from vivid and startling contrasts, those of Eliot's sojourn with his loved wife and children were enviable then his friends gathered round him; not the stern men of the desert, but men of wit, and talent, and education-for the Society at Roxbury had greatly changed with the progress of years; many settlers, and emigrants, of better attainments, had come over.

From his own lips, the troubles he endured were seldom uttered; that they were very great and manifold, is certain; the iron frames of the Indians sometimes fainted by the way. I rejoice,' he says, even when many weary days and nights roll over my head, in perils by the heathen, in perils by the wilderness; when the tempest beats upon me, and I have nowhere to take rest. Often, in passing rivers, the flood hath risen suddenly; then I think of the many precious promises on which to rely: 66 Thou art my God, a refuge from the storm, when the blast of the terrible one

is nigh; a refuge from the heat, even the heat without the shadow of a cloud." But weariness and pain of body were inferior, perhaps, to other evils: when travelling through the wild parts of a country, without a friend or companion, he was often barbarously treated by the natives, and was many times in danger of his life. Many of the chiefs, or sachems, were greatly opposed to the truth, and viewed its progress as calculated to destroy their authority; they, therefore, plotted his destruction, and more than once would have put him to a death of torture, if they had not been awed by the power of the English colonists. Undismayed by their opposition or menaces, he persevered with a courage that his ardent faith alone could inspire. They plainly see,' he says,

that religion will make

a great change among them, and cut them off from their former tyranny. This temptation much troubled Cutshamoquin, a powerful chief: his anger was raised to such a height, that, after the lecture, he openly contested with me. When he did so carry himself, all the Indians were filled with fear, their countenances grew pale, and most of them slunk away; a few staid, and their looks towards me were changed, and I was alone. But it pleased God to raise up my spirit, not to passion, but to a bold resolution: I told him there was One mightier with me; that I feared not him, or all the sachems in the country; and that I was resolved to go on, do what they would; and his spirit sunk before me. I did not aim at such a matter, but the Lord carried me beyond my own thoughts and wont. Could any description be more striking or beautiful than these few and simple words!

THE Apostle having proved at large in the former part of this epistle, that the justification, or pardon and acceptance with God, as sinners, both of Jews and Gentiles, is owing merely to the grace of God, through the obedience unto death of Christ; proceeds in the beginning of this chapter, to set forth the happy fruits and effects of that justification, and in the first verse begins to illustrate the privileges of true believers, continuing to dwell upon them to the end of the eleventh verse, and laying their foundation upon this point, "Our being justified by faith;" by which faith is meant such belief and acceptance of the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, as binds our whole hearts to his service.

The relation God bears to his dutiful children among the sons of men, as a Father; the care he takes of them as such; the love in that relation which he shews them now, and the provision he makes for them hereafter, all entirely depend on their pardon and acceptance, and being taken and received into favour through the merits and mediation of Jesus: wherefore, the principal and leading concern of us also, that is, as well of me who speak, as you who hear, is, that we are found in the way which God hath himself prepared to bring glory to him in the highest, and on earth peace, in the salvation of sinners. And what this way is, we find evidently asserted in the words before us; in which it is declared that not for any works which we have done, nor for any external

privileges which we enjoy, are we taken into the favour of God, and have our sins remitted, but for Christ's sake alone, faithfully believed in and submitted to by us.

Justification for Christ's sake, is the ground-work of all; and whosoever rests his hope towards God on any other footing, is manifestly out of the way, and shuts himself out of the favour of God. I do not mean at this time to treat this particular largely in a doctrinal way, but only in such manner to touch upon it, as may best excite the confidence, hope, and gratitude of the humble believer in his views of the approaching ordinance of the holy communion. There are then here four things observable.

First, That there is justification or pardon, and acceptance with God for sinners, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Secondly, That this justification belongs only to those that believe; we are justified by "faith" only.

Thirdly, That such who believe (understanding by it, so believing as from the heart to obey, for they cannot possibly be separated) have peace with God. And,

Fourthly, That this peace rests upon the grand security of Christ's mediatorial transactions: "We have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

First then, there is justification, or pardon, and acceptance with God, for sinners, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Justification is the absolving a sinner from the curse due to him for his sins and accounting him just and righteous. There is in it an absolving from deserved punishment on account of guilt, and there is also a regarding a sinner as righteous. Now therefore, since we are all sinners, and therefore all obnoxious to punishment, and also all unrighteous, so that we cannot present so much as one act or one temper worthy of the favourable

observation of a holy God, and which will stand the trial of his most righteous law; it undeniably follows-That we cannot justify ourselves. And that therefore if there be not some way found out more perfect than any thing we can pretend to, it is wholly and altogether impossible that we should be justified at all. But God hath provided such a way of Justification, and that in the sufferings, death, and obedience of his own incarnate son. Now therefore in Jesus the Saviour there is that to be obtained which we all indispensably want: for, is it not true that we have all sinned, and that therefore we are guilty before God, and so liable to the curse of the law? And is it not alike true of us all, that we are every way short of that holiness which the righteous law of God requires of us? and if indeed these things are so, there is in Christ that which we all have need of, that without which we cannot stand in the Judgment, and which therefore it behoves us above all things to get a share of interest in. But how then is this to be done? Why for this we must

Secondly, carefully observe, that this Justification belongs only to those who believe. "Being justified by faith"-not for the sake of faith, certainly for Justification is for the sake of the obedience unto death of Christ, and so cannot possibly be for the sake of our faith. No! but believers are made partakers of this great privilege, first by believing the thing, and then by so applying for it, according to the rule of the Holy Scriptures, that the amazing love of God manifested to them in it, may engage their whole selves, their whole hearts and lives to Him in faithfulness and duty. This is that living faith, "having its fruit unto holiness,' by means of which only it is, that we so partake of the Justification which is in Christ Jesus, as to have

But

the "end everlasting life." all who do so believe and are sanctified, are actually justified together with it. God's method of justifying the ungodly is not of that nature, as, on account of Baptism, or of any other external privilege, to include all whether they so believe, as from the heart to obey or not, as if Christ has so done all as that nothing is to be expected from us. expected from us. This, though I fear common, is a most fatal delusion. "Abraham," it is said, "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness; and to us also, it is added, it shall be imputed, if we believe on him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead." The meaning of which latter clause, when applied to ourselves more particularly, is very well expressed by the church when it saith,

That baptism represents unto us our profession, which is to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and be made like unto him, that as he died and rose again for us, so should we who are baptized, die from sin and rise again unto righteousness, continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living.' By faith then, belief in, and dependance on Christ for it, are we to partake of this Justification, in a life of sanctification. And accordingly all sincere believers, all whom the Spirit, having first convinced of sin, hath brought to God through Christ for mercy, and whose hearts thereby and therewith He hath renewed to a love of

God, willingness of heart to please him, rather than themselves and the world, hatred of all sin, and a truly charitable disposition towards all men, even their enemies-Such, I say, are assuredly made partakers of this justification of God in Christ Jesus. All such sincere believers, I say again, in whom this lively sense of God's mercies to them in Christ, is constantly

But

manifested by a daily conduct, which, however full of lamented infirmities, is under a divine light of God's word, and divine guidance of his Holy Spirit, directed upon a spiritual plan, and influenced by a spiritual motive, in opposition to that wisdom which is in the world, and which is sensual, earthly, proud, vain, independent, and selfish. All these, I say, undoubtedly, whosoever being, and wheresoever found, are made truly partakers of God's justification in Christ. The selfrighteous, who in their own esteem need not Christ; the careless, who prefer every vanity before his love and service; and the profane, who make him the minister of sin, have no part or lot in this matter. the truly humbled, who have fled to the hope set before them in Christ, and in consequence of it, are influenced by a sense of redeeming love, "not to live to themselves, but to him who died for them; these are indeed absolved from the sentence of the law, from all final punishment due to their sins, and the Righteousness of Christ is so theirs, that God regards them in love for his sake. Here alone lies our title, and if we can indeed make it good that we are looking to Christ for righteousness and grace, God cannot be wanting on his part. And in virtue of the everlasting covenant renewedly proposed in the sacrament, hath actually given us pardon, and taken us into his favour.

"the

Have you, then, been wrought by the Spirit, through the word of God, to see yourselves sinners? and despairing of all help from yourselves and all others, are your eyes upon the Lord Jesus as Lord your righteousness," and "the Lord your strength,' in whom alone you can have hope and trust? And hath this sight of the glorious Saviour, engaged your heart to him in such way and manner, as that indeed fighting,

the devil, the world, and the flesh, you are labouring to be and to act, as his servants, determined so to continue to the end of your lives?

In such case, I may apply to you the words of the psalmist, "Ye are the blessed of the Lord, who made heaven and earth,"-and I may direct you to those animated words of the Apostle, which may well be called, "the believer's challenge." "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." In which view, I would desire to proceed to the third thing before us, in the text, namely, that they have peace with God." This peace with God, or rather peace towards God, as is probable, the word should be rendered, is a peaceful disposition of soul towards Him, through the atoning intercession and sufferings of Jesus. Before the guilty saw a Redeemer through faith, they could not regard a righteous, just, and holy God, without dismay. But now that his majesty is beheld in the face of Christ, all his perfections change their face; he appears, with a reconciled countenance, seated on a throne of grace, holding and extending the sceptre of mercy to every repenting and returning sinner. This peace, therefore, whether it be considered as a state of friendship with God, or as the serenity of a quiet mind, made so by a believing regard to the author and finisher of our faith, is, in all views, a most glorious blessing, highly valued by every humble believer, and what he would in not wise part with, experimentally knowing it to be "that peace, which the world cannot give." And, therefore-

Fourthly, It is their unspeakable comfort, that this stands upon peace