RESIGNATION OF THE EDITOR.

With the present number the Editor closes his official connection with the Primitive Church Magazine. During seven years of service, he has received encouragement from a number of brethren, to whom, on retiring, he begs to convey his best thanks. Among these, he hopes to be pardoned for specifying the following, as brethren who have rendered him continuous support :-Mr. J. Brown, Conlig, Ireland; Mr. H. Watts, Golcar, near Huddersfield; Mr. A. Nichol, Sunnyside, Rawtenstall; Mr. W. Gatenby, Manchester; Mr. D. Crumpton, Salendine Nook; Mr. W. Frith, Boro Green; and Mr. A. Kenworthy, Hill Cliff, To these brethren he is under deep obligation.

The Magazine will henceforth be conducted by the joint Editorship of the Rev. J. Howe, Stacksteads, near Manchester, (to whom all communications are to be addressed)—and the Rev. E. Parker, Farsley, near Leeds. It needs scarcely be added that early communications to Mr. Howe, as above, will greatly oblige the new Editors.

Printed by GEORGE HARRISON, of 11, Cross Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and published by ELLIOT STOCK, 62, Paternoster Row, in the Parish of St. Faith, under St. Paul's, in the City of London.--MONDAY, MAY 2nd, 1864.

THE

PRIMITIVE CHURCH

(OR BAPTIST)

MAGAZINE.

No. CCXLVI. JUNE 1, 1864.

Essays, Expositions, &c.

JUSTIFICATION.

No. 1.-ITS NATURE.

THE subject of the sinner's justification is one of the most profound, and, at the same time, one of the most glorious of gospel doctrines. It is a subject which belongs exclusively to Revelation, and one which occupies a prominent position therein. The enquiry, "How can man be just with God? is one which nature cannot answer. It is an enquiry which the law cannot answer. Its declaration is, "he that doeth these things shall live by them, but the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Man has sinned, and, therefore, his justification, so far as mere law is concerned, is absolutely impossible. Reason cannot answer this enquiry. To tell how man can be just with God, in a manner suited alike to the wants of the sinner and the claims of a righteous government, exceeds the united capacity of men and of angels. But an answer to the enquiry in all respects satisfactory is furnished in the gospel. In fact, it may be said, that to show how a sinner can be justified and saved is "the grand discovery of Revelation, the pervading lesson of the entire Bible, and the lesson for the sake of which all divine inspiration has been given, and for the sake of which the Book which inspiration has produced has been put into our hands." The grand aim of the Book of God is to set Him forth as "a just God, and yet a Saviour," -"just, and yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus."

If the reader will turn to the 4th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, the 20th and following verses, he will find this subject occupying the attention of the apostle Paul. It was a theme on which Paul loved to dwell, and one which he was manifestly desirous of setting forth clearly to the minds of others. The substance of what the apostle there teaches is, that both Jews and Gentiles are concluded under sin; that, therefore, as these two classes comprehend the whole world, "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified." But there is another method of justification made known. "The righteousness of God" as a ground of acceptance "is manifested;" and this righteousness is "by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." We are justified not by work or merit of our own, but "freely by His grace"—" through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

We shall make it our present business to inquire into the nature of justification. What is it to be justified? In general, to justify is to acquit, to

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pronounce righteous. The term supposes some law by which a person's character, or conduct, is tried, and his acquittal from all charges of having violated the requirements of that law. It should be distinctly understood that justification relates not to a man's nature, but to his state; it has to do with his condition in the eye of the law. It does not involve an inherent change: the character after justification is precisely the same as it was before justification, so far as justification itself is concerned. Justification does not stand opposed to impurity, or unholiness, but to condemnation; condemnation does not make a man unholy, neither does justification make him holy. It is very evident that the term is used in the sense which these remarks indicate in the Scriptures. (Deut. xxv. 1; 1 Kings viii. 31, 32; Prov. xvii. 15; Luke vii. 29, 35; Luke xvi. 15.)

The sinner's justification before God implies,

1. That sin is remitted. In ordinary cases justification does not admit of pardon; the person justified is supposed to be innocent. But it does admit of pardon in this case. Sin is remitted; or, to use a Scripture phrase very suitable to the point in hand, “sin is not imputed," it is not charged upon the person justified—not reckoned to his account. This is an essential feature in the justification of one who is guilty, and known to be so. The Psalmist felt this when he exclaimed, “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" But God charges not guilt upon the soul he justifies. He has claims-claims that are numerous, and terrible; but He graciously withholds them; He brings no accusation. This is beautifully set forth in Micah vii. 18, 19. From this passage we learn that, so far from charging sin upon his people, God "passeth it by "-treats it as though He saw it not. See also Isaiah xxxviii. 17. Some think the not charging, or the non-imputation of sin, is all that justification includes. It is certain that this secures from condemnation. So far as our knowledge extends, law has no power to condemn, or, at least, no warrant for exerting its power of condemning, unless there be some one to lay the charge of its claims having been violated. In other words, there must be a prosecutor, or there can be no prosecution. The woman taken in adultery, of whom we read in John viii. 1—11, furnishes a case in point. This woman was known to be guilty, but when no one stood forward to prove her guilt she was allowed to go free. “Jesus said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." In an English court of justice there must be some one to give evidence against a prisoner at the bar, or else he is acquitted. It is so in the court of heaven; and the apostle triumphs in the safety of believers on this ground. (Rom. viii. 33, 34.) His argument seems to be, God will not lay anything to our charge, for he justifies us; the Son will not lay anything to our charge, for he died for us; those who could prosecute will not, and those who would prosecute cannot, and therefore we are secure; where there is no charge, there can be no condemnation. But, in addition to this, justification implies,

2. The imputation of righteousness. It has not only a negative, but also a positive aspect. We are not concerned to show, at present, what is the righteousness that is imputed—that may be left for future enquiry—we just state the fact. The apostle introduces it in Rom. iv. 5—7. It is acknowledged by the church with great joy and triumph in Isaiah lxi. 10. There is something in this which makes all believers joyful. They all feel their own nakedness and deformity, they all feel that they have no righteousness on the ground of which they can stand before God; but that which they have not, grace supplies.-God imputes to them a righteousness. Now, these two things are involved in justification, and we must remark further,

3. On the ground of these God deals with the sinner as though he had never sinned. This constitutes, if we may be allowed the expression, the very essence of justification. It is not verbally correct, perhaps, to say that God looks upon a sinner justified as one who has never sinned; but it is in every sense correct