to establish it. Our church grafted it on her Articles and Liturgy, as a lasting memorial of the principles in which she wished her children to live and die. Is, then, this doctrine of justification by faith, thus clearly manifested; is it manifested to us? Is it the corner-stone of our system, as well as of that of our church? May our principles be summed up in this brief avowal; "I am nothing, and Christ is all in all, my only Saviour, my supreme Lord and Master?"

6. The only remaining clause of the text to be noticed, is that in which the universal necessity of this righteousness is stated. "The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference;--for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." We are here taught, that all mankind are alike dependent on the free grace of Christ for salvation. Not only the Gentile but the Jew; not only the unlearned but the learned; not only the profane but the moral; not only the man disfigured by the coarsest vices, but the man whose life is comparatively pure; must all seek their salvation at the foot of the cross, and confess in faith that "there is no other name given under heaven, whereby they can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ." This part of our text gives to the subject an awful importance. It is not a matter of bare speculation; it is not a matter which we are at liberty to receive or to reject at our pleasure; but it is a question of life and death. If the text be true, and the explanation given of it be faithful, then it is in the highest degree essential that the creed of a great part of the world should be changed; it is essential that we renounce our self-righteousness and self-dependence, humble ourselves before the most high God, and implore his mercy through the blood of a crucified Redeemer. But let us advert to the reason why all must seek salvation through faith in Christ. It is because all have sinned and

come short of the glory of God." We must seek salvation in and through Christ alone, because we have no claim, or right, or title to it in ourselves. We stand in a state of beggary as to divine things, and must, therefore, be mere pensioners, as it were, on the bounty of God. Luther, the great father of the Refor mation, called this doctrine the article of a standing or falling church; which being received, the church must flourish, and being rejected it must come to nought. If so, the cordial reception of this doctrine is the hinge on which not only the prosperity of the church, but our own spiritual interests turn; and as the opportunity of having it urged upon us may never be repeated, the present may be the critical moment, by the due improvement of which our future condition may be determined for ever. What, then, is the state of our minds? What is our view of faith? With what feelings do we regard our crucified Saviour? Let us put these solemn questions ta ourselves, as in the sight of God; and let us not rest satisfied unless we can answer them satisfactorily.

But is there here any one who objects to this doctrine of justification by faith alone, as if it lessened the value and importance of good works, of heavenly tempers, and a holy life? I ask, in reply, is it to lower the value and importance of these, not to give them an office for which they are not good enough; for which God has not appointed them; for which God will not accept them? Is it to undervalue them to say that, though not designed to pay the price of our salvation, yet no man can possibly be saved without them; and that the faith which does not produce them is dead and worthless? We may fancy, perhaps, that, in making this objection, we shew our regard to good works; but, in truth, we do but shew the high opinion we entertain of ourselves. Why does the apostle at once embrace and triumph in this doctrine? Because he felt that he had sinned, and come short of the glory of

to

God. And when we come to feel with him, that we are sinners, who by our sins have forfeited all claim to the favour of God, our objections the doctrine of justification by the blood and righteousness of Christ will speedily vanish. It is pride which lies at the root of such objections:-and how offensive such pride must be to God;-how offensive it must be to him who knows the secrets of all hearts, who knows the corruption, the baseness, the selfishness, which lodge there, to see us making light of his grace, and affecting to be our own saviours, I need not point out. O let us humble ourselves in the very dust before him, lest he be provoked by our folly and presumption to shut us out from all hope of mercy.

But there may be some one here who knows his guilt, but thinks it beyond all remedy. But is it not true that all have sinned, and that all stand in need of the righteousness of Christ for pardon and acceptance? There may be a difference in the degree of guilt; but "there is no difference" as to the way of salvation, and the means of salvation; as to the efficacy of faith, and the power and freeness of the grace of Christ. We have all sinned, it is true; but it is no less true that we may all be saved. If we are impenitent and unbelieving, we can regard ourselves, indeed, in no other light than as a company of condemned criminals. But, then, "God willeth not that any should perish." Here, in his Gospel, is given to us our great charter of liberty: here we have a bill of universal emancipation: here are tidings of great joy to all people. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price." Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

"Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever." Amen.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. YOUR publication being in the hands of many pious ministers of every denomination, I entreat your permission to lay before them the following thoughts, which have arisen from my own observation and reflection.

When a minister addresses that part of his congregation whom he apprehends to be yet regardless of their eternal interests, and has so far engaged their attention as to excite doubts concerning the safety of their present course of life; it is probable that some such thoughts as these may arise in their minds. ---" If I mean to save my soul, I must adopt another method of living; I must, however painful, begin to exercise my mind in another manner than I now do. I well know this cannot be done effectually, but by breaking off connections which are dear to me, and foregoing gratifications and amusements which swallow up the leisure I have to spare from my ordinary occupations. Perhaps this is what the Scripture means, by cutting off a right hand and plucking out a right eye, and taking up my cross, as the first step towards becoming Christ's disciple." Such thoughts will, as I know by experience, occasion much mental disquiet, not unattended by a secret hope, that so much may, possibly, after all, not be absolutely neces sary; in other words, that there may be an easier way to heaven.

Now it seems to me to be obvious, that, when men's minds are in this state, it is the part of the faithful minister to rouse them to the most active

nute Masoretical distinctions (whereof the greater part concerns the formation of the letters in certain words), shew that the Masorah of the Eastern Jews hath its peculiarities not common with those of the West. It ought, however, to be nored, that by this it is certainly determined, that the present Roll is not a copy from any examplar of the Jews in Europe; for no other synagogue Rolls known in Europe are observed to have the same characteristics; at least, as far as appears from any description of Hebrew MSS. extant.

This

I have already remarked, that some of the skins appear more aged and decayed than others, and that the text is not all written by the same hand: this remark is confirmed by a more close examination of the writing, and a more care ful comparison of the skins with each other. It appears evident that the Roll itself comprises the fragments of at least three different Rolls of one common material, namely, gout skin, and exhibits three different specimens of writing. circumstance naturally leads to a supposition, that the practice of writing the law on dyed leather was not uncommon with the Indian Jews; and that their scribes were accustomed to write their synagogue Rolls with as much exactness, in dimension and proportion, as we see books of the same edition printed with us the precise number of lines in each column, and the exact quantity and adjustment of words in each line; the preservation of the spaces; and other particulars to be observed in copying the text, being fixed, they were compelled to adhere to such rules in order to produce authorized copies. Dr. Buchanan, on the discovery of the Roll, was solicitous to know its origin; and the Malayala Jews being interrogated respecting it, could only give the following imperfect account. "That, according to some, it came originally from Senna in Arabia, Other Jews had heard that

it was brought from Cashmir;" but the Cabul Jews, who travel annually into the interior of China, reported, "that, in some synagogues, the law is still found written on a roll of leather, made of goat-skins, and dyed red," which perfectly agrees with this found in Malayala.

It is hoped that our countrymen in the East Indies, in pursuance of an order already issued by the Honourable Company to preserve and transmit whatever is found valuable relating to the Languages, History, and Antiquities of India, will secure to us more MSS. of the sacred writings; more especially as what specimens have already been obtained are found to harmonize so justly with the most pure and esteemed copies among us.

My next communication will be concerning the Travancore Version of the New Testament, now tran scribing from the original into the Hebrew character.---I have proceeded with it so far as St. John's Gospel.

Cambridge, September, 10, 1810.

I am, &c.
T. Y.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I TAKE the liberty of offering some further observations, as supplementary to the little paper on " Not at Home," which appeared in your publication of May last.

There is one imposing argument, by which the advocates for this practice endeavour to secure its permanency. They contend that this is but one of a large class of forms, all precisely of the same kind; and that if we reject it, we must, to be consistent, go a great deal farther; we must, in fact, renounce with it the use of terms, without which the common civilities of life could not be preserved. For instance, it is argued, that if we give up "Not at Home," we cannot answer cards of invitation in the usual