trary election. The forensic atmosphere of the word will therefore be found accompanying its general use. We shall perhaps best elucidate this by a somewhat tabular review of passages.

1. The Judge in this case is GOD. δικαιοῦσθαι ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ. Rom. iii. 20.

N.B.-When GOD is spoken of as being justified, a different preposition is used; for the forensic idea is abnormal when the superior is judged by the subordinate.

ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς. S. Matt. xi. 19; S. Luke vii. 35. Wisdom is justified of her children, by their acclamations confessing her righteousness. Cf. S. Luke vii. 29.

This idea of justification, as expressing humble acknowledgment and praise, is found again in Rom. iii. 4, where the revelation of GOD's just judgment of the world is spoken of as about to be a justification of Himself in those matters in which men are apt to judge Him.

Sixαiwonτ TI, Rev. xxii. 11, belongs to the same class of meaning, as expressing, not the forensic acquittal, but the laudatory acknowledgment and benediction of the righteous.

2. The trial is not the trial of a doubtful criminal who may be found innocent, but mankind have begun already to suffer some part of the punishment due to their sin, and are in the position of probationary criminals, to whom pardon is offered upon condi

tions.

Mankind could not get justified according to these conditions under the Mosaic law, because of the bondage in which he was held down by his previous condemnation.

The revelation of CHRIST delivers him from this thraldom, and he is brought into a state of freedom, so that he may perform the conditions required.

ἀπὸ πάντων δικαιωθῆναι. Acts xiii. 39.

ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δεδικαιῶται. Rom. vi. 7.

3. There must be an act on the part of the judge, and a corresponding act on that of the criminal, in order that he may be brought into this position of freedom with a view to his probation.

This is expressed by the dative.

The act on GOD's part is called 'grace.'

δικαιούμενοι τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι.

δικαιωθέντες τῇ ἐκείνου χάριτι.

Rom. iii. 24.

Tit. iii. 7.

The act on man's part is called 'faith.'

πίστει δικαιοῦσθαι. Rom. iii. 28.

By this comprehensive act of submission, we consent to the external conditions proposed, and therefore it connotes the idea of obedience.

πίστει θυσίαν προσήνεγκε δι' ἧς ἐμαρτυρήθη εἶναι δίκαιος. Heb. xi. 4.

4. There must be a mediating instrument connecting the act of GOD and the act of man.

The propitiatory offering of CHRIST'S Body is thus proposed for our acceptance.

δι' αὐτοῦ σωθησόμεθα. Rom. ν. 9.

διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χ. Ι. δικαιούμενοι. Rom. iii. 24. The Person of the Mediator or His act may equally stand in this relation.

As the act of the Mediator loses itself on one side in His Divine Person, so on the other also in our acceptance of it. The acts of His mediation are the object proposed to our faith and are called "the faith."

διὰ τῆς πίστεως δικαιώσει ἀκροβύστιαν. Rom. iii. 30.

διὰ πίστεως Ι. Χ. δικαιοῦται. Gal. ii. 16.

5. We are brought into a new status by this initiatory act of justification. That status is introduced by the preposition v. It is not a condition of merely external appearances such as the Mosaic law provided.

ἐν νόμῳ οὐδεὶς δικαιοῦται. Gal. iii. 11.

ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε. Gal. v. 4.

Nor is it a condition of mere self-confidence.

N.B. The Lutheran fiduciary theory of justification would come under this head.

ἐν τούτῳ οὐ δεδικαίωμαι. 1 Cor. iv. 4.

That status consists in union with CHRIST.

ἐν τούτῳ δικαιοῦται. Acts xiii. 39.

ἐν Χριστῷ δικαιωθῆναι. Gal. ii. 17.

His Bodily presence is the essence of this status:

His Blood is the instrument of admission.

The Divine Name is the authoritative sanction which guarantees the instrument of admission.

ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ δικαιωθέντες. Rom. v. 9.

ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Χ. Ι ἐδικαιώθητε. 1 Cor. vi. 11.

It is His possession of the Divine Nature which constitutes His own status of righteousness, so that He is able to communicate to us that status which belongs to Him.

ἐν πνεύματι ἐδικαιώθη. 1 Tim. iii. 16.

6. We are admitted into this probationary status, upon our being able to give proof of our fitness.

As we are said to be justified sometimes with reference to our entrance into this probation, and the initiatory gift of righteousness, but at other times with reference to our approval at the end of this probation and the final confirmation of everlasting righte ousness in us, we shall find two kinds of proof alluded to. The one is a fitness of heart to receive grace.

The other is a fitness of life to be crowned with glory.

These proofs of fitness are in both cases introduced by the preposition éx.

That we are justified in using the word proof of fitness rather than ground or instrument of justification, is shown by a passage in S. James.

δειξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου ἐκ τῶν ἔργων σου.

S. James ii. 18. In fact, to speak of either faith or works as the ground or instrument of justification, is to leap over several intermediate steps, and to ignore the proper acts both of the Judge and of the Mediator. Modern language often seems to put our justification in our own hands rather than in those of GOD. Faith may make us fit to be justified according to God's covenant; but after all it is God Who justifies, and there must be the grace of the Mediator, and the ministry of reconciliation, or of righteousness, and the sprinkled blood of the covenant, and the Divine Name of power, all of which are much more the constituting causes of justification than the passive faith of the recipient.

Faith and works however are both of them in their respective positions proper proofs of fitness for being justified.

:

All proof depends of course for its sufficiency upon its inherent quality and as in this case we are to be judged by one Who seeth the heart, the proof must be not a mere outward act which may be accidental to the life, but an inward principle and voluntary disposition.

The works of the Mosaic law being external only, were therefore no sufficient proof to be tendered as a claim for justification. ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σάρξ. Rom. iii. 20. ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος (ter). Gal. ii. 16. Mankind in their fallen condition had conscience and free-will left to them, but they were so far under the bondage of sin that they could not really perform any action which should endure GOD's scrutiny.

ἐξ ἔργων [οὐκ] ἐδικαιώθη ̓Αβραάμ. Rom. iv. 2.

Since man's works then were so feeble that they could have no acceptable savour of merit with GOD, it pleased GOD in His mercy to look deeper than the act, into the mind and disposition of the doer.

Whensoever, therefore, GoD found in anyone the pious disposition of faith, He graciously accepted it, according to the principle, "If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." (2 Cor. viii. 12.)

Outward acts were thus rendered acceptable, if they were the expression of faith,

ἐκ πίστεως δικαιώσει Θεὸς περιτομήν. Rom. iii. 30.

Unprofitable as was the righteousness of the Mosaic law, it

nevertheless was acceptable before GoD if He saw faith in the heart. In that case the feeble effort was made capable of acceptance because of the mediatorial object of faith.

ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ι. Χ. Gal. ii. 16.

Persons thus using the law are consequently called just men. So Symeon (S. Luke ii. 25), Zacharias (i. 6), Joseph (S. Matt. i. 19), S. John Baptist (S. Mark vi. 20), Joseph of Arimathæa (S. Luke xxiii. 50.)

Under the earlier dispensation, however, there could be no true justification for 1, in the forensic sense of the word, justification is still future as it remains to be effected at the last day,-hence dixare the future in Rom. iii. 30: and 2, in the deeper spiritual sense of the word there could be no gift of righteousness until "the LORD our Righteousness" had come in the flesh.

Now, however, the same dispositions which will be available for this final justification are available for our present justification. ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθέντες εἰρήνην ἔχομεν. Rom. v. l.

ἐκ πίστεως Χρ. δικαιωθῶμεν. Gal. ii. 16.

ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοῖ τὰ ἔθνη ὁ Θεός. Gal. iii. 8.

ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν. Gal. iii. 24.

ὁ δίκαιος (= δίκαιωθεὶς) ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται. Rom. i. 17 ; Gal. iii. 11; Heb. x. 38.)

Of one man we read that GOD accounted his faith as equivalent to righteousness. "Abraham believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness." (Gen. xv. 6.) This was declared respecting him before he had made his great sacrifice to GOD. He was justified, as S. Paul says, without works by the confident acceptance of God's loving promise.

His history, however, shows that GOD will not be satisfied with empty or unreal dispositions however apparently good. We afterwards read that "God did tempt Abraham." (Gen. xxii. 1.)

Now comes that later stage of his life about which S. James speaks.

The offering of Isaac was of course valueless as an outward act, but it was valuable as an act of obedience, and a necessary condition therefore of Abraham's continuance in that accepted state which had been previously vouchsafed to him. His act of obedience showed the truth of GoD's declaration respecting his faith. His work was a proof of fitness of life to be called the Friend of GOD.

As then we have seen that faith was the proof of fitness for primary acceptance with GOD and justification in grace: so good works and loving obedience are the proof of fitness for the crown of final justification in the consummation of God's gracious cove

nant.

ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη Αβραάμ. " S. James ii. 21.

James ii. 24.

pywv edixaicon 'Paáß. S. James ii. 25.

The disposition of faith which accepts GoD's covenant w cerity must lead us on to all such good works as GOD hat ordained that we should walk in them. Such works w according to the opportunities of grace which God has b on us. The faith of those who were before CHRIST cam ever have been faltering, because they could only strain a hope of future justification, except in some occasional inst special revelation such as that of Abraham. In our cas ever, faith is made perfect by love, and is infused as a hab the soul when we are joined to CHRIST. Faith lays hold righteousness, and His righteousness is imparted to us endowment of the soul, a supernatural endowment analog the strength of naturally acquired habits. If we would n this righteousness, we must carry it on in acts of holy life. a living habitual power dependent for its permanence upon e and development. We must therefore "work out our sa with fear and trembling, for it is GOD which worketh in u to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Phil. ii. 12, 13.) no other condition can we be justified in the great day of ad "In CHRIST JESUS neither circumcision availeth anythin uncircumcision, but a new creature." (Gal. vi. 15.) An new creation within us is what is elsewhere called "the ne which after GOD is created in righteousness and true holi (Eph. iv. 24); quickened with divine life and energy, and l to be justified throughout eternity in the manifestation of which worketh by love." (Gal. v. 6.)

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

1. The Pictorial Bible and Church History Stories. Part I. Rev. H. FORMBY. Longmans.

2. The Children's Bible Picture Book. Bell and Daldy.

HERE we have two books going over the same ground, save th former stops at the Old Testament, and the latter includes the N well. The main point of difference, however, is that Messrs. Be Daldy are content with borrowing such good prints (chiefly fro Dusseldorf School) as are easily accessible, and getting a ture narrative written to match; while Mr. Formby has attempt give a series of such illustrations, prepared for the purpose, a sufficient to ILLUSTRATE the whole Scripture narrative. Both a be pronounced meritorious productions; but each has its drawback The scope of the latter volume, viewed as an educational wo