the plainest reason in the world. As any kind of business is often said to be done by the instrument by which it is accomplished, so we are said to be justified by faith. For as necessary as the instrument with which we work, or the hands that use the instrument, so necessary is faith to lay hold of the righteousness of Christ for our justification, so that " being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

II. Some hold that sincerity is the condition of the covenant: that on account of which sinners are accepted before God. This sentiment is fanciful to an extreme. Whether its supporters mean by the term sincerity, sincerity in principle, or sincerity in practice, or both, I cannot say. Sincerity is good in its place, if conversant about proper principles and proper practice, but let it not be exalted to the situation of a Saviour. "It matters not," say the supporters of this, "what any man believes, sincerity is the whole of religion-it is all in all." Did these persons reflect a little, they would find,

1st. That sincerity and uprightness are not inseparably connected. All laudable sincerity has uprightness or truth for its foundation, but with every species of sincerity it is not so. Need I prove this. Look, then, at yon poor deluded mortal, and see how sincere he is counting his beads, and bowing before a crucifix!-see how tremblingly he approaches the priest, and receives his exculpatory benediction!-and hear how often he exclaims, "Hail Mary! Mother of God! Queen of Heaven!" Look to pagan countries, and you will see thousands of idol temples replenished with idol deities, and the inhabitants adoring most devoutly gods that cannot save! Are such offerings acceptable to God, however sincere the supplicants? By no means-they are calculated to rob him of his glory. They are thereby giving that service to graven images, to which the blessed God is alone entitled. Are uprightness and sincerity united? By no means-they are in direct opposition. To suppose that God would sanction that sincerity which is inconsistent with uprightness, is to suppose him capable of sanctioning a lie. Neither can we suppose him capable of accepting, on account of our sincerity opposed to uprightness, the person of any man. But, to prove our point, we only call on you to look at that man who mounts the rostrum, and proclaims in the ears of an admiring audience, a salvation on terms the Scrip

tures never taught. Do you observe how he keeps faith in Christ out of view by preaching up the merit of good works? and can you calmly and deliberately say, that God sanctions his sincerity? No-unless you maintain that the Scripture speaks a lie which declares, it is "not of works, lest any man should boast"-unless you suppose the Almighty capable of approving that which detracts so sensibly from the excellence of the Saviour's sacrifice, and gives room for creature boasting.

But, 2ndly, admitting that sincerity or uprightness were always uniformly connected, then it is liable to the objec.. tions already made, when speaking of faith. It is only finite-it is very different in men, and different at different periods in the same individual. However much, therefore, we applaud faith, as that by which a man is instrumentally justified-however much we admire sincerity as a grace implanted by the Spirit-we must testify against both, as that on account of which, sinners are accepted before God. III. The third sentiment that is held on this subject is, that Christ is the fountain of righteousness-that the sinner is justified on account of the righteousness of Christ. View this as the ground of a sinner's acceptance with God, and you will find that it has all that faith and sincerity want. It is infinite, whereas faith and sincerity, however genuine, can only be finite. The infinite nature of Christ's righteousness follows from the Deity of his person. Is the sin of man infinite? So is the righteousness of Christ, and is consequently a complete counterpart to it. An infinite obedience must possess an infinite quantity of merit, and when imputed to the sinner, God sees no iniquity in him. This righteousness is not greater to one and less to another, as faith and sincerity are, for it is equal to all. Nor does it vary. Being wrought out by him who is the Lord our Righteousness, it is immutable, and will for ever remain the same.

We would close these remarks by a direct appeal to Scripture; and in producing the testimony of him who cannot lie, it becomes you, reader, to receive it as such, and to rest satisfied in the truth. The Apostle Paul, in the 3d chap. of his epis. to the Romans, insists particularly on this subject-"therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, but now the righteousness of God, without the law, is manifested, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and

It

upon all them that believe, for there is no difference." is called the righteousness of God, because God devised it, or because the Lord Jesus who wrought it out, and brought it in, was "God over all blessed for ever." This is the righteousness that is by faith. Still more express is the language of the Apostle in the 25th verse. Speaking of Jesus, he saith, "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righte ousness, for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Mark the expression, "to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins"-faith is still represented as the instrumental cause. See also that astonishing declaration of the Apostle in the 3d of Phil."Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him; not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

Let me then entreat you, reader, if you know and be. lieve this doctrine, that you give all diligence to be interested in it. It will be of little use to you to study it speculatively, or to have much to say in its defence, or to be surprised at those that oppose it, if you are not striving to make your calling and election sure, by seeking an interest in Christ's justifying righteousness. It will do little for you that believers are happy; if you rank not among the number their safety will not solace you; if you fall under the curse of the slothful servant, in weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth! It is necessary, therefore, that you claim this righteousness for your justification. It is offered to you freely, without money and without price, without natural goodness, or previous preparation. As a lost and perishing sinner, you are welcome to come to Christ for pardon and salvation, for he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Look, then, to the crucified Saviour, and let it be your fixed and habitual belief, that Christ's obedience and sufferings shall stand to your account for your justification and acceptance before God.

J. M.

187

IRISH ISLAND ASSOCIATION,

For Achill and other Islands off the Irish Coast-for affording Reli gious Instruction to the Islanders, through the medium of their Native Tongue.

It is now a year and a half since the friends and managers of Irish instruction, perceived that some spiritual superstructure should be erected, on the excellent foundation of the Irish Education Society; and for the purpose of employing a higher agency than that engaged in extending the art of reading among the people, the Ladies' Irish Association was formed. The difficulty of obtaining men, spiritually-minded, and otherwise qualified for the important work to which they were now called, as catechists and helpers in the faith, necessarily retarded their progress; and within that period, but one gentleman, competent to the task of a spiritual superintendent, and six inferior agents, to act as Scripture-Readers, have been procured-of these, only one has been appointed to the Islands, a peculiarly interesting and important part of their field of labour, because hitherto entirely uncultivated. In the mean time, those gentlemen of the Irish Society, who had planned and fostered the Irish Achill Mission, saw it prospering beyond their hopes, and believing that the interest of all the isles would be best promoted by a union with it, the Ladies' Association were requested to divide their field of labour; one of their joint Secretaries taking charge of the islands, in connexion with the Achill Irish Mission; the other, of the mainland, as Auxiliary to the Irish Society; and the funds collected for these several quarters, have been allotted according to the wishes of the subscribers to each. Under these circumstances, the Ladies' Irish Island Association, have considered it desirable to present their friends with the following brief view of the number, population, and state of the islands off the Irish coast.

Around the Coast of Ireland, there are about 196 islands, their distance from the mainland varying from ten miles to less than one. About 140 of these islands are inhabited by a population of more than 50,000 souls-Irish being almost the universal language. The following are a few of the largest and most populous, commencing with Achill, off the Coast of Mayo, and making the circuit of the map till we reach that point again :-*

No census having been taken for some years, we do not attempt to give the numbers with perfect accuracy; they are, however, generally underrated, as there can be no doubt, a great increase has taken place since the period of the last census.

Separated, by a few waves only, from the shores of the parent country, and most of them occupying their places on Beaufort's map of Ireland, these Islands appear to have been blotted effectually from the memory of the enlightened and the educated. Aware of this fact, and convinced that many who possess a heartfelt desire to extend the blessings of eternal truth among the native Irish, have hitherto been prevented from promoting Scriptural Education in these long neglected Islands, by ignorance of their condition, if not of their existence, the "Ladies' Irish Island Association," earnestly call the attention of their friends to the state of this very interesting portion of the Irish people. The brevity necessary in such a statement will not admit of accurate detail, though the subject affords much that is calculated to arouse the strongest feelings of sympathy. So little has been done in regard to improvement for any of the Islands, that all may be truly said to languish under the blighting influence of ignorance, superstition, and Popery. Romantic, and beautifully situated amid their bulwarks of rock, and washed by the deep blue waters of the Atlantic, they occasionally attract the admiring eye of the traveller; but to the Christian, acquainted with the condition of their inhabitants, they are as moral deserts; and one, devoted to the best interests of the people, thus viewing the islands in the bay of Bantry, writes, "I could