How cold and cheerless is the doctrine of the mere moralist, leaving the poor sinner wallowing in the mire, and weltering in his blood, with nothing but his own works to depend upon for salvation! But the doctrine of justification through the satisfying righteousness of Jesus Christ warms the heart, and quickens the soul of the believer into a new and heavenly life. Here is our deliverance from the curse of the law. Here the relation between us and Adam is annihilated, and another relation is established between us and Christ. Here is the sea into which our sins are cast to rise no more. “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit;” and they may boldly say—“O Lord, I will praise thee; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me!” II. The ground of our justification now claims a more particular attention. This is a subject of the greatest importance; for if we build upon the sand, the whole superstructure inevitably falls, and great must be the fall thereof. The Jews, being ignorant of God’s righteousness—the righteousness of faith—went about to establish their own, which was by the works of the law. Let us examine these two foundations—the righteousness which is of the law, and that which is of faith. What sort of righteousness does the law demand, as the ground of our acceptance with God? It must originate in the heart. It must be commensurate with life, and not a broken link in the chain, for he that offendeth in one point is guilty of all. It must be so comprehensive as to include all your duties to God, your neighbor and yourself. It must engage all the powers of your mind, without the least imperfection, in thought, word, or deed. The coin must be pure gold, of full weight and measure, and bearing the right and lawful stamp. “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.”