"Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righeousness for the remission of sins that are past." --- Romans 3:24, 25.
How sweet are the words, "By grace (without merit) ye are saved!" Here is an overflowing fountain of comfort and Divine strength. But how little are the generality of vain and worldly people, who still feed upon husks, acquainted with these words. How little are they relished by our self-righteous moral Christians.
But oh! how deliciously does a poor hungering sinner fare upon them. There is hardly anything less known and understood, as to the power and experience, than the mystery of Christ's suffering and dying for us, and justification by faith in him; though it is the only paradise and element of believers, and the greatest jewel restored by the Reformation. Such talking and representations of sin as only strike the imagination are not sufficient; but we must also feel the mortal wounds of sin, by which the flesh is mortified, and be actually healed by the stripes of Christ.
God, the great God, that rules the skies,
The gracious and the just,
Makes his own Son a sacrifice,
And here lies all our trust.
Here rest my faith and ne'er remove;
Here let repentance rise,
While I behold his bleeding love,
His dying agonies.
With shame and sorrow here I own
How great my guilt has been;
This is my way to approach the throne,
And God forgives my sin.