n utter carelessness? Do I trust in my own
exertions for salvation? Do I expect forgiveness for my sins on
account of living a better life in future? Or, do I depend only upon
this, that Jesus died upon the cross to save sinners--and that Jesus
fulfilled the law of God to make sinners righteous? If the latter is
the case, my sins are forgiven, whether I feel it or not. I have
already forgiveness. I shall not have it merely when I die, or when
the Lord Jesus comes again; but I have it now, and that for all my
sins. I must not wait to feel that my sins are forgiven, in order to
be at peace, and in order to be happy; but I must take God at His
word, I must believe that what He says in true, and He says, "That
whosoever believeth in the Lord Jesus should receive remission of
sins;" and when I believe what God says, peace and joy will be the
result.

Again, in Acts xv. 8, 9, it is written with reference to us Gentile
sinners: "And God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving
them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; and put no difference
between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Here we see
how the guilt is to be removed from the heart, how we can get a clean
heart, obtain the forgiveness of our sins,--even by faith in the Lord
Jesus. Depending upon the sufferings of the Lord Jesus in the room of
sinners, and depending upon His obedience in fulfilling the law of
God, His sufferings are considered as endured by us, His obedience as
if found in ourselves: in Him (if we believe on Him) we are
considered to have hung on the cross, and therefore were punished in
Him, on account of which God, though perfectly holy and just, can
forgive us our sins for Jesus' sake, as well as reckon us righteous,
through faith in the Lord Jesus, who in the room of those who believe
on Him fulfilled the law of God.

I would here by the way especially warn against one error, which is,
that persons say, I can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Saviour, that through Him alone the forgiveness of sins is to be
obtained, and I do depend on Him alone for forgiveness, but I desire
to know that He is my Christ, my Saviour, and because I am not sure
about that, I can have no peace. Now, the Gospel which is preached in
the New Testament is not, you must believe that Jesus of Nazareth is
your Christ, your Saviour, but that He is the Christ, the Saviour;
and if you believe that, you have a right to look upon Him as your
Saviour.