II. " Justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (I Cor. 6:2:) The truth of justification is variously given in Scripture, nor is it always the same thing. It is always a sentence of righteousness pronounced in favor of the person justified, but in different ways and at different times. Paul's justification by faith without works is, for instance, entirely different from James' by works; and to confound them is the destruction of both. Paul inserts a note, as if it were on purpose, to guard against such a mistake. "If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God" (Rom. 4:2). James, on the other hand, asks of the same person, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?" (Jas. 2:21.) The time of which they speak is different. Paul speaks of Gen. xv; James, of Gen. 22:But also Paul speaks of justification before God, and denies James' justification by works to be before God. The latter speaks of justification before men:"A man may say, Show me" And there is no confusion.

The "justification" of our text is neither of these, but a third thing distinct from either, and I think in our day little understood. The passage that explains it is i Tim. 3:16, where the same expression is used of our Lord:"was justified in the Spirit." The preposition is the same in both passages, the instrumental "in," or "by." This clearly refers to the descent of the Spirit upon Him at His baptism, when the Father's voice testified its delight in Him. He Himself speaks of this as the Father's seal:"Him hath God the Father sealed" (Jno. 6:27). It was the divine confirmation of what He was,-His public justification thus.

If this be so as to the Lord, our own justification as given here is by the Spirit received:the seal of the Spirit is the witness given by God to us, of course, and as is said here, "in the name of the Lord Jesus." But what precisely does this mean? The apostle's sermon on the day of Pentecost furnishes the answer. Peter there takes Joel's words for his text, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." He proclaims Jesus the Lord:"God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ." They are pricked to the heart, and cry out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" He answers, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" Baptism is "unto the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16). They thus call on the name of the Lord, owning Jesus as this, and in His name receive remission of sins*, and the gift of the Holy Ghost in confirmation of it.*Of course, only the authoritative witness to it on earth, and conditioned upon the reality of their confession of Christ (comp). Acts 22:16 Jno. 20:23).*

We have only to remember now that in Cornelius' case-the first Gentile, and pattern for the Gentiles afterward, the gift of the Holy Ghost is not dependent upon baptism, and that the apostle of the Gentiles (the first preacher of justification,) is not sent to baptize, and this text in Corinthians becomes quite plain. The person owning Jesus as his Lord is justified in His name and by the reception of the Holy Ghost, then and there bestowed, the mark set on those who belong to Christ.