all evils, and made thus happy, on their firft cordially embracing the gofpel, notwithstanding the original curfe of the law. From that curse, Christ hath fully redeemed them. If they die in a moment after they have become his willing difciples and fubjects, they are then made perfect in holiness, and immediately pafs into glory. But, for wife reafons-(for the good of others, and their own greater good, and for the fuller manifeftation of the grace and power of God,) it is fo ordered, that while they continue in this world, they shall be sanctified but in part; and that their tranfgreffion hall be vifited with the rod, and their iniquity with ftripes. Thefe, tho' merciful corrections, are real punifhments; and what they would neither receive nor deserve, had they a finless righteousness properly their own. It is alfo appointed to them, in common with other men, once to die; and that their bodies fhall fleep in the grave until the general refurrection. Chrift is, nevertheless, made of God unto them righteoufnefs, in regard to their infallible final juftification, from the first moment of their receiving him, and confenting to be his. "He that believeth hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation." That is, fhall never be liable to the curfe of the law, or the wrath to come. And now, what can any humble Chriftian wifh for more? His falvation is as certain, as if it were made a matter of abfolute debt to him. "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his fon; much more, being reconciled, we fhall be faved by his life. He that fpared not his own fon, but delivered him up for us all, how fhall VOL. I. No. 12. he not with him alfo freely give us all things?" Nor are those who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope fet before us, left to argue out the certainty of their falvation, merely from the grace of God, and from what he hath already done for them. He has, moreover, given them his word and his oath; that by these two immutable things, they might have strong confolation. "He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, fays David, ordered in all things and fure; for all my falvation, and all my desire." And indeed, beyond fuch ample fecurity, what can be defired by any one, who is willing to be faved by grace, and to walk humbly with God? If any reliance can be placed on his goodnefs, already fo wonderfully manifefted, or on his promise and oath, why fhould we want to have a demand upon his justice, for all · our falvation, on the ground of a full and perfect, though imputed, felf-righteousness. But are there not feveral texts which feem favorable to this exploded high notion of merit by imputation Those two, that I think of, which have often been fo improved: Jer. xxiii. 6. “ In his days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael fhall dwell fafely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteoufnefs." And 1 John, i. 9. "If we confefs our fins, he is faithful and juft to forgive us our fins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteoufnefs." Must not the first of these paffages imply, that the merit of Chrift is fo transferred to his people, or fo held in common by them, or to be really their merit? I think not. Only making a very reasonable allowance for the ftrong language of prophetic fcripture, and no more need be under Y y : stood by this, than what has been above admitted and fuppofed namely, that Chrift is of God made to believers righteoufnefs, to all intents and purposes of their fafety and falvation. But does not the other text affert, exprefsly, that the pardon of penitent Chriftians, and their complete fanctification, may be expected from God as a matter of ftrict juftice? No, furely. If it did, it would be quite inconfiftent, even with itfelf. Had finners a finlefs righteoufness properly their own, they would have no fins to confefs, or to be forgiven. The humble confeffion, or proper forgivenefs, of one who can juftly have no fin imputed to him, looks, I fhould think, very much like a contradiction. And to affert, that God is bound in juftice to remit all punifhment to penitent believers, and to complete their falvation, on the ground of their own real worthinefs, is certainly irreconcilably inconfiftent with a thousand other texts, all over the bible. According to this notion, after the gift of faith, God could never freely give us any thing. Not to infift that the words, faithful and juft, may be used by the apostle as nearly fynonymous expreffions; I would obferve, that the fulfilment of a promife, however gratuitous, is, in fome fenfe a matter of jullice. It is what a juft man will ever make a point of doing; and not to do it, might be a real injury to the other party, who had calculated upon its performance. It may further be obferved, that fhould God not fulfil the word of his grace, on which he hath caufed his fervants to hope, he would act difhonorably; and fo would not be just to himself to his own name and glory, It remains to be enquired, in the laft place; What neceffity there was, or whether any, for making Chrift a fin-offering, that we might be reftored to the divine favor? It has often been supposed, that God might have reconciled fallen men to himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them, in fome other way than in and through the death of his fon, if he had feen fit. But if it could have been fit, in any eafier way to have done it, that he should fee fit to adopt this, rauft appear very unaccountable. Why all this wafte of fweat, and agony, and blood! What glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift, when his vifage was marred more than any man, and his form more than the fons of men, if all his wounds and bruifes, thorns and buffetings, were unneceffary! At fuch a fight, on that fuppofition, many might indeed be aftonifhed; but no one could poffibly be delighted, unless a very malicious fpectator. To afcribe fuch fovereignty to the blessed and only potentate, as fuppofes him capable of doing any thing, proper or improper, wife or unwife, confiftent of inconfiftent, is furely not to do honor to him. We are plainly told, that God's fetting forth Chrift to be a propitiation was neceffary, and why it was neceffary; namely, that he might be juft, and the juftifier of a finner, on his believing in Jefus. To this account of an apoftle, however, the wife, the fcribe, the difputer of this world, the infideland the focinian, are ready to object. Earthly kings and judges, they will tell us, can pardon high crimes, treafons and rebellions, only on the fubmiffion of the of fenders and fhall we think, that with God, Almighty and all-mer- | God, and noft ruinous to the fou's ciful, there can be no remiffion of of men. Some, by not feeing the the smallest fin, without hedding occafion there was for the propitiaof blood! and fuch blood as Chriftion of Chrift, have rejected that tian trinitarians suppose ! doctrine altogether; imagining that, inftead of difplaying the mar vellous benevolence of God to man, it reprefents him as implacable and unmerciful. Others, from much the fame caufe, have been led to deny that the death of Chrift, confidered merely under the notion of fuffering, conftituted any part of his propitiation. Others, from apprehending that our divine Redeemerconnected himfelf with the whole human race, by a kind of perfonal union; and by tafting death, ftrict To this it may be replied; many things are poffible with men, which to the omnipotent fovereign of the universe are utterly impoffible. "It is impoffible for God to lie:" "He cannot deny himfelf." He cannot act out of character, or inconfiftently with any of his moral perfections. Were God as weak as man-as unwifeas liable to alter his mind, to be intimidated, and to have his hand ftayed: Or could he be willing to have as weak and unstable a gov-ly purchafed release from punifhernment, as are the governments of men; undoubtedly, it would be' very poffible for him to pardon atrocious tranfgreffors only on their repentance; or even without repentance. All fovereign pardons-all remiffions of threatened and deserved penalties, without adequate fatisfaction, weaken government, and argue its imperfection. In the allpowerful, and all perfect government of the Molt High, it may therefore well be fuppofed, that no fuch pardons are ever admiffible. ment, for every man, have inferred the infallible falvation of all mankind. Many others, reputed very orthodox, have imbibed fuch a notion of a myftical commutation of iniquity and holiness, between Chrift and believers, as is fubverfive of all rational ideas of divine juftice; and as excludes effectually, after the gift of faith, all poffibility of any farther divine grace, to the finful children of men. And this, they think a gloricus device of infinite wifdom and goodnefs; becaufe, by means of it, they can fin perfonally, as much as they please, in heart, word and deed; feeling all the while perfectly eafy and comfortable, as having no imputed fin. Thus they fit down under the fhadow of their fuppofed Saviour with great delight; and his fancied fruit is fweet to their tafle. To force perfectly felfish creatures, or even mifinfornted Chriftians, out of their delicious hiding places of falfehood; is, certainly, no very hopeful undertaking. The fufferings of Chrift and the glory that should follow, are things, we are told, into which the angels defire to look. No wonder, therefore, if men, weak, inattentive, and depraved, should often err, and after all their refearches, have inadequate ideas, concerning thefe deep things of God. And yet, to mankind in a peculiar manner, it is of most interesting importance, to look into these things, and right ly to understand them. From inaccurate conceptions refpecting the This enquiry was defigned, to redemption of Chrift, and its ap- guard againít dangerous mifconcepplication to finners, have arifen fyftions of the glorious plan of our tems of faith, most dishonorable to redemption. Whether the thoughts | clamor, evil speaking and maliceunrighteoufnefs, covetousness, cruelty, oppreffion and extortionfraud, deceit, falfehood, lying, cheating, theft, robbery and murder-intemperance, revelling, rioting and drunkennefs, chambering and wantonnefs-every fpecies of uncleannefs, foolish talking and jefting, lafcivioufnefs, fornication, adultery and incest-forcery-idolatry-contempt of God, neglect of his worship, profane curfing and fwearing and blafphemy, are all thefe and fuchlike things, contrary to true piety and real religion, and the habitual allowed indulgence and practice of them inconfiftent with the fpirit and practice of real Godliness?-And who can attentively read the New-Teftament, and not be fenfible, that thefe and all fuchlike things, are really forbidden and teftified against, as odious to God, and expofing to his wrath, and excluding from his kingdom all thofe, who perfevere in the allowed indulgence and practice of them? On the other hand, does Godliness imply supreme love to God, worshipping him in fpirit and in truth, ferving him with rev in practice to his inftitutions and commands, doing all to his glory? Does it imply fincere benevolence to neighbors, to fellow-creatures, to the evil as well as to the good, not only to friends, but alfo to ene It commands us to be holy in all manner of converfation-to abftain from fleshly lufts, and from all appearance of evil. Yea, the goference and godly fear, conforming pel as exhibited in the facred writings of the New-Teftament, requires all holiness, and forbids all fin, not only in general terms, or by general precepts and prohibitions; but it alfo defcends to minute particulars. It bears a partic-mies, doing good to all as we have ular and full teftimony against the opportunity-following God as various particular lufts and fins, and dear children, and walking in love evil practices, in which the wick- after the example of Chrift? Does ednefs of mankind is wont to ope- it imply kindnefs, tender heartedrate and be expreffed-against the nefs, forgiveness, humility, meekvarious particular Jufts and finful nefs, condefcenfion, gentleness, paffions, works and ways, which long-fuffering, compaffion, mercy, are opposed to or inconfiftent with fympathy, hofpitality, juftice, truth, real holiness in heart and life. uprightnefs, integrity, faithfulness, Are felfishness, pride, hatred, induftry, fobriety, temperance, chaf revenge, bitterness, anger, wrath,tity, a ready and faithful perform ance of all the duties and offices of every character, of every relation, of every employment, as of rulers, fubjects, citizens, minifters of the gospel, hearers of the word, brethren in the faith and profeffion of the gospel, husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and fervants? Does Godliness imply these and such like things? And can any one read the New-Teftament, without a full conviction, that they are all there enjoined exprefsly required, and abundantly preffed and inculcated? And it is to be remembered, that the fcrip tures hold forth the idea, that all these prohibitions and commands are delivered under the fanction of divine authority-that they are commands and prohibitions, not of men, but of the great God and our Lord Jefus Christ. How undeniably evident is it, then, that the gospel, as preached by Chrift and his apoftles, is, in this particular point of view, a doctrine according to Godliness, plainly defigned and admirably well adapted to inculcate, enforce and promote it? who is in heaven-they who deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him, and forfake all things for his fake-they who have the fpirit of Chrift, and walk not after the flesh, but after the fpirit, and thro' the spirit mortify the deeds of the body, crucifying the flesh with the affections and lufts-they who do his commandments, and endure to the end. Such, in brief, is the character of thofe whom God will approve in the day of final account and admit to dwell in his prefence forever. Hence, the doctrine of the gofpel upon this head, is most evidently a doctrine according to Godliness. And as we wifh to be approved of God, and happy forever, let us view, with attention, the character drawn by Chrift and his apoftles, as the only one which will be finally approved and bleffed, and tranfcribe and copy it, in our own tempers and conduct. VII. NUMBER V. TH HE calls, offers and warnings, promifes and threatenings,, contained in the gof VI. The fame will alfo appear from the account given in the gof-pel, plainly evince its defign and pel, of the character of thofe who tendency to promote true religion. alone will be approved by God, Only an imperfect fpecimen of and finally happy. thefe can now be exhibited. The Who, of all the human race, ac- Meffiah, long before his incarnation, cording to the account given by faid, by the prophet Ifaiah, "Look Chrift and his apoftles, will be unto me, and be ye faved, all the approved of God, and happy in ends of the earth." God, by the the world to come? None, whofe fame prophet faid, "Ho every character is prevailingly that of the one that thirfteth, come ye to the unrighteous or unclean-none,who waters, and he that hath no monobey not the gospel of our Lord ey come ye, buy and eat; yea, Jefus Chrift: but, the poor in come, buy wine and milk without fpirit-the meek-they who hun-money and without price. Whereger and thirst after righteousness- fore do ye fpend money for that the merciful-the pure in heart-which is not bread, and your labor the peace-makers-they who hear for that which fatisfieth not? HearChrift's fayings, and do them-ken diligently unto me, and eat ye they who do the will of his Father that which is good, and let your |