wilful disobedience. This is not done by a ca'pricious revocation of the sentence pronounced, 'by an unconditional offer of pardon, or by any 'weak or inadequate compromise. A full satis'faction and complete atonement for the sins of 'the whole world are found in the precious blood ' of the eternal and only-begotten Son of God: 'but even this sacrifice, inestimable as it is, and 'universal as it may be, does not necessarily pro'cure salvation for men; much remains to be 'done by themselves, before they can have any 'share in the benefits of their Redeemer's death.''

"The law is holy, just, and good," and its awful sentence most righteous; and this apart from redemption; which indeed was intended to render the rich mercy of God consistent with his glorious justice, in the salvation of sinners. The words compatible with his mercy' may be compared with those of the apostle on the same subject. "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein "he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In "whom we have redemption through his blood, "the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches "of his grace, wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence."2 The grand end of redemption is the display of the glory of God, especially the glory of his mercy and grace; and to render this compatible with the glory of his justice.3-Much indeed remains to be done 'by us,' that we may partake of the salvation of the gospel; and, in order to this, much must be done in us, by the new creating Spirit of God. We must be born again ;" we must be quick2 Eph. i. 6-8.

Ref. 261.

Rom. iii. 25, 26.

'ened from the death of sin to the life of righ'teousness.' By grace are ye saved, through “faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift "of God; not of works lest any man should "boast: for we are his workmanship, created in "Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has "before ordained that we should walk in them."I 'Let us beseech him,' therefore, ' to grant us true ' repentance and his Holy Spirit:' and, while we own and attend to the duty of" working out our "own salvation with fear and trembling," let us not forget that " it is God who worketh in us both "to will and to do, of his good pleasure."2 The 'condition of man, after the fall of Adam is such, 'that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith ' and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable 'to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that will.'3— It ' is acknowledged, that man has not the disposi'tion, and consequently not the ability, to do 'what is good in the sight of God, till he is influ'enced by the Spirit of Christ.'4 The doctrine of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifieth all the elect 'people of God,' and by whose sacred and omnipotent operation a new creation is wrought, and sinners are made both willing and able to repent, believe, love, and obey, is so important a part of the plan of salvation; and his work in the heart, by which one man is made to differ from another, is so essential a part of salvation itself; that it is won2 Eph. ii. 8-10. Phil. ii. 12, 13. 3 Art. x. • Ref. 61.

1

derful these should not be at all mentioned, in so expressly stating the way of salvation by the gospel.

'Were it otherwise, the hardened sinner would 'be confounded with the humble penitent; there 'would be no distinction between those, "the imagination of whose hearts is only evil continually," and those whose "delight is in the commandments of God."1

"There is," saith the apostle, no difference; "for all have sinned and come short of the glory "of God: being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."2 "I will put my laws into their mind, and I will "write them in their hearts."3 "A new heart "also will I give you, and I will put a new Spirit "within you; and I will take away the stony "heart out of your flesh, and I will give you "a heart of flesh; and I will put my Spirit with"in you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, " and ye shall keep my judgments and do them."4 "For who maketh thee to differ from another?"5 The two scriptures, which are referred to in the quotation, evidently relate, the first, to what man is by nature, and the second, to what believers are by the grace of God." An important difference there is, but the whole glory of making it is due to divine grace; inclining and enabling the believer to do, what was before his bounden duty; but which he had not the disposition, and consequently not the ability,' to perform.

'Ref. 261.

Rom. iii. 22-25.

'Jer. xxxi. 31-33. Heb. viii. 10-12. ♦ Ez. xxxvi. 26, 27. Gen. vi. 5. Ps. cxix. 47, 70. Rom. vii. 22.

* 1 Cor. iv. 7.

"a Saviour:" but this glory implies, that he might consistently have withheld what now, "to the "praise of the glory of his grace," he imparts; or he might have selected other objects for the display of his glorious mercy and grace; and have glorified his justice in punishing men, according to their deservings.'1

If any inconsistency with these perfections appears in any proposed system, we need not ' hesitate to pronounce the system false and 'groundless.' 2

The appearance of inconsistency with the divine perfections, in respect of any doctrine deduced from the sacred scriptures, may be, and commonly is, owing to our partial or prejudiced minds, or our scanty information, or our mistaken notions. Nothing indeed can be true, as to the divine appointments, which is really inconsistent with the moral perfections of God: but almost every part of revealed truth appears to numbers inconsistent with them; one part to this description of men, and another to that description. "The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them "that perish." Some argue against the history of the creation, and the fall of man; others against the dealings of God with the Egyptians, Canaanites, and Amalekites; others contend in like manner against the future and eternal punishment of the wicked; others against the mystery of the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the atonement,

1

Arbitrary, see Book I. chap. ii. sect. 18. On the gift of God irrespective: also chap. i. sect. 4. On the case of the Gen* Ref. 259.

tiles.

regeneration, justification by faith, and salvation by grace; but all under the supposition, that the doctrine or dispensation against which they contend, appears inconsistent with the divine perfections, or with some of them. But is this reasoning conclusive? Man is a child, an ignorant, erring creature; he mistakes appearances for realities in every thing. Man is a sinner, a party concerned, under the dominion of self-love; and, as a criminal, must, in self-vindication, be tempted to think that the dreadful sentence of the Judge appears too rigorous, or even unjust. Who is there among us that has lived many years in the world, and not seen through the delusive appearances which once imposed on him? We have all, no doubt, still our prejudices undiscovered by us; for if we once discovered them they would cease to be our prejudices. The appeal then is and must be, "To "the law and to the testimony:" he who refuses to believe the express and plain testimony of God, because to his partial and purblind reason it appears inconsistent with some divine perfection, believes in his own reasonings, and not in the word of God; and refuses to believe God, if his own understanding will not vouch for the truth of what he says. And the less he hesitates to pro

nounce the doctrine or system,' which he cannot prove to be unscriptural, groundless or false, the less of the humility and docility of a little child is manifested.

The known attributes of God, collectively taken, as they are declared in scripture, and man'ifested in the works of creation, can alone guide

us to truth, in our disquisitions concerning his