hatred of sin, and abasement for it. A sinner cannot have due prevalent love to God, and hatred of sin, without prevalent desire of obtaining deliverance from sin, and the enjoyment of God. A suitable desire of ends so important cannot be without proportionable desire of the necessary means. If a sinner, therefore, who hears the Gospel, has these suitable affections, of love to God, and hatred of sin, to which he is obliged by the laws of natural religion, these things cannot be separated from a real compla cency in that redemption and grace which are proposed in revealed religion. This does not suppose that natural religion can discover, or prove the peculiar things of the Gospel to be true; but, when they are discovered, it proves them to be infinitely desirable. A book of laws that are enforced with awful sanctions, cannot prove that the sovereign has passed an act of grace, or indemnity, in favor of transgressors; but it proves, that such favor is, to them, the most desirable and the most necessary thing in the world. It proves, that the way of saving us from sin, which the Gospel reveals, is infinitely suitable to the honor of God, to the dignity of his law, and to the exigences of the consciences of sinners."

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'If any man has a taste for moral excellence," says another, a heart to account God glorious for being what he is, he cannot but see the moral excellency of the law, and love it, and conform to it, because it is the image of God;

* M'Laurin's Essay on Grace, p. 342.

and so he cannot but see the moral excellency of the Gospel, and believe it, and love it, and comply with it; for it is also the image of God: he that can see the moral beauty in the original, cannot but see the moral beauty of the image drawn to life. He, therefore, that despises the Gospel, and is an enemy to the law, even he is at enmity against God himself. Rom. viii. 7. Ignorance of the glory of God, and enmity against him, make men ignorant of the glory of the law and of the Gospel, and enemies to both. Did men know and love him that begat, they would love that which is begotten of him. 1 John v. 1. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. John viii. 47."

III. THOUGH THE GOSPEL, STRICTLY SPEAKING, IS NOT A LAW, BUT A MESSAGE OF PURE GRACE, YET IT VIRTUALLY REQUIRES OBEDIENCE, AND SUCH AN OBEDIENCE AS INCLUDES SAVING FAITH.

It is no uncommon thing to distinguish between a formal requisition, and that which affords the ground or reason of that requisition. The goodness of God, for instance, though it is not a law or formal precept, yet virtually requires a return of gratitude. It deserves it; and the law of God formally requires it, on his behalf. Thus it is with respect to the Gospel, which is the greatest overflow of divine goodness that was ever displayed. A return suitable to its nature is required virtually by the Gospel itself;

*

Bellamy's True Religion Delineated, p. 332.

and formally by the divine precept, on its behalf.

I suppose it might be taken for granted, that the Gospel possesses some degree of virtual authority; as it is generally acknowledged, that, by reason of the dignity of its Author, and the importance of its subject matter, it deserves the audience and attention of all mankind; yea, more-that all mankind, who have opportunity of hearing it, are obliged to believe it. The only question, therefore, is, Whether the faith which it requires be spiritual, or such as has the promise of salvation?

We may form some idea of the manner in which the Gospel ought to be received, from its being represented as an embassy. We are ambassadors for Christ, saith the apostle, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye RECONCILED to God. 2 Cor. v. 20. The object of an embassy, in all cases, is peace. Ambassadors are sometimes employed between friendly powers, for the adjustment of their affairs; but the allusion, in this case, is manifestly to a righteous prince, who should condescend to speak peaceably to his rebellious subjects, and, as it were, to entreat them, for their own sakes, to be reconciled. language of the apostle supposes that the world is engaged in an unnatural and unprovoked rebellion against its Maker; that it is in his power utterly to destroy sinners; that, if he were to deal with them according to their deserts, this must be their portion; but that, through the mediation of his Son, he had, as it were, sus

The

pended hostilities, had sent his servants with words of peace, and commissioned them to persuade, to entreat, and even to beseech them to be reconciled. But reconciliation to God includes every thing that belongs to true conversion. It is the opposite of a state of alienation and enmity to him. Col. i. 21. It includes a justification of his government, a condemnation of their own unprovoked rebellion against him, and a thankful reception of the message of peace; which is the same, for substance, as to repent and believe the Gospel. To speak of an embassy from the God of heaven and earth to his rebellious creatures being entitled to nothing more than an audience, or a decent attention, must itself be highly offensive to the honor of his majesty; and that such language should proceed from his professed friends, must render it still

more so.

"When the apostle beseecheth us to be reconciled to God, I would know," says Dr. Owen, "whether it be not a part of our duty to yield obedience? If not, the exhortation is frivolous and vain." ""* If sinners are not obliged to be reconciled to God, both as a Lawgiver and a Savior, and that with all their hearts, it is no sin to be unreconciled. All the enmity of their hearts to God, his law, his Gospel, or his Son, must be guiltless. For there can be no neutrality in this case: not to be reconciled, is to be unreconciled; not to fall in with the message of peace, is to fall out with it; and not to lay

* Display of Arminianism, chap. x.

down arms, and submit to mercy, is to maintain the war.

It is in perfect harmony with the foregoing ideas, that those who acquiesce in the way of salvation in this spiritual manner, are represented, in so doing, as exercising OBEDIENCE; as obeying the Gospel, obeying the truth, and obeying Christ. Rom. x. 16: vi. 17. The very end of the Gospel being preached is said to be, for obedience to the faith among all nations. Rom. i. 5.

But obedience supposes previous obligation. If repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, were not duties required of us, even prior to all consideration of their being blessings bestowed upon us, it were incongruous to speak of them as exercises of obedience. Nor would it be less so, to speak of that impenitence and unbelief, which expose men to eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, as consisting in their not obeying the Gospel. 2 Thes. i. 8, 9. The passage on which the former part of this argument is founded, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20, has been thought inapplicable to the subject, because it is supposed to be an address to the members of the church at Corinth, who were considered by the apostle as believers. But let it be considered, whether the apostle be here immediately addressing the members of the church at Corinth, beseeching them, at that time, to be reconciled to God; or, whether he be not rather rehearsing to them what had been his conduct, and that of his brethren in the ministry, in vindication of himself and them from the base insinuations of false teachers; to whom