envy and rival purfuits. But a Chriftian, more than fatisfied with his own portion, hath no occafion to envy others, either what they poffefs or profecute. In what a contemptible light does he look upon the honors, riches and pleasures, about which there is fo violent a ftruggle among worldly men? It is impoffible, therefore, that he fhould hate thofe who do not interfere with him, though in many cafes he is difpofed heartily to pity their folly and delufion.

Nay, the matter does not even reft here, for the Chrif tian is laid under the moft exprefs command to "love his" perfonal "enemies, to blefs them that curfe him, to pray "for them who defpitefully ufe him and perfecute him." This is the glory of the 'gofpel, which gives the doctrine of Chrift a luftre far fuperior to the most admired fyftems of human virtue. And however hard a faying it may ap pear at firft view, when we confider the character and hopes of a penitent finner, and the example of his expiring Saviour, it hath nothing ftrange or incredible in it at all That he, who expects from the free grace of God pardon for his innumerable and aggravated offences, fhould be ready to forgive the far flighter trefpafles of his brethren against himself. Or rather, that he fhould take the highest pleasure, and think it his honor to do so, when he remembers his Redeemer's dying words, "Father, for"give them, for they know not what they do."

As to good men, there is no manner of difficulty: they are united together by the tendereft and the strongest ties, and love one another with a pure heart fervently. It was no wonder, that when Chriftianity was in a perfecuted state, the heathens fhould make the remark, "Behold how thefe "Chriftians love one another!" They had a common character, a common Saviour, common fufferings, and common hopes. And muft it not be the fame ftill? for "all that will live godly in Chrift Jefus muft fuffer perfe"cution." If they are not perfecuted with the fwords, they thall be perfecuted with the tongues of men. They have the frongeft motives to love one another, and nothing to divide them, for there can be no rivalfhip or jealoufy between thofe who poffefs or court the "true rich

"es." There is enough in an all-fufficient God to fatisfy the defires of all his faints; and they being intimately united to the one only living and true God, muft of confequence be united to one another. This is the tenor of their Saviour's interceffory prayer: "That they all may “be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they alfo may be one in us: that the world may believe “that thou haft fent me. And the glory which thou gav"eft me, I have given them: that they may be one, even "as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may "know that thou haft fent me, and haft loved them as thou "haft loved me."*

66

CONCLUSION.

SHALL now close this difcourfe with fome practical improvement of thefe important truths. Several reflections have indeed already been interwoven with the particular branches of the fubject, and the light which they throw on other parts of religion pointed out. I fhall therefore at this time only make a few obfervations upon the whole, and proceed to a ferious addrefs to all my readers on this most interesting fubject. And,

Ift, From the various truths above established, and the order in which they have been opened, we may fee the indiffoluble connection between falvation by the grace of God, and holinefs in heart and converfation. We may fee their equal importance and their influence upon one another. There are many who attempt to divide those things which God hath infeparably joined. Many infift only on the duties of the law of God, and our natural obligations to obedience; and are hardly brought to any mention of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, as the ground of a finner's aceeptance before God. Nay, fome fcruple not to affirm that the doctrine of juftification by free grace, or

VOL. I.

* John xvii. 21, 22, 23.

Hh

a finner's being found in Chrift, not having his own righteoufnefs, weakens the obligation to holinefs, and tends to introduce licentioufnefs of practice. But from what hath been faid in the above difcourfe, we may learn, not only in general the abfolute neceflity of a change, but how this ftands connected with the purchase and gift of falvation, the character and work of a Redeemer. It will plainly appear, that a change in fome refpects is necessary to bring us to, and in others is the neceflary effect and confequence of, the acceptance of falvation.

I have endeavored in the preceding pages to fhew, that a difcovery of the nature and glory of God, and of the infinite evil of fin, is abfolutely neceflary, in order to our either understanding or relishing the doctrine of the crofs. What is this then, but a change begun? Must notthe dominion of fin in every such person have received a mortal blow? Doth any thing more directly tend to ho linefs, than to fee the power and glory of a holy God, and how "evil and bitter a thing" it is to depart from him? On the other hand, is it not neceffary to complete the change, that there be a fenfe of reconciliation and peace? "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" Can> any perfon live in the love and fervice of God, while he conceives him to be his enemy, and fuppofes himself still the object of his wrath and difplcafure? But fuppofing this reconciliation obtained, let me boldly afk, What mo tive to holinefs in all manner of converfation, equal to the force of redeeming love? Judge, O Chriftian, will any cold reafoning on the nature and beauty of virtue have fuch an effect in mortifying corruptions, as a believing view of a pierced Saviour? Where fhall we find fo faithful, fo active, fo chearful a fervant of God, as one who joins with the apoftle Paul in faying, "I am crucified "with Chrift: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift "liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."* Faith in Chrift Jefus never can take place in any heart, unless there has been an internal

work of the Spirit of God teftifying of him; and there is no effectual principle of new obedience, but faith which worketh by love.

2. What has been faid above, will ferve to explain fome controverfies with which the truths of the gospel have been often darkened and perplexed; particularly thofe relating to the priority, or right of precedency, fo to fpeak, between faith and repentance. Some make repentance, that is, as they explain it, forrow for fin, ferious refolutions of forfaking it, and begun reformation, the joint grounds of our acceptance with the merit of a Saviour. Thefe, with great plaufibility, ftate the matter thus: That our fincerity is accepted through the fatisfaction of Chrift, instead of that perfect obedience to which we cannot now attain; and, when taken in a certain light, this affertion is undoubtedly true. Others, difcerning the falfhood that may lurk under this representation, and fearing the consequences of every felf-righteous plan, are tempted to go to the oppofite extreme. That they might fhew falvation to be wholly of grace, fome have even prefumed to use this harsh and unfcriptural expreffion, that it is not necessary to forfake fin in order to come to Chrift. I could fhew a fense in which this alfo is true, even as it is not neceffary to forsake your disease, in order to apply to the physician. But if it is not necessary to forfake it, I am fure it is neceffary, in both cafes, to hate it, and defire deliverance from it.

This difficulty will be eafily folved from what has been faid in the preceding parts of this treatise, and we may learn to preferve the truth, without expofing it to the fcorn or refentment of its enemies. The reader may observe, then, that none can fee the form or comeliness of a Saviour standing in the room of finners, and purchasing forgiveness from a holy God, till the glory of this God is dif covered, till the guilt of fin lays hold of the confcience, and its power is both felt and lamented. This may, perhaps, be called repentance, and I believe it is called fo fometimes in the holy fcriptures, particularly in the following paffage :

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your fins

may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing fhali "come from the prefence of the Lord."* But the finner does not fo properly forfake fin in order to come to Chrift, as he flies to him for deliverance from its condemning guilt and enflaving power. He is fo far from coming to God with a gift in his hand, even of his own prayers and penitential tears, that his convictions continue to follow him, if I may speak fo, through every lurking place, till he is entirely fubjected, till he is ftript naked and bare, and deprived of every fhadow of excufe. Then it is that falvation through a defpifed crucified Saviour becomes unfpeakably amiable in all its parts, fin becomes more perfectly hateful, and an affured profpect is obtained of its immediate mortification, and, in due time, of its entire and complete deftruction. Thus faith and repentance are involved in one another, they produce, and are produced by one another. They may be treated of diftinetly, but they cannot exift feparately. So that whenever any of them is found alone, or ftands independent of the other, that very thing is a fufficient evidence that it is falfe and fpurious.

3. From what has been faid on this fubject, we may be enabled to judge what are the fundamental and effential doctrines of the gofpel, to which all others are but fubordinate and fubfervient. Regeneration, or the New Birth, we are warranted to fay, after the example of our Saviour, is abfolutely neceffary to falvation: "Except a man be "born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God." If any man, therefore, depart from this truth, he makes fhipwreck of the faith, and will at last be found to fight against God. It is alfo plain, that the reconciliation of a finner to God must be through the blood of the atonement : "For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, "which is Jefus Chrift."+. If any man hold by, and build upon, this great foundation he fhall be finally accepted, though many things may be found in him juftly

* Acts iii. 19. t1 Cor. iii. II,