govern him by a wise and rightę-||Gal. iii, 10, 13.--8. The Son of ous law, wherein glory and ho-God being immortal, could not nour, life and immortality, are the sustain all these penalties of the designed rewards for perfect obe-law which man had broken withdience; but tribulation and wrath, out taking the mortal nature of pain and death, are the appointed man upon him, without assuming recompense to those who violate flesh and blood, Heb. ii, 13, 14.-this law, Gen. iii. Rom. ii, 6, 16.9. The Divine Being having reRom. i, 32.—2. All mankind have ceived such ample satisfaction for broken this law, Romans iii, 23. sin by the sufferings of his own Rom. v, 12.-3. God, in his infi-Son, can honourably forgive his nite wisdom, did not think fit to creature man, who was the transpardon sinful man, without, some gressor, Rom. iii, 25, 26. Now compensation for his broken law; that this doctrine is true, will apfor, 1. If the great Ruler of the pear, if we consider, 1. That an world had pardoned the sins of atonement for sin, or an effectual men without any satisfaction, then method to answer the demands of his laws might have seemed not an offended God, is the first great worth the vindicating.-2. Men blessing guilty man stood in need would have been tempted to per-of, Mic. vi, 6, 7.--2. The very sist in their rebellion, and to re-first discoveries of grace which peat their old offences.-3. His were made to man after his fall forms of government among his implied in them something of an creatures might have appeared as atonement for sin, and pointed to a matter of small importance.-4. the propitiation Christ has now God had a mind to make a very||made, Gen. iii, 15.--3. The train illustrious display both of his jus-of ceremonies which were appointtice and of his grace among man-ed by God in the Jewish church kind; on these accounts he would are plain significations of such an not pardon sin without a satisfac-atonement, 2d Cor. iii. Col. ii, 7, tion.--5. Man, sinful man, is not 8, 9. Heb. x.--4. Some of the able to make any satisfaction to phecies confirm and explain the God for his own sins, neither by first promise, and shew that Christ his labours, nor by his sufferings, was to die as an atoning sacrifice Eph. ii, 1, 8, 9.--6. Though man for the sins of men, Dan. ix, 24 be incapable to satisfy for his own to 26. Is. liii.--5. Our Saviour violation of the law, yet God himself taught us the doctrine of would not suffer all mankind to the atonement for sin by his death, perish.--7. Because God intend- Matt. xx, 28, John vi, 51. Luke ed to make a full display of the ter-xxii, 19.--6. The terrors of soul, rors of his justice, and his divine the consternation and inward agoresentment for the violation of his nies which our blessed Lord suslaw, therefore he appointed his tained a little before his death, own Son to satisfy for the breach were a sufficient proof that he enof it, by becoming a proper sacri-dured punishments in his soul fice of expiation or atonement, which were due to sin, Mark xiv,

pro

33. Heb. v, 7.—7. This doctrine||11.-10. It should excite patience is declared, and confirmed, and and holy joy under afflictions and explained at large, by the apostles earthly sorrows, Rom. v, 1 to 3. in their writings, ist Cor. xv, 3.-11. We should consider it as an Eph. i, 7. 1st John ii, 2, &c. &c.invitation to the Lord's supper,

8. This was the doctrine that where Christ is set forth to us in was witnessed to the world by the the memorials of his propitiation amazing gifts of the Holy Ghost,-12. As a most effectual defence which attended the gospel. [See against the terrors of dying, and the Acts of the Apostles.] The in-as our joyful hope of a blessed references and uses to be derived from surrection, 1st Cor. xv, 56.-13. this doctrine are these: 1. How Lastly, as a divine allurement to vain are all the labours and pre- the upper world." See Watts's tences of mankind to seek or hope Ser. ser. 34, 35, 36, 37; Evans on for any better religion than that the Atonement; Dr. Owen on the which is contained in the gospel Satisfaction of Christ; West's Scripof Christ. It is here alone that ture Doctrine of the Atonement; we can find the solid and rational Hervey's Theron and Aspasia, dial. principles of reconciliation to an 3; Dr. Magee's Discourses on the offended God, Heb. iv, 14.-2. Atonement; Jerram's Letter's on How strange and unreasonable is ditto.

the doctrine of the Popish church, ATTRIBUTES OF GOD who, while they profess to believe are the several qualities or perfecthe religion of Christ, yet intro-tions of the Divine nature. Some duce many other methods of atone-distinguish them into negative, ment for sin, besides the sufferings and positive or affirmative. The of the Son of God. [See above.] negative are such as remove from -3. Here is a solid foundation, him whatever is imperfect in on which the greatest of sinners creatures; such are infinity, immay hope for acceptance with God, mutability, immortality, &c. The 1st Tim. i, 15.-4. This doctrine positive are such as assert some should be used as a powerful mo-perfection in God which is in tive to excite repentance, Acts v,and of himself, and which in the 31.-5. We should use this atone-creatures, in any measure, is ment of Christ as our constant from him. This distinction is way of access to God in all our now mostly discarded. Some disprayers, Heb. x, 19, 22.-6. Also tinguish them into absolute and as a divine guard against sin, Rom. relative: absolute ones are such vi, 1, 2. 1st Pet. i, 15, 19.-7. As as agree with the essence of God; an argument of prevailing force to as Jehovah, Jah, &c. relative be used in prayer, Rom. viii, 32. ones are such as agree with him in -8. As a spring of love to God, time, with some respect to his and to his Son Jesus Christ, 1st creatures, as Creator, Governor, John iv, 10.-9. As a strong per- Preserver, Redeemer, &c. But suasive to that love and pity which the more commonly received we should shew on all occasions to distinction of the attributes of our fellow creatures, 1st John iv,"God, is into communicable and

incommunicable ones. The com- AVERSION, hatred or dismunicable ones are those of which like.-Dr. Watts and others opthere is some resemblance in men; pose aversion to desire. When as goodness, holiness, wisdom, &c. we look, say they, upon an object the incommunicable ones are such as good, it excites desire; but when as there is no appearance or sha-we look upon an object as evil, it dow of in men; as independence, awakens what we call aversion or immutability, immensity, and eter-avoidance. But lord Kaims obnity. See those different articles serves, that aversion is opposed to in this work; and Bates, Charnock, affection and not to desire. Abernethy, and Saurin, on the Di-have an affection to one person; vine Perfections. we have an aversion to another: ATTRITION. The casuists the former disposes us to do good, of the church of Rome have made the latter to do ill. a distinction between a perfect and AUDIENTES, an order of an imperfect contrition. The latter catechumens in the primitive christhey call attrition; which is the tian church. They were so called lowest degree of repentance, or a from their being admitted to hear sorrow for sin arising from a sense sermons and the scriptures read in of shame, or any temporal incon- the church; but they were not alvenience attending the commission lowed to be present at the prayers. of it, or merely from fear of the AUGSBURGH, or AUGUSpunishment due to it, without any TAN, CONFESSION, a celebratresolution to sin no more: in con-led confession of faith drawn up by sequence of which doctrine, they Luther and Melancthon on behalf teach that, after a wicked and fla- of themselves and other ancient gitious course of life, a man may reformers, and presented in 1550 be reconciled to God, and his sins to the emperor Charles V, at the forgiven on his death-bed, by diet of Augusta, or Augsburgh, in confessing them to the priest with the name of the evangelic body. thise imperfect degree of sorrow This confession contains twentyand repentance. This distinction eight chapters, of which the greatwas settled by the council of Trent. est part is employed in representIt might, however, be easily shewn ing with perspicuity and truth the that the mere sorrow for sin be-religious opinions of the Protestcause of its consequences, and not ants, and the rest in pointing out on account of its evil nature, is the errors and abuses that occano more acceptable to God than sioned their separation from the hypocrisy itself can be. church of Rome. The leading AVARICE is an immediate doctrines of this confession are, love to and desire after riches, at-the true and essential divinity of tended with extreme diffidence of the Son of God; his substitution, future events, making a person rob and vicarious sacrifice; and the himself of the necessary comforts necessity, freedom, and efficacy of of life, for fear of diminishing his Divine grace. A civil war folriches. See COVETOUSNESS and lowed this diet that lasted upwards MISER. of twenty years, but which only

spread the new opinions, instead mortification. It is distinguished of extirpating them. from severity and rigour thus. AUGUSTINS, a religious or-Austerity relates to the manner of der, who observed the rule of St.iving; severity to the manner of Augustin, prescribed them by thinking; rigour to the manner of pope Alexander IV, in 1256. punishing. To austerity is opposThis rule was, to have all things ed effeminacy; to severity, relaxin common; the rich who enteration; to rigour, clemency. A among them to sell their posses-hermit is austure in his life; a sions, and give them to the poor; casuist severe in his application of to employ the first part of the religion or law; a judge rigorous morning in labouring with their in his sentences.

hands, and the rest in reading: AUTOCEPHALI BISHOPS. when they go abroad, to go always This denomination was given to two in company; never to eat but such bishops in the primitive in their monastery, &c. church as were exempted from AUSTERITY, a state of rigid the jurisdiction of others.

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BACKBITING. See DE-to and parleying with temptations. TRACTION and SLANDER. A backsliding state is manifested BACKSLIDING, the act of by indifference to prayer and selfturning from the path of duty. It examination; trifling or unprofitmay be considered as partial when able conversation; neglect of pubapplied to true believers, who do lic ordinances; shunning the peonot backslide with the whole bent ple of God; associating with the of their will; as voluntary, when world; thinking lightly of sin; applied to those who, after pro-neglect of the Bible; and often by fessing to know the truth, wilfully gross immorality. The consequenturn from it, and live in the prac-ces of this awful state are-loss of tice of sin; as final, when the mind character; loss of comfort; loss of is given up to judicial hardness, usefulness; and, as long as any reas in the case of Judas. Partial main in this state, a loss of a wellbacksliding must be distinguished grounded hope of future happiness. from hypocrisy, as the former may To avoid this state, or recover exist where there are gracious in- from it, we should beware of the tentions on the whole; but the first appearance of sin; be much latter is a studied profession of ap-in prayer; attend the ordinances; pearing to be what we are not. and unite with the people of God.

The causes of backsliding are- We should consider the awful inthe cares of the world; improper stances of apostacy, as Saul, Judas, connections; inattention to secret Demas, &c.; the many warnings or closet duties; self-conceit and we have of it, Matt. xxiv, 13. dependance; indolence; listening Heb. x, 38. Luke ix, 62; how it

grieves the Holy Spirit; and how only recognizes one. Ministers wretched it makes us above all only have a right to administer it ; things, our dependance should be and have a negative voice in oppoon God, that we may always besition to all claims. It is an ordirected by his Spirit, and kept by dinance binding on all who have his power. See APOSTACY. been given up to God in it; and

BANGORIAN CONTRO-to be perpetuated to the end of the VERSY, so called from Bangor, world. It is not, however, essenor the bishop thereof. Bishop tial to salvation; for mere particiHoadley, the bishop of that dio-pation of sacraments cannot qualicese, preaching before George I, fy men for heaven: many have asserted the supreme authority of real grace, consequently in a salChrist, as king in his own kingdom; vable state, before they were bapand that he had not delegated his tized: besides to suppose it essenpower, like temporal lawgivers tial, is to put it in the place of that during their absence from their which it signifies.

kingdom, to any persons, as his Baptism has been supposed by vicegerents or deputies. In 1717, many learned persons to have had he also published his Preservative, its origin from the Jewish church; in which he advanced some posi-in which, they maintain, it was tions contrary to temporal and spi- the practice, long before Christ's ritual tyranny, and in behalf of the time, to baptize proselytes or concivil and religious liberties of man-verts to their faith, as part of the kind: upon which he was violently ceremony of their admission. "It opposed, accused, and persecuted, is strange to me," says Dr. Dodby the advocates for church pow-dridge," that any should doubt er: but he was defended and sup- of this, when it is plain, from exported by the civil powers, and press passages in the Jewish law, his abilities and meekness gained that no Jew who had lived like a him the plaudits of many. Gentile for one day could be reBAPTISM, the ceremony of stored to the cominunion of this washing, or the application of church without it. Compare Num. water to a person, in the name of xix, 19 and 20, and many other the Father, the Son, and the Holy precepts relating to ceremonial Ghost, by which he is initiated pollutions, in which may be seen, into the visible church. Baptism that the Jews were rendered inexhibits to us the blessings of capable of appearing before God pardon, salvation through Jesus in the tabernacle or temple, till Christ, union to and communion they were washed either by bathing with him, the out-pouring of the or sprinkling." Others, however, Spirit, regeneration, and sanctifi- insist, that the Jewish proselyte cation. From baptism results the baptism is not by far so ancient; obligation of repentance, love to and that John the Baptist was the Christ, and perpetual devotedness first administrator of baptism ato his praise. Baptism does not mong the Jews.

constitute a visible subject, but The baptism of John, and that VOL. I.

I