: ftood 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 af fert, exprefsly, that the pardon of penitent Chriftians, and their compleat fanctification, may be expected from God as a matter of ftrict justice? No, furely. If it did, it would be quite inconfiftent, even with itfelf. Had finners a finlefs righteoufnefs properly their own, they would have no fins to confefs, or to be forgiven. The humble confeffion, or proper forgivenefs, of one who can justly have no fin imputed to him, looks, I fhould think, very much like a contradiction. And to affert, that God is bound in justice to remit all punifhment to penitent believers, and to complete their falvation, on the ground of their own real worthi nefs, 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 juf, 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 juftice. 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 should God not fulfil the word of his grace, on which he bath caused his fervants to hope, he would act difhonorably; and so 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 restored to the divine favor? It has often been fuppofed, 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, inany eafier way to have done it, that he fhould fee fit to adopt this, must appear very unaccountable. Why all this waste 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 bruises, 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 fach fovereignty to the bleffed and only potentate, as fuppofes him capable of doing any thing, proper or improper, wife or unwife, confiftent or inconfiftent, is furely not to do honor to him. We are plainly told, that God's fetting forth Chrift to be a propi tiation was neceffary, and why it was neceffary; namely, that he might be juft, and the justifier of a finner,. on his believing in Jefus. To this account of an apostle, however, the wife, the fcribe, the difputer of this world, the infidel and 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 offenders and fhall we think, that with God, Almighty and all-mer- | God, and most ruinous to the fouls ciful, there can be no remiffion of men. Some, by not feeing the occafion there was for the propitiation of Chrift, have rejected that 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 cause, have been led to deny that the death of Christ, confidered merely under the notion of fuffering, constituted any part of his propitiation. Others, from ap of the smallest fin, without fhedding of blood! and fuch blood as Chriftian trinitariaus, fuppofe ! 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 unwife-prehending that our divine Redeemas liable to alter his mind, to be er connected him felf with the whole intimidated, and to have his hand human race, by a kind of perfonal stayed: Or could he be willing to union; and by tafting death, ftricthave as weak and unftable a gov-ly purchased release from punishernment, as are the governments ment, for every man, have inferred of men; undoubtedly, it would the infallible falvation of all manbe very poffible for him to pardon kind. Many others, reputed very atrocious tranfgreffors only on their orthodox, have imbibed fuch a repentance; or even without re- notion of a myftical commutation pentance. 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 pof All fovereign pardons-all remillions of threatened and deferved penalties, without adequate fatisfaction, weaken government, and argue its imperfection. In the all-fibility of any farther divine grace, powerful, and all perfect govern- to the finful children of men. And ment of the Moft High, it may this, they think, a glorious device therefore well be fuppofed, that no of infinite wisdom and goodness; fuch pardons are ever admiflible. because, by means of it, they can finperfonally, as much as they pleafe, 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 tafte. To force perfectly felfish creatures, or even mifinformed Christians, 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 researches, have inadequate ideas, concerning thefe deep things of God. And yet, to mankind in a peculiar manner, it is of most interefting importance, to look into these things, and rightly to understand them. From inaccurate conceptions refpecting the This enquiry was defigned, to redemption of Chrift, and its ap-guard againft dangerous mifconcepplication to finners, have arifen fyf- tions of the glorious plan of our tems of faith, moft dishonorable to redemption. Whether the thoughts The Gospel a Do&rine according to Godliness. (Continued from page 332.) NUMBER IV. V.TH and proofs which have been given, | clamor, evil speaking and maliceare well adapted to this end, read- anrighteoufnefs, covetousness, cruers of every age and capacity muft elty, oppreffion and extortionjudge for themfelves. If the re- fraud, deceit, falfehood, lying, prefentation of this all important cheating, theft, robbery and murfubject, now exhibited, be not the der-intemperance, revelling, rieright one; the writer wifhes to be ting and drunkennefs, chambering told, and in a manner that he can and wantonnefs-every fpecies of understand, wherein it is wrong. uncicannefs, foolish talking and jefting, lafcivioufness, fornication, adultery and inceft-forcery-idolatry-contempt of God, neglect of his worship, profane curfing and fwearing and blafphemy-are all thefe and fuchlike things, contraHAT the gofpel is a doc-ry to true piety and real religion, trine according to God- and the habitual allowed indulgence linefs, will further appear from a and practice of them inconfiftent fummary view of the general ten- with the fpirit and practice of real or of its precepts and prohibitions. Godliness?-And who can attenThe gofpel not only requires re- tively read the New-Teftament, pentance and faith, as the grand and and not be fenfible, that these and comprehenfive condition of its all fuchlike things, are really forbleffings, and indifpenfibly necef- bidden and testified againft, as odifary to pardon and eternal life; but ous to God, and expofing to his likewife injoins univerfal holiness, wrath, and excluding from his and forbids all iniquity, all un- kingdom all thofe, who perfevere righteousness and fin, all moral in the allowed indulgence and prac evil without exception. tice of them? On the other hand, does Godlinefs imply supreme love to God, worshipping him in fpirit and in truth, ferving him with rev It commands us to be holy in all manner of converfation-to abftain from fleshly lufts, and from all appearance of evil. Yea, the gof-erence and godly fear, conforming pel as exhibited in the facred wri- in practice to his inftitutions and tings of the New-Teftament, re- commands, doing all to his glory? quires all holiness, and forbids all Does it imply fincere benevolence fin, not only in general terms, or to neighbours, to fellow-creatures, by general precepts and prohibi- to the evil as well as to the good, tions; but it alfo defcends to mi- not only to friends, but also to enenute 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 edness of mankind is wont to ope- it imply kindnefs, tender heartedrate and be expreffed-againft the nefs, forgivenefs, humility, meekvarious particular lufts and anful nefs, condefcenfion, gentleness, paffions, works and ways, which long-fuffering, compaffion, mercy, are oppofed to or inconfiftent with fympathy, hofpitality, juftice, truth, real holiness in heart and life. uprightnefs, integrity, faithfulnefs, induftry, fobriety, temperance, chaftity, a ready and faithful perform Are selfishness, pride, hatred, revenge, bitterness, anger, wrath, ance of all the duties and offices of every character, of every relation, of every employment, as of rulers, fubjects, citizens, minifters of the gofpel, hearers of the word, brethren in the faith and profeffion of the gospel, hufbands and wives, parents and children, mafters and fervants? Does Godlinefs imply thefe and all fuchlike things? And can any one read the New-Teftament, without a full conviction, that they are all there injoined exprefsly required, and abundantly preffed and inculcated? And it is to be remembered, that the fcriptures hold forth the idea, that all thefe 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 Chrift. How undeniably evident is it, then, that the gofpel, as preached by Chrift and his apoftles, is, in this particular point of view, a doctrine according to Godliness, plainly defigned and admirably well who is in heaven-they who deny themfelves, take up their crofs 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 fpirit 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 moft 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 apostles, as the only one which will be finally approved and bleffed, and transcribe and copy it, in our own tempers and conduct. NUMBER V. HE calls, offers and dapted to inculcate, enforce and VII. T warnings, promifes and promote it? threatnings, 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 alone will be approved by God, and finally happy. tendency to promote true religion. The Only an imperfect specimen of thefe can now be exhibited. 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 righteoufnefs 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 foul delight itfelf in fatnefs. In- tempted above that ye are able; cline your ear, and come unto me: but will with the temptation alfo hear, and your fouls fhall live; and make a way to escape, that ye may I will make an everlasting cove- be able to bear it." God, wilnant with you, even the fare mer-ling more abundantly to shew unto cies of David. Let the wicked the heirs of promise the immutabilforfake his way, and the unright-ity of his counfel, confirmed it by eous man his thoughts: and let an oath, that by two immutable him return unto the Lord, and he things, in which it was impoffible will have mercy upon him; and to for God to lie, we might have a our God, for he will abundantly ftrong confolation, who have fled pardon." In the fame fpirit, Chrift, for refuge, to lay hold on the hope when on earth, ftood and cried, fet before us." For he hath faid, faying, "If any man thirst, let I will never leave thee, nor forfake him come unto me and drink. He thee. So that we may boldly fay, that believeth on me, as the fcrip- The Lord is my helper, and I will ture hath faid, out of his belly not fear what man shall do unto shall flow rivers of living water.me." Godliness is profitable un"Come unto me, all ye that la- to all things, having promife of the bor and are heavy laden, and I life that now is, and of that which will give you reft. Take my yoke is to come. "He that overcomupon you, and learn of me; for eth fhall inherit all things; and I I am meek and lowly in heart; and will be his God, and he shall be ye fhall find rest unto your fouls. my fon." For my yoke is eafy, and my berthen is light." On the other hand, the fcrip tures are equally explicit, in addreffing the moft folemn warnings and threatenings to the wicked, and in terrible denunciations of divine wrath upon the impenitentand finally difobedient.-"The axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and caft into the fire. Except ye repent, ye fhall all likewife perish. He that believeth not shall be dam The apostle Paul ftates the purport of the apoftolic addrefs to mankind, in the following manner, viz. "God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us we pray youin Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God. For hened. Unto them who are contenhath made him to be fin for us, who tious, and do not obey the truth, knew no fin; that we might be but obey unrighteoufness, God will made the righteoufnefs of God in render indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every foul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and alfo of the Gentile. No whoremonger, nor unclean perfon, nor covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of thefe things cometh the wrath of him." To the faithful and obedient, the infpired writings abound with the molt gracious and animating declarations and promifes: "He that endureth to the end, the fame fhall be faved. "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. God is faithful, who will not fuffer you to be |