genuine tendency, weakens the obligations to practice, must be false. And I will also affert, in, opposition to some modern infidels, (tho' fome. may think that my cause might avail itself of the contrary opinion) that a man's inward principle, or the perfuafion of his mind, hath a neceffary and unavoidable influence upon his practice*.. So that, if I am not able to shew, that juftification thro' the imputed righteousness of Christ, is so far from weakening the obligations to holiness, that, on the contrary, the belief and reception of it, as its necessary consequence, must make men greater lovers of purity and holiness, and fill them with a greater abhorrence of fin, than, any other perfuafion on the same subject, I am content to give up the cause. I hope we may be indulged a candid hearing on this subject, as experience does not seem to be unfavourable to the doctrine I am essaying to de * That is to say, So far as it can be applied to practice, and fo far as it is real or prevalent above its opposite; for there are many truths of a religious nature which men think they believe some times, but which yet their corrupt paffions often make them doubt of; and these doubts are nine parts in ten of their lives obversant to their minds, as a vindication of their licentious practice: in some sense, such may be faid to act in contradiction to their principles; but they are princi ples either not really believed, or, which is the fame thing, not habitually recollected; and none can expect that men will act upon a principle, tho' once ever so firmly believed, if it be forgotien, or at the time of action entirely out of view. 7. fend. fend. If it appeared in fact that its friends, upon a fair and just comparison, were more loose in their practice than their adversaries of any of the opposite opinions, it would be a strong prejudice against it; or rather, if this were always the cafe, it would be an unquestionable evidence of its falshood. But, doth not the contrary appear on the very face of the world? Are not the perfons who profess to deny their own righteoufness, and hope for justification thro' Christ, ordinarily the most tender and fearful of finning themselves, and the most faithful and diligent in promoting the reformation of others? And do not all careless, profane and sensual livers, almost to a man, profess themselves enemies to this doctrine? I could almost appeal to any one who hath the least experience of, or commerce with the world, whether he would expect to find, upon a strict search and enquiry, the worship of God more constantly attended, the name of God more regularly called upon in families, children and servants more carefully instructed, and more dutifully governed, a greater freedom from levity, profanity, unchastity, pride, malice, or infincerity of conversation, amongst the friends or ene mies of this doctrine? So true is this, that they commonly have the appellation of the stricter fort given them, by which is certainly under ftood, B6 stood, at least, an apparent strictness of life and manners *. As therefore experience doth not hinder, or rather warrants us to affirm, that those who expect justification by free grace are, of all others, the most holy in their lives; I propose to shew, that it must be fo, and that this is but the native fruit, and neceflary consequence of their princi ples. What has induced me to this attempt, is not only the calumnies of enemies, but the weakness or treachery of professed friends. These last injure the truth often, in two different ways. Some speak in such a manner as to confirm and harden enemies in their oppofition to it; they use fuch rash and uncautious expressions, as do indeed justify the objection which the apostle rejects with fo great abhorrence; and, in the heat of their zeal against the self-rightecus legalift, seem to state themselves as ene * I am not ignorant, that it is the usual refuge of those who are evidently diffolute in their own lives, to alledge, that there is indeed an appearance of this, but that it is no more than appearance, being all hypocrify. It would be going out of the way to enter upon a large refutation of this slander. Therefore acknowledging, that, no doubt, whatever number of hypocrites there are in the world, and there are too many, they must herd amongst, or attach themselves to the society of the best part of it: I observe, that the general charge of hypocrify is only thrown out at a venture, is a judging of the heart, and by the very supposition, contrary to appearances, juftified, for the most part, by a steady perseverance. Whereas, usually the whole merit of those who bring the accusation, is that of being uniformly wicked, and not so much as professing what it was their indispensible duty both to have professed and practifed. mies, in every respect, to the law of God, which is holy, just and good. Others, on the contrary, defend it in such a manner, as to deftroy the doctrine itself, and give such interpretations of the word of God, as, if they were just, and known to be so, the objection would never have been made, because there would not have been fo much as an occasion given to it *. But of all the pretended Christians, one fort are worthy of the highest contempt, who, acknowledging the truth of this doctrine, call it dangerous, and are backward to teach or publish it, left it should be abufed. Would fuch weak, half-thinking mortals, be wiser than God? Hath he published it, and shall we throw a veil over it, to remedy the rasiness of his proceeding? Do the Scriptures reveal, and are we backward to "tef 66 tify the gofpel of the grace of God?" All the works of God are capable of being abused that this may be so likewise the apostle supposes. It is, however, not the less useful or important; only let us endeavour to vindicate it from the false charge of favouring or encouraging licentiousness of life. This I would willingly do in such a manner, as to affert while I defend it; to maintain the doctrine itself, while I shew not only its innocence, but its usefulness in practice. * I have often thought, that there cannot be a strongerargument, that the explication commonly given by Calvinifts, of the passages of scripture on this subj et, is just, than the apostle's supposition of an objection of this nature arising from it. For if the explication of some others, were supposed to be the obvious meaning of the text, and were substituted in its room, as all just definitions may be without inconvenience, the apostle's words, "What shall we say then? shall we continue in fin that " grace may abound?" would be quite unnatural and abfurd. charge The words of the inspired apostle are, "God " forbid, how shall we that are dead to fin, live any longer therein?" In which he affirms, that the grace of God abounding in the gospel, is so far from being an encouragement to fin, that it destroys the power of fin, and removes the inclination to it, so far as it prevails. The language is very strong, " We that are dead to " fin." It seems to put us in mind of the total effectual breach of relation between a dead man, and the objects with which he was formerly connected in life: they are nothing to him, nor he to them; he neither loves them, needs them, nor uses them. So, in proportion as the grace of God offered through Christ in the gospel is received and applied, sin is mortified in the heart; thus says the apostle Paul elsewhere, "God for" bid that I should glory, save in the cross of " our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is "crucified unto me, and I unto the world*." This, which is indeed the language of the Scripture throughout, is not merely denying the ac Gal. vi, 14. cufation, " |