The objection must surely appear strongest upon the principles of those who make the nature of faith to consist in a belief, that Chrift died for themselves in particular, or of their own personal interest in him, and the pardon and life which he hath purchased, making afsurance efsential to its daily exercise. Yet even these will not deny, that their faith is not always equally strong, and that their afsurance is sometimes interrupted with doubts and fears. Now, what is the cause of these doubts, and this uncertainty? Is it not always fin more directly, or by consequence? So that fin renders their faith doubtful, which is the very fame thing with putting them in fear concerning their future state. Indeed it is not more fure that our Redeemer invites all weary heavy-laden finners to come unto him, that they may find rest, than it is that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. So that every instance of voluntary fin, muft throw back the believer (at least as to his own sentiments) into his former state, till he be again restored by faith and repentance.

From this I think it evidently appears, that the motive of the danger of fin is not weakened,

but hath its full force upon those who expect juftification by the imputed righteousness of Chrift. And, if it is not weakened, it must be strengthened by this perfuafion, fince, as I have shewn above, none have so deep a sense of the obligation of the law, and the evil of fin, and by consequence none can have so great a fear of its awful fanction. That this is agreeable to Scripture, might be shown at great length, where the putting their right to the favour of God and eternal life more and more beyond all doubt and queftion, is recommended to believers as an object of their care and diligence. Thus says the apoftle to the Hebrews, " And we defire that every " one of you do shew the fame diligence, to the " full affurance of hope unto the end *." And the apostle Peter, after a long enumeration of the graces of the Christian life, says, " Wherefore "the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure †." Nay, the fear of wrath, and of finally perishing, is reprefented by the apostle Paul himself, as one view at least, which habitually influenced his own conduct; "But I keep under my body, and bring "it into subjection, lest that by any means, " when I have preached to others, I myself "should be a cast-away ‡."

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In the fourth place, Those who expect justification by the imputed righteousness of Chrift, have the highest sense of the purity and holiness of the divine nature; and therefore must be under an habitual conviction of the neceffity of purity, in order to fit them for his presence and enjoyment. If this doctrine, in its main design, or by any of its efssential parts, had a tendency to represent God, (I will not say as delighting in fin, but) as easy to be pacified towards it, paffing it by with little notice, and punishing it but very slightly, there might be some pretence for drawing the conclusion complained of from it. For I think it may be allowed as a maxim, that as is the God, so are his worshippers, if they ferve him in earnest. Whatever views they have of the object of their esteem and worship, they will endeavour to form themselves to the same character. But if, on the contrary, this doctrine preserves the purity of God entire; nay, if it gives us still more strong, awful and striking views of it; it can never encourage such as believe it, in the practice of fin.

But that this is the case with all such as believe and understand the doctrine of juftification by the imputed righteousness of Christ, may be demonstrated in the clearest manner. It might indeed be shewn, from a great variety of arguments founded upon the mediation of Christ: at present I shall

1

I shall mention but two, the propriety of which, and their relation to the subject in hand, every one must immediately perceive. In the first place, That Christ behoved to fuffer by divine appointment for the expiation of fin, is not only equal with, but stronger than, all other evidences of the purity of God, and his abhorrence of fin. It is an event of the most striking and astonishing nature, every reflection upon which overwhelms the mind, that the eternal and only-begotten Son of God should assume the likeness of finful flesh, and stand in the room of finners: even tho' the merited punishment had been inflicted upon the offenders themselves, it would not have been fuch a proof of the purity of God. Here, even when he is inclined to mercy, its exercise is obstructed till justice is fatisfied. Can any one confider this without being deeply convinced, that he is a God" of purer eyes than to behold ini"quity," and with whom unrighteousness can have no communion? Will any, after such views, hope for his favour, while they retain the love of fin, or expect to dwell in his prefence while they continue stained with its pollution ?

The fame thing must also carry convincing evidence with it, that to suppose Christ to have bought an impunity for sinners, and procured them a licence to offend, is self-contradictory, and altogether inconsistent with the wisdom and

uniformity of the divine government: that he never could hate sin so much before, and love it after the fufferings of Chrift: that he could not find it necessary to punish it so severely in the furety, and yet afterwards love and bear with it in those for whom that furety fatisfied. Not only may this be clearly established by reason and argument, but it must be immediately felt by every one who fees the neceffity of the atonement of their Redeemer. They will be fo far from taking a liberty to fin, that, on the contrary, they will be ready to cry out,

"Who

can stand before this holy Lord God *." Accordingly we shall find in experience, that none are more ready to call in question the integrity of their own character; none more ready to fear the effects of the fins that cleave to them, as unfitting them for the divine presence, than such as truft folely in the merits of Chrift for their acceptance with God.

* It is a certain fact, that the number of perfons under diftress of mind by perplexing doubts, or anxious fears, concerning their future ftate, is incomparably greater amongst the friends than the enemies of this doctrine. By this I do not at all mean that either their doubts aredutiful, or their fears defirable. Such a state is to be looked upon as the fruit of their own weakness and imperfection, and as a chastisement from a wife and gracious God, either more immediately for correcting their fins, or for the trial, illustration and perfecting of their grace and virtue; but its being more common among those who believe in Chrift's imputed righteousness, than others, is a plain proof that this doctrine doth not naturally tend to inspire any with an unholy boldness, or a fecure and slothful presumption.

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