cepted, or is worthy of being fo; that nothing will be truly effectual, till they see their loft condition, and believe in Christ, first for pardon, and then for sanctification, "to the praise of the " glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us " accepted in the beloved *." If they have any other plea, any other ground of hope and trust, it shall undoubtedly fail them; they must remain under a fentence of just and legal condemnation, and shall finally perish; for " he that believeth " in the Son hath everlasting life; but he that " believeth not the Son shall not fee life, but the " wrath of God abideth on him, John iii. 36+." I am

* Eph. i, 6.

+ The application of these passages of Scripture, to the particular principles above maintained, will, perhaps, be thought to include in it a very fevere and uncharitable condemnation of many Christians, who differ in judgment upon the point of justification. And indeed I pretend no great friendship to the sentiments so frequently expressed of late, "That it is a small mat"ter what a man believes, if his life be good." The assertion might perhaps be allowed, if it did not contain a foolish and unreasonable supposition, that a man may believe wrong, and yet lead as good a life as he that believes right; the contrary to which will always be expected by him who gives credit to the word of God, that his people are "fanctified through the truth." As to Socinians and Pelagians, who are the greatest opposers of the truths above defended, I never did efteem them to be Chrif. tians at all; so the consequence, with regard to them, may be Leafily admitted. But it will be thought hard to fay the fame thing of the Arminians. However, if the righteousness of Chrift is the only ground of our justification, and the reception of him in this character the true principle of sanctification, I do not fee how we can avoid concluding the danger of those who act upon any other plan. And yet I am perfuaded there have been, and are many good men among them: which may be accounted for in this manner, that their hearts are better than their understandings

E2

I am naturally led to conclude this subject, by observing, that the importance, efficacy and neceffity of the imputed righteousness of Chrift, shews how much it is the duty of all ministers of the gospel, to make it the main and leading theme of their fermons. The preaching of the gospel is by the apostle Paul, in a very just and expressive manner, stiled, preaching " the un" searchable riches of Chrift." In him every prophecy, precept, promise and truth is centered. His character and work as a Saviour is held forth in a variety of lights in the sacred oracles, and in every opening or view that is given us, so to speak, of the dispensations of divine providence and grace, he is the chief figure, or the termination of the prospect. If therefore we would know whatesteem is due to our Redeemer in our hearts, and how high a place he ought to hold in

standings; and they are habitually under the government of principles, which, through fome mistaken views, and groundless fears of their abufe, they speak of more sparingly, or rather seem to establish the contrary pofitions. The proof of this affertion I take from their own writings, particularly from the difference between their fermons and other difcourses, and those forms of prayer which they have drawn up, and not only recom. mended to others, but left behind them as a witness of their own exercise in their closets. If they be supposed to feel the sentiments which they express in their prayers, it can easily be made appear that these sentiments can only be dictated by the doctrine of free grace. If what they say of themselves be true in its natural and obvious meaning, and if they believe it, which charity obliges us to suppose, it must be altogether vain to lay the least stress upon their own righteousness for their acceptance with God,

our

our views of religion, let us observe the regard : paid to him by the sacred writers. They derive almost all their motives to every moral duty, from what he hath done, and is still doing for us, and feem to delight even in the repetition of his name. I am perfuaded those who are accustomed to the devout and ferious perusal of the word of God, will not reckon it " enthusiasm," when I say, that these writers appear to be warmed and elevated above their ordinary measure, when they celebrate his salvation; and that both in the old and new testament, wherever we meet with any passage fingularly lofty and fublime, there we may be fure that Chrift the Redeemer is the immediate theme.

Juftification by the free grace of God, thro the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, was the doctrine taught among Christians, in the earliest and purest ages of the church. And their departure from it was the prelude to that universal cor. ruption of faith and worship, that relaxation of discipline, and diffolution of manners, which took place in the ages following. It is also very remarkable, that this doctrine was always fully and distinctly taught in those churches which ne ver submitted to the tyranny, or received the corruptions of the Romish Antichrift; I mean the chithes of the Piedmontese vallies, which by fo many judicious writers, are supposed to be the two witneffes

E 3

witnesses mentioned in the Revelation, who fled into the wilderness from the perfecution of the beaft, and phrophefied in sackcloth. The accounts which have been transmitted to us of the principles held by them, long before the reformation, plainly show, that they maintained this doctrine from the beginning. And as it is well known that the reformation took its first rise from the grofs and scandalous application of the doctrine of merit in indulgencies, so all the reformers, without exception, were strenuous affertors of free grace. This was reckoned by them " articulus "stantis aut cadentis ecclefiæ," by which the church must stand or fall. Particularly, our reformers in both parts of this island agreed in preaching the same doctrine, and the eminent piety of our fathers is a standing evidence of its force and efficacy.

It doth not perhaps become, and probably it would not be fafe for me to enter into a particu. lar examination of the manner of preaching in the prefent age; and therefore my reflections upon that fubject shall be very few and general. What is most obvious in our present situation, and what ought to affect Christians with most concern, is, the great prevalence of infidelity. This is the more surprising, that we have never wanted, and do not at present want, many able and eminent writers to stand up in defence of the gofpel, gospel, and refute the changeable and inconsisten reasonings of infidels, whatever form they shall from time to time, think fit to assume, and on whatever principles they shall pretend to build. But, I am afraid, the best defence of all is but too much neglected, viz. Zealous affiduous preaching the great and fundamental truths of the gofpel, the loft condemned state of man by nature, and the necessity of pardon through the righteousness, and renovation by the Spirit, of Chrift. This would make a far greater number of those who call themselves by the name of Christ, Chriftians indeed. And the visible efficacy of his doctrine, would be a sensible demonstration of its truth and divine original. If these truths are not contradicted, it may be safely said, that they are by many kept more out of view than formerly. And furely we have no great cause to boast of our im provements in the preaching art, if its goodness is to be determined, like that of a tree, not by its blossoms, but its fruits.

There is one observation which may fatisfy us, that the preaching of the cross of Christ will most effectually promote real reformation. It is, that those preachers who (to say no more) approach nearest to making our own merit and obedience the ground of our acceptance with God, very feldom, if ever, give any alarm to the consciences of their hearers. Let them recommend ever fo

E 4