for finners, and procured them a licence to offend, is felfcontradictory, and altogether inconfiftent with the wifdom and uniformity of the divine government: that he never could hate fin fo much before, and love it after the fufferings of Chrift; that he could not find it neceffary to pu nifh it so severely in the furety, and yet afterwards love and bear with it in thofe 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 "ftand before this holy Lord God?" Accordingly we fhall 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 prefence, than fuch as truft folely in the merits of Chrift fortheir acceptance with God. The fecond thing I propofed to mention in the doctrine of Chrift's mediation, which fhews the purity of the divine nature, is our continued approach to God by him as an interceffor and advocate. It contributes to keep continually upon our minds a fenfe of the divine holiness and purity, and of our own unworthinefs, that we are not permitted to approach him but by the interceffion of another. Such a conduct in human affairs, properly ferves to fhew dignity and greatnefs on the one part, diftance and unworthinefs on the other. The fame conduct then in God towards us, doth it not convince us, that he must It is a certain fact, that the number of perfons under diftrefs of mind by perplexing doubts, or anxious fears, concerning their future flate, is incomparably greater amongst the friends than the enemies of this doctrine. By this I do not at all mean that either their doubts are dutiful, or their fears defirable. Such a ftate 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, illuftration and perfecting of their grace aud virtue; but its being more common among those who be lieve in Chrift's imputed righteoufnefs, than others, is a plain proof that this doctrine doth not naturally tend to infpire any with an unholy boldnet, or a fecure and flothful prefumption. be fanctified of all them that draw near to him? And whilft it makes imputed righteoufnefs the condition, plainly fhows the neceffity of inherent holinefs, as a qualification in our approaches to his throne. Suppofe an earthly prince were to be addressed by two different perfons, one who thought he had a title upon his own merit to make an immediate application, and another who could not approach him without one nearly related to him, and in high favor at court, to procure his admiffion, and to back his request; which of thefe would probably be moft respectful to his fovereign, and moft folicitous to avoid giving of fence by his conduct? Surely the latter; and fo it is always with the humble, mortified believer, who "counts "all things but lofs for the excellency of the knowledge "of Chrift Jefus."* In the fifth place, Thofe who expect juftification by the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, must be induced to obedience, in the strongest manner, by the liberal and ingenuous motive of gratitude and thankfulness to God. That it is the native and genuine expreflion of gratitude to God, to live a pure and holy life, I fuppofe will hardly be denied; at leaft, this the Scriptures reprefent as pleafing him, ferving him, doing his will, honoring him. It is indeed extremely difficult to conceive how God, all-mighty, and all-fufficient, fhould be at all affected with our conduct, either good or bad; it seems to be improper to say, that he can be pleafed or displeased with our actions, or that he hath any intereft at ftake. Nothing, to be fure, can be more weak and impotent, than the injuries offered, or the affaults made upon him by created beings. As his nature is without variablenefs or fhadow of turning, to his happiness is fuch, as can neither be increased nor impaired. And yet, in this way, he himfelf had taught us to conceive of the matter, that holiness is not only an imitation of his character, but obedience to his will; and its contrary a tranfgreffion of his law. Thefe have been the fentiments of all nations without exception; and after the utmost efforts we can make to exempt him in our * Phil. iii. 8. minds from all human paffions or affections, of joy, anger, or displeasure, we cannot help confidering it ftill as proper to fay, fuch a course of life is agreeable, and such another is difpleafing to God, and will provoke his wrath. Is not gratitude then a principle of action that will be powerful and operative? Mankind in general bear witnefs to this, as they have agreed in all ages to brand ingratitude with the blackest mark of infamy, and to reckon it among the most atrocious of crimes. And indeed we find by experience, that it is comparatively fironger, for the most part, than the oppofite motives of force or fear. There is a fort of natural tendency in man to refift violence and refufe fubmiffion to authority, whilft they may be won by favors, and melted to thankfulness and gratitude by kindness and love: at leaft, this may be applied perfectly to the prefent cafe, where the bare outward performance (which may indeed be the effect of fear) will not be accepted without the inclination of the will. A flavish dread both leffens the degree and debafes the nature of that obedience we might effay to perform. This is an univerfal principle; and, in particular, while the law of God ftands in its force and rigor, as a covenant of works, threatening death without hope of mercy against every tranfgreffion, it begets a defpondent floth, and at best ferves only to discover our fin and mifery; nay, as the apostle Paul, ftrongly and justly reasons, it renders our corrupt affections more inflamed and violent by restraint; *"Nay, "I had not known fin, but by the law; for I had not "known luft, except the law had faid, Thou fhalt not "covet," &c. But let us now complete this argument, by fhewing, that a believer in Chrift is under the ftrongeft obligations, from gratitude, to do the will of God. And how many confiderations concur in fhewing this? The unspeakable greatness of the bleffings he receives, no lefs than deliverance from everlasting misery and anguish, and a right to everlasting glory and happiness.-The infinite and af fecting condefcenfion of the great and glorious Giver, Rom. vii. 7. who, in mercy to thofe who could not profit him at all, but on the contrary, had highly provoked him, laid help for them upon one who is mighty to fave.--The aftonishing means employed in this defign, viz. God's " not sparing "even his own Son, but delivering him up for us all." Well might the apostle John say, "God SO loved the "world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofo"ever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have ever"lafting life."-But, above all, the fenfe which he himfelf hath of his mifery and wretchednefs. Nothing can be more dreadful than the apprehenfions which a convinced finner hath of his own ftate: what, and how ftrong then must his fenfe of gratitude be, to him who hath given his Son, and to him who has given himself, for the purchase of his pardon? With what carneftnefs will he feek after, and with what cheerfulness will he embrace every opportunity of teftifying his thankfulness? Will not the name of his Redeemer be precious, even, "as ointment poured forth?" his laws delightful to him, and his honor dear? It is proper to obferve here, that the fingle view of the bleflings of divine goodness, which must have the strongest influence in leading us to a grateful refentment of them, is peculiar to fuch as expect juftification through the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift; viz. their being of free unmerited grace and mercy. For, though there are claffes of Chriftians who pretend to difclaim the belief of any merit in man, it would be no difficult matter to fhew, that there are none who do not, by their profeffed principles, or their ufual language, fuppofe it, excepting those defcribed in the beginning of this difcourfe. And fuch not only believe his mercy to be unmerited, but that they have jaftly deferved his wrath and indignation, nay, and that they continually do fo, even in their best ftate; their pureft and holiest actions having fuch fins attending them, or fuch a mixture and alloy of unholinefs and impurity in them, as, if they were weighed in the exact balance of juftice, would be fufficient to procure their total rejection. * John iii. 16. 66 In how ftrong a light is this reprefented by the facred writers; and how powerful does its operation appear to be upon themselves? They feem penetrated and poffeft with a fenfe of the love of Chrift, and of God in him, as having finners for its object. Thus the apostle Paul reafons: "For fcarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet, peradventure, for a good man fome would even dare to "die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that "while we were yet finners Chrift died for us."* And again, "If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to "God by the death of his Son."+-What a fenfe of the love of Chrift is difcovered by the two following paffages of the fame apoftle! "That Chrift may dwell in your "hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in "love, may be able to comprehend with all faints, what is "the breadth and length, and depth, and height; and to "know the love of Chrift, which paffeth knowledge." The other is," If any man love not the Lord Jefus Chrift, "let him be anathema, Maranatha;" than which nothing could more ftrongly exprefs his own fense of the obligation. It deferves notice alfo, that the infpired writers do often reprefent it as one of the strongest arguments against fin, that it is a reproach and difhonor brought upon our Redeemer and Lord, "For many walk, of whom I "have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, "that they are enemies of the cross of Chrift. Seeing "they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open fhame."** 66 I muft again here, as on a former branch of the fubject, obferve, That, no doubt, fuch arguments as thefe, will have little or no effect upon thofe who have but an imperfect belief of them, which it is to be feared, is the cafe with not a few who go under the name of Chriftian. But is it not very evident, that they must have the ftrongest imaginable influence upon all fuch as are actuated by a lively faith in the doctrine of redemption? They muft fee themselves indebted to the undeferved mercy and love of * Rom. v. 7, S. || 1 Cor. xvi, 22. VOL. I. ↑ Rom. v. 10. Eph. iii. 17. 18, 19. ** Heb. vi. 6. |