his mercy. It is needful that due self-annihilation be tempered with the hope of mercy and acceptance, founded on the grounds of hope which God has laid before us; and with that divine love and joy to which hope is so subservient. Christ's intercession has a peculiar fitness to produce so happy a temperament. It qualifies profound reverence and self-abasement with triumphant hope and confidence, and with abundant love and joy. Its influence on so desirable effects, is evident from the scriptures formerly cited to show the nature and the ends of it. They show that Christ's intercession, in conjunction with his oblation, on which it is founded, is the ground of humble triumph over the fears of condemnation; the ground of access to God with holy confidence and boldness; the encouragement to draw near to God, and to enter into the holiest of all, with full assurance of faith; that it is the support of the soul against the fears arising from former guilt, or the imperfections of present duties; and that it is the sure hold on which the anchor of hope fixes with steadiness, entering into that within the vail. It tends to replenish the soul that loves God, with the most useful elevated affections and the purest consolations, in looking upwards to the throne of God, to look to it as a throne of grace, a mercy-seat, where we have so great and so merciful a High Priest, administering for us in the tabernacle not made with hands; with the names of his people on his breastplate, even on his heart; his efficacious blood continually speaking and pleading for the communication of its purchase to sinners.

ESSAY III.

ON THE SCRIPTURE DOCTRINE OF DIVINE

GRACE.*

SECTION I.

Concerning the Scripture Evidences of the Doctrine of Grace.

By the doctrine of grace, is here meant the doctrine concerning divine operations, restoring the divine image in the hearts of sinners, and carrying it on gradually towards perfection. Prayer to God for holiness is founded on the belief of such operations. The doctrine of grace is therefore far from being a mere speculation: our belief concerning it must regulate our practice in matters of the highest importance. In considering this doctrine, it is needful to remember, that it is justly represented in Scripture as a doctrine that contains the most powerful motives and encouragements, not only to prayer, but to the diligent use of all other appointed means of holiness.+

The sanctification of the Holy Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, are joined together

* Written about the year 1732.

+ Though holiness is often distinguished from faith, it is sometimes used in this Discourse in a large sense, as comprehending conformity to the whole revealed will of God.

by the apostle Peter, as the two great causes of our salvation and happiness, 1 Pet. i. 2. And indeed these two important doctrines, namely, that of redemption by the Son of God, and sanctification by his Spirit, applying that redemption to us, are frequently joined together, though in various expressions, as the main peculiar principles of revelation. The other most essential doctrines that may be some way distinguished from them, are either evidently included in them, or have a necessary connection with them.

The change wrought on the heart of a sinner, when he turns from sin to God, is represented in Scripture as the greatest, the most desirable, and most important change in the world. It is called regeneration, or a new birth. They whose hearts are thus changed, are said to become new creatures: old things are done away, and all things are become new. They are said to have their hearts of stone taken away, and hearts of flesh given them; and to have their hearts circumcised to love the Lord their God with all their heart and soul. They are said to put off the old man, and to put on the new man; to be quickened, and, as it were, raised from the dead. There are people who cannot relish the scripture style concerning this important change; yet some noted deistical authors have thought fit to adopt some of these strong expressions, in speaking of those who attain to solid virtue, according to their notion of it. They say that such men are truly

new creatures.

The scriptures which express the change in view, in the manner just now mentioned, affirm it to be

the effect of an internal divine operation. Some scriptures mention the power and operation of God in more general expressions, other scriptures make particular mention of the Holy Ghost. It is reasonable to explain the former sort of scriptures by the latter: and scripture testimonies of both sorts are proofs of the doctrine of grace. A great number of the scriptures which contain that doctrine may be reduced to the following classes:-Some of them treat of the beginning of holiness, or of spiritual life; others, of its continuance and progress. Again, some scriptures ascribe to the Spirit of God the work of sanctification, or of the new creation in general; others make particular mention of the chief parts of it.

Thus, as to the beginning of spiritual life, we are taught that sinners are saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which God sheds abroad abundantly through Jesus Christ, Tit. iii.; and that, except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, John iii. To the same purpose are the following expressions relating to the same subject: Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures," James i. 18. "To as many as received him, (that is, Christ,) gave he power to become the sons of God- -which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God." And when the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel describe the great blessings of the new covenant, the divine promises run thus: "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, Jer. xxxi. 33. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit

will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them," Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27.

These, and the like scriptures, ascribe to the Spirit of God the beginning of holiness, and some of them plainly enough ascribe to him also the continuance of it. But this second point is asserted more directly in various other places. Real Christians are said to be "kept by the power of God through faith, unto salvation." He who "begins the good work, carries it on to the day of the Lord." Our Saviour, speaking of every branch in him that brings forth fruit, says, that "his Father will purge it that it may bring forth more fruit." When Paul is praying in behalf of the Ephesians who had already begun a course of sincere holiness, he prays that "they might be made to know the exceeding greatness of God's power towards them that believe." The same apostle tells us, that sincere Christians, "beholding the glory of the Lord as in a glass, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." These expressions evidently ascribe to the Spirit of God, that faith by which we behold his glory, and that holiness which consists in conformity to him, and our perseverance and progress in it.

There are various scriptures which ascribe to the Spirit of God the work of sanctification, or of the new creation, in general terms, which prove that both the beginning and continuance of holiness are the effects of his power. To this purpose are the fol