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God, his heaven for it, buys | is the great design of Christ's religion, to wean us from this world, by setting before us better and more enduring substance.

life too dear, and is guilty of the same folly, as he who sold a birthright for a mess of pottage.

In a word, let us make it apparent, that we cordially embrace Christ, and espouse his

2. Hence, it is a dark symptom, when persons prefer the concerns of this life, to those of a future. Do not some persons, (if we may judge from appear-cause and interest by faithfully ances) consider that time to be and constantly serving him, and lost, which is not spent in an in suffering for him, if called to attention to worldly matters? it in divine Providence. And As though we were sent into for our animation and comfort the world, only to serve our bo- we may consider, that if we sufdies, and not God and our souls. fer, we shall reign with him. Let it be for a lamentation!Oh, tell it not in Gath! that there are so many, even professors of religion, whose seats are often empty in the house of God on the Lord's day, and other seasons of worship. Is this to hate this life in a scripture sense? Is it not rather an expression of hatred of eternal life?

A Letter to a Son at S

MY DEAR SON,
OU

know, that I believe in the Christian religion, and have carefully instructed you in its doctrines and duties. You have lately come to an age, to

A proper regard for heavenly and eternal things will abun-act for yourself; and in all dantly support us under the trials of this life, and carry us above the fears of death; it will enable us cheerfully to endure trials, which, in a short time, will issue in eternal life; and to pass through the dark valley which will introduce us to marvellous light, and unutterable and inconceivable joys.

Are these things so? Then let us not love the world and its enjoyments immoderately. Let us not so love our animal life, as to indulge our carnal appetites, and make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Let us, instead of looking at the things which are seen and temporal, look at those which are unseen and eternal. Let us prefer the favor of God and an interest in Christ, to our life in this world; remembering that it

earthly things, you are settled to my mind. Your character is untarnished, your circumstances easy, and your employment and connections respectable. Your moral character has been fair, and I hear with pleasure, that since you have settled at S, you are esteemed honest, humane, and serious; and that you regularly attend the public and private worship of God. I wish I had equal evidence, that you are acquainted with experimental religion, and live by faith on the Son of God. But alas! I fear it is otherwise. My concern for your welfare has not diminished since you left me, and I am persuaded, you will allow me to continue my affectionate admonitions.

I consider you as peculiarly exposed to fall into a dangerous

error.

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ter may become a temptation,
and lead you to neglect Christ,
and depend on yourself for eter-
nal life. I know very well, that
it will be hard, and contrary to
the pride of your heart, with
your applauded morals, to cast
yourself as a poor, vile, guilty,
hell-deserving wretch, upon the
mere mercy of God in Christ.
My fears for you are the greater,
because I hear, that there are
several respectable and influen-
tial men, in the town where you
live, of considerable abilities,
who avow, and warmly advocate
the sentiment, that If men are
upright in their dealings with all,
and regular and inoffensive in their
outward morality, they will in-
herit eternal life, and have no
reason to be anxious concerning
the events of another world.' My
affection has prompted me to
write this letter, with a design
to guard you against this dan
gerous error, by candid and
scriptural remarks.

Your inoffensive charac- | with an enquiry which respect-
ed his eternal welfare. Good
Master, what good thing shall
I do that I may inherit eternal
life?' Christ, in his answer, inti-
mated to him his error, by check-
ing him for calling any one good,
whom he did not acknowledge
to be God. He in effect told
him, that there was no mere
man on earth, that could be ac-
counted good, in the sight of the
divine law, so that on this ground,
they might be entitled to inherit
eternal life. Why callest thou
me good? there is none good
but one, that is God.' But as he
saw this did not satisfy him, that
he might offer him further con-
viction, he bade him, 'keep the
commandments;' and particular-
ly mentioned the commands of
the second table. The young
man, like his fathers, the Phari-
sees, considered these as only of
external obligation, and replied
with a modest simplicity, All
these have I kept from my youth

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What lack I yet? Is any thing further required, that I may inherit eternal life?' Thus it seems, he was fully in sentiment with some of your neighbors, and may be considered as one of the most amiable supporters of this opinion. But when you read what is further record

I hope it will have no weight with you, that this has been the avowed opinion of the heathen philosophers, and of the Pharisees among the Jews, as it has been also of infidels of the last and present age. I think that this consideration will incline you to be on your guard against[ed of him, I think his opinion it, and examine it well, and compare it with the scriptures, before you think of receiving or approving it. This false opinion was never expressed in a more engaging manner, than by a young ruler of the Jews, to our Saviour. By his address to Christ, he seems to have possessed amiable and obliging manners. He was serious and thoughtful, and applied to Christ on no earthly, or trivial subject, but

can have but little weight with you. But that which especially alarms my apprehensions for your safety, is this, the sentiment flatters the pride and independent spirit of the human heart, which you doubtless possess in common with the rest of mankind. I fear this pride will stand in the room of a thousand arguments, to persuade you that the sentiment is true. I will offer you a few considerations,

which, I hope, through grace, | forth Christ, as the only Saviour, will effectually guard you against

this error.

This doctrine proposes eternal life on terms very different from the gospel. The gospel doctrine of justification is not on the ground of a legal obedience, and external conformity to the law, nor yet are men to be justified, even on account of any real holiness, which they may have. But on the credit of the righteousness of Christ alone, who is the sinner's only way of access to God, to which righteousness he becomes entitled, not by his own works but by faith alone. But the other opinion places the hope of salvation in the sinner's unblemished morals.

and the end of the law for righteousness, to such as believe. Thus you see, that the opinion which they hold very much lessens the glory of Christ, as the Saviour of sinners, and our obligations to him and dependence on him for salvation. According to this, Christ is only a sharer with the sinner in the merit of his justification with God; or, at least, the sinner has by his own goodness made it very specially suitable, that Christ should entitle him to his merits.

This proud sentiment also debases the law of God, and the nature of holiness. It insinuates, that holiness consists principally, in a regular life, and an inoffensive conduct, and that God requires, and can with propriety require very little more than this of his creatures. This external morality many affect, who even deny the Christian religion. Is this, my son, the pure spirit of divine love, so feelingly described, and so illustriously exemplified, in the holy scriptures? Are holiness, and the law of God, after all that is said about them in the holy scriptures, reduced to this? If so, I confess I cannot see why the question of the young ruler was not quite perti

To this your neighbors will probably reply, We do not contend that external morality is the ground of justification, and we expect to be saved by Christ. We depend on him, for the pardon of our sins. But far be it from us, to think so unworthily of Christ, as to suppose that he will suffer any to perish, who are upright and useful in their lives, for want of an interest in his redemption.' But you will easily discover, that in such a reply, they manifestly show, that their dependence is fixed where the young ruler's was.nent What lack I yet?' The statement is only varied a little, to accommodate it to the Christian name. You will see that their dependence for being accepted by Christ, and justified through him, is on their own supposed goodness. At the best, they join their own goodness with the redemption of Christ, as the ground of acceptance and salvation: you will not find however, that the scriptures speak of any such union. They set | norance, bad education and com

In the same proportion as this sentiment debases holiness, and the law of God, it diminishes the idea of the extreme evil and vileness of sin. On this principle sin is less contrary to the law of God, which is a standard of holiness, than has been supposed, and arises not from enmiy against God, or aversion to, and rebellion against his government; but rather from ig

panions, and violent appetites, or some accidental cause; and is deserving of a much less punishment, than that which is threatened.

change of heart-a new creation

life from the dead-being brought out of darkness into marvellous light-and from being like unto their father the It also places sin and holiness devil, to become one with Christ. essentially in things, in which And must all this be construed the word of God does not princi- away, into a mere ceremonial pally place them. This princi- | regularity, which may arise only ple makes the essential things from circumstances, and acciof religion to consist in apparent dental causes? It cannot be honesty, humanity, and a fair reasonably believed. morality. But the scriptures place them in the heart; and they speak of these amiable morals, as being but the natural productions of an holy heart. God demands the heart. My son, give me thy heart.' And this is what the sinner must yield, or perish; for God seeth not as man seeth. Man judgeth according to appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart.

I hope that in writing to you, I need not enlarge much on this subject. You see that this opinion flatters human pride-offers eternal life on terms different from the gospel-robs Christ of the glory of being an whole Saviour-debases the law, and the nature of holiness-takes away the evil of sin-describes sin and holiness principally in things in which the scriptures do not This principle also denies the principally place them-denies scriptural doctrine of the entire the entire depravity of men— depravity of the sinner's heart. regeneration, and all the peculFor according to it, there can iar doctrines by which the gosscarce be found in a whole na-pel is distinguished from the tion, half a dozen abandoned philosophical opinions of such, wretches in an age, who, are as either deny revealed religion, more than half depraved. The or deprive it of all those docexternal conduct of almost all, is trines, which do not comport under such powerful restraints with their sinful desires. that they act decently, and appear but partially depraved, in the sense of this opinion; whereas you know, that the scriptures represent the carnal heart, as utterly corrupt,at enmity against God, not subject to his law-and so dead in trespasses and sins, that every imagination of it is only evil continually.

This erroneous opinion goes also to the denial of the necessity of regeneration, or represents it as a very different thing from the description given of it in the scriptures. These, represent regeneration as a real

You will easily discover, that however agreeable such opinions may be to your heart, you must give up the bible, before you can embrace them; for they are altogether irreconcilable withi each other. And however specious the arguments may appear, by which they may be urged upon you, (and much is said, and with much subtilty in their support) one answer will always be sufficient-They are offered in behalf of unscriptural opinions.

I cannot forbear suggesting my fears, that the flattering address of these sentiments, to the

natural pride and corruptions of your heart, and to the fair character which you sustain for external morality, will insensibly gain upon your reason and conscience, and that you will grad-ed into the heart. The one is ually become a kind of infidel in the means, the other the end. fact, while you retain the Chris- Can the end be answered withtian name. Let me intreat you out the means? Look at the to study the bible, and refuse to success of those philosophising listen to those, who would per- schemes of reformation which suade you to disbelieve its fun- inculcated the beauty and the damental truths, lest you bring excellency of virtue, but appliruin on yourself, and grieve ed no adequate motive to the Your affectionate father, mind. On the other hand, can July 1, 1805. L. the doctrines of Christianity be of any use, except as they conduce to their proper end? To allege this would be to degrade the gospel, since its superority above every other moral system arises from its more powerful effects in meliorating the character and conduct of those who embrace it. In perfect harmony with this view of the subject, we are told in scripture, that the Son of God gave himself for us for the express purpose of redeeming us from all iniquity, and purifying unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

in error. The grace of God supplies a most efficacious motive to holiness; and holiness is the inseparable result of the grace of God, when it is receiv

From the Christian Observer.

On the Connection between the
Grace of God and a Holy Life.

HERE is in many a strange desire of separating what God hath joined together-the grace of God and the righteousness of man. One set of persons exalt the grace of God, and speak in the loftiest terms of the gospel of Jesus Christ; but say little of the duties of man and the obedience which is required of him: as if the bare knowledge of the gospel scheme were to be substituted in the place of true holiness; or as if it were wholly unnecessary to enter into the detail of that obedience which man ought to perform. Others, equally unreasonable, insist exclusively upon the importance of moral practice, and view with jealousy every attempt to give prominence to the doctrines of grace; as if a blow were thereby aimed at morality, and as if the obligation to a righteous life were thereby undermined. Both are equally

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In order, therefore, to acquire a just view of the Christian dispensation, we must regard a right system of faith, and a righteous and holy life as indissolubly connected. We must consider it as a vain attempt effectually to reform our conduct, unless we embrace the holy principles which Christianity inspires. And on the other hand, we must deem it unnatural, and even impious, to hold the truth in unrighteousness; to exalt the doctrines of the gospel, and to neglect the practical effects which these doctrines were intended to produce. Few indeed avowedly separate the doctrines

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