LETTER III.

Divine Grace in the Recovery of fallen Man.

MY DEAR BROther,

In my last letter it was, I hope, fairly proved, that the doctrine of the new school has no advantage over that of the old, in respect a general and free preaching of the gospel, and an unfettered and unreserved offer of salvation to all men. We can invite all to come to Christ, as sincerely as any of our brethren. We can offer salvation to all, as freely as they; and hold out as many inducements and encouragements to incline the perishing to come to the munificent feast which grace has prepared. We can exhibit the promises in all their fulness and riches, as well as they; and thunder out the denunciations of a righteous God, against all who disbelieve the gospel and reject the Saviour.

III. But the advocates of indefinite atonement claim that their views correspond best with THE FREENESS AND SOVEREIGNTY OF DIVINE GRACE, displayed in the recovery of fallen man.

They contend that to represent the death of Christ as a real and complete satisfaction to divine justice for the sins of his people, is to set aside the grace of God in their salvation. If, say they, salvation was really purchased for them by the Redeemer's sacrifice, then salvation must be granted to them as a matter of debt, and not as a free and gratuitous gift; and besides, as the price has been paid and accepted, justice requires that all for whom it was paid, should be immediately justified and released from captivity.

In reply to the latter part of this statement, I shall here observe briefly, that the scheme sketched by the wisdom of our op-' ponents, is not the plan devised by infinite wisdom. That sinners should be justified before they were born, and be released from condemnation as soon as they came

into the world, was no part of Jehovah's plan. It was the pleasure both of the Father who gave them to his Son to be redeemed, and of his Son who bought them with his blood, that they should remain under the curse of the law, until they should believe on the Redeemer. Then, and not till then, are they, or can they be, justified, This was the plan of infinite wisdom; and so it is drawn by the pen of inspiration. Christ paid the price of our redemption, that the benefits of it might be applied to his people in the way and time determined on by divine sovereignty: and surely he had a right to arrange the economy of salvation, as was most pleasing to himself.

In regard to the former part of the statement, examination will show, that the objection, if it have any force, will apply to the doctrine of the new, as well as to that of the old school. Man was fallen; and God, in infinite mercy, determined to save him. But a mighty way of his salvatio::. or man must perish.

obstacle was in the It must be removed, None in heaven or on

earth, among all the creatures of God, is able to remove it. The Son of God alone is equal to the stupendous undertaking; and even he can accomplish it in no other way than by humiliation the most profound, and sufferings the most overwhelming. His obedience unto death is required, to make it consistent for a righteous God to exercise his mercy in saving sinful men. Now, it cannot be denied that the inspired writers speak of the Saviour's death as an invaluable price, by which his people were purchased. "For," says Paul, "ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor. vi. 20. By the same motive does Peter enforce a holy and heavenly conversation: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. i. 18, 19.

By his death we say that Christ satisfied ́

divine justice for all true believers: and our brethren say, by his death Christ made an exhibition of divine justice, and satisfied public justice, so that God can now save all who believe. But if we view his death in either light, it will appear that it was the procuring cause of our salvation; and that without the intervention of his fearful sufferings, none of our guilty race could have been saved. The death of Christ our brethren represent as being a substitute for our sufferings, and some, if not all, will allow it to have been an equivalent for them. If then the justice of God, (call it what you will, public or distributive,) required the amazing sufferings of his own Son for the salvation of sinners, and he, by them, actually satisfied the demands of justice; where, to adopt their own language, we ask, is the free and sovereign grace-of God in a salvation thus dearly bought? The objection then applies to the doctrine of the new school, as well as to that of the old.

When it is affirmed that sinners are saved