in Christ Jesus."

Rom. iii. 23. Peace is "But now, in

the fruit of his death.

Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Ephes. ii. 13, 14. Adoption is the fruit of his death. "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Gal. iv. 4, 5. Sanctification is the fruit of his death. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of

word." Ephes. v. 25, 26.

water, by the

The heavenly "And

inheritance is a fruit of his death.

for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal

inheritance." Heb. ix. 15. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."

From these texts of holy scripture, it appears undeniable, that all the blessings of salvation come to us as fruits of the Redeemer's death; and as his death was the price which he paid for them, it must conclusively follow, that they were all purchased for believers by his death.

2. But the inspired writers, while they teach this truth so fully, teach with equal plainness and fulness, that all the blessings of salvation are the fruits of free and sovereign grace. In the present discussion it is unnecessary to go into any laboured proof of this point; because it is freely and cordially admitted by our brethren, from whom we differ in our views of the atonement. Were proof required, it might, by an induction of particulars, be shown that each benefit of salvation is attributed to the free and abounding grace of God. "By. grace are ye saved, through faith; and that

not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Ephes. ii. S. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he sayed us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Tit. iii. 5-7.

Now, as the scriptures teach us that we are saved by the death of Christ, or that all the blessings of salvation were purchased by his blood; and teach us also that we are saved by free grace, or that all the blessings of salvation flow from unmerited mercy; if there be any difficulty in reconciling these two doctrines so fully and distinctly taught in the Scriptures, the difficulty manifestly grows out of the revelation of an omniscient God. It is our duty in humble submission to his infallible teaching, to receive both truths, how irreconcilable soever they may appear to our feeble understandings. A little more light, and difficulties

of this kind would vanish. What mysterious doctrine of the Bible would be received by us, if it were not received till all difficulties attached to it were removed? Who can fully explain the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son of God, the doctrine of divine influence? Yet every Christian believes them.

But the Scriptures contemplate no difficulty in regard to these two important truths; they consider them as perfectly consistent and harmonious: for they exhibit them in close connexion in the same verses; as will appear from a reference to the texts just quoted. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Here the blood of Christ is represented as the price of our redemption; and yet forgiveness is represented as flowing from the riches of divine grace. Again: "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Here justification is attributed to the free grace of God; and at the same

time it is attributed to the redemption of Christ, or to his blood, which is the price of our redemption. Again: "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life." What is the meaning of this passage? Plainly this: As sin, the procuring cause of every evil, reigns in all the calamities brought on our guilty world, and extends its destructive ravages unto death; so grace, the original spring of our salvation, reigns, through the righteousness of Christ, the procuring cause of every blessing, from the beginning to the consummation of salvation.

We cannot, my dear brother, but feel surprised that any should apprehend an inconsistency between the two propositionsthat the righteousness of Christ is the procuring cause, and divine grace the original spring, of our salvation.

The scriptures, you know, set our works and the grace of God in opposition; and represent salvation by works, and salvation by grace as being wholly incompatible. "And if by grace, then is it no more of