ing the difference between that complete enmity in which they once lived towards God, and the dawnings of friendship towards him, they are led to conceive great things in regard to perfect filial obedience, feeling that they are growing fast to the stature of the measure of the fulness of Christ, they think they must always continue thus to grow and thrive. Do they fancy that if they could obtain perfection they could merit pardon? Alas! how contrary to the word and wisdom of God. Like children they advance rapidly in growth, but like them, the nearer they grow to man, the slower the progress towards perfection. And even supposing perfection attainable though it might even merit pardon for the future, or the time in which we continue therein, what must become of the past? What must merit for past transgressions. A perfect obedience can merit for the moments of perfection alone. Hence regenerate man, must be brought sooner or later to see that nothing he can do, can merit pardon for past, present, or future transgressions. That it is by grace alone he can be saved: through the merits and righteousness of Christ Jesus our Lord.

4th. Because the law requires satisfaction for every thing done short of perfect obedience.

Here we revert again to Adam's fall. For what did the perfect law of God take hold upon him? For what did it condemn him to death, temporal, spiritual and eternal? Was it for a series of trans

gressions? Was it for a complication of crimes? Was it for a re-iteration of crimes committed against numerous reproofs, warnings and exhortations? No. One solitary crime (which included and was the fruitful parent of many others) is alledged in scripture, is charged home upon him; is considered as a breach of the whole law, (which method of divine dealings, is also perpetuated under the gospel dispensation, see James ii. 10.) and for this he must die. This single instance (if it had been the only one ever known or committed in the world, seeing that by it Adam fell short of perfect obedience), required satisfaction to be made to the hands of divine justice, and involved Adam and all his posterity in the eternal punishment due to his offence. Involved Adam, both as the immediate agent of the crime, and also as the federal head of all that were to spring from his loins, i. e. all mankind; and involved also all his posterity, as being themselves wrapt up in the covenant with their federal head. Now we hear of the unregenerate denying daily the covenant relation by which they are united to Adam; leaving in the lurch as it were their first parent, who sinned himself under the power of temptation, acting on a then innocent yet peccable heart. But oh! of what a blessing do they by such a conduct judge themselves unworthy, for if they fall not in Adam, how can they be raised up in Christ? If they perish not in one federal head, how can they be saved in another, even in the angel of

the covenant, who came to seek and to save them that are lost? But this I have observed before.

5th. Because the law unrelentingly pursues them till the last farthing is paid.

Man could not pay. An imperfect fallen creature, could not make up a perfect obedience: which perfection must be marred, at the moment of committing sin. Hence the awful sentence, "Dust "thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return," Gen. iii. 19. Further, observe the spiritual intent of our Lord's parable; "Therefore is the kingdom

of Heaven likened unto a certain king, which “would take account of his servants. And when " he had began to reckon, one was brought unto "him, which owed him ten thousand talents. "But for as much as he had not to pay, his Lord "commanded him to be sold, and his wife and "children, and all that he had, and payment to "be made," Matt. xviii. 25. The sequel informs us that his Lord in great compassion freely forgave him all but in consequence of a want of like forgiveness in the servant towards his fellow-servant, his Lord justly renewed the claim; in consequence, "his Lord was wrath, and delivered him to the "tormentors, till he should pay all that was due "to him."

Now in these things, must every regenerate man feel how the wrath of God and his justice are against him by their eyes being enlightened, they feel it in more force than the unregenerate do, so

that it forces them to cry out, "O wretched man "that I am, who shall deliver me from the body

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of this death?" Rom. vii. 24. Yet they cannot argue against the divine dignity and purity thereof. 1st. Because Christ died to give life to his chosen people.

"He that entereth in by the door is the shep"herd of the sheep." Christ entered into this world through the door of human nature, and thus proved himself a divine shepherd. Further, Christ says, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd Igiveth his life for the sheep. I lay down my life for the sheep." John x. 2. 11 and 15. Now in the Word of God, the world is divided into sheep and goats: one of which, namely, the sheep, will have the privilege of sitting at God's right hand, or partaking of those spiritual blessings which he hath in store: the other, namely, the goats, will sit at his left hand, or be debarred the enjoyment of those spiritual blessings which the righteous enjoy; from this may be supported and argued, what no human reasoning can deny, that Christ laid down his life, only for his sheep, the elect, the chosen and this then may comfort the regenerate under the curses of the law, which whilst they were in a natural state condemned them to eternal death, and may give them the blessed certainty they shall never experience it, seeing Christ hath satisfied for them, when he laid down his life for his sheep.

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2d. Because his perfect obedience is offered instead of theirs, both in quantity and merit. "Above "when he said, Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt"offerings, and offering for sin, thou wouldst not. "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will O "God," Heb. x. 8, 9. In speaking of quantity of Christ's perfect obedience, we mean not to suggest any idea of a gross sum, limited as to degree, but to suggest that the whole of Christ's meritorious and perfect obedience is offered unto God the Father as a satisfaction for all his chosen people, for that breach of God's law which they have made, imputedly through Adam their federal head, and actually through their own transgressions. In regard to merit, what more comforting to believers, than amongst all their views of their own wretchedness and imperfection, to look to that perfect lamb, which God hath himself provided to be the atonement for, and ransom of his people.

3d. Because he hath actually satisfied for the imperfect obedience as well as the sins of his people. Let it not be supposed that our imperfect obedience merits part, and leaves the perfect obedience of Christ to merit the rest. This would indeed be to mix human things with divine: to daub with untempered mortar as the scripture expresses it, to the dishonor of Christ and the confusion of our own souls. Nor can any thing imperfect, satisfy and merit for a perfect obedience, for nothing

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