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did not exempt Him from the Charge of Pride, nor fecure Him from the Sin of Boafting. Befides; if good Works are wrought by the Operation of the divine SPIRIT, they draw a Bill upon our Gratitude, not upon the Bank of Heaven. They render Us the obliged, not the deferving Party. To think or teach otherwife, is errant Popery *, however it may lurk under a Veil of Proteftantifm.

What You fay, brings to my Mind a memorable Story.- Two Perfons were traveling

--

through the Defarts of Arabia. ried a Mufket; the Other was

The one car

armed with a

and advances

Sword. A Lion efpies them, fiercely towards them. The foremost difcharges his Piece, and wounds the favage Creature. The Wound, neither killing, nor difabling, only enrages the Monster. He feizes the unfortunate Markfman, and is upon the Point to tear Him Limb from Limb. His Companion flies to his Succour; fnatches up the Carbine, that dropt from the other's Hand; and fells the ravenous Beast to the Ground. Then, drawing his Sword, ftabs him to the Heart, and rescues his Friend.—

How,

* Good Works, fays a Champion for the Church of Rome, are Mercatura Regni cœleftis, the Price We pay, or the Commodity We barter, for the Kingdom of Heaven.-Another Zealot of that Communion declares; Coelum gratis non accipiam, It fhall never be faid, that I receive Heaven merely as a Matter of Alms.-So fpeaks He! But, bleffed be GOD, We have not fo learned CHRIST.

How, do You think, this Friend repays his Deliverer, when they both return to their native Country?-Truly, He demands Satisfaction for the Lofs of his Weapon, which happened to be broke in the Encounter. He commences a Law-fuit against that generous Affociate, who had put his Life in his Hand, and faved the Profecutor from the very Jaws of Deftruction.

Do You commend the Equity of such a Procedure?It is only a Shadow, the most faint Shadow of our exceffive Unreasonablenefs, if We prefume to write ourselves Creditors, and the DIVINE BEING Debtor; becaufe, He has delivered us from the Bondage of Corruption, and enabled Us to perform the Duties of Godliness.

Theron paufed; as fomewhat ftruck by the Reprefentation. After a fhort Interval, Afpafio refumed the Discourse.

Believe me, my dear Friend, Salvation, both in the Root and all its Branches, is intirely of Grace. Or elfe believe me, for the many cogent Teftimonies of Scripture; which most circumstantially afcertain this great Truth. Election is of Grace: Having predeftinated Us unto the Adoption of Children, not on Account of human Worthinefs, but according to the good Pleafure of his Will*.-Equally gratuitous

* Eph. i. 5.

is

is our effectual Vocation: GOD hath called Us with an holy Calling, not according to our Works, but according to his Purpose and Grace *.-Faith is owing to the fame Cause: By Grace Ye are faved through Faith From hence springs Juftification: Being justified freely by his Grace ‡.

This is the Origin of Regeneration Of his own Will begat He Us by the Word of Truth ||The Confummation of Blifs flows from the fame all-fupplying Source: The Gift of GOD is eternal Life §: It is, in every Respect, a Gift; not only without, but contrary to, all Defert of ours. So that the Foundation is laid in the Riches of Grace: the Superstructure is reared by the Hand of Grace: and when the Top-ftone is brought forth, when our Felicity is completed in the Kingdom of Heaven, the everlasting Acclamation will be, Grace, Grace unto it!

*

2 Tim. i. 9.

+ Eph. ii. 8.

This

↑ Rom. iii. 24. AwṚear in aUTY Xaciti. One of thefe Expreffions, might have ferved, to convey the Apoftle's Meaning. But, He doubles his Affertion; in order to give Us the fulleft Conviction of the Truth, and to imprefs Us with a Senfe of its PECULIAR IMPORTANCE: FREELY, BY HIS GRACE. Is it poffible to find out a Form of Words, that fhould more abfolutely exclude all Confideration of our own Works and Obedience? Or that fhould more emphatically afcribe the Whole of our Juftification to free, uninfluenced, fovereign Goodness?

Jam. i. 18.

§ Rom. vi. 23. Xagioua. Which is a more expreffive Word than dupnya, and conveys the Idea of freeft Favour. ** Zech. iv. 7.

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This is that glorious Gofpel, which human Learning could never have difcovered; which carnal Reason cannot understand; which the Wisdom of this World accounteth Foolishness; which the Envy of the Devil, and the Pride of Man, will always oppose.

Ther. What fay You to the Opinion, which Ouranius so strenuously maintains? That We are juftified, not by the Merits of CHRIST imputed to Us, but by CHRIST himself formed in our Hearts. And Ouranius is none of your proud or carnal People. His Writings are remarkable for their strict Piety, and his Life is as exemplary as his Principles.

Afp. You know, Theron, I have nothing to do with the Perfons of Men, but with the Truths of the Gofpel. Ouranius, though eminently devout, may be mistaken. And, if this is his Way of Thinking, He quite misapprehends the Doctrine of Grace,

What is written in the Oracles of Scripture? The LORD juftifieth the Ungodly *. What is included in the Tenet of Ouranius? He juftifieth the Holy, the Heavenly, the Chrift-like.A Man is juftified without Works †, fays the Secretary of Heaven. He is justified by Works, fays the Pen of Ouranius: only let them be Works of a fuperior Order; fuch as are internal, fpiritual, and wrought by the Opera

tion."

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tion of CHRIST on the Soul.-According to this Notion, every One is juftified by his own Love, his own Purity, his own Zeal. Whereas, an unerring Writer has moft folemnly declared, That by ONE Man's Obedience Many, many Myriads of Sinners, even all the redeemed World, shall be made righteous *.

This Notion, I think, is Legalifm in its greatest Subtilty, or higheft Refinement. It difannuls the Merit of CHRIST; it vacates all Imputation; and makes our Salvation to confift wholly in the Work of Sanctification. Against which, if You remember, I entered my Proteft, in one of our firft + Conferences. And now let me add a Confeffion of my FaithFaith"I am justified; my Soul is accepted; not be"caufe CHRIST has put his Laws in my "Mind, but shed his Blood for my Sins: not "because I myself am enabled to walk in all godly Converfation, but because the LORD JESUS has fulfilled all Rightcoufinefs as my "Surety."

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Ther. I am for neither of the Extremes. The middle Way is most eligible. This is what found Sense approves, and the facred System authorizes. Whofo believeth on me, fays our LORD, shall not perish, but shall have everlafting Life. Blessed, adds the beloved Difciple,

*Rom. v. 19. ‡ John iii. 15.

+ See Dialogue II. pag. 68.

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