their sorrow is excited: they attribute no merit to themselves; but, on the contrary, adore the restraining and the sanctifying hand that has made the difference-which has not permitted them to wallow in the mire of sin, nor to run into the same excess of riot. Sin is that which the new man created in Christ Jesus abhors. The followers of the despised Galilean are, like their divine Master, nevertheless, stigmatized as friendly to sin. But it is an indubitable fact, that he who is born from above, delights in the law of God after the inward man. The uniform language of the redeemed on earth is, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus carist, who hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we nould be holy and without blame before him in love.' 6 Should you ask, Are all who profess the name of Christ thus minded? there are who will tell you, even weeping'-that many, very many, are otherwise minded-that they mind earthly things-turn the grace of God into lasciviousness-trample on the blood of the cove nant-glory in their shame, and are altogether enemies to the cross of Christ. They name the name of Christ, but depart not from iniquity: they cause the doctrine of God to be blasphemed, and his ways to be evil spoken of; so that those that are without, become presumptuous, and are not afraid to speak evil of the things which they understand not. But, notwithstanding this repugnancy of principle to practice, surely it will be acknowledged that the abuse of a doctrine is no proof of its being false. What truth of revelation, what precept in morals, what art, what science has not been perverted by either the ignorance or the obstinacy of some of its advocates? There have always been' vain talkers and deceive.. who have professed to know God, but have in works denied him;' but, was it ever concluded from the inconsistency of such characters, that atheism was rational! The doctrine of salvation by grace has generally been treated with contempt by men of the world; and has, indeed, sometimes been abused by those from whom better things might have been expected. But the notoriously wicked, who seem as if studious to evince their having no desire of maintaining good works, are frequently the most clamorous against it. If we are not to be saved by works, we may, it is said, live as we list we may sin that grace may abound. 'Adieu! Vinosa cries, ere yet he sips The purple bumper trembling at his lips; Make works a vain ingredient in the case." But the conclusion is false: it is a vile slander on the conduct and character of God. As if he, in whose sight the heavens are not pure, should redeem the vessels of his mercy from all iniquity, in order that they might continue to commit it; or were to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, with a view to their wallowing at pleasure in defilement! Loudly have opponents exclaimed, that the doctrines of grace enervate the obligatio ns of morality, by rejecting the claims of human merit, by exhibiting a full and perfect atonement for all crimes, and by denying that good works are essential to salvation. But though a christian will not admit that man can merit any thing from his Creator, he is far from denying that there are different degrees of worth and excellence in human characters. Nor does the righteousness of a Saviour imply any dispensation from the eternal and immutable obligations to virtue, but rather enhances their force, by shewing the dreadful effects of their violation, and by rendering the infinite love and grace of their divine Author more conspicuous.' It may be said, without being chargeble with bigotry or presumption, that he who shall venture to abuse the mercy of God, because it is great; or the grace of God, because it is free, never felt his utter unworthiness of either; has never tasted that the Lord is gracious he is in a state of spiritual death; the guilt of sin is upon him; and he may rest assured, that unless he so feel its pressure as to groan for deliverance-as to hate the sin, aş well as the punishment connected with it; except he experience a sincere love of holiness, and of entire conformity to the moral image of Christ, he has no ground to hope that he shall ever awake with his likeness. When we seriously reflect on the present state of man as a moral agent, and as accountable for his conduct to God, the governour of the world, it is, in one view, astonishing that an individual should be found unfriendly to the doctrine of salvation by grace. But, alas! so blind and prejudiced by nature is the human mind, that this way of escape from deserved ruin, though exactly suited to his wretched condition, and the only means of deliverance, is nevertheless rejected and despised. Christ becomes a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; and the presumptuous sinner, going about to establish a righteousness of his own, will not submit to be justified by that righteousness which divine mercy hath graciously provided. To search into the cause of this melancholy fact, we must advert to the primeval state of our first progenitors: but I have already |