as the promised Meffiah, whom the Father hath fent to guide you in such things as relate to your spiritual welfare.

Now to place this paffage as it were in oppofition to a plain declaration of our SAVIOUR's, delivered upon a different occafion, refpecting the final judg ment of the world, appears to be not fo much to explain scripture, as to confuse and mifrepresent it.

GOD requires, as an effential condition of falva. tion, that "we believe in him whom he hath fent." Our SAVIOUR declares, "that every man shall be as judged according to his works." These two paffages are certainly not at variance, and therefore ought not to be brought to oppofe each other. By the first we are informed, that we must believe in CHRIST to be faved. By the fecond we are given to understand,

that by the fruits of the spirit, manifested in an holy defens and religious life, man's everlasting condition will be determined.

The other paffage which Mr. WILBERFORCE has brought forward, with a view of destroying what he calls the flimsy webb, which he would give the world to understand, the clergy in general are employed in weaving, (but which does by no means contain a fair reprefentation of the manner in which

the Gospel is generally preached in the church) is taken from an epiftle of ST. JOHN, where the Apostle fays, "This is the commandment that we should believe in the name of his Son JESUS CHRIST."

By turning to the Bible you find that this quotation from the Apostle is a partial one, and contains only half the information which was designed to be conveyed on the occafion. The whole paffage runs thus: "This is his commandment, that we fhould believe in the name of his Son JESUS CHRIST, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." Here then we have two commandments delivered by the fame authority; one relative to faith in CHRIST, the other enjoining the love of our neighbour, which is elsewhere called the fulfilling of the law. Mr. WILBERFORCE, by his manner of quoting the Apoftle, gives his reader to understand, that to believe is the great New Teftament command of GOD. It is fo; but the fallacy lies here, that it is not the only commandment to which the Christian is required to pay attention. And if the Christian read the Gospel as Mr. WILBERFORCE quotes it upon this occafion, he will probably be a Christian by halves, instead of being that perfect character which the Apostle defigned he should be, by recommending a faith which

worketh by love. And that the first of these commandments refpecting faith in CHRIST does not neceffarily comprehend the last, refpecting man's fulfilment of the moral law, we may conclude, from the Apostle's thinking it neceffary to make a separate mention of them both.

Give me leave to ask, why should pains be taken by perfons having the honour of GOD and falvation of man at heart, (as you and Mr. WILBERFORCE certainly have) to mifrepresent the Gospel, by making it fpeak a language which it does not acknowledge? We should not be afraid of a doctrine that is in itself true, because it has been abused; but endeavour fo to fiate it, that it may not be liable to future abuse. The danger is not in the doctrine itself, but in the corruption of it. Let it be restored to its scripture ftandard, and it will be both wholesome and good. Instead, therefore, of keeping the doctrine of good works out of fight, left a dangerous conclufion fhould be drawn from it, as Mr. WILBERFORCE in this inftance appears to do; and instead of faying, as you do, that" obedience to the moral law has nothing to do with a finner's pardon and acceptance with GOD, let us fairly bring the doctrine forward; and, by placing works in their proper fcale, ftrip é

them of the poffibility of doing injury to the Chriftian cause, and render them inftrumental to its promotion; and this can effectually be done by giving our readers hade fully to understand what kind of dependence is to be placed on them.

By the grace of GoD,, under the new covenant, Christians (in the language of our church for the fifteenth Sunday after Trinity) pray "that they may be led to things profitable to their falvation." It ought, therefore, to be a primary object with every Christian, that the grace of God be not beftowed upon him in vain. Such is the manner in which the Gospel was preached by the Apostles: in the fame manner it was preached by our reformers; and in no other manner can it be preached, to become effectual to falvation." For the grace of GOD, that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying ungodlinefs and wordly lufts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world." On this condition, the Christian may with confidence look "for that bleffed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD, and our Saviour JESUS CHRIST; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all ini

quity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works."

On which account I conceive, that the preaching of the Christian ministry must be, in this fenfe, that mingle mangle of law and Gofpel, grace and works, of which the Apostles have given a striking specimen in their writings: and he who attempts to preach the law unconnected with the Gofpel, or the grace of the Gospel independent of obedience to the moral It then t law, does equal injuftice to the gracious and at the what? fame time righteous, plan, of falvation by JESUS CHRIST, and fruftrates the defign of it, by placing himself under a difpenfation effentially different from it. To understand properly the language of ST. PAUL and that of our reformers, two circumftances are neceffary to be taken into our account. PAUL, when writing against works, did not mean the good works of a Chriftian, living in a state of grace; but the works of the law, confidered by the A Judaifing believer, as jointly neceffary with the Gospel to justification; or, as they were considered by the unbelieving Jew, as fufficient alone to justification without the Gospel. Our reformers, when they laid the platform of our prefent church establishment, were principally folicitous to guard against the errors

ST.