out it, they may wrangle for ages, and never come to a determination.

Asp. Justification is an act of God Almighty's grace; whereby he acquits his people from guilt, and accounts them righteous, * for the sake of Christ's righteousness, which was wrought out for them, and is imputed to them.

Ther. Two of your terms want some further explication. What do you understand by Christ's righteousness? And what is the meaning of imputed?

Asp. By Christ's righteousness, I understand the whole of his active and passive obedience; springing from the perfect holiness of his heart, continued through the whole progress of his life, and extending to the very last pang of his death.-By the word imputed I would signify, that this righteousness, though performed by our Lord, is placed to our account; is reckoned or adjudged by God as our own. Insomuch, that we may plead it, and rely on it, for the pardon of our sins, for adoption into his family, and for the enjoyment of life eternal.-Shall I illustrate my meaning by a well-attested fact?

Ther. Nothing gives us so easy a conception of any difficult point, as this method of explaining by parallel facts, or proper similitudes.

Asp. I do not say the case is parallel. I only produce it, to aid our conceptions.-Onesimus, you know, was Philemon's slave.+ He had perfidiously deserted his master's service, and still more perfidiously stole his goods. The fugitive, in his guilty rambles, providentially meets with St Paul. He is charmed and captivated with that gracious gospel, which proclaims mercy even for the vilest of sinners. He becomes a thorough convert to the religion of Jesus, and is received into the spiritual patronage of

* Should any reader object to the definition, apprehending, that justification implies no more than the pardon of sins, I would desire him to suspend his judgment till he has perused Dialogue X. where this point is more circumstantially considered.

+ See the Epistle to Philemon.

the apostle; who, learning his dishonest conduct and obnoxious state, undertakes to bring about a reconciliation with his offended master; dispatches him, for this purpose, with a letter to Philemon; and, amongst other persuasives, writes thus in the poor criminal's behalf: "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account: I Paul have written it with mine own hand; I will repay it." That which the zealous preacher of Christianity offered, the adored Author of Christianity executed.We had revolted from the Lord of all lords, and broke his holy commandments. The Son of God, infinitely compassionate, vouchsafes to become our Mediator. That nothing might be wanting to render his mediation successful, he places himself in our stead. The punishment which we deserved, he endures: The obedience which we owed, he fulfils. -Both which, being imputed to us, and accepted for us, are the foundation of our pardon, are the procuring cause of our justification.

Ther. Is this the exact signification of the original word, which we translate imputed?

Asp. In the book of Numbers we meet with this phrase; and in such a connexion, as clears up its meaning. Jehovah enacts a decree concerning the Levites, who had no vintages to gather, nor any harvests to reap. He directs them to present the tenth part of their tithes, in the form of a heave-offering; adding, "and this your heave-offering" shall be reckoned* unto you, "as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the winepress;" as satisfactory to me, and as beneficial to you, as if it was the tenth of your own labours, and the tithe of your own increase. So the expiatory

* Num. xviii. 27. 2w exactly answers to St Paul's λoyoon, Rom. iv. 9.-The same phrase is used, and the same doctrine taught, Lev. xvii. 3, 4. Thus also saith the eternal Judge concerning the believers in Christ: "The righteousness of my Son is imputed to them: they are, in the eye of my justice, righteous; they shall be dealt with as righteous persons; and made partakers of the kingdom of heaven."

sufferings which Christ endured, the complete obedience which he performed, are reckoned to true believers; and are altogether as effectual for obtaining their salvation, as if they were their own personal qualifications.

Ther. The imputation mentioned in your passage, is the imputation of something done by the Levites themselves, not of something done by another. This, I apprehend, is the true import of the word, when it occurs affirmatively in Scripture.

Asp. This is always the import,-should have been said, in order to make the objection forcible. But you could not so soon forget the instance just now alleged. St Paul, speaking of the crimes which Onesimus had committed, and of the injuries which Philemon had sustained, says, "Charge them all on me; I will be responsible for the one and for the other, as much as if the whole guilt had been of my own contracting."-Here is supposed, not the imputation of something done by the apostle himself, but of another's criminal behaviour.

Under the law, Aaron is commanded to "put the iniquities of Israel upon the scape-goat," Lev. xv. 21. The same sentiment is reinculcated, when the goat is said to "bear the iniquities of the people," Lev. xvi. 22. This was plainly an imputation, yet could not possibly be the imputation of any thing done by the devoted animal. The effects which took place upon the execution of this ordinance, indicate a translation of guilt: For the congregation was cleansed, but the goat polluted. The congregation so cleansed, that their iniquities were conveyed away, and to be found no more; the goat so polluted, that it communicated defilement to the person who conducted it into the land not inhabited. All this was God's own appointment, and designed, like the whole system of Mosaic ceremonies, to instruct his church in the knowledge of the great Mediator; in whose person and office that was done really, which elsewhere could be accomplished no otherwise than typically.

Ther. If this is your meaning, Aspasio, I am apt to think it will be a difficult matter to make me a proselyte. I must be content to pass for one of the stiff-necked generation, since I can see neither wisdom nor equity in ascribing to a person what he has not, or imputing to him what he does not.

Asp. It was not Aspasio, but his friend, who set out with a view of making proselytes. If I can main- . tain my ground, and vindicate my own belief, it will be no inconsiderable acquisition. However, I shall not despair of seeing the partner of my heart become a sharer of my faith. When we are convinced of our numberless sins, when we feel the depravity of our nature, and begin to discern the inconceivable sanctity of our Judge; then, perhaps, this exploded article may be found worthy of acceptance, its constitution admired as the wisdom of God, and its privilege coveted as the consolation of our souls.

Ther. I shall wave, at present, an examination of each particular, and only make some remote observations, which seem, nevertheless, pretty nearly to affect your scheme. scheme. Some persons, I dare be positive, have not so much as heard of your terms; many persons have no manner of acquaintance with your doctrine: Will you strike off all these from the list of Christians? will you condemn all these as desperate infidels?

Asp. Not heard of them! in a Protestant nation! where the gospel is publicly preached, and the Bible in every one's hand! This, if true, is much to be lamented.

In answer to your question :-It is not my custom, much less is it my prerogative, to condemn others. Has God committed all judgment unto me, that I should presume to anticipate the decisive sentence, or launch the thunderbolts of eternal vengeance? Neither do I affirm the condition of such persons to be desperate. There may be those who have no explicit knowledge of the doctrine, who are even prejudiced against the expressions, yet live under

the belief of the truth, and in the exercise of the duty. "They are never diverted, by the splendour of any thing that is great, or by the conceit of any thing that is good in them, from looking upon themselves as sinful dust and ashes." Their whole dependence is upon that just One, who expired on the cross, and whom the heavens have received. They seek the sanctifying Spirit, in consequence of their Saviour's death, and givé all diligence to "add to their faith virtue," 2 Pet. i. 5.

Ther. If people may be safe, and their eternal interests secure, without any knowledge of these particularities, why should you offer to puzzle their heads about a few unnecessary scholastic terms?

Asp. Scriptural terms, you should have said, Theron However, we are not very solicitous as to the credit, or the use, of any particular set of phrases. Only let men be humbled, as repenting criminals, at the Redeemer's feet; let them rely, as devoted pensioners, on his precious merits; and they are undoubtedly in the way to a blissful immortality. Yet will their way be less clear, and their steps more embarrassed, by not distinctly understanding the benign genius of the gospel. A proper information in this important point would shed light upon their paths, and encourage them in their journey; would further their progress in vital holiness, and increase their joy in the Lord.

Ther. The followers of your opinion, I have observed, are perpetually dwelling upon this one favourite topic, to the exclusion of that grand and truly essential part of Christianity-sanctification.

Asp. If you have ever taken notice of such a conduct, you are unquestionably right in withholding your approbation. It is a manifest incongruity, and deserves your censure. But, assure yourself, it proceeds from a misapprehension in the persons, and has no connexion with the nature of the doctrine.

I am far, very far, from reducing the various parts of Christianity (which when connected make up so