cepted, or is worthy of being fo; that nothing will be truly effectual, till they fee their loft con→ dition, and believe in Chrift, firft for pardon, and then for fanctification, " to the praife of the "glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us

accepted in the beloved *." If they have any other plea, any other ground of hope and truft, it fhall undoubtedly fail them; they must remain. under a sentence of just and legal condemnation, and fhall finally perifh; for " he that believeth "in the Son hath everlasting life; but he that "believeth not the Son fhall not fee life, but the "wrath of God abideth on him, John iii. 36 +.” I am

* Eph. i, 6.

†The application of these paffages of Scripture, to the particular principles above maintained, will, perhaps, be thought to include in it a very fevere and uncharitable condemnation of many Chriftians, who differ in judgment upon the point of juftification. And indeed I pretend no great friendship to the fentiments fo frequently expreffed of late, That it is a fmall mat"ter what a man believes, if his life be good." The affertion might perhaps be allowed, if it did not contain a foolish and unreafonable fuppofition, that a man may believe wrong, and yet lead as good a life as he that believes right; the contrary to which will always be expected by him who gives credit to the word of God, that his people are "fanctified through the truth,' As to Socinians and Pelagians, who are the greateft oppofers of the truths above defended, I never did efteem them to be Chrif tians at all; fo the confequence, with regard to them, may be Leafily admitted. But it will be thought hard to fay the fame thing of the Arminians. However, if the righteousness of Chrift is the only ground of our juftification, and the reception of him in this character the true principle of fanctification, I do not fee how we can avoid concluding the danger of those who act upon any other plan. And yet I am perfuaded there have been, and are many good men among them: which may be accounted for in this manner, that their hearts are better than their underftandings

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I am naturally led to conclude this subject, by obferving, that the importance, efficacy and neceffity of the imputed righteousness of Chrift, fhews how much it is the duty of all minifters of the gospel, to make it the main and leading theme of their fermons. The preaching of the gospel is by the apostle Paul, in a very just and expreffive manner, ftiled, preaching the unfearchable riches of Chrift." In him every prophecy, precept, promife and truth is centered. His character and work as a Saviour is held forth in a variety of lights in the facred oracles, and in every opening or view that is given us, so to fpeak, of the dispensations of divine providence and grace, he is the chief figure, or the termination of the profpect. If therefore we would know what esteem is due to our Redeemer in our hearts, and how high a place he ought to hold in

ftandings; and they are habitually under the government of principles, which, through some mistaken views, and groundless fears of their abufe, they speak of more fparingly, or rather feem to establish the contrary pofitions. The proof of this affertion I take from their own writings, particularly from the difference between their fermons and other difcourfes, and those forms of prayer which they have drawn up, and not only recommended to others, but left behind them as a witnefs of their own exercife in their clofets. If they be fuppofed to feel the fenti. ments which they exprefs in their prayers, it can easily be made appear that these fentiments can only be dictated by the doctrine of free grace. If what they fay of themselves be true in its natural and obvious meaning, and if they believe it, which charity obliges us to fuppofe, it must be altogether vain to lay the least stress upon their own righteousnefs for their acceptance with God,

Our

our views of religion, let us obferve the regard : paid to him by the facred writers. They derive almost all their motives to every moral duty, from what he hath done, and is ftill doing for us, and feem to delight even in the repetition of his name. I am perfuaded those who are accuftomed to the devout and serious perufal of the word of God, will not reckon it "enthusiasm," when I fay, that these writers appear to be warmed and elevated above their ordinary measure, when they celebrate his falvation; and that both in the old and new teftament, wherever we meet with any paffage fingularly lofty and fublime, there we may be fure that Chrift the Redeemer is the immediate theme.

Juftification by the free grace of God, thro' the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus, was the doctrine taught among Chriftians, in the earliest and pureft ages of the church. And their departure from it was the prelude to that univerfal cor. ruption of faith and worship, that relaxation of difcipline, and diffolution of manners, which took place in the ages following. It is alfo very remarkable, that this doctrine was always fully and distinctly taught in those churches which ne ver fubmitted to the tyranny, or received the corruptions of the Romish Antichrift; I mean the chches of the Piedmontefe vallies, which by fo many judicious writers, are fuppofed to be the two witneffes

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witneffes mentioned in the Revelation, who fled into the wilderness from the perfecution of the beaft, and phrophefied in fackcloth. The accounts which have been tranfmitted to us of the principles held by them, long before the refor mation, plainly fhow, that they maintained this doctrine from the beginning. And as it is well known that the reformation took its firft rife from the grofs and fcandalous application of the doctrine of merit in indulgencies, fo all the reformers, without exception, were ftrenuous affertors of free grace. This was reckoned by them "articulus "ftantis aut cadentis ecclefiæ," by which the church muft ftand or fall. Particularly, our reformers in both parts of this ifland agreed in preaching the fame doctrine, and the eminent piety of our fathers is a standing evidence of its force and efficacy.

It doth not perhaps become, and probably it would not be fafe for me to enter into a particu. lar examination of the manner of preaching in the prefent age; and therefore my reflections upon that fubject fhall be very few and general. What is most obvious in our prefent fituation, and what ought to affect Chriftians with most concern, is, the great prevalence of infidelity. This is the more surprising, that we have never wanted, and do not at prefent want, many able and eminent writers to ftand up in defence of the goffel,

gofpel, and refute the changeable and inconfiftere reasonings of infidels, whatever form they fhall from time to time, think fit to affume, and on whatever principles they fhall pretend to build. But, I am afraid, the best defence of all is but too much neglected, viz. Zealous affiduous preaching the great and fundamental truths of the gofpel, the loft condemned state of man by nature, and the neceffity of pardon through the righteoufnefs, and renovation by the Spirit, of Chrift. This would make a far greater number of those who call themselves by the name of Chrift, Chriftians indeed. And the visible efficacy of his doctrine, would be a fenfible demonftration of its truth and divine original. If these truths are not contradicted, it may be safely faid, that they are by many kept more out of view than formerly. And furely we have no great caufe to boast of our im provements in the preaching art, if its goodness is to be determined, like that of a tree, not by its bloffoms, but its fruits.

There is one obfervation which may fatisfy us, that the preaching of the crofs of Chrift will most effectually promote real reformation.. It is, that thofe preachers who (to fay no more) approach nearest to making our own merit and obedience the ground of our acceptance with God, very feldom, if ever, give any alarm to the confciences of their hearers. Let them recommend ever fo