eternal Destruction. But now I fee my Guilt; I apprehend my Danger; and feel my helplefs Condition. Indeed, my Afpafio, I am now convinced, that the darkest Colours cannot be too dark, for the Pourtrait of my fpiritual State. I fee myself over. fpread with an habitual Depravity, and cannot forbear crying out, with the abafhed Leper; Unclean! Unclean-The facred Oracles in no wife mifre. prefent fallen Man, when they defcribe him as altogether become abominable +. They are far from under-rating human Works, when they denominate them filthy Rags 1. Rags they are, if we confider *Levit. xiii. 45. + Job xv. 16. their ‡ Ifai. Ixiv. 6. Does not Theron mifapply this Text? Can it be intended to difcredit the Qualifications of the Upright? Is it not rather a Brand fet upon the Works of the Wicked; whofe very "Sacrifices are an Abomi"nation to the LORD?" Or, a Rebuke given to the fpecious Performances of the Hypocrite; who is precife in the Form, but deftitute of the Power of Godliness? Or, may it not refer to ritual Obfervances; in Contradiftinction to moral Duties, and fpiritual Accomplishments? The difparaging Character must not, I think, be conned to ritual Obfervances; because it is exprefly faid, ALL our Righteoufneffes, including every Kind of religious Duty- -Neither can it be appropriated to the formal Hypocrite, much lefs to the notoriously Wicked; becaufe, thofe very Perfons, who are the Subject of this Allertion, declare in the Context; LORD, we are thy People; thou art our FATHER; we shall be faved. -So that it feems intended to flain the Pride of all human Glory. Befides; the Prophet speaks of himself; we all are as an unclean Thing. Which, however ftrange or unreasonable it may feem, is the very fame Charge, to which he pleads guilty in another Place; We is me! I am undone ! their great Imperfection; filthy Rages, if we advert to their manifold Defilements.--And-fince the Nature of GOD is fo irreconcilably averfe to all Contamination; fince the Law of GOD requires fuch unfpotted Perfection; O! Who can ftand before this boly LORD GOD*, in any Accomplishments of their own? When I farther reflect, that I have only a very obfcure Glimpfe of the divine Purity, and am a mere Novice in the Knowledge of my own Heart; how am I amazed at the lofty Apprehenfions which, I once undone! For I am a Man of unclean Lips! Not that he was defiled with any grofs Pollutions: nay, he was a Saint of the most distinguished Luftre; but his Eyes had feen the KING, the LORD of Hofts. He was under the clear Manifeftations of a GOD, glorious in Holiness, inflexible in Juftice, and infinite in all Perfections.Amidst these Manifeftations, the Impurity of his Heart and Nature, were not only apparent, but glaring; overwhelmed him with Abafhment, and, till CHRIST was applied in a Type, (Ifai. vi. 7.) filled him with Terror. In fuch Circumftances, and under fuch Views, all our moral Virtues and evangelical Graces, all our Exercises of Devotion, and Acts of Charity, will appear both defective and polluted. By no means proportioned to the Demands of the Law, nor fufficient for our Recommendation to the Supremne LAWGIVER-no more than a few tattered Rags, can claim the Character, or perform the Services, of a complete Suit-no more than a few filthy Rags are fit, to drefs the Bride for her Nuptials, or the Courtier for a Birth-night. But there is a Righteoufnefs-bleffed, be divine Grace! -fpotlefly pure and confummately excellent: a Righteousness, which answers all that the CREATOR requires, and supplies all that the Creature needs: to prove this momentous Point, and to difplay this unfpeakable Gift, is the Design of the following Sheets. * 1 Sam. vi, 20. once formed, concerning the Dignity of my Nature; and the Integrity of my Conduct! All owing to Ig. norance, the groffeft Ignorance of myfelf and the Scriptures.- How do I thudder to think, that, in expecting Juftification from the Law, I was refting the Welfare of my immortal Soul, not on the Foundation of a Rock, but on the Point of a Dagger.I was going to the decifive Tribunal, fluthed with the falfeft Hopes, and charged with a Ser of glittering Sins going, like poor deluded Uriah *, not with any valid Credentials, but with the Mini Atration of Death + in my Hand. Though I cannot but acknowledge the Arrogance of these Pretenfions, yet loth, very loth is my Pride, to renounce the pleafing Abfurdity. Self-love has fearched, and fearched again, for fomething excellent. It would fain make a better Appearance, and can hardly brook the Humiliation of imploring all fub Forma Pauperist. With what Reluctance is a Sinner brought to confefs himfelf, finful in every Duty, finful in every Capacity! Strange Perverseness!But the Charge is undeniable. However unwilling, I muft plead guilty. THOU ART WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES, AND FOUND WANTING ||, is evident. ly written on all I am, all I have, all I do.And if I am thus defective, even in my own Efti. mation; if I am utterly condemned, at the Bar of my own Confcience; What then fhall I do, when GOD rifeth up? Arul when HE vifiteth, what shall I anfwer Him § ? I now fee the Neceffity of an imputed Righteouf nefs. Without fome fuch Object for my Truit, I am undone. I long therefore to hear your Arguments in 2 Sam. xi. 14, 15. + 2 Cor. iii. 94 That is, under the Character of a poor Deflitute, or as a Beggar fues for his Alms. || Dan. v. 27. § Job xxxi. 14. in its Behalf. And I muft declare to you, if it can be fatisfactorily proved from the Scriptures, it is the moft comfortable Doctrine in the World, and worthy of all Acceptation. A Letter upon this Subject, would be a fingular Favour, and, I hope, an equal Bleffing to Your obliged, and affectionate, THERON. LETTER III. ASPASIO to THERON. Dear THERON, Hough all your Letters give me Pleasure, none was ever fo highly pleafing, as your last. I look upon it with the fame fecret Joy, as a compaffionate Phyfician obferves fome very favourable Symptoms, in the Crifis of a beloved Patient's Difemper. What you afk, I fhall, without any farther Preface, attempt to execute. If my Attempt proves fatisfactory to your Judgment, I am fure, it will be the moft likely Means, of healing your Confcience, and calming your Fears.-When we perceive the odious Depravity of our Nature; when we difcern the horrible Iniquity of our Lives; and are fenfible of that tremendous Wrath, and everlafting Vengeance, which are due to fuch guilty Creatures: then nothing can be found, that will fpeak effectual Peace, nothing that will adminifter folid Comfort, but only the vicarious Sufferings and the imputed Righteoufnefs of JESUS CHRIST. To this Purpofe fpeaks one of the wifeft and best of fpiritual Guides; Has Sin abounded 2 As undoubt edly edly it has, in our Heart, and our Life: Grace has much more abounded, in the Obedience, and the Merits of our REDEEMER.--Nay, has Sin reigned? Exerted its malignant Power, in the mot extenfivé and moft deftructive Manner; rendering us fubject unto Death, both temporal and eternal? Even fo has Grace reigned; exerted its benign Efficacy, and in a Manner yet more triumphant; wot only refcuing us from Guilt and Ruin, but reftoring us to everlafling Life and Glory. And all this thro the Righteoufnefs, the complete meritorious Righteoufnefs, brought in by JESUS CHRIST LORD*. You inquire after the Proofs of this imputed Righ teoufnefs. From a Multitude I fhall felect a few. Sufficient, I hope, to make it appear-That this is the declared Doctrine of our Church, and the avowed Belief of her most eminent Divines-That it is copioufly revealed thro' the whole SCRIPTURES; revealed in many exprefs Paffages, and deducible from a Variety of inftructive Similitudes. Hear the Language of our Common Prayer, in a very affecting and folemn Addrefs to the ALMIGH TY: "We do not prefume to come to this thy Table, "O merciful LORD, trufting in our own Righte ❝oufnefs.”—If we may not, if we dare not, rely on our own Righteoufnefs, when we approach the enchariftic Table; much lefs may we depend upon it, when we are fummoned to the decifive Tribunal. Should you afk, on what we are to depend? The Exhortation to the Communion furnishes an Anfwer; "On the meritorious Death and Paffion of "CHRIST, whereby alone we obtain Remifon "of Sins, and are made, Partakers of the Kingdom "of Heaven." The Collect, appointed for the Festival of Circum * Rom. v. 21. cifion, |