ftill farther ratified by the unanimous Atteftation of feveral celebrated Divines; whofe Lives were the brighteft Ornament to our Church, and whofe Writings are the most unexceptionable Interpretation of her Meaning.-As a Capital, to crown and complete this grand Column, fupervenes the Declaration of the antient Fathers; thofe who flourished, and with the higheft Renown, in the firft and pureft. Ages of Chriftianity.So that, if great Authorities carry any Weight; if illustrious Names challenge any Regard; this Tenet comes attended and dignified with very confiderable Credentials.

Yet I will venture to affirm, that all thefe, confiderable as they appear, are the leaft of thofe Teftimonials, which recommend the Doctrine to my Theron's Acceptance, and which have gained it Admittance into the Heart of

His most affectionate

ASPASIO

LETTER IV.

ASPASIO to THERON.

Dear THERON,

Te HE Family, in which I have the Satisfaction to refide, tho' remarkable for their genteel Figure and ample Fortune, are ftill more amiably diftinguished by their Benevolence, Hofpitality, and Charity-As they live at a Distance from the Market-town, the Lady has converted one Apartment of her House into a little Difpenfatory; and stocked it with some of the most common, the moft needed, and most falutary Medicines. Which, in Cafes of erdinary Indifpofition, the diftributes to her indi

gent

gent Neighbours, with fingular Compaffion, and with no fmall Succefs.-This fine Morning, Emilia has ordered fome fkilful Hands into the Fields, to culi their healing Simples, and lay up a Magazine of Health for the afflicted Poor. Camillus is withdrawn, to receive his Rents, and fettle Accounts with his Tenants.

Suppofe, we a&t in Concert with thefe valuable Perfons. Suppofe, we range the delightful Fields of Scripture, and form a Collection, not of falutiferous Herbs, but of ineftimable Texts; fuch as may be of fovereign Efficacy, to affuage the Anguish of a guilty Confcience, and impart faving Health to the diftempered Soul.- Suppofe, we open the Mines of divine Inspiration, and enrich ourselves, not with the Gold of Ophir, but with the unfearchable Trea fures of CHRIST; or with that perfect Righte oufnefs of our REDEEMER, which is incom parably more precious, than the Revenues of a County, or the Produce of Peru..

In pleading for imputed Righteoufnefs, we have already urged the Authority of our eftablished Church, and the Suffrage of her most eminent Divines.-The Opinion of excellent Writers, which has been the Refult of much Learning, great Attention, and earneft Prayer, is no contemptible Evidence. Yet we must always reserve the cafting Voice, for thofe infallible Umpires, the Prophets and Apoftles. If we receive, with a deferential Regard, the Witnefs of Men; the Witness of GOD is greater, and challenges the most implicit Submiffion.- Which Re

mark naturally leads me to the intended Subject of this Epiftle; or rather calls upon me to fulfil my late Engagement, and fhew That the abovementioned Doctrine is copiously revealed, through the whole Process of the Scriptures..

*1 John v. 9

Let

Let me detach a very fignificant Portion from the Epistle to the Romans; which, though little inferior o a decifive Proof, is produced only as an Introaction to others. Now the Righteousness of GOD vithout the Law is manifefted, being witneffed by the aw and the Prophets; even the Righteousness of OD, which is by Faith of JESUS CHRISŤ nto all, and upon all them that believe. The Lighteousness of GOD, fignifies that Righteousness, which the incarnate GOD wrought out in his own l-glorious Perfon +. It is ftyled the Righteousness f GOD, by way of fuperlative. Pre-eminence; in Oppofition to any Righteousness of our own, and in Contradiftinction to the Righteoufness of all Creaures whatever. This Righteousness is without the Law. Its Efficacy has no Dependence on, its Meit receives no. Addition from, any Conformity of our Practice to the divine Law: being complete, bfolutely complete in itself, and altogether fuffici ent to procure the Reconciliation and Acceptance.

Rom. iii. 21, 22.

of

This Explication, or fomething to the fame Purpose, ras occurred already. But it is hoped, the candid Realer will not condemn the Repetition, as a difagreeable und jejune Tautology. Because, it is so consonant to the Practice of our great Apostle, who repeats the Term, reinculcates the Doctrine, and hardly knows how to defift from the favourite Topic: like one, who was quite enamoured with the Subject; who found Mufic in the Words; and whofe Happiness was bound up in the Bleffing.-Because, it is conformable to another, and a greater Example. The LORD JEHOVAH Himself, within the Compafs of one Chapter, once, and again, yea, a third and a fourth Time, ftyles this wonderful Obedience, MY RIGHTEOUSNESS. As though the GOD of Infinite Perfection gloried in it: thought Himself moft eminently magnified by it; and was jealous to have all the Honour refulting from it. See Ifai. li.

of Sinners.This Righteoufnefs is witneffed by the Law and the Prophets; receives an uniform Atteftation from the various Writings of the Old Teftament. To investigate which Atteftation to examine its Pertinency, and weigh its Sufficiency, is our prefent pleafing Bufinefs.

We may begin with that gracious Declaration, made to the firft Tranfgreffors: The Seed of the Woman fhall bruife the Serpent's Head *; fhall deftroy the Works of the Devil, and retrieve whatever was loft by his malicious Artifices +. How could this be effected, but by restoring that Righteousness, which, for a while, our firft Parents poffeffed; which they ought always to have held faft; but from which they fo foon and fo unhappily fwerved?-Take the Pofition in the right Senfe, and Christianity is, if not intirely, yet very nearly as old as the Creation. It was comprehended in this bleffed Promise, as the Stamina of the largest Plants are contained in the Subftance of their respective Seeds. Every fubfequent Revelation being no more, than a gradual Evolution of this grand evangelical Principle; acting like the vegetative Powers of Nature, which, in rearing an Oak with all its Spread of Branches, only expand the Tunicles, and fill up the Vessels of the Acorn.

This Doctrine feems to have been typically taught, by the remarkable Manner of clothing our first Parents. All they could do for their own Recovery, was like the patched and beggarly Mantle of Figleaves. This they relinquith, and GOD himfelf furnishes them with Apparel ‡. Animals are flain,

Gen. iii. 15.

not

+ In fome fuch Senfe, I think, our first Parents must understand the Promife. Otherwife it could yield them nó effectual Relief, under the distreffing Senfe of their own Mifery, and the difmal Apprehenfion of their Pofterity's Ruin. Gen. iii. 21.

Not for Food but Sacrifice; and the naked Criminals ere arrayed with the Skins of thofe flaughtered Beafts. The Victims figured the Expiation of CHRIST's Death; the Clothing typified the Imputation of his Righteoufnefs.-In perfect ConformiEy, perhaps with a Reference, to the Paffage thus nterpreted, the Apostle just now expreffed himself; ven the Righteoufiefs of GOD, which is not only made over to all Believers, as a rich Portion; but put † upon all, as a beautiful Garment. Whereby alone their moral Deformity can be covered, and their everlasting Confufion prevented. — Milton, it scertain, fpeaking of this memorable Tranfaction, confiders it in the fame spiritual Senfe:

Nor HE their outward only with the Skins Of Beafts, but inward Nakedness (much more Opprobrious!) with his Robe of Righteousness Arraying, covered from his FATHER's Sight. In thy Seed, fays the great JEHOVAH to his Servant Abraham, fhall all the Nations of the Earth he ‡. e bleffed . That the Seed here mentioned is CHRIST, the Apostle || places beyond all Doubt. Both Scripture and Reafon declare, That true Blef edness muft néceffarily include the Pardon of Sins, and the Favour of GOD-the Sanctification of Our Souls, and the Inheritance of Life eternal. None of which are to be acquired by any human Performances; but all are to be fought, and all may

be

++ Rom. iii. 22. ΕΙΣ πανίας, ΕΠΙ πάντας τες πιςευονίας. Gen. xxii. 18.

See St. Paul's Comment upon this invaluable Proife, Gal. iii. 8, &c. This Commentator, we all allow, as guided by the SPIRIT, and knew the Mind of OD. According to his Expofition of the Text, it is regnant with the Doctrine of Juftification by Faith, and ontains an Abridgment of the Gospel.