Page images
PDF
EPUB

What fays the Apostle? I through the Law am dead to the Law. Being made to understand its Spirituality and Perfection, I have no longer any Hope of Juftification from my own Conformity to its Precepts. Did this prompt him, did this embolden him, to neglect or violate his Duty? Hear the facred Writer's own Declaration. I am released from the Rigour and Bondage of the Law; I am directed to CHRIST for Righteoufnefs and Salvation; that I may live unto GOD. That my whole Life may be dovoted to HIS Honour, who has brought me into a State fo delightful, into a Liberty fo glorious. Ther. This Liberty, I am afraid, will be of very little Service to the licentious and gay World.

Afp. I thall be in no Pain even for the gay World, if once they cordially receive this Grace, and are vitally influenced by this Doctrine. . Which, far from diffolving the least Obligation to Obedience, or weakening any one Principle of Piety, adds to every other Motive, the endearing Engagements of Gratitude, and the winning Perfuafives of Love.

Nay; I verily believe, that Multitudes in the gay and licentious World, are held faft in the fatal Snare, by their Ignorance of this fweet, alluring, confolatory Truth. They find themfelves deeply obnoxious to divine Juftice, and feel themselves ftrongly bound with the Chains of Senfuality. They think, it is impoffible to clear the enormous Score of their Guilt; impoffible to deliver themfelves from the confirmed Dominion of Sin. Therefore, like defperate Debtors, they stifle every ferious Thought; left a Conscioufnefs of their long Arrears, and a Profpect of the dreadful Reckoning, thould torment them before the Timet. But if they were informed, that the infinitely merciful SON of GOD, has undertaken to redeem fuch undone and helplefs. Sinners.-That he has thorough

* Gal. ii. 19. + Matt. viii. 29.

thoroughly expiated the most horrid Tranfgreffions, and procured even for ungodly Wretches, all the needful Supplies of ftrengthening Grace-That, inftead of being prohibited, they are invited to partake, freely to partake, of these unfpeakable Bleffings.-Were they acquainted with thefe glad Tidings of the Golpel, furely they would burft their Chains, and fpring to Liberty. Thefe Truths, if once revealed in their Hearts, would, of all Confiderations, be moft effectual to make them free*.

What fhall I fay more, to obtain my Theron's Approbation? Shall I point out and plead the most illuftrious Precedents?-GOD the FATHER is well pleafed with this Righteoufnefs of our REDEEMER. He expreffes his Complacency by the most emphatical Words: Behold my Servant, whom I upbold; mine Elect, in whom my Soul delighteth †. In CHRIST and his Righteoufnefs, GOD is not only pleafed, but delighted: his very Soul, every Perfec tion of the GODHEAD, with ineffable Satisfaction, refts and acquiefces in them.-I faid ineffable; for he has declared this, in a Manner fuperior to all the Energy of Language, by raifing our crucified SURETY from the Dead; by exalting him to the Heaven of Heavens; and placing him at his own Right-hand in Glory.

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST is well plea fed. He esteems it his Honour to shine forth as the everlasting Righteousness of his People. It is the brightest Jewel of his mediatorial Crown. In this He fees of the Travail of his Soul, and is fatisfied. Accounting himfelf, fully recompenfed, for all the Labours of his Life, and all the Sorrows of his Death, when Sinners are washed from their Guilt in his Blood, and prefented faultlefs by his Obedience. The HOLY SPIRIT is equally pleased with this great

* John viii. 32.

+ Ifai. xlii. 1.

great Tranfaction, and its noble Effects. It is his peculiar Office, and favourite Employ, to convince the World of their SAVIOUR's Righteoufnels. Not only that his Nature was fpotlefly pure, and his Converfation perfectly holy; but that from both refults a Righteoufnefs, of infinite Dignity, and everlafting Efficacy: fufficient, throughout all Ages fufficient, for the Acceptance and Salvation of the moft unworthy Creatures.

Since then, this Method of Acceptance and Salvation, is excellent and glorious, in the Eyes of the adorable TRINITY-Since it magnifies the Law, and yields the most exalted Honour to its Divine AUTHOR.-Since it makes ample Provifion for the Holiness of a corrupt, and the Happiness of a ruined World-Why fhould my Friend any longer diflike it; oppose it; or treat it with a cold Indifference? Surely, all thefe grand Recommendations are enough to over-rule any little Objections, which may arife from the Sufpicions of Timidity, or may be started by the Artifices of Sophistry.

Ther. I know not how it is, Afpafio; but I cannot reconcile myself to this Doctrine of imputed Righteoufnefs: notwithstanding all the Pains you have taken, to make me a Convert.

Afp. The Difappointment is mine, but the Lofs is yours, Theron. However, let me intreat you, not to reject my Sentiments abfolutely, nor to condemn them prematurely. Suppofe it poffible at least, that they may be true; and weigh them in an even Balance. Learn Wifdom from your Afpafio's Folly. I was once exactly in your Situation; faw Things in your Light, and through your Medium.

Converfing, I well remember, with a devout but plain Perfon, our Difcourfe happened to turn upon that folemn Admonition; If any Man will come after

ΜΕ,

ME, let him deny himself *. I was haranguing upon the Import and Extent of the Duty. Shew ing, that merely to forbear the infamous Action, is little. We must deny Admittance, deny Entertain ment at leaft, to the evil Imagination; and quench. even the inkindling Spark of irregular Defire. When I had fhot a random Bolt, my honeft Friend" replied; "There is another Inftance of Self-denial

66

to which this Injunction extends, and which is of "very great Moment in the Chriftian Religion. "I mean, the Inftance of renouncing our own Strength, and our own Righteoufnefs; not lean"ing on that, for Holinefs; nor relying on this, "for Juftification."I thought the old Man, I maft confefs, little better than a fuperftitious Dotard; and wondered at (what I then fancied) the motley Mixture of Piety and Oddity in his Notions. But now I difcern Sense, Solidity, and Truth in his Ob fervation + Now I perceive, that we ourselves are often the Dreamers, when we imagine others to be faft afleep.

Ther. I fhall not forget your Caution, and will en deavour to avoid the Rock, on which my Afpafia ftruck; but happily, it seems, efcaped Shipwreck.→ you may likewife affure yourfeif, that, upon a Subject of exceeding great and eternal Confequence, ! fhall not fail to ufe the most attentive and impartial Confideration. An indolent Supinenefs, or a bigotted Obftinacy,

Matt. xvi. 24.

+ Milton thought the fame, otherwife he would never have put thofe Words into the Mouth of a divine Speaker.

Thy Merit,

Imputed fhall abfolve them, who renounce
Their own, both righteous and unrighteous, Deeds
And live in thee transplanted, and from thee
Receive new Life.

Book III. 290.

Obtinacy, in this great Crifis of Affairs, would be of all Errors the most inexcufable, and muft prove of all Mifcarriages the most fatal.

Afp. But ftill you cannot reconcile yourself— And no Wonder. For this Way of Salvation runs directly counter to the Stream of corrupt Nature. It puzzles our Reafon, and offends our Pride. What? fhall we, not work, but believe unto Righteousness * ? Shall we receive all freely, and reckon ourselves no better than unprofitable Servants! This is a Method, to which we fhould never fubmit; this is a Proposal, which we should always spurn; were not our Sentiments rectified, and our Hearts new moulded, by fovereign Grace.

Let me remind you of a little Incident, which you must have read in the Grecian Hiftory. A certain Stranger came, one Day, to dine with fome Lacedæmonians. They, you know, always fat down at a public Table, and were content with the plainest Food. The Gentleman, accustomed to higher Eating, could not forbear expreffing his Difgust, at the homely Provifion.Sir, faid the Cook, you don't make use of the Sauce. What do you mean? replied the Gueft.-You don't ufe hard Exercife; nor habituate yourself to long Abstinence; nor bring a harpened Appetite to the Meal. And you, my dear Friend, I am apprehenfive, have not the Sauce; have not the proper Preparative for this falutary Doctrine; which is indeed the Bread of Life, and the very Marrow of the Gospel.

Ther. What Preparative?

Afp. A Senfe of your great Depravity, your extreme Guilt, and your utterly undone Condition.While deftitute of thefe Convictions, our Souls will be like the full Stomach, that lothes even the Honeycomb.-So long as thefe Convictions are flight, and hover

* Rom. x. 10.

« EelmineJätka »