Hear the facred Writer's own Declaration. I am released from the Rigour and Bondage of the Law; I am directed to CHRIST for Righteousness and Salvation; that I may live unto GOD. That my whole Life may be devoted to HIS Honour, who has brought me into a State so 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 fhall 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 weakening any one Principle of Piety, adds to every other Motive, the endearing Engagements of Gratitude, and the winning Perfuafives of Love.

Nay; I am perfuaded, that Multitudes in the gay and licentious World, are held faft in the fatal Snare, by their Ignorance of this sweet, alluring, confolatory Truth. They find themfelves deeply obnoxious to divine Justice, 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 ftifle every ferious Thought; left a Confcioufness of their long Arrears, and a Profpect of the dreadful Reckoning, fhould torment them before the Time *.

But if they were informed, that the infinitely merciful SON of GOD, has undertaken to redeem fuch undone and helpless Sinners-That He has 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 Gofpel; did they really believe these glad Tidings of the Gofpel; their Chains, which now are like Steel and Adamant, would become like a Thread of Tow, when it toucheth the Fire +. Yes, my Friend; thefe Truths, if once revealed and received in their Hearts, would be an infallible Method to make them free .

What fhall I fay more, to obtain my Theron's Approbation? Shall I point out and plead the moft illuftrious Precedents?-GOD the FATHER is well pleafed with this Righteousness of our REDEEMER. He expreffes his Complacency by the moft emphatical Words: Behold my Servant, whom I uphold; mine Elect, in whom my Soul delighteth . In CHRIST and his Righteousness, GOD is not only pleased, but delighted: his very Soul, every Perfection of the GODHEAD, with ineffable Satiffaction,

P

F

For thofe, who have finned against the Light of Nature, as the Heathens, and against the Light of Scripture, as the Ferus. For thofe, who have denied CHRIST, like Peter; blafphemed and perfecuted Him, like Paul.-Many, that have fallen into great Sins, are ruined for ever, because they do not account the Grace of CHRIST fufficient for their Pardon and Sanctification. They think that they are gone and past all Hope of Recovery; that their Tranfgreffions and their Sins are upon them, unpardoned and unpardonable; therefore they pine away in them, and how shall they live? Ezek. xxxiii. 1o. MARSH. Gofp. Myft. San&t. Chap. x. + Judg. xvi. John viii. 32. xlii. 1.

9.

Ifai.

faction, refts and acquiefces in them.-I faid ineffable; for He has declared this, in a Manner fuperior to all the Force 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 pleased. He efteems it his Honour to fhine 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 satisfied. Accounting Himself 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 Tranfaction, and its matchlefs Effects. It is his peculiar Office, and favourite Employ, to convince the World of their SAVIOUR's Righteoufnefs. Not only that his Nature was fpotlefly pure, and his Conversation perfectly holy; but that from both refults a Righteoufnefs, of infinite Dignity, and everlafting Efficacy: fufficient, throughout all Ages sufficient, to procure Acceptance and Salvation for the most 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 Happinefs of a ruined World-Why fhould my Friend any longer diflike it; oppofe it, or treat it with a cold Indifference? Surely, all these grand Recommendations,

U 3

are

are enough to over-rule any little Objections, which may arise from the Sufpicions of Timidity, or may be started by the Artifices of Sophiftry.

Ther. I know not how it is, Afpafio; but I cannot reconcile myself to this Doctrine of imputed Righteousness 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 entreat 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 Wisdom 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 ME, let Him deny Himfelf. I was haranguing upon the Import and Extent of the Duty. Shewing, that merely to forbear the infamous Action, is little. We must deny Admittance, deny Entertainment at least, to the evil Imagination; and quench even the enkindling Spark of irregular Defire.When I had fhot a random Bolt, my honeft Friend replied; "There is another Inftance of Self-denial, "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

muft confefs, little better than a fuperftitious Dotard; and wondered at (what I then fanfied) the motley Mixture of Piety and Oddity in his Notions. But now I difcern Senfe, Solidity, and Truth in his Obfervation *. Now I perceive, that We ourfelves are often the Dreamers, when We imagine Others to be fast asleep.

Ther. You have no Reason to be afhamed, Afpafio, of receiving Inftruction from your honeft Counfellor. For, You know, it was obferved by the Ancients, and is now paffed into a Maxim;

Πολλακι και κηπωρος ανηρ μαλα καίριον είπεν.

Neither need You fufpect, that I fhall forget or difregard your Caution, relating to a precipitate Determination of my Judgment. No; I fhall endeavour to avoid the Rock, on which my Friend ftruck; but happily, it feems, escaped Shipwreck. -You may likewife affure Yourself, that, upon a Subject of fuch exceeding great, of eternal Confequence, I fhall not fail to use the most attentive and impartial Confideration. An indolent Supineness, or a bigoted Obftinacy, in this great Crifis of Affairs, would be of all Errors the most inexcufable, and muft prove of all Miscarriages the most fatal.

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Afp.

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

Thy Merit,

Imputed ball abfolve them, who renounce

Their own, both righteous and unrighteous, Deeds:
And live in Thee tranfplanted, and from Thee

Receive new Life.

Book III. 290.