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<ceived the Sacrament with that Faith, or did any "Work with that pure Heart, and fingle Eye, as "I ought to have done. Infomuch, that I look up"on all my Righteoufnefs, but as filthy Rags; and "it is in the Robes only of the Righteoufnefs of the "SON of GOD, that I dare appear before the "MAJESTY of Heaven."

The fervent and affectionate Bishop Hopkins fpeaks in perfect Confonance with his Brother of St. Afaph." The Law was given Us, not that We "should seek Justification by the Observance of it, "but finding it impoffible to be justified by fulfilling "it, We should thereby be driven to CHRIST's "Righteousness; who hath both fulfilled it in Him“self, and satisfied for our tranfgreffing of it; and "therefore faith the Apostle, The Law was a School"mafter, to bring Us unto CHRIST; that We "might be juftified by Faith. To this End it was "promulged, that seeing the Strictness of its Pre"cepts, the Rigour of its Threatenings, and withal "being convinced of our Impotence to fulfil its "Commands, We might be urged by its Terrors "to fly to CHRIST, and find that Righteouf"ness in Him which may answer all the Demands "of the Law."

Bishop Reynolds +, ftyled by his Cotemporaries, and not without Reason, A walking Library, bears his Testimony in the following Words ;-" CHRIST "as our Surety paid our Debt, underwent the Curfe "due

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* See his Sermon on John vii. 19.

+ See his Treatife intitled The Life of CHRIST Which, as well as all his other Works, abound with ftriking Sentiments; have much Elegance of Diction, a copious Variety of Learning, and a lively animating Spirit of evangelical Piety.

"due to our Sins, and bare them all in his own
"Body on the Tree: became fubject to the Law
"for Us, and representatively in our Stead fulfilled
"all the Righteoufnefs the Law required, active and
"paffive. For Sin being once committed, there
"must be a double Act to Juftification; the Suffer-
❝ing of the Curfe, and the Fulfilling of Righteouf-
"nefs anew.
The one, a Satisfaction for the In-
"jury We have done to GOD, as our JUDGE:
"the other, the Performance of a Service which
"We owe unto Him, as our MAKER."

To this illuftrious Triumvirate, let me join Bifhop Davenant. Who, for his great Abilities, and unquestionable Integrity, was appointed one of our religious Plenipotentiaries, at the renowned Synod of Dort. In his very valuable Expofition of the Epiftle to the Coloffians, He writes to this Effec&t: "Ye are complete in CHRIST. Ye are furnished, "in that all-fufficient REDEEMER, with "whatever is requifite to everlasting Salvation. "With Wisdom; fince it is the Confummation of "this noble Endowment, to know CHRIST

and Him crucified. With Righteoufnefs; because "He has perfectly fatisfied the Law *, and "thoroughly

In this Refpect principally (fays our Author, enlarging upon the Text) are Believers complete; because, though deftitute of any Righteoufnefs, that may properly be called their own, CHRIST has graciously enriched them with bis. Vid. DAVENANT. in Epift. ad Coloss Cap. ii. Com. 10.

Let me beg leave to intimate, That this Expofition of the Epistle to the Coloffians-for Perfpicuity of Style, and Accuracy of Method-for Judgment in difcerning, and Fidelity in reprefenting the Apoftle's Meaning - for Strength of Argument in refuting Errors, and Felicity of

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"thoroughly expiated our Guilt. With Sanctifi "cation; because his SPIRIT dwelling in our "Hearts, mortifies our corrupt Affections, and renews the Soul after the Image of its CREA"TOR."

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Let me bring up the Rear with a Teftimony, which, for Clearness, Solidity, and a full Representation of the evangelical Doctrine, might very justly have claimed a Place in the Van. It is taken from an Author, whom the general Confent of our Nation has diftinguished with the Title of Judicious. The judicious Hooker, in a Treatife on Juftification, fays; It is a childish Cavil our Adverfaries fo greatly please themselves with, exclaiming, that "We tread all Chriftian Virtues under our Feet; "because We teach, That Faith alone justifieth. "Whereas, by this Speech, We never meant to "exclude either Hope or Charity from being always "joined as infeparable Mates with Faith, in the "Man that is juftified; or Works from being add❝ed, as neceffary Duties, required of every justified "Man: but to fhew, that Faith is the only Hand, "which putteth on CHRIST to Juftification; "and CHRIST the only Garment, which being "fo put on, covereth the Shame of our defiled Na"tures, hideth the Imperfection of our Works, "and preferveth Us blameless in the Sight of "GOD: before whom, otherwife, the Weakness "of our Faith were Cause fufficient to make Us " culpable, yea, to fhut Us out of the Kingdom of "HeaZ 4

Invention in deducing practical Doctrines, tending both to the Establishment of Faith, and the Cultivation of Holinefs-is, perhaps, inferior to no Writing of the Kind; and richly deferves to be read, to be studied, to be imitated, by our young Divines.

"Heaven, where nothing that is not absolute can "enter."

You will allow the fagacious Bishop Sanderson to fum up the Evidence; or rather to make an important Remark on the Whole of the Controverfy. That great Light of the Church, both in casuistical and practical Divinity, obferves; The Tidings of a REDEEMER must be bleffed and wel

come News, to those that are fenfible of their own "Poverty, and take it of Grace." Our eagle-eyed Divine penetrates into the true Caufe of the prevailing Averfeness to this evangelical Doctrine. It is founded on the State of the Heart, more than upon any Force of Argument. People are but little, if at all, fenfible of their spiritual and moral Indigence; of the Defects which depreciate, and the Defilements which fully, whatever they have, and whatever they do. Nay, ftrongly tinctured with Pride, they would be themselves the Alpha, and fuffer the Bleffed JESUS to be no more than the Omega, in procuring their eternal Salvation. Therefore they can hardly be reconciled to the humbling Character of an Eleemofynary; one who lives wholly upon the Alms of the Gofpel, and is dependent upon Grace for his All.

Whereas, was this grand Obftacle once removed; were Men convinced of Sin, of exceeding Sinfulness in their worst Estate, and of remaining Sinfulness in their beft; they would foon be convinced of Righteoufriefs t, of the abfolute Neceffity and inestimable Worth of a REDEEMER's Righteoufness. They would no longer difpute againft it, but cordially receive it; entirely rely on it; and adore the Good

* See his Sermon upon Ifai. lii. 3.

+ John xvi. 8.

Goodness, the tranfcendent and unutterable Goodness of GOD, in providing it.

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I think, in one of our Conferences, I undertook to produce my Vouchers from the antient Fathers. Let me now fubjoin two or three Atteftations of this Kind. From one of which You will perceive, that thofe early Writers had a confiderable Degree of Clearnefs upon the Point. From the other You will fee, that, far from rejecting the Doctrine, they embrace it with Delight and Rapture. And if You will admit of the last, You cannot be ftartled at any Thing, which I shall advance upon the Subject.Let me only premise in general, that, if those Authors are not so copious and explicit, with regard to the Imputation of active Righteoufnefs; they abound with Paffages, which evince the Subftitution of CHRIST in our Stead. Paffages, which difclaim all Dependence on any Duties of our own, and fix the Hopes of a Sinner entirely upon the Merits of his SAVIOUR. When this is the Cafe, I am not very folicitous about any particular Forms of Expreffion; and far from being angry, even though the Words, which I think most fignificant, are not retained.

Clemens, firft of the antient Fathers, and an intimate Acquaintance of St. Paul's, wrote an Epiftle to the Corinthians. It is full of manly Sense, and feraphic Piety. Among other valuable Things, the truly apoftolic Man declares; We are not, in any Respect or in any Degree, justified by Ourselves, but wholly by JESUS CHRIST: not by our own Wisdom or Prudence, which could never find out the Way; not by the Piety of our Hearts, or Works

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