was always to be on his Forehead, when He performed the folemn Ministrations of the Sanctuary; and for this important Reason, that the People might be accepted before the LORD. Did not this moft clearly forefhew the immaculate Holiness of our great HIGH-PRIEST? And with equal Clearnefs imply, that his Holiness should procure Acceptance for all his Followers?

In the Book of Job, We have several Hints of this Truth, and one Paffage very exprefs to our Purpose. -Elihu defcribes an unconverted Perfon, under the chaftifing Hand of Providence. Whofe Life, through the Extremity of his Disease, draws near to the Grave; and his Soul, through the Multitude of his Iniquities, is ready to become a Prey to the Defiroyers. In this deplorable Condition, if there be present with Him, the MESSENGER + of the Covenant of Peace; that great INTERPRETER + of the divine Counfels, who, for his fuper-excellent Wisdom, is juftly acknowledged to be One among a thousand, or rather the chiefeft among ten thoufand. If He, by his enlightening SPIRIT, vouchfafe to fhew unto the afflicted Man his own perfect Righteousness;

* Exod. xxviii. 38.

that

+ See Job xxxiii. 22, &c.—CHRIST is called The Angel of the divine Prefence, Ifai. Ixiii. 9. The Melenger of the Covenant, Mal. iii. 1.-He is alfo, in the moit unlimited Senfe of the Phrafe, The Interpreter of the divine Counfels: He, to whom the FATHER hath given the Tongue of the Learned, and by whom. He makes known the otherwife unfearchable Mysteries of the Gofpel. Should any Doubt remain, concerning the Propriety of applying this Paflage to our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Reader, I hope, will give himself the Pleasure of perufing the polite WITSIUS, Oecon. Lib. IV. Cap. iii. § xxxi. and Dr. GREY's valuable Notes upon the Place, in his Liber Jobi.

that most meritorious Uprightness, on which alone a Sinner may depend, both for temporal and eternal Salvation. Then the poor diftreffed Creature, attentive to this Inftruction, and applying to this Righteousness, is made Partaker of Pardon. GOD, the fovereign LORD of Life and Death, is gracious unto Him; and faith, in the Greatness of his Strength, as well as in the Multitude of his Mercies, Deliver Him from going down into the Pit of Corruption, as a Pledge of his Deliverance from the Pit of Perdition. For, I have found a Ranfom, fufficient to fatisfy my Juftice. I have received an Atonement, in behalf of this once obnoxious, now reconciled Tranfgreffor.

But why do I infift upon one particular Paragraph? It seems to be the main Defign of the whole Book, to overthrow all Pretenfions of any juftifying Righteousness in Man. That the wretched Sinner, nay, that the greatest Saint, ftript of every perfonal Plea, may fee nothing to rely on, but the Merits of a REDEEMER. This is the final Iffue of all those warm Debates, which pass between the afflicted Hero and his cenforious Friends. This is the grand Result of Elihu's calm Reasoning, and of GOD Almighty's awful Interrogatories. The apparent Center this *. in which all the Lines terminate; juftly therefore to be confidered, as the principal Scope of the whole Work.

I must not omit an excellent Observation, which I find in fome critical and explanatory Notes t, on the laft Words of David. The judicious Author proving, that this Song relates to CHRIST; that it A a 3

*See Jcb xlii. 6. 2 Sam. xxiii. 3, &c.

displays

By Dr. GREY. See

difplays the Dignity of our REDEEMER, under the Character of The KING, and The JUST ONE; adds, as an Explication of the laft amiable and glorious Title" Our LORD JESUS "CHRIST is fo called, not fo much for having ❝ fulfilled all Righteoufnefs, in his own Person, and "performed an unfinning Obedience to the Will "of GOD, as becaufe by his Righteoufnefs im"puted to Us, We alfo upon the Terms of the "Gospel, are juftified, or accounted righteous before GOD."

I think We may evidently difcern the fame Vein of evangelical Doctrine, running through many of the Pfalms-He fhall convert my Soul; turn me, not

only

Upon the Terms of the Gospel-That is, freely; or, as the Prophet fpeaks, without Money and without Price. For nothing is requifite, in order to a Participation of CHRIST and his Benefits, but a Grant from GOD. This Grant the Gofpel exhibits, proclaims, and tenders to all. All, without making any Diftinction, or requiring any Qualification. That Salvation may be, not of Works, but of Grace.-This Point, which is fo intimately connected with our Comfort and Hope, the Reader may fee more fully ftated in Dialogue XV.

† Pfal. xxiii. 3. I am fenfible the Word 3 may fignify to refresh or reftore; may anfwer to the Greek Phrafe are; and denote the Comforts of the HOLY GHOST.-This Verb may alfo bear the fame Signification with the Participle peas, as it is ufed by our LORD, in his Exhortation to Peter, When Thou art converted. Not defcribing the firft grand Revolution in the Heart; by which a new Determination is given to the Judgment, and a new Bias to the Affections. But expreffing thofe fubfequent Operations of the Divine SPIRIT; by which We are recovered from our various Relapfes, and healed of our daily Infirmities. And I queftion, whether there is any Inftance of Backfliding, in which We more frequently need thofe reftoring Aids,

than

only from Sin and Ignorance, but from every false Confidence, and every deceitful Refuge. He fhall bring me forth in Paths of Righteoufnefs, in thofe Paths' of imputed Righteousnefs, which are always adorned with the Trees of Holiness; are always watered with the Fountains of Confolation; and always terminate in everlasting Reft.-Some, perhaps, may ask, Why I give this Sense of the Paffage? Why may it not fignify the Paths of Duty, and the Way of our own Obedience?-Because, fuch Effects are here mentioned, as never have resulted, and never can refult, from any Duties of our own. Thefe, detached from our SAVIOUR's Righteoufnefs, are not green Paftures, but a parched and blafted Heath : are not fill Waters, but a troubled and disorderly *

Stream.

than in the Cafe of adhering to our REDEEMER'S Righteousness. So prone are We to forget our Reftingplace! So liable to fall from our Stedfaftnefs in CHRIST!

*

Blafted, diforderly-Let not thefe Words grate on the Ear; or, if they grate on the Ear, let them humble the Heart. What were Job's Duties? Zealous and exemplary; practifed from his very Youth; and neither excelled, nor equalled by any Perfon then on the Earth. Yet thefe, in Point of Juftification, were not a whit better than Afpafio reprefents. Let Us hear the laft Words of this matchlefs Saint, I abhor myself, and repent in Duft and Afbes. From this Confeffion we learn, that, with all his Furniture of perfonal Obedience, He had just enough to be ashamed, confounded, undone.

is

After all; if the Reader, diffatisfied with Afpafio's Interpretation, fhould prefer the following Expofition, it very much at his Service.-The LORD, reconciled to a poor Sinner, by Means of free Juftification, is become my Shepherd.-Therefore, I fhall not want, whatever is truly good, either for my Body or my Soul, in Time or to Eternity. He maketh me, not to pafs through, but to die down; to continue, abide, and rest in green Pafiures;

A a 4

amid

Stream. Neither can these speak Peace, or adminifter Comfort, when We pass through the Valley and Shadow of Death. To yield these Bleffings is the exalted Office of CHRIST, and the fole Prerogative of his Obedience.

Admitting, that this Obedience is of fovereign Advantage, during the Years of Life, and in the Hour of Death; it may ftill occur to the serious and inquifitive Mind, what will be our Safeguard, in the invifible State? When the Soul departs, and. our Place on Earth knows Us no more: when the Body revives, and We fhall all ftand before the Judgment-feat: what will then avail Us? The fame Righteousness of our Divine LORD. This, if I miftake not, is difplayed in the very next. Pfalm. Which begins with a folicitous Enquiry; fubjoins a fatisfactory Anfwer; and closes with a moft pertinent but rapturous Apoftrophe.-This is the Enquiry; Who shall afcend into the Hill of the LORD? Or, who shall rise up in his holy Place? -To which this is the Anfwer; Even He that hath

clean

amidst the Promifes, Privileges, and Bleffings of the Gofpel; than which nothing can be more nourishing, and nothing more delightful, to the spiritual Man.-He. ladeth me forth, to Activity and Duty, by the ftill Waters. With a Senfe of my Intereft in CHRIST and his inexhauftible Fulness, He refresheth my Spirit, and animates me to Obedience.-When, through the Infirmity of my Flesh, I fall and contract Guilt, He reftoreth my Soul. He teacheth me to behold the bleeding Lamb of GOD, and to fee all my Sins laid upon my SAVIOUR. This renews my Strength, and re-infpirits my drooping Refolutions. Thus He leadeth me on; enables me to perfevere and advance, in the Paths of Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs. Not for my Merit, but for his own Name's Jake; not to recompenfe any Excellency in me, but to manifeft the exceeding Riches of his own Grace.