into Heaven, and Seffion at the Right-hand of his FATHER; because I go to my FATHER, and ye see me no more *.-He fhall convince of Judgment. Thofe, who are humbled under a Senfe of Guilt, and juftified through an imputed Righteoufness, fhall be taught by happy Experience, that the Prince of this World is condemned and dethroned in their Hearts: That their Souls, by Virtue of this victorious Faith, are rescued from the Tyranny of Satan; are delivered from the Bondage of their Corruptions; and restored to the Liberty-the glorious Liberty of the Children of GOD.

You wonder, perhaps, that I have not strengthened my Cause, by any Quotation from the Epiftle to the Galatians. What I defign, my dear Theron, is not to accumulate, but to felect Arguments. However, that I may not disappoint an Expectation fo reasonable, I proceed to lay before You a very nervous Paffage, from that masterly Piece of facred Controversy.-Only, let me just observe, that the Epiftle was written to Perfons, who had embraced Christianity, and profeffed an Affiance in CHRIST. But would fain have joined Circumcifion, would fain have fuperadded their own religious Duties, to the Merits of their SAVIOUR; in order to constitute, at leaft, fome Part of their juftifying Righteousness. Against which Error, the vigilant and indefatigable

* If the Work had been imperfect in any Degree, our REDEEMER, instead of taking up his ftated and final Refidence in the Regions of Glory, muft have de-` fcended again into this inferior World, to complete what was deficient. Therefore, his Sitting at the Right-hand of GOD, is a most comfortable Evidence, that He has thoroughly performed his Commiffion; has fully fatisfied for Sin; and brought in the all-meritorious Righteousness.

indefatigable Affertor of the Truth as it is in 7ESUS, remonftrates-We who are Jews by Nature, and not Sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a Man is not justified by the Works of the Law, but by the Faith of JESUS CHRIST, even We have believed in JESUS CHRIST; that We might be justified by the Faith of CHRIST, and not by the Works of the Law; for, by the Works of the Law fhall no Flesh be juftified.

We, who are fews by Nature; are the Defcendents of Abraham, and GOD's peculiar People; have the Tables of his Law, and the Ordinances of his Worfhip: We who, in Point of Privileges, are greatly fuperior to the Gentile Nations, and have all poffible Advantages for establishing (if such a Thing were practicable) a Righteousness of our own; What have We done?-We have believed in JESUS CHRIST: We have renounced Ourfelves; difclaimed whatever is our own; and depended wholly on the Blood and Obedience of the glorious IMMANUEL.-For what End? That by this Faith in CHRIST, which receives his Righteousness; pleads his Righteousness; and prefents nothing but his infinitely noble Righteousness before the Throne, We might be justified.-What Motive has induced Us to this Practice ?-A firm VOL. II. Per* Gal. ii. 15, 16. Obfervable, very obfervable is the Zeal of our Apoftle, in this determined Stand, against the moft fpecious, and therefore the most dangerous Encroachments of Error. To exprefs his ardent Concern for the Truth and Purity of the Gofpel-The Works of the Law are mentioned no less than three Times, and as often excluded from the Affair of Juftification The Faith of CHRIST likewife is thrice inculcated, and as often afferted to be the only Method of becoming righteous before GOD.

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Perfuafion, that by the Works of the Law, by fincere Obedience, or perfonal Holiness, no Man living has been, and no Man living can be, juftified before GOD.

Are You tired, Theron? Have I fatigued your Attention, instead of convincing your Judgment?I will not harbour fuch a Sufpicion. It is pleafing to converse with Those, who have traveled into foreign Countries, and feen the Wonders of Creation. We hearken to their Narratives with Delight. Every new Adventure whets our Curiofity, rather than palls our Appetite. Must it not then afford a more sublime Satisfaction, to be entertained with the Difcourses of a Perfon, who had, not indeed failed round the World, but made a Journey to the third Heavens? Who had been admitted into the Paradife of GOD, and heard Things of infinite Importance, and unutterable Dignity?-This was the Privilege of that incomparable Man, whofe Obfervations and Discoveries, I have been prefenting to my Friend. And I promise myself, He will not complain of Weariness, if I enrich my Epiftle with one or two more of thofe glorious Truths.

GOD hath made H1M to be Sin for Us who knew no Sin; that We might, not be put into a Capacity of acquiring a Righteousness of our own, but be made the Righteoufnefs of GOD in Him*. In this Text, the double Imputation of our Sin to CHRIST, and of CHRIST's Righteousness to Us, is most em-. phatically taught, and most charmingly contrafted.

Moft emphatically taught. For, We are faid, not barely to be made righteous, but to be made Righteoufnefs

2 Cor. v. 21.

435 teousness itself; and not Righteousness only, but (which is the utmost that Language can reach) the Righteousness of GOD.-Most charmingly contrafted. For, One cannot but afk, In what Manner, CHRIST was made Sin? In the very fame Manner, We are made Righteoufnefs. CHRIST knew no actual Sin. Yet, upon his mediatorial Interpofition on our Behalf, He was treated by Divine Juftice, as a finful Perfon. We likewife are deftitute of all legal Righteousness. Yet, upon our receiving CHRIST, and believing in his Name, We are regarded by the Divine MAJESTÝ, as righteous Creatures. This therefore cannot, in either Cafe, be intrinfically; but muft be, in both Inftances, imputatively.—Gracious, divinely gracious Exchange pregnant with ineftimable Benefits. The inceffant Triumph of the ftrong, the fovereign Confolation of the weak Believer!

* !

Cease your Exulation, cries One, and come down from your Altitudes. The Term ufed in this Verfe denotes, not so properly Sin, as an Offering for Sin. -This is a mere Suppofal, which I may as reafonably deny, as Another affirm. Since the Word occurs, much more frequently in the former Signification, than in the latter; and fince, by giving it the latter Signification in the Passage before Us, We very much impair, if not totally deftroy, the Apoftle's beautiful Antithefts.

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How

* Ita fcilicet mirabili Permutatione Mala noftra in fe recepit, ut Bona fua nobis largiretur; recepit Miferiam, ut largiretur Mifericordiam; recepit Maledictionem, ut Benedictionis Jua compotes nos faceret; recepit Mortem, ut Vitam conferret; recepit Peccatum, ut Juftitiam impertiretur. Thus writes the judicious Turretin. To which, in Concurrence with the accurate Witfius, I subscribe both with Hand and Heart,

However; not to contend, but to allow the Remark. I borrow my Reply from a brave old Champion for the Truths of the Gospel: "This Text, fays He, invincibly proveth, That We are not

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justified in GOD's Sight by Righteousness in"herent in Us, but by the Righteousness of "CHRIST imputed to Us through Faith.” After which He adds, what I make my Anfwer to the Objection; "That CHRIST was made Sin "for Us, because He was a Sacrifice for Sin, We "confefs: but therefore was He a Sacrifice for Sin, "because our Sin was imputed to Him, and pu"nished in Him."-The poor Delinquents under the Mofaic Difpenfation, who brought their Sinoffering to the Altar of the LORD, were directed to lay their Hand on the Head of the devoted Beast. Signifying, by this Ufage, a Transferring of Sin from the Offerer to the Sacrifice. Conformably to the Import of this Ceremony, CHRIST affumed our Demerit. Like a true piacular Victim, He fuffered the Punishment, which We had deserved; and which, without fuch a Commutation, We must have undergone. So that our LORD's being made a Sin-offering for Us, does by no means invalidate, but very much confirm our Doctrine.

It

*See Dr. Fulk's Annotation on the Place, in that valuable Piece of antient Controverfy and Criticifm, The Examination of the Rhemift Teftament. Which, though not altogether fo elegant and refined in the Language, nor fo delicate and genteel in the Manner, as might be wished; is neverthelefs full of found Divinity, weighty Arguments, and important Obfervations.-Would the young Student be taught to difcover the very Sinews of Popery, and be enabled to give an effectual Blow to that Complication of Errors, I fcarce know a Treatife better calculated for the Purpose.