Each as implying both, or reciprocally inferring one another.

In like manner, when the Scripture afcribes our Juftification to the Death of CHRIST; We are not to think, that it would fet afide, but imply his Obedience. It is not because his active Obedience has no Concern, in procuring the Bleffing; but because his bitter Paffion was the moft confpicuous, and the completing Stage of his ever-glorious Undertaking. Then, and not till then, He could truly fay; FATHER, I have finished the Work, Thou gaveft me to do*.

Ther. According to your Account then, it should be poffible for a Man to have all his Sins pardoned, yet not attain to complete Juftification. Which is as contrary to found Senfe, and true Divinity, as to imagine, that Crookedness may be removed, and the Object not become straight.

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Afp. No, Theron. I only apprehend, that Pardon does by no Means exhauft the whole Nature of Juftification. For which I have a better Warrant than my own Apprehenfion. He was delivered, far our Sins, and rofe again for our Justification. "most comfortable Word, faith our Church, ever66 more to be borne in Remembrance! He died to "put away Sin, this is one Part of Fuftification; "He rofe again to endow Us with Righteouf"nefs +." This is the other Part.

According to my Account, it is impoffible, that the active and paffive Obedience of our REDEEMER fhould be disjoined. To whomfoever the one is imputed, from Him the other is not with

John xvii. 4.

t For this, and the preceding Quotation, fee Our Hmily on the Refurrection.

with-held. They were undivided in CHRIST the illuftrious Head; and they are undivided in their Application to his myftical Body. As CHRIST in fuffering obeyed, and in obeying fuffered; fo, whoever receives CHRIST as an Atonement, receives Him alfo as a Righteousness.

This has been obferved before; and if this be real Fact, what an inestimably precious Gift, is the Gift of CHRIST! Never was the moft fovereign Remedy, fo admirably fuited to any Malady, as this is adapted to our neceffitous and miferable State. In HIM may We be found, living and dying! How fafe, how happy then!-Let me not weary your Patience, if I repeat a Paffage from our excellent Dr. Lightfoot. Which, though artless and remarkably fimple, has very much affected my Mind; and, I hope, will leave fome valuable Impreffion on my Friend's. "Juftification, fays that judicious Divine, is a Man's being interested " in all CHRIST's Righteoufnefs. And if any "Thing is to be longed for, fure that is, to be in"terested in all CHRIST's Righteoufness."

Ther. You don't weary my Patience; neither do You fatisfy my Doubts. For You take no notice of the Abfurdity objected, and the Comparison which enforces it.

Afp. Your Comparison, my dear Friend, is not founded on a parallel Cafe. Neither Senfe, nor Philofophy find a Medium, between the Removal of Crookedness, and the Succeffion of Straightness. But Reason difcerns an apparent, and Revelation maintains an important Difference, between the Pardon of Sin, and a Title to Life. This has already been proved from Scripture; and is, to me at leaft, evi

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dent

dent from the very Nature of Things, If a King, in favour of fome condemned Malefactor, revoke the Sentence of Death; this is one very confiderable Act of Clemency. But if He pleases to make the pardoned Criminal, a Partaker of his Kingdom, or an Heir of his Crown; this furely is a new, and a much higher Inftance of royal Bounty..

Since You infift upon a Similitude, the Word of GOD, which always fpeaks with confummate Pro priety, will furnish Us with one. Zechariah illuftrates the Doctrine of Juftification. He reprefents the Sinner by a Person arrayed in filthy Garments. His Pardon is described by taking away this fordid Apparel. By which Benefit, He ceases to be defiled; yet is He not hereby clothed; yet is He not hereby juftified. This is an additional Bleffing; fignified by putting on Change of Raiment *, and wearing beautiful Robes.-Here, the Circumftances tally. The two conftituent Parts of Juftification, are feverally displayed, and strongly marked. Here We have the Removal of Filth, and the Acceffion of Beauty; that which frees Us from being abhorred, and that which renders Us accepted. Which, though diftinguishable in themselves, and diftinguished by the facred Writer, are always united in the divine Donation.

After all, I readily acknowledge, that the Clemency of an earthly Sovereign, the Proceedings of an earthly Tribunal, or the Generofity of an earthly Benefactor, are but partial and inadequate Reprefentations of this wonderful Affair. Because, in the Cafe of justifying a Sinner, all is abfolutely

Zech. iii. 3, 4, 5.

free,

free, yet all is ftrictly due: abfolutely free, with respect to unworthy Man: Strictly due, with regard to the Merits of CHRIST.

Ther. Due to CHRIST-This Notion, I fuppofe, is founded upon a Covenant; a chimerical Covenant, that CHRIST would take upon Him the Obedience required from Man, of which there is not the least Intimation in holy Scripture.

Afp. That CHRIST undertook every Thing neceffary, to redeem loft Sinners from Death and Hell; every Thing neceffary, to procure for attainted Rebels a Title to Life and Glory; this cannot be reckoned chimerical. This must be as real, as that loft Sinners are redeemed, or attainted Rebels reftored. Every Proof of the one, proves and establishes the other. This is what We call a Covenant; and, from its benign Nature, THE CoVENANT OF GRACE.

Without undertaking this, I fee not how our LORD could fuftain the Character of a SURETY; nor, without fulfilling it, how He could execute the Office of a REDEEMER. And I be-lieve, You yourself will be at a lofs to fhew, with what Kind of Juftice the Eternal FATHER could lay* our Iniquities on the innocent JESUS, unlefs He had confented to be answerable for our Guilt.

Ther. This is no Answer to my Objection. I faid and it has been afferted by a very eminent and able Pen-that there is no Intimation of any fuch Covenant in the whole Scriptures,

Afp. What then can be the Meaning of those remarkable Words, in the Prophecy of Zechariah?

* Ifai. liii. 6.

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The

The Counsel of Peace fhall be between them both *. Here, I think, the Covenant is mentioned, and the Parties are specified.-The Counsel of Peace, if I miftake

* Zech. vi. 12, 13. Thefe two Verfes contain a brief, but very fine Description of the REDEEMER; of his Perfon, his Office, and his Glory; together with the all-gracious Caufe, and ever-bleffed Fruit of our Redemption.

His Perfon: He is the Man; or, as the Hebrew imports, the real, but at the fame Time, the illufirious Man.

Whofe Name is the BRANCH; being the new Origin of a new Race; the Father of a spiritual Seed, who are Children, not of the Flesh, but of the Promife.-A Branch that fhall fpring, not from a common Root, not from any human Planting, but "from_under Himfelf; being born of a pure Virgin, and by the Power of his own SPIRIT, He fhall be both Stock and Stem to Himself.

His Office: It is to build the Temple, the Church of the Elect; which is the House of the living GOD. In which He dwells, and by Whom He is worshipped. Laying the Foundation of this fpiritual Edifice in his Crofs, and cementing it with his Blood.--Which He fhall rule as a King, after having redeemed it as a Prieft; uniting the facerdotal Cenfer with the regal Diadem, and being a Prieft upon his Throne. Hence proceeds his Glory: For, He ftands not, like other Priefts, offering daily the fame Oblations; but having, by one Sacrifice, obtained eternal Redemption for Us, is fet down at the Righthand of the MAJESTY on High.

What is the Caufe of thefe great Events? What, but that moft facred and auguft Convention, the Council of Peace? Which was fettled between them both; between the LORD JEHOVAH on one Hand, and the Man whofe Name is the BRANCH on the other.Called a Council, from the entire Confent, which actuated each Party; and the tranfcendent Wifdom, difplayed in the whole Scheme.-The Council of Peace, becaufe of its fovereign Efficacy, to make Peace with an offended GOD, Peace in the accufing Confcience, Peace among People of jarring Tempers and difcordant Principles.