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fpend, not a few vacant Hours in refined Amufement, but a boundless Eternity in the Confummation of Joy.-For, to a well-turned Mind, Nature is a Preceptor; and these are her instructive Leffons. To the pure in Heart, even Senfe is edifying; and thefe are its delicate Moralities.

The redundant Waters of the Canal, rolled off in a fpreading Cafcade. Which, tumbling from many a little Precipice, foothed the Air with a Symphony of foft and gurgling Sounds. Nor ever intermitted the obliging Office,

From Morn to Noon, from Noon to dewy Eve.

But, when the fanning Breezes dropt their Wings; when the feathered Choir were hufhed in Sleep; when not fo much as a chirping Grafhopper, was heard throughout the Meads; this liquid Inftrument ftill played its Solo: ftill purfued its bufy Way, and warbled, as it flowed, melodious Murmurs.

Afp. Such, Theron; fo uniform, uninterrupted, and invariable, fhould be our Conformity to the Precepts of the Law.-But alas! thofe facred Precepts are fo exceedingly broad, that the most enlarged human Obedience, is far from being commenfurate to their Extent: fo abfolutely holy, that our highest Attainments fail vaftly short of their exalted Perfection. How then can We expect Juftification, from fuch a confummate Rule? How dare We place any Dependence, upon fuch imperfect Duties?

When You was pleading for fuch a Method of Juftification, You put me in Mind of the Conful Mummius. I could not but think of those memorable Orders, which He gave the Merchant, who

A 4

under.

undertook to convey his fine Grecian Statues to Rome.

Ther. Instead of the Conful, You should have faid the Clown Mummius. No Clown ever difcovered a more grofs and indelicate Tafte, than that illuftrious Booby. For any One to talk of making new Antiques, was Folly and Nonfenfe to the last Degree. But is it equally abfurd, for Us to talk of regaining and fecuring the Favour of GOD, by our Repentance, our Reformation, our holy Duties?

Afp.

Mummius was General of the Roman Army; and, on Account of his fignal Victories in Achaia, furnamed Achaicus. Though a fuccefsful Warrior, He was no very acute Connoiffeur. Of this, the Story to which Afpafio refers, is a pretty evident Proof.-Having conquered and plundered the City of Corinth, there was found, among the Spoils, a moft curious Collection of Pictures and Statues; wrought by the ableft Hands, and greatest Mafters, that Greece itfelf had produced. What fhall He do with thefe incomparable Remains of Antiquity? He refolves, forfooth, upon tranfmitting them to Rome; that they may make a Shew, on the Day of his Triumph. As Water-carriage was moft convenient, He agrees with the Captain of a Veffel; charges Him to take particular Care of the Freight; and adds, very seriously adds; That in Cafe they were loft in their Paffage, He would oblige Him to provide new ones. A Saying, defervedly ridiculed by all Men of Senfe, as a moft egregious Solecifm in Tafte and Delicacy.

Demens! qui Nimbos & non imitabile Fulmen
Ere & cornipedum Curfu fimulâret, Equorum.

VIRG.

If this Reprehenfion of the Poet's, is applicable to Mum"mius, and his ill-judged Menace; how much more juftly may it be applied to Theron, and his felf-juftifying Sentiments.

Afp. I fee very little odds in the Cafe, truly. Because, the Means, which You would ufe, are impracticable; and the End, at which You aim, is unattainable; unless

One greater Man

Reftore Us, and regain the blissful Seat.

Milton, You obferve, had no Notion of Man's reftoring Himself; or regaining the Favour of GOD, by his own Reformation. Such an Attempt, according to his Way of thinking, were fomewhat like the Conceit of making new Antiques.—What Hand could give Us Jupiter, in all his commanding Majefty, but the Hand of Phidias? What Pencil could fhew Us Venus, in all her attractive Beauty, but the Pencil of Apelles? Much more may We afk; what Obedience could equal the Perfection of the divine Law, but the Obedience of CHRIST? Or what Expedient can reconcile Sinners to their offended GOD, but only the Blood and Righteoufness of his beloved SON?

Ther. Pray, let me afk in my Turn-Becaufe Mankind are incapable of pleafing their MAKER, by yielding an abfolute and invariable Obedience to the moral Law; does it follow from thence, that they cannot render themselves acceptable to Him, by an univerfal Courfe of fincere Obedience?

Afp. I think, it follows from what has been already obferved. If You defire new Arguments, they are at hand.

The Law, fays the Teacher of the Gentiles, is the Miniftration of Death *. How can this be true, if

it

2 Cor. iii. 7. In this Place, I apprehend, the Apoftle means the moral Law, and that principally. As that

alone

it requires no more than a fincere Obedience; fuch as is proportioned to our infirm State? If this be fufficient to juftify, and intitle Us to our CREATOR's Favour; the Law ceases to be the Miniftration of Condemnation. It becomes (which is flatly contradictory to the Apoftle's Doctrine) the Miniftration of Righteoufnefs.

The Law is ftiled, by the fame inspired Teacher, A Schoolmaster to bring Us to CHRIST +. How can it, upon your Suppofition, be qualified for fuch an Office? If a fincere Obedience be the Whole of its Demands, it can no longer direct Us to CHRIST; it will no longer deliver Us over to a REDEEMER's Merit; but muft engage and attach Us to itself. Teaching Us to look upon its Precepts, and our own confcientious Obfervance of them, as the Tenure of eternal Life.

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alone was written and engraven on Stones. Elfewhere, I believe, He uses the Word in a larger Senfe; and intends to exclude all Law whatever, from bearing any Share in our Juftification.

+ Gal. iii. 24. Пardalwy, A School-mafter. Who pretends not to finish the Education of Youth; but directs them to, and prepares them for, higher Studies, or nobler Employs. The Law, in like Manner, aims not at furnishing Us with a Title to eternal Happiness; but difpofes and difciplines Us, for the All-fufficient REDEEMER, and his free Salvation.

Some have thought, that as Xpro fignifies, Until the Coming of CHRIST. But this will hardly confift with the Genius of the Language, or with the Import of the following Claufe, That We might be juftified by Faith.Befides, this would confine the Efficacy of the Law, to that Period of Time, which preceded our LORD's Incarnation. Whereas, it still does, and always will act, (until this Corruptible fhall put on Incorruption) in a Way of Subferviency to his Merits.

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Do You infift upon a third Proof? A third prefents itself. Not fo much founded on Argumentation, as deduced from Example.-How was Abraham*, the Friend of GOD, and Father of the Faithful, juftified? By a Courfe of fincere, or by many Acts of heroic Obedience? No; but by Faith in the promised MESSIAH. Abraham worked not, with a View to obtain Juftification; but believed on Him, who jufiifieth the Ungodly.-How was David *, the Man after GOD's own Heart, juftified? By his Zeal for his CREATOR's Glory, or by his eminent Services to his Fellowcreatures? No; but by a Righteoufnefs imputed: even that Righteousness of the blessed REDEEMER, through which Iniquity is forgivev, and Sin pardoned. And can We be said to walk humbly, or can we be thought to walk surely, if, refufing to tread in the Steps of these exemplary Saints, We divert into a Path of our own devifing?

Ther. "Of our own devifing!"-No, my Friend: there is a milder Law introduced by the Gospel, condescending

** Theft two Examples are, with the greateft Judgment selected, and with the utmoft Propriety applied. Rom. iv. 1, &c. Rom. iv. 6, &c.-Abraham was the most illuftrious Pattern of Piety, among the Jewish Patriarchs; In Glory there was None like Him, Ecclus xliv. 19. David was the moft zealous and feraphic of the Jew Kings: A Man after GOD's own Heart, 1 Sam. xiii. 14.—If neither of thefe diftinguished Perfonages, was juftified by his own Obedience; but each by an imputed Righ.coufnefs: If they both obtained Acceptance with GOD, not as upright Beings, who might claim it; but as finful Creatures, who must implore it; the Confequence is glaring. It is fuch, as muft ftrike every attentive Understanding; muft affect every individual Perfon; and feclude all Manner of Works, even thofe of the higheft Saint, from any the leaft Degree of Ingrediency into Juftification.

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