of their juftification, will be accepted, or is worthy of being fo; that nothing will be truly effectual, till they fee their loft condition, and believe in Christ, first for pardon, and then for fanctification, " to the praife of the glory of "his 'grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the be"loved."* If they have any other plea, any other ground of hope and truft, it fhall undoubtedly fail them; they muft remain under a fentence of juft and legal condemnation, and shall finally perish; for "he that believeth in "the Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not "the Son fhall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth "on him, John iii. 36."

* Eph. i. 6.

The application of thefe paffages of Scripture, to the particular principles above maintained, will, perhaps, be thought to include in it a very fevere and uncharitable condemnation of many Chriftians, who differ in judgment upon the point of juftification. And indeed I pretend no great friendship to the fentiments fo frequently expreffed of late, "That it is a fmall matter what a man believes, if his life be "good." The affertion might perhaps be allowed, if it did not contain a foolish and unreafonable fuppofition, that a man may believe wrong, and yet lead as good a life as he that believes right; the contrary to which will always be expected by him who gives credit to the word of God, that his people are "fanctified through the truth." As to Socinians and Pelagians, who are the greatest oppofers of the truths above defended, I never did efteem them to be Chriftians at all; fo the confequence, with regard to them, may be easily adnitted. But it will be thought hard to fay the fame thing of the Arminians. However, if the righteoufnefs of Chrift is the only ground of our juftification, and the reception of him in this character the true principle of fanctification, I do not fee how we can avoid concluding the danger of those who act upon any other plan. And yet I am perfuaded there have been, and are many good men among them which may be accounted for in this manner, that their hearts are better than their understandings; and they are habitually under the government of principles, which, through fome mistaken views, and groundlefs fears of their abufe, they speak of more fparingly, or rather feem to establish the contrary pofitions. The proof of this affertion I take from their own writings, particularly from the difference between their fermons and other difcourfes, and thofe forms of prayer which they have drawn up, and not only recommended to others, but left behind them as a witness of their own exercife in their clofets. If they be fuppofed to feel the fentiments which they exprefs in their prayers, it can eally be made appear that these fentiments can only

I am naturally led to conclude this fubject, by obferving, that the importance, efficacy and neceffity of the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, fhews how much it is the duty of all minifters of the gofpel, to make it the main and leading theme of their fermons. The preaching of the golpel is by the apofile Paul, in a very juft and expreffive manner, ftiled preaching "the unfearchable riches of "Chrift." In him every prophecy, precept, promise and truth is centred. His character and work as a Saviour is held forth in a variety of lights in the facred oracles, and in every opening or view that is given us, fo to speak, of the difpenfations of Divine Providence and grace, he is the chief figure, or the termination of the profpect. If therefore we would know what efteem is due to our Redeemer in our hearts, and how high a place he ought to hold in our views of religion, let us obferve the regard paid to him by the facred writers. They derive almost all their motives to every moral duty, from what he hath done, and is ftill doing for us, and seem to delight even in the repetition of his name. I am perfuaded thofe who are accuftomed to the devout and ferious perufal of the word of God will not reckon it "enthufiafm," when I fay that these writers appear to be warmed and elevated above their ordinary meafure, when they celebrate his falvation; and that both in the Old and New Teftament, wherever we meet with any paffage fingularly lofty and fublime, there we may be fure that Chrift the Redeemer is the immediate theme.

Juftification by the free grace of God, through the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus, was the doctrine taught among Chriftians, in the earlieft and pureft ages of the church. And their departure from it was the prelude to that univerfal corruption of faith and worship, that relaxation of difcipline, and diffolution of manners, which took place in the ages following. It is alfo very remarkable,

be dictated by the doctrine of free grace. If what they fay of themfelves be true in its natural and cb.ius meaning, and if they believe it, which charity obliges us to fupp fe, it must be altogether vain to lay the leaft ftrefs upon their own righteoufaefs for their acceptance with God.

that this doctrine was always fully and distinctly taught in thofe churches which never fubmitted to the tyranny, or received the corruptions of the Romish Antichrift; I mean the churches of the Piedmontefe vallies, which by fo many judicious writers, are fuppofed to be the two witnesses mentioned in the Revelation, who fled into the wilderness from the perfecution of the beast, and prophefied in fackcloth. The accounts which have been tranfmitted to us of the principles held by them, long before the reformation, plainly fhow, that they maintained this doctrine from the beginning. And as it is well known that the reformation took its first rife from the grofs and fcandalous application of the doctrine of merit in indulgences, fo all the reformers, without exception, were ftrenuous afferters of free grace. This was reckoned by them "articulus ftantis aut "cadentis ecclefiæ," by which the church must stand or fall. Particularly, our reformers in both parts of this ifland agreed in preaching the fame doctrine, and the eminent piety of our fathers is a standing evidence of its force and efficacy.

It doth not perhaps become, and probably it would not be fafe for me to enter into a particular examination of the manner of preaching in the prefent age; and therefore my reflections upon that fubject shall be very few and general. What is moft obvious in our prefent fituation, and what ought to affect Chriftians with moft concern, is, the great prevalence of infidelity. This is the more furprising, that we have never wanted, and do not at prefent want, many able and eminent writers to ftand up in defence of the gofpel, and refute the changeable and inconfiftent reafonings of infidels, whatever form they fhall from time to time, think fit to affume, and on whatever principles they fhall pretend to build. But, I am afraid, the best defence of all is but too much neglected, viz. Zealous affiduous preaching the great and fundamental truths of the gofpel, the loft condemned ftate of man by nature, and the neceffity of pardon through the righteoufnefs, and renovation by the Spirit of Chrift. This would make a far greater number of those who call themselves by the name of Chrift, Chriftians indeed. And the visible efficacy of

his doctrine, would be a fenfible demonftration of its truth and divine original. If thefe truths are not contradicted, it may be fafely faid, that they are by many kept more out of view than formerly. And furely we have no great cause to boast of our improvements in the preaching art, if its goodness is to be determined, like that of a tree, not by its bloffoms, but its fruits.

There is one obfervation which may fatisfy us, that the preaching of the crofs of Chrift will moft effectually promote real reformation. It is, that thofe preachers who (to fay no more) approach nearest to making our own merit and obedience the ground of our acceptance with God, very seldom, if ever, give any alarm to the confciences of their hearers. Let them recommend ever fo pure and high a standard of morals, they are heard without fear, and, if they preach elegantly, with pleasure, even by the most profligate. To fuch preachers, all vain worldly-minded people, ufually attach themselves, where they have not caft off the very form of religion; but moft part of serious Chriftians, together with profeffing hypocrites, who cannot easily be diftinguifhed in this world, always follow preachers of another ftrain. It is eafy to fee the reafon of this from what hath been faid above; there are none who fet the ftrictnefs and obligation of the law, the holinefs and justice of God, in fo awful a light, as those who believe there is no fhelter from the fanction of the law, and the wrath of an offended God, but in the blood of Chrift. Perhaps, I am already enfnared and expofed to cenfure, by affirming, that there are among us preachers of different ftrains. But it is fo certain a truth, that I cannot deny it; and fo important, that I will not dif guife it.

Upon the whole, as the prefent afpect of public affairs, as the ftate of the world, and character of the age, loudly call upon all of every ftation to exert themfelves with diligence for the fupport and revival of truth and righteoufnefs: I hope the minifters of the gofpel will promote this end, by zealously laboring to bring men to the faving knowledge of Chrift," the way, and the truth, and the life"the foundation-the tried ftone-the precious corner

"ftone," the ftrength and fecurity of the building. To deny, explain away, or neglect to impart the truths of the everlafling gofpel, is the way to leave the world in wickednefs; but, by preaching them in purity, and with fimplicity, which, we have reafon to think, will be accompanied with "the demonftration of the Spirit," finners are reconciled unto God, the power of fin is broken in them, the divine image is formed in them, and upon thefe truths their hopes of eternal life muft reft and depend. Let us be ever ready to fay.with the apofile Paul, "God forbid that "I fhould glory, fave in the crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift."* "And let us quicken our diligence, and animate our endeavors, by expreffing, with the pfalmift David, our faith in the perpetuity of his kingdom. "His name fhall en"dure for ever: his name fhall be continued as long as the "fun and men fhall be bleffed in him; all nations fhall "call him bleffed. Bleffed be the Lord God, the God of "Ifrael, who only doth wondrous things. And blessed "be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth "be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen."†

* Gal. vi. 14. † Pfal. Ixxii. 17, 13, 19.