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" might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of "God."* How much more must the interested believer, with peculiar complacency, approve and adore it? But, above all, if that love and mercy which reigns through the whole is glorious to God, muft it not be delightful to the Chriftian God is love; and his tender mercies are over all his other works; but creating and preferving goodness are fhaded and eclipfed by redeeming love. It is the theme of the praises of heaven, where Christ, as the object of worship, is reprefented as appearing " like a Lamb that "had been flain."

2. Believers have peace of confcience through Christ, as their redemption through his blood ferves for their own humiliation and felf-abasement, for the manifestation of the evil of fin, and the vilenefs and unworthinefs of the finner. Nothing could be fo well contrived as the doctrine of the cross, in its purity and fimplicity, to flain the pride of all human glory. We are particularly called to deny ourselves, and to derive our worth and strength from our Redeemer, in whom "it hath pleased the Father, that all "fulness should dwell," and from whofe fulness all his difciples muft" receive, and grace for grace." No hope of mercy but through him. "I am the way, and the truth, "and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by

me." "Neither is there falvation in any other: for "there is none other name under heaven given among "men, whereby we must be faved." No access to the throne of grace or acceptance in worship, but through him: "In whom we have accefs with boldness and confidence, "through the faith of him. And whatsoever ye do in "word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, "giving thanks to God and the Father by him." hope of ftability in duty, of usefulness, or holiness of converfation, but by the continued exercise of faith in him. "Abide in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear "fruit of itfelf, except it abide in the vine, no more can

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Eph. iii. 10. John xiv. 6. ‡ A&s iv. 12. Eph. iii. 12.

Col. iii. 17.

26. ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the "branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the "fame bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can. "do nothing."*

Hard fayings and humbling doctrine indeed! But this is appeafing to the confcience; for as confcience condemns us as guilty and undeferving, this condemnation is ratified in every particular by the gospel. Thefe very circumstances in this doctrine, which provoke the hatred, or invite the contempt of worldly men, do but fo much the more endear it to the convinced foul; and he fays from the heart, "It is highly just and reasonable that God alone "fhould be exalted, and that he, through our Redeemer, "fhould have the whole praife of our recovery and falva"tion." Agreeably to this it will be found, that the apoftles, in celebrating the grace of God, feldom omit an exprefs condemnation of themselves, and a renunciation of all merit of their own, which indeed in every paffage on this fubject is manifeftly implied: "For by grace ye are faved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is "the gift of God: not of works, left any man fhould boast: "for we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus un"to good works, which God hath before ordained that we "fhould walk in them.† Whereof I was made a minifter, "according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me, "by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who "am lefs than the leaft of all faints, is this grace given, "that I fhould preach among the Gentiles the unfearcha"ble riches of Christ."I

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3. Believers have peace from the challenges of an evil confcience, through Chrift, as they have an abfolute affurance of being delivered from the power of fin, and ef fectually enabled to glorify him with their fouls and with their bodies, which are his. This must be the most earnest defire of every convinced finner. He breathes after deliverance from the bondage of fin: the more he hath felt the weight of his chains, the more he longs to be free. This is infeparable from genuine convictions, on the principles above laid down. How much muft it contribute to

* John xv. 4, 5. t Eph. ii. 8, 9, 10. Eph. iii. 7, 8.

compofe the confcience, to know that this defire fhall certainly be accomplished? However much caufe he may have to condemn himself for his paft provocations, or to dread the weaknefs of his own refolutions of future amendment, he knows and trufts in the power of his Redeemer. He knows that henceforth he fhall not ferve fin, that its dominion fhall be gradually broken through life, and entirely destroyed at death. As the end of Chrift's coming was to glorify his heavenly Father, he knows that the glory of God cannot be promoted by leaving the finner under the bondage of corruption, and therefore that he fhall be purified, and made meet to be a "partaker of the inhe"ritance of the faints in light."

If we look with care and attention into the New Teftament, we fhall perceive that there is a clofe and mutual connexion between our juftification and fanctification, and that both are reprefented as the fruit of our Redeemer's purchase: "There is therefore now no condemna❝tion to them that are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after "the flesh but after the Spirit: for the law of the Spirit "of life in Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law "of fin and death: for what the law could not do, in "that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own "Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin condemn"ed fin in the flesh."* All the bleflings of falvation are reprefented as following one another in a continued chain or feries, not one link of which can poffibly be broken: "For whom he did foreknow, he alfo did predeftinate to "be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might "be the firft-born among many brethren. Moreover, "whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo called; and "whom he called, them he alfo juftified; and whom he

juflified, them he alfo glorified."+ There is a cleansing and purifying virtue in the blood of Chrift, as well as an infinite value in the way of purchase and atonement : "For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the afhes of "an heifer fprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more fhall the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself

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Rom. viii. 1, 2, 3. † Rom. viii. 29, 30.

"without fpot to God, purge your confcience from dead "works to ferve the living God ?"*

None but real Chriftians, exercifed in the fpiritual life, know the value or neceffity of the promises of strength and affiftance contained in the fcriptures. The glory of their Redeemer's perfon, fpoken of in fo magnificent terms, both in the Old Teftament and the New, is furveyed by them with the most exquifite delight. The power and efficacy of his administration is, to them, a fource of unfpeakable comfort. Under him, as the Captain of their falvation, they "difplay their banners," and go forth with undaunted courage to meet every oppofing enemy, believing that they fhall be "more than conquerors through "him that loved them." Among many others, fee the two following paffages: "O Zion that bringeft good "tidings, get thee up into the high mountain: O Jerufa"lem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with ftrength, lift it up, be not afraid: fay unto the cities "of Judah, Behold your God. Behold, the Lord God "will come with strong hand, and his arm fhall rule for "him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work be"fore him. He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd; he

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fhall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in "his bofom, and fhall gently lead thofe that are with young.t-Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not "difmayed, for I am thy God: I will ftrengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right-hand of my righteoufnefs. Behold, all they that were incenfed against thee, fhall be afhamed and con"founded: they shall be as nothing, and they that strive "with thee, fhall perish. Thou fhalt feek them, and "fhalt not find them, even them that contended with "thee: they that war against thee, fhall be as nothing, "and as a thing of nought. For I the Lord thy God will "hold thy right-hand, faying unto thee, Fear not, I will "help thee."+

* Heb. ix. 13, 14. † If. xl. 9, 10, 11. If. xli. 10, 11, 12, 13.

SECT. VII.

How the Christian is governed in his daily conversation.

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EFORE concluding this chapter, I fhall fpeak a few words of the principles by which a believer is governed in his after obedience. On this the reader may observe, that a change in his whole character and conduct, immediately and neceffarily takes place. The love of God is "fhed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost," and is the commanding principle of all his future actions. It conftantly difcovers its influence, except in fo far as it is refifted and counteracted by the remaining ftruggles of that "law in his members, which warreth against the law "of God in his mind." By the discovery which he hath obtained of the real nature and infinite amiableness of God, his will is renewed; he approves the things that are excellent, and gets fuch an impreffion of the obligation of the law of God, as cannot be afterwards effaced. So long, however, as he continues under a load of unforgiven guilt, and fees every perfection of God armed with terror against himself, there can be little elfe than flavifh fear: but when he hears a gracious promise of pardon; when on examining the evidence, his doubt and uncertainty is removed; when he fees the righteous ground on which this forgiveness is built, he lays hold of it as his own, and is united to God by unfeigned love. This love, though weak in its measure, is, notwithstanding, perfect in its nature, and therefore powerful in its influence; being at once a love of esteem, of gratitude, and of defire.

The love of God is the first precept of the moral law, and the first duty of every intelligent creature; but it is eafy to fee, that unlefs our love is fixed upon the true God, it is fpurious and unprofitable: and unless the true God is feen in "the face of Jefus Chrift," for any finner to love him is impoffible: but through the glorious gofpel, the new nature is effectually produced, and cannot be produced in any other way. It is Chrift Jefus who reveals to us the true God, the knowledge of whom we had loft. "No man hath feen God at any time; the only begotten

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