rant; for while he teaches these in a plain style, he entertains even the learned, that are serious, agreeably. So that whoever neuseates this book for its style, shews himself more of a critical than of a christian spirit.

The beauty of the style is exceeded, and even eclipsed, by the excellency of the matter which it contains: upon which many observations might be made, very useful and necessary to be remembered in these giddy times. The subject which he handles is, of all others, of the greatest importance and moment to every man : it is the Christian's Great Interest, his greatest interest indeed, his union with Christ the blessed Redeemer, and his title to the invaluable and glorious blessings of his purchase. The two parts of this great subject which he treats of, are these which mest nearly touch every christian, and which he is most called to bring to a clear and satisfying issue; how a person may try his interest in Christ, and how he may attain to it, and secure it. Happy that man who can satisfy himself as to these.

In managing these heads of his discourse, it is evident to every one who reads this treatise, that the author founds his doctrine upon the principles of that system which asserts free grace as the cause of our salvation, and of all that leads to it; these principles which were first delivered to the saints in the holy scriptures, restored again with the scriptures at the glorious reformation from Popery, received into almost all the confessions of faith of the reformed churches, and fully asserted by the Synod of Dort, in op

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position to Pelagian, and Semi-Pelagian errors. Upon this system is founded the doctrine of this treatise, in which the author asserts or supposes particular election, effectual grace, man's natural inability to do what is spiritually good, Christ's satisfying for the elect only, and the perseverance of the saints: these principles plainly run through the whole work, and it is bottomed upon them.

Yet at the same time, nothing is omitted that naturally could fall within such a work, to inculcate the necessity of holiness, and universal obedience to God's holy law. The freedom and fulness of the grace of Christ in the gospel is so taught, as not to justle out the necessity of our own utmost diligence and care to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; it was not the author's business, in so small and so practicable a treatise, to show explicitly the consistency of these two together; he knew this was sufficiently done in books of a controversial nature; but holding to the doctrine of our excellent Westminster confession, he so exalts free grace as not to invalidate the obligation of the moral law; he so asserts our natural corruption as not to loosen our obligations to gospel obedience; and equally discourages free will and merit on the one hand, and slothfulness and security on the other; and this not by direct assertions upon these heads, which are consequently overturned by contrary doctrines laid down in other places, as is done in some late books of modern divinity, but by asserting the principles upon which they depend.

Thus he does not with some, exclude the word condition from the new covenant, as if there were a hazard of making God's own terms of his covenant too necessary, and some danger of binding them too fast upon the souls of his people; but with our larger catechism, he frequently makes use of that word throughout the whole book, without apprehending any danger from it; and asserts oftener than once, in the plainest and strongest terms, that faith is the condition of the

new covenant.

This faith he does not place as some have done, in a firm persuasion that Christ died for us; nay, he refutes this as a most dangerous and absurd notion; but "in the stating of the heart upon God in Christ, as a full blessing and satisfying portion, in the soul's acquiescence in the way of salvation by Christ; it is to accept of, and close with God's device of saving sinners by Christ Jesus, held forth in the gospel; and to close with Christ in his kingly office, as he is anointed to be a king, to rule over a man in all things." A notion of faith, which, as it exalts free grace, so it excludes the presumption of hypocrites; and is fitted to prevent discouragements and despondency in the truly godly, and to excite holiness, by causing the soul to go forth towards God in Christ, and to follow hard after him as its chief good and happiness; whereas the other groundless notion of it leads to the very reverse of all these.

This pious and judicious author makes assurance of our interest in Christ to be attainable, and that too more easy than many serious chris

tians do imagine; yet he will by no means allow it to be of the essence of justifying faith, or inseparable from it; on the contrary, he teaches in the most express terms, that many are truly gracious, and have a good title to eternal life, who do not know so much.

He asserts the freedom and universal extent of the gospel offer in the fullest terms, declaring, that "peace and salvation is offered to all without exception; that a man is not to question God's willingness to receive men who go to Christ honestly;" but does not think it necessary, for laying a foundation for this offer, to affirm, that "Christ died for all men," as some others have imagined; nor torture himself to find out the ground of this general offer till he has almost wrought himself into the Arminian scheme, With him "it was for the sins of the elect that. Christ satisfied," and this restriction of Christ's satisfaction he did not judge inconsistent with an universal offer; but, with other orthodox divines he judged that the universal offer was the means for applying Christ's satisfaction to the persons for whom it was specially made; and that this glorious end of converting an elect world, together with God's extensive command to his servants, Matt. xxviii. 19. was sufficient ground to preach the gospel to every man without perplexing matters with new schemes, which, as it often happens, involves matters, instead of explaining them.

Another thing observable in this excellent and pious author, is his particular regard, throughout this whole treatise, unto God's holy law.

As the promoting of holiness, and a thorough conversion in christians, appears to be the great design of his work; so he does, throughout the whole of it, maintain an inviolable respect for God's law, which is the rule and measure of it. He does not lay out himself (as some innovating writers on the same subject have done) to find out subtle distinctions of the meaning of the word law, till he has almost distinguished away. the obligation of it. He makes the law a schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ; but then he does not lay it aside, as an almanack out of date, when it has brought us to him; nay, he makes it one. of the first breathings of the new nature, "to ac-knowledge the law to be good, holy, just and spiritual; to accept of Christ's whole yoke without exception; and to become a servant of righteousness unto God." He makes "the genuine fruit of the new life to be faith working by love," which is the fulfilling of the law; and tells us, that "the promises are made to faith followed with holiness," which is the same with obedience to it.

Agreeably to this binding force of God's law, he every where excites and encourages christians to exert their most earnest and vehement. endeavours in the work of their salvation: he not only encourages believers, whose powers are by their conversion made active, to diligence and industry; but he calls even unconverted sinners, who are dead in trespasses and sins, to essay their duty, and diligently to apply themselves to the practice of it, and gives them great encour