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WITHERSPOON'S ESSAY ON JUSTIFI

CATION.

(Continued fom page 50.) It will be a support to the present argument to observe, that some sense of the weakness of human na

ture, and its inequality to any thing arduous and difficult, seems to have been pretty universal in every country and in every age of the world. Thus among the ancient Heathens, of whom we have the fullest account, all great enterprises were supposed to be undertaken at the instigation, and executed by the assistance of some superior power. Their poets always gave out, that themselves were inspired, and their hero directed by some deity; and moderns generally suppose, that the very imagination of this had no small influence on the success of the attempt. The interposition of deities was, indeed, so remarkable in the most eminent ancient poets, that it has been reckoned a branch of their art, distinguished by a particular name, called the mac hinery, and is now inseparably joined, at least to one species of poetry. Nay, it was a pretty general belief among some nations, that every particular person had an angel, spirit or genius, to whose care he was committed, who assisted him in difficulty, and protected him in danger. Does not all this then evidently prove, that a persuasion of superior aid must have the most happy influence on our activity and diligence in duty, and our progress in holiness? Doth it not make it reasonable to expect, that those who trust to nothing better than their own strength, will be proportionably low in their attempts, and deficient in their success; but that those whose eyes are fixed for direction upon God, and who live in a continual dependence on his grace, will become truly partakers of a divine nature?

Now, is not this the distinguishing characteristic of the scheme of

redemption by free grace, that it gives less to man and more to God, than any other plan? It seems indeed particularly to point at this very design in every part of it, to abase the pride of man, and to exalt the grace of God. Self-denial is the first condition of the gospel, and a renunciation of all self-dependence is the lesson continued through the whole. "Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength," may be called the motto of every Christian-is a short and comprehensive summary of his faith, and the great foundation of his hope and trust. As then it has been shown, that he is habitually inclined to obedience, with what alacrity and vigour will he apply himself to his duty, since he believes that Almighty power is constantly engaged in his behalf; and that however unable he may be of himself, for any thing that is good, yet a thorough and effectual change will be wrought in him by divine power? What a firmness and fortitude must be inspired by the following passage of the prophet Isaiah, and other promises in the same strain? "Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."*

But now, perhaps, after all the advantages of this doctrine, pointed out in the preceding discourse, some will be ready to ask me, if it cannot possibly be applied to the encouragement of impiety, or serve to foster a supine sloth and negli

* Is. xl. 28-37.

gence? To this I am ready to answer, By some who profess it, it may; but by those who really be lieve it, it never can. There is no

part of the word or providence of God, that may not be, or that hath not frequently in fact been, abused to bad purposes, by wicked men, under the dominion of their lusts. But, in order to remove ambiguity, it is proper to observe, that wherever there is a national profession of any religious principles, there must be many who are not believers, in any other sense than that they have been accustomed to hear such and such things asserted, have never inquired into nor doubted, seldom even thought of them, and so do not disbelieve them. But there is a great difference between such a traditionary belief as may produce a customary profession, and such a real and inward persuasion as will change the heart, and influence the practice. That there may be some of the first sort of believers in the doctrine of imputed righteousness, who are not holy, or perhaps abuse it, ill understood, to unholiness, I am willing to allow; but that all those who believe it upon real and personal conviction, must be most conscientious in the practice of every moral duty, I hope hath been clearly made appear in the preceding pages.

The above is all that was first intended, in the prosecution of this argument: but, perhaps, it will not be improper, before dismissing the subject, to make a few reflections upon the reception which it hath met with, and must still expect to meet with in the world; and upon its importance and proper application.

It is very certain, being neither denied by friends nor enemies, that this doctrine hath, in all ages, not only been attacked with the weapons of human wisdom, but generally also loaded with much reproach and contempt. After,

therefore, it hath been so far defended, as may satisfy every impartial mind, and its influence upon practice demonstrated, I observe, that whatever impression this fact may make upon others, it seems to me no small confirmation of its truth as coming from God, that it is contrary to the spirit of the world. This is both agreeable to scripture and to sound reason. The doctrine of "Christ crucified," the apostle Paul tells us, "was to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness."* And, speaking of the effect of the publication of this doctrine, he says, "Ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." This we are not to understand, as if the apostle yielded, that the gospel was not agreeable to true wisdom, or that the proper and legitimate use of human wisdom would not lead us to embrace it: but it contains a strong intimation of a truth not commonly attended to, that great natural abilities have pretty much the same influence on the moral character with great wealth or temporal prosperity. They are both apt to intoxicate the mind, and lead to pride, arrogance, and self-conceit: and perhaps intellectual pride is as great an obstruction to the discovery of truth, as any bad disposition whatsoever. We are also taught, that God ordered and disposed of things in this manner, for the wise ends of his providence, for the subjection

* 1 Cor. i. 23. † 1 Cor. i. 26-28.

of the arrogance and boasted wisdom of men; or in the words of the apostle, "That no flesh should glory in his presence." The reception then which this doctrine usually meets with, should be so far from remaining as a prejudice or objection against its truth or utility, that, on the contrary, it should contribute to satisfy us, that it is the real and genuine doctrine of Christ, since it meets with the same sort of opposition and from the same quarter, with which this was encountered at its first publication.

And indeed, besides this exact correspondence between the event, and what the Scripture gives us reason to expect, as to the reception of the gospel in the world, I apprehend it ought to be a general prejudice in favour of its truth, considering the original it claims, that it doth not carry on it any of the marks of human wisdom. It seems to lie (if I may so speak) quite out of the way of human imagination and contrivance, and is diametrically opposite in its whole tendency, to the most prevailing human inclination, viz. self-esteem, pride, and vain-glory. This indeed is the true reason why this doctrine is so unacceptable to the world, especially the ambitious part of it, that it is directly levelled against their corrupt affections. It gives a view of the holiness, purity and justice of God, which is intolerable to all those who are not willing to break their league with sin and vanity. And when it is truly complied with, it not only divorces men from their former attachment to sin and sensuality, but will not suffer them to glory, even in their new character. All who submit unfeignedly to the gospel, both feel and confess themselves wholly indebted for forgiveness and accep tance, for their present holiness and their future happiness, to the free, unmerited grace of God. How hard such a sacrifice is, none Ch. Adv.-Vol. X.

can conceive who have not some acquaintance with vital, experimental religion. Now, what is the most natural inference from this? Is it not, that we have not the smallest reason to suspect this doctrine to be a 66 cunningly devised fable," but may rest assured, that it is "the wisdom and the power of God for salvation, to every one that believeth."*

This leads me to observe, That if the reasoning which the reader hath perused upon this subject be just and conclusive, there is one circumstance in which this "doctrine according to godliness" essentially differs from all other schemes or systems of morality. It is, that any of these systems a man may understand, embrace and defend, without having his heart made better, or his morals secured or improved by it at all; whereas, it is impossible, that any man can really, and from the heart, embrace the doctrine of Christ's imputed righteousness, without being sanctified by it, "dead to sin, and alive to God." That the first of these assertions is true, the lives and characters of some noted writers on the foundation of morality, have been and are an undeniable proof: some of them do indeed expressly yield it; and it is evidently yielded, by implication, in all the late writings, where there is so frequent mention of the small influence that speculation has upon practice. On this is founded what a late acute and eminent writerf justly calls the master prejudice of this age, viz. "The innocence of error.' This may as well be expressed by its counterpart, the unprofitableness or inefficacy of truth, which surely ought to be but a weak recommendation of what is called truth, by those who hold such an opinion.

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That the other assertion is just, hath been the point undertaken to be made cut in this essay: and

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*Rom. i. 16.

+ Mr. Warburton.

whoever will but consider how unacceptable this doctrine is to mankind in general, may be satisfied that there can be no effectual inducement to embrace it, till there be such a discovery and sense of the evil and danger of sin, as is utterly inconsistent with a voluntary continuance in it. The apparent state of the visible church, in which vice and wickedness so shamefully abound, will be no objection to this, if what I hinted above be recollected, that there is a great difference between a nominal or customary profession and real belief. As to the few more zealous and eminent asserters of this doctrine, who sometimes greatly dishonour their profession, the answer is easy. They are hypocrites, by whom indeed great offences do come;" and the weak and unstable fall over the stumbling block, and are tempt. ed to doubt the reality of religion, by this discovery of the falsehood of its professors. But such can never be fairly ranked among believers, whose garb and habit they only treacherously wore, for some time, while they were in the interest of another master. We may say of them as the apostle John

* See page 95.

+ Perhaps some may think the late accounts published of the Moravians an objection to the justness of this representation. They are said to be great asserters of the doctrine of imputed righteousness; and yet there have not only appeared some bad men amongst them, but they are universally charged as a sect with most impi. ous and scandalous practices. Perhaps candour and charity might have led us to suppose, that most, or all those accusations, were calumnious, if they had been affirmed by none but avowed enemies to the doc. trines which they espouse; as the first Christians were charged by their enemies with eating human sacrifices, when they met in private to celebrate the Lord's supper. But the case, it seems, is otherwise here; for some unsuspected accusers have appeared, whom none can imagine prejudiced against them for embracing the doctrine of imputed righteousness. I confess myself to have so little acquaintance with those Hernhutters, as they are called, either as to their principles or practices,

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SHORT LATIN HYMN.

The following lines are said to have been written by Mary queen of Scots, on the morning of the day on which she was beheaded. We take them from the Christian Observer of September last; and shall be glad to insert a good metrical version of them.

O Domine, Deus, speravi in te;
O care mi Jesu nunc libera me!
In dura catena, in misera pœna,
Desidero te:→

Languendo, gemendo, et genu flectendo,
Adoro, imploro, ut liberes me.

that I cannot very fully handle the subject; but, if there is no other objection to what is affirmed above, no doubt an acquaintance with the true state of the case Perhaps, after all, the bad practices chargwould enable us easily to remove this. ed against them, may be only the conse quence of some designing persons getting in among them, and a great plurality may be innocent, or, at least, comparatively so. But however this be, it is not certain (at least to me) that they really embrace the same doctrine with us: they do indeed talk much of the Lamb, speak of hiding themselves in his wounds, &c. but I think their language is peculiar to themselves, and by no means the phraseology either of Scripture, or of any other sect of Christians. Besides, as Count Zinzendorf, their leader, takes upon him to be a prophet, it is probable, they are just a sect of deluded people drawn away by his art, who may much more properly be said to believe in him, than in Christ.

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Go, blessed gospel, go,
Maintain thy sov'reign sway,
Nor let a mortal throw
Obstructions in thy way.
Hapless the inan
Who dares prevent
This wondrous plan
To mortals sent.

I.

Text-1 Cor. ix. 12.

Go, blessed gospel, tell
The tale of Jesus' love,
Who, to redeem from hell,

Left the bright realms above;
And on the cross
For rebels died,
Sure never was

Such love beside.

Go, blessed gospel, blow The joyful trump abroad, To nations sunk in wo, And weltering in their blood. Thine is the sound That sooths the smarts, And heals the wound Of broken hearts. Go, blessed gospel, spread The feast of fattest things; The rich provision made By Jesus, King of kings. Each famished mind Invite to feed, And let him find, "Tis meat indeed.

II.

Text-2 Cor. iv. 18.

W.R.

Oh, for a mind to soar above!
My God! that mind bestow!
Draw me with thy sweet cords of love
From grov'lling cares below,
Swifter and swifter let me fly,
Higher and higher rise;

Until I reach beyond the sky,
And drink celestial joys.

Heaven is the home, reserved for me,
A state of perfect bliss,

Where none but happy spirits be,
Where God my Saviour is.
Swifter and swifter let me fly;
Higher and higher soar;
I long to live above the sky,
And sink to earth no more.

W. R.

Miscellaneous.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF REV. JACOB GREEN, A. M.

SECTION FIFTH.

(Continued from p. 55.) Some general miscellaneous observations on my experience and past life.

I. Respecting my experience while at college, and my conduct since.

My exercises and manner of living since, have not been proportionate to my first exercises; or not such as might have been expected after such experience. I have been a poor, low, dull, unprofitable creature. I have been a wonder to myself, and probably to others.* I have all along found

Those who best knew the writer of this sentence, both as a man and a minister of the gospel, had they known what

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