In the propofed difcuffion, the leading articles of natural religion will pafs in review, as thefe are affumed in the Christian fyftem, and indeed cannot be feparated from it. As it is apprehended that the apoftle Paul had this argument in view in his letter to the Corinthian church, in the words recorded, I Cor. ii. 13. This paffage will be adopted as the motto for the following differtation. will be attempted in the following all natural perfections, without differtation. limitation; and also the existence of rational, finite beings, fufceptible of the knowledge of that Being, and of their respective relations to each other and to him, we shall arrive, by a fhort deduction, at the idea of rational happiness, confifting in the union of limited, intelligent beings to each other, and to the original Being. We shall also conceive of that Being as confcious of his own capacity for happinefs, and that of the limited intelligence whom he beholds; or that he clearly perceives the tendency of mutual kind affection to the happiness of rational beings, and therefore unites to it, or acts in the manner which he knows to be beft adapted to the most perfect ftate of rational existence. This perfect state evidently confifts in mutual love. This is therefore the character of that original Being, and the ftandard for the actions of limited exiftence; or "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." The apoftle having fpoken of the fublime truths of the gofpel, adds the following fentence: "Which things we speak, not in words taught by human wifdom, but in thofe taught by the Holy Ghoft; comparing fpiritual things with fpiritual." The comparifon here inftituted is not between things material and immaterial, or even between those which are moral and immoral, but things or truths spiritual or holy in their nature are compared with each other, and exhibited in mutual agreement and harmony; fo that they produce reciprocal evidence for the truth and divinity of each other, and of the whole. That fuch an original Being of unlimited attributes, really exifts, is certain from the existence of In elucidating this fentiment, limited beings, and if he exists at we fhall be led to treat of the re- all, he exifts neceffarily, and is ligion of the gofpel, with the the author of all limited existence ; truths of natural religion involved and knowing that the felicity of in it, as exhibited to us in the doc-rational existence confifts in benevtrines of the bible, in the experi-olent affections, and flows from it, ences of Chriftians, and in a prac- we must choose it, for God is tical fubmiffion to its commands and inftitutions, and the differtation will be closed with a few inferences. PART I. love. Thus we obtain the idea of moral perfection in God, and that a conformity to this must be the highest excellence in creatures. That as God is the creator and On the doctrines of Chriflianity. preferver of all, and is infinitely ADMITTING in our con- perfect, the government of the eeptions the exiftence of an orig- world belongs to him, that he inal, intelligent Being, indepen-fhould difpofe of his rational creadently and eternally poffefled of tures according to his own pleaf, ure, and that their actions should be under the direction of his will; or we fee the ground of the providential and moral government of God over angels and men. Fom the fame fource we trace the idea of moral obligation, or the duty of rational creatures to employ their abilities for the happinefs of intelligent existence; and that this obligation is proportioned to the value of general happiness and their ability to promote it: That it belongs to God to direct their exertions for this object, and that this divine will, made known to them, must be the rule of their actions. As a departure from this rule must be criminal for the reafons and to the degree juft ftated, the tranfgreffor deferves punishment, in proportion to his obligations, and the tendency of his actions against general happiness. From these fources we arrive at the idea of moral government, in the system; of the perfect law of God, the obligations of man, the fanctions of law, and of final retribution. Such must have been the original law of God, and the obligations of man. Tranfgreffion of the divine law is called fin, and the tranfgreffor is the proper fubject of punishment, as already stated. Such is the government of God over men; and the state of alienation from God, which is moft evidently common in our nature, is a plain proof that we are finners, and juftly expofed to punishment proportioned to the degree of our ners is attended with a conviction that we are expofed to suffer the expreffions of divine difpleasure, and that we deferve it, in a punishment proportioned to our guilt. In eftimating the degree of our guilt, we are led to weigh the good oppofed by our fin, the degree of our oppofition, and the knowledge, or means of knowl edge we poffeffed, of our duty. As the tendency of our fin is oppofed to the perfection of the moral fyftem, or to the glory of God and the good of rational creatures, we are convicted of guilt in one refpect, infinite, as oppofed to infinite good. In refpect to the degree of oppofition, and the means of knowledge of our duty, it is finite and admits of very different degrees. The refult fuggefted by reafon, is that we are expofed to a punishment limited in degree, but endless in duration. The holy fcriptures confirm the dictates of reafon on this momentous article. They abundantly teach the doctrine of the eternal punishment of the finally impenitent. As the rebellion of man confifts in oppofition to the general good, it is evident that in a perfect government, fuch as that of God, punishment cannot be remitted and the finner reftored to the divine favor, unlefs this can be done in confiftence with that unchangeable standard of moral rectitude. The general good muft be as effectually fecured, as by the infliction of deferved punishment. How this can be effected, and the finner be pardoned and faved, reafon can furnish no information. With regard to this, "reafon purfued is defpair." The holy fcriptures confirm the decifion of reafon refpecting the hopeless condition of the finner, | ernment of man he treated him as without the intervention of fuper- he would himself be willing to be natural revelation. They announce treated, in a change of circuma way in which the pardon and fal- ftances. vation of finners can be united with the glory of God, and the good of his kingdom. And, what is more, they reveal this way, even "the new and living way into the holiest by the blood of Chrift." The gofpel doctrine of the redemption of finners by Jefus Chrift correfponds to the fcheme of truth, already mentioned, as teftified by reafon and revelation, and opens a glorious door of hope for the guilty. It fupports the rectitude of divine government, in all its parts, especially in the punishment of fin, and reveals a way in which the righteoufnefs of that punishment is abundantly eftablished, even in the pardon and falvation of the finner. This is by the introduction of the Lord Jefus Christ as the fubftitute of the guilty. Hereby he abundantly evidenced the righteousness of God in his retributions to the guilty, according to the threatenings of his law. The nature of the cafe admits of no higher evidence of the rectitude of a ruler, in his government, than his voluntary fubmiffion to it, by placing himself in the condition of the fubject. The doctrine of the two natures, in Chrift, the divine and human, harmonizes with that of his atonement for fin. Had he not been truly God and equal with. the Father, his ability and character would have been totally inadequate to the work of redemption. As a creature, he would have owed to God the utmost he could perform, on his own account; and the merit of his obedience would have been only proportioned to the limits of his nature. Therefore in both these refpects, he would have been totally unfit to be the fubftitute for the guilty; and his utmost obedience and fufferings would have been of no avail for our redemption. Had he not been a creature, he could not have affumed the place of a fervant, or have become fubject to the commands and fanctions of the divine law. From the holy fcriptures we learn that our Redeemer is truly divine, the creator, law-giver and judge of man; a perfon therefore of infinite dignity and worth That he affumed our nature into a perfonal union with his divine nature, and was "God manifeft in the flesh," capable of fubjection to his own law: That as fuch he undertook to be mediator between God and man, and by his obedience to death, in our nature, he vindicated the perfection and fupported the honor of the divine law, refpecting its precepts and fanc-dience and death have laid a fountions, at the leaft, as much as it would have been vindicated by the infliction of the threatened punishment on the tranfgreffor. By his voluntary fubjection, in our nature and place, to this law, he clearly evinced that in his gov Had he not been man, he could not have been a proper fubftitute for us, nor would his obe dation for our redemption. Therefore," He took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the feed of Abraham." 66 Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himfelf and became obedient to death, even the death of the crofs." And "the Lord | angel of the Lord, and meffenlaid on him our iniquities." "Heger whom he hath fent." bare our fins in his own body on the tree, and by his ftripes are we healed." It was requifite the Mediator fhould be both human and divine: Human, that he might be under the law, in our place: Divine, that his ability and worth might be equal to the perfection and dignity of divine government; "that he might have fomewhat to offer," and his atonement avail to the redemption of his church. He must be "the feed of the woman," as well as the " mighty God." "A virgin muft bear a fon, whose name is wonderful, and God must be manifeft in flesh." His humanity qualified him to obey and fuffer for us, in our nature; and his divinity gave infinite worth and dignity to the work which he finished on the crofs. We are now led to notice the agreement and connexion between these truths, and that of the Divine Trinity in unity. This doctrine is abundantly taught in the holy fcriptures, or in the language of our public ftandards, there is one God in three perfons, the fame in fubftance, equal in power and glory." In all refpects, in which unity is a perfection, God is one. In all refpects, in which trinity is a perfection, he is three. "There are three who bear record in heaven, and these three are one." This doctrine being admitted, we can readily conceive of our Lord Jefus Chrift as being the true God, poffeffed of all divine perfections and the author of all divine works, in his original nanature; but in his humanity, as inferior and fubordinate to the Father; "as God's fervant, the We Te may alfo from hence have rational conceptions of the divinity of the Holy Ghoft, and fo of his agency in the application of redemption; and the triune Deity is manifefted and glorified in the falvation of the redeemed church. The doctrine of the believing finner's juftification by faith thro the atonement of Chrift, is closely connected with redemption by his obedience to the death. By this we are taught that the believing finner is delivered from condemnation, and entitled to the favor of God and eternal life; not on account of any perfonal defert, or any thing performed by him, but wholly on account of the righteousness and atonement of Chrift. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us,” and we "are juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Jefus Chrift, whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of fin”— "that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him who believeth in Jefus." Were the Mediator nothing more or greater than a creature, though the firft and greatest ever created by God, it has been fhewn he could make no atonement for fin by his obedience and death. First, because his ability and worth would be finite and fo bear no proportion to the infinite demerit of fin. Secondly, because that however he was exalted in the scale ofcreated existence, he would ftill owe the utmost he could perform to his Creator, on his own account and could do nothing as a fubfti tate for the guilty, and his obe- | is reconciled to God, condemns dience or fufferings could merit nothing in favor of the believer. He must be received to the divine favor on his own account, or be rejected. But admitting the divinity of Christ, and the confequent fufficiency of his atonement, the believing finner's juftification by faith in his perfect righteoufnefs, is agreeable to the analogy of faith; and is wonderfully adapted to glorify God by supporting the perfection of his government,-to humble the finner, and to magnify fovereign grace. Juftifying faith imports that the divine government is perfect, that the finner's condemnation is juft, and that God is righteous in taking vengeance. Therefore the obedience and death of Chrift for our offences, are the moft decided divine teftimony to the perfection of that goverment, and the malignity of fin, and therefore highly acceptable to God and a proper foundation of pardon and life to the finner, fo connected with him by divine faith, that the favors granted to him are evidently beftowed altogether on account of the merit of Christ. "Where then is boafting? It is excluded." "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid. Yea, we establish the law." This truth will appear with ftill greater clearnefs from a view of the diftinguishing qualities of juftifying faith. This faith confifts in fuch a belief of the gofpel on the teftimony of God, as involves an acquiefcence of the heart in the mediatorial character and work of Chrift. But the heart which truly approves this character, neceffarily approves the divine government, fin, and repents of it, admires and adores the divine Saviour, for his mediatorial undertaking and work, in which the law of God was magnified and made honorable. Therefore he admires the free grace of the gospel, and trufts in Chrift alone for falvation. The doctrine of regeneration, by the Holy Ghoft, as neceffary to falvation, coincides with the truths immediately preceding, with the perfection of divine government, and total depravity of man. Thefe doctrines being admitted, it follows that if the finner is reconciled to God, and united to Chrift by faith, it must be produced by the fupernatural agency of the Holy Spirit. So true it is that except a man be born again-of the Spirit-and from above, he cannot fee the kingdom of God or enter into it. That gracious tranfaction in the divine trinity, called by Chriftian writers, the covenant of redemption, and variously expreffed in the holy fcriptures, is fundamental to the work of redemption, in all its parts. By this the eternal word, in his perfonal diftinction, engaged to affume our nature and act as our fubftitute, in fulfilling all righteoufnefs, and making atonement for fin by the facrifice of himself. The Father engaged that he fhould be fupported and accepted, that he fhould fee of the travail of his foul till he should be fatisfied, and be exalted to divine dominion in his whole perfon, and even "glorified with the Father, with the fame glory which he had with him before the world was." The Holy Spirit in this covenant confented to reft on the incarnate Saviour, without mea |