ral, causes. 2. Contingent. 3. Independent. 4. Good and bad. 5. Great and fmall. (5) XXVII. COMPARE THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TEXT TOGETHER. This is a very useful topick, and it will often furnish very beautiful confiderations, if we know how to make a proper use of it. For example, In this text of S. Paul to the Romans, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the fpirit. You may make a very edifying comparison between this last part, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, with the first part, there is no condemnation; and you may remark, that in the one, the apoftle expreffes what God does in favour of the faithful, and in the other what the faithful do for the glory of God. God abfolves them; and they live holily, and devote them (5) See the whole chapter of Divifion, vol. i. c. 4. p. 43. Sit igitur divifio, rerum plurium in fingulas partitio, fingularum in partes difcretus ordo, et resta quædam collatio, prioribus fequentia annectens; difpofitio, utilis rerum ac partium in loces diftributio. Sed memineri mus ipfam difpofitionem plerumque utilitate mutari, nec eandem femper primam queftionem ex utraque parte trac tandam. Quint. Inft. lib. vii. cap. 1. de difpofitione. LI themielves to good works. God impofes holiness upon us in juftification, and juftification is the parent of holiness, take away justification, and there cannot poffibly be any good works, take away good works and there is no more justification. (6) (6) God impofes holiness upon us in juftification. Mr. Claude's words are, la faintete eft la condition. The word condition with us conveys an idea of power to perform, and merit in performing: but, it is certain, Mr. Claude meant no fuch thing, for he afcribes all our falvation to the grace of God. As the word condition is of very vague and uncertain meaning in the French tongue, fometimes put for place, employment, office, nature, circumftances, &c. un homme de condition, is a man of quality J'accepte la condition, I embrace your offer, &c. &c. as the word is fo equivocal, I have given it what I think was Mr. Claude's meaning. Moft parties among chriftians have (if I may be allowed to fpeak fo.) their church-idion, an affociation of terms forming a peculiar phrafeology to themfelves: but as a literal tranflation of a claffical author would make bald Englith, and bad fenfe, and we fhould quarrel with the writer for afferting what he never believed, fo in religious controverfies, we ought to take You people's words in their own fenfe, not ours, otherwise we may jangle about the letters of the alphabet till we are called to judgment. Indeed, it is not to be wondered at, that proteftants have fuch a hatred to the word merit, and many of them to the word condition, which, they think, is a flip of the fame tree, when it is confidered to what a length of blafphemy the ignorance of fome in the Romish community have carried it. Their works deferve heaven for themselves, and for their neighbours. If we will believe them, the very devil is afraid of a faint's afhes a thousand years after his death, and the virgin Mary has done more for God than God has done for her, and for all mankind. Plus fecit Maria deo, quam homini deus, Deus quodammodo plus obligetur nobis quam nos fibi. Tu O virgo! folum cecinifti, quia fecit mihi magna qui potens eft; ego vero cano et dico, quia tu fecifti majora ei qui potens eft. (Bernardin. senens. ferm. 61. et Bern. de buft. Mar. apud Ufher de invocat. fan&t.) and You may alfo compare this laft part with the condition in which the believer is here confidered; he is in Christ Jesus, and remark that these two things perfectly agree together, because Jefus Christ is the true caufe of our juftification, and fanctification is the principal effect of our communion with Jesus Christ. (7) and hence we are advised by Anfelm rather to truft Mary than Chrift. Velocior eft nonnunquam falus memorato nomine Maria, quam invocato nomine domini Jefu unici filii fui. (de excellentia beate virg. cap. 6.) This is horrid! but, after all, do we really think, all the members of that church affix the fame So meaning to the word merit Bold thought! fhall I dare speak it? or reprefs? Which rous'd fuch vengeance? which fuch love inflam'd? See more to this purpose in archbishop Ufher's works, chap. xii. of merits, where the good bishop proves, that neither the ancient fathers, nor the ancient members of the Romish church held what we call the doctrine of merit, though they used the word. Who does not know that words in this age mean what they did not in the laft? (7) Juftification. Many of our divines have well obferv. ed, that on a clear diftinction between juftification and fanctification depends an accurate knowledge of the whole plan of redemption. When these Night Thoughts, N. 4. 209. two doctrines are confounded, the rest of the fyftem cannot be clear. The first is an act of God without us; the laft is an operation of his blessed spirit in us. These two mustbe diftinguished: but they may not be divided. When they are undistinguished, law and gofpel, works and grace, the merit of Chrift and the efforts of christians run together into one mafs of obfcurity and confufion. When they are divided they produce myfticifm or libertini fm, or both. Many very good men, however, ftumble on thus all their days; but we are So again, in this beautiful paffage in the fecond of Ephefians. God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in fins, bath quickened us together with Chrift, by grace are ye faved. You may oppose and compare thefe two fubjects in the text, dead in fin, and rich in mercy, as being two extremes, extreme mifery, and extreme mercy, one in us, and the other in God. (8) The greatnefs of our crimes manifeft the apo are ready to admit that logy for them, which Vof fius made for Peter Hinkelman, and others of his day. "Quamquam autem iftius farinæ fcriptores fequius de robis mereantur, minime tamen par pari damus hoftimentum: fed ingenue fatemur utut apafoga, imo non pauca ada plane fint, quæ ex eorum libris Canifius, ex Canifio item congeffit Bellarminus nihilominus nos putare plerofque omnes eorum rectius fentire quam lcqui: nec tam oppugnatum ire operam quam fiduciam in bonis operibus collocatum: peque tam eorum neceffitatem ad falutem quam falutis meritum condemnare: neque tam impugnare individuum eorum nexum cum fide juftificante, quam coram juftitiæ divinæ throno ad actum juftificationis negare concurfum. Quæ fi ita funt, quamquam injuria ecclefias noftras inceffant, ac in fermone periclofa admodum vasg6oin et illaudabili xalaxphos utantur: tamen vetus et acerba iftæc inter partes velitatio magnam partem vera fuerit aguaxia." Ger. Job. Voffii Thef. Theol. de bon. operibus. See Downame Bishop of Derry on Juftification, lib. iì. c. 6. 19, 20, &c. (8) You may compare the two parts of the text. This method of elucidation is applicable to arguments in a discourse, as well as to claufes in a text. Thus, for example, S. Paul affirms, fus Chrift hath abolished death. One of our divines obferves, "the Jew, Aben Amram, and the Mohammedan, Achmet Ben Abdallah, object, it is most impertinent, abfurd and falfe to affirm that Jefus hath abolifhed death in any sense at all; for this makes the juftice of God go on to exact a debt, when full payment is pretended to have been made. In answer to this reasoning, I fhall fhew two things. 1. That the principles, on which it ftands, are fuch as the Jew cannot abide by: but all the abfurd opinions charged 1 the riches of God's mercy, and the riches of his mercy absorb the greatness of our crimes. Had our fins been lefs, it must indeed have been mercy to pardon our fins, but not riches of mercy. If God charged upon our religion, in this matter, bear full as hard upon, and are equally acknowledged in his own. 2. That the continuance of labour, and forrow, and bodily death, notwithstanding the apostle's affertion here, that Jefus Chrift hath abolished death, is most strictly rational and true." Dr. Stanhope's fixth ferm. at Boyle's lecture. So again, in regard to the chriftian interpretation of prophecies. "If we bring no texts concerning the Meffiah, which the Jews did not allow to concern him-nor urge them in any fenfe which they did not admit--then I am fure the Jews cannot profit themselves of, nor can we fairly be accountable for fuch pretended incoherencies. It lies upon the fynagogue to vindicate itself, &c." The jame, ferm. 8. Strictly speaking, this method of arguing may operate the filence of an opponent: but it will not produce conviction in him. Pofitive evidence must do that. However, it has its ufe. vol. i. p. 300, &c. vol. ii. P. 174, &c. 193, &c. See Mr. Claude has made two topicks of comparison, or contraft. The one (xvi. p. 174.) is a comparison of one text with another text, or one fubject with another subject. This other (xxvii) is a comparison of one part of the same text with another, or one part of a hiftory with another part of the fame hiftory, and the utility of this method will appear by the following examples. John xvi. 13. When the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into ALL truth. What! will the holy spirit anfwer all the questions, that we may think proper to ask? Will he inform us of the mode of the divine existence, fuppofe? Compare the foregoing words with the following. He fall not speak con. cerning HIMSELF. He fhall not acquaint you with the mode of his own existence, and fo on. Whatfoever he fhall HEAR that shall be speak, he fhall fix your attention on the truths of revelation, he fhall affect your hearts with my doctrines, &c. Thus a period may be compared. God will have ALL men to be faved-Chrift gave himself a ransom for ALLmake prayers for ALL men. This paffage ought not to be urged in the arminian controverfy; for a part of this |