shaggy spoil. I expect satisfaction likewise for the loss of my piece, which you broke in the encounter." To obtain both, he commences a law-suit against that generous associate, who not only gave him the weapon, but saved the prosecutor from the very jaws of destruction.

Ther. If I had been judge, I should, without much hesitation, have determined such a cause: instead of costs and damages for the plaintiff, I should have transmitted the wretch to the pillory.

Asp. I believe all the world would applaud your sentence. Only be pleased to remember, that the procedure, on which you so justly animadvert, is the very picture of our excessive unreasonableness, if we pre sume to write ourselves creditors, and the divine Being debtor; because he has delivered us from the bondage of corruption, and enabled us to perform the duties of godliness.

Theron paused, as somewhat struck by the representation; after a short interval, Aspasio resumed the discourse.

Believe me, my dear friend, salvation, both in the root and all its branches, is entirely of grace or else believe me, for the many cogent testimonies of Scripture, which most circumstantially ascertain this great truth. Election is of grace, Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, not on account of human worthiness, but according to the good pleasure of his will. Equally gratuitous is our effectual vocation: God bath called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace.'t Faith, with all its precious fruits, is owing to the same cause: By grace ye are saved through faith. From hence springs justification, together with all its attendant privileges: Being justified freely by his grace.' This is the origin of regeneration, and

Eph. i. 5.

† 2 Tim. i. 9.

Eph. 11. 8.

§ Rom. iii. 24. Δωρεαν τη αυτου χαριτι. One of these words might have served to convey the apostle's meaning; but he doubles his assertion, in order to give us the fullest convietion of the truth, and to impress us with a sense of its peculiar importance, freely by his grace.' Is it possible to find out a form of speech, that should more absolutely exclude all consi

every living principle of godliness: Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth." The consummation of bliss flows from the same all-supplying source:

The gift of God is eternal life.'t. It is, in every respect a gift, not only without, but contrary to all desert of ours: so that the foundation is laid in the riches of grace; the superstructure is reared by the hand of grace; and when the top-stone is brought forth, when our felicity is completed in the kingdom of heaven, the everlasting acclamation will be, 'Grace, grace unto it!"

This is that glorious gospel which human learning could never have discovered; which carnal reason cannot understand; which the wisdom of this world accounteth foolishness; which the envy of the devil, and the pride of man will always oppose.

Ther. What say you to the opinion which Ouranius so strenuously maintains, That we are justified, not by the merits of Christ imputed to us, but by Christ himself formed in our hearts? And Ouranius is none of your proud or carnal people; his writings are remarkable for their strict piety, and his life is as exemplary as his principles.

Asp. You know, Theron, I have nothing to do with the persons of men, but with the truths of the gospel. Ouranius, though eminently devout, may be mistaken; and if this is his way of thinking, he quite misapprehends the doctrine of grace.

The

What is written in the oracles of Scripture? Lord justifieth the ungodly.' What is implied in the maxim of Ouranius? He justifieth the holy, the heavenly, the Christ-like. A man is justified by faith,'|| says the secretary of heaven. He is justified by works, says the pen of Ouranius; only let them be works of a deration of our own works and obedience? Or that should more emphatically ascribe the whole of our justification to free, uninfluenced, sovereign goodness? To find an expression more forcible for the purpose, will puzzle invention itself. But this expression we find used again and again by the sacred writer; Η δωρεά εν χαριτι, Rom. v. 15. Της χάριτος και της δω peac, Rom. v. 17. * Jam. i. 18.

Rom. vi. 23. Xapioua; which is a more expressive word than dwpnua, and conveys the idea of freest favour.

+ Zech. iv. 7.

§ Rom. iv. 5.

Ibid. v. 1.

superior order, such as are internal, spiritual, and wrought by the operation of Christ on the soul. According to this notion, every one is justified by his ewn love, his own purity, his own zeal; whereas, an unerring writer has most solemnly declared, that by one man's obedience many, many myriads of sinners, even all the redeemed world, shall be made righteous.'

This notion, I think, is legalism in its greatest subtilty or highest refinement; it disannuls the merit of Christ, it vacates all imputation, and makes our salvation to consist wholly in the work of sanctification. Against which, if you remember, I entered my protest, in one of our first+ conferences. And now having ventured to animadvert on the tenets of others, it may reasonably be expected that I should give an account of my own faith- I am justified, my soul is accepted; not because Christ has put his laws in my mind, but shed his blood for my sins: not because I myself am enabled to walk in all godly conversation, but because the Lord Jesus has fulfilled all righteousness as my surety.'

Ther. I am for neither of the extremes; the middle way is most eligible. This is what sound sense ap. proves, and the sacred system authorizes; Whoso believeth on me,' says our Lord, shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life.' Blessed,' adds the beloved disciple, are they who do his commandments; that they may have a right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in, through the gates, into the city.'§.

Conformably to these texts of Scripture, I would neither reject our Redeemer's merits, nor repudiate good works. As this shady tree, and these cooling breezes, unite their properties to render our situation agreeable; so those two causes, acting in conjunction, exalt us to the favour of God, and constitute us heirs of heaven. God himself has joined them; and I must urge my remonstrance in our Lord's own words, What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Rom. v. 10. 1 John iii. 15.

+ See Dialogue ii. p. 53.
Rev. xxii. 14..

Asp. Would you then make impotence itself a coadjutor with Omnipotence? Does this humble the sinner? Does this exalt the Saviour? No; it is a most injurious infringement of his mediatorial dignity. Instead of excluding, it evidently introduces boasting. In consequence of such a scheme, it would be said by the inhabitants of the heavenly world, Thanks to our blessed Redeemer for this happiness! Yet, not to him only, but to our own righteousness also.'

Can you imagine, that the obedience of Christ is insufficient to accomplish our justification? Must its efficacy be reinforced by the accession of our works? And what are these works of ours, that they should enhance in value the immense value of our Redeemer's? -Maimed, tarnished, worm-eaten things. Eaten by the worms of self-seeking, self-admiring, self-love; tarnished by a thousand vanities; maimed by ten thousand negligences. To join these in commission with our divine Master's righteousness, would be infinitely more disgraceful than to tack the beggar's rag on the monarch's robe; would be altogether as needless as to dream of augmenting the sea, by the drops of our bucket.

Ther. Worm-eaten! What reason have you to represent our acts of obedience under this sordid and shameful image?

Asp. I thought you could hardly brook this dispa. raging expression; it is somewhat like petty treason against the dignity of man. My reasons I would postpone to some other opportunity, when, if you please, we will give the cause a full hearing.

At present, to make amends for this vile slander, I will suppose your works to have no defect; nay, to have all the perfection which you yourself could wish. Will you glory on this account? You are too modest, I am sure, to avow or patronize such a practice. Yet, if we say or think, concerning any attainments of our own, This is the ground on which I expect to escape condemnation and inherit life;' we do in the most of fensive, though not in the most explicit manner, glory.

Omnis causa justitiæ et salutis est materia et objectum Kavxnows. Unde apostolus: nam si Abraham ex operibus

Or, will you reckon that these services, because faultless, are in any degree meritorious? Let us hear our Lord's decision in the case. When ye have done not only some, but all those things which are commanded you'-and where is the man, or what is his name, who in any nation or in any age, has done all that is commanded?

Where shall I find him? Angels, tell me where?
Shall I see glories beaming from his brow?

Or trace his footsteps by the rising flow'rs?

Yet even in such a case, if all this were performed, what shall we say? We are no better than unprofitable servants: we have done nothing more than what was our indispensable duty to do;" and have, on this footing, just the same claim to honours and rewards, as the Negro slave, after the dispatch of his daily business, has upon the estate or the wealth of an Ameri can planter.

Ther. But what say you to those passages of Scripture which I have quoted? You have given them a hearing, but no answer. They, I do insist upon it, expressly assert, therefore incontestably prove, an union of Christ's merit, and our own works, in the business of salvation.

Asp. It is written in the book of revelations,' Blessed are they that do his commandments.' And wherefore? Because, the obedience of faith is attended with a real blessedness on earth, and demonstrates our title to eternal blessedness in heaven. It is, though not the purchase, yet the evidence of our right to the tree of life.

All this I acknowledge; but where, I beseech you, does the Scripture join the obedience of Christ and the obedience of man, as mutually conducive to the justification of a sinner? The Scripture utterly disavows such a copartnership, and asserts what our homily expresses; 'Surely, there can be no work of any mortal man (be he never so holy) that shall be cou. pled in merit with Christ's most holy act.'t The justificatus est, exei kavxnua, i. e. Whatever is the cause of righteousness and salvation, is a real and proper foundation for glorying. Therefore, the apostle acknowledges, If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory,' Rom. iv. 2.Vitring. Luke xvii. 10.

↑ Homily on Good Friday.