Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

follow, becaufe God proportions his providential Difpenfations to the external Conduct of his profeffing Covenant-People, that therefore we are juftified by Works; or that our eternal Salvation is the immediate Fruit of our own Obedience? Will it follow, that because Ahab's threatned temporal Deftruction was prevented by his external Reformation, that therefore he was juftified and eternally faved upon the Account of it? No, it is plain, that all Arguments to the prefent Purpose, from thefe Chapters, are altogether impertinent. And the Pleas commonly taken from hence against Perfeverance in Grace, because the Righteous are reprefented as turning from their Righteoufnefs, are nothing at all to the Purpose, for which they are used.

But after all, were it even fuppofed, that these Chapters referred to God's Difpenfations toward Men in Relation to their eternal State: How would they confirm the Principles you are pleading for? They would indeed fhew us, that there is a neceffary Connection between a Life of Obedience and our Salvation, and between a Life of Difobedience and our Perdition, which is a Truth allowed on both Sides of the prefent Question. But as to the meritorious, procuring, and intitling Caufe of our Salvation, or the Foundation of our Right and Title to eternal Life, here is nothing spoken in thefe Chapters. If you would find thefe Things explained by the Prophet Ezekiel, read the 36th Chapter of his Prophecy, where the Doctrine which you oppose is ftrongly afferted, and particularly illuftrated. You will there find, it is God that takes away the Heart of Stone from his People, and gives them a Heart of Flesh; that causes them to walk in his Statutes, and keep his Judgments, and do them; and that it is not for their Sakes that he does this, but for his own Name's Sake; and that when this is done

A a 3

done for them, they will have Caufe to be afhamed and confounded for their own Ways; and to loath themfelves in their own Sight, for their Iniquities and Abominations. You will there find, that tho' God will be inquired of by the House of Ifrael to do this for them, yet this is not the Condition of their Acceptance: He will beftow his fpecial Grace for his own Name's Sake, and not for their Sakes.

Now you will acknowledge, that the other Chapters must be taken in the fame View with this; and then tho' it will appear, that he who repenteth and continueth in Obedience to the End, and none but he fhall obtain Salvation at laft: Yet that this Repentance and new Obedience flows from God's fovereign Grace, and is the Fruit of a juftified State. -The fame Thing may be obferved concerning any other Texts of Scripture which you can poffibly cite to the like Purpofe. And I must here obferve to you, it is a fure Evidence of the Weakness of that Caufe, that can be no better defended. There are Multitudes of plain and pofitive Texts of Scrip ture, which afcribe our Juftification to Faith, and to the Righteoufnefs of Chrift alone, as I have had Occafion to fhew you already. Thefe must be interpreted away at any Rate; because they don't agree with this Scheme, which muft by all Means be fupported. But then, what Evidence have we from Scripture for this Doctrine, which is fo ftrenuously contended for? None but this, that Holiness and New Obedience are necessary to Salvation; which is just fo much (and no more) to the Purpose, as if you fhould attempt to prove your Point from the firft Verfe in Genefis.

You proceed to argue, that " Repentance for "Sin, which includes new Obedience in the Na

ture of it, is not only made abfolutely necessary "to Salvation, but has the Promife of Pardon an

"nexed to it; and is therefore plainly propofed in "Scripture, as the Condition of our Justification."

This is but a Repetition of the former Argument in other Words. The Question before us is not, what is neceffary to our Salvation; but what is the Condition of our Juftification? It is not the Question, whether Pardon and Salvation be neceffarily connected to Repentance and new Obedience; but what it is that gives us a Title to this Pardon and Salvation; and whence it is that this Repentance and new Obedience flows, by which we are qualified to partake of faving Benefits.-The Scriptures affure us, that this is the Righteousness of Chrift received by Faith; and what you now offer is noways inconfiftent with the many Declarations of this Kind, throughout the whole Word of God.If it were granted, that whatever are the Requifites in them that shall be faved, and whatever Qualifications have the Promife of Pardon and Salvation annexed to them, are the Conditions of our Justification, it would then follow that Perfeverance is a Condition of our Juftification; and confequently all Difpute about being juftified in this prefent Life is at an End, as I have obferved before. For the Benefit is fufpended, till the Condition on which it depends is accomplished. Befides, I think, all Men must allow, that if Repentance be the Fruit and Confequence of our Juftification, it cannot be the Condition of it. There can be nothing more prepofterous, than to suppose an Effect to be a Condition of the Caufe producing it. And the Scriptures affure us, that Repentance is the Fruit and Confequence of our Juftification. Thus is it particularly reprefented to us, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. 28. 31. A new Heart alfo will I give you; and a new Spirit will I put within you;-And ye shall be my People; and I will be your God. Then shall ye

[ocr errors]

new

remember your own evil Ways, and your Doings that were not good; and fhall loath yourselves in your own Sight, for your Iniquities and for your Abominations. Thus likewife, Zech. xii. 10. And I will pour out upon the Houfe of David, and upon the Inhabitants of Jerufalem, the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications; and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced; and they fhall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only Son, and fhall be in Bitterness for him, as one that is in Bitterness for his Firft-born. -In which Texts you fee there is first a Heart and a new Spirit; they are first in a justified State, they are God's People, and he is their God; they are first renewed, and have a Spirit of Grace and Supplication; they have firft the Exercife of Faith, they look upon him whom they have pierced; and then follows their Repentance, as an immediate and neceffary Confequence of their regenerate juftified State. This Truth is most evident, not only from the Scripture Reprefentation of this Matter, but alfo from the Nature of a true and fincere Repentance. We must be united to Chrift, and have a Principle of Life, before we can perform vital Actions. We must have the Difpofitions of our Souls renewed before we can hate Sin, and heartily mourn after a Deliverance from what is naturally pleafant and delightful to us.- We must first have Faith in Chrift's Blood, before we can repair to it for cleansing from Pollution and Guilt.

-

We

must first have a Principle of Love to Holiness, be fore we can live a Life of new Obedience.The legal Terrors, Refolutions and Endeavours, which precede our Juftification, are very far fhort of a true Repentance; and therefore can have no Promife of Pardon or Salvation made to them.-It is therefore evident, that tho' an evang lical Repentance does immediately fucceed (and in its Beginnings is even contemporary

contemporary with) a true juftifying Faith; yet it is in Order of Nature an Effect and Fruit of it, and confequently cannot be the Condition of our Juftification.

And now I proceed to the Confideration of your laft Argument for the Vindication of these Principles. "It feems (you fay) that our Obedience must be the Condition of our Juftification, because "the Procefs of the final Judgment will be put up"C on that Issue; and every Man will be judged in "that awful Day, according to his Works.

[ocr errors]

To which I anfwer, that I can fee no Manner of Confequence in this Reafoning, because God of his infinite Grace and Bounty will be pleafed to reward the Obedience of Believers at the eternal Judgment, that therefore our Obedience is the Condition of our prefent Juftification. You your. felf, Sir, have been so good to the young Gentleman, your Sifter's Son, as to take him out of Prifon, to pay his Debts, to adopt him into your Family, to call him by your own Name, and to treat him as your own Child; and I am told that you intend to reward his Dutifulness to you, by giving him the Preference to your Daughters, and by making him the Heir of your folid Estate. If it fhould be fo, would it from thence appear, that his dutiful Behaviour was the Condition of your taking him out of Prison, and adopting him into your Family? No, Sir, you know that this was an Act of mere Compaffion and Kindness.-Apply this to the Cafe before us, and you will fee the Fate of your Argument. You are befides to confider, that it is no where faid in Scripture, that we are at the laft Day to be rewarded for our good Works, but according to them. The Reward which Believers fhall receive will be a Reward of mere Grace; and will of God's infinite Goodnefs be proportioned to, but not merited by their Obedience.

-Let it

alfo

« AnteriorContinuar »