all other christian graces, is perfectly incompatible: for, on that supposition, it might as properly be said, that repentance, that hope, that love, alone, iustifies us, as that faith alone justifies us. Undoubtedly the apostle meant by the faith which abideth, along with hope and love, living justifying faith but love," the requirement of the law," "the "fruit of the Spirit ;" the very image of God, who "is Love;" the very essence of heavenly holiness and happiness, is far greater than faith, though it cannot perform the office of faith. Faith and hope are, so to speak, the scaffolding of that building, by which fallen man is to become an eternal "habitation of God through the Spirit :" but love is the building itself: and when that is finished, the scaffolding shall be taken down. Now the building which shall remain to eternity, and for the sake of which the scaffolding was prepared, must be vastly greater than the scaffolding itself; though that was indispensably necessary.

P. cvi. 1. 23.

The general, &c."1

The con

The general doctrine of justification thus stated, may be ' resolved into these three parts: first, the meritorious cause on account of which we are justified: secondly, the condition to 'be performed by ourselves, to render that cause efficacious; and, thirdly, the motive which led to the appointment of this mode of justification. First, God is said to have "set forth "Christ to be our propitiation, to declare his righteousness for the "remission of sins." Christ is our propitiation, that is, the atone⚫ment made by his death is the meritorious cause of the remission of our sins, or of our justification. The characteristic blessing of the christian religion is, that it provides a satisfaction for sin; to this inestimable benefit it has an exclusive

dition to be performed by ourselves to render that 'cause efficacious,' might here be objected to. The clause, however, may admit of a sound construction but as no word, answering to the English words, terms, conditions, conditional, are used in Scripture, on this subject; as the sacred writers fully expressed their meaning without them; and as these terms are often misunderstood, and liable to be misunderstood; we hope to be excused from employing them in our discussions. Nothing, as a condition, a means, an instrument, a sine qua non, by which some, rather than others, are "made the righteous

claim: "By Him all that believe are justified from all things, "from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses," ⚫ or by any previous dispensation. Secondly, does this cause ope' rate necessarily, and produce our justification as its unavoidable ' effect? No; it operates "through faith in his blood;" that is, the means by which it operates is our faith in the death of Christ. If we have not that faith, if we do not embrace the gospel when proposed to us, Christ is not our propitiation; and, consequently, faith is the condition to be performed by ourselves, to render the death of Christ effectual to our justification. And the same thing is expressed in a preceding verse, "The righ"teousness of God [is manifested] which is by faith of Jesus "Christ unto all, and upon all them, that believe;" belief or faith is here also pronounced to be the condition of justification. Thirdly, the motive which led to the appointment of this mode ' of justification, is contained in these words, "being justified "freely by God's grace:" it was the mercy of God, his good will towards men, which alone induced him to appoint this gracious mode of justification. It was done "freely" and gra'tuitously, without any merit in us, any claim on our part, ' when we were all sinners, when the whole world was guilty in 'the sight of God, and must otherwise have perished everlastingly. "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what "law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith."

"ness of God in Christ," can be mentioned, properly, except "faith, and that not of ourselves, it "is the gift of God." The quotation, though rather long, is adduced, in order to express an approbation of it, as by no means, materially differing from the views, which the evangelical clergy have of this subject.

P. cvii. Note, from Barrow. The apostle, &c."1 The gospel was preached before unto Abraham." "If thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, O LORD, "who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with "thee, that thou mayst be feared."3 "Seek the "LORD, while he may be found;" "Call ye upon "him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake "his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:

The apostle (St. Paul) in this discourse, says Dr. Barrow, ⚫ implies that no precedent dispensation had exhibited any manifest overture or promise of pardon, and upon that account we are in a main point defective; for the light of nature doth only direct to duty, condemning every man in his own judgment and conscience, who transgresseth; but as to pardon, in case of transgression, it is blind and silent: and the law of Moses ⚫ rigorously exacteth punctual obedience, denouncing in express • terms a condemnation and curse to the transgressors of it in any part and so it was a law du duvausvos (woteinoal, not able to give life, Gal. iii. 21, or save us from death. Hence doth the apostle lay down this as the foundation of this whole dispute, that the gospel alone was the power of God through faith to the ⚫ salvation both of Jew and Gentile,' Rom. i. 16, 17, because in that alone was the righteousness of God by faith revealed to beget faith in them, even the faith by which the just shall live, declaring that no precedent dispensation could justify any man,

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and that a man is justified by faith, or hath an absolute need of such a justification as that which the gospel tendereth.'

and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, and he will abund"antly pardon." These, and numerous other express and energetick passages, in the Old Testament, contain most manifest overtures or promises of pardon." It is indeed a truth, worthy of peculiar notice, that the light of nature doth only direct to duty, condemning every man in his own judgment and conscience, who transgresseth; but as to pardon, in case of transgression, it is silent. Yet, the very opening of revelation, the light, not of nature, but of grace, revealed "the Seed of the woman, who "should bruise the serpent's head:" and forgiveness and salvation, through this Redeemer, is the grand subject of the Old Testament. Search the Scrip"tures, for in them ye think, that ye have eternal "life, and they are they which testify of me." "The "testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy." Nay, the strict, rigorous, and unbending, yet "holy, just, and good law," was delivered from mount Sinai, especially to shew the people their need of this Redeemer and Salvation; which were typified, in the mercy-seat, the ark, the sacrifices, and all the worship, afterwards by divine appointment offered on mount Zion. "The gospel is the power of God "unto salvation," as fully revealing that Saviour, who was thus predicted and prefigured; as contrasted with the philosophy of the gentiles, and the traditions of the Jewish scribes; as distinguished from the law which worketh wrath;"" and as preached

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* Is. lv. 6, 7. 2 1 Cor. i. 21-25. 13. Rom. iv. 15, 16.

to the Gentiles, attended "with the Holy Ghost "sent down from heaven." But as "Abraham "was justified by faith," and all those eminent saints, mentioned in the eleventh of Hebrews, "through "faith obtained a good report;" how can it be said, that no precedent dispensation could justify any

man '2

P. cix. 1. 7. Boasting, &c." The law of Moses, as distinguished from any other law, real or supposed, in the matter of justification, will be considered hereafter. But the covenant, that was confirmed be"fore of God in Christ, the law which was four “hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, "that it should make the promise of none effect. "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more "of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by pro"mise."" Is the law then against the promises of "God? God forbid for if there had been a law

I 1 Pet. i. 12.

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2 See quotation from homilies, on p. 98. 1. 14. Refutation. 3. Boasting cannot be excluded by the law of works, that is, by the law of Moses, because in that dispensation God sent no < one to be "the propitiation for our sins;" no one gave him"self for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God;" there is no "Mediator between God and men;" and therefore if the works of the Mosaic law do justify, it must be on account of their ⚫ own merit, and the performance of them must be attended ⚫ with a ground for boasting. It is otherwise with "the law of "faith," or the gospel of Christ, where boasting is excluded by denying merit to faith, and by referring all merit to Christ, from whose death the justifying efficacy of faith is wholly derived. This is a fundamental difference between the two covenants, the law of works and the law of faith, the dispensation of Moses and the gospel of Christ.'