were in their proportion as acceptable worshippers, as others who facrificed in faith. Modern unbelievers ftand upon the fame footing: all the great effential bleffings of the mediatorial scheme affift their well-meant endeavours of living up to their respective degrees of light.

It would be a dry and tedious detail, to enter into the difcuffion of the feveral texts of fcripture, upon which these propofitions depend: but all center in this important and adorable conclufion, THAT

THERE IS NO HAPPINESS FOR MANKIND BUT BY THE ONE GREAT SACRIFICE, THAT WAS OFFERED UP TO GOD BY HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.

NEITHER is there falvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby they can be faved. Acts, iv. 12. He is the way, and the truth, and the life: none cometh to the Father, but by him. John, xiv. 6. He is the lamb flain from the foundation of

the world. Rev. xiii. 8. The lamb that taketh away the fins of the world. John, i. 29.

I HAVE often endeavoured, with the utmost candour I am capable of, to find out fome colour of reafon for the great prepoffeffions, entertained by several, who call themselves chriftians, against the doctrine of atonement. My enquiries have ever ended in astonishment. This doctrine is fo far the foul and effence of all revealed religion, that, be the fcriptures ever fo mangled and tortured by ingenuity, yet the general truth still speaks and lives, as it were, in this difmembered ftate.

AND why fo many difficulties in admitting the teftimony of GoD this upon comfortable and important doctrine? Is there any difference, with regard to the honour of GOD, whether he originally made the world fuch an imperfect state of moral difcipline as we find it at prefent; or whether he suffered it to be

come

come fo, with an intention of bringing greater order out of the confufion? Is there any difference, whether he pardons fin and gives grace immediately himself; or appoints inftruments of conveying these bleffings to us? Is there not a fort of mediatorial scheme running through all nature? Are not our lives given and supported by the inftrumentality of fecond caufes? Is not knowledge given us by the mediation of our fellow-creatures, by the feveral methods of culture and inftruction? And why may there not be a higher inftrument of conveying spiritual graces which are of still higher importance?

Do you difclaim this, because there is fomething myfterious in it? You may as well then disclaim the ftate of nature; for that has fomething, as I fhowed before, ftill more myfterious in it: you may as well deny the existence of things

around

for every thing you you; fee has fomething in it above your comprehenfion. *

OR does your ignorance of the nature of this scheme deftroy its ufes and benefits upon you? That is an 'absurd pretence: we enjoy the uses of plants and animals, though we are ignorant of their ftructure; we enjoy the uses of the elements, though we understand not their nature; and we enjoy the uses of the heavenly bodies, though we know not the cause of their revolutions.

THE

* Dean Swift's defence of Mysteries is as folid, I think, as it is diverting.

"FOR my part, fays he, having confidered the mat"ter impartially, I can fee no reason, which those "gentlemen, you call free thinkers, can have for their "clamour against religious mysteries; fince it is plain, "they were not invented by the clergy, to whom they "bring no profit, nor acquire any honour. For every

clergyman is ready, either to tell us the utmost he "knows, or to confefs that he does not understand "them; neither is it strange, that there should be mys"teries in divinity, as well as in the commoneft ope"rations of nature."

Advice to a young Clergyman.

THE fcripture account is plain and inftructive. We are fallen creatures: a Divine person thought it neceffary to redeem us into a better state: if this cannot, nothing can, render us willing to comply with his terms and to exert the powers we really poffefs.

WERE it matter of indifference, whether men believed the gospel or not, whether they were not christians in power as well as name; errors in this cafe were excufable. But our happiness depends upon it: we live within the light and sphere of christian knowledge: and the univerfal rule is, that men must live up to the respective degrees of light enjoyed by them.

II. IF any man can comfort himself in his moral state without reliance upon Christ's atonement, he must either be a brute or an angel. He must either never reflect upon his condition at all, or must have the happiness of saying, I