"for his body's sake, which is the church;" did he mean, that the sufferings of Christ, and his sufferings co-operated in atoning for our sins? Or merely, that his sufferings were necessary, in order to bring sinners to receive and partake of the all sufficient atonement of Christ? If, in producing the willing mind to turn to God, the sinner's co-operation with God be admitted, not only is the glory divided between two agents, and boasting introduced; but the will of man takes the lead, and seems entitled to the precedency. But as, "It is God, that worketh " in us both to will and to work," all the glory is given to him; yet our bounden duty of "working “out our own salvation," continues the same; and all the immense advantages of attending to it, are wholly ours; which claim our liveliest gratitude, while at the same time boasting is excluded. "That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him "are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us, "Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, " and Redemption: that according as it is written, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."2 P. xlii. l. 25. "And is not, &c." In the person

3 And is not this similar to what took place in our blessed Saviour himself? he was God and man in one Christ-He was perfect God and perfect Man. Though "in him dwelt all the "fulness of the Godhead;" yet, "he was in all things made like unto his brethren," and "was in all points tempted like as we are." "We Christians are imperfect men, improved and 'assisted by that portion of divine grace, which it pleases God to • bestow upon us.'

of Christ, perfect God and perfect Man,' the divine nature has, in all things, the precedency: but in the co-operation, intended to be illustrated by it, the power and will of man precede and render effectual, the supernatural powers of the Holy Spirit; unless we, unreservedly, ascribe our willingness to obey the call of the gospel to his special preventing grace. How far the intended illustration, from a topick, so extremely different, is admissible, may be questioned: for the union of the divine and human nature, in the person of Christ, has scarcely any thing, which accords to the co-operation of two agents in one work. Even "the chiefest of the "apostles" were imperfect men surely then the epithet is too feeble for the character of man, as he is by nature!

P. xliii. l. 9. The thoughts, &c." In speaking of Christ, his divine nature is, with exact propriety, placed first; but in mentioning the graces and virtues of christians, the natural power of man' precedes 'the supernatural power of the Holy Ghost, This is perfectly consistent with that system, and indeed inseparable from it.

P. xliii. l. 21.

2

We sometimes, &c.' It would

* The thoughts, words, and actions of Christ, proceeded from the union of his divine and human natures; and the graces and virtues of Christians, proceed from the joint and common ope⚫ration of the natural power of man with the supernatural power ' of the Holy Ghost, for of his fulness have all we received."

2. We sometimes find them,' (the good works of men,)' in "I scripture ascribed to God alone without any reference to man, ⚫ and sometimes to man alone without any reference to God,'

have been more satisfactory to the reader, if his Lordship had quoted, or referred to, any texts of scripture, in which the good works of men are ' ascribed to God alone, without any reference to man.' I cannot call to memory any text to this effect." We are his workmanship, created in "Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath "before ordained, that we should walk in them." The fruits of the Spirit" are indeed coincident with thiose fruits of "righteousness, which are by "Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God?"? but they are not ascribed to God alone, without any reference to man:' for they spring from the mind, judgment, and affections of those, who are "led by the Spirit," "live in the Spirit," and "walk "in the Spirit." The will and the power, to per form good works, ought to be, and is in scripture, and in our articles and liturgy, ascribed to God alone but how the good works themselves can bè ascribed to God alone, without any reference to man, except by actually considering man as a mere automaton, does not appear.-In the co-operation before stated, in which God co-operated with his servants, in the conversion of sinners, it was clearly stated, that God is the great Agent, and man the instrument by which he works. But in good works, man is the sole agent, though it is

God, who worketh in him, both to will and to "do:" and to speak of God as the Agent, is, to represent man as merely passive, not working as a

1 Eph. ii. 10. 2 Phil. i. 11. 3 Gal v. 16-18. 22-25.

voluntary agent, but wrought upon as a statue, or a corpse, without any choice, or consciousness,

if

P.xliv. 1. 4. • The grace, &c.'1 This passage, detached from the context, might be interpreted to mean, that the grace of God' influences the heart and mind of man, by producing an inward change, called "a new heart," which effectually induces him to "walk in newness of life," in a manner, not at all interfering with his free agency: namely, by so enlightening the mind, rectifying the judgment, rendering the will submissive, and purifying the affections, by the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit; that the man now, as willingly chooses to repent, believe, and obey, as he before did to rebel, to reject the gospel, and to harden his heart in unbelief. Yet he himself is not conscious of any influence, distingiushable from that of his own mind; but merely complies with the dictates of his enlightened conscience. Until at length perceiving, that an entire change has taken place in his views, judgment, desires, and affections, coincident with that, which is ascribed in scripture, to the new-creating grace of God; he learns to give him all the glory, and finds at the same time a great accession to his own comfort. "He that doeth truth cometh to the "light, that his deeds may be made manifest that "they are wrought in God." The grace of God,

I That the grace of God co-operates with the free-will of men, can alone reconcile the numerous texts, both preceptive and declaratory, which relate to human conduct, and which sepa ?rately assert the divine and human agency.'

* John iii. 21.

'thus co-operating,' does indeed reconcile the nu'merous texts, both perceptive and declaratory, 'which relate to human conduct, and which separately assert the divine and human agency.'

I

P. xliv. 1. 10. "The concurrence, &c."1 This

:

'The concurrence of God and man, says Archbishop Bramhall, in producing the act of our believing or conversion to God, is so evident in Holy Scripture, that it is vanity and lost labour to oppose it. If God did not concur, the Scripture would not say, It is God that worketh in us, both the will and 'the deed. If man did not concur, the Scripture would not say, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." If our repentance were God's work alone, God would not say to man, Turn ye unto me with all your heart and if repentance were 'man's work alone, we had no need to pray, “Turn us, O Lord, " and we shall be turned." We are commanded to repent and to 'believe In vain are commandments given to them, who can'not at all concur to the acting of that which is commanded, Faith and repentance are proposed unto us, as conditions to ⚫ obtain blessedness and avoid destruction. "If thou shalt confess "with thy mouth, and believe with thy heart, thou shalt be "saved." And, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." To propose impossible conditions, which they, to whom they are proposed, have no power either to accept or refuse, is a mere mockery. Our unbelief and impenitence is imputed to f us as our own fault, "Because of unbelief thou wert broken off;" and, "After thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up unto thyself wrath." "Their unbelief and impenitence were 'not their own faults, if they neither had power to concur with 'the grace of God to the production of faith and repentance; nor yet to refuse the grace of God. The Holy Scripture doth 'teach us, that God doth help us in doing works of piety; " The "Lord is my Helper," " and, "The Spirit helpeth our infirmities." 'If we did not co-operate at all, God could not be said to help us. There is, therefore, there must be, co-operation. Neither ' doth this concurrence or co-operation of man, at all, entrench ! upon the power or honour of God, because this very liberty