way of arguing, men are not justified by free grace and mercy, but by their works only. The argument, which way foever it is turned, will appear to have no force, when we confider, that the justification at the day of judgment is of a different kind from that about which we are now debating: It is neither grounded on the merits of our judge, nor on free grace, but on good works only, and is what fome divines, with great propriety, call a declarative justification. We are justified properly, or in the fight of God, as St. Paul affures us, whenever with a penitent heart we truly believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift; and this juftification is through the blood of Chrift. We are justified declaratively, or in the fight of men, when we fhew forth our faith by our works, as St. James fpeaks. Abraham, for instance, was juftified in St. Paul's fenfe of the word, when he believed God: he was justified in St. James's fenfe, when he offered up Ifaac. Compare Rom. iv. with James ii. Now as the defign of the last public judgment is not that God may discover what men are, in order to regulate his diftribution of rewards and punishments; but to fhew what men are to themfelves, and an affembled univerfe, and to reveal his righteous judgment; on which account that awful period is called the day of the REVELATION of the righteous judgment of God. Rom. ii. 5; fo the juftification and condemna

tion

tion of men which are then to take place, will be folely founded on that which demonstrates what they really were in their state of probation, namely, their works, taking the word in its most extenfive fenfe. I faw the dead, Small and great, ftand before God, and they were judged every man according to their works. Rev.

XX. 12, 13.

10. "Though St. Peter, in his difcourfe "to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, speaks "of their fin in murdering Chrift as of a hei"nous nature, he fays not a word of the ne

66

ceffity of any atonement,-but only exhorts "to repentance." And "All the difcourfes "of St. Paul upon various occafions, in the "book of Acts, are intirely moral." Ib.

If it were true, that the apostles did not teach the doctrine of atonement in any of those few difcourfes of their's which are recorded in the book of Acts, this would not afford a prefumption, much lefs a proof, that they did not teach it at all. It is evident, that they delivered different truths at different times, and we may fafely fuppofe, that in this they adapted their difcourfes to the state of their hearers. If we are taught this, or any other doctrine in holy writ, it matters not in what part, or upon what occafion. Let the Lord. fpeak, and it is our duty to believe, and obey. But it is not true, that all the difcourfes of the apostles recorded in the Acts are intirely moral,

moral, if I understand our author's fenfe of the word: For St. Paul, after having proved, in his fermon at Antioch, that Jefus was the Christ, and that the Jews had eventually fulfilled all that was written of him, concludes with this application,. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of fins: And BY HIM all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Mofes. Acts xiii. 38, 39. The fame apostle gives this folemn admonition to the elders of the church at Ephefus, Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghoft bath made you overfeers, to feed the church of God, WHICH HE HATH PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. Chap. xx. 28. And St. Peter, in his difcourfe before Cornelius, fpeaking of Chrift, fays, To him give all the prophets witness, that THROUGH HIS NAME, whofoever believeth in him shall receive remiffion of fins. Chap. x. 43.

II. "It is particularly remarkable, that "when facrifices under the law are exprefsly "faid not to be fufficient for the pardon of "fin, we are never referred to any more avail

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ing facrifice; but to good works only." Ib.

Let the reader judge of the propriety of this remark, when he has confidered the following paffage of fcripture. The law having a fhadow of good things to come, and not the very image

of the things, can never with thofe facrifices, which they offer year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect: for then would they not have ceafed to be offered; because that the worshippers once purged, should have had no more confcience of fins. But in thofe facrifices there is a remembrance again made of fins every year. For it is not poffible that the blood of bulls and of goats, fhould take away fin. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he faith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldeft not, but a body haft thou prepared me: In burnt-offerings and facrifices for fin thou haft had no pleasure: Then faid I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above, when he faid, Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for fin thou wouldeft not, neither badft pleasure therein (which are offered by the law ;) then jaid he, Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second. By the which will we are fanctified, through the offering of the body of Jefus Christ once for all. And every priest ftandeth daily miniftering, and offering oftentimes the fame facrifices, which can never take away fins: But this man, after he had of fered one facrifice for fins, for ever fat down on the right hand of God; from thenceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified. Heb. x. 1-14. In this

paffage

paffage we are informed, that the facrifices under the law were infufficient to take away fins (in the proper fense of the word,) and for this, which the blood of bulls and goats could not do, we are referred to a more availing facrifice, the offering of the body of Jefus Chrift, which is fufficient to perfect for ever them that are fanctified. So that the reverse of our author's objection is afferted in the plaineft terms; and if fuch authority of holy writ cannot decide the matter, we need not wonder, that it is found difficult to put an end to any controverfy by Scripture.

In the Theological Repofitory several texts are produced to prove, that "whenever the legal "facrifices are declared, by the prophets, to "be infufficient to procure the favour of God, "the only thing that is oppofed to them, as "of more value in the fight of God, is per"fonal holiness, good works, or moral virSée Pfal. li. 16, 17. Isaiah i. 11–20. "Hof. vi. 6. Amos v. 22-27. Micah vi. 6, 7, 8."* Vol. I. p. 129.

"tue.

* In this quotation from the prophet Micah, the 5th verfe is omitted, which, in my opinion, directs us to the true meaning of the paffage. O my People, remember now what Balak king of Moab confulted, and what Balaam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. Wherewith fhall I come before the Lord, &c. Balak was not rejected because his facrifices were not fufficiently rich or numerous, but because he was defective in juftice, mercy, and the love of God: And the Jews were put in mind of this, that they might not vainly hope to compenfate for their immoral conduct by the number of their expenfive offerings.