whilft it makes the fulleft provifion for our pardon, gives him the united glory of all his perfections.

THE fubject appears to me far from being a mere fpeculative point, as fome are always labouring to reprefent it. They are interesting enquiries, and of the most extenfive influence in the Christian life; how my fins may be pardoned, and fuch a guilty finner as I am juftified in the fight of that holy and righteous God, with whom I have to do. The returning fuch an answer to these enquiries, as confcience might acquiefce in, and as may appear to have a plain foundation in the word of God, is the grand point which I have had before me, and which I have endeavoured never to lofe fight of. And where God has made fuch things as thefe matter of ferious confideration with any, fuch, I hope, will meet with fomething in

the

the following difcourfes, that is fuited to their taste, and, by the bleffing of God, may be of use to them.

IT is most certain, that we are guilty creatures in the fight of God, and must be confidered as fuch in all our tranfactions. with him. This is the state of all mankind without exception: Every mouth must be Stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. We are chargeable with the. breach of that holy and righteous conftitution, under which we are originally placed. And it is under a feeling sense of this as our cafe, that we are to fet ourselves to examine, what that righteousness is, which God hath appointed for our juftification, and acceptance with him.

I LIKEWISE take it to be of great ufe, in fettling the nature of this righteousnefs, to have right notions of the law, its purity, extent, and unchangeable obligations.

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tions. Nothing appears to me more evident, than that the law, as requiring perfect obedience, is of perpetual and unchangeable obligation. And if we are under the obligations of fuch a law, and are at the fame time convicted of the breach of it, the next queftion will be, where may we be provided with a Righteousness for our Juftification, in which the law will acquiefce? In this cafe it will be in vain to fly to any righteoufnefs, or works of our own, done in obedience to the law; that were only looking for healing to the hand that gave the deadly wound: and, therefore, when we have no fuch righteoufness of our own, nor can any mere.crea ture furnish us with it, this led me to confider the perfect, glorious, and everlasting righteoufnefs, which we have in the Lord Jefus Chrift, his whole active and paffive obedience, as the only righteousness in and for which we are, or can be juftified.

IT

IT has likewife been no fmall part of my defign, to state the way in which, according to the conftitution of the gospel, we come to be interested in this righteoufnefs, which I have fhewn to be by Imputation; and this led me to examine at large the foundations upon which this Imputation stands, and how it takes place upon believing. After which I proceed to ex-, emplify the high efteem which believers have for this righteoufnefs; the glory and perfection of it in itself, as it is the righteoufne's of God-man Mediator; how friendly the doctrine of Juftification by it is to the intereft of gospel-holinefs and obedience, and how a practical regard to it runs into all our religious tranfactions with God: what I have offered upon each of these heads, will, I hope, be found to have a plain foundation in the fcriptures, and to be every ways agreeable to the fentiments and experiences of believers through the feve

ral

ral ages of the Church. When noify controversies are laid asleep, when wrangling and difputing are no more, and we come in a folemn hour between God and our own souls, to humble ourselves before him, and, under a confcious fenfe of guilt, addrefs his throne for pardon and mercy, what but this righteoufnefs alone can lie at the bottom of all our hopes?

I HAVE purposely avoided through the whole to make use of any fcholaftic terms, or nice and fubtle diftinctions, with which fome have incumbered and obfcured the subject, rather than thrown any light upon it. The gofpel, I apprehend, ftands in no need of any of them: it fhines brightest in its own native fimplicity, and by the authority and evidence of its own truths, I am perfuaded, will at length make its way in the world, and triumph over all oppofition. The main principle that I go upon, is, that God will put honour upon the

law,