more, &c. St. Paul felt such violent impulses in his body hence he wrote, 'The good that I would, I do not; and the evil which I would not, I do.' These violent impulses are the best means to humble the soul to nothing, and to bring it to true holiness, and the divine union; there is no other way, et hæc est via facilior et tutior, ‘and this is the easier and the safer way.' David, &c., suffered such violent impulses to external impure actions," &c.

Who does not see here some of the most absurd tenets

or dangerous consequences of Calvinism! Man is a mere machine in the work of salvation. The body of holy Paul is sold under sin. David in Uriah's bed is complete and

perfect in Christ. Actual adultery humbles believers, and is an excellent mean of sanctification, &c.

When we see antinomianism thus defiling the sounder part of the Romish and protestant churches; when the god of this world avails himself of these "antinomian dotages," to confirm myriads of stiff pharisees in their selfrighteous delusions; and when the bulk of men, shocked at the glaring errors of both, run for shelter to deism and gross infidelity; who would not desire to see the doctrines of faith and works, grace and obedience, so stated and reconciled, that men of reason might no longer be offended at Christianity, nor men of religion one at another?

This is again attempted in the following discourse, the substance of which was committed to paper many years ago, to convince the pharisees and papists of my parish, that there is no salvation by the faithless works of the law, but by a living faith in Jesus Christ. With shame I confess, that I did not then see the need of guarding the doctrine of faith against the despisers of works. I was chiefly bent upon pulling up the tares of pharisaism, Those of antinomianism were not yet sprung up in the field which I began to cultivate, or my want of experience hindered me from discerning them. But since what a crop of them have I perceived and bewailed!

Alas! they have, in a great degree, ruined the success of my ministry. I have seen numbers of lazy seekers enjoying the dull pleasure of sloth on the couch of wilful unbelief, under pretence that God was to do all in them

without them. I have seen some lie flat in the mire of sin, absurdly boasting that they could not fall; and others make the means of grace means of idle gossiping or sly courtship. I have seen some turn their religious profession into a way of gratifying covetousness or indolence; and others, their skill in church music, their knowledge and their zeal, into various nets to catch esteem, admiration, and praise. Some have I seen making yesterday's faith a reason to laugh at the cross to-day; and others drawing, from their misapprehensions of the atonement, arguments to be less importunate in secret prayer and more conformable to this evil world than once they were. Nay, I have seen some professing believers backward to do those works of mercy which I have sometimes found persons, who made no profession of godliness, quite ready to perform. And O! tell it in Sion, that watchfulness may not be neglected by believers, that fearfulness may seize upon backsliders, and that trembling may break the bones of hypocrites and apostates,—I have seen those who had equally shined by their gifts and graces strike the moral world with horror by the grossest antinomianism, and disgrace the doctrine of salvation through faith by the deepest plunges into scandalous sin.

Candid reader, I need say no more to make thee sensible of the necessity of the additions and notes, by which I have strengthened and guarded my old discourse, that it might be an " Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism," an equal prop to faith and works. If it affords thee any edification, give God the glory, and pray for the despised author. Ask in the words of good Bishop Hopkins, that I may so believe, “ so rest on the merits of Christ, as if I had never wrought any thing; and, withal, so work, as if I were only to be saved by my own merits." And, O! ask it again and again; for I find it a difficult thing to give to each of these its due in my practice. It is the very depth and height of Christian perfection.

364

POSTSCRIPT.

MADELEY, Jan. 10th, 1774.

But a

ABOVE fifteen years ago I looked into "Baxter's Aphoisms on Justification;" and, through prejudice or sloth, I soon laid them down, as being too deep for me. few days since, a friend having brought me Mr. Wesley's extract of them, I have read it with much satisfaction, and present my readers with a compendium of my discourse, in the words of those two judicious and laborious divines.

"As there are two covenants, with their distinct conditions, so is there a twofold righteousness, and both of them absolutely necessary to salvation. Our righteousness of the first covenant is not personal, or consisteth not in any actions performed by us: for we never personally satisfied the law" of innocence, "but it is wholly without us in Christ. In this sense every Christian disclaimeth his own righteousness, or his own works. Those only shall be in Christ legally righteous, who believe and obey the gospel, and so are in themselves evangelically righteous. Though Christ performed the conditions of the law" of innocence, "and satisfied for our non-performance, yet it is ourselves that must perform the conditions of the gospel. These two" last propositions seem to me so clear, that I do wonder any able divines should deny them. Methinks they should be articles of our creed, and a part of children's catechisms. To affirm that our evangelical or new-covenant righteousness is in Christ, and not in ourselves; or performed by Christ, and not by ourselves; is such a monstrous piece of antinomian doctrine, as no man who knows the nature and difference of the covenants can possibly entertain."-BAXTER's Aphorisms, prop. 14-17.

SALVATION BY THE COVENANT OF GRACE:

A DISCOURSE

PREACHED IN

THE PARISH CHURCH OF MADELEY,

APRIL 18TH, 1762, AND MAY 91H, 1773.