rance, are the fruits of the Spirit (g). It is thus that an examination into the natural ftate of the human heart, and an enquiry into the method by which the different graces of the Christian character are wrought in man, constrain us to ascribe every thing in us which is good, to God, the Author of every good and perfect gift. They conftrain us to acknowledge, that as St. Paul, depreffed by his thorn in the flesh, could be enabled to preach the gospel with fuccefs, only by the grace of Christ; fo by that grace only, can mạn, labouring under his natural corruption, be enabled to attain eternal life. They constrain us to acknowledge as indispensably necessary to salvation that total change, which the Scriptures delineate under a variety of figurative expreffions, effentially of the fame meaning, and calculated, partly to exemplify its magnitude and effect, partly to denote its fupreme importance: a change which the word of God attributes exclufively to the fanctifying influence of the Holy Ghoft purchased for us by the facrifice of Jefus Chrift. They conftrain us to confefs, that except a man be born of water and of the Spirit; emblematically of water by baptifm, and fubftantially of the Spirit by the renovation of his corrupt nature unto holiness; he cannot enter into the kingdom

(g) Philipp. ii. 13. Heb. xiii. 21. xii. 28. Gal. v. 22, 23. Eph. v. 9.

of

of God (b). They conftrain us to confefs, that we must become new creatures (i); that we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds; that we must put off the old man, which is corrupt, and be renewed in the fpirit of our minds; that we must put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufnefs and true holiness (k). They conftrain us to confefs, that if we are to be faved, we are to be faved by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft (1). We are to be faved by receiving from the Spirit of God, not those extraordinary and now no longer needed powers, which were requifite to enable the firft preachers of Chriftianity to confirm the truth of the new religion by the evidence of miraculous atteftations; but that influence. which in every age is no lefs neceffary to the falvation of every Christian, than it was in primitive times to the falvation of the apostles; that influence which alone can enlighten the underftanding, rectify the will, difpose us to repentance, establish us in faith, renew the heart unto godlinefs, fupply ftrength to withstand temptation, infpire holy refolutions and ability to fulfil them, and finally feal the stedfast fervants of Chrift through continuance in faith, and in good works the fruits of faith, to eternal life.

II. The grace of Chrift, as neceffary to falvation, is placed within the reach of every man.

Does this affertion, fo full of confolation and encouragement to the terrified finner, ftand firm on Scriptural authority? On that authority it ftands immovable. God hath no pleafure that the wicked fhould die; but that he fhould return from his ways and live. God our Saviour will have all men to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall be not. with him alfo freely give all things: all things needful to falvation, and as of all things the most needful, his grace? If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him (m)!

But of what avail is the rope, which you hold forth to the fhipwrecked mariner; if his eye is too dim to difcern it, his hand too feeble to grasp it? Although it is apparent that God freely offers his grace to every man; is it also clear that every man has the power of accepting it? May there not be a natural or a moral impoffibility, which may disable the perishing

(m) Ezek. xviii. 23. 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4. Mark, xvi. 15. Rom. viii. 32. Luke, xi. 13.

finner from deriving benefit from the means of deliverance when placed before him? Among the numerous doubts and fufpicions which have difquieted the breafts of Christians, that which is here prefented, if one of the most diftreffing, is alfo one of the most extraordinary. Do you afcribe to the Moft High delufive offers? To the God of truth, do you ascribe shifts, and pretences and evafions, which in the common transactions of life you would disclaim yourself, which you would condemn in any one of your fellowcreatures? Is it thus that you dishonour the Father of mercies, and render nugatory his gracious propofal of univerfal falvation? God is no refpecter of perfons. The offer which he makes to every man, he enables every man to accept. No man ever committed any sin, but the grace of God was ready to have qualified him to withstand it. No man ever committed any fin, but he might have obtained the grace of God neceffary for effectual resistance, had he antecedently chosen to apply for it in proportion to his knowledge. Such has been the fact with refpect to every fin which ever was committed. Such will be the fact with respect to every sin which ever shall be committed. God is not the Author of evil.

He

He tempts no man to fin. He places no man under a neceffity of tranfgreffing the divine law. He leaves no man, in any'. inftance, deftitute of the power of obtaining that grace which would have preferved him from tranfgreffion. He mocks no man; however fome, who have blindly mifinterpreted his word, have reprefented him as mocking the great mafs of the human race; he mocks no man by groundless hopes, by calls which cannot be heard, by commands which cannot be obeyed, by offers which cannot be accepted. He fubjects no man, he permits no man to be fubject, to a natural or to a moral impoffibility; diftinctions, if tried by fair reasoning, in this cafe without a difference, of accepting the mercy which he proposes to all. God, the God of mercy, is faithful and just and true in all his dealings. Could he be faithful and juft and true in all his dealings, if, while defcribing himself in terms the moft comprehenfive as holding forth a bleffing to all, he held it forth only to fome: if, while in language the most impreffive, he urged every man to accept his mercy, he knew that numbers were by his predetermined purpose ordained to remain for ever deftitute of the power of accepting it? F God

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