a drowning person may be said to be saved, either by the man on the bank of the river, or by the rope cast out to him, or by his hand apprehending the rope; according to the different ways in which we speak on the subject.

The manner in which faith justifies, may be illustrated, by considering in what sense a bank note pays a demand made on any person. The intrinsic value of the paper is not one farthing; but it refers the creditor to a company who are engaged and competent to answer the demand; and therefore it is accounted to the debtor as so much paid in specie. Thus faith refers God the Father to Christ, who is able and willing to answer for every believer; and, therefore," it is imputed to us for righteousness." So that, if a man should die, immediately after the first exercise of true faith, (as the thief on the cross did,) and before he had time to perform one further act of obedience; he would directly enter heaven as a justified person: though all who are spared, will certainly show their faith by their works. Nor can there be a doubt, but that the faith of Abraham, and that of ancient believers, had a similar respect to the promises and testimony of God, concerning a Redeemer who was to come; or that it justified them in exactly the same manner.

The Scriptures inform us, that "the only wise God, our Saviour," hath appointed this method of justification, that the benefit might be of grace: for faith of that nature which hath been described, expressly renounces all claim in the way of merit. It allows "that by the works of the law, no "flesh can be justified in the sight of God;" it comes to him, not to buy, earn, or demand a recompense, but to crave mercy, the gift of righteousness, and the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ; and in that way, by which the desert of sin and the justice of God were most clearly displayed to the universe. So that in this method "of justifying the ungodly" by faith alone, the whole glory is secured to the Lord; and his justice, holiness, truth, and wisdom, as well as his abounding grace, are explicitly acknowledged and honoured. And as faith itself is the gift

of God, whilst the weakest faith justifies as certainly as the strongest, (though it does not bring such evidence of it to the conscience,) so boasting is excluded, every ground of self-preference is removed, and a foundation is, as it were, laid in the believer's heart, for the constant exercise of humility, dependence, patience, and meekness; and of that love, which constrains the redeemed sinner "to live no longer to himself, but to him that died for him and rose again."

But it may be objected, that the Scriptures frequently speak of repentance, conversion, love, obedience, doing the will of God, and forgiveness of enemies, as requisite in order to our acceptance and admission to the enjoyment of our heavenly inheritance; and how can this consist with the doctrine of justification by faith alone? No doubt these. things are necessary; nay, there is no salvation without them, according to the time and apportunity afforded: nor does any man come short of salvation in whom they are found. These are things which accompany salvation; (Heb. vi. 9.) they either prepare the heart for receiving Christ by faith, or they are evidences that he is thus received: yet Christ himself is our whole salvation, and faith alone receives him and appropriates the blessing; not by believing, without evidence that Christ is ours; but by applying to him, according to the word of God, that he may be ours.

Should it be further objected, that the decision of the day of judgment is always stated to be made "according to men's works;" it may suffice to answer in this place, that no faith justifies, except that which works by love; that love uniformly produces obedience; and that the works thus wrought will certainly be adduced, as evidences in court, to distinguish between the true believer and all other persons.-Finally, the objection, that this doctrine tends to licentiousness, seems to have been already sufficiently answered, by the explanation given of the nature and effects of saving faith; and I shall only add a most earnest exhortation to all, who hold this doctrine, to walk so circumspectly, "that, whereas, men speak evil of them,

as evil doers; they may be ashamed that falsely accuse "their good conversation in Christ," (1 Pet, ii. 12.iii. 16.)

Thus having explained the doctrine of justification by faith alone," through the righteousness of God, even of our Saviour Jesus Christ," (2 Pet. i. 1.) and proved it to be that of the Holy Scriptures; I would conclude by reminding the reader of its vast importance." How shall man be just with God?"—All our eternal interests depend on the answer, which, in our creed and experience, we return to this question: for if God hath, for the glory of his own name, law, and government, appointed a method of justifying sinners, and revealed it in the gospel; and they, in the pride of their hearts, refuse to seek the blessings in this way, but will come for it according to their own devices; he may justly, and will certainly, leave them under merited condemnation, (Rom. x. 1-4.) May God incline every reader to give this subject a serious consideration, with the day of judgment and eternity before his eyes! Nor let it be forgotten, that all the reformers from popery, (who were eminent men, however some may affect to despise them,) deemed the prevailing sentiments concerning the way of a sinner's justification before God, to be the grand distinction between a standing and a falling church.

Yet we should also observe, that " the truth itself may be held in unrighteousness:" and they who receive this. doctrine into a proud and carnal heart, by a dead faith, not only awfully deceive themselves, and quiet their consciences in an impenitent unjustified state; but bring a reproach upon the truth, and fatally prejudice the minds of men against it, of which they will have a dreadful account to give at the last day. For did all, who profess and argue for this "doctrine of God our Saviour," adorn it by such a conduct, as it is suited to produce, Pharisees, Sceptics, and Infidels would be deprived of their best weapon, and must fight against the Gospel at a vast disadvantage. May the Lord give us all that "faith which worketh by love," that "by works our faith may be made perfect;" as the grafted tree is in its most perfect state, when every branch is loaded with valuable fruit, (Gal, v. 6. James ii, 17—26.)

On Regeneration.

WHEN the Apostle had reminded the Ephesians, that

"they were saved by grace, through faith," he added, " and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast." (Eph. ii. 8—10.) Hence we learn, that faith itself, the sole recipient of at the blessings of salvation, is the effect of a divine influence upon the soul; that all real good works are the effect of a new creation; and that it is the Lord's express design, by these means, effectually to exclude boasting, "that no flesh should glory in his presence." This gracious operation of a divine power in changing the heart is represented in Scripture under several metaphors, of which Regeneration, (or being born again, born of God, and born of the Spirit,) is the most frequent and remarkable; and the present Essay will be appropriated to the discussion of this interesting subject.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a scribe, and a member of the Jewish sanhedrim, came to our Lord by night: for notwithstanding his conviction that Jesus was a Teacher sent from God, he was afraid or ashamed of being known to consult him, concerning the doctrine that he came to inculcate. The state of his mind accorded to the darkness which prevailed at the season of this interview: and he seems to have expected some instructions coincident with the traditions of the Pharisees, and their ideas of religion and of the Messiah's kingdom, which they supposed to consist in external forms and advantages. But our Lord, with a two-fold most solemn asseveration, peculiar to himself on the most important occasions, abruptly assured him, that " except a man were born again, he could not see the kingdom of God;" or discern its real nature and

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excellency and when Nicodemus expressed his astonishment at this assertion, in language aptly illustrating the Apostle's meaning, when he says, "The things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man;" (1 Cor. ii. 14.) our Lord answered with the same solemnity, that, except a man were born of water and of the Spirit, he could not enter into the kingdom of God." Water had been used in divers ways, as an external emblem of internal purification; and the use of it was intended to be continued, in the ordinance of baptism, under the new dispensation it was therefore proper to mention it as the outward sign of that change, which could only be effected by the power of the Holy Spirit.-Our Lord next showed the indispensable necessity of this new birth. "That which is born of the flesh," or derived by natural generation from fallen Adam, " is flesh," or carnal in its propensities and inclinations; " and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," or spiritual, holy, and heavenly, like its divine author. (Rom. viii. 1—16.) He then told Nicodemus not to wonder at his declaration, that even Jews, Pharisees, and Scribes "must be born again ;" and he illustrated the subject by the wind, the precise cause of which, in all its variations, cannot easily be ascertained, nor its motions and energy altered or abated; but which is very manifest in its powerful effects. And when Nicodemus still inquired" how these things could be?" he in return expressed his surprise, that a teacher of Israel should be at a loss about such a subject! and concluded by representing this part of his instructions as "earthly things,” when compared with the deep mysteries of his Person and Redemption, which he afterwards declared to him as "heavenly things." For this change takes place on earth continually, even as often as sinners are turned from their evil ways, and become truly pious and holy persons: it may very aptly be illustrated by the most common concerns of life it lies as level to our capacities, (if our minds were unprejudiced,) as almost any of the works of God with which we are surrounded: and the necessity of

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