sions the prevalence or increase of a legal or self-righteous spirit. This propensity of our proud hearts is first broken, by perceiving in some measure how justly and certainly the law of God condemns even our best actions; be cause they are so defective in their motive and measure, and so defiled in themselves: and were we always influenced by a realizing conviction, that God deems us deserving of final condemnation, for not loving him with al our hearts; our proneness to rely on our own works could not subsist, but we must draw all our confidence from the grace of the gospel. All other devices for curing this disease are mere palliatives: but the Apostle directs us to the radical cure, when he says, "I through the law, am dead to the law."

III. Ignorance of, or errors about the holy commandments of God, gives occasion to the increase of unsound professors of the gospel, whose scandalous lives, or awful apostacies, often disgrace the cause of truth. If men are allowed to consider the law of God as an enemy from which Christ came to deliver us; if they conclude that their natural dislike to it is excusable, their inability to keep it a misfortune, and their condemnation for breaking it an act of extreme rigour, bordering on injustice; if they suppose salvation to consist almost wholly in deliverance from condemnation, and do not in the least perceive that all true believers really repent of, and condemn themselves for breaking the law; are taught to love and delight in it, and are both required and inclined to testify the sincerity of their love by unreserved obedience to all its precepts; they will readily embrace a doc trine which gives relief to their uneasy consciences, and leaves the favourite lusts of their hearts unmolested. Thus stony-ground hearers, who welcome the gospel with impenitent joy, and then in time of temptation fall away; and thorny-ground hearers, who retain an unfruitful profession, with a worldly, covetous, or sensual life, will abound in the visible church; and be as Achans in the camp. No care indeed of man can wholly prevent this: but a clear and distinct view of the holy law of God, and its subserviency

to the gospel, is one very important means of preventing such dreadful delusions, and such wide-spreading scandals.

IV. The prevalence of corrupt and heretical principles, originates from the same source. Perhaps it might be shown, that all anti-scriptural schemes of religion coincide in several particulars. They agree in considering the perfect law of God as too strict in its demands, and too severe in its penalty; and in supposing that it would be inconsistent with the divine justice and goodness, to deal with his rational creatures according to it. None of them allow expressly that Christ died, to honour this law, and to satisfy the justice of God for our transgressions of it, that he might save sinners without seeming to favour sin : but they suppose his death to have been designed exclusively for some other purposes. Nor do any of them consider a total change of nature and disposition, to be absolutely necessary to salvation; but all of them explain regeneration to mean something very different from, and far beneath this new creation unto holiness. They who differ and dispute the most eagerly about other points, when their sentiments are carefully examined, are found to harmonize in these particulars. The philosophical Socinian, who rejects the doctrine of the atonement as needless, and the eternity of future punishment as unjust; here joins issue with the antimonian, or enthusiast, who, boasting of free grace and extraordinary illuminations, reviles and tramples on the law which Christ died to magnify and honour. Almost all er, rors in religion connect with misapprehensions about the law of God; ignorance, inattention, and confused views of it, inust therefore tend exceedingly to favour the propagation of heretical opinions of various kinds.

A few instances may be mentioned. It would not be so common, as far as we can see, for those who have been educated in evangelical principles, to diverge into Arian or Socinian sentiments, if a deep and clear knowledge of the demands, excellency, and uses of the law, were connected with their views of human depravity, redemption, justification, and regeneration; to assist them in understanding

the real nature and necessity of the great doctrines of salvation. For want of this, when they are pressed by subtile reasonings on such subjects, they know not what to answer, and so give up the truth as untenable on rational grounds; instead of perceiving that it has its foundation in the nature of things, in the divine perfections, and in our condition as transgressors, and as creatures continually propense to transgress. We can hardly conceive that men professing godliness, could ever have fancied themselves perfectly free from all sin, and so have been seduced into a most disgraceful and injurious kind of self-preference and spiritual pride, if they had been previously well grounded in the knowledge of the extensive demands of the divine law. The mystic who places the whole of his religion on the internal feelings of his mind, or what he calls the voice or the moving of the Spirit; whilst the doctrine of the atonement, the life of faith in a crucified Saviour, the written word, and the means of grace, are contemptuously disregarded by him; and the antimonian, who is satisfied with what Christ has done for him, and perceives no want of a renovation to the divine image, or a personal holiness of heart and life; must alike stand confuted, if the real nature, excellency, and uses of the holy law were clearly discovered to them. But where this is overlooked, some of these perversions of the gospel will insinuate themselves, and prey insensibly on the vitals of true religion, whatever attempts be made to exclude or eradicate them.

V. Through ignorance of the law, real Christians habitually neglect duties, commit sins, or give way to evil tempers, to the discredit of the gospel, or to the hindrance of their own fruitfulness, comfort, and growth in grace. It has frequently happened, that ministers have heard some of their people acknowledge, after receiving practical instructions, that they had not before been sensible that such or such things were sins; or that this or the other was a duty incumbent on them: nay, the meditation on such subjects has sometimes the same effect on the ministers themselves.

The knowledge of the precepts, therefore, is

the proper method of rendering believers "complete in the will of God in all wisdom and spiritual understanding," and in bringing them "to walk worthy of God unto all well pleasing" and consequently inattention to it must proportionably produce the contrary effects. (Col. i. 9. 10.)

VI. Lastly. The Scriptures enlarge in commendation of the divine commandments, and in exhorting men to abound in the work of the Lord, and to be zealous of good works: but many who profess or preach evangelical truth, speak very little on these subjects, except in an unguarded depreciating manner: hence additional prejudices are excited in men's minds against the doctrines of grace, as subversive of holy practice. But if the nature, use, excellency, and necessity of good works, as the fruits and evidences of true faith, were more fully understood; and the preceptive part of the Bible, in subserviency to the gospel, were more prominent in men's discourses and conduct, such objections would be confuted; and they would "be put to shame, who should falsely accuse" either our holy doctrine, or "good conversation in Christ Jesus."

ESSAY XVI.

On the Believer's Warfare and Experience.

THE sacred Scriptures always represent the true Christian, as a soldier engaged in an arduous warfare with po tent enemies, against whom he is supported, and over whom he is made victorious, by the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, through faith in the Lord Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, and by obeying his commands. Such expressions as fighting, striving, and wrestling, with frequent and varied allusions to military affairs, imply an experience essentially different from that of those persons, who never engaged in the conflict, or who have already obtained the conqueror's palm: nor can any hope, or even

assurance of victory and triumph, or any intervening seasons of peace and joy, entirely preclude this difference. The distinction, therefore, between the church militant on earth and the church triumphant in heaven, hath on good grounds been established; and they, who do not well understand and consider it, will be very liable to fall into several injurious, discouraging, disgraceful, or even fatal mistakes. In discussing the subject, we may first briefly consider the distinguishing principles, purposes, and desires of the persons who are engaged in this warfare:-we may next enumerate the enemies, with whom especially they are called to contend :-we may briefly mention the encouragements, supports, and aids vouchsafed them; the weapons with which they fight, and the manner in which they must put on, and use their armour-we may then advert to the nature and effects of their victories; and conclude with a few hints on the appropriate experience that must result from their situation.

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I. Then, we speak not in this place, of the whole multitude who are called Christians, or who profess to believe the Scriptures: neither do we include all, who subscribe or dispute for the several doctrines, that constitute the grand peculiarities of the Christian faith; nor the whole company who compose any peculiar sect or denomination, to the exclusion of others. In respect of all such collective bodies, we are, alas! constrained to allow, that but few comparatively " strive to enter in at the strait gate.” (Matt. vii, 13, 14. Luke xiii. 23-30.) A vast majority of them all frequent the "broad road that leadeth to destruction," “hold the truth in unrighteousness, and walk according to the course of this world." Many of them indeed observe Gamaliel's cautious advice, and are not openly united with those," who fight against God:" but then, they aim to observe an impracticable and inadmissible neutrality, and know nothing of fighting under the banner of Christ against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and of being his faithful soldiers to the end of their lives;'