power to become the sons of God; and thus believing, whatsoever we ask in his name he will give it to us. So well pleased is the Father with his Son Jesus Christ, that for his sake he will be favourable unto us, and deny us nothing. So pleasant to him was this oblation of his Son's death, that it forms the only and full reparation for all the sins of the world. And such is the merit of this sacrifice, that if we be Christians not in word only but in deed, we are now fully restored to the grace and favour of God, and wholly freed from our sin. What tongue can express the worth of this precious death; in which is comprised the continual pardon of our daily of fences, our justification, our acceptance with God, and the everlasting salvation of all our souls! Nor is there any work of man, be he ever so holy, that shall be coupled in merits with Christ's most holy act. All our thoughts and deeds are of no value, if not accepted through the merits of Christ's death. All we do is full of imperfection, and therefore unworthy of itself to incline God to favour us, much less to challenge to itself the glory which is due to Christ. Let us therefore magnify and praise his name for ever. For he hath dealt with us according to his great mercy, and by himself hath purchased our redemption. Unmoved by the intolerable agonies of his cross and passion, he repented not that he had undertaken the cause of his enemies. He opened his heart for us, and freely gave himself for our ransom. Let us, then, now open our hearts to him, and study in our lives to shew that we are ever more thankful for such a benefit: let us take up our cross, and follow Christ.

And here I would observe, that Christ's passion is not only the per-, fect satisfaction for our sin, but also a most perfect example of all patience and long-suffering." Christ Irath suffered for us, leaving us an

example that we should follow his steps ;" and "if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him." Not that the sufferings of this transitory life are worthy of that glory; but we should be glad so to suffer as to be like Christ in our life, that thus we might glorify our heavenly Father. Such sufferings, indeed,are grievous; but they bring forth the joyful fruit of hope in all who are duly exercised by them. Only let us take care that we suffer innocently as our Sa viour did. "For what glory is it if, when ye suffer for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."

Nor should we only imitate the perfect pattern, but the perfect charity, of our blessed Saviour. Instead of thinking to revenge the injuries we receive," we shall love our encmies, bless them that, curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us;" after example who, while hanging in bitter anguish of the cross, bleeding at every pore, surrounded by his enemies and mur derers that pitilessly mocked at his intolerable pains, yet felt towards them such compassion of heart, that he prayed to his heavenly Father, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Thus should we place before us the exam. ple of our Saviour's love as manifested on the cross, if we would benefit as we ought by thinking on his death and passion. How, indeed, can we crave forgiveness at the hands of God for our great offences, if we will not forgive the petty offences of our neighbours against us?-Those shall call in vain for mercy, who will shew no mercy. On this condition doth God forgive us our trespasses, that we forgive to others their trespasses against us. And however unworthy of forgiveness our neighbour may appear, yet let us remember that Christ is worthy that

we should do thus much for his sake: he has indeed deserved it of us; and God is to be obeyed, who enjoins us to forgive, as we hope to have any part of the pardon which our Saviour hath purchased by his precious blood-shedding. Let us then have compassion one of another, and pray one for another, that we may be of one mind and one spirit, living as the children of God in brotherly love and unity. Thus shall we move God to be merciful to our sins, and be the better prepared to receive our Saviour and Maker in his blessed sacrament, to our great and endless comfort. Christ delighteth to dwell in that soul in which dwell love and harmony and peace. These qualities mark the blessed children of God; while hatred and envy characterize the children of the devil.

Let us then pray that God would give us all grace to follow the example of Christ in peace and love, in patience and meekness, that we may have him to dwell within us, as an earnest and pledge and assurance of our salvation. Let us examine into the state of our minds; and if we find that we are wanting in these heavenly graces, let us acknowledge the defect, and pray to God to supply it. And if we discover in ourselves no desire for such a blessing, we are indeed in a dangerous condition before God, and have great need to pray earnestly to him, that our hearts may be changed and made anew. Without a forgiving disposition, we shall in vain hope for forgiveness from God. Unless we cultivate a temper of peace and love with our neighbour, however numerous our prayers or other good works may be, we shall not partake of the peace of God. In the sight of God, mercy is better than sacrifice. It was mercy which moved our Saviour to suffer for his enemies; and his mercy should be the pattern of ours. Nor will it avail us to meditate on the value and benefits of his passion, to magnify Christ. Observ. No. 158.

its efficacy, and even to delight and trust in it, unless we possess, or at least labour after, the graces of which that passion gives us the example. But if we thus contemplate Christ's death, with a firm faith in its merits, and with a determination to tread in his footsteps, then do we rightly remember him; and then shall we be sure to follow him thither where he now sitteth in glory.

But it will be of use to consider more particularly the cause of Christ's death.-When Adam disobeyed the command of God, and ate of the forbidden fruit, he became mortal: he lost the favour of God, and was cast out of paradise: he was no longer a citizen of heaven, but an heir of hell, and a slave of Satan. And by so doing he purchased, not only to himself, but to all his posterity, the just wrath and indignation of God, who condemned both him and them to everlasting death both of body and soul. Now, therefore, neither he nor any of his offspring have any right or interest in the kingdom of heaven, but are become reprobates and castaways, perpetually condemned to the everlasting pains of hell fire. In this wretched state, man could do nothing for his own recovery, or to obtain forgiveness at the hands of God. Such sacrifices and offerings as he could present were of no value to take away sin, or to deliver man from his state of guilt and condem. nation. What, then, could he do? Was he to save himself by keeping the law of God? This was impossible. Such was the weakness of man after his fall, that he could not walk uprightly before God, however he might desire it, but daily and hourly sinned against him, increasing thereby his guilt and condemnation. Nay, so far is the law from ministering to our relief, that it brings a curse with it. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all :" and, "cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." What hope,

N

then, could frail and sinful man en. tertain of being saved by the law? The more he looked into it, the more clearly might he read his own condemnation-the more clearly might he see himself wretched and misera. ble, and destitute of all hope either of appeasing the heavy displeasure of God, or of escaping his terrible judgments. "But, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" O the unspeakable goodness of his heavenly wisdom! When all hope was lost of rescuing ourselves from this sad state, and working out the salvation of our souls, then, even then, did Christ, the Son of God, by the appointment of his Father, come down from heaven to be wounded for our sakes, to take on him our sins, and to be broken on the cross for our offences. "For God hath made him to be a sinoffering for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

It was sin then, O man, even thy sin, which caused Christ, the only Son of God, to be crucified in the flesh. Canst thou think of this without fear and trembling, without remorse of conscience and sorrow of heart? Set before thine eyes Christ crucified! Behold his body stretched on the cross, his head crowned with thorns, his hands and feet pierced with nails, his heart opened with a spear, his flesh torn with the scourge, bis forehead sweating blood! Hear him crying out in intolerable ago ny "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Canst thou see and hear all this without grief and sorrow? O let the contemplation of Christ's cross be ever present with us! Let it excite in us a hatred of sin, and an earnest love of God. On a variety of occasions has God manifested his abhorrence of sin. The deluge, the destruction of Sodom, the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host, the punishment of Nebuchadnezzar, and the suicide of Judas, with a thousand other examples, might be mentioned in proof of this.

But this one fact is of more force than all the rest. Such was the displeasure of God against sin, that it could be appeased by no other means than the precious blood of his dear Son. Ought it not to produce extreme hatred of sin in us to consider, that it did thus" violently, as it were, bring God out of heaven to subject him to the horrors and pains of death?" Such a thought would abate our carnal affections, and bridle our fleshly appetites, seeing that if we wilfully commit sin we crucify Christ

anew.

And while we are thus moved by a view of Christ crucified, to abhor sin, let us also be stirred up by it, earnestly and zealously to love God. What a proof is it of his love to us, that he should give his own, his only, his well beloved Son, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life! And to whom has he thus given him? To the whole world: to Adam and all his posterity; that we who are miserable and sinful persons, shut out from heaven, and justly con demned to hell, his enemies and murderers, should, by virtue of his blood shed on the cross, be cleansed from our sins, and restored to righteousness and peace. Therefore, O sinful man, when thou hearest that God gave his Son to die for the sins of the world, think not he did it for any desert or goodness that was in thee; but fall down on thy knees, and cry with David, "Lord what is man, that thou art mindful of him?" And seeing he hath so greatly loved thee, endeavour to love him in return with all thy heart and soul and strength. And may the Lord of his mercy grant that we may never forget this great benefit of our salvation by Jesus Christ; but that, duly thankful for it, we may abhor all sin, and devote ourselves to the service of God, and the diligent keeping of his commandments.

But one inquiry remains. How are we to apply the death and pas. sion of Christ to our comfort and the salvation of our souls? I an

swer, By faith; a sure, stedfast, and unfeigned faith. This is the mean whereby we must obtain eternal life-the only mean and instrument required on our parts; namely, a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God, whereby we persuade ourselves that God both hath forgiven and will forgive our sins, receive us into his favour, deliver us from condemnation, and number us with his elect people, not for our merits, but solely for the merits of Christ's death and passion, who became man, and humbled himself even to the death of the cross, that we might be saved and made heirs of heaven. If we keep this faith stedfastly in our hearts, we shall without doubt be saved. But then it must be, not an inconstant and wavering faith, but a faith strong and stedfast to the end of our lives. If with such a faith, a true and lively faith, we look to Christ crucified, we shall undoubtedly be saved from our sins, how great or numerous soever they may be. And seeing that this is the only instrument of our salvation, let us stedfastly look to Christ crucified with the eyes of our heart; let us only trust to be saved by his death and passion, and to have our sins cleansed through his most precious blood, that at the end of the world, when he shall come to judge both quick and dead, he may receive us into his heavenly kingdom, and place us in the number of his elect people, there to be partakers of that everlasting life which he hath purchased by his blood. To him, therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

PERMIT me, according to your avowed impartiality, to shew, in few words, that even Dr. Whitaker, to whom it seems the palm of treating Calvinists with candour and fairness, is to be awarded, in some very im

portant particulars, misapprehends the sentiments of Calvin himself.

1. In stating it as Calvin's doctrine, that "the will of man is wholly passive in the work;" that is, in "the faith, repentance, and obedience of the elect."

Calvin held, and all Calvinists hold, that the sinner is wholly passive, "when quickened from the death of sin ;" but that, being "" alive unto God," he is active in exercising faith, repentance, and obedience. Lazarus was passive in receiving life, but active in coming forth from the grave, and walking home."Whereas they are wont to say, that after we have once given place to the first grace, our own endeavours do now work together with the grace that follows: to this I answer, If they mean that we, after we have once been brought by the power of the Lord to the obedience of righ. teousness, do of our own accord go forward, and are inclined to follow. the working of grace; I speak nothing against it. For it is most certain, that there is such a readiness of obeying, where the grace of God reigneth. But whence cometh that, but from this, that the Spirit of God, always agreeing with itself, doth cherish and confirm to stedfastness of continuing, the same affection of obeying, which itself gendered at the beginning. But if they mean, that man taketh, of himself, that whereby to labour with the grace of God, they are pestilently deceived." (Book III. ch. iii. sect. 12.)

"We must hold in mind the admonition of Paul, whereby he biddeth the faithful to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling; because it is God that worketh in them, both the willing and the performing. Indeed, he assigneth them offices, to be doing, that they should not give themselves to the sluggishness of the flesh but in that he commandeth them to have fear and carefulness, he so humbleth them, that they may remember, that

the same thing which they are commanded to do, is the proper work of God; wherein plainly he expresseth, that the faithful work passively, as I may so call it, in as much as power is ministered to them from Heaven, that they should claim nothing to themselves." (Book II. ch. v. sect. 11.)

66

He says, that they should claim nothing, not that they should do nothing. "I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." (1 Cor. xv. 10.) "Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ." (Heb. xiii. 19, 20.)

I select this passage, because it, more than any other which I can find, seems to favour the idea of Calvin's holding, that we are wholly passive in the work. Indeed working passively is a clumsy way of expressing the sentiment: but the sentiment itself is more happily conveyed in our Article :-" We have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God preventing us, that we may have a good will, (ut velimus,) and working with us when we have that good will, (dum volumus.") Art. X. In fact, Calvin is every where almost a practical divine, far more so than many Calvinists. He never means, that we are not under obligations to active obedience in all things; but he is so over-zealous against the pride of claiming any thing to ourselves,that he sometimes cramps and enfeebles his own exhortations.

2. Calvin never intended to deny, that man is a free, voluntary, and responsible agent. This appears every where. Indeed, I cannot conceive, that any numerous company, comprising men of reflection, and talent, and learning, and piety, as the body of the Calvinists is al lowed to do, ever held so absurd a doctrine and they who charge it

upon the Calvinists, never bring proof that they hold it. Calvin held, and we hold, that man is perfectly voluntary in evil, and even in things good before men, independent of the special grace of God: but they think, that as fallen creatures, the will is enslaved to corrupt passions, and so corrupted in itself, that it is not free to choose what is good before God, till set free by his special grace, and then that we choose and voluntarily do what is good before Him; though not perfectly, "because the infection of nature doth remain, yea even in them that are regenerate." (Art. IX.) Indeed, the words of the Bishop of Lincoln convey, as far as I can judge, the meaning of Calvin as well as my own. "It is acknowledged, that man has not the disposition, and consequently not the ability, to do what in the sight of God is good, till he is influenced by the Spirit of God." (Ref. p. 61.) For what is the disposition, but the inclination, the will, which, enslaved by sin, is not free to choose what is good before God, till set free by the Holy Spirit?

3. "Supposing the everlasting destinies of inferior moral agents were placed at the disposal of a man, &c." Does this give us any thing like a parallel to Calvin's sentiments, or those of Calvinists? With man, fallen man, I must connect the ideas of error, ignorance, selfishness, and other corrupt passions; and therefore absolute dominion in man is almost intolerable. In creatures, however exalted, knowledge, and power, and every excellency are finite: but in God they are infinite. His predeterminations are the result of infinite knowledge, wisdom, justice, goodness, mercy, truth, and every perfection; and his determinations, at the day of judgment, will most exactly accord to them. If the latter be consistent with justice and mercy, the former cannot be otherwise. "The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice." Here absolute power cannot be misused.