of God, concerning mankind, is justly and fully expreffed in the following particulars. First, That nothing but a conformity of mind and life to that eternal and unvariable rule of action, which refults from and is founded in the natural and effential differences in things, will render men pleafing and acceptable to God. Secondly, That if men have greatly departed from this rule, by leading wicked and vicious lives; then nothing but repentance and reformation of their evil ways, will recommend them to God's mercy and acceptance, and that fuch a perfonal change will be fufficient for that. purpofe. Thirdly, In order that the forementioned truths might have their proper effect and influence upon the minds and lives of men, Chrift hath af fured us, that God hath appointed a time, in which he will judge the world by him, (viz. Chrift,) and that then every man will be acquitted or condemned, rewarded or punished, according as he has, or has not conformed his mind and life to that righteous rule before mentioned; or as he has, or has not repented and amended his evil ways. *This

is that revelation of God's will, which was once made to mankind by the miniftry of Jefus Chrift. And as it has nothing myfterious or difficult in it, it being exactly conformable to our natural notions of things,

*This is more fully confidered in my difcourfe, entitled, The true gaffel of Jefus Chrift afferted; which difcourfe may perhaps fometime or other be offered to publick confideration.

and

and level to the meanest capacity: fo were I to argue from analogy in its favour, then, I think, I might juftly infift on it, that the whole frame of nature is analogous to it, as one great and generous defign, viz. a common and most extenfive good, is conftantly and uniformly pursued thro' both. Tho' to attempt to get clear of those made difficulties, that arife from what has been annexed to, and blended with the chriftian religion, by arguing from analogy in their favour, or fhewing that there are difficulties in nature which are analogus to them, may, poffibly, prove a very dangerous experiment; becaufe, perhaps, the fame kind of reafoning, may anfwer the fame purpose, to every scheme of religion that now takes place in the world, by clearing them, in like manner, of all thofe difficulties which may be supposed to incumber them. For what difficulty is there that attends either the Popish, the Mahometan, or the Pagan religion; but artful and inqui fitive men may find out fomething or other in nature which they may call a difficulty, and reprefent as analogous to it? And perhaps the application may be as just as in the former cafe.

These are truths which probably will be greatly diftafful to the zealots of this age, as they run counter to the current and received opinions of the times; and yet, I think, they are fuch as the moft fubtile and crafty in argument will not be able to gainfay nor re

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fist.

fift. And now, Where is the wife? Where is the fcribe? Where is the difputer of, and for this world? Let him come forth and try his skill in fophiftry, and fee, whether he can baffle and fet afide the propofitions before laid down; only I beg leave to remind him, that the collecting together any number of lofty or figurative and borrowed expreffions, which lie fcattered up and down in the New Teftament, will be infufficient for that purpose.

From what I have obferved, I think, it

plainly appears, that the forementioned doctrines, viz. that men are rendred acceptable to God, and that finners are recommended to his mercy, either by the perfect obedience, or the meritorious fufferings, or the prevailing interceffion of Chrift, or by one, or other, or all of thefe, are repugnant to truth; and that they are corruptions of christianity, our Lord hath as plainly fhewn, in the parable I have been confidering; and these things, I prefume, will plead my excufe, for calling upon the clergy, to take this matter into their moft ferious, confideration. The clergy are, or at least they confider themselves to be the minifters of Jesus Christ, and preachers of his gofpel, that is, they are perfons who, under Chrift, are to affift and help men in the great affair of their falvation. And as Chrift hath plainly fhewn, that repentance and reformation is the only ground upon which God will fhew mercy to finners; so it must

be

be the business and duty of the clergy, (confidered as minifters of Jefus Chrift,) to deliver this truth plainly, and clearly, and undifguifedly to the people; and not blend any thing with it, which may render the gospel ineffectual for the faving of mankind. Alas! Wicked men would rather any thing were the ground of God's mercy, than the change before mentioned; and therefore they readily entertain any doctrine that gives them ground, or that encourages them to hope or truft in God's mercy, whilft they continue in their fins. And as the forementioned doctrines have plainly fuch a tendency, therefore it must be the business and duty of the clergy to guard against this evil, by fhewing the people the falfenefs, and groundlessness, and danger of them. And it will not be fufficient for the clergy to urge, by way of excuse, or in juftification of themselves, that they teach the people, and infift upon it, that repentance and reformation are neceffary qualifications for, tho' not the ground or reafon of God's fhewing mercy to finners; I fay, that this will not be a fufficient juftification of the clergy, because it may not prevent the damage to men's fouls, which thofe doctrines are liable, and likely to do, as wicked men will be apt to reafon too juftly upon the point. They will be apt to think, that if repentance and reformation be not the ground or reafon of God's fhewing mercy to finners, that is, if repentance and reforma

tion does not in itfelf render finners the proper objects of God's mercy, then it is not neceffary to that end; prefuming, that God will not needlefily lay fuch a burthen upon them, as the condition of his mercy, which mercy, (upon the prefent fuppofition,) may as well be fhewn without it; and therefore they readily, and too juftly (upon this principle) excufe themfelves from it. This I fear has been too often the cafe; wicked men have trufted and relied upon God's mercy from thofe falfe grounds, while they have continued in their vicious courfes, and thereby have continued to be the proper objects of his higheft difpleasure. And here I dare appeal to the clergy themselves, with regard to their knowledge of wicked men, when brought upon a fick and dying bed, whether their hope and trust in God's mercy, has not been grounded upon the forementioned doctrines; whether their expectation of acceptance with God, has not arifen from a fenfe of what Chrift hath done, and fuffered for them; and not from any perfonal valuableness in themfelves, the latter of which, perhaps, they have been taught to exclaim againft.

If therefore the forementioned doctrines are abfurd, and falle in themfelves, and are corruptions of christianity, as they most certainly are; and if they are liable, and likely to be greatly injurious to the fouls of men, which moft certainly is the truth of the cafe; then furely, it becomes the clergy, as

they