FREE GRACE SHINING IN THE ACCEPTANCE OF SINNERS.

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redemption that is in Jesus Christ." To us it is in no wise, Give and get; but Take and have; Rom. iv. 16, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed." So nothing in us has any hand in it, but faith, as the hand whereby it is received.

4. The very hand of faith whereby it is received is God's free gift; Eph. ii. 8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Philip. i. 29. That one believes while another doth not, is owing purely to free grace, which makes the difference; giving the quickening spirit to one, that is not communicated to another.

5. In its breaking over all impediments lying in its way, such as these in the case of the Corinthians, to whom the apostle says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God," 1 Cor. vi. 9-11. In the best of sinners, there is that loathsomeness and unworthiness found, that proclaims a glory of grace in their acceptance; Jer. iii. 19, "I said, How shall I put thee among the children?" But in the worst of them there is nothing found but what glorious grace will break over, to accept them in Christ, as in Manasseb, Mary Magdalene, Paul, &c.

6. In the thoroughness of the acceptance; Isa. i. 18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Acceptance among men is often coldrife, and by halves, so as the heart is not freely toward the pardoned offender. But God's acceptance of sinners in Christ is perfect the first moment; they are perfectly beloved in him, John xvii. 21.

7. Lastly, In the perpetuity and constancy of it; sinners are so accepted in Christ that they shall never be cast out of God's favour again; John x. 28, 29, “And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all; and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." They are not put on their good behaviour as to the acceptance of their persons with God, but it is secured unalterably in Christ. The smiles and frowns of a Father will indeed be as they carry.

USE 1. Let us loath Popery then, as the smoke of the bottomless pit darkening the glory of grace in the acceptance of sinners, by their merit of works, and other corrupt doctrines and practices, laying another foundation than Christ. It is evident we are in danger of it, and it will be our wisdom to be on our guard, that we be not catched napping, come what will.

2. Let all be encouraged to come to God through Christ for acceptance, assuring themselves they may have it through him, God being well pleased with him, and with every one who believes in him for life, pardon and acceptance.

A VIEW

OF THE

COVENANT OF WORKS,

FROM THE

SACRED RECORDS.

WHEREIN

THE PARTIES IN

THAT COVENANT; THE REALITY OF IT; ITS PARTS,

CONDITIONARY, PROMISSORY, AND MINATORY; OUR FATHER ADAM'S BREAKING OF IT; THE IMPUTATION OF THAT BREACH TO HIS POSTERITY; AND THE STATE OF MAN UNDER THAT BROKEN COVENANT, AND UNDER THE CURSE THEREOF, ARE DIS

TINCTLY CONSIDERED:

TOGETHER WITH

A PARTICULAR APPLICATION OF THE SUBJECT, FOR THE CONVICTION BOTH OF SAINTS AND SINNERS.

"Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat

Sighing, through all her works, gave signs of woe,
That all was lost."-MILTON,

PREFACE.

THOUGH the doctrines and precepts of Christianity are unalterable in their nature, and must necessarily be the same in all ages and places; yet we find that the foolish caprice of men has made them appear in various shapes, in different periods and countries.

In the golden days of Christianity, before men had learned the art of making gain of godliness in a literal sense, and contracted the ridiculous humour of modelling religion according to their respective tastes and tempers, the religion of Jesus was then seen in its native simplicity, unadulterated with the unnatural additions and embellishments of human invention. In process of time, when it was found that religion was not unsubservient to worldly interest, some of its votaries, inclining to make the kingdom of Christ resemble the kingdoms of this world, stripped religion in a great measure of its native unadorned simplicity, and dressed it in garments of their own manufacture.

This dangerous spirit of innovating, when it once begins, knows no bounds or limits. It is like a river, or flood, whose current has been stopped, when once let loose it will disregard its proper channel, and carry every thing down with its impetuous torrent. The rapid progress which this wild spirit has made, is clearly seen in those enormous corruptions which gradually crept into the Church of Rome, until at length she arrived at the monstrous absurdity of a wafer god, created by the benediction of a priest.

It had not however been so fatal to the interests of true religion, if the inventions of men had been confined to circumstantials, or things of lesser importance. Had this been the case, the blessed religion of Jesus would not have had so much reason to put on her widow's weeds. The Christian world was pleased to indulge some ingenious triflers in forming refined theories of the creation of all things, and was not offended whether they chose a volcano or a long tailed comet for the instrument of their dissolution; nor has the