on the peace-offerings, in that place which God was to felect for the permanent refidence of his fanctuary h. All the Ifraelites, who were not legally unclean, were, according to divine appointment, to feaft on the pafchal lamb, which had been offered to God in facrifice, as a figure of Chrift. Now, this privilege was a token of divine acceptance, through the facrifice, as prefiguring that which fhould be offered for the actual expiation of fin. Something better is conferred on us. Because "Chrift our paffover is facrificed "for us," we are called to "keep the feaft," by faith to feed on him, to eat and drink his blood: and this is given us as a feal of all spiritual bleffings, and especially of the imputation of his righteoufnefs. For this cup," faith Chrift, " is the "New Teftament in my blood, fhed for many, for "the remiffion of fins."

Iv. All the patriarchs and faints under the Old Teftament were faved by imputation. This is evident from their hiftory, as recorded in both parts of the facred canon; and efpecially from the beautiful and ftriking compend given of it in the Epistle to the Hebrews. They were faved, not by their own works, but by faith, as contradiftin-. guifhed from them all. This their faith refpected a revealed righteoufnefs, a righteoufnefs without them, totally different from any internal work of the Spirit, or external holiness. They were not faved by their facrifices, as if thefe in themfelves.

*h Lev. vii. 15.; Deut. xii. 5. 7.7

had

had been worthy of divine acceptance; nor by the act of facrificing, as an act of obedience to the letter of God's commandment; but by means of faith, as refpecting a better facrifice, a perfect and everlasting righteoufnefs. Noah was " an heir "of the righteousness which is by faith." Abra-> ham "believed God, and it was counted unto him "for righteousness," or as afterwards," it was

imputed to him for righteousness k." This can only be understood of faith, as embracing the righteousness of the promised feed; not of faith as itself conftituting the righteoufnefs of Abraham. For this would directly oppose the whole current of the Apoftle's reafoning. This would be to convert faith into a legal work; to make justification an act of God respecting men as godly. because of their believing; to exhibit the reward as, not of grace, but of debt. When it is faid, that Noah" became an heir of the righteousness "which is by faith," the very language ufed implies, that this righteoufnefs is effentially diftinct from all that which conftitutes our fanctification. A man is not faid to "become an heir" of what he hath himself acquired. This expreffion denotes a legal tranfmiffion from another, of what is not primarily one's own. The language refpects an adoption, proceeding wholly from grace, of those who are naturally aliens; and their admiffion through faith to a participation of that jufti fying righteoufnefs which is "unto all, and upon "all them that believe."

T

"Bleffed,"

i Heb. xi. 7.

k Rom. iv. 4. 5. 22.

"Bleffed" indeed " is the man to whom the "LORD imputeth not iniquity ! May it be our great concern, and our distinguishing privilege, to partake of this bleffednefs! But it can be ours, only as enabled from the heart to renounce all our righteoufneffes as filthy rags, and to fay in faith," Surely in JEHOVAH have I righteouf

"ness."

SECTION XV.

The Neceffity of Almighty Power for changing the Heart, illuftrated from the Hiftory of Creation from the Inefficacy of the feverest Judg ments;-from the Hiftory of the promised Seed ; -from the nature of the Victories obtained by Ifrael-from their being still taught to depend folely on God from fome Circumftances attending the rebuilding of the Temple-from the per fonal Miniftry of Jefus.

EVERY man, who has carefully and impartially read the Holy Scriptures, must have remarked, that it is evidently the intention of the Spirit of infpiration, to prove in a variety of ways the inefficacy of external means, and to fhew the indifpenfable neceffity of almighty power in chan

ging

ging the hearts of men.

This is done, not mere

ly of profeffed defign, but often as it were incidentally. As the light of divine truth, with refpect to this important fubject, beams forth with the greatest luftre, in the exprefs doctrines of revelation; many of its precious rays are fcattered through the hiftory of the Church, and illuminate even the fhadows which in part concealed her beauty during the early period of her exist

ence.

1. This doctrine is illuftrated by the hiftory of creation. It is faid perhaps, What hath the original creation of man to do with his falvation from a state of fin? But the connexion is very intimate. The work of God, in the renovation of the heart, is in Scripture frequently reprefent ed as a new creation. "We are his workmanfhip, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works 1." "If any man be in Christ, he is a new crea"tion" This infpired language remits us to the hiftory of the first creation, as exhibiting the pattern of the second.

66

All things were made of nothing. There was no pre-exiftent matter. This fitly represents the natural state of man, as ruined by fin. He hath no actual life, no latent principle of life, or difpofition towards it. Or fhall we view creation in its first appearance, when "the earth was with"out form and void," or empty; when "dark "nefs was upon the face of the deep?" Have

I Eph. ii. 10

m 2 Cor. v. 17.

we

we not here a striking representation of the natural fituation of the foul?· It appears ❝ with"out form," totally difordered; the inferior faculties ruling over the fuperior, the will and af-fections trampling on the understanding and con-fcience, fpurning all their dictates, and threatening the eternal deftruction of the finner. It is "empty" of every thing, that God calls good. -Vanity is the predominant character of the mind ". As the foul resembles "the troubled fea," it is covered with grofs darkness; with the darkness of ignorance, of error, and of prejudice.

What was the first work of God in giving form to the confused mafs? He created 'light. This is the very method of his procedure in the new creation. He makes light to enter into the be'nighted understanding.

In what manner were all things created? How did light receive its being from God? Was it not by a word of almighty power? "He fpake,

and it was done: He faid, Let light be, and light was." This mode of operation, peculiar to omnipotence, is particularly marked by the Apoftle as characterizing the new creation. It is marked with a special reference to the old; as evidently denoting that the fame almighty power is not lefs neceffary in the one, than it was in the other. "God, who commanded the light to "fhine out of darknefs, hath fhined in our hearts, "to give the light of the knowledge of the glory "of God, in the face of Jefus Chrifto." He not

a Eph. iv. 18,

o 2 Cor. iv. 6.

only