ceed in this, his end is equally attained by leading them to misunderstand its import; and thus, under the most serious profession of receiving the Scriptures as the word of God, to disbelieve what they really declare, and support the grossest lies of his suggestion by Scripture misinterpreted and misapplied.

Never, therefore, can it be unimportant to mark the true meaning of Scriptural language; nor can any undervalue the attempt, but those who, from their unbelief, undervalue that divine truth which this language is employed to convey.

Probably, reader, you are familiar with the phrase, "the grace of God." It occurs frequently in the Bible, and is frequently in the mouths of professed christians. But have you ever seriously thought what the phrase means? The most serious people commonly understand by the words, some divine influence exerted on the minds of men, of a mysterious nature, and unconnected with the revealed truth of God; by which influence they conceive themselves inclined to what is good, and their natural powers aided in the pursuit of it. -Now let me freely tell you, that this is nothing like the real meaning of the phrase in Scripture.

The word grace is of very similar import with the expression mere mercy. It denotes undeserved favour, or kindness extended to those who have no claim of right :-as when the King is said to pardon rebels by an act of grace. And "the grace of God," in Scripture, imports that wonderful mercy and undeserved kindness, which he displays in saving guilty and ruined sinners; in bestowing eternal life, as his "gift in Christ Jesus," Rom. vi. 23. upon those who had incurred the just penalty of rebelling against him, and could do nothing to entitle or recommend themselves to his favour.

God has so loved sinners of the human race, "that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John iii. 16. For it is written,

that the "wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men:" Rom. i. 18. and it would therefore have been inconsistent with the divine glory, with the truth and righteousness and holiness of God, to allow any sinner to escape the sentence of condemnation he has pronounced against sin; were it not that he, who is one with the Father, "the brightness of the glory of God and the express image of his person," John x. 30. Heb. i. 3. had undertaken to endure the full penalty of sin for the guilty, and-in that body which was prepared for him-to "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself;" Heb. ix. 26. to become a curse, and suffer for sins, the just for the unjust," Gal. iii. 13. 1 Pet. iii. 18. that men might be blessed in him; that he might bring unto God all who were given him by the Father, in the eternal counsels, to be redeemed and saved by him.

Accordingly the Scriptures testify that "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman,” Gal. iv. 4. according to the prophecies which had gone before; and that he, as the Son of man, finished that work of redemption which he undertook that the holy and righteous God has accepted his sacrifice for sin, and is "well-pleased for his righteousness sake;" Isaiah xlii. 21.

of which he has given assurance unto all men, by raising him froet the dead. He is highly exalted, a Prince and a Saviour; is set down as a Priest and King upon his throne; and has received "power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him." John xvii. 2. And to mark that this eternal life comes to the guiltiest sinner in a way of grace or mere mercy, and not of debt-"not by works of righteousness which we have done, or can do," Tit. iii. 4, 5.—it is declared, that “whosoever believeth shall be saved;"—not that he who does something to obtain the divine favour, shall obtain it; but that he who believes the divine testimony in the Scriptures, concerning the Son of God, hath everlasting life in him, and "shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." John v. 24. "Therefore is it of faith, that it might be by grace." Rom. iv. 16. For this reason has God assured eternal life to every one who believeth, without exception and without distinction, in order that it might be marked as coming to sinners, not as the reward of any thing good in them, but as the free gift of his rich mercy to the guilty and the vile; that so the Lord alone may be exalted, and "that no flesh should glory in his presence."

I have asserted, that in Scripture "the grace of God" signifies this his undeserved kindness and saving mercy to lost sinners, even the chief. Let me establish the truth of that assertion, by directing your attention to a few passages of Scripture, in which the phrase is evidently used in this sense. Rom. iv. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." Does not this plainly mean, that when a man does something to obtain a reward, the reward is considered as due to him for that which he has done, and not as a gift of undeserved bounty? Does grace here mean any thing like a divine influence on the mind.

In like manner, the same Apostle, speaking of the "remnant according to the election of grace," which God had reserved to himself from among the Jewish people, adds these remarkable words :Rom. xi. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work." Is not the plain meaning of the Apostle this? that if the true Israelites were the people of God, in consequence of any thing they had done, to determine his favourable regard towards them, then the blessings they enjoyed as his people were not the consequence of his mere mercy and undeserved favour towards them; and on the other hand, that if (as he asserts) their relation to God and blessedness in him flowed solely from his mere mercy, then they could not be the consequence of any of their own doings: so that, according to the Scriptures, there cannot be any such mixture and jumble of the two things as multitudes dream of; as if sinners could do something to deserve the divine mercy. The two ideas are utterly inconsistent. If a man deserve the divine favour, it cannot be mere mercy to extend it to him; and if it be of mere mercy or grace, then he cannot have done any thing to deserve it.

Again, when the apostle is stirring up the Corinthian believers to

liberality, in supplying the wants of their poor brethren, he addresses them with this language:-2 Cor. viii. 9. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." Now, reader, is it not evident that by "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ," mentioned in the beginning of the verse, the Apostle means nothing but that his wonderful mercy to sinners, which he describes in the following words; and does not mean any thing like the common notion of some mystic influence on the minds of men inclining them to goodness? Although, indeed, the consideration of that mercy or grace of the Lord Jesus does effectually influence all who know it, (that is, all who believe the testimony which reveals it)—to every good word and work. "This is the true grace of God," in which they alone stand, who have received, and hold fast the one unadulterated "Gospel of the grace of God." 1 Pet. v. 12. Acts. xx. 24.

I have thus sufficiently established, from the Scriptures themselves, the true and simple meaning of the phrase "the grace of God." And the great importance of always attending to that meaning may be seen, if we apply the preceding remarks to a text of Scripture, which many very religious people awfully pervert; deriving from their false interpretation of it, some support (as they conceive) to a system of doctrine the most opposite to the Gospel of Christ.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to Titus, instructs that evangelist how he should exhort believers, of various ages and various circumstances in life, to such a conduct as shall "adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things." Tit. ii. 10. And he proceeds in the following verses to subjoin this reason for his directions :-"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Now what are we to understand by the words, "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men ?" What but this? The light of the glorious Gospel, which reveals the redeeming mercy, and that great salvation, wherewith he saves the guilty and the lost, has been sent into all the world in the universal promulgation of the word of life; has been sent to all nations of the earth, and to men of all circumstances and ranks in life, without distinction and without respect of persons. The Apostle goes on to observe, that this revealed mercy of God alone influences us, who believe its testimony, to a conversation such as becometh the Gospel.

But in what sense do multitudes of religious professors at this day quote and apply these plain words of the apostle? Still understanding by "the grace of God" some divine influence on the mind, they speak of a common grace actually given to every individual in the world, by which all men are more or less influenced, and are put, as some express it, into a salvable state; that is, into a state in which they may save themselves, with the help of this so-called grace, if they be but sufficiently diligent in improving the stock of it, on which they are set up, and sufficiently faithful to its suggestions. And in sup

port of this their Antichristian system, they gravely adduce that text, the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men;" a text, which we have seen, really expresses nothing like the idea to which these men pervert it.

In fact, it really contradicts the whole of their infidel system, as all the other Scriptures are seen to do, when rightly understood; for it expressly states, that what brings salvation to sinners is the grace (or unmerited favour and bounty) of God, not their diligence or faithfulness in availing themselves of certain aids afforded them; and that this grace does not put sinners into a state in which they may be their own saviours, but saves-effectually saves, those who have destroyed themselves.

The same text also really exposes the vanity of all those boasted works, by which unbelieving religionists hope to gain the divine favour. For it expressly exhibits the revealed mercy of God in the salvation of sinners, as the only thing which teaches those who believe, to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."

Every genuine "fruit of the Spirit" is produced by the genuine "Gospel of the grace of God;" Col. i. 6. 1 Thess. ii. 13. and therefore is produced only in those who believe it. Accordingly, the Lord Jesus saith to his disciples, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me (separate from me) ye can do nothing." John xv. 5. And in the 7th verse he expresses the same thing by their "abiding in him, and his words abiding in them." Those who reject his words, the words of eternal life, are dead in trespasses and sins," and "the wrath of God abideth on them," John iii. 36. even when they abound most in a strictness and piety and zeal, which they mistake for the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is "the Spirit of truth," of that truth which they disbelieve: and the word of the truth of the Gospel is "the sword of that Spirit." Eph. vi. 17. His office is to glorify Jesus, John xvi. 14. by convincing all who are “ordained to eternal life" Acts xiii. 48. of the things declared from heaven concerning him, who came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. i. 15.—Whoso believeth shall be saved; and whoso believeth not, shall be condemned. THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HATH

SPOKEN IT.

VI.

ON THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN. LUKE XVIII. 9—14.

WITH NOTES.

"And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others :-Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself; God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying; God be merciful to me a sinner. -I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other."

THIS Parable strikingly illustrates some of the most important principles of the kingdom of God. It exhibits the blessedness of that hope towards God, which (A.) the God of HOPE reveals and communicates to sinners, even the chief, in the GOSPEL of his Son. It exposes the delusiveness of every other hope-even in its most specious form-which the natural pride and ungodliness of our hearts dispose us continually to cherish. It marks that God is no respecter of persons; that the things which are highly esteemed among men are abomination in HIS sight; that the ways and thoughts of GoD are not as our thoughts or ways. Acts x. 34. Luke xvi. 15. Is. lv. 8, 9.

But, as usual, the more blessed and important the instruction is, which this passage of scripture is calculated to convey, the more diligently has the father of lies laboured by his agents, (many of them religious commentators and divines) to pervert and obscure its meaning.

READER! whatever your character be, whether religious or irreligious, your attention is entreated to the following pages, while the writer endeavours simply to present the parable to your view in its genuine import. Let all that he advances be tried, not by the systems of men, but by the word of God.

The parable was uttered by the lips of Him, who speaketh as never man spake,-by him who is the Wisdom of GOD, and the Salvation of GOD; and was addressed unto certain persons who " 'trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." It is recorded by the spirit of Truth, for instruction in righteousness, to the end of the world. But to understand it aright, we may profitably carry ourselves back, in imagination, to the day in which the words were first delivered, and attend closely to the ideas which they must have conveyed to the hearers then. This is the more necessary, because some of the expressions have considerably changed their meaning; and are now commonly employed in a very different sense, and connected with very different ideas, from those which were annexed to them at that day.