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for no other reafon, but because it was an act of obedience.

The Dr's Scripture-evidence continued.

§. 15. V. To prove that the facrifice of Chrift was his perfect obedience and goodnefs, the Dr. proceeds to another topic. "The reason, says he, of his eminence and high distinction is affigned to the perfec"tion and excellence of his moral charac

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ter, Heb. i. Thou haft loved righteousness, "and bated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of glad

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nefs above thy fellows. Heb. v. 8, 9. Though "be were a fon, yet learned he (yet he was

difciplined in) obedience by the things which "be fuffered and being thus made perfect, "be became the author of eternal falvation to "all them that obey him. Ifai. liii. 5. The

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chaftifement, or difcipline, of our peace, "which procured our happiness, was upon "bin. (OD caftigatio, eruditio.) And the apostle, in another place, Phil. ii. 8, 9. "fhews the true ground of our Lord's being exalted, and made head over all

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things, as our Redeemer; namely, be"cause he emptied himself, and took upon "him the form of a fervant, that he might "ferve mankind in their most important in"tereft; and because in this way, in serving

us, he became obedient to death, even the

"death

"death of the cross, which was the highest "inftance of obedience, love, and good

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ness, he could poffibly exhibit. For as " he himself juftly observes, (John xv. 13. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for (to serve) his friends. And upon this account it was, "that the Father loved, and highly exalted, him, and bleffed us with all the grace "of the gospel. Thus Chrift, gave his life

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a ransom, or atonement, for many. Or, "in other words, (Eph. v. 2.) Christ bath "loved us, to fuch a degree, that he hath "given himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God, for a fweet-fmelling fa

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Co vour."

ANSWER.

§. 16. HERE we have an argument which confifts of an antecedent and a confequent. The antecedent confifts of feveral texts of fcripture, which teach us, that Chrift's obedience to God was very eminent, and greatly heightened by thefe fufferings which, in obedience to the will of God, he voluntarily and patiently endured, in the execution of his mediatorial office; and that this eminent obedience of Chrift was the bafis of that great reward which he received from the Father, or the reafon for which God highly exalted him, by conferring uni

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versal dominion upon him.-This, I think, is the amount of the whole antecedent in the Dr's argument.--The consequent of this antecedent is expreffed in the following words," And upon this account, (i. e. on "account of his eminent and perfect obe"dience,) the Father loved, and highly "exalted, him, and bleffed us with all the grace of the gofpel." The first part of this confequent, though it is not an inference from the antecedent, yet it is contained in it; for, in the texts quoted, it is exprefly affirmed, that God loved and highly exalted Christ, because his obedience was fo perfect and eminent. But this doth not come up to the Dr's purpose; for, because Chrift's perfect obedience, being the ground and reafon of his exaltation, and his perfect obedience or goodness, being the blood or facrifice which he offered for fin, are two different things, thefe texts of fcripture, which affirm the one, can be no proof of the truth of the other.-The other part of the Dr's confequent, is, that God (on account of Chrift's eminent and perfect obedience,) "hath bleffed us with all the

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grace of the gofpel." And this, indeed, comes up to his purpofe; because the grant of the remiffion of fins is one part of the grace of the gofpel: and I fuppofe, that this was the reason, by which the Dr. was induced to throw this into the confequent

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of his argument. However, what entirely precludes him from all benefit from this part of his confequent, is, that it is a falfe and fpurious inference from his antecedent; or, to speak more properly, is no inference at all from it. For, in the texts quoted, there is nothing affirmed, or even implied, fuggefted or hinted, that gives any countenance to, or ground for fuch an inference, as every body must fee, who will take the pains to read them over with attention.-The Dr. concludes his argument in the following words, "Thus Chrift gave his life a ransom, or "atonement for many: or in other words, (Eph. v. 2.) Chrift hath loved us to fuch a degree, that he hath given himfelf for us, an offering and a facrifice to God, for a fweetSmelling favour." Now, if, by Chrift'sgiving "his life a ransom for many, the Dr. means, that the life, which Chrift gave as a ransom for them, was his perfect obedience and goodnefs; this is a point which he has fill to prove; for the texts, which he has hitherto produced, neither affirm nor imply fuch a notion of the facrifice which Chrift offered. And for the text, which he here quotes from Eph. v. 2. it is against him; for it mentions nothing about Chrift's offering up his perfect obedience and goodnefs, but speaks of his giving a very different thing, even himSelf, for us, an offering and a facrifice to God, for a fweet-fmelling favour.

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The Dr's Scripture-evidence continued.

§. 17. VI. BUT the Dr. has fomething to fay, which, he thinks, puts his notion of the facrifice of Chrift out of all doubt. He fays, " And to put the matter out of all doubt, the apostle (Rom. v.) exprefsly affirms, that the grace of God, and his gift to a finful world, ver. 15. even that "free gift which relates to justification not only from the confequence of Adam's one offence, but to the many offences which men have committed, ver. 16. that grace gift which has reference to our reigning "in eternal life, ver. 17. He affirms, I fay, "that this gift and grace is in, by, or through, the grace of one man Jefus Chrift, [ἐν Χάριτι τῆ τὸ ἑνὸς ανθρώπε, ver. 15. "that is to fay, through his goodness, love, " and benevolence to mankind.'

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ANSWER.

§. 18. WHAT the Dr. here faith, St. Paul affirms; and, therefore, it must be true. But I cannot fee, what he can infer from it, in fupport of his notion of the facrifice of Christ, as being the perfect obedience and goodness of his whole life. The gift of juftification from the confequences of Adam's one offence, and of our L

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