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them to engage presently, and while health remains, in fuch a troublesome and difficult affair, provided this very piety and goodness, of which they have a perfect pattern exhibited in the life of Jefus, be a reason with God for granting to them a full and abfolute pardon of their fins, at what time foever they repent of them, even though they fhould not repent before the last and clofing fcene of life. Under fuch an apprehenfion as this, they must think it both wife and fafe, to perfevere, for the prefent, in that courfe of life which is agreeable to their corrupt appetites and depraved inclinations; fince all the danger, thence arifing, may be fully and effectually prevented by a late or deathbéd repentance. I cannot, therefore, fee, what influence the life of Chrift, confidered as a pattern of perfect piety and goodness, and as an exhibition of the vast worth and importance of them, can have upon the reformation of finners, provided it be a reafon with God for granting to them a full and abfolute pardon of their fins, at what time foever they repent of them: but on the contrary, I think there is abundant reafon to apprehend, that it would have a different effect upon them.

§. 17. UPON the' whole, we may conclude, that the facrifice of Christ, in the Dr's fenfe of it, and as it is circumftanced

in his scheme, has no tendency, in any respect, to render finners penitent and obedient; but a very direct and strong one to corrupt their morals, and to render them easy and fecure in the practice of fin and difobedience, as long, at least, as they enjoy health, and have any profpect of the continuance of life; which I think, is an evident demonstration of the abfurdity and falsehood of his notions of the nature and efficacy of the facrifice of Chrift. In the fcriptures, indeed, a reforming influence upon the moral temper and behaviour of men, is frequently afcribed to the facrifice of Chrift. And there is no doubt, but it has such a reforming influence; and that it will be feen to have it, as foon as it is rightly understood. But the Dr's notions of this facrifice, as we have seen, not only deftroy its influence this way, but give it a contrary one; and, for that reason, are unfcriptural; and are no better (though the Dr. thinks otherwise) than those other notions of it, of the like bad tendency, which have been adopted by others.

§. 18. BEFORE I conclude this part of my work, I must caution my reader, to understand what I have faid, concerning the ill tendency of the Dr's notions about the efficacy and effect of the facrifice of Christ, as a confequence which I charge upon his

doctrine

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doctrine only, and not upon himself, as a thing which he either faw, or did admit of. I have fuch an high opinion of the Dr's good fenfe, and of his fincere and hearty concern for the interefts of piety and virtue, and the credit and honour of revealed religion, that I am perfuaded, had he feen that this ill tendency of the facrifice of Chrift was a real confequence of any principle, or principles, adopted by him, he would have renounced these principles directly, on account of their bad tendency. And as to his not feeing the ill tendency of his doctrine concerning redemption by the facrifice of Christ, the Dr. is only in the fame state of blindnefs with most other modern divines, whose fchemes of redemption are, in one refpect or other, chargeable with the fame ill tendency. And, therefore, his cafe, because it is a common one, is not much to be wondered at. Humanum eft errare. Thus much I judged neceffary to be faid here, in vindication of the Dr's reputation, honour, and good intention. I now go on to

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CHAP. III.

Containing an examination of Dr. Taylor's notion of the effect which the facrifice of Chrift had with God, as being a reason with him, for granting the remiffion of fins to finners upon repentance.

§. 1.DR. Taylor frequently intimates, that

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the facrifice of Chrift had its effect with God as fupplying him with a reason for granting the remiffion of fins, or as being a reafon of his forgiving them. His words are, "The fhedding of his (i. e. Chrift's) blood "had its effect with God, as it fupplied fuch

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a reafon for the forgiveness of fins, as the "wisdom of God, our Saviour, thought "most proper and expedient, and without "which he did not think it proper or ex

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pedient to forgive them "."" The facri"fice of Chrift was a reason with the go"vernour of the world, for granting the "remiffion of fins ";"" The tranfgreffions and fins, which the Jews committed,

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b

(under the law of Mofes,) could be re"deemed by the blood of Chrift no other"wife, than as his blood was a reafon with

God,

a See Scripture-doctrine of Atonement examined, Chap. VIII. §. 147.

Ibidem, §. 149.

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God, for remitting thefe tranfgreffions, "by releafing them from the penalty of the "law, which is death eternal "" We are reconciled to God by the death of "his fon, as his death was a reafon of God's "remitting the fins of the gentile world, "which were paft ."-And he fays, that the death or facrifice of Chrift, because it is a moral mean of our fanctification, and has a natural tendency to render finners penitent and obedient, is "the propereft and noblest "reason with God, for granting the remif "fion of fins ";"" the ground and reafon "of the remiffion of our fins ';" "a reafon "with God for the forgiveness of fins ;' "a reafon of God's forgiving our fins

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§. 2. As the Dr. makes, what he calls, the facrifice of the perfect obedience and goodness of Chrift, to be a reason with God for granting the remiffion of fins, because it has a natural tendency, as a moral mean, to render finners penitent and obedient; and, as I have fhewn in the foregoing chapter, that this facrifice, as it ftands, and is circumftanced, in the Dr's fcheme, has not this,

See Scripture-doctrine of Atonement examined, Chap. VIII. §. 150.

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d Ibidem, §. 151.

Ibidem, Chap. X. §. 171.

f Ibidem, Chap. XI. §. 184.

Ibidem, §. 185.

h Ibidem, S. 187. See alfo Chap. X. §. 168–171. And Chap. XI. §. 184-191.

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