fays the finner, (reafoning on the position above quoted,) it can have no effect. My listening to the exhortations of fcripture can avail nothing in reconciling me to God. I am still an im penitent finner, till after my reconciliation. Your exhortations therefore to repentance, and the exhortations of fcripture, have no force with me. I muft wait God's time.

I own, I know not what answer could be given to the retort of fuch a finner. Indeed, as far as I can fee, this doctrine rather urges against the neceffity even of a Saviour's atonement: for if we have no merit of any kind, I fee not how we can have any demerit. God does every thing. We do nothing,

What appears to me the truth on this fubject is, that God gives all mankind opportunities of repentance, fitted to their several stations; and these opportunities we may either clofe with, or reject we have our option. He who clofes with them, draws the grace of God upon his endeavours, by fervent prayer. And he who does not, must take the confequence, The two thieves upon the cross had each the fame opportunity; and he who accepted it was faved.

of

Of the nature of motives, through which one chufes, and another rejects, we know nothing. But of this we may be affured, that if God means any thing by ftiling himself no respecter of perfons, - he gives an option to every man. The difficulties of the question let us leave with God, and fatisfy ourselves with the plain fcripture-doctrine of working out our own falvation, and depending on the merits of Christ, in making what we do acceptable to God.

XXXII.

ACTS, XV. 9..

PURIFY THEIR HEARTS BY FAITH.

THE apoftle is here fpeaking of the converfion of the Gentiles, whofe hearts, he says were purified by faith.

Now the hearts of converts were purified by faith ` in two ways.

In the first place, when the convert renouncing his idolatry, and other fins, profeffed his faith in Christ, and his refolution to lead a Chriftian life, we are affured, in various inftances, that his heart was purified by faith-his past fins were forgiven.

and he was placed in a state of innocence.

Thus far his faith acted with a kind of atoning power, under the authority of the great author of our redemption. But it was afterwards expected, that his heart should be purified by faith, acting as

8

a mean

a mean to lead him into that purity of life, which he had professed. His first purification by faith, fignified nothing as to his future life without the fecond. If indeed he had died immediately after his first purification by faith, before he had committed fin, he would have been faved. But if he lived afterwards, he was obliged to fecure his falvation by a holy life.

The thief upon the crofs feems to have been an inftance of the former mode of purification by faith. On his first conviction, he received absolution, and dying immediately after, he carried with him a bleffed viaticum.

Simon Magus was an inftance of the neceffity of the latter mode of purification. His heart had received its first purification by faith, in confequence of which, he had been baptized. But afterwards relapfing into his old depravity, the apostle, St. Peter, treats him with great feverity. After this relapfe, he could not be faved without repentance, and the purification of a holy life.

Some pious people feem to conceive, this first mode of purification by faith, as the general mode of its operation, fuppofing that faith alone is all that fanctifies a Chriftian, leaving good works to follow merely as a teft of it.

XXXIII.

HEB. xiii. 5.

BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YE HAVE.

THE language of the world to its votaries on the fubject of contentment, is fomewhat in this

ftrain.

Your great end in life is to push forward, and make your fortunes. The precepts of religion are, in fome things, too strict for a trading country. Indeed, without a little allowance they cannot be observed. Keep however within the nicest rules of what the world calls honesty. Do nothing openly knavish-nothing contrary to the common practice of men of character. Theft, forgery, falfe evidence, are all abominable, and will defervedly ruin your characters. At the fame time, there are feveral things commonly practised in your pro feffion, which you must conform to. All fair

traders