pleafed, or difpleased, with one agent, for what is pleasing, or difpleasing, in the perfon of another; because that would be..to run cross to nature, to be affected by, and to act from wrong and improper motives, and would be a manifeft moral imperfection in the Deity, and therefore cannot possibly be the cafe. The ufe that I shall make of this difcounfe, is to defire and intreat the clergy among all the denominations of chriftians, that they would take this matter into their most derious confideration, it being a point of the utmost concern. I have here shewn what it is which Chrift hath declared to be the true and only ground upon which finners will obtain God's mercy, viz. by repentance and reformation of their evil ways, or the being fo changed, as to cease to be the objects of God's displeasure, and to become perfonally and in themfelves the proper objects of his mercy and kindness. This is the gofpel or good news, this is the only way given and declared by Jesus Christ, by which sinners can be faved. Whoever therefore points out to finners any other way to God's mercy, than this way given and declared by Jesus Christ, such an done in effect preaches another gospel than Chrift hath preached; and points out to finners another way to God's mercy and life eternal, than Christ hath pointed out unto them; which as it must be greatly wrong in itself, so it may be greatly injurious to the fouls of men. I shall not take notice of the gross corruptions of christianity, which have taken place in the church of Rome, with regard to this point, but only of those morė plausible ones, which have prevailed as well among protestants as papists, viz. that men are rendred acceptable to God, and that finners are recommended to his mercy, either by the perfect obedience, or the meritorious sufferings, or the prevailing interceffion of Christ, or by one; or another, or all of these. These are doctrines which carry with them a Shew of piety, as they are grounded on a pretended veneration for the perfon, the performances, and the fufferings of the Son of God; but as they are such doctrines as Christ never taught, so they are naturally, and neceffarily, and unavoidably excluded out of the case. Every man is what he really is in himself, viz. either perfonally pleasing, or displeasing, when confidered fimply in himself, and abftractedly. from all other confiderations; and neither the performance, nor the fufferings of Christ, nor any thing else, can possibly so alter the nature of things, as to make a man to be otherways than he is in himself, in these respects. And as every man is what he really is in himself, either perfonally pleasing, or displeasing, when confidered abstractedly, as aforesaid, and nothing external to him can poflibly alter the cafe: so what he is in himself, he will unavoidably appear to be to his Maker, and will be esteemed of him, and treated D ; treated by him as such. This, I say, must and will be the case, if God is a perfect being, which he is known and allowed to be. For if God is a perfect being, then he must be so, as well in all moral, as in all natural perfections; and then as he cannot possibly be imposed upon by any falfe appearances, but must necessarily perceive every thing to be what it really is in itself; so he cannot, consistently with that character, love nor hate, like nor dislike, be pleased nor difpleased with any agent, upon any other account or confideration than that agent's being perfonally, and in himself, lovely or hateful, pleasing or displeasing, and the proper object of God's approbation or dislike; because were he to do otherways, he would be affected, and would act improperly, which supposes that he is clothed with the weakness and imperfection of his creatures. And as the performances, the sufferings, and the interceffion of Christ, cannot poffibly make any agent appear otherways to God, than what that agent is in himself, nor lead God in any instance to act improperly; therefore they cannot possibly affect the cafe at all. Every man must therefore be more or less pleasing or difpleasing to God, and will be esteemed of, and treated by his Maker, according as he is perfonally, and in himself more or less the suitable and proper object of it. Christ indeed in the whole course of his life, paid an exact obedience to God's will, and fuffered greatly in the execution of his office, as the minister of God, and in the faithful discharge of that trust which was reposed on him by his father; but then he did no more in this case than was his duty to do, under those circumstances; and confequently there were no works of fupererogation even with regard to Chrift, no furplus of good works to be transferred to others, supposing such a transfer were poffible in nature, when in truth it is not. And tho' the performances, and the sufferings of Chrift, when confidered as done and suffered in obedience to God's will, and to answer a great and good end, viz. the setting forward the falvation of mankind, were greatly valuable in themselves, and rendred him highly pleasing and most acceptable to his father; yet as it is impoffible in nature, so it is grossly abfurd to suppose, that they can render any other agent more or less so. Besides, what connection or relation is there betwixt the performances and the fufferings of Chrift and any other agent? Why truly none at all; and therefore no other agent can possibly become more or less acceptable to God upon their account. I am sensible it may be urged, that Chrift was not only a preacher of righteousness, who represented to finners the true grounds upon which they might obtain God's mercy; but he also became an offering for fin, by which he rendred repentance efficacious for obtain D 3 ing : ing the finner's, pardon, which otherwise it would not have done; and that this is the fcripture account of the matter. I anfwer, the inherent intrinsick valuableness of that change which we characterize by the term repentance, cannot poffibly admit of any addition, diminution, or alteration by any thing external to it; because nothing external to it can possibly make it more, or less, or otherways valuable, than what it really is in itself. And as repentance cannot poffibly be made more or less valuable by any thing external to it; so it cannot poffibly be made to appear more, or less, or otherways valuable to God, than what it really is in itself, and confequently God cannot be more, or less, or otherways affected by it. So that if repentance, when confidered simply in itself, and abstracted from all other confiderations, be not efficacious for obtaining the finner's pardon, or in other words, if it be not the ground or reafon of God's shewing mercy to finners; then it cannot poffibly be made fo, or be made more fo by any thing external to it; because it cannot poffibly be made more, or less, or otherways valuable, than what it really is in itself, nor can it poffibly be made to appear otherways to God. Again, Propitiousness, or a difpofition to shew mercy to the fuitable and proper objects of it, is one of the moral perfections of the Deity, and as fuch, it does not admit of any addition, diminution, |