closest attention. But first let me juft take notice,

That Afpafio, in confequence of his obfervation, deduced from the apoftle's language, afks, What, or whose righteoufnefs can this be? To which Mr. Wefley anfwers, "He tells you himfelf: faith is im"puted for righteousness."-But have you never read Afpafio's interpretation of this text? If not, be fo impartial, as to caft your eye upon the tenth dialogue. There he confiders this paffage at large, and lays before you his expofition of the words; not impofing it, without affigning a reafon; but, together with his expofition, prefenting you with the grounds of his opinion. If you can overthrow them, try your ftrength and your fkill. They ftand ready to receive your attack; being, at present, in full poffeffion of the field.

However, if you will not advert to his thoughts, allow me, if I can, to penetrate yours. "St. Paul "never mentions a righteousness, but fimply right"eoufnefs." Thus, I prefume, you argue-" Not "a righteoufnefs; that might feem to denote fome "real righteousness; fome actual conformity to the "divine law, imputed to finners for their justifica❝tion. Whereas, if faith be fubftituted inftead of ❝ this real righteoufnefs; if faith be all that to us, "which our own obedience to the law fhould have "been, and which Afpafio fuppofes the righteouf "nefs of CHRIST is appointed to be; if faith it"felf be all this to us, then we are made righteous "without a righteoufnefs. Something is accounted "to us for righteoufnefs, which is really no fuch "thing. Then we fhall be under no neceffity of "fubmitting to the righteousness of our GOD and "SAVIOUR, but may easily be furnished out of "our own ftock."

Is not this, or fomething like this, your way of reafoning? Do you not, in this manner, understand faith imputed for righteoufnefs? not as deriving all

its efficacy, all its fignificancy, from its moft magnificent object; but as being itself the efficient of juftification; the very thing for which we are accepted; in oppofition to the wicked and vain "commentaries of the Calvinifts, which say, that "all this is refident in CHRIST, and apprehended "by faith."

This led me to ufe that fingular expreffion, "a "mistaken fomething." Since this is an egregious mistake of faith; of its nature, its end, its import. -Of its nature. For it is a going out of self, and a flying to CHRIST, for pardon, for peace, and for every fpiritual bleffing.-Of its end. For it is ordained, to preclude all boasting; that itself may be nothing; that its owner may be nothing; that the grace of GOD, and the righteoufnefs of CHRIST, may be all in all.-Of its import. For it fays, according to the prophet, In the LORD;' not in myfelf, have I righteoufnefs.' It would expoftulate, in the words of the apoftle, with its overweaning and doating admirers; Ye men of Ifrael, why look ye fo earnestly on me; as though, by my own power or dignity, I had procured your reconciliation, and rendered you accepted? The GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has glorified his SON JESUS, and appropriated this honour to his obedience and death. In the matter of justification, it is my business, not to furnish a contingent, not to fupply any part, but to receive the whole from his fulness.

On CHRIST'S death finners are to rely, as the cause of their forgiveness; on CHRIST'S obedience, as the ground of their acceptance. "How "does this agree with page 72 ?"-Be pleased to turn back, Sir; and, with a very little attention, you will perceive the agreement. Then let me defire you to turn inward; and you will, probably, difcern more than a little difingenuity in your own.

procedure; fince you refolve to ftop your ears against the author's explanation, his very particular explanation and restriction of his own meaning *. -If you was examining a mathematical fyftem, you would always carry in your memory, the leading problems or introductory axioms. If you did not, your own judgement would blame you. And when you neglect to do the fame, in canvaffing a theological treatise, does not your own confcience re

prove you.

Our LORD commends fuch kinds of beneficence only, as were exercised to a disciple, in the name of a difciple. Here Mr. Wefley asks; "Is not this a "flip of the pen?"-Read the paffage, Sir; and answer yourself. What are our LORD'S words; Inafmuch as ye have done it to these my brethren.' Have you not then as much reafon, to charge our divine MASTER with a flip of the tongue, as to charge: Afpafio with a flip of the pen? It is undeniably plain, that he does in fact commend only fuch kinds of beneficence, as were exercifed towards his brethren. And I prefume, you will readily grant, that his brethren, the nobler relation, cannot be more extenfive than his difciples, the inferior.

"Will not our LORD then commend all kinds " of beneficence, provided, &c."-Excufe my cutting fhort your fpeech. You are rambling from the point. What CHRIST will do, is quite another queftion. Afpafio neither denies, nor affirms any thing, on this fubject. All that he confiders, is,

In pag. 72. Afpafio, fpeaking of the obedience and death of CHRIST, profeffedly declares; 'However, therefore, I may 66 happen to exprefs myself, I never confider them, as acting "in the exclufiue fenfe; but would always have them, under"ftood, as a grand and glorious aggregate. Looking upon our "SAVIOUR'S univerfal obedience, which commenced at his "incarnation; was carried on through his life; and termin"ated in his death;--looking upon all this, in its collective "form, as the object of my faith, and the foundation of my ca hopes."

what appears to be really done, in that particular defcription of the laft day, and its awful process. Nor will he fcruple to affirm, a fecond time, that our LORD applauds fuch acts of beneficence only, as were exercised to a disciple; to believers; to his brethren.

The righteous Judge fpecifies this fort of munificence, because it is a fure indication of one begotten by the word of truth. It is a teft, which none but the faints and faithful in CHRIST JESUS will come up to. And a Christian is most properly diftinguished, not by what he does in common with others, but by the different principle from which he acts. Of this particularity Aspasio takes notice, on purpose to warn, as well as to exhort his readers. Exhort them, that they may abound in works of generofity. Warn them, that their works may fpring from the right fource, faith in the divine REDEEMER.

"You are not willing to call works of benefi"cence, though exercised to a Samaritan or a Hea"then," tranfient bubbles.-No more is Afpafio, in the fenfe and manner, which you would infinuate. He calls them fuch, not abfolutely, but relatively. Not in themfelves, but with refpect to an affair, infinitely too great for them to tranfact, either in whole or in part. In this view (as relative to juftification) St. Paul calls them dung, which is defpicable and fordid. Surely then Afpafio may call them bubbles, which are fhewy but infignificant.-I don't call the desk on which I write, a mere egg-fhell. Yet I fhould not hesitate to fay, it is fcanty as an egg-fhell, if appointed to transport an army to the Indies; feeble as an egg-fhell, if fet up as a wall of munition, against a battery of cannon.

How muft Chriftians exceed the fcribes and Pharifees? To this Afpafio replies. Not only in being fincere; in having respect unto all GOD'S com

mandments; but alfo in poffeffing a complete righteousness. Nor can this be any thing lefs, than the perfect obedience of our great MEDIATOR."Did our LORD mean this? Nothing lefs."-Peremptorily affirmed; but not fo eafily proved.Yes, you add; "he specifies, in the following parts "of his fermon, the very inftances, wherein the " righteoufness of a Chriftian exceeds that of the "fcribes and Pharifees."-He does fo. But is it not an abfolutely-complete righteoufnefs? A meekness, without the leaft emotion of refentment. purity, without the leaft ftain of evil concupifcence. A love, a long-fuffering, a perfection, fuch as our FATHER which is in heaven exercises. Now if this does not exceed the righteoufnefs of all the Christians in the world, or if this is to be found in any character, fave only in the character of our great MEDIATOR, I retract, moft freely retract my opinion.

A

The difcourfe relates to that righteoufnefs, by which we are saved; or by virtue of which we enter into the kingdom of heaven *. And why, Sir, why will you not refign the honour of obtaining

*Chriftus magna affeveratione pronunciat, Pharifaicam "illam juftitiam, quæ non perfectiffime habet integram legis "impletionem, non poffe ingredi regnum cœlorum. Suorum i"gitur juftitiam vult effe abundantiorem, hoc eft, fuos vult ad "judicium Dei afferre abundantiffimam, pleniffimam, et per"fectiffimam juftitiam, ut per ac propter eam poffent ingredi "6 regnum cælorum. Eam vero, quia in fe non inveniunt, fidem quærunt et apprehendunt in impletione legis, a Chrifto pro "nobis præftita." Vid. CHEMNITII Harm. Evang. p. 722.

A truly valuable work, in which the learned reader will find many traces of lively devotion; many pieces of folid criticism, and many fine views opened, to fee more clearly the wifdom, beauty, and tranfcendent excellency of our bleffed REDEEMER'S life. This book is particularly eftimable, for displaying with great perfpicuity, and enforcing with proportionable zeal, that diftinguifhed article of Chriftianity, juftification through 'the righteoufnefs of JESUS CHRIST;' which is, as our author very emphatically speaks, ipfiffimum evangelii fundamentum.