righteousness or holiness, which God gives to and works in them.

P. 100. "The obedience of one is Chriff's actual performance of the whole law." So here his paffion is fairly left out! Whereas his becoming obedient unte death, that is, dying for man, is certainly the chief part, if not the whole which is meant by that expreffion.

Ibid. "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us-That is, by our representative in our nature. Amazing! But this, you fay, "agrees with the tenor of the apostle's arguing. For he is demonftrating we cannot be justified by our own conformity to the law." No: not here. He is not speaking here of the cause of our juftification, but the fruits of it. Therefore that unnatural fenfe of his words does not at all" agree with the tenor of his

arguing."

P. 101. I totally deny the criticism on TUM and Sinaia, and cannot conceive on what authority it is founded. O how deep an averfion to inward holiness does this fcheme naturally create?

P. 103. "The righteousness they attained could not be any personal righteousness." Certainly it was. It was implanted as well as imputed.

P. 107. "For inftruction in righteousness, in the righteoufnefs of Chrift." Was there ever fuch a comment before? The plain meaning is, For training up in holiness of heart and of life.

P. 108. He fhall convince the world of righteousness -That I am not a finner, but innocent and holy.

P. III. "That we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him. Not intrinfically, but imputatively.' Both the one and the other. GOD, through him, first accounts and then makes us righteous. Accordingly, P. 115. The righteoufnefs which is of GOD by faith, is both imputed and inherent.

P. 116. My faith fixes on both the meritorious

life and atoning death of Chrift." Here we clearly agree. Hold then to this, and never talk of the former without the latter. If you do, you cannot fay, "Here we are exposed to no hazard." Yes, you are to an exceeding great one; even the hazard of living and dying without holinefs. And then we are loft for ever.

The fixth letter contains an admirable account of the earth and its atmosphere, and comprizes abundance of sense in a narrow compass, and expreffed in beautiful language.

P. 143. Gems have " a feat on the virtuous fair one's breast." I cannot reconcile this with St. Paul. He fays, Not with pearls: by a parity of reafon, not with diamonds. But in all things I perceive, you are too favourable, both to the defire of the fefb and the defire of the eye. You are a gentle cafuift as to every selfindulgence which a plentiful fortune can furnish.

P. 148. "Our Saviour's obedience"-O fay, with the good old Puritans, our Saviour's death or merits. We swarm with Antinomians. on every fide. Why are you at fuch pains to increase their number?

P. 162. My mouth fhall fhew forth thy righteoufnefs and thy falvation.-Thy mercy which brings my

falvation.

The eighth letter is an excellent description of the fupreme greatness of Christ. I do not obferve one fentence in it, which I cannot chearfully subscribe to.

The ninth letter, containing a defcription of the fea, with various inferences deduced therefrom, is likewise a master-piece, for juftness of fentiment, as well as beauty of language. But I doubt whether "mere forimps," P. 218. be not too low an ex-preffion; and whether you might not as well have faid nothing of " cod, the ftanding repaft of Lent;" or concerning "the exquifite relish of turbot, or the delicioufnefs of furgeon," P. 223. Are not fuch obfervations beneath the dignity of a minifter of C

Chrift? I have the fame doubt concerning what is faid (p. 241.) of "delicately-flavoured tea, finelyfcented coffee; the friendly bowl, the pyramid of Italian figs, and the pistacia-nut of Aleppo." Befide that the mentioning these in such a manner is a ftrong encouragement of luxury and sensuality. And does the world need this? the English in particular? -Si non infaniunt fatis fua fponte, inftiga.

Letter 10. p. 251. "Thofe treasures which spring from the imputation of Christ's righteousness." Not a word of his atoning blood? Why do fo many men love to speak of his righteousness, rather than his atonement? I fear, because it affords a fairer excuse for their own unrighteousness. To cut off this, is it not better to mention both together? at least never to name the former without the latter?

P. 267. "Faith is a perfuafion that Chrift has fhed his blood for me, and fulfilled all righteousness in my flead." I can by no means fubscribe to this definition. There are hundreds, yea thousands of true believers, who never once thought, one way or the other, of Christ's fulfilling all righteousness in their flead. I perfonally know many who to this very hour have no idea of it; and yet have each of them a divine evidence and conviction, Chrift loved ne, and gave himself for me. This is St. Paul's account of faith and it is fufficient. He that thus believes, is justified.

P. 269. "It is a fure means of purifying the heart, and never fails to work by love." It furely purifies the heart-if we abide in it; but not if we draw back to perdition. It never fails to work by love, while it continues; but if itself fail, farewel both love and good works.

"Faith is the hand which receives all that is laid up in Chrift." Confequently, if we make shipwreck of the faith, how much fo ever is laid up in Christ, from that hour we receive nothing.

Letter 11. p. 270. "Faith in the imputed righteousness of Christ, is a fundamental principle in the gofpel." If fo, what becomes of all those who think nothing about imputed righteousness? How many who are full of faith and love, if this be true, muft perish everlastingly?

P. 282. Thy hands muft urge the way of the deadly weapon, through the fhivering flesh, till it be plunged in the throbbing heart." Are not thefe defcriptions far too ftrong? may they not occafion unprofitable reasonings in many readers?

Ne puerum coram populo Medea trucidet.

Ibid. "How can he justify it to the world?" Not at all. Can this then justify his faith to the world? P. 290, 291. "You take the certain way to obtain comfort; the rightoufnefs of Jefus Chrift." What, without the atonement? Strange fondnefs for an unfcriptural, dangerous mode of expreffion!

P. 292. So the merits of Chrift are derived to all the faithful." Rather the fruits of the Spirit: which are likewise plainly typified by the oil in Zechariah's vifion.

P. 297. "Has the law any demand? It must go to him for fatisfaction. Suppose, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf." Then I am not obliged to love my neighbour. Christ has fatisfied the demand of the law for me. Is not this the very quinteffence of Antinomianifm?

P. 298. The righteoufnefs wrought out by Jefus Chrift, is wrought out for all his people, to be the caufe of their juftification, and the purchase of their falvation. The righteoufnefs is the caufe, the purchafe." So the death of Chrift is not fo much as named! "For all his people." But what becomes of all other people? They must inevitably perish for ever. The die was caft, ere ever they were in being. The doctrine to pass them by, has

Confign'd their unborn fouls to hell,

And damn'd them from their mother's womb! I could fooner be a Turk, a Deift, yea an Atheist, than I could believe this. It is lefs abfurd to deny the very being of God, than to make him an almighty tyrant.

P306. "The whole world and all its seasons, are rich with our Creator's goodness. His tender mercies are over all his works." Are they over the bulk of mankind? Where is his goodnefs to the non-elect? How are his tender mercies over them? "His temporal bleffings are given to them." But are they to them bleflings at all? Are they not all curfes? Does not God know they are? that they will only increafe their damnation? Does not he defign they fhould? And this you call goodness! this is tender mercy!

P. 309." May we not difcern pregnant proofs of goodnefs, in each individual object?" No; on your fchenie, not a fpark of it, in this world or the next, to the far greater part of the work of his own hands!

P. 324. "Is God a generous benefactor to the meanest animals, to the lowest reptiles? And will he deny my friend what is nececffary to his prefent comfort, and his final acceptance ?" Yea, will he deny it to any foul that he has made? Would you deny it to any, if it were in your power?

But if you lov'd whom God abhorr'd,
The fervant were above his Lord.

P. 327. The wedding-garment here means holinefs. P. 330. "This is his tender complaint, They will not come unto me!" Nay, that is not the cafe; they cannot. He himself has decreed, not to give them that grace without which their coming is impoffible!

P. 331. "The grand end which God propofes in all his favourable difpenfations to fallen man, is to demonstrate the fovereignty of his grace." Not