200 'The Harmony of the Vivine Attributes ~-A-n-:-d-,th-is-is-no-t-an-Act-re-,-flr-ai-ne-:-d -to-th_e_U-nd-er-fl-an-di-ng- , -bu-t-pr-in-ci-pa-lly- ref-pe_Ct_s -the (;;hap.rs. Will , by which we accept or refufe Salvation. The Nature ofi r is bell expreft ~)' the VY"\.J Scripmre-phrafe, ]ohn r. ro. the >-eceiving Chrifl, which refpects the T erms upon wh ich God offers him in the Gofpel, ( AClt 5· 31.) to be our Prince and Saviour. The Sta te o f Favour begins upon our confent to the New Covenant. And how rea fonable is the Condition it requires? How impoffible is it to be otf.erwife? God is reconcilabl e by the Death of Chrift, fo that he may exercife Mercy without Injury to his Jurtice and Hol inefs: He is willing and defitous to be upon Terms of Amity with Men, but cannot be actually reconciled till they accept of them: For Reconcilement is between two. Tho' God upon the account of Chrift is made placable to the humane Nature, which he is not to the Angelica! in its lapfed State, and bath condefcended fo far as to offer Condi. lions of Peace to Men, yet they are reconciled at once. That Chrif'r becomes an effect tlal Mediator, there muft be the Confent of both Parties. As God bath declared his by laying the PuniOmtent of our Sins on Chrift; fo Man gives his, by fubmitting to the LJw of Faith. And the great end of preaching the Gofpel is, to covercome the Obflinacy of Men, and-reconcile them to God and their Happinefs: 111e are Amba!fodou for Chrifl; and pray JOlt in Chrijl'f jlead, to be reconciled to God, 2 Cor. 5· 2 0 . wirh this dilference; Chrif'r furnifh'd the Means, they only bring the Melfage of Reconciliation. Now Men are with difficulty wrought on to comply with the Conditions of Pardon by Chrifl: I. Upon the account of a Legal Temper that univerfally inclines them to feek for Ju· flifi cation by their own Works. This is mort fuitable to the LJw and Light of Nature: For the tenour of the firft Covenant was, Do, and Live. So that the way of Gofpel Juf\:ilication, as 'tis fupernatural in its difcovery, fo in its contrariety to Man's Principles. Befides, as Pride at firft afpir'd to make Man as God, fo it tempts him to ufurp the Honour of Chrift, to be his own Saviour. He is unwilling to !loop, that he may drink of the Waters of Life. Till the Heart by the weight of its guilt is broken in pieces, and lofes its former fafhion and figure, it will not humbly comply with the offer of Salvation for the Merits of another. And 'tis very remarkable, that upon the firfl opening of the Gofpel, no Evangelical Doctrin was more difrelifh'd by the Jews, than Juflification by imputed Righteoufnefs. The Apoflle gives this account of their oppofition, Rom. 10. that being ignorant of God's Righteoufnefs, and going about to eftablifh their' ow11 Righteoufnefs, they fobmitted not to the Righteoufnifs of God. They were prepolfefl with this Principle, that Life was to be obtained by their Works ; becaufe the exprefs Condi· tion of the Law was fo. Andmirtaking the end of its Inftitution by Mofet, they fetthe Law againft the Promifes: For fince the Fall, the Law was given, not abfolutely to be fig~~~er"cl'::i~~;i\~~, a~~ ili!t~~r1:.6r~~o~f;~:r~a~e~ec~~rr~~~~ ~~k~je~:!r~~d t~; Faith imbrace that Satisfaction he hath made for them. Chrijl ;. the end of the Law for lUghteo11[nefs to every one that believeth, Rom. ro. 4· From the Example of the Jews we may fee how Men are naturally affected. And 'tis worthy of obfervation, that the Re- :~~m~~~~~o~!e~~~~~t~':fu~!~r:~et~~~~~~~Id.Co~~tb~ftd~;\~~~~!:~b\~Ab~es':~~~~ into the Church, the People were pe rft1aded, that by purchafing Indulgences they 'fhou ld be faved from the Wrath of God. And when thiS Darknefs covered the Face of the Earth, the Zeal of thejirfo Reformers broke forth; who, to undeceive the World, cl ear· Iy demonflrated from $'riptures, that Juflification is alone obtained by a lively and purifying Faith in the Blood of Chrifl. A flrong proof that the fame Gofpel which was firft revealed by the Apoflles, was revived by thofe excellent Men ; and the fame Church which was firft built by the Apoflles, was raifed out .of its Ruins by them. Now the Gofpel, to eradicate this Difpofition which is fo natural and flrong in fain Man, is in nothing more clear and exprefs than in declaring, that by the Deedt ofthe Law there pwll no Flefo be j•Jiified in God't fight, Rom. 3· IO. The Apoflle alferts without dil'inetion, that by the Work,r of the Law 'Jujlijic<~tion cannot be obtained, Gal. 3· I 1. whether they proceed from the Power of ~arure, or the Grace of the Spirit. For he arglles againf'r the merit of Works to Juflification, ( Rom. 3·. 07.) notagainfl ~he Principle from whence they proceed. And where he mofl affeCtiOnately declares hts efteem of Chrifl, and his Ri~hteoufnefs, as the foie meritorious cailfe of his ]llflification, he exprelly rejects hit own Righteoufmfs which n of the Law, Phi!. 3 9· By his own Righteoufnefs he comprehends all the Works of the renewed, as well as natural State; for ~h.~teU:~~~[~~,~~~: ~ah~r.'~~ il~ttct~~~e~~~d~~~~e:~h~~ec~~~t ~i~~ho~~~~~;E nefs,
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