have finned and come fhort of the glory of God, being juftified freely by his Grace, through the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus." "Where is boafting then? it is excluded. By what law? of works? nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." "Of him are ye

in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and redemption: that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." And not to multiply texts, the glorified Spirits in celebrating their falvation in heaven, do not exclaim "worthy am I," but "worthy is the Lamb, for thou waft flain and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood."

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4thly. "It cannot be true that human nature is radically corrupt, for even in its worst state, it has fomething in it which approves of virtue, justice, and mercy; and there is not a profligate or libertine to be found who would not rather place his aged parent, or his helpless infant, in a virtuous houfe than in a brothel."* To this objection I would offer the following confiderations Abstract notions that there is fuch a thing as right and wrong are not utterly loft by the Fall, fince man can ftill reafon and judge. Yet

on the other hand, fo far is human nature from being poffeffed of inherent powers which regularly lead to the discovery, approbation and practice of virtue, justice and mercy, that the most contrary opinions have been formed in deciding upon the nature and expediency of certain actions, fome pronouncing those to be vices which others admire for virtues.--Your libertine may, like modern writers on natural religion, have received light from the word of God, which he does not acknowledge.-Natural affection, which is in fome measure instinctive and involuntary, may prompt him to wish well to his relatives. A regard for reputation, and a defire to balance vices by virtues, often induce wicked characters to attempt creditable actions.No one is a proficient in every fpecies of iniquity. That men should deliberately serve their vicious appetites, and perfift in habits of iniquity, which their confcience and judgment fo decidedly condemn, is to me evidence that man is fomething worfe than frail and infirm.

5thly. But a ftill more ftubborn objection yet remains to be combated. The doctrine of the inability of man, has been tried by " a plain illiterate perfon," in the crucible of Philosophy, or, if not, fome Philofopher has made the experiment for him; and the refult is this conclufion that

if men have made difcoveries in abftrufe "sciences, and can explain great difficulties in na"ture, they furely cannot be under fuch a natural "debility as not to be able to understand and "believe a plain, fimple, well-attefted fact;"* efpecially when it is confidered "that faith is "the refult or effect of evidence alone"; our view therefore of the fubject, is adjudged to be philofophically falfe.

1. It is neceffary here to remind you and my reader, that we mean by Faith, fomething effentially different from understanding and believing the plain, fimple fact, that the Gospel of Chrift is the truth of God, though including that. The Devils believe and tremble. With us, the chief enquiry is, "what do you believe as the effential truths contained in the word of God," and "how do you believe them?"

2. There is this fingular peculiarity in true Christianity, that, whereas all other fubjects are dark and unknown at first, and have been elucidated fo far as they are known, by the accumu lating contributions of fucceffive ages; real re ligion came forth from its Author's hands, like our first parent, perfect and full-grown at first, as amply explained in effential things, and as

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intelligible on the first day of its existence, as at the present period. In Chriftianity therefore, as a fyftem of revealed doctrines and duties, no improvements are to be expected to be made. In it, we need not a Newton to discover, or an Euclid to demonftrate. In order to become wife unto falvation, we want little more than a difpofition to hear, read, mark, learn, inwardly digest, and meekly receive what is so plainly made known; and that difpofition all of us may have who will humbly use the proper means to obtain it, the peasant as well as the philofopher, the simple as well as the fage. If a difpofition and power to believe and obey the Gospel were the proper and neceffary effect of evidence alone, then it will follow, that he who is beft qualified to weigh evidence would be the moft likely person to become a fincere Chriftian. The philofopher, and the man of reading and refearch would come moft generally and unrefervedly under the best influences of revealed truth; whilft the poor unlearned mechanic, from want of evidence and of ability to appreciate the little he can collect, would remain, in a great measure, in a state of ignorance and irreligion. But does this hypothefis receive the confirmation of fact and of Scripture? Or, do we not know, that a very confiderable majority of wife and learned men, in every age of

Christianity, have fhewn great indifference, and even fcepticism in matters of religion? Have not many of the warmest and ablest advocates for Chriftianity been far excelled, in true Christian excellence and practical Godliness, by men of much meaner talents and less reading? Are not the bulk of truly religious and exemplary Characters, perfons of ordinary understandings, and poffeffed of little information in Theology, except fo far as they have fimply fought instruction from the Divine Oracles themselves, an inftruction not calculated fo much to fhew them that "the Gospel of Chrift is the truth of God," as to make them wife in a practical acquaintance with the contents of the Gofpel? Are we not told, that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must become as little Children, humble, fimple, teachable? Did our Lord not "thank his Father, that he had hid these things from the wife and prudent, and had revealed them unto Babes ?" Did he not fix upon this as the peculiar Glory of his Character and miffion, that "to the Poor the Gospel is preached?" And does not an Apostle say, that "not many wife men after the flesh," or in human learning are called ?" "Where then is the Scribe, where the Difputer of this World?" All Scripture, all experience fhews, that true Religion is not explored by the dim lamp of reafon and