Although there is nothing in the words here reported as mine which is not capable of a fair defence, seeing it is expressly affirmed that " God set forth his Son to be a propitiation to declare his righteousness," yet I know not how it came to pass that I had a mind to turn unto the passage itself in my discourse, which I had not done before on any occasion, as not supposing that he would falsify my words, Avith whom it was so easy to pervert my meaning at any time, and to reproach what he could not confute. But, that I may give a specimen of this man's honesty and ingenuity, I shall transcribe the passage which he excepts against, because I confess it gave me some surprisal upon its first perusal My words are these : " There is a glorious end whereunto sin is appointed and ordained dis- covered in Christ, that others are unacquainted withal. Sin, in its own nature, tends merely to the dishonour of God, the debasement of his majesty, and the iTiin of the creature in whom it is. Hell itself is but the filling of N^Tetched creatures with the fruit of their own devices. The comminations and threats of God in the law do manifest one other end of it, — even the demonstration of the vindic-
300 A VINDICATION OF
tive justice of God in measuring out unto it a meet recompense of reward. But liere the law stays, and Avith it all other light, and dis- covers no other use or end of it at all. In the Lord Jesus Christ there is the manifestation of another and more glorious end, to wit, the praise of God's glorious grace in tlie j^ardon and forgiveness of it ; — God having taken order in Christ, that that thing which tended merely to his dishonour should be managed to his infinite glor}', and that which of all things he desired to exalt, — even that he may be known and believed to be a God pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin." Such was my ignorance, that I did not think that any Christian, unless he were a professed Socinian, would ever have made exceptions against any thing in this discourse ; the whole of it being openly proclaimed in the gospel, and confirmed in the parti- culars by sundry texts of Scripture, quoted in the margin of my book, which this man took no notice of For the advantage he would make from the expression about the end whereunto sin is appointed and ordained, it is childish and ridiculous ; for eveiy one who is not wilfully blind must see, that, by " ordained," I intended, not any ordination as to the futurition of sin, but to the disposal of sin to its proper end being committed, or to ordain it unto its end upon a supposition of its being ; which quite spoils this author's ensu- ing harangue. But my judgment in this matter is better expressed by another than I am able to do it myself, and, therefore, in his words I shall represent it. It is Augustine: saith he, " Salubenime confitemur quod rectissime credimus, Deum Dominumque rerum omnium qui creavit omnia bona valde, et mala ex bonis exortura esse proescivit, et scivit magis ad suam omnipotentissimam bonitatem pertinere, etiam de malis benefacere, quam mala esse non sinere; sic ordinasse angelorum et hominum vitam, ut in ea prius ostenderet quid posset eorum liberum arbitrium, deinde quid posset suae gratiae beneficium, justitia3que judicium."
This, our author would have to be God's " bartering with sin and the devil for his glory ;" the bold impiety of which expression, among many others, for whose necessary repetition I crave pardon, mani- fests with what frame of spirit, with what reverence of God himself and all holy things, this discourse is managed.
But it seems I add, that " the demonstration of God's justice in measuring out unto sin a meet recompense of reward is discovered in Christ, as this author says." Let him read again, " The commina- tions and threatenings of God in the law," etc. If this man were acquainted with Christ, he could not but learn somewhat more of tnith and modesty, unless he be wilfully stupid. But what is the crime of this paragrapli? That which it teacheth is, that sin, in its own nature, hath no end but the dishonour of God and the eternal
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iniin of the sinner; that, by the sentence and curse of the law, God hath manifested that he will glorify his justice in the punishing of it; as also, that, in and through Jesus Christ, he will glorify grace and mercy in its pardon, on the terms of the gospel. What would he be at? If he have a mind to quarrel with the Bible, and to conflict the fundamental principles of Christianity, to Avhat purpose doth he cavil at my obscure discourses, when the proper object of his displeasure lies plainly before him?
Let us proceed yet a little farther with our author, although I con- fess myself to be already utterly wearied with the perusal of such vain and frivolous imaginations. Yet thus he goes on, p. 53, " Thus much for the knowledge of ourselves with respect to sin, which is hid only in the Lord Christ. But then we learn what our righteousness is, wherewith we must appear before God, from an acquaintance with Christ. We have already learned how unable we are to make atone- ment for our sins, without which they can never be forgiven, and how unable we are to do any thing that is good; — and yet nothing can deliver us from the justice and wrath of God, but a full satisfaction for our sins ; and nothing can give us a title to a reward, but a perfect and unsinning righteousness. What should we do in this case ? Hoav shall we escape hell, or get to heaven, when we can neither expiate for our past sins, nor do any good for the time to come ? Why, here we are relieved again by an acquaintance with Christ. His death expiates former iniquities, and removes the whole guilt of sin. But this is not enough, that we are not guilty, we must also be actually righteous; not only all sin is to be answered for, but all righteous- ness is to be fulfilled. Now, this righteousness we find only in Christ; we are reconciled to God by his death, and saved by his life. That actual obedience he yielded to the Avhole law of God, is that righteousness whereby we are saved; we are innocent by vutue of his sacrifice and expiation, and righteous with his right- eousness."