Supposing man to be informed that God had de- signs of mercy towards him, in what way would he expect it to be exercised ? He would look for it,
1. In a way of mere gratuitous forgiveness —
[He would never once have the remotest idea of an atone- ment. It would appear in his eyes a perfect absurdity. In fact, it did so appear " both to the Jews and Gentiles ; being to the one a stumbling-block, and to the others fooUshness." In this light it does appear to the wise and prudent of the present day. For, though the general notion of an atonement may be admitted, and even contended for, by many, as a sentiment in opposition to Socinians and Deists, it is really approved by those only who are taught of God the truth as it is in Jesus. The minds of all by nature lean to the side of uncovenanted mercy, as being less humiliating than that plan of forgiveness which the Gospel prescribes. The imputation of our sin to Christ, and the imputation of his righteousness to us, are doc- trines at which the natural man revolts: nor is any man brought cordially to acquiesce in them, till he has been made to feel the extent of his own demerit, and his utter incapacity to do any thing which is good.
Yet, whilst we thus incline to uncovenanted mercy in pre- ference to an atonement, we still expect that mercy,]
2. In a way of self-righteous dependence —
[To renounce all dependence on our own works appears absurd in the extreme : for, if we are not to be saved by our works, what need is there for us to perform them? To set them aside in point of merit, seems to supersede all occasion for the performance of them. Man cannot endure to discard all boasting before God. If he cannot purchase heaven alto- gether, he will do it in part : and if he be constrained to accept of heaven as a free gift, still he will look to himself for something which shall be a ground of preference in the sight of God, or at least a warrant for him to look to God for the communications of his grace. A free salvation, without money and without price, and apprehended solely by faith, is, to the great mass of Christians, an object of offence, rather than of desire and love.]
3. In a way of self-confident exertion —
[The doing of something to merit salvation, is always associated with the doing of it in our own strength. The na- tural man has no conception but that, as he is responsible for all that he does, he must of necessity have a sufficiency for all that he needs to do. The attempting of any thing in the simple exercise of faith, and in expectation of strength
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