"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his GRACE, in his Kindness towards us through Christ Jesus." The primary and most fundamental Truth, which obviously forces itself upon our notice, from this passage, may be expressed in these terms→→ ASSERTION 1. SALVATION IS BY GRACE. Here then it will be incumbent on us to consider, what is intended by "Salvation;" to shew, that Mankind are not their own Saviours; and, to explain, how it is that they are" saved by Grace." SECTION I. What is Salvation*? * We shall see presently, that this is a Question, which necessarily involves in it all that we mean by, what is Truth? what is Reason? what is Virtue? what is To a person of the least proper reflection, it must be evident, that, the very idea of being "saved" implies, or presupposes, Religion and the like. Because, all the sublime pleasures of mental Satisfaction, moral Beauty, and true Glory, are contained in it. Every thing that is pure in Sensation, decorous in Self-love, noble in Ambition, delightful in Imagination, amiable in Sympathy, or elevating in Theology, assembles in this comprehensive idea, when it is scripturally analysed. We shall soon discover, in the prosecution of our present design, that, Salvation is, in fact, the Illumination of the Understanding; the Rectitude of the Will; the Peace of the Mind; the Joy of the Heart; the Grandeur of the Affections; the Order of the Life; and, in its ultimate issue, the perfect Consummation of all Blessedness. So that, whatever comparative value it becomes us to set on any intellectual Acquirements, which have no immediate connection with this-however highly the false maxims, the artificial manners, or the political institutions, of the world, may seduce us to estimate its Riches, and its Honours-every thing of this sort is utterly eclipsed, upon an impartial judgment, by the infinitely superior worth of, Salvation. The Pursuits of natural Philosophy, through all its numerous branches, have, no doubt, their appropriate charms: so have those, of polite Literature: you may add, if you please, the fine Arts: but, what are they, when compared with the far more exalted, and exalting investigation of divine Philosophy, and sacred Lore? which will lead us, gradually, through all the paths of heavenly some antecedent State of difficulty, danger, and distress: or, in still plainer language, that those, who are saved, were previously in a lost estate-which rendered such Salvation expedient, and necessary. This, in the very nature and reason of things. Regardless then of all the idle and illusive conceits of those, who chuse to wander uncontrouled in the regions of a lawless imagination, what do "The holy Scriptures" assure us the human Race have lost, by the fall of their first Parents, and the entrance of moral evil into the world? They uniformly represent us to have lost the Image of GOD, in which Man was originally created, and which constituted the true dignity of his nature; the Favour Light, from the Origin of all things, to the winding up of this mysterious Drama; and, eventually, to the great universal Revolution in the history of Man! Here indeed is a Το πλάτος, και μήκος, και βάθος, και ύψος, which surpassetb knowledge. of GOD, in which consisted his real happiness, and life; and the Glory of GOD, which, to say the least of it, must have contained in it the Perpetuity of both. In this view, he is exhibited to us as a lost Creature. A Creature, still possessed of vast capacities; but, like a magnificent Temple in a state of ruin, and only to be contemplated as an object of gloomy and desolate Grandeur *. The inestimable value of the christian Salvation, can never be made apparent, Such was the dire effect "Of man's first Disobedience, and the fruit MILTON. but by this contrasted view of it; which corresponds with those dark shades in a fine painting, by which the brilliancy of the brighter colouring is thrown out. If we wilfully close our sight, either from Pride, Prejudice, Ignorance, Infidelity, or Vice, to the dangers and miseries of our lost condition, we never can discover either the beauties, or the blessings, of that Salvation, which unavoidably leads us to a retrospect of the State of sinfulness, or moral depravity-the State of guilt and condemnation-the State of wrath, and wretchedness, into which we are all, by nature, plunged *. Should this Idea, mortifying and humiliating as it may seem, be given up, not only are two-thirds of the sacred Writings sacrificed, but, one of their most distinguishing peculiarities is obliterated: which is the fact, in many of our modern publications on religious subjects: so that, in these times, we have a deformed species of Christianity, in which, the principal Features are omitted! In the place of which, we hear of an equivocal sort of Virtue, which nobody can comprehend-and of a high-toned Morality, which nobody can define. In the whole System of the christian Faith, there is no Position more fundamental than that, which asserts the |