lifications? If this is our Author's Meaning, then it is He, and not Afpafio, that in drawing near to God, feeks for inherent Qualifications, instead of the Imputed Righteousness.

"By this, and this alone, God conveys the firft Taste of his Favour and Peace into their "Hearts." Ibid.

Unless we conceive of the imputed Righteousnefs as graciously granted unto us in this deftitute Condition, where is the Connection? What Taite of Favour and Peace can be admitted barely by the Confideration of Sufficiency for the Elect? Sufficient for me a guilty Sinner, without any other Confideration, is Evangelical. To wait for fomething more before we are allowed to call him Friend or Father, on Account of this Righteoufness, is not at all adapted to bring us nigh to God by the bare Propitiation.

without bringing

"And it pleases me to find Afpafio had not "Courage to close this Period, "forth the plain Truth at laft.

For pointing to

"the poor, indigent, and guilty Sinners, he con"cludes, For fuch the Saviour is provided; to "fuch his Benefits are proposed; and on such his "Grace will be magnified." p. 48, 49.

If it is allowed that his Benefits are propofed to fuch, the Debate is ended. We mean no more. It is undoubtedly warrantable to receive and appropriate

propriate what is provided for the Enjoyment of any, or whosoever among the Guilty; and propofed to our Truft and Confidence under that Name. If any other Confideration muft intervene, then it is plain, the Benefits are not provided for and propofed to fuch, but only for, and to those who have the additional Confideration.

"As for the bare Work finished on the Cross, "or the bare Report about it, however true we "think it, fo far have we mistaken it, that setting "afide our active Operations about it, we do not "see what Comfort or Benefit can be derived from it." p. 85.

This procceds on a total Mistake and Misreprefentation of Afpafio; he is not putting the leaft Slight on the Report or Perfuafion of the Sufficiency of the finished Work of Jefus Chrift, to justify the moft Guilty without more; he is here oppofing a qualified Perfuafion, or rather meer Profeffion, artfully fubftituted in the Room of the fufficient Righteoufnefs, and the Sinner's living by that alone -A Perfuafion," that the Shelter of the Summerhoufe is free for our Ufe, accompanied with a bight Efteem of its Accommodation, an earneft Defire after its Protection, or an habitual Tendency towards it." Afpafio afks not whether a Perfuafion of the Sufficiency of Chrift, but "a Perfuafion that the Summer-houfe is free for our.

"Ufe,"

"Ufe," whether this, tho' accompanied with Ef teem, Defire, or Tendency, unless "carried into "actual Entrance and Poffeffion," would aniwer the End and Defign of such a Truth, “would be "a proper Safe-guard, or indeed any Manner of Advantage as to our Perfons," that is, in Refpect of Poffeffion, Enjoyment, and Advantage from that Enjoyment. These are his very Words, 16th Dialogue, p. 348, 3d Edit. And let any one impartially judge, whether Afpafio is here objecting against the finished Work of Jefus ? or rather is he not fetting afide a fruitlefs Perfuafion or rather Pro feffion that the Shelter is free for our Ufe, with Dependence on our fuppofed Efteems, Defires, Tendencies, &c. that the Soul may reft purely and entire ly on Jefus Chrift alone? Who in the fame Page he defcribes from the Prophet Isaiah, as “a Place of "Refuge, as a Covert from the Storm and from "Rain." Afpafio afks if a Perfuafion that Christ is fuch a Place of Refuge and Covert free for our Ufe, accompanied with any Efteems, Defires, and Tendencies, will anfwer to such a Reprefentation? Which is, in fact, whether we may truft in fuch a Perfuafion, Efteem, Defire, and Tendency, instead of that Righteousness which is our appointed Refuge? It is plain, all the active Operations pleaded for, is to live by this alone, in Diftinction from any other Dependance. And the Advantage arifing from thefe active Operati

ons,

ons, is the Enjoyment, Comfort, and Influence of this fufficient Righteousness.

If the Objector had been pleading for the intire Sufficiency of the Work of Jefus, Afpafio would readily agree to that, and have recommended living by that alone. But after he had fo far coincided with Afpafio, as to allow that all this "Grace, and each of thefe Benefits, are free, "perfectly free, for you, for me, for others;" might not Afpafio ask, would this bare Persuasion answer the End and Defign of fuch a Truth, unless I was induced thereby to really use it as a Shelter? That is, to oppofe Chrift's Righteoufnefs, thus freely given unto me, to every Senfe of Guilt and Condemnation, and affure myself of Salvation by that alone. As I suppose Mr. Sandeman, in his View of Things, will allow the Believer of the Gospel Report to oppofe the Truth of Christ's Sufficiency to every Declaration or Conviction of Guilt tending to Despair, and this may as properly be called reducing that Truth to Practice. This is what Afpafio calls reducing to Practice, the Truth of Chrift being given for us to receive and live by Him as fuch a Gift, as a Refuge from all Curfes of the Law, and Danger of Damnation, unto the End of Peace, Affurance, and Holiness. We do not confider the Gospel as barely furnishing us with good and exsellent Materials to work upon, but with Bleffings

to

to enjoy and poffefs as our own; and our whole Comfort, or any Part of it, does not arife from the Success of our Labour, but wholly from the Bleffings fo freely prefented to us to take Comfort in them, and is very far from making them fit to comfort us.

"Now it does not fignify much, by what "Name we call the Mean of Efcape, whether "we call it the Law or the Gofpel; for the great Concern we have with either of thefe, is "to obtain Righteousness or Title to Life." P. 92, 93.

However true this may be of those who seek by Works in a Way of "painful Defire and "Fear till they are crowned with Enjoyment:" Afpafio is not chargable, whose Doctrine allows an immediate Enjoyment, without the Interven tion of any Righteousness or Work whatever.

"For - it is not the bare Knowledge of the "Law or Gospel that can do us any Service, "but the Use we make of them." p. 93.

This is but mere Sound, for our Author pleads for the above-mentioned Use to be made of the Report, previous to the Enjoyment of the Priviledge. The Ufe we make of the Gospel Report, is immediately to live by the Righteoufnels it reveals: Whereas the Ufe of the Law is to do that we may live. Is not here a manifest? yea, is not here a fufficient Difference?