XII.

AN ANALYSIS of the SCHEME of CHRIS→

TIANITY.

HEB. xii. 14.

WITHOUT HOLINESS, NO ONE SHALL SEE THE LORD.

DAM, though placed in a ftate of trial, was created perfect; and therefore wanted no Saviour. By his fall, he loft his purity and innocence, and forfeited his hopes of everlasting happiness. To reftore this lofs, a Saviour was, in the adorable goodness of God, immediately promifed and to this promife the rite of facrifice was added, to preferve among mankind an idea, that this falvation was to arise from some mode of atonement.

Ás

As the world advanced in age, the Jewish nation was fet apart, as the great mean of continuing thefe ideas. It was the uniform endeavour of the law and the prophets, to raise man to his original holiness. Ceafe to do evil; learn to do well," was the open or implied language of both : while a variety of rites, as well before as after the Jewish establishment, continued the great idea of

an atonement.

In due time, the promised Saviour appeared. The conftant tenour of his difcourfes and example was the counter-part of what the law and prophets had taught: "Purify your affections; change

your hearts and lives; become new creatures;" thus reftoring yourfelves, with the affiftance of God's grace, as nearly as you can to that state of purity you have loft.-Then too the type of facrifice was realifed, and the great atonement made.

After Chrift's refurrection, his disciples, infpired by the Holy Ghoft, continued to unfold their Mafter's doctrines. The purified heart was ftill the great object, though in itself ineffectual to falvation, (becaufe neceflarily imperfect,) without the merits of a Saviour. As a mean of attaining this purified ftate, they infift on faith and holy prayer. Thus, the Old and New Teftament are connected,

connected, and the great intention of both appears to be the restoration of man, as far as can be, to that purity of life, which he had loft.

This view of Christianity is, I should think, an argument of great weight against all those opinions, which lay the firefs of religion on any thing but a holy life, through faith in Chrift.

XIII.

HEB. Xiii. 18.

WE TRUST WE HAVE A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

SHALL confider this fubject under the heads of a bad confcience, a good confcience-and an eafy conscience.

By a bad confcience, we mean a confcience harrowed with guilt-reftlefs-diftreffed-rejecting all enjoyment.

By a good confcience, we mean a confcience not perfectly at reft; for the most religious man lives in a ftate of continual ftrife with himself; but a confcience, however, not disturbed with those boisterous storms, which affect the bad confcience, though its surface is feldom perfectly unruffled.

The easy confcience, on the other hand, is always undisturbed. Nothing affects it. It is in conftant repofe.

VOL. III.

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Of

Of these three modes of confcience, which is the beft, is easily determined. But perhaps a wife man would prefer a bad confcience to an eafy one. The bad confcience may be drawn by its restless and infupportable feelings to a state of repentance; but the eafy confcience, arifing either from hardened guilt, or a careless life, having nothing to rouse it, puts its poffeffor into a very dangerous fituation.

Let no man therefore, without careful examination, judge of the fecurity of his cafe, by the ease of his conscience. No good man can have a confcience at perfect eafe. The best must say with the apostle, we trust we have a good confcience;—that is, we hope, through the mercy of God, and merits of our bleffed Saviour, we have nothing upon it, which will endanger our falvation.