found that their utmost efforts, have been like untempered Mortar, which still falls off, and makes the breach worse: Or, like a piece of new cloth, put upon an are improved by the scriptures: Until we discern the infinite difference between the nature of God, and the nature of Man; the former appears Holy, Just, True, Merciful, and Gracious, whilst the latter is quite the reverse: every Man living being altogether vanity. If it is possible those our Ideas of the Divine perfections should be wrong, then have we no rule, whereby to discern between good and evil: we may give up the scriptures, renounce the evidence of nature, shut our ears to its Voice, and commence sceptics in right earnest: we may no longer reprove any thing a Man can possibly be capable of, for fear lest from a wrong Idea of the divine perfections, we should reprove the Good. And yet, such is the pride of Man, that rather than he will be thought ignorant, or give up any indefensible Tenet imbibed, he will shelter himself from the attacks of Truth, under such pleas as these: how know we whether our Ideas of the divine perfections are right, or not? thus, to sap the argument of his Antagonist, he would fain remove the foundation, yea, renounce the only Authority which he or any other has to conclude his own tenets right. Where the scriptures are acknowledged, the divine perfections are confessed the origin of that revelation the latter being always considered as a transcript of his nature, and properties: And there we find Him declared Holy, Just, Righteous, True, Wise, Merciful, Love, &c. nor hath he left us in the Dark concerning the meaning of those Terms; but by his commands, promises, threatenings, and prohibitions, and in the later Days more perfectly by the Doctrine, and example of his son; he hath distinguished the good from the evil, separating between the precious and the vile. After such an ex

old garment, still enlarging the rent Where persons have been thus exercised, (though theymight at times have a faint hope in the mercy of God) they have thought it inconsistent with his Justice and Purity, to save them from the wrath But when the grace of Union with Christ is manifest unto them, they can see all things consist by him: Mercy and Truth are met together, Righteous ness and Peace have kissed each other.

to come.

Mankind may now rejoice in the Justice, and Purity of God; yea, appeal unto Him as Just, as holy, as faithful, because according unto Union with Christ, Justice hath been satisfied, in his bloodshedding and Death: where they in him,

hibition of the divine properties, we are no longer at a loss to conceive of them with certainty; but are taught to look for Truth in the harmony of them: it being found there, and only there. True it is, no man can comprehend him, nor by searching find him out to perfection: Nay we see but in part, we know but in part; nevertheless, we apprehend and conceive of him, and by what we understand of him, we determine with certainty: Therefore, whatsoever appears contrary to his perfections, according to what we apprehend of him; must be much more contrary with him, in proportion as his excellencies and self-knowledge, exceeds what we can possibly know of him: And here all proportion fails, and is lost for ever.

and He in them, have been fully punished for all their Iniquity: upon which the Lord saith, their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.* Hence he is Just to forgive them their sins, and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness. Yea, according unto his holiness, may they now have confidence in him. Though his eyes are purer than to behold iniquity, they may approach him, and stand before him with boldness; being by Union with Christ, sanctified in him, holy in him, yea He himself is their holiness: When this is discerned, we are no longer terrified at the holiness of the Divine nature, but have boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus; yea have unspeakable delight in the holiness of God, and infinite expectations therefrom. As the promise is to such who confess and forsake their sin, it is fulfilled upon us in Jesus; all the promises of God being in him, yea, and in him, Amen. There have we, (with all the prayers, and supplications, strong crying and tears, which Jesus offered in the

* Heb. x. 17.

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days of his flesh) confessed our sins unto God; and where He (having purged our sin) appeared the second time without sin unto salvation, we have eternally for saken them: Therefore we appeal unto the faithfulness of him who hath promised. In this blessed Union, this infinite love and grace of God our Father, unto us in Christ Jesus; we see the harmony of his nature in all His dealings with us, and can sing with untold delight, thou art glorious for ever, our Father, our God, Thou art love, thou art mercy, thou art righteousness, thou art justice, thou art holiness, thou art faithfulness, thou art truth, holy and reverend is thy name, O Lord God of hosts! And yet all thy glorious perfections agree in one, to accept us, delight in us, rejoice over us, and bless us with eternal life, and all its happiness in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Again, in this gracious Union, the scriptures are all fulfilled; and the Key of David given us, that we may open, what no man can shut, and shut, what no man can open. When men who are strangers unto this Union, take it upon them to expound the scriptures, it is amazing to see,

with what contradictions and inconsistencies it abounds! The precept, the threatening, the promise, and gracious declararation, are all jumbled together; often overthrowing by one, what they have set up by the other. But in Christ they all agree in one in him the precept is fulfilled, the threatening endured, the promised reward received, and the free and eternal salvation of God, continually embracing the Children of Men: Therefore, standing in the Grace of Union with Christ, we are at peace with all the scriptures. He in us, and we in him, have fulfilled all righteousness, fully kept the commandments of God, and suffered the punishment due unto our sins, and now inherit the promise, whilst the voice of words, yea, every terrifying sound is silenced; and nothing now heard but the sound of Grace, Love, and Good will. Jesus is now the shield of our Faith, by which we resist the fiery darts of the wicked one, would he come upon us with the threatening; and urge, because we answer the Character of the Sinner threatened, it must be executed upon us. Unto this fiery dart we oppose our shield, Christ, as made a