be voted sincere by one of our fellow-creatures, who should find us easy and indifferent about injuring his interest and reputation, and loading him with contempt and indignity. Does not the love of God especially consist in a desire of, and delight in a conformity to the Divine nature and will? They who love God, dwell in God, and God in them; as he is, so are they in this world, 1 John iv. 16, 17. And can they delight in a conformity to God, and yet be easy and content when they act most contrary to his will, and in utter repugnancy to all his glorious and infinite perfections? Does not the love of God consist in a hatred of sin, and of whatever is displeasing in his sight? "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil,' Psa. xcvii. 10. And can there be any thing more inconsistent, than being careless and indifferent about falling into such circumstances as are peculiarly hateful and abhorrent to us? Does not the love of God imply a love to his law, and a delight in complying with his holy will in all things? O how I love thy law it is my meditation all the day, Psa. cxix. 97. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man," Rom. vii. 22. And is it not the highest contradiction to love the law of God, to delight in an observation of it and conformity to it, and yet be indifferent and unconcerned about a violation of it, or a non-conformity to it? Does not the love of God, in the nature of it, imply a life of actual obedience?" If ye love me, keep my commandments," John xiv. 15. " If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love," John xv. 10. Now can any thing be more contradictory, than keeping God's commandments, and a careless indifference about breaking them? Is the love of the Father a light thing with us, in choosing us from the foundation of the world, in giving his own Son to redeem and save us, and in sending his Holy Spirit to fulfil his good pleasure in our souls, and fit us for heaven? Is the blood of a Saviour a light thing with us, whereby we are ransomed from death and hell, and made heirs of the future glory? Is the sanctifying, comforting, and quickening influence of the blessed Spirit, a light thing with us, whereby we are brought near to God, enabled to maintain communion with him, and qualified for the eternal inheritance? Can we dishonour the Father, trample upon the blood of the Son, and grieve the Holy Spirit, without care, concern, or fear, and yet make pretences to a union to Christ and to the love of God? A vain dream! A most inconsistent and contradictory pretence ! I hope I have, by this time, given you sufficient evidence of the weakness and impiety of those objections you have alleged in favour of the antinomians; and would therefore only just add this further remark, that though we should never dishonour our blessed Saviour, by doubting of his sufficiency for us, be our case what it will; though we should never indulge distracting doubts and fears, which will drive us from God, unfit us for duty, and bring dishonour upon that infinite mercy in which we hope; and though we should not presently dig up our foundation, and call all our hopes and experiences into question, because of our disallowed infirmities; yet, if we are united to Christ, we cannot fail of mourning for our sins, and bringing them to the blood of Christ for pardon; we cannot fail to esteem our sins the heaviest burden we have in the world: though we may, and ought to rejoice always, in the riches of redeeming mercy and love, yet we cannot but lament and groan always after deliverance from the remaining body of death. You proceed to object, that "if my doctrine of the believer's union to Christ be true, you cannot see how we can prove our justification by our sanctification. For, according to that scheme, our justification depends wholly upon our union to Christ, but nothing at all upon our sanctification. Is it not then the most rational proceeding, to prove our justification by that on which it does depend, rather than by that on which it does not depend? by that which does justify us, rather than by that which does not justify us? How can we prove our justification, by that which procures no freedom from guilt, no title to the favour of God, no claim to eternal salvation?" In answer to which, I must entreat you to consider, whether there be any way so certain to prove the existence of the cause, as by the production of the effect; and whether there be any way whatsoever to evidence that there is a cause, if there be no effect, or if the effect be utterly unknown. How do we know the existence of God, but by his word and works, which are visible effects of his being, and thereby visible evidences and discoveries of his glorious perfections? To apply this to the present case :— -How can we evidence our union to Christ, and our acceptance with God thereby, but by the actings of grace, and the fruits of righteousness, which are the effects of it? The subject-matter to be made evident to our conscience is this, that we have received the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, are so united to him, and thereby justified in the sight of God. Well, if this be so, the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, Gal. ii. 20. We are purifying ourselves, even as he is pure, 1 John iii. 3. If we have received Christ Jesus the Lord, we also walk in him, Col. ii. 6. And do we, upon an impartial trial, find this so? Do we : live in an humble, constant dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Fountain of all grace, and the Author of our eternal salvation? Do we hate every false way, and crucify our flesh with its affections and lusts? Do we live in the love of God, and carefully and seriously attend to every way of known duty towards him? Do we live in the love of our neighbour, and are we conscientious in performing the duties of every relation and character we sustain ? And do we lament before God the imperfections we find in these attainments, and earnestly pray and strive for a further progress in holiness? This, all this, is the necessary fruit of our union to Christ, and of our justification before God thereby is not this, therefore, the proper and only evidence thereof? And is there any thing, without this, which can give us any scripture evidence of our justification? The antinomians may pretend to evidence their justification by their joy and comfort; but how come they by their joy and comfort, if they have no previous evidence of their justified state? How can they rejoice in the favour of God, before they have good evidence of their interest in it? Without this, their joy is groundless, and is an evidence of nothing in the present case, but their willingness to deceive themselves. With this, there is no need of joy for an evidence of what is already confirmed by a much better witness. I therefore conclude, that as the scripture no where makes, and as the reason and order of things no way allows, joy and comfort to be evidences of our justified state, we should see to it, that we clear up our title to the Divine favour by better evidence. And what other can we possibly find but what I am now pleading for? This, the apostle assures us, is the proper evidence, by which the "children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Who soever is born of God doth not commit sin; and whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God," 1 John iii. 9, 10. Those, therefore, who reject this evidence, would do well to consider whose children they are, according to this determination of the apostle. Upon the whole, then, our union to Christ is so far from affording the least plea for licentiousness, that it should be considered as the strongest argument, and the most powerful incentive, to an humble, penitent, watchful, holy, and heavenly life. Are we united to Christ? Are we members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones? Surely then we must derive vital influences fiom such a fountain of spiritual life, and be partakers of his holiness. If we find not this blessed effect in some degree, in vain are our pretences to an interest in Christ, or union to him. Are we united to Christ, and thereby made partakers of his inestimable benefits? Surely then it concerns us to endeavour to live answerably to so high a dignity, and such an honourable relation. Surely it concerns us to testify our gratitude to such an infinite Benefactor, by living to the praise of the glory of his grace. With what abhorrence, therefore, should such licentious thoughts, as you have suggested, be entertained by all the true disciples of the holy Jesus, as not fit to be so much as once named among saints! If you can have patience with me, I would briefly offer one argument more in favour of the doctrine I have insisted upon, which must recommend it as infinitely preferable, in point of safety, to either of the contrary extremes. By acting up to these principles, you can be in no danger, as to the future and final event, since you will be built upon Christ Jesus the sure foundation of hope, and, by grace derived from him, bring forth those fruits of holiness and righteousness |