of an estate, given him by his father's will, that he live and enjoy his reason; yet it is not his life and reason, but his father's donation, which gives him the title. Even so in the present case, our life and activity are necessary to our possessing the eternal inheritance; but it is the free grace of God in Christ which gives us the title. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."

As to the Scriptures cited by you, they are altogether impertinent to your purpose. You should prove, if you would confirm your point in view, that we are justified by works, and that our works give us the title to salvation. But all that you do prove by the cited Scripture is, that good works are necessary to salvation; which is a truth equally allowed by both parties in the present controversy, and a consequence equally resulting from the principles

of both.

The first text indeed which you quote, does, in the English translation, seem to look something in your favour. But when read in the original, all that appearance is lost. I think it should thus be read, "Blessed are they who do his commandments, that they may have power, privilege, or liberty, for the tree of life." And it is on all hands granted, that none will ever have the power, privilege, or liberty, to enter the eternal inheritance, but thosewho are sanctified. The whole question is, from whence is this power derived? upon what title is this liberty or privilege founded? Whether only from the righteousness of Christ imputed, or from their sincere conformity to the pretended new law of grace? To

this the text says nothing at all; nor can any argument be drawn from it, either on the one or the other side of the question.

But heaven is a recompense of reward. What then? May not a reward be given, not of debt, but of mere grace, without any claim by personal merit, without any motive from covenant conditions performed, or any other incentive at all, but the mere goodness and kindness of the donor? How then does this prove the covenant conditions you are pleading for? You may, Sir, if you please, without any previous covenant, reward your slave's towardliness with freedom and with a good estate, though this be what he can have no claim to by his obedience. His person and services being your property, the reward must flow wholly from your kindness and bounty. And thus, in the present case, though eternal life be a reward, it is a reward of mere bounty and goodness, it is "the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

What you argue from the 18th and 33d chapters of Ezekiel is as little to your purpose. This will evidently appear, if you consider that these chapters have a special reference to a temporal salvation, from the calamities that Israel either felt or feared from the Chaldean war. They were, part of them, already in captivity; and the remainder in dreadful expectation of the succeeding carnage and desolation, which made a swift approach upon them. They, on this account, complain of God's dispensations as unequal, and of their own misery as remediless. In answer to which complaints, God is pleased by the prophet to justify his dispensations towards them; and to let

them know, that his dealings with them were according to their own doings; that their reformation would avert his judgments, but their apostacy and declension from his service would both heighten his displeasure and their punishment. That this was the design of the 18th chapter, appears evident from the whole foregoing context; where their dreadful destruction by the Babylonians was expressly predicted and threatened; which gave occasion to obviate their objections against God's dealings with them, and give them a just view of the true source and cause of their misery and ruin. That this was also the design of the 33d chapter, is most evident from the express words of the context, as every one may see, that will read from the 26th to the 29th verse, where sword, famine, pestilence, and utter desolation, are expressly denounced and declared to be the evils referred to in this discourse. Now, what just argument can be drawn from hence? Will it follow, because God proportions his providential dispensations to the external conduct of his professing covenant people, that therefore we are justified by works, or that our eternal salvation is the immediate fruit of our own obedience? Will it follow, that because Ahab's threatened temporal destruction was prevented by his external reformation, that therefore he was justified and eternally saved upon the account of it ? No: it is plain that all arguments to the present purpose, from these chapters, are altogether impertinent; and the pleas commonly taken from hence against perseverance in grace, because the righteous are represented as turning from their righteousness, are nothing at all to the purpose for which they are used.

But, after all, were it even supposed that these chapters referred to God's dispensations toward men in relation to their eternal state, how would they confirm the principles you are pleading for? They would indeed show us, that there is a necessary connection between a life of obedience and our salvation, and between a life of disobedience and our perdition, which is a truth allowed on both sides of the present question. But as to the meritorious procuring, and entitling cause of our salvation, or the foundation of our title to eternal life, there is nothing spoken in these chapters. If you would find these things explained by the prophet Ezekiel, read the 36th chapter of his prophecy, where the doctrine which you oppose is strongly asserted, and particularly illustrated. You will there find, it is God that "takes away the heart of stone from his people, and gives them a heart of flesh :" that "causes them to walk in his statutes, and keep his judgments and do them :" and that it is "not for their sakes that he does this, but for his own name's sake:" and that when this is done for them, they will have cause to "be ashamed and confounded for their own ways;" and to "loathe themselves in their own sight, for their iniquities and abominations." You will there find,

that though God" will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do this for them," yet this is not the condition of their acceptance; he will bestow his special grace for "his own name's sake, and not for their sakes." Now, you will acknowledge that the other chapters must be taken in the same view with this; and then, though it will appear that he who repenteth, and continueth in obedience to

the end, and none but he, shall obtain salvation at last; yet that this repentance and new obedience flows from God's sovereign grace, and is the fruit of a justified state. The same thing may be observed concerning any other texts of Scripture which you can possibly cite to the like purpose. And I must

here observe to you-it is a sure evidence of the weakness of that cause, that can be no better defended. There are multitudes of plain and positive texts of Scripture, which ascribe our justification to faith, and to the righteousness of Christ alone; as I have had occasion to show you already. These must be interpreted away at any rate, because they do not agree with this scheme, which must by all means be supported. But then, what evidence have we from Scripture for this doctrine, which is so strenuously contended for? None but this-that holiness and new obedience are necessary to salvation; which is just so much, and no more, to the purpose, as if you should attempt to prove your point from the first verse in Genesis.

You proceed to argue, that "Repentance for sin, which includes new obedience in the nature of it, is not only made absolutely necessary to salvation, but has the promise of pardon annexed to it, and is, therefore, plainly proposed in Scripture as the condition of our justification."

This is but a repetition of the former argument, in other words. The question before us is not, what is not necessary to our salvation; but what is the condition of our justification? It is not the question, whether pardon and salvation be necessarily connected to repentance and new obedience; but what it is that