braced with joy unspeakable. But instead of this, so great and inveterate is our attachment to sin, that without the impressive, persuasive, and transforming influence of God on the heart, these offers would certainly be rejected, and we should remain in the number of those, who will not come unto Christ, that they may have life.

3. If the preceding observations be true, and the influence of the Holy Spirit be essentially necessary to conversion and a holy life; it is highly important, that this doctrine should be sensibly felt. We ought to imbibe this, as a first principle, that, in the work of religion, nothing effectual will be accomplished merely by our own strength; and that therefore reliance is to be had on the grace of Christ. Impressed with this idea, we are humbly to acknowledge before God our present corruption, the fatal influence, which sín has obtained over us, and earnestly to implore, that God would endue us with divine strength, and direct our souls to himself. It is by divine influence on the heart, counteracting corrupt inclinations, weakening the power of sin, and directing the mind to God as the chief good; it is in this way, and not by the mere strength and independent exer-. tion of man, that the obedient servants of Christ, in all ages, have attained a state of holiness and glory. And if it be important to realize this doctrine, in the very outset of a religious life, in our first inquiries after salvation; it is no less important, that the Christian realize it, in his endeavours after progressive sanctification. The pious believer will no more

advance in the ways of righteousness without the influence of the Spirit, than the sinner would, without it, turn to righteousness. If we be the children of God, our lives are spiritual, i. e. not only conformable to reason and the dictates of the mind; not only opposite to sensuality and the law in our members; but, in a manner imperceptible, influenc ed and directed by the Spirit of God. If we mortify the deeds of the body, it is through the Spirit. If we be not in the flesh, but in the spirit, the God dwelleth in us. have not the Spirit of are none of his.

Spirit of And, if we Christ, we

4. This doctrine of divine influence is exceedingly comfortable to those, who have a just opinion of their own weakness, ignorance, and corruption. How strong are the temptations, to which

Christians are sometimes exposed! How arduous is the warfare, in which they are engaged! How numerous are their enemies; and how unequal is their strength to all the opposition, which they are required to encounter! But God has a perfect knowledge of their situation. He knows every circumstance with regard to them. He knows the very kind of aid and direction which they need. By humble application to him, accompanied with their own watchful endeavours, they are sure of being saved from the hour of temptation; not indeed from being tempted, but from being overcome; from being tempted beyond what they are able to resist. God is able to make all grace abound toward them; to establish and confirm them; to invigorate their reso

AGREEABLY to your request, some thoughts on the Doctrine of the Atonement are here offer ed to your candid consideration. A doctrine, which is much objected to by those who style themselves rational Christians, and also by some others: but which seems to be plainly taught in the Scriptures as an important article of the Christian religion.

It has been, I think, the gener al belief of Christians, particular ly, as professed in the Protestant churches, that the sins of men were imputed to Christ, or judicially charged upon him, as their sponsor: That their guilt, or the obligation they were under to suffer deserved punish ment, was transferred to him: He having by the appointment of God the Father, and his own free consent, undertaken to make satisfaction to the law and justice of God, by bearing the punishment due to their sins, in their stead; that so God's infinite hatred of sin and love of righteousness being fully exercised and expressed, and the ends for which the punishment of sin was necessary, as well answered as they would have been in the punishment of the sinners. He might, consistently with the hon

our of all his perfections, and the interest of his universal king dom, pardon, and justify all those who by a true faith are united to Christ, and so receive the gift of his righteousness.

But to prevent mistake, it must be carefully observed, that we are far from imagining that the sins of men were transferred into Christ,for in him was no sin. It is impossible that the act of one person should be made the act of another. Nor can the criminality, the blameworthi ness, the desert of punishment, which is inseparable from sin, be shifted from the sinner to one who is personally innocent. Faṛ be it from us to imagine that Christ became blamable, or that he deserved punishment, or that God was displeased with him, in consequence of his becoming our sponsor, and assuming our guilt, or penal obligation. The Father was ever well pleased in his beloved Son, who was never more the object of his compla. cence,than when he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. The guilt and punishment of our sins was not deserved by him, but he became subject to it by voluntarily taking this burden on himself. And so the punishment of our sins be came due to him, as being responsible on our behalf, though it was not deserved by him.

We must not then confound the guilt of sin, with its criminality, or desert of punishment. It is true the word is sometimes used to signify a state of being blamable or faulty. But by the guilt of sin we understand the obligation to punishment to which the sinner is subject by the threatening of the law. In this

sense the word is always used by our divines in treating of the redemption and satisfaction of Christ. Though the demerit of sin, or its desert of punishment, is inseparable from its evil nature, and it must remain forever true that a sinner deserves punishment; and though according to the law every transgression must receive its deserved punishment, yet the penitent and be lieving sinner may be pardoned, and so freed from his guilt or penal obligation, in consequence of Christ's taking it upon himself by the approbation and appointment of the Father. Tho' the law and justice of God, and the interest of his kingdom, require that sin be punished, yet the sovereign of the world might consistently with justice, and the spirit of the law, so far relax its rigor as to transfer the penal obligation of sinners to their approved and authorized sponsor, who by suffering the penalty of the law in their stead has freed all penitent believers from their guilt or exposedness to deserved punishment, his satisfaction and merit being accepted in their behalf, as equivalent, and answering all the ends for which the punishment of sin is necessary.

To impute sin, or righteous ness to any one, in the language of the Scriptures, does not mean the same with judging that he had sinned, or that he is in himself a righteous person. To impute sin to a person, is to charge it to him so far as to hold him subject to the penalty thereto annexed, as if he had sinned. To impute righteousness is to accept one as entitled to the rewards of righteousness, as if he were a righteous person. So Paul wrote

to Philemon, that if Onesimus had wronged him, or owed him any thing, he should impute it to him, (so it is in the Greek.) He did not mean that Philemon should think that Paul had wronged or owed him, but that he should charge him with whatever Onesimus might owe, and he would be responsible for it. And he elsewhere mentions the blessed. ness of the man, to whom right, eousness without works is im puted. This could not mean that he was judged to be personally righteous in the eye of the law. It could not be his own - righteousness which was impute ed to him. For he is described as a pardoned sinner, whose sins were covered, and not imputed to him. Though in himself he was not righteous, but a sinner, and God knew him to be such a one, yet he did not impute sin, but imputed righteousness to him: that is, he freed him from guilt, and exposedness to punishment, as if he had not sinned, and accepted him as righteous, and entitled to the reward of righteousness, on account of the righteousness of his sponsor giv. en and imputed to him.

How this transferring of the guilt of sin, and the rights of righteousness, is consistent with the justice and truth of God, may perhaps be considered hereafter. In the mean time, if this should appear to be the doctrine of the Scriptures, we should be cautious of objecting to it, tho' our reason should be puzzled in accounting for it. Let us then have recourse to the law and to the testimony, searching the Scriptures whether these things are so, If we should not be thought wor thy to rank with the rationa!

Christians, yet if we can attain to be scriptural ones, we may think ourselves happy. I would, however, not neglect to use, as well as I can, the small share of reason which God has given me, in investigating and ascertaining the true meaning of the divine oracles, by comparing more obscure or ambiguous passages with those whose meaning is more plain and determinate. To explain the Scriptures by the Scriptures seems to be a rational, as well as approved method of procedure. May God assist and succeed the attempt. With respect and affection, your friend, A Christian of the ancient School. (To be continued.)

I SHALL join my poor petitions, that He who "giveth liberally," may be with you in the important design you mention,

And when that first object, that of collecting together the doctrines, and the sentiments of Revelation, is accomplished, a second will naturally come in view;-that of studying the transcendent eloquence of those divine writings, and enriching the mind by attentively noting the varieties of energetic expression with which great truths are convey. ed; the numerous striking figures, and turns of thought; and the inimitable specimens of the beautiful, the pathetic, and the

sublime; with the simple majesty, which runs through the whole volume. I mention this now, because many of these specimens will meet us, while we are pursuing the first object; and may therefore be minuted as we go along. But they will deserve to be made a distinct branch of study. Where else can we find the truths of religion conveyed with such majesty; or in a manner, which awakes such great and exalted sentiments?

I doubt not it has often occurred to you, whether prayer, which constitutes so important a part of the public exercises, should not be more premeditated, than it often is; and have more of meaning, and be more inspired, enriched, and diversified with the varieties of sublime and impressive devotional matter, which the Scriptures furnish. Improve then upon those, who have gone before you. In this there is a large field open for it. It is easy to observe who has not attended enough to this branch of study. But accept it as a proof of sincerity, that I dare not omit a hint of this nature, though it brings up in a strong view, my own deficiency. It is nevertheless true, that prayer, though I believe it should be generally more compendious, than it is, might become as interesting, as any part of public exercise, and such it ought to be. Such it was, indeed, where Colman, the two Coopers, President Davies, and a few more officiated. And it may be again, if with the attentions now hinted, the Spirit of grace and supplication shall concur, which, that we may both experience, is the continual wish of your friend, &c.