preflion. We are faid to be justified by the blood of Chrift, accepted through the beloved, to have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of fin, to be justified in the name of the Lord Jefus, reconciled to God by his death, &c. In short, our acceptance with God through the mediation of Chrift is a truth infcribed on almost every page of the apoftles' epiftolary addreffes to the Chriftian church. And here I would beg leave to remind the reader, that we have the cleareft difplay of Chriftianity in the epiftles of the New Teftament, every thing neceffary to complete the fyftem of divine revelation, being finished when the inspired penmen compofed thefe parts of holy writ. All that our Lord thought fit to leave unfaid, had been revealed to the apostles by his spirit, as he had promised. His death, and refurrection, with the fubfequent events, had difpelled all darkness from the minds of the difciples. They now faw clearly the fulfilment of the Old Teftament types and prophecies concerning the Meffiah, and were no longer in doubt with regard to his character and offices. In the epiftolary part of the New Teftament, therefore, we have declared unto us the whole counsel of God, and herein it is afferted, with the greatest precision, that our juftification does not flow folely from the goodness of the Father, without any other medium than our repentance and reformation; but that mercy is extended to repenting and believing finners through the

Son,

Son, and that they only are intitled to falvawho come unto God through him.*

Our author has an argument of another kind against that idea of Chrift's interceffion, which is included in the doctrine of atonement. "Befides," fays he, "there are many paffages in "the Old Teftament in which God is repre"fented as forgiving the Ifraelites, and receiving them into his favour on the account of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and their posterity plead the merit of these their religious "ancestors in their prayers."-" Admitting,

therefore, that God may grant favours to "mankind at the interceffion of Chrift, this " is not a privilege peculiar to Christ, but is "common to him and other good men who "went before him; fo that the general fyftem "of the forgiveness of fin can by no means depend upon the merit and interceffion of "Chrift only." Ib. p. 53.

The paffages of fcripture quoted from the Old Testament on this occafion, and o

*The author of the illuftration appears to have a very different notion of this part of holy writ. He talks of the "Jewish disguife," which the apoftles, and especially St. Paul have put upon the plain truth of God; and, after telling us what he esteems the true gofpel, makes this remark, which fome of my readers may probably think an extraordinary one. "However, the difguife in which this "fimple religion appears, as delivered to us through the "hands of the Apoftles and primitive fathers, is not fo "clofe, but that, with proper attention, we are able to "look through it, and difcern its true lineaments." Theological Repofitory, Vol. 1, p. 428.

+ Gen. xxvi. 24. Fear not, I am with thee, and I will bless thee, and multiply thy feed for my fervant Abraham's fake. Exod.

Our

ther texts, plainly fhew, that God has often granted favours to men for the fake of their religious ancestors and at the interceffion of others; but they prove nothing farther. The doctrine of atonement implies, that no tranfgreffion of the moral law, confidered as fuch, is forgiven, without a refpect had to the mediation of Chrift: And this differs greatly from any efficacy which can be fhewn to belong to the prayers of righteous men. Saviour in the days of his flesh interceded for others in a manner peculiar to himself. He addreffed the Father in his own name, and in language by no means fuitable to any other fupplicant; Father, I WILL-John xvii. 24. Whereas he commands us to approach the throne of Grace in his name, and promises that he himself will anfwer our petitions. John xiv. 13, 14, &c. The interceffion which Christ is now making in heaven for us, appears from the word of God to be of a different kind from that, which holy men are capable of making for others. It is of the nature of that interceffion which the High-priest made on the day of atonement, when he entered the Holy

of

Exod. xxxii. 13. Remember Abraham, and Ifaac, and Ifrael, thy fervants. Deut. ix. 27. Remember thy fervants, Abraham, and Ifaac, and Jacob. Look not to the stubbornness of this people, nor to their fin. In all which texts there is a reference made to that covenant which God graciously established with Abraham, that his feed fhould be numerous, that they fhould inherit the land of Cannan, &c. as the reader will find upon confulting the chapters from whence these paffages are taken.

of Holies with the blood of the facrifice; and, therefore, is mentioned in the scriptures with a particular reference to his death. He bore the fin of many, and made interceffion for the tranfgreffors. Ifaiah liii. 12. It is Chrift that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh interceffion for us. Rom. viii. 34. He is able to fave them to the uttermost who come unto God through him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them; being fuch an high-priest who needeth not daily to offer up facrifice,-for this he did once when he offered up himself. Heb. vii. 25, &c. Chrift is not entered into the holy places made with hands,—but into heaven itself, now to appear in the prefence of God for us. Chap. ix. 24. This interceffion of our Lord, being the confequence of his giving himself a facrifice for the fins of the world, and, as it were, the continuance of that tranfaction, is, therefore, of a peculiar nature, and has a peculiar influence on the remiffion of fins, which no interceffion of any pious man on earth can have.

The interceffion of the Spirit of God for us is likewise a diftinct thing from the interceffion of Chrift. The Spirit maketh interceffion for us by interceding in us, that is, by exciting in the minds of true Chriftians unfeigned defires after God, and every holy temper implied in the fervent prayer of a righteous man. The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know

not what to pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us, WITH GROANINGS WHICH CANNOT BE UTTERED. Rom. viii. 26.

V. In the foregoing pages I have taken very little notice of Mr. Graham's Letters on the doctrine of Atonement, though they are the latest of the publications I have occafion to examine, and are strongly recommended by the author of the Appeal.* The principal arguments which they contain are urged, and expreffed with more candour, in the tracts I have been confidering; and as my intention was to have nothing to do but with arguments, I chose to make my reply to those pieces which were the most candid and argumentative. Indeed, I find myself unwilling to take any notice of an author, who is perpetually misrepresenting the question he debates, and who ftrives to ftrengthen his arguments by invective and abuse of his opponents. However, it may not be amiss to give some specimens of this writer's manner of treating his subject.

1. He

"I shall take the opportunity of this preface to recom"mend that excellent fermon of Mr. Graham's, intitled, "Repentance the only condition of final acceptance, and alfo "his Letters on the doctrine of atonement. In these pieces "the reader will find what I think to be a fair and undif"guifed account of what is most effential in the reli"gion of the gospel, expreffed with a plainnefs and energy "almoft peculiar to the author." Preface to a fermon preached on occafion of the Author's refigning his pastoral care of a congregation in Leeds.