2 are wife in their own conceits, that it is not found by any efforts of their wisdom; " but " that it is the wisdom of God in a mystery, "the hidden wisdom ordained before the "world unto our glory." In short all are taught, that God is "the God of all grace," and that all mercy begins, continues, and ends with Him. Indeed the very enemies of Chrift could say, " who can forgive fins " but God only?" To dispense pardon to the condemned is an act of grace, which we confider as the prerogative of our Sovereign, it is the brightest jewel in his crown, and we never attempt to arrest it from him. How dare we then make such an attempt against " the blessed and holy Potentate, the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords?" how dare we be offended, when He afferts his prerogative, " I will be gracious to whom I " will be gracious, and I will have compas " sion on whom I will have compaffion? " I, I am He, that blotteth out thy tranf 1 Cor. ii, 7. Exod. xxxiii, 23. Rom. xi, 15. " gressions "greffions for my own fake, and will not " remember thy fins; for my own fake, for : نا my own fake will I not do it, for how " should my name be polluted? and I will "not give my glory to another." What is the Apoftle's conclufion from fuch promises as these ? " fo then, it is not of him " that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but " of God that sheweth mercy;" indeed St. Paul is clear and decisive upon this subject, that, " if it be of grace, it is no more of " works, otherwise grace is no more grace;" that "Abraham believed in God, and it was "counted unto him for righteousness; that "David defcribeth the blessedness of the " man, to whom God imputeth righteousness " without works, saying, blessed is the man, "whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and "whose sin is covered, blessed is the man "to whom the Lord will not impute fin;" "-that "this blessedness is for circumci • Ifaiah xliii, 25. Ifaiah xlviii, 11. • Rom. ix, 16. ৮ Rom. xi, 6. : • Rom. 4. " fion : "sion and uncircumcifion," that is for Jew and Greek; that neither can be blessed in any other way, and that if any of either are alive unto God, they receive their life, like criminals, as a gift from their fovereign: "the wages of fin is death, but the gift of "God is eternal life through Jesus Chrift " our Lord." As God is the author and giver of mercy, so He bestows it in his own way; and He hath appointed no way but one. "All "things are of God, who hath reconciled " us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath "committed to us the ministry of reconci"liation: to wit, that God was in Christ re "conciling the world unto Himself and not " imputing their trespasses unto them. For "He hath made Him to be fin for us who "knew no fin, that we might be made the " righteousness of God in Him." This is God's method of shewing mercy to the finners of mankind: there is no God but one, * Rom. v, 21. b 2 Cor. v, 18, 19, 21. E and "There is and no way to him but one. "one God and one Mediator between God " and men, the man Christ Jesus. I am "the way, and the truth, and the life, no "man cometh to the Father but by me. It is essential to true repentance or converfion to feel and acknowledge these truths; that God is the first and the last, the fole author and finisher of man's falvation; and that "He pardoneth iniquity, passeth by the "the tranfgreffion of the remnant of his he ritage, and retaineth not his anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith He loved us even -" when we were dead in fins, hath quick"ened us together with Christ, by grace ye 66 are saved; and hath raised us up together, " and made us fit together in heavenly "places in Christ Jesus: that in ages to " come He might shew the exceeding riches " of his grace in his kindness towards us * 1 Tim. ii, 5. ► John xiv, 6. < Micah, vii, 18. through i " through Chrift Jesus: for by grace are ye "saved, through faith, and that not of "yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of " works, lest any man should boaft; for we ، are his workmanship, created in Chrift "Jesus unto good works, which God hath "before ordained, that we should walk in "them." Well may the prophet say, "Who is a "God like unto Thee?" and in the fame 4 word in which He hath caused "his glory " and his goodness to pass before us, and " proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, mer"ciful and gracious, long suffering and "abundant in goodness and truth," He hath proposed himself to our knowledge and to our imitation. "Thus faith the Lord, let not the wife " man glory in his wifdom, let not the "mighty man glory in his might, let not "the rich man glory in his riches; but let, " him that glorieth, glory in this, that he under |