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 wifdom ordained before the "world unto our glory." In fhort 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 fay," who can forgive fins but God only?" To difpenfe 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 arreft it from him. How dare we then make fuch an attempt against the bleffed 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 compaf "fion on whom I will have compaffion? "I, I am He, that blotteth out thy tranf Exod. xxxiii, 23. Rcm. xi, 15.

1 Cor. ii, 7.

greffions for my own fake, and will not "remember thy fins; for my own fake, for

my own fake will I not do it, for how "fhould my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory to another." What is the Apoftle's conclufion from fuch promifes as these?fo then, it is not of him "that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but "of God that fheweth mercy," indeed St. Paul is clear and decifive upon this fubject, that, "if it be of grace, it is no more of "works, otherwife grace is no more grace;" that " Abraham believed in God, and it was "counted unto him for righteousness; that "David defcribeth the bleffedness of the "man, to whom God imputeth righteousness "without works, faying, bleffed is the man, "whose unrighteoufnefs is forgiven, and "whofe fin is covered, bleffed is the man "to whom the Lord will not impute fin;" "that" this bleffednefs is for circumci

fion and uncircumcifion," that is for Jew and Greek; that neither can be bleffed 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 Jefus Chrift " our Lord."a

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As God is the author and giver of mercy, fo 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 Himfelf by Jefus Chrift, 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 trefpaffes unto them. For "He hath made Him to be fin for us who "knew no fin, that we might be made the "righteoufnefs of God in Him." This is God's method of fhewing mercy to the finners of mankind: there is no God but one,

a Rom. v, zi.

2 Cor. v, 18, 19, 21.

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and

and no way to him but one.

"There is

a

"one God and one Mediator between God "and men, the man Chrift Jefus. I am "the way, and the truth, and the life, no "man cometh to the Father but by me. It is effential 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, paffeth by the "the tranfgreffion of the remnant of his heritage, and retaineth not his anger for

ever, because He delighteth in mercy.c 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 Chrift, by grace ye "are faved; and hath raised us up together, "and made us fit together in heavenly

places in Chrift Jefus that in ages to "come He might fhew the exceeding riches "of his grace in his kindness towards us

1 Tim. ii, 5. John xiv, 6. Micah, vii, 18.

through

"through Chrift Jefus: for by grace are ye "faved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, left any man fhould boaft; for we are his workmanship, created in Chrift " Jefus unto good works, which God hath "before ordained, that we fhould walk in "them."

Well may the prophet fay, "Who is a "God like unto Thee?" and in the fame word in which He hath caufed "his glory "and his goodness to pafs before us, and

proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, mer"ciful and gracious, long fuffering and "abundant in goodnefs 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

Ephes. ii, 4, &c. See Exod. xxxiii, 18, 19. and xxxiv, 6.

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