oracles of divine truth: and it is evident, in the whole of his performances, he has studied more the edification of fuch of his readers, as love truth in its native drefs, when fiript of every human embelishment, than to gratify their vain curiofity with a flow of words which the wisdom of man teacheth.

In the following Treatise on Justification, he has endeavoured to exhibit to his readers, a fcriptural view of his fubject, in the words of the Holy Ghoft, comparing spiritual things with Spiritual: and, undervaluing the cenfure of captious and illnatured critics, who itch more after elegant diction and well turned periods, than fubftantial truth, he has conveyed his fentiments in language eafy, intelligible, and fcriptural. And the difcourfe is not only doctrinal, but practical; for, while the author difcovers himself to have a clear knowledge of his fubject, he also displays an experimental acquaintance with the power of religion, in pointing out the comfort of faving faith, in the atonement of Chrift, and its falutary influence on the renewed heart.

The plan of his difcourfe is plain and comprehenfive. He endeavours to give his readers a dif tinct view of the complete atonement of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as the alone juftifying righteousness of guilty finners. This he views in both its branches, confifting in his active and paffive obedience. His active obedience, which lies in his full and

perfect conformity to the whole divine law, without the leaft failure, either of parts or degrees of obedience, every way anfwerable to the dignity of his divine perfon as God-man*.-In his paffive obedience, which confifts in his giving complete fatisfaction for fin, by fuffering, in the human nature, all that wrath, threatened by the law, as due to elect finners, as their furety, and enduring the infinite execution of the curfe upon him in his death, to the full compenfation of all the injuries done to an infinite God, by all the fins of an elect world t -This our author proves by the most conclufive arguments, to be the alone righteousness, by which elect finners are justified in the fight of God, exclufive of all forefeen good works, or any qualifications in the creature, previous to their juftification, all fuch being quite infufficient to recommend a finner to the favour of God, and have no part in that righteousness whereby the finner is justified.

As nothing is of greater importance, or can give more fatisfaction to the real faint, than to be inftructed with regard to the nature of the justifying righteoufness of the Lord Jefus Christ, and how this righteoufnefs becomes his; fo, the author of the following Treatife beautifully illuftrates this interefting point, from the infallible oracles of divine truth, and fhews it to be by imputation on God's part; For he hath made him to be

Matth. v. 17, 18.
Rom. iv. 6. 2 Cor.

f Gal. iii. 13. Eph. v. 2.

V. 21.

fin, [viz. by imputation] for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in him, [viz. by juftification and imputation:]-and by believing on our part*. Here our author illuftrates the nature of faving faith, fhews how it acts, and what are its proper objects.

With regard to the time of justification, our author views this both as imminent and tranfient; imminent, as an act of God's will, and confequently from eternity; God was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself: tranfient, as an act which paffes upon the whole body of the elect at once, in Christ, their representative, and on every individual of God's elect, when the foul is first enabled to believe in Chrift+.

As nothing can be more defirable, or yield more real comfort to the true Chriftian, than to be acquainted with the fatisfactory evidences of his being justified, the author has accordingly fhewn, in this Treatife, the effects of juftification, as it refpects the foul's peace, its ftate, and obedience.-He has, on this part of his difcourfe, endeavoured, in the moft fcriptural manner, to specify the difference between the peace of a juftified foul, and that falfe peace of an unjustified finner.

The author, before he concludes his excellent difcourfe, propounds a particular objection against

Rom. x. 10. and iv. 16. iii. 22.

Rom. i. 17. iii. 22, 26. iv. 5. x. 10. and Acts xiii. 39.

the fcheme of doctrine laid down and illuf trated, which he anfwers with the greate evidence and clearness, and fhews the abf dity and falfhood of it in the clearest poin view, though stated with a fpecious appear ance of truth. The difcourfe is concluded with a variety of very important and useful inftructions, natively deduced from the doctrine, admirably well calculated to gladden the hearts of fincere Chriftians, as well as for the inftruction of the ignorant.

1

Upon the whole, it will be allowed, that the fubject-matter of this excellent difcourfe, is at once comprehenfive, glorious, and delightful, and of all others, of the utmost importance; and that right notions of this important article, the juftification of a finner by the blood and righteousness of Christ, tend, through divine grace, to yield the most folid comfort and real joy to every true Chriftian. It must alfo be granted, that no knowledge is of equal importance with that of knowing Chrift, and the way of falvation through his imputed righteousness. Ignorance of this cardinal doctrine of our holy religion, is joined in fcripture with not-fubmiffion to it; and all fuch, in the issue, must be miferable fouls indeed, who are found ignorant of Chrift's righte

B

fin, ufness, and go about to establish a righfin, pusness of their own, not fubmitting of Go,mfelves unto the righteousness of tation ift, Rom. x. 3.

our a To promote thefe important ends, the inftruction of the ignorant, as well as the establishment and confolation of the people of God, was, no doubt, the intention of the pious author in compofing and publishing this difcourfe. The manner in which the fubject is handled, is concife, clear, and fcriptural; and it is hoped will be found well calculated, through the divine bleffing, to answer the great ends just now mentioned, which, there is no reason to doubt, have already, in fome good measure, been attained by its publication.

That they may be farther promoted by this new addition, and that the knowledge of Christ, and the way of falvation through him, may be diffused through the world, is the fincere defire of thofe concerned in the publication of it.

GLASGOW, Oct.
24th, 1777.