Hence  men  of  inward  light  are  wont
To  turn  their  optics  in  upon 't. — Butler.
Hence  the  doctrine  of  justification  is  so  meanly  and
universally  detested  by  the  men  of  the  world.  The
felons  of  the  curse  can  ill  endure  a  settlement,  even
by  grace  in  Christ  Jesus,  if  it  honors  law  and  re-
quires them  to  confess  the  utter  and  terrible  ruin  of
their  circumstances.
Hence  all  that  is  in  man,  pride,  passion,  art.
Powers  of  the  mind,  and*feelings  of  the  heart ;


406


Insensible  of  truth's  almighty  charms,
Starts  at  her  firHt  approach,  and  sounds,  to  arms  !
While  bigotry,  with  well-dissembled  fears.
His  eyes  shut  fast,  his  fingers  in  his  ears.
Mighty  to  parry  and  push  by  God's  word.
With  senseless  noise,  his  argument  the  sword.
Pretends  a  zeal  for  godliness  and  grace.
And  spits  abhorrence  in  the  christian's  face.
3.  Justification,  as  such,  strictly  taken,  respects
the  person  dUme^  and  not  the  character ;  while  to
commix  these  in  the  view,  is  the  very  chaos  of  all
confusion  to  a  subject  worthy  of  the  most  correct
discrimination  of  which  the  intellectual  powers  are
capable.  It  consists  in  the  release  of  the  person,
on  account  of  Jesus  Christ  alone,  from  all  his  penal
responsibilities ;  remitting  all  his  sins  for  that  dear
sake  ;  and  accepting  the  party  as  righteous,  and  sq
engaging  faithfully  to  treat  him,  throng  the  Media-,
tor,  to  the  glory  oi  God.  It  is  a  f<Hrensic  or  judicial
declaration  of  indemnity  forever,  in  their  behalf
who  believe ;  and  a  consequent  public  treatment  of
them  as  if  they  were  in  no  sense  deserving  of  the
executed  penalty  of  law.
