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tarry to remark on this paffage-What does the remnant of God's heritage. import? The elect are the first fruits of the heritage; a remnant is evidently that which remains, after fomething is taken out of it, be that little or much. It is evident, from the truth and mercy promifed and fworn to the patriarchs, that the Gentiles are included, even all nations, kindreds, and families of the earth. The common doctrine faith, that God will retain his anger for ever, though his own word afferts the reverse; and that not with regard to the elect only, but in respect of all mankind. That God fhould difcontinue, after a certain period, what he delights in, and continue what he accounts a ftrange work, and that fo long as he exifts, would need the moft exprefs declaration to entitle it to any credit. The declarations are on the other fide, and all that are oppofed to them either admit of two fenfes, owing to the ambiguity of the tranflation, or may be explained in perfe&t confiftency with them.

I feel not a little furprised at myself, that the obvious meaning of the plainest paffages of fcripture fhould have fo long efcaped me; but this fhould teach to make allowance for others. It is furprising any should think, that Chrift's inheriting all nations, is confiftent with the turning of all the nations that forget God into hell, and keeping them there, in close cuftody, and dreadful torments, as long as he exifts! And it is also not a little ftrange, that fuch a plain prediction fhould be confined in its accomplishment to the nations that shall exift in one period, as if all the nations that lived in preceding ages had no concern in the promife, with very few exceptions! How fhall we reconcile this to that folemn 'declaration, "All nations whom thou haft made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and fhall glorify thy name," Pfal. lxxxvi. 9. Here is a key to many other paffages of fcripture. With great propriety it is added, "for thou art great, and doeft wondrous things: thou art God alone." Similar is the language which John heard from the mouths of those who shall stand upon the fea of glafs, having the harps of God, "Who fhall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy for all nations fhall come and worship before thee," Rev. xv. 4. The nations whom the Lord fhall inherit will he cause to come and worship before him, even in spirit and in truth, and they who thus worship are and fhall be bleffed. The following prayer in Doctor Horne's comment on Pfal. lxxxii. 8. is worthy of notice Arife, O Lord Jefus, from thy throne where thou fitteft, at the right hand of thy Father; judge the earth, corrupted and overwhelmed with iniquity; do away fin, and put an end for ever to the power of Satan; inherit all nations, redeemed from death,. and ranfomed from the grave." The good Bishop here prays, that an end may be put for ever to Satan's power, which is not confiftent with his eternal reign over thousands of subjects, for one that Meffiah fhall poffefs. The common doctrine, by reprefenting God as giving them up to the tormenting power of the devil throughout all eternity, makes fuch a prayer a fin, and a rebelling against the Divine purpose and counfel. The Bishop alfo makes our Lord's inheriting all nations to be fubfequent to their being redeemed from death, and ranfomed from the grave, the very thing for which the Univerfalifts contend, na it cannot take place in any other period..

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When I began these letters, I intended to be very concife; but the objections often urged fhew the neceffity of arguing a little even upon the plaineft texts of fcripture, in order to counteract the force of prejudice and education, which blind the mind to the most obvious truths. The very difciples were dull of understanding, and flow of heart to believe, our Lord himself being judge; and I fear that many difciples are too much fo ftill. May the Lord grant us underBanding in all things, that the knowledge of his word may be eafy to us.

I am,

Dear Sir,

Yours to command in the truth, &c.

LETTER IV.

But we defire to hear of thee what thou thinkeft; for as concerning this fect, we know that every where it is spoken againfi. Acts xxviii. 22.

This I confefs, that after the way which they call herefy, fo worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets.

A&8 xxiv. 14.

Angels bring not railing accufation; but thefe fpeak evil of the things that they underftand not Michael, when contending with the devil, durft not bring against him a railing accufation, but faid, The Lord rebuke thee. 2 Pet. ii. 11, 12. Jude ver. 9.

DEAR SIR,

WE learn from Paul, that Chriftianity in his time was called a herefy, which, in the eyes of fome might attach reproach. But the Greek term diptoris (heréfis) admits of a good as well as a bad fenfe, in its original acceptation, and is fometimes rendered fect, which has not the fame odious found. It denotes a felection or choice; and because the firft Chriftians would not receive common opinions any farther than they thought they agreed with the word of God, it was applied to them by the Jews in the worst fenfe; for men are apt to condemn as unfcriptural and pernicious whatever does not accord with their own creed. Thus the charge of herefy has been often given and retorted with equal effect. Though the four principal fets among the Jews were distinguished by the fipgularity of their opinions and practices, yet they continued united in communion with each other, and with their whole nation. This fhould furely teach profeffed Chriftians to be lefs hoftile to each other, whatever be their difference of fentiment; feeing no man has a right, in matters of faith, to dictate to his brother. Have they not all one Father? Sufficient claims must therefore fill remain for the interchange of kind offices, and the exercife of brotherly love, of which the bulk of profeffors feem to have no idea, who appear to have little more of Chriftianity than the name. Blaffed is he who shall not be offended in

Chrift.

It appears that the way which they called herefy, included the belief of all things which are written in the law and the prophets; and the fame thing is accounted by many herefy ftill, unlefs your faith be regulated by their creed. When it is faid, that Chriftianity was a fect or herefy every where spoken against, this shews that it was ipoken of every where. To meet with general oppofition is no mark of error, or a false religion, but of the true. Since men exifted on the earth, the majority has never been on the fide of truth. Councils and fynods have indeed put it to the vote, and thus decided what the church was to believe and practice.

Let us apply our Lord's rule to the doctrine of the Reftoration, and that which ftands opposed to it, from the profeffore of which no quarter can be had. By their fruits ye shall know them; for what produces figs and grapes, may be proved to be neither thorn for thistle. Let any man judge which of the two doctrines is most likely to be from above, that which tends to infpire reverence and love to God, and truft and confidence in him, as alfo love and charity to fellow men; or that which is calculated to beget fervile fear, diftruft, jealousy, and despair, with refpect to God, and self-confequence and an uncharitable spirit in regard of men. The univerfal doctrine teaches that God loves all men,, and feeks their ultimate happiness in all his dealings with them, which he will at length perfectly accomplish. But the common doctrine maintains, that he loves only a very few, fo as to bring them to enjoy happiness, not perhaps above one in ten thousand, if we believe fome reverend doctors; and that all the rest shall be visited with the moft dreadful effects of his inexhorable hatred and incenfed indignation fo long as he exists..

This is poor confolation to an alarmed foul, that feels itself on the brink of perdition. It would not be easy to persuade a man to venture his money where he had ten thousand blanks for one prize; yet is it much more difficult to perfuade him to venture his foul, when a guilty confcience paints his demerit, and Satan is at his right hand to refift him. Does the word of God give fuch a contracted view of his mercy?

Let common fenfe fay, which of these doctrines agrees beft with the character or attributes of that adorable being, who is twice faid by John to be love itself, and also faid to be good to all, and full of compaffion; while it is exprefsly afferted, that his tender mercies are over all his works. There is nothing fo bad but men will believe it of their Maker, reputing him a hard mafter, &c. but there is nothing fo flattering but their vanity will lead them to believe it of themfelves. Hence the very worft of men feel difpofed to reprobate the doctrine of the restoration, because they flatter, themselves they fhall never have occafion for it. They are apt to conclude, one way or other, that they shall be faved from the wrath to come; and fo deftitute are they of any thing like true philanthropy, that they give themselves little concern what fhall become of the rest of their species. This is the character of all those who have little of religion but the form; who imbibe the pharifaical fpirit; and take these from among profeffors, and the Lord knows how few will be left behind. Did the doctrine of the restoration really destroy that discrimination of moral chara&er among men, which the word of God every where afcertains, it ought to be

Let. IV. held in univerfal abhorrence. But fo far is this from being the cafe, all that know it, and feel its power on their own hearts, muft own that it is, above all others, friendly to that holiness which the word and example of Chrift enforce. It fhews how the church of the fecond-born are to be made holy as well as happy, to the glory of Jefus, and of the work of his fpirit, and to the honour of divine truth, and the additional honour and happinefs of the righteous. It reconciles the character of God as a father to the feverity of future punishment, and fhews how the ftripes inflicted fhall bear proportion to the guilt contracted.

The works of God will always correfpond to his revealed character, and to what he has faid of himself; a rule of judging of thefe works too little attended to; for many will believe things of God abhorrent of his revealed character, and from the plainest things which he has faid of himself. Our Lord tells us, that to know the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he has fent, is eternal life; John xvii. 3. which plainly fhews of what confequence it is in religion to attain proper views of the Divine character; for an error here will be like the dead fly in the box of ointment. If we afcribe to him what he difavows, or what runs counter to any of the works he has declared he will perform, we fo far change the glory of the true God into an image of our own framing.

We are told that God is great in mercy-that he is holy or merciful in all his works; which cannot be the cafe, if the work of punishment has not the moft diftant view to the good of the offender; and that he delights in mercy, or in its exercife, and will have mercy and not facrifice, while judgment is his ftrange work, to which he is averfe, and with which he neither is nor will be familiar; and that he afflicts none willingly, whether elect or non-elect; for "though he caufe grief, yet will be have compaffion, according to the multitude of his tender mercies." All this is perfectly agreeable to his character, whose nature is love, and will be exemplified in every measure of his administration, and finally difplayed as the refult of the whole, though men and devils should exert every nerve to rob him of that glory. Is it neceffary for a reader of the fcriptures to quote their authority for the above?" The Lord is gracious, and full of compaffion; flow to anger, and of great mercy," or, as on the margin, "great in mercy," Pfal. cxlv. 8. If God be full of compaffion, whatever proceeds from him must have mercy for its principle and end; for a fountain cannot fend out water that it does not contain. The common doctrine contradi&s this part of God's character; for it reprefents him as having a fulness of vin. dictive wrath, which shall be poured out to all eternity into the veffels of wrath; as well as a fulness of love for the faints. If God be full of compaffion, how fhall we find room in him for a shoreless ocean of relentlefs wrath? Doth this fountain fend forth fweet waters and bitter? Mercy is the glory of his nature, and he is and will be greatly exalted in the exercife of it; for, in the original, the fame term that denotes holiness, imports alfo mercy or compaffion, as leading to bonntiful communications. Hence it is faid, ver. 17. “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works," or, as on the margin, mer. ciful, lountiful, in all his works. If the common doctrine be true, there is neither mercy nor bounty in one of God's greatest works, the final punishment f an unbelieving world. Yet upon his own authority we fay, in that firange

and terrible work, he is merciful. Another proof of this occurs in the fame pfalm, to go no farther in queft of one: "The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works," ver. 9. When will this cease to be a truth? as cease to be a truth it muft, if the future punishment of the wicked shall never be over-ruled for their final good. Will the time come when God fhall cease to be good to all, and when his tender 'mercies fhall not be over alį his works? So fay, the abettors of the common doctrine; but in direct contradiction to the word of truth. What God doth and faith it shall be for ever, that men should fear before him," Ecclef. iii. 14. and nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: "For ever, O Lord, thy word is fettled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations," Pfal. cxix. 89, 90. Let men beware how they attempt to alter it, or to modify and limit the extent of its import. That fyftem of doctrine is to be fufpected as falfe, that drives to fuch a conduct that forces those who hold it to maintain, in direct oppofition to plain fcripture, that the Lord neither is, nor shall be merciful in all his worksthat he neither is, nor fhall be good to all-and that his tender mercies neither are, nor shall be over all his works. The doctrine of the restoration plainly - fhews the truth of these and the like texts, even in the dread severity of future punishment, confidering the end of the Lord, the ultimate holiness and happiness of his intelligent creatures, and "that he is very pitiful and of tender mercy,” James v. II.

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"The Lord shall rife up, that he may do his work, his ftrange work; bring to pass his act, his ftrange act," Ifa. xxviii. 21. Say unto them, as I live, faith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Ifrael?" Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Will the Lord fuffer that always to exift before his eyes in which he has no pleasure, but the reverse, the second death, that king of terrors; and never do that in which he has pleasure, the turning of the wicked from that death, and the evil ways which procured it? The common doctrine, and its abettors, anfwer this in the negative. "The Lord will not caft off for ever; but though he caufe grief, yet will he have compaffion, according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men; to crush under his feet all the prifoners of the earth," Lam. iii. 31.-34. These things had a primary reference to the Jewish nation, in a moft degenerate and calamitous period. They, however, may be considered as a standing maxim of the Divine government, according to which God will conduct himself towards all men ; and no period will occur when it can be reversed.

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How full to the purpose these and the like gracious declarations, which conftitute so many plain axioms to regulate our faith and hope. But the force of them is evaded, by restricting all to the elect, as is done alfo with other fcriptures, as if Chrift had none committed to him but the sheep of that fold. received doctrine makes fuch a reftriction indeed neceffary, because it makes God to have caft off all the reft of mankind for ever, even as long as he fhall exist. Why should any monopolize the grace and mercy of a common Father, to the eternal exclufion of the far greater part of his children, who are all,

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