heart be overcharged with the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares," Luke xxi, 34: plainly implying, that otherwise they would not be “accounted worthy to stand before the Son of man.”.

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," John viii, 31, 32. "I keep my body under; lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway," 1 Cor. ix, 27. "Our fathers did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did al drink the same spiritual drink : for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now, these things were for our examples: wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall," x, 3, &c.

"We therefore, as workers together with him, beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain," 2 Cor. vi, 1. But this were impossible, if none that ever had it could perish.

"Ye are fallen from grace," Gal. v, 4. "We shall reap, if we faint not," vi, 9. Therefore we shall not reap, if

we do.

"We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end," Heb. iii, 14.

"Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness," 2 Peter iii, 17.

"Look to yourselves, that we lose not the things which we have wrought,” 2 John 8.

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'Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown," Rev. iii, 11. And, to conclude :

"So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses," Matthew xviii, 35. So! How? He will retract the pardon he had given, and deliver you to the tormentors.

80. "Why, then you make salvation conditional." I make it neither conditional nor unconditional. But I declare just what I find in the Bible, neither more nor less; namely, that it is bought for every child of man, and actually given to every one that believeth. If you call this conditional salvation, God made it so from the beginning of the world; and he hath declared it so to be, at sundry times and in divers manners; of old by Moses and the Prophets, and in later times by Christ and his Apostles.

"Then I never can be saved; for I can perform no conditions; for I can do nothing." No, nor I, nor any man under heaven,—without the grace of God. "But I can do all things through Christ strengthening me." So can you; so can every believer. And he has strengthened, and will strengthen, you more and more, if you do not wilfully resist till you quench his Spirit.

81. "Nay, but God must work irresistibly in me, or I shall never be saved!" Hold! Consider that word. You are again advancing a doctrine which has not one plain, clear text to support it. I allow, God may possibly, at some times, work irresistibly in some souls. I believe he does. But can you infer from hence, that he always works thus in all that are saved? Alas! my brother, what kind of conclusion is this? And by what scripture will you prove it? Where, I pray, is it written, that none are saved but by irresistible grace? By Almighty grace, I

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grant; by that power alone, to which all things are possible. But show me any one plain scripture for this,-that "all saving grace is irresistible." 82. But this doctrine is not only unsupported by Scripture, it is flatly contrary thereto. How will you reconcile it (to instance in a very few) with the following texts?

"He sent to call them, and they would not come," Matthew xxii, 3, &c "He could do no mighty works there, because of their unbelief," Mark vi, 5, 6. "There were Pharisees, and the power of the Lord was present to heal them," Luke v, 17. Nevertheless, they were not healed in fact, as the words immediately following show.

"The Pharisees and Lawyers made void the counsel of God against therrselves," Luke vii, 30. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children, and ye would not !" xiii, 34. It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit. But there are some of you that believe not," John vi, 63, &c. Therefore, that Spirit did not work irresistibly. "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye," Acts vii, 51. Ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life," xiii, 46. "While it is called to-day, harden not your heart. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God," Heb. iii, 8, 12. "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh,” xii, 25.

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83. I do but just give you a specimen of the innumerable scriptures which might be produced on this head. And why will you adhere to an opinion not only unsupported by, but utterly contrary both to, reason and Scripture? Be pleased to observe here also, that you are not to consider the doctrine of irresistible grace by itself, any more than that of unconditional election, or final perseverance; but as it stands in connection with unconditional reprobation: that millstone which hangs about the neck of your whole hypothesis.

Will you say, "I adhere to it, because of its usefulness?" Wherein does that usefulness lie? "It exalts God and debases man." In what sense does it exalt God? God in himself is exalted above all praise. Your meaning, therefore, I suppose, is this: It displays to others how highly he is exalted in justice, mercy, and truth. But the direct contrary of this has been shown at large; it has been shown, by various considerations, that God is not exalted, but rather dishonoured, and that in the highest degree, by supposing him to despise the work of his own hands, the far greater part of the souls which he hath made. And as to the debasing man; if you mean, this opinion truly humbles the men that hold it, I fear it does not: I have not perceived, (and I have had large occasion to make the trial,) that all, or even the generality of them that hold it, are more humble than other men. Neither, I think, will you say, that none are humble who hold it not so that it is neither a necessary nor a certain means of humility. And if it be so semetimes, this only proves that God can bring good out of evil.

84. The truth is, neither this opinion nor that, but the love of God, humbles man, and that only. Let but this be shed abroad in his heart, and he abhors himself in dust and ashes. As soon as this enters into his soul, lowly shame covers his face. That thought, "What is God? What hath he done for me?" is immediately followed by," What am I?” And he knoweth not what to do, or where to hide, or how to abase himself enough, before the great God of love, of whom he now knoweth,

that as his majesty is, so is his mercy. Let him who has felt this (whatever be his opinion) say, whether he could then take glory to himself; whether he could ascribe to himself any part of his salvation, or the glory of any good word or thought. Lean, then, who will, on that broken reed for humility; but let the love of God humble my soul !

85. " Why, this is the very thing which recommends it. This doctrine makes men love God." I answer as before: Accidentally it may; because God can draw good out of evil. But you will not say, all who hold it love God; so it is no certain means to that end. Nor will you say, that none love him who hold it not: neither, therefore, is it a necessary means. But, indeed, when you talk at all of its “making men love God," you know not what you do. You lead men into more danger than you are aware of. You almost unavoidably lead them into resting on that opinion; you cut them off from a true dependence on the fountain of living waters, and strengthen them in hewing to themselves broken cisterns, which can hold no water.

86. This is my grand objection to the doctrine of reprobation, or (which is the same) unconditional election. That it is an error, I know; because, if this were true, the whole Scripture must be false. But it is not only for this-because it is an error-that I so earnestly oppose it, but because it is an error of so pernicious consequence to the souls of men; because it directly and naturally tends to hinder the inward work of God in every stage of it.

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87. For instance: Is a man careless and unconcerned, utterly dead in trespasses and sins?-Exhort him then (suppose he is of your own opinion) to take some care of his immortal soul. "I take care!" says he, "What signifies my care? Why, what must be, must be. If I am elect, I must be saved; and if I am not, I must be damned." And the reasoning is as just and strong, as it is obvious and naturai. It avails not to say, "Men may abuse any doctrine." So they may. But this is not abusing yours. It is the plain natural use of it. The premises cannot be denied, (on your scheme,) and the consequence is equally clear and undeniable. Is he a little serious and thoughtful now and then, though generally cold and lukewarm?-Press him then to stir up the gift that is in him; to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. Alas," says he, "what can I do! You know, man can do nothing." If you reply: "But you do not desire salvation; you are not willing to be saved:" "It may be so," says he, "but God shall make me willing in the day of his power." So, waiting for irresistible grace, he falls faster asleep than ever. See him again, when he throughly awakes out of sleep; when, in spite of his principles, fearfulness and trembling are come upon him, and horrible dread hath overwhelmed him. How then will you comfort him that is well nigh swallowed up of over-much sorrow? If at all, by applying the promises of God. But against these he is fenced on every side. "These indeed," says he," are great and precious promises. But they belong to the elect only. Therefore they are nothing to me. I am not of that number. And I never can be; for his decree is unchangeable." Has he already tasted of the good word, and the powers of the world to come? Being justified by faith, hath he peace with God? Then sin hath no dominion over him. But by and by, considering he may fall foully indeed, but cannot fall finally, he is not so

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jealous over himself as he was at first; he grows a little and a little slacker, till ere long he falls again into the sin from which he was clean escaped. As soon as you perceive he is entangled again and overcome, you apply the scriptures relating to that state. You conjure him not to harden his heart any more, lest his last state be worse than the first. "How can that be?" says he: "Once in grace, always in grace; and I am sure I was in grace once. You shall never tear away my shield." So he sins on, and sleeps on, till he awakes in hell.

88. The observing these melancholy examples day by day, this dreadful havoc which the devil makes of souls, especially of those who had begun to run well, by means of this anti-scriptural doctrine, constrains me to oppose it from the same principle whereon I labour to save souls from destruction. Nor is it sufficient to ask, Are there not also many who wrest the opposite doctrine to their own destruction? If there are, that is nothing to the point in question; for that is not the case here. Here is no wresting at all: the doctrine of absolute predestination naturally leads to the chambers of death.

Let an instance in each kind be proposed, and the difference is so broad, he that runneth may read it. I say, "Christ died for all. He tasted death for every man, and he willeth all men to be saved." “0," says a hearer, "then I can be saved when I will; so I may safely sin a little longer." No; this is no consequence from what I said; the words are wrested to infer what does not follow. You say, "Christ died only for the elect; and all these must and shall be saved." "0," says a hearer, "then if I am one of the elect, I must and shall be saved. Therefore I may safely sin a little longer; for my salvation cannot fail." Now, this is a fair consequence from what you said: The words are not wrested at all. No more is inferred than what plainly and undeniably follows from the premises. And the very same observation may be made on every article of that doctrine. Every branch of it, as well as this, (however the wisdom of God may sometimes draw good out of it,) has a natural, genuine tendency, without any wresting, either to prevent or obstruct holiness.

89. Brethren, would ye lie for the cause of God? I am persuaded ye would not. Think then that as ye are, so am I: I speak the truth, before God my Judge; not of those who were trained up therein, but of those who were lately brought over to your opinion. Many of these have I known; but I have not known one in ten of all that number, in whom it did not speedily work some of the above named effects, according to the state of soul they were then in. And one only have I known among them all, after the closest and most impartial observation, who did not evidently show, within one year, that his heart was changed, not for the better, but for the worse.

90. I know, indeed, ye cannot easily believe this. But whether ye believe it or no, you believe, as well as I, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. May we not then, at least, join in this,-in declaring the nature of inward holiness, and testifying to all the necessity of it? May we not all thus far join in tearing away the broken reeds wherein so many rest, without either inward or outward holiness, and which they idly trust will supply its place? As far as is possible, let us join in destroying the works of the devil, and in setting up the kingdom

of God upon earth, in promoting righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Of whatever opinion or denomination we are, we must serve either God or the devil. If we serve God, our agreement is far greater than our difference. Therefore, as far as may be, setting aside that difference, let us unite in destroying the works of the devil, in bringing all we can from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. And let us assist each other to value more and more the glorious grace whereby we stand, and daily to grow in that grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A DIALOGUE

BETWEEN

A PREDESTINARIAN AND HIS FRIEND.

Out of thine own mouth!

TO ALL PREDESTINARIANS.

1. I AM informed, some of you have said, that the following quotations are false; that these words were not spoken by these authors; others, that they were not spoken in this sense; and others, that neither you yourself, nor any true Predestinarian, ever did, or ever would, speak so.

2. My friends, the authors here quoted are well known, in whom you may read the words with your own eyes. And you who have read them, know in your own conscience, they were spoken in this sense, and no other; nay, that this sense of them is professedly defended throughout the whole treatises whence they are taken.

3. But, be this as it may, do you indeed say, “No true Predestinarian ever did or would speak so?" Why every true Predestinarian must speak so, and so must you yourself too, if you dare speak out, unless they and you renounce your fundamental principle.

4. Your fundamental principle is this: "God from eternity ordained whatsoever should come to pass." But from this single position undeniably follows every assertion hereafter mentioned. It remains therefore only that you choose which you please (for one you must choose) of these three things: Either, (1.) To equivocate, evade the question, and prevaricate without end; or, (2.) To swallow all these assertions together, and honestly to avow them; or, (3.) To renounce them all together, and believe in Christ, the Saviour of all.

FRIEND.-Sir, I have heard that you make God the author of all sin, and the destroyer of the greater part of mankind without mercy. PREDESTINARIAN.-I deny it; I only say, "God did from all eternity unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass." (Assembly's Cate chism, chap. 3.)

Friend. Do you make no exception?

Pred.-No, surely; for "nothing is more absurd than to think any thing at all is done but by the ordination of God." (Calvin's Institutes, Book i, chap. 16, sect. 3.)

Friend. Do you

extend this to the actions of men?