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NICHOLAS STREET, 1863. L n S( OJ ir n ir w al tc w sa w< ui fo wi te d€ m; lo" ha ra is TO THE READER. When this letter was Conimenced, it was not intended to exceed the limits of one ^heet. The idea of pubHshing it was not^ then present. Led on by the vast importance of the subject, the intended limit was soon exceeded ; and then, considering the exceedingly vague ideas which prevail among professmg Christians respecting the doctrinal truths of the Gospel, the question arose whether it might not prove of some advantage to publish it. And in consequence it is now presented to the reader in the present shape. It is not offered for sale, because the writer is deeply convinced that in the same degree that it contains precious truth, it will be unsaleable. It is an old complaint, that " men spend their money for that which is not bread, and their labor for that which satisfieth not." The writer will therefore feel himself abundantly rewarded in knowing that some will condescend to read it, and in the hop^ that it may prove a cup of cold water to some thirsty disciple. The first idea of writing this letter originated in a conver- sation with a Missionary, who is extensively engaged in the work of the ministry, during which, sentiments were freelj uttered to which reference will be frequently found in the following pages. It is right to state that a show of hands was not literally proposed. The remark to which this sen- tence applies was, " You will not find ten' Christians of any denomination who will receive your doctrines." And I feel, my unknown reader, that if you patiently compare what fol- lows with the Bible, when you draw your conclusion, if your hand be not raised for the writer, it will most assuredly be raised against him. There is no neutral ground. He that is mot for us is against as. Farewell. 19 iM^ n m I- A FRIENDLY LETTER, &c. Pear Sir, — The conversation which took place between us on the occasion of your recent visit to this establishment, as the Mis- sionary of the Gipsies, in which you gave expression fo some very strong sentiments against doctrines which obtain great prominence in both sections of Holy Writ, and are at least in theory, held by many recognized professors of Christianity : and the fervent man- ner in which you prayed to be preserved from tenets, which you seemed to loathe ; no less than your boasted success among the Gipsies, have made a deep, and painful impression upon my mind, and have induced me to address you upon the subject. Indeed, Sir, the subject appears to n v mind one of such vast im- portance that, notwithstanding the many urgent claims upon my pen at this time, I gladly devote an hour or two in writing to you, and shall ask you to believe that, in doing so, I am actuated by feelings of sincere friendship towards you. Let me hope that you will receive my letter in the same spirit in which I write it. Your prayer to be preserved from the doctrines for which I con- tended, in the conversation referred to, both pained and shocked me ; and seemed singularly at variance with your parting wish, — " that we shall meet in-another and a better world." Good wishes may indicate the natural kindness of our heart, but they are not the way to life. Jesus alone is the Way, the Tn. h, and the Life. And oh. Sir, I feel that our sentiments respecting the nature and extent of Christ's work, as man's surety, differ so widely that our meeting in glory is simply impossible, except our views become greatly changed, on the one side or the other. After carefully considering the whole conversation, your prayer seems to me to stand out in direct opposition against your strongly expressed doc- trines ; could it therefore be the prayer of faith ? or was it as vague and meaningless as the Lord's prayer must be in the lips of unconverted Gipsies, whether young or old ? According to your expressed opinions, God has done just as much for me as for you ; Christ, by his death, has atoned to the same extent for me as for you. And the Holy Spirit has striven as much with wretched me as with you. But after all this, you find me in a state from which you fervently pray to be preserved. By what right, and upon what faith, yoii^ Sir, could breathe such a prayer, I am utterly at a loss to understand. In my mouth it m 6 would be quite censistent,— in yours, it is just the reverse. The Spirit strives alike with all men. In my case, as it appears to you, he has striven in vain ; while you are not only saved yourself, but are qualified as the instrument and messenger of salvation to others. Waving the question for a moment, whence this vast dif- ference between us, seeing that the same agency has been exerted alike in both cases: why, I want to know, and upon what grounds, did you pray for furth r assistance ? Why should Deity interpose specially in your case ? Is not the Holy Spirit, according to your doctrine of equal rights and conditions, bound to exert the same degree of power in saving me from predestinarian heresy as you ? Would you, by prayer, wrestle him into an act of partiality, which, if performed, must establish predestination to the same extent? Does not the Spirit recognized by you strive to preserve all men alike against this hateful tenet ? Do you expect the Holy Spirit to fulfil the conditions for you, besides striving with you to that full and equal extent that you believe he strives with all ? If you do not, why pray at all ? The Spirit has done his part to the last jot and tittle ; the " conditions " you acknowledge to be your part. Go to work then like a man who really believes his own theory : perform your part, and claim the reward, " not of grace, but of debt." It will not do to answer that, over and above the ordinary and impartial striving of the Spirit with all men, he specially helps those who ask him. For you must know that the diflference be- tween special help and predestination is more in sound than in sense. Moreover, your strong desire and hope to receive such spe- cial help would not constitute your prayer a prayer of faith, any more than it would be, if you had prayed to be made Governor General of Canada. Faith must rest upon divine testimony, not on human desire or fancy. But if it could not be a prayer of faith in your lips, still less can it be justified on the ground of necessity, as you are already far removed from the dreadful error. The Pharisees prayed, hoping to " be heard for their much speak- ing." Believers are invited to make all their wants known. But in things not wanted, and in evils from which we are already far removed, rather thanks than supplication should be heard. Then again, if it was not the prayer of faith, it was the prayer of sin : for " whatsoever is not of faith is sin,"— a divine statement which applies with equal force to the old professor as to the child. Allow me, dear Sir, to be plain in my remarks on this highly important matter ; for it appears to me that, by a careful self-exa- mination on this point, more of hatred of the doctrine of election, and self gratulation, will be found to have dictated your fervid eja- culation, than a spirit of true spiritual devotion. Meanwhile, it is quite evident that there is a vastly greater difference between your God and mine, than there was between Diana of the Ephesians, and Bacchus of the ancient Egyptians. What ground of hope can we then have of meeting in a better world ? Dear Sir, I speak from matured reflection when I say that there is a vastly greater diiference ; because, however much the attributes ascribed to the heathen deities differed, they had this fundamental point in common— all were false. But while both you and I believe that the God we worship is the true Gcd, it must be mani- fest to both of us that one of them is false. This fact will appear more fully as I proceed. I admit that we must be equally sincere in our views, as both have the same stake in the matter ; but sin- cerity is not the Gospel. Paul was just as sincere in persecuting as in preaching, and he bears a willing testimony to the zeal of his countrymen (Rom. x. 2, 3)- And the wise man tells us, " there is a way that seemoth right to a man, nevertheless the end thereof is the way of death." Sincerity doubtless leads more to the pit than to the Saviour. , . You will by this time perceive that I am not writing an apology for holding doctrines which, when we conversed together, sounded like blasphemy in your ears ; and the fact must force itself upon your mind that the God recognized and worshipped in our upper chamber is not, and cannot be, the same that you are teaching un- converted Gipsies to address, as " Our Father, who art in heaven," and consequently is not the same worshipped by yoarself and others in the great congregation assembling on the other side of the same streei. on the Lord's day. It would therefore be mani- festly absurd in me to require you to reconcile ypur sentiments with Him whom I acknowledge as the Creator of heaven and earth. It is, however, not only most fair that I should expect, but it becomes your bounden duty as a public teacher, that you should show that your principles are fair and just deductions from the attributes of Him whom you call " Father." Now, except you deny that men are not their own makers, morally or physically, or both, to my mind your sentiments, instead of resting on a regular foundation, and rising from it in perfect harmony, appear crude and inconsistent, or I might say antagonistic. If, for instance, all mon (passive in their formation) are moulded from' the same lump, come into existence equally capable of receiv- ing and resisting impressions, good or evil : and that the Father equally wills the salvation of all, the Son equally iied for all, and the Holy Spirit equally strives with all : and that, notwithstand- ing, some are lost, while others are saved : how Sir, let me ask, can these vastly different results be accounted for, except by allowing that all is accident ? Or, horrible alternative, that it is the will of Satan? Men being equal, and the divine will and power being ir m 8 equally exerted upon them, the risulti must of necessity bo equal, except mere accident, or other agency be admitted. Accident is unknown in the Bible, but otb jr agency is fully recognized. That agent is the devil ; it would therefore follow from your premises, as a logical necessity, that to this agent it is due that any are BJkVed, and that because he does not strive equally to damn them all I The song of the redeemed thus appears a mere hallucination ! ! Dear Sir, let me intreat you to review the whole matter from the beginning. Our conversation commenced by your inquiring whether any Gipsies had been committed to gaol : and having learned that there had not, you expressed your satisfaction, and then went on to say that, as the Missionary charged with the care and instruction of the Gipsies, you felt as if the stories circulated against them in some way affected yourself. You then went on to tell how promising, and even successful, the work had become in your hands. You admitted you had no evidence to justify you in saying that any of them were converted, nevertheless you had got several of them in a praying state. It was not till you volunteered a statement of your successes in this way, that I presumed to ask you, Do you exhort or teach persons, whether young or old, to pray, of whose conversion you have no scriptural evidence ? The amazement which this question produced in your mind was no less strongly indicated by your looks and manner, than by your words. . Your reply that you did not just exhort the children to pray, but only taught them the Lord's prayer, which you said is commonly taught in all the Sunday-schools, did not in the least relieve me from the conviction that one of us must be far from God, and far from righteousness And, coupling this conviction with the fact that while I am ministering as an elder to a little flock in a little frequented upper chamber, without hire or pecuniary advantage, and at a considerable sacrifice, as regards personal ease, friendship, and popularity: you, Sir, are an endowed popular Missionary whose word, whether true or false, reaches many hundreds : still more, when I reflect that the poor benighted Gipsies and their children are placed under you for their spiritual instruction, and may have no other means of hearing of Him who "justifies the ungodly without works," I feel that I am called upon in God's providence (yourself having opened the door,) to address a few remarks to you, with the prayer upon my lips that God may in very deed so discover the light of His truth to both of us, as to secure to us an abundant entry into His blessed kingdom in glory. Before proceeding, however, allow me to say that a show of hands can have no weight with me in this matter. Whether there be, as you said, but ten, or ten thousand, of one or of all denomi- nations, who believe with either of us, is a question upon which it 9 is not worth while to waste ink and paper. The onl^ question worth discussing ig : " What eaith the Scripture ?" for if an angei from heaven come with any other Gospel, " let him be accursed.'^ Dear Sir, wo must not forget that it was virtually by a show of hands that Jesus was crucified (Luke xxiii, 18). And He himself tells us of two ways, not in heathendom, but alas, in Christendom. The one broad and thronged, leading to destrrction, — the other very narrow, and but little frequented, nevertheless leading to life. And lest we should suppose that professors, and even ministert of religion, were not found in the " broad way," He tells us, and oh, 'tis a solemn statement for preachers to ponder, for they are clearly intended : " Many will say to me in that day. Lord, Lord, \iave we not prophesied iu thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in ihy name have done many wonderful works." Now here is evidently a band of preachers, full of laurels, returning from the conversion of the world, and highly elated with their suc- cess. How confidently they approach the judgment seat, and claim the reward, " not of grace, but of debt." They evidently expected a cordial greeting, and rulership over many cities. But oh, what blank astonishment and dark despair succeeds their deep delusion, when the withering response falls from the Judge : '• De- part from me, ye that work iniquity." Dear Mr. M., how shall we reconcile the decision of the Judge with our shallow notions of justice ? Had these been a band of conspirators against religion, or vile outlaws who had been willingly engaged heart and hand in the devil's service : yes, if they had been men who, from deep ma- lignant hate, had set themselves systematically to corrupt and oppose the Gospsi : the sentence would still appear sufficiently pointed and severe. But they evidently took for granted, up to the last moment, not only that they were right, but that they were gaining triumphs for the Saviour. How true is it that " there is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death." Verily decency seems shocked at this decision ; and what the world calls common sense must feel strongly inclined to appeal from this judgment. Had they been a company of '^publicans and harlots," headed by the " chief of sinners," and attended by a guilty " thief," who were thus rebuked and driven away in their wickednees : then indeed, though our pity might be excited, our sense of justice must acquiesce. But to treat well-meaning persons in this way, who, however mistaken, still imagined that they were all along working for the Lord, and doing wonders in His name: human wisdom is constrained to say to the judge " what doest thou? " It was hard for the laborers who had borne the heavy burden and heat of the day, to see the one-hour men paid first, and receiving as much as 10 themselvei, without questioning the justice of the proceeding. But here are servants who cast Satan out, and wrought wonders as they believed in the vineyard; and they not only get nothing, buu are denounced and driven back as evil doeis. And, as if to aggravate their disappointment, "publicans and harlots," who literally di'i nothing, are taken by the hand ; and, as children of the Father, are ushered into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, " by grace through faith, and that not of them- selves." VI VI I fear, Sir, that most of this will sound in your ears like blas- phemy, But before you reject it, let me intreat you to examine whether every idea contained in it (if not strictly a Scripture quo- tation,) is not fully sustained by Scripture. ^ _ The horror with which you anticipated my predestinarian ten- dencies, and the portinaci+j with which you pressed me to avow them, even before I had tnrown out a single hint upon the sub- ject, constrained me to believe that you must have derived your impressions upon this important subject from hearsay, and have never scripturally examined the matter for yourself. Hence, when I questioned the propriety of your teaching children to say " Our Father, who nrt in heaven," of whose conversion you admitted you had no evidence : you fancied you saw the cloven-foot of predesti- nation lurking in the background, and you instantly prepared to charge. Your detestation of the doctrine cannot blot election from the Bible, if the Spirit has written it there; and if He has not written it, you may well afford to wait Thrist's time, knowing most assuredly that " every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be plucked up." In your praiseworthy but mis-directed zeal, which I rather ad- mire than condemn, I cannot wonder at your devout indignation against the brother who dared to say in your hearing (and alas, m the hearing of many more in your church) : that while Christ saw fit to save one of the thieves crucified with him, he '' permitted ihQ other to be lost. I fear. Sir, you will have to treat that building as the leper's house was treated under the law. The infection re- mains, and is evidently at work. Either the building infected Mr. J., who was once the glory of it, or else Mr. J. infected the build- ing. Your infected brother may have tliought that the word '' pei-mitted" was a kind of compromise (as I confess I think it was), seeing that there is no such word in the Bible. But I can truly sympathize with this weak brother, who evi- dently did not see his way distinctly. He was placed in a very difficult situation ; his position required him to open his mo^tb, and that too in the presence of experienced " Masters in Israel." He probably did not believe that Jesus was not able, if he so desired, 11 to save them both. But if he did believe that Jesus was able to .save to the uttermost, and yet within his very presence one is saved while another is lost, being but little, if at all, acquainted with the covenant of grace ; what could the feeble brother say ? Had he said that his hardened unbelief proved him to be " a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction," the zeal and indignation of yourself and others would surely have cast him out of the synagogue. The case was indeed a trying one, place and circumstances taken into account. The brother must have felt that Jesus was able, but not willing : or willing, but not able. Conscience evidently stepped in at this juncture. A little more light or courage would have placed the difficulty on a scriptural basis ; one or both are wanting, and the brother finds relief in compromises, as alas, many have done before him, and in doing so he only places himself between two fires. " Permiited ! "— I, dear Sir, cannot regard such neutral coinage a whit better than vile counterfeits. And you, Sir, who will never make peace with the Amalekites, you have told me how your ear was shocked by the utterance : Christ permitted the other thief ;;o be lost! Treason in the camp! the Saviour worshipped in the upper chamber you would think was gagged, then carried across the street, and traitorously placed on your altar, and pro- claimed by your unsound brother. Bold presumptuous brother ! how dare vou introduce an idol into the very heart of the sanc- tuary? You may indeed be thankful that liberal principles pre- vail, or you would soon have felt t1 effects of your temerity. And why should you complain ? See the trouble Paul got into for the supposed offence of bringing Trophimus into the temple. But you, brother, dared to announce in the midst, as a Saviour, a per- son 'who permitted one thief to be lost, although he saved the other. No wonder, dear Sir, that you felt indignant. Toiir Sa- viour would not do anything of this sort : 7iot he. He would save them both if he could. And if one was saved and the other lost (which seems to be the fact), surely it was contrary to his will. Either he was too much occupied — that is, he had enough to do to save one at a time, and could not save the other,— or else he stretched his hands equally to both, but one of them made no effort, but rather forced himself from his grasp, and so was lost. But iiow dare the brother call this iwmission'? As well might the prophets of Baal charge him with pa-mlttlng their sacrifice to lie unburned on the altar, when they cut themselves with knives and lancets, and cried, Baal, hear us. ''Permitted .'" 0, fatal admission : who can tell where this may end. " A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." But facts are stubborn : That one was saved and the other lost, is a truth which cannot be gainsayed. You however find comfort in the conviction -m 12 that your Saviour died to save both, and tried to save both. And not only did your Holy Sjinrit strive* alike with both, but the Fa- ther himself willed alike the salvation of both, and drew both alike toward Christ as a Saviour. Physically indeed the latter was true, not morally : where is the evidence ? Still we have the awkward fact that of two thieves dying in the very presence, and within equal distance of Christ, one only is saved, and the other lost. You say Christ did not permit it : was hia arm shortened, or did the difference lie in the men ? If so, the saved one was his own saviour, not Jesus. I remember Christ did say " All that the Father hath given me shall come to me, and he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' To be sure the erring brother did not just charge the Saviour with casting the unsaved thief from him ; he evidently intended to soften the hard fact, and excuse rather than condemn. Still it cannot be denied that permission implied a power to save, which was not exercised in the case before us. Your gospel, consisting of '' condiHons," explains and clears up the whole matter; and, according to it, Christ neither saved the one thief nor permitted the other to be lost. The result in both cases rested upon sopie- thing entirely independent of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If, as already stated, that something was in himself, he was his own saviour : if through the forbearance of Satan, then Satan was the saviour. Dear Sir, if the word ''permitted" so startled you, and roused up your holy indignation, even in the sanctuary : how can you trust your eyes to read the Bible ? It contains many expressions that must sorely exercise your patience, and try your temper. It is true indeed you arc not alone ; men have been tried this way time out of mind, and were net always able to control their feel- ings as well as you seem to have done. The Nazarenes, for in- stance, thought that as Jesus had been brought up among them, they had at teast as good a claim upon him, both to see his mira- cles and to receive his benefits, as the citizens of Capernaum. And was not this quite natural .' and it was just what a Saviour bound to do alike for all men would promptly comply with. How then, are their feelings outraged by his want of patriotism, to say no- thing of the unjust partiality, which his reply conveyed to their excited ears : "Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elips, when there was a great famine, but to none of them was Elias sent save to Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow." " And many lepers were in Israel in the time of lliliseus, but none of them were cleansed save Maaman the Syrian." Now to disappoint the expectations of his near acquaintances, was in- deed a hard trial ; but to lay down such a line of conduct as God s 13 ^e of aeaUng with -<;»d. »,Vd ^IZ LtCP-t What! ''.^«""'?,J",° „5a„^, in Israel were allowed to starve: '^^'^'TtlieSvilan leper made clean and whole, while many of Whv i them Jn to the commission of the most horrid murder Why goaa inem uu Would not a judi- '• '' T.lTLf BitntVy Ifa t'which he knew would not :r aCusfkteK^^^^^^^^ against him, hut might provoke them ?!;.Vo hk life "And they laid hands upon him, arxd led him to 1 t.w of he hill on which their city was huilt, and would have the brow of the hill on w ^ gi-'candidly answer your own cast him down headi^^^^^^^ your prin iples require you to take in ^vrsfn^XsceneT Had you be^en on that hill, would you take trt wUh the men of Nazareth, or with the man whose statements part witn ^^e imj shocked their rehgious ideas? n'nrti *;oul:"rrltV bve Je.«s, and certainly your 1 ?I Mm U not small but the question of questions is: wnat Jelfdo yl love ? hI' that so exasperated the men of Nazareth Zxe all loses the many and only saves a few ? Dear bir there is a vasfamount of devout cant talked about the Bible and its glo- rious Author by professing Christians, who not only abhor the Zdamental doctrines that book reveals, but also ha e with a bit- ter Sfl Saviour therein made known. There is no talisma- nTc power n the word Bible, and there is no magic in the mere nameTjesus. Multitudes who eat the heavenly manna cried out "our souls loatheth this light bread," oh, for the leeks and the • L ona Zh-Dots of Egypt. So it is even now : the unleavened Tad o'tnce^r^^^^^^^^^ tor simple to be relished by many, tWore aith the prophet Paul, - The time will come when they r Ae^p^^^^^^^^^^ will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lustsrey shall heap to themselves teachers (the teachers who shall Iry Lord, Lord), having itching ears ; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables. To believe the Gospel 'revealed in the Bible is salvation; and to know the Father and the Son, who are its authors is eternal life And "blessed is he who shall not be offended in me." The pmnt I w^h to establish is this : The respect and veneration in which the u Bible is held by multitudes, paradoxical as it may appear, is quite reconcilable with a hatred of many of its most important doctrines. The multitudes who one day shout hosannas before Jesus, and would eVen force the crown upon his head, because of the idea they had formed concerning him, in their carnal mind ; when his person and work is more fully declared to them their love is turned into hate, and they cry out " Away with him, crucify him ! " Now it was the same Jesus'who was so differently treated, and doubtless the crowd were equally sincere on both occasions. Regarding him from their ideal stand point, they loved him ; but when he unde- ceived them, telling them the true character of his person and work, they hated him. Let me now apply these remarks, with the view of helping you to decide the point. Is it not clear, Sir, that the Jesus yo;i love hates predestination as much or more than you do yourself ? And is it not equally clear that any Jesus who would hold and teach it, you would hate him as you hate the dogma ? It was the principles which Christ enunciated that made him hated ; it was the enunci- ation of this principle that induced the Nazarenes to make the attempt to murder him. Meanwhile inquire, with the Bible in hand, from what motive, and for what purpone, could the blessed Jesus (without any appa- rent necessity) publish a dogma wiiich he well knew would lead to a riot, cause an attempt upon his own life, and steel men's hearts against him, for whom you say he died, and with whom the Holy Spirit was bound equally to strive ? B%it he did it, the fact is there ; and he did it very early in the morning of the present dis- pensation. Ah, Sir, he did it not without a cause, and that cause, if we can 'discover it, must be paramount. The illiterate fisherman " throws out a sprat to catch a snlmon," but the merest tyro would not throw out a salmon to catch a sprat. The declaration of this important dogma, both upon that particular occasion and to all eter- nity, must have, in the mind of Jesus, an object outweighing all other considerations. If the whole of the citizens of Nazareth did not unite against him, the vast majority did ; and the majority done the same, wherever the gospel has been ever sm;e have preached, and chiefly on the same ground. Now what object was gained, that could outweigh consequences of such immense magni- tude ? Well, his mission into the world had primarily in view the Fa- ther's glory, which included the work of redemption, as the chief means divinely appointed by Him for that purpose. If the en- trance of sin into the world could detract from, or in any way tarnish His glory, it would never be ^^ permitted.'" If the salva- tion of all men, and of the fallen angels, could redound more to 15 might know that sa voUon was "» f ,?3 J Sovah does as he pleases, even to the Ming "f^^/P^ridently regarded the pub- lion IS of the Lord alone, vjui o^ui ,; imTiortanoe than Ueation of Ais fundamenja doctnne f | f -„E-;J."i„„ „f „„ the salvation of all who will f J'^™' »"" , therefore it is, that at rx^o^f^riiJ:b^yolt:t"^:iin^^^^^ ;"xItte'4Sl«aratlon that God 0.^^^^^^^^^^^ choose, and that h? ^^''^CeXo; „S"n thek excitement, sion, such as speakers «»"f ™f„'X" °?„ei'l revealed to man, the occasion mdicated at that t,me^^^^ another must be come to ask him whether ^e was Lnris^ o ^^ looked for,) were present. He upbranis ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ drink- rejected John, who was very abstemious neither^eatm i„i " after the manner of their own teacher^. ^^^^l\^^^^^ , o^n manner of living in contrast. But the ^^P^^^ ^ ^hen devil, and Christ denounced as a S^^^^/^^,^"^.^\f ^^^^^^^ of his he upbraids the cities which ^^^^..f ^! . .^^^^^^^^^^^^ had not Messiahship dec\.nng -eanwh^le;^;^;^ equa^^, for either in 6ee^/mmAec^joomwhom thZ hast given me out of the world, for the j, are ." I w scarcely be disputed that the jorld for whom Christ declarrd he would not pray, and the " all flesh over whom ^l^:^^!^^^. ^ elecuon is e.tablisl.ed bc^ aU cav And here it is well to observe that m hese divine state- ments W our Lord, there is not the sli.izhtest allusion to -conch- r. • wVi^h. by implication, are wholly -lude- Neither is mar's free will or conduct at all recognized. Ihe whole matter flows fron^^ ^^ Father's sovereign will, and is made to rest upon S St Tne for its accomplishment, both as the author and hnisher De'r Si I beseech y^tl to bear with me a Httle, and believe me to be i 1^ as sincere as^I am willing to believe you are. You see I anVe 1 Vrto man's opinions, but to Holy Scripture, li you L'd me Cdlhig the word deceitfully, regard me as a mistaken 1.1 noin out mv -rror. But oh, Sir, do not allow your feel- •"'^' to t™ the iulgment seat, llemember that whenever the Zy of S^.tro?the truth of the gospel (whi.h amounts t &ie thing), are concerned, Christ mus be on one .de f th Pontrovcrsv and his opponents must meet him tace to tacear :„ rSid when we'sLd before him, i^-^-^ ^ .-^tue? better than a show of hands m our favor, ah feir, it will be better ^Vr:^rLS^il;r which I am contendii^ diil^rs ^ mucHr;™ your gospel as light does from darkness. But jx,u will ^Tceiv'thrthe^ opVnent of Christ, and his go^pe^^^^^^^^^^^^ livpd on earth were not " common people, — 1 nbUcans ana haLT^ Ne th^r were they the heathen. They were men of re- Hon men^ quotations ever ready; men of prayer f?X^ Zl X s deeds; who could say, as touching the law, -I '^^^^:ZF^l^ a Wd, they were -^^f ^igh mond ^^^^^^^^^ tude Oh then " believe not every spirit, but try the sp irits. : 2r Vi.n r-nirit., "— ves -many " of them were gone out into •Many false spirits -y^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^.^^ ^^f p^,. tarefcir u"d y ^^^^^^^^ in direct opposition to it the doc- tne TZ;.dltil:^ You say that the purpose and operation of Ser Son, and Spirit ^ reg.ds the s^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^ S^for all ilike or in other words, the spiritual condition of all tr^alcted 'equally and alike by his death; and the Hdy SpTrit stSvSLUL^^ man to induce them tocomply with the r 18 « conditions" whereby alone they can be saved. I believe Sir, you wm admit that thi8 i« in the main, a pretty accurate 8ta cn.ent of vmr creed How far it can be reconciled with tlie fcnptures Teadv quoted is for you to consider. Do not allow the .entnnenta of John Wesley, John Calvin, or Martin Luther, to sway your mind one way or the other. " What saith tho Scripture ? '' It is readily admitted that the doctrine is exceedingly unpopular because it excludes boasting, denies creature merit, and lays pride in the dunahUl Ah, Sir, it is hard to be denuded of all our fancied good^^^^^^^^^^ by which'we were fulfilling ''conditions' to our heart's satisfaction, and rising rapidly in the scale of moral excellence far above " publicans and harlots." It is hard to be persuaded that our good works, induing prayers, fastings, alms deeds, Sabbath Ob efvances, &c. which are held in high estimation m 1- jofess; ing church, may Lfter all prove -an abomination ^!^. t^^^. «^f ^«t^^°^„ Yes Sir flesh and blood cannot consent to be disrobed of its owu righteousness, see it cast into the dunghill and then uncondUvon- aiv and absolutely without the shadow ot a claim, to receive as an undeserved gift the garment without which none ^^-yV^^^^^^ to sic at the marriage supper. No wonder therefore, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble Tre called," and that God's choice should run c\iefly among the foolish, the weak, the base, and the despised of this world. From the time that Jesus said " Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come to me except my Father draw him n.any of his disciples (his nominal disciples) went back and walked no more S him. He made the '' strait gate " too narrow /or them to TntPr because if they entered, they must leave their righteousness, cons stir^^^^^ " condidons," behind. Discovering there- fore their mistake, and resolved to carry their preaousjcweh with theiL, they were disgusted on finding that Jesus regarded al their rSousness as " f Ithy rags." Therefore they go back, and walk no more with him. But they do -ot rush into open licentiousness. Not thev • true, they spurn the offer of an imputed righteousness, ^ot because they hate religion and moraUty : on the contrary, they go to work vigorously to provide a righteousness of their own Evert fulfilled " condition" gives them another good mark, ihey may be variously occupied in the vineyard, as teachers, supermten- dents and operatives f but as to the fact of their being laboring for the Master, they entertain no doubt whatever Therefore we see them in the evening surrounding the paytahle m gjeat num- bers claifiiing their rich reward. How confidently they file their claims, and produc. thevr good marks as vouchers. They seem to be upon the most intimate and familiar terms with the Judge ; they repeat his address, " Lord, Lord." The dying thief does not ap- r 19 Dear to have used tliia aacred name but once. How different is it with these zealous and successful servants It was a patent word in their lips : they had traded upon it, used it aa a kind of amulet, and by it had performed mighty deeds They therefore address him familiarly. They a«k no favor ; they brmg full value for all they expect. Christ promised a reward tor " a cup of cold water eiven to one of his disciples," and he set a high value upon the Widow's " two mites," but these men devoted themselves to a much higher sphere of usefulness, '' prophec.,lng, casting out devils, and doing uLderful works;' and they had been einmently successful. But, alas, for them when tried, their works prove to be but wood hay and stubble." They had even mistook the sure foundation stene, therefore they are rejected, and " driven away in their wick- edness." '' Verily, I say unto you, / k7iow ye not. Keeping yottr gospel in view, let us now glance over the histori- cal Ss ?lrded in the scripture, and s^ whether hey accord better with it than with the gospel for which I am contending, i bS piss over the entranceVsin, both into ^^eaven -d a^ong men in the first instance ; because, beyond a record of the tact, tie^Ji'pture says very little that could satisfy the curious Two classes of moral and accountable beings were called mto e^istenef- angels and men,-and although both were P;onou-ced to be very good," yet sin and rebellion soon discovered itself m both Kes- lectin/the rebel angels, their history is brief and instructive. God ?' spared not the angels' that sinned, but cast them down into hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved uuto ^""^iZtis was long before Calvary. Fallen angels had surely an equarclaim upon their common Creator, with fallen men ; or n Xr words, neither had any claim whatever. Just so with the tWeves on the cross ; neither had any claim. How then should God actTn laying down ihe principles of his eternal government before . men and aSgels on this first occasion for the practical display of S.em? How did he act? Did he take refuge in the neutral dogm^>mir' Surely not. He used no subterfuge to make his purposes palatable to rebel men or angels. He put in no TolooT and oh that proud self-sufficient man would consider that God ^l not recognize\ny apology that guilty man shall presume totrkeinhisbeLf. His Vgist and hb ---^^^^^^^^^ in nime • both are alike his enemies. He did not stand idl} by witrSed Tn,: and permit the sinful angels to be loBt. " He c.., Tldown into helir prepared for them in anticipation of the ^^What number or proportion of the angels thus sinned and fell, we are n^ttformed. ^But the Holy Spirit is careful to record m 20 another fact concerning thcvn, which has a very direct bearing on th.^ doctrine under consideration, as it eminently illustratcH the divine soverei^^nty : " For verily he taketh not hold on ungels, but on Abraham's Heed he taketh hi.ld." n, • „ What shall we say to taese things ? Here are two order, of beings both are alike the creatures of God, both rebel against him, but oh how differently does he treat them, for man a deliverer is pre- pared, even before the necessity occurred. '< Dehver from going down to the pit," saith the surety, 'I have found out a ranson.. Not so with the angels : they are " delivered into chains o dark- ness-" no voice of mercy arrests their downward ccurse; glud tidings never reach their ears ; no hallelujahs ever echo through the gloomy soUtudesof their dreadful abode. _ Peace m hell and goodwill toward rebel angels formed no part in the p ans of the eterna One who " worketh all thimrs after the counsel of his will. On tlic contrary, " the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever " Now why this amazing difference. Inquisitive mortal, do YOU dare to ask him " what doest thou ? " He giveth noaccount of his matters, but he records the fact, and that fact proclaims hir:^ Soverei<'n, plainer than words could express it. We next come to the transactions of the Garden, ere man was eiected from it. Man had not yet began to " multiply and reple- tiish the earth," no child had yet been born, and yet we hear bod savin-.' to the Serpent. " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed " _ I shall not adduce proof to sustain a proposition that cannot admit of any argument; viz. that both the seeds here mentioned were to descend from Adim and Eve ; and it is ecpally evident that before children ot our race were born, God designates a portion of them as the seed of the Serpent. This distinction is very frequently noticed in the later Scriptures of both the Old and New Testament. Our Lord himself particularly recognizes it in the descendants of Abraham. " I know that ye are Abraham's natural descendants, but notwith- standing this, 'ye are of your Father the Devi ." 2hc>^fore ye believj not, because ye are not my sheep,"-" The seed of the woman " Thus CLris^t accounts for the fact that while many per- sons saw his works ai-.d heard his voice, some believed, and some believed not. . . . i j • xi. In the parable of the Sower, this distinction is placed in the strongest contrast. T'he Son of man sowed good seed, but the enemy sowed darnel These plants strongly resemble each other, but they cannot be grown from the same seed ; neither can any process of culture change the " darnel" into wheat We cannot - o-ather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles." " The F.thiopian cannot "change hi. skin, nor the leopard his spots." " That which ^ 21 ,vl,i,l, i. bom ,.!• tl,e sp,r,t '''='f/» ''" ^7 d not cnr" .o^.listin- oivou to bun ot ln!* tiitlici f ivn«i rK>rce vc attention more clo.vly to ^'^^ tS> d dtak; hole ' It is not hold on angels, but on Abraham s «^ j ^^^^^^^X u' 1h, although denied that a ^^^^lour wa- not app anted 1°^^^^ ^ ^^«^^ the tact cunnot be explamed upon any nnoip^^^^ ^^^.^^ .^ one you, Sir, reject, vi^ that Go^/^^^^^?^'^ - ,,^,,aon of aT^y is conceded that the Father has not 7'"^^^ ^''^ '^ ^he Spirit fallen angel-t),at no Savjour di*. U^n' tl^m at^^^^ never strives with them; -^f^^^^^S^^ in his sight," to interpose -(f J- -?f ^ , ,,1 Sly assumed that, with- cannot be doubted, it is "^veru c j salvation has been out discrimination or choice on ^^^^^ I^f J^P;;}'' ^cw if this as- e,ually provided for tW^^^^^ ,,, ,,,, sun.ption were well f^^f^'J^J^^^j^. |or Adan.-not Abra- thus : < -n Adam's seed he d^d take hoia ^ ham-represented and f,««^ ^^^f ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ atonement ^ni!^i^s:s° U Sir, let .ne ^^^^^ ^^f :;-r" for it ? The seed of the f--^^';'^.;:^;^^^ C^ have falls vastly short of the numerous|md.ds^^^^^^^^^ .^ ^.^^ ^^ directly flowed from the latter. ^^ it be a He ^^^^^^^^^ .natter'of -f^f^l^'^J^^^^^^^ on, provided ««t7i.'€re, by which the rest ottieiac g . , . ^^^ conse- it was a .nnn. Let us fee ^ -^^ ./^ ^^^ ^y Inspiration of Ciuently every ^^f/^^^tf ,^1 reproofrcorrection, a^ul in.cruc- Uod, and IS profitable lor doctrine, yepvt'";' j • ^^ ,,,ds I 'i»- ?2 •ich mm WHS one of his fleshly (lo«(Knidunts, and we hear (Jirist uMrcHHin- many others of the same race, of vrliom he says I c.u.w that yo are Abraham's seed," as the ch.ldren ot i\o M So true it i-s that " they are not all Israel who are oi Israel. Kut antodiluvians, and subsequently the Gentiles, beyond the fact of our eomnuMi humanity V True, it nmy bo snid that Abraham addressed the rich man as a son as well as Lazarus. But then tho rich m;m was one of his fleshly desctnidants, ;iT|d we J^ear JJirist adi ki So true it is that " they , , , , . .:^„ I nresume, Sir, that neither vou nor 1 could claim any connection with Abraham, except as believers in Jesus Chnst; for then only are Gentiles " Abraham's seed and heirs according to the pronuse. Let us now look at tho other side, and oh, how '' profitable for doctrine and instruction does this text become. In taking hold on Abraham instead of Adam, we have the doctrine of the bovfr- rei-nty asserted by acts rather than by words (and wo have seen thiit words which can only express this doctrine abound in the Scripture?^. Two thousand years rolled on ; mankind had grown and multiplied in numbers; but they had grown in an equal de-ree in wickedness. Few indeed are mentioned as prsons walkin.r in faith from Adam till Noah; see Heb. xi. After the flood, centuries roll their course before Abraham appears. As Adam was not laid hold on, so neither was Noah. And why no (» Neither represented the seed of the woman— the children ot tait^ ■ —exclusively as did Abraliam. Of " Abraliam's seed he tiiketh hold " Who are they ? Children after the flesh ? or, the children of fiiith ? He selects or elects an obscure idolater in Mesop.^tamia. He takes hold on him as the " Father of the Faithful," and through him secures his whole seed-'' the children of faith, and heirs according to the promise." Lost Gentiles have no relationship with Abraham, beyond that of species; and lost Jews, while they have a fleshly relation by descent, are by Scripture exprej^sly denied • any saving i4lationship with him. For only " the children of he promise are counted for the seed." So then, all that are of the faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. God took hold on him as including Iris seed-" not seeds;' (for, as we have already seen many of Abraham's posterity were, and still are, taxes or darnel). None of '^thc seed" (children of promise) can perish. Ihe Father gave them to Christ-draws them to Christ " and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. For " they are kept by the power of God through faith unto sulvitiion Dear Mr. Missionary, read this text and weigh it in the balance with many kindred passages, putting " conditions ' into the other scale, and then ask your conscience whether you dare to repeat the blasphemy that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have done as much for the damned as for the saved in order tQ their saivatiou. Nv 23 tion, and «inconty canno J^J^^e ^^^^^^ ^.^^ ^eca.ne diseased, not w.rc true that in ^dan. 8 ta.l ma Una y ^ .ucdiome, .' de,rl in inspn^m and j.n. that men ^n y ^ l^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^.^^ ,, and advice, not life: and ^^/^ ^I? J^^-.'^.a that man could of could " discern the things of ,f^J^ ^P'^^^'^^ ^" ^,, , reasonableness hi. own will " be horn aga.n ^Un ,^ fj., ^^„„,t, by any power at least in your do-ma But th. a ^^^^^^ ..^^^^^ ^^ or will of their own, "como *^^^^\^- „ , L T^rn " ILond time into his -others womb nd 1^^^ born ^ Now if I were doctrinally, to o^nc.ac . y jifficulties. Fof creed would still be «^"°^"t J^f a e saved without the Gospe , if yea admit thut men may be and art, s- increases their a/d that the hearing f.^, -J^^^J^'Jhe .ISf t. yourself, erimi,.ality, yTi„,rft^^^^^^ to all missionary enterprise, question will apply with equaHo «« to a y ^ .^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^ If, on the other hand, you hold that t^^th i .^ ^^^^^^ to salvation, and ^^^^^^^^^ 'a tr -nod 'after the word?, if Ji-'i believe that as "'-"J rmive the wages of :iSiude^,f Ad»™'B:'™ff™f:uh Christ -how, Sir, will ,ble fact that up to the P'f ™* ^";^^J;„., feUcn race have ever *'tfore th. flood, our rfr''r^j^:^l^:^TJ^^^s close of that age the resu U, show - ^'f ' J^^^^ , J „We world, a, regards the '^"''l-''" Vm.nv eentaries to come to Abraham. 24 to the dcpconilants of Abri.h;im alone. And among them, on one reniarkahle occasion, we find only Caleb and Joshua ont ot that whole nation. 3Iean\vhilc the other nations, con>j.nsiu,u; the hulk orinaiikiad, are -enevally left in a state of heathen darkness, and conscnient idolatry. ( I have said oenerally, because we have isolated c•l^es for which the doctrine of an " election by grace will consistently account). 'I hen, Sir, coming to our own age, the niornln"- of which saw the ecclesiastical heads ot^ the only nation which knew aught of the true God, nailing 11 is Sox to the " accursed tree," I may fairly ask you ' what proportion ot Adam s race from then till now ' have ever heard that tne "blood ot Jesus cleans^th from all sin." Now if, as you say, the glorious Irimty have alibi desi-ned and intended the salvation ot all mankind, how will you account for the fact that even now, after eighteen hundred years of preaching, three fourths of the human tan.iiy remain in utter ignorance of the way of salvation by faith in thrist . You perceive, Sir,I am not dealing in theories, I state facts which cannot be controverted. Century after century have rolled away, and deei. moral darkness covers the great proportKm ot the globe, and cross darkness broods over the minds of countless milh-ms. Instead of beautiful feet ti ading the mountains of Jndia, Africa, and China, carrying glad tidings, idolatry and debasing supersti- tion everywhere rei-n with unbroken sway. And yet in the face of these incontrovertible facts, we are gravely told, not only that the Father wills the salvation of all men alike, Christ atoned for all men alike, and the Spirit strives to effect the salvation ol all men alike. That is to sav, the Holy Spirit is striving as much with the most beniuhted Hindoo or Hottentot, in oraer to their salvation, as he didi with Joha \Ytdcy, Martin Luther or John Calchi. Dear Sir, have you any idea of the nature ot this striv- ing' and of the means by which it is carried on ? And i beseecfi yon to remember, that according to your theory there cannot be allowed a j..t or a tittle difference in favour of any son ot Adam. The smallest difference upsets the theory of equal dealing. 1 'ont lus Pilate and John Wesley must have been treated ])reeisely aliice, or your foundation sinks in the sand; and, shocking as the con- clusion murt appear, the Saints are not a whit more indebted to Father, Son', or Spirit, for salvation, than are the wicked who shall be " driven away in their wicke'r^-?/Thofwtt Lin andhast redeemed us.". In uncleanness. ihou wast si^J^ ^^.^^^ ^^ slaying Jesu, his Wo^was^d^ds^^^ ^^^^.^ ^^^ their ^-^^-P^-"^^^f,i,^;\^"two important results, flowing, not washed away. Heie tlicn aic ^^^ ^^^ ^Ve have seen that the words out ot loium ^^^ mankind redeemed; and now, I would ask have the ^i,,,^, ,eof ,een ^^^^^\. ^^^"^ ^d^eth 7" If ah the^ any one ot tliem, » "*^' i ,. ^i^ppc so lav< e a proportion ot sins have been wa«l;c* ''''^y- 'I'^^.S rf U.c «!.», and consigns the fannly of n.ank.nd on the left V^ '^^^^^ '.u j,,, ,.„s of them to eternal torment ! 1 hat Jcsu^ j ,.,„,, to us on tlio au- some of A-hnn'B family -'''^.'^^Vte ton" "shed away all the thority of the Holy ^V'"'; I*"' l/""!- l ,liko for all men. If I sins 0^ all the rest; then he ha. t d ed .hU i , ^^^ ^ am told that .Tesns furm^hed « »d^™"o i„,,luahle blood, that I .lare not detract iroiu the >i«"=;^°y ?^ ',ji„ ^t the appli- This, however, is not the prant under consH e at o A^^ "^i f, ''rf^ii * Or if il . ^^^ '« «s-'»f ^' ""' ascribed to Christ. Or, u lam ,,, j^,,„ expositor, I ans\ycr therefore certain atltttde n u he .dl wed to ^^^^^ ^^^^^ a^ain ; that, admitting the term ^^fbeJ, " «■. ,,„,,, .„rs„„. Se ,. :^s/H.r„or the ,r«»/«./»«.Y""S-it(frie lurch of the He loved the ehureh and gave l""'^"'' *°\ f.!"'!," ,„i,.ut sanctify first horn ulio are written in heaven , *■> J'^. ' ^-^ ^Vud that and cleanse it with «« ""^'™S ° ™: ,';',^i',' h not having spot, ;;::;(;:;;i^ri^s:^>:'S^v;tihrushonidbeho,yandwiui- ¥ 26 out Wcmish " Christ furnished blood of infinite yakie ; and he as cert, n Y 'ppUes it. He purchased ; or, redeemed his people with it He i ii, that made'the purchase, and paid the pnco; uot thJlU also it is, who washes all their sins away, and no they them^olves In the covenant of grace, the Father assigns to he So, the people of his choice. They were scattered among all the t ie f' Ikind, and by nature 'equally the children of wratl, al others Christ undertook to stand m the breach for them- Z^d them by his blood; bore their ,uuilt and the penal y To teXir namesl his book before the foundation of t - worW ^ 1^ nroTi.led a iustitving righteousness. In view of the terms ot 1 it'gr;;ife:rn^^th? co-ndltions of which ^^f^^Z ^My fulfilled, nothing can evermore be l^^f ;;,,t^/;;;J^;;f,^ thprofore God's love to them is " an everlasting love, it never naa abe'^ inland it knows nochange. " He is without vanablenes or any shadow of turning." And hence it is ; that, - the stri^es^ harmony with the divine perfeotions Jacob is loved and i.sau haled Before the children had done either good or bad, Jacob is v;d hi Christ, as one, for whom he had undertaken to pay the last f irthine' which justice could demand ; as a member ot bhrist s mvstical Im^^^ i^ hi« righteousness, he is an_ object mide wonhy of the Father's love. No other view of docti.ne can Tcount Ibr that very obnoxious, because, little understood, state- ment resnccting Jacob and Esau. , This coveuairt is well ordered in all things and sure; hence God '' calls thin- hat be not, as though they were." Christ therefore caUs uncoi^erted Gentiles his sheep , He If P-^^^^M had written down their names m " his book of life. Ihe gooa lepW knows his sheep ; " calls them by name, and le.ds them He says '' other sheep / have which are not of thi8 fo d t 'm also I must hring, and they shall hear my v^ice and t ^;rslull be one fold aS one shepherd." Here is indeed mperatWe language, and who shall annul it? ^ - B^p -re his althou^di 1 e had not yet seen them, and they had not heaid i 'voi e. " Them also I must bring." What is the good shep- ZTLind, and hy what? I must ?.nn^ them." J^at ,s 7 .ujs bring my sheep that are in the two folds, into one ; but, what if the othe? sheep refuse, even though the spirit ^^vives wi h them e^r- somuch; He recognises no possibility of the kind, ''/ mu.-^ bnng them- Yes, Jacob must lose none of the flock of Laban Our shepherd must lose none, but "must raise theni all up ^^ ^^^^^^f day " The Father draws them, makes them wil Ung in the day ot his power; therefore, " they shall hear his voice. Ah! Mr. M s- ■ sionary these " musts " and " shalh " of Christ, will brm^k no dis- appoint.uent; but, oh! it would be hard to reconcile them with your conditions. 27 u ^„,/« " and " shalir of hnn who cannot he a ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ follow that they shall remain ^\^^^;"^/. /J;^,? ^That Buch is back into the folds of ^atan an be <.t or^ever^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^ the constant tendency ot ^^e oHl ma ^ . ,fo they were in our members" "^"^^^^^^VL^ everv one of then>. would left to their own ^^^^"^^ ?"^ .^"^t'bv the power of God through inevitably.belost. But being k^^^^^^^^ ^^.^^^^ ^,.^^^,t to faith ; " to perish, is, in ^^"'^^ ^"'f^ ^5?^ this could possibly be taken Christ he gives them eternal ]^^^J^^^ ^^/^^i^^ eternal life, from them or lost it couW not p operly be cal ^.^^^^^ ^.^^^ .^ ^^^^^ That believers do fall into sm even ^^^j .^^ t^y camwt a sad truth. But Christ d^d for their b^^ ; ^^^^^f ^.^^^ ^^rfected I., laid to their charge. By his one oti ring J ^^^^ ^^^ forever the sanctified ones ^P^yf^^^^f ^^^^^ of the law for apart to that end). His death beca^^^^ ,, th^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ righteousness to every ^ne that beheves y ^^^^^ ^ Bin, and the curse due to ^^-.^^ h nj^el^^ ^^e ^f Q^d from his people, and f ^^^^ J^^^.a ?^ And if this were not in him," " are withou I'^^^eZmT-^^^ madness, to demand really the case, it would ^*^;^^^^^^/ ^^^^^^^^ 9 " A pardoned criminal, '' who shall lay anything t<^ /^f^^^^^^^'^^^ ,^i,^,test punishment on . may indeed demand, who ^f^^/^^^^^-f ^.^^.er, does not in the me ; I have the Boyal pardon Th^^ /'OJ^^ ' • ,f ^n- slightest deg.ee --Xt^hetlie^er n cList, whose sins have ishmentas betore. ^ut, the Dene ^ . ^^ ^ ^he slightest been "washed away,'' ^f^^ed not by slowltages of reformation, taint. And this point ^^^f <^^^"^^"f -^a Zment, in the twinkling human training, and culture, ^ut in a mome , ^^^^ ^^.^^ of an eye, when Christ bestow e^^r^^^j^^ J^he 'glorious light of clouds if our natura d'^^kness and causin ^ ^^^^.^^ .^ the Gospel to shine into ^/J^^^^f !^g J,"^".rntil this takes place, revealed within us as our ^^^^^JJ^'^^^^ attendance on the or- whatcver may have been our ^"^^^^^^P^^^^/ Christianity ; man is dinances of religion, or even P;;^J^\^^ J ^ell founded hope really '' ungodly "' and utterly destu^^^^^^^^ any ^^^^ for pardon and acceptance bo f^'^,^''\ ^ ^i„, [^,,,^ ^orketh can^o no ^--^^ ^^^^i^^Sl the ungodly, liis i^itb i. not but believe h on l"i>i .^'^^ J ^ ^.^^t before the bun of counted for righteousness In the ni ^^^^^^^ . ^ riditeousness shined into <^^]l^''l^'^^Xt And this truth is moment when it does f ^"'^; f ^f '^^^^ ^^^ and actions, whe- rth-tkf^s^'aii:;^ bear olive berries." 28 In the very moment that Christ is perceived by faith, laden witli our guilt, and bestowing upon us " the righteousness of God," there is .ground for joy and rejoicing. This is not a work of decrrees, but a fact revealed to faith, by which wc become instantly and to the full measure of our faith partakers of all the other graces which flow to us out of the fulness of him, who of God is made to us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctificatinn, and redemption. This, Sir, is doctrine, and it is the "glad tidings " that should be promptly proclaimed to perishing sinners, instead of spending '" money for that which is not bread, and labor for tliat which satisfleth not," even vain efforts to cultivate " grapes on thorns, and figs on thistles." You, Sir, who are forward to teach others, and cirtainly not backward to proclaim your triumphs, ought to know that '• with- out faith it is impossible to please God," and that "whatsoever is not faith (prayers included) is sin." Men or children may be taught to commit formularies to memory, and to repeat them in devout tones; njvirrot may be taught to do nearly the saine, but if faith be wanting, of what more value is the vain repetition in the man's mouth than in the parrot's. " How can they call on hira in whom they have not believed ? " No, Sir, both would be alike a solemn mockery ; the bird would be of course morally irresponsi- ble ; who will affirm that the man commits no sin ? Paul was a siiijer of prai/ers long before his journey to Damap-^ns : all the Pharisees were in the habit of making long prayers, L was at the same time eminently religious " as touching the law imeless •, " but it was only after he believed on Jesus that the iloly Spirit ignises him as a praying man, " Behold he prayeth." recoj Ah, Sir, it was only then that Paul coidd possihJf/ pnnj, grounding his petition upon the person and work of Christ. Did all his for- mer prayings help in the matter of his conversion, or dispose his heart the more readily to believe in him against whose name he " verily thought he ought to do many things? " Surely not. Up to the very moment of his conversion, notwithstanding all his zeal and religious observances, he was completing a character which constituted him the '' chief of sinners." We have another historical fact illustrating God's way of justi- fying sinners in the case of the Woman of Samaria. This woman was not ignorant of religion ; on the contrary she was a keen theo- logical controversialist, but being ignorant of the saving truth, she had gone on from bad to worse. ]\Iarriage covenants had in her case lost their sacredness from their oft repetition. Five times a wife, she had formally bound herself, till at length following the dictates of her unbridled desires, she dispenses with the formality, and lives with a man without having the legal characcer of a wife. 29 . He^ho. thou nowhasUs -t thyUusl.^^; ,^^^ ^ bev c.re.r she -et the S=n.ujm aU^ ^fLr., she Bce^'she rej^aruedhcr own ' hn^arn^^^^^^ short time she enters obtains the j.itt of ^ ^^ ' f ^^.f/^^ i^.; ^\ ^-hich '' nmny of the Samaria, pubhshui- the glaa tuin j woman." Samaritans of that city bel-v cl f oi t - -0 - n o^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^ Let us ask the thief on the ^i^^s * ^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^ y^ case ?ii • (. u* an wpro thev not down In" stages, maiviup aeath .0 -Wf h^™V"^%r"as„ tt ae sau>o in his and hiiu s'al! liardcned. iH^ j',^ ,°:„,„„ wisdom would have teeth." It was J"^\*™' f ';"'rtlSms ckSjn,an who had pronouneed ^^^^ ^"^^^ ^Zi^ and spiritual been iiKins him n vam wm .^ ^ ^ y S„^ pi-esenptioiis, would hi.TC i«'™ '™ . ^ coi.ocrncd, the man [ust then, -■''«" ;»™/»';"^.'"wsdom of God and the power was lost, etornaHy lost, *»* '''\^]'" n,, „an had made no of God,-; «s f-^-»^'y tt»e to ■""'" °''^- "' '"?' "" preparation, and tliere was uu memory, and there Itock of ready made P-^^^^^ ^?^ ^s u^ on the is not time to learn one. The oal was j ^^ ^ threnhold of etei^i y and o t^ man wa ^^^^^ ^^.^^^ viler , Unawed b^the^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Saviour, triun.phs descending, bate, biter na . ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ suffering, over the horrors ot the scene, luu ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^.^ and finds expression in words ^^if ^^n "uttermost" most." Here is a case in F^f ' ^^J.*^^.;"!^, ^^^^ harder than the case. He had reached tj-^ s u mo^t h^^^^^^^^^ ^^^.^^^ nether milstone he disdain^^^^^^^ J Who Jesus. What chance ^^nU ^e a^c r n ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ would think of a chance fo sucb as he. My , ^^^^ ^ chance work whatever m tlie case ijie^ at ^^ ^^^^^ Christ; Jesus;; must' '^^'}^2^lJS^^ The light " It is not of him that wiUeth nor «* ™ '" discovered to him as flashed into his soul ; his dymg compam n was d^^^ov^^^ f^^. an '' all sufficient Saviour ; God s ^ ^J^ £ ^ ^ . ^gk, for the In this case these qualities ^^^^^'l^f^^^^^^A^ ' It ^ho can time was short; POwe^f^V'JvP himself ^ stay his hand; powerless to ave himsclt tion ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^.^^ life, even life etema is m hio gilt. io .^y^^^^,^ ^^ me in paradise, — ' sAa «, y^?'*^"',.^ .^ language he employed fidence didnot forsake him nei^ie d d the .angu J ^^.^^ admitof the possibility of cba"ce o^ ^ ure^^^ J^^^^ ^ I 30 mutable things of Him who " worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Here are, as you will quickly perceive, two horns of a dilemma, if the foundation of this confidence was in the thief, then we have in this case at least Christ's testimony in favor of the ductrine of final perseverance. And if the foundation was in himself we are compelled to recognize a purpose to save one, and only one. Take which horn you please and follow it out legiti- mately, and I feel persuaded that the word "permitted" will not again stumble you. If you can deduce the popular doctrine of conditions from these '^ musts" '' shalls,'' and ''shalts" of Christ, either your intellec- tual faculties diti'er widely from mine, or else light has been im- parted to you which has not reached me effectually, (another proof that all men are not treated alike). Dear Sir, let me say in conclusion that I can well believe that the strong detestation with which yourself, and alas, niulti- tudes beside regard certain doctrines which the Holy Scriptures place as fundamental, in a great measure arises from a sincere zeal for the author of Salvation, as known and understood by you. But what is zeal or sincerity without knowledge ? Jews were both sincere and zealous : Saul ot Tarsus was a far more sincere and zealous religionist while he was persecuting Christ than you are. Your anger burned against a brother who gave utterance to mista- ken views in your presence ; but it produced no other result than to consume your own feelings. Not so with the zealot of Tarsus, he proved his sincerity and zeal by his works, persecuting the Christians even to strange cities. Sound scriptural knowledge must form the subscratum. Wanting this, zeal, while it greatly aggravates guilt, is worse than lunacy. If then it prove true that Christ " laid down his life for his sheep " alone. That these are dead in sin and cannot come to Christ till the Father draw them and make them _ willing, and that all who are so drawn shall come to him, obtain eterna) life from him, and shall be raised up at the last day by him. Then, Sir, your case is far more deplorable than the most benighted Hottentot. But on the other hand, if these things are not so, and that Jesus has no " election of Grace " among men who have been preordained to eternal life in him before the world began, then in- deed is my case equally deplorable. The distance between us is great, and the difference consists not in what is improperly termed non-essentials, but in fundamentals, affecting the very being and attributes of deity and the principles upon which eternal salvation rests. Surely it cannot be a very "straight gate" that could admit principles so widely different. Solemnly convinced that persons resting on hopes so differently founded can never meet at t r I 1 31 the right hand of the G-t 1u,,,e »nd bfc *»t you. ^^n«- „,ente, more or less »;."