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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
 in  2019  with  funding  from 
 Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 
 
 % 
 
 https://archive.org/details/mansresponsibiliOOhald 
 
MAN’S  RESPONSIBILITY ; 
 
 THE  NATURE  AND  EXTENT  OF  THE  ATONEMENT 
 
 AND  THE 
 
 WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 
 
# 
 
 I 
 
 * 
 
 Printed  by  Thornton  and  Collie,  19  St  David  Street. 
 
 \ 
 
MAN’S  RESPONSIBILITY ; 
 
 THE 
 
 NATURE  AND  EXTENT  OF  THE  ATONEMENT; 
 
 AND  THE 
 
 WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT; 
 
 IN  REPLY  TO 
 
 MR  HOWARD  HINTON 
 
 AND 
 
 THE  BAPTIST  MIDLAND  ASSOCIATION. 
 
 /\  -\A/\./V\AL/' 
 
 BY  J.  AX  HALDANE. 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 
 'WILLIAM  WHYTE  AND  CO. 
 
 BOOKSELLERS  TO  THE  QUEEN  DOWAGER  ; 
 
 W.  COLLINS,  GLASGOW  ;  LONGMAN  &  CO.  LONDON  ; 
 W.  CURRY,  JUN.  &  CO.  DUBLIN. 
 
 1842. 
 
. 
 
 . 
 
 1  * 
 
 ■  . 
 
 '  '  . 
 
PREFACE 
 
 While  the  following  pages  particularly  refer  to  the 
 sentiments  of  Mr  Hinton  and  the  Baptist  Midland 
 Association,  they  are  intended  to  oppose  a  very 
 numerous  class,  of  which  these  individuals  are  only 
 the  representatives. 
 
 The  subjects  treated  of  are  highly  important.  On 
 the  right  understanding  of  Man’s  Responsibility,  the 
 Nature  and  Extent  of  the  Atonement,  and  the  Work 
 of  the  Holy  Spirit,  depends  our  advancement  in  the 
 divine  life. 
 
 Instead  of  being  entirely  guided  by  the  scriptures, 
 and  receiving  the  kingdom  of  God  as  little  children, 
 men  are  constantly  prone  to  lean  to  their  own  un¬ 
 derstanding,  and  to  attempt  to  reduce  “  the  wisdom 
 of  God  in  a  mystery,  even  the  hidden  wisdom,”  to 
 the  level  of  their  own  conceptions.  They  forget  that, 
 although  every  revelation  from  God  must  have  com¬ 
 mended  itself  to  the  mind  of  man  while  he  retained 
 the  Divine  image,  a  new  element  has  intervened 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 between  the  fallen  creature  and  his  Creator.  Hence 
 
 ✓ 
 
 he  is  placed  in  circumstances  which  render  his 
 natural  faculties  totally  inadequate  to  enable  him  to 
 appreciate  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God  in  the  amazing 
 plan  of  mans  recovery. 
 
 Guilty  and  polluted  as  he  is,  he  can  only  receive 
 the  love  of  the  truth  by  the  teaching  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit,  communicated  through  the  all-perfect  atone¬ 
 ment  offered  upon  Calvary.  He  who  moved  upon 
 the  face  of  the  waters,  and  reduced  the  natural  crea¬ 
 tion  to  order  and  beauty,  is  alone  able  to  dispel  the 
 darkness  in  which  sinful  man  is  plunged,  and  to  give 
 him  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God 
 in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 This  is  an  important  part  of  the  faith  once  de- 
 
 / 
 
 livered  to  the  saints,  for  which  we  are  commanded 
 earnestly  to  contend.  The  Apostle  having  repre¬ 
 sented  the  world  as  crucified  unto  him,  and  he  unto 
 the  world,  adds:  “  For  in  Christ  Jesus  neither  cir¬ 
 cumcision  availeth  any  thing,  nor  uncircumcision, 
 but  a  new  creature.  And  as  many  as  walk  according 
 to  this  rule,  peace  be  on  them,  and  mercy,  and 
 upon  the  Israel  of  God,”  Gal.  vi.  15,  16.  Not  only 
 is  the  oft-repeated  doctrine  of  the  necessity  of  the 
 new  creation  of  fallen  man  here  asserted,  but  the 
 faith  of  it  is  represented  as  the  test  of  our  belonging 
 to  the  Israel  of  God. 
 
 From  time  to  time  the  Lord  sends  a  plentiful  rain 
 to  refresh  his  weary  heritage  in  this  land  of  drought. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 At  the  period  of  the  Reformation,  the  Spirit  was 
 copiously  poured  out,  and  the  consequent  depth  and 
 accuracy  of  the  views  of  many  eminent  men  in  those 
 days  are  astonishing,  considering  the  gross  darkness 
 in  which  the  world  had  for  centuries  been  plunged. 
 
 Being  dead,  they  still  speak  in  their  writings, 
 which  have  been  very  useful  in  directing  men’s 
 attention  to  the  infallible  standard  of  truth.  At 
 present,  however,  there  are  symptoms  in  various 
 quarters  of  a  strong  disposition  to  soften  down  the 
 doctrines  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  render  reli¬ 
 gion  popular,  by  attempting  to  assimilate  the  wisdom 
 of  God  to  the  wisdom  of  the  world. 
 
 In  the  following  pages,  the  Author  has  endeavoured 
 to  lift  up  a  protest  against  sentiments  that  appear 
 to  be  gaining  ground,  which  at  once  disparage 
 the  Sovereignty  of  God  the  Father,  depreciate  the 
 perfection  of  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Son,  and  eclipse 
 the  Glory  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  would  commend 
 what  he  has  written  to  His  blessing  whose  cause  it 
 is  intended  to  promote ;  and,  he  trusts,  that  it  may 
 be  instrumental  in  leading  some  to  stand  in  the  ways, 
 and  see,  and  ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good 
 way,  and  to  walk  therein,  that  they  may  find  rest  to 
 their  souls. 
 
 Edinburgh,  December,  1841. 
 
t  • 
 
 - 
 
 •  0 
 
 • 
 
 1 
 
 t 
 
 J. 
 
 '  ■ 
 
PART  I. 
 
 Introduction. 
 
 Page . 
 
 Man’s  Responsibility  indelibly  impressed  upon  his  mind — the 
 evil  of  employing  metaphysical  reasoning  to  illustrate  the 
 Gospel,  and  of  attempting  to  prove  what  is  self-evident,  5 
 
 Chapter  I. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  admits  the  inconclusiveness  of  his  own  reasoning,  1 1 
 
 / 
 
 Chapter  II. 
 
 The  gospel  intended  to  pour  contempt  upon  the  wisdom  of  this 
 world — attempt  to  divest  the  gospel  of  mystery,  a  frequent 
 source  of  its  corruption — the  truth  only  learned  by  the  teach¬ 
 ing  of  the  Spirit — the  king  of  Siam — North  American 
 Indian — moral  inability — spiritual  perception,  1 5 
 
 Chapter  III. 
 
 Examination  of  1  Cor.  ii.  14 — in  what  sense  the  gospel  is  under¬ 
 stood  without  Divine  teaching — the  blind  lecturer  on  optics 
 — the  success  of  Mr  Locke’s  experiment — 1  John  v.  20,  24 
 
 Chapter  IV. 
 
 Actions  performed  freely,  yet  ordained — Sennacherib — Ahab — 
 the  death  of  Christ  determined,  yet  no  apology  for  his  mur¬ 
 derers — Joseph — Absalom — mystery  of  Providence,  33 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 11 
 
 Chapter  V. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Isaiah  xlv.  7 — Amos  iii.  6 — Rom.  ix.  18 — new  translation  in¬ 
 admissible — the  sovereignty  of  God  consistent  with  man’s 
 responsibility — case  of  Pharaoh — Ezek.  xxi.  19,  21 — Isaiah 
 vi.  9 — Rom.  xi.  7,  8,  -  -  -  40 
 
 Chapter  VI. 
 
 In  what  sense  men  are  blind  to  the  truth — men  naturally  in 
 bondage — its  nature  renders  it  more  hopeless — the  drunkard 
 — Mr  Hinton’s  admission  that  the  problem  of  causation  and 
 voluntary  action  is  perhaps  incapable  of  solution — why  then 
 attempt  it  ? — voluntary  action  ordained — the  source  of  man’s 
 enmity  against  his  Maker — he  is  incapable  of  producing 
 love  to  God — reconciliation — erroneous  view  of  the  moral 
 law,  ------  55 
 
 Chapter  VII. 
 
 Figures  denoting  the  change  produced  in  conversion — a  new 
 birth — creation — resurrection — how  reflection  on  divine 
 truth  will  operate — object  of  the  evangelical  ministry — 
 gospel  exhibits  the  most  powerful  motives — natural  results 
 of  Mr  Hinton’s  system  —  remarks  on  the  case  of  the 
 demoniacs,  -  -  -  -  05 
 
 Chapter  VIII. 
 
 Erroneous  view  of  the  state  of  fallen  man,  the  foundation  of  Mr 
 Hinton’s  system — man  has  no  claim  upon  God — all  child¬ 
 ren  of  wrath — our  connexion  with  Adam,  and  the  imputa¬ 
 tion  of  his  sin,  and  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ — separa¬ 
 tion  of  soul  and  body,  not  the  death  threatened,  Gen.  ii.  17 
 — gospel  not  an  experiment — redemption  not  an  after¬ 
 thought — Satan’s  plan  defeated,  and  through  it  God’s  eter¬ 
 nal  purpose  fulfilled — display  of  the  glory  of  the  Divine 
 character,  -----  75 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 PART  II. 
 
 Chapter  I. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Mr  Hinton’s  anticipation  of  success — progress  of  his  sentiments 
 — dangerous  tendency  of  error  inj  religion — Mr  Hall’s 
 opinion  of  Mr  Hinton’s  Works,  -  -  -  89 
 
 Chapter  II. 
 
 General  and  Particular  Baptists — Midland  Association — un- 
 scriptural  view  of  the  atonement — first  intimation  of  mercy, 
 why  given  in  the  form  of  a  curse — the  first  parable — man¬ 
 kind  divided  into  two  families — the  attempt  to  unite  them 
 the  cause  of  the  flood — separation  again  made  in  Noah’s 
 family — why  favour  shown  to  the  family  from  which  Christ 
 was  to  spring,  -  -  -  -  -  9  2 
 
 Chapter  III. 
 
 The  call  of  Abraham — who  served  other  gods — his  covenant — 
 bondage  and  deliverance  of  his  posterity — their  separation 
 — shadows  vanished  at  Christ’s  appearance — why  the  way 
 to  life  narrow — election  the  cause  of  salvation — arguments 
 for  universal  redemption  considered — the  gospel  the  fan  in 
 Christ’s  hand,  -  -  -  -  101 
 
 Chapter  IV. 
 
 Erroneous  view  of  the  atonement — removes  no  difficulty — inse¬ 
 parable  connexion  of  guilt  and  suffering — imputation — 
 Rom.  v.,  1  Cor.  xv.  22 — effects  of  the  doctrine  of  universal 
 redemption — it  is  no  redemption — all  mankind  not  included 
 in  the  covenant  of  which  Christ  is  Surety — Rom.  viii.  33, 
 
 34 — sacrifices  in  Israel — intercession  and  blessing — Rom. 
 viii.  32,  -  -  -  -  -  110 
 
 Chapter  V. 
 
 The  sufficiency  of  the  atonement — the  sincerity  of  gospel  invita¬ 
 tions — difficulties  will  be  explained — impossibility  of  the 
 innocent  suffering — view  given  of  the  atonement,  leads  to 
 Socinianism — dishonourable  to  God’s  government — the  uni¬ 
 versality  of  the  atonement  disproved — general  expressions, 
 
IV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 the  world,  all — exposition  of  2  Cor.  v.  14,  21 — the  Gentiles 
 — summary  of  the  arguments  in  opposition  to  universal 
 redemption,  -  -  -  122 
 
 Chapter  VI. 
 
 Denial  of  Supernatural  agency  in  conversion  sets  aside  the  work 
 of  the  Spirit — 1  Cor.  iii.  0,  7,  Jer.  xxxi.  34,  1  John  ii. 
 
 27,  John  v.  45,  Eph.  ii.  10,  Eph.  i.  19,  20 — the  fruits  of 
 the  Spirit,  improperly  termed  means — the  laws  of  the  uni¬ 
 verse — gospel  no  inherent  efficacy  apart  from  the  power  of 
 the  Holy  Spirit — men  being  commanded  to  believe,  no  proof 
 of  their  capability — how  men  obey  the  gospel — Circular 
 confounds  means  which  God  employs  with  man’s  capability 
 — the  principle  of  life  distinct  from  forms  of  matter,  142 
 
 Chapter  VII. 
 
 Vision  of  the  dry  bones — confutes  the  doctrine  of  the  Circular 
 — Luke  xi.  5-13 — must  possess  life  before  we  use  food  or 
 medicine — guilt  of  neglecting  the  great  salvation — the 
 means  not  inadequate — human  guilt  not  expiated  on  the 
 cross,  or  all  would  have  been  saved — denial  of  the  substitu¬ 
 tion  of  Christ — Zaleucus — evil  of  such  illustrations — view 
 of  redemption  as  given  in  scripture — the  consummation  of 
 God’s  eternal  purpose,  -  -  15*0 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 Similarity  and  difference  between  Mr  Hinton  and  the  Circular — 
 
 inconsistency  of  the  writers  of  the  Circular,  -  177 
 
MAN’S  RESPONSIBILITY. 
 
 PART  I. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Man’s  responsibility  indelibly  impressed  upon  his  mind  ; — the  evil 
 of  employing  metaphysical  reasoning  to  illustrate  the  Gospel, 
 and  of  attempting  to  prove  what  is  self-evident. 
 
 For  many  years  Mr  Hinton  has  been  attempting 
 to  introduce  a  system  of  doctrine  very  opposite  to 
 that  contained  in  the  Word  of  God.  This  system 
 is  developed  in  his  volume  on  “The  Work  of  the 
 Holy  Spirit  in  Conversion,”  and  more  recently  in  a 
 Treatise  upon  Man’s  Responsibility.  Upon  the  latter 
 subject  we  have  no  controversy  with  our  author,  but 
 we  strongly  object  to  the  line  of  argument  by  which 
 he  endeavours  to  establish  this  fundamental  truth. 
 
 That  man  is  responsible  is  not  only  plainly  incul¬ 
 cated  in  the  scriptures  of  truth,  but  is  indelibly  im¬ 
 pressed  upon  the  mind  of  every  individual.  In  order 
 to  palliate  their  guilt,  men  may  disclaim  responsi¬ 
 bility,  but  their  heart  condemns  them.  A  man  can 
 no  more  divest  himself  of  the  conviction  of  responsi¬ 
 bility  than  of  the  feeling  of  pain.  This  conviction 
 will  never  be  increased  by  any  process  of  metaphysi¬ 
 cal  reasoning,  any  more  than  the  acuteness  of  our 
 sensations  will  be  increased  by  the  study  of  anatomy. 
 Our  author,  however,  thinks  otherwise,  and  having 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 6 
 
 delivered  a  series  of  discourses  on  the  dominion  of 
 God,  and,  afterwards,  a  lecture  to  Socialists,  he  “  re¬ 
 solved  on  treating  the  subject  generally,  and  on  en¬ 
 countering  as  much  the  erroneous  theologist  as  the 
 sceptic  or  the  infidel. 11  In  his  preface,  he  says: — 
 
 “  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  a  common  thing  to  try  to 
 prove  the  justice  of  man's  responsibility.  It  is  more 
 usual,  I  think,  on  the  one  hand,  to  assert  it  on  the 
 authority  of  the  scriptures,  and,  on  the  other,  to  rely 
 on  the  belief  of  it  which  is  so  readily  imbibed  and 
 so  tenaciously  held  by  the  human  mind.  To  one 
 who  might  inquire  whether  he  was  responsible,  and 
 how  it  could  be  shown,  the  more  frequent  reply 
 would  be,  perhaps,  4  The  bible  declares  you  are  so  ; 
 and  besides,  you  know  it  yourself,  because  your 
 conscience  tells  you  so.1  I  suspect  the  time  is  come, 
 however,  which  calls  for  a  different  answer  to  this 
 question.  Unhappily,  the  very  name  of  the  bible  is 
 made  by  many  an  occasion  of  ridicule,  and  old  habits 
 of  thought  are  becoming  as  powerless  over  men  as 
 the  withy  bands  and  hempen  cords  which  for  a  mo¬ 
 ment  bound  the  limbs  of  Sampson  ;  religious  truths, 
 under  the  nickname  of  priestly  dogmas,  are  trampled 
 in  the  dust,  while  the  teachers  of  religion  are  chal¬ 
 lenged  to  the  exercise  of  reason,  and  dragged  to  the 
 bar  of  common  sense.  I  do  not  say  that  this  chal¬ 
 lenge  is  always  fair  ;  but  it  is  always  plausible,  and 
 to  a  certain  extent  it  is  just.11 — Pp.  vii.  viii. 
 
 It  is  one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  latter 
 days  that  men  should  be  “  heady  and  Iiigh-mind- 
 ed,”  but,  indeed,  ever  since  the  first  promulga¬ 
 tion  of  the  gospel,  human  wisdom  has  been  arrayed 
 against  it,  and  no  wonder,  for  it  is  the  avowed  pur 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 I 
 
 pose  of  the  gospel  to  make  “  foolish  the  wisdom  of 
 this  world.'1  Believers  are  cautioned  against  being- 
 spoiled  through  philosophy  and  vain  deceit,  from  the 
 example  of  those  who  did  not  glorify  God,  by  being 
 implicitly  guided  by  the  revelation  with  which  they 
 were  favoured,  and  who,  in  consequence,  became  vain 
 in  their  imaginations,  and  their  foolish  heart  was  dark¬ 
 ened  :  “  Professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  be¬ 
 came  fools  ;  and  changed  the  glory  of  the  uncor¬ 
 ruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corrupt¬ 
 ible  man,  and  to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts,  and 
 creeping  things  ;11  Bom  i.  22,  23.  Thus  did  their 
 wisdom  issue  in  the  grossest  idolatry,  and  thus, 
 in  every  age,  have  men  corrupted  the  gospel  of 
 Christ. 
 
 We  have  ample  experience  of  the  imperfection  of 
 human  reason,  and  of  its  liability  to  err,  even  in 
 natural  things.  Are,  then,  the  deep  things  of  God 
 more  within  the  reach  of  our  boasted  wisdom  than  the 
 things  of  the  natural  world ;  or  are  these  the  onlv 
 things  in  regard  to  which  our  reason  cannot  err  l  God 
 is  indeed  the  Author  of  right  reason,  and  cannot  be 
 the  Author  of  what  is  really  contrary  to  it.  While 
 man  retained  the  divine  image  in  which  he  was 
 created,  his  reason  was  uncorrupted.  But  which  of 
 our  fallen  race  is  so  complete  a  master  of  right  reason 
 as  to  know  infallibly  what  is  agreeable  and  what  is 
 contrary  to  it  ?  There  is  no  safety  for  fallen  man  but 
 in  the  knowledge  of  his  own  ignorance,  and  in  de- 
 pendance  on  God  for  the  wisdom  which  cometh  from 
 above.  “  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thy  heart ;  and 
 lean  not  unto  thine  own  understanding.  In  all  thy 
 *  ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct  thy  paths. 
 
8 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Be  not  wise  in  thine  own  eyes  :  fear  the  Lord,  and 
 depart  from  evil Proy.  iii.  5 — 7- 
 
 Religion  has  of  late  become  fashionable,  and — like 
 “  the  whole  duty  of  man,*”  in  a  work  formerly  so 
 popular, — is  “made  easy  for  the  practice  of  the 
 present  day.”  While  it  is  attended  with  a  consider¬ 
 able  degree  of  bustle  and  excitement,  attendance 
 upon  meetings  of  societies  and  committees,  there  is 
 reason  to  fear  that  comparatively  few  feel  the  im¬ 
 portance  of  being  valiant  for  the  truth,  and  earnestly 
 contending  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 
 Liberalism  is  the  boast  of  the  age  in  which  we  live, 
 and  hence  we  are  laid  under  a  strong  temptation  to 
 mould  the  religion  of  Jesus  to  the  prevailing  taste, 
 to  divest  it,  in  a  great  measure,  of  mystery,  to  strip 
 it  of  all  that  is  repulsive  to  carnal  reason,  and  thus 
 to  get  rid  of  the  offence  of  the  cross. 
 
 But  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day, 
 and  for  ever.  The  gospel  remains  unchanged  amidst 
 all  the  fluctuations  of  human  opinion  ;  it  does  not 
 accommodate  itself  to  the  march  of  intellect,  or  to  the 
 progress  of  society,  nor  does  it  borrow  its  hue  from 
 the  complexion  of  the  age. 
 
 When  we  find  an  author  employing  metaphysi¬ 
 cal  reasoning  to  illustrate  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel, 
 we  may  rest  assured  he  is  endeavouring  to  blend 
 materials  which  will  never  coalesce.  Nothing  tends 
 more  to  gratify  the  natural  vanity  of  the  mind  than 
 plunging  into  abstruse  speculations ;  but  these  are 
 directly  opposed  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  We 
 can  only  receive  his  salvation  by  our  high  imagina¬ 
 tions  being  cast  down  ;  consequently,  all  our  attempts 
 to  reconcile  the  wisdom  of  God  with  the  wisdom  of 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 9 
 
 this  world  must  necessarily  issue  in  disappointment. 
 It  only  encourages  a  disposition,  to  which  we  are 
 sufficiently  prone,  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  reve¬ 
 lation  which  God  has  promulgated,  instead  of  humbly 
 and  reverently  taking  our  place  at  the  feet  of  J esus, 
 and  listening  to  him  who  is  perfect  in  wisdom. 
 
 In  regard  to  human  responsibility,  our  wisest 
 course  is  to  appeal  to  the  innumerable  declarations 
 of  scripture,  in  which  it  is  clearly  asserted,  while  it 
 is  confirmed  by  every  man’s  consciousness.  And  such, 
 after  all,  is  the  course  to  which  our  author  is  com¬ 
 pelled  to  resort.  In  replying  to  “  both  philosophers 
 and  divines,”  who  “  tell  us  that  man  is  not  an  agent, 
 but  a  machine,”  Mr  Hinton,  after  some  observations 
 on  the  constitution  of  the  human  mind,  proceeds : 
 “  I  confirm  this  conclusion  by  an  appeal  to  our  own 
 consciousness,  a  kind  of  evidence  which  is  clearly  appro¬ 
 priate,  since  the  matter  to  be  ascertained  is  the  manner 
 of  our  own  action,  and  which  ought  to  be  satisfac¬ 
 tory,  since  it  is  the  most  direct  evidence  that  exists, 
 not  excepting  the  evidence  of  the  senses.” — Pp.14, 1 5. 
 If,  then,  we  have  upon  this  subject  “  the  most  direct 
 evidence  that  exists,  not  excepting  the  evidence  of 
 the  senses,”  why  should  we  enter  into  speculations 
 which  can  only  tend  to  perplex  us,  because  they  pro¬ 
 ceed  upon  the  supposition  that  the  evidence  of  our 
 senses  is  insufficient  \ 
 
 Were  a  man  who  possesses  the  faculty  of  sight  to 
 maintain  that  the  sun  does  not  shine  at  noon-dav,  it 
 would  be  absurd  to  attempt  to  convince  him  by  argu¬ 
 ment.  W e  should  justly  conclude,  either  that  he  was 
 insane,  or  that  he  was  asserting  what  he  knew  to  be 
 
 false.  Now  since,  according  to  our  author,  conscious- 
 
 A  3 
 
10 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ness  is  even  more  direct  evidence  than  that  of  the 
 senses,  why  should  we  spend  our  time  in  arguing 
 with  those  who  deem  such  evidence  unsatisfactory  ? 
 Every  attempt  to  prove  what  is  self-evident  is  worse 
 than  useless.  There  are  first  truths,  or  first  prin¬ 
 ciples,  which  do  not  admit  of  proof,  and  such  is  the 
 truth,  that  the  work  of  the  law  is  written  in  the 
 heart  of  man.  Hence  our  intuitive  knowledge  of 
 right  and  wrong,  and  our  sense  of  responsibility,  of 
 which  no  man  can  possibly  divest  himself. 
 
 It  is,  by  no  means,  our  intention  to  follow  Mr 
 Hinton  through  all  his  speculations.  This  would 
 lead  us  into  the  same  error  into  which  he  has  fallen. 
 But,  in  the  course  of  his  reasoning,  he  has  given  an 
 erroneous  view  of  various  passages  of  the  Word  of 
 God,  to  which  we  shall  advert,  and  shall  likewise  en¬ 
 deavour  to  prove  that  his  system  does  not  give  a  just 
 representation  of  the  state  of  fallen  man,  and  of  the 
 way  of  recovery. 
 
ACKNOWLEDGED  INCONCLUSIVENESS 
 
 11 
 
 ■  -  *  >' 
 
 ' 
 
 CHAPTER  I. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  admits  the  inconclusiveness  of  his  own  reasoning. 
 
 Before  entering  upon  the  consideration  of  our 
 author's  system,  we  may  observe,  that  he  seems  fully 
 aware  that  his  attempt  to  establish  the  responsibility 
 of  man,  by  the  train  of  reasoning  which  he  has  pur¬ 
 sued,  has  proved  a  failure.  Indeed,  he  admits  that 
 it  is  incapable  of  demonstration.  He  maintains  that 
 we  are  not  called  upon  to  reason  out  the  fundamental 
 truths  of  religion.  “  We  derive  them,'”  he  tells  us, 
 
 “  from  the  oracles  of  God,  and  rest  on  them  with  satis- 
 •  * 
 
 faction,  because  they  agree  with  our  experience.*” — P. 
 103.  The  unavoidable  conclusion  appears  to  be,  that  in 
 his  disquisition  on  man’s  responsibility,  he  has  been 
 speaking  “  into  the  air.”  But  let  Mr  Hinton  answer 
 for  himself : — “  It  may  have  been  surprising  to  them 
 (his  readers)  to  find  a  truth,  which  they  may  have 
 deemed  as  simple  and  evident  as  it  is  fundamental, 
 somewhat  difficult  of  convincing  demonstration,  and 
 mixed  up  with  abstruse  speculations.  Is  all  this 
 needful,  perhaps  they  have  exclaimed,  in  order  to 
 be  assured  of  the  foundations  of  religious  truth? 
 Let  me  be  permitted,  in  one  word,  to  say  to  such 
 readers,  that,  in  all  cases,  the  simplest  truths  are 
 the  most  difficult  of  demonstration.  Things  may 
 be  abundantly  plain  in  fact,  which,  nevertheless,  if 
 any  one  challenges  you  to  the  effort,  it  is  by  no 
 means  easy  to  prove.  Nothing  can  be  more  evident, 
 for  example,  than  our  own  existence,  and  the  exist¬ 
 ence  of  the  objects  which  surround  us ;  yet  to  prove 
 
12 
 
 OF  MR  HINTON’S  REASONING. 
 
 these  facts  by  reasoning  is  a  matter  of  extreme  dif¬ 
 ficulty,  even  if  it  be  possible  at  all.  The  truth  is, 
 that  an  argument  always  requires  premises,  some¬ 
 thing  admitted,  out  of  which  to  construct  your 
 proof.  It  arises  from  this  circumstance,  that  the 
 simpler  the  truths  are  about  which  you  reason,  the 
 more  difficult  reasoning  becomes  ;  there  being  in 
 this  case  fewer  premises,  or  admitted  points,  from 
 which  you  can  argue.  Reasoning  is  capable  of 
 being  always  pushed  back  into  difficulties,  by  taking 
 the  elements  assumed  in  every  argument,  and 
 challenging  the  proof  of  them.  And  as,  in  such  a 
 process,  we  should  come  gradually  to  truths  so 
 simple  that  the  proof  of  them  is  difficult,  so  we 
 should  come  at  length  to  what  are  called  ultimate 
 truths,  or  truths  beyond  which  we  cannot  go,  and 
 of  which  it  is  a  hard  matter  to  find  any  proof  at  all, 
 except  that  they  demonstrate  themselves  to  our 
 perception.  These  must  be  assumed  as  facts  without 
 reasoning,  because  they  agree  with  our  perceptions 
 and  experience.  Of  this  class  in  physical  philoso¬ 
 phy  is  the  doctrine  of  the  existence  of  the  material 
 universe,  which,  although  no  one  by  reasoning  can 
 prove  it,  no  one  ever  doubted.  Of  the  same  class 
 in  metaphysical  philosophy  is  the  doctrine  of  a 
 creature's  free-agency,  which,  also,  if  nobody  can 
 demonstrate  it,  everybody  acts  upon.  The  truth 
 last  mentioned  is  one  which  we  have  had  to  do  with 
 in  the  preceding  pages ;  not  voluntarily,  however, 
 mixing  up  plain  matters  with  profound,  but  because 
 our  opponents  constrain  us  to  follow  them  where 
 they  go.  I  hope  I  have  successfully  shown  that 
 these  abstruse  speculations  afford  them  no  refuge 
 
ACKNOWLEDGED  INCONCLUSIVENESS 
 
 13 
 
 from  the  demands  of  their  Maker ;  but  I  wish  also 
 to  satisfy  readers  who  may  be  little  conversant  with 
 them,  that  the  difficulties  which  attach  to  the  ulti¬ 
 mate  truths  of  religion,  attach  to  them  in  common 
 with  all  ultimate  truths,  in  every  department  of 
 human  knowledge.  Our  fundamental  notions  (and 
 these  comprehend  all  the  most  important  opinions 
 we  hold)  are  held  in  all  cases,  not  by  reasoning, 
 but  by  perception  and  experience.  And  as  it  is 
 with  natural  knowledge,  just  so  it  is  with  religious 
 knowledge.  W e  are  not  called  upon  to  reason  out 
 its  fundamental  doctrines.  We  derive  them  from 
 the  oracles  of  God,  and  rest  on  them  with  satisfac¬ 
 tion,  because  they  agree  with  our  experience.  We 
 are  justified  and  happy  in  doing  so ;  nor  is  there 
 any  thing  in  the  abstruse  speculations  into  which 
 some  perverse  disputers  will  both  rush  themselves, 
 and  drive  the  advocates  of  religious  truth,  which 
 need  for  a  moment  disturb  our  repose.” — Pp.  101-3. 
 
 It  is  here  admitted  that  it  is  extremely  difficult,  if 
 not  impossible,  to  prove,  by  reasoning,  our  own  exist¬ 
 ence,  and  no  one,  we  are  told,  can,  by  reasoning,  prove 
 the  existence  of  the  material  universe.  44  It  is  no 
 new  thing  in  metaphysical  philosophy  for  reasoning 
 to  be  at  once  apparently  conclusive  and  demonstra¬ 
 bly  false ;  that  is  to  say,  metaphysical  reasoners 
 have  sometimes  come  to  a  palpably  false  conclusion, 
 without  any  one  being  able  to  detect  a  flaw  in  the 
 reasoning  by  which  they  have  arrived  at  it.  A 
 signal  instance  of  this  may  be  cited  in  a  celebrated 
 prelate,  Bishop  Berkeley,  who  is  admitted  to  have 
 proved,  beyond  the  power  of  argumentative  refuta¬ 
 tion,  the  non-existence  of  the  material  universe  ; 
 
14 
 
 of  mr  hinton’s  reasoning. 
 
 / 
 
 that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  sun  or  stars,  as  earth 
 
 or  sea,  as  the  existence  of  other  men  or  even  our 
 
 * 
 
 own.  The  fact  is,  that,  in  subjects  of  this  class, 
 there  are  more  modes  of  fallacious  argument  than 
 the  human  understanding  has  been  able  to  detect ; 
 and  that  proof  may  sometimes  be  given  of  the  falsity 
 of  a  conclusion,  and,  therefore,  of  the  fallacy  of  an  ar¬ 
 gument,  when  we  are  not  able  to  show  wherein  the 
 fallacy  consists. ”-P.  38.  To  what  purpose,  then,  does 
 Mr  Hinton  follow  his  opponents  into  the  regions  of 
 abstruse  speculation,  while  he  admits  that  “  our  fun¬ 
 damental  notions  are  held  in  all  cases,  not  by  rea¬ 
 soning,  but  by  perception  and  experience  If  we 
 are  not  called  to  reason  out  the  fundamental  truths 
 of  religion,  if  we  derive  them  from  the  oracles  of 
 God,  and  rest  on  them  with  satisfaction  because  they 
 agree  with  our  experience,  is  it  not  better  to  reply  to 
 the  objections  either  of  avowed  infidels  or  paradoxical 
 divines,  by  the  plain  declarations  of  Scripture,  con¬ 
 firmed  by  our  own  consciousness,  than  to  quit  this 
 vantage  ground,  and  to  enter  upon  a  train  of  abstruse 
 speculations,  “  where  there  are  more  modes  of  falla¬ 
 cious  argument  than  the  human  understanding  has 
 been  able  to  detect,'”  and  where  “  proof  may  some¬ 
 times  be  given  of  the  falsity  of  a  conclusion,  and, 
 therefore  of  the  fallacy  of  an  argument,  when  we 
 
 are  not  able  to  show  wherein  the  fallacv  consists.” 
 
 «/ 
 
 The  apostles  commended  themselves  to  every 
 man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God,  by  manifesta¬ 
 tion  of  the  truth  ;  they  did  not  allow  themselves  to 
 be  seduced  into  what  they  term  “  vain  jangling,”  but 
 having  delivered  their  message  with  all  faithfulness, 
 affection,  and  long-suffering,  they  testified  that  if 
 their  gospel  was  hid,  it  was  hid  to  them  that  are  lost. 
 
ATTEMPT  TO  DIVEST 
 
 15 
 
 CHAPTER  II. 
 
 The  gospel  intended  to  pour  contempt  upon  the  wisdom  of  this 
 world  ; — attempt  to  divest  the  gospel  of  mystery,  a  frequent 
 source  of  its  corruption  ; — the  truth  only  learned  by  the  teaching 
 of  the  Spirit ; — the  king  of  Siam  ; — North  American  Indian  ; 
 — moral  inability  ; — spiritual  perception. 
 
 W hile  the  scriptures  address  men  as  rational  crea¬ 
 tures,  they  inform  us  that  it  was  Cod’s  purpose  to  stain 
 the  pride  of  all  human  glory, — to  humble  the  lofty 
 looks  of  man,  and  to  bow  down  his  haughtiness. 
 Man  fell  by  seeking  to  attain  a  greater  measure  of 
 wisdom  than  his  Maker  had  seen  fit  to  impart,  and 
 he  is  restored,  by  ceasing  from  his  own  wisdom,  by 
 becoming  a  fool  that  he  may  be  wise.  “  Where,1' 
 it  is  asked,  “  is  the  wise  ?  Where  is  the  scribe  ? 
 Where  is  the  disputer  of  this  world  ?  Hath  not  Cod 
 made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world  ?"  Again,  we 
 are  taught,  that  except  we  receive  the  kingdom  of 
 Cod  as  a  little  child,  we  shall  not  enter  therein.  The 
 man  who  possesses  most  of  the  temper  of  a  little  child 
 is  the  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  A  little 
 child  is  conscious  of  its  own  ignorance, — it  bows  to 
 the  wisdom  of  its  parents,  and  receives  upon  their 
 testimony,  with  undoubting  confidence,  many  things 
 which  it  is  unable  to  comprehend.  Indeed,  this  seems 
 essential  to  the  development  of  the  mental  faculties. 
 Were  a  child  to  refuse  credit  to  whatever  it  did  not 
 comprehend,  it  would  learn  little  or  nothing.  It 
 would  resemble  those  disciples  of  Des  Cartes,  who, 
 being  determined  to  take  nothing  for  granted,  could 
 
16 
 
 THE  GOSPEL  OF  MYSTERY, 
 
 proceed  no  farther  than  the  conviction  of  their  own 
 existence,  and  got  the  name  of  egoists ,  from  the  argu¬ 
 ment  upon  which  this  conviction  was  founded. 
 
 The  apostle,  in  reproving  the  Corinthians  for  the 
 want  of  this  child-like  spirit,  says,  “  We  are  fools  for 
 Christ's  sake,  but  ye  are  wise  in  Christ."  Perhaps, 
 like  our  author,  although  “  not  voluntarily  mixing  up 
 plain  truths  with  profound,"  they  had  been  constrained 
 by  their  opponents  to  follow  them  where  they  went, 
 and  hoped  they  had  “  successfully  shown  that  their 
 abstruse  speculations"  afforded  them  “  no  refuge  from 
 the  demands  of  their  Maker."  All  this,  however,  ap¬ 
 peared  to  the  apostle  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  and 
 of  the  princes  of  this  world,  that  come  to  nought, 
 while  he  spoke  of  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a  mystery, 
 even  the  hidden  wisdom  which  God  ordained  before 
 the  world,  to  our  glory,  1  Cor.  ii.  7. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  admits  there  are  mysteries  in  the  scrip¬ 
 tures.  It  were,  indeed,  absurd  to  suppose  that  a  re¬ 
 velation  from  God  should  not  contain  mysteries.  The 
 books  of  nature  and  providence  are  full  of  mystery, 
 arising  from  our  ignorance  and  our  circumstances  as 
 fallen  creatures.  But  there  is  a  peculiar  reason  for 
 the  revelation  of  mercy  being  in  many  respects  mys¬ 
 terious.  In  order  to  hide  pride  from  man,  God  has, 
 in  the  plan  of  salvation,  destroyed  the  wisdom  of  the 
 wise,  and  brought  to  nothing  the  understanding  of 
 the  prudent ;  for  he  saves  them  that  believe  “  by  the 
 foolishness  of  preaching."  But  Mr  Hinton,  endea¬ 
 vours  to  get  rid  of  many  of  the  mysteries  of  the  Word 
 of  God,  by  terming  them  “the  mysteries  of  systematic 
 theology."  W e  are  aware  that  some  have  been  deeply 
 read  in  “  systematic  theology,"  and  very  zealous  in 
 
A  SOURCE  OF  ITS  CORRUPTION. 
 
 17 
 
 fending  orthodox  sentiments,  while  they  have  exhi¬ 
 bited  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  in  a  cold  and  abstract 
 form,  bearing  little  resemblance  to  the  mode  of  apos¬ 
 tolic  teaching.  Still,  we  are  somewhat  jealous  of  the 
 sneers  which  are  frequently  uttered  against  systema¬ 
 tic  theology,  because  it  is  frequently,  if  not  uniform¬ 
 ly,  connected  with  an  attempt  to  get  rid  of  some  of 
 the  great  truths  of  the  gospel.  Every  man  must 
 have  a  system,  or  he  is  a  child  tossed  to  and  fro 
 with  every  wind  of  doctrine.  What  was  the  form  of 
 sound  words  which  the  apostle  urged  Timothy  to  hold 
 fast,  (2  Tim.  i.  13)  but  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  in 
 all  its  different  parts  and  relations  l  The  scripture 
 contains  a  perfect  system  of  divine  truth,  but  from 
 our  ignorance,  we  are  very  prone  to  mar  its  beauty 
 and  symmetry. 
 
 We  read  of  holding  the  mystery  of  the  faith, 
 1  Tim.  iii.  9-;  the  mystery  of  Christ,  Eph.  iii.  4.;  the 
 mystery  of  the  gospel,  Eph.  vi.  19.  Our  Lord  com¬ 
 pares  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  treasure  hid  in  a 
 field,  which,  when  a  man  hath  found,  he  hideth.  He 
 cannot  teach  his  neighbour  what  he  has  learned ;  all 
 the  children  of  the  new  covenant  are  taught  of  God. 
 Flesh  and  blood  have  not  revealed  to  them  the  mys¬ 
 tery  of  God,  and  of  the  Father,  and  of  Christ.  Per¬ 
 haps  nothing  has  tended  more  to  the  corruption  of 
 the  gospel  than  the  attempt  to  divest  it  of  mystery ; 
 and  this  attempt  is  frequently  made  with  the  view  of 
 obviating  the  objections  which  the  enmity  of  fallen 
 man  against  God  has  in  every  age  prompted  him  to 
 advance  against  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  “  Some 
 parts  (of  the  Bible)  may  be  obscure,”  says  our  author, 
 “  but  if  other  parts  be  plain,  then  to  this  extent  it  is 
 
 B 
 
IK 
 
 TEACHING  OF  THE  SPIRIT  NECESSARY. 
 
 available  to  its  professed  design.’1- — P.  26.  Is  this  a 
 proper  way  of  speaking  of  the  revelation  of  the  all- 
 wise  God?  Does  it  not  imply  that  only  to  a  certain 
 extent  it  is  available  to  its  professed  design  ?  Are  we 
 not  then  justified  in  passing  by  whatever  we  may  deem 
 obscure  ?  Is  this  to  tremble  at  the  Word  of  God?  Is 
 this  sitting  at  the  feet  of  J esus,  and  learning  the  truth 
 from  our  divine  Teacher? 
 
 “  I  am  very  willing  that  what  cannot  be  under¬ 
 stood  should  be  passed  by,  provided  what  can  be 
 understood  be  pondered  and  obeyed.11 — lb.  If  so, 
 everything  in  the  gospel  must  be  passed  by  till 
 men  are  enlightened  in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
 There  are  many  things  in  revelation  which  corres¬ 
 pond  with  men’s  natural  apprehensions  ;  such  as  the 
 precepts  of  the  moral  law, — God’s  over-ruling  provi¬ 
 dence, — and  a  judgment, to  come;  but  the  grand 
 truths  of  the  gospel  can  only  be  learned  by  the  teach¬ 
 ing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  because  they  are  foolishness 
 to  the  natural  man. 
 
 “  I  have  also  to  say  further,”  Mr  Hinton  proceeds, 
 “  that  a  proposition  is  not  to  be  set  down  as  unintel¬ 
 ligible,  because  it  contains  or  asserts  what  is  mys¬ 
 terious.  When  I  say  that  the  grass  grows,  I  assert 
 a  mystery,  for  no  one  can  tell  how  it  grows  ;  but  the 
 proposition  can  be  understood,  and  is  understood  by 
 everv  bodv.  When  I  assert  that  God  was  manifest 
 
 €/  t/ 
 
 in  the  flesh — the  great  mystery  of  godliness — this 
 proposition  is  quite  as  intelligible  as  the  former,  and 
 is  no  less  universally  understood. 
 
 “It  certainly  is  with  remarkable  heedlessness  that 
 ihe  charge  I  am  now  noticing  is  adduced.  The 
 truths  of  religion  are  in  point  of  fact  understood, 
 
THE  KING  OF  SIAM. 
 
 19 
 
 even  by  the  very  infidel  who  laughs  at  them  as  un¬ 
 intelligible  ;  for,  if  he  does  not  understand  them, 
 why  does  he  laugh  at  them  !  Does  he  in  any  other 
 case  deride  what  he  does  not  understand?  Would 
 he  laugh  at  a  sentence  in  an  unknown  language,  or 
 at  English  words  so  arranged  as  to  make  no  mean¬ 
 ing  ?  Undoubtedly  not.  Then  why  does  he  scoff 
 at  scriptural  declarations,  but  because  he  does  un¬ 
 derstand  them,  and  by  his  understanding  of  them 
 arrives  at  the  conclusion  that  they  are  worthy  of 
 ridicule  ?  The  measure  of  understanding  of  the 
 scriptures  which  suffices  for  him  to  reject  the  gospel 
 certainly  might  suffice  for  embracing  it.  Proposi¬ 
 tions  not  understood  can  no  more  be  rejected  than 
 received,  no  more  ridiculed  than  revered.” — p.  26,  27. 
 
 It  is  true  we  cannot  tell  how  the  grass  grows,  but 
 that  it  does  grow  is  obvious  to  every  man's  senses. 
 There  is  nothing  in  our  fallen  condition  to  prevent 
 our  acquiring  the  knowledge  of  natural  things,  but 
 even  in  regard  to  them,  what  we  are  altogether  unac¬ 
 customed  to  frequently  appears  impossible. 
 
 In  the  reign  of  Louis  XIY.  an  embassy  was 
 sent  to  the  king  of  Siam.  Among  other  things,  the 
 ambassador  informed  the  king  that  in  France,  during 
 winter,  the  cold  was  so  intense  that  men  walked 
 upon  the  water.  The  king  perfectly  understood  the 
 proposition,  but  it  was  so  opposed  to  anything  which 
 he  had  ever  seen  or  heard  of,  that  he  considered  it  as 
 mockerv,  and  threatened  the  ambassador  with  instant 
 death.  That  men  should  walk  upon  wrater  was  to 
 him  a  stumbling-block  and  foolishness.  Had  he, 
 however,  visited  a  cold  country,  or  seen  a  piece  of  ice, 
 the  mystery  would  have  been  explained. 
 
 The  government  of  the  United  States  sometimes 
 
20 
 
 NORTH  AMERICAN  CHIEF. 
 
 judge  it  advisable  to  invite  one  or  two  of  the  chiefs  of 
 remote  Indian  tribes  to  their  capital,  and  the  follow¬ 
 ing  is  the  account  given  of  one  of  these  visits. 
 
 A  chief  belonging  to  a  very  distant  tribe,  came  to 
 Washington.  The  President  received  him  with  great 
 kindness  ;  the  troops  were  manoeuvred  before  him  ; 
 he  witnessed  the  practice  of  the  artillery ;  and  after 
 every  department  had  displayed  to  him  whatever  was 
 likely  to  excite  his  admiration,  he  was  presented 
 with  a  coloners  uniform,  and  permitted  to  depart. 
 In  return  for  the  presents  he  had  received,  and 
 with  a  desire  to  impart  as  much  information  as  pos¬ 
 sible  to  his  tribe,  the  traveller,  dressed  in  his  new 
 costume,  undertook  to  deliver  a  course  of  lectures,  in 
 which  he  graphically  described  what  he  had  witness¬ 
 ed.  For  a  while  he  was  listened  to  with  attention  ; 
 but  as  soon  as  the  minds  of  his  audience  had  received 
 
 t 
 
 as  much  as  they  could  hold,  they  began  to  disbelieve 
 him.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  the  traveller  still 
 proceeded.  He  told  them  of  wigwams,  in  which 
 a  thousand  people  could,  at  the  same  time,  pray  to  the 
 Great  Spirit ;  of  other  wigwams,  five  stories  high, 
 built  in  lines  facing  each  other,  and  extending  over 
 an  enormous  space ;  he  told  them  of  war-canoes  that 
 could  hold  twelve  hundred  warriors.  Such  tales  to  the 
 Indian  mind  seemed  an  insult  to  common  sense.  For 
 some  time  he  was  treated  merely  with  ridicule  and  con¬ 
 tempt,  but  when,  resolutely  continuing  to  recount  his 
 adventures,  he  told  them  that  he  had  seen  the  white 
 people,  by  attaching  a  great  ball  to  a  canoe,  rise  into 
 the  clouds,  and  travel  through  the  heavens,  the  learn¬ 
 ed  men  of  his  tribe  pronounced  him  to  be  an  impostor, 
 and,  the  multitude  vociferously  declaring  that  he  was 
 too  great  a  liar  to  live ,  a  young  warrior,  in  a  parox- 
 
WHY  MEN  CORRUPT  THE  GOSPEL. 
 
 21 
 
 ysm  of  anger,  levelled  a  rifle  at  his  head,  and  blew  out 
 his  brains. 
 
 If  what  takes  place  in  another  climate,  or  in  a  dif¬ 
 ferent  state  of  society  appears  absurd,  because  it  is 
 contrary  to  our  experience,  shall  we  greatly  wonder 
 that  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God, — those  heavenly 
 and  eternal  things,  which  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear 
 heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man 
 to  conceive,  should  be  foolishness  to  all  who  have  not 
 the  spirit,  and  who  are  consequently  alienated  from 
 the  life  of  God,  through  the  ignorance  that  is  in 
 them,  because  of  the  blindness  of  their  heart,  and  who 
 love  the  darkness  rather  than  the  light,  because  their 
 deeds  are  evil  ? 
 
 In  the  gospel  we  have  the  fullest  display  of  the 
 Divine  character;  and  since  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
 against  God,  since  God  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no 
 darkness  at  all,  while  every  one  that  doeth  evil 
 hateth  the  light,  neither  cometh  to  the  light,  lest  his 
 deeds  should  be  reproved  ;  it  is  surely  not  surprising 
 that  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  should  be  a  stumbling 
 stone  and  a  rock  of  offence.  Hence,  the  disposition 
 in  all  men  by  nature  to  corrupt  the  gospel,  and  thus 
 to  render  it  more  palatable.  They  may  succeed,  but 
 it  is  at  the  expense  of  substituting  an  idol  for  the  God 
 of  truth.  The  character  of  our  God  is  embodied  in 
 our  views  of  the  gospel.  The  glory  of  God  shines  in 
 the  face  of  Christ,  and  this  glory  is  obscured  by  every 
 deviation  from  the  doctrine  of  scripture. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  observes,  that  when  he  asserts  that 
 God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  the  proposition  is  quite 
 intelligible.  But  the  apostle  asserts  that  no  man  can 
 say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 
 1  Cor.  xii.  3.;  and  this  truth  is  reiterated* throughout 
 
 h  3 
 
22 
 
 MORAL  INABILITY. 
 
 the  scriptures,  and  is  exemplified  in  the  avowed  re¬ 
 jection  of  the  supreme  Deity  of  Christ  by  so  many 
 around  us,  while  others  profess  to  receive  it,  upon 
 whose  hearts  it  makes  no  impression.  He  tells  us, 
 “  The  measure  of  understanding  of  the  scriptures 
 which  suffices  for  him  to  reject  the  gospel  certainly 
 might  suffice  for  embracing  it.11  P.27.  But  both  scrip¬ 
 ture  and  experience  teach  us  that  such  is  not  the  case  ; 
 and  even  our  Author  admits,  that  no  man  ever  did 
 or  will  believe  the  gospel,  except  by  the  power  of  the 
 Holy  Spirit.  At  the  same  time,  he  objects  to  the 
 doctrine  of  either  natural  or  moral  inability,  because 
 this  would  interfere  with  man's  responsibility.  I  have 
 already  stated  that  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  man  is 
 responsible,  but  I  do  not  attempt  to  reconcile  this 
 responsibility  with  the  plain  and  oft  repeated  declara¬ 
 tions  of  the  Word  of  God,  confirmed  by  universal  ex¬ 
 perience,  that  such  is  the  natural  love  of  darkness 
 and  hatred  of  light  in  the  mind  of  fallen  man,  that  it 
 can  only  be  dispelled  by  God  shining  into  his  heart, 
 and  giving  him  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  his  glory 
 in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 “  I  should  like,11  says  Mr  Hinton,  “any  person  who 
 permits  himself  to  use  the  phrases  spiritual  truth  and 
 spiritual  perception ,  to  tell  me  whether  he  ever  did, 
 or  can  at  this  moment,  attach  an  idea  to  them. 
 What  is  the  property  of  spirituality ,  as  connected 
 with  truth  ?  Or  what  is  the  peculiarity  denoted  in 
 any  truth  by  calling  it  spiritual  ?  Or  what  is  spirit¬ 
 ual  perception  ?  Is  it  any  thing  different  from 
 ordinary  perception  ?  And  if  so,  in  what  respect  ? 
 By  spiritual  truth  I  can  understand  only  truth 
 relating  to  religion.  By  spiritual  perception  1 
 suppose  may  be  intended  the  perception  of  religi- 
 
SPIRITUAL  PERCEPTION. 
 
 23 
 
 ous  truth  with  a  corresponding  feeling.  So  under¬ 
 stood,  however,  the  phrases  are  nothing  to  the  pur¬ 
 pose  in  hand.  Those  who  intend  them  to  express 
 a  reason  for  believing  that  men  in  general  cannot 
 understand  the  gospel,  must  mean,  or  seem  to  mean, 
 something  else  by  them  ;  but  what  it  may  be  I 
 confess  myself  unable  to  comprehend,  nor  do  I  think 
 they  can  explain  it  themselves. 11 — Pp.  30,  31. 
 
 By  spiritual  truth  is  meant,  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
 Jesus,  which,  according  to  the  Word  of  God,  is  only 
 discerned  by  those  who  are  spiritual,  or  have  the  spirit 
 of  Christ,  1  Cor.  ii.  15.  The  perception  of  the  way 
 of  salvation,  which  all  possess  who  are  taught  of  God, 
 is  spiritual  perception,  or  the  perception  of  spiritual 
 things,  as  opposed  to  natural  perception,  or  the  per¬ 
 ception  of  natural  things-  The  natural  man  either 
 rejects  the  scriptures  altogether,  or  perverts  the  doc¬ 
 trine  of  Christ.  Not  unfrequently  by  the  help  of 
 criticism  and  conjectural  emendations  of  the  text,  he 
 modifies  it  so  as  to  coincide  with  his  own  apprehen¬ 
 sions,  and  thus  forms  a  god  resembling  himself.  Such 
 is  the  god  of  the  Rationalists  and  Neologists. 
 
 Spiritual  perception  is  always  accompanied  with 
 corresponding  feeling,  for  the  man  who  possesses  it  is 
 born  of  God,  is  partaker  of  “a  divine  nature  2  Pet. 
 i.  4-  When  the  Lord  declared  that  when  the  Spirit 
 came,  he  would  convince  the  world  of  sin,  of  right¬ 
 eousness,  and  of  judgment,  he  intimated  that  he 
 would  give  men  spiritual  perception.  There  are  truths 
 relating  to  religion,  which  may  be  and  are  received 
 without  the  teaching  of  the  Spirit ;  for  instance,  the 
 existence  of  God, — his  government  of  the  world, — and 
 our  moral  obligations.  Spiritual  truths  are  those 
 which  flesh  and  blood  cannot  reveal,  but  which  God 
 reveals  by  his  Spirit  to  the  heirs  of  salvation. 
 
24 
 
 ]  Cor.  ii.  12,  considered. 
 
 CHAPTER  III. 
 
 Examination  of  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  ; — in  what  sense  the  gospel  is  under¬ 
 stood  without  Divine  teaching; — the  blind  lecturer  on  optics  ; — the 
 success  of  Mr  Locke’s  experiment ; — 1  John  v.  20. 
 
 The  apostle  asserts,  that  the  natural  man  receiveth 
 not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and,  considering 
 that  our  author  admits  that,  in  reference  to  the  con¬ 
 version  of  a  sinner,  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  is  abso¬ 
 lutely  necessary  and  certainly  effectual ,  he  might  have 
 adhered  to  the  plain  and  obvious  import  of  the  pas¬ 
 sage  ;  but  as  this  would  sanction  the  doctrine  of  man's 
 inability  to  turn  to  God,  he  attempts  to  explain  it  in 
 consistency  with  his  system. 
 
 He  begins  by  asserting,  page  31,  that  “upon  ex¬ 
 amination  it  will  be  found  not  to  refer  to  the  know¬ 
 ledge  of  the  gospel  at  all,  but  to  the  reception  or 
 approbation  of  it.”  In  proof  of  this  he  quotes  1  Cor. 
 ii.  12. :  “  Now  we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the 
 world,  but  the  Spirit  which  is  of  God,  that  we  may 
 know  the  things  which  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God 
 and  observes,  “  The  word  here  rendered  know,  pri¬ 
 marily  means  to  see ;  but  is  used  on  some  occasions 
 
 V 
 
 to  denote  an  actual  participation  either  of  good  or 
 evil.”  To  this  there  is  no  objection.  Seeing  or  know¬ 
 ing  death  or  corruption  no  doubt  implies  actual  par¬ 
 ticipation  ;  but  the  same  word  is  used,  2  Cor.  xii.  2, 
 3,  “  God  knoweth John  xxi.  15,  16,  “  Thou  know- 
 est  that  I  love  thee  Rom.  viii.  28,  “  W e  know 
 that  all  things  work  together  for  good  Heb.  x.  30, 
 “  We  know  him  that  hath  said.”  In  these  and 
 
1  Cor.  ii.  12,  considered. 
 
 25 
 
 many  other  passages,  actual  participation  is  not  im¬ 
 plied.  The  word  is  properly  rendered  know ;  it 
 means  to  see  or  perceive  with  the  eyes  of  the  mind. 
 This  is  most  evident  from  the  preceding  verses, 
 where  the  apostle  is  neither  speaking  of  bodily  sight 
 nor  of  participation,  but  of  mental  perception  ;  and 
 he  affirms,  that  “  as  no  man  knoweth  the  things  of 
 a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him, 
 so  no  man  knoweth  the  things  of  God  but  the  Spirit 
 of  God,1  1  Cor.  ii.  11. 
 
 Our  author  proceeds  thus  to  paraphrase  verse  12. 
 “  W e,11  says  Paul,  (speaking  of  Christians,  no  doubt) 
 “  have  received  not  the  spirit  [or  temper]  of  the 
 world,  but  the  spirit  [or  temper]  which  is  of  God, 
 that  we  may  know  [that  is,  may  participate,  or  expe¬ 
 rimentally  enjoy]  the  things  which  are  freely  given  to 
 us  of  God,11 — p.  32.  In  this  verse  the  apostle  refers  to 
 the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  made  by  the  Lord  to  his 
 disciples,  that  he  would  send  the  Spirit  of  truth,  who 
 should  guide  them  into  all  the  truth,  John  xvi.  13.; 
 but  our  author  substitutes  temper  for  spirit,  and 
 thus  sanctions  a  method  of  altogether  setting  aside 
 the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  do  not  impute  to 
 him  such  an  intention,  but  if  the  Holy  Spirit  may 
 be  kept  out  of  sight  in  this  passage,  and  the  word 
 temper  substituted,  there  are  few  passages  where  his 
 operation,  or  even  his  subsistence  as  one  of  the 
 adorable  Persons  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead,  may 
 not  be  set  aside. 
 
 When  the  apostle  says,  verse  11,  that  “  only  the 
 Spirit  of  God  knoweth  the  things  of  God,11  does  he 
 speak  of  a  temper,  or  of  the  Holy  Ghost  l  Most 
 assuredly  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  then  proceeds  to 
 
2(3  ALL  BELIEVERS  TARTAKERS  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 
 
 state  that  he  and  his  brethren  had  received  the 
 Spirit  which  is  of  God,  44  that  we  might  know  the 
 things  that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God.11  This  is 
 the  Spirit  promised  by  Jesus,  when  he  said,  44  Ye 
 shall  be  baptised  with  the  Holy  Ghost.'”  The  fulfil¬ 
 ment  of  this  promise  was  the  effect  of  Christ's  death 
 and  exaltation,  John  vii.  39  ;  and  so  important  was 
 it,  that  it  more  than  compensated  for  his  bodily 
 presence  and  personal  instructions,  John  xvi.  7. 
 
 The  indwelling  of  the  Spirit  is  the  common  privi¬ 
 lege  of  all  believers  ;  “  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all 
 baptised  into  one  body,  whether  we  be  Jews  or  Gen¬ 
 tiles,  whether  we  be  bond  or  free ;  and  have  been  all 
 made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit;1'’  1  Cor.  xii.  13.  44  If 
 any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of 
 his,11  Rom.  viii.  9.  Mr  Hinton  may  tell  us  this  also 
 means  the  temper  of  Christ ;  but  surely  it  is  by  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  not  by  a  temper,  that  we  are  to  be 
 raised  from  the  dead,  Rom.  viii.  10,  11. 
 
 It  is  the  characteristic  of  every  child  of  the  new 
 covenant,  that  he  is  taught  by  the  Spirit  of  God  ; 
 our  coming  to  Christ  is  the  effect  of  this  teaching, 
 John  vi.  45  ;  yet  our  author,  in  his  zeal  for  his  sys¬ 
 tem,  sets  aside  one  of  the  most  explicit  proofs  of  this 
 fundamental  truth,  by  arbitrarily  changing  the  Spirit 
 which  is  of  God,  to  the  temper  which  is  of  God. 
 
 The  impropriety  of  this  interpretation  is  still  more 
 evident  from  the  intermediate  verse,  which  Mr  Hin¬ 
 ton  has  passed  over  in  paraphrasing  the  preceding 
 and  following  verses  :  44  Which  things  also  we  speak, 
 not  in  the  words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth, 
 but  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth ;  comparing 
 spiritual  things  with  spiritual,11  1  Cor.  ii.  13.  Here 
 
THE  GOSPEL  FOOLISHNESS  TO  THE  NATURAL  MAN.  27 
 
 the  apostle  declares  that  he  spoke  the  things  which 
 he  knew  by  u  the  Spirit  which  is  of  God,’1  in  the 
 words  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teaclieth.  Not  only 
 did  he  know  the  things  of  God  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
 but  he  spoke  of  them,  not  in  the  words  which  man’s 
 wisdom  teaclieth,  but  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teach- 
 eth.  So  glorious  and  important  were  the  revelations 
 which  he  received  by  the  Spirit,  that  he  was  not  per¬ 
 mitted  to  express  them  in  his  own  words,  but  in 
 words  dictated  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  under  whose  in¬ 
 fallible  guidance,  he  compared  spiritual  things  with 
 spiritual.  But,  notwithstanding  the  glory  and  ex¬ 
 cellency  of  the  things  revealed  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
 and  which  the  apostle  declared  in  the  words  of  in¬ 
 spiration,  such  is  the  blindness  of  the  natural  man, 
 (of  every  man  who  has  not  the  Spirit,  Jude  19,)  that 
 he  does  not  receive  44  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
 for  they  are  foolishness  to  him  ;  neither  can  he  know 
 them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned.'”  Here 
 the  apostle  repeats  what  he  had  said  in  verses  lltli 
 and  12th,  that  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  man, 
 but  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  those  who  are  taught  by 
 the  Spirit. 
 
 We  have  alreadv  noticed  Mr  Hinton’s  criticism 
 
 «/ 
 
 upon  the  word  rendered  know ,  in  verse  12,  and  have 
 given  various  instances  (to  which  many  others  might 
 be  added,)  which  prove  that  it  is  properly  translated. 
 In  verse  14,  a  different  word  is  employed  by  the 
 apostle,  44  Neither  can  he  know  them and  Mr 
 Hinton  will  admit  that  it  primarily  signifies  to  know. 
 The  same  word  is  used  when  cur  Lord  says,  44  This 
 is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee,  the  only 
 true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent,” 
 
28 
 
 IN  WIIAT  SENSE  HE  UNDERSTANDS  IT. 
 
 John  xvii.  8.  We  might  refer  to  many  other  pas¬ 
 sages,  in  which  the  knowledge  of  the  gospel  is  re¬ 
 presented  as  peculiar  to  those  who  are  taught  of  God, 
 but  we  only  mention  one  :  u  And  ye  shall  know  the 
 truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free, 11  John 
 viii.  82.  Here  men  being  made  free  from  sin,  or  a 
 proper  temper  of  mind  being  produced  in  them,  is 
 ascribed  to  their  knowing,  or  becoming  acquainted 
 with  the  truth,  “  which  effectually  worketh  in  them 
 that  believe,”  1  Thess.  ii.  13. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  deems  it  expedient  to  explain  foolish¬ 
 ness  as  meaning  things  44  worthless  and  disagreeable,” 
 but  the  former  is  the  proper  rendering.  It  is  opposed 
 to  wisdom  :  44  Hath  not  God  made  foolish  the  wisdom 
 of  this  world,”  1  Cor.  i.  20.  When  44  the  world  by 
 wisdom  knew  not  God,  it  pleased  God  by  the  foolish¬ 
 ness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that  believe,”  verse 
 21.  44  The  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom ,  but  we  preach 
 Christ  crucified,  unto  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block, 
 and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness ,”  verse  23  .  44  The 
 
 foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  man,”  verse  25. 
 God  hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to 
 confound  the  wise,”  verse  27.  When,  therefore,  the 
 apostle  says  that  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
 are  foolishness  to  the  natural  man,  he  repeats  what 
 he  had  dwelt  so  much  upon  in  the  preceding  chapter 
 respecting  his  blindness  and  ignorance. 
 
 As  to  the  gospel  being  understood  by  all,  it  is 
 true  in  one  sense,  and  false  in  another.  Men  may 
 understand  that  the  gospel  represents  them  as  lost 
 and  condemned,  and  reveals  salvation  by  faith  in 
 Jesus.  They  may  see  that  it  places  all  men  upon 
 the  same  level — that  the  murderer  and  blasphemer 
 
BLIND  LECTURER  ON  OPTICS.  29 
 
 are  invited  to  the  enjoyment  of  eternal  life,  precisely 
 on  the  same  footing  as  the  most  benevolent  philan¬ 
 thropist — that  publicans  and  harlots  are  nearer  the 
 kingdom  of  God  than  devout  and  self-righteous  reli- 
 gionists.  So  far  it  is  quite  intelligible  ;  but  men 
 cannot  understand  how  these  things  should  be.  No 
 evidence  can  convince  them ;  such  doctrine  is  to 
 them  a  stumbling-block  and  foolishness.  When  the 
 high  priest  asked  the  Lord  Jesus,  u  Art  thou  the 
 Christ,  the  Son  of  the  blessed,”  he  perfectly  under¬ 
 stood  the  Lord’s  reply ;  but  that  the  King  Messiah, 
 of  whom  such  glorious  things  were  written,  should 
 stand  as  a  friendless  culprit  before  his  bar,  was  a 
 stumbling-block  which  he  could  not  overstep.  The 
 Greeks  who  sought  after  wisdom,  heard  the  apostles 
 affirm  that  there  was  no  salvation  except  through 
 faith  in  a  man  who  had  been  crucified  as  a  malefac¬ 
 tor  at  Jerusalem.  This  doctrine  was  foolishness  to 
 them  ;  they  understood  the  terms  of  the  proposition, 
 but  the  truth  which  it  contained  was  so  completely 
 opposed  to  all  their  preconceived  notions,  so  much  at 
 variance  with  what  they  termed  “  reason  and  com¬ 
 mon  sense,”  that  they  treated  it  with  scorn  and  con¬ 
 tempt. 
 
 Many  who  have  not  the  Spirit,  profess  to  believe 
 the  gospel,  but  it  is  a  gospel  modified  to  their  cor¬ 
 rupt  taste  ;  it  is  another  gospel,  not  the  gospel  of 
 Christ.  Men  may,  indeed,  learn  to  talk  with  accu¬ 
 racy  of  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel ;  just  as  a  man 
 born  blind  may  talk  of  light  and  colours,  while  he  is 
 totally  ignorant  of  both.  I  once  heard  such  a  person 
 lecture  upon  optics  to  a  crowded  auditory,  and  I 
 thought  at  the  time  there  was  not  perhaps  an  indi- 
 
 c 
 
 % 
 
 * 
 
30 
 
 MR  LOCKF/S  EXPERIMENT. 
 
 vidual  present  who  could  speak  so  well  on  the  sub¬ 
 ject,  and  yet  all  who  heard  him  knew  the  meaning 
 of  light  and  colours,  while  he  had  not  one  just  idea 
 of  the  terms  wdiich  he  employed.  The  experiment 
 of  Mr  Locke  is  well  known.  He  attempted  to  ex¬ 
 plain  to  a  blind  man  the  difference  of  colours,  and, 
 after  exhausting  all  his  ingenuity,  he  asked  his  pupil 
 what  his  notion  was  of  the  colour  of  scarlet,  of  which 
 he  professed  to  have  received  some  knowledge ;  in 
 reply,  he  was  informed  that  it  appeared  to  resemble 
 the  sound  of  a  trumpet !  What  else  could  be  ex¬ 
 pected  ?  Being  destitute  of  sight,  no  language  could 
 give  him  any  just  conception  of  the  objects  of 
 vision.  The  believer  knows  God  as  he  is  revealed 
 in  his  Son,  but  he  cannot  communicate  this  know¬ 
 ledge  to  another.  All  the  children  of  the  new  cove¬ 
 nant  have  heard  (compare  John  viii.  43)  and  been 
 taught  by  the  great  prophet,  Eph.  iv.  SI.  “  Paul 
 may  plant,  and  Apollos  water,  but  God  giveth  the 
 increased 
 
 Our  author  admits  that  in  1  J ohn  v.  20,  the  term 
 understanding  relates  to  the  faculty  of  knowledge. 
 This  is  indeed  most  obvious  ;  the  apostle  says.  “  The 
 Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us  an  under¬ 
 standing,  that  we  may  know  him  that  is  true  and 
 we  may  observe  that  the  same  word  is  employed,  as 
 in  1  Cor.  ii.  14,  where  we  are  told  “  the  natural  man 
 cannot  knotv  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God.”  Mr 
 Hinton  would,  however,  restrict  the  knowledge  spoken 
 of  1  John  v.  10,  to  “  the  special  operation  of  God  upon 
 the  writer,  and  other  inspired  men.”  This  supposi¬ 
 tion  is  perfectly  gratuitous.  Throughout  the  epistle, 
 the  apostle  classes  his  brethren  along  with  himself, 
 
DIVINE  TEACHING  ESSENTIAL 
 
 31 
 
 and  very  frequently  employs  the  same  language,  “  we 
 know”*  Many  attempt  to  set  aside  the  work  of  the 
 Spirit  altogether,  by  representing  the  passages  in 
 which  it  is  treated  of  as  referring  to  inspired  men  and 
 miraculous  gifts.  There  is  no  more  “  presumption"’ 
 in  believers  saying,  “  we  know  that  we  are  of  God, 
 and  that  the  whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness,’"  than 
 in  saying,  “  God  hath  not  appointed  us  to  wrath, 
 but  to  obtain  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ  who  died 
 for  us,  that  whether  we  wake  or  sleep,  we  should 
 live  together  with  him,”  1  Thess.  v.  9,  10  ;  or  “  we 
 know  that  we  have  eternal  life,”  to  assure  the  be¬ 
 lievers  of  which,  the  apostle  wrote  the  epistle ;  1 
 John  v.  13. 
 
 On  the  whole,  Mr  Hinton  has  completely  failed 
 in  his  attempt  to  prove  that  any  child  of  Adam  can 
 understand  the  gospel,  except  by  the  teaching  of  the 
 Spirit  of  God.  He  at  last  admits  that  a  great  many 
 do  not  understand  it,  which  he  ascribes  to  “  the 
 prevalence  of  evil  passions,  which  renders  them  very 
 averse  to  the  contemplation  of  it.”  Most  assuredly 
 it  is  men’s  alienation  from  the  life  of  God,  with  their 
 consequent  love  of  darkness  and  hatred  of  the  light, 
 which  blinds  their  minds,  which  leads  them  to  pre¬ 
 fer  the  service  of  Satan  to  the  service  of  God  ;  and 
 so  strong  is  this  principle,  that  every  man  in  whom 
 it  has  been  overcome  has  been  the  subject  of  the 
 same  mighty  power  by  which  Christ  was  raised  from 
 the  dead,  Eph.  i.  16 — 20. 
 
 Our  author  maintains  that  “every  man  of  sound 
 mind  is  capable  of  understanding  the  scripture  in  its 
 general  truths  ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  precepts  and 
 *  See  1  John  iii.  14,  19  ;  iv.  13,  1G  ;  v.  2,  15,  18,  19. 
 
32 
 
 TO  OUR  UNDERSTANDING  THE  GOSPEL. 
 
 motives  addressed  to  him  by  his  Maker  for  the  regula¬ 
 tion  of  his  conduct.” — P.  34.  If  by  the  general  truths 
 of  scripture,  or  the  precepts  and  motives  addressed 
 to  man,  is  meant  the  moral  law,  by  which  our  con¬ 
 duct  ought  to  be  regulated,  we  have  no  objections  to 
 this  statement ;  but  if  the  way  of  salvation  by  the 
 Son  of  God  is  intended,  the  whole  tenor  of  scripture 
 contradicts  the  assertion,  and  declares  that  “  no  man 
 knows  the  truth  as  it  is  in  J esus  but  he  that  is  taught 
 of  God,  Mat.  xvi.  17;  1  Cor.  ii.  12.  Mr  Hinton 
 admits  that  such  is  practically  the  case  ;  for  he  holds 
 that,  in  reference  to  the  conversion  of  a  sinner,  the 
 influence  of  the  Spirit  is  absolutely  necessary  ;  and 
 according  to  the  word  of  God,  conversion  and  the 
 knowledge  of  the  truth  are  convertible  terms. 
 
ACTIONS  FREE,  YET  ORDAINED. 
 
 33 
 
 CHAPTER  IV. 
 
 Actions  performed  freely,  yet  ordained; — Sennacherib; — Ahab  ; 
 — the  death  of  Christ  determined,  yet  no  apology  for  his  mur¬ 
 derers  ; — Joseph  ; — Absalom  ; — mystery  of  Providence. 
 
 “  Without  pretending  to  explain,’1  says  Mr  Hinton, 
 “  how  the  Creator  may  have  found  it  practicable  to 
 limit  his  own  interference,  and  to  assign  to  some 
 of  his  creatures,  properly  endowed  for  it,  a  defi¬ 
 nite  sphere  of  independent  action,  we  can  find  no 
 difficulty  in  believing  that  this  is  possible.  At 
 all  events,  we  are  sure  that  no  one  can  prove  that 
 it  is  not ;  and  unless  this  is  proved,  nothing  is 
 proved  to  the  purpose  of  the  argument.11 — P.  17. 
 
 This  is  one  of  those  untaught  questions  which  has 
 “  a  show  of  wisdom,11  while  it  is  calculated  to  turn 
 us  away  from  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ.  In 
 Gfod  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being ;  in  his 
 hand  is  our  breath,  and  his  are  all  our  ways ;  but 
 still  we  are  responsible,  and  shall  give  an  account  of 
 ourselves  to  God.  Whether  it  may  fall  within  the 
 sphere  of  our  philosophy  or  not,  the  Scriptures  re¬ 
 present  those  actions  which  we  perform  most  freely 
 as  having  been  ordained  of  God,  and  brought  to  pass 
 by  his  agency.  He  sent  “  the  Assyrian  against  an 
 hypocritical  nation,  and  gave  him  a  charge  against 
 the  people  of  his  wrath  to  take  the  spoil,  and  to  take 
 the  prey,  and  to  tread  them  down  like  the  mire  in 
 the  street Isa.  x.  6.  The  haughty  monarch  is 
 thus  addressed:  “  Hast  thou  not  heard  long  ago  how 
 I  have  done  it,  and  of  ancient  times  that  I  have 
 
 formed  it  ?  now  have  I  brought  it  to  pass,  that  thou 
 
 c  3 
 
34 
 
 DEATH  OF  AHAB. 
 
 shouldest  be  to  lay  waste  fenced  cities  into  ruinous 
 heaps 2  Kings  xix.  25.  Meantime  Sennacherib 
 was  only  intent  upon  the  gratification  of  his  own 
 ambition,  and  when  the  Lord  had  made  what  use  of 
 him  he  saw  fit,  he  punished  him  for  his  pride  and 
 cruelty  in  the  exercise  of  the  commission  which  he 
 had  given  him ;  Isaiah  x.  5 — 12. 
 
 God  had  determined  that  Ahab  should  fall  at 
 Ramoth-Gilead,  yet  he  went  voluntarily,  after  being 
 solemnly  warned  of  the  result  of  his  journey.  Nay, 
 the  veil  which  conceals  the  great  Creator  from  human 
 view  was  withdrawn,  and  Ahab  was  informed  of  the 
 means  by  which  his  destruction  was  to  be  effected. 
 The  prophet  told  him,  “that  he  had  seen  Jehovah 
 upon  his  throne,  surrounded  by  all  the  host  of 
 heaven.  And  the  Lord  said,  Who  shall  persuade 
 Ahab,  that  he  may  go  and  fall  at  Rarnoth- Gilead  ?" 
 Different  plans  were  proposed,  but  a  spirit  undertook 
 the  task,  which  he  engaged  to  accomplish  by  being 
 a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  Allah's  prophets.  And 
 the  Lord  said,  “  Thou  slialt  persuade  him,  and  pre¬ 
 vail  also:  go  forth  and  do  so.11  Yet  Ahab  was 
 warned,  “  The  Lord  hath  put  a  lying  spirit  in  the 
 mouth  of  all  thy  prophets,  and  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
 evil  concerning  thee 1  Kings  xxii.  23.  And  what 
 was  the  issue  ?  Ahab  went,  and  fell  at  Ramoth- 
 Gilead,  and  he  went  most  freely.  The  net  was 
 spread  in  the  sight  of  the  bird ;  Micaiah  pledged 
 his  prophetic  mission — in  other  words,  his  life,  for  a 
 false  prophet  was  to  be  put  to  death, — upon  the  ful¬ 
 filment  of  the  prediction;  yet  the  Lord's  purpose 
 stood,  and  in  this,  as  in  every  other  matter,  he  did 
 all  his  pleasure. 
 
Christ’s  death  predetermined.  53 
 
 If  we  are  guided  by  the  Scriptures,  we  shall  not 
 perplex  ourselves  with  vainly  attempting  to  recon¬ 
 cile  the  sovereignty  of  God  with  human  responsibility. 
 It  is  a  matter  too  high  for  us ;  we  cannot  attain  to 
 it.  The  death  of  Christ  was  fore-ordained,  yet  this 
 did  not  interfere  with  the  responsibility  of  those  who 
 fulfilled  the  Divine  purpose.  44  Him,  being  delivered 
 by  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of 
 God,  ye  have  taken,  and  by  wicked  hands  have  cru¬ 
 cified  and  slain,1'  Acts  ii.  23-  Again,  44  Those  things,11 
 says  the  apostle,  44  which  God  before  had  showed  by 
 the  mouths  of  all  his  prophets,  that  Christ  should 
 suffer,  he  hath  so  fulfilled.  Repent  ye,  therefore, 
 and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out, 
 when  the  times  of  refreshing  shall  come  from  the 
 presence  of  the  Lord;11  Acts  iii.  18,  19.  44  Had  they 
 known  it,  (the  hidden  wisdom  which  God  had  or¬ 
 dained  before  the  world  for  our  glory,)  they  would 
 not  have  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory 1  Cor.  ii.  8. 
 Yet  their  ignorance  formed  no  apology  for  their  con¬ 
 duct ;  “with  wicked  hands’1  they  fulfilled  God’s 
 determination.  It  is  worthy  of  attention  how 
 frequently  the  determinate  purpose  of  God  that 
 Christ  should  suffer,  is  repeated  in  connexion  with 
 the  wickedness  of  the  Jews,  as  if  to  impress  more 
 powerfully  on  our  minds  the  perfect  consistency  of 
 what  appears  to  us  so  mysterious.  44  And  truly  the 
 Son  of  man  goeth,  as  it  was  determined ;  but  woe 
 unto  that  man  by  whom  he  is  betrayed  I11  Luke  xxii. 
 22.  44  For  of  a  truth,  against  thy  holy  child  Jesus, 
 
 whom  thou  hast  anointed,  both  Herod  and  Pontius 
 Pilate,  with  the  Gentiles,  and  the  people  of  Israel, 
 were  gathered  together,  for  to  do  whatsoever  thy 
 
36 
 
 GUILT  OF  HIS  MURDERERS. 
 
 hand  and  thy  counsel  determined  before  to  be  done;' 
 Acts  iv.  27,  28.  “  For  they  that  dwell  at  Jerusalem, 
 and  their  rulers,  because  they  knew  him  not,  nor  yet 
 the  voices  of  the  prophets,  which  are  read  every 
 sabbatli-day,  they  have  fulfilled  them  in  condemning 
 him.  And  though  they  found  no  cause  of  death  in 
 him,  yet  desired  they  Pilate  that  he  should  be  slain 
 Acts  xiii.  27,  28. 
 
 Why  will  Mr  Hinton  attempt  to  explain  what  in 
 the  present  state  of  our  knowledge  is  inexplicable  ? 
 Why  will  he  not  rest  in  the  facts  narrated  in  the 
 W ord  of  God  ?  It  will  be  his  wisdom, — to  use  his  own 
 words, — 'to  “  put  this  doctrine  among  things  myste¬ 
 rious  ;  resting  its  reception  on  the  authority  of  the 
 inspired  volume,  confirmed  by  nature  and  providence, 
 and  leaving  its  vindication  to  a  future  day,  the  day 
 of  ‘the  revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God.’  ” 
 — P.l  1 .  In  this  way  alone  will  he  find  rest  to  his  own 
 mind,  and  promote  the  peace  and  comfort  of  others. 
 
 In  direct  opposition  to  the  passages  referred  to, 
 which  assert,  in  the  plainest  terms,  that  God  pre¬ 
 determined  the  death  of  Christ,  without  in  the  smallest 
 degree  diminishing  the  guilt  of  his  murderers  ;  our 
 author  informs  us,  that  he  does  not  believe  “  that  God 
 predetermined  the  actions  of  men. ”-P.  63.  The  death 
 of  Christ  was  the  most  important  event  which  ever 
 took  place  in  the  universe,  and,  moreover,  the  greatest 
 act  of  wickedness  ever  perpetrated  by  any  of  the 
 human  race — it  places  in  the  clearest  light  man’s 
 rooted  enmity  against  God  ;  yet  it  was  according 
 to  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God, 
 who,  through  the  sinful  ignorance  of  the  Jews,  ful¬ 
 filled  the  predictions  which  he  had  delivered  by  his 
 
SOVEREIGNTY  AND  RESPONSIBILITY.  37 
 
 prophets,  and  thus  did  what  his  hand  and  counsel 
 determined  before  to  be  done.  If  this  did  not  inter¬ 
 fere  with  the  responsibility  of  the  perpetrators  of  such 
 enormous  wickedness,  why  should  we  hesitate  to 
 admit  the  harmony  of  the  same  elements  in  other 
 cases  ? 
 
 Mr  Hinton  holds  that  God  predetermines  his  own 
 actions,  and  that,  in  forming  the  scheme  of  his  own 
 conduct,  he  could  not  but  incorporate  in  his  plan 
 the  foreseen  conduct  of  others ;  hut  it  seems  to  him 
 absurd  “  that  God  should  first  endow  beings  to  act 
 independently  of  him,  and  then,  grasping  them  by  his 
 decrees,  predetermine  their  actions.”-P.63.  But  scrip¬ 
 ture,  as  well  as  reason,  spurns  the  notion  of  creatures 
 being  endowed  to  act  independently  of  their  Creator. 
 They  live,  and  move,  and  have  their  being  in  him, 
 and  yet  they  feel  that  they  act  voluntarily,  and  are 
 responsible  for  their  conduct.  As  topredetermining 
 men's  actions,  no  language  can  be  more  precise  than 
 what  is  employed  respecting  the  death  of  Christ. 
 The  plain  and  explicit  declarations  of  the  Word  of 
 God  ought  to  be  to  the  Christian  what  the  test  of 
 experiment  is  to  the  philosopher.  If  he  has  ascer¬ 
 tained,  by  experiment,  that  any  substance  possesses 
 a  certain  property,  he  smiles  at  every  theory,  how¬ 
 ever  plausible,  which  professes  to  prove  the  contrary. 
 Now,  the  question  of  God’s  absolute  sovereignty  in 
 accomplishing  his  purposes,  while  it  in  no  degree  im¬ 
 pinges  upon  man’s  responsibility,  is  established  by 
 the  matter  of  fact,  that  God  had  predetermined  the 
 death  of  Christ,  and  that  still  the  conduct  of  the 
 Jews  was  inexcusable. 
 
 Again,  He  sent  Joseph  into  Egypt,  that  he  might, 
 
38 
 
 JOSEPH,  ABSALOM,  JEROBOAM. 
 
 so  to  speak,  provide  a  cradle  for  his  peculiar  people, 
 till  they  were  multiplied  to  a  nation,  Gen-  xlv.  5,  7, 
 8 ;  Psal.  cv.  1 7.  ;  yet  this  was  no  palliation  of 
 the  wickedness  of  the  patriarchs  who  sold  him. 
 God  put  it  in  the  heart  of  the  ten  kings  to  fulfil  his 
 will,  and  to  give  their  kingdom  to  the  beast  till  the 
 words  of  God  should  be  fulfilled,  Rev.  xvii.  17.  ; 
 yet  will  they  he  called  to  account  for  this  part  of 
 their  conduct.  The  wickedness  perpetrated  by  Ab¬ 
 salom,  at  the  suggestion  of  Ahitophel,  is  horrible, 
 yet,  in  foretelling  it,  as  well  as  the  murder  of  Amnon, 
 and  other  bloody  scenes  which  took  place  in  David's 
 family,  God  ascribes  it  to  himself :  “  I  will  raise  up 
 evil  against  thee  out  of  thine  own  house,  and  I  will 
 take  thy  wives,1’  &c. ;  2  Sam.  xii.  11,  12. 
 
 On  account  of  Solomon's  countenancing  the  idolatry 
 of  his  wives,  God  declared  he  would  rend  from  his  son 
 the  greater  part  of  his  kingdom  ;  and  the  manner  in 
 which  this  was  accomplished  illustrates  our  present 
 subject.  The  Scripture  informs  us  that  Jeroboam 
 “  lifted  up  his  hand  against  the  king.  And  this  was 
 the  cause  that  he  lifted  up  his  hand  against  the  king;’’ 
 1  Kings  xi.  27.  We  are  then  informed,  that  the  pro¬ 
 phet  Abijah  rent  J eroboanTs  new  garment  in  twelve 
 pieces,  desiring  him  to  take  ten  pieces,  and  informing 
 him  that  he  should  reign  over  ten  tribes ;  1  Kings 
 xi.  26,  35.  Accordingly,  when  all  Israel  went  to 
 Shecliem  to  make  Rehoboam  king,  they  asked  him 
 to  make  the  heavy  yoke  of  his  father  lighter.  He 
 answered  them  roughly,  and,  in  consequence,  Jero¬ 
 boam  became  king  over  ten  tribes,  according  to  the 
 word  of  the  Lord.  While  the  conduct  of  Rehoboam 
 was  very  foolish  upon  this  occasion,  we  are  told  the 
 
THE  MYSTERY  OF  PROVIDENCE. 
 
 39 
 
 cause  was  of  God,  2  Chron.  x.  15.  The  conduct  of 
 the  ten  tribes  was  also  highly  blameable.  In  re¬ 
 jecting  the  house  of  David,  they  discovered  their 
 disregard  of  the  promise  of  Messiah,  who  was  to 
 spring  from  David.  When  Rehoboam  raised  an 
 army  for  the  recovery  of  his  kingdom  over  Israel,  he 
 was  commanded  to  forbear,  for,  said  the  Lord,  “  This 
 thing  is  from  me.11  No  doubt,  all  parties  were  guilty 
 of  much  sin  in  the  whole  transaction,  for  which  they 
 were  responsible ;  but  God  declares,  “this  thing  is 
 done  of  me,11  2  Chron.  xi.  4.  By  his  prophet,  he  had 
 encouraged  Jeroboam  in  his  schemes  of  ambition, 
 by  assuring  him  of  success,  1  Kings  xi.  37. 
 
 Such  is  the  uniform  doctrine  of  the  Word  of  God, 
 and  if  he  governs  the  universe,  and  orders  all  things, 
 from  the  rise  of  an  empire  to  the  fall  of  a  sparrow, 
 it  must  be  so,  although  we  may  not  be  able  to  recon¬ 
 cile  his  absolute  sovereignty  with  our  responsibility. 
 The  mystery  of  Providence  is  equally  great :  God 
 fixes  the  bounds  of  our  habitation  ;  yet  we  feel  our¬ 
 selves  at  perfect  liberty  to  go  wherever  we  have  the 
 means  of  going.  In  regard  to  our  continuance  in 
 this  world,  our  days  are  determined,  the  number  of 
 our  months  are  with  him, — he  has  appointed  our 
 bounds  which  we  cannot  pass,  yet,  who  but  a  madman 
 neglects  the  means  of  self-preservation  l 
 
40 
 
 ISAIAH  XLV.  7,  AMOS  III.  6. 
 
 CHAPTER  Y. 
 
 Isaiah  xlv.  7; — Amos  iii.  6; — Rom.  ix.  18  ; — new  translation  in¬ 
 admissible  ; — the  sovereignty  of  God  consistent  with  man’s  res¬ 
 ponsibility  ; — case  of  Pharaoh; — Ezek.  xxi.  19,  21; — Isaiah 
 vi.  9  ; — Rom.  xi.  7?  8. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  having  quoted  six  passages  of  scripture, 
 proceeds,  page  18 :  “Such  are  the  principal,  I  believe  I 
 may  say  all  the  passages  of  sacred  writ,  to  be  adduced 
 in  support  of  the  opinion  that  God  does  all  things,  and 
 is  the  real  Author  of  even  the  blindness  and  obduracy 
 of  men.5’  No  man  who  trembles  at  the  Word  of  God, 
 asserts  that  God  is  the  Author  of  the  blindness  and 
 obduracy  of  men,  in  any  sense  which  would  palliate 
 their  guilt.  In  referring  to  the  passages  which  he 
 has  selected,  our  author  observes,  that  they  consti¬ 
 tute  a  narrow  foundation  for  such  a  superstructure, 
 but  they  might  be  almost  indefinitely  multiplied,  for 
 the  truth  which  they  contain  is  placed  in  a  great 
 variety  of  lights  in  the  W ord  of  God. 
 
 W e  shall,  however,  attend  to  the  passages  to  which 
 he  refers:  u  I  form  the  light,  and  create  darkness  ;  I 
 make  peace,  and  create  evil.  I  the  Lord  do  all  these 
 things;'”  Isaiah  xlv.  7.  “Shall a  trumpet  be  blown 
 in  the  city,  and  the  people  not  be  afraid  l  shall  there 
 be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it  f’ 
 Amos  iii.  6.  No  doubt  these  passages  refer  to  “  suf¬ 
 fering  and  calamity,”  but  the  agents  by  whom  this 
 calamity  was  inflicted,  were  instruments  employed 
 by  God  to  execute  his  vengeance.  W e  have  already 
 referred  to  the  mission  of  the  Assyrian,  for  the 
 
CYRUS  THE  LORD’S  INSTRUMENT.  41 
 
 punishment  of  Israel.  Let  us  take  another  example  ; 
 the  Lord  held  the  right  hand  of  Cyrus,  that  he  might 
 subdue  the  nations  before  him.  The  grand  object 
 which  God  had  in  view,  in  the  success  which  attend¬ 
 ed  this  mighty  conqueror,  is  thus  stated :  “I  have 
 raised  him  up  in  righteousness,  and  I  will  direct  all 
 his  ways :  he  shall  build  my  city,  and  he  shall  let 
 go  my  captives,  not  for  price  nor  reward,  saith  the 
 Lord  of  hosts  Isaiah  xlv.  13.  He  represents  him¬ 
 self  as  “  calling  a  ravenous  bird  from  the  east,  the 
 man  that  executeth  my  counsel  from  a  far  country ; 
 yea,  I  have  spoken  it,  I  will  also  bring  it  to  pass  ;  I 
 have  purposed  it,  I  will  also  do  it;11  Isaiah  xlvi.  11. 
 Can  words  more  plainly  state  that  Cyrus  was  an  in¬ 
 strument  employed  by  God,  as  the  Assyrian  had  been, 
 of  whom  the  Lord  says,  “  Shall  the  axe  boast  itself 
 against  him  that  heweth  therewith  ?  or  shall  the  saw 
 magnify  itself  against  him  that  shaketh  it  ?  as  if  the 
 rod  should  shake  itself  against  them  that  lift  it  up, 
 or  as  if  the  staff  should  lift  up  itself,  as  if  it  were 
 no  wood,”  Isaiah  x.  15. 
 
 “  From  the  other  passages,  says  our  author,  “which 
 all  relate  to  the  one  point  of  God’s  being  the  Author 
 of  men’s  blindness  and  obduracy,  one  must  be  en¬ 
 tirely  separated;  we  mean  Rom.  ix.  18.  ‘  Therefore 
 
 hath  he  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  and 
 whom  he  will  he  hardenetli ” — P.  18. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  admits,  that  o^ovvu,  here  rendered 
 to  harden,  has  this  meaning,  but  maintains  that 
 this  is  not  always  the  case,  in  proof  of  which, 
 he  adduces  two  passages  from  the  Septuagint.  The 
 first  is  Job  xxxix.  16.  “  She  is  hardened  against 
 
 her  young  ones,  as  though  they  were  not  hers.”  This, 
 
 D 
 
42 
 
 Rom.  ix.  18,  considered. 
 
 our  author  pronounces  an  unhappy  rendering,  but 
 gives  no  reason  for  preferring,  ushe  treateth severely.1" 
 The  rendering  in  our  version  is  at  once  more  literal* 
 and  more  expressive.  The  other  passage  is  2  Chron. 
 x.  4.  u  Thy  father  made  our  yoke  grievous,11  literally 
 hardened  our  yoke.*f*  These  passages,  however,  are 
 so  satisfactory  to  our  author  that,  without  farther 
 remark,  he  tells  us,  41  one  meaning  of  <rxhvr>vyo,  there¬ 
 fore,  is  to  treat  severely ;  and  we  are  at  full  liberty  to 
 make  experiment  of  its  suitableness  to  the  passage 
 under  consideration.11  The  foundation  of  this  super¬ 
 structure  is  sufficiently  “  narrow  ;v  but,  in  reference 
 to  Rom.  ix.  18,  he  proceeds,  44  Let  us  now  read  it 
 again-  4  He  hath  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy, 
 and  whom  he  will  he  treateth  severely -1  I  ask  any 
 reader,  without  being  a  critic,  to  say  whether  this  is 
 not  a  far  more  suitable  rendering  than  the  other  ; 
 whether  it  is  not  strongly  indicated  by  the  parallelism 
 of  the  passage  and  the  antithetic  character  of  the  first 
 clause,  and  whether  it  does  not  perfectly  harmonize 
 with  the  context  ?  I  think  every  considerate  person 
 will  adopt  it  without  hesitation  ;  and  will  agree  with 
 me  in  concluding  that  the  passage  has  no  relation  to 
 the  subject  on  which  it  is  adduced,  namely,  the  har¬ 
 dening  of  the  heart.  To  show  this,  is  all  we  have  to 
 do  with  it  at  present.11. — P.  19. 
 
 This  is  a  very  easy  method  of  getting  rid  of  a  dif¬ 
 ficulty,  and  with  these  remarks  Mr  Hinton  dismisses 
 
 *  Nobilius,  in  a  note  upon  the  passage,  explains  the  word  as  sig¬ 
 nifying  to  treat  hardly  or  severely,  while  in  the  text,  he  renders  it 
 harden,  which  is  the  uniform  meaning  of  the  word. 
 
 ■f*  Our  author  would  not  probably  say,  ‘  treated  our  yoke  severely.’ 
 This  would  be  absurd,  and  hence  we  see  that  Mr  Hinton’s  emenda¬ 
 tion  is  not  a  translation  but  a  paraphrase,  and  as  such  it  is  given  in 
 the  note  of  Nobilius. 
 
Rom.  ix.  18,  considered. 
 
 48 
 
 the  passage.  But  it  must  be  recollected,  that  the  severe 
 treatment  which,  according  to  our  author,  God  inflicts 
 upon  “whom  he  will,0  includes  the  destruction  of  both 
 soul  and  body  in  hell ;  for  such  will  be  the  portion  of 
 all  who  do  not  obtain  mercy,  and  who  are  therefore 
 afterwards  described  as  vessels  of  wrath,  fitted  for 
 destruction,  Bom.  ix.  22.  Taking  this  into  account, 
 we  shall  probably  find  that  the  amount  of  difficulty 
 got  rid  of  by  the  new  translation,  or  rather,  para¬ 
 phrase,  is  not  very  great.  As  to  “  the  parallelism  of 
 the  passage,  and  the  antithetic  character  of  the  first 
 clause,11  they  are  better  preserved  in  the  common  ver¬ 
 sion,  and  we  know  no  reason  for  preferring  the  emen¬ 
 dation,  except  that  it  has  a  show  (for  it  is  nothing 
 more)  of  obviating  an  insuperable  difficulty  to  our 
 author's  theory. 
 
 But  the  passage  itself  contains  a  demonstration 
 that  the  word  is  properly  rendered  in  our  version. 
 The  apostle,  in  answering  the  question,  “  is  there  un¬ 
 righteousness  with  God,1’  in  loving  Jacob  and  hating 
 Esau  before  the  children  were  born,  neither  having 
 done  any  good  or  evil,  Rom.  ix.  14,  replies — By  no 
 means  ;  “  For  he  saith  to  Moses,  I  will  have  mercy  on 
 whom  I  will  have  mercy,  and  I  will  have  compassion 
 on  whom  I  will  have  compassion.  So  then,  it  is  not 
 of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of 
 God  that  showeth  mercy,1’  Bom.  ix.  J5,  16. 
 
 Having  referred  to  the  case  of  Pharaoh,  who 
 had  been  raised  up  that  God  might  show  his  power 
 in  him,  he  adds,  u  Therefore  hath  he  mercy  on  whom 
 he  will  have  mercv,  and  whom  he  will  he  hardeneth. 
 Thou  wilt  say  then  unto  me,  Why  doth  he  yet  find 
 fault?  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will V  ver.  18,  19. 
 
44  Rom.  ix.  18,  considered. 
 
 Here  is  the  objection  which  has  been  brought  against 
 the  Divine  sovereignty  from  that  day  to  this,  and 
 which  will  continue  to  be  brought  by  every  man 
 whose  high  imaginations  are  not  cast  down,  and  who 
 has  not  learned  that  the  only  way  to  be  wise  in  this 
 world  is  to  become  a  fool,  and  to  say  with  the  Psalm¬ 
 ist,  u  Lord,  my  heart  is  not  haughty,  nor  mine  eyes 
 lofty :  neither  do  I  exercise  myself  in  great  matters, 
 or  in  things  too  high  for  me-  Surely  I  have  behaved 
 and  quieted  myself,  as  a  child  that  is  weaned  of  his 
 mother  :  my  soul  is  even  as  a  weaned  child,11  Psal. 
 cxxxi.  1,2;  or  with  Job,  “  Who  is  he  that  hideth 
 counsel  without  knowledge  ?  therefore  have  I  uttered 
 that  I  understood  not;  things  too  wonderful  for 
 me,  which  I  knew  not,11  Job  xlii.  3.  Neither  Mr 
 Hinton,  nor  any  one  else,  can  adduce  a  more  plau¬ 
 sible  objection  against  Hod's  hardening  men,  and  yet 
 holding  them  responsible,  than  the  apostle  brings 
 forward,  and  we  see  that  he  treats  it  with  very  little 
 ceremony :  u  Nay  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou  that 
 repliest  against  God  ?  Shall  the  thing  formed  say  to 
 him  that  formed  it.  Why  hast  thou  made  me  thus  P11 
 Rom.  ix.  20. 
 
 Having  illustrated  his  subject  by  the  potter's  power 
 over  the  clay  to  make  one  vessel  to  honour  and 
 another  to  dishonour,  the  apostle  inquires,  “What 
 if  God,  willing  to  show  his  wrath,  and  to  make  his 
 power  known,  endured  with  much  long-suffering 
 the  vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction  ;  and  that  he 
 might  make  known  the  riches  of  his  glory  on  the 
 vessels  of  mercy,  which  he  had  afore  prepared  unto 
 glory,  even  us,  whom  he  hath  called,  not  of  the 
 
Rom.  ix.  18,  considered. 
 
 45 
 
 Jews  only,  but  also  of  the  Gentiles  ?”  verses  22,  28, 
 24.  This  exactly  corresponds  with  the  declaration, 
 “  The  Lord  hath  made  all  things  for  himself ;  yea, 
 even  the  wicked  for  the  day  of  evil,”  Prov.  xvi.  4. 
 All  are  by  nature  the  children  of  wrath,  and  it 
 is  of  the  Lord's  mercy  all  are  not  consumed ;  but, 
 according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace,  which  was 
 given  them  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  began, 
 2  Tim.  i.  9,  he  bestows  salvation  upon  an  innumer¬ 
 able  multitude  of  the  sons  of  fallen  Adam.  At  the 
 same  time,  he  endures  with  much  long-suffering  the 
 vessels  of  wrath,  who  remain  under  the  righteous 
 curse  of  the  broken  law,  while  he  makes  known  the 
 riches  of  his  glory  on  the  vessels  of  mercy,  whether 
 Jews  or  Gentiles,  whom  he  hath  afore  prepared  unto 
 glory,  having  chosen  them  in  Christ  before  the  foun¬ 
 dation  of  the  world,  that  they  might  be  holy  and 
 without  blame  before  him  in  love,  Eph.  i.  4. 
 
 Let  us  now  try  how  Mr  Hinton’s  emendation  cor¬ 
 responds  with  the  scope  of  the  passage,  He  hath 
 mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  and  whom  he  will 
 he  treateth  severely.”  An  objector  might  reply,  this  is 
 partiality,  but  how  could  he  inquire  “  Why  doth  he 
 yet  find  fault,  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will  V  and 
 yet  the  objection  was  so  obvious,  that  the  apostle  an¬ 
 ticipates  it,  “  thou  wilt  say.”  He  was  aware  that  his 
 doctrine  was  liable  to  this  cavil,  yet  he  states  it  with¬ 
 out  attempting  to  solve  the  difficulty,  farther  than  by 
 showing  that  it  is  of  the  Lord’s  mercy  that  any 
 escape. 
 
 We  have,  then,  no  need  of  the  aid  of  criticism  to 
 fix  the  meaning  of  the  word  employed  by  the  apostle, 
 
 d  3 
 
4()  WHAT  IS  RECORDED  TO  BE  RECEIVED  AS  A  FACT. 
 
 and  literally  rendered  harden  by  our  translators  ;  no 
 other  rendering  will  suit  the  scope  of  the  passage. 
 To  the  assertion  as  it  stands  in  our  version,  the  ob¬ 
 jection  necessarily  suggests  itself.  If  G-od  hardens 
 whom  he  will,  why  doth  he  find  fault  with  those  whom 
 he  hath  hardened  ?  Here  is  apparent  inconsistency, 
 not  to  say  injustice  in  the  Divine  procedure,  which 
 human  wisdom  is  unable  to  reconcile.  Here  the  lofty 
 looks  of  man  are  humbled,  and  the  most  acute  philo¬ 
 sopher  must  either  reject  the  doctrine  or  receive  it  as 
 a  little  child. 
 
 Divine  sovereignty  and  human  responsibility  are 
 perfectly  consistent,  because  both  are  asserted  with 
 equal  precision  in  the  Word  of  God  ;  but  neither  Mr 
 Hinton  nor  any  one  else,  can  explain  how  this  is  the 
 case,  more  than  he  can  explain  how  the  grass  grows, 
 or  how  his  mind  acts  upon  his  body  when  he  chooses 
 to  move  his  finger,  while  the  fact  that  he  can  do  so 
 is  palpable.  Not  long  since,  I  was  present  at  the  ex¬ 
 amination  of  a  class  of  boys  who  had  lately  begun  Latin. 
 One  of  them  gave  the  rule  for  a  particular  construction- 
 The  master  said,  “  I  would  rather  voudid  not  mve  that 
 rule,  it  only  makes  you  think  you  understand  it, 
 which  you  do  not ;  for  the  present,  take  it  as  a  fact : 
 you  will  afterwards  see  why  it  is  so.”  Many  things 
 in  the  W ord  of  God  must  be  taken  as  facts ;  here¬ 
 after  we  shall  see  their  perfect  consistency,  although 
 at  present  they  are  too  high  for  us. 
 
 Our  author  tells  us,  that  no  man  can,  by  reason¬ 
 ing  prove  the  existence  of  the  material  universe,  al¬ 
 though  no  one  ever  doubted  it.  Let  him,  then,  be 
 satisfied  with  the  uniform  testimony  of  God  respect¬ 
 ing  human  responsibility,  confirmed,  as  it  is,  by  every 
 
HARDENING  PHARAOH’S  HEART.  47 
 
 man’s  consciousness,  without  attempting  to  prove  it 
 by  speculations  which  only  darken  counsel  by  words 
 without  knowledge,  and  which  cannot  possibly  bring 
 conviction  to  the  mind.  Savins;  faith  is  not  the  re- 
 suit  of  a  train  of  reasoning,  however  plausible  ;  it  is 
 the  submission  of  the  mind  to  the  authority  of  God, 
 and  is  the  fruit  of  his  W ord  coming  to  us,  not  in 
 word  but  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in 
 much  assurance. 
 
 With  regard  to  God  hardening  Pharaoh’s  heart, 
 “  so  often  and  so  forcibly  repeated,”  and  which  our 
 author  observes,  “  has  no  doubt,  a  great  appearance 
 of  precision,”  he  observes,  that  its  apparent  force  is 
 “  much  diminished  by  the  circumstance,  that  the  his¬ 
 torian  employs,  on  other  occasions,  different  language, 
 in  relation  to  the  same  fact.  “If  he  tells  us  several 
 times,”  says  Mr  Hinton,  “  that  the  Lord  hard¬ 
 ened  Pharaoh’s  heart,  he  tells  us  several  times, 
 also,  that  Pharaoh  hardened  his  own  heart  ;  see 
 Exod.  viii.  15,  32,  &c.  ;  and  if  the  former  phrase 
 be  taken  as  proving  the  one  opinion,  the  latter 
 may  with  equal  justice  be  alleged  to  prove  the 
 other.  No  doubt  the  proper  mode  is  to  interpret  the 
 two  phrases  harmoniously,  so  that  the  one  shall  not 
 be  made  to  contradict  the  other.  This  evidently 
 cannot  be  done  by  understanding  both  of  them  liter- 
 ally.  We  must  see  which  of  them  requires  this.  If 
 we  say  that  the  Lord  really  hardened  Pharaoh's 
 heart,  there  is  no  sense  in  which  we  can  understand 
 the  declaration  that  he  hardened  his  own  heart ;  but 
 if  we  interpret  it  literally,  that  Pharaoh  hardened  his 
 own  heart,  we  shall  be  able  to  find  a  consistent  mean¬ 
 ing  for  the  assertion  that  it  was  hardened  by  the 
 
4  8  HARDENING  PIIARAOH’s  HEART. 
 
 Lord.  For  it  is  according  to  the  general  style  and 
 mode  of  Hebrew  composition,  to  express  after  this 
 manner,  the  certainty  of  existing  or  future  facts,  to¬ 
 gether  with  God's  foreknowledge  of  them  and  controul 
 over  them.  So  when  the  Lord  says,  4 1  will  harden 
 Pharaoh's  heart,'  I  conceive  it  not  to  be  intended 
 that  he  would,  or  did,  exercise  any  influence  aggra¬ 
 vating  or  confirming  his  obstinacy ;  but  that  the 
 meaning  is  no  more  than  what  is  elsewhere  conveyed 
 in  the  terms,  4 1  am  sure  he  will  not  let  you  go.’ 
 The  declaration, — 4  For  this  purpose  have  I  raised 
 thee  up,  that  I  might  show  forth  my  power  in  thee,' 
 clearly  does  not  require  to  be  understood  of  God's 
 producing  Pharaoh's  wickedness,  but  is  fairly  expli¬ 
 cable  of  his  placing  this  impetuous  man  in  such  cir¬ 
 cumstances  as  should  render  his  history  an  eminent 
 illustration  of  the  Divine  government."- — Pp.  20,  21. 
 
 That  God  did  not  produce  Pharaoh's  wickedness, 
 we  are  well  assured  ;  but  we  understand  both  phrases 
 of  God  hardening  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  of  Pharaoh 
 hardening  his  own  heart,  in  their  plain  and  obvious 
 meaning.  We  dare  not  attempt  to  explain  away 
 either  the  one  or  the  other.  We  see  in  this  passage 
 the  doctrine  which  runs  through  the  whole  of  the 
 Word  of  God,  that  God  doth  in  the  army  of  heaven, 
 and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  what  seemeth 
 good  in  his  sight,  while  man  is  responsible  for  his 
 conduct.  The  case  of  Pharaoh  is  introduced  by  the 
 apostle  to  illustrate  the  declaration  that  44  it  is  not  of 
 him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of  God 
 that  showeth  mercy in  other  words,  that  in  the  sal¬ 
 vation  of  some  and  the  condemnation  of  others,  44  he 
 gives  not  account  of  any  of  his  matters and  that 
 
PHARAOH  HARDENING  HIS  HEART. 
 
 49 
 
 the  salvation  of  sinners  is  owing  not  to  their  own  exer¬ 
 tions,  but  to  God  that  showeth  mercy,  Rom.  ix.  15, 
 16.  This  absolute  sovereignty  is  confirmed  by  the 
 example  of  Pharaoh,  who  was  raised  up  for  the  pur¬ 
 pose  of  showing  God's  power,  and  that  his  name  (or 
 character)  might  be  declared  throughout  all  the  earth, 
 from  which  the  inspired  apostle  draws  the  conclusion, 
 “  Therefore  hath  he  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have 
 mercy,  and  whom  he  will  he  hardeneth,"  Rom.  ix. 
 18.  The  scope  of  the  passage,  therefore,  fixes  its 
 meaning.  Our  author  tells  us  the  meaning  of  u  I  will 
 harden  Pharaoh's  heart,"  is  no  more  than  what  is 
 elsewhere  conveyed  in  the  terms,  “  I  am  sure  he  will 
 not  let  thee  go."  How  then,  could  the  apostle  draw 
 from  such  premises  the  conclusion,  that  God  harden  - 
 eth  whom  he  will,  and  then  state  the  objection  which 
 we  have  already  considered,  “  Why  doth  he  yet  find 
 fault  V'  ver.  19. 
 
 There  is  no  real  inconsistency  between  God  har¬ 
 dening  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  his  hardening  his  own 
 heart;  but  there  is  precisely  the  same  difficulty 
 which  we  find  in  reconciling  Divine  sovereignty  and 
 human  responsibility.  There  is  a  sense  in  which 
 God  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  a  sense  in  which 
 he  hardened  his  own  heart.  This  conclusion  we  draw 
 from  the  express  declaration  of  the  Word  of  God. 
 President  Edwards  observes:  “In  efficacious  grace  we 
 are  not  merely  passive,  nor  yet  does  God  do  some, 
 and  we  do  the  rest ;  but  God  does  all,  and  we  do  ail. 
 God  produces  all,  and  we  act  all.  For  that  is  what 
 he  produces,  viz.  our  own  acts.  God  is  the  only  pro¬ 
 per  Author  and  Fountain:  we  only  are  the  proper 
 actors.  W e  are,  in  different  respects,  wholly  passi  ve 
 
50 
 
 god’s  control  op  future  facts. 
 
 and  wholly  active.  In  the  scriptures,  the  same  things 
 are  represented  as  from  God  and  from  us. — God  is 
 said  to  convert ;  and  men  are  said  to  convert  and 
 turn. — God  makes  a  new  heart,  and  we  are  command¬ 
 ed  to  make  us  a  new  heart. — God  circumcises  the 
 heart,  and  we  are  commanded  to  circumcise  our  own 
 hearts  ;  not  merely  because  we  must  use  the  means 
 in  order  to  the  effect,  but  the  effect  itself  is  our  act 
 and  our  duty.  These  things  are  agreeable  to  that 
 text,  “God  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do/1* 
 We  may  not  be  able  to  explain  how  these  things  can 
 be,  but  we  believe  them  upon  the  Divine  testimony, 
 and  should  we  hesitate  to  submit  our  understanding  to 
 the  express  declarations  of  our  Creator,  the  questions, 
 — “  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  If  it  be  marvel¬ 
 lous  in  the  eyes  of  the  remnant  of  this  people  in  these 
 days,  should  it  also  be  marvellous  in  mine  eyes  ?  saith 
 the  Lord  of  hosts11  Zech.  viii.  6.  “  Who  art  thou 
 
 that  repliest  against  God  ?”  Horn.  ix.  20, — would 
 make  our  ears  to  tingle.  We  are  told  “  it  is  accord¬ 
 ing  to  the  general  style  and  mode  of  Llebrew  compo¬ 
 sition  to  express  after  this  manner  the  certainty  of 
 existing  or  future  facts.11 — Pp.  20,  21.  It  has  pleased 
 God  to  employ  the  Hebrew  language  in  delivering 
 to  us  the  lively  oracles  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  we 
 may  rest  assured  there  is  nothing  in  its  style  or  mode 
 of  composition,  to  obscure  the  revelation  with  which 
 the  Almighty  has  condescended  to  favour  us.  We 
 have  already  proved  that  the  whole  scope  of  the 
 passage  clearly  ascertains  its  meaning,  independently 
 of  the  idiom  of  any  particular  language. 
 
 *  Remarks  on  Important  Theological  Controversies,  vol.  ii.  p.  251. 
 Edin.  1796. 
 
 I 
 
MEANS  OF  HARDENING  PHARAOH’S  HEART.  51 
 
 Our  author  admits  “  the  certainty  of  existing  or 
 future  facts,  together  with  God’s  foreknowledge  of  them 
 and  controul  over  them.”  Now,  God  informed  Moses 
 that  he  would  controul  the  future  fact  of  the  hardness 
 of  Pharaoh’s  heart,  which  should  certainly  take  place, 
 or  in  other  words,  he  would  harden  his  heart.  This 
 does  not  imply  that  he  was  tempted  of  God,  for  he 
 “  cannot  be  tempted  of  evil,  neither  tempteth  he  any 
 man but  for  the  sake  of  his  people  Israel,  and  in 
 order  that  he  might  multiply  his  signs  in  Egypt, 
 he  hardened  Pharaoh’s  heart,  as  he  sent  Ahab  to  fall 
 at  Ramoth  Gilead,  Sennacherib  to  lay  waste  Judah, 
 Nebuchadnezzar  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  and,  after- 
 wards,  Titus,  in  the  same  month,  and  the  same  day 
 of  the  month,  to  burn  the  temple.  Pharaoh,  Senna¬ 
 cherib,  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  Titus,  all  acted  volun¬ 
 tarily,  but  at  the  same  time,  they  did  what  God  had 
 determined  before  should  he  done. 
 
 One  method  which  God  employed  to  harden 
 Pharaoh’s  heart,  was  the  successive  removal  of  the 
 plagues,  upon  the  promise  of  amendment,  but  instead 
 of  the  goodness  of  God  leading  him  to  repentance, 
 after  his  hardness  and  impenitent  heart,  he  treasured 
 up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and  thus  God’s 
 purpose  in  raising  him  up, — that,  for  the  benefit  of 
 his  people  in  every  succeeding  age,  he  might  show 
 his  power  in  him — was  accomplished. 
 
 Another  means  which  God  employed  to  harden 
 Pharaoh’s  heart,  probably,  was  giving  success  to  the 
 attempts  of  the  magicians  to  imitate  some  of  the 
 miracles  of  Moses ;  but  we  do  not  rest  the  fact  of 
 God’s  hardening  Pharaoh’s  heart  upon  any  explana- 
 
52  Ezekiel  xxi.  10,  21.  Isaiah  ix.  10. 
 
 tion  which  we  are  able  to  give  ;  we  are  satisfied  upon 
 the  subject  by  the  express  testimony  of  God. 
 
 Our  attention  is  next  directed  to  the  language  of 
 the  prophets,  and,  our  Author  observes,  that  in 
 Ezek.  xxi.  19,  21,  it  is  simply  foretold  “  that  Nebu¬ 
 chadnezzar  would  make  war  upon  both  the  Ammon¬ 
 ites  and  Jews,  and  would  use  divination  to  determine 
 the  order  of  his  attack.11 — P.  21.  But  much  more 
 is  foretold.  The  Lord  declares  he  will  so  order  the 
 result  of  the  divination, — which  the  Jews  would 
 treat  with  contempt  as  an  idolatrous  rite, — that 
 Nebuchadnezzar  should  fix  upon  Jerusalem  as  the 
 object  of  attack  ;  in  other  words,  God  had  predeter¬ 
 mined  this  action  of  Nebuchadnezzar  for  the  purpose 
 of  punishing  the  perjury  of  the  king,  and  the  wicked¬ 
 ness  of  the  people.  “  Of  the  same  style,11  he  observes, 
 “the  words  from  Isaiah  are  an  obvious  example.  When 
 the  Lord  said  to  him  in  vision,  ‘  Make  the  heart  of  this 
 people  fat,  and  make  their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their 
 eyes,1  the  design  evidently  was  not  to  direct  him  to 
 produce  such  effects  upon  the  people,  but  to  declare 
 that  they  did  exist,  and  were  foreseen.11 — P.  22. 
 
 Certainly  the  fatness  of  the  people's  heart,  the 
 heaviness  of  their  ears,  and  the  shutting  of  their  eyes, 
 did  not  exist,  for  the  prediction  referred  to  those  who 
 lived  seven  hundred  years  after  the  prediction  was 
 delivered;  but  the  prophet  was  commanded  to  foretell 
 that  they  should  exist.  No  one  supposes  that  the  pro¬ 
 phet  was  to  produce  such  effects  upon  the  people  who 
 lived  so  long  after  his  death,  but  he  foretells  what 
 should  certainly  take  place,  according  to  the  deter¬ 
 minate  purpose  of  God,  and  hence  it  is  said,  “  There¬ 
 fore  they  could  not  believe,  because  that  Esaias  said 
 
THE  BLINDNESS  OF  ISRAEL. 
 
 53 
 
 again,  he  hath  blinded  their  eyes,  and  hardened  their 
 heart,  that  they  should  not  see  with  their  eyes,  nor 
 understand  with  their  heart,  and  be  converted,  and 
 I  should  heal  them John  xii.  39,  40. 
 
 In  regard  to  Isaiah  vi.  9.:  “  And  he  said,  Go  and 
 tell  this  people,  hear  ye  indeed,  but  understand 
 not ;  and  see  ye  indeed,  but  perceive  not  Mr 
 Hinton  says,  “  The  prophet  is  here  directed  to 
 affirm  that  the  people  do  see  and  hear ,  (they  are, 
 therefore,  neither  blind  nor  deaf,)  but  they  do  not 
 perceive  nor  understand ;  that  is,  they  do  not  attend 
 to  what  they  see  and  hear,  so  as  to  be  influenced  by 
 it.  The  blindness  charged  upon  men,  therefore,  is 
 not  a  defective  capacity  to  know,  but  a  habit  of  in¬ 
 attention  to  what  may  be  known  ;  not  any  thing 
 amiss  in  the  eye,  but  a  closing  of  it  against  the  light, 
 or  an  aversion  of  it  from  the  object  which  should  be 
 contemplated.  In  a  word,  the  blindness  of  men  to 
 religious  truth  is  precisely  the  blindness  of  those  who 
 will  not  see.” —  pP.  29,  30. 
 
 Upon  this  we  remark,  that  not  perceiving  or 
 understanding  is  not  synonymous  with  a  habit  of 
 inattention.  We  sometimes  see  men's  attention 
 engrossed  with  the  subject  of  religion,  while  they 
 derive  no  comfort  from  it.  Doubtless,  men’s  love 
 of  darkness,  and  hatred  of  the  light,  prevent 
 their  receiving  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus;  and, 
 according  to  our  author,  this  hatred  never  yields, 
 except  to  the  almighty  energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 In  the  following  verse,  the  prophet  is  commanded 
 to  make  their  heart  fat,  their  ears  heavy,  and  to 
 shut  their  eyes ;  in  other  words,  to  foretell  what 
 should  assuredly  take  place,  yet  there  was  to  be  a 
 
 E 
 
54 
 
 A  REMNANT  IN  ISRAEL. 
 
 remnant ;  verse  1 3.  Such  was  the  determination  of 
 God  made  known  by  the  prophet,  and  its  fulfilment 
 is  recorded  in  the  New  Testament :  44  Even  so  then, 
 at  this  present  time  also,  there  is  a  remnant  accord¬ 
 ing  to  the  election  of  grace  Rom.  xi.  5.  If,  as 
 our  author  affirms,  there  be  nothing  amiss  in  the  eye, 
 why  does  God  promise  to  give  men  44  eyes  to  see  f’ 
 Why  does  he  describe  them  as  blind  requiring  to  have 
 their  eyes  opened,  or  anointed  with  eye  salve  that 
 they  may  see  ?  Rev.  iii.  18.  Why  does  the  Psalmist 
 pray,  “ Open  thou  mine  eyes ,  that  I  may  see  wondrous 
 things  out  of  thy  law?”  Psal.  cxix.  18. 
 
 44  The  passage  from  Rom.  xi.  7,  8,”  Mr  Hin¬ 
 ton  informs  us,  “is  to  be  explained  in  a  similar 
 manner.  The  Israelites  who  rejected  the  Messiah 
 4  were  blinded,’  no  doubt,  by  their  own  pride  and 
 prejudices ;  and  when  it  is  said  that  4  God  gave 
 them  a  spirit  of  slumber,  eyes  that  they  should 
 not  see,  and  ears  that  they  should  not  hear,’  it 
 is  but  a  usual  mode  of  indicating  that  he  was  not 
 at  all  taken  by  surprise  by  their  stubbornness,  or 
 unprepared  to  accomplish  his  purposes  notwith¬ 
 standing  the  manifestation  of  it.” — P.  22.  We 
 prefer,  however,  the  passage  as  it  stands  in  the  scrip¬ 
 ture,  which  cannot  be  broken,  from  which  we  learn 
 that  in  every  age  there  was  among  the  Jews  a  rem¬ 
 nant  according  to  the  election  of  grace,  and  that  this 
 remnant  had  attained  to  righteousness,  while  the  na¬ 
 tion  in  general  was  blinded,  according  to  the  prophe¬ 
 cies  which  had  gone  before.  Mr  Hinton’s  interpre¬ 
 tation  is  completely  at  variance  with  the  obvious 
 meaning  of  the  passage. 
 
THE  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  OF  MEN. 
 
 k)  t  ) 
 
 CHAPTER  VI. 
 
 In  what  sense  men  are  blind  to  the  truth  ; — men  naturally  in 
 bondage  ; — its  nature  renders  it  more  hopeless  ; — the  drunkard; 
 —  Mr  Hinton’s  admission  that  the  problem  of  causation  and 
 voluntary  action  is  perhaps  incapable  of  solution  ; — why  then 
 attempt  it  ? — voluntary  action  ordained  ; — the  source  of  man’s 
 enmity  against  his  Maker  ; — he  is  incapable  of  producing  love 
 to  God  ; — reconciliation  ; — erroneous  view  of  the  moral  law. 
 
 In  reply  to  those  who  hold  the  truth  so  plainly  taught 
 in  the  Word  of  God,  that  men  are  naturally  blind  to 
 divine  truth,  Mr  Hinton  observes,  “  that  if,  on  the 
 one  hand,  the  scriptures  declare  that  men  are  blind, 
 they  affirm,  on  the  other,  that  men  both  can  and  do 
 see,” — p.  28.  In  proof  of  this  he  quotes  John  xv. 
 2d.  “  Now  have  they  both  seen  and  hated  both  me 
 and  my  Father.”  Christ  had  appeared  among  them, 
 had  exhibited  to  them  the  character  of  God,  for  he 
 is  the  “image  of  the  invisible  God,”  but  the  natural 
 enmity  of  their  hearts  against  God  led  them  to.  turn 
 with  loathing  and  disgust  from  the  heavenly  vision, 
 and  thus  their  guilt  was  greatly  aggravated  by  the 
 privilege  which  they  had  enjoyed.  If  men  were 
 blind  they  would  have  no  sin,  John  ix.  41.  They 
 have  sufficient  light  to  render  them  responsible,  but 
 flesh  and  blood  cannot  reveal  to  the  human  mind  the 
 glory  of  the  plan  of  redemption.  We  agree  with 
 our  author  when  he  says,  “  there  is  one  sense  in 
 which  men  are  blind  to  religious  truth,  and  another 
 in  which  they  are  not  blind  to  it,” — p.  29.  They 
 are  blind  to  its  glory  and  excellency,  but  they  are 
 
56  FALLEN  MAN  THE  SERVANT  OF  SIN, 
 
 just  as  able  to  apprehend  what  believers  wish  them 
 to  receive,  as  the  king  of  Siam  when  the  ambassa¬ 
 dor  told  him  that  in  France  men  walked  upon  the 
 water,  while  he  had  no  idea  of  the  nature  of  ice. 
 The  more  the  natural  man  apprehends  of  the  truth 
 the  more  is  his  enmity  roused.  A  perverted  gospel 
 modified  by  human  wisdom,  such  as  that  taught  by 
 the  Judaizers,  tends  in  a  great  measure  to  remove 
 the  offence  of  the  cross  ;  and  Mr  Hinton  must  ex¬ 
 cuse  our  thinking  that,  although  he  may  not  mean 
 it,  such  is  the  tendency  of  his  speculations. 
 
 One  of  the  elements  of  human  responsibility,  ac¬ 
 cording  to  our  author,  is  freedom.  44  Free  action,1’ 
 he  says,  44  and  forced  action  are  so  distinct  from  each 
 other,  both  in  their  essential  properties  and  in  the 
 sensations  accompanying  them,  that  it  is  hard  to  con¬ 
 ceive  how  either  should  fail  to  be  discerned,  or  how 
 the  one  should  be  mistaken  for  the  other.11 — P.  35. 
 
 Every  man  feels  that  he  acts  freely,  yet  the  scrip¬ 
 ture  testifies  that  he  is  “  led  captive  by  the  devil  at 
 his  will,11  2  Tim.  ii.  26.  When  Adam  disobeyed,  he 
 chose  a  new  God,  he  gave  himself  up  to  the  guidance 
 of  Satan,  who  is  therefore  termed  46  the  god  of  this 
 world,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  children  of 
 disobedience.11  44  He  that  committeth  sin  is  the  ser¬ 
 vant  of  sin,11  John  viii.  34;  and  from  this  bondage 
 we  can  only  be  delivered  by  the  power  of  the  Son  of 
 God :  44  If  the  Son,  therefore,  shall  make  you  free, 
 ye  shall  be  free  indeed,11  John  viii.  36.  Hence  the 
 apostle  says,  44  Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is, 
 there  is  liberty,11  2  Cor.  iii.  17.  Of  this  Spirit  be¬ 
 lievers,  and  they  only,  are  partakers,  Rom.  viii.  9. 
 “  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  for  it  is 
 
YET  ACTS  FREELY. - THE  DRUNKARD.  5J 
 
 not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can 
 be,”  Rom.  viii.  7.  Fallen  man  is  sold  under  sin,  the 
 servant  of  Satan ;  yet  no  one  forces  him  to  sin.  In 
 choosing  the  evil  and  refusing  the  good,  he  acts  ac¬ 
 cording  to  his  own  corrupt  inclination,  and  this  ren¬ 
 ders  his  bondage  peculiarly  hopeless.  A  person 
 might  be  put  in  chains,  and  yet  some  way  of  escape 
 might  present  itself ;  but  if  he  preferred  bondage  to 
 liberty,  if  he  were  bent  upon  perpetuating  liis  cap¬ 
 tivity,  his  case  would  be  still  more  hopeless.  Such 
 is  the  state  of  fallen  man ;  he  is  held  in  the  cords  of 
 his  sins,  he  prizes  the  wages  of  unrighteousness  too 
 highly  to  quit  the  service  of  the  master  whom  he 
 loves,  and  to  whom  his  character  is  so  closely  assimi¬ 
 lated.  He  is  alienated  from  the  life  of  God,  through 
 the  darkness  and  ignorance  that  is  in  him,  because 
 of  the  blindness  of  his  mind. 
 
 How  can  you, — said  one  to  a  person  in  a  respect¬ 
 able  situation  of  life, — bring  upon  yourself  and  your 
 family  so  much  misery,  by  indulging  in  intoxication  ? 
 W ere  you  ever  ready  to  die  with  thirst  l  was  the 
 reply.  I  have  been  very  thirsty.  And  you  felt  an 
 inexpressible  desire  for  water?  Yes.  Well,  such 
 is  my  desire  for  strong  liquor,  and  I  am  unable  to 
 resist  it. — Here  we  have  at  once  free  and  forced 
 action.  The  man  followed  his  own  inclination,  he 
 acted  freely,  yet  he  was  the  servant  of  sin,  and  no 
 consideration  of  consequences  in  this  world  or  the 
 next  could  induce  him  to  forego  the  gratification  of 
 his  depraved  appetite.  So  every  man  by  nature  is 
 the  free,  the  willing  servant  of  sin  and  Satan. 
 
 Our  author  observes  :  “  That  our  agency  is  voluntary 
 notwithstanding  the  action  of  causes,  we  are  sure  is  a 
 
 e  3 
 
53  DIFFICULTY  RESULTING  FROM  THE  FALL. 
 
 fact ;  but  to  make  apparent  the  consistency  of  a  system 
 of  causation  with  a  system  of  voluntary  action,  is  not 
 therefore  easy.  In  truth,  this  has  been  always  the 
 great  problem  of  philosophy,  and  it  is  perhaps  incapa¬ 
 ble  of  solution.  Its  being  so,  however,  as  it  can  create 
 no  practical  perplexity,  so  it  ought  to  occasion  no  sur¬ 
 prise.  It  is  evidently  but  a  natural,  and  should  not 
 have  been  an  unexpected  result  of  the  limited  range 
 of  human  faculties.  It  is  not  that  the  universe  in 
 this  respect  is  out  of  joint,  but  that  we  are  not  at 
 present  in  a  position  to  perceive  and  appreciate  the 
 harmony  of  its  parts.  It  is,  in  a  word,  that,  being- 
 creatures,  we  cannot  comprehend  all  that  is  intelligi¬ 
 ble  to  the  Creator.  It  is  a  small  exercise  of  modestv 
 to  be  acquiescent  under  such  an  imperfection  of  our 
 knowledge.11* — P.  42. 
 
 This  is  precisely  the  point  to  which  we  wish  to 
 conduct  Mr  Hinton.  If  the  problem  be  incapable  of 
 solution,  why  does  he  attempt  to  solve  it  ?  The  dif¬ 
 ficulty  does  not  altogether  result  from  “  the  limited 
 range  of  human  faculties.11  In  consequence  of  the 
 fall  this  world  u  is  out  of  joint,11  “  The  earth  and 
 all  the  inhabitants  thereof  are  dissolved :  I  bear  up 
 the  pillars  of  it,11  Psal.  lxxv.  3.  Jesus  will  con¬ 
 tinue  to  bear  up  its  pillars  till,  from  its  ruins, 
 he  has  gathered  in  his  redeemed, — till  he  has  done 
 the  will  of  God,  in  sanctifying  those  for  whose 
 sake  he  sanctified  himself,  John  xvii.  19. ;  Heb.  x. 
 10.  ;  and  this  he  effects  by  manifesting  himself  to 
 
 *  This  is  one  of  various  passages  in  Mr  Hinton’s  book,  which 
 prove  that  he  has  not  been  able  to  satisfy  himself  of  the  soundness  of 
 his  own  argument.  His  illustration  already  noticed,  that  our  own 
 existence,  or  that  of  the  material  universe,  cannot  be  proved  by  any 
 train  of  reasoning,  fully  establishes  this  conclusion. 
 
VOLUNTARY  ACTION  RESULT  OF  REGENERATION.  59 
 
 them  in  their  successive  generations,  by  means 
 of  the  gospel,  and  then  dwelling  in  their  hearts 
 by  that  faith  which  overcometh  the  world,  1  John 
 v.  4. 
 
 In  the  conclusion  of  chapter  fourth,  we  have  a  spe¬ 
 cimen  of  the  metaphysical  subtilties  into  which  our 
 author  has  been  led  by  his  attempts  to  establish  a 
 favourite  theory.  Whatever  scope  disquisitions  on 
 such  subjects  may  afford  for  the  display  of  acuteness, 
 they  are  altogether  foreign  to  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
 
 He  proceeds  :  “I  may  be  reminded  of  the  opera¬ 
 tions  of  divine  grace  on  the  heart  ;  but  I  see  no¬ 
 thing  in  them  that  needs  to  be  differently  explain¬ 
 ed.  I  know  that  God  has  chosen  some  to  eternal 
 life,  and  that  the  attainment  of  this  happiness  in¬ 
 volves  a  change  in  them,  which  also,  of  course,  he 
 has  predetermined  to  effect :  but  it  is  enough  in 
 this  case  that  he  should  have  fore-ordained  his  own 
 doings,  and  not  theirs.  He  regenerates  them ; 
 very  well— regeneration  is  strictly  his  work,  and  not 
 theirs.  He  makes  them  willing  in  the  day  of  his 
 power :  again  I  say,  very  well — here  is  an  exertion 
 of  his  own  power,  which  of  course  he  predetermined  ; 
 and  here  is  also  a  resulting  course  of  voluntary  action 
 on  their  part,  which,  no  doubt,  he  foresaw  and  calcu¬ 
 lated  upon,  but  which  it  was  neither  appropriate  nor 
 necessary  that  he  should  foreordain.’1— P.  63. 
 
 “  Voluntary  action  ”  is  the  necessary  and  inevita¬ 
 ble  consequence  of  regeneration,  just  as  sensation  or 
 motion  is  the  necessary  consequence  of  animal  life. 
 If  God  predetermined  to  bestow  life,  he  predetermined 
 to  bestow  sensation,  and  if  he  predetermined  to  re- 
 
I 
 
 GO  WORKS  OF  BELIEVERS  FOREORDAINED. 
 
 generate  any  of  the  sons  of  men,  he  predetermined 
 “a  resulting  course  of  voluntary  action-11  on  the 
 part  of  the  regenerate.  The  one  was  necessarily  in¬ 
 cluded  in  the  other ;  they  could  not  be  separated, 
 and  hence  the  apostle  says,  44  We  are  his  workman¬ 
 ship,  created  in  Christ  J esus  unto  good  works,  wliich 
 God  hath  before  ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them  f 
 Eph.  ii.  10.  So  much  for  Mr  Hinton’s  assertion 
 that  it  was  44  neither  appropriate  nor  necessary  that 
 he  should  foreordain’'  44  a  resulting  course  of  volun- 
 tary  action  on  their  part.”  The  apostle  affirms,  in 
 language  which  cannot  be  misunderstood,  that  God 
 did  foreordain  the  good  works  to  the  performance  of 
 which  believers  were  created  in  Christ  Jesus.  Our 
 author  tells  us  God  made  them  44  willing  in  the  day  of 
 his  power.”  Willing  to  do  what  ?  Certainly  to  take 
 upon  them  Christ's  yoke  ;  to  walk  in  newness  of  life; 
 and  is  not  this  synonymous  with  ordaining  them  so 
 to  walk,  which,  we  are  expressly  informed,  God  has 
 done  ?  Thus  he  works  in  his  people  to  will  and  to  do 
 of  his  good  pleasure.  Mr  Hinton  admits  that  God 
 44  foreordained  his  own  doings,”  and  does  not  this  in¬ 
 evitably  include  his  people  doing  what  he  foreordained 
 to  work  in  them  to  do  ? 
 
 Mr  Hinton  sees  neither  necessity  nor  warrant  for 
 the  idea  “  that  God  has  foreordained  the  ungodly  to 
 perdition,11 — p.  64.  Is  not  the  perdition  of  the  un¬ 
 godly  the  doing  of  God  ?  2  Thess.  i.  9.  Now,  ac¬ 
 cording  to  our  author,  God  44  hath  foreordained  his 
 oimi  doings .11  Known  unto  God  are  all  his  works, 
 from  the  foundation  of  the  world  ;  he  inhabits  eter¬ 
 nity  ;  he  does  not,  like  us,  look  back  to  the  past  and 
 forward  to  the  future.  According  to  our  author,  he 
 
THE  SOURCE  OF  MAN’S  ENMITY. 
 
 61 
 
 chose  some  to  eternal  life ;  and  the  scripture  declares 
 that  those  who  are  not  thus  chosen  shall  perish, 
 while  their  blood  will  be  upon  their  own  head. 
 
 “We  are  called  on,”  says  our  author,  “to  be  recon¬ 
 ciled  to  God,  that  is,  to  produce  love  towards  God  in¬ 
 stead  of  enmity.  Now  the  enmity  we  have  hitherto  felt 
 towards  God  has  been  produced  by  ourselves  ;  and, 
 therefore,  since  we  have  been  able  to  produce  enmity, 
 we  must  of  course  be  able  to  produce  love.  And  not 
 only  so ;  whatever  amount  of  enmity  we  may  have 
 produced  heretofore,  it  is  plain  that  we  are  able  to  pro¬ 
 duce  an  equal  amount  of  love  ;  since  it  would  be  al¬ 
 together  groundless  and  absurd  to  suppose  that  we 
 possess  naturally  a  power  of  generating  more  of  hatred 
 than  benevolence.  Now  to  generate  love  as  we  have 
 hitherto  generated  enmity,  is  the  precise  thing  re¬ 
 quired  of  us  when  we  are  bidden  to  be  reconciled  to 
 God ;  and,  therefore,  to  be  reconciled  to  him  is 
 within  our  power.” — P.  69. 
 
 Man  did  not  produce  enmity  against  his  Maker 
 by  “a  process  to  which  the  mind  is  competent,” 
 but  by  an  act  of  disobedience,  and,  consequently, 
 coming  under  the  curse  of  the  law ;  therefore,  unless 
 man  can  deliver  himself  from  the  curse, — unless  he 
 can  pay  a  ransom  for  his  soul, — he  cannot  produce 
 love  to  God.  An  atonement  has  been  provided,  but 
 by  far  the  greater  part  of  mankind  never  heard  of 
 the  only  name  given  under  heaven  whereby  men 
 may  be  saved,  and  of  those  who  have  heard  the  gos¬ 
 pel,  Mr  Hinton  affirms,  that  none  are  saved  but  those 
 who  were  chosen  to  eternal  life,  and  regenerated,  and 
 made  willing  by  divine  power. 
 
 When  our  author  states  that  to  be  reconciled  to 
 
62 
 
 MEANING  OF  RECONCILIATION. 
 
 God  is  within  our  power,  he  loses  sight  of  the  meaning 
 of  reconciliation  as  employed  in  scripture.  “  There¬ 
 fore,  if  thou  bring  thy  gift  to  the  altar,  and  there 
 rememberest  that  thy  brother  hath  ought  against 
 thee,  leave  there  thy  gift  before  the  altar,  and  go  thy 
 way ;  first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then 
 come  and  offer  thy  gift Matt.  v.  23,  24.  Here, 
 it  is  supposed,  that  we  have  given  our  brother  some 
 cause  of  complaint,  and  we  are  commanded  to  be  re¬ 
 conciled  to  him  by  giving  him  satisfaction  for  the  in¬ 
 jury.  When  David  proposed  to  go  to  battle  with 
 the  army  of  the  Philistines,  the  lords  objected  to  it, 
 and  inquired,  “  Wherewith  should  he  reconcile  him¬ 
 self  unto  his  master  ?  should  it  not  be  with  the  heads 
 of  these  men  ?”  1  Sam.  xxix.  4.  The  word  is  used 
 precisely  in  the  same  sense  by  the  apostle:  “For 
 if,  when  we  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God 
 by  the  death  of  his  Son ;  much  more,  being  reconciled, 
 we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life  Rom.  v.  10.  Here, 
 being  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  is 
 synonymous  with  being  justified  by  his  blood  in  the 
 preceding  verse.  In  the  following  verse,  believers  are 
 described  as  joying  in  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  by 
 whom  they  have  received  the  reconciliation,  Rom. 
 v.  11.  The  holy  places  and  things  were  reconciled 
 with  blood,  by  which  their  pollution  was  removed. 
 Messiah  was  to  make  reconciliation  (or  atonement) 
 for  iniquity,  Dan.  ix.  24.,  and  sinners  are  besought 
 to  be  reconciled  to  God  from  the  consideration,  that 
 “  he  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no 
 sin.”  We  can  only  be  reconciled  to  God  by  re¬ 
 ceiving  the  atonement,  or  reconciliation ;  and  Mr 
 Hinton  tells  us,  that  no  man  ever  did  or  will  do  so, 
 
PERFECTION  OF  THE  MORAL  LAW. 
 
 63 
 
 except  through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Not 
 only  are  those  responsible  who  are  favoured  with 
 revelation,  but  the  heathen  who  have  not  the  law 
 are  responsible ;  Rom.  i.  20.  Is  it  within  their 
 power  to  be  reconciled  to  God  ?  the  apostle  tells  us, 
 that  “  they  are  without  Christ,  having  no  hope,  and 
 without  God  in  the  world,1’  Epli.  ii.  12. 
 
 Our  author  objects  to  the  moral  law  being  con¬ 
 sidered  to  constitute  “  a  perfect  inflexible  standard,” 
 requiring  “an  absolute  perfection  of  character,  and  the 
 same  perfection  in  all  circumstances.” — P.  69.  He 
 tells  us,  “that  which  the  law  of  God  requires  is  there¬ 
 fore  rather  a  shifting  than  a  fixed  element,”  p.  70  ; 
 and  upon  what  is  this  hypothesis  founded  ?  “The  pre¬ 
 cept,”  he  tells  us,  “  is,  ‘  Love — with  all  thy  strength;1 
 and  is  certainly  as  pliable  and  accomodating  as  can 
 be  desired.  God  requires  no  less  than  our  strength 
 — why  should  he  ? — and  clearly  no  more.  W e  are, 
 therefore,  able  to  do  all  that  he  requires ;  since  that 
 is  no  more  than  to  employ  what  means  we  have  of 
 producing  a  certain  affection  of  the  mind.” — Pp.  70, 
 7L 
 
 Why  then  does  the  apostle  deny  that  any  law 
 could  have  given  life  ?  Gal.  iii.  21 .  Why  does  he 
 affirm  that  we  are  naturally  without  strength ;  Rom. 
 v.  6-  How  can  he  say  that  in  him  dwelleth  no  good 
 thing,  (Rom.  vii.  1 8)  if  he  naturally  possessed  means 
 to  produce  love  to  God  ?  To  suppose  God  to  require 
 us  to  love  him  with  more  than  all  our  strength,  is 
 absurd  ;  “  the  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,”  and,  con¬ 
 sequently,  exactly  adapted  to  the  circumstances  of 
 those  who  are  under  it,  but  it  demands  absolute  per¬ 
 fection.  “  He  that  offendeth  in  one  point  is  guilty 
 
04  AN  INFLEXIBLE  STANDARD  OF  RECTITUDE. 
 
 of  all.  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in 
 all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law 
 to  do  them.”  It  is  then  “  a  fixed  element,”  it  de¬ 
 mands  the  same  of  a  man  and  of  an  angel,  to  love 
 G  od  with  all  his  heart,  and  his  neighbour  as  himself ; 
 and  our  Lord,  after  expounding  it  in  all  its  spiritual¬ 
 ity  and  extent,  concludes  by  saying,  “  Be  ye,  there¬ 
 fore,  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven 
 is  perfect,”  Matt.  v.  48.  The  law,  then,  demands 
 perfect  conformity ;  it  pronounces  a  curse  on  every 
 deviation;  and  is,  therefore,  “a  perfect  and  inflexible 
 standard  of  rectitude,  and  requires  an  absolute  per¬ 
 fection  of  character,  and  the  same  perfection  in  all 
 circumstances.” 
 
THE  CHANGE  PRODUCED  IN  CONVERSION.  65 
 
 CHAPTER  VII. 
 
 Figures  denoting  the  change  produced  in  conversion  :  a  new 
 birth  ; — creation  ; — resurrection  ; — how  reflection  on  divine 
 truthwill  operate  ; — object  of  the  evangelical  ministry  ; — gospel 
 exhibits  the  most  powerful  motives  ; — natural  results  of  Mr 
 Hinton’s  system  ; — remarks  on  the  case  of  the  demoniacs. 
 
 Various  figures  are  employed  to  denote  the  change 
 which  takes  place  upon  a  sinner  when  he  is  recon¬ 
 ciled  to  God ;  for  example,  a  new  creation,  2  Cor. 
 v.  17.  The  apostle,  in  impressing  upon  the  Ephe¬ 
 sians  that  salvation  was  not  of  works,  lest  any  man 
 should  boast,  adds,  “  For  we  are  his  workmanship, 
 created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,”  Eph.  ii. 
 10.  Does,  then,  the  creature  produce  itself?  The 
 supposition  is  absurd ;  its  production  is  an  act  ol 
 creative  power.  We  also  read  of  a  new  birth  being 
 essential  to  our  entering  the  kingdom  of  God.  Surely 
 the  child  is  not  the  cause  of  its  own  birth  !  Another 
 figure  is  a  resurrection.  W e  are,  by  nature,  dead  in 
 sins,  but  believers  are  quickened  together  with  Christ, 
 and  risen  to  walk  with  him  in  newness  of  life.  Are 
 the  dead  raised  by  their  own  exertions  ?  certainly 
 not.  Now  the  apostle  represents  the  exceeding  great¬ 
 ness  of  God’s  power  in  quickening  believers,  as 
 corresponding  with  the  mighty  power  by  which 
 Christ’s  resurrection  was  effected  ;  Eph.  i.  20.  God 
 never  employs  means  greater  than  are  necessary  for 
 accomplishing  his  purposes  Philosophers  have 
 noticed  the  economy  of  power  in  the  works  of  nature* 
 where  the  same  agent  is  made  use  of  to  answer  various 
 
 p 
 
66  EXPLAINING  AWAY  THE  WORDS  OF  SCRIPTURE. 
 
 purposes.  The  use  of  greater  means  than  the  case 
 requires,  argues  a  deficiency  of  wisdom,  as  much  as 
 employing  means  which  prove  inadequate.  We  may 
 then  be  assured  that  God,  who  is  perfect  in  wisdom, 
 always  adapts  the  means  to  the  end  he  has  in  view, 
 and  that  he  would  not  put  forth  his  almighty  power 
 in  quickening  believers,  were  it  not  necessary. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  will  reply,  such  language  is  to  be  under¬ 
 stood  figuratively  and  analogically,  not  literally  ;  but 
 where  is  the  analogy,  if  the  most  prominent  part  of 
 the  figure  bears  no  relation  to  what  is  figured  ? 
 
 Precisely  by  the  same  mode  of  reasoning,  Arians 
 and  Socinians  resist  the  testimony  of  the  Word  of 
 God  respecting  our  Lord’s  divinity.  They  admit 
 that  he  is  God,  Jehovah,  Almighty,  &c.  but  only 
 in  an  improper  sense.  “  I  see  and  know,”  says 
 the  Arian,  “  that  the  two  sets  of  attributes,  the 
 divine  and  human,  are  perfectly  incompatible,”  and 
 therefore,  by  the  help  of  figurative  and  analogical 
 language,  he  gets  rid  of  the  testimony  of  the  Word 
 of  God  ;  but  this  great  and  fundamental  doctrine  is 
 placed  in  such  a  variety  of  points  of  view,  that 
 nothing  but  the  natural  opposition  of  the  mind  to 
 God,  could  prevent  our  perceiving  it,  and  the  inabi¬ 
 lity  of  fallen  man  to  turn  to  God  is  not  less  plainly 
 revealed 
 
 In  answering  the  question,  Whether,  because  men 
 are  fallen  and  depraved,  religious  truths  will  not 
 affect  them  when  reflected  on  ?  Mr  Hinton  says,  “  I 
 observe,  first,  that,  if  the  effect  of  man’s  fall  be  to 
 prevent  truths  of  any  class,  when  reflected  on,  from 
 acting  on  his  feelings  according  to  their  nature,  then 
 the  fall  has  materially  interfered  with  the  operation 
 of  his  rational  faculties,  and  must  be  deemed  to  have 
 
REFLECTION  UPON  RELIGIOUS  TRUTH. 
 
 (37 
 
 impaired  the  structure  of  his  mind.  In  such  a  state 
 men  are  no  longer  sane ;  and,  on  every  principle  of 
 equity,  they  should  be  exempted  from  religious  obli¬ 
 gation  and  responsibility  altogether.’1 — P.  77. 
 
 I  shall  not  inquire  whether  the  fall  has  interfered 
 with  the  operation  of  men’s  rational  faculties,  but  in 
 consequence  of  his  rebellion,  he  is  cut  off  from  God 
 by  the  curse  of  his  broken  law,  and  is,  therefore,  so 
 corrupt  and  alienated  from  God,  that  when  he  hears 
 the  gospel  which  contains  the  fullest  display  of  the 
 Divine  character,  the  light  shineth  in  darkness,  and 
 the  darkness  comprehendeth  it  not.  Whether  our 
 author  holds  that  the  fall  of  the  angels  “  impaired 
 the  structure”  of  their  “  mind,”  I  cannot  tell,  but 
 at  all  events,  I  hardly  suppose  he  will  maintain  that, 
 on  every  principle  of  equity,  they  should  be  exempted 
 from  religious  obligation  and  responsibility  altogether. 
 Of  one  thing  we  are  sure,  that  the  old  serpent,  the 
 devil  and  Satan,  was  not  thus  exempted,  for  God 
 cursed  him  for  tempting  our  first  parents,  and  ever 
 since  that  time  he  has  been  treasuring  up  for  himself 
 wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  speaks,  with  great  confidence,  of  the  im¬ 
 portance  of  reflection  upon  religious  truth, — a  posi¬ 
 tion  which  we  have  no  wish  to  controvert,  although 
 the  connexion  between  the  apprehensions  of  condem¬ 
 nation  and  turning  to  God  is  by  no  means  uniform. 
 He  says,  “  that  religious  truth,  when  reflected  on,  will 
 operate  on  the  minds  of  men,  without  any  exception.” 
 — P  79. 
 
 Undoubtedly;  but  how  will  it  operate?  It  never 
 produces  conversion,  himself  being  judge.  Re¬ 
 flection,  however,  may  produce  terror  or  transient 
 joy.  Sometimes  it  produces  infidelity,  or  leads  men 
 
68  MEANS  EFFECTUAL  FOR  THE  DIVINE  PURPOSE. 
 
 to  seek  for  refuge  in  a  Church  professing  infallibility. 
 At  other  times,  it  produces  insanity,  and  hence  we 
 see  the  people  of  the  world  filled  with  apprehensions, 
 when  any  of  their  relations  begin  to  reflect  much 
 upon  religion.  Still  men  are  to  be  urged  to  reflect 
 upon  the  circumstances  in  which  they  are  placed, 
 and  the  way  of  salvation  is  to  be  pressed  upon  their 
 consideration,  while  we  remember  that  it  is  God’s 
 exclusive  prerogative  to  make  the  truth  effectual  to 
 their  salvation. 
 
 No  doubt,  men  frequently  endeavour  to  turn  away 
 their  mind  from  the  account  which  their  conscience, 
 as  well  as  the  Word  of  God,  tells  them  they  are  to 
 give  hereafter.  They  are  not  absolutely  without 
 feeling,  in  regard  to  religion,  but  our  author  agrees 
 with  us,  that  none  of  them  ever  did  or  will  turn  to 
 God,  except  through  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  conse¬ 
 quently,  so  far  as  the  question  is  practical,  himself 
 hath  decided  it.  From  this  difficulty  he  attempts  to 
 escape,  by  distinguishing  between  sufficient  and  effi¬ 
 cient  or  effectual.  The  motives  held  out  to  turn  men 
 to  God,  he  alleges,  are  sufficient,  although  they  never 
 were  and  never  will  be  effectual .  But  the  means 
 which  God  employs  are  effectual  for  accomplishing 
 his  eternal  purpose  in  the  salvation  of  his  redeemed 
 people. 
 
 He  has  commanded  the  gospel  to  be  preached  to 
 every  creature,  and  has  declared,  that  “  as  the  rain 
 cometh  down  and  the  snow  from  heaven,  and  return- 
 eth  not  thither,  but  watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh 
 it  bring  forth  and  bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the 
 sower,  and  bread  to  the  eater,  so  shall  my  word  be 
 that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth :  it  shall  not  re- 
 
DIFFERENCE  OF  THE  OLD  AND  NEW  COVENANTS.  69 
 
 turn  unto  me  void ;  but  it  shall  accomplish  that 
 which  I  please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing 
 whereto  I  sent  it,"  Isaiah  lv.  10,  11.  To  the  heirs 
 of  promise,  the  children  given  to  Christ,  those  for 
 whose  sake  he  sanctified  himself,  John  xvii.  19,  the 
 gospel  is  the  savour  of  life  unto  life,  for  it  comes  to 
 them  in  power  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much 
 assurance,  while  to  others  it  comes  only  in  word,  and 
 is  the  savour  of  death  unto  death.  The  baptism  of 
 the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  exclusive  privilege  of  the 
 children  of  the  new  covenant ;  by  one  spirit  they  are 
 all  baptised  into  one  body,  and  thus  become  the  mem¬ 
 bers  of  Christ,  Eph.  v.  SO.  By  this  spirit  they  are 
 made  alive  to  God,  while  all  who  have  not  the  Spirit 
 are  dead  while  they  live. 
 
 In  this  consists  the  great  difference  between  the 
 old  and  new  covenants.  The  old  covenant  said, 
 This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it but  it  did  not  give 
 the  strength  which  was  requisite,  in  order  to  obedi¬ 
 ence.  Hence  the  ministry  of  Moses  is  termed  the 
 ministration  of  death  and  of  condemnation ;  and  hence 
 the  apostle  tells  us,  the  first  covenant  was  not  fault¬ 
 less,  Heb.  viii.  7.  But  the  Lord  puts  his  fear  in  the 
 inward  parts  of  the  children  of  the  new  covenant,  and 
 the  law  is  written  in  their  hearts.  Thus  does  the 
 law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  make  them 
 free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death,  Rom.  viii.  2. 
 
 “  Besides,"  observes  Mr  Hinton,  p.  78,  “  upon  the 
 supposition  I  am  combating,  how  unintelligible,  how 
 absurd,  is  the  entire  system  of  the  evangelical  minis¬ 
 try  !  The  scriptures  exhibit  it  as  adapted  to  per¬ 
 suade  men.  Herein  God  speaks  to  them,  and  bids 
 
 them  hearken  and  incline  their  ear,  as  being  about 
 
 f  3 
 
70  OBJECT  OF  THE  EVANGELICAL  MINISTRY. 
 
 to  say  things  which,  if  they  will  hearken  to  them, 
 will  exert  an  influence  on  their  minds.  But  we  are 
 now  told,  that,  although  men  should  hearken  to  divine 
 pleadings,  they  will  exert  no  influence  P  Where  then 
 is  the  use  of  demanding  their  attention,  and  of  com¬ 
 plaining  so  bitterly  that  it  is  withheld  \  It  is  hence¬ 
 forth  nothing  more  than  an  artifice  and  a  mockery.” 
 
 This  paragraph  gives  a  very  false  view  of  “  the  en¬ 
 tire  system  of  the  evangelical  ministry.”  The  apostle 
 certainly  well  understood  the  object  of  the  ministry 
 which  was  committed  to  him  immediately  by  the 
 Lord.  Now,  he  informs  us,  that  the  object  of  the 
 evangelical  ministry  is  to  gather  in  the  elect.  “  I 
 endure  all  things  for  the  elect's  sake,  that  they  may 
 also  obtain  the  salvation  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus 
 with  eternal  glory,”  2  Tim.  ii.  10.  The  warnings, 
 the  invitations,  the  entreaties,  are  all  for  their 
 sakes,  and  they  are  effectual,  so  that  none  of  them 
 are  lost.  The  Lord  Jesus  has  received  power  over 
 all  flesh,  that  he  might  give  eternal  life  to  as  many 
 as  the  Father  hath  given;  and  while  others  reject  the 
 counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  because  they  are 
 not  his  sheep,  John  x.  26,  he  says,  “  My  sheep  hear 
 my  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me  : 
 and  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life ;  and  they  shall 
 never  perish,  neither  shall  any  man  pluck  them  out 
 of  my  hand,”  John  x.  27,  28.  Hence  the  apostle 
 knew  the  election  of  the  Thessalonians  by  the  gospel 
 coming  to  them  not  in  word,  but  in  power,  and  in 
 the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much  assurance,  1  Thess. 
 i.  5. 
 
 By  whom  has  our  author  been  told,  “  that  although 
 men  should  hearken  to  divine  pleadings,  they  will 
 
GOSPEL  PRESENTS  THE  MOST  POWERFUL  EFFECTS. 
 
 exert  no  influence  ?”  The  language  of  scripture  is, 
 44  Incline  your  ear  and  come  unto  me  ;  hear  and  your 
 soul  shall  live but  it  also  testifies  that,  “  as  the  deaf 
 adder  will  not  hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  charmer, 
 men  will  not  hearken  to  the  gracious  invitations  of 
 the  gospel,  nay,  that  such  is  their  depravity,  that 
 they  cannot  come  to  Christ,  except  the  Father  draw 
 them,”  John  vi.  4 4,  65.  Mr  Hinton  smiles  at  this 
 “  cannot-ism ,  but  admits,  that  no  man  ever  did  or 
 will  come,  except  through  the  power  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit. 
 
 The  gospel  presents  the  most  powerful  motives  to 
 induce  men  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and  opens 
 to  all  who  hear  it,  without  exception,  a  door  of  hope, 
 however  aggravated  their  guilt.  Every  bar  is  re¬ 
 moved  out  of  the  way  of  those  who  possess  the  sacred 
 oracles.  They  are  warned  of  their  danger,  and  invited 
 to  enter  the  ark.  What  could  have  been  done  more 
 for  sinners  of  mankind,  who  possess  the  Word  of 
 God?  Nothing  in  the  way  of  external  advantages. 
 But  no  evidence  will  remove  their  unbelief ;  “  they 
 will  not  hear  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will 
 they  be  pursuaded  although  one  rose  from  the  dead.” 
 
 The  scriptures  “  teach  us,  it  is  true,”  says  our 
 author,  “  that  man  is  a  fallen  and  depraved  creature, 
 and  that  his  depravity  gravely  influences  his  treat¬ 
 ment  of  religious  truth  :  what  they  declare  upon  this 
 point,  however,  is  not  that  religious  truth  meditated 
 on  will  not  affect  men’s  minds,  but  that  men  will  not 
 meditate  on  it.  They  do  not  like  to  retain  God  in 
 their  knowledge.  They  will  not  hearken,  or  incline 
 their  ear  to  instruction.  This  sentiment,  I  must  beg 
 to  observe,  is  widely  different  from  the  other,  and,  so 
 
72  NATURAL  RESULTS  OF  MR  HINTON’S  SYSTEM. 
 
 far  from  sanctioning  it,  accords  altogether  with  that 
 for  which  I  am  contending — namely,  that  religious 
 truth,  when  reflected  on ,  will  operate  on  the  minds  of 
 men,  without  any  exception.” — P.  79. 
 
 Well,  here  is  an  insuperable  bar,  “  they  will  not 
 hearken,  or  incline  their  ear  to  instruction.”  Now, 
 their  minds  cannot  be  affected  unless  this  disincli¬ 
 nation  be  overcome ;  so  that  our  author  is  shut  up 
 to  admit  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
 in  order  to  conviction.  What  avails  it  that  religious 
 truth,  when  reflected  on ,  will  operate  on  the  minds 
 of  men,  when  it  is  admitted  in  the  same  breath, 
 that  “  men  will  not  meditate”  on  religious  truth. 
 But  he  wishes  to  prove  that  men  are  inexcusable 
 when  they  reject  the  gospel;  it  is  freely  admitted. 
 Mr  Hinton  may  suppose  that  he  has  solved  “  the 
 great  problem  of  philosophy but  he  resembles  the 
 boy  who,  by  repeating  a  rule,  persuaded  himself  that 
 he  understood  a  subject,  of  which  he  was  ignorant. 
 
 He  informs  us  his  views  are  not  peculiar  to  him¬ 
 self,  “  but  are  entertained  widely,”  p.  1 00.  It  may 
 be  so ;  and,  according  to  his  anticipations,  they  may 
 be  destined  to  a  far  more  extensive  prevalence.  But 
 without  pretending  to  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  we 
 may  confidently  predict  that  a  great  proportion  of 
 those  who  adopt  them  will  carry  them  farther  than 
 our  author.  They  will  see  that,  while  the  operation 
 of  the  Spirit  is  held  to  be  essential  to  conversion, 
 they  do  not  get  free  of  any  practical  difficulty,  and 
 will  therefore  proceed  to  deny  the  necessity  of  his 
 influence  altogether ;  and  if,  in  consequence,  they 
 depart  farther  from  the  truth  than  their  leader,  they 
 will  at  the  same  time  produce  a  system  more  agree- 
 
DANGER  OF  ERROR  IN  RELIGION. 
 
 able  to  tlie  wisdom  of  this  world,  by  following  to 
 their  legitimate  consequences  the  premises  with  which 
 they  have  been  furnished. 
 
 We  consider  our  author’s  system  to  have  had  an 
 unhappy  influence  upon  his  mind,  in  leading  him  to 
 explain  away  various  passages  of  the  word  of  God, 
 to  which  we  have  adverted  ;  and  in  this  we  see  the 
 importance  of  the  caution  against  Christians  being 
 spoiled  “  by  philosophy  and  vain  deceit,  after  the 
 tradition  of  men,  after  the  rudiments  of  the  world, 
 and  not  after  Christ.”  How  is  this  apostolic  caution 
 to  be  reconciled  with  our  author’s  observation,  when 
 treating  of  human  depravity,  and  its  consequences, 
 that  “  the  decision  of  the  religious  argument  is  in¬ 
 volved  in  the  principles  of  moral  philosophy.”* 
 
 Whatever  may  be  the  further  effects  of  his  system 
 upon  himself,  we  have  no  doubt  of  its  being  very  in¬ 
 jurious  to  others.  Error  in  regard  to  any  part  of 
 divine  truth  will  eat  as  doth  a  canker.  Its  full 
 operation  may  in  some  cases  be  neutralized,  but  its 
 tendency  is  always  pernicious. 
 
 There  are  various  other  passages  of  our  author’s 
 work  which  we  might  have  noticed,  but  what  has 
 been  said  will  give  a  sufficiently  accurate  view  of  his 
 system,  and  of  the  fallacious  arguments  by  which  it 
 is  defended. 
 
 There  is  still  one  thing,  however,  to  which  we  will 
 advert.  From  the  manner  in  which  Mr  Hinton  has 
 expressed  himself,  it  seems  doubtful  whether  he  holds 
 that  the  demoniacs  of  whom  we  read  in  the  New 
 Testament  were  actually  possessed.  In  representing 
 our  acting  independently  as  essential  to  our  respon¬ 
 sibility,  he  says :  “I  intend  that  the  actions  for 
 
 "  The  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Conversion,  p.  77-  London,  1830. 
 
74 
 
 CASE  OF  THE  DEMONIACS. 
 
 which  we  are  held  responsible  should  be  our  own, 
 and  not  another’s ;  not  such,  for  example,  as  those 
 of  the  ancient  demoniacs  (I  assume,  for  the  value  of 
 the  illustration,  the  literal  import  of  the  narrative), 
 in  and  by  whom  the  evil  spirits  spake  and  wrought.11 
 
 Pp.  7,  8. 
 
 If  the  accounts  of  the  demoniacs  are  not  to  be 
 understood  literally,  we  may  explain  away  any  fact 
 recorded  in  scripture.  Not  only  are  persons  possessed 
 of  evil  spirits  distinguished  from  lunatics  ;  not  only 
 does  the  Lord  command  the  spirit  to  hold  his  peace 
 and  come  out,  Mark  i.  25,  v.  8 ;  but  on  one  occa¬ 
 sion,  some  of  these  evil  spirits  obtained  permission  to 
 enter  into  a  herd  of  swine,  of  which  three  thousand 
 were  in  consequence  drowned.  If  in  this  case  there 
 was  not  a  real  possession,  by  what  figure  can  the 
 narrative  be  reconciled  with  truth  ?  This  part  of 
 scripture  history  is  very  important ;  for  it  embodies 
 the  doctrine  of  the  power  and  malice  of  the  spirit 
 that  worketh  in  the  children  of  disobedience.  In  the 
 demoniacs  we  see  an  exhibition  of  the  activity  of  our 
 adversary  the  devil,  who  goeth  about  as  a  roaring- 
 lion  seeking  whom  he  may  devour.  We  also  see  in 
 the  destruction  of  the  herd  of  swine  the  restraints 
 which  God  places  upon  the  power  of  Satan,  who,  had 
 he  been  permitted,  would  have  destroyed  the  de¬ 
 moniacs.  In  like  manner,  we  see  the  truth  of  the 
 indwelling  of  the  Spirit  in  believers,  embodied  in  his 
 visible  descent  on  the  day  of  pentecost,  and  in  the 
 consequent  miraculous  gifts  conferred  on  the  disciples 
 in  the  beginning  of  the  gospel.  If  Mr  Hinton  does 
 hold  the  literal  import  of  the  narrative  of  the  de¬ 
 moniacs,  he  should  not  have  cast  a  doubt  on  it  by 
 his  parenthesis 
 
FOUNDATION  OF  MR  HINTON’S  SYSTEM. 
 
 75 
 
 CHAPTER  VIII. 
 
 Erroneous  view  of  the  state  of  fallen  man,  the  foundation  of  Mr 
 Hinton’s  system  ; — man  has  no  claim  upon  God ; — all  children  of 
 wrath  ; — our  connexion  with  Adam,  and  the  imputation  of  his 
 sin,  and  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ  ; — separation  of  soul  and 
 body,  not  the  death  threatened  Gen.  ii.  17  ; — gospel  not  an 
 experiment ; — redemption  not  an  after  thought ; — Satan’s  plan 
 defeated,  and  through  it  God’s  eternal  purpose  fulfilled  ; — dis¬ 
 play  of  the  glory  of  the  Divine  character. 
 
 Haying  taken  a  general  view  of  the  system  which 
 Mr  Hinton  has  endeavoured  to  establish,  and  of  the 
 arguments  by  which  it  is  supported,  it  may  not  be 
 unprofitable  to  consider  more  particularly  the  foun¬ 
 dation  upon  which  it  rests.  Our  author  has  adopted 
 an  erroneous  view  of  the  state  into  which  man  was 
 brought  bv  the  fall.  While  he  admits  human  de- 
 
 O  v 
 
 pravity,  he  entertains  very  erroneous  conceptions  of 
 its  origin,  its  depth,  and  its  consequences.  He  tells 
 us  that  man’s  “  depravity  gravely  influences  his  treat¬ 
 ment  of  religious  truth,”  p.  79  ;  while  the  scriptures 
 teach  us  that  man  is  so  blinded  by  his  depravity,  that 
 nothing  short  of  Almighty  power  can  overcome  his 
 hatred  of  the  light.  “  Truth,”  he  says,  “  naturally 
 approves  itself  to  the  understanding,  rather  than 
 error ;  and,  when  fairly  presented  (which  of  course 
 is  implied  in  the  statement),  has  not  only  the  better 
 chance,  but  the  certainty  of  being  received,  if  the 
 action  of  the  understanding  be  not  perverted,  as  by 
 prejudice  or  passion.” — P.  90.  The  scriptures  not 
 only  represent  the  action  of  the  understanding  as 
 perverted,  but  declare  that  the  prejudice  is  so  deep, 
 
76 
 
 FALLEN  MAN  CONDEMNED. 
 
 and  the  passion  so  strong,  that  God  alone  is  able  to 
 subdue  it.  This,  indeed,  Mr  Hinton  practically  ad¬ 
 mits,  for  be  bolds  that  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
 is  absolutely  necessary  to  conversion.  We  need  not, 
 then,  sit  down  to  calculate  chances ,  as  to  the  recep¬ 
 tion  of  the  truth,  since,  according  to  our  author  him¬ 
 self,  no  man  who  ever  lived,  or  shall  live,  has  re¬ 
 ceived,  or  will  receive,  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
 without  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 
 Fallen  man  is  not  only  depraved  but  condemned, 
 and  the  former  is  the  effect  of  the  latter.  By  the 
 curse,  he  is  cut  off  from  God,  the  Fountain  of  all 
 purity  and  holiness.  Hence  that  depravity  which 
 our  author  acknowledges,  while  he  appears  to  over¬ 
 look  its  source.  That  all  mankind  were  not  for  ever 
 cast  off,  can  only  be  referred  to  the  sovereign  plea¬ 
 sure  of  God.  Fallen  man  had  no  more  claim  upon 
 his  Creator  than  the  fallen  angels  ;  it  is  of  the  Lord’s 
 mercy  that  any  of  Adam’s  race  escape  everlasting 
 destruction.  It  was  not,  however,  the  purpose  of 
 God  to  restore  all  mankind  to  his  love  and  favour. 
 This  is  incontrovertibly  proved  by  the  result,  for  in 
 this,  as  in  everything  else,  God’s  purpose  has  stood, 
 and  he  has  done  all  his  pleasure. 
 
 Mr  Hinton  holds  that  God  has  chosen  some  to 
 eternal  life,  whom  he  regenerates  and  makes  willing 
 in  the  day  of  his  power,  the  result  of  which  is  “  a 
 course  of  voluntary  action  on  their  part but  he 
 does  not  hold  that  “  God  has  foreordained  the  un- ' 
 godly  to  perdition,”  p.  64.  According  to  the 
 scriptures,  fallen  man  is  “  lost,”  he  is  “  condemned 
 already,1’  and  such  as  are  not  regenerated,  or  created 
 anew,  must,  therefore,  inevitably  perish,  for  the 
 
HENCE  THE  DEATH  OF  INFANTS. 
 
 77 
 
 “  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  them.”  All  sinned  and 
 died  in  Adam ;  hence  all  are  dead  in  trespasses  and 
 sins.  By  the  riches  of  God's  grace  many  are  plucked 
 as  brands  from  the  burning,  while  others  are  left  to 
 perish.  All  are  by  nature  accursed, — the  “  children 
 of  wrath,” — and  the  salvation  of  the  redeemed  is  the 
 wonder  of  angels  ;  1  Pet.  i.  1 2. 
 
 The  most  fruitful  source  of  error,  in  regard  to  the 
 gospel,  is,  not  properly  understanding  our  fall  in 
 Adam.  “  The  occasion,”  says  Dr  Owen,  “  of  all  the 
 mistakes  and  errors  that  have  been  about  regenera¬ 
 tion,  either  of  old  or  of  late,  has  been  a  misunder¬ 
 standing  of  the  true  state  of  men  in  their  lapsed  con¬ 
 dition,  or  of  nature  as  depraved.”  That,  in  virtue 
 of  the  relation  in  which  we  stand  to  our  first  father, 
 his  guilt  is  our  guilt,  and  that  we  were  all  most 
 justly  condemned  in  him,  is  a  stumbling-block  and 
 foolishness  to  all  whose  high  imaginations  are  not 
 cast  down  by  the  gospel  coming  to  them  in  power, 
 and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much  assurance. 
 Against  this  doctrine  the  pride  of  the  human  heart 
 rises,  although  it  is  not  only  plainly  taught  in  the 
 scriptures  of  truth,  but  is  confirmed  by  what  is 
 daily  passing  around  us.  We  see  death  reigning 
 over  infants  who  have  not  sinned  after  the  similitude 
 of  Adam's  transgression.  Now,  death  is  the  wages 
 of  sin  ;  and  if  infants  were  not  sinners,  they  would 
 not  be  subject  to  death.  “Who  ever  perished,  being 
 innocent?  or  where  were  the  righteous  cut  off?”  Job 
 iv.  7. 
 
 There  is  another  circumstance  which,  were  it  not 
 explained  by  what  is  continually  passing  around  us, 
 would  be  no  less  mysterious  than  the  imputation  of 
 
 G 
 
78  IMPUTATION  OF  SIN  AND  RIGHTEOUSNESS. 
 
 Adam's  guilt  to  his  posterity.  That  the  unnum¬ 
 bered  millions  of  the  human  race  should  have  been 
 created  in  an  individual,  would  appear  incredible;  but 
 the  birth  of  children  removes  the  difficulty.  And, 
 in  regard  to  the  imputation  of  Adam's  guilt  to  all 
 mankind,  the  day  of  the  revelation  of  the  right¬ 
 eous  judgment  of  God  is  approaching,  when  we  shall 
 see  that  in  this  and  every  other  part  of  his  procedure, 
 the  Lord  hath  acted  with  infinite  wisdom  and  unim¬ 
 peachable  justice. 
 
 The  imputation  of  Adam’s  sin  to  all  his  posterity, 
 and  the  imputation  of  the  Second  Adam's  righteous¬ 
 ness  to  his  children,  are  written  as  with  a  sun¬ 
 beam  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  knowledge  of 
 this  is  indispensable  to  our  understanding  the  plan 
 of  redemption.  It  is  from  losing  sight  of  this  fun¬ 
 damental  truth  that  so  many  winds  of  doctrine  are 
 abroad,  by  which  the  hearts  of  the  simple  are  de¬ 
 ceived. 
 
 Many  hold,  most  inconsistently,  that  we  partake  of 
 the  consequences,  but  not  of  the  guilt  of  Adam's  sin ; 
 which  is  palpably  unscriptural.  “  By  one  man’s 
 disobedience  many  were  made  sinners;" — and  there 
 is  the  most  perfect  harmony  between  the  introduc¬ 
 tion  of  sin  and  righteousness :  Even  so,  by  the 
 obedience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righteous," 
 Rom.  v.  19.  Such  is  the  unity  between  Christ  and 
 his  people,  in  consequence  of  his  having  taken  part 
 in  flesh  and  blood  with  the  children  whom  God  had 
 given  him,  that  their  sin  is  truly  his  sin,  and  his 
 righteousness  is  truly  theirs. 
 
 The  view  given  in  the  Word  of  God  is,  that  all 
 men  sinned  in  Adam,  and  so  came  under  the  curse. 
 
PRIVILEGES  OF  BELIEVERS. 
 
 79 
 
 Like  the  angels,  they  were  delivered  into  chains  of 
 darkness ;  and  the  reason  why  these  chains  are  not 
 everlasting,  is,  that  God  said, — of  those  whom  he 
 loved  with  an  everlasting  love,  and  chosen  in  Christ 
 before  the  foundation  of  the  world, — “  deliver  from 
 going  down  to  the  pit,  I  have  found  a  ransom. 
 In  the  course  of  his  adorable  providence,  he  brings 
 them  under  the  sound  of  the  gospel,  which,  through 
 his  power,  is  to  them  spirit  and  life.  They  receive 
 the  atonement,  are  by  one  spirit  baptised  into  the 
 one  body  of  Christ,  and,  after  having  suffered  awhile, 
 after  having  fellowship  with  their  glorious  Head  in 
 the  sorrows  which  he  endured  in  this  world,  they 
 have  fellowship  with  him  in  his  death,  that  they  may 
 be  conformed  to  him  in  his  resurrection,  and  be  raised 
 spiritual  and  incorruptible,  having  their  vile  bodies 
 fashioned  like  to  his  glorious  body. 
 
 While  in  this  world,  they  are  not  in  darkness  ; 
 God  is  the  Lord  who  hath  showed  them  light ;  Christ, 
 their  sacrifice,  has  been  bound  to  the  horns  of  the 
 altar,  Psal.  cxviii.  27.  “I  am,  (saith  Christ,)  the 
 light  of  the  world.1’  It  streams  from  his  cross,  where 
 he  finished  transgression,  made  an  end  of  sin,  made 
 reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  brought  in  everlasting 
 righteousness.  Having  risen  for  the  justification  of 
 those  whose  sins  he  had  borne,  he  saluted  his  breth¬ 
 ren  with  the  joyful  annunciation:  “  I  ascend  to  my 
 Father,  and  your  Father,  to  my  God,  and  your 
 God.”  He  was  given  for  a  covenant  of  the  people, 
 Isa.  xlix.  8.,  and  the  covenant  having  now  been  con¬ 
 firmed  by  his  death  and  resurrection,  he  has  removed 
 from  his  redeemed  the  spirit  of  bondage  unto  fear,  and 
 given  them  the  spirit  of  adoption,  by  which  they  cry, 
 
80  WHY  MANKIND  PLACED  UNDER  THE  LAW. 
 
 Abba,  Father,  and,  consequently,  have  the  witness 
 of  the  Spirit  that  they  are  the  children  of  God, 
 through  union  with  the  Only-begotten. 
 
 The  heirs  of  promise  had  from  the  beginning  been 
 justified  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ, — who  is 
 called  “  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
 world,1’  Rev.  xiii.  8.  But  this  righteousness  was  not 
 brought  in  till  his  death,  burial,  and  resurrection. 
 Till  then  the  atonement  was  not  made;  but  “through 
 the  forbearance  of  God,11  his  people  in  every  age  were 
 accepted  in  the  beloved.  The  spirits  of  just  men 
 were  then  “  made  perfect,”  Heb.  xii.  23;  and  believers 
 upon  earth  now  walk  in  a  clearer  light. 
 
 It  may  be  asked,  if  mankind  were  condemned  in 
 Adam,  why  were  they  placed  under  the  law  ?  The  law, 
 like  every  other  part  of  God’s  dealings  with  fallen 
 man,  was  given  in  reference  to  the  coming  of  the 
 Saviour ;  hence  he  is  said  to  be  the  end  of  the  law,  for 
 righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth.  The  law 
 makes  no  allowance  for  human  frailty,  it  demands 
 perfect  obedience,  and  pronounces  a  curse  upon  every 
 deviation,  thus  exhibiting  God's  abhorrence  of  sin, 
 and  the  absolute  necessity  of  a  perfect  righteousness 
 in  order  to  our  acceptance  with  God.  The  law  was 
 added,  not  that  by  it  sinners  might  be  justified,  but 
 that  the  offence  might  abound,  “  that  every  mouth 
 may  be  stopped,  and  all  the  world  may  become  guilty 
 before  God,”  Rom.  iii.  19;  and  that,  being  fulfilled 
 by  the  great  Surety  of  the  new  covenant,  it  might  be 
 written -in  the  hearts  of  all  his  children  by  the  Spirit 
 received  through  faith  in  him.  No  law  could  by 
 possibility  have  given  life  to  fallen  man,  Gal.  iii.  21. 
 In  order  to  salvation,  sinners  must  be  redeemed  from 
 
I 
 
 SEPARATION  OF  SOUL  AND  BODY  NOT  THE  CURSE.  81 
 
 the  curse,  and  created  anew  in  Christ.  This  re¬ 
 demption  was  effected  upon  Calvary.  There  God 
 purchased  the  Church  with  his  own  blood,  and  in  the 
 day  of  regeneration  he  takes  possession  of  his  pur¬ 
 chase.  He  manifests  himself  to  his  people  as  he  does 
 not  to  the  world,  and  they  become  the  temple  of  the 
 Holy  Ghost,  which  dwelleth  in  them,  which  they 
 have  of  God.  Thus,  that  fellowship  with  their 
 Creator,  which  was  broken  off  by  sin,  is  renewed  by 
 their  union  with  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  consequence 
 of  this  union  is  their  bringing  forth  the  fruits  of 
 righteousness  ;  Rom.  vii.  4.  As  their  ungodliness 
 and  worldly  lusts,  in  their  natural  state,  were  the 
 proof  of  their  guilt,  condemnation,  and  consequent 
 alienation  from  God ;  so  the  fruits  of  the  spirit  of 
 Christ,  who  dwells  in  their  heart  by  faith,  are  now 
 the  evidence  of  their  justification,  and  of  their  having 
 passed  from  death  unto  life  ;  1  John  iii.  7. 
 
 It  appears,  from  our  author’s  work  upon  the  Holy 
 Spirit,  that  he  considers  the  death  with  which  Adam 
 was  threatened  in  the  event  of  disobedience,  (Gen.  ii. 
 17,)  to  have  been  the  separation  of  soul  and  body. 
 This  is  by  no  means  the  case.  The  destruction  of 
 the  human  body,  so  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made, 
 is,  indeed,  a  lively  emblem  of  both  soul  and  body 
 being  destroyed  in  hell ;  but  still  it  is  but  an  emblem 
 — a  type  of  the  wrath  to  come.  The  death  threat¬ 
 ened,  Gen.  ii.  1 7,  was  destruction  from  the  presence  of 
 the  Lord  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power,  2Thess.i.  9. 
 This  is  the  death  which  Christ  has  abolished,  2  Tim. 
 i.  10.  Hence  he  says,  “  If  a  man  keep  my  saying, 
 he  shall  never  see  death”  J  ohn  viii.  5  1 ;  and  again, 
 “whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die” 
 
 g  3 
 
82  THE  GOSPEL  NO  EXPERIMENT, 
 
 John  xi.  26.  Now,  faith  in  Christ,  while  it  secures  us 
 us  against  death,  does  not  prevent  our  going  down  to 
 the  grave.  Fallen  man’s  returning  to  the  dust  from 
 which  he  was  taken,  was  appointed  in  connexion  with 
 the  intimation  of  the  coming  of  the  Saviour.  This 
 connexion  is  clearly  pointed  out,  Heb.  ix.  27,  28.  “  It 
 is  appointed  for  men  once  to  die,  and  after  death  the 
 judgment,11  in  exact  correspondence  with  the  Divine 
 purpose,  that  Christ  should  be  once  offered  to  bear 
 the  sins  of  many,  and  appear  the  second  time  to  them 
 that  look  for  him  “  without  sin  unto  salvation.11 
 
 Mr  Hinton  represents  man  in  this  world  as  in  a 
 state  of  probation.  In  one  sense,  men  may  be  said 
 to  be  in  a  state  of  probation,  for  now  is  the  seed-time, 
 and  eternity  is  the  harvest ;  but,  strictly  speaking, 
 when  Adam  rebelled,  the  probation  of  man  came  to 
 an  end  ;  he  was  lost  and  condemned  :  but  a  ransom 
 was  provided  for  an  innumerable  multitude  whom 
 God  had  chosen  in  Christ  before  the  world  began, 
 having  predestinated  them  to  be  conformed  to  the 
 image  of  his  Son,  and  to  become  the  children  of  the 
 second  Adam— the  Lord  from  heaven — the  head  of 
 the  new  creation. 
 
 Our  author  terms  the  gospel  an  “  experiment  ;11 
 but  it  was  no  experiment.  Before  the  building  was 
 begun,  the  great  Architect  had  counted  the  cost,  pro¬ 
 vided  the  materials,  and  knew  he  had  sufficient  to 
 finish  it.  The  structure  in  all  its  grandeur,  its 
 beauty,  and  its  perfection,  was  present  to  his  view. 
 The  foundation  and  chief  corner-stone  was  “  set 
 up  from  everlasting,  from  the  beginning,  or  ever  the 
 earth  was  ;11  and  the  form  and  size  of  every  stone  in 
 the  building,  with  the  particular  place  it  was  to  oc- 
 
BUT  THE  FULFILMENT  OF  GOD’S  PURPOSE.  83 
 
 cupy,  was  fixed  and  determined.  If  we  change  the 
 figure,  and  contemplate  the  Son  of  God  as  the  great 
 Head  of  his  body  the  Church,  we  hear  him  thus  ad¬ 
 dressing  his  Father :  “  Thine  eyes  did  see  my  sub¬ 
 stance,  yet  being  unperfect ;  and  in  thy  book  all  my 
 members  were  written,  which  in  continuance  were 
 fashioned,  when  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them,'1'’  Psal. 
 cxxxix.  i6. 
 
 Christ  loved  the  Church,  and  gave  himself  for  it, 
 and  he  will  present  it  faultless  before  the  presence  of 
 his  glory  with  exceeding  joy.  For  this  purpose  all 
 power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  is  committed  to  him. 
 The  gospel  which  he  hath  sent  out  of  Zion,  is  the 
 rod  of  his  power,  with  which  he  subdues  his  people  to 
 the  obedience  of  faith  ;  and  while  many  reject  the 
 counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  Christ’s  sheep 
 shall  hear  his  voice,  John  x.  16.  For  their  sakes 
 the  world  is  preserved,  and  when  the  last  of  them 
 shall  be  gathered  into  the  fold,  he  will  appear  to 
 receive  them  in  one  body  to  himself ;  and  then  shall 
 the  heavens  and  the  earth  which  now  are,  flee  away 
 
 J  ts 
 
 from  his  presence,  and  give  place  to  the  new  heavens 
 and  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness. 
 The  mystery  of  God  will  then  be  finished, — the  Di¬ 
 vine  glory  will  shine  forth  without  an  interposing 
 cloud,  and  all  God’s  obedient  and  intelligent  creation 
 will  with  rapture  exclaim,  “  Great  and  marvellous  are 
 all  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty,  just  and  true  are 
 all  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints.” 
 
 W e  are  not  taught  to  view  the  plan  of  redemption 
 as  an  after  thought,  an  expedient  to  remedy  an  un¬ 
 expected  calamity.  u  Known  unto  God  are  all  his 
 works,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.”  It  was 
 
84 
 
 UNIVERSE  CREATED  BY  AND  FOR  JESUS. 
 
 his  eternal  purpose  to  make  known  to  the  principali¬ 
 ties  and  powers  in  heavenly  places  his  manifold  wis¬ 
 dom,  bv  the  Church  redeemed  with  the  blood  of  his 
 only-begotten  Son,  Eph.  iii.  10,  11.  The  universe 
 was  created  by  and  for  Jesus,  as  a  theatre  for  the 
 manifestation  of  his  glory,  1  Col.  i.  1  6.  In  reference 
 to  this  manifestation,  mankind  were  created  in  Adam, 
 who  was  the  figure  of  Him  who  was  to  come,  Rom. 
 v.  14;  while  Eve,  made  of  bis  flesh  and  bones,  was 
 the  type  of  the  Church,  the  Lamb's  wife,  Eph.  v. 
 31,  32. 
 
 Not  only  were  mankind  created  in  Adam,  but  in 
 him  they  sinned,  and  came  under  the  curse.  Hence 
 all  are  by  nature  the  children  of  wrath ;  44  the  wrath 
 of  God  abideth"  on  them  ;  and  none  of  them  can  by 
 any  means  redeem  his  brother,  or  give  to  God  a  ran¬ 
 som  for  him.  But  the  Son  of  God  was  manifested  to 
 destroy  the  works  of  the  devil ;  he  appeared  as  the 
 second  Adam,  the  Head  of  his  body  the  Church.  In 
 this  character  he  restored  what  he  took  not  awav, 
 magnifying  the  law,  and  making  it  honourable  ;  for 
 his  was  the  obedience  of  the  lawgiver,  in  the  form  of 
 a  servant.  The  Lord  laid  (or  made  to  meet)  upon 
 him  the  iniquity  of  all  his  people,  and  he  buried 
 them  in  his  grave,  never  more  to  see  the  light.  But 
 in  order  to  the  justification  of  the  redeemed,  it  was 
 not  only  necessary  that  their  sins  should  be  par¬ 
 doned,  but  that  God  the  Judge  of  all  should  pro¬ 
 nounce  them  righteous.  This  he  has  virtually  done, 
 in  raising  his  Son  from  the  dead,  and  giving  him 
 glory ;  and  they  shall  all  stand  before  his  tribunal, 
 in  the  spotless  robe  of  their  Redeemer's  righteous¬ 
 ness,  which  surpasses  the  righteousness  of  the  first 
 
DISAPPOINTMENT  OP  SATAN. 
 
 85 
 
 man  in  his  best  estate,  as  far  as  the  second  Adam, 
 the  Lord  from  heaven,  is  superior  to  him  who  was  of 
 the  earth  earthy. 
 
 Thus  out  of  the  eater  has  come  forth  meat ;  “  God 
 created  Adam  in  his  own  image,  giving  him  do¬ 
 minion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of 
 the  air,  and  over  every  living  thing  that  moveth 
 upon  the  earth a  type  of  the  universal  dominion 
 which  He  who  was  to  come,  and  of  whom  Adam  was 
 the  figure,  should  possess.*  Satan  scorned  to  be  placed 
 in  subjection  to  the  descendant  of  a  creature  made 
 of  the  dust,  and  determined,  if  possible,  to  blast  the 
 fair  creation  which  had  sprung  into  existence  at  the 
 command  of  the  Eternal.  He  knew  that  Jehovah 
 was  a  God  of  truth,  that  he  was  of  purer  eyes  than 
 to  behold  iniquity  ;  that  judgment  and  justice  are  the 
 habitation  of  his  throne  ;  and  concluded  that,  if  he 
 could  prevail  upon  man  to  disobey,  the  perfection  of 
 the  Divine  character  would  render  his  restoration 
 impossible,  and  consequently  prevent  his  decendant, 
 the  Son  of  man,  from  being  exalted  to  universal  do¬ 
 minion.  But  there  is  no  wisdom,  nor  understanding, 
 nor  counsel  against  the  Lord ;  Satan  fell  into  the 
 snare  which  he  had  laid,  and  the  success  of  his  plan  was 
 the  very  means  of  accomplishing  the  Divine  purpose. 
 True,  he  brought  mankind  under  the  curse  ;  he  be¬ 
 came,  by  right  of  conquest,  the  god  of  this  world, 
 and  leads  its  inhabitants  captive  at  his  will ;  but  this 
 only  prepared  the  way  for  the  Head  of  the  new  crea¬ 
 tion  bruising  Satan  under  his  feet,  and  making  all 
 the  seed  of  the  woman,  whom  he  is  not  ashamed  to 
 
 *  That  such  was  the  case,  we  learn  from  the  Apostle’s  comment 
 upon  the  8th  Psalm  ;  see  Heb.  ii.  6 — 9. 
 
80  THE  COMPLETION  OF  CHRIST’S  WORK. 
 
 call  brethren,  partakers  of  his  victory,  Rom.  xvi.  20. 
 As  their  covenant  Head  and  Surety,  Heb.  vii.  22,  he 
 answered  all  the  demands  of  the  law  which  they  had 
 broken  ;  he  endured  its  penalty  ;  nor  did  he  faint  nor 
 was  discouraged,  till  he  had  set  righteousness  on  the 
 earth.  He  proclaimed,  with  his  dying  breath,  that 
 the  work  which  he  had  undertaken  was  accomplished; 
 and  the  voice  was  re-echoed  from  the  utmost  bounds 
 of  the  everlasting  hills,  when  the  God  of  peace 
 brought  asfain  from  the  dead  the  Lord  Jesus,  the 
 great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  through  the  blood  of 
 the  everlasting  covenant,  44  and  set  him  at  his  own 
 right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far  above  all 
 principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion, 
 and  every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this 
 world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come ;  and  hath 
 put  all  things  under  his  feet,  and  gave  him  to  be  the 
 head  over  all  things  to  the  Church,  which  is  his  body, 
 the  fulness  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all.'”  Eph.  i. 
 21—28. 
 
 Such  is  the  view  of  the  plan  of  redemption  given 
 in  the  scriptures.  In  it  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of 
 wisdom  and  knowledge.  It  is  the  chief  of  the  ways 
 of  God,  the  grandest  manifestation  of  the  Divine  cha¬ 
 racter.  Here  we  see  44  mercy  and  truth  meeting  to¬ 
 gether,  righteousness  and  peace  kissing  each  other.” 
 We  behold  44  the  Lord  God  merciful  and  gracious, 
 long-suffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth, 
 keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity, 
 transgression,  and  sin,  while  he  will  in  no  wise  clear 
 the  guilty.”  Moses,  to  whom  Jehovah  proclaimed 
 this  glorious  name,  could  not  see  his  face,  Exod. 
 xxxiii.  20. ;  but  the  darkness  is  past,  the  true  light 
 
CHRIST  THE  MERCY-SEAT. 
 
 87 
 
 now  shineth,  and,  in  the  unveiled  face  of  Jesus 
 Christ,  “  we  behold,  as  in  a  glass,  the  glory  of  the 
 Lord,  and  are  changed  into  the  same  image,  from 
 glory  to  gl6ry,”  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  Moses 
 saw — in  the  blood  with  which  almost  all  things  were 
 purged,  and  without  which  there  was  no  remission — 
 the  necbssity  of  a  greater  sacrifice ;  but  we  can  look 
 directly  to  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the 
 sin  of  the  world,  and  listen  to  the  intercession  which, 
 as  a  priest  upon  his  throne,  he  ever  lives  to  make 
 for  us.  He  is  the  true  mercy-seat,  upon  which  is 
 enthroned  our  covenant  God,  whom  we  can  at  once 
 view  as  the  just  God,  and  the  justifier  of  the  un~ 
 godly. 
 
. 
 
 * 
 
 ' 
 
 ' 
 
 » 
 
PART  II. 
 
 ATONEMENT  OF  CHRIST, 
 
 AND  THE 
 
 WORK  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 
 
 CHAPTER  I. 
 
 Mr  Hinton’s  anticipation  of  success  ; — progress  of  his  sentiments  ; 
 — dangerous  tendency  of  error  in  religion  ; — Mr  Hall’s  opinion 
 of  Mr  Hinton’s  Works. 
 
 Ten  years  ago,  Mr  Hinton’s  volume  upon  the  Work 
 of  the  Spirit  made  its  appearance.  Towards  the  con¬ 
 clusion  we  are  told,  “  If  it  were  of  any  importance, 
 however,  (and  to  the  writer  it  is  certainly  matter  of 
 gratification,)  it  might  be  stated,  that  in  this  senti¬ 
 ment  he  is  far  from  being  alone.  He  has  reason  to 
 believe  that  not  a  few  of  the  most  able  and  most 
 useful  ministers  of  the  gospel,  in  various  denomina¬ 
 tions,  mainly,  if  not  entirely  agree  with  him  ;  and 
 that  the  same  sentiments  are  entertained  by  many 
 judicious  Christians  in  private  life,  who  are  longing 
 to  see  their  teachers  escape  from  the  loosening  bonds. 
 He  has  a  cheering  confidence  that  the  bonds  are 
 loosening,  and  is  sorry  that  any  worthy  men  should 
 identify  themselves  with  a  falling  system.” — P.  293. 
 
 Considering  the  situation  occupied  by  Mr  Hinton 
 in  the  denomination  with  which  he  is  connected,  it 
 
 H 
 
90  BURNING  BUSH  THE  EMBLEM  OF  THE  CHURCH. 
 
 could  hardly  have  been  anticipated  that  he  should 
 stand  alone  while  attempting  to  remove  the  offence 
 of  the  cross,  by  exhibiting  the  gospel  in  a  form  in 
 some  respects  more  agreeable  to  men’s  natural  ap¬ 
 prehensions.  In  consequence  of  the  opposition  of 
 the  wisdom  of  this  world  to  the  wisdom  of  God, 
 we  are  constantly  prone  to  corrupt  the  truth  as  it  is 
 in  Jesus.  In  every  age,  the  burning  bush  has  been 
 the  appropriate  emblem  of  the  Church  of  Christ ;  and 
 the  only  reason  of  its  not  being  consumed  is,  that 
 the  Lord  is  there.  He  declared  that  the  gates  of 
 hell  should  not  prevail  against  his  Church ;  and, 
 notwithstanding  all  the  assaults  to  which  it  has  been 
 exposed  from  without,  and  the  still  more  dangerous 
 attacks  from  within,  the  Lord  still  has  a  seed  to 
 serve  him,  and  to  the  end  of  the  world  the  children 
 of  his  servants  shall  continue,  and  their  seed  be  es¬ 
 tablished  before  him. 
 
 When  in  one  particular  we  depart  from  “  the  sim¬ 
 plicity  that  is  in  Christ,”  we  are  almost  unavoidably 
 led  further  into  error.  It  has  been  maintained  that 
 “  there  exists  so  intimate  a  principle  of  connexion 
 among  all  the  objects  of  the  physical  universe,  that 
 if  one  particle  of  matter  were  annihilated,  the  me¬ 
 chanism  and  movement  of  the  whole  must  be  de¬ 
 ranged.”  Whatever  there  may  be  in  this,  it  is  certain 
 that  a  false  view  of  any  one  part  of  the  doctrine  of 
 Christ  tends  to  obscure  our  views  of  the  whole.  It 
 is  like  entering  upon  a  bye-path  which  diverges  more 
 and  more  from  the  king’s  highway. 
 
 While  Mr  Hinton  maintained  man’s  ability  to 
 turn  to  God,  he  at  the  same  time  held  that  no  man 
 ever  did  or  will  receive  the  love  of  the  truth,  except 
 
mr  hinton’s  system  deficient.  91 
 
 by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  system  was 
 palpably  deficient ;  he  might,  indeed,  please  himself 
 with  the  consideration  that  he  had  placed  human  re¬ 
 sponsibility  on  a  firmer  basis,  and  might  cherish, 
 with  parental  affection,  the  metaphysical  subtilties 
 by  which  he  had  satisfied  himself  of  the  truth  of  his 
 hypothesis,  but  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  others 
 would  stop  short  at  the  same  point.  Admitting  the 
 justness  of  his  reasoning,  it  led  to  no  practical  result ; 
 every  man  who  believed  the  Scriptures,  or  who 
 attended  to  what  was  passing  in  his  own  mind,  was 
 already  fully  aware  of  his  responsibility ;  so  that 
 unless  the  system  was  carried  farther,  it  was  a  mere 
 speculation. 
 
 It  was  said  that  few  had  adopted  Mr  Hinton's 
 views  ;  and  some  alleged,  as  a  reason  for  not  looking 
 into  his  works,  that  the  late  Robert  Hall,  with  all 
 his  admitted  ability  and  penetration,  had  declared 
 himself  unable  to  comprehend  them.  Considering, 
 however,  that  error  in  religion  is  so  congenial  to  the 
 human  mind,  it  was  to  be  expected  that  Mr  Hin¬ 
 ton’s  sentiments  would  be  made  the  basis  of  a  still 
 greater  departure  from  the  truth.  Accordingly,  in 
 the  Circular  Letter  of  the  Baptist  Churches  of  the 
 Midland  Association,  dated  May  22nd  and  23rd, 
 1839,  we  find  the  inherent  efficacy  of  the  instituted 
 means ,  independently  of  any  extraneous  and  super¬ 
 natural  agency ,  boldly  maintained. 
 
 After  the  greater  part  of  the  preceding  pages  were 
 written,  this  letter  came  into  my  hands,  and  an 
 examination  of  the  doctrine  which  it  contains  will 
 tend  to  confirm  the  observations  already  offered  upon 
 the  unscriptural  nature  of  Mr  Hinton’s  system.': 
 
92  CIRCULAR  OF  THE  MIDLAND  ASSOCIATION. 
 
 CHAPTER  II. 
 
 General  and  Particular  Baptists ; — Midland  Association ; — unscrip- 
 tural  view  of  the  atonement ; — first  intimation  of  mercy,  why 
 given  in  the  form  of  a  curse  ; — the  first  parable  ; — mankind 
 divided  into  two  families  ; — the  attempt  to  unite  them  the  cause 
 of  the  flood  ; — separation  again  made  in  Noah’s  family  ; — why 
 favour  shown  to  the  family  from  which  Christ  was  to  spring. 
 
 Baptists  in  England  have  long  been  divided  into 
 General  and  Particular,  or  Arminian  and  Calvinistic. 
 The  latter  derive  their  name  from  holding  the  doc¬ 
 trine  of  particular  redemption,  or  of  Christ  having 
 laid  down  his  life  for  his  sheep ;  while  the  General 
 Baptists  hold  that  he  died  for  every  child  of  Adam. 
 The  Circular  now  before  us,  signed  by  the  represen¬ 
 tatives  of  thirty-six  Particular  Baptist  Churches, 
 treats  particular  redemption  as  an  exploded  error. 
 Upon  this  subject  we  shall  quote  the  paragraph 
 immediately  following  the  introduction. 
 
 “  Bear  with  us,  beloved,  when  we  express  a  serious 
 doubt,  whether  the  Christian  Church  generally,  and 
 our  denomination  particularly,  has  hitherto  formed  a 
 just  estimate  of  the  vast  importance  and  inherent 
 efficacy ,  which  the  external,  and  divinely  instituted 
 means  of  salvation,  claim  and  hold  in  the  great  econo¬ 
 my  of  human  redemption  developed  in  the  gospel. 
 Yet,  thankfully  be  it  acknowledged,  that  to  set  hounds 
 to  the  extent  of  the  grand  restitution  effected  by  the 
 blood-shedding  of  Christ,  and  to  survey  it  under  the 
 mean  and  mercenary  notion  of  a  private  pecuniary 
 and  arithmetical  compensation,  and  not  as  a  public 
 
THEIR  VIEW  OF  THE  EXTENT  OF  THE  ATONEMENT.  93 
 
 satisfaction,  designed  to  honour  the  demands  of  moral 
 government,  in  providing  for  the  relief  of  mankind 
 indiscriminately,  is  now  become  too  gross  and  absurd 
 to  be  entertained.  So  Ions;  as  the  Church  was  willing 
 to  move  and  act  in  a  most  cramped  and  narrow  sphere, 
 and  with  little  or  no  solicitude,  allow  a  world  lying 
 in  wickedness  at  home  and  abroad,  to  rush  headlong 
 to  everlasting  perdition,  the  doctrine  of  a  limited  pro¬ 
 vision,  commensurate  to  the  need,  and  requisite  for 
 the  present  and  future  well-being  of  a  favoured  few 
 only ,  was  a  luxury  of  no  ordinary  enjoyment.  True, 
 Christ  and  his  cross  was  then  a  theme  of  infinite 
 moment  and  delectation,  as  they  always  ought  to  be 
 regarded.  But,  that  4  he  died  for  all,1  that  4  he  gave 
 himself  a  ransom  for  all,1  4  that  he  by  the  grace  of 
 God  tasted  death  for  every  man  and  that  4  he  is  the 
 propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,1  were 
 scripture  representations  to  be  hastily  passed  over  ; 
 and  if  dwelt  upon  at  all,  to  be  visited  with  a  tortuous 
 interpretation.  Your  lot,  however,  is  cast  in  days 
 more  luminous  and  happy-  You  have  discovered, 
 and  stand  fully  convinced,  that  the  death  of  Christ 
 was  a  public  transaction,  intended  to  avert  a  public 
 calamity,  by  making  amends  to  public  justice,  that 
 ample  means  might  be  obtained  for  the  honourable 
 acquittal,  even  of  every  one  who  cordially  believes  in 
 Jesus.” — P-  14. 
 
 Thus  the  great  scripture  doctrine,  of  Christ  having 
 loved  the  Church,  and  given  44  himself  for  it,  that  he 
 might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of 
 water  by  the  word ;  that  he  might  present  it  to  him¬ 
 self  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle, 
 or  any  such  thing,11  Eph.  v.  26,  27,  is  represented 
 
 h  3 
 
94  CONTRASTED  WITH  THE  VIEW  IN  THE  SCRIPTURES. 
 
 as  a  “  mean  and  mercenary  notion  of  a  private  pecu¬ 
 niary  and  arithmetical  compensation. 
 
 We  have  here  an  instance  how  little  men  natural¬ 
 ly  value  the  authority  of  the  word  of  God,  except 
 when  it  coincides  with  their  previous  conceptions. 
 What  do  the  authors  of  the  Circular  think  of  the  name 
 given  to  the  people  of  God  2  They  are  exclusively  term¬ 
 ed  the  redeemed — the  ransomed  of  the  Lord.  Nay,  the 
 apostle  repeatedly  reminds  the  Corinthian  believers 
 that  they  are  bought  with  a  price,  1  Cor.  vi.  20. ;  vii. 
 2.3 .  God  hath  purchased  the  Church  with  his  own 
 blood,  Acts  xx.  28,  and  hence  it  is  termed  the  pur¬ 
 chased  possession,  Eph.  i.  14.  Yet  the  writers  of 
 the  Circular  are  not  ashamed  to  call  this  glorious  dis¬ 
 play  of  the  Divine  wisdom  and  goodness,  this  “  wis¬ 
 dom  of  God  in  a  mystery, ’’  a  “  mean  and  mercenary 
 notion  of  a  private  pecuniary  and  arithmetical  com¬ 
 pensation.” 
 
 Language  similar  to  that  of  the  Circular  has,  for 
 some  time,  been  prevalent  in  certain  quarters,  and  is 
 sanctioned  by  the  authority  of  the  late  Mr  Irving, 
 to  whom  it  is  in  a  great  measure  indebted  for  its  po¬ 
 pularity.*  The  representation  of  sin  under  the  name 
 of  debt,  is  not  unfrequent  in  the  word  of  God,  al¬ 
 though  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  owing  a  sum 
 of  money,  and  a  violation  of  the  moral  law.  In  the 
 
 *  4cIf  he  (Christ)  was  not,  (a  sinner)  and  God  treated  him  as  if 
 he  had  been  so,  if  that  is  the  meaning  of  their  imputation  and  substi¬ 
 tution,  or  by  whatever  name  they  call  it,  away  with  it,  away  with  it 
 from  my  theology  for  ever,  for  it  makes  my  God  a  God  of  make- 
 believes ,  and  not  of  truths.” — Irvine's  Orthodox  Doctrine ,  p.  115. 
 
 Again,  “  this  doctrine  (the  atonement)  hath  swallowed  up  almost 
 every  other  doctrine,  and  become  the  great  indulgence  of  ignorance 
 and  idleness,  which,  in  a  selfish  age,  will  ever  be  the  case. — Fast- 
 day  Sermon]'  1828. 
 
DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  A  DEBT  AND  MORAL  GUILT.  95 
 
 former  case,  if  we  can  produce  a  friend  who  is  able 
 and  willing  to  discharge  our  debt,  we  may  boldly  de¬ 
 mand  our  discharge  ;  in  the  latter,  we  must  ourselves 
 endure  the  penalty.  Among  men,  even  a  voluntary 
 substitute  is  inadmissible  ;  the  crime  must  either  be 
 passed  over,  or  the  criminal  must  suffer. 
 
 But  God's  thoughts  are  not  our  thoughts,  nor  his 
 ways  our  ways,  for  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than 
 the  earth,  so  are  his  ways  higher  than  our  ways,  and 
 his  thoughts  than  our  thoughts.  The  plan  of  salva¬ 
 tion  is  not  submitted  to  our  judgment,  but  is  autho¬ 
 ritatively  made  known  by  Him  in  whom  we  live,  and 
 move,  and  have  our  being,  as  the  wisdom  and  power 
 of  God,  and  we  are  commanded  to  receive  it  as  little 
 children.  He  tells  us,  that  in  the  fulness  of  time  he  sent 
 forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law, 
 which  man  had  broken  ;  and  that  by  yielding  it  all  the 
 obedience  it  demanded,  as  well  as  enduring  its  penalty, 
 he  magnified  and  made  it  honourable,  and  thus  brought 
 in  everlasting  righteousness.  Whether  this  right¬ 
 eousness  should  extend  to  the  whole  human  race,  or 
 only  to  a  part,  depended  entirely  on  the  sovereign 
 pleasure  of  the  Almighty.  Mankind  had  no  claim 
 whatsoever  upon  God.  Eternal  life  through  Jesug 
 is  his  rift,  and  he  does  those  from  whom  he  with¬ 
 holds  it  no  wrong.  A  Saviour  being  provided  for 
 any  of  the  lost  children  of  Adam,  was  an  act  of  pure 
 o-race,  and  therefore  the  extent  of  this  salvation  de- 
 pends  wholly  on  Him  “  who  worketh  all  things  ac¬ 
 cording  to  the  counsel  of  his  own  will.” 
 
 But  the  present  question  is  not  about  the  extent 
 of  salvation ;  it  is  admitted  upon  both  sides,  “  that 
 he  who  believeth  and  is  baptised  shall  be  saved,  while 
 
96 
 
 THE  QUESTION  AT  ISSUE. 
 
 lie  who  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  The  ques¬ 
 tion  is,  Whether  the  death  of  Christ  is  effectual  for  the 
 salvation  of  all  for  whom  he  died  ;  or,  whether  the  far 
 greater  part  of  those  whose  sins  he  bore  in  his  own 
 body  upon  the  tree,  receive  no  ultimate  benefit  from 
 this  stupendous  act  of  condescension  \  The  bare  state¬ 
 ment  of  the  question  might  appear  to  be  sufficient. 
 But  according  to  the  Circular,  God  purchasing  the 
 Church  with  his  own  blood,  and  not  designing  to  pro¬ 
 vide  “  for  the  relief  of  mankind  indiscriminately,  is 
 now  become  too  gross  and  absurd  to  be  entertained.1’ 
 To  us  the  absurdity  appears  to  lie  upon  the  other 
 side ;  but  we  are  fully  aware  that  the  question  is  not 
 to  be  decided  by  our  preconceived  notions,  but  by  the 
 revelation  which  God  has  been  pleased  to  put  into 
 our  hands,  by  which  he  declares  he  will  destroy  the 
 wisdom  of  the  wise,  and  bring  to  nothing  the  under¬ 
 standing  of  the  prudent. 
 
 The  first  intimation  of  the  coming  of  the  Saviour 
 was  given,  not  in  the  form  of  a  promise  to  Adam,  but 
 of  a  curse  upon  Satan,  Gen.  iii.  15.  The  reason  is 
 obvious;  God  could  hold  no  friendly  intercourse  with, 
 nor  make  any  promise  to,  fallen  man,  previous  to  the 
 revelation  of  the  Mediator,  (2  Cor.  i.  20.)  and  this 
 revelation  was  given  in  the  curse.  The  seed  of  the 
 woman  was  to  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent,  while 
 his  own  heel  was  to  be  bruised  in  the  contest.  The 
 apostle  interprets  this  parable :  “  By  death  (the 
 bruising  of  his  heel)  Christ  destroyed  him  that  had 
 the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil,  (here  is  the 
 bruising  of  the  serpent’s  head)  that  (by  abolishing 
 death,  through  his  own  death)  he  might  deliver  them 
 who,  through  fear  of  death,  were  all  their  lifetime 
 
MANKIND  DIVIDED  INTO  TWO  FAMILIES.  97 
 
 subject  to  bondage  Heb.  ii.  14.  Hence,  when  our 
 Lord  was  about  to  lay  down  his  life,  he  said,  “Now 
 is  the  judgment  of  this  world,  now  shall  the  prince 
 of  this  world  be  cast  out,  and  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will 
 draw  all  men  after  me ;  this  spake  he,  signifying 
 what  death  he  should  die John  xii.  31,  33. 
 
 Coeval  with  the  announcement  of  God’s  purposes 
 of  mercy,  it  was  intimated  that  the  salvation  was  not 
 to  be  universal.  Mankind  were  divided  into  two 
 families ;  at  the  head  of  the  one  was  placed  the  Son 
 of  Man,  the  seed  of  the  woman.  We  may  apply  to 
 the  word  seed  in  this  passage  the  apostle’s  observa¬ 
 tion  upon  the  same  word  on  another  occasion,  “  he 
 saitli  not  to  seeds,  as  of  many,  but  as  of  one,  and  to 
 thy  seed,  which  is  Christ.”  The  Son  of  the  virgin 
 is  eminently  the  seed  of  the  woman,  but  as  “  both  he 
 that  sanctifieth,  and  they  that  are  sanctified,  are  all 
 of  one,”  Heb.  ii.  11.  of  him  the  whole  family  are 
 named,  Eph.  iii.  15.  He  is  the  first  born  of  many 
 brethren,  who,  in  virtue  of  their  union  with  him, 
 shall  share  his  victory,  and  sit  down  with  him  upon 
 his  throne.  At  the  head  of  the  other  family  is  the 
 old  serpent,  the  devil,  and  Satan  ;  and  in  every  age 
 it  has  been  by  far  the  most  numerous.  Indeed,  all 
 are  by  nature  members  of  this  family ;  all  were  con¬ 
 demned  in  Adam ;  but  the  children  of  the  Second 
 Adam,  who  is  “a  quickening  spirit,”  are  delivered 
 from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  translated  into  the 
 kingdom  of  God’s  dear  Son, 
 
 Had  it  so  pleased  God,  no  doubt  the  whole  human 
 race  might  have  been  saved  through  the  atonement, 
 but  only  a  part  were  to  obtain  salvation.  If  all 
 had  been  saved,  it  would  have  given  countenance  to 
 
98  SEPARATION  TO  BE  MADE  BEYOND  THE  GRAVE. 
 
 the  supposition,  that  fallen  man  had  some  claim  upon 
 God,  that  there  was  some  hardship  connected  with 
 his  being  brought  under  condemnation,  not  by  his 
 individual  transgression,  but  by  that  of  Adam ;  and 
 thus  the  riches  of  the  grace  of  God  would  have  been 
 tarnished.  This  cavil,  however,  is  completely  cut 
 oft’,  for  only  Christ’s  little  flock  are  redeemed  from 
 that  condemnation  in  which  all  were  involved.  Thus, 
 too,  we  see  a  glorious  illustration  of  God’s  peculiar 
 love  and  kindness  to  his  people  whom  he  takes 
 from  the  mass  of  mankind,  and,  through  union 
 with  his  only-begotten  Son,  adopts  into  his  family, 
 making  them  heirs  of  God,  and  ioint-heirs  with 
 Christ. 
 
 The  seed  of  the  woman, — the  brethren  of  Christ, 
 — were  not  to  be  distinguished  from  the  seed  of  the 
 serpent  by  worldly  prosperity ;  here  “  all  things 
 come  alike  to  all :  there  is  one  event  to  the  righteous 
 and  to  the  wicked ;  to  the  good,  and  to  the  clean 
 and  to  the  unclean  ;  to  him  that  sacrificeth  and  to 
 him  that  sacrificeth  not ;  as  is  the  good,  so  is  the 
 sinner  ;  and  he  that  sweareth,  as  he  that  feareth  an 
 oath Eccl.  ix.  2.  “  All  are  born  to  trouble,  as  the 
 sparks  fly  upward,”  and  all  return  to  the  dust,  in 
 order  to  their  final  separation  at  the  general  judgment 
 which  was  intimated  from  the  beginning,  by  the  divi¬ 
 sion  of  mankind  into  two  families,  while  it  was  indis¬ 
 criminately  appointed  for  all  once  to  die.  Consequent¬ 
 ly,  the  separation  must  take  place  beyond  the  grave. 
 
 The  seed  of  the  woman  and  the  seed  of  the  serpent 
 were  embodied  in  Cain  and  Abel,  the  first  of  Adam’s 
 children  of  whom  we  read.  Cain  was  of  the  wicked 
 one,  (he  was  the  seed  of  the  serpent)  and  slew  his 
 
PRESERVATION  OF  NOAH. 
 
 99 
 
 brother ;  on  account  of  which  he  was  cursed,  and 
 driven  out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  The 
 curse  not  only  fell  upon  him,  but  upon  his  family ; 
 and  their  dwelling  in  a  state  of  separation  from  the 
 children  of  Seth  was  a  standing  evidence  of  the  divi¬ 
 sion  of  mankind  into  two  families,  which  we  have 
 seen  was  announced  immediately  after  the  fall.  It 
 is  very  remarkable  that  the  attempt  to  put  an  end 
 to  this  separation  was  the  cause  of  the  flood,  Gen. 
 vi.  1,  2,  3,  and,  indeed,  this  has  been  the  chief 
 ground  of  controversy  between  God  and  his  people  in 
 every  age. 
 
 As  the  new  wine  is  found  in  the  cluster,  and  one 
 saith,  destroy  it  not,  for  a  blessing  is  in  it,  God  did 
 not  destroy  all  mankind.  Noah,  the  progenitor  of 
 Christ  found  grace  in  his  sight,  and  he,  with  his 
 family,  were  saved  in  the  ark,  a  type  of  the  great 
 salvation,  1  Pet.  iii.  20,  21  ;  Heb.  xi.  7  ;  soon  after¬ 
 wards  another  separation  was  made.  Ham,  on  ac¬ 
 count  of  his  undutifulness,  was  cursed  ;  the  curse 
 extended  to  his  family,  and  is  in  operation  to  the 
 present  day.  At  the  same  time  Shem,  from  whom 
 Christ  was  to  spring,  obtained  the  blessing,  which 
 Japhet  was  to  share,  by  being  persuaded  to  dwell  in 
 his  brothers  tents  ;  just  as  the  blessing  of  Abraham 
 comes  upon  the  Gentiles,  by  their  being  admitted 
 into  his  family ;  Gal.  iii.  14,  29. 
 
 Still  men  were  not  disposed  to  acquiesce  in  the 
 Divine  appointment ;  they  began  to  build  a  city  and 
 a  tower,  “  lest  they  should  be  scattered  abroad  upon 
 the  face  of  the  whole  earth,1'’  in  consequence  of  which 
 God  confounded  their  language,  so  that  they  did  not 
 understand  each  others  speech,  “  and  they  left  off 
 
100  PARTICULARITY  OF  REDEMPTION  REVEALED. 
 
 building  the  city,  and  from  thence  did  the  Lord  scat¬ 
 ter  them  abroad  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth.” 
 
 Thus  we  see  that  the  separation  of  mankind  into 
 two  families,  proving  that  redemption  was  not  to  be 
 universal,  was  revealed  in  connexion  with  the  inti¬ 
 mation  of  the  coming  of  the  Saviour.  We  also  see 
 that  the  family  from  which  he  was  to  spring  was 
 blessed,  while  the  family  from  which  he  was  not  to 
 spring  was  cursed.  Individuals  of  the  former  family 
 might  be  wicked,  and  individuals  of  the  latter  family 
 might  be  righteous,  but  as  a  shadow,  or  emblem,  the 
 one  family  was  blessed,  and  the  other  cursed ;  and 
 thus  we  are  figuratively  taught  that  every  spiritual 
 and  heavenly  blessing  is  communicated  only  through 
 our  relation  to  Christ,  Eph.  i.  3 ;  in  whom  all  the 
 promises  to  fallen  man  are  yea  and  amen,  2  Cor.  i. 
 20.  When  Enos,  the  son  of  Seth,  (whom  God  gave 
 to  Eve  instead  of  Abel,)  was  born,  men  began  to 
 call  themselves  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  and  hence 
 the  children  of  Seth  are  described  as  the  sons  of  God, 
 in  opposition  to  Cain’s  children,  called  the  daughters 
 of  men,  Gen.  vi.  2. 
 
CALL  OF  ABRAHAM. 
 
 101 
 
 CHAPTER  III. 
 
 The  call  of  Abraham  ; — who  served  other  gods ; — his  covenant ; — 
 bondage  and  deliverance  of  his  posterity  ; — their  separation  ; — 
 shadows  vanished  at  Christ’s  appearance  ; — why  the  way  to  life 
 narrow  ; — election  the  cause  of  salvation  ; — arguments  for  uni¬ 
 versal  redemption  considered; — the  gospel  the  fan  in  Christ’s 
 hand. 
 
 The  same  truth  was  still  more  remarkably  exhibited 
 in  God’s  dealings  with  Abraham.  The  Saviour  was 
 first  described  as  the  seed  of  the  woman ;  soon  after 
 the  flood,  J ehovah  revealed  himself  as  the  Lord  God 
 of  Shem,  intimating  that  Christ  should  be  his  des¬ 
 cendant  ;  but  a  fuller  and  more  explicit  revelation 
 was  made  to  Abraham,  in  whom  all  the  families  of 
 the  earth  were  to  be  blessed,  Gen.  xii.  3. 
 
 It  appears  that  shortly  after  the  flood,  idolatry  very 
 generally  prevailed.  Abram  and  his  family  served 
 other  gods  ;  Joshua  xxiv.  2,  15.  This  does  not  im¬ 
 ply  that  they  had  changed  the  glory  of  the  incor¬ 
 ruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible 
 man,  or  to  birds,  or  to  fourfooted  beasts,  or  to  creep¬ 
 ing  things,  but  they  did  not  view  God  through  the 
 only  medium  in  which  he  can  be  seen  by  fallen  man. 
 The  apostle,  speaking  of  the  lords  many  and  gods 
 many  of  the  heathen,  says,  44  But  to  us  (believers) 
 there  is  one  God,  the  Father .”  Another  apostle  says, 
 44  If  ye  call  on  the  Father .”  The  apostle  John  says, 
 44  Whosoever  transgresseth,  and  abideth  not  in  the 
 doctrine  of  Christ,  hath  not  God  ;  he  that  abideth  in 
 the  doctrine  of  Christ,  he  hath  both  the  Father  and 
 the  Son,”  2  John  9 ;  and  again,  4 4  And  we  know 
 
 i 
 
102  THE  COVENANT  MADE  WITH  ABRAHAM. 
 
 that  the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us  an 
 understanding,  that  we  may  know  him  that  is  true  ; 
 and  we  are  in  him  that  is  true,  even  in  his  Son  J esus 
 Christ.  This  is  the  true  God,  and  eternal  life. 
 Little  children,  keep  yourselves  from  idols.  Amen.’1 
 1  John  v.  20,  21.  The  Lord  tells  us,  that  no  man 
 knoweth  the  Father  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom 
 the  Son  will  reveal  him.  Hence  he  calls  himself  the 
 light  of  the  world ;  all  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of 
 the  glory  of  God  which  has  been  in  this  benighted 
 world  since  the  fall  has  proceeded  from  him  “  of 
 whom  God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy 
 prophets  since  the  world  began  and  all  who  have 
 lost  sight  of  him  that  was  to  come,  the  seed  of  the 
 woman,  the  suffering  yet  victorious  Saviour,  have 
 worshipped  they  knew  not  what, — they  served 
 “  other  gods.1’  When  Jacob  and  Laban  made  a 
 covenant,  the  latter  said,  “The  God  of  Abraham,  and 
 the  God  of  Nahor,  the  God  of  their  father,  judge  be¬ 
 tween  us  ;  but  Jacob  sware  by  the  Fear  of  his  father 
 Isaac  Gen.  xxxi.  53.  Laban  swore  by  the  god  of 
 his  fathers, (whom  Joshua  describes  as  “other  gods,11) 
 Jacob  swore  by  Him  who  had  revealed  himself  to 
 Abraham  and  Isaac,  by  constituting  them  the  pro¬ 
 genitors  of  the  promised  Saviour.  Only  Isaac,  how¬ 
 ever,  is  mentioned  in  Jacob's  oath,  because,  previous¬ 
 ly  to  his  being  called  to  leave  his  father’s  house, 
 Abram  served  “  other  gods.11 
 
 God  made  a  covenant  with  Abraham,  engaging  to 
 be  a  God  to  him  and  to  his  seed.  We  are  informed 
 that  the  word  seed  here  denotes  Christ,  Gal.  iii.  1 6 ; 
 and  thus  Abraham  was  taught  that  the  covenant 
 only  included  his  children  in  the  line  of  Isaac,  from 
 
THE  SEPARATION  OF  HIS  FAMILY.  103 
 
 whom  Christ  was  to  spring.  Ishmael,  therefore,  ancl 
 Abraham’s  six  sons  by  Keturah,  had  no  part  in  the 
 covenant,  while  Isaac,  in  the  supernatural  manner 
 of  his  birth, — for,  from  their  advanced  age,  it  was 
 naturally  impossible  that  his  parents  could  have  a 
 child, — prefigured  the  Son  of  the  virgin,  and  also 
 believers,  who,  being  born  of  the  Spirit,  are  “  Abra¬ 
 ham’s  seed  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise  Gal. 
 iii.  29.  Isaac  had  two  sons;  the  one  was  rejected, 
 while  God  established  his  covenant  with  the  other, 
 bestowing  upon  him  the  blessing  of  Abraham,  and 
 constituting  him  the  progenitor  of  Christ.  Jacob’s 
 twelve  sons  were  the  heads  of  the  twelve  tribes  of 
 Israel,  who  were  multiplied  into  a  nation,  delivered 
 from  bondage,  brought  into  covenant  with  God,  fed 
 with  manna  during  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  and 
 put  in  possession  of  Canaan,  the  emblem  of  the 
 heavenly  country,  to  which  the  true  Israel  are  jour¬ 
 neying  through  this  world.  In  God’s  dealings  with 
 them,  and  in  the  ordinances  of  worship  which  they 
 were  commanded  to  observe,  all  the  doctrines  and 
 privileges  of  the  spiritual  and  eternal  kingdom  of  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ  were  embodied,  and  they  were 
 distinguished  from  all  others  as  the  redeemed  of  the 
 Lord. 
 
 Thus  was  Israel  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
 world,  and  acknowledged  as  God’s  peculiar  people. 
 A  priesthood  was  established  among  them,  and  daily 
 sacrifices  offered  by  God’s  appointment,  not  for  man¬ 
 kind  in  general,  but  for  Israel,  the  type  of  the  Israel 
 of  God,  the  righteous  nation  which  keepeth  the  truth, 
 Isa.  xxvi.  2.  When  Jesus  appeared,  his  personal 
 
104  NO  COUNTENANCE  TO  UNIVERSAL  REDEMPTION. 
 
 ministry  was  confined  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house 
 of  Israel ;  and  the  apostles  frequently  speak  of  the 
 mystery  of  the  “  Gentiles  being  fellow-heirs,  and  of 
 the  same  body,  and  partakers  of  his  promise  in  Christ 
 by  the  gospel,1’  Eph.  iii.  4-6.  This  mystery  consisted 
 in  their  being  “  graded  contrary  to  nature  into  a  good 
 olive-tree,”  for  they  inherit  the  blessing  by  being 
 adopted  into  Abraham’s  family,  on  which  salvation 
 was  entailed. 
 
 Thus  we  find  that  from  the  first  announcement  of 
 salvation  to  any  of  Adam’s  race,  no  countenance  is 
 given  to  the  doctrine  of  universal  redemption.  When 
 God’s  purpose  of  sending  the  Saviour  was  first  re¬ 
 vealed,  it  was  declared,  that  the  many  brethren, 
 of  whom  Christ  is  the  first-born,  (Rom.  viii.  29.) 
 were  to  share  the  victory  of  their  elder  Brother,  while 
 all  others  were  to  be  partakers  of  the  doom  of  the  ser¬ 
 pent,  John  viii.  44  ;  and  from  the  fall  to  the  coming 
 of  Christ,  this  was  typified  in  the  blessings  bestowed 
 upon  the  family  from  which  he  was  to  spring,  and 
 the  curse  pronounced  upon  those  who  were  not  re¬ 
 lated  to  him.  The  former  were  favoured  with  the 
 lively  oracles  ;  God  dwelt  among  them  as  their  cove¬ 
 nant  God,  while  all  others  were  suffered  to  walk  in 
 their  own  ways,  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of 
 Israel, — strangers  to  the  covenants  of  promise,  having 
 no  hope,  and  without  God  in  the  world.  “  Pour  out 
 thy  fury,”  says  the  prophet,  “  upon  the  heathen  that 
 know  thee  not,  and  upon  the  families  that  call  not  on 
 thy  name,  for  they  have  eaten  up  Jacob,  and  devoured 
 him,  Jer.  x.  25.  Here  is  the  enmity  which  God  de¬ 
 clared  he  would  put  between  the  seed  of  the  woman 
 and  of  the  serpent. 
 
DISTINCTION  OF  FAMILIES  AT  AN  END. 
 
 105 
 
 When  the  Saviour  appeared,  the  end  which  God  had 
 in  view  in  the  separation  of  the  family  from  which  he 
 was  to  spring  was  accomplished.  Having,  by  himself, 
 purged  the  sins  of  his  people,  he  was  raised  for  their 
 justification,*  and  commanded  the  gospel  to  be  preach¬ 
 ed  to  every  creature.  The  way  of  salvation  by  faith 
 in  the  blood  of  Jesus,  is  now,  by  the  commandment 
 of  the  everlasting  God,  made  known  to  all  nations  for 
 the  obedience  of  faith.  The  Lord  hath  sent  forth  the 
 rod  of  his  power  out  of  Zion,  and  through  faith  he 
 takes  up  his  abode  in  the  heart  of  those  for  whom  he 
 gave  himself,  that  he  might  redeem  them  from  all 
 iniquity,  “  and  purify  to  himself  a  peculiar  people, 
 zealous  of  good  works.’11  There  is  now  no  distinction 
 of  families.  This  was  only  a  figure  for  the  time  then 
 present,  but  the  shadows  have  fled  away,  and  no  man 
 is  known  after  the  flesh.  In  every  age,  there  was  in 
 Israel  a  remnant,  in  whose  hearts  God  put  his  fear  ; 
 but  now  he  hath  visited  the  Gentiles,  to  take  out  of 
 them  a  people  for  his  name.  But  while  the  gospel 
 is  to  be  preached  to  every  creature,  the  Lord  reserves 
 in  his  own  hands  the  prerogative  of  giving  the  in¬ 
 crease,  1  Cor.  iii.  6. 
 
 The  way  that  leadeth  to  life  is  still  narrow,  and 
 few  there  be  that  find  it  not  because  the  invita- 
 
 *  Reason,  as  well  as  Scripture,  teaches  us,  that  if  the  atonement 
 was  sufficient,  it  secured  the  justification  of  those  for  whom  it  was  of¬ 
 fered  ;  hence,  we  read,  ((  Who  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and  was 
 raised  again  for  our  justification,”  Rom.  iv.  25.  Atonement  and 
 justification  are  inseparably  connected,  Rom.  viii.  33,  34. 
 
 -j*  In  conversing  with  a  person  unacquainted  with  the  gospel,  I 
 quoted  this  passage.  “  Do  you  know,”  said  she,  u  I  do  not  believe 
 that.”  u  I  am  glad,”  I  replied,  “  to  hear  you  say  so  ;  I  have  been 
 endeavouring,  all  along,  to  convince  you  that  you  do  not  believe  the 
 
 i  3 
 
106 
 
 ELECTION  THE  CAUSE  OF  SALVATION. 
 
 tions  of  the  gospel  are  limited,  but  because  the  things 
 of  the  Spirit  of  God  are  foolishness  to  the  natural 
 man  ;  “he  loveth  the  darkness  rather  than  the  light,1’ 
 because  his  deeds  are  evil.  The  gospel  reveals  the 
 Lord  as  having  come  to  deliver  his  people  from 
 this  present  evil  world,  but  men  love  the  world, 
 their  souls  cleave  to  the  dust,  they  place  their  hap¬ 
 piness  in  the  gratification  of  the  lusts  of  the  flesh 
 and  of  the  mind  ;  and,  consequently,  they  reject  the 
 counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  and  prefer  the 
 things  that  are  seen  and  temporal  to  the  things  that 
 are  unseen  and  eternal.  Indeed,  were  it  not  that 
 Jesus  is  exalted  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  re¬ 
 pentance  to  Israel  and  the  remission  of  sins  ;  that  all 
 power  is  committed  to  him,  that  he  may  give  eternal 
 life  to  as  many  as  the  Father  hath  given  him,  not 
 one  of  the  human  race  would  receive  the  love  of  the 
 truth.  Hence,  when  the  Lord  sent  forth  the  apos¬ 
 tles,  he  encouraged  them,  by  the  assurance  that  he 
 was  with  them  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world  ; 
 and  they  uniformly  ascribe  their  success  to  his  al¬ 
 mighty  power. 
 
 Men  blaspheme  the  doctrine  of  election,  as  if  it  ex¬ 
 cluded  all,  with  the  exception  of  a  few,  from  the  en¬ 
 joyment  of  eternal  life  ;  while  it  is  entirely  owing  to 
 election  that  any  are  saved.  Had  it  not  been  that 
 a  multitude,  which  no  man  shall  be  able  to  number, 
 was  given  to  Christ,  before  the  foundation  of  the 
 world ;  had  he  not  come  to  do  the  will  of  God  for  their 
 salvation,  and  by  one  offering  for  ever  to  perfect  them 
 
 Scriptures,  and  now  you  have  acknowledged  it.”  i(  But  Ido  believe 
 the  Scriptures.”  u  You  said  this  moment  you  did  not  believe  this 
 plain  declaration.”  “  Not  in  your  sense  of  it.”  “  But  I  gave  no 
 sense  of  it,  I  merely  quoted  it.” 
 
ARGUMENT  FOR  UNIVERSAL  REDEMPTION.  107 
 
 that  are  sanctified,  Heb.  x.  14,  the  whole  human  race 
 had  perished,  notwithstanding  the  revelation  of  mercy. 
 But  this  could  not  be;  “whom God  did  foreknow,  them 
 he  did  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of 
 his  Son,  that  he  might  be  the  first-born  among  many 
 brethren.  Moreover,  whom  he  did  predestinate,  them 
 he  also  called  ;  and  whom  he  called,  them  he  also 
 justified  ;  and  whom  he  justified,  them  he  also  glori¬ 
 fied, ’’  Rom.  viii.  29,  30. 
 
 Perhaps  the  most  plausible  argument  for  univer¬ 
 sal  redemption  is,  that  only  upon  this  supposition  can 
 a  man  be  called  to  believe  that  Christ  died  for  him. 
 But  where  do  we  find  the  apostles  preaching  such 
 doctrine  i  They  never,  indeed,  lost  sight  of  the  im¬ 
 portance  of  bringing  home  the  truth  to  the  heart. 
 Their  mode  of  preaching  was  eminently  calculated  to 
 guard  their  hearers  against  viewing  the  gospel  as  a 
 system  of  speculation.  They  commended  themselves 
 to  every  man’s  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God.  They 
 not  only  testified  that  the  children  of  Adam  are  lost, 
 but  they  said,  “  Thou  art  the  man  and  they  felt 
 they  had  gained  nothing,  till  the  conscience  of  their 
 hearers  was  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their  guilt  and 
 danger.  Still  they  were  not  satisfied,  till  Christ  was 
 formed  in  them  the  hope  of  glory,  till  they  could  say, 
 “  the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  is  by  the  faith 
 of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  himself 
 for  me.”  But  they  never  told  an  unbeliever  that 
 Christ  died  for  him. 
 
 Where  is  the  inconsistency  of  Christ  having  laid 
 down  his  life  for  his  sheep,  with  the  gospel  being 
 preached  to  all?  No  man  is  called  to  believe  what  is 
 not  true,  whatever  reception  he  may  give  it.  Procla- 
 
108  i'aith  bestowed  through  the  atonement. 
 
 mation  of  pardon  is  made  to  sinners  through  faith  in 
 the  blood  of  Christ ;  the  door  of  the  ark  is  thrown 
 open,  and  all  who  hear  are  invited  to  enter  the  refuge 
 which  God  hath  provided,  and  from  which  none  are 
 excluded.  The  invitation  is  free  as  the  light  of 
 heaven,,  and  every  external  impediment  is  removed. 
 No  price,  no  qualification  is  required ;  but  the  god  of 
 this  world  blinds  the  minds  of  all  whose  sins  Christ 
 did  not  expiate  upon  Calvary ;  of  all  whom  he  did 
 not  redeem  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  by  being  made 
 a  curse  for  them,  Gal.  iii.  13,  that  they  might  in¬ 
 herit  a  blessing,  1  Pet.  iii.  9.  Faith,  and  every 
 other  spiritual  blessing,  are  bestowed  upon  sinners 
 through  the  atonement,  and  all  for  whom  it  was 
 offered  are  in  due  time  made  partakers  of  the  benefit. 
 In  short,  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his ;  he 
 will  lose  none  of  those  who  were  given  him — whom 
 he  ransomed  with  his  own  blood — but  will  deliver 
 them  all  in  full  tale  to  his  Father,  saying,  “  Behold, 
 I  and  the  children  whom  thou  hast  given  me,”  Heb. 
 11.  lo. 
 
 It  is  sometimes  asked,  If  Christ  did  not  die  for  all, 
 how  can  the  gospel  be  preached  to  all  ?  how  can  men 
 be  invited  to  receive  a  salvation  which  never  was 
 intended  for  them  ?  Secret  things  belong  to  God ; 
 men  are  not  called  upon  to  believe  the  gospel  as  elect 
 or  unelect,  but  as  sinners.  The  gospel  is  the  fan 
 with  which  Christ  separates  the  wheat  from  the  chaff. 
 The  invitation  is  to  all  who  come  under  the  joyful 
 sound,  without  exception  ;  but  to  some  it  is  the 
 savour  of  death  unto  death,  to  others  the  savour  of 
 life  unto  life,  2  Cor.  ii.  ]  6.  “  Many,1’  says  our 
 
 Lord,  “  are  called,  but  few  chosen,*”  Mat.  xx.  16. 
 
SEPARATION  MADE  BY  THE  GOSPEL. 
 
 109 
 
 xxii.  14.  As  it  was  in  Israel,  so  it  is  in  every  age  ; 
 the  election  receive  the  love  of  the  truth,  and  the  rest 
 are  blinded,  Rom.  xi.  7.  Thus,  by  men’s  reception 
 of  the  gospel,  those  whom  God’s  righteous  Servant 
 hath  justified,  having  borne  their  iniquities,  Isaiah 
 liii.  11,  are  distinguished  from  those  whom  he  never 
 knew. 
 
110  PREVALENT  NOTION  OF  THE  ATONEMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER  IV. 
 
 Erroneous  view  of  the  atonement ; — removes  no  difficulty  ; — 
 inseparable  connexion  of  guilt  and  suffering  ; — imputation  ; — 
 Rom.  v  ;  1  Cor.  xv.  22  ; — effects  of  the  doctrine  of  universal 
 redemption; — it  is  no  redemption  ; — all  mankind  not  included  in 
 the  covenant  of  which  Christ  is  Surety  ; — Rom.  viii.  33,  34  ; — 
 sacrifices  in  Israel ; — intercession  and  blessing  ; — Rom.  viii.  32. 
 
 Dislike  to  the  doctrine  of  the  substitution  and  surety¬ 
 ship  of  Christ,  has  darkened  the  minds  of  many,  and 
 led  them  to  set  aside  the  atonement  altogether.  The 
 prevalent  notion  at  present  is,  not  that  by  his  incar¬ 
 nation,  sufferings,  and  death,  Christ  made  atonement 
 for  those  whose  sins  he  bare  in  his  own  body  on  the 
 tree, — thus  cancelling  their  guilt,  and  opening  a 
 channel  through  which  mercy  and  love  flow  to  them 
 in  perfect  consistency  with  justice, — but  that  the 
 manifestation  of  the  Son  of  God  was  designed  as  a 
 public  display,  in  order  to  maintain  the  honour  of 
 the  Divine  government.  What  a  view  does  this 
 give  of  Him  before  whom  the  nations  are  a  drop  of 
 a  bucket,  and  are  counted  as  the  small  dust  in 
 the  balance  !  Was  God  manifest  in  the  flesh?  Did 
 the  Creator  of  the  world,  in  our  nature,  suffer  and 
 die  merely  to  produce  an  impression  upon  the  minds 
 of  rebels,  and  to  prevent  his  government  from  sinking 
 into  contempt !  No  ;  it  was  that  He  might  be  just, 
 and  the  justifier  of  him  that  believetli  in  Jesus  ;  that 
 he  might  be  faithful,  and  just  in  forgiving  the  sins 
 of  those  whose  great  Head  and  Surety,  according  to 
 his  covenant  engagements,  endured  the  penalty  which 
 
SCRIPTURE  VIEW  OF  THE  ATONEMENT. 
 
 Ill 
 
 they  had  incurred,  and  yielded  to  the  law  which  they 
 had  broken  the  obedience  which  it  demanded. 
 
 In  connexion  with  the  denial  of  the  sufferings  of 
 Christ  being  really  an  atonement  for  the  sins  of  his 
 people, — thus  reducing  the  incarnation  to  a  contri¬ 
 vance  for  upholding  the  Divine  government ;  as  if, 
 like  human  governments,  it  were  liable  to  fall  into 
 contempt,  and  required  support  by  saving  appear¬ 
 ances, — the  sentiment  appears  to  be  gaining  ground, 
 that  the  peculiarity  of  redemption  consists  in  its 
 application.  Christ,  it  is  alleged,  died  for  sin,  and 
 the  sovereignty  of  God  is  exhibited  by  revealing  his 
 Son  in  those  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation,  and 
 whom  he  makes  willing  in  the  day  of  his  power. 
 
 Now,  this  is  very  different  from  the  view  presented 
 to  us  in  the  word  of  God.  There  we  are  taught  that 
 the  redeemed  were  chosen  in  Christ  before  the  foun¬ 
 dation  of  the  world,  and  predestinated  to  the  adop¬ 
 tion  of  children.  They  were  given  to  Christ  in  the 
 counsels  of  eternity,  who,  in  the  fulness  of  time, 
 united  himself  with  them,  by  assuming  their  nature, 
 for  their  sakes  sanctifying  himself,  and  giving  him¬ 
 self  for  them  an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  to  God  for  a 
 sweet-smelling  savour  thus  redeeming  them  from 
 death,  and  ransoming  them  from  the  power  of  the 
 grave.  Having  risen  from  the  dead,  and  ascended 
 up  on  high,  he  is  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 
 and  has  received  power  over  all  flesh,  that  he  might 
 give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  the  Father  hath  given 
 him,  of  whom  he  will  lose  nothing,  but  will  raise  it 
 up  again  at  the  last  day,  John  vi.  89. 
 
 The  doctrine  of  Christ  dying  for  sin,  instead  of 
 dying  for  his  people,  is  a  modification  of  the  doctrine 
 
312  THE  GOSPEL  PRESENTED  IN  A  PRACTICAL  FORM. 
 
 of  universal  redemption ;  some  of  whose  advocates 
 perceived  that,  if  Christ  died  for  the  sins  of  all  men, 
 it  depreciates  his  sacrifice  to  admit  that  it  is  not 
 effectual  for  their  salvation.  It  is  true  the  scrip¬ 
 ture  says,  “  Christ  once  suffered  for  sins,”  but  it  is 
 added,  “  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God.”*  The 
 greatest  care  is  always  taken  to  prevent  our  viewing 
 the  gospel  in  the  light  of  abstract  truth ;  it  is  uni¬ 
 formly  presented  in  a  practical  form ;  but,  after  all, 
 what  difficulty  is  removed  by  representing  Christ 
 as  dying  either  for  sin,  or  for  all  mankind,  if  the 
 doctrine  of  personal  election  is  held  ?  The  very  same 
 objections  may  in  this  case  be,  an^l  in  point  of  fact 
 are,  brought  against  the  general  invitations  of  the 
 gospel,  since  it  must  be  admitted  that  it  will  be  a 
 “  stumbling-block  and  foolishness  to  all  whom  God 
 hath  not  from  the  beginning  chosen  unto  salvation, 
 through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the 
 truth,”  2  Thess.  ii.  IS,  and  whom  he  consequently 
 calls  by  his  grace.  Gal.  i.  15. 
 
 The  whole  controversy  about  the  extent  of  the 
 atonement  has  its  origin  in  men  not  understanding 
 the  nature  of  the  connexion  between  Adam  and  his 
 children.  Mankind  were  created  in  him,  and  in  him 
 they  came  under  condemnation.  This  is  a  hard 
 saying,  which  only  those  who  are  taught  of  God  will 
 receive,  although  we  have  a  palpable  demonstration 
 of  it  in  the  death  of  infants.  The  denial  of  the 
 
 *  Many  errors  respecting  the  atonement,  as  well  as  other  parts  of 
 Divine  truth,  originate  in  not  understanding  that  the  epistles  are  ad¬ 
 dressed  to  believers,  and  consequently  considering  what  the  apostles 
 write  as  referring  to  men  in  general ;  for  instance,  he  gave  himself  for 
 ns,  not  for  mankind  in  general,  but  for  us  who  have  fled  to  Christ 
 for  refuge. 
 
SIN  AND  SUFFERING  INSEPARABLE. 
 
 113 
 
 efficacy  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  for  the  salvation  of 
 *  all  for  whom  it  was  offered,  is  uniformly  connected 
 with  the  denial  of  the  imputation  of  Adam's  guilt, 
 and  of  Christ's  righteousness. 
 
 Under  the  righteous  government  of  God,  there  is 
 an  inseparable  connexion  between  sin  and  suffering, 
 purity  and  enjoyment.  From  the  perfection  of  the 
 Divine  character,  we  may  rest  assured  that  there 
 does  not  exist  in  the  universe  one  particle  of  suffer¬ 
 ing,  except  in  connexion  with  sin.  Had  not  mankind 
 sinned  in  Adam,  infants  would  not  have  been  sub¬ 
 jected  to  pain,  and  sufferings,  and  death  ;  and  had 
 not  Jesus,  who  knew  no  sin,  who"  was  holy,  harmless, 
 undefiled,  separate  from  sinners,  been  made  sin*  for 
 his  people ;  had  not  their  iniquity  been  laid,  or  made 
 to  meet  upon  him,  he  could  not  by  possibility  have 
 been  exposed  to  suffering.  It  must  be  well  with  the 
 righteous  ;  none  ever  perished,  being  innocent.  When, 
 therefore,  we  hear  the  loud  and  bitter  cry — “  My  God, 
 my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?"■ — proceeding 
 from  those  lips  in  which  there  was  no  guile  ;  by  which 
 the  sacrifice  of  prayer  and  praise  had  been  offered 
 up  continually,  we  have  a  demonstration  that  sin  was 
 imputed  to  him.  And  whose  sins  were  imputed  ? 
 Not  the  sins  of  all  mankind,  for  in  that  case  his 
 sacrifice  did  not  answer  its  end  ;  it  did  not  finish 
 transgression,  make  an  end  of  sin,  make  reconcilia¬ 
 tion  for  iniquity.  It  left  the  greater  part  of  those 
 for  whom  it  was  offered  under  the  curse  of  the  broken 
 
 *  Not  as  it  is  erroneously  understood  by  some,  a  sin  offering  ;  for 
 it  is  opposed  to  righteousness,  which  cannot  mean  a  righteous  offering. 
 Besides,  the  reason  of  the  victim  being  called  sin,  or  a  sin-offering, 
 was,  that  the  sin  of  the  offerer  was  figuratively  transferred  to  his 
 offering.  Hence  the  sacrifices  demonstrate  the  transference  of  guilt. 
 Lev.  xvi.  21,  22,  & c. 
 
 K 
 
114  adam’s  sin  and  Christ’s  righteousness. 
 
 law,  which  is  proved  by  their  continued  enmity 
 against  God,  leading  such  of  them  as  hear  the  gospel 
 to  neglect  the  great  salvation ;  while  the  greater  part  of 
 those  for  whom  the  atonement  was  made,  never  heard 
 the  report  of  a  Saviour  having  been  provided,  and  con¬ 
 sequently  lived  and  died  without  God,  and  having  no 
 hope  in  the  world.  On  the  other  hand,  the  reception 
 of  the  gospel  by  the  elect  is  the  proof  of  their  having 
 been  redeemed  from  the  curse ;  in  consequence  of 
 which,  they  receive  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  through 
 faith.  The  scriptures  teach  us  that  Christ  was 
 “  stricken  for  the  transgression  of  God's  people,”  Isa. 
 liii.  8 ;  “  the  chastisement  of  their  peace  was  laid 
 upon  him,  and  by  his  stripes  they  are  healed,”  Isaiah 
 liii.  5.  When  the  sins  of  the  redeemed  are  sought 
 for,  they  shall  not  be  found ;  they  are  buried  in  the 
 fathomless  ocean  of  everlasting  love,  flowing  through 
 the  ample  satisfaction  made  to  justice  by  their  elder 
 brother,  their  kinsman  Redeemer. 
 
 The  imputation  of  Adam’s  sin  and  of  Christ’s 
 righteousness,  is  clearly  proved  by  the  apostle,  Rom. 
 v.  in  which  a  parallel  is  drawn  between  Adam,  the 
 covenant  head  of  mankind,  and  the  second  Adam, 
 the  covenant  Head  of  the  redeemed.  Unless  this  dis¬ 
 tinction  be  kept  in  view,  the  passage  is  conclusive  in 
 favour  of  universal  salvation.  Indeed,  this  is  the 
 inevitable  result  of  universal  redemption.  Did  God 
 punish  the  sins  of  mankind  in  his  Son  ?  and  shall  the 
 greater  part  of  the  human  race  perish,  notwithstand¬ 
 ing  \  This  difficulty  can  only  be  got  rid  of  by  deny 
 ing  the  atonement  altogether,  and  representing  the 
 death  of  Christ  as  a  spectacle  to  the  universe,  in 
 proof  of  God’s  disapprobation  of  sin,  while  it  neither 
 
IMPUTATION  PROVED  BY  Rom.  V.  18,  19.  115 
 
 made  satisfaction  to  justice,  nor  established  his  ever¬ 
 lasting  truth.  This  is  the  old  Socinian  doctrine,  that 
 the  death  of  Christ  was  not  necessary,  in  order  to 
 guilty  man  being  pardoned ;  in  other  words,  that  no 
 atonement  for  sin  was  required,  but,  that  in  the  suf¬ 
 ferings,  and  death,  and  exaltation  of  Christ,  (all  which 
 they  admit)  we  see  an  encouragement  to  men  to  re¬ 
 turn  to  God. 
 
 In  Rom.  v.  the  apostle  says,  44  Therefore,  as  by  the 
 offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  con¬ 
 demnation  ;  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one,  the 
 free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life,” 
 ver.  18.  Unless  the  parallel  between  Adam  and 
 Christ  and  their  respective  families,  to  which  we  have 
 referred,  be  kept  in  view,  the  salvation  of  all  man¬ 
 kind  is  here  broadly  asserted.  But  while  the  all 
 men,  upon  whom  44  by  the  offence  of  one,  the  judg¬ 
 ment  came  to  condemnation,”  includes  every  child  of 
 Adam  ;  the  all  men  upon  whom,  44  by  the  righteous¬ 
 ness  of  one,  the  free  gift  came  unto  justification  of 
 life,"  includes  only  the  family  of  the  second  Adam — 
 the  little  flock  who  shall  inherit  the  kingdom.  The 
 same  truth  is  repeated  in  the  following  verse :  44  For 
 as  by  one  man’s  disobedience  many  were  made  sin¬ 
 ners  ;  so  by  the  obedience  of  one  shall  many  be  made 
 righteous,”  ver.  19.  The  many,  that  is,  all  mankind, 
 were  made  sinners*  by  Adam's  disobedience,  so  by 
 the  obedience  of  one  shall  the  many,  that  is,  those 
 that  are  Christ's — the  whole  family  in  heaven  and 
 in  earth,  Eph.  iii.  15. — be  made  righteous.  Can  the 
 
 *  It  is  not  said,  the  many  were  made  sufferers,  as  if  they  only  ex¬ 
 perienced  the  consequences  of  Adam's  sin ;  they  were  made  sin¬ 
 ners  by  Adam’s  disobedience. 
 
116 
 
 1  Cor.  xv.  22. ;  1  Thess.  iv. 
 
 imputation  of  Adam’s  sin  and  of  Christ’s  righteous¬ 
 ness  be  more  clearly  expressed  l 
 
 The  apostle  uses  very  similar  language,  1  Cor.  xv. 
 22  :  u  For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ 
 shall  all  be  made  alive.”  Some  refer  this  to  the  resur¬ 
 rection  of  the  just  and  the  unjust ;  but  while  all  man¬ 
 kind  are  included  in  the  all  who  died  in  Adam,  the 
 apostle  limits  the  all  who  shall  be  made  alive,  to  be¬ 
 lievers.  But  every  man  in  his  own  order,  Christ  the 
 first-fruits,  afterwards  they  that  are  Christ's  at  his 
 coming.  Neither  in  this  chapter,  nor  in  1  Thess.  iv. 
 is  anything  said  of  the  resurrection  of  the  wicked. 
 They  shall,  indeed,  be  raised,  but  they  are  never  said 
 to  be  made  alive.  They  shall  come  forth  to  the  resur¬ 
 rection  of  damnation.  They  were  dead  while  they 
 lived,  and  shall  be  raised  to  be  cast  into  the  lake  of 
 fire,  which  is  the  second  death. 
 
 Universal  redemption  reduces  the  love  of  Christ, 
 in  laying  down  his  life  for  his  people,  to  a  very  small 
 matter.  Now,  this  is  a  subject  upon  which  the 
 sacred  writers  delight  to  expatiate.  They  represent 
 the  love  of  Christ  as  passing  knowledge ;  they  dwell 
 upon  its  height,  and  depth,  and  breadth,  and  length. 
 “  Greater  love,”  says  the  Lord,  “  hath  no  man  than 
 this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends 
 but  the  advocates  of  universal  redemption  represent 
 him  as  having  laid  down  his  life  for  those  to  whom 
 he  will  say,  “  Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire, 
 prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.” 
 
 This  has  led  many  Protestants  upon  the  Continent 
 to  maintain  universal  salvation.  They  argue,  that, 
 Christ  having  died  for  all,  secures  the  salvation  of  all 
 mankind.  Others,  reading  that  the  unrighteous  shall 
 
REDEMPTION  SOMETHING  SUBSTANTIAL.  117 
 
 not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  shall  be  punished 
 with  everlasting  destruction  from  his  presence,  deny 
 the  atonement  altogether  ;  and  this  doctrine  ap¬ 
 pears  to  be  rapidly  gaining  ground  in  this  country. 
 
 Another  insuperable  objection  to  the  scheme  of  uni¬ 
 versal  redemption  is,  that  comparatively  few  of  the 
 human  race  ever  heard  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  eon- 
 quently,  are  without  Christ,  having  no  hope,  and 
 without  God  in  the  world,  Eph.  ii.  12.  It  may  be 
 said,  this  is  the  fault  of  those  to  whom  the  lively  oracles 
 were  committed.  And  what  then  ?  shall  so  many 
 millions  for  whom  Christ  died,  perish  through  the  sloth 
 and  wickedness  of  others  ?  Salvation  is  by  grace 
 through  faith ;  faith  cometh  by  hearing,  and  hearing 
 by  the  word  of  God.  The  apostle  inquires,  “  how 
 shall  they  believe  in  him  of  whom  they  have  not 
 heard?'’1  64  Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people 
 perish,*1  Prov.  xxix.  18  ;  ‘‘As  many  as  have  sinned 
 without  law,  shall  also  perish  without  law,11  Rom.  ii.  12. 
 
 In  scripture,  redemption  is  something  substantial 
 and  palpable  ;  it  is  redemption  to  God — from  the 
 earth — from  among  men — from  bondage — from  death 
 — from  the  grave — from  the  curse  of  the  law — from 
 all  iniquity — from  our  former  vain  conversation  ;  but 
 universal  redemption  frees  us  from  nothing  ;  it  leaves 
 us  where  it  found  us ;  it  is  like  an  idol ;  it  is  nothing 
 in  the  world  ;  it  is  another  redemption,  which  is 
 not  another,  but  a  perversion  of  the  redemption  of 
 Christ. 
 
 The  extent  of  the  atonement  may  be  ascertained 
 by  the  simple  question  :  Are  all  mankind,  or  only  a 
 part  of  them  included  in  that  covenant,  of  which 
 Christ  is  the  surety  ?  Heb.  vii.  22.  In  consequence 
 
 k  3 
 
118 
 
 THE  GOSPEL  EXHIBITED  IN  ISRAEL. 
 
 of  Adam  being  the  covenant  head  of  all  mankind,  all 
 are  involved  in  his  condemnation  ;  but  Christ  is  not 
 the  head  of  all  mankind,  but  of  the  seed  of  the  woman 
 — the  Church  :  and  to  all  but  the  Church  he  will  sav, 
 “  I  never  knew  you.”  He  was  given  as  a  covenant 
 of  the  people,  and  by  his  death  he  hath  reconciled 
 them  to  God, — hath  redeemed  them  from  all  iniquity, 
 and  purified  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of 
 good  works.  He  is  now  exalted  a  Prince  and  a 
 Saviour,  to  give  repentance  to  Israel  and  the  remis¬ 
 sion  of  sins.  By  the  gospel,  lie  separates  from  the 
 world  those  whom  he  has  purchased  with  his  blood, 
 and  thus  brings  them  within  the  bond  of  that  cove¬ 
 nant  which  is  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure.  “  I  am 
 the  good  shepherd  :  the  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life 
 for  the  sheep,”  John  x.  11.  He  tells  us  he  must 
 bring  his  sheep  into  the  fold,  and  adds,  “  they  shall 
 hear  my  voice,”  John  x.  16.  He  will  assuredly 
 guide  them  with  his  counsel,  and  afterwards  receive 
 them  to  his  glorv. 
 
 O  e/ 
 
 In  the  history  of  Abraham  and  his  family  in  the 
 line  of  Isaac  and  Jacob,  we  have  an  exhibition  of  all 
 the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  The  redemption 
 of  Israel  from  Egyptian  bondage  is  a  type  of  the 
 eternal  redemption  of  the  true  Israel.  Hence  they 
 are  exclusively  termed  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord,  in 
 contrast  with  the  rest  of  mankind.  Their  redemp¬ 
 tion  was  effected  by  Moses  taking  them  down  with 
 him  into  the  Bed  Sea,  and  when  he  arose  from  his 
 figurative  baptism,  they  rose  with  him,  1  Cor.  x.  2. 
 This  exactly  corresponds  with  the  antitype.  The 
 true  Israel  died,  and  were  buried  with  Christ ;  with 
 him  they  rose  ;  and  such  is  the  unity  of  the  Head  and 
 
Rom.  viii.  33,  34  ;  1  Thess.  v.  9,  10. 
 
 119 
 
 the  members,  that  they  are  represented  as  “  raised 
 np  together,  and  made  to  sit  together  in  heavenly 
 places  in  Christ  Jesus,1’  Eph.  ii.  6. 
 
 The  certainty  of  the  salvation  of  those  for  whom 
 Christ  died  is  clearly  established  by  the  apostle's 
 words :  44  Who  shall  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of 
 God’s  elect  ?  It  is  God  that  justifieth ;  who  is  he 
 that  condemneth  ?  It  is  Christ  that  died,  yea  rather, 
 that  is  risen  again,  who  is  even  at  the  right  hand  of 
 God,  who  alsomaketh  intercession  for  us,11  Rom.  viii. 
 33,  34.  Here  we  learn  the  safetv  of  the  elect;  be- 
 cause  God  justifies  them,  and  who,  it  is  asked,  shall 
 condemn  them  ?  It  is  added,  it  is  Christ  that  died , 
 demonstrating  that  the  justification  of  the  elect  is  the 
 certain  consequence  of  Christ's  death.  Again,  it  is 
 written,  44  Fo?  God  hath  not  appointed  us  to  wrath, 
 but  to  obtain  salvation  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
 who  died  for  us,  that,  whether  we  wake  or  sleep,  we 
 should  live  together  with  him,”  1  Thess.  v.  9,  10. 
 Here  we  are  taught  that  the  end  of  Christ's  dvins: 
 for  his  people  was,  that  they  might  live  together 
 with  him  ;  in  other  words,  they  are  appointed  to 
 receive  salvation ;  and  this  is  connected  with  his  in¬ 
 tercession,  which  is  always  represented  as  co-exten- 
 sive  with  his  atonement,  upon  which  it  is  founded. 
 
 In  Israel  the  priest  only  made  intercession  for 
 those  for  whom  he  offered  the  sacrifice,  and  none  for 
 whom  he  offered  were  excluded  from  his  intercession. 
 Now  Christ  expressly  disclaims  praying  for  any  but 
 those  who  were  given  to  him  by  the  Father  :  44 1 
 pray  for  them ;  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for 
 them  which  thou  hast  given  me,  for  they  are  thine,” 
 John  xvii.  9. 
 
j  20  THE  THREE  PARTS  OF  THE  PRIESTLY  OFFICE. 
 
 There  was  a  third  part  of  the  priestly  office,  name¬ 
 ly,  blessing  the  people.  When  the  high-priest  had 
 carried  the  blood  of  the  sin-offering  into  the  most 
 holy  place,  at  the  same  time  burning  incense  before 
 the  mercy-seat,  he  came  out  and  blessed  those  for 
 whom  the  offering  had  been  made  and  the  incense 
 burnt.  How  beautifully  is  this  figure  fulfilled  !  Our 
 great  liigh-priest  entered  into  heaven  with  his  own 
 blood,  by  which  the  new  covenant  had  been  ratified; 
 there  he  ever  livetli  to  make  intercession  for  his 
 people.  Meantime,  they  are  waiting  for  him  with¬ 
 out,  and  to  them  he  will  appear  the  second  time, 
 without  sin  unto  salvation. 
 
 Thus  we  see  the  three  distinct  but  inseparable 
 parts  of  the  priestly  office  fulfilled  in  Jesus.  He 
 intercedes  for  sinners  on  the  ground  of  the  ample 
 satisfaction  he  has  made  on  their  behalf ;  the  Father, 
 in  virtue  of  the  perfection  of  his  sacrifice,  heareth 
 him  always,  and  he  will  shortly  appear,  saying, 
 “Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  king¬ 
 dom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
 world.*”  And,  so  far  from  the  justification  of  the  re¬ 
 deemed  tarnishing  the  honour  of  the  law  of  God,  the 
 channel  through  which  their  pardon  flows  renders  it 
 far  more  glorious.  Never  was  the  Divine  justice  so 
 awfully  exhibited  as  in  the  salvation  of  the  Church 
 of  Christ. 
 
 The  following  passage  is  conclusive  as  to  the  ex¬ 
 tent  of  Christ's  atonement :  “He  that  spared  not 
 his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all,  how 
 shall  he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  2” 
 Horn.  viii.  32.  Here  we  are  informed  that  God  will 
 freely  give  all  things  to  those  for  whom  he  delivered 
 
ALL  THINGS  INCLUDED  IN  THE  GIFT  OF  CHRIST.  121 
 
 up  his  Son ;  if,  then,  he  delivered  up  his  Son  for  all 
 mankind,  shall  he  not  with,  him  also  freely  give 
 them  faith,  repentance,  pardon,  holiness,  and  eternal 
 life  l  But  God  does  not  give  these  blessings  to  all, 
 and  hence  it  inevitably  follows,  that  he  did  not  de¬ 
 liver  up  his  Son  for  all  men. 
 
122 
 
 SUFFICIENCY  OF  THE  ATONEMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER  V. 
 
 The  sufficiency  of  the  atonement ; — the  sincerity  of  gospel  invita¬ 
 tions  ; — difficulties  will  be  explained  ; — impossibility  of  the  in¬ 
 nocent  suffering  ; — view  given  of  the  atonement,  leads  to  Socin- 
 ianism,  dishonourable  to  God’s  government ; — the  universality 
 of  the  atonement  disproved; — general  expressions  the  world,  all ; 
 — exposition  of  2  Cor.  v.  14,  21; — the  Gentiles; — summary  of 
 the  arguments  in  opposition  to  universal  redemption. 
 
 It  has  been  asked,  Was  not  the  death  of  Jesus  suffi¬ 
 cient  for  the  redemption  of  all  mankind?  We  may 
 ask,  in  return,  W ere  not  the  power  and  goodness  of 
 God  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  all  mankind  ?  W e 
 may  as  well  allege,  that  any  part  of  mankind  being 
 lost  is  an  impeachment  of  the  power  and  goodness  of 
 God,  as,  that  the  atonement  not  being  made  for  all, 
 detracts  from  its  value.  The  very  reverse  is  the 
 case ;  to  represent  the  atonement  as  made  for  all, 
 while  only  some  are  saved,  depreciates  its  worth. 
 According  to  the  advocates  of  universal  redemption, 
 what  was  made  for  all  is  only  available  for  a  part  of 
 those  whom  Satan  held  in  bondage.  He  was  able  to 
 
 O 
 
 retain  multitudes  for  whose  sin  Christ  made  his  soul 
 an  offerin°;.  In  fact,  this  sentiment  sets  aside  theatone- 
 ment  altogether  ;  if  Christ  died  both  for  Peter  and 
 Judas,  and  if  the  former  is  saved  while  the  latter  is 
 lost,  Peter  owes  his  salvation  to  something  else  than 
 the  death  of  Christ.  Yes,  it  may  be  replied,  Peter 
 was  saved  by  faith,  Judas  perished  through  unbelief ; 
 but  if  Peter's  faith  was  not  bestowed  upon  him  through 
 the  atonement,  which  is  the  source  of  every  heavenly 
 
THE  INVITATIONS  OF  THE  GOSPEL  SINCERE.  123 
 
 blessing  to  fallen  man,  liis  salvation  was  not  the  fruit 
 of  the  death  of  Christ.  If  Christ  died  for  all  men ,  no 
 man  is  saved  by  his  death. 
 
 There  are,  at  present,  so  many  millions  of  men  in 
 the  world,  and  the  sun  enlightens  them  all.  Were 
 the  number  doubled,  it  would  not  prevent  any  man 
 from  seeing  as  clearly  as  he  does  at  present ;  but 
 God  has  seen  fit  to  limit  the  light  of  the  sun  to  those 
 who  actually  inhabit  the  earth,  and  to  whom  he  has 
 given  eyes  to  behold  the  light.  W ould  it  add  to  the 
 brightness  of  the  sun  if  millions  more  enjoyed  its  light? 
 
 Again,  the  question  has  been  put,  Is  not  God  sin¬ 
 cere  in  the  invitations  of  the  gospel  ?  Most  assuredly. 
 They  are  addressed  to  every  creature  who  comes 
 under  their  joyful  sound.  Every  external  impedi¬ 
 ment  is  removed.  The  message  is,  “  Whosoever  will, 
 let  him  come  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely."'1 
 Have  your  sins  been  aggravated  ?  have  they  been 
 long  persisted  in?  have  they  been  committed  against 
 light  and  your  own  convictions  ?  No  matter,  the  blood 
 of  Jesus  cleanseth  believers  from  all  sin.*  “Turn 
 ye,  turn  ye,  why  will  ye  die  V  “  Him  that  cometh 
 unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.11  These,  and  a 
 thousand  other  passages,  exhibit  the  boundless  free¬ 
 ness  of  the  gospel  invitations,  and  they  are  not  pro¬ 
 mulgated  in  vain,  for  by  them  the  ordained  to  eternal 
 life  are  gathered  in.  They  fully  answer  the  end 
 which  God  had  in  view, — the  salvation  of  his  chosen 
 people, — while  they  demonstrate  the  desperate  wick¬ 
 edness  of  all  who  refuse  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  and 
 to  enter  into  the  refuge  provided  for  the  lost,  the 
 
 •  This  passage  is  usually  quoted,  “the  blood  of  Jesus  cleanseth 
 from  all  sin,”  but  the  apostle  says,  uit  cleanseth  us  (who  believe) 
 from  all  sin.” 
 
124 
 
 DIFFICULTIES  FROM  OUR  IGNORANCE. 
 
 ruined,  and  the  guilty.  Thus  too,  are  believers 
 taught  to  appreciate  the  riches  of  that  love  which 
 made  them  to  differ,  which  set  their  feet  upon  a 
 rock,  and  established  their  goings,  while  pride  is  hid 
 from  their  eyes  by  the  conviction,  that  for  this  dif¬ 
 ference  they  are  indebted  solely  to  the  discriminating- 
 grace  of  God. 
 
 To  mention  all  the  passages  in  which  Christ  is 
 said  to  have  died  for  his  people ,  would  be  to  tran¬ 
 scribe  a  great  part  of  the  New  Testament.  They 
 are  represented  as  having  died,  and  risen  in  him. 
 “  He  was  manifest  in  these  last  times  for  you  who  by 
 him  do  believe  in  God ,”  1  Pet.  i.  21.  Who  these  are, 
 is  one  of  the  secret  things  which  belong  to  God ;  but 
 not  more  certainly  is  the  steel  attracted  by  the  mag¬ 
 net,  than  the  redeemed  are  drawn  to  Christ  through 
 the  publication  of  the  gospel. 
 
 Difficulties  may,  doubtless,  be  started ;  and  that 
 there  are  real  difficulties  arising  from  the  state  of  our 
 knowledge,  is  implied  in  the  declaration,  “  that  if 
 any  man  will  be  wise  in  this  world,  he  must  become 
 a  fool  that  he  may  be  wise.1’  These  difficulties  will 
 vanish  away  ;  the  day  of  the  revelation  of  the  right¬ 
 eous  judgment  of  God  is  approaching,  and  then  the 
 infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  of  every  part  of  the 
 Divine  procedure  will  be  apparent,  and  every  tongue 
 shall  confess  that  he  is  a  God  of  truth,  and  without 
 iniquity,  just  and  right  in  all  his  ways. 
 
 According  to  the  Circular,  the  death  of  Christ  is 
 to  be  viewed  “  as  a  public  satisfaction,  designed  to 
 honour  the  demands  of  moral  government 66  as  a 
 public  transaction  intended  to  avert  a  public  calamity, 
 by  making  amends  to  public  justice.1’  But  what 
 
THE  INNOCENT  CANNOT  SUFFER. 
 
 125 
 
 honour  redounds  to  moral  government,  or  what 
 amends  are  made  to  public  justice,  by  the  sufferings 
 of  an  innocent  person  ?  There  is  no  such  anomaly 
 in  Christ’s  gospel ;  the  just  indeed  suffered,  but  not 
 before  he  was  made  sin ;  the  Lord  previously  laid 
 upon  him  the  iniquities  of  all  his  people.  Justice 
 can  only  visit  the  guilty.  Innocence  presents  an 
 adamantine  shield,  which  the  sword  of  justice  cannot 
 penetrate.  Had  God,  upon  the  rebellion  of  man, 
 destroyed  a  hundred  worlds,  or  twelve  legions  of 
 angels,  and  recreated  them,  it  would  indeed  have 
 been  a  display  of  power,  but  what  “  amends”  would 
 it  have  made  to  “  public  justice  ?”  According  to  the 
 views  of  the  writers  of  the  Circular,  the  death  of 
 Jesus  does  not  “  honour  the  demands  of  moral  go¬ 
 vernment.”  It  is  a  mere  arbitrary  act ;  it  makes  no 
 atonement,  and  is  directly  opposed  to  the  doctrine  of 
 the  Word  of  God,  in  which  Christ  is  represented  as 
 becoming  the  near  kinsman  of  his  people,  that  he 
 
 might  have  the  right  of  redemption,  and  in  this 
 character,  as  their  great  Surety,  Substitute,  and  Re¬ 
 presentative,  restore  what  he  took  not  away,  Psal. 
 lxix.  4. 
 
 To  deny  the  substitution  of  Christ  for  his  people, 
 and  to  represent  his  sufferings  and  death  as  a  public 
 act  illustrative  of  God’s  disapprobation  of  sin,  is 
 directly  calculated  to  lead  to  Arianism  and  Socinian- 
 ism.  It  is  rather  too  much,  that  God  should  be 
 manifest  in  the  flesh,  and  suffer  and  die  for  the  sake 
 of  example,  and  in  order  to  maintain  the  honour  of 
 his  government.  This  represents  the  throne  of  the 
 Almighty  as  standing  upon  the  frail  and  secondary 
 principles  of  utility  and  expediency,  whereas  it  for 
 
126  THE  SUFFICIENCY  OF  THE  ATONEMENT. 
 
 ever  rests  upon  the  immovable  basis  of  unimpeach¬ 
 able  justice,  and  everlasting  truth. 
 
 The  Circular  proceeds  :  “  Having  so  learned  Christ, 
 you,  in  conjunction  with  others  like  minded,  see  the 
 consistency,  and  feel  the  necessity,  of  attempting  the 
 illumination  and  spiritual  recovery  of  every  human 
 being.  For,  cherishing  no  misgivings  on  the  suffi¬ 
 ciency  and  universality  of  the  atonement,  you  per¬ 
 ceive  that  the  Gospel  remedy,  in  its  provisions  and 
 blessings,  can  with  honest  truth  and  genuine  sin¬ 
 cerity,  be  tendered  to  every  nation  and  kindred, 
 tongue  and  people,  over  the  length  and  breadth  of 
 the  earth.‘,, — Pages  14,  15. 
 
 There  is  no  question  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  atone¬ 
 ment  for  the  salvation  of  all  mankind,  had  it  so 
 pleased  God  ;  but  its  universality  is  disproved,  1st, 
 By  the  breadth  of  the  way  that  leadeth  to  destruc¬ 
 tion,  and  the  multitudes  who  go  down  thereat ;  and 
 2ndly,  By  the  matter  of  fact  that  by  far  the  greater 
 part  of  the  world,  during  eighteen  hundred  years  after 
 the  atonement  was  made,  never  heard  the  report  of 
 salvation,  and  have  consequently  lived  and  died 
 without  Christ,  and  without  hope.  The  gospel  has 
 hitherto  been  confined  to  a  comparatively  small  por¬ 
 tion  of  the  human  race,  although  the  knowledge  of 
 God  has  been  much  extended  since  the  ascension  of 
 J esus,  having  for  two  thousand  years  before  his  ap¬ 
 pearing  been  almost  entirely  confined  to  one  family. 
 That  the  gospel  is,  by  the  Divine  commandment,  to 
 be  preached  to  men  of  every  nation,  is  most  certain ; 
 and  it  can  be  preached  to  every  nation,  kindred, 
 tongue,  and  people,  over  the  length  and  breadth  of 
 the  earth,  by  those  who  hold  that  all  for  whom  Christ 
 
GENERAL  EXPRESSION — THE  WORLD.  127 
 
 died  shall  assuredly  be  saved,  “  with  honest  truth 
 and  genuine  sincerity.1’  Wherever  we  find  a  child  of 
 Adam,  it  is  our  duty  to  make  known  to  him  the 
 glad  tidings  of  a  free  and  full  salvation,  and  to  as¬ 
 sure  him,  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  if  he  con¬ 
 fess  with  his  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  believe  in 
 his  heart  u  that  God  raised  him  from  the  dead,  he 
 shall  be  saved.” 
 
 There  are,  doubtless,  many  general  expressions  em¬ 
 ployed  in  the  Word  of  God,  respecting  the  atonement, 
 such  as  God  loving  the  world ,  John  iii.  15  ;  but  this 
 refers  to  the  vanishing  away  of  the  old  covenant,  ac¬ 
 cording  to  which,  Israel  alone  were  distinguished  by 
 the  favour  of  God.  Nicodemus  supposed  that  Mes¬ 
 siah  would  come  to  save  Israel  and  to  condemn  the 
 world  ;  but  the  Lord  informed  him,  “  that  God  sent 
 not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world ; 
 but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be  saved,11 
 John  iii.  17.  Surely  this  does  not  mean  that  it  was 
 God’s  purpose  to  save  all  men ;  had  this  been  so,  it 
 would  have  been  effected.  It  obviously  means  men 
 of  all  nations.  “  There  is  now  neither  Jew  nor 
 Greek,  circumcision  or  uncircumcision  no  man  is 
 known  “  after  the  flesh.” 
 
 The  design  of  the  atonement  is  clearly  pointed  out 
 in  the  prophecy  of  the  high  priest :  “And  this  spake  h$ 
 not  of  himself:  but,  being  high  priest  that  year,  he  pro¬ 
 phesied  that  J esus  should  die  for  that  nation  ;  and 
 not  for  that  nation  only,  but  that  also  he  should  gather 
 together  in  one  the  children  of  God  that  were  scattered 
 abroad,”  John  xi.  51,  52.  Such  was  the  object  which 
 God  had  in  view,  “to  gather  together  in  one  the  child¬ 
 ren  of  God  that  were  scattered  abroad  to  collect  the 
 
128  GENERAL  EXPRESSION - ALL  ; 
 
 seed  of  the  woman ;  those  who  had  been  predes¬ 
 tinated  to  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  ; 
 those  whom  Jesus  is  not  ashamed  to  call  breth¬ 
 ren,  and  for  whom  he  has  obtained  “  eternal  redemp¬ 
 tion,'’  Heb.  ix.  12.  The  best  comment  on  those  pas¬ 
 sages  which  speak  of  Christ  being  the  propitiation  for 
 the  sins  of  the  whole  world ,  and  dying  for  all,  is  the 
 song  of  the  redeemed,  “  And  they  sung  a  new  song, 
 saying.  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to 
 open  the  seals  thereof :  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast 
 redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kin¬ 
 dred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation  ;  and  hast 
 made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests  :  and  we  shall 
 reign  on  the  earth,”  Rev.  v.  9,  10.  Again,  “  After 
 this  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no 
 man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and 
 people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  be¬ 
 fore  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms 
 in  their  hands ;  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying, 
 Salvation  to  our  God,  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
 and  unto  the  Lamb,”  Rev.  vii.  9,  10. 
 
 The  same  rule  of  interpretation  which  vindicates 
 universal  redemption  from  the  general  expressions 
 employed,  will  establish  universal  salvation  :  “  I,  if  I 
 be  lifted  up  will  draw  all  men  unto  me,”  John  xii. 
 82.  “  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away 
 
 the  sin  of  the  worldf  John  i.  29.  “  We  know  that 
 
 this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world  f 
 John  iv.  42.*  “  When  he  is  come,  he  will  reprove 
 
 *  The  world  cannot  here  mean  all  men,  for,  as  God  is  not  the 
 Creator  of  those  whom  he  has  not  created — or  the  Preserver  of  those 
 whom  he  does  not  preserve — or  the  Judge  of  those  whom  he  does  not 
 judge — neither  is  Christ  the  Saviour  of  those  whom  he  does  not  save. 
 God  was  not  the  Saviour  or  Redeemer  of  the  Egyptians,  the  Assyrians, 
 
EMPLOYED  TO  DENOTE  MANY. 
 
 129 
 
 the  world  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment," 
 
 John  xvi.  8.  “  For  none  of  us  liveth  to  himself,  and 
 
 no  man  dieth  to  himself.  For  whether  we  live,  we 
 live  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  whether  we  die,  we  die  unto 
 the  Lord :  whether  we  live,  therefore,  or  die,  we  are 
 the  Lord’s."  Rom.  xiv.  7,  8. 
 
 The  condemnation  of  all  might  be  equally  estab¬ 
 lished.  “  The  whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness," 
 
 1  John  v.  19.  “  He  was  in  the  world,  and  the  world 
 was  made  by  him,  and  the  world  knew  him  not," 
 John  i.  10  ;  and  this  is  in  immediate  connexion 
 with  the  assertion,  that  Christ  enlighteneth  every 
 man  that  cometh  into  the  world ,  John  i.  9.  The 
 miraculous  gifts  of  the  Spirit  may,  in  this  way,  be 
 proved  to  be  universal ;  “  but  the  manifestation  of 
 the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit  withal," 
 1  Cor.  xii.  7.* 
 
 The  expression  the  ivorld ,  is  often  used  to  denote 
 many.  The  Pharisees  said,  “  the  world  is  gone  after 
 him,"  John  xii.  19.  “Show  thyself  to  the  world ," 
 John  vii.  4.  “  That  the  world  (men  of  all  nations) 
 
 may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me,"  J ohn  xvii.  2 1 . 
 “We  are  made  a  spectacle  unto  the  world”  1  Cor.  iv. 
 9.  “  All  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast,"  Rev. 
 
 xiii.  3.  “  All  the  world  should  be  taxed,"  Luke  ii.  1. 
 If  these,  and  many  similar  passages,  cannot  be  under¬ 
 stood  to  mean  all  mankind,  there  can  be  no  good 
 
 or  the  Moabites,  but  of  Israel  alone.  The  middle  wall  of  partition 
 is  now  broken  down,  and  he  is  the  Saviour  of  men  of  all  nations  ; 
 but  as  he  came  to  gather  together  the  children  of  God  who  are 
 scattered  abroad  among  all  nations,  he  is  called  the  Saviour  of  the 
 world,  and  is  said  to  take  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
 
 *  Every  believer  is  a  partaker  of  the  Spirit,  but  the  manifestation 
 of  the  Spirit,  means  the  palpable  demonstration  of  having  the  Spirit 
 by  the  miraculous  gifts,  of  which  the  apostle  is  treating. 
 
 L  3 
 
130 
 
 BELIEVERS  DIED  IN  CHRIST. 
 
 reason  for  maintaining  that  all  mankind  are  beloved 
 of  God,  or  that  Christ  died  for  the  sins  of  those  to 
 whom  he  will  declare,  I  never  Jcnew  you. 
 
 The  same  observations  apply  to  the  word  all ,  which 
 is  frequently  used  in  reference  to  the  atonement.  It 
 refers  to  men  of  all  nations,  in  opposition  to  Israel, 
 to  whom,  for  so  long  a  time,  the  means  of  salvation 
 were  limited.  There  is  a  very  remarkable  passage, 
 which  gives  us  a  key  to  the  others  in  which  the  word 
 is  made  use  of :  “For  the  love  of  Christ  constraineth 
 us,  because  we  thus  judge,  that  if  one  died  for  all, 
 then  all  died,'1  2  Cor.  v.  14.  Our  translators  render 
 the  second  clause  “  then  were  all  dead but  this  is 
 palpably  erroneous.  The  same  verb  is  used  in  both 
 clauses,  and  the  same  tense  of  the  verb,  and,  there¬ 
 fore,  to  vary  the  translation  is  improper.  In  this 
 passage,  the  apostle  teaches  us,  that  all  for  whom 
 Christ  died,  died  in  him  ;  that,  in  virtue  of  the  unity 
 of  the  head  and  the  members,  his  death  was  their 
 death.  This  is  the  uniform  doctrine  of  the  New 
 Testament;  and  hence  believers  are  enjoined  to 
 reckon  themselves  dead  unto  sin,  Rom.  vi.  11  ;  Col. 
 ii.  20  ;  iii.  3,  4.  &c. 
 
 After  stating  (verse  15)  that  Christ  died  for  all, 
 that  those  who  live  (in  other  words,  are  dead  unto  sin 
 and  alive  unto  God,  Rom.  vi.  11.)  should  not  hence¬ 
 forth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto  him  that  died 
 for  them,  and  rose  again  ;*  he  proceeds,  “  Wherefore, 
 henceforth  know  we  no  man  after  the  flesh  ;  yea, 
 though  we  have  known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet 
 now  henceforth  know  we  him  no  more,”  2  Cor.  v.  16. 
 
 *  This  exactly  corresponds  with  Rom.  xiv.  8  ;  which  must  neces¬ 
 sarily  be  understood  as  exclusively  applying  to  believers. 
 
THE  MINISTRY  OF  RECONCILIATION. 
 
 331 
 
 In  common  with  his  countrymen,  he  had  known 
 Christ,  after  the  flesh,  as  the  Saviour  of  the  nation 
 of  Israel,  but  when  he  learned  that  Christ  died  for 
 all,  (not  for  that  nation  only,  but  that  he  might 
 gather  together  in  one  the  children  of  God  that  were 
 scattered  abroad,  to  whatever  nation  they  might 
 belong,)  he  knew  no  man  after  the  flesh, — he  ac¬ 
 counted  no  man  nearer  the  kingdom  of  God  on  ac¬ 
 count  of  his  birth, — nor  did  he  know  Christ  after  the 
 flesh,  as  the  Saviour  of  any  particular  family.  He 
 proceeds  :  “  Therefore,  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is 
 a  new  creature  :  old  things  are  passed  away ;  behold, 
 all  things  are  become  new,0  2  Cor-  v.  17.  Believers 
 are  re-created  in  Christ,  Eph.  ii.  10.  They  “have 
 put  off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds;  are  renewed 
 in  the  spirit  of  their  mind,  and  have  put  on  the  new 
 man,  which  is  renewed  in  knowledge,  after  the  image 
 of  him  that  created  him,”  Col.  iii.  10.  Hence  old 
 things  are  passed  away,  behold  all  things  are  become 
 new.  The  Christian  is  brought,  as  it  were,  into  a 
 new  world  ;  he  has  new  apprehensions,  and  new  de¬ 
 sires.  Our  attention  is  then  directed  to  him  by  whose 
 power  this  change  is  effected  :  “  And  all  things  are 
 of  God,  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  himself  by  Jesus 
 Christ,  and  hath  given  to  us  the  ministry  of  recon¬ 
 ciliation,11  2  Cor.  v.  18.  God  is  here  described  as 
 having  reconciled  the  apostles  to  himself  by  Jesus 
 Christ,  and  having  given  them  the  ministry  of  re¬ 
 conciliation  ;  committing  to  them  a  dispensation 
 of  the  gospel,  1  Cor.  ix.  17.  “To  wit,  that  God 
 was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself, 
 not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them  ;  and  hath 
 committed  unto  us  the  word  of  reconciliation,11  Cor. 
 
132  CHRIST  MADE  SIN  FOR  HIS  PEOPLE. 
 
 v.  19.  Here  we  are  taught  that  the  trespasses  of  the 
 world , — which  God  was  reconciling  to  himself  in 
 Christ, — are  not  imputed  unto  them.  This  ne¬ 
 cessarily  refers  only  to  the  people  of  God,  for 
 to  all  others  their  trespasses  are  imputed ;  but  as 
 the  redeemed  consist  of  men  of  all  nations,  the 
 general  appellation,  the  world ,  is  made  use  of.  The 
 same  expression  is  used  Rom  xi.  15,  “  If  the  casting 
 away  of  them  be  the  reconciling  of  the  world.”  This 
 surely  does  not  mean  every  individual  of  mankind,  but 
 refers  to  God  visiting  the  Gentiles,  having  command¬ 
 ed  the  gospel  to  be  preached  to  every  creature.  “  Now 
 then,11  says  the  apostle,  “we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ, 
 as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us  :  we  pray  you  in 
 Christ’s  stead,  be  ve  reconciled  to  God.  For  he  hath 
 made  him  to  be  sin  for  us  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we 
 might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him,11 
 2  Cor.  v.  20,  21 . 
 
 The  apostles  were  Christ's  ambassadors,  as  though 
 God  did  (by  them)  beseech  men  to  be  recon¬ 
 ciled  to  himself.  The  atonement  was  made — the 
 sacrifice  was  accepted,  and  sinners  were  invited  to 
 enjoy  the  friendship  of  God  through  the  death  of  his 
 Son.  The  invitation  was  enforced  by  the  considera¬ 
 tion,  “  He  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us  who  knew 
 no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of 
 God  in  him.”  Here  we  have  the  imputation  of  the 
 sins  of  Christ's  people  to  their  great  Substitute  and 
 Surety  plainly  stated.  The  apostle  does  not  say,  he 
 made  him  to  be  sin  for  you — to  whom  the  gospel  was 
 addressed,  and  who  were  besought  to  be  reconciled  to 
 God — but  for  us  whom  he  hath  reconciled  to  himself, 
 ver.  18,  who  have  received  the  reconciliation,  Rom. 
 v.  11,  who  have  received  Christ,  and  are  conse- 
 
THE  SALVATION  OF  THE  GENTILES. 
 
 133 
 
 quently  the  sons  of  God,  John  i.  12,  13.  If  this 
 message  was  slighted,  there  remained  no  more  sacri¬ 
 fice  for  sin,  and  they  must  abide  the  consequence  of 
 irreconcilable  enmity  against  God.  The  efficacy  of  the 
 death  of  Christ,  in  removing  the  guilt  of  his  people, 
 is  thus  clearly  stated  :  “For  scarcely  for  a  righteous 
 man  will  one  die,  yet  peradventure  for  a  good  man 
 some  would  even  dare  to  die.  But  God  commendeth 
 his  love  toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners, 
 Christ  died  for  us.  Much  more  t{ien,  being  now  jus¬ 
 tified  by  his  blood,  we  shall  be  saved  from  wrath 
 through  him.  For  if,  when  we  were  enemies,  we 
 were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  much 
 more,  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life,” 
 Bom.  v.  7 — 10.  While  they  were  sinners  Christ 
 died  for  them,  they  were  justified  “  by  his  blood?  re¬ 
 conciled  to  God  by  his  death ,  and  should  assuredly 
 be  saved  by  his  life. 
 
 The  rule  of  interpretation  by  which,  from  the 
 general  expressions,  all  the  world ,  or  all  men ,  it  is 
 maintained,  that  Christ  died  for  every  individual  of 
 the  human  race,  would  establish  the  universal  salvation 
 of  the  Gentiles.  “  Then  hath  God  also  to  the  Gentiles 
 granted  repentance  unto  life,”  Acts  xi.  18.  “  On  the 
 
 Gentiles  also  was  poured  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost,”  Acts  x.  45.  “  Declaring  the  conversion  of 
 
 the  Gentiles ,”  Acts  xv.  3.  “  Be  it  known,  therefore, 
 
 unto  you,  that  the  salvation  of  God  is  sent  unto  the 
 Gentiles ,  and  that  they  will  hear  it,”  Acts  xxviii.  28. 
 God  is  called  the  God  of  the  Gentiles ,  because  “  he 
 justifies  the  uncircumcision  through  faith,”  Bom. 
 iii.  29,  30.  “  The  Gentiles  have  attained  to  righteous¬ 
 ness,”  Bom.  ix.  30.  “  To  make  the  Gentiles  obedient 
 
 by  word  and  deed,”  Bom.  xv.  18.  “  That  the  bless- 
 
3  34  GENERAL  EXPRESSIONS  NECESSARILY  UNITED. 
 
 ing  of  Abraham  might  come  on  the  Gentiles  through 
 Jesus  Christ,”  Gal.  iii.  14.  u  That  by  me  the  preach¬ 
 ing  might  be  fully  known,  and  that  all  the  Gentiles 
 might  hear,”  2  Tim.  iv.  17.  From  these,  and  other 
 passages,  it  might  be  argued,  that  all  the  Gentiles 
 heard  and  were  converted,  with  as  much  plausibility 
 as  that  Christ  died  for  every  individual,  because  the 
 general  expressions,  the  whole  world  and  all  men ,  are 
 employed  in  reference  to  the  death  of  Christ.  It  was 
 not  God’s  purpose  in  sending  the  gospel  to  the  Gen¬ 
 tiles  to  save  them  all,  but  he  visited  them,  44  to  take 
 out  of  them  a  people  for  his  name,”  Acts  xv.  14  ;  thus 
 the  general  expressions  are  explained. 
 
 The  apostle,  speaking  of  the  gospel,  describes  it  as 
 having  been  “  preached  to  every  creature  which  is 
 under  heaven,”  Col.  i.  23;  Rom.  x.  18.  Such  ex¬ 
 pressions  refer  to  the  extent  of  the  commission,  and 
 the  apostle  uses  the  general  term,  as  if  it  had  been  ac¬ 
 tually  fulfilled  ;  so  it  is  said,  44  all  flesh  shall  see  the 
 salvation  of  God,”  Luke  iii.  6.  44  all  flesh  shall  come  to 
 worship  before  me,”  Isaiah  lxvi.  23.  44  I  will  pour  out 
 my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,”  Acts  ii.  17.  God  promised 
 toJ  Abraham,  44  that  in  him  all  the  families  of  the 
 earth  should  be  blessed,  ’  Gen.  xii.  3.  These,  and 
 many  other  passages  prove,  that  such  general  expres¬ 
 sions  do  not  refer  to  every  individual  of  mankind. 
 Why,  then,  should  they  be  thus  interpreted,  when 
 the  death  of  Christ  is  the  subject  treated  of,  especially 
 when  we  see  that  eighteen  hundred  years  after  his 
 resurrection,  but  a  small  proportion  of  mankind 
 have  heard  the  gospel  ?  Nothing  is  more  common 
 than  the  use  of  general  and  even  universal  expressions, 
 which  are  necessarily  limited  :  44 As  the  Lord  thy  God 
 
CHRIST  TASTING  DEATH 
 
 135 
 
 li  vetli,  there  is  no  nation  or  kingdom  whither  my  lord 
 hath  not  sent  to  seek  thee  :  and  when  they  said,  He 
 is  not  there,  he  took  an  oath  of  the  kingdom  and  na¬ 
 tion,  that  they  found  thee  not,”  1  Kings  xviii.  10. 
 This  must  be  understood  of  the  neighbouring 
 nations. 
 
 There  is  a  passage  to  which  much  importance  is 
 attached,  as  if  it  were  conclusive  upon  the  subject. 
 Christ  is  said  to  “  taste  death  for  every  man,”  Heb. 
 ii.  9.  Such  general  expressions  are  limited  by  the 
 context.  The  Lord  says,  “  The  law  and  the  pro¬ 
 phets  were  until  John:  since  that  time  the  king¬ 
 dom  of  God  is  preached,  and  every  man  presseth 
 into  it,”  Luke  xvi.  16.  Does  this  mean  every  indi¬ 
 vidual  of  mankind  %  Surely  not  ;  it  describes  the 
 effects  of  John’s  ministry  with  that  of  the  Lord  and 
 his  disciples,  by  which,  a  considerable  stir  had  been 
 created,  very  different  from  the  general  apathy  which 
 had  formerly  prevailed,  Luke  i.  1  6.  When  we  read 
 that  the  man  whose  eyes  had  been  opened,  “  saw 
 every  man  clearly,  Mark  viii.  25,  does  it  mean  every 
 individual  of  the  human  race,  or  every  man  within 
 the  sphere  of  his  newly  acquired  vision  ?  “  Then,” 
 
 says  the  apostle,  “  shall  every  man  have  praise  of 
 God,”  1  Cor.  iv.  5. ;  does  this  imply  that  God  will 
 approve  of  every  individual  of  mankind  ?  “  Whom 
 
 we  preach,  warning  every  man ,  and  teaching  every 
 man  in  all  wisdom  ;  that  we  may  present  every  man 
 perfect  in  Christ  Jesus,”  Col.  i.  28.  It  is  obvious, 
 that  every  man  refers  only  to  those  to  whom  the 
 apostle  had  access  to  preach  the  gospel. 
 
 As  to  Heb.  ii.  9,  we  may  observe,  that  man  is  a  supple¬ 
 ment  ;  in  the  original,  it  is  simply,  “  taste  death  for 
 
136 
 
 FOR  EVERY  MAN,  HeB.  II.  9. 
 
 every.”  But  we  have  no  objections  to  the  supplement, 
 for  the  connexion  of  the  passage  plainly  shows,  that  the 
 apostle  is  not  speaking  of  mankind  in  general,  but  of 
 every  son  whom  God  hath  given  to  the  Saviour.  In 
 ver.  10,  we  are  taught,  44  that  it  became  him  for  whom 
 are  all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things,  in  bring¬ 
 ing  many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  captain  of 
 their  salvation  perfect  through  sufferings.”  In  verse 
 11,  the  unity  of  those  sons  with  their  father  the 
 second  Adam,  is  described ;  he  is  termed  the  sancti¬ 
 fier ,  they  are  the  sanctified.  This  unity,  or  brother¬ 
 hood,  is  confirmed,  verses  12  and  13,  by  two  quota¬ 
 tions  from  the  Old  Testament ;  ver.  14,  he  is  describ¬ 
 ed  as  taking  part  in  flesh  and  blood  with  the  children 
 whom  God  had  given  him,  It  is,  therefore,  obvious, 
 that  the  every  in  verse  9,  is  limited  to  the  sows, 
 verse  10,  the  sanctified ,  verse  11,  and  the  children , 
 verse  13.  It  was  for  them  and  them  alone  that,  ac¬ 
 cording  to  this  passage,  Jesus  tasted  of  death,  by 
 which  he  “destroyed  him  that  had  the  power  of  death, 
 and  delivered  those,  who  through  fear  of  death,  were 
 all  their  lifetime  subject  to  bondage,  verse  15.  If, 
 by  every  man ,  verse  9,  we  were  to  understand  every 
 individual  of  mankind,  it  would  inevitably  follow, 
 that  J esus,  by  his  death,  had  delivered  our  whole  race. 
 
 The  apostle  goes  on  to  say,  44  Forasmuch,  then,  as 
 the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also 
 himself  took  part  of  the  same.’’*  Again,  44  he  took 
 not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels  ;  but  he  took  on  him 
 the  seed  of  Abraham,”  verses  16,  17.  Why  not  the 
 seed  of  Adam  \  because  Adam  was  the  head  of  man¬ 
 kind — Abraham  the  head  of  the  heirs  of  promise. 
 
 *  All  mankind  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  but  he  only  took 
 part  with  the  children  whom  God  had  given  him. 
 
* 
 
 SALVATION  ENTAILED  ON  ABRAHAM'S  FAMILY-.  137 
 
 salvation  was  limited  to  and  entailed  upon  the  family 
 of  Abraham,  and,  therefore,  Christ  took  on  him  the 
 seed  of  Abraham,  that,  as  a  merciful  and  faithful  high 
 priest,  he  might  make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of 
 the  people,*  verse  17.  This  was  shadowed  forth  by 
 the  sacrifices  which  were  offered  in  Israel,  but  as  no 
 man  is  now  known  after  the  flesh,  unbelieving  Jews 
 having  no  part  with  Christ — like  Ishmael  and  the  six 
 sons  of  Keturah — are  cast  out  of  the  family ;  while 
 believers,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  like  Isaac,  who 
 is  termed  Abraham’s  only  son,  Gen.  xxii.  2,  occupy 
 their  place,  Gal.  iii.  29.  Hence,  the  Lord  denies 
 the  unbelieving  Jews  to  be  Abraham’s  seed,  John 
 viii.  39  ;  and  the  apostle  tells  us,  that  Abraham  was 
 the  father  of  circumcision,  only  to  them  who  walk  in 
 the  steps  of  his  faith,  Rom.  iv.  12. 
 
 In  point  of  fact,  there  is  not  probably  any  refuge 
 of  lies  in  which  men  more  habitually  shelter  them¬ 
 selves  than  the  notion  that  Christ  died  for  them. 
 The  most  careless  and  profligate  encourage  them¬ 
 selves  in  their  wickedness,  by  the  persuasion  that 
 Christ  died  for  them,  and  that  therefore  they  are 
 safe.  The  conclusion  is  sound,  but  the  premises 
 from  which  it  is  drawn  are  false.  Those  for  whom 
 Christ  died  shall  never  perish ;  he  hath  bought  them 
 with  his  blood,  and,  in  his  mediatorial  character,  has 
 received  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  to  secure 
 the  fruit  of  his  purchase.  They  were  given  to  him 
 in  the  everlasting:  council ;  he  redeemed  them  to  God 
 
 O  7 
 
 *  The  believing  Gentiles  are  described  as  being  in  time  past,  not  a 
 people ,  but  now,  the  people  of  God,  1  Pet.  ii.  10.  Christ  is  said  to 
 be  given  for  a  covenant  of  the  people ,  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles.  Thus 
 God’s  chosen  people ,  Israel,  are  distinguished  from  the  Gentiles. 
 
 M 
 
138 
 
 SUMMARY  OF  THE  ARGUMENT 
 
 with  his  blood,  and  they  are  all  sanctified  by  the 
 Spirit,  with  which  he  is  anointed  beyond  measure, 
 for  the  completion  of  their  salvation. 
 
 Thus  we  have  seen  that  the  whole  tenor  of  the 
 word  of  God  is  opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ 
 having  died  for  all  mankind.  When  God’s  purposes 
 of  mercy  were  first  made  known,  the  Saviour  was 
 placed  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  families  into  which 
 mankind  was  divided,  clearly  intimating  that  it  was 
 not  God’s  purpose  that  all  should  be  saved.  The 
 separation  which  had  been  made  was  kept  up  by  the 
 dispensations  of  Providence,  till  an  attempt  to  put 
 an  end  to  it  issued  in  the  destruction  of  the  world, 
 with  the  exception  of  one  family.  Again  the  sepa¬ 
 ration  was  renewed,  and  men  were  punished  for  not 
 acquiescing  in  the  will  of  God.  An  individual  was 
 then  chosen  to  be  the  progenitor  of  the  Saviour,  and 
 the  father  of  all  who  should  be  heirs  of  salvation. 
 But,  to  show  that  this  privilege  was  not  to  be  con¬ 
 ferred  in  virtue  of  carnal  descent,  seven  of  his  sons 
 were  cast  out  of  his  family,  and  only  Isaac,  the  child 
 of  promise,  the  type  of  believers,  Gal.  iv.  28,  was 
 retained.  Isaac  had  two  sons,  the  younger  of  whom 
 was  chosen,  and  the  other  rejected.  From  Jacob’s 
 twelve  sons  sprang  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  whom 
 God  set  apart  as  his  peculiar  people,  establishing  his 
 covenant  with  them,  separating  them  from  all  other 
 nations,  raising  up  prophets  among  them  to  foretell 
 the  coming  of  the  Saviour,  committing  to  them  the 
 lively  oracles,  instituting  sacrifices  and  ordinances 
 of  worship  exclusively  for  them  and  for  those  who 
 became  incorporated  with  them ;  and,  in  his  dealings 
 with  them,  embodying  all  the  privileges  of  the  true 
 
AGAINST  UNIVERSAL  REDEMPTION. 
 
 139 
 
 Israel.  In  virtue  of  Israel’s  carnal  relation  to  Christ, 
 they  were  blessed  with  all  carnal  blessings  in  earthly 
 places  ;  a  figure,  for  the  time  then  present,  of  the 
 spiritual  and  heavenly  blessings  bestowed  upon  those 
 who  are  spiritually  united  to  Christ,  Eph.  i.  3. 
 
 The  whole  of  the  scripture  history  respects  the 
 family  from  which  Christ  was  to  spring,  his  kinsmen 
 according  to  the  flesh.  Other  families  are  mentioned 
 only  as  they  come  in  contact  with  it,  or  as  their  his¬ 
 tory  serves  to  illustrate  the  history  of  God’s  chosen 
 people.  “  You  only,”  said  God  to  Israel,  “  have  I 
 known  of  all  the  families  of  the  earth,”  Amos  iii.  2. 
 All  the  rest  of  mankind  were  left  to  walk  in  their 
 own  ways,  being  plunged  in  the  grossest  idolatry. 
 At  length  the  Saviour  appeared,  and  having  offered 
 the  great  sacrifice,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of 
 God,  having  commanded  the  gospel  to  be  preached 
 indiscriminately  to  all,  without  respect  to  national 
 distinction  ;  at  the  same  time  foretelling  that  his 
 flock  would  be  a  little  flock.  This  has  been  illus¬ 
 trated  by  the  event.  It  has  also  happened,  in  the 
 providence  of  God,  that  during  eighteen  hundred 
 years,  but  a  small  part  of  the  world  has  been  visited 
 with  the  light  of  the  gospel ;  and  the  scriptures  teach 
 us  that  Christ’s  salvation  is  by  faith,  and  that  faith 
 cometh  by  hearing. 
 
 The  notion  of  the  death  of  Christ  being  “  designed 
 to  honour  the  demands  of  moral  government,”  has 
 been  shown  not  only  to  be  unscriptural,  but  deroga¬ 
 tory  to  the  Divine  glory,  as  if  his  government,  like 
 human  governments,  depended  upon  public  opinion. 
 “  He  giveth  not  account  of  any  of  his  matters,” 
 Job  xxxiii.  13.  It  is  his  glory  to  conceal  a  thing, 
 
140 
 
 IT  SETS  ASIDE  THE  ATONEMENT. 
 
 Prov.  xxy.  2 ;  and  in  order  to  cast  down  the  high 
 imaginations  of  fallen  man,  he  requires  him  implicitly 
 to  submit  to  the  wisdom  of  his  Maker,  to  become  a 
 fool  that  he  may  be  wise. 
 
 It  has  been  shown  that  the  sentiment,  that  Christ 
 died  for  all  mankind,  sets  aside  the  atonement  alto¬ 
 gether.  If  the  atonement  was  made  for  all,  and  if 
 it  was  sufficient,  all  must  be  saved.  Guilt  could  not 
 be  charged  both  on  the  Saviour  and  on  those  for 
 whom  he  suffered.  But  the  atonement  is  reduced  by 
 the  advocates  of  universal  redemption  to  a  legal  fic¬ 
 tion.  There  is  in  it  no  reality  ;  it  is  a  quasi, — a 
 make-believe  atonement.  It  is  connected  with  the 
 denial  of  the  imputation  both  of  Adam’s  sin  and  of 
 Christ’s  righteousness.  Men,  it  is  admitted,  partake 
 of  the  consequences  of  Adam’s  sin,  and  believers 
 partake  of  the  consequences  of  Christ’s  righteous¬ 
 ness  ;  but  neither  the  guilt  of  the  former,  nor  the 
 righteousness  of  the  latter  is  imputed.  This  com¬ 
 promises  the  justice  of  the  Divine  government,  under 
 which  sin  and  suffering  cannot  be  disjoined.  Had 
 not  infants  sinned  in  Adam,  they  could  not  by  pos¬ 
 sibility  suffer  and  die ;  and  were  not  Christ’s  righte¬ 
 ousness  imputed  to  believers,  it  is  impossible  that 
 they  could  be  justified  before  God,  who  declares,  “  He 
 that  justifieth  the  wicked,  and  he  that  condemneth 
 the  just,  even  they  both  are  abomination  to  the 
 Lord,”  Prov.  xvii.  15. 
 
 Various  passages  of  scripture  have  been  brought 
 forward,  in  which  the  limitation  of  Christ’s  atone¬ 
 ment  to  his  people  is  plainly  taught,  and  the  general 
 expressions  employed  have  been  shown  in  no  wise  to 
 affect  the  truth  of  this  fundamental  doctrine ;  the 
 
HARMONY  OF  THE  DIVINE  PERFECTIONS.  141 
 
 denial  of  which  gives  a  completely  different  view  of 
 the  plan  of  redemption,  impeaches  the  justice  of  God, 
 and  derogates  from  the  glory  of  his  character,  for 
 it  does  not  harmonize  his  perfections.  In  viewing 
 mankind  as  accursed  in  Adam,  being  partakers  of 
 his  guilt,  and  believers  justified  by  the  blood  of 
 Christ,  and  partakers  of  his  righteousness,  the  God 
 whom  we  worship  is  at  once  just  and  the  justifier  of 
 those  who  believe.  His  grace  reigns  through  righte¬ 
 ousness  unto  eternal  life,  Rom.  v.  21.  The  word 
 which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth,  “  On  the  day 
 thou  eatest  thou  shalt  surely  die,1'  was  fulfilled  in 
 Adam  and  all  his  posterity,  of  whom  he  was  the 
 covenant  head ;  and  in  Christ  redeeming  his  people 
 from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for 
 them,  and  by  death  abolishing  death,  we  see  mercy 
 and  truth  meeting  together.  The  law  of  God  is  thus 
 magnified,  and  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  know¬ 
 ledge,  in  the  perfect  harmony  of  mercy  and  truth, 
 righteousness  and  peace,  are  thrown  open  to  the 
 admiring  contemplation  of  the  principalities  and 
 powers  in  heavenly  places. 
 
 Many  other  passages  of  scripture  might  have  been 
 adduced  in  confirmation  of  the  truth,  but  this  would 
 have  increased  the  size  of  the  Work  more  than  the 
 author  judged  necessary.  He  is  sensible  that  the 
 tide  is  setting  strongly  the  other  way,  and  he  has 
 no  doubt  it  will  proceed  to  more  ungodliness ;  it  will 
 eat  as  doth  a  canker,  it  will  inevitably  lead  to  Arian- 
 ism  and  Socinianism,  for  the  divinity  of  Christ  and 
 his  atonement  are  inseparably  connected. 
 
 m  3 
 
142 
 
 DENIAL  OF  SUPERNATURAL  AGENCY. 
 
 CHAPTER  VI. 
 
 Denial  of  supernatural  agency  in  conversion  sets  aside  the  work  of 
 the  Spirit ; — 1  Cor.  iii.  6,  T  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  34  ;  l  John  ii.  27  ; 
 John  vi.  45;  Eph.  ii.  10;  Eph.  i.  19,  20  ; — the  fruits  of  the 
 Spirit,  improperly  termed  means  ; — the  laws  of  the  universe  ; — 
 gospel  no  inherent  efficacy  apart  from  the  power  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit  ; — men  being  commanded  to  believe,  no  proof  of  their  ca¬ 
 pability; — how  men  obey  the  gospel ; — Circular  confounds  means 
 which  God  employs  with  man’s  capability  ; — the  principle  of 
 life  distinct  from  forms  of  matter. 
 
 We  shall  now  consider  the  doctrine  of  the  Circular 
 upon  some  other  points  connected  with  “  the  univer¬ 
 sality  of  the  atonement.” 
 
 “We  hail  you,'’’’  say  the  writers,  “on  the 
 soundness  of  your  faith, — the  evangelical  character 
 and  complexion  of  your  creed.  Still  our  joy  on  this 
 point  is  somewhat  abated,  when,  as  before  hinted, 
 we  suspect  that  the  Christian  Church,  and  particu¬ 
 larly  our  own  section  of  it,  has  not  thus  far  adequate¬ 
 ly  appreciated  the  efficacy  and  sufficiency  inherent 
 to  instituted  means ;  or  even  duly  pondered,  and 
 fully  traced  out,  the  close  connexion  between  means 
 and  ends,  on  the  question  of  man’s  actual  restoration. 
 
 “To  this  interesting  subject  in  both  its  purport  and 
 tendency ,  permit  us  now  briefly  to  direct  your  earnest 
 yet  dispassionate  inquiry.  And  does  it  not  appear 
 anomalous,  and  has  it  not  often  proved  a  source  of 
 perplexity  to  you,  that  the  Gospel  itself  and  the 
 public  ministry  of  it,  as  executed  by  your  pastors, 
 should  maintain  the  cheering:  fact,  that  the  salvation 
 by  Christ  is  of  unbounded  efficacy,  and  is  equally  pro¬ 
 vided  for,  and  to  be  published  to,  every  rational 
 
DENIAL  OP  SUPERNATURAL  AGENCY. 
 
 143 
 
 creature ;  and  that,  nevertheless,  in  the  institution 
 of  means,  or,  as  it  respects  the  power  to  avail  him¬ 
 self  of  a  personal  experimental  share  in  the  blessing, 
 the  sinner  finds  an  impassable  bar  thrown  across  his 
 way ,  a  bar  which  renders  his  recovery  morally  im¬ 
 possible,  except,  as  it  is  imagined,  that  the  presence 
 of  some  extraneous  and  supernatural  agency,  border¬ 
 ing  on  the  miraculous ,  if  not  emphatically  so,  is 
 evinced?  Does  not  this  painful  dilemma,  on  the 
 horns  of  which  many  conscientious  inquirers  after 
 the  truth  have  been  writhed ,  indicate,  that  either  the 
 scheme  of  our  redemption  is  sadly  incomplete  in  its 
 provisions,  or,  that  we  have  taken  a  partial,  preju¬ 
 diced,  and  erroneous  view  of  its  constitution?  We 
 exclaim,  and  you  fervently  respond: — Perish,  for  ever 
 perish ,  the  idea  of  incompleteness  It  Then,  as  the  great 
 salvation  meets  the  exigencies  of  (ill,  and  is  urged  on 
 the  attention,  and  proposed  to  the  unfeigned  accept¬ 
 ance  of  all,  so  the  means  and  capabilities  to  insure  a 
 personal  participation  in  its  blessings,  are  accessible  to 
 all  that  are  privileged  with  the  gospel.1' — Pp.  15,  16. 
 
 That  the  salvation  of  Christ  is  commanded  to  be 
 published  to  every  rational  creature,  is  certain,  but, 
 as  the  apostles  were  forbidden,  on  some  occasions,  to 
 go  to  particular  places,  so,  in  the  inscrutable  provi¬ 
 dence  of  God,  the  far  greater  part  of  the  earth  has 
 never  been  visited  with  the  light  of  truth,  and,  yet, 
 we  are  told,  in  the  Circular,  that  “  the  salvation  of 
 Christ  is  equally  provided  for  every  rational  crea¬ 
 ture/1  But  this  is  not  all, — the  efficacv  and  suffi- 
 ciency  inherent  to  instituted  means  have  not  been 
 adequately  appreciated,  in  consequence  of  which  an 
 impassable  bar  is  thrown  across  the  sinner’s  way, 
 
144 
 
 PROOFS  OF  SUPERNATURAL  AGENCY. 
 
 which  renders  his  recovery  morally  impossible,  with¬ 
 out  some  extraneous  and  supernatural  agency  border¬ 
 ing  on  the  miraculous/* 
 
 We  cannot  “hail1’  the  writers  “on  the  sound¬ 
 ness  of  their  faith.1’  They  distinctly  deny  the 
 necessity  of  the  work  of  the  Spirit  in  conver¬ 
 sion.  What,  then,  does  the  apostle  mean  when 
 he  says,  u  I  have  planted,  Apollos  watered ;  but 
 God  gave  the  increase  :  So,  then,  neither  is  he 
 that  planteth  any  thing,  neither  he  that  watereth ; 
 but  God  that  giveth  the  increase  ?”  1  Cor.  iii.  6,  7. 
 How  does  the  doctrine  of  the  Circular  correspond 
 with  the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  children 
 of  the  new  covenant,  that  they  should  not  teach 
 every  man  his  neighbour,  and  every  man  his  brother, 
 saying,  Know  the  Lord;  but  should  all  know 
 him,  from  the  least  to  the  greatest  P  J er.  xxxi.  34. 
 The  apostle,  referring  to  the  fulfilment  of  this  pro¬ 
 mise,  tells  believers  :  u  The  anointing,  which  ye  have 
 received  of  him,  abideth  in  you ;  and  ye  need  not 
 that  any  man  teach  you ;  but  as  the  same  anointing 
 teacheth  you  of  all  things,  and  is  truth,  and  is  no 
 lie,  and  even  as  it  hath  taught  you,  ye  shall  abide  in 
 him,”  1  John  ii.  27.  Here  is  the  identical  superna¬ 
 tural  agency  which  the  Circular  reprobates ;  and  in 
 exact  accordance  with  this,  the  Lord  says,  “It  is 
 written  in  the  prophets,  And  they  shall  be  all  taught 
 of  God.  Every  man,  therefore,  that  hath  heard,  and 
 hath  learned  of  the  Father,  cometh  unto  me,”  John 
 vi.  45.  Believers  are  God’s  “  workmanship,  created 
 in  Christ  Jesus,  unto  good  works,”  Eph.  ii.  10. 
 They  are  the  subjects  of  “  the  exceeding  greatness  of 
 God’s  power,  which  he  wrought  in  Christ  when  he 
 
INSTITUTED  MEANS  OF  SALVATION.  145 
 
 raised  him  from  the  dead,”  Eph.  i.  19,  20.  Certain¬ 
 ly,  this  is  “ supernatural  agency  bordering  on  the 
 miraculous .”  “Ye,”  says  the  apostle,  “are  the 
 
 epistle  of  Christ,  ministered  by  us,  written  not  with 
 ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God ;  not  in 
 tables  of  stone,  but  in  fleshy  tables  of  the  heart,” 
 2  Cor.  iii.  3.  Yet  the  Circular  tells  us,  that  to  hold 
 the  necessity  of  some  extraneous  and  supernatural 
 agency,  indicates  “  that  either  the  scheme  of  our 
 redemption  is  sadly  incomplete  in  its  provisions,  or 
 that  we  have  taken  a  partial,  prejudiced,  and  er¬ 
 roneous  view  of  its  constitution.” 
 
 But  let  us  attend  to  the  means  which,  according 
 to  the  Circular,  possess  such  efficiency.  “  To  de¬ 
 monstrate  this  proposition,  (that  no  supernatural 
 agency  is  necessary,)  we  inquire,  what  are  the  means 
 in  question,  and  on  what  grounds  is  their  competency 
 to  be  based  and  vindicated  ?  The  means,  we  reply, 
 simply  consist  of  the  Word  of  God  written  in  the 
 Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, — of  the 
 faithful,  earnest,  and  energetic  preaching  of  the  gos¬ 
 pel,  of  serious  and  sedulous  attention  to  the  reading 
 of  the  one  and  the  hearing  of  the  other, — of  the  duties 
 of  repentance  towards  God,  and  of  faith  towards  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ, — of  an  open  confession  of  the 
 Saviour  before  men,  by  unfeigned  obedience  to  the 
 ordinance  of  baptism,  and  frequent  celebration  of  the 
 sacred  supper ;  in  fine,  of  effectual  fervent  prayer, 
 constant  watchfulness  and  self-denial,  holy  medita¬ 
 tion  and  heavenly  mindedness,  walking  in  the  Spirit, 
 and  not  fulfilling  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  ;  a  determined 
 conflict  with  sin,  Satan,  and  the  world ;  and  an  un¬ 
 shaken  perseverance  in  the  faith,  profession,  and 
 
146  MEANS  EFFECTUAL  BY  THE  POWER  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 
 
 practice  of  Christianity.  These,  brethren,  are  the 
 means,  or  some  of  the  means  of  salvation .,1 — P.  16. 
 
 The  writers  of  the  Circular  might,  with  equal  pro¬ 
 priety,  represent  eating  and  drinking,  sleeping  and 
 walking,  as  the  means  of  obtaining  life.  That  the 
 man  who  has  repented  and  turned  to  Cod,  who 
 walks  in  the  Spirit,  and  does  not  fulfil  the  lusts  of 
 the  flesh,  is  a  partaker  of  Christ’s  salvation,  is  most 
 certain.  What  the  writers  term  the  means  of  sal¬ 
 vation,  are  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  of  life  who  dwells 
 in  Christ’s  people. 
 
 It  is  only  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  that  the  in¬ 
 stituted  means  of  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  are  made 
 effectual.  Hence  it  Gomes  to  some  only  in  word,  and 
 to  others  in  power  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost  and  in 
 much  assurance.  Thus  God  is  pleased  to  reveal  his 
 Son  in  the  heirs  of  salvation,  and  this  is  the  “  super¬ 
 natural  agency,  bordering  upon  the  miraculous/1  which 
 it  is  the  object  of  the  Circular  to  oppose. 
 
 “  But,11  says  the  Circular,  “  are  the  specified  means 
 competent  to  render  such  as  possess  and  use  them,  par¬ 
 takers  of  salvation  ?  If  not,  the  method  of  recovery  is 
 imperfect,  and  leaves  those  for  whom  it  was  devised, 
 in  the  condition  of  a  maimed  person,  who,  instead  of 
 two  limbs  requisite  for  support  and  motion,  has  only 
 one.  And  can  it  be  so  ?  surely  not ;  but  the  means 
 are  as  efficacious  as  the  salvation  itself  is  illimitable. 
 And  if  so,  the  bar  adverted  to,  is  the  creation  of  human 
 invention,  a  production  of  creeds  and  theories  con¬ 
 structed  in  times  less  illumined  and  more  stringent 
 and  reared  on  the  basis  of  a  coerced  and  restricted 
 notion  of  ‘  revealed  things.111 — Pp.  16,  17. 
 
 Wherever  we  see  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  whieh  are 
 
man’s  opposition  to  THE  TRUTH.  147 
 
 represented  bj  the  Circular,  as  44  instituted  means,” 
 we  shall  cheerfully  acknowledge,  that  those  who  pro¬ 
 duce  them  have  passed  from  death  unto  life  ;  but,  ac¬ 
 cording  to  the  Scriptures,  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  are 
 produced  only  by  his  power,  who  quickeneth  the  dead, 
 and  calleth  the  things  that  are  not,  as  though  they 
 were.  The  apostles’  doctrine  is  still  a  stumbling- 
 block  and  foolishness  to  the  authors  of  the  Circular  ; 
 they  have  no  adequate  notion  of  man’s  natural  con¬ 
 dition.  He  was  created  in  a  state  of  entire  depend- 
 ance  upon  his  Maker,  which  he  attempted  to  shake 
 off,  that  he  might  be  as  God.  The  gospel  brings 
 those  who  believe  it  to  a  sense  of  their  utter  helpless¬ 
 ness,  ignorance,  folly,  and  depravity,  and  receiving 
 the  kingdom  of  God  as  little  children,  they  are  made 
 wise  unto  salvation.  But  no  man  can  impart  this 
 wisdom  to  his  neighbour  ;  the  word  of  God,  which  is 
 the  grand  means  of  salvation,  is  a  sealed  book  to  every 
 man  in  his  natural  state.  When  he  hears  of  man’s 
 inability  to  receive  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  with¬ 
 out  Divine  teaching,  he  exclaims,  44  Why  doth  he  yet 
 find  fault  ?”  He  feels  that  this  doctrine  places  him 
 44  in  the  condition  of  a  person,  who,  instead  of  two 
 limbs,  requisite  for  support  and  motion,  has  only 
 one  and  he  asks,  4f  Can  it  be  so  ?  surely  not.” 
 Having  settled  this  point  to  his  own  entire  satisfac¬ 
 tion,  he  arrives  at  the  conclusion,  that  the  44  impass¬ 
 able  bar”  which  rendered  his  recovery  morally  impos¬ 
 sible,  without  44  some  extraneous  and  supernatural 
 agency  bordering  on  the  miraculous,”  44  is  the  crea¬ 
 tion  of  human  invention,  a  production  of  creeds  and 
 theories  constructed  in  times  less  illumined  and  more 
 
148 
 
 INCONSISTENCY  OF  THE  CIRCULAR. 
 
 stringent,  and  reared  on  the  basis  of  a  coerced  and 
 restricted  notion  of  revealed  things.” — P.  1 7. 
 
 While  the  writers  of  the  Circular  hailed  the 
 churches  which  they  were  addressing  on  the  sound¬ 
 ness  of  their  faith,  they  confessed  that  their  joy  was 
 somewhat  damped  by  the  consideration,  that  their 
 own  section  of  the  Christian  Church  had  not  44  thus 
 far  adequately  appreciated  the  efficacy  and  sufficiency 
 inherent  to  instituted  means ;  or  even  duly  pondered 
 and  fully  traced  out  the  close  connexion  between 
 means  and  ends  on  the  question  of  man's  actual  res¬ 
 toration  but  having  warmed,  in  the  prosecution  of 
 the  subject,  this  abatement  of  their  joy  is  forgotten, 
 and  they  proceed  to  congratulate  the  churches  44  on 
 the  firm  persuasion,  that  the  efficacy  of  the  means, 
 exactly  squares  with  that  of  the  great  reconcilia¬ 
 tion.” — P.  17. 
 
 In  order  to  corroborate  the  doctrine  of  the  efficacy 
 of  the  means,  the  Circular  proceeds  to  particulars : 
 44  Where  the  word  of  a  king  is,  there  is  power,” — 
 44  sovereign,  legislative,  and  institutional  authority  ; 
 a  species  of  authority  which  arms  even  civil  enact¬ 
 ments  with  felt  and  acknowledged  force  and  energy. 
 But  if  it  is  thus  on  such  a  footing,  much  more  is  it 
 so  when  divine  institution  is  concerned.  For  when 
 ‘  God  commands  all  men  every  where  to  repent,’  the 
 injunction  supposes  the  presence  of  adequate  means , 
 powers,  or  capabilities ,  at  the  same  time  that  it  en¬ 
 forces  an  imperative  duty.  And  how  can  we  recon¬ 
 cile  the  direct  and  unqualified  appeals  to  men  at  large, 
 charging  them  4  to  make  them  new  hearts' — 4  to  believe 
 the  gospel,’ — to  be  reconciled  to  God,’ — 4  to  forsake 
 their  evil  ways  and  thoughts,  and  return  unto  the 
 
THE  LAWS  OF  THE  UNIVERSE. 
 
 149 
 
 the  Lord,’  unless  they  possess  sufficient  facilities  for 
 enabling  them  so  to  do  ?  As  the  laws  of  the  universe 
 contain  a  sort  of  inherent  power,  arising  from  the 
 fiat  of  Omnipotence,  to  accomplish  the  stupendous 
 results  which  they  produce  on  its  vast  and  complex 
 machinery,  may  we  not  assert,  that  the  law,  or  ap¬ 
 pointment  of  means,  if  improved  according  to  its 
 nature,  and  as  mankind  are  capacitated,  is  competent 
 to  advance  them  to  a  state  of  actual  salvation 
 — P.  17. 
 
 Here  we  find  that  most  irrational  and  unscriptural 
 notion  which  prevails  among  infidel  philosophers,  of 
 the  universe  being  governed  by  certain  laws,  con¬ 
 taining  “  a  sort”  (query,  what  sort  ?)  “  of  inherent 
 power”  to  produce  results.  No  sooner  did  man  sin, 
 than  he  sought  to  hide  himself  from  God,  and  ever 
 since,  his  posterity  have  endeavoured  to  put  some¬ 
 thing  between  themselves  and  the  Almighty.  Such 
 is  the  origin  of  what  are  termed  the  laws  of  nature, 
 or  of  the  universe.  There  is  no  objection  to  the 
 phrase,  if  it  be  understood  to  denote  the  uniformity 
 of  the  Divine  procedure  ;  but  when,  as  in  the  passage 
 before  us,  the  laws  of  the  universe  are  represented  as 
 accomplishing  results  by  “  a  sort  of  inherent  power,” 
 the  language  is  equally  unphilosophical  and  unscrip¬ 
 tural.  The  universe  is  not  like  a  clock,  which,  hav¬ 
 ing  been  wound  up,  will  go  while  the  artist  is  asleep 
 or  absent.  The  Almighty  power  which  called  the 
 universe  into  existence,  is  constantly  employed  in 
 sustaining  it,  and  carrying  forward  the  wonderful 
 purpose  for  which  it  was  created.  Hence,  the  Lord 
 says,  “  My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work.” 
 Through  the  whole  of  the  word  of  God  we  are  taught 
 
 N 
 
150 
 
 GOD  SUBSISTING  IN  THREE  PERSONS. 
 
 to  trace  his  hand  in  every  event,  whether  great  or 
 small.  A  sparrow  falls  not  to  the  ground  by  the  laws 
 of  the  universe,  if,  by  these,  we  understand  something 
 apart  from  the  agency  of  the  omnipresent  God. 
 
 In  exact  correspondence  with  this,  every  converted 
 sinner  is  represented  as  God’s  workmanship.  The 
 gospel  has  no  inherent  efficacy  apart  from  the  power 
 of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Jehovah  has  revealed  himself  as 
 subsisting  in  Three  Persons,  and  each  sustains  an  im¬ 
 portant  part  in  the  plan  of  salvation.  The  Father  sent 
 forth  his  Son,  for  the  salvation  of  the  children  whom 
 he  had  given  him ;  the  Son  took  part  with  his 
 children  in  flesh  and  blood,  by  his  sacrifice  cancelled 
 their  guilt,  and  obtained  for  them  eternal  redemption  ; 
 while  the  Holy  Spirit  quickens  them  when  dead  in 
 trespasses  and  sins,  and  by  giving  them  to  know  and 
 believe  the  love  which  God  hath  to  them,  sheds  abroad 
 the  love  of  God  in  their  hearts.  Hence,  they  are 
 baptised  in  his  name,  or  into  the  faith  of  the  Father, 
 Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  to  each  of  whom  they  are 
 equally  indebted  for  the  gift  of  eternal  life.  As  truly 
 as  mankind  were  created  in  Adam,  so  truly  are 
 believers  created  in  Christ.  As  the  children  of  the 
 former,  they  are  born  of  corruptible  seed ;  as  the 
 children  of  the  latter,  they  are  born  of  the  incor¬ 
 ruptible  seed  of  the  word  of  God,  which  liveth  and 
 abidetli  for  ever.  In  neither  case  is  the  birth  pro¬ 
 duced  by  the  “  inherent  power”  of  the  means,  but  by 
 the  power  of  God,  who  represents  children  as  his  gift, 
 ]  Chron.  xxviii.  5,  and  who  has  engaged  that  Christ 
 shall  see  his  seed,  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  that  the 
 pleasure  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hands.  It 
 is  certain,  that  God  commands  all  men  every  where 
 
GOD  WORKS  IN  HIS  PEOPLE  WHAT  HE  REQUIRES.  151 
 
 to  repent,  but  repentance,  like  every  other  spiritual 
 blessing,  is  the  gift  of  God,  Zech.  xii.  10. 
 
 44  He  that  doth  not  know,”  says  Dr  Owen,  44  that 
 God  hath  promised  to  work  in  us  in  a  way  of  grace , 
 what  he  requires  from  us  in  a  way  of  duty ,  hath 
 either  never  read  the  Bible,  or  doth  not  believe  it,  or 
 never  prayed,  or  never  took  notice  of  what  he  prayed 
 for ;  he  is  a  heathen,  he  hath  nothing  of  the  Chris¬ 
 tian  in  him,  who  doth  not  pray  to  God  to  work  in 
 him  what  he  requires  of  him.  To  fancy  an  incon¬ 
 sistency  in  these  things,  is  to  charge  God  foolishly. 
 If  there  be  an  opposition  between  these  things,-  it  is 
 either  because  the  nature  of  man  is  not  meet  to  be 
 commanded,  or  because  it  needs  not  to  be  assisted. 
 The  Holy  Spirit  so  worketh  in  us,  that  he  worketh 
 by  us  ;  and  what  he  doth  in  us,  he  doth  by  us.  Our 
 duty  it  is  to  apply  ourselves  unto  his  commands,  ac¬ 
 cording  to  the  conviction  of  our  minds,  and  his  work 
 is  to  enable  us  to  perform  them.”* 
 
 When  the  disciples  heard  of  the  Holy  Ghost  fall¬ 
 ing  on  the  Gentiles,  they  exclaimed,  44  then  hath  God 
 also  to  the  Gentiles  granted  repentance  unto  life,” 
 Acts  xi.  18.  In  all  the  epistles,  believers  are  stirred 
 up  to  gratitude  to  Him  who  made  them  to  differ  from 
 others,  by  calling  them  into  the  fellowship  of  his  dear 
 Son.  We  never  read  of  any  44  powers  or  capabilities ” 
 which  they  possessed  by  means  of  which  they  had 
 been  delivered  from  the  wrath  to  come. 
 
 Men  are  commanded  to  make  them  new  hearts 
 ' — to  believe  the  gospel — to  be  reconciled  to  God — to 
 forsake  their  evil  ways  and  thoughts,  and  to  return  to 
 the  Lord,  just  as  they  are  commanded  to  love  God 
 
 *  Owen  on  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 
152  DIVINE  CHARACTER  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 
 
 with  all  their  heart,  and  soul,  and  strength,  and  mind, 
 and  their  neighbour  as  themselves.  Now,  we  are 
 taught  that  the  law  was  added  that  the  offence 
 might  abound.  Its  promulgation  did  not  imply  that 
 fallen  man  had  “ powers  or  capabilities'  to  obey  it ; 
 it  was  intended  to  stop  every  mouth,  and  to  bring  in 
 the  whole  world  guilty  before  God.  It  is  a  perfect 
 standard,  by  which  men  are  taught  to  measure  them¬ 
 selves,  that  they  may  see  their  guilt  and  alienation 
 from  God.  In  like  manner,  the  commandment  to  re¬ 
 pent — to  believe,  and  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  is  given 
 for  the  purpose  of  at  once  discovering  the  lost  and 
 ruined  condition  of  fallen  man,  together  with  his 
 naturally  irreconcilable  alienation  from  God,  and  of 
 making  known  the  exceeding  riches  of  the  love  of 
 God  towards  his  chosen  people — to  whom  it  is  given 
 to  believe  on  Christ,  Phil.  i.  29. 
 
 The  gospel  is  the  manifestation  of  the  Divine  cha¬ 
 racter  ;  not  only  of  his  power  and  wisdom,  but  of  his 
 justice  and  mercy.  These  appear  to  be  incompatible. 
 God  may  punish  sin,  but  how  shall  lie  be  just  in 
 forgiving  it  %  This  is  a  question  which  no  created 
 understanding  could  have  answered,  and  it  is  only 
 by  the  gospel  that  the  difficulty  is  removed.  The 
 gospel  is  the  revelation  of  God’s  righteousness,  Kom. 
 i.  16.  Like  the  worlds,  he  has  created  it  by  his 
 Son,  Isa.  xlv.  8 ;  Heb.  i.  2.  He  saves  to  the  utter¬ 
 most  all  who  come  to  him  through  Christ,'  while  he 
 by  no  means  clears  the  guilty.  His  mercy  endureth 
 for  ever,  while  the  truth  of  his  denunciation  is  con¬ 
 firmed,  that  the  soul  which  sinneth  it  shall  die.  The 
 gospel  is  hid  from  very  many  who  profess  the  faith  of 
 Jesus ;  they  read  that  God  is  love,  but  do  not  perceive 
 
god’s  people  only  the  objects  of  his  love.  153 
 
 that,  while  God  is  good  to  all,  while  he  makes  his 
 sun  to  shine  upon  the  evil  and  upon  the  good,  while 
 he  is  the  preserver  of  all  men,  his  love  is  exclu¬ 
 sively  fixed  upon  his  chosen  people,  for  whose  sake 
 he  sent  his  Son  into  the  world,  that  they  might  live 
 through  him,  1  John  iv.  8 — 10.  Sentence  against 
 an  evil  world  is  not  executed  speedily ;  God  endures, 
 with  much  long-suffering:,  the  vessels  of  wrath  fitted 
 to  destruction,  that  he  might  make  known  the  riches 
 of  his  glory  on  the  vessels  of  mercy  which  he  had 
 afore  prepared  unto  glory,  Rom.  ix'.  22,  23.  By  re¬ 
 presenting  all  mankind  as  the  objects  of  this  love 
 and  mercy,  his  glory  is  completely  obscured  ;  for, 
 unless  we  reject  the  scriptures,  we  must  admit  that 
 his  people  in  every  age  have  been  a  very  small  rem¬ 
 nant,  so  that  God’s  love  and  mercy  issue  in  the  de¬ 
 struction  of  the  greater  part  of  their  objects.  “  But 
 the  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  ever¬ 
 lasting  upon  them  that  fear  him,  and  his  righteous¬ 
 ness  unto  children's  children,”  Psal.  ciii.  17.  In 
 celebrating  the  mercy  of  God,  the  psalmist  not  only 
 dwells  upon  his  kindness  to  his  chosen  people,  but 
 upon  his  judgments  on  their  enemies.  “  To  him 
 which  divided  the  Red  sea  into  parts  ;  for  his  mercy 
 endureth  for  ever  :  And  made  Israel  to  pass  through 
 the  midst  of  it  ;  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever : 
 But  overthrew  Pharaoh  and  his  host  in  the  Red  sea ; 
 for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever.  To  him  which 
 smote  great  kings  ;  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever : 
 And  slew  famous  kings ;  for  his  mercy  endureth  for 
 ever :  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites ;  for  his  mercy 
 endureth  for  ever  :  And  Og  the  king  of  Bashan ;  for 
 his  mercy  endureth  for  ever.”  Psal.  cxxxvi.  13,  14, 
 
 n  3 
 
154  HARMONY  OF  THE  DIVINE  ATTRIBUTES. 
 
 15,  17,  18,  19,  20.  44  Of  thy  mercy"  says  the  psalm¬ 
 ist,  44  cut  off  mine  enemies,  and  destroy  all  them 
 that  afflict  my  soul ;  for  I  am  thy  servant,11  Psal. 
 cxliii.  12  ;  and  again  he  prays,  44  Deliver  me  from 
 blood-guiltiness,  0  God,  thou  God  of  my  salvation ; 
 and  my  tongue  shall  sing  aloud  of  thy  righteousness,11 
 Psal.  li.  14.  Thus  we  see  that  in  praying  for  the 
 destruction  of  his  enemies,  he  invokes  God’s  mercy , 
 while  he  determines  to  celebrate  his  righteousness  for 
 the  pardon  of  his  own  transgressions.  So  fully  does 
 the  gospel  harmonise  all  the  Divine  attributes,  that 
 they  are  here  used  interchangeably ;  an  act  of  justice 
 is  ascribed  to  mercy,  and  an  act  of  mercy  magnifies 
 justice. 
 
 The  distinction  between  God's  people  and  the  rest 
 of  the  world  is  uniformly  maintained.  44  Arise,  shine  ; 
 for  thy  light  is  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is 
 risen  upon  thee.  For,  behold,  the  darkness  shall 
 cover  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people :  but 
 the  Lord  shall  arise  upon  thee,  and  his  glory  shall  be 
 seen  upon  thee,11  Isa.  lx.  1,  2.  The  angels  sinned,  and 
 God  showed  them  no  mercy,  but  this  does  not  prevent 
 his  being  love,  nor  will  the  glory  of  this  attribute  be 
 obscured,  but,  on  the  contrary,  be  illustrated  by  the 
 wicked  being  turned  into  hell,  while  Israel  shall  be 
 saved  in  the  Lord  with  an  everlasting  salvation. 
 
 Every  man  is  justly  condemned  for  the  violation 
 of  the  law,  which  is  holy,  just,  and  good ;  his  dis¬ 
 obedience  proves  that  he  is  lost,  and  alienated  from 
 God.  The  condemnation  of  all  who  hear,  and  reject 
 the  gospel,  will  be  aggravated  by  their  refusal  to  be 
 reconciled  to  God.  This  places  their  hatred  of  God 
 in  the  strongest  light.  But  there  is  no  condemna- 
 
SOPHISTRY  RUNNING  THROUGH  THE  CIRCULAR.  155 
 
 tion  to  those  who  have  learned  what  flesh  and  blood 
 cannot  reveal ;  who,  in  other  words,  have  been  the 
 subjects  of  “  supernatural  agency,”  and  who,  under 
 the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  have  fled  to  Christ 
 for  refuge.  Through  eternity  they  shall  sing,  “  Not 
 unto  us,  0  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but  to  thy  name  give 
 glory.” 
 
 Men  are  commanded  to  believe  in  the  Son  of  God, 
 and  his  people,  through  the  Spirit ,  obey  the  com¬ 
 mandment,  1  Pet.  i.  22.  It  is  really  their  own  act ; 
 it  is  not  the  Holy  Spirit  that  believes,  but  the  sinner 
 who  is  made  willing  in  the  day  of  his  power  ;  for 
 the  Spirit  takes  of  the  things  of  Christ,  and  shows 
 them  to  the  mind.  Thus  they  who  were  sometime 
 darkness  are  made  light  in  the  Lord.  The  sophistry 
 of  the  Circular  consists  in  not  distinguishing  the 
 means  which  God  employs  in  bringing  his  people  to 
 his  eternal  kingdom  of  glory,  from  the  natural  capa¬ 
 bilities  of  fallen  man. 
 
 Having  noticed  the  faculties  with  which  man  is 
 endowed,  which  render  him  capable  of  love  and  desire, 
 fear  and  alarm,  the  Circular  proceeds  :  “  He  is  capa¬ 
 ble  of  enlightenment,  qualified  to  decide  on  the  merits 
 of  things  that  differ,  open  to  the  force  of  reasoning, 
 conviction,  and  persuasion,  and  susceptive  of  love  and 
 desire,  fear  and  alarm.  But,  chiefly,  the  means  in 
 the  use  of  them  wdiich  mankind  are  both  urged  and 
 empowered  to  make,  are  institutionally  and  eminently 
 connected  with  the  influence  and  promise  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit.  You  well  know,  beloved,  that  the  Gospel 
 itself  is  the  ministry  of  the  Spirit.  So  to  speak,  it 
 is  written  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God.  One 
 of  its  provisions  is,  4 1  will  put  my  laws  into  their 
 
156  THE  SPIRIT  NOT  EMBODIED  IN  THE  MEANS. 
 
 minds,  and  write  them  in  their  hearts.1  It  should 
 then  seem  that  the  Spirit  is  embodied  in  the  means 
 themselves ,  somewhat  as,  in  the  animal  economy,  the 
 principle  of  life  is  blended  with  the  different  forms  of 
 matter.  And  the  Holy  Spirit  is  positively  guaran¬ 
 teed  to  that  exercise  of  the  given  means,  to  which 
 men  are  called,  and  of  which  they  are  capable :  yea, 
 we  presume,  that  the  impartation  and  reception  of 
 his  grace  and  aids  never  fail  nor  stagnate  where  the 
 means  are  with  earnestness  and  eagerness  pursued.” 
 ?.  18. 
 
 When  God  fulfils  his  promise,  f<  I  will  put  my 
 laws  into  their  minds,  and  write  them  in  their  hearts,” 
 is  not  this  supernatural  agency  ?  The  promise  is 
 limited  to  the  children  of  the  new  covenant.  The 
 law  was  given  to  Israel,  after  the  flesh,  written  upon 
 tables  of  stone  ;  but  the  law  is  written  on  the  fleshy 
 tables  of  the  heart  of  the  true  Israel,  not  with  pen 
 and  ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  :  we 
 again  ask,  Is  not  this  supernatural  agency  ? 
 
 Well  mav  the  writers  of  the  Circular  falter  and 
 say,  “  it  should  then  seem  that  the  Spirit  is  embodied 
 in  the  means  themselves.11  If  all  who  heard  the 
 Gospel  received  the  love  of  the  truth,  or  if  any  re¬ 
 ceived  it  without  “  supernatural  agency,”  this  con¬ 
 clusion  would  be  more  plausible  ;  but  since  the  effects 
 of  the  gospel,  wherever  it  is  preached,  afford  such  a 
 striking  comment  upon  our  Lord’s  words,  61  Many 
 are  called,  but  few  chosen,”  and  since  the  scrip¬ 
 tures  repeatedly  declare  that  faith  is  the  gift  of  God, 
 there  is  not  the  most  remote  appearance  of  the  Spirit 
 being  embodied  in  the  means.  The  authors  of  the 
 Circular  tell  us,  that  those  who  perish  do  not  use 
 
LIFE  DISTINCT  FROM  FORMS  OF  MATTER.  157 
 
 the  means  of  repentance  towards  God,  and  faith  to¬ 
 wards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  to  which  we  reply, 
 that,  according  to  the  Word  of  God,  no  man  ever 
 did  repent  or  believe,  excepting  by  the  same  super¬ 
 natural  agency  by  which  Christ  was  raised  from  the 
 dead.  Those  only  repent  and  believe  who  are  bap¬ 
 tised  with  the  Holy  Ghost ;  who,  by  one  Spirit,  are 
 baptised  into  one  body,  which  is  the  distinguishing 
 privilege  of  all  Christ’s  disciples,  1  Cor.  xii.  13. 
 
 W e  are  told,  “  it  should  then  seem  that  the 
 Spirit  is  embodied  in  the  means  themselves ,  some¬ 
 what  as,  in  the  animal  economy,  the  principle  of 
 life  is  blended  with  the  different  forms  of  matter.” 
 The  principle  of  life  is  perfectly  distinct  from  the 
 different  forms  of  matter.  The  form  of  the  human 
 body,  and  of  its  several  parts,  remain  the  same  when 
 the  principle  of  life  is  extinct.  In  the  account  of 
 man’s  creation,  we  are  guarded  against  supposing 
 that  the  principle  of  life  is  blended  with  the  forms  of 
 matter.  God  made  Adam  of  the  dust ;  he  gave  him 
 what  form  he  saw  meet,  and  then  breathed  into 
 his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  and  he  became  a  living 
 soul. 
 
 Previously  to  receiving  life,  Adam’s  body  possessed 
 all  the  organs  by  which  the  functions  of  life  are  per- 
 formed,  but  still  it  was  dead.  So,  while  his  off¬ 
 spring  possess  those  rational  faculties  which,  when 
 quickened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  fit  them  for  the 
 service  and  enjoyment  of  God  they  are  naturally 
 dead,  alienated  from  the  life  of  God,  and  incapa¬ 
 ble  of  pleasing  him,  Rom.  viii.  8.  “  In  life  natural,” 
 says  Dr  Owen,  “  the  soul  is  the  quickening  principle, 
 and  the  body  is  the  principle  quickened.  When  the 
 
158  BELIEVERS  PARTAKE  OF  THE  SPIRIT  OF  CHRIST. 
 
 soul  departs,  it  leaves  the  body  with  all  its  own  na¬ 
 tural  properties,  but  utterly  deprived  of  those  which 
 it  had  by  virtue  of  its  union  with  the  soul.  So  in 
 life  spiritual,  the  soul  is  not,  in  and  by  its  essential 
 properties,  the  quickening  principle  of  it,  but  the 
 principle  which  is  quickened.  When  the  quickening 
 principle  of  spiritual  life  departs,  it  leaves  the  soul 
 with  all  its  natural  properties  entire,  as  to  their 
 essence,  though  morally  corrupted.  But  of  all  the 
 power  and  abilities  which  it  had,  by  virtue  of  its 
 union  with  the  quickening  principle  of  spiritual  life, 
 it  is  deprived.  And  to  deny  such  a  quickening 
 principle  of  spiritual  life,  superadded  unto  us  by  the 
 grace  of  Christ,  distinct  and  separate  from  the  natural 
 faculties  of  the  soul,  is,  upon  the  matter,  to  renounce 
 the  whole  Gospel.  ”  * 
 
 Adam  is  contrasted  with  the  Second  Adam,  who, 
 1  laving  life  in  himself,  is  a  quickening  Spirit,  and 
 communicates  life  to  all  his  people,  who,  although 
 naturally  alive,  are  spiritually  dead,  Eph.  ii.  1;  1  Tim. 
 v.  6.  The  Spirit  which  is  given  to  Christ  without 
 measure, — like  the  precious  oil  poured  on  the  head 
 of  Aaron,  and  which  went  down  to  the  skirts  of  his 
 garments, — is  given  to  all  his  people  in  the  day  of 
 regeneration,  and  by  this  44 supernatural  agency"’ 
 they  are  delivered  from  the  power  of  darkness,  and 
 translated  into  the  kingdom  of  God’s  dear  Son. 
 Those  who  are  not  partakers  of  this  Spirit  are  none 
 of  his,  Rom.  viii.  9. 
 
 We  are  told,  that  “the  Holy  Spirit  is  posi¬ 
 tively  guaranteed  to  that  exercise  of  the  given 
 means  to  which  men  are  called,  and  of  which 
 
 *  Owen  on  the  Spirit. 
 
NONE  WALK  IN  THE  SPIRIT  WHO  DO  NOT  POSSESS  IT.  15b 
 
 they  are  capable, 11 — p.  18.  And  what  are  those 
 means  ?  According  to  the  Circular,  repentance,  faith, 
 heavenly  mindedness,  walking  in  the  Spirit,  &c.  &c. 
 Now,  we  should  suppose,  that  we  must  possess  the 
 Spirit  before  we  can  walk  in  the  Spirit ;  but  if  we 
 are  capable  of  all  these,  call  them  means,  or  by  any 
 other  name,  we  do  not  see  what  benefit  we  are  to  re¬ 
 ceive  from  the  guarantee  of  the  Spirit,  in  which  we  are 
 already  walking  and  maintaining  “a  determined  con¬ 
 flict  with  sin,  Satan,  and  the  world,  and  an  unshaken 
 perseverance  in  the  faith,  profession,  and  practice  of 
 Christianity.  Those  who  possess  and  use  ”  the 
 specified  “  means  and  capabilities  to  ensure  a  personal 
 participation  in  its  (the  great  salvation)  blessings,'1 
 are  fathers  in  Christ ;  they  have  drank  largely  into 
 his  Spirit,  and  already  participate  in  the  blessings  of 
 the  great  salvation. 
 
1G0 
 
 VISION  OF  THE  DRY  BONES. 
 
 CHAPTER  VII. 
 
 Vision  of  the  dry  bones  ; — confutes  the  doctrine  of  the  Circular  ; — 
 Luke  xi.  5 — 13  ; — must  possess  life  before  we  use  food  or  medi¬ 
 cine  ; — guilt  of  neglecting  the  great  salvation  ; — the  means  not 
 inadequate ; — human  guilt  not  expiated  on  the  cross,  or  all 
 would  have  been  saved  ; — denial  of  the  substitution  of  Christ ; 
 — Zaleucus  ; — evil  of  such  illustrations  ; — view  of  redemption  as 
 given  in  scripture  ; — the  consummation  of  God’s  eternal  purpose. 
 
 A  very  unsuccessful  attempt  is  made  to  illustrate  the 
 doctrine  taught  in  the  Circular,  by  Ezekiel’s  vision 
 of  the  dry  bones. 
 
 “  To  secure,”  say  the  writers,  “  further  elucidation 
 and  evidence  on  this  momentous  question,  let  the 
 mind’s  eye  take  a  survey  of  an  open  valley,  full  of 
 bones  and  very  dry,  presented  to  the  contemplation 
 of  an  ancient  prophet.  The  inquiry,  4  Can  these 
 bones  live  V  appears  to  anticipate  the  stale  objection 
 of  incapability,  which  in  Ezekiel’s  own  imagination 
 might  perhaps  arise  ;  but  which  certainly  since  his 
 days,  has  much  prevailed  and  perniciously  operated. 
 To  obviate  such  an  objection,  the  servant  of  God  is 
 set  to  work  at  the  machinery  of  means .  He  is  com¬ 
 manded  to  preach  to  the  bones,  directly  and  peremp¬ 
 torily  summoning  them  to  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
 Immediately  conjoined  with  this  movement,  Jehovah 
 promises  life  with  all  its  at  tendant  acquisitions ;  and 
 a  state  of  shaking  and  incipient  animation  quickly 
 succeeds,  as  if  the  means  themselves  partially  inhered , 
 and  put  forth  a  vital  energy.  And  still  more  to  de_ 
 monstrate  their  efficacy  in  the  proper  use  of  them,  he 
 
VISION  OF  THE  DRY  BONES. 
 
 161 
 
 is  ordered  to  advance  in  his  work,  and  prophesy  to 
 the  four  winds,  exclaiming,  c  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
 God,  come  from  the  four  winds,  0  breath,  and  breathe 
 upon  these  slain,  that  they  may  live.’  He  did  as 
 he  was  required ;  he  applied  the  instituted  means, 
 and  the  effect  was  propitious.  4  So  I  prophesied  as 
 he  commanded  me,  and  the  breath  came  unto  them, 
 and  they  lived,  and  stood  up  upon  their  feet,  an  ex¬ 
 ceeding  great  army an  army  consisting  of  4  the 
 whole  house  of  Israel.’ 11 — Pp.  18,  19. 
 
 Could  any  thing  short  of  Almighty  power  have 
 caused  the  bones  to  live  ?  It  is  the  peculiar  charac¬ 
 teristic  of  God  that  he  quickeneth  the  dead.  What 
 influence  could  any  means  whatever  have  produced 
 upon  the  bones  without  44  supernatural  agency  border¬ 
 ing  on  the  miraculous,  if  not  emphatically  so  V  The 
 prophet  was  asked,  “Can  these  bones  liver-1  He  re¬ 
 plied,  44  O  Lord  God,  thou  knowest.”  The  question 
 was  put  by  one  with  whom  nothing  was  impossible. 
 44  To  obviate  suclq  an  objection, ,1  (the  stale  objection 
 of  incapability,)  says  the  Circular,  44  the  servant  of 
 God  is  set  to  work  at  the  machinery  of  means.”  And 
 what  is  this  to  the  purpose  ?  To  countenance  the 
 doctrine  taught  in  the  Circular,  the  bones  ought  to 
 have  been  set  to  work  at  that  machinery.  If  the 
 writers  find  any  who  object  to  believers  using  means 
 to  awaken  their  fellow-men  to  the  awful  concerns  of 
 eternity,  and  to  lead  their  attention  to  the  only  way 
 of  salvation,  they  may  with  propriety  adduce  this 
 passage  of  the  word  of  God. 
 
 There  cannot  be  a  more  beautiful  illustration  of 
 the  effect  of  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  than  the 
 vision  of  the  dry  bones.  It  shows  that,  in  regard  to 
 
 o 
 
162  THE  MEANS  OF  THEMSELVES  INADEQUATE. 
 
 its  success,  “  all  things  are  of  God.”  The  prophet’s 
 voice  was  too  feeble  to  awaken  the  dead  without 
 supernatural  agency ;  it  could  no  more  have  pro¬ 
 duced  any  effect  upon  the  bones,  than  it  could  have 
 called  the  planets  from  their  spheres.  But  the  pro¬ 
 phet  was  acting  under  the  Divine  authority,  and 
 therefore  the  word  was  with  power ;  just  as  the 
 word  of  Joshua  stopped  the  course  of  the  sun  and 
 moon  under  the  same  authority,  Josh.  x.  12.  In 
 both  cases  God  appointed  the  means,  but  in  themselves 
 they  were  utterly  inadequate  to  the  attainment  of  the 
 end.  They  possessed  no  inherent  efficacy,  and  their 
 effect  depended  entirely  on  “  supernatural  agency.11 
 
 Now,  he  who  commanded  Ezekiel  to  prophesy  to 
 the  dry  bones,  and  Joshua  to  speak  to  the  sun  and 
 moon,  commanded  the  gospel  to  be  preached  to  every 
 creature ;  and,  while  he  has  given  us  no  reason  to 
 expect  that  all  who  hear  it  shall  be  saved,  he  hath 
 said,  “  As  the  rain  cometh  down,  and  the  snow 
 from  heaven,  and  returneth  not  thither,  but  watereth 
 the  earth,  and  maketh  it  bring  forth  and  bud,  that 
 it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower,  and  bread  to  the  eater, 
 so  shall  my  word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my 
 mouth  :  it  shall  not  return  unto  me  void ;  but  it 
 shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please,  and  it  shall  pros¬ 
 per  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it,11  Isa.  lv.  10,  11. 
 
 By  Divine  appointment,  “  faith  cometh  by  hear¬ 
 ing,11  and  the  word  of  God  is  pledged  for  the  success 
 of  the  gospel.  “  V erily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  the 
 hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear 
 the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God  :  and  they  that  hear  shall 
 live,11  J ohn  v.  25.  The  resurrection  of  Lazarus,  who, 
 in  his  grave,  heard  the  voice  of  Christ,  was  not  more 
 truly  the  result  of  supernatural  agency  than  the  con- 
 
NO  ENERGY  INHERENT  IN  THE  MEANS. 
 
 163 
 
 version  of  sinners  through  the  preaching  of  the  gos¬ 
 pel.  There  is  not  in  the  narrative  of  Ezekiel’s  vision 
 the  slightest  appearance,  “  as  if  the  means  themselves 
 partially  inhered  and  put  forth  a  vital  energy.1’  What 
 the  writers  mean  to  convey  by  the  means  partially 
 inhering,  we  shall  not  attempt  to  explain  ;  but,  so 
 far  from  countenancing  the  supposition,  that  any¬ 
 thing  resembling  a  vital  energy  was  inherent  in  the 
 means,  the  passage  under  consideration  establishes  the 
 very  opposite  conclusion. 
 
 The  means  by  which  God  was  pleased  to  work, 
 was  Ezekiel’s  prophesying.  To  have  addressed  the 
 bones,  without  a  special  injunction,  would  have  been 
 the  act  of  a  madman,  and  considering  the  state  of 
 fallen  man,  notwithstanding  all  the  noble  faculties 
 which  he  possesses,  such  as  intellect,  conscience,  affec¬ 
 tions,  &c.  it  would  be  perfectly  hopeless  to  call  upon 
 him  to  turn  to  God,  had  not  the  Lord  commanded 
 it,  and  promised  to  make  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
 effectual  for  the  salvation  of  a  multitude  which  no 
 man  shall  be  able  to  number.  The  weakness  of  the 
 means  which  God  has  been  pleased  to  employ  for 
 this  purpose,  was  intended  to  secure  to  himself  the 
 glory  of  its  accomplishment:  “We  have  this  trea¬ 
 sure  in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the 
 power  may  be  of  God,  and  not  of  us,11  2  Cor.  iv.  7. 
 Believers  are  described  as  being  born  of  the  Spirit, 
 John  iii.  5.  At  other  times,  they  are  said  to  be  born 
 of  the  Word,  1  Pet.  i.  23 ;  because  the  Spirit  is  the 
 as:ent,  and  the  Word  the  instrument  which  he  em- 
 ploys.  Hence  it  is  written,  “  of  his  own  will  begat 
 he  us  with  the  word  of  truth,11  James  i.  18. 
 
 To  the  question,  “  Does  not  this,  (the  success  of 
 
164 
 
 WE  ARE  NOT  TO  TRUST  IN  MEANS. 
 
 Ezekiel's  prophesying  to  the  dry  bones)  on  the  absorb¬ 
 ing  topic  of  means,  betoken  intrinsic  and  collaterial  effi¬ 
 cacy  p.  19,  we  answer,  No  ;  it  betokens  the  very  re¬ 
 verse.  The  vision  refers  to  the  restoration  of  Israel,  but 
 may  also  be  applied  to  the  conversion  of  the  true  Israel 
 by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  It  is  preached  by 
 the  Lord’s  commandment,  and  to  guard  the  apostles 
 against  trusting  in  the  means  which  they  were  com¬ 
 missioned  to  employ,  he  promised  to  be  with  them 
 always,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world,  and  this  se¬ 
 cures  the  success  of  the  gospel.  Many,  indeed,  reject 
 the  counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  but  his  word 
 does  not  return  to  him  void. 
 
 The  writers  of  the  Circular  inquire,  “  Does  it 
 not  indicate,  that  if  they  (the  means)  are  used 
 as  God  ordains,  and  men  are  able,  the  result  is  as 
 infallible,  as  the  atonement  is  all-sufficient  T' — P. 
 19.  What  result?  The  gospel  accomplishes  that 
 which  God  pleaseth,  and  prospers  in  the  thing  to 
 which  he  has  sent  it.  But  it  never  was,  and  we  have 
 every  reason  to  believe,  it  never  will  be  universally 
 successful ;  yet  it  must  always  redound  to  the  Divine 
 glory.  God  is  glorified  in  the  preaching  of  the  gos¬ 
 pel,  whether  men  will  hear,  or  whether  they  will  for¬ 
 bear.  The  apostle  thanked  God,  who  always  caused 
 \  him  to  triumph,  and  made  manifest  the  savour  of 
 his  knowledge  by  him  in  every  place ;  but  this 
 stands  in  immediate  connexion  with  the  declaration : 
 “  that  he  was  unto  God  a  sweet  savour  of  Christ  in 
 them  that  are  saved,  and  in  them  that  perish."  If,  by 
 the  result  being  “infallible,"  is  meant  uniform  success, 
 neither  the  apostle's  experience  nor  our  own,  affords 
 the  slightest  ground  for  such  an  expectation.  No 
 doubt,  however,  if,  with  the  authors  of  the  Circular, 
 
MAN  UTTERLY  LOST  AND  HELPLESS.  ]  65 
 
 we  include  in  the  means,  repentance,  faith,  heavenly 
 mindedness,  walking  in  the  Spirit,  &c.  the  result  is  in¬ 
 fallible  ;  but  the  assertion,  that  these  means  and  capa¬ 
 bilities  are  accessible  to  all  that  are  privileged  with 
 the  gospel,  without  supernatural  agency,  we  have  no 
 hesitation  in  denouncing  as  another  gospel  a  perver¬ 
 sion  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
 
 Again,  we  are  asked,  “  Does  it  not  prove  that  the 
 gospel  scheme  of  human  recovery,  is  not  that  maimed 
 thing  which  it  is  too  generally  represented  to  be  ?” — 
 P.  19.  By  that  “maimed  thing,”  the  writers  mean 
 the  denial  of  the  inherent  efficacy  of  the  means  apart 
 from  the  supernatural  power  of  the  Spirit.  Accord¬ 
 ing  to  them,  this  would  render  the  method  of  recovery 
 imperfect,  and  place  the  hearers  of  the  gospel  in  the 
 condition  of  a  “  maimed  person,  who,  instead  of  two 
 limbs  requisite  for  support  and  motion,  has  only  one.” 
 — P.  16.  According  to  the  word  of  God,  the  hearers 
 of  the  gospel  have  not  so  much  as  one  limb  to  sup¬ 
 port  them.  They  are  without  strength,  utterly  lost  and 
 helpless.  This  may  be  foolishness  to  the  writers  of 
 the  Circular,  but  it  is  the  uniform  doctrine  of  the 
 word  of  God. 
 
 Once  more,  it  is  asked,  “  Does  it  not  evince  that 
 the  means  of  renovation  and  sanctification  are  as 
 proximate  and  efficient  as  are  those  of  pardon  tmd  jus¬ 
 tification  ?n — P.  19.  Renovation  and  sanctification 
 are  inseparably  connected  with  pardon  and  justifica¬ 
 tion,  so  that  we  have  no  objections  to  the  means  be¬ 
 ing  “as  proximate  and  efficient”  for  the  one  as  for 
 the  other. 
 
 The  writers  next  quote  Luke  xi.  5 — 13,  and  pro¬ 
 ceed  : — “  Beloved,  we  would  put  the  question  to  you, 
 
 o  3 
 
106  CHRIST  THE  ONLY  WAY  OF  ACCESS. 
 
 Are  not  all  men  bound  in  duty  c  to  seek,  to  ask,  and 
 to  knock, "  as  by  Christ  enjoined  \  Doubtless.  And 
 are  not  all  capable  of  doing  so  l  Certainly.  But  if 
 they  are  competent,  they  may  avail  themselves  of 
 the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  for  the  communication 
 of  that  ineffable  boon  is  solemnly  pledged  to  such  as 
 request  it.  The  vouchsafement  is  not  restricted  to 
 this  or  that,  but  is  promised  to  any  that  may  petition 
 it.  And  does  not  this  clearly  indicate  and  fully  de¬ 
 monstrate  the  adequacy  of  the  means  to  effect  our  ac¬ 
 tual  recovery  — P.  20. 
 
 We  answer,  No  man  cometh  to  the  Father  but 
 by  Christ ;  God  is  to  all,  excepting  those  who  are 
 in  Christ,  the  unknown  God.  The  worship  of  every 
 unbeliever  is  idolatry ;  he  worships  he  knows  not 
 what ;  there  is  no  access  to  the  Father  but  through 
 Christ,  by  one  Spirit,  Eph.  ii.  18.  Let  none, 
 then,  but  those  who  ask  in  faith,  think  that  they 
 shall  obtain  any  thing  of  the  Lord  ;  in  order  to 
 pray,  we  must  draw  near  through  the  rent  vail  of 
 the  Bedeemer’s  flesh  ;  fallen  man  is  as  much  ex¬ 
 cluded  from  immediate  access  to  God  as  the  fallen 
 angels.  Christ  is  the  way,  and  those  only  come  to 
 Christ  who  have  heard  and  learned  of  the  Father, 
 John  vi.  45.  The  world  (that  is,  unbelievers)  can¬ 
 not  receive  the  Spirit  of  truth,  because  it  seeth  him 
 not,  neither  knoweth  him,  John  xiv.  16,  17;  this 
 knowledge  is  peculiar  to  the  disciples  of  Christ,  in 
 whom  he  dwells  as  the  Spirit  of  adoption,  and,  con¬ 
 sequently,  as  the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication. 
 
 It  is  justly  stated  in  the  Circular,  that  the  en¬ 
 couragement  to  prayer  quoted  from  the  evangelist 
 was  given  by  the  Lord  to  “his  disciples.”  It  is 
 fraught  with  encouragement  to  believers  in  every 
 
THE  GOSPEL  ACCOMPLISHES  GOD’s  DISPLEASURE.  167 
 
 age,  but  it  affords  no  evidence,  or  the  shadow  of  an 
 argument,  in  proof  of  the  efficacy  of  the  means,  with¬ 
 out  supernatural  agency,  to  effect  the  actual  recovery 
 of  those  who  have  rebelled  against  God.  “  The 
 weapons  of  our  warfare,”  says  the  apostle,  are  mighty, 
 through  God ,  to  the  pulling  down  of  strongholds.” 
 The  Gospel  accomplishes  that  which  God  pleaseth, 
 but  both  scripture  and  experience  prove  that  it  is  not 
 his  pleasure  to  save  all  who  hear  the  Gospel.  If  the 
 authors  of  the  Circular  reply,  it  is  owing  to  men's 
 hatred  of  the  light  that  all  the  hearers  of  the  Gospel 
 are  not  saved,  we  fully  agree  with  them  ;  and  this 
 hatred  of  the  light  is  the  consequence  of  their  being 
 under  the  curse, — of  their  being  by  nature  the  child¬ 
 ren  of  wrath,  dead  in  sins, — and  all,  but  those  who 
 were  redeemed  from  the  curse  by  the  blood-shedding 
 of  Jesus,  persist  in  this  hatred,  and  die  in  their  sins, 
 notwithstanding;  the  freeness  of  the  invitations  of  the 
 Gospel.  It  is  a  matter  of  fact,  which  was  foretold 
 in  the  Word  of  God,  and  has  been  demonstrated  by 
 the  experience  of  eighteen  hundred  years,  that  com¬ 
 paratively  few  believe  the  report,  and  we  affirm, 
 without  fear  of  contradiction  by  any  man  whose  un¬ 
 derstanding  has  been  opened  to  understand  the  scrip¬ 
 tures,  that  when  any  believe,  it  is  owing  to  superna¬ 
 tural  agency. 
 
 We  are  told,  “As  food  is  adapted  to  the  purpose  of 
 our  daily  subsistence,  and  medicine  (when  diseased)  to 
 the  restoration  of  health,  so  the  external  means  are 
 suited  to  the  purposes  of  spiritual  subsistence  and 
 saving  health.  And  as  the  former,  in  the  order  of 
 nature  and  Providence, are  to  all  men  accessible,  so  the 
 latter,  in  the  arrangements  of  Divine  grace,  are  alike 
 
168 
 
 MANKIND  SPIRITUALLY  DEAD. 
 
 feasible.  But  if  any  choose  to  die  of  hunger,  or  of  dis¬ 
 ease,  rather  than  be  at  the  trouble  of  procuring  food, 
 or  physic,  when  both  are  within  their  reach,  they  can¬ 
 not,  with  any  semblance  of  truth,  say,  4  Dire  fate 
 has  appointed  this .’  No  more  can  the  impenitent  and 
 prayerless  sinner  complain  of  his  hard  destiny,  when 
 he  perishes  in  the  neglect  of  the  great  salvation. 
 All  the  blame  lies  at  his  own  door.  The  King  and 
 his  throne  are  guiltless.’1 — P.  20. 
 
 No  doubt,  the  gospel  is  adapted  to  the  purpose  of 
 spiritual  subsistence  and  saving  health  ;  it  sets  before 
 us  the  bread  of  life,  of  which  if  a  man  eat  he  shall 
 never  die.  But,  in  order  to  make  use  either  of  food 
 or  medicine,  a  man  must  be  possessed  of  life,  and,  as 
 fallen  man  is  spiritually  dead, — slain  by  the  word  of 
 God’s  mouth,  44  On  the  day  thou  eatest  thou  shalt 
 surely  die,” — he  never  will,  he  never  can,  receive  the 
 food  or  medicine  without  supernatural  agency.  We 
 have  already  expressed  our  disapprobation  of  classing 
 walking  in  the  Spirit,  heavenly  mindedness,  &c.  under 
 the  head  of  means,  and  are  happy  in  the  appearance 
 of  any  symptom  of  the  writers  of  the  Circular  seem¬ 
 ing  disposed  to  quit  this  untenable  ground,  by  em¬ 
 ploying  the  epithet  external  means,  which  surely 
 cannot  apply  to  44  the  specified  means  of  holy  medita¬ 
 tion  and  heavenly-mindedness,  walking  in  the  Spirit,” 
 &c.  but  we  must  acknowledge  our  ignorance  of  the 
 meaning  of  the  external  means,  being,  in  the  arrange¬ 
 ments  of  Divine  grace,  44  alike  feasible.” 
 
 Food  and  medicine  are  not ,  in  the  order  of  nature 
 and  Providence,  accessible  to  all  men,  neither  are  the 
 44  external  means  of  salvation”  bestowed  upon  all 
 men ;  and  the  scripture  teaches  us,  that  where  there 
 
man’s  love  of  darkness. 
 
 169 
 
 is  no  vision  the  people  perish,  and  that  as  many  as 
 have  sinned  without  law,  shall  also  perish  without 
 law.  In  this  we  see  the  absolute  sovereignty  of  God, 
 as  well  as  in  his  granting  repentance  unto  life  to 
 some  who  enjoy  the  external  means  of  salvation, 
 while,  by  this  privilege,  the  condemnation  of  others 
 is  aggravated,  John  iii.  19. 
 
 We  are  fully  satisfied  that  the  guilt  of  neglecting 
 the  great  salvation  lies  with  the  sinner,  and  that 
 whatever  “  hard  speeches  ”  men  may  now  make 
 about  an  “  impassable  bar  thrown  across  the  way,” 
 u  the  method  of  recovery  being  imperfect,”  “  the 
 Gospel  scheme  of  human  recovery  being  a  maimed 
 thing,”  God  will,  in  the  great  day,  be  justified  in  his 
 sayings,  and  overcome  when  he  is  judged. 
 
 Among  other  advantages  which  the  writers  antici¬ 
 pate  from  the  adoption  of  their  hypothesis,  that  in¬ 
 stituted  means  are  sufficient  without  supernatural 
 agency,  is  the  following  : — “  You  will  be  in  circum¬ 
 stances  to  tell  him,  (the  objector)  your  means  of 
 sanctification  are  as  accessible,  effective,  and  infalli¬ 
 ble,  as  your  means  of  pardon  and  justification — P. 
 21.  In  this  we  fully  agree  with  the  doctrine  of  the 
 Circular;  pardon,  justification,  and  sanctification, 
 are,  as  we  have  already  stated,  inseparable.  We 
 also  hold,  that  men’s  rejection  of  the  Gospel  proceeds 
 from  their  loving  darkness  rather  than  light,  and  that 
 this  will  form  the  ground  of  the  condemnation  of 
 those  who  perish.  W e  cannot  add,  with  the  Circu¬ 
 lar,  “  the  only  ground for  all  mankind,  with  the 
 exception  of  believers,  are  condemned  already:  “By 
 the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to 
 condemnation hence  they  are  dead  in  trespasses 
 
170  THE  SALVATION  OF  ALL  NOT  INTENDED. 
 
 and  sins,  and  thus  they  remain,  till  quickened  by 
 the  supernatural  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 
 “  But  mark,”  says  the  Circular,  u  if  our  means  of 
 restoring  the  ruined  creature,  man ,  are  inadequate  to  the 
 end  proposed,  we  so  run  as  uncertainly,  we  so  labour  as 
 one  who  beats  the  air.  Our  ministrations  and  other 
 endeavours  are  yea  and  nay.  W  e  say,  you  can  be  saved, 
 and  you  cannot •  W  e  say,  human  guilt  has  been  fully 
 expiated  on  the  cross,  but  you  are  devoid  of  capabi¬ 
 lities  actually  to  interest  you  in  the  benefits  of  that 
 expiation,  or  the  means  you  possess  are  not  sufficient 
 to  effect  your  personal  recovery.  Our  movements 
 and  opinions  are  therefore  at  issue.  The  former  are 
 incontrovertibly  evangelical  and  sound ;  and  such 
 being  the  case,  the  latter  must  be  inaccurate  and  im¬ 
 perfect,  and  the  sooner  they  are  abjured  the  better. 
 For,  laying  them  aside,  and  adopting  the  view  of 
 things  suggested,  our  exertions  and  theory  will  ac¬ 
 cord.  The  bed  will  not  be  shorter  than  that  a  man 
 may  stretch  himself  on  it ;  and  the  covering  narroicer 
 than  he  can  wrap  himself  in  it.  It  will  cease  to  be 
 that  Procrustean  bed,  which,  though,  in  the  case  be¬ 
 fore  us  was  not  intended,  yet  is  necessarily  calculated 
 to  inflict  torture  and  misery.” — Pp.  22,  23. 
 
 No  one  maintains  that  our  means  are  inadequate 
 to  the  end  proposed,  but  this  we  say  by  the  word  of 
 the  Lord,  that  it  never  was  the  Divine  purpose  that 
 all  mankind  should  be  saved.  This  we  have  already 
 proved  by  the  express  declaration  of  God  when  the 
 coming  of  the  Saviour  was  first  announced  rby  his 
 dealings  with  mankind  for  four  thousand  years  after¬ 
 wards  ;  by  the  greater  part  of  the  human  race  never 
 to  this  day  having  heard  of  the  only  Saviour,  and  by 
 
THE  EXPIATION  UPON  THE  CROSS.  171 
 
 few  of  those  who  do  hear,  receiving  the  love  of  the 
 truth.  Still,  we  do  not  run  as  uncertainly,  we  do 
 not  labour  as  one  who  beats  the  air ;  our  ministrations 
 are  not  yea  and  nay.  We  proclaim  to  all,  to  whom 
 we  have  access,  the  forgiveness  of  sins  through  Christ, 
 and  the  assurance  of  eternal  life  to  those  who  believe, 
 and,  we  add,  if  the  gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them 
 that  are  lost. 
 
 If  we  had  been  consulted  respecting  the  way  of 
 salvation,  no  doubt  it  would  have  borne  a  very  differ¬ 
 ent  aspect ;  but  we  are  the  less  moved  by  the  lament¬ 
 able  consequences,  which,  according  to  the  Circular, 
 are  connected,  with  holding  that  men  are  naturally 
 devoid  of  capabilities,  actually  to  interest  themselves 
 in  the  benefits  of  Christ’s  expiation ;  when  we  read 
 in  the  word  of  God,  that  he  has  destroyed  the  wis¬ 
 dom  of  the  wise,  and  brought  to  nothing  the  under¬ 
 standing  of  the  prudent,  by  saving  those  who  believe 
 by  the  foolishness  of  preaching. 
 
 With  regard  to  the  assertion,  that  human  guilt 
 has  been  fully  expiated  upon  the  cross,  we  shall 
 only  observe,  that  if  so,  it  will  not  again  be  charg¬ 
 ed  upon  any  of  the  human  race.  If  the  guilt  of  man¬ 
 kind  is  expiated,  their  debt  is  discharged  ;  they  are 
 dead  to  the  law  by  the  body  of  Christ,  and  since 
 they  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace,  sin  shall 
 not  have  dominion  over  them,  Rom.  vi.  14.  But  the 
 writers  of  the  Circular  set  aside  the  expiation  of 
 Christ  altogether.  They  represent,  apparently  with 
 studied  ambiguity,  “  the  death  of  Christ  as  a  public 
 satisfaction,  designed  to  honour  the  demands  of  moral 
 government,  in  providing  for  the  relief  of  mankind 
 indiscriminately — “  a  public  transaction,  intended 
 
172  THE  PRIVILEGES  OF  BELIEVERS. 
 
 to  avert  a  public  calamity,  by  making  amends  to 
 public  justice,  that  ample  means  might  be  obtained 
 for  the  honourable  acquittal,  even  of  every  one  who 
 cordially  believes  in  Jesus.” — P.  14. 
 
 In  what,  we  would  ask,  does  the  satisfaction  con¬ 
 sist  1  In  what  respect  did  it  honour  the  demands  of 
 moral  government  ?  How  could  public  justice  pos¬ 
 sibly  receive  amends  by  the  sufferings  of  an  innocent 
 person,  however  exalted  ?  According  to  Paul’s  gos¬ 
 pel,  He  who  knew  no  sin  was  made  sin  for  the  child¬ 
 ren  whom  God  had  given  him,  that  they  might  be 
 made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him.  He  bore 
 their  sins  in  his  own  body  upon  the  tree,  in  con¬ 
 sequence  of  which,  having  died  and  risen  with  him, 
 they  are  dead  unto  sin  and  alive  unto  righteousness. 
 Their  bond  for  ten  thousand  talents  is  cancelled. 
 Christ  nailed  it  to  his  cross.  Col.  ii.  14.  ;  but  in  the 
 Circular,  the  substitution  of  Christ  for  his  people,  is 
 not  only  denied,  but  represented  as  “a  mean  and 
 mercenary  notion  of  a  private  pecuniary  and  arith¬ 
 metical  compensation.”  May  we  not  then  ask,  Is 
 not  the  full  expiation  of  human  guilt  upon  the  cross 
 as  much  surveying  the  deatli  of  Christ  “  under  the 
 mean  and  mercenary  notion  of  a  pecuniary  and  arith¬ 
 metical  compensation,”  as  the  scripture  doctrine  of  its 
 being  an  expiation  of  the  transgression  of  God’s 
 people,  Isaiah  liii.  8-  The  difference  lies  in  this, 
 those  who  are  guided  by  the  word  of  God,  maintain 
 that  the  chastisement  of  God’s  people  was  laid  upon 
 Christ,  and  that  by  his  stripes  they  are  healed  ;  the 
 writers  of  the  Circular  affirm,  that  human  guilt  has 
 been  fully  expiated  on  the  cross,  while  the  sacrifice 
 does  not  secure  the  salvation  of  an  individual,  and 
 
ZALEUCUS,  KING  OF  THE  LOCRIANS. 
 
 173 
 
 while,  in  point  of  fact,  the  greater  part  of  mankind 
 perish,  for  strait  is  the  gate  and  narrow  the  way  that 
 leadeth  to  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it,  Matt.  vii. 
 14. 
 
 We  are  told  that  ample  means  are  “  obtained  for 
 the  honourable  acquittal  of  every  one  who  cordially 
 believes  in  Jesus.”  Now,  the  far  greater  part  of  the 
 world  never  heard  of  J esus,  and  therefore  cannot  be¬ 
 lieve,  Rom.  x.  14  ;  consequently  the  atonement  does 
 not  provide  for  “  the  relief  of  mankind  indiscrimi¬ 
 nately  and,  in  regard  to  those  who  are  favoured 
 with  the  gospel,  the  scripture  is  express  in  declaring 
 that  their  faith  is  the  gift  of  God ;  so  that,  after  all, 
 the  writers  of  the  Circular,  to  be  consistent,  must 
 hold  that  by  the  atonement  ample  means  are  obtained 
 for  the  acquittal  of  those  whom  God  makes  to  differ 
 from  others,  by  bestowing  upon  them  precious  faith. 
 This  is  merely  a  circuitous  method  of  stating  the 
 scripture  doctrine  which  so  offends  them,  that  God 
 “  purchased  the  Church  with  his  own  blood.” 
 
 The  Circular  speaks  of  the  death  of  Christ  as  an 
 expiation  of  human  guilt,  but,  according  to  their  view, 
 it  is,  in  fact,  a  contrivance  to  save  appearances,  of 
 which  the  favourite  illustration  is  the  conduct  of 
 Zaleucus,  king  of  the  Locrians,  who,  having  promul¬ 
 gated  a  law,  of  which  his  son  was  the  first  violator, 
 that  the  adulterer  should  lose  his  eyes,  submitted  to 
 the  loss  of  one  of  his  own  eyes,  in  order  to  save  one 
 of  the  eyes  of  his  son.  In  this  transaction  there  was 
 neither  truth  nor  justice.  The  law  was  not  executed, 
 the  guilty  escaped  with  half  the  threatened  punish¬ 
 ment,  while  the  innocent  suffered ;  and  shall  this 
 
 p 
 
 % 
 
174  IMPROPRIETY  OP  SUCH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 “  maimed  thing”  be  employed  as  an  illustration  of 
 “  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God,”  into  which  “  the 
 angels  desire  to  look  ? 
 
 The  plan  of  salvation  stands  alone  in  the  universe, 
 and  every  attempt  to  illustrate  it  by  what  takes  place 
 among  men,  tends  only  to  misrepresent  and  degrade 
 it.  The  sparks  which  we  kindle  bear  a  resemblance 
 to  the  sun ;  however  feeble,  still  they  emit  light : 
 but  there  is  nothing  among  men  similar,  or  in  the 
 remotest  degree  approaching  to  the  manifestation  of 
 the  Son  of  God,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of 
 the  devil.  It  is  a  new  thing  in  the  earth.  Christ’s 
 name  and  work  are  both  wonderful.  “  It  is  higher 
 than  heaven,  what  can  we  know  l  deeper  than  hell, 
 what  can  we  understand  f1  Let  us  thankfully  receive 
 the  revelation  given  us  in  the  word  of  God,  but  let 
 us  not  intrude  into  things  which  we  have  not  seen,  or 
 attempt,  by  our  contemptible  illustrations,  to  unveil 
 the  mystery  of  God,  even  of  the  Father  and  of  Christ. 
 To  this  subject  the  inspired  proverb  is  peculiarly 
 applicable  :  “  The  legs  of  the  lame  are  not  equal ;  so 
 is  a  parable  in  the  mouth  of  fools,”  Prov.  xxvi.  7. 
 
 According  to  the  word  of  God,  He  in  whom  life 
 dwelt,  as  in  its  fountain,  took  part  with  the  children 
 whom  the  Father  had  criven  him  in  flesh  and  blood, 
 that,  by  becoming  their  near  kinsman,  he  might  have 
 the  right  of  redemption.  They  had  in  their  first 
 father,  in  whom  they  were  created,  and  whose  blood 
 flowed  in  their  veins,  trampled  upon  God's  most  holy 
 law,  and  thus  incurred  its  most  righteous  curse  ;  but, 
 in  the  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ,  they  have  re¬ 
 ceived  of  the  Lord’s  hand  double  for  all  their  sins. 
 
SCRIPTURE  VIEW  OF  CHRIST’S  UNDERTAKING.  J7^> 
 
 In  their  nature,  as  their  covenant  Head  and  Surety, 
 
 he  bore  the  curse  which  no  creature  could  have  sus- 
 
 % 
 
 tained ;  and,  in  virtue  of  his  Divine  power,  having 
 voluntarily  laid  down  his  life  and  taken  it  again,  in 
 obedience  to  the  commandment  of  his  Father, — whose 
 servant  he  had  become  for  the  ransom  of  his  people, 
 — he  is  now  made  most  blessed  for  ever.  As  God, 
 he  was  equally  incapable  of  exaltation  or  humilia¬ 
 tion  ;  but  having,  as  the  Son  of  Man,  humbled  him¬ 
 self  unto  death,  that  he  might  restore  what  he  took 
 not  away ;  having  magnified  the  law  and  made  it 
 honourable,  by  answering  all  its  demands  and  endur¬ 
 ing  all  its  penalty  in  behalf  of  his  people  ;  having 
 exhibited  to  the  universe  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
 Divine  wisdom,  he  is  now  exalted  at  the  right  hand 
 of  the  Majesty  on  high,  and,  as  the  Man  of  God’s 
 right  hand,  the  Son  of  Man  whom  he  hath  made 
 strong  for  himself,  has  received  power  over  all  flesh, 
 that  he  might  give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  the 
 Father  hath  given  him.  For  their  sakes  he  sancti¬ 
 fied  himself,  that  they  might  be  sanctified  through 
 the  truth.  They  were  all  predestinated  to  be  con¬ 
 formed  to  the  image  of  the  only-begotten  Son,  who  is 
 not  ashamed  to  call  them  brethren.  In  their  succes¬ 
 sive  generations,  they  are  called  and  justified;  by 
 one  Spirit  they  are  baptised  into  one  body ;  they 
 are  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  whom  their 
 mortal  flesh  shall  be  quickened,  and  they  shall  all  be 
 glorified  in  the  day  when  the  heavens  and  the  earth 
 shall  flee  away  from  his  face ;  to  whom,  as  the  Son 
 of  Man,  all  judgment  is  committed. 
 
176  THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD  IN  REDEMPTION. 
 
 Such  will  be  the  consummation  of  God’s  eternal 
 purpose ;  such  will  be  the  result  of  His  manifold  wis¬ 
 dom.  Eternity  will  not  be  too  long  for  its  develop¬ 
 ment.  The  subject  provided  for  the  admiring  con¬ 
 templation  of  saints  and  angels  is  unbounded ;  it  is 
 the  love  of  Christ  to  his  Church,  which  passeth 
 knowledge. 
 
AGREEMENT  WITH  MR  HINTON. 
 
 177 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Similarity  and  difference  between  Mr  Hinton  and  the  Circular  ; _ 
 
 inconsistency  of  the  writers  of  the  Circular. 
 
 In  the  Circular  of  the  Midland  Association,  we  see 
 the  fruits  of  Mr  Hinton’s  system.  As  might  have 
 been  anticipated,  it  carries  matters  farther  than  he 
 does,  but  there  is  a  strong  family  likeness.  Both, 
 we  apprehend,  take  a  false  view  of  the  atonement,  or 
 rather,  as  we  have  said,  set  it  aside,  considering  it 
 merely  as  a  public  exhibition  of  God’s  disapprobation 
 of  sin,  by  the  sufferings  of  an  innocent  person.  We 
 do  not  wish  to  misrepresent  Mr  Hinton,  and  shall 
 be  happy  to  find  that  in  this  we  are  mistaken,  but 
 at  present  we  entertain  no  doubt  that  his  views  of 
 the  atonement  correspond  with  those  of  the  writers 
 of  the  Circular.  In  his  Work  upon  the  Spirit,  he 
 does  not  enter  upon  the  subject,  observing,  that  his 
 object  is  to  treat  not  of  the  work  of  Christ,  but  of 
 the  work  of  the  Spirit ;  but  they  are  so  closely  blended 
 that  it  is  impossible  to  treat  properly  of  the  one 
 without  connecting  it  with  the  other.  The  Spirit 
 does  not  speak  of  himself,  but  glorifies  Christ  by  re¬ 
 ceiving  of  his,  and  showing  it  to  his  people;  John 
 xvi.  13,  14. 
 
 Should  Mr  Hinton  continue  to  hold  the  doctrine  of 
 personal  election,  (which  the  writers  of  the  Circular  do 
 not,  or,  if  they  do,  are  very  inconsistent)  and  the  abso¬ 
 lute  necessity  of  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  make 
 a  sinner  wise  unto  salvation,  he  will  perhaps  see  in 
 the  doctrine  of  the  Circular  that  his  speculations  have 
 
178  UTTER  INCONSISTENCY  OF  THE  CIRCULAR. 
 
 opened  a  flood-gate  of  error ;  and  although  he  may 
 not  himself  be  carried  farther  down  the  stream,  he 
 may  rest  assured,  that  the  notion  of  our  not  being 
 naturally  devoid  of  capabilities  actually  to  interest 
 ourselves  in  the  benefits  of  Christ’s  expiation,  is  far 
 too  congenial  to  the  pride  of  fallen  man  not  to  be 
 eagerly  embraced  by  many  who  profess  the  faith  of 
 Jesus;  and  few  of  them  will  be  induced  to  halt  at 
 this  stage  of  the  journey. 
 
 It  has  been  justly  observed,  that  what  is  true  is  not 
 
 always  probable.  Had  any  one, — in  order  to  libel 
 
 the  Ministers  and  Messengers  of  the  several  Baptist 
 
 Churches  of  the  Midland  Association, — represented 
 
 them  as  holding  the  gross  Pelagianism  upon  which 
 
 we  have  animadverted,  while  they  introduced  their 
 
 Letter  with  the  profession  of  faith  which  has  long 
 
 been  adhered  to  by  those  who  are  called  Particular 
 
 «/ 
 
 Baptists,  it  would  have  been  reprobated  as  ridiculous 
 and  incredible.  Yet  true  it  is  and  of  verity,  that 
 the  Circular  which  we  have  been  considering,  is  thus 
 introduced :  “  Circular  Letter. — The  Ministers  and 
 Messengers  of  the  several  Baptist  Churches  of  the 
 Midland  Association,  assembled  at  Willenhall, 
 May  22  &  23,  1839,  maintaining  the  Independence 
 of  their  respective  Churches, — and  believing  the  Im¬ 
 portant  Doctrines  of  Three  Equal  Persons  in  the 
 Godhead,' — Eternal  and  Personal  Election, — Origi¬ 
 nal  Sin, — Particular  Redemption, — Free  Justifica¬ 
 tion  by  the  Righteousness  of  Christ  imputed, — Effi¬ 
 cacious  grace  in  Regeneration,— the  Final  Persever- 
 
UTTER  INCONSISTENCY  OF  THE  CIRCULAR.  17^ 
 
 ance  of  the  Saints, — the  Resurrection  of  the  Dead, 
 — the  General  Judgment  at  the  Last  Day, — and  the 
 Life  Everlasting ;  to  the  several  Societies  they  repre¬ 
 sent,  or  from  which  they  have  received  Letters.'” 
 
 Assuredly  the  writers  of  the  Circular  cannot  say 
 with  the  apostle,  “  Our  word  toward  you  was  not 
 yea  and  nay." 
 
 « 
 
 END. 
 
» 
 
 ' 
 
- • - :