fied, them he also glorified."" This proves no more than, that all who are glorified are pardoned and sanctified first.

"Nay, but St. Paul says, 'Ye are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.'" Most sure, if you endure to the end. "Whosoever believeth in him" to the end "shall never die." 77." But, to come more home to the point: I say, this text is so far from militating against perseverance, that it greatly establishes it."

You are very unhappy in your choice of texts to establish this doctrine. Two of these establish it, just as this does, as we have seen already. Now, pray let us hear how you prove perseverance from this

text.

"Very easily. Here are two sorts of persons mentioned; he that lives by faith, and he that draws back to perdition."

Nay, this is the very question. I do not allow that two persons are mentioned in the text. I have shown it is one and the same person, who once lived by faith, and afterward draws back.

Yet thus much I allow: Two sorts of believers are in the next verse mentioned; some that draw back, and some that persevere. And I allow, the Apostle adds, "We are not of them who draw back unto perdition." But what will you infer from thence? This is so far from contradicting what has been observed before, that it manifestly confirms it. It is a farther proof, that there are those who draw back unto perdition, although these were not of that number.

"I must still aver, that the text is rightly translated; which I prove thus:

"The original text runs thus: Behold, his soul who is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith,' Hab. ii, 4.

“ This the Seventy render, Εαν υποσειληται, εκ ευδοκει η ψυχή με εν αυτώ" ο δε δικαιος ek wisews μs Gnoetai, If a man draw back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. But the just shall live by my faith;' that is, faith in me.

"Now, here the man, in the former clause, who draws back,' is distinguished from him, in the following clause, who lives by faith. "But the Apostle quotes the text from this translation."

True; but he does not "distinguish the man in the former clause wno 'draws back,' from him, in the latter, who lives by faith.'" So far from it, that he quite inverts the order of the sentence, placing the latter clause of it first. And by this means it comes to pass, that although, in translating this text from the Septuagint, we must insert, "a man,” (because there is no nominative preceding,) yet in translating it from the Apostle there is no need or pretence for inserting it, seeing o dixaios stands just before.

Therefore, such an insertion is a palpable violence to the text; which, consequently, is not rightly translated.

It remains, that those who live by faith may yet fall from God, and perish everlastingly.

78. Eighthly. Those who are sanctified by the blood of the covenant may so fall as to perish everlastingly.

For thus again saith the Apostle: "If we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indition, which

shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing?"

It is undeniably plain, (1.) That the person mentioned here was once sanctified by the blood of the covenant. (2.) That he afterward, by known, wilful sin, trod under foot the Son of God. And, (3.) That he hereby incurred a sorer punishment than death; namely, death everlasting.

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Nay, the immediate antecedent to the relative' he,' is the Son of God. Therefore it was He, not the apostate, who was sanctified (set apart for his priestly office) by the blood of the covenant."

Either you forgot to look at the original, or your memory fails. The Son of God is not the immediate antecedent to the relative "he." The words run thus: "Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God? xai to apa ins διαθηκης κοινον ηγησαμενος, εν ω ηγιασθη. You see ηγησαμενος, not υιος, is the immediate antecedent to the relative "he." Consequently, it is the apostate, not the Son of God, who is here said to be sanctified.

"If he was sanctified, yet this cannot be understood of inward sanctification. Therefore it must mean, either that he said he was sanctified, or that he made an outward profession of religion."

Why cannot the word be understood in its proper, natural sense, of inward sanctification?

"Because that is by the Spirit of God." From this very consideration it appears, that this must be understood of inward sanctification; for the words immediately following are, "and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace," even that grace whereby he was once sanctified.

It remains, that those who are sanctified by the blood of the covenant may yet perish everlastingly.

79. If you imagine these texts are not sufficient to prove that a true believer may finally fall, I will offer a few more to your consideration, which I would beg you to weigh farther at your leisure:—

"Ye" Christians" are the salt of the earth. But if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men," Matt. v, 13. "When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man," (as he does out of every true believer,) "he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return: and he taketh with him seven other spirits; and they enter in and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first," xii, 43-45. "And then shall many be offended; and the love" (toward God and man) "of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved," xxiv, 10, &c. "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household? But if that evil servant" (wise and faithful as he was once) "shall begin to smite his fellow servants; the Lord shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites," (verse 45, &c,) apostates, being no better than they.

"Take heed to yourselves," ye that believe, "lest at any time your

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

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

"We therefore, as workers together with him, beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain," 2 Cor. vi, 1. But this were impossible, if none that ever had it could perish. "Ye are fallen from grace," Gal. v, 4. "We shall reap, if we faint not," vi, 9. Therefore we shall not reap, if we do.

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

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

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

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

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

deliver you to the tormentors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

S6. This is my grand objection to the doctrine of reprobation, or (which is the same) unconditional election. That it is an error, I know; because, if this were true, the whole Scripture must be false. But it is not only for this-because it is an error-that I so earnestly oppose it, but because it is an error of so pernicious consequence to the souls of men; because it directly and naturally tends to hinder the inward work of God in every stage of it.

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

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