Would have me love my God,
Who loved the world fo well:
Then furely I, the grace beftowéd,
The purchased bliss shall feel:
Thou wilt the blifs confer,

Before I hence depart;

And the abiding Comforter

Shall take

up all my heart.

SHORT

HYMN S.

Isaiah xxxii. 2. As rivers of water in a dry place, as the fhadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Y foul, a dry and barren place,

MY

Gafps for the cooling ftreams of grace;
O might they through the defart roll
Refreshment to my gasping foul!
Jefus I thirst for Thee, not Thine;
I want the well of life divine;
The well of life divine thou art,
Spring up eternal in my heart.

Eternal Rock, project thy fhade,
Extend to me thy friendly aid,
While at thy foot a finner I,
Weary, and spent, and dying lie:
Covered by thee my foul would reft,
With pardon and falvation blest,
Till through thy riven fide I rife,
And fee thee fill both earth and skies.

SIMON EPISCOPIUS,

·) ($)

THE

Arminian Magazine,

For FEBRUARY 1781.

Of PREDESTINATION; tranflated from SEBASTIAN CASTELLIO'S Dialogues, between Lewis and Frederic.

Fred. WHY, Lewis, do you not join to defend the juftice

of God? and confefs that you will no longer adhere to the principles of fuch writers as you favour, unless they fatisfactorily explain the abfurdities I have pointed out? But as I fee you are biaffed by the opinions you firft entertained, I must endeavour to extirpate them. To do this, as fo much may be advanced on both fides of the queftion, and as I have already produced fuch objections against your fentiments, as the devil himself, (though he be the father of Sophiftry) cannot invalidate, I will, in my turn, explain my opinion. Attend therefore to what I fay, and if you either know, or have read any thing which feems to contradict my arguments, speak, that there may remain no doubt or fcruple on your mind. I own it would be difagreeable to me to answer every frivolous VOL. IV. cavil

I

cavil that may be brought; but as I perceive you are piously inclined, and do not err defignedly, but because you are mifled by others, I will readily explain any part that doth not appear fatisfactory. And I hope that in time you will be undeceived, though your conviction may not be accomplished without fome difficulty. If that happens, I fhall efteem my labour well rewarded, by having gained over fuch a man.

Well then, to proceed: let us firft confider the Creation of man, on which the whole controverfy depends. Do you believe that Adam was created a child of God? Lewis. Certainly; for St. Luke plainly tells us fo in his genealogy of Jefus Chrift. Fred. Very well. Then I appeal to your own judgment and feelings, whether you would beget a fon, that he might die an ignominious death. Lewis. God forbid! I do not think that even a brute-beaft would be fo cruel, as to wish to bring forth young on purpose that they fhould die. Fred. How arrogant is it then to afcribe to God, what you cannot fuppofe even a beaft capable of? If you who are evil would not voluntarily beget a fon whofe portion must be death, how much less is it to be supposed that God hath created man to fuffer eternal torments? What anfwer can you give to this, my dear Lewis? Lewis. I cannot indeed give any anfwer, nor do I imagine any can be readily found. Fred. But I do; for there is no truth for clear, but it may be eluded by fophiftry. Whether the anfwer is rational, and to the purpose, is to be confidered. They will fay, perhaps, that the comparifon doth not hold good. But let them give a fufficient reafon why it doth not. Chrift hath thus reafoned: "If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, &c." From whence I argue, if men that are evil have fo much goodnefs in them, that they will not be the means of bringing children into the world that they may be miferable, what profanenefs is it to think that God does fo! Should they deny that mankind are the children of God, St. Luke will filence them; for he particu

larly