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the word is generally under- infliction of evil, as that mercy stood, of the will is not admit- should be displayed in the be ted; and the contrary is conten- stowment of good and it is ded. Whether love be called equally important that the propan exercise, a passion or an af- er characters should exist, thro fection of the man is not very which the display should be material, so long as it conforms made. "Hath not the potter him to God, and in proportion 66 power over the clay, of the as it is perfected, renders him "same lump, to make one vessel blessed. Such highly favored" to honor and another to disones, as have the love of God" honor ?" shed abroad in the heart, are indeed vessels of mercy prepared unto glory and such unhappy ones as have it not, are, so re-pent and believe the gospel conmaining, vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.

The doctrine which some advance that the impotency of fallen man to love God, or to re

sists wholly in the want of a will; and that they can do these things, if they please, is calcula

Whatever objections depraved man can have against the sover-ted to foster an opinion, that they eignty of God, it is evident from may confide in their own future fact, that he does what he will exertions; that they are not with his own; and, in the dis- absolutely dependent on God for tribution of good and evil a- spiritual life; and that they may, mongst his creatures, he gives for the present rest secure in sin. none account of his matters. It On the contrary, the full belief is his glory to conceal a thing. of the truth, that they are dead While Lucifer son of the morn-in trespasses and sins, without ing is cast down to hell, he or- any sort of ability to save themdains strength out of the mouth selves, any more than a dead of babes and sucklings. If God's carcass has to raise itself to life, design in his works be to exhib-is calculated to make them it his character, and this be an despair in themselves, and so to object of all others the most bring them into that state of important, or, in other words, mind which usually precedes the the only object in itself import-bestowment of mercy. ant, what objection can be fairly made against his giving being, perfection and happiness, or, against his taking these away, or otherwise disposing of his creatures, in any manner he pleases, in order to the complete at tainment of this end. The perfection of God is one, as he himself is ONE; but it cannot be dis-or a blade of corn to grow; this played to creatures but in parts, and by various operations. The justice of God is not distinct from his goodnesss, but essential to it and it is as important that justice should be displayed in the

Should it be said, that the doctrine of the total impotency of fallen man to obey the law, or to embrace the gospel, cuts the springs of exertion, and annihilates all motive to action; the answer is, we do not reason so in the affairs of common life. We cannot make a spire of grass

effect is produced by the power of God alone. But we never cease to till our land because we are not certain of a crop. The reasonable hope of obtaining a crop in the use of the appointed

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means, and the certainty of not and will shew that he likes not obtaining in the neglect of those to retain God in his knowledge. means, are motives abundant- If he die an hour after birth, unly sufficient to stimulate exer-less his nature is changed by the tion. So in spiritual concerns, sovereign grace of God, he will tho' the love of God in the heart perish; because he cannot love is not the fruit of our own voli- God, in whom he has his being, tions and exertions, but the agen- but is enmity against him. The cy of the Holy Ghost alone, we glory of God constantly in view have equal, nay, far greater, mo- will necessarily torment him for tives to exertion in proportion to the comparative importance of the object sought, in the diligent use of the means of salvation which God has appointed. For the intervention of means, for ought appears, is as indispensible in the latter case, as in the former; and in both cases, the end is connected, or not connected with the means, according to the good pleasure of him who worketh all in all.

He can be nothing else but a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction. If he is saved it must be by the blood of Christ, And to render him capable of the enjoyment of God, which is the happiness of heaven, he must be born again; or his nature must be so changed, that the vision of God shall fill him full of delight and joy: or, which is the same thing, that in the vision of God he shall love him with all the heart. Indeed, the Saviour says, "Make the " tree good and his fruit good; "or else make the tree corrupt

If the foregoing observations are just it will follow, that holiness and sin are predicable of the nature of man, rather than of his actions, or if predicable of" and his fruit corrupt for the the latter, it is by a metonymy of the effect for the cause. Love is the fulfilling of the law, this is holiness, the want of love then is the violation of the law, this is sin. Agency, or volition producing a visible effect, is not so properly holiness or sin in itself, as the evidence of it. Holiness and sin exist prior to action, and are the proper ground of it; and action takes its denomination from the principle which originates it.

An infant, at the moment of his birth, is a sinner; not because he has done sinful actions, but because his nature is corrupt, or, because he is so formed, that as soon as he shall have a perception of God in any measure as he is, he will certainly turn from it with aversion;

"tree is known by his fruit.” And doubtless the actions of men, are the fruit they produce: because, it is by these they are known as the tree is known by his fruit. These actions of men therefore are good or evil as well as their natures. But in what sense are they good or evil? Doubtless in this sense, that they promote natural good or evil; or, in other words, happiness or misery, both in themselves and others. Still their natures only are holy or sinful, for it is the principle from which actions proceed, and that alone which gives denomination to agents. The true end of agency in creatures is to discover their respective natures; not to the omniscient God who sees the heart; but to one an

CHERB

HRIST, in one of his discourses with the Jews, said,

bther. This is important in the highest degree; for the ends of creation and the moral go-"The hour is coming, in the which vernment of God, consisting in all that are in the graves shall the display of his holy nature, hear his voice, and shall come in the view of creatures, can in forth; they that have done good no measure be attained without unto the resurrection of life; and it. The righteousness of God they that have done evil unto in the retributions of eternity the resurrection of damnacannot be seen unless the charac- tion." John v. 28, 29. ters of moral agents are known; and their characters cannot be known, otherwise than through their agency. This then is not essential to constitute a holy or sinful temper or character, but is essential to discover that temper or character, wherever it exists, to creatures. To conclude, the agency of creatures will disclose their natures, and the righteous God will display his righteousness in, or upon them, according to their natures. He that is so formed as to be tormented with the presence of God, will, so remaining, be accursed for ever; and he that is so formed as to be delighted with the presence of God will be blessed for ever. Amen.

What well-doing is connected with the resurrection of life.

MESSRS. EDITORS,

The advocates for the opinion, that the good works of men entitle them to future happiness, and that there is no way for them to become entitled to life and immortality beyond the grave, except by virtue of their own obedience and good works, may be ready to view these words of Christ as fully supporting this opinion. But when we take a view of the current language of the New Testament, we find this opinion absolutely irreconcilable with some of the leading and fundamental doctrines therein declared in terms most express and decisive, viz. That by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God-that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law-that if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain-and, that ye are saved by grace, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: no of works, lest any man should boast.

Still however, some may be difficulted to determine what or how much is esssential to the character of those who have done

IT is doubtless of some importance, that the distinction of character between those who will be raised to life at the last day, and those who will be raised to damnation, should be clear-good, in contra-distinction from ly marked. If the following those who have done evil, in observations should be judg- the sense intended by Christ. ed conducive to that end, and proper for a place in your useful publication, you will please to

insert them.

VOL. VI. NO. 10.

Were we to form our ideasof the character of those who will be raised to life, from Christ's words which have been

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means, and the certainty of not | and will shew that he likes not

obtaining in the neglect of those means, are motives abundantly sufficient to stimulate exertion. So in spiritual concerns, tho' the love of God in the heart is not the fruit of our own volitions and exertions, but the agency of the Holy Ghost alone, we have equal, nay, far greater, motives to exertion in proportion to the comparative importance of the object sought, in the diligent use of the means of salvation which God has appointed. For the intervention of means, for ought appears, is as indispensible in the latter case, as in the former; and in both cases, the end is connected, or not connected with the means, according to the good pleasure of him who worketh all in all.

to retain God in his knowledge. If he die an hour after birth, unless his nature is changed by the sovereign grace of God, he will perish; because he cannot love God, in whom he has his being, but is enmity against him. The glory of God constantly in view will necessarily torment him for ever. He can be nothing else but a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction. If he is saved it must be by the blood of Christ. And to render him capable of the enjoyment of God, which is the happiness of heaven, he must be born again; or his nature must be so changed, that the vision of God shall fill him full of delight and joy: or, which is the same thing, that in the vision of God he shall love If the foregoing observations | him with all the heart. Indeed, are just it will follow, that holi- the Saviour says, "Make the ness and sin are predicable of "tree good and his fruit good; the nature of man, rather than or else make the tree corrupt of his actions, or if predicable of" and his fruit corrupt the latter, it is by a metonymy of the effect for the cause. Love is the fulfilling of the law, this is holiness, the want of love then is the violation of the law, this is sin. Agency, or volition producing a visible effect, is not so properly holiness or sin in itself, as the evidence of it. Holiness and sin exist prior to action, and are the proper ground of it; and action takes its denomination from the principle which originates it.

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An infant, at the moment of his birth, is a sinner; not because he has done sinful tions, but because his nature is corrupt, or, because he is so formed, that as soon as he shall have a perception of God in any measure as he is, he will certainly turn from it with aversion;

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for the "tree is known by his fruit." And doubtless the actions of men, are the fruit they produce: because, it is by these they are known as the tree is known by his fruit. These actions of men therefore are good or evil as well as their natures. But in what sense are they good or evil? Doubtless in this sense, that they promote natural good or evil; or, in other words, happiness or misery, both in themselves and others. Still their natures only are holy or sinful, for it is the principle from which actions proceed, and that alone which gives denomination to agents. The true end of agency in creatures is to discover their respective natures; not to the omniscient God who sees the heart; but to one an

bther. This is important in the highest degree; for the ends of creation and the moral government of God, consisting in the display of his holy nature, in the view of creatures, can in no measure be attained without it. The righteousness of God in the retributions of eternity cannot be seen unless the characters of moral agents are known; and their characters cannot be known, otherwise than through their agency. This then is not essential to constitute a holy or sinful temper or character, but is essential to discover that temper or character, wherever it exists, to creatures. To conclude, the agency of creatures will disclose their natures, and the righteous God will display his righteousness in, or upon them, according to their natures. He that is so formed as to be tormented with the presence of God, will, so remaining, be accursed for ever; and he that is so formed as to be delighted with the presence of God will be blessed for ever. Amen.

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YHRIST, in one of his dis

courses with the Jews, said, "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." John v. 28, 29.

The advocates for the opinion, that the good works of men entitle them to future happiness, and that there is no way for them to become entitled to life and immortality beyond the grave, except by virtue of their own obedience and good works, may be ready to view these words of Christ as fully supporting this opinion. But when we take a view of the current language of the New Testament, we find this opinion absolutely irreconcilable with some of the leading and fundamental doctrines therein declared in terms most express and decisive, viz. That by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God-that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law-that if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain-and, that ye are saved by grace, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: no of works, lest any man should boast.

Still however, some may be difficulted to determine what or how much is esssential to the character of those who have done good, in contra-distinction from those who have done evil, in the sense intended by Christ.

Were we to form our ideas of the character of those who will be raised to life, from Christ's words which have been Y y

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