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like this be your meaning, you certainly do not yet profess the truth of the gospel, any further than almost all the inhabitants of Great Britain profess it. But if you only mean that all men are sinners, and that none but sinful men receive the Lord Jesus, it is decidedly true: for unto none others is he sent. It is equally true, if you mean that the belief of the truth, as it is in Jesus, always includes or brings with it a discovery of the real nature of sin, and our own character as sinners.

Let me add a few words upon the two texts, about the interpretation of which you say you differ from me. You judge quite right in supposing that I have no pretensions to infallibility in the interpretation of particular passages of scripture. In fact, there are many on which I can honestly say nothing, but that I do not understand them; and others, of which, though I may conjecture their meaning, I am quite doubtful, and would much rather learn than teach. But I own that I see nothing in what you have offered on Numb. xxx. to make me change the language I have held on that passage. Whatever may be said of your view of the typical meaning of the regulations given to the Jewish people in that chapter, it would be quite wild to deny that it literally contained directions about what vows were to be considered binding, and what were not. To take another instance, we know, from infallible authority, that the passover was a striking type of Christ; yet would you deny that the Mosaic directions about the observance of the passover were to be literally attended to by the Jews, while the Levitical law continued? Now, on that chapter in Numb. I believe I have simply remarked, that there is an obvious allusion to the 2nd verse, in the introduction of Christ's prohibition against swearing; and have introduced the passage as illustrative of the nature of the oaths prohibited. But perhaps you would like so to spiritualise the Lord's prohibition, as to leave yourself at liberty to take as many oaths as your worldly interest called for. As to Phill. ii. 13, I do not recollect that I have said a word upon that verse, though I know I have at some length asserted the real meaning of the preceding verse, against the divines and our translators. Upon your interpretation of the 13th verse I do not think it worth while to raise an argument. It is very certain that the Lord's people are made a willing people in the day of his power.

I am glad to learn the general view you take of the book of Psalms. David was a prophet, and spake not of himself, but as the spirit of Christ that was in him did signify, of the sufferings of Christ and his following glory. There is no part of scripture more devoutly wrested to their own destruction, by ungodly religionists, than that book; and none more glorious, when it is seen in the light of that interpretation which the Spirit of Truth gives in the New Testament scriptures. But you are quite mistaken, when you suppose that others have not maintained, and publicly maintained, the same view. ever you meet with honest John Barclay's work on the Psalms, you will find it blessedly asserted. To be sure he was reckoned mad in his day, as those who are made wise to salvation may expect to be reckoned; the servant is not above his master. However, I fancy I

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should never be able to keep pace with you in your interpretations of the book of Job, &c. I see strong, and at present insuperable, objections to view Job as either identified with, or typical of, the man Christ Jesus. If you marked him, as to be seen in Elihu, perhaps you would speak much more correctly. But really such critical disquisitions on difficult scriptures I should decline, even if we had a personal interview. I am mostly occupied by what is plain in the word, as plain to any old woman as to myself: and I do not find that real scriptural knowledge is promoted, by exercising our vain fancies in squeezing some evangelical interpretation out of every part of scripture. At the same time, I know that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy; and am therefore sure, that if I had more of the spirit of wisdom and revelation, I should see Him in many a passage where I do not now. But why should I pretend to be wiser than I am? * * * *

XCIV.

TO S. W

Yours, &c. &c.

Jan. 6, 1823.

DEAR BROTHER,-We have been commissioned by the church to convey to you their solemn and affectionate admonition on the evil of your conduct; and we adopt this method of doing so, from the apprehension, that we should at present find insuperable difficulties in the attempt to obtain a personal interview. For a long time now, those who have observed you most closely, have mourned over the many symptoms of your declension from the faith; but the immediate evil which was laid before the body at its last meeting, is your having determinately refused to afford to some of the brethren any opportunity of inquiring into a report, which we had heard, of your being lately married, and in circumstances which necessarily excited the apprehension, that you have had your marriage solemnized (as they call it) in the common way, by the intervention of a clergyman; as well as probably preceded by the affidavits, which the law in such cases requires. The object, however, of our present dealing with you, is not at all to inquire whether that report and those apprehensions be or be not well founded. It is to call your attention, in the name of the Lord, to the undeniable evil of which you have been guilty, to your violation of every principle of brotherly love, in obstinately refusing to afford your brethren an opportunity of obtaining satisfaction from you, by either sparing a few minutes when we last saw you, or by appointing any time (as you were intreated to do) when we might meet you on the subject. You must have become, indeed, awfully blinded to the principles of our Christian

fellowship, if you think for a moment that such conduct is consistent with them. It is conduct which can spring from nothing but pride of heart, indifference to your brethren, or desire to cover your sin. Deceive not yourself, brother, by saying that you have faith, and talking about the glorious gospel, when you manifest that you have not that love which is one of the first works of faith. But, blessed be God, that gospel which you too plainly are letting slip, still abideth the same and unchangeably true; still proclaiming to you from heaven peace by Jesus Christ, who has died for our sins and risen again according to the scriptures. Whatever be the depth of varied iniquity in which you may be found, this is still suited to restore your soul, to heal your backslidings, and to lead you in the paths of righteousness and peace. Remember from whence you are fallen, and repent: "for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;" and He has said, If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." We commend this our admonition to the blessing of Him, who alone can make it effectual for your recovery; and still cherish the hope that you will be restored to our confidence.

XCV.

TO THE SAME.

Jan. 13, 1823.

WE once more address you, dear brother. We address you as a poor sick brother, at the point of death. We address you with the words of eternal life. It is a faithful saying-" He that hateth reproof shall die :"- -"He that despiseth instruction despiseth his own life :”—“ He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without pity." Prov. xv. 10. 32. xxix. 1. If, indeed, you have ever tasted that the Lord is gracious, if you have ever had your fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, may we not appeal to your own conscience, that it is even now an evil thing, and a bitter, to depart from the living God. For where is now the blessedness you have enjoyed, your peace and joy in believing, your glorying in the holy name of the Lord, your standing in the light and liberty of his glorious gospel? In place of those things, is there not darkness, and the shadow of death, and vexation of spirit, irritation and pride of heart, while the recollection of the divine truths which you have acknowledged, only haunts your conscience, and produces a kind of anticipation of that worm which dieth not? But is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Does not Wisdom still cry aloud to the most foolish and the most rebellious, "Turn you at my reproof;"-" Return unto the Lord, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity ;"- Take

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with you words and turn to the LORD; say unto him, Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously; so will we render the fruit of our lips." He that indites such words to backsliding sinners, will assuredly in no wise cast out any that come unto him. But beware lest that come upon you that is written-" Because I called and ye refused," &c.-" Our God is a consuming fire." If we should not hear from you before the next meeting of the church, or if we see you not before its termination, we must infer that you still reject the admonition offered to you in the name of the Lord: and you will sooner or later know that it is an awful thing-(however impatient for it you may be in your present mind)-to be cut off in his name from the fellowship of a church acting under the authority of his word.

XCVI.

TO MR. P. C

March 21, 1823.

MY DEAR SIR,-I regret that I have been so tardy in replying to your letter of the 28th ult. from bad health and much business, and the necessity I feel of replying at considerable length; as you may perceive from the enormous sheet of paper I have taken. I read your letter with considerable satisfaction, a satisfaction connected (as you may suppose) with the appearance which I see, of your discerning the great truth as it is in Jesus, in contradistinction to the various counterfeits which pass under its name. I have long been convinced that a great majority of those who profess to like many parts of my writings, and to agree with me in general on the way of a sinner's acceptance in the sight of God, really mistake my meaning; and themselves mean quite a different thing from that which I desire to put forward. I cannot, therefore, but be pleased when any thing I say proves the occasion of manifesting that difference, which I am sure exists, and which they are dishonestly anxious to cover. This has been the case with those parts of my Reply to Mr. Haldane, which assert the unchanged and unchangeable character of ourselves. Many of the evangelical world are willing to admit in words the totality of human corruption in a sinner, on his first hearing and believing the truth of the gospel, and deriving from it relief to his conscience, and hope towards God. But when they are told that this is the only good hope which a man can ever have, and that the gospel speaks no comfort to the oldest believer, but that which it speaks equally to the publican and harlot; they immediately shew their animosity to the truth, and view it with just the same aversion and disgust as it excited in the Scribes and Pharisees of old. They

conceive they stand upon a much higher ground and firmer foundation than is laid for absolute sinners; and wonder how any, whose words they were before disposed to admire, can assert a doctrine, which seems to them to subvert the very basis of morality and good works, especially that good work which they mean by sanctification. Their views of what they call sanctification in themselves I have been accustomed to illustrate, from supposing that the mass of iron, which the prophet caused to swim, was endued with consciousness, and occupied with admiration of its having lost the properties of iron, and become cork. However, we know that it was iron still when at the surface of the water, just as much as when at the bottom: and nothing but the same divine power, which raised it from the bottom at first, kept it afloat afterwards-kept it from its own continual tendency to sink. I confess I should need no more to convince me, that any man's hope was the hope of the hypocrite, (however plausibly and clearly he might appear to speak about the truth), than his telling me that his nature was less corrupt and ungodly than it had been. At the same time I am sure that, while I assert these sentiments, I must be regarded by the most refined professors with a jealous eye, as indisposed to the interests of holiness. They do not know what the "holiness of the truth" is: and they conceive that a believer's flesh-or his proper self-can be no further evil, than as he is left to walk after its lusts. Its lusting also against the Spirit they recognize only in those overt acts of wickedness, which all the world agree in reprobating: but it is not till the mind is subdued by that great truth which reveals THE GLORY OF GOD, that we discover the evidence of our own ungodliness, in the continued opposition of our minds to that divine truth, and in our continual propensity to let slip the things which we have learned. As to your brother's boasted evidence of his nature being sanctified, it ought reasonably to check his confidence to consider, that Socrates, and many another heathen, might have given the same account of himself with equal truth. But to tell the truth, I should not be at all surprised if the man who made the boast―(supposing that he ever had a taste for the mountain dew)—went to bed that night as drunk as Bacchus; and if he be a vessel of mercy whom God has ordained to glory, I can readily conceive such a thing to be mercifully permitted, in order to plunge his fancied holiness in the mire. But unless I pull in the reins, I shall fill my sheet, without entering on any of the topics of inquiry which you propose.

The unsettlement of your Baptist principles I hear of with satisfaction, only as they appear to be shaken by the breaking in of the great truth upon your mind. I would not give a bawbee to convert all the Baptists in the world from their baptism, if they did not give it up by being converted from their false gospels. As to the passages of scripture which still stick with you, little needs to be said. You say that you have "no difficulty in getting over the other passages in the Acts of the Apostles," &c. Now probably you mean very right: but let us be much upon our guard against attempting to get over any passage of scripture. I would always desire to give the fullest and freeest scope to every thing contained in the Word; certain that to attempt main

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