Imatges de pàgina
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thefe, are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Let the first epistle to the Corinthians explain itself, iii. 1. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Chrift. By carnality he means the weakness, not the want of a principle of divine life in their hearts. And from this carnality, daily experience fhews, the greatest part of fincere Chriftians can feldom get wholly free. Again; The doing wrong and defrauding, with which he charges them, was going to law with their brethren, before unbelievers, 1 Cor. vi. 6

8. This was doing wrong to the church, and defrauding it of due honour; for it was infinuating, that there was not a wife man among them, able to judge between his brethren. And it might often be doing wrong to the brother, with whom they went to law. This was furely a fault, yet, probably, not a prefumptuous one. Self-intereft, as well as a bribe, blindeth the eyes of the wife, and leadeth men to fancy a clear title, where, in fact, there is none.

The apoftle fuppofes the Galatians in great danger of finishing in the flesh, Gal. iii. 3. of falling from grace, and of having Chrift become of no effect to them, Gal. v. 4. Key, chap. x. § 166.-The meaning of the firft paffage is evidently this. Having embraced Chriftianity, and received in confequence of this the faving influences and miraculous gifts of the fpirit, do you think to perfect your condition by returning to that carnal difpenfation, in which there was no fuch miniftration of the word?-The other paffage is not an address to true Chriftians. He had indeed faid to them, ver. 2. If ye be circum

cifed, Chrift fhall profit you nothing. He warns them of their danger, being jealous over them with a godly jealousy. Yet he entertained good hopes of them, ver. 10. " I have confidence in 66 you through the Lord, that ye will be none "otherwise minded." From them he turns to fuch, who, though they had not renounced the Chriftian name, yet had apoftatized from the true gofpel of Chrift, or were enticing others to such apoftacy, ver. 3, 4. "For I teftify again to every 66 man that is circumcifed, that he is a debtor "to the whole law. Chrift is become of no "effect unto you, whofoever of you are justified "by the law, ye are fallen from grace," i. e. ye are fallen from the doctrine of grace. And then he returns again to true Chriftians, whom he opposes to those whom he had thus warned, ver. 5. For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope "of righteousness by faith."

2 Peter ii. 22-23. fpeaks of Chriftians, who had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Chrift, and were again entangled therein and overcome, and after having known the way of righteousness, have turned afide from the holy commandment. Key, chap. xi. $215.-It fpeaks of men who had done fo. But leaft we should imagine, that thefe men were ever real Chriftians, renewed in the fpirit of their minds, he affigns it as the caufe of their apoftacy, that their doggish and swinish nature had always remained the fame, and that their reformation and good behaviour was meerly external, ver. 22. "It is happened to them according to the true "proverb, the dog is turned to his vomit again, "and the fow that was washed, to her wallowing " in the mire."

Paul

Paul tells Timothy, 2 Tim. ii. 10. "I endure all things for the Elect's fake, that they may alfo obtain the Salvation, which is Chrift Jefus, "with eternal glory." This fhews, it is one thing to be elect; and another thing to obtain that falvation which is connected with eternal

glory, Key, chap. xi. § 195.- -Undoubtedly it does. But does it alfo fhew, that thofe privi leges, though different, are not neceffarily connected? To prove this, would have been more for the Doctor's purpose; but, I apprehend, not fo eafy. This paffage no more proves, that the elect may fail of eternal glory, than Chrift's enduring fuffering, that God might be glorified in man's falvation, proves, that the whole of mankind may eternally perifh, and God reap no glory from that aftonishing transaction.

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§ 2. Dr. Taylor's fcheme obliges him to con fider grace to perfevere in religion, as a privi lege not neceffarily connected with election, adoption, vocation, and other bleffings, which he calls antecedent: but as confequent bleffings, depending on the precarious condition of our improvement of the antecedent bleffings, common to all Chriftians. Accordingly, he places, in his collection of texts relating to antecedent blef-consequend fings, thefe following: 1 Cor. i. 8. Who "fhall alfo confirm you to the end, that ye may "be blameless in the day of our Lord Jefus "Chrift." Theff. v. 23, 24. "And the very "God of peace fanctify you wholly and I pray "God your whole fpirit and foul, and body, be "preferved blameless unto the coming of our "Lord Jefus Chrift. Faithful is he that calleth 66 you, who alfo will do it." 2 Theff. iii. 3. "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you

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"and keep you from evil." Phil. i. 6. " Being "confident of this very thing, that he which "hath begun a good work in you, will perform "it until the day of Jefus Chrift." 1 Pet. i. 5. "Who are kept by the power of God, through "faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in "the last time."-And yet these promises plainly relate to church-members without exception, at leaft as much as the epithets elect, fanctified, &c. do. The Doctor, however, judged wifely in overlooking this circumftance, which, if he attended to, he could not but be confcious, would do no service to his fcheme of fanctified Chriftians eternally perifhing. For if his collection of texts, on antecedent bleffings, proves, that all to whom the apostles directed their epiftles, was confidered by them as elected, fanctified, called, &c. which I readily allow; these texts equally prove, that perfevering grace was a part of the common portion of Chriftians.

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§ I. AITH or Belief, in ftrict propriety of fpeech, is that credit we give to the teftimony of one, in whofe knowledge of what he teftifies, and in whofe integrity we confide. Though often it is used in a fense less proper, and denotes in general perfuafion or affent, whether founded upon teftimony or intrinsic evidence.

The Holy Ghoft in the facred oracles means to be understood, and therefore fpeaks to men in their own language, and uses words in their com mon acceptation. Faith therefore in the Scripture does not fignify, choice, affection, temper, or behaviour; for, in common language, it does not fignify thefe: but meerly perfuafion or affent, and commonly a perfuafion founded on teftimony.

The meaning of the word believe, in the following Scriptures, is plain to the most curfory reader: Exod. iv. 1. But behold they will not believe me. lb. ver. 5. That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers hath appeared unto thee. 1 Sam. xxvii. 12. And Achish believed David, saying, he hath made his people

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