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tion, He does not wifh fhould take place. The abfurdity of fuch a fuppofition, which makes the GOD of truth contradict himself, need not be pointed out.

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Once again; our SAVIOUR, to the question put to him, "LORD, are there few that be faved?" returned the following anfwer: "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many will feek to enter in, and fhall not be able."* On this head common fenfe teaches us to reason thus. Upon the fuppofition that there was an arbitrary decree of GOD, afcertaining the number, and determining individually the perfons, who fhall be faved; this direction of our SAVIOUR was both vain and ufelefs; becaufe no striving of man could, in this case, produce any alteration in his condition. To direct a man to strive, when, in confequence of his fate being determined by an over-ruling power, ftriving could answer no purpofe, would be fomething like locking a man up in prifon, and calling upon him to come forth, while you kept the key of the prison-door in your pocket.

But if we read the whole of our SAVIOUR's anfwer on this occafion, we fhall be convinced that the inability of the parties to enter in at the strait gate,

* Luke xiii. 24,

did not arise from any decree of God against them, but from defect in themselves. They had refused to enter in till the gate was fhut; or fought to enter in, without having gained the victory over their fpiritual enemies. No grace of GoD was wanting in this cafe, but holiness in man. The parties excluded might have entered in, had they been qualified for admiffion; but they were, as we read v. 27, "workers of iniquity."

To enter at large into the confutation of a doctrine which carries its own condemnation upon the face of it, would be a waste of time. Upon this idea we decline a particular confideration of those texts, which have been at different times fo grofsly mifapplied to this fubject; choofing rather to build what may be faid upon it, on the general design of the Gospel revelation; from the confideration, that where that is

*The original word here made ufe of by the Evangelift, fhews that it requires great conftancy, diligence, and courage; a sharp conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil, to fucceed in entering through the ftrait gate into life eternal. The word fignifies to ftrive to agony, with the utmost resolution, and with every faculty of body and mind. From whence we conclude, that something is left for man to do in this cafe. The gate of eternal life is opened to him by CHRIST, but the Chriftian muft fo ftrive as to become qualified for admiffion into it; otherwise, though he should" feek to enter, he shall not be able."

once understood, the meaning of particular paffages in it will be less liable to doubtful interpretation. And though this method does not give an answer to every cavil and objection, which enthusiasm and error have brought forward; yet it furnishes the confiderate Christian with that standard of judgment, by which every doctrine belonging to the religious system may be fo measured, as to enable him to build his concluit on the most rational foundation;

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The grace of GoD to man in the Gospel revelation, teaches him to " deny ungodliness and wordly lufts, and to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world." Whatever man, therefore, has received the Gospel in the truth and spirit of it, must manifeft its effects in his life and conversation; from whence the following axiom is deducible, that no found member of the church can be a bad member of fociety. A doctrine, then, which tends to weaken the obligation to repentance and newness of life; which fupports the finner with a false hope, or lulls him into a fatal fecurity; which proves destructive of one great end of CHRIST's death unto fin, namely, the reformation of the finner; thereby counteracting one great object of the Gospel revelation;-cannot be a doctrine that cometh from GOD.

That the doctrine of abfolute decrees produces this effect is certain, from the conclufion too generally drawn from it; the profeffors of it for the most part depending for falvation through CHRIST upon the ftrength of a positive and irrevocable decree in their favour, antecedent to their birth, and not dependent on their actions; the too general confequence of which has been, that instead of adorning the doctrine of GOD their Saviour in all things, which Chriftians are called upon to do, many have been led to difgrace it.

The remark of ERASMUS, the ftrenuous and unanfwerable oppofer of this doctrine, was this: "Of old (faid he) the Gospel made men better; but the new pretended gospel made them much worfe." And in another epistle upon the fame fubject he wrote ftill more strongly." This new gospel (fays he) founded upon the doctrine of abfoluté decrees, has produced a new generation of obftinate, impudent, hypocritical people, who are revilers, liars, deceivers; and who do not agree among themfelves, and are very uneafy to others; who are feditious, furious, given to cavilling; and with whom I am fo much diffatisfied, that if I knew any town where none of them were, I would go thither, and choose to live in it,"

This decifive judgment of ERASMUS upon the effects produced by the doctrine here alluded to, brings to my mind the answer made by an eminent preacher of it to fome brethren who were enquiring into the fuccefs of his miniftry. "I have made (replied he) many profelytes, and have a very full congregation; but (continued the preacher) all the effect I have found is, that I have preached a congregation of Christians into a congregation of devils."

I would not be understood as adopting all the harsh expreffions that have been at different times made ufe of upon this fubject; because, at any rate, the application of them does not belong to the wellmeaning among these mistaken people; but my object is to point out the general ill effect of the doctrine itself. And fo long as it tends to cherish an idea, that falvation through CHRIST is a thing independent of the perfonal condition of the party; the foregoing language made ufe of by ERASMUS, and the preacher, is not, fo far as thofe perfons are concerned, in whose mind fuch an idea prevails, too strong for it. So long as it shall be maintained to be found doctrine, that the true faints of GOD, as they are called, may commit horrible and crying fins, die without repentance, and yet be fure of falvation; we minifters are

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