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this dead faith, and that living faith which "worketh by "love." The miracles and discourses of our Lord were the means used in bringing men to believe in him; but the drawing and teaching of God were in every case the efficacious cause of true faith, as he himself hath expressly testified; "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and “I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the

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prophets, and they shall be all taught of God, every "man therefore who hath heard, and hath learned of the "Father, cometh unto me."—" Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. "*

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P. xx. 1. 1. 'A sincere, &c.'t This is the undoubted import of the words of our Lord:‡ but it determines nothing concerning the source of this sincere 'disposition,' whether from fallen nature, or from the special grace of God.

P. xx. l. 7. 'No acuteness of understanding, no 'depth of learning, no labour of research were requi

site, &c.' 'A sincere disposition to obey the divine 'will' must include a sincere desire of becoming acquainted with it; and how can this be manifested except by the labour of research? If a Calvinist had incautiously dropped such a word from his lips or pen: many would have said, that he expected the knowledge of the doctrine, without the labour of searching the scriptures, and diligently using the proper means of obtaining that knowledge; supposing that he should receive it in consequence of a divine decree, by some vision or new revelation, according to the presumptuous hopes of en

* John vi. 44, 45. 65.

A sincere disposition to obey the Divine will was therefore all that was necessary, to enable a person to judge whether the doctrine preached by 'Christ was the invention of man or a revelation from God.'

+ John vii. 17.

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thusiasts. But we remember, that he who said, "He "shall know the doctrine, &c;" said also, "Search the "scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, "and they are they which testify of me:"* and also "the instructions of Solomon: "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments "with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, "and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou cri"est after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for "her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the "fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God; for "the Lord giveth wisdom."† We do not expect to know the will, or truth of God, without the labour ' of research;' or without fervent constant prayer to be enabled to understand, believe, and obey the word of God. Thus the Bereans "received the word with all "readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, "whether those things were so; therefore many of them "believed."‡

P. xx. l. 16. These men, however reluctantly, 'believed that Jesus was the Messiah, although their 'faith did not produce a suitable conduct.'-The sufficiency even of our fallen nature, to yield to unanswerable evidence, and reluctantly to believe, without loving or obeying, few Calvinists would deny. But this dead and worthless faith, of which even devils are capable, is distant, toto cælo, from the faith of those," who believe "to the saving of their soul."

P. 22, 1. 19. 'These new proselytes amounted to 'three thousand souls, whom St. Luke here represents as by degrees converted, before they received the 'Holy Ghost.'-His Lordship seems to make a dis

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• John v. 39. § John xii. 42, 43.

Prov. ii. 1-6.

+ Acts xvii. 1 1, 12.

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tinction between the proseliting, and the converting of this company. They suddenly became proselytes, and by degrees were converted. But in the history nothing of this kind appears. The apostle says, "Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus "Christ for the remission of sins." "Then they that gladly received the word were baptized. And the same day there were added to them, about three thou"sand souls.”* Did they then "gladly receive the "word, which called them to repentance and faith in "Jesus Christ;" and the profession of that faith by being baptized: and were they added to the apostles and primitive believers, before they were converted? Or do any imagine, that Calvinists in general expect more sudden conversions? Averse as our opponents may be to sudden conversions, (and probably they are not more so than many of us are,) it might have been supposed, that on so extraordinary an occasion, it would have been admitted, that these persons were suddenly converted: though it should have been necessary to caution the reader against considering this as a general rule for conversions in ordinary circumstances: and that the events of that memorable day would have been regarded as parallel to the case of the penitent thief on the cross. -They were, however, converted before they received 'the Holy Ghost:' But if "no man can say, that Jesus "is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost;"+ if the office of the Holy Ghost be to "convince-of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;"-to "glorify Christ; " and to receive of his, and shew them to men;"‡ and if "love, joy, and peace," be "the fruits of the Spirit:" "be" then they certainly had received the Holy Ghost as "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," on the very day of

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Acts ii. 38 41. † 1 Cor. xii. 3.

John xvi. 7-12.

Pentecost; for "they continued stedfastly in the apos"tles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, "and in prayers."* At what time they received the Holy Ghost, as enduing them with miraculous powers, and the gift of tongues, it is not said; but surely, the things recorded of them in the close of the second chapter of Acts, shew that they were immediately rendered true believers in Christ.

P. xxiii. 1. 4. This miracle and these arguments, 'by their united force, gradually removed all prejudice.' Where do we read in the history of gradually, and 'progressive effect,' as afterwards in the same page, in St. Luke's narrative? If a Calvinist had endeavoured to give such a turn to any passage, which seemed to militate against his doctrines, it would, and indeed justly, have been ascribed to his partial attachment to a peculiar system.

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P. xxiii, 1. 19. The conversion of these persons 'also was owing to the exercise of their own natural powers.' Is it here meant, that Hic Deus nihil fecit?” Must every instance of conversion, recorded in scripture, be expressly noticed as the effect of special grace, in order to prevent the conclusion, that it was wholly from fallen nature, unrenewed, nay, unassisted? But perhaps no more was meant; than that no coercion was used; and that the conversion of the Samaritans was effected in entire consistency with the free exercise of their own rational powers.

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P. xxiv. 1. 9. Had it, &c.'t Cornelius was "a de"yout man, and one that feared God with all his house, "which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to

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Acts ii. 42-47.

Had it been consistent with the plan of divine Providence to communi'cate such conviction by supernatural influence, the preaching of Peter in the house of Cornelius would have been superfluous and unnecessary.'

"God alway." He was a just man,-" of good re

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port among all the nation of the Jews;" "his prayer "was heard, and his alms were had in remembrance in "the sight of God."* Now will any minister of our established church ascribe all these things to man's fallen nature, independent of special grace? We have no 'power of ourselves to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God in Christ ' preventing us that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.' 'We 'humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us, thou dost put into our hearts good desires, '&c.' The miraculous powers afterwards conferred were evidently distinct from that special grace, by which a gentile had been brought to "fear God and work righteousness," in so exemplary a manner.

Again, let the argument concerning Peter's preaching being superfluous and unnecessary, on the supposition, that supernatural influence produced the conviction on the mind of Cornelius and his friends, be fairly considered. The casting down of the walls of Jericho was indisputably the effect of supernatural power; but was all the conduct of Joshua, and of the priests, and of Israel, superfluous and unnecessary?' If in instances evidently miraculous, the use of appointed means are neither superfluous nor unnecessary; how can they be so, in any case, in which supernatural power is exerted? To use the appointed means, and to expect success from the opus operatum, and not from God, is self-dependence; to neglect means, and yet to expect success from God, is enthusiasm and presumption. But to use the means which God has appointed, and to depend on

Acts x. 2. 4. 22. 31. VOL. I.

† Art x.

F

Col. for East. Sund.

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