From these abundant and clear testimonies of Scripture I conclude, that all the divine dispensations from the creation of the world to this hour, have for their object, not to inculcate the doctrines of absolute predestination, personal election, irresistible grace, and indefectible perseverance, but to awaken our exertion, alarm our fears, excite our hopes, stimulate our activity. This is the inference of the apostle after recounting the conduct of the patriarchs and prophets, the saints and martyrs, from the beginning of the world to the very hour in which he addressed his admonitions to the disciples, who from being followers of Moses, had been converted to the faith in Christ; that Christ, whose great example confirmed the system of instruction, which had been previously conveyed by his providential dispensations. "Wherefore," said he, "seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."* Thus, to serve God sincerely, vigilantly, and constantly, is the grand practical effect, for the production of which, all the dispensations of Providence, all the instructions of Scripture, all the influences of grace concur. And who then can imagine that the favour of God can be attained except we endeavour to study and obey his laws, to revere and adore his majesty, to improve his gifts, to imitate his benevolence, and to promote his glory? Besides, before we can be admitted to share the happiness of heaven, we must be qualified to enjoy it, and this the wicked cannot do. "Know ye not," says the apostle, "the unrighteous cannot inherit the kingdom of God." A declaration which clearly intimates, that the licentious, the irreligious, the malignant, would be incurably wretched even in heaven itself; that they would fly from the society of "just men made perfect," and would shrink with unutterable horror from the presence of a pure and holy God. We must "love our God with all our heart, and mind, Hebrews xii. 1 and 2. and strength," before we can be fit associates for the inhabitants of heaven; whose perpetual employment and delight it is, to contemplate the glories, celebrate the praises, and dispense the mercies of their almighty King. The pure of heart alone can be admitted to see God. Now, surely it is inconceivable, that our natures should be thus improved, every good disposition cultivated, every evil one repressed and subdued, without any effort or concurrence of our own, but by a power acting independent of all such concurrence, with irresistible influence and infallible effect. When has the moral Governor of the world been found to bestow on men even in this world, the advantages of prudence, when they submit to be hurried away by passion or caprice? When has he interfered to confer skill and knowledge on the idle and uninquiring, serenity and peace of mind on the envious and malignant, the enjoyments of friendship and affection on the sordid and selfish? Is not every period of human life a preparation for the next; exactly as religion teaches us, time is the preparation for eternity? The unteachable and self-willed youth, loses the only opportunity of acquiring that character and those attainments, which render manhood useful and respectable. He who consumes the prime and vigour of his years in profligacy and vice, prepares for himself an old age of contempt, disease, and wretchedness. Reason and Scripture, therefore, equally lead us to expect, that this life is in the same progress of things a state of discipline and trial, on our conduct in which our future interest depends. "Work out then your own salvation.' There is not the slightest reason for believing, that it will be secured to you without an effort or concurrence of your own. This would be contrary to the voice of reason, the suggestions of conscience, the analogy of nature, and above all, to the word of God. I shall conclude this part of the argument by observing, that wherever the divine aid is promised in Scripture, to assist us in obtaining spiritual blessings or forwarding our religious improvement, though the mode of expression may appear to imply, that such blessing or improvement is the immediate and sole work of God, yet in the very same passage, or in some other passage relating to the very same subject, we shall find it as clearly declared, that it is our duty to seek and labour for that blessing, and that improvement; and that this declaration expresses, in the strongest terms, that if we do not thus seek and labour, we never shall attain it. Thus, if in one effusion of devotion the psalmist prays to his God, "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin: for I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me: create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."* In another he declares, that it is the duty of man thus to cleanse and renew his spirit. "Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth. I will wash my hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me."t And the prophet exhorts the chosen people as a duty, which it is in their power to fulfil; "Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings, from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment; relieve the oppressed; judge the fatherless; plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together; saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." But was this sanctification, unconnected with their own efforts? Far otherwise; for the prophet adds, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the fruit of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Thus again; though God alone can effectually purge the heart, yet may every man's own wickedness prevent his purgation, according to the prophet's denunciation, against the depraved Jewish race. "Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged; thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent ; according to thy doings shall they judge thee, saith the Lord God."§ Ps. li. 2, 3 and 10. † Ps. xxvi, 2, 3, 6, and 11. Isaiah, i. 16-18. The necessity of caution and moderation, as to the interpretation of Scripture in all passages connected with the subject of our present discussion, is most signally apparent in the comparison of two different passages of the prophet Ezekiel. One is where he calls to the house of Israel, "repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast from you away all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart, and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye."* This call would surely be unmeaning and unapplicable, if the final doom of every individual were fixed by an eternal decree of predestination altogether independent of his conduct or concurrence; unalterable by any effort in his power. But if, seeing the error of absolute predestination thus exposed, we should conclude, that man could work out his own reformation, and change his heart and affections by his own power, and that the agency of the Holy Spirit had no part in such change; the rashness of such a conclusion would be exposed by another passage of the same prophet, which predicts, that a general reformation of the house of Israel would be effected by the powerful influence of the Spirit of God, as its great and leading agent. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God."t I trust I may be permitted to remark, without being accused of too minute a refinement, that the different objects which the prophet appears to have in view in the two different addresses which we have noticed, may contribute to account for the Ezek. xviii. 30-32. + Ezek. xxxvi. 25,-28. and xi. 19. 20. See also, Jer. xxxi. 33, 34-xxxii. 38-40. apparent difference of the principles which he respectively advances. When he calls on the people whom he was at that moment addressing, immediately and individually to repent and turn to their God, it was natural and necessary he should address them as having the power to obey the sacred call, and hence their most vigorous and prompt exertions were indispensably required. But, in the other prediction, of a great national reformation which at a remote period would take place, it was natural and necessary that he should conciliate attention and promote faith in his hearers, by impressing strongly the idea of that providential control over nations, by which God regulates all their concerns, civil and religious, with an overruling energy. Each principle is equally and strictly true. But each is brought prominently forward, as it is best adapted to the peculiar purpose which, on each occasion it was necessary to promote. These declarations, though different, cannot be irreconcileable. Place them together and their consistency may be easily shown. In the former, the prophet calls upon the people, "cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Here every exertion is called for, as essential to their reformation. But lest the apparent difficulty and experienced ill success of their own efforts, should produce despair under national circumstances singularly discouraging, the prophet is authorised in the other declaration to assure them, that notwithstanding such discouragements, the assisting grace of God would remove all difficulties, and insure their ultimate success. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes." Thus combined, these declarations appear exactly correspondent to the exhortation of St. Paul, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God, which worketh in you, to will and to do after his good pleasure." This appears the uniform tenor of Scripture. Sometimes sinners are called to repent and reform, to work out their own salvation, and they are called on to do this with an earnestness, VOL. III. X |