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acter, and exhibits every perfection of the Godhead in the most amiable, attractive and adorable point of view.

What blindness, arrogance, and presumption; what narrowness of spirit, pride, and selfishness, does it argue in us, imperfect, sinful, and short-sighted worms of the dust, to censure the conduct of infinite wisdom, to murmur and complain, to charge God foolishly, and say that his ways are not equal? The personal moral character of his creatures, is the ground of his retributions. In the execution of his eternal purposes, he will judge and reward every man according to his works; with an ultimate aim to his own glory, in the general happiness of his intelligent system. Then let us fear, adore and serve that God who hath power both to save and to destroy; who will take vengeance on his enemies, and by the displays of his justice and his grace, build up a glorious and eternal kingdom of holy and happy intelligences. Let us thankfully embrace the offered mercy of the Gospel, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, the only method of escape from the wrath to come; and rejoice that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. LEVI.

Con. Evan. Mag.

DR. SMALLEY'S REMARKS. (Continued from page 348.) Art. IV. Concerning the ability of sinners, in every respect, at any lime, to work out their own salvation, and to be perfect in every good work.

In another inference from Phil. ii. 12, 13, it is said, “If God always works in men both to will and to do, then they are as able to work out their own salvation, as to perform any of the common actions of life. The only reason why sinners suppose they are less able to work out their own salvation, than to do the common actions of life, is because they imagine they need more divine assistance in working out their own salvation, than in doing any thing else. If they are urged to repent, they say they cannot repent of themselves, for repentance is the

fruit of the Spirit. If they are urged to believe in Christ, they say they can not believe, of themselves, for faith is the gift of God. And if they are ur ged to make themselves a new heart, they say they cannot do this, of themselves, for it is the work of God to give them a new heart. These expressions plainly intimate that they suppose they always act of themselves, except in the concerns of religion; and of conse quence, that they are less able to per form religious duties than the common actions of life. But there is no just ground for this conclusion. They ne ver do act of themselves. They live, and move, and have their being in God, who constantly works in them both to will and to do, in every instance of their conduct. They are as able, therefore, to do right, as to do wrong; to do their duty, as to neglect their duty; to love God, as to hate God; to choose life, as to choose death; to walk in the narrow way to heaven, as to walk in the broad way to hell; and to tura from sin to holiness, as to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. Hence they are expressly required to begin to be holy, and to perform the very act of turning, and changing the heart. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord." Isaiah lv. 7. "Turn ye, turn ye, for why will die? Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new hearl, and a new spirit, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezek. xviii. 31, 32, &c. &c. Many other texts are quoted in proof of this, as if it were the laboring point; and the consequence, which only needed proof, namely, that whatever God requires of men, they must have every kind of ability to do, is passed over in silence, as if undisputed. Our author adds, in still more abundant proof of what he must well know his opponents did not dispute: "Besides, the sacred writers borrow similitudes from the common conduct of men, to illustrate the duty and obligation of sinners to repent and

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the gospel. The evangelical regenerate duties which has been built cries, "Ho, every one that on the principle that sinners are passive in regeneration, and of course are under an ethico-physical inability to do any thing in a holy and gracious manner, appears to be without the least foundation in scripture or reason."

REMARKS.

, come ye to the waters; and nath no money: come ye, buy yea, come, buy wine and vithout money and without These similitudes plainly sup hat every sinner is as able to e the gospel, as a thirsty man That there is the same propriety in ink water, or an hungry man to exhorting sinners to eat, and drink, and most delicious food." Every do every thing to the glory of God, as it should have been said, who there is in exhorting them to do any erly hungers and thirsts after thing at all, is readily granted. That usness; or who has an appe- sinners are under no such inability, sincere and keen, for the bread as renders them at all excusable in ater of life. "In the parable of not keeping all the commandments arriage supper, God is represent- of God, in the holy manner requisending forth his servants, to in-red, is readily granted. That all rainners to come and receive the tional creatures would be able to of his love. This invitation car- do all that their Creator requires of his idea, that sinners are as able them, were they fully so disposed, is me to the gospel feast, as to come readily granted. That any system by other to which they are kindly which supposes that unregenerate sined." Or would be, were they as ners please God, or can become enti. h so disposed. "Take away this tled to any promises of gospel grace, t of resemblance, and the parable by their supposed best duties, is a systally unmeaning, or extremely im- tem for which there is not the least inent." How extremely bold!-foundation in scripture or reason, is alhe parable of the prodigal son, is so readily granted. But that any such gned to illustrate the immediate || system can be built, with the least y of sinners to return to God, from plausibility, on the principle that sinom they have unreasonably departners are passive in regeneration, is not But where is the beauty or pro-granted. On the contrary, we think ety of the parable, unless sinners the very reverse is necessarily conas able to return to their heavenly nected with that principle. Nor can ther, as an undutiful, wandering we grant that this is a principle for ild is to return to his earthly parent?" which there is no foundation, in scrip By the obedience of the Rechabites,ture or reason; and, from what is seen od reproved the disobedience of his of human nature, it appears altogether eople: but did that example reach rational. e case, unless the Israelites were as

From God's commanding his im ble to obey the commands of God,|| penitent people to make them a new s the Rechabites were to obey the heart, it no more follows that sinners ommand of their father? It is the are active in their regeneration, than it lain language of these similitudes,|| follows that all men are perfectly free hat sinners are as able to work out from sin, because they are all comheir own salvation with fear and trem-manded to be thus perfect. The com bling, as to perform the most common mands and exhortations of scripture, actions of life. Hence, there is the make no allowance for the moral desame propriety in exhorting them to pravity of men: and yet we believe eat and drink, and do every thing to they are thence under a real inability the glory of God, as there is in exhort- to do the things commanded. ing them to do any thing at all. And If sinners cannot act in a right manhence, too, that whole system of un-ner, only because they are not so dis

This inability, whether called natural or moral, or ethico-physical, as parta king of both, we believe, consists i the mere want of a willing mind, or a an honest and good heart.

That there was such an inability a this in the people of Israel, when they

posed, it will not thence follow, that || chose rather, with swine, to feed up God can have no just right to require husks-all the difficulty will be solved them so to act. It may not be self- all the darkness will be dissipated evident, nor capable of easy proof, that no man can reasonably be commanded or exhorted to do otherwise than just as he pleases. Nor can it certainly be true, that if the unregenerate are of a totally sinful disposition, and that is all their inability, they are just as able to work out their own sal-had made a good profession and fa vation, by obeying the gospel, as to do promises, at the foot of Mount Sina any of the common actions of life, to appears from the words of God to Mo which they are most inclined. If sin- ses concerning them, recorded i ners were as ready to obey their Fa- Deut. v. 28, 29: "The Lord said un ther in heaven, as a child ever is to to me, I have heard the voice of this render obedience to earthly parents... people; they have well said, all that if the unregenerate had as sharp an ap- they have spoken. O that there were petite for the bread and water of life, such an heart in them that they would as a hungry man has for the most deli- || fear me and keep all my command, cious feast, or a man parched with ments always, that it might be wel thirst, for the cooling, stream...or if they with them, and with their children for were as willing to be reconciled to ever." That afterwards there was no God, in the way of the gospel, as the such an heart in these chosen tribes, prodigal was to return to his father, af- || notwithstanding all God's marvellous ter he had come to himself, and yet works for them, and all his gracious were unable--it would indeed be diffi-working in them, we find testified by cult, if not impossible, for us to see any Moses to them, in Deut. xxix. 2, 3, 4: justice in the commands of God, or "Ye have seen all that the Lord did propriety in the calls and exhortations before your eyes in Egypt, unto Pha of the gospel. Though even in that raoh, and unto all his servants, and uncase, it might become us to suspect to all his land:-The signs, and those the sufficiency of our own understand- || great miracles. Yet the Lord hath not ing to comprehend all misteries, rather given you an heart to perceive, and than to impute unrighteousness to our eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this Maker, or impertinence to the parabies day." That the same inability was in of our Saviour, and to the other simili- their descendants, many generations tudes of scripture. But if we can find after, see Jer. vi. 10: “To whom shall that all the inability of man to do what- I speak, and give warning that they ever is required of him in the gospel|| may hear? Behold, their ear is uncir of Christ, or in the original law of God, cumcised, and they cannot hearken.” consists merely in the sinful depravity And how it was with that people, at of his heart; that all the reason why the coming of their long expected unregenerate sinners cannot come to Messiah, see John i. 11 : He came the gospel feast, and partake of it as unto his own, and his own received invited, is because, like the Israelites him not." See also our Saviour's in the wilderness, their souls loathe words, Matt. xxiii. 37: "O Jerusalem, this heavenly manna; that all which Jerusalem, thou that killest the prorenders it impossible for them to re-phets, and stonest them that are sent turn with penitence to their heavenly unto thee, how often would I have Father's house, is their being of the gathered thy children together, even disposition of the prodigal, when he as a hen gathereth her chickens under wandered into a far country, wasted her wings, and ye would not !" John his substance in riotous living, and iii. 3: "Except a man be born again,

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ence. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as others."

e cannot see the kingdom of God." world, according to the prince of the nd verses 18, 19: "He that belie-power of the air, the spirit that now eth not, is condemned already, be-worketh in the children of disobediause he hath not believed in the name f the only begotten Son of God. And his is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved arkness rather than light, because heir deeds were evil." John v. 40: That any one who has ever attendYe will not come unto me that yelled only to these texts, and understood night have life." And chap. vi. 44:||them, if he believes the scriptures, No man can come unto me, except should imagine that there is no kind of he Father, which hath sent me drawinability in fallen men to work out their im." own salvation; or that there would be

We likewise learn from the evange- no justice in the law of God, nor proist John, in the beginning of his gos-priety in the calls of the gospel, unless bel, that such was then the sinful and all men were as able, in every respect, niserable condition of God's nominal truly to obey the law, and comply with beculiar people, that they were all un- the gospel, as they are to perform the able, because unwilling, to receive his common actions of life, which are Son whom he sent to save them, or to most pleasant to them, cannot but apbelieve on his name, except such as pear to me exceedingly wonderful.. were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, || but of God." Here we have a most express scripture proof of the exploded principle, that sinners are passive in regeneration; and that this essential change is not effected by any power of men, or proper efficacy of means.

But that it should be thought sinners are enabled to do whatever is required of them, by God's always working in them to will and to do the direct reverse, if possible, is still more astonishing. The postulate, or principle assumed, and taken for granted, that God thus works in men in every instance of their wicked conduct, is what I am far from believing; but if it were true, how the consequence drawn could be forced to follow, is quite beyond my comprehension. If sinners were irresistibly influenced at all times to do wrong, would this render them fully able to do right! Would their being moved by infinite power to neglect their duty, efficaciously excite them to do their duty! Did God work in them to will and to do, while going on in the broad way to hell, would they thence be made equally able and willing to alter their course, and run with

I will only add, that this doctrine of sthe total unholiness of all the sons and daughters of Adam, by ordinary gene#ration; and their consequent utter inability to work out their own salvation,|| or to repent and believe to the saving of the soul, until born again, by the washing of regeneration, or renewing of the Holy Ghost, is expressly taught by the apostle Paul, in several of his epistles. See Rom. viii. 7, 8: "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." 1 Cor. i. 14: "The natural man re-readiness in the narrow way to heaven! ceiveth not the things of the spirit of God; neither can he know them, be cause they are spiritually discerned." 1) And Eph. ii. 1, 2, 3: You hath heners, to will and to do in working out quickened, who were dead in trespass their salvation; and not, as they are es and sins; wherein, in time past, ye told he did in Pharaoh, to fit them for walked according to the course of this destruction.

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To help the matter in this way, one would think it ought to have been asserted, that God always works in sin

good men.

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Art. V. Respecting the imperfections of would prove final and fatal, see Saviour's words in John xv. 6: "I In a sermon on Rom. vii. 18: "To man abide not in me, he is cast fort will is present with me, but how lo per-as a branch,” as dead, dry limbs," form that which is good, I find nol:"men gather them, and cast them int It is supposed, that true christians are the fire, and they are burned." Se sometimes holy in perfection; and at moreover, the saying of God, in Hebr other times altogether destitute of ho- x. 38: "Now, the just shall live by liness. That when they have any ex- faith; but if any man draw back, m ercise of grace, though in the lowest soul shall have no pleasure in him." degree, they are as entirely free from And that the just, who have the faith sin, as angels and the spirits of just of God's elect, never do thus draw men in heaven. And, on the other back, is affirmed by the apostle in the hand, that whenever they have one next verse : "But we are not of the evil thought, or the least sinful affec- who draw back unto perdition; but o tion, they become again totally depra- them that believe to the saving of the ved, like the unregenerate. It is said, soul." "Though saints are conscious that their Thus plain and express are the de love to God, and other holy exercises, clarations of scripture, both that the are not so lively and vigorous at one holiest men on earth are at no time time as at another; yet they never perfectly free from sin; and likewise. feel to blame merely on account of that true believers in Christ, who have the languor or weakness of their reli-been born of the Spirit, are never to gious affections." These seem to be tally destitute of holiness. a new sort of saints. Those heretofore esteemed such, used to say, in their confessions to God,

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It is thought unnecessary, neverthe less, to insist much on the refutation of this last article of our new faith, for "Our faith, and love, and every grace, two reasons: Because the leader main"Fall far below thy word." ly noticed, is said to have few, if any, And how it comes now to be found followers in it; and because it is ap so certain, that real saints never feel at preliended to be so essentially conall to blame for the weakness of their nected with the first principles of the holy exercises, I know not. Nor am I novel system, that they must stand or able to see how all that is here suppo- fall together. Did all holiness, and all sed, concerning the alternate sinless sin consist in exercises only, it would perfection and total depravity of the indisputably follow, I conceive, that righteous, is any more consistent with every person, at all times, must be ei scripture, than with ancient Calvinis- ther perfectly holy, or entirely sinful. tic orthodoxy. That no mere man in This would obviously be the case, I this life, is ever perfect in holiness, see think, unless one might have directly 1 John i. 8: "If we say that we have opposite exercises at the same instant: no sin, we deceive ourselves." And which, it appears to me, cannot rationthat those who have been born again, ally be supposed. If there were no are never totally unholy, see chap. iii.sin in the mere total want of all reliverse 9, of the same epistle: "Who-||gion, certainly a good man would not soever is born of God doth not com- have any reason to blame himself, mit sin;" that is, with full consent of merely on account of the weakness of heart, as heretofore: "for his seed re-his religious affections. maineth in him ;" the seed of God- But if, on the other hand, as hath the seed of grace-a principle of holi-been shown, there may be holiness in ness. "And he cannot sin," habitually, as others do, "because he is born of God." Also that such a total apostacy in true believers, were it possible,

principle, prior to exercise, and sin in being unprincipled; if good nature can be amiable, and ill nature, or even only the want of a good disposition, can

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