those who are wholly in Christ Jesus. Why so? Because they walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. This is being under grace, for here the teachings of grace are complied with ; all ungodliness is denied.

This is certainly the case where there is not a walking after the flesh but after the spirit; for what saith the apostle, "Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh," Gal. v. 16. Again, "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other;" Gal. v. 17. indeed so contrary that it is impossible for him that walketh in and after the spirit, to live in the fulfilment of the lusts of the flesh: so that the apostle was very safe in his assertion that such should not, because he knew they could not.

Our blessed Lord also tells us, "No man can serve two masters" but many who will think themselves his followers, and servants too, plead a privilege of serving his enemy at his expense, and of being in him, whilst under the condemnation of his righteous law of light; although it is certain there is "no condemnation to those who abide really in him;" not because he becomes "a cloak for their sins," by imputation of his righteousness to them whilst they remain sinful in themselves; for this is as glaring an absurdity as can be, and impossible to be true; but by actually doing away their sins. He shall save his people from, not in their sins; his work is salvation. This is the destruction of sin, he destroys the works of the devil, makes an absolute end of sin in the soul, and brings in everlasting righteousness, true holiness, without which none shall see the Lord..

This is never imputed, indeed cannot, in the nature of things, be imputed to the sinner continuing in sin. "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity;" but why? Because his sins being remitted, and his soul cleansed, he is in fellowship with his God. But there is no fellowship between light and darkness, Christ and belial. God will forever impute sin to the soul that liveth in it. He is in eternal opposition to all evil; therefore evil deeds must always bring under condemnation; it is an impossibility that any man should be holy in Christ whilst he is sinful in himself. God sees us as we are,

but man is prone to believe absurdities, and will in general sooner lay hold of almost any broken reed, and believe an impossibility, than submit to the daily cross of Christ, which alone. can slay the enmity, and bring him into real discipleship. Indeed, what cannot that man believe, who can think himself holy in Christ, and yet be actually unholy! It is true Christ reconciles to God, and justifies the ungodly; for if we were not ungodly, what need of reconciliation and justification? The work of reconciliation is of twain making one new man, and so making peace; justification is the making him just who was not so before.

The apostle, after telling the believers they were once sinners, adds, "but ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified;" and without this washing of regeneration, this real sanctification of the spirit, no complete justification and reconciliation with God can ever be known.

What has

Will God that which

What reconciliation does man stand in need of? separated him from God? Has any thing but sin? then be reconciled to him again in sin? No, verily doth let and separate, will forever let and separate, till it be removed out of the way.

It is removed, these imputarians may say, by Christ. I grant it is, where Christ destroys the works of the devil in the soul, and no where else. How is it removed where it remains? This is as gross delusion, and as rank absurdity as the old doctrine of transubstantiation. That was contrived as an easy way to get to heaven in sin, and so was this, and each alike stark naught for the purpose. God is a fountain of unchangeable purity; had it not been so, sin would not separate the soul from him, or from his approbation. And no possible sophistry, no twisting, turning, or daubing a thousand ways, can ever reconcile one soul to him, that remains defiled with, or under the power of sin. God might as well have remained in full unity with Adam in his disobedience and alienation, as now to be reconciled to any other man in sin; the same impossibility that prevented one will forever prevent the other.

Death, immediate death, was, spiritually, the consequence of sin to Adam; this separated him from the presence of the Lord,

and made him a wanderer in the earth; and every sin of every soul that is in its original nature deadly, or a sin unto death, will as surely in like manner bring spiritual death instantly upon the soul, and continue the soul under death and banishment from God, till it is removed, rooted out, destroyed, or washed

away.

Adam had his fig-leaves for a covering, and ever since, his followers in transgression have been sinning and sewing figleaves together, turning this way and that to hide their nakedness. But so sure as the cherubim and flaming sword turned every way in Adam's day, against him, so certainly do they still against every soul that continues in sin. Turn which way he will, these will turn as many ways against him, for they are placed on purpose to keep the way of the tree of life, and can no more suffer any other man than they could Adam, to put forth his hand and take of the tree of life, to eat, and live for

ever.

Every soul that feeds upon the tree of life will live forever; its leaves are for the healing of the nations, but it grows in the midst of the paradise of God, where no impure thing can come. Nothing can come there, but what the flaming sword has no controversy with; that is, none but those who have known the seed of the woman, Christ the life and light of the world, to bruise the serpent's head in them. These are saved by the righteousness of Christ; and there is no more possibility of being saved by Christ, while sin liveth in them, and they in sin, than there was for Adam, in rebellion, to eat of the tree of life; it is one and the same thing in the very ground of it, and all the reason exists now against it that ever did.

The whole scope of salvation by Christ, is that of a real bruising of satan under us, destroying his power in us, binding the strong man, casting him out, utterly spoiling all his goods, granting us remission of sins that are past, preservation in righteousness and true holiness all the days of our lives, and union and communion with God, the fountain of all good, here and hereafter forever.

True it is, "if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for

our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world;" 1 John ii. 1, 2. but this advocacy and propitiation does not exempt us from the necessity of daily self-denial, and real inward holiness, else Christ would be a cloak for our sins, whereas he himself testifies, that if he "had not come and done the works which none other man did," the people would not have had sin; "but now they have no cloak for their sin." John xv. 22, 24. He died, not that we might sin with impunity, but that we should henceforth not serve sin, nor live unto ourselves, but unto him that died for us. Through the mercy of God in Christ, we have, upon true faith and repentance, remission of past sins, and this holds as long and as often as upon any slip, deviation, or 'short coming, we lay hold on our propitiation, by true faith and real unfeigned repentance; and this remission is without respect of persons, as elect.or reprobate from eternity. He tasted death for every man and is the fountain of propitiation for all. "He that will come may come, and partake of the waters of life freely, without money and without price." We have none of us, as men, any thing wherewith to pay the price of remission of sins; if we have it, we must have it freely; it is an act of free grace and pardon, but is not bestowed on those who continue sinning on, crucifying the son of God afresh and putting him to open shame. It is they that come that partake of the waters of life, and not they that will not come. Christ would have gathered rebellious Jerusalem, (so universally is he a propitiation for sin,) but they absolutely would not; hence, though he stood ready a propitiation for their, as for all men's sins, yet they would not have the benefit thereof, so it becomes their condemnation. For he does not force our wills, so as to destroy that free agency, without which we could not be accountable creatures.

It is utterly vain to address mankind, upon the score of religion, duty, faith, and obedience, upon any other principles than those of free moral agency. If man can have no freedom of choice, say no more to him about his duty, leave him to the results of fatality; but call him not a rebel or sinner for doing what his God eternally decreed he should do, and therefore must delight to have him do. If man does God's will, what God

ever willed and determined him to do, let his fellow creatures cease casting stones at him; cease to blame and defame him; for sure I am, he pleases his God completely, who does his will exactly; and if his kindred men would let him pass in peace through this world's vale, I make no doubt at all, but he must and will have the favour of his God forever; for it is not possi ble for me to believe, that the God of love will ever punish man for doing his own holy will, and acting in all things in exact conformity to his eternal counsel and decrees.

Sometimes, when I take a view of the inconsistent opinions of the wise, learned, and religious of our age, I marvel, and can scarcely tell why some of our greatest pretenders to reason condemn the ignorance and absurdity of the ancients, save that I know pride is fond of self-applause. I am not acquainted with any doctrine of the ancients that is more ridiculous, or more impossible to be true, than this absolute reprobation scheme, and with it, ranks the modern imputation doctrine, whereby God is represented as viewing men as pure and holy in his son, whilst they are impure and defiled in themselves.

Another ausurdity is three distinct persons and yet one God, as before; and.I am pretty certain that when the wisdom of this world can make these three crooked things straight, antichrist will be able to demonstrate that he is God, and nothing will thenceforward remain unachievable to the queen of sophistry, the wisdom of this world. She has through ages blinded the minds of her votaries, and will do so. What then can excuse the religious of this and succeeding ages, in their voluntary homage to her? She will never be able to teach the things of God. For in this one respect I am a firm predestinarian. 1 believe, as Christ did, that God has determined to hide the knowledge of divine things from her forever, and leave her to grope in darkness; and then perhaps the most so when she thinks she is nearest the pinnacle of knowledge.

Alas! alas! will men never see the impossibility of attaining divine knowledge, by abilities merely human? Effects can never exceed their causes; divine things are not knowable but by divine instruction and illumination. But, says the wisdom of man, God has made a divine revelation of himself, of his will,