lieved-Who loved me, and gave himself for

• me.'

Your allegation from Song ii. is answered by these remarks: for, whatever the spouse sought her Lord, her Beloved, for, it was not for clearness about her interest in his love; for she loved him because she knew her interest in his love. But how absurd is your application of this place? is it possible for you to ascertain your sense of it? might you not as well, as some of you have done, have alledged these words of the Lord in proof of your point, that the children of God are sometimes forsaken, and know not his love to them; therefore they cleave to him by the faith of adherence, as you speak, while they want what you call the faith of assurance; and so cry in their mournful moods, when they are without the sun, with their Lord on the cross,

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 'me?' Dare you stand by this interpretation? see where it will lead you; being, if it be any thing at all in your way, a conclusion against the Son of God, that he was for a time without the knowledge of his interest in his Father's love. But why was he forsaken? was it not that those who believe on him might never be forsaken ?

Again, Isaiah xlii. 3. A bruised reed shall ⚫he not break; and the smoking flax shall he not quench,' makes nothing for your purpose, being descriptive of the character of the Messiah, going on in the steadiness of his heart, fulfilling

his Father's counsels, upholding his own elect, and all things for the elect's sake, till he has called, prepared, and presented them all to his Father at the restoration of all things, when he shall deliver up the kingdom, and wipe tears from every eye in the new heavens and the new earth, where the inhabitants shall not say they are sick where there shall be no more sighing, nor crying, nor groaning, nor curse. So that, as far as a bruised reed and the smoking flax may be true emblems representing the state of a gracious heart, they were as true of Enoch, Noah, Elijah, Daniel, and the Virgin Mary, in their days, and all their days, equally at one time as another, from the first dawning of faith in their hearts, till they finished their course with joy, as of any other heart whatsoever, even of the weakest believer in whom the Holy Ghost dwells at this day. So little ground is there for building your doctrine on the words of the prophet.

But if you leave the prophets, and come to the apostles; alledging, that even Paul cries out sometimes so pitiably, Rom. vii. 24. O wretch

ed man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?' Observe, he cries out also with the same breath in answer to his own exclamation, I thank God, through Jesus • Christ our Lord.' Which same emphatic question and answer are not to be understood of some particular frames of his, at particular and different times; but of the one even and

uninterrupted echo of the heart of every one of those who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groaning within themselves while in this taber nacle, being burdened, waiting for the adoption, namely, the redemption of the body, when they shall be delivered from this bondage of corrup tion, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

If it be urged from Heb. ii. 15. that there we read of some weak and doubting believers, 'who through fear of death were all their life. ' time subject to bondage,' whom Christ came to deliver: Remark the answer to your last argument, and the connection of the present text, and then honestly say, if the persons there said to have been all their lifetime, through fear of death, subject to bondage, are not all those whom the Lord by his death delivered from sin, death, and the power of Satan, even all whom he sanctified in himself, who are all his brethren, of one father, with whom he partook in flesh and blood, Abraham, Samuel, and John the apostle, as much as any other person whatsoever of the blood of Adam, whom he loved and washed in his own blood; having found them all in the same condemnation, that he might bring them all to the same absolution and glory in himself. Now, how oddly does your account of certain saints fearing death and damnation, being in bondage, agree with the apostle's account of himself and all the called of God? Ye have ⚫ not received the spirit of bondage again to

fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.-We 'groan to have the earthly house of this tabernacle dissolved, that we may be clothed upon with our house from heaven; and in this we ⚫ are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord And we wait for the Lord from

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heaven.'

Lastly, if you insist upon 2 Pet. i. 10. where believers are called upon to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure, that there fore believers may be ignorant of their calling and election, and consequently in darkness as to their interest in Christ; it is asked of you, to whom is this calling and election to be made sure, according to your sense? To God? Absurd! can worms of the earth have any influence upon the purpose or knowledge of God? To themselves? No; the address to them came too late for that: for they were already designed as Elect, and called according to the foreknowledge of God, &c. 1 Pet. i. 2. as being made partakers of the divine nature through the knowledge of their Lord and Saviour, &c. Now, if they are supposed not to know their own character and designation, the exhortation, proceeding upon their knowledge of that character and designation, must go for nothing. To whom then are they called to shew their calling and election? even to all who may behold them; as the Lord said to his disciples, John xv.

You

• have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, ⚫ and ordained you, that ye should go and bring < forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. -Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be, that is, approve yourselves to be, my disciples.' And again,

The foundation of God standeth sure, having ⚫ this seal, The Lord knoweth them who are his : › And, Let every one that nameth the name of Jesus depart from iniquity.-I know my sheep, and am known of them, and they know my voice, and they follow me.'-Shew your faith by your works: as your charity by your alms-giving. Make your calling and election sure. Prove them, manifest them sure. Let the Spirit of life within you have free scope in the direction of your life and motions, that it may appear you were not sealed to the day of redemption for nothing. Thus a man is declared just by his works, even as God himself is justified, or declared just in his works. Thus children, servants, wives, subjects, soldiers, make sure their loyalty and love by their obedience, according to the relation, election, and calling, as we may express it, of their several respective states. Thus good fruit makes sure the goodness of the mother-tree. Thus Isaac made it sure that the Lord was true, and Sarah barren no more. Thus all witnesses of truth establish and make sure the facts which they only shew, and not do. So do ye make your sure calling and election appear, as being God's workmanship, created in

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