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passed, and immediately lifted up his voice and wept, and sought after repentance; not in himself (for he had done nothing to repent of) but in his father Isaac. But Isaac would not take back the blessing, but said, Jacob is blessed, and shall be blessed, (Gen. xxvii. &c.) From this loss of the blessing, some people think Esau was reprobated and damned: but Paul saith, Heb. xi. 20, by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Some forget to read that Esau was bles.. sed as well as Jacob, though not in so great a degree, and how could he be blest by faith if he were reprobated; (Gen. xxvii. 39-40). Esau was blessed with four things; the first two were like a part of Jacob's, viz. the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth-thirdly, by his sword he was to live-and fourthly, when he should have the dominion, he was to break Jacob's (or Jewish) yoke from off his neck, which came to pass in the reign of Jehoram, the son of Jehosaphat, 2 Chron. xxi. 8-10. And now to shew the inconsistency of thinking that Esau served Jacob the younger, it doth appear that Jacob served Esau; and moreover, that Jacob had no religion when he attempted to cheat and lie, that being contrary to the spirit of Christianity. But it appears that he got converted afterwards, when on his way to Pandan-aram; he lay to rest in the woods, and in the night he had a vision, in which he saw a ladder the top reaching to heaven, &c. Now as the ladder had two sides, it represents the Godhead and Manhood of Christ, and the rounds, the different degrees of grace. If Jacob had been pious, doubtless he would have realized the presence of God being there to protect him from the wild beasts; but his expression, "the Lord was in this place, and I knew it not," argueth ignorance. Secondly, he adds, it is no other than the house of God and gate of heaven; which is the language of

young converts.-Thirdly, he made a vow, if God would give him food to eat, and raiment to put on, and bring him back in peace, that God should be his God; which certainly implies, that he did not serve God before as he did afterwards. (Genesis xxviii. 16.)

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Observe, First, Jacob served Esau, was afraid of him, and ran from home twenty years, through scenes of sorrow, and had his wages changed not less than ten times-Secondly, when he set out to return, his past conduct created such fear in his breast, that he dared not see Esau's face, until by messengers he inquired, may I come in peace?" And understanding that Esau with a body of men was coming to meet him, his sleep departed from him. He divided his host in two bands, and wrestled all night in prayer; and such fear surely denotes guilt. Thirdly, he sent a number of messengers with presents, and a message to Esau, calling him lord, as if bimself was the servant. Fourthly, Esau bowed not at all but Jaoob bowed not once, nor twice only, but seven times; and then cried out, "I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God." Now if Esau was a reprobate, how could his face have been as God's?-nay, it would have been as the devil's. But as they had a joyful meeting together, like two christian brethren, that had been some time absent; I therefore conclude, that Jacob saw the image of God in his brother Esau; and in that sense, Esau's face might be said to be as the face of God, and in no other. And as the general tenor of Esau's conduct was not so bad as some part of Jacob's conduct, I therefrom conclude, that Esau died in · peace; and if ever I can be so happy as to get to glory, I expect to meet Esau there as well as Jacob, (Gen. xxxii. and xxxiii. &c.)

If I believed all things were decreed, I must

suppose that Pharaoh did the will of God in all things; seeing God decreed all his thoughts, words and actions and the will being the determining faculty, it must be, that whatever God deerces, he wills: therefore Pharaoh did the will of God, according to that doctrine, and you cannot deny it. If the scripture be true, then Pharaoh doing the will of God, according to that doctrine, must be saved, according to the intimation of Christ; that whoever doeth the will of God is his brother, sister, and mother--observe, if all Pharaoh's conduct was decreed, he did as well as he could, and Peter as bad as he could; according to that doctrine then, which is the most praise or blame worthy? Again, if God decreed Pharaoh's conduct, did he not decree it right; and if so could it be wrong? If not, there was no sin, consequently no punishment; unless you say a man is punishable for doing right. Again, if God decreed Pharaoh should do as he did, why did he command him to act to the reverse? Does he decree one thing and command another? If so, then you make God's decrees and commandments clash: for according to that doctrine, God's revealed will is that we should obey: and his decreed will is that we should disobey. Thus you make out that God has two wills right opposite to each other, which makes God divided against himself. Christ intimates, that which is divided against itself, cannot stand: If so, then Deity being divided, must fall, and of course the works of nature sink, and go to ruin. Thus we see the inconsistency of dividing and subdividing God's will.

There is no account of Pharaoh's heart being more hard than others, until he became hardened; but it appeareth from Rom. v. 19, 20. that the hearts of all people are alike hard by nature. Well, saith one, what is the meaning of that scripture, «For the same purpose have I raised

thee up, that I may shew forth my power in thee, And I will harden his heart, and he shall not let the people go, &c" Answer, the Lord raised

Pharaoh up. Up from what? From the dust unto a child, from a child to man, to be a king on the throne; that he might shew forth his power in him.--And he has raised up you and, me, and all mankind, for the same purpose; viz. To shew forth his power in us; if it be not for that, what is it for? We read in several places that the Lord hardened Pharaoh, and yet that Pharaoh hardened himself: how could that be? God do it? and yet Pharaoh do it. We read that the Lord afflicted Job, and yet that Satan did it :— (Job xix. 21. ii. 7.) And that the Lord moved David, to number Israel, and yet that Satan did it, &c. (2 Sam. xxiv. 1. 1 Chron. xxv. 1.) and that Solomon built the temple, and yet tells how his many workmen did it. Thus we see there is a first cause, and a second cause; as saith the poct

"No evil can from God procced,
'Twas only suffered, not decreed ;
As darkness is not from the sun,
Nor mounts the shades till he is gone."

Reason saith, that mankind are agents or else prophets; for they can foretell some things, and then fulfil them,* this is the truth, and you

* Matter when it is moved by another cause cannot stop of itself, and when stopped cannot move of itself. But as we have the power of action, (the same as I give out my appoint. ment months before hand, and then fulfil it,) it is evident that we are prophets or else agents. To adopt the idea of prophe cy, you will not, and if not, you must acknowledge agency, which material substance without thinking power doth not possess. From this I argue that there is something in man abstract from matter, which is spirit, which some call the soul, and which makes him sensible and rational, &c. And to suppose the soul to be a part of God is inconsistent, because God is completely happy, as is acknowledged from the Chris

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oannot deny it. If so, then it may be said with propriety, that the Lord hardened the heart of

tian to the Deist. Therefore, if my soul was a part of him I should have one continued stream of happiness.

But as I have frequently felt unhappy in mind, I herefrom argue that my soul is spirit abstract from God.

Some people have an idea that the souls of infants come right pure from the hand of God by infusion into the body, and that the body being of Adam's race, pollutes the soul, and causes it to become impure, just as if the body governed the mind. Allowing the above. When did God make the soul of the child that was born yesterday? Why, says one, within 'the course of a few months past. Hush, I deny it; for the Bible says, Gen. ii. 1, 2, 3. that God finished the heavens (that is the starry heavens) and earth, and all the nosт of them, and then God rested from the works of the creation on the seventh day he hath not been at work in creating new souls ever since. Therefore your idea that God makes new souls daily, falls to the ground; and you cannot deny it, if the Bible be

true.

But says one, their souls were made in the course of six days.

Where then have they been ever since? Laid up in a store house in heaven? If they were, they were happy; if so, what kind of a being does this represent the Almighty, especially if connected with the opinion of some who suppose that there are infants in hell not more than a span long!

First, God made Adam happy in paradise, and these infantile souls happy in a store house, then when Adam falls, prohibits adultery, and at the same time previously decrees that they shall commit it to produce an illegitimate body, and he to help them on to perfect the illegitimate, takes one of these pure souls, infuses it into the body, and the body pollutes it, caused it to become impure, and is now a reprobate for hellfire. Thus you see some people represent God as making souls pure and keeping them happy some thousands of years, then damning them for a sin they never committed; and now the difference between this BEING, if any such there be, that deal. eth thus with his creatures, and HIM that we call the devil, I leave you to judge. God help you to look at it in the scale of equality, and see whether the above be right or wrong.

But says one, where do you think the soul comes from? As Adam was the first man, I must suppose from reason and scripture he got his soul right from God, as there was no other source for him to derive it from; but Eve was taken out of Adam, and there is no account of her receiving her soul right from God; and if not, I must suppose the whole of her was taken from Adam, and of course she got her soul from

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