pose to destroy it; for the most dishonourable one in family sickness is as useful as the honourable tea-cup in time of health. Neither doth God make any on purpose for destruction, but all mankind are useful, if they get the spirit of their station, and fill up that sphere for which they are qualified. For without servants there can be no masters; without subjects, no rulers; without commonality, no quality; and any one may observe that David was elected or set apart to be king; Jeremiah and Samuel, to be prophets, &c. and any discerning eye may easily discover that Paul's election (Rom. ix.) was not an election to future happiness, but of temporal advantages.And yet those not so positive, but what the privileges might be forfeited and lost by sin, as you may find, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9, 10. If thou serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever; (Deut xxx. 15, 19.) Moses's dying declaration was, that the children of Israel must obey, and if they would, all needful blessings they should have, but if rebellious, should be cursed and scattered, &c. This is the truth, and you cannot deny it. And observe Paul, when talking about the clay and potter, alludes to Jer. xviii. where the prophet was com manded to see the potter work, &c. And then God says, verse 6th, cannot I do with you as this potter, O house of Israel, &c. Again, verse 7th, at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation or kingdom, to pluck up, pull down, or destroy it; If that nation against whom I have pronouneed turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them," "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation or kingdom, to build or plant it, if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them."

Now observe, if God be unchangeable, as Paul saith, God cannot lie, then he is bound by his immutability or the law of his nature, to perform his promises to the obedient, and his threatenings against the disobedient; and this is the truth

and you cannot deny it. Objection. Bible language is, I will, and you shall, and the promises are yea and amen, without any ifs or ands.

Answer. To take the promises without the condition, is a practice of Satan, (Luke iv. 10, 12.) which he made use of to our Lord to get him to fall down from the battlement of the temple, and thereby tempt God, and presume or God, because of the promise which the devil intended he should think to be unconditional: and so bear him up in the way of disobedience. Whereas our Saviour knowing the path of duty to be the way of safety, replied, 'tis written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. For in the way of obedience there is a promise of preservation, and in the way of disobedience a threatening of destruction; this is the truth, and you cannot deny it; therefore to cut these two little letters IF out of the Bible, which make such a great significant word, is wrong; seeing it is so frequent in scripture and frequently there are conditions implied in the Bible, though not expressed; for instance, David, when at Keilab (1 Sam. xxiii, &c.) inquired of the Lord whether Saul would come down, and the men of the city deliver him up, and the Lord answered in the affirmative. Here is no condition expressed, yet there is one implied; for David left the city and fled to the wilderness; so Saul came not down, neither did the people deliver him up. Again, God said to the Ninevites, by Jonah, Yet forty days and Ninevah shall be overthrown. Now if you say all threatenings are without conditions, you give God the lie; for the city was spared in consequence of their believing God, and

turning from their evil way, Jonah iii. 5, 10.This is the truth, and you cannot deny it.Again, Ezek. xxxiii, &c. There is a condition implied and explained undeniably, though not so fully expressed at the first, concerning the righteous and wicked man, which you may read at your leisure; this is the truth, and you cannot deny it. Objection, says one, God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, &o" Answer:

"God will have mercy on whom he will,
Come think you who they be?
'Tis every one that loves his Son,
And from their sins do flee;

Tis every one that doth repent,
And truly hates his sin;
Fis every one that is content,
To turn to God again.

And whom he will he hardeneth,
Come think you who they be?
'Tis every one that hates his Son,
Likewise his liberty;

'Tis ev'ry one that in sin persist,
And do outstand their day;
Then God in justice leaves them to
Their own heart's lusts a prey.

Objec. "My people shall be made willing in the day of my power," says one. Answer, That is home-made scripture, for the Almighty doth not so speak, but king David (Psa. cx. 3.) speaks to the Almighty, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." He doth not say, they shall be made willing; the word made is not there, neither has it any business there. Again, those little words in italic letters were not in the original, but were put in by the translators to make what they think to be sense in the English language; and those little words, "shall be," are in italic letters, of course put in by the translators; now I leave them out, and in lieu thereof, put in the word are, and then read it, "Thy peo

ple are willing in the day of thy power." Now is the day of God's power, and now his people are willing; they are always a willing people. It is the reprobate character that is unwilling that God's will should be done this is the truth

and you cannot deny it. Matt. vii. 24, 26.) Objec. Christ did not pray for all mankind, &c. Answ. That's a lie, for John xvii. 9. First, Christ prayed for his disciples: Secondly, ver. 20. for those who should believe on him through their word; and thirdly, for the whole world, (ver. 21, 23.) thus, "that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Again, that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and this doth not mean A-double-L-part. Objec. Paul says, Rom. viii. Whom God foreknew he predestinated, called, justified, and glorified, &c. Here is no condition expressed, of course, it appeareth that he glorified all that he justified, called, and predestinated, and foreknew, &c. Answer. If that be taken just as it stands, without any conditions whatever, it will follow, that Universalism is true, or else, that we are all reprobates. For God foreknows one as much as another, in every sense of the word, and of course foreknows all mankind; and now, if all that he foreknows, predestinates, calls, justifies, and glorifies, without any condition, in any shape, or sense, it undeniably argues, the universal salvation of every son of Adam. This is the truth, and you cannot deny it. Or else, if you take the apostle unconditionally, as he speaketh, in the past tense, then no more can be glorified. Therefore we are all reprobates, and you cannot deny it. But it is my opinion that Paul is only rehearsing a catalogue of states, as they take place in succession. And to take any particular part of the Bible, in the face and eyes of twenty scriptures more; any doctrine thereby may be proved: and thus we find by such means,

have sprung up the many sentiments in the eartli. People, desirous to get to heaven in an easier way than God hath pointed out, will hew out an opin ion of their own, a broken cistern that can hold no water, and will twist and bend the scriptures to their sentiment; and sometimes will have to grind the same and put it into a press, and press out a construction of their own. But this will not do, scripture must he explained by seripture, and that according to reason, so as not to make it elash, but rather correspond with true christian experience.

Objec. We read, as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. Answer. True, but the word ordained, signifies, set apart as a minister for his office. Thus Jeremiah was set apart a prophet, And David saith, "The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself," Psal. iv. 3. And there is no account of any being set apart for the Lord's self, but the godly. No man is godly, or godlike, but the believer; therefore, none are ordained, or set apart for heaven, but those that believe. Besides, the Acts of the Apostles were written some. time after the things took place, and of course is all written in the past tense. Ordained, is in the past tense, and so is believed, and there is no account of the one being prior to the other. But it may be said, as many as believed, were then ordained to eternal life, as none are ordained or set apart for eternal life, but the saints; no man is a saint except he believes. For he that believeth not is condemned already, saith Christ. Thercfore, as soon as one believes, he is free from condemnation, and of course set apart for heaven, and not before; he being in Christ now by the act of faith. Now observe, Peter talks about elect in Christ, not out of him.-Paul saith. 2 Cor. v. 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, &c. and Rom, viii, 1. saith, there is now (not