had before faid, that it was fpiritual, and ordained for life. But it means, Because the Spirit of God given under the law, could not make us truly righteous, God fent his Spirit in a larger measure by his Son, to fupply what was wanting in them. And his Son endued with his whole Spirit, conquered fin, that the righteoufnefs of the law might be fulfilled in us; that is, that we might love God with all our hearts, and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. This is called the righteoufnefs of the law, not because the law enables us to perform it, but because it is enjoined therein.

You remember, God Fred. Now obedience

The fum of what has been faid is, God willeth all men to be faved. The way of Salvation is, to obey the will of God declared in his Commands. Now God commands nothing impoffible: and if he enjoins any thing to man, which man cannot perform, he gives him power to perform it. And his Commands are given to all men: but all do not obey them. But what hinders their obeying? Lewis. I had rather you would tell me. Fred. Attend then. wills nothing impoffible. Lewis. I do. is voluntary. Lewis. It is. Fred. But it is impoffible, that the fame thing fhould be both voluntary and compelled. Lewis. True. Fred. Therefore no man can be compelled to obey. And therefore God willeth not that any be compelled to obey. For it is impoffible that the fame man should be compelled, and at the fame time at voluntarily. It follows, The perverfe will of thofe that will not obey, is the cause that all are not faved: whofe will being free, may be perfuaded, but cannot be compelled.

Lewis. But here arifes a doubt. God does feem fometimes to compel the wills of men: as when he compelled the Egyptians to give the Ifraelites veffels of filver and gold. So he compelled Balaam to blefs Ifrael, and Jonah to go to Ninevch. Fred. God compelled Balaam to blefs the Ifraelites; but he did not compel him to bear them any good-will. For he afterwards gave Balak that advice, which did them much hurt.

hurt. So he compelled Jonah to go to Nineveh; but he did not compel him, to wish well to the Ninevites. The outward action was conftrained; but his will remained the fame. In a word: God does fometimes conftrain men to do this or that particular action. But he does not praife them for doing it, because they do it against their will. Their inclination is fill the fame. You may explain this by a comparison. In the cafe of Shadrack, Mefhech, and Abednego, God deprived the fire of its power to burn, fo that it could not act on them according to its nature. But he did not change the nature of fire. And thus he fometimes bends the wicked to mercy by force; but that does not change their nature: it does not turn them into good men. They remain wicked fill. We allow, God draws men to Goodnefs: but we deny that he compels them to it. He may fometimes compel them to particular Actions; but never to inward Holiness.

fee how they are drawn,

Lewis. What then mean thofe fayings, Compel them to come in? And, No man -cometh unto me, except my Father draw him? Fred. To draw, is to attract, to allure. So the Spouse: (Cant. i. iv.) Draw me; we will run after thee. Here certainly fhe is drawn willingly; for fhe of herfelf afks the King to draw her. So God, in Hofea, (chap. xi. ver. 4, 5,) I drew them with the bands of a man, with the cords of love. I was unto them, as they that take off the yoke on their jaws : and I laid meat unto them. But they refufed to return. You and yet how they refift the attraction and the will of God. Therefore God adds, Therefore the fword fhall abide on his cities, and fhall confume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counfels. You fee why they are thus punished, because of their own counfels, purfuant to which, they refused to follow the drawings of God. For thus he concludes, My people are bent to backfliding from me: though called to the moft High, none would exalt him. See how manifeftly they refift, both his calling, his drawing, and his bands of love!

I say the fame concerning compelling. To compel here means, earnestly to invite, urge, prefs. So Chrift compelled his difciples to go into the ship: and fo the difciples going to Emmaus, (Luke xliv. 29,) conftrained him to flay with them. But fuch a kind of compulfion does not take away the will of him that is compelled. For this compulfion is not irresistible, as was fhewn but now.

Lewis. But what does God promise the Ifraelites in those words, I will take away their heart of ftone and give them a heart of flesh? And what is the meaning of that word, It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do? Here God feems not to perfuade men, but to create in them a new heart. Fred. He certainly does, in making a bad man good. And yet this is not done but by perfuafion: by the clear concurrence of their own will or choice: without which no lasting change is wrought,

To return to my first point, I fay, only reason why he is not faved.

Man's own Will is the And that Will is free. But then Will is one thing, and Power is another. To understand this the more clearly, let us repeat the thing from the beginning. You own, Adam was free before he finned, and was able to chufe either Good or Evil. Lewis. I do. Fred. How was he after he had finned? Lewis. Calvin fays, he was then fo corrupt, that he could will nothing but fin; for all the thoughts and imaginations of his heart were evil. Fred. Yet Noah was a juft man. Not to mention Enoch and Abel and indeed Adam himfelf: who if he could will nothing but evil, would fcarce have begotten good and bad. But if he could chufe good, as it is plain he did, I fee not why his fons might not have done the fame.

But to come clofer ftill. Is that word true, The things of a man knoweth the fpirit of a man that is in him? Lewis. It is Fred. And is not the Will of a man one of the things of a man? Lewis. It is. Fred. Then the spirit of a man knoweth, whether his Will is free or not. Therefore to this we

true.

muft

For

muft appeal. Lewis. Nay, but our friends fay, The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: and therefore we are not to regard Common Sense in this matter. Fred. Why this is putting out the eyes of the mind, and depriving men of their understanding! They who talk thus require us to grant more than ever our Lord required. he was fo far from ever requiring the Jews to lay afide their natural Judgment, that he directed them to judge of spiritual things, as they judged of natural things. So (Luke xii. 56,) Ye hypocrites, ye can difcern the face of the fky: how is it that ye do not difcern this time? Yea, and why even of yourfelves judge ye not what is right? Again, (Matt. xxi. 28,) What think ye? A certain man had two fons.-Which of thefe did the will of his father? Yet again, (Luke x.36,) Which now of these thinkeft thou, was neighbour to him that fell among thieves? You fee how Chrift defires us to judge even of the things of the Gofpel, by the rules of Common Senfe? And indeed who would have regarded him, had he taught things inconfiftent with Nature, and contrary to Common Senfe? Yea, what would any have thought, had he faid to her that washed his feet with her tears, "O woman, whatever fin thou haft committed, it was by God's decree, therefore thou couldst not do otherwife, no, nor wifh to do otherwife. Nay, if you fin on, ftill it is decreed, and therefore you cannot help it." Pray, how could the woman herself have borne this, who knew the had finned voluntarily, not neceffarily?

If God will teach us, muft he not teach us according to our nature; leading us from the knowledge of natural things, (which every one knows) to that of fpiritual things? If he would bring us Light, muft it not be fuch light, as our eyes can bear? If he speaks, muft he not speak in our language? Otherwife what end would it anfwer? These very men, who would not have us judge of the will of man, by what we feel in ourselves, why do they fo ftrongly urge the Scripture Similies, that of the potter in particular? Have we not

Our

our answer ready?"Away with your Similies, which appeal to the reason of a natural man! He cannot judge of the things of the Spirit of God." In fine, are not they quite at liberty, in denying hunan liberty? Will they not find if they examine themselves, that what they speak, they speak quite freely? As freely as I fhould contradict them, if they spake fo in my hearing.

[To be continued.]

1.

Duft thou art, and unto duft thou shalt return.

WHY

HY is there Pain in the world? Seeing God is loving to every man, and his mercy is over all his works? Becaufe there is Sin: had there been no fin, there would have been no pain. But pain, (fuppofing God to be juft,) is the neceffary effect of fin. But why is there fin in the world? Because man was created in the image of God: because he is not mere Matter, a clod of Earth, a lump of Clay, without Senfe or Understanding, but a Spirit, like bis Creator: a being endued not only with Senfe and Underftanding, but also with a Will exerting itself in various Af. fections. To crown all the reft, he was endued with Liberty, a power of directing his own Affections and Actions, a capacity of determining himfelf, of chufing good or evil. Indeed had not man been endued with this, all the reft would have been of no ufe. Had he not been a free, as well as an intelligent being, his Understanding would have been of no fervice. For he would have been as incapable of Holinefs, or any kind of virtue, as a tree or a block of marble. And