infinite blame deserved infinite punishment; i. e. the eternal torments of hell. I might have known this before but I shut my eyes against the light. I pretended, that because I could not comprehend his infinite greatness and glory, that therefore I could not be laid under an infinite obligation thereby. But I might have known, that a conviction of his infinite greatness and glory did infinitely oblige. Conviction. without comprehension, I always knew did oblige in others' cases. As, when I have been convinced that others had more knowledge and wisdom than myself, I never doubted but that I was thereby obliged so much the more to pay them a superior respect on that account, " although their knowledge and wisdom were above my full comprehension. Nor did I ever doubt but that those who were convinced that the torments of hell were eternal, were guilty of infinite folly, in rushing into such an endless misery, although dreadful, infinitely beyond their comprehension. And why might not I have known, that a conviction, without a comprehension, of God's infinite worthiness to be loved, honoured, and obeyed, would render me infinitely to blame, in treating him with disrespect and contempt! I might have known it. But I loved darkness rather than light. I loved the ways of sin; and God was not in all my thoughts! But now, alas! the day is come! And I am at the bar, ready to receive my final doom! God is just! My mouth is stopped! I am self-condemned!" Thus, at the day of judgment, the sinner's reason and conscience will be thoroughly convinced, that he deserves to be punished; all his impotency notwithstanding, and that, even with the eternal torments of hell. And so that will be, not only a day of wrath, but also of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. And since all mankind must see the justice of God's law, sooner or later; would it not be wiser for them who esteem themselves the wits of the world, instead of endeavouring to blind their minds by false reasonings, rather to lay open their minds honestly to the light, while there is yet hope in their case? since otherwise, with all their boasted wit, they themselves, to their un

Rom. ii. 5.

4

speakable regret, will eternally think they acted the part of fools.

Thus, then to sum up all in a few words, it appears that the law from Mount Sinai, given immediately by God himself, to the whole congregation of Israel, required sinless perfection, as the condition of eternal life; and for the least failing threatened eternal damnation; and therefore, by this law, not any could be justified in the sight of God; and yet the whole congregation were obliged heartily to approve this law to be strictly just in all its rigour; which if they did, would prepare them to understand, believe, approve of, and comply with the Gospel; and so the law was in its own nature, suited to be a school-master to bring them to Christ, that they might be justified by faith. And the law of nature, being for substance the same with that from Mount Sinai, is suited to answer the same end, with respect to the Gentile nations, who were never under the Jewish dispensation. And so Jew and Greek are all under sin; the whole world stand guilty before God; and by their own virtue or goodness, no flesh can be justified in his sight, and so all stand in absolute perishing need of Christ, and free grace. And now, upon a review of all that has been said, the following remarks and inferences may justly be made :

1. "The law of Moses, and St. Paul's manner of reasoning upon it, are inconsistent with the Arminian scheme of religion, and do as effectually confute it, as the scheme of the Pharisees, and Pharisaical Christians of that age."

One of the most fundamental maxims in the Arminian scheme, is, "that in the nature of things, it is not just for God to require more of his creatures than they can do, and then threaten to punish them for not doing." And when

g And so they suppose, that God was bound in justice to make some abatements in his law, and to bring it down to a level with our present state; and yet are so absurd and inconsistent, as to suppose, that Christ died to purchase these abatements, i. e. died to get justice done us. And if we will yield sincere obedience to this new abated law, we shall be justified and saved. This sincere obedience, it seems, is the utmost that God in justice can require of us. So then, if we yield this, we shall be justified, because we have come up to the rule of our duty. Or, if we have any defects, (i. e. are not so sincere as we should be,) Christ will make up for them. These are the notions of many, and they for sub

they are told, that we ought to distinguish between that inability which consists in, or results from, the want of natural faculties, as a man that has no legs cannot walk, a man that has no hands cannot work, &c.; in which cases, men ought not to be commanded to do what they cannot, and then punished for not doing, it being manifestly unjust, as is acknowledged on all sides: I say, when they are told that we ought to distinguish between such a kind of inability, and that which consists in and results from a bad and WICKED HEART; as "Joseph's brethren hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him," the Pharisees hated Christ, and could not hear his words, i &c.; in which cases, common sense teaches that men are not the less to blame for their inability, and may justly be commanded to do their duty, and punished if they do it not. I say, when the Arminians are told of this distinction, they say "there is nothing in it, it is a mere metaphysical nicety, inability is inability, if men cannot they cannot, and it is impossible it should be just in God to require of his creatures what they cannot do, and then damn them for not doing."

Well, be it so; how then will they reconcile their scheme with the law of Moses? Did not the law of Moses require perfect obedience? It is plain it did. It is a fact that cannot be denied. Arminians, Pelagians, Socinians, that are men

stance, being the very same the Pharisaical Galatians had, St. Paul's arguments lie full against them. And was St. Paul to deal with them, he would say, “I, Paul, say unto you, that your duties will not save you, unless you yield a perfect obedience. And while you seek to be justified by your own goodness, Christ will be of no effect to you, will make up for none of your failings. Gal. v. 3, 4, 5. Therefore, every man of you, that is of this self-righteous disposition, is under the CURSE." Gal. iii. 10.

N. B. It is worthy of observation, that the apostle's argument is not," you are not sincere in your obedience: therefore you cannot be justified." Nor would this have been so convincing; because the men he had to deal with, verily thought they were sincere. But his argument is, " you are not perfect in your obedience therefore you cannot be justified." Now they had nothing to say, only, that they hoped Christ would make up for their defects. (But, says the apostle, "Christ shall profit you nothing ")—Unless, they added, “ if we cannot be saved by our duties, what good do they do?" Wherefore then serveth the law ?" To be a school-master," says Paul," to bring you to Christ, that ye might be justified by faith."

of learning do not pretend to deny it. Well, had the whole congregation of Israel POWER, in the sense Arminians use the word, to yield perfect obedience, in heart and life, all their lives long, without ever failing in the least degree, in any one point, at any one time? It is plain they had not. Yea, no Arminian ever pretended they had. Well, when the Levites said, cursed be the man that confirmeth not all. the words of this law to do them, were not all the people to say, Amen, and so approve the law in all its rigour? This again is plain fact. So that here the Arminian has no metaphysical niceties, (as he loves to call those clear distinctions, and conclusive arguments, which he is not able fairly to get rid of,) to grapple with; but plain facts-facts acknowledged on all hands. Now facts are stubborn things. Here we see God gave a law, required more than they could do, denounced the curse against the man that failed in the least point; and yet, in express contradiction, the Arminian says, "it is absolutely unjust for God to require more of his creatures than they can do, and then threaten to punish them for not doing." Wherefore it is manifest, that the Arminian scheme is, in this, directly inconsistent with the law of Moses. And therefore, if the law of Moses came from God, their scheme in this fundamental maxim, and in all that depends upon it, is false.

This is a short and easy way to confute the Arminian scheme, quite level with the capacity of common people, who are not so well able to attend to a long chain of arguments. And it was designed by a God of infinite wisdom, who knows how to let in light upon weak and ignorant minds, in effect, for this very purpose. For it was designed to convince men that, in themselves, they are absolutely lost and undone. And every thing meets in this method of confuting the Arminian schéme, which could be desired to give the fullest satisfaction to the minds of men. For the argument is not founded upon here and there a dark text of Scripture, of doubtful signification, and seemingly capable of several different meanings; but upon the plain nature of the whole Mosaic dispensation; upon facts so evident, as to be acknowledged on all hands. Nor is there so much as room left to suspect that we 6

VOL. III.

misunderstand the Mosaic dispensation, and view the facts in a wrong light, inasmuch as St. Paul has led the way before us, and under divine inspiration, has shown this to be the nature and design of the Mosaic dispensation, viewing the facts in the same light, and arguing from them in the same manner, as has been already observed. That if we may give credit to the law of Moses, or to the great apostle of the Gentiles, or to a method of reasoning full of light and demonstration, or to all together, we may sit down here fully satisfied.

And as the law of Moses, and the Gospel of Christ, are in a perfect harmony; and, as on this account, what is incon sistent with one, must be with the other; so it is manifest from the apostle's manner of reasoning, that the aforesaid Arminian maxim is quite inconsistent with the Gospel. For, according to that maxim, mankind have power to do that which would entitle them to the favour of God, if Christ had never died. But, says St. Paul, if there had been a law which could have given life, verily righteousness had come by the law. And if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Gal. ii. 21. and Chap. iii. 21 *.

If the Arminian scheme is inconsistent with the law and with the Gospel, it will unavoidably follow, that the religious exercises of those who are Arminians at heart, are not in conformity to law or Gospel, but of a contrary nature; even their love to God, their faith in Christ, their repentance, their sincere obedience, and every other branch of their religion. The whole spirit and frame of their minds is contrary to law, and to Gospel, just as their scheme of religion is And indeed, the scheme of religion they have in their heads, grows up out of the frame of their hearts. They are both of the same nature. They feel as they believe, "it is not just for God to require sinless perfection on pain of eternal damnation. If I do as well as I can, it is not fair I should be damned."-They would not love God, if they did not think he was of their opinion. Their faith in Christ, and their hopes of heaven, harmonize with these opinions; and so does their repentance, and their obedience. So that if these principles are inconsistent with law and Gospel, it will follow, the whole system of the religion of their hearts is so too; the scheme in their heads, and the religion of their hearts, being exactly suited to each other.

Some comfort themselves much, that the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees, which Christ and his apostles had so low an opinion of, had nothing of the nature of true virtue in it; supposing this to be the only reason they could not be justified by it. Little thinking that it is their own case; that there is not the least real goodness in all their religion.-But it is sometimes so, that what it highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God. Luke xvi. 15.