.t.

se commonly enjoined, in orith; and, after all his labour, sirous to find it true, he seems

Had an apostle laid before il its evidence, he would have or sympathizing with him in about it. He would have commonly addressed to unbe

But Aspasio certainly acts thizing with his friend, in the a proposition, whose truth or the pains taking to believe it.

that neither the authority of the 1 by the hearer, are sufficient to t of faith; some further aid is to be the powerful and efficacious

Accordingly, we find Aspasio's hearer to have essayed and attemptand yet still to be complaining, that out as at the first. However, they re steadfastly in repeating his essays him with many promises which they at if he do what he can, the Spirit will what he cannot. They are sensible, Scripture is not sufficient to support the to be drawn; so they make this one of "How the Spirit of God turns the word h in itself but a dead letter, into a living io maintains, that none have the proper ut those who are taught by the enlightening at conclusion. But I must have recourse to proper view of the agency of this Spirit in the

tain, that reprobates have as fair a revealed aw the conclusion as the elect have. But here rence: The Spirit opens up the revealed warrant, is a general aspect toward all men, in a particular the elect, so as to enable every one of them to say me. They attempt, indeed, sometimes to explain by such logic as this: Christ came to save sinners, inner; therefore Christ came to save me. But they 1 sensible of the deficiency of this reasoning and resort at they call mystery, or what cannot be accounted for.

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nature, stands related to the whole human race; yea, roundly asserting, that he "doth stand in an equal or undistinguished relation of a Kinsman-Redeemer to mankind-sinners, as such;" not considering what inference necessarily follows, viz. That he died for the eternal salvation of all with whom he partook in flesh and blood; not minding that the Scriptare says only, 'He partook in flesh and blood with the children whom God gave him, even the many sons whom he brings into glory," Heb. ii. For it nowhere says, that he partook in flesh and blood with any who shall perish. Now, in order to get over the knotty point of the appropriation, these men go to work thus: Speaking of "a person's special saving interest in Christ and his death,-as being actually invested with his justifying righteousness, and accepted in the sight of God on that account;" they add, "which never becomes true in the case of any, till the moment of believing; for though a person has sufficient grounds in the word of grace, whereupon to believe this particular interest in Christ and his death, and though it is never true in the person's case till the time of his believing; yet, this doth not make the act the cause of its object: only, according to the mysterious order of grace, the Lord gives truth to that saving interest, at the time of faith's applying Christ to the soul."*

But to return to Aspasio; I have said already, and still say, , I am loath to charge him with flatly opposing the scriptural account of Christ's death; I am rather disposed to think, that his views of this matter are somewhat unsettled and indistinct, which might occasion his expressing himself inaccurately at times, and who can guard himself against inconsistencies at all times? I presume, he would not venture broadly to contradict the account which Christ himself gives of his own death; and I am encouraged to think so, by his commonly connecting the death of Christ with eternal salvation, so as it should mean the same thing to say, Christ died for any person, and, That person shall be eternally saved. I will, therefore, consider this as a fixed point in the procedure of my controversy with Aspasio. And agreeably to this,

I find, notwithstanding Aspasio's assertion to the unbelieving Theron, that Christ died for him, that Theron is at a great loss to find any evidence to support that assertion, and therefore, must be prompted to try what he can feel about himself in support of it. He is obliged to take all the pains,

* See preface to a late edition of Dr. Owen's Death of death, in the death of Christ. Edinburgh, 1775.

and go through the whole course commonly enjoined, in order to turn that assertion into truth; and, after all his labour, though very willing and very desirous to find it true, he seems to be at a loss how to make it out. Had an apostle laid before Theron the divine truth, with all its evidence, he would have been far from pardoning him, or sympathizing with him in his incredulity, or hesitating about it. He would have treated him with the language commonly addressed to unbelievers in the New Testament. But Aspasio certainly acts a very humane part, in sympathizing with his friend, in the difficulty he finds to believe a proposition, whose truth or certainty must be made out by the pains taking to believe it.

I AM sensible, all the while, that neither the authority of the preacher, nor the pains taken by the hearer, are sufficient to perfect the appropriating act of faith; some further aid is necessary, and this is said to be the powerful and efficacious influence of the Spirit of God. Accordingly, we find Aspasio's two friends, supposing the hearer to have essayed and attempted often to perform his act; and yet still to be complaining, that he is as far from making it out as at the first. However, they encourage him to persevere steadfastly in repeating his essays and attempts, comforting him with many promises which they adduce to that purpose, that if he do what he can, the Spirit will help him, or do for him what he cannot. They are sensible, that the bare word of Scripture is not sufficient to support the conclusion necessary to be drawn; so they make this one of their great mysteries, "How the Spirit of God turns the word of Scripture, though in itself but a dead letter, into a living principle." Aspasio maintains, that none have the proper Scriptural faith, but those who are taught by the enlightening Spirit to draw that conclusion. But I must have recourse to his friends for a proper view of the agency of this Spirit in the

matter.

They maintain, that reprobates have as fair a revealed warrant to draw the conclusion as the elect have. But here lies the difference: The Spirit opens up the revealed warrant, which bears a general aspect toward all men, in a particular manner to the elect, so as to enable every one of them to say Christ loved me. They attempt, indeed, sometimes to explain the matter by such logic as this: Christ came to save sinners, I am a sinner; therefore Christ came to save me. But they are soon sensible of the deficiency of this reasoning and resort to what they call mystery, or what cannot be accounted for.

Here they introduce the Spirit, and resolve all difficulties by his mysterious working.

We are not, then, to be surprised at finding their way of speaking on this subject somewhat perplexed, and more profound than can be accounted for; while they tell us almost with the same breath, that we are first to exert our natural power, and do our utmost, in the prospect that the Spirit will come at last and help us out; and yet, that all this exertion of our natural powers, is the effect of the Spirit's work upon us. Nevertheless the same men are often pleased to say, that nature begins the work, and then grace seasonably interposes to help out the well-meant, but feeble efforts of nature.

However, then, the matter be brought about, one thing is plain, that the mysterious work ascribed by the Spirit, issues in this, to turn the dead letter of the Scripture into a living principle, and to persuade a man, though he be not mentioned in the Scripture, either by name or surname, that Christ died for him. And it is no less plain, that if this assisting spirit be the Spirit who speaks in the Scriptures, he must, in this case, whisper something privately to the ear or the heart of the sinner, beside what he publicly speaks in the Scriptures. But will any lover of the Scriptures allow the possibility of this? Will he allow, that the Spirit, who breathes in the Scriptures, ever speaks a word or syllable to any man, beside what he publicly speaks there? Or will he bear to hear the living and powerful word of God, on any pretenee, or under colour of any distinction whatsoever, called a dead letter? No! he will abhor the thought; and, without being overawed by the weight of any man's character, he will be ready to say, "Let God be true, and every man a liar." But I forbear to enlarge on this at present. And I presume, that, with all freedom, I may call, whatever spirit speaks or suggests any thing not already publicly spoken in the Scriptures, a private spirit; even as the Apostle Peter teaches us to call every gloss on the Old Testament Scriptures, not supported by the public interpretation of them in the New, a private interpretation.

It would require a large letter by itself to describe the spirit of the popular doctrine; and if any one who has already gained the ear of the people, should, in consequence of full conviction of the many deceits of that doctrine, lay them plainly open by evidence from the Scriptures, it might, perhaps, prove the means of gaining some few from the error of their way. And it would be foolish to expect more. For the course of the world will continue the same while the

world lasts; and popular preachers will always be attended to by the body of the people. The author of Christianity assures his disciples, that his religion will be hated by all nations to the end; and he cautions them against marvelling at this. A Christian, then, ought not to envy those preachers the attention paid to them, though he will find it his duty to maintain the despised truth, in opposition to all their artifices.

I MIGHT NOW consider how the AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER, THE PAINS TAKEN BY THE HEARER, and the WHISPER OF THE PRIVATE SPIRIT, concur to persuade the hearer, that he is a FAVOURITE OF HEAVEN, or that Christ died for him. But to have a proper notion of this, one would need to have a whole sermon or two in his view at once.

It may suffice, at present, to observe, that the preacher having largely insisted on the progress of a genuine conversion, and the various actings of faith; and possessed the mind of the hearer with a high notion of the arduous task that must be performed, and with a view of the blessings which attend his right performance, as well as the miseries that must attend his failure; the mind of the hearer is, by this time, supposed to be in some commotion, and to be very anxious to do something, or exert some act, in compliance with the pressing call of the preacher. But while his thoughts are thus busied, various difficulties occur to him, how he shall accomplish so great a work.

ness.

The skilful preacher knowing, that when matters are once brought thus far, the work is half done, now exerts himself for the relief of the hearer, who now begins to be considered as an exercised soul; and he is now as careful to lower the terms and abate the demands on the hearer, as he was before to heighten them. "A single essay will now do the busiThe Spirit is just at hand to second and perfect it. For although the act be at the beginning but natural, yet in the very acting, promised and purchased grace strikes in, and turns it into a supernatural act." And to enforce this, the preacher, in the height of his warmth, will sometimes take upon himself boldly to falsify the plainest facts recorded in the gospel; for instance, saying, "Do as the man with the withered hand did; the poor man minted, or attempted to obey, and in the attempt of obedience, he got power to stretch out his hand as he was commanded. We must be essaying before we find the Spirit working effectually in us."

Now, you know he might with equal justice add, do as Lazarus did. In obedience to the call, Come forth, hẹ