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THE RECONCILER.

DISTINGUISHING PRINCIPLES AS TO THE

DIVINE" GOVERNMENT."

1. THAT God's government, whether by "the law of works," or by "the law of faith," while "good to all," is based upon EQUITY: and that since equity is the giving to every one his due, God, as well as man, must have his due.

2. As equity requires that a Testimony should be borne as to God and man respectively, from the conduct of both the one and the other, therefore the law and gospel were both designed for a TESTIMONY. And that, since "the Lord hath made all things for himself," it is not to be supposed that he would be indifferent to such testimony.

3. That the testimony borne, is such that, while it redounds to the glory of God, and to the shame of man, it makes way for the exercise of a gracious sovereignty, perfectly compatible with the equity and benevolence of the Divine government.

AS TO THE DIVINE 66

SOVEREIGNTY."

1. That the sovereignty exercised proceeds upon the consideration that God, whose "understanding is infinite," had, from eternity, an infallible foresight of man's delinquency, not merely as in Adam, nor even as under the law, but also under the Gospel.

2. That therefore it admits of a provision for " every creature," as well as of an election of a " peculiar people."

3. That the subject being viewed in the light here exhibited, it will be seen that the freedom and responsibility of man is in perfect accordance with the absolute sovereignty of God: for its language to man is, "You, notwithstanding all means and motives to the contrary, would have your will and way; and now I will have my will and way: which is, that I will, of my sovereign' goodness,' keep

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'mercy for thousands,' and' will pardon them whom I reserve.'”

AS TO BOTH.

That great importance attaches to the distinction between the will of determination and the will of inclination, which will therefore be found to pervade the whole scheme.

AN ATTEMPT

TO EXHIBIT, IN A SOMEWHAT NEW LIGHT,

THE

HARMONY AND THE GLORY

OF

THE DIVINE

DIVINE GOVERNMENT,

AND OF

THE DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY.

BY A QUADRAGENARIAN

IN THE MINISTRY.

"I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker."-Job xxxvi. 3.
"To the praise of the glory of his grace."-Ephes. i. 6.

"Surely if there can be a way found to reconcile these two doctrines of the absolute salvation
of the elect, with a conditional salvation provided for all mankind, this will be the most fair,
natural, and easy way of reconciling these different texts of Scripture"-those having a uni-
versal and particular aspect-"without any strain or torture put upon them."-Dr. Watts's Ruin
and Recovery, p. 265. Second Edition.

"If we can, by our reasonings according to Scripture, cast any happy gleam of light into
these darknesses of Providence, whereby any honour may be done to God, any scruple of
mankind satisfied, and any angry contentions removed, it is neither unlawful or improper to
attempt and seek after such advantages."-Ibid. p. 291.

LONDON:

JACKSON AND WALFORD,

18, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD.

1841.

1020.

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