that whatever the law commands, God has decreed shall eventually take place, and what the law forbids, it is deereed shall ultimately cease to be done, according as God hath purposed in himself, and according to the counsel of his own unchangeable will. Hence it is easy to be seen, that if sin is a transgression of the holy law, it is in opposition to the decrees of God and opposed to the final purpose of his divine will. Therefore,sin is in direct opposition to every thing contained in the plan of infinite wisdom; but shall not be able to prevail against the final object of God's will; for his decrees will be executed in due time; and his holy law obeyed and fulfilled at last, in spite of all the present powers of sin, death and hell. Of course God is not the author of sin, nor will he be disappointed by its eternal existence, because it shall have an entire end, and cease to be. But has not God fore-ordained the present existence of sin for his own glory? Ans. No, for it never could be for the honor and glory of any being to make a law, and then order the subject, by a secret decree to transgress that law, and afterwards call the culprit to a severe account and punish him. For what ? Reader, for what is the offender punished in this case? Ans. For transgressing a public law by obeying the secret order and decree of his sovereign. Well suppose the poor slave should continue to keep the public law of his Sovereign? why then he would be liable to desplease his Lord by not obeying his secret mandate. If the decrees of God thus clash with his holy revealed law, I must confess God can love none of his creatures at all, for every man must sin in thought word and deed every inoment of his existence against one or the other of those two laws of the divine will. For in obeying the revealed law we should transgress the order of the secret decrees of God; and in obeying the order of his secret decrees, we should transgress the revealed law of God. And again if the decrees of God clash with his holy law then they would be unholy in their very nature, which is impossible, therefore there is no contrast between hem and the holy law. But if one party forbids sin, and the other ordained sin, then in that case, for any thing I can see, either the holy law of God or his decrees must be abolished in order to make peace, and make it possible for even any part of mankind ever to find true happiness. For unless this should be done (admitting the present contrast) what are supposed by limitarians to be the elect, in distinction to the non-elect, would finally be no more happy than the finally impenitent nonelect; since while the non-elect would be unholy as it regarded the law of God, yet would be holy as it related to his decrees, for they would be just what he ordained they should be- And the elect would be only holy, as it regarded the law, but unholy as it respects that decree or principle in the holy God, which could ordain the eternal transgression of the law. Hence, if we admit that God has decreed sin, and that his decrees are eternal, and that he in his law, hath forbid sin and that his holy law is equally eternal, the universalian may at once, as well give up all hopes of final universal holiness and happiness, for instead of general peace will be discord, devastation and war throughout the whole universe. However, the universalist would stand as good a chance as the limitarian in the common endless contest, for both would be equally disappointed and unhappy in the final end of their faith. The decrees of God, in which I believe, are no secret, but as plainly revealed as his holy law or his divine will. I feel myself under no obligation to believe a flying story, said to be a secret in the cabinet of divine truth, but not officially revealed in the holy bible the rule of our faith, but only pretended to be made known to a few selected favorites. I think I have a very good reason not to believe all the story of these pretended favorites, for it is about what they call the secret will and decrees of their God, whom they call their peculiar friend and benefactor, but not the friend of sinners. And yet I hear these friends of their God, undertaking to reveal to the enemies of their God his secrets. Then how can I believe the story of such unfaithful characters, who cannot keep the secrets of their friend, but try, to divulge them abroad, even among his enemies. The bible is that book of my counsel, in that I believe is plainly revealed the mind, will and perfections of that God, who is the only proper object of all our worship. I call it a true book of revelation to man, and that nothing therein revealed ought to be called a secret as it is the true revelation of God; therefore no secret will or decrees of God are to be found in the holy bible, the man of my counsel. Of course whatever cannot be proved to be true, by those holy scriptures written by divine inspiration, I feel myself not bound by any law to believe. Let a man make ever so high profession of sanctity, we only have his word for the truth of what he declares to us. Therefore we are under no obligation to believe his report. He may look ever so dismal, we have reason to doubt without better evidence. Reader, let us beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. We can know no man, but by his long tried fruits, hasty and inconsiderate connections are very perilous. ON THE OLD TESTAMENT. Chap. 1. On the creation of man, Chap. 2. On the formation of man, Chap. 3. On the law of God as revealed to man, Chap. 4. On the origin of sin, Chap. 5. The state of man in the day of transgress- Chap. 6. "Mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Chap. 8. On the unconditional covenant of paomise 12 15. 21 24 29 33 38 42 Chap 9. On the nature of the external letter of the 53 ON THE NEW TESTAMENT AND APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE IN Chap. 1. The inward spiritual Law of God, the on- Chap. 2. The gospel covenent as given in Jesus Christ our Lord Chap. 6. Faith and hope Christ's Judgment Chap.7. The Gospel dispensation is the day of Chap. 8. Future punishment for sin 65 70 86 90 94 99 103 109 Chap. 9. Time Chap. 10. On Eternity Chap. 11. Christian perfection explained Chap. 13. Truth plainly distinguished from that er- Chap. 14. Christian baptism and the true spirit of Conclusion Appendix 114 121 126 131 143 155 161 181 |