and ungodly course of life, is weakened; and their reluctancy to repentance, self-denial, and the " things "which accompany salvation," is diminished; nay, that they now have an aversion to former pursuits, and begin to delight in the exercises of devotion, and in following after holiness. For pardon and acceptance they learn to rely on the free mercy of God through the mediation of Christ. They believe; and "faith works by love;" and love of God and man renders even self-denying duties pleasant. They rely on the promised grace of the Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen, and sanctify them; and now they fully enter into the meaning of that prayer, which before they had perhaps used as a mere form. We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace pre venting us, thou dost put into our hearts good desires; so, by thy continual help, we may bring "the same to good effect, through Jesus Christ our 'Lord.' When any become thus fully convinced of these truths, they will also learn, that God often punishes men, for past sins, especially for sinning obstinately against the convictions of their own consciences, and the strivings of his Holy Spirit, by giving them up to final hardness and obduracy. When therefore they are tempted to postpone repentance and conversion to a future opportunity; the thought will force itself on their mind; that if they listen to this temptation, God, provoked by their base wickedness, will thus finally give them "to "their own hearts' lusts;" and then repentance and salvation will be impossible. Thus, it is at least the tendency of this conviction, to deter men from

quenching the Spirit," and "resisting the Holy Ghost;" and to induce them to attend to the call of the Scripture. "To day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts;" lest" God should swear in his wrath, that ye shall never enter" into his heavenly rest.

P. ccccxcvii. 1. 26. Foretelling what would certainly happen from the wicked disposition of men.' Is this meant, of some men; or of men in general? This is the precise difference between us, and our opponents: we hold that this wicked disposition is natural to all the decendants of fallen Adam; that education, human laws, the state of society, and general convictions concerning God and a future retribution, may restrain it in some, from many outward excesses, into which others run; and that motives, arising from self love, may lead them to many things good in the sight of man, and favourable to the peace of society; but that all, which is spiritually good in any one, good in the sight of God, is the effect of special grace, of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, numbers consider this wicked disposition, as adventitious, the effect of education, bad examples, and habits, and various other causes; and not natural: that it belongs only to some, not to all: and that at least the beginning, (or the most difficult part,) of a recovery from it, is the effect of a man's choice, resolution, and exertion, previous to the special prevent'ing grace of God;' or any other regeneration, than what is common to all baptized persons.

P. ccccxcviii. 1. 7. At our, &c." Here is the opus operatum, as strongly asserted, as in any popish writer in the darkest ages. No agent is mentioned but the priest, and he acts only by speaking the words of God, that is, "I baptize thee in the name "of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghost." This forms and regenerates the baptized person, whether he rightly receive baptism or not:' and the vessel of water is the womb, in and from which he is regenerated.' The inward and spiritual grace of baptism, and the Holy Spirit, as the Agent in baptism, are quite overlooked.-Now if this be so, there is no occasion to pray, when we baptize any one,- Give thy Holy Spirit to this person, that ' he may be born again.' The words of God spoken by the priest will effect this; as certainly, and exactly in the same manner, as the words of the priest, consecrating the bread and wine, transubstantiate them, into the real, living body and blood of Christ! We are here led with Chrysostom, at least into the suburbs of Antichristian Babylon.

1

P. ecccxcviii. 1. 14. He, &c." Here the writer

At our regeneration, the words of God, which the faithful know, spoken by the priest, form and regenerate him, who is baptized, in the vessel of water, as in a womb. Vol. x. p. '711.'

2

'He immediately instructs them to ascribe both the past and the future to Christ. How? He does not say, Being confident that, as you have begun, so also you will finish, but, "He "which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it." He has not deprived them of right conduct; for he said, "I rejoice "in your fellowship," because, forsooth, they themselves had

makes one of these inconsistent concessions, before spoken of; and speaks in this respect as a Calvinist. P. ccccxcix. 1. 2. This is no small commendation, that God worketh in any one. If faith be 'a grace, and be given by the Spirit only, and be no 'merit of our own; neither those who disbelieve 'will be punished, nor those that believe, praised. 'For such is the nature of graces given, that they 'have no crowns nor rewards." I do not see, how Chrysostom can here be reconciled with himself.

P. ccccxcix. 1. 9. If he, &c. Nothing does prevent God from working a new creation in all 'men; except "the good pleasure of his will:" "his good pleasure which he has purposed in him"self;" the counsel of his will;"" the eternal pur

cr

pose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." He could not want power to do it; nor love, for "God "is Love." But he is also infinite in wisdom. This favour was due to none of our lost race: none deserved it he confers as he thinks best: he "gives "not account of any of his matters."-" Nay, but "O man, who art thou, that repliest against God?" "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise

' acted rightly. Nor did he attribute their right conduct to them'selves only, but principally to God; for he says, "I am conti"dent that he which hath begun a good work in you," that is, God, "will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." 'Remarks on p. 460, 461.

If he worked absolutely and indiscriminately in them, ' nothing would prevent his working in Greeks, and in all mankind, if he moved us like logs of wood and stone, and did not 6 require any exertion on our part,'

"and prudent: and hast revealed them unto babes: "Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy

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sight." Yet when he works, it is not by moving 'men as logs of wood and stone;' but "he worketh "in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure." It is not evident, what the word indiscriminately means, in this connexion: certainly it does not belong to the tenets of Calvin, who considers special grace, as discriminating, and working absolutely, only in the elect.

P. n. 1. 6. If that, &c. What authority had the writer to change "it is God who worketh;" to God will work?' "God worketh in us to will:" we ought therefore to supply a will.' We ought indeed it is our duty, but our indisposition rendered special grace needful.

3

'Or he says, &c. It is then con

P. D. 1. 27. Or he

Matt xi. 25, 26.

2 If that be the case, God will work all things; have confi dence, for it is God that worketh in you. If therefore be worketh in us, we ought to supply a will, always concentrated, fixed, uninterrupted. "For it is God that worketh in you, "both to will and to do." If he himself worketh in us to will, why doth he exhort us? For if he makes us to will, it is to no purpose that you say to us, ye have obeyed; for it is not we who obey it is to no purpose that you say with fear and trembling" for the whole is of God. But it was not with this view I said, "For it is he which worketh in you, both to "will and to do," but from a desire of removing your anxiety; if you be willing, then he will work the will in you. Be not 'afraid, and be not ashamed; he gives you both the will, and the work. For when we are willing, he increases our will. As,

I wish to do some good thing; He has worked the good thing itself, he has worked the will also through it.'

''Or he says this from great piety, as when he says that our