An above impartially, as a fincere enquirer after truth, let it come from whom it may, intending to improve confcientioufly as for eternity-Amen. Says one, do you think a man can know his fin is forgiven in this life, and have the evidence of his acceptance with God? fwer-We are informed, that Abel had the witness that he was righteous-Gen. 4. 4. Heb. 11. 4. Enoch had the teftimony-v. 5. Job faid, 1 know that my Redeemer liveth, and though he flay me, yet will I truft in him; Job 19. 25. David faid, 66 come unto me all ye that fear the Lord, and I will tell you what he hath done for my foul." "As far as the Eaft is from the Weft, so far hath the Lord feparated our fins from us." Pfal. 66. 16. Peter faid, John, 21. "Lord thou knoweft that I love thee." John faith, he that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witnefs in himself." 1 John. 5. 10. and Mat. 1, 25. Jefus fhall fave his people (not in) but from their fins. Again, John 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, thou heareft the found thereof, &c. fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. The wind, though we don't fee it, we feel and hear it, and fee the effects it produces, it wavers the grafs, &c. So the Spirit of God, we feel it, it gives ferious impreffions, and good defires within our breast for religion. Again, we hear it, an inward voice telling what is right and what is wrong; and the more attention one gives to the inward monitor, the more diftinctly they will hear the found, till at length it will become their teacher. Again, we may fee the effect it produ ces-fome that have been proud and profligate, get reformed, and become examples of piety; which change, money could not have produced, &c. Says another, I will acknowledge the anci ents could talk of the knowledge, but infpiration is now done away; therefore, it is nonfenfe to expect any fuch thing in this our day. Answer. We read Jeremiah, 31 c. 33, 34 v. of a time when all fhall know the Lord, from the leaft to the greateft. Now, if there hath been a time paft, when people have known God, and a time to come when all fhall know him; which time is not yet arriv ed. Ifai. 11. 9. Heb. 2. 14. Why may not people know him in this our day? nature has not changed, nor Cod.. and if matter ftill can operate on matter, why not spirit upon fpirit. Some people are fo much like fools, that they think they are not bound in reason to believe any thing except they can comprehend it. This idea centers right in Atheism; for the thing which comprehends, is always greater than the thing comprehended: Therefore, if we could comprehend God, we fhould be greater than he, and of courfe look down upon him with contempt: but because we can't comprehend him, then according to the above ideas, we must disbelieve and reject the idea of a God. The man who fo acts, supposes himself to be the greateft, he comprehending all other men or things, and of course he is God; and many fuch a god there is, full of conceit. Observe, I can know different objects by the fenfitive organs of the eye, ear, &c. and tell whether they are animate or inanimate; and yet how my thinking power gets the idea, or comprehends the fame through the medium. of matter, is a thing I cannot comprehend; yet it being fuch a felf-evident matter of fact, I muft affent to the idea, &c. But fays one, who knows thele ( 104 ) Anfr. the things in this our day? Church of England playeth to have the thoughts of their hearts cleansed by the infpiration of God's Holy Spirit, and with the Church of Rome, acknowl edgeth what is called the Apoftles creed; a part of which runneth thus: "I believe in the communion of Saints, and in the forgiveness of fins." Again, the above ideas are in the Prefbyterian Ca techifm, which faith, "that the affurance of God's love, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, doth accompany or flow from juftification, adop tion, and fanctification, in this life," (not the life to come.) Again, what ever is, or exifts abstract from God, is finite. How or what God conceives or knows of himself, or the manner of his knowing, I fhall not attempt to fathom, till the day of eternity. But relative to his knowledge, as it concerns his creatures, I think the term infinite improper, for he can know no more than what hath been, is, and will be, which are only finite in any and every sense whatever. Therefore, to attempt to build an eternal covenant, by arguing or attempting to conceive his infinite knowledge, is a contradiction. For Erft, the term knowledge, implies a power of perception, to know and comprehend the exiftence of qualities, or things, &c.therefore, in this sense, when you speak of the knowledge of God relative to creation, or his creatures, in the fenfe they speak, you must neceffarily bound God's knowledge by finity, and of courfe to apply the word infinite, &c. to argue great knowledge is a contradition, and you can't deny it, becaufe there cannot be an infinite finite. Again, to talk about an eternal covenant between the Father and the Son before all worlds, a bargain that Chrift fhould have a certain number of mankind, which fome call the elect, is a contradiction in terms and a piece of inconfiftency. For firft, a covenant is a contract made between two parties, and there can not be a covenant without two parties. Therefore, to fay the Father and Son made a covenant, would be to adopt the idea that there were two divinities, which would divide the Godhead, and of courfe argue two Gods. t and you can't deny it. |