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according to the Doctor's rule, we must know that God has de creed our eternal happinefs, before we are bound to fubmit to his authority. This gives the plain language of the Doctor's reafoning. When men can ascertain that the decrces of God do' fully fecure their certain happiness after death,' then they will fet 'eafy' on their minds; but if they cannot afcertain this, their hearts and lives may juftly revolt at' his decrees. And when men can fee the events of divine providence all tending to this great end, viz. their own happiness in the next world, then thefe events of providence will appear beautiful.' But if men do not fee things in this light, they have a right to rife up and oppofe divine providence. Which opens the way to juftify all the murmuring and rebellion against God, that ever took place. The Ifraelites, on their march from Egypt to Canaan, when at the Red Sea, and when they faid to Mofes, Because there were no graves in Egypt, haft thou taken us away to die in the wilder 'nels ?'* did not know that this event of providence, fo myfterious to them, was fuited to fecure their certain happiness after ' death.' Therefore with their hearts and mouths they revolted at' it.

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The fixed decrees or eternal counfels of the Moft High, as far as they are made known, are to be confidered in the fame light as his written word. This comes to us clothed with infinite au thority. Wherefore the law,' and not excepting its curfes 'is holy, and juft and good.'t This law is for the highest good of the universe. In like manner, the purpofes and decrees of Jehovah are for the beft good of the intelligent fyftem. As we ought to love the law of God, efteeming it better than thousands of gold and silver, fo we ought to love his decrees, providence, and government. Whether we can see the curfes of the law fet afide, as to ourselves in particular, or not, ftill this does not make it lefs amiable. And whether we can fee the decrees and providence of God to be for us or against us, ftill we ought to rejoice that the LORD reigneth. Even that God which can do us no injustice, but does all things well. The very act of repentance, and there is no repentance without it, implies fubmiffion and love to the law of God, although we may fee no other than all its curfes tanding against us. Repentance is an hearty fubmiffion of the finner to God, his law, decrees, and government; but not that God yields the point up to the finner. As the blame of the original apoftacy, and of our continuing in rebellion against our holy Sovereign, must be attributed entirely to man; fo it is evident that man, in the act of true repentance, must and docs return back to the

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the exact point from whence he fell. But, in the inftant of the original apoftacy, Adam could fee nothing before him but endlefs death. Therefore, every finner when returning back to his God, or in the moment of repentance, can fee nothing before him but endless death. He, however, cordially approves of the death, and of every thing contained in the law. It is not neceffary for us to be reconciled to endless death, in itself confidered, this is impoffible. But a cordial approbation of the whole law, that endless death is right and fitting, what we juftly deferve, is implied in repentance.

Again, the gofpel, although it pronounces everlasting deftruction'* on the unbeliever, ought to be received with gladnefs of heart, as good tidings of great joy.' And because it offers falvation to every creature, and actually fecures the falvation of every penitent believer. Were the deftruction or death to be left out of the gofpel, were all without diftinction to be made happy in the next world, and it would, as Dr. H. does throughout his book, give countenance to all poffible wickednefs. Which could not be glad tidings to fuch as love righteousness and hate iniquity.

Thus the law and the gofpel bring all poffible good to the penitent believer; exhibiting, alfo, the greatest motive before infi dels, to perfuade them to believe. But they bring, at the fame time, all poffible evil to the unbeliever, confidering him as fuch, The fame may be faid of the decrees and government of God. The law and the gofpel, in the most defirable fenfe, are in favour of the believer; fo are all the decrees, and counfels of heaven.' The law and the gofpel, in the moft alarming fenfe, are against the unbeliever, as fuch; fo are all the decrees and counfels of heaven. From the law and the gofpel the believer has every thing to hope; from the law and the gofpel the unbeliever has every thing to fear. So from the decrees of God the believer has every thing to hope, while, from the fame fource, the unbeliever has every thing to fear. At the fame time, the law, and the gospel, and the decrees, and the providence, and the government of God, all harmoniously unite, to alarm, and to invite finners to become. true believers.

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Furthermore, the law and the gofpel prefent to our view, most clearly, the perfect freedom of men. Thus faith the LORD, Behold, I fet before you the way of life, and the way of death.'+Choose you this day whom you will ferve.' The decrees of God, alfo, teach the fame perfect freedom among men. Inftead of interfering with, or reftraining, the entire freedom, of men, the decrees

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a The. 1. 9.

Jerem. 21. 8.

t Joh. 96. 151

decrees of God do indeed establish and fecure it. Some fuppofe, because his decrees are unalterable, and because his government is univerfal, men are no longer free. They might as well fay, because his law binds all our thoughts, words, and actions, and because it is unalterable, it is not good. They might as well fay, because the terms of the gofpel are fixed, and men muft neceflarily come up to an exact point, to obtain falvation, therefore the terms of the gofpel are hard. Certainly if the law, the gofpel, the decrees, and the providence of God, give men liberty to do, and to enjoy all the good they are capable; to be as holy and happy as God himself, according to their nature; they have the only thing which can properly be called liberty, and they have it in the higheft fenfe. But the fact is, men with for a different kind of liberty. They wifh for liberty to commit fin, and not be called

to an account.

As Dr. H. has not fteadily adhered to thefe rules, but has often contradicted them, he cannot be reckoned among the friends of calvinism. He appears to have introduced the doctrines of the divine decrees,predeftination, election, &c. fo as to have op. portunity to mifrepresent them; render them highly disgustful, even frightful and horrid to his readers; unless they can be made fubfervient to his own scheme, the falvation of all men.

7. Dr. H. must now find himself in a fad dilemma. For either first, he must grant that his wide door, which would admit all men in, in the next world, is fhut, while they continue in this world; and 'fatan left to fhare the prize.' Or, fecondly, he muft withdraw his formidable objection against the limitarians, and grant that their foundation of faith is according to the gospel. He must grant the righteoufnefs of Chrift alone to be an unfailing foundation for us to build our faith and hope upon. That all of us are under infinite obligation to come unto Chrift, believing him to be the rock of eternal falvation; although it be a fecret to us whether we are elected to eternal falvation, or not. He must acknowledge that we can have no evidence whatever of our fafe and happy state after death, any further than we find our hearts and lives conformed to the gofpel. And, he must acknowledge that he was led into the fcheme of univerfalifm through mistaken notions. After all researches,'* that he had not understood one of 'the first principles of the oracles of God,'+ even the proper warrant and ground to believe to life eternal. I am, &c.

P. 12.

+ Heb. 5. 12.

LETTER

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Dr. H. holds that all who are impenitent at death are then regenerated; this compared to his rule of faith, and to other things in his Scheme; alfo the abfurd confequences of this fentiment.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Sa neceffary article in his plan, Dr. Huntington fuppofes,

this eventful moment, regeneration, repentance, faith, and all the chriftian graces; fo as to complete them for heaven. Reference was had to this in the foregoing letters. To fee its feveral con nections and confequences, as well as make a juft comparison, this fentiment will now be particularly confidered.

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The Reader is here informed, the Doctor makes no effential difference between the believer and unbeliever, as to a preparation for death; in his view, both thefe characters are alike prepared. Much is faid,' fays he, about being fit to die. There is one fitnefs and but one, and that is by no means perfonal; but in the perfect character of a covenant head, a vicar, or Surety, in the full atonement, and all perfect worthiness of Jefus. • Whatever difference progreffive grace may make between man. kind in this life (and great is the blefling of all those who are elected to special attainments of grace in this world) yet every one without diflinction, is left utterly unfit for heaven, fo long * as the foul is in the body, an awful unclean thing. No un⚫ clean thing fhall enter into that world. On the feparation of foul and body' and not before, is any foul in its own qualifications and temper fit; but in a relative view, all, for whom Chrift died, are fo. Their garments are all alike wafhed and • made white in the blood of the Lamb.-The notion of fome • Fitness in a finner for heaven, whether a penitent or an impenitent finner, is utterly repugnant to the whole word of God. It is built wholly on a legal fpirit, and on our attachment to our old covenant of works. It wars againft every evangelical mo tive of comfort in our fouls, and obedience in our lives. fands in oppofition to an entire dependence on God in Chrift, and to every moral virtue.'t-Thus, in the frongeft terms the Doctor exclaims against what is called a preparation for death. But Chrift commands us, Be ye alfo ready for in fuch an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh. Matt. XXIV. 44. So in Deut. XXXII. 29. O that they were wife, that

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they underflood this, that they would confider their latter end! Had Dr. H. fhown in what particular things both the penitent and impenitent are utterly unfit for heaven,' he would then have given fome light on the fubject. But lumping things together, as he here does, is an unpardonable fault. Reje&ing, every kind of diftinction, and making thefe two characters agree in all respects, is fuited to mislead' the unlearned and unflable, that they might wreft the fcriptures, unto their own deftruction.' In point of merit, or in the view of law and juftice only, there is no difference between the believer and unbeliever. On this ground, the latter is as fit for heaven as the former. So, no unclean thing thall ever enter into heaven; and believers have a great fhare of moral uncleannefs, while in the body. But does this argue no difference of any kind between him who has prevailing love to God, and him who fays in his heart, No God? Does this argue no difference between that faithful fervant who is watching and waiting the coming of his LORD, longing to depart and be with Chrift; and that evil fervant who begins to fmite his fellow fervants, and to eat and drink with the drunken? Again, is a humble dependence on the righteousness of Chrift, for pardon and acceptance with God; is this building wholly on a legal fpirit, and on our attachment to our old covenant of works ?' if fo, where is the great bleffing,' Dr. H. juft mentioned, of all those who are elected to fpecial at. tainments of grace in this world ?'

But we here afcertain the Doctor's fentiment on the fepara *tion,' when men die, and not before, is any foul in its own 'temper fit to die, or fit for heaven. 'all for whom Chrift died are fo.' But in a relative view, all mankind are equally fit to meet death, and be taken to heaven. That is in a relative view, 'Their garments are all alike washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.' The relation they all bear to Chrift, places them all on equal footing. And the great work of fanctification, to fit the mind for heaven, is done for every one of us at death. A fpecial work of Chrift,' he fays, there certainly muft be in 'death; or never one of the mere human kind can get to heaven.'

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The fame infinite mercy, power, and faithfulnefs, which can then feperate one foul from all its unfitnefs for heaven, can 'another. Chrift does but a fmall part of his glorious work on any foul in this life. He graciously begins earlier with fome 'than others; but he finishes with all alike, even at death. Sin ad its attendants fhall vex and diftrefs the wicked as long as they live-It fhall even drive them to death, to the king of ter

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