cornu.) Therefore, tho' fhe is as fit for the work, as most of those which he does it with; he never puts her to his plow, no not when he makes the most crooked furrows. Should it be asked, why the devil did not encourage Chrift to throw himself down, by giving him fome hints, that a grievous fall would humble him, would make him fympathize with the fallen, would drive him nearer to God, would give him an opportunity to fhout louder the praises of preferving grace, &c. I reply, that the tempter was too wife to fhow fo openly the cloven foot of his doctrine: too decent, not to fave appearances: too. judicious to imitate Zelotes.

What thoughts cur Lord, St. John, St. Paul, and St James, entertained of fallen believers. A parallel between the backsliders delineated by St. Peter, and thefe who are defcribed by St. Jude. An horrible deAru&ion arvaits them, for denying the Lord that bought them, and for turning the grace of God into lafcivioufness.

T is impoffible to do the doctrine of perseverance

Iuftice, without confidering what Chrift and

Apoftles fay of apoftates. Even in their days the number of falling and fallen believers was fo great, that a confiderable part of the laft Epiftles feems to be nothing but a charge againft apoftates, an attempt to reclaim pharifaic and antinomian backsliders, and a warning to thofe who yet ftood, not to fall aray after the fame example of unbelief and conformity to this prefent world.

Begin we by an extract from Chrift's epiftles to the churches of Afia. Tho' the EPHESIANS hated the DEEDS of the Nicolaitans, yet after St. Paul's death, they fo far inclined to lukewarmnefs, that they brought upon themfelves the following reproof. I

have somewhat against thee, because THOU HAST LEFT thy first love. Remember therefore, whence THOU ART FALLEN, and repent, and do thy firft works, OR ELSE I will remove thy candlestick. The church at PERGAMOS was not in a better condition, witness the fevere charge that follows: Thou haft them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to caft a ftumbling-block before the children of Ifrael, &c. to commit fornication. So haft thou alfo them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, OR ELSE I will fight against thee with the fword of my mouth. The contagion reached the faithful church of THYATIRA, as appears from these words: Thou Suffereft that woman Jezebel to SEDUCE MY SERVANTS to commit fornication.-But unto, &c. as many as have not THIS DOCTRINE, and have not known the DEPTHS OF SATAN, I will put upon you none other burden.-In SARDIS a few names [only] had not defiled their garments, the generality of chriftians there had, it feems, a name to live and were dead. -But the fall of the Laodiceans was univerfal: before they fufpected it, they had all, it feems, flidden back into the fmooth, downward road that leads to hell. I know thy works, fays Chrift, I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, I will pue thee out of my mouth.-[Like thofe who ftand complete merely in NOTIONS of imputed righteoufnefs] thou fayt, I am rich, &c. and have need of nothing; and knoweft not that thou art wretched, poor, blind, and naked. Rev. ii. iii.'

Can we read this fad account of the declenfion, and falling away of the faints, without afking the following questions? (1) If backfliding aud apoftacy were the bane of the primitive church, according to our Lord's doctrine; and if he did not promise to ANY of those backfliders, that victorious, almighty grace would CERTAINLY bring them back; what can we think of Zelotes's doctrine, which promifes infallible perfeverance, and enfures finished Jalvation to EVERY backfliding, apoftatizing believer? (2)

If the primitive church, newly collected by the fpirit and sprinkled by the blood of Chrift, guided by apoftolic preachers, preferved by the falt of perfecution, and guarded by miraculous powers, thro' which apoftates could be given to Satan for the deftruction of the flesh, [witnefs the cafe of Ananias, Sapphira, and the incestuous Corinthian ;] If the primitive church, I fay, with all thefe advantages, was in fuch danger by the falling away of the faints, as to require all thofe reproofs and threatenings from Chrift himfelf: is it not aftonishing, that whole bodies of proteftant believers fhould rife in our degenerate days to fuch a pitch of unfcriptural affurance, as to promife themselves, and one another, abfolute, infallible perfeverance in the divine favour? - And (3) if the apoftate Nicholas, once a man of honeft report, full of the Holy Ghoft and wisdom, but afterwards (it feems) the ring-leader of the Nicolaitans: if Nicholas, I fay, went about to lay a ftumbling-block before christians, by teaching them that fornication would never hinder their final perfeverance, never endanger their finished falvation; does Zelotes mend the matter when he infinuates withal, that fornication, yea, adultery, and, if need be, murder, will do chriftians good, and even answer the most excellent ends for them?

Confider we next what were St. John's thoughts of antinomian apoftates. He had fuch a fight of the mifchief, which their doctrine did, and would do in the church, that he declares, This is love, that we WALK after his commandments. This is the commandment, that ye have heard from the beginning, ye fhould WALK in it. For MANY DECEIVERS are entered into the world, who confefs not [practically] that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh [to destroy the works of the Devil: who deny Chrift in his holy doctrine: and, among other dangerous abfurdities, will even give you broad hints, that you may commit adultery and murder without ceafing to be God's dear children. But believe them not.] Look to yourselves that we lofe not

thofe

the truth is not in him.

thofe things which we have wrought. Whosoever TRANSGRESSETH and ABIDETH NOT in the [practical] doctrine of Chrift, hath not God &c. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God Ipeed. 2 John 6, to 10. Again, He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and Thefe things have I written unto you, concerning them that SEDUCE you. 1 John i', 4, 26. - Little children, let no man DECEIVE you: He that DOES righteousness is righteous, &c. He that COMMITTETH fin is of the devil, &c. In THIS the children of God are manifeft, and the children of the Devil. 1 John iii, 7, &c. They [who hold the contrary doctrine] went out from us, but [in general] they were not of us they were not ALL of us [the heart of most of them had already departed both from God and from us.] John ii, 19.

*

What a fine opportunity had St. John of faying here, "If they are elect they will INFALLIBLY come back to us." But, as he believed not the modern "doctrines of grace," he fays nothing, either for Calvin's reprobation, or Dr. Crifp's election. Nor does he drop the least hint about a day of God's power, in which changelefs love was INFALLIBLY to bring back one of all thofe backfliders, to make him fing louder the praises of free, fovereign, victorious grace. See page 92. This paffage of St. John therefore, which Zelotes quotes as a demonftration of Calvinian election, makes against it, rather than for it.

Altho' I have frequently mentioned St. Paul's thoughts concerning fallen believers, I am perfuaded,

that

That this is St. John's meaning appears from the abfurdity of fuppofing, that one and all backfliders are calvinistically reprobated: For, if being or us, means being calvinistically elected; when the loving apoftle fays, If they had been or US they would no doubt bave continued wITH US; it neceffarily follows, that all who do ,not continue with us- all who start afide for any time, are not of us, i. e. upon the Calvinian plan, are abfolute reprobates, mere hypocrites a doctrine this, too fhocking to be admitted even in myftical Geneva,

that the reader will not be forry to fee them balanced with St. James's fentiments on the same subject.

St. PAUL'S account of St. JAMES's account of un

Back ders.

MAN

faithful believers.

1. Alexander the cop2. My brethren, &c. if per-fmith, [who was once there come unto your a zealous chriftian, fee affembly a man in goodly Acts xix. 33.] did me apparel, and alfo a poor much evil; the Lord re- man in vile raiment, and ward him according to ye have respect to him his works, No that weareth the gay (i. t. no believer) ftood clothing, &c. are ye not with me, but ALL for- partial ? &c. But YE HAVE fook me: I pray God DESPISED the poor, &c. that it may not be laid If ye have refpect to perto their charge. 2 Tim. fons ye commit fin, &c. iv. 14.-I fear left when for whofoever [of you] I come I fhall not find shall keep the whole law, you fuch as I would-left and yet offend in one there be debates, envy- point, he is guilty of ings, wraths, strifes, back- all. From whence come bitings,whisperings, fwell-wars among you? Come ings, tumults; and left my God humble me among you, and that 1 fhall bewail many, which have finned already, and have not repented of the uncleannefs, and fornication and lacivioufnefs, which they have commit- | ted. 2 Cor. xii. 20, 21-Not forfaking the affemb. ling of ourselves together as the manner of fome is, &c. for if we fin wilfully [as they do] there remaineth no more facrifice for fin, but a certain fearful looking for of jugdment and fiery. indignation, which fhall devour the adverfaries, &c. [efpecially him] who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was fanctified, an unholy thing,

ERS

they not even of your lufts? &c. YE ADULTERand adultereffes, know ye not that, &c. whosoever will be a friend of the world, isthe enemy of God? Jam. ii. 1, &c. iv, 1, 4′′

and