taken from them immediately. No: but it is as well to file a few petitions at the throne, and as the poet saith,— "Christian, dost thou want a teacher, Ask thy God, and he'll provide." I am persuaded that after my decease grievous wolves in sheep's clothing will creep in; therefore beware of the cursed leaven of Arminianism, which represents that Christ hath shed his blood for all mankind, and that he hath put away the sins of all mankind by bearing them on the accursed tree, and yet thousands are in hell for whom he paid the price of redemption, (horrid thought!) because the creature would not accept his salvation, and perform certain conditions on his part; therefore by this doctrine, the whole of salvation depends on the will of fallen man, but not on the power, will, purpose, and unchanging love of God, who declares he will work, and none shall let it, and that his people shall be willing in the day of his power; and again, "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation;" and again, Christ saith, "all that the Father giveth me shall come to me;" and again, "I give my sheep everlasting life, and none shall pluck them out of my hand." But Arminianism gives the lie to all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and to God himself. Beware also of the cursed doctrine of the Arians and Socinians, now known under the name of Unitarians; these would rob you of the foundation of your hope, and send poor sinners to hell with an awful lie in their right hand. Oh! "my soul, come not thou into their secret, unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united." According to the measure of the gift of grace of my God, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear. For this I have been defamed, and evil spoken of by many; but in the blessed truths I have preached to you, I hope to live and die, knowing of whom I have received them. And now, my brethren and sisters, remember how you have heard, and hold fast that you have received by the powerful teaching of God the Holy Ghost, that no man take your crown. And now, "I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ;" so prays your brother. FRAGMENT. A MAN may conceive more in an hour, than all the greatest of kings or emperors ever did enjoy, as rocks of diamonds, heaps of pearl, mountains of gold, &c. but it is utterly impossible to think what God is able to do, or to conceive what he will do for them that love him, and that are the objects of his choice. REVIEW. A Fearless Defence of the leading Doctrines preached and received by Modern Antinomians, succinctly stated in Seven Letters to his Friends. By Washington Wilks, 12mo. p.p. 436. Higham. THE true spiritual church of Christ, has more or less in all ages been the object of persecution. If we glance at the history of the church as recorded in the Old Testament, from Abel the first martyr through the various periods of sacred history, we find the people of Jehovah's choice are the decided objects of the world's hatred: witness the scorn and contempt evinced by the antideluvian world to Noah, a preacher of righteousness-the cruel bondage inflicted by Pharaoh in Egypt-the constant warrings with the nations of the land-the direful captivity in Babylon-the opposition of Sanballat and his fellows, to the rebuilding of the temple of the Lord; each of them typical of the hostility manifested to the Lord's spiritual Israel to the end of time. When we come to the advent of Christ, we find the same rooted enmity against the church of the Redeemer, both during our Lord's personal ministry, and through the apostolic ages. And if we proceed with the church's history from the close of the canon of scripture through the diversified changes of the times, we observe persecution, when it could, with unblushing effrontery pursuing the christian even to martyrdom and a cruel death: or if restrained from such atrocities, then by the scourge of the tongue, or other malevolent means the true church is still the unwearied object of persecution. In the present day, although the church of Christ is secured from outward persecution, and has perhaps little to fear from the men of the world, who, Galleo-like, " care for none of these things," she experiences the most unjust and false calumnies from those who profess to be partakers of like precious faith, and while these have. candour sufficient to embrace men of all creeds, Arians, Socinians, Arminians, Sabellians, Quakers, and all the various heresies of the day, they evince the most unanimous and deep-rooted enmity against those who, tender of the honour of their Lord, and savingly taught by the blessed Spirit, that all they have and are is exclusively owing to the Sovereignty of divine grace, which snatched them as brands from the burnings, and who knowing that they had no power of themselves to turn from their former evil ways are determined to give all the honour to the eternal and undivided Three, who hath chosen, called, and sanctified them to the praise of the glory of his grace. These, who are thus taught by God himself, cannot amalgamate with the fashionist of the day, and are therefore branded as antinomians, and shunned by these candid religionists, as enthusiasts and fanatics. In our observations we have noticed antinomianism in the sense which our enemies apply it; and as this is the generally received opinion in which the epithet is understood, we do most decidedly object to its applicability to us; and while we hope ever to be found advocating the grand and fundamental doctrines of our most holy faith, we would repel the charge that these truths lead to licentiousness, and with the great apostle say, with holy indignation, "Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid!" We are aware that some good men, now in glory, have willingly assumed the term antinomian, not considering it to apply in the sense which their enemies wish to convey, and perhaps it were no difficult task to establish the fact. The writer of the work before us takes this ground, and fearlessly defends himself and the doctrines preached and received by antinomians (so called) from the calumnies cast upon them by their opponents. The work is divided into seven letters : entitled, I. “Antinomianism defined.”— II. “Modern Antinomianism defended.” — III. “ All moral evil, or every sin committed by either men or devils, the unavoidable result of God's absolute will and sovereign decree.”—IV. “The pre-existence of Christ's human nature."-V. “A concise account and explanatory defence of the saints' belief in the fallen, yet sinless humanity of "the Word made flesh, fallen, because made out of or from the fallen substance of a fallen woman, which mortal nature was not changed, till it became immortal by its resurrection from the dead. Yet was it sinless, because made so by the soulquickening, and body, soul, and spirit-sanctifying work of God the Holy Ghost; or, whether the conception of Christ, through the Holy Ghost, and the subsequent indwelling of the Spirit in the humanity of the Son, did change, or only sanctify, that humanity? or, in other words, whether Christ received a different nature from that of his mother, at his conception, or at his resurrection."-VI. “On eternal justification."—And the VIIth. "On progressive sanctification." In the two first letters, our author has attempted to explain what antinomianism is, and then defended it as the truth of God, which stands opposed to all the sophistical reasonings of modern calvinists, and in his remarks refers to many of the popular preachers of the day, on whom he animadverts with much asperity; his arguments are mostly such as have been urged by previous writers. In the third letter, on all moral evil being the result of God's absolute will and sovereign decree, Mr. W. quotes various authors in defence of his system, and labors with a repetition of argument and much verbosity to substantiate his views. The fourth letter, on the pre-existence of Christ's human nature, which occupies 120 pages, and abounds with quotations from writers for and against the sentiment, does not to our view present any thing new on the subject. Those, however, who wish to be informed thereon, may do well to peruse this letter. We think that in combating any error, persons ought to be omitted, and the doctrine itself refuted; but our author seems to have dipped his pen in gall. We may, being known as opposed to pre-existarianism, venture to wish that this letter had evinced less personal feeling. The fifth letter is a defence of the awful and blasphemous doctrine of the sinfulness of Christ's human nature; on this letter we shall not make many remarks. We have, when noticing Mr. Irving's essay on the subject, and on other occasions, so fully expressed our hostility to this Christ-debasing and God-dishonouring sentiment, that we need not repeat them here; suffice it to say, that Mr. Wilks has not only gone all the lengths of Mr. Irving, to whom he repeatedly refers with great approbation, but has in some parts exceeded him in aiming to establish his awfully blasphemous doctrine. We pray that Mr. W. and those who hold his views, may by the irresistible power of God, be brought to denounce their errors; that, if so be, they may obtain forgiveness. The two last letters on eternal justification and progressive sanctification, contain more warmth than argument; we entirely disapprove of any writer who indulges in personal invective; we like decision, but not insult; nor is it likely arguments, however conclusive, will be crowned by God the Holy Ghost, to the conviction of any one, where any thing but a simple aim to his glory is the alone object. We have so much exceeded our limits, that we can only add, the work as a whole, in its spirit, and much of its matter, does not meet our approbation. There are many glaring blunders in the printing of the book, and throughout the whole, so much censoriousness, with a tiring tautology, that we were glad when we had waded through its pages. Should the author resume his pen on any future occasion, we hope he will be more careful in correcting the press, and adopting conciseness in his stile. There is much natural talent, and attention might improve him. Nathaniel, an Israelite indeed: Letters on Christian_Experience; intended as a Companion to Jazer. By Joseph Irons, 24mo. pp. 144. R. Baynes. THERE is nothing more profitable to the christian, under the Holy Spirit's teaching, than to review past deliverances, and raise a tribute of thanksgiving to the Lord for all his mercies. This will stimulate to renewed activity, will inspire hope amidst present difficulties, will encourage the soul to look to the strong for strength, and enable him even under present trials to adopt the language of the poet : "His love in time past forbids me to think Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review, Confirms his good pleasure to bring me quite through. Mr. Irons has in thirteen letters well set forth the experience of the child of God in his progress to the heavenly Canaan. In the second letter on being brought to Christ, is the following striking delineation: "Instead of coming to Jesus as a guilty helpless worm, you wanted to come in a better character, bringing something in your hand worthy his acceptance, forgetting that it is said of him, "this man receiveth sinners." Even the attainments of other christians seemed as stumbling-blocks in your way, instead of hand posts to direct you, and your timorous heart would often say, if I could pray like such an one, or if I could speak of spiritual things like such an one, or if I could live as holy a life as such an one, there would be hope for me; but I am straightened, dark and dumb; surely my very prayers are sinful and my religious exercises awful mockery;' nor could you perceive that the knowledge of these things proved the existence of spiritual life in your soul. "How readily you then listened to Satan's devices; perhaps I am not elected, and then it is in vain for me to hope I shall be saved,' was the language of your unbelief; and you must needs scrutinize Jehovah's secret map of the road, before you ventured to take one step in it, although he promised to guide you with his eye, and protect you with his hand, all the journey of christian experience. Such were your scruples, misgivings, and doubts, until sovereign grace taught and constrained you to cast away your garments, and arise to come to Christ just as you were. "Then were the drawings of his love powerfully felt, in the movings of spiritual desire after Christ alone, as the sinner's friend and portion, and a holy anxiety was created to draw near to his mercy-seat-plead the merits of his blood-and cling to his cross for everlasting salvation; and being convinced that there is no other name given under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved, you cast yourself at his feet, crying, "Lord, save me.' Nevertheless, while grace was thus operating upon your heart, and bringing you to Christ, you were far from being emptied of self, and renouncing all confidence in the flesh; such is the latent propensity in man to cling to creature excellency, that while you were in the very act of confessing your guilt, and pleading for pardon, this old leaven was working within, infusing a twang of self-righteousness to the first devotional breathings of your soul. "How often, my dear brother, did you detect yourself in placing that dependence upon devotional feelings which should rest only on the person and work of Christ, thus prizing the gift above the giver, and putting difficulties in your own way while coming to Christ. Repeated hindrances and disappointments proved the folly of your conduct, but nothing prevented its repetition until the Lord the Spirit led you into clearer apprehensions of the perfect work of Christ, and gave you such a view of his lovely person and official glories, as drew off your attention from every created object, to gaze with unqualified admiration on his uncreated beauties, and called forth the heartfelt exclamation, "he is altogether lovely." "Was it in his house of prayer you thus saw the King in his beauty? do you not recollect the very place and time when his faithful herald proclaimed his truth, and set forth his everlasting love and faithfulness-the efficacy of his blood, and compassion of his heart-the prevalency of his intercession, and his ability to save to the uttermost? while the Holy Ghost accompanied the word with power divine to your soul, and you whispered with silent wonder, this is what I want.' Yea, while the suitableness of Christ was discovered by you, the evidences of sonship and of interest in him being faithfully pourtrayed and divinely sealed, encouraged you to sing, "he is my Lord and my God!" "You could no longer refrain from coming to him, to obtain close intimacy with him; you had so many wants which he only could supply-so many maladies which he only could cure-and such a tribute of gratitude to pay, which to him only was due, that nothing but personal intercourse could satisfy you; and being encouraged by his kind invitations, you came to his footstool in your true character, with all your guilt and corruption, owned your helplessness and unworthiness, and looked up in holy longings-waited |