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"it drives out all lesser considerations; as the "effulgent brightness of the sun puts out the "fire of the hearth. And it is in this sense we "must accept that otherwise seemingly-harsh "doctrine to flesh and blood, where the Re"deemer saith, If any man come to Me, and "hate not his father, and mother, and wife, “and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, "and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. "That the apostle Paul felt the influence of "this hating his own life, no one will question, "who attends to the holy saint's groaning under "the body of sin and death, which he tells us "he carried about with him. And that a believer "in the present hour, who knows what it is at "times to loath and even hate his own flesh "from the corruptions of it, may without vio"lence to the purest affections be well supposed "to feel something of obedience to the Re"deemer's precept, in hating every tye which "tends to separate the soul from the great and "unrivalled object of its love, will not be "doubted. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? " and there is none upon earth that I desire "beside Thee, is an appeal, which many besides "David have been enabled to make.".

When the Interpreter had finished his discourse to the woman, he addressed himself to me; and concluding from my appearance among the circle, that one and the same motive as brought others to his house, had brought me also, he desired to know what was the immediate subject of my present attention.

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I simply repeated to him the distress with which my mind had been exercised, since I had perused a little book on the subject of grace, and had over-heard the conversation between the brothers.

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He prevented my adding more, by saying, "I "know very well that author's writings, and can easily conceive how his reasonings may have "operated upon your mind. But a moment's "reflection, under God the Spirit's teaching "will be enough to refute doctrines of such a " tendency.

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"To suppose that the gift of God's grace "depends upon man's merit, is to invert the very order of things, and make the creature "the first mover in his salvation: which is in "direct opposition to the whole tenor of scrip"ture. This, if true, would destroy God's "foreknowledge.

To imagine that our acceptance or refusal "of grace is the result of our own pleasure, is "to rob GoD of another of his glorious per"fections of character: for it is in effect saying, "that man is more powerful than his Maker, in "that what GOD wills, man may defeat. And "this takes from God his omnipotence.

"To fancy that our improvement, or mis"improvement of grace, will render it effectual, "or the contrary, is committing another breach "on the Divine attributes; for this is reducing "the covenant of grace to a covenant of works. "And hence, after all God hath said and pro“mised, concerning the freedom, and fulness,

"and sovereignty of his salvation, in this case, "the event of it would depend on the merit of "the creature. And this is taking from GOD "both his wisdom and his glory.

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"And to believe, after what God the Father "hath given, and GOD the Son hath accomplished, for the salvation of his people in a "Covenant way, that souls renewed by GoD the Holy Ghost, and called with an holy calling, may yet finally perish; this is bringing down redemption-work to so precarious and un"certain an issue, as must leave it altogether "undetermined, whether a single believer shall “be saved, or not. And this throws to the ground the distinguishing character of God's immutability.

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"I will very readily grant (continued the In"terpreter) that grace is brought forward into many sharp and trying dispensations in the "lives of the faithful. GOD is certainly exerકંદ cising the gifts of his Holy Spirit, which "he bestows upon them, by temptations and "troubles and a variety of providences. And "in fact, such must be the case. For unex"ercised grace would otherwise find no scope. "to manifest itself. But for any one to imagine "from hence, that our acceptance with GoD 66 depends upon the event of those exercises, "would be to make the present life a life of pro"bation and trial, as some injudicious teachers "have taught their people, and to render the Redeemer's merits and death still question

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"able, whether it would become available for "the sinner's justification before GOD.

"Blessed be the Divine benignity, things are "not so! It is our mercy that the finished and complete salvation of the Lord JESUS doth "not rest upon so uncertain a tenure.

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everlasting covenant ordered in all things and "sure, can never leave the issue of it doubtful. "What Paul saith, when resting the whole "stress of the sinner's hope for acceptance be"fore GOD, upon the justifying merits of Christ "JESUS, may be equally applied to the case " of every believer: I do not (says he) frustrate "the grace of GoD: for if righteousness come cc by the law, then CHRIST is dead in vain.”

My heart rejoiced in the consolation. GoD be adored (I cried) who hath brought me to this place, and hath given you (taking the Interpreter by the hand as I said it) the tongue of the learned, to know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.* I see now the fallacy of those arguments in that book, by which my mind hath been exercised with distress.

THE PICTURE ROOM.

AFTER this conversation, the Interpreter led me, and the few pilgrims also who were standing at that time around him, into the Picture Room, to explain to us a beautiful representation of the Jewish passover.

*Isaiah 1. 4

ક Perhaps (said the good man of the house) " it may never have struck you, that so infinitely important a point in the salvation of sinners, "is the precious death of the Lord JESUS, that "the Holy Ghost caused it to be shadowed out, by various representations in his church, ac"cording as the several objects intended to be accomplished by it, required.

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"See here (said he, pointing to the first compartment in the painting) "the passing over "the houses of the Israelites, by the destroying angel. Here are no bolts nor bars to their "" windows. But behold that blood on the. lintel, and on the two side posts; this became "the security. Now this represents the deliver"ance of the sinner from Divine visitation for "sin. Hence the Lord JESUS is said to have "delivered us from the wrath to come.

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"But it is not enough to deliver from the "wrath to come, if that had been all that the "Lord JESUS had accomplished by redemp-. ❝tion; our nature, though rescued from merited punishment, would still have continued pol"luted and defiled, without an expiation: and consequently incapable of drawing nigh to "GOD. See here, therefore, (cried the Interpreter, pointing to the second compartment in the painting) "the great doctrine of atone"ment represented in the death of the lamb. "And this doctrine is again more fully typified "by the sin-offering on the day of atonement. "Levit. iv.

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