and, while he judges, with infallible truth, that they all deserve to perish, and must perish unless infinite wisdom devise a plan, infinite love provide a remedy, and infinite power apply it; he determines, for reasons best known to himself, to glorify his awful justice in punishing some ac cording to their deservings, and to glorify his most abun dant mercy and grace in saving others, in a way that shews them to be deserving of the same condemnation. The indissoluble knot in this business is the first entrance of evil into God's creation: this he could have prevented, but has not; nor could his almighty intervention have consisted with his moral government; as an invincible barrier to all disobedience must have made all laws, &c. useless, and all displays of his moral perfections comparatively feeble and indistinct. But 'silence becomes ignorance:' and further I dare not speculate. He does all to the praise of his own glory: and, at last, that will be most displayed by the plan he has adopted. However, the difficulty is the same on every system; for evil does exist. "It is plain, from the fulfilment of many prophecies, by the voluntary actions of numerous agents combined against God and his cause; that his decrees are in no respect either the motive of men's actions, or inconsistent with their free agency. But, by a wisdom to us incomprehensible, he leaves men to follow their own inclinations, and places them in such circumstances as infallibly secure the accomplishment of his secret purposes. The whole world lieth in wickedness; and you justly observe that the apostle ascribes this to their evil dispositions: idolatry arose from men's not liking to retain God in their knowledge. Ever since the fall, men have been carnal, as born of the flesh: and the carnal mind is enmity against God. This enmity induces every man, as left to himself, and as tempted by Satan, to break and hate the law of God: and, even after all that Christ has done and suffered for sinners, if men were left to themselves, they would universally hate and reject the gospel, because it honors the law, and is diametrically opposite to their pride and lusts. Ye must, then, be born again. Now this is a resurrection from a spiritual death, a new creation, an act of omnipotence. No sinner can merit it; none is disposed to claim it; none can do, or will attempt, any thing to effect it: but God, as a sovereign, has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and leaves whom he will of his proud enemies to be hardened. Of his great love wherewith he loved us when dead in sin, he quickened us; and made us willing in the day of his power. This, I apprehend, is the only reason, why one sinner repents, believes, fears, prays, hopes, loves, and obeys, while another continues obstinate in impenitence, unbelief, and disobedience. So that none are rejected because not elect, without respect to the sin of their conduct, and the determined sinfulness of their hearts; and the promises are all made to such holy dispositions as are the fruits of special grace, the effects of regeneration. This, therefore, is perfectly consistent with commands, exhortations, invitations, and expostulations. If any man find a willingness to comply with the exhortation, and embrace the invitation of the gospel; let him come and take of the water of life freely: for Christ will in no wise cast out him that cometh.Nor is it requisite that he should determine the nature and source of this willingness, before he comes; though he will in due time be led to ascribe it to special grace, if indeed it be a willingness to be saved, in the Lord's way, from sin and all its consequences, to use the prescribed means, and to renounce all things for the sake of Christ. But, if any man be not thus willing, whatever he may pretend now, he will at length find that his unwillingness arose from enmity to God and holiness, from pride of heart, and love of sin; and that God only purposed to leave a perverse rebel to his own mad choice, without exerting his omnipotence to conquer his obstinacy. So that nothing can be more false, than the representations some give of the doctrine, as if God determined to save some men, however wicked and slothful they were; and to damn others, however desirous of salvation, and diligent in seeking it: though some zealous Calvinists have said unguarded things, which give plausibility to such cavils. "No man can know his election, except by the evidences of regeneration, especially repentance and its fruits, and faith in Christ working by love to him, his people, and his commands. In proportion as these are clear, he may infer his election of God, and conclude that he will perfect the good work he hath begun: but, if these be obscure, it is proportionably presumptuous for men to conclude themselves elect, or to encourage themselves with the doctrine of final will perperseverance.-Hence you ceive, that many objections to the doctrines, and abuses of them, are the effects of human depravity, and have · real relation to the truths themselves. Many deem themselves elect because they believe election and dispute for it; yet their boastings, railings, evil tempers, and worldly lives are black marks of reprobation; that is, that at present they are disapproved characters. But no man can know that he is not elect; for, whatever his past or present conduct may be, he may yet be converted: and every serious conviction, and desire after salvation, is a hopeful token; and a willing mind (as above described,) is a certain proof of election.-The distress of numbers on this ground is wholly the effect of misapprehension and temptation. "Election with the doctrines connected with it, when truly believed, must produce humiliation before God; gratitude to him for every hopeful token of being made to differ; a disposition to give him all the glory, and devote ourselves to him; meekness, long-suffering, tender compassion for sinners; hope of their salvation by the same grace that saves us; diligence in using means for that end,--as God works by means; and in short, every holy temper. It gives encouragement to wrestle, run, and labor, by the assurance that no temptation shall at last deprive us of the blessing: but no encouragement to be slothful, or to indulge in sin; because that must make our election doubtful.-Finally, many are elect and called, and manifest the humility and holy tendency of the doctrine, and its effects upon their hearts, who dissent from the notions they have formed of it in their heads. "If these general thoughts be of any use to you, or by you to any other, I shall deem it a privilege; and shall be glad to answer any question you may further propose. In general, ascribe the glory of all the good to God, and the blame of all the bad to man, and you cannot be far wrong. Desiring an interest in your prayers, and to be remembered with love to all my unknown brethren with you, "I remain, "Your friend and servant in Christ, "THOS. SCOTT." "DEAR SIR, "Chapel Street, September 18, 1795. ........"My state of health, which is generally bad at this time of the year, joined to various other circumstances, seems to incapacitate me for writing much, or much to the purpose, at present. In respect to the external forms, and other such distinctions among persons who appear, as humble penitents, to rely on the merits and atonement of the divine Saviour, and to desire to live according to his will, and to his glory, I pay but little regard to them. I believe there are many things unscriptural among us all; that is either defective, redundant, or erroneous: but human nature is very fallible; ten thousand circumstances produce prejudices, which warp the judgment; and the Lord seems to illuminate his people but in part. There must therefore be differences of opinion: these our corrupt passions will magnify into matters of importance, and urge us tenaciously and vehemently to contend about them: the enemy will stir up these passions, to disgrace and weaken the common cause, and to take men off from such endeavors as tend to subvert his kingdom; and by his influence, together with the deceitfulness of our hearts, we are readily persuaded to think we are zealous for the Lord God of hosts, and doing him service, while we are thus gratifying our pride or malignity.-I do not consider these things (in which we differ) as immaterial; for there is right and wrong, truth and falsehood in every thing; and they have always some effect on the heart and conduct: but, when we are satisfied in our minds, as far as circumstances will admit, that we are in the place, and worshipping after the manner, that it is the will of God we should, we are not vainly to imagine that we can do much more; or that we can remove rocks and mountains;-for it would be no less a work if we could bring the state of the church, even in our own neighborhood, from what ages have confirmed, to what we think right: and, at last, we are as liable to be prejudiced and to mistake as other men. I have not met with any society or denomination of Christians, with whom 1 should agree in every thing: but, all things considered, I have deemed it my duty to abide where the Lord first found me, in that respect. I never could find liberty to join any other body: and I felt no temptation to attempt another division of the church. I am not called upon to do any thing contrary to my conscience: and, if I were, the path is plain-give up the advantage, and bear the loss or cross; then conscience may be followed. Nor do I deem myself answerable for the sins of others belonging to the same corps.-If the different sects of Christians, among whom the truths of the gospel are maintained, would but consider themselves as differe regiments in the same army; and stand up, as it were. the honor of their particular regiment, (only) by endeavoring to outdo others in promoting the spread of true religion; and thus fighting against the common enemy: the divisions might be overruled for good. But, alas! too many say, We saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us; and, while they frown upon, instead of forwarding, and praying for success to, every endeavor to disseminate truth in a dark world; they prejudice and harden the minds of worldly people by their eager, not to say fierce, contests with each other: and, having thus caused their zeal to evaporate, they remain indifferent and lukewarm about the common cause. -But there are some symptoms of a better spirit in this country; and that, connected with steadiness in the principles held. The Antipedobaptist missions are supported liberally by many Pedobaptists, both dissenters and churchmen; and other plans of a similar nature are set on foot. As far as we can, we should assist all such undertakings, if they seem to originate from good motives, and to be conducted in the fear of God: and we should pray for success to them all, if we can do nothing more. The world is wide: perhaps not one fourth of mankind profess Christianity; and, alas! perhaps not one in a hundred of those called Christians are really such. Let us enlarge our views, desires, and prayers beyond the limits of a sect or party; according to the extensive meaning of the first clauses of the Lord's prayer. "I have let my pen run on upon this subject, so that I have no room for another. But the deceiving of souls may be compared to the picking of pockets. He who is much afraid of having his pocket picked will generally take such precautions as will prevent it: so will he who is much afraid of being deceived; especially the means used by David, Psalm cxxxix, 23, 24. "I remain, with best wishes and prayers, your sincerely affectionate friend and servant, "DEAR SIR, "THOMAS SCOTT" "Chapel-street, March 17, 1796. ........I have been so peculiarly engaged in writing for the volume of sermons which I am printing, that I have been almost constrained to put off my correspondents, in order that I might not hinder the printer. Upon the whole my health is better than when I wrote last: but I am |