I am, persecuting world. I have not, at present, much of these to fight with; and when I have, though no man feels them more sensibly than I do, yet, indeed and in truth, I find them profitable. I enjoy many a sweet moment when I am under their pressure, and see much of the power and faithfulness of a promisekeeping God, when I occupy my business in these deep waters: neither am I dejected with the view which God has given me (and a clear view he has given me) of my unworthiness, ignorance, helplessness, blindness, and sinfulness, and of the total blindness of my nature. It is not, I say, a sight or feeling of these things that makes my chariot-wheels drag heavily in the way to the kingdom; these, indeed, are humbling, and leave me not a word to say in my own behalf; I stand before God, in myself, poor, and naked, and wretched, and miserable; but this makes mercy the sweeter. The more we know of our ruin, and of the mystery of iniquity that is in us, the greater value shall we necessarily set on our Saviour and his salvation. in Christ, superior to all that is in me; there is more in him to deliver me, than there can be in myself to condemn me. But here the matter lies, Sir, when I look at the word of God, and see there unto what I am called; when I see my privilege as a child of God, and what arises from such an endearing velation; when I see that I am called to a fellowship with the Father and the Son; to a peace with God which passeth all understanding; to a love, that casteth out fear; to a life of faith in the Son of God; yea, to joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the atonement,' when I see that I am called to be a temple of God, through his Spirit dwelling in me; to be a worshipper in his spiritual house; an inhabitant of the spiritual Zion, that city of the living God; a subject of his spiritual kingdom; to a hope full of immortality; to be an heir of God himself, and a joint heir with his beloved Son; when I consider these things, Sir, I can hardly believe for joy and wonder. I look at myself, and smile to see such an insignificant wretch so exalted: I look on things around, the world and all its vanities, and can count them all but dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus the Lord. "But, O! Sir, this is not always the case; nay, it is very often otherwise. This is my battle, this is my struggle, this is the reason of my complaint. Now you see what I am, and what I am fighting for: now you see the very cause of my heart-aches, my fears and distresses, my palpitations, &c. It is not steel, water, bark, nor the cordials of the apothecary, but the precious Balm of Gilead, and that great Physician there, that can alone give case and quiet to my troubled breast. I want always to live like a man who is sensible that all the blessings of the everlasting covenant are his own. I would walk and talk, and feel my hope, and fears, and joys, like a creature that knows and believes that all things are his, for he is Christ's, and Christ is God's: but my weakness! my weaknses! -woe unto me! my eye and my heart are soon caught and turned aside unto vanity! My corruptions and sins, the guilt of which the blood of the Son of God has done away, are yet as thorns in my side, and pricks in my eyes; nay, the very blessings of God are a snare unto me, and frequently steal away my heart from him. My house is a snare, my family is a snare, my garden is a snare, and my situation is a snare; my very dress is a snare; and such is my weakness, that my dear friend is a snare also. My comfort is in fellowship with God; his favour is better than life itself; and if I suffer any blessing to come between him and me, it loses its name, and is made a curse unto me.—Thus far my present experience. THE GALLEY-SLAVE LIBERATED. A GERMAN Prince, travelling through France, visited the arsenal at Toulon, where the gallies are kept. The commandant, as a compliment to his rank, said, he was welcome to set any one galley-slave at liberty whom he should chuse to select. The Prince, willing to make the best use of this privilege, spoke to many of them in succession, enquiring why they were condemned to the gallies. Injustice, oppression, false accusation, were the only causes they could assign: - they were all innocent and ill-treated. At last he came to one, who, when asked the same question, answered to this effect:- My Lord, I have no reason to complain. I have been a very wicked despe rate wretch: I have often deserved to be broken alive upon the wheel. I account it a great mercy that I am here." The prince fixed his eyes upon him, gave him a gentle blow upon his head, and said, "You wicked wretch, it is a pity you should be placed among so many honest men. By your own confession, you are bad enough to corrupt them all; but you shall not stay with them another day." Then turning to the officer, he said, "This is the man, Sir, whom I wish to be released." Was not this a wise decision? Must not all who hear the story allow, that the man who was so sensible of his guilt, and so submissive to his punishment, was, in all probability, the most worthy of pardon, and the most likely not to abuse it?-Though the ways of God and his thoughts are higher than ours, yet, upon some occasions, and when their concerns are not in question, men, by their judgments, shew that they can form no just objections to his. Letters and Conversational Remarks by Mr. Newton, p. 47. JUDGMENT AND MERCY. Extract of a Letter from a Person on the Continent, remarkably preserved in the midst of the desolating Calamities of War. "O, How refreshing, instructive, and consolatory were the accounts which I yesterday read, concerning the glorious progress of the kingdom of God, and the wonders of his grace! My heart feels quite revived, when I find that even the present desolating war must contribute so essentially to the extension of the kingdom of my adorable Saviour. I have myself been compelled, by the fury of our enemies, to fly for refuge to the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus; for what I felt at their arrival,and during their stay in this place, I cannot describe: anxiety, terror, desolation, pillage, internal accusations of conscience, fear of eternal death, all combined justly to torment me, the most hardhearted of the human race, the apostate despiser of grace! But the good Shepherd brought me to his feet, and wrung from me a stammering supplication for his infinite mercy, which he can withhold from no poor soul groaning under its misery and panting for grace, and which I also obtained in such a measure, that I felt myself strengthened to endure the worst that might befal me; insomuch that I, together with my family, could pray with confidence to the great Pseserver, and say, "Though the Lord should slay me, yet will I trust in Him!' Soon after this, I had an actual experience of his wonderful aid; for I not only came so well off with the soldiers that were quartered upon me, that even the most savage of them became like lambs when I spoke to them; - but God's preserving goodness seemed almost a miracle to me; for whenever I cast my eyes upon my fields, I was struck with astonishment, to see them scarcely in the least degree injured, whilst those of my neighhours were entirely desolated. In my cellars I had a store of beer, like other brewers, from whom 50, 80, or 90 butts were taken by the enemy, whilst I lost only half a butt! as if to shew me that they might have treated me in the same manner, had not my Almighty Preserver prevented them. What was most astonishing, though my barn stood in a row of six that adjoined each other, that alone was not broke open, whilst the other five were completely pillaged of their contents, and in a great measure destroyed! Have I not cause to devote myself wholly to this merciful Protector! And yet I am so dull, so ungrateful, and so unbelieving, that your encouragement to faith was well-timed, to lead me again into the right track. Our hearts, when we are accustomed to prosperity, will not seek as they ought; we wish always to feel or see, not to believe; which, however, is the principal means of attaining happiness." 3 S ON PROPER VIEWS OF THE MORAL LAW. IMPROPER or imperfect views of this subject may injure our happiness, and tend to the most dangerous consequences. To seek justification before God, in any way whatever, by an observance of the law, is unscriptural in the highest degree, and an object so far beyond attainment, as to be abandoned by every serious and well-informed mind; and to maintain the glorious doctrine of Christianity in such a manner as to supersede the use of the law in directing our life, and evincing our faith in Christ, is equally false and absurd; and is, therefore, equally exploded by every one who knows the truth as it is in Jesus. 6 Of these views, my paper will take no farther notice. But there in another representation of the law which, in my opinion, is as dangerous as either of the above, and as diametrically opposite to sound doctrine.' Many persons proportion the moral obligation of man to his ability, and consider the law as no farther binding than he has power to comply with it. They never urge the law in its spirituality upon the unregenerate, because they have ability to refrain only from gross sins; such as idolatry, adultery, murder, Sabbath-breaking, &c. By them, this unscriptural distinction is made, that only the outward precept is binding before regeneration, and that the spirituality of the law is binding only after that work has taken place. According to them, faith and repentance, in an evangelical sense, are duties only of those who are converted. Upon this sentiment, as thus stated, I would offer the following strictures, which to me make it appear unscriptural and ridiculous. 1. Though the abettors of this system often rail against. Arminianism with an air of triumph, they fall into that very system which they condemn. The followers of Arminius hold, That man has ability sufficient to keep the law; consequently it is binding upon him. The scheme which I now oppose (let every reader judge whether it be not Antinomianism, for extremes will sometimes meet) maintains, That as sinners have no ability to observe the law spiritually, its outward precepts only are binding; such as laying aside idolatry, adultery, murder, &c. Both parties, however widely they differ in other points, agree in this:That man's moral obligation is only according to his ability. They may, therefore, shake hands as brethren in sentiment *. 11. Every precept in the law is founded on the principle of love both to God and man; and if the outward precept be binding, the principle is equally so. Love is the fulfilling of the See this subject enlarged upon in President Edwards's works, published by Dr. Williams and Mr. Parsons, vol. 1, page 278 et seq. particularly a note at the bottom of page 280. The whole, both text and notes, is master-piece. law. Now love is a spiritual feeling, essential to real obedience, without which no command can be observed; without which, obedience is only a mockery both of God and man. III. This system reduces sin to a very small matter; nay, I hope to make it appear that it banishes sin out of the world. By the law is the knowledge of sint.' In proportion to its extent, so is a transgression great or small. But if only the outward precept be binding, independent of its spirituality, sin is reduced into a very small compass, which becomes still smaller, by considering that some are so highly favoured by nature, education, and example, as to be in a great measure, if not wholly, free from a breach of the mere external precept. This is not all. No overt act can be, strictly speaking, either sinful or holy without a correspondent emotion and disposition of mind prompting to that action. Sin lies not in the action abstractedly, but in the disposition to the action. Thus the scriptures speak:-The thought of foolishness is sin .' He that hateth his brother is a murderer §.' If the spirituality of the law be not binding upon the wicked, then the dispositions which give rise to those actions are not sinful; and if no action be sin but what springs from a sinful disposition, there is no such thing as actual sin among all the workers of iniquity. IV. This principle destroys the very essence of the law. It is said, Thou shalt not covet.' Surely, this command is spiritual. A mere external observance cannot be conceived, because the sin forbidden lies in the heart. Such an idea would abolish the precept altogether, and make covetousness, which is idolatry, to be no crime. V. If the law be binding only according to man's ability, it cannot be binding upon the Elect. Where is their ability? Paul says, "Ye cannot do the things that ye would ; and a greater than Paul said, Without me ye can do nothing .' On this principle, where can be the obligations of the saints? Of themselves, they have no more power than the vilest of the vile.-Thus a door is opened which leads to anarchy and licentiousness. VI. This principle greatly obscures the glory of the gospel : those who avow it, seem much afraid lest the gospel should be robbed of its honour, and yet take a very effectual way to sully its lustre. A remedy excels according to the disease which it cures; so the gospel appears great according to our sin and guilt. But if the law be binding only externally, the curse is a small affair, and the taking it away is a blessing of similar proportion. VII. On this principle, the condemnation of the wicked in a future world would not only be unjust, but impossible. The law * Rom. xiii. 10. § 1 John ii. 15. + Rom. iji. 20. + Prov. xxiv. 9. John xv. 5. |