exchange of ideas you can come to a better understanding, it will afford me pleasure: meanwhile it is some satisfaction that your visit to me has not tended to widen, but considerably to diminish your differences. Brethren, there are many adversaries of the gospel around you, who would rejoice to see you at variance : Let there be no strife between you. You are both erring mortals; but both, I trust, the sincere friends of the Lord Jesus. Love one another!

ANSWER

TO

THREE QUERIES

PROPOSED TO THE AUTHOR.

SINCE

# 1. INCE on the present constitution of things, men never had a disposition to love and serve God, nor can it be produced by any circumstances in which they can be placed; how can they be accountable for what they never had, and without divine influence never can have?

"2. Ifit be said, that man is accountable from his powers and constitution, and therefore that God requires of him perfect obedience and love as the result of his possessing a moral nature; still how is it consistent with the goodness of God, to produce accountable beings in circumstances wherein their rebellion is certain, and then punish them for it?

"3. If the reply to these difficulties be founded on the principle, that from what we see, we cannot conceive of a constitution, which hath not either equal or greater difficulties in it; is it not a confession, that we cannot meet the objections and answer them in the direct way, but are obliged to acknowledge that、 the government of God is too imperfectly understood by us, to know the principles on which it proceeds?

"The above queries are not the effect of any unbelief of the great leading doctrines of the gospel; but as every thinking man has his own way of settling such moral difficulties, you will confer a favour on me if you will state how you meet and answer them in your own mind.

K."

ANSWER.

If the querist imagines that we profess to have embraced a system which answers all difficulties, he should be reminded that we profess no such thing. If it answer all sober and modest objections, that is as much as ought to be expected-The querist would do well to consider whether he be not off Christian ground; and whether he might not as well inquire as follows: How it could consist with the goodness of God, knowing as he did the part that men and angels would act, to create them? Or if he had broughtthem into being, yet when they had transgressed, why did he not blot them out of existence? Or if they who had sinned must needs exist, and be punished, yet why was it not confined to them? Why must the human race be brought into being under such cir cumstances?

I remember, when a boy of about ten years old, I was bathing with a number of other boys near a milldam, and the hat of one of my companions falling into the stream, I had the hardihood, without being able to swim, to attempt to recover it. I went so deep' that the waters began to run into my mouth, and to heave my feet from the ground. At that instant the millers seeing my danger, set up a loud "Get back! get back! get back!" I did so, and that was

cry,

all. What the millers said to me, modesty, sobriety, and right reason, say to all such objectors as the above: "Get back! get back! get back! You are beyond your depth! It is enough for you to know that God HATH created men and angels, and this notwithstanding he knew what would be the result; that he HATH NOT blotted them out of existence; and that he HATH NOT prevented the propagation of the human race in their fallen state. These being FACTS which cannot be disputed, you ought to take it for granted, whether you can understand it or not, that they are consistent with righteousness: for the contrary is no other than REPLYING AGAINST GOD."

Whatever objections may be alleged against an hypothesis, or the meaning of a text of scripture, on he ground of its inconsistency with the divine per. fections; yet in matters of acknowledged fact, they are inadmissible. If God HATH DONE thus and thus, it is not for us to object that it is inconsistent with his character; but to suspect our own understanding, and to conclude that if we knew the whole, we should see it to be right.-Paul invariably takes it for granted that whatever God doth is right nor will he dispute with any man on a contrary principle, but cuts him short in this manner: "Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid !" It was enough for him that God had said to Moses, " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." This, as if he should say, is the FACT: "He HATH mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he HARDENETH." knew what would be the heart-risings of the infidel— "Thou wilt say unto me, Why doth he yet find fault; for who hath resisted his will?" But does he attempt to answer this objection? No; he repels it as Job did: "He that reproveth God, let him answer it.”—

He

"Nay, but, O man, who art thou that REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO

HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS?" Rom. ix. 14-20.

Let the querist consider whether his objections be not of the same family as those which were made to the apostle, and whether they do not admit of the Is it not fact that though sinners,

same answer.

never had a disposition to love and serve God, and no circumstances in which they can be placed will produce it;" yet they are accountable creatures, and as such are invariably treated in the Scriptures? God requires them to love and serve him just as much as if they were of opposite dispositions, and "finds fault" with the contrary. Instead of allowing for the want of disposition, he constantly charges it as the very thing that provokes his displeasure. Hundreds of proofs might be produced; but I will only refer you to two or three in the margin*. It is upon these FACTS that we rest our persuasion; and not upon a supposed perfect comprehension of the divine government, nor yet upon the ground of its "having the fewest difficulties." We say, God actually treats the want of disposition not as an excuse, but as a sin; and we take it for granted that what God does is right, whether we can comprehend it or not.-Howbeit in this case it happens that with the testimonies of God, accord those of conscience and common sense.Every man's conscience "finds fault" with him for the evils which he commits willingly, or of choice; and instead of making any allowance for previous aversion, nothing more is necessary to rivet the charge. And with respect to the common sense of

Jer. vi. 15-19. Matt. xii. 5437. John viii. 48-47.