men, every good work, finners ought not to believe it as gofpel, or as good news. The plain language is, these are not only facts, or certainties, as contained in the bible, but they are facts to be made known. And unless they are made known, the words of the bible are not good news to men; neither are men under obligation to receive them, as fuch. For if men are released from obligation to believe the bible, provided it does not indeed con. tain thefe facts, and it is binding on them provided it does, then how is it thus binding on them, except, at the fame time, they have been certified of these facts? If thefe facts make the

fcripture binding on men, then men muft and do, come to the knowledge of these facts, or how are they bound by them? How are men bound by certain things, and under facred obligation to obedience, except these certain things are made known to them? Therefore, if men are released from obligation to the gofpel, as Dr. H. fays, unless his news founded in facts is preached to them, then his news must be preached to them before they can be brought under obligation to it. Therefore finners must first hear and know this news, and before they are bound to believe the gofpel, any part of it, as fuch. They must hear the news of the falvation of all men, and know that Chrift has decreed the repentance of all men, before they are bound to repent.

Dr. H. confiders this certainty, that Chrift will give faving grace to all men, the only thing which makes revelation binding, fo that it ought to be believed. For, to omit this certainty, there is no propriety in preaching, but utter inconfiftency; and, of course, no propriety in believing, but utter inconfiftency, in every attempt towards it. Alfo, to omit this certainty, there is not only no propriety in preaching, but there can be no preaching that ought to be believed. But the only thing which makes revelation binding on men must first be certified to men, elfe how can revelation command their belief? Therefore, finners must know what Chrift has determined to do for them, before they are bound to obey him. They muft certainly know Chrift has decreed they fhall have faith, before they ought to have it. Alfo all attempts to any gofpel duty, without this certain knowledge, are utterly inconfiftent.

This further confirms the remarks in our first Letter. On Dr. H's ground, men must ascertain their election to the feveral religious duties of this prefent life, before they become obligated to do them. Therefore, when Dr. H. fays,' If you are of the number of the elect, you have full warrant to believe to falva. 'tion,' this is pertinent as to the prefent life as well as to the fu

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ture.

Are men commanded to make themselves new hearts they muft recognize that they are elected to this, before this command can take effect upon them. Are men commanded to love God with all their heart? this command can have no authority over them, until they are affured God has determined to give them this heart to love him. Does God command all men, wherever the word of his grace comes, to repent, and believe on his Son Jefus Chrift? this command is in force when all men know God has decreed their obedience to it, and not before. This is the refult of the Doctor's reafoning, and this is his rule of faith. If it is not, how does the doctrine of the remiffion of fins, when preached, always makes this remiffion fure in Chrift? How does the very command imply that repentance is made fure, and all the benefits connected with it? How is repentance always engaged by him, who orders the doctrine to be preached? And how is all preaching, and all exertions as to believing, utterly in vain, on any other ground than this?

But the remainder of the Doctor's addrefs to finners is, You will make God a liar in fo believing, as you will believe what he knows is not true, viz. that every foul that hears the gofpel has a foundation for his faving faith, laid in Chrift:' i. e. except they firft afcertain their election by Chrift to falvation. This can be improved no other than a folemn warning to finners, that they lay alide all attempts to turn to God, to truft in Jefus, or rejoice before him, until they are certain they are elected to it. And a foleinn warning to finners not to turn and believe in Jefus immediately, nor in any future moment, unless they can first be affured he has determined to give them an heart to it, and to this identical act of belief. Dr. H. has accordingly fhut up the kingdom of heaven against men. For he fays the great majority' of men are left under the power of fin, and this by the 'decree of the immutable Jehovah.' In fo faying he has declared that no finner can realize his news founded in facts,' fo as to enjoy the faving benefit of them in this prefent flate. Not one impenitent finner can know he is elected to fear God and tafte the pow er of his love, while on this fide the grave. How can he know ke is elected to it, when, in the Doctor's words, the decree of the immutable Jehovah has left the great majority in the oppofite? Therefore, finners must know what is impoffible for them to know, otherwife they have no foundation for their faith, otherwife they will make God a liar in fo believing.' If this does not fhut up the kingdom against men, it is impoffible to fay what docs. Thus, my dear Sir, we again have Dr. H's. very extraordi.. nary rule of faith. Men must know what is impoffible for them

to

to know, before they have any ground for their belief. Which effectually excludes finners from the faith, and fhuts up the door of hope against men; confequently this rule deftroys itself.

Dr. H. further extends his foundation of faith. We must not enly be certain of obtaining the object, before we feek after it, but we must be certain that God has determined we shall obtain it, whether we feek after it before death overtakes us, or not. He often mentions God's own due time; when this time comes, the great work of grace is done, for every child of Adam. But, the queftion is, when will this due time come? Chrift engages to give remiffion of fins, and the benefits connected with it, to every human creature. But when does he fulfil this engagement? The Doctor has fixed upon no time before we meet the king of terrors, on which we can all affuredly depend. At death, he tells us, the great bleffing is given to every one. Or all who are found unregenerate when the pale meffenger arrefts them, are then renewed, fanctified, and fitted for heaven. And he agrees with his opponents, that the unregenerate never do feek after repentance and remiffion of fins; but always refuse and rebel. He alfo holds that the great body of men die in their fins, or death finds them in this state; and, therefore, they never seek falvation, during this life. See Let. III. Part I. But this certain knowledge of the determinate will of Chrift, to give falvation to all men, we must have; otherwife our faith is vain. Confequently, we must not only be certain of obtaining the object, before we feck after it, but we must be certain of obtaining of it, whether we feek after it in this life or not. And this completes the Doctor's presept of faith. We shall clofe this Letter with the following remarks.

1. Dr. H's great zeal in pretending to fuch a fulness of provifion for loft finners, as to the next world, appears to be a falle zeal. For his fcheme makes no provifion as to this world. His pretended wide door, which would finally admit all in, is fhut for the prefent; not one foul can ever enter, before soul and body are feperated. His zeal for the falvation of men, in the next state, has effectually cut off poor loft finners from all ground to hope for faving confolation,' in this ftate; and barr'd the door of hope against them. How can this zeal be genuine, which stretches fo far beyond the line of truth? The Holy Ghost faith, Behold I, have fet before thee an open door, and no man can hut it.'* Behold, now is the accepted time.'t

It is granted that the Doctor might not fully understand his own fcheme. He might not fee all the confequences of his leading principles; and therefore might not intend all the fame things,

which

whicih naturally refult from them. To maintain his grand point, however, he appears to be neceffitated to adopt fuch falfe maxims as do, indeed, ' fhut up the kingdom of heaven against men.' Leaving them no room to hope, excepting those who find them, felves already in, that they ever shall enter till after death. On his plan, fuch as are truly defirous of being heirs of the kingdom, and of cleaving to the LORD with all their heart, or fuch as are upon the point of entering in, cannot unless they first know they are elected, or unless they firft know what they cannot know. There are frequent inftances of perfons having a good work begun in their fouls, who have no evidence in their own minds that they were chofen of God, before the world was. Dr. H. himself owns this, and then denies it. But what kind of zeal is this, which denies the first principles of the oracles of God?

There can be no hesitation in granting, whoever feeks in a gofpel line muft have an unfhaken belief in the power of the Redeemer, and his readiness to give whatever we afk agreeably to his will, He that cometh to God muft believe that he is, and that he is a "rewarder of them that diligently feek him.' But there is a wide difference between our believing God to be able and willing to give whatever we diligently feek to him for, and, on the contrary, knowing all to be made true and fure to us in Chrift before we feek to him for it, and even true and fure to us whether we ever seek to him for it in this life, or not. There cannot be a wider difference than there is between thefe two propofitions. The former fuppofes, if we afk of God with a pure heart, we fhall receive; but if we ask amifs, or do not ask at all, we fhall not receive. The latter fuppofes, whether we afk amifs, whether we make no pretenfions to afking, or whether we ask of God with a pure heart, it is all one,-all is made fure to us in Chrift. The fatter breaks down all diftinction between him that ferveth God, and him that ferveth him not.t

It will now beafked, whether our ftriving, or feeking, or whether the act of the creature, can alter the eternal fixed purpose of the Most High? This objection, if it be of weight, lies with equal force against the Doctor. For how can he charge every unbeliever with the greatest blame, for not believing immediately to the faving of his foul,' feeing the great majority,' as he fays, are left, while in this ftate, by the fixed purpofe of the Mot High, to live in rebellion against him? This objection, if trac ed to its fource, will appear to be an infult to common fenfe. For what man will prefume to fay, If my daily bread be decreed by Heaven, I fhall have it, otherwife I fhall not; therefore I will quietly

* Heb. 11. 6.

+ Mal. 3. 18.

quietly fit down in a state of inactivity? In God's great plan, the means and the end are infeparable. If he decrees the end, he alfo decrees the means, to accomplish it. Therefore, if in every cafe, we do not ufe the means God has appointed, we may be affured we shall not obtain the end. But,

2. Dr. H's (cheme is calculated in the most direct manner to fuit the carnal heart, in all the depth of iniquity. Sinners have, for ages, endeavoured to fcreen and excufe themfelves from obligation to God, under a notion that they do not know they are of the number of the elect; that the door of hope is fhut against them, for the prefent; that it is fufficient for them to believe to falvation when God's time fhall come, neither can they do it before; that if God has decreed their falvation, he will bring them in, even at death, if not fooner. What can be more gratifying to their carnal defires than that which meets their vain pleas and excufes? What more pleafing than to be told, They are excufed for the prefent, the door of mercy is now fhut against them, but it fhall moft affuredly be opened to them at last, and they indeed brought in? Every hardened finner who has fome notion that the bible is true, or that there will be a future judgment, muft exult with infernal pleasure, if he can bring his mind to acquiefce in fuch a flattering excufe as is here given, for him to revel all his days in fin. And he having, at the fame time, an affurance of being delivered, at laft, from the torments of hell, and made confumately happy. This is the thing which his foul has been lufting after.

That all are elected, as to the future world; but few elected, as to this; that no unbeliever can know he is elected to serve God, while he continues in this world; that all ground of faith and obligation to duty, while he continues in this world, is therefore taken away; that the finner has therefore fuch a plaufible excufe to live as he lifteth, and to do it with perfect fafety, hav→ ing the brighteft profpe&t before him; what can be more foothing to the deceitful heart? That which finners have fo long fought after, God in righteous judgment, it feems, has fent upon them. I alfo will choofe their delufions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did anfwer. But, 3. However Dr. H's notion, that without certain knowledge we are elected, we have no warrant for our faith, may, by its na tural confequences, be gratifying to the wicked, it is grievous te the righteous. However it may feast and ravish the carnal appetite, it is wounding to the pious foul. The pious foul often feeks after that fpiritual enjoyment, to which he has no knowledge or

certainty