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to his deeds. In vain do we confult expofiters for a folution of fuch difficulties; for if that does not fuit their own fyftem, they wrap them up in fome general expreffion, that quite conceals or obfcures the meaning of the text. But now, I think, I fee clearly what our Lord meane, by faying to him who occupied his five talents into ten; and the other, who occupied his two into four, “ Weil done, thou good and faithful fervant; thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord,” Mat. xxv. 21, In the parable of the pounds in Luke, it is faid to one servant, "Have thou authority over ten cities," and to another, "Have thou authority over five cities." This was the reward for improving one pound, a mina, which contained fifty fhekels, or 5 l. 14 s. into ten pounds, and in the other cafe into five. The question is, Where shall we find cities on earth after the day of judgment? But the reftoration folves this difficulty, and makes the faints of the Moft High, during the age of ages, kings or rulers in the new earth over their brethren for their good; without admitting which, many paffages of fcripture muft remain unintelligible. In Rev. v. we find the redeemed out of every kind. dred, tongue, people, and nation, the kings and priests who fhall reign on the earth, diftinguished from those described in the 13th verfe, as every creature in heaven, which may intend, as fome think, the fallen angels, that were once there, and are ftill faid to be in high places, and to have their principality in the air; and every creature on the earth, and under the earth, and in the fea, and all that are in them, as joining in a diftinct fong of praife to God and the Lamb. We muft refer the accomplishment of all this to the last age of Meffiah's reign. As the seventh day Sabbath is allowed to have been one of the prophetic types of the millenium, fo the Lord's day, or firft day of the week, on which Chrift rofe from the dead, and afterwards entered on his glory, is a figure and pledge of the reft that remaineth for the people of God in the New Jerufalem.

In Ifaiah 24th, towards the clofe, we have a folemn defcription of a terrible fcene, that applies to the laft judgment, and cannot be fully realized at any other period. The accomplishment of the last verfe may be referred to a period long fubfequent, when the Lord of hofts shall reign in Jerufalem before his ancients gloriously; or, as the margin renders it, "When there fhall be glory before his ancients." In that paffage it is faid, "The Lord fhall punish the holt of the high ones that are on high," who are fuppofed to intend the fallen angels, and alfo "the kings of the earth upon the earth." These are faid to be gathered together, like prifoners collected into a pit or dungeon, and to be fhut up in the prifon. Yet it is added, "after many days fhall they be vifited." Upon the common fyftem ftrange work is made of all this; for it is difficult to know what its abettors mean to make of it. But admitting the vifitation is to be in mercy, to effect their deliverance from prifon, the only confiftent fenfe that can be given it, and all appears clear and interefting. Thus we fee one of our Lord's titles beginning to be delightfully exercifed, "The bleffed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords," 1 Tim. vi. 15. Can this be a mere nominal title, as belonging to him? Will not thefe fubjects of his ever give him willing homage, as the kings of the earth once did to his type Solomon? He is

called the God of these gods, and the Lord of these lords, and we are exhorted to give him thanks as fuch, Pfal. cxxxvi. 2, 3. We are expressly affured, that they will yet own him in this character; " All the kings of the earth fhall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall fing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord," Pfal. cxxxviii, 4,5. See also Ifa. lii. 15. Their recovery to this honour and felicity, imports also the recovery of their fubjects.

John tells us, that our Lords has the above title upon his vefture and upon his thigh, denoting by the former, probably, the honour he does his faints, in making them kings and rulers under him over all the kings of the earth that died in unbelief; and by the latter, that his conqueft over them, and their voluntary fubjection to him, will be in confequence of the word of truth, the sword of the Spirit, that he girds on his thigh, Pfal. xlv. 3. This is admitted above; "They fhall praise thee when they hear the words of thy mouth." That honourable title being on his vesture, may alfo denote, or chiefly intend, that he became fuch by affuming human nature as his priestly robes, and confecrating himself to God, by giving his life a ranføm for all; whence he has acquired a right to the love and fervice of kings and lords, as well as to that of their people.

The effects of the curfe fhall remain on this earth, till removed by thepurify. ing Aames of the general conflagration; but in, the new earth, in which fhall dwell righteousness thro' all duration, they fhall find no place. Then and there fhall these true and faithful fayings be fulfilled, "The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord's; but the earth," the new earth, "hath he given to the children of men," as diftinguished from the fons of God, the firft-born, Pfal. cxv. 16. The purpose and grace of God are now made manifeft by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light thro' the gospel ;" so that these will not be brought full ly to light till death of every kind fhall be abolished, or finally and utterly de troyed, 2 Tim. i. 10.

Roading the 48th of Ifaiah, the following paffage forcibly engaged my attention; "For my name's fake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee. but not with, or for filver; I have chofen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own fake, even for mine own fake, will I do it; for how should my name he polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another," ver. 9, 10, 11. The preceding part of the chapter fhews what fort of people they were for whom he would do all this. Is God fuch a Being that a reafon weighs with him to-day, that fhall have no weight with him fome ages hence? Does time produce any fuch change on him? Did he choose the Jews in the furnace of affliction, for his own fake, and that his holy name might not be polluted; and fhall these reafons have no weight with him in delivering any from the great furnace of the great tribulation beyond the grave? The common doctrine reprefents the wretched captives as there continually curfing and blafpheming him, and that to his very face; and in the prefence of his holy angels; for the wicked are faid to be punished in the prefence of the holy angels, and in the prefence of

the Lamb. Will he then have no refpect to his holy name, or care how much it be polluted, by thus paffing thro' the lips of these polluted veffels of wrath? Tho' he declares he will not give the glory of fuch works to another, will he put it out of his own power to execute them in the world to come, by abandoning Lo many of his creatures, as long as he exifts, to the power and pleasure of Satan, his great rival? Is he not the "God who quickeneth all things," 1 Tim. vi. 13. and shall he leave all thefe twice dead for ever? What makes him variable, makes his word alfe fhift its ground, with every paffing age and generation, and with every dying breath; very unlike the rock of Ifrael that cannot change or lie.

With fuch inconfiftencies does the common system charge him, making him variable as the wind in his conduct, and in the principles that influence it. But, feeling fomething of the power of the apoftle's exhortation, as applied to the cafe in hand, and of the importance of the reafon upon which it is founded; and deeming myself a fervant under Chrift's yoke, I count this my own Mafter worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blafphemed, 1 Tim. vi. 1. and would invite all his profeffed fervants to do the fame. Let that be owned to be the doctrine according to godlinefs which does him most honour, and best agrees with his word.

We are told that "the Son of man is come to feek and to fave that which was loft," Luke xix. 10. Since the time fin made its entrance, the whole cre. ation has been loft to God, compared to what it would have otherwise been, The restoration of the whole is intrufted to Christ, and could not be trusted to a fitter perfon. Hence fays John, "The given all things into his hands," John iii. 35. us the great end for which they were given into his hands; "And be that fat upon the throne faid, Behold, I make all things new," Rev. xxi. 5. Thefe texts fhew plainly, to what extent Chrift will fave or recover that which was loft.

Father loveth the Son, and bath
The fame apoftle elsewhere tells

But the popular fyftem faye, he came to feek and fave only part of what was loft; and as for that which is loft in the maft comprehenfive fenfe, he will never feek and fave, or reftore the leaft portion of it. Are all mankind loft in themfelves? If this must be granted, then are we juftified in faying, that the Lord Jefus came to feek and save them; which he will doubtlefs do before he finish the work affigned him. Have we any right to divide and parcel out at difcretion God's whole, to the entire exclufion of the far greater part of its parts, merely because retaining the aggregate would not fuit our religious fyftem? Where God fpeaks in terms that equally apply to all mankind, it is prefumptuous in man to limit him, as if he perfectly knew that the thoughts of his heart came far fhort of what the words of his mouth convey. How would a fellow-creature take it to be fo ufed? It is but a poor, tho' common falvo, to alledge, that the elect being loft as well as others, they and they only are intended. But hath the Lord himself faid any fuch thing? He claims all fouls as his property; and it is worthy of him to feek his own when loft, tho' those who fancy they are safe, fee not the propriety of this; for we may reft affured, that he would not give being to any creature that he deems unworthy of his

care throughout the whole extent of its exiftence. In him all men live, move, and have their being, and they are all his offspring. Can we then suppose, the Lord would endue, with a rational immortal foul, a being whom he would take no fteps to recover from his lapfed ruined ftate? But the popular doctrine reprefents him as fending millions into the world under an abfolute impoffibility of ever attaining the great end of their existence, his own glory, in their holinefs and happiness! It tells us, that he has determined to give grace to none but his elect, a specific number to whom a fingle individual cannot be added; and that the gofpel, and all the impreffions produced by it on others, will only aggravate their guilt and mifery; God having decreed never to give them fpecial grace. And yet you will hear thofe, who maintain this doctrine, inviting all their hearers, without exception, to come to Chrift, and promifing them, in his name, a cordial welcome! Can they be fure they are all elect veffels? or do they mean to sport with men in matters of everlafting moment, pulling down, in their application, what they had been building up in their doctrine? thus expofing themselves to the pity and contempt of every attentive intelligent hearer, while the bulk gaze with wonder at their power in exciting so many human paffions! Elect perfons there have been, are, and shall be in every generation, who fhall be exalted with and under Chrift, to thrones, dominions, and principalities, but not to the total exclufion of the reft of mankind from any special favour, either here or hereafter, but rather for their advantage.

If the Lord ufe language, that plainly imports his intention to recover the whole loft race of man to himfelf, before he terminate his procedure of mercy, let none prefume to refine upon his words, till, inftead of the whole, by far the leaft part is left him, as if they grudged bim the glory of fuch an ample acceffion to his great family, and his creatures the happiness to which it gave birth. Are God's paternal bowels fo contracted, that before we venture to believe his plaineft expreffions, where the happiness of mankind is concerned, we muft narrow and contract them. The art of doing this is, by many, called divinity; and the public speaker that can do it with the best grace, and apparent fcripture-confiftency, is generally allowed to be the beft divine. If God be the Father of all, where is his honour, in allowing him only a very small proportion of his own children or creatures for his inheritance, while the major part is given to his great enemy, Satan, with a liberal hand. Will the great enemy of God and mạn have always caufe to boast,

"Divided empire with heaven's King I ho'd."

If all mankind are God's children or offspring, which Paul admits with re. fpect even to the heathen, or idolatrous nations, by quoting a faying of one of their poets with approbation, are we not juftified in applying, in this fenfe alfo, the words of the Pfalmift?" Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord ; and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Here there is no exception; and he gives no where reason to think, that he will give up his inheritance and reward for ever, to gratify any on earth or in hell. It is a common proverb, Let every one have his own; the wicked one fhall long enough hold unlawful poffeffion, tho' Chrift fhould be allowed to deliver the whole prey from him at length. The father, in the parable, reprefents his prodigal fon as not only loft, but also dead; and

from both argues the propriety of rejoicing at his recovery, Lake xv. 32. Now, as our Lord came to feek and fave that which was loft, without excluding any part of it from his merciful defign; fo we are told, that he quickeneth whomfoever he will, and all things, which muft certainly include all that was loft. The recovery of one loft son the father deemed fufficient ground of rejoicing; how much more fo the recovery or reftoration of all the loft prodigals of the family! But the mafs of Chriftians, like the elder brother, are mightily offended at this, and inftead of coming cordially in to bear part in the general joy, do all in their power to oppose and traduce the occasion of it, wresting and explaining away their Father's words, to find some ground of accufing fuch a li beral exercise of his paternal mercy. In the words of the Roman poet may we not say,

In heavenly minds can fuch base paffions dwell?

As it will be proper to take a furvey of the fubject, and enter a little into the objections ufually urged against the view of the truth exhibited in thefe letters, you will permit me to beg leave to trouble you farther, tho' I have trefpaffed on your patience too much already. Praying we, and all Christians may poffefs more of the spirit and of, the light that is in the great Head, that we may be conformed to him in all things., I am,

Dear Sir,

Your cordial friend, &c.

LETTER X.

Produce your caufe, faith the Lord; bring forth your ftrong reafons. Let them bring them forth, and fhew us what shall happen. He that is of God heareth God's words.-Give inftruction to a wife man, and he will be get wifer: teach a juft man, and he will increase in learning-I also will fhew mine opinion. Let me not accept any man's perfon, neither give flattering titles unto man.-Isa, xli. 21, 22. John viii. 47. Prov. ix. 9. Job xxxii. 17, 21.

DEAR SIR,

IF I am fo happy as to give you a proper view of divine truth in these letters, of which I yet fee no caufe to doubt, it becomes me to afcribe the glory wholly to God, who has, in this refpect, caused me to differ from what I myself have fo long been, and many more worthy men, I doubt not, ftill are. May sot I then apply to myself God's words, by the prophet, to his ancient people, "Thou haft heard, fee all this; and will not ye declare it? I have fhewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didft not know them," Ifa. xlviii. 6. And may not I addrefs the fame language to fome who may happen to caft their eye over these pages? If they fee in them the truth of God, in any important part of it, let them believe it, and not be afhamed to declare it, as opportunities offer, whatever their fo doing may coft them. If they are wife, they shall be wife for themfelves; but if they scorn this counfel, they alone fhall bear it, Prov. xix. 12.

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