ent ways are presented with their attending motives. Just on this principle the matter is all plain, that motives are none of them irresistible; and that men have in themselves that faculty or power by which they are able, most deliberately and freely, to choose the way to go and the actions to do, according to the best of their judgment, and according to evidence received, which power I have denominated the DETERMINATOR. Without this there could be no free agency. By this power, it is the province and privilege of every man to determine what motives to set in the highest place, the really inferior which are most agreeable to his corrupt inclinations, or those which are superior by intrinsic worth.

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By this I do not mean that every man, or any one, can give himself information, without the aid of some other means, what is the rior motive. But when different objects are presented to the mind to invite the man to this or that, and the reasons and evidences are also brought into view, why this or that is superior and the other inferior, it is the prerogative and province of every man to be as free as God in determining, according to his best judgment, which to choose which motive to set on the throne, giving it the first place in his mind, choice and affections, whether that which is intrinsically inferior but most agreeable to the man's inclinations and passions, or that which is intrinsically superior, in real worth, and therefore justly claims the pre-eminence in the judgment. For when the whole matter is developed, this is the point where all the real contrast between motives centres. Because when men come to be governed by their judgment, their whole care and labour is to have the judgment properly informed of different matters, which are the best, and if both cannot be obtained or pursued, the most valuable is chosen as soon as the judgment decides which that is. In case, therefore, of necessary errors of judgment for the want of light, or information, there is no criminality: the man has done the best he knew. But when the judgment is informed and the man doth not live up to its instructions, it is a self-evident principle, as well as scriptural, that he is guilty. It has been already proved that he can be under no necessary or irresistible influence to do what he knows is wrong. But when a man is governed by the passions, motives may be presented to the choice through the intellect and judgment, of quite superior quality to those which the passions present, and the superior be rejected and the inferior preferred, in the face of judgment and conscience, by the choice being determined in favour of the passions. And on this pivot turns man's accountableness; he is here called upon to exercise his prerogative and determine the choice in favour of the superior motive, or his best judgment, and to put that choice into practice, or if he neglect, to do it at the expense of his justification.

This is the unhappy condition of the whole human race, to be governed by the passions, and ever will until the passions are taken captive and put under arrest, at least so far as to give every man a fair trial whether he will determine his choice in favour of the passions or the judgment. When man fell from God he fell from the government of the spirit to that of the flesh, from the government of the judgment to that of the passions, and there he remains until arrested by the Gospel. But in that situation he calls in the aid of the judg

ment and other faculties, to subserve the work of the passions: and by the passions and affections, is the way to arrest man's attention and gain him to give the judgment the lead; when this is done matters are on a fair train to be all put right. I have spoken of the province and the prerogative of every man to determine the choice in favour of the superior motive according to his best judgment. This implies that there must be light in the understanding, and the judgment be formed before any thing decisive can be done. It also agrees with the doctrine of all motive being exterior, or out of the man. And every true motive to good deeds is from God, the Father of lights, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift. But where the light and information are but partial the decision of the judgment will be weak; yet when men follow their best judgment, and yield to the best light and information in their reach, unbiassed by selfish and inferior motives, they are released from condemnation and in the fair way to become perfectly right. And this is free agency, unhampered and without a blemish, for a man to determine his choice according to the best of his judgment, and not to be necessarily carried by inferior motives which are congenial to his inclinations and passions, in violation of his better judgment. And this is man's province, Lord of his proper sphere, of which none can spoil him-this is his prerogative, of which none can rob him: and no man or God can do his duty for him. Without this province and this prerogative, man could not be man, he could not be the real representative of God; nor could he ever become his true offspring, his image and glory in a spiritual state.

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE GOSPEL OFFERS, AND MAN'S CAPABILITY OF COMPLYING; AND WHETHER GOD'S DECREES AT ALL INTERCEPT ITS FREE

OPERATION.

NOTWITHSTANDING that man continues to be man, through the fall and all its consequences, he is a lost creature, ruined by sin, sunk into darkness and death; the powers of his mind are set on wrong objects and their true order subverted, so that the passions rule, and the intellectual powers, which according to their true order ought to rule and be primarily subservient to God alone, are become subservient to the passions and the flesh; until those noble powers, in the possession of which man continues to be physically the image and moral offspring of God, are degraded to the inferior purposes of corruption and misery, and although the mind and conscience remain, both the mind and conscience are defiled. (Tit. i. 15.) The Gospel is the only mean of recovery from all this ruin; and it is sent to the human race on the most liberal terms, excluding none who are willing, or

who will be prevailed upon to receive salvation on God's terms. We are now to inquire what are these terms; and whether they are adapted to man's condition, or whether it is in the power of man to comply with the proposals made to him in the Gospel. The Gospel is commonly called the ordinary, not to say, as it really is, the only, mean of salvation. But if the proposals, or provision in the Gospel, be out of man's reach, in his present fallen state, it is no mean of salvation to him; for that which is not adequate to the effect, is no mean of any matter whatever; and if man hath not power to comply with the proposals of the Gospel, there must be some other mean of salvation for him, or he must go without.

But as we are treating of the decrees of God and the things relating thereto, and have just been treating of man's free agency, we shall make some examination, whether there be any contrast between the decrees of God and man's free agency, or whether those do in any respect infringe on this, so as to prevent its unrestrained operation. And here let it be considered, that if any irresistible decree or decrees of God, that certain things shall unfailingly come to pass, should counteract the free agency of man, or prevent him from choosing according to his best judgment, such a decree would carry him irresistibly and take away his accountableness, for the same reason as irresistible motive or mechanical force: and that would be contrary to the call and doctrines of the Gospel, which are most liberal and unreserved. "Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. " "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." And again; "He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God:" not because any decree of God stood in the way to prevent him. (Mat. xi. 28, Rev. xxii. 17, Jno. iii. 18.) Now to suppose any decree of God, absolute or permissive, to interpose, or at all to be the most remote acting cause, why any man doth not believe that decree preventing him, or rendering the Gospel invitations abortive-wonld be to charge God with duplicity in the Gospel offer, and tarnish the immaculate glory of his character. And those decrees of God, which propose to men their duty and require obedience, are the ground-work, with the necessary attending motives, to induce men to use their free agency and make a wise choice. There is, therefore, no contrast between the decrees of God and man's free agency.

The Gospel of Christ is the mean appointed of God for man's recovery and final redemption. It is the power of God to salvation, to every one that believeth, and by it life and immortality are brought to light. By the Gospel is made known, who is the salvation of God to the ends of the earth; "Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved," except the name of Jesus Christ. "For I determined," saith the Apostle, "not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." (Acts iv. 12, 1 Cor. ii. 2.) The Spirit of God also, (that is Christ, for the Lord is that Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 17.) is made known by the Gospel; and the ministers of the Gospel are the ministers of Christ, to preach Christ to the people, to minister Christ, and to minister the Spirit to the people; “For we

preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us." And again; "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit." And again; "He therefore, that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, (doeth he these things) by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith. (2 Cor. iv. 5, 7, and iii. 5, 6, Gal. iii. 5.) Thus it appears, by these and a multitude of other Scriptures, that in the Gospel is all necessary provision for man's salvation, being indeed the power of God to salvation, because Christ the power of God and the salvation of God is therein ministered to

men.

Now the question is to be discussed; is this Gospel of God sufficiently adapted to the recovery of men from their present fallen condition, or is some additional mean or help requisite to their recovery and final salvation? If the Gospel is sufficiently adapted to their recovery, it is so completely accommodated to their present circumstances that they are able, without additional aid, to receive it and to comply with its terms. And on that principle they can be chargeable with their own ruin who perish under the Gospel sound and on no other; this being the only way of salvation or hope. Or it amounts to the same to say, if Christ is a Saviour, sufficiently adapted to the salvation of men, his terms and proposals must be and are so exquisitely accommodated to their present circumstances, sin, guilt, death and all other things considered, that they are able to comply with all that which he proposes, and to do what he requires, without farther aid than his offers include. For no man can be criminal in not doing what he is required, unless the requirements be fair and equal; and no requisition can be fair and equal which requires more duty or obedience than the man is able to yield, unless when he has previously and willingly spent his ability. (Mark this.) Accordingly God deals with man on reasonable terms; "Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord." (Isa. i. 19.) And all the proposals of the Gospel, the calls and invitations, the warnings and threatenings are made in the open acknowledgment, that man stands on equal ground with his Maker and Redeemer, nothing being required by God, but what is in the reach of man to perform. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come; buy wine and milk, without money, and without price." "Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Isa. xlv. 22, and Iv. 1, Jno. vii. 37, Mar. xvi. 15 and 16, Rev. xxii. 17.) Thus fairly, equitably and unreservedly are the proposals of the Gospel universally made.

It is vain to plead, that all these proposals are insufficient, without the help of God, to enable mankind to do their duty; for if the provisions of the Gospel are not equal to the necessities of those to whom it is sent, it is an imperfect thing, a mere blank and a reproach to its author. For to propose salvation to any man on such a plan as is not equal to its accomplishment without additional aid, and that additional aid cannot be had unless on such terms as the man is not able to comply with, is only to mock the man's misery and cruelly to aggravate his distress. And it is granted on all hands, that he who rejects the Gospel is the most miserable of all beings, unspeakably more guilty and wretched than they who never heard it. But with what propriety, if the Gospel comes with such proposals that he cannot comply with them without further aid and that aid is never given? "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." But whence this condemnation, or judgment, if they were not capable of coming to the light and submitting to its requisitions. But the Gospel is furnished with every necessary supply; and the commission of Christ and his ministers includes every supply which the believing and obedient need. "He that believeth is not condemned."-" And being made perfect (through suffering) he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him.” (Heb. v. 6.) "He came to his own, and his own received him not. But to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them who believed on his name. And of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace [or according to grace]." (Jno. i. 11. 12. 16.) "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke iv. 18. 19.) But it is unnecessary to multiply scriptures on this point. It is granted that the Gospel opens a sufficient door and treasure of salvation to those who receive and obey it; or in other words who believe, which always implies obedience, for faith without works is dead, being alone. It is also granted that all may receive who will; but it is argued that none are, or can be willing, until their will is renewed, by the work of God's Spirit, in some operation distinct from the preaching of the word, or beyond it. Thus that Gospel of Christ, which is the only mean of salvation which God hath ever made known to men, and which is the power of God to salvation to every one who believeth, is set aside as being inefficacious to salvation until men are first saved, or regenerated, by a necessarily previous work of God, which work there is no evidence, way or method of obtaining, unless God see fit to do it, acting according to his sovereign appointment or decree, according to some, and yet the man must perish for not receiving and obeying Christ, when it is impossible for him to comply. This is indeed an absurdity and a wicked accusation of God, and such it will appear to those who consider what has been proved; that it is every man's prerogative, and that pivot on which his fate has finally to turn, to determine his own choice, and to choose whom he will obey, and that in this light God always treats with "Choose ye whom ye will serve.

men.