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from sin, Satan, death, and hell. I went so far in this snare as to determine to cast off all hope in God, and to take my lot with the world, supposing that eternal damnation was to be my doom.

This is the very root of Arminianism, and I know what fruit it bears. However, God, in answer to prayer, delivered me, and I went back in my affections to my dear Master, wept over him, loved him as a friend, reverenced him as a sovereign, and left heathens, brutes, and devils, to the disposal of infinite wisdom and sovereign pleasure. Since that I have thus accounted for Satan's coming in this dress. We have more indwelling sin in us than we have grace, therefore Satan works on that, being his own seed; and hence it is so me are led to pity devils. We have also more flesh and blood than grace; hence we are led to pity our own fallen image in rebels. Every man being like the beasts that perish in his nature, and brutish in his knowledge, a very slight temptation will lead him to pity brutes; we having more of sin, flesh, and bestiality, than we have of God's Spirit. Natural affections will flow under strong temptations, more to sinners, beasts, and devils, than they will to God himself.

These temptations have beset many of God's elect; but he always makes a way for their escape; and they who continue in them cannot say that grace reigns; and those who die in them will find none of this universal charity exist in hell; there is no love there. We need not wonder at these temptations besetting the elect, when even Christ himself

was tempted to self-murder, and even to fall down and worship Satan. It is from this root of universal charity that those compassionate words flow, which we so often hear of, being poured out in behalf of Cain, Esau, Judas, Saul, Ahab, and Pharaoh; declaring that Christ died for them. Christ promised to ransom his people from the power of the grave, and to redeem them from death; "O death, I will be thy plague! O grave, I will be thy destruction! repentance shall be hid from mine eyes," Hosea xiii. 14. Now, if Christ redeems sinners, he has promised to redeem them from death; it cannot mean temporal death, for it is appointed unto all men once to die. It must be spiritual death then that the Saviour means: and, if all are thus redeemed, how comes it to pass that the scriptures declare so many to be in hell already?

When we hear from a pulpit those bowels of universal charity, sounding in all their tenderness, pity, sympathy, and love, for rebels, reprobates, traitors, and apostates, we may soon guess who is the preacher. And, if they call themselves apostles, as Peter was, we may answer them as Christ did him, "Get thee behind me, Satan. They ought to be an offence to us, because they savour "not the things that be of God, but those that be of men," Matt. xvi. 23. All the enemies this universal charity has, appear to be only God's sovereign, electing, and everlasting love to his chosen, Christ's particular redemption of his people, and the Holy Ghost's sovereign and discriminating operations on the favourites of God,

All the advocates for free-will that I ever conversed with seemed to be in love with all, but the sovereign acts of grace and the chosen of God; and these they oppose. And, seeing they open their mouths against God, his living temple, and they that dwell in the heavens, we have reason to believe there is not much of God in them; if there was, their hearts would be where their treasure is.

A woman once told me that a certain preacher threw the gates of heaven wide open. I answered, that she ought to be damned if she boasted of power to enter in, and yet staid out. Howbeit, I fear she is on this side the door to this day. Another told me, after hearing a discourse from me about election, that I barred the gates of heaven, but Mr. Universal Charity opened them to all. I told her, if he did, there were none let in but God's elect; for all that are there are called, and chosen, and faithful, Rev. xvii. 14.

A free-will preacher, some time ago, made a complaint that his congregation was thin; he had preached them almost all away; and, under much concern, he said that Election was the doctrine of the day; nothing would go down with the people but election. I would to God that every professor in the world were able to make their calling and election sure, as God commands; and then I believe they would rejoice, as the Saviour says, that their names were written in heaven. But, if this salesman has so clogged the market with free-will that all the buyers stand idle, he ought to set forth

free grace, and see what that will do. Let him take his market-bell, and cry a sale, as Isaiah did, without money, and without price, Isaiah lv. 1. Why does he set forth the refuse of the wheat, making the ephah small, and shekel great, and falsifying the balances of justice by deceit? Amos viii. 5. I know there is corn to be sold in our Egypt, and God has sent it from heaven for our food, and why should he try to make a famine? "He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessings shall be upon the head of him that selleth it," Prov. xi. 26. God has not sent us a famine of hearing the word of the Lord, Amos viii. 11; and why they should make our fruitful land barren by their wickedness I know not. God has promised corn to make the young men cheerful, Zech. ix. 17; and I see no cause to make them sad with chaff. They ought to tread out the corn, 1 Cor. ix. 9; and feed the young asses with clean provender, Isa. xxx. 24.

I will take notice of the effects of free-will charity, and leave the root for a while. After God had delivered my soul from that gilded bait called, or rather nick-named, Charity, I walked about five months in the happy enjoyment of electing love, till one day I dropt into company with a very strenuous free-willer, who lived at Weston-Green, in the parish of Thames-Ditton, in the county of Surry: he was one who appeared to walk like an angel, and was fourteen years old in his profession. I mentioned God's love to my soul, and innocently told him

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how I had fought against election; how God had applied it to me, and my comfort in it; not in the least suspecting that he would deal with my conscience as a thief. However his visage soon changed with envy. He told me I was wrong; and added, I was but young in the ways of God, but he was of long standing. I, fool like, thought length of days must teach wisdom, Job xii. 12; not considering that old men are not always wise, nor do the aged, at all times, understand judgment, Job xxxii. 9. However, he being very zealous, though not according to knowledge, took me into a private apartment, to expound to me, I may say, the way of confusion; and so indeed I found it to my

sorrow.

He brought forth a treatise, written by one F-h-r, and entertained me with it almost the whole afternoon. The book, as far as I can remember, seemed to be as sound as flesh and blood could make it; and I believe was as good a web as carnal reason is capable of weaving from the quills of human invention. And, in order to set it off, there was, here and there, a text of scripture jumbled in. But that good author seemed to be more earnest for fruit than for ingrafting; and I believe would be better pleased with a crop of leaves than a good root. However, we are told not to expect grapes from thorns, figs from thistles, nor good fruit from corrupt trees. I often cried out, O Sir! that is boggy ground, I cannot venture on that!'Don't speak against it,' says he,

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