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'Hear the hellish monster roar,

For

you Christ died, and not one more. His children listen to his call,

And shout, Christ did not die for all.'

Ambassadors of peace are here called children of the devil: and, because Christ said he did not pray for the world, nor die for the goats; and told some men that they were not of his sheep; we, adhering to this in the Bible, are called listeners to Satan; and preaching these truths is called shouting for the devil. This is strange language for a perfect man; and, if his charity be universal, he has a very odd way of shewing it to gospel ministers: for, though he will not allow of God's reprobating sinners for wickedness, yet he will reprobate them that preach the truth. This appears to be a revival of the old doctrine, calling light darkness, and darkness light; sin holiness, and holiness sin, Isaiah v. 20.

This wonderful charity is so tender about the fall of man, that it cannot allow him to be totally depraved, but insists upon it that man has a power to do good, to come to Christ, and to improve that talent that he brought into the world with him. And it is declared that Christ's invitation for sinners to come to him, implies that they have power to come, or else Christ mocks them with a fruitless call. I read that he called Lazarus, and that Lazarus was dead and stank when he called him; and where the word of that King went there was power,

Eccles. viii. 4. The power was in the call, not in Lazarus. And I believe a sinner to be as dead in soul as Lazarus was in body, and that he stinks worse by far, for Lazarus stank only four days: but he that says I am more holy than others,' is a smoke in God's nostrils, and a fire that burneth all his days, Isaiah lxv. 5.

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I know Christ says, "No man can come to me, except the Father draw him," John vi. 44. Howbeit some say he has a power, or he is mocked with a fruitless call. Christ says, "Without me ye can do nothing." Now, if we say that a man has power, and, out of charity to fallen nature, boast of the rectitude of his will, the dignity of his nature, and praise his unbiassed reason, as some call it, and lead him to believe these lies; where is charity all this time? I cannot see that such a one has any charity either to Christ, the sinner, or himself. He has none to Christ, because he gives him the lie in his word: he has none to the sinner, because, though he has led him to trust in himself, yet "he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?" Isaiah xliv. 20. Nor has he any love to himself, for his false testimony makes him one that God hates. "Six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him; a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren," Prov. vi. 16, 19.

This way of shewing universal love is very strange, because it only exalts the flesh, and nurses pride; and he that preaches to exalt fallen man can

never honour God, or deliver souls; and therefore his pretended love is nothing worth; for a faithful witness delivereth souls, Prov. xiv. 25; but a false witness deceives his neighbour, as well as himself, "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape," Prov. xix. 5. I cannot see it to be a charitable act to establish free agency among men, or rather confirm them in it: it has been established ever since Eve wanted to be as God. What good has free-will done for souls, that charity has so much to say in its behalf? Why it has rejected Christ; "Whom will ye that I release unto you?" Free-will says, "Barabbas." What shall I do with Christ?' Free-will has delivered him out of envy, and desires a murderer to be granted unto them, Acts iii. 14. And it is freewill to this day that rejects the sceptre of grace. "We will not have this man to reign over us," ever was, and ever will be, its language.

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Eternal life is in Christ; but free-will will not accept it; "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." I know none makes fairer promises than free-will, nor performs worse. Son, go work to-day in my vineyard; that's enough for a free agent, he wants no promises nor help. I go, Sir, said he; but we are informed he went not, Matt. xxi. 28, 30. Israel of old told Joshua, All that the Lord hath said we will do: but Joshua says, Ye cannot, Jos. xxiv. 19. And so they found it; for they sacrificed their children to devils, "and the land was polluted with blood," Psal. cvi. 38.

Is this free-will established by Universal Charity? So it seems. Then, O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger against the truth they have slain many, and in their self-will they are trying to dig down the wall of free salvation. Cursed be such anger, for it is fierce, and such wrath against souls, for it is cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel, Gen. xlix. 6, 7.

I think a free agent is the worst enemy to his own soul of any living, and deserves the sorest punishment, because he boasts of his will, power, and profound knowledge; and says, "Are we blind also?" It is an affront to tell him he is blind; yet they suffer themselves to perish, with all this noble stock, for non-improvement. Scripture informs us, that all they that were invited to the supper begged to be excused; and were taken at their word, and excluded the feast. Not a soul comes in till compulsion is sent out. Go, compel them to come in; then they come: and bring them also; and the house was filled with guests. Well, we must leave them to the mercy of him who has said, He that knows his Lord's will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Universal Charity appears to me to be one that loves not God, nor regards the souls of men. Pray what right hast thou to send poor souls that feel their need of Christ, to the Church of England; I mean to such of them as have nothing but blind

guides in them? Christ says, They shall cast you out of the synagogue, but you drive them into it. So you drive these poor souls into the very mouth of divine reproof. "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" Christ is not a blind guide: he says, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate." But you teach men to say, 'Keep ye among them, and be ye united.' This is a plain contradiction of God's word. However, that man shall never be God's mouth who takes not the vile from the precious, Jer. xv. 19.

Where is thy love to souls in sending them under blind guides? And, when they come there, they pray to be delivered from blindness of mind. Thou teachest people to deny election, and yet sendest them to church to pray God to make his chosen people joyful. First thou teachest souls to deny the doctrines of the established Church, and then sendest them to church to confess them. They are taught to contradict God, and then sent to mock him. Surely that charity can be of but little use to my soul that teaches me to give God the lie, and then draw out a wide mouth at him. O Charity, thou usest the tongue of the crafty, and diggest a pit for thy friends, Job vi. 27.

The whole work of pretended charity seems to be nothing else but reconciling Christ and Satan, truth and error, saints and sinners, together. But the throne of iniquity shall have no fellowship with God, nor they who frame mischief by a law. Psalm xciv. 20. "What part hath he that believeth with

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