forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John i. 9. But alas! this is all overthrown if Arminianism be true.

If Arminian hope is fixed on a surety that hath not paid, or cannot pay, the debt; or, if it is fixed on a mutable Saviour, and has no laws to encourage it but such as demand a debt twice; first of the surety, and then of the debtor; first send them out of the prison of sin, on the surety's account, or, in their own words, make them sons of God by grace to-day, and, after all this, let them fall away, and lock them up in hell to all eternity, until they can pay the utmost mite of what was paid long ago; what establishment is here for hope? I answer, a hope founded on such doctrines is just as stable as a feather in a whirlwind.

However, we have many who are hardened enough, through the deceitfulness of sin, to advance such lies in the name of the Lord, and father them upon him; and it is enough to make the flesh of those, who entertain any thoughts worthy of God, to tremble; and those who keep silent at the report of such indignity offered to God ought to be rebuked by every stone in the streets. But what has this hope, which is founded on falsehood, to do with the hope of the gospel? I answer, just as much as the throne of iniquity has to do with a 'throne of grace.

However, the Arminians honestly own their hope may be lost; and we verily believe it to be as they

say, that a man may be a perfect man in this falsehope state to-day, and be in hell to-morrow. But the hope of the gospel is quite another thing; Christ crucified is the only hope set before us; and he who takes refuge in him does not tumble into hell, but is said to fly from the wrath to come. Mark, to fly from it, not into it. He who hopes in Christ is not to be disappointed of his hope. But the hope of Arminianism has, it is to be feared, disappointed many; and no wonder, when it is founded on a conditional promise; a withered arm of impotent free-will, in copartnership with a weak and mutable saviour of their own setting up.

But the hope of a Christian is an anchor which is cast into the immutable and unchangeable Godhead, and its flukes take hold within the vail of Christ's flesh, and is sure and stedfast to every chosen vessel of mercy, Heb. vi. 19. "The Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." And, if an Israelite indeed loseth his hope, or fails of the grace of God, and the glory which grace is an earnest of, and be cast away, the Lord himself must fail. However, he never hath failed them that trusted in him as yet, Josh. xxi. 45, and it is time enough to cry out against him when we find he has.

Though David says, "Doth his promise fail for evermore, hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious?" yet he is honest enough to own that this was his infirmity, Psalm lxxvii. 8, 9, 10. And surely that

man is a blind guide indeed who cannot distinguish between the infirmities of the flesh and the glorious and everlasting gospel of the Son of God.

If we examine the peace maintained by universal lovers, we soon shall see it has nothing to do with the gospel. The peace which the gospel proclaims is a reconciliation between God and sinners; which peace was made by Christ our Mediator, by the blood of his cross, Col. i. 20; therefore he is our peace; God preordained him so to be, Isaiah xxvi. 12. Christ paid our debt of obedience to the law, removed its curse, and took it out of the way of every believer; and by his death he paid our debt of suffering to justice, which had long since declared that the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Having thus by his obedient life magnified the law, and by his death paid our debt of suffering to justice, a throne of grace is established on justice satisfied, truth cleared, and judgment fully executed. "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face." From this throne he speaks peace to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh; and believers shall be blessed with the abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth: and it must be so; for Christ is the prince of peace, and to us it is proclaimed freely. " My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth give I unto you.” Thus peace is for ever proclaimed between God and the elect, between the elect and their own consciences; yea, between the elect and the beasts

of the field, Job v. 23; and between one chosen vessel and another.

And, when by faith we please God, our enemies are to be at peace with us; that is to say, God awes the hosts of persecutors, and makes them lay down their rebel arms, and keep silence; while poor saints, almost wearied out with the long fatigues of war, may renew their strength, and rally their forces for a fresh attack.

But what has the peace of universal lovers to do with this peace proclaimed in the gospel? Surely nothing at all: those who contend for the house of Ahab and Jezebel have nothing to do with this peace. Our answer to such is, What hast thou to do with peace? get thee behind us; we are at war with Ahab and his bloody house, because the witchcrafts of Jezebel are so many. But these universal lovers call the decrees of God horrible; a language that savours of such rebellion as no man dare offer to an earthly prince: such maintain an impious war with the sovereign Lord of heaven, rebelling against his laws, and fighting against all the loyal subjects of grace, who are humbled to bow to his sovereign will, and making reconciliation between the church and Jezebel,

This is making peace where God has declared war; I will put enmity between the church and the serpent; between Christ, the woman's seed, and the serpent's seed; and these are to bruise each other. And surely Christ never came to contradict his Father's will, but to delight in it, and to do it. I

am not come to send peace on earth, but a sword and a fire, and what will I if it be already kindled? From henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three universal lovers against two lovers of God: and the nigher they are in the bonds of nature, the hotter shall be their war; A man's foes shall be those of his own house, Matt. x. 34; Luke xii. 49, 52.

However, we must leave these pretenders to love to shift for themselves; for they neither fight for God, for his laws, nor yet for the church of England. If they fought for God, they would not fight against us, and help the ungodly. "And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee," 2 Chron. xix. 1, 2, 3. And it was well for him that God's decrees were found in him.

Thus it appears that Universal Charity fights not for God, but helps the ungodly; nor doth it fight for God's laws: a man who is up in arms against his Maker's decrees, and contending for apostates now in hell, can never be said to love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength; nor can he be said to hate father and mother, wife and children, and his own