of intelligent creatures whose actions he should not be able to control, or having no intelligent creatures at all.

Th. Yes; that seems to be his view of the subject. But I think there is another view of it which may be taken. Suppose a period antecedent to the work of creation. Suppose the Divine Being engaged in deliberation respecting that work. Suppose the inquiry to be, whether it is best to have intelligent creatures which should be mere machines, if that could be. Or, was it best to have intelligent creatures which should be incapable of being controlled in their moral actions. Or, was it best to have intelligent creatures which should be free and accountable agents, and yet entirely under the control of the Divine Being? A few profess to believe the first plan was adopted. Mr. New-way and the Arminians appear to believe the second plan was adopted. I believe the third plan was adopted. And I suppose that most men will admit, that, if it was possible, the Divine Being could not hesitate in preferring it. If the third plan was possible, if God could make intelligent and accountable creatures, who should be entirely under his control, who should be subjects of probation, be capable of virtuous and vicious conduct, feel in themselves conscious of being praise or blameworthy, according as their acts are right or wrong, and be suitable subjects of future rewards and punishments, all will admit that these would be the creatures he would make. But if he should make a world of accountable creatures whom he could not control, he could not have any plan to accomplish by them, which would not be liable to be entirely frustrated. If he made them, intending they should be always holy, they might sin, and fill the world with misery. If he intended they should be suitable subjects of redeeming grace, they might not sin, and so might disappoint the most important end for which the world was made. Whatever wise and benevolent plans he had formed, and designed those creatures to be fit instruments to execute, would all be liable to be defeated through their perverseness. If he wanted Joseph to go into Egypt, his brethren might take his life, as they at first counselled to do. If he wanted to have his people so treated in Egypt as to make them willing to leave it, he would not be able to "turn the heart of the Egyptians to hate his people, and to deal subtilly with his servants.' If he wanted the kings of the earth "to agree and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled," he would not be able to "put into their hearts" thus to "fulfil his will." Creatures of this sort, whom he could not control, would never be suitable instruments to accomplish any of his wise and benevolent designs. And we may be certain that he would not make his

intelligent creatures such, if it was possible to make them dependent and yet active. If he could make them intelligent, accountable creatures, and yet such as he could control, in all respects, without doing any violence to their moral agency, we may be certain that these are the creatures he would make. And why should we not believe that we are such creatures? Are we conscious that we choose between objects before us? So we should be, if God caused us to choose. Are we conscious that it is we that walk in God's statutes, and keep his judgments and do them? So we should be, if it was he that put his Spirit within us, and caused us to walk in his statutes. Are we conscious that it is we who repent, and believe, and obey? So we should be, if it was he that caused us to repent, believe, and obey. Are we conscious that it is we who work out our own salvation with fear and trembling? So we should be, if it was he that worketh in us both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. Does any one say he does not feel any influence from without? Nor does he feel sensible of those influences which other spirits exert upon him, only by their effects. No one can say, he is conscious that no influence from without is exerted npon him. If there is any impossibility involved in the declaration that God can make a free and accountable agent, who shall be subject to his entire control, let that impossibility be shown. It cannot be shown. For Omnipotence can do any thing which does not involve a contradiction; and there is no contradiction in that. If God has decreed that a man shall act freely, it is no contradiction to say, that he does act freely, and that the divine decree secures his acting freely. If we were to affirm, that, if God has decreed that a man shall act freely, that decree hinders him from acting freely, such a declaration would be a contradiction. But there is no contradiction in affirming, that God has made angels, and men, and devils, intelligent and accountable agents, and yet so that they are under his entire control, and that he can do his pleasure in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or resist his will, or say unto him, What do

est thou?

Ard. It is certainly the most comforting doctrine to believe that God can do all he desires, and is therefore a being whom we can trust at all times.

4

CHAPTER LXIX.

By this time the pilgrims were approaching the stile which led over into By-path Meadow, and they perceived near it a large building, apparently intended for the residence of many ersons, and if they might judge from the number of faces they aw at the windows, very well filled. As they approached, Mr. Confident came out, and invited them in, saying:

Walk in, brethren, and refresh yourselves. This way is very rough, and your feet tender, I perceive; and we have a very interesting company of pilgrims in the house, with whom you can spend some time very profitably. Walk in; this is the place where Mr. Bold and myself have been recently stationed for the instruction of pilgrims. And we have a very goodly company of both sexes, who have made great advances in holy living, and can, no doubt, help your progress much.

Ardent. I would rather go forward in our journey. For though the way just here is rather rough, and my feet tender, I think that is no reason for stopping, but rather for pressing on with the greater diligence; I wish to imitate a saint of old, whose motto was, "Faint, yet pursuing."

Confident. But we can give you something to relieve your faintness, and furnish you with sandals which will be easy to your feet; and help you greatly, in every way. Come in, come in.

Th. What evidence do you offer us, that you are authorized to say these things to us?

Con. Our great success. Since Mr. Bold and myself have united our efforts, this institution has been greatly built up, and our pupils have made wonderful progress in holy living. And, through their preaching and ours, in various places, the true views of Christian perfection are making great advances.

Th. Success did not prove Jacob and his mother right in their attempt to obtain the blessing from Isaac which he designed for Esau. Success did not prove Mahomet right in the doctrines he propagated so rapidly. We do not admit that principle at all.

Con. I was once weary and heavy laden, as you are; and went mourning from day to day. I longed after holiness, but could not find it. I "knew not the Gospel in my daily experience, as a life-giving and peace-giving Gospel." I was "perpetually and vainly struggling, by dint of resolutions, against

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the resistless current of carnal propensities. In this hopeless bondage I was daily crying out, Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?' and here I should have remained, if I had not found out a better way.' If there is no other means of leading a holy life, but by forcing my way, by dint of personal effort, through the dead sea of my carnal propensities, I may as well give over the struggle first as last."

Ard. What new discoveries have you made, of which you think so highly?

Con. The secret of holy living. It is to go to Christ for sanctification, as well as for justification.

Ard. Why is it any better to go to him, than to the Holy Spirit, for sanctification? I thought the Christian world were agreed that the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier, and that it is his peculiar office work to be so.

Con. He is, in one sense; for it is his office work to "take the things of Christ and show them to us." And as he thus makes us see the provision which Christ has made for our sanctification, so that we may go to Christ for it, he may be said in some sort to be our sanctifier.

Th. You make him a sanctifier in the same sense that you make any minister who preaches your doctrine a sanctifier. You take away his sanctifying agency altogether, and leave nothing for him to do, but what every minister can do, in a less degree.

Con. I do not admit that the heart of a free agent can be influenced in any other way than by moral suasion. The Holy Spirit exhibits light before the mind, which is the only way he can influence men.

Th. I am satisfied that the Scriptures ascribe much more to the influence of the Holy Spirit, in the work of man's redemption, than you do. It is the work of the Spirit to change the heart, by a new-creating act of divine power; and it is the work of the Spirit to produce every holy exercise in the saints, by the same exertion of his power, and thus carry on the work till its completion. It is God the Spirit "which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, and causes us to walk in his statutes, and to keep his judgments and do them." As I understand the work of redemption, it is proper to ask the Father, for Christ's sake, to send the Spirit to do these things.

Ard. I would like to hear a more full statement of these new discoveries.

Con. You shall. The great difficulty which most Christians feel in respect to holy living, is the want of a child-like spirit. If the mind could always be in this state, how easy it

would be to avoid all sin, and perfectly to obey all the divine requisitions. This spirit Christians often resolve to cherish. They find their resolutions, however, wholly inefficient to move the heart. To remedy the difficulty, they resort to their Bibles, and to prayer, and renew their resolutions with increasing earnestness. Still the heart remains comparatively unmoved; and whatever effect is produced by such means, very soon passes away "like the morning cloud," leaving in the heart the same aching void as before. Now, while the Christian is thus resolving and re-resolving, and constantly sliding back to the cheerless state from which he started, while, in spite of his efforts, he is perpetually sinking deeper and deeper in the "mire and deep waters," suppose the divine Redeemer should pass along, and say to his weary and desponding disciple, "If you will at once cease from all these vain efforts, and yield yourself up to my control, relying with implicit confidence in my ability and faithfulness, I will enter into a covenant with you, that I will myself shed abroad in your heart that 'perfect love which casteth out fear,' that filial and affectionate spirit which you have vainly endeavored to induce in your own mind. I will so present the truth to your apprehension, that your heart's purest and best affections shall constantly and spontaneously flow out towards me. I will secure you in a state of perfect and perpetual obedience to every command of God, and in the full and constant fruition of his presence and love." Such a message would be to the believer, afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, as life from the dead. This is precisely what the Lord Jesus Christ offers to do for you, as the Mediator of the new covenant. With the Psalmist you can say, "I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." Christ is now ready thus to enlarge your heart, that under the spontaneous flow of pure and perfect love, you may do the whole will of God. Till your faith is fastened upon Christ, as the life and light of the soul, as the "quickening Spirit," who alone is able to breathe into your heart the breath of spiritual life, all your efforts after holiness will be vain.

Ard. If I understand the scheme, it is this: Christ will make me perfect, if I will believe in him for it. Is it so?

Con. Yes. "Christ presents himself to us as a Saviour in this sense, that he is both able and willing to meet fully every real demand of our being; in other words, perfectly to supply all our necessities." "Perfect faith is a full and unshaken confidence in Christ, as in all respects, at all times, and in every condition, a full and perfect Saviour, a Saviour able and willing to meet every possible demand of our being."