'divine word 'to change wickedness naturalized, &c.' It might have been thought, that some mention of divine grace, and of the assistance of the Holy Spirit, would have been unavoidable in this place: but there is no hint of any thing of the kind; though the persons spoken of have naturalized "wickedness!" Can the Ethiopian change his skin, "or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do "good, who are accustomed to do evil." The exhortations of our Lord to cut off the right hand, or foot; and to pluck out the right eye, which causes a man to offend; shew how difficult he thought it, even by the grace of God," to conquer inveterate evil habits, as these strengthen and confirm natural evil propensities." If ye, by the Spirit, do mortify "the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Without regeneration without a renovation of nature, a new creation unto holiness, a resurrection from the death of sin; without an omnipotent operation on the soul, by "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus ;" without the grace of God by Christ preventing him, that he may have a good will, and working with him, when he has that good will;' no one ever did, or ever will, overcome and mortify all his natural evil propensities, or conquer his bad habits: and it is leading men to a wrong dependence, to call on them to "cleanse their hands and purify their hearts;": except by the grace of God sought in fervent prayer. "Without me," says Christ, "ye can do nothing.' 'Would he find it impossible to live virtuously, when:]

* Jer. xiii. 23.

The desires it, although he had previously been very wicked.'-To perform heathen virtues, from selfish motives, would not be impossible to him, who desired to do it for that is only diverting human depravity into another channel; and exchanging gross sensuality, for pride, ambition, and other spiritual i wickednesses: but "to crucify the flesh with all its "affections and lusts," is another matter; even when a man is "What I hate, very desirous of doing it. "that I do. If then I do that which I would not, "I consent unto the law that it is good." "To will " is present with me; but how to perform that which 2" is good I find not: for the good that I would I do

"not, but the evil which I would not that I do.""I find then a law, that when I would do good, "evil is present with me. For I delight' in the 1" law of God after the inward man: but I find "another law in my members warring against the "law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members: Oh "wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me "from the body of this death. I thank God through "Jesus Christ our Lord."2 The speaker, in this The portion of Scripture, evidently desired and longed, perfectly to obey the divine law; and no doubt his exertion was great and persevering: yet he found such difficulties from within especially, as he was wholly unable of himself to overcome; and, along with his doleful lamentation, he earnestly enquires after a Deliverer, from this his distressing condition;

"The

and he thanks God for Jesus Christ our Lord as that Deliverer. "His name shall be called Jesus, for he "shall save his people from their sins." "flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against "the flesh and these are contrary the one to the "other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye " would."1 "Thou hast commanded us to keep "thy precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were "directed to keep thy statutes!" "Behold I have "longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy right"" eousness." "Let thine hand help me, for I have "chosen thy precepts." The desires, however, to things "good in the sight of God," are absolutely wanting in fallen man: and wherever they are found, they are implanted by the special grace of God: from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed.' 'Lord of all power and might, who art the Author and Giver of 'all good things, Graft in our hearts the love of thy name, &c.' The closing sentence is an instance of that irreverent practice, of supposing that a charge of injustice may be brought against God, if the doctrine contended for be not true.

P. cccxxxiv. 1. 3.

6

"God always, &c.'s By means

1 Gal. v. 17. αντικείται αλλήλοις.

* Ps. cxix. 4, 5. 40. 173.

P. 61, Refutation. * Col. 7 after Trin.

› God always, by means of his word, which at all times descended into holy souls, and formed men friends of God, and prophets, corrected those who were willing to listen to instruction; and from the coming of Christ he corrects, by the Chris• tian doctrine, not those who are unwilling, but those who prefeș a good life, and one pleasing to God.'

'o his word, &c.' By christian doctrine.'-What care seems to have been taken by the writer, not to offend his opponent, by the mention of divine grace, or any influence of the Holy Spirit on the minds of men! No notice is here taken of Him, either as inspiring the prophets; or as the only Source of spiritual life, knowledge, love, holiness, and consolation!

P. cccxxxiv. 1. 10. But Celsus, &c." In fact,

''But Celsus, wanting I know not what correction, asks, with 'some doubt, Was it not possible for him to correct by his divine power, without sending a person for that express purpose? Did 'he mean, that correction should take place by God's causing a complete change in the imaginations of men, and by his entirely removing all wickedness, and infusing virtue into them? Another 'person will ask, Whether such a proceeding would be consistent ' with nature, or even possible? But supposing that it is possible, 'what would become of free-will? Where would be the laudable 'adoption of truth, or the acceptable rejection of falsehood? But ' if it should once be granted that this is possible, and might be 'done without impropriety, some one, following the example of 'Celsus, will ask, Was it not possible for God, by his divine power, originally to make men such, that they should not want 'any correction, but that they should of themselves be diligent ' and perfect, without any wickedness subsisting from the first? 'These things may impose upon the simple and weak, but not upon him who looks into the nature of things; for if you take away free-will from virtue, you destroy at once its very existence. But this subject would require a treatise; and many things are declared concerning it by the Greeks, in their books upon Providence, who were far from saying with Celsus, He does indeed know, but he does not correct, nor could he by his 'Divine power. And we have in many places discussed these. points, as far as we are able; and the Scriptures say the same 'things to those who can understand them. What therefore 'Celsus addresses to us, and to the Jews, will be retorted upon

Celsus's question, Whether it was not possible for "God to correct, by his divine power, without sending a person for that express purpose?" is not éasily answered, if we suppose that Christ came into the world merely as a teacher of holiness (which seems here to be almost admitted;) and not as a Saviour," by his obedience unto death, even the "death on the cross, as made sin for us, though "he knew no sin, that we might be made the "righteousness of God in him:" and by his lifegiving, new creating, sanctifying Spirit, given unto us, through his intercession for us, grounded on his propitiatory sacrifice. Even possible.' "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?"" With God

himself,-Does the Supreme God know what happens among men, or does he not know? But if you admit that there is a God and a Providence, as your writings shew you do, he must necessarily know. But if he does know, why does he not correct? Is it necessary for us to give a reason, why God, although he knows, does not correct? and is it not equally incumbent upon you, not shewing yourself in your writings to be an Epicurean, but professing to acknowledge a Providence, to assign a ' reason why God, although he knows all human affairs, does not correct them, or by his divine power take away wickedness from every one? But we do not scruple to say, that God does always send those who would correct. For there are among men words given by God, which invite to what is best; but there is a great difference in the ministers of God. And there are a few, who entirely and purely preach truth, and labour to produce a perfect correction. Such were Moses and the prophets. But among all these, the correction through Jesus stands distinguished, who wished not merely those in one corner of the world to be healed, but as far as he could throughout the universe; for he came to be the Saviour of all mankind. Vol. i. p. 503,