living be justified; for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; these are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. Let them do what they will, they can do nothing but sin; when the Æthiopian can change his skin, and the leopard his spots, then may these agents do good that are accustomed to do evil, Jer. xiii. 23;

They that are in the flesh cannot please God;" neither can Mr. Skinner, nor even please his own conscience; for conscience flogs him all the day long, though he is too stiff and proud to own

it.

When God speaks to Christ and his own elect concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, he speaks in new covenant terms, without a single condition: "I will be his father and he shall be my son; and I will not take my mercy away from him [for it is not conditional] as I took it from him that was before thee; but I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for evermore." We are not afraid of being plucked up; it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom; we have received a kingdom that cannot be moved. "The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever," Dan. vii. 18. When God speaks to his elect concerning plucking up and destroying a kingdom, he speaketh on this wise: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom

shall not be left to other people [not to the children of the flesh, for these are not the children of God], but it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever:" This shall be done by the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, Dan. ii. 44, 45; which Christ explains thus: But on whomsoever this stone shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

In the spiritual meaning of the potter, the sovereignty of God is displayed: the clay is the whole human race; the vessels to dishonour are those that are excluded from the decree of election; from whom the mystery of the gospel is hid; to whom God is determined not to give grace: they are said to be before of old ordained to this condemnation; they are left to their own free thinking, until they are fitted for destruction, under the long-suffering of God, which he endures; while these free-agents oppose his sovereignty, ridicule his counsel, contradict his truth, and plague his saints these are called vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction, Rom. ix. 22.

The elect shall know the riches of glory; for they are vessels of mercy which God before prepared unto glory: God forms them for himself, and says they shall shew forth his praise. He creates them anew in Christ Jesus: hence they are called vessels to honour; for God hath not appointed them to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thess. v. 9.

Now Free Thoughts starts again, and free-grace goes after him. The rejection of the Jews was 'not in consequence of an unconditional decree, 'but unbelief; because they sought it not by faith, namely, justification.' The reason the Jews were rejected was, because it was not God's pleasure to choose them. The reason they did not believe was because God was not pleased to give them faith. And the reason he did not give them faith was, because they were not ordained to eternal life. The reason the Jews did not attain to justification was, because they were not predestinated to glory. The elect obtained justification; they were heirs of promise, and the Spirit of promise was sent to them, to work faith in them: these were ordained to eternal life, and therefore believed and obtained justification, being predestinated to it. "Whom God did foreknow, them he did predestinate; and whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." The faith of the saints is in consequence of an unconditional decree; and the reason others do not believe, is in consequence of their being excluded. from the promise of life in that decree: they were not chosen in Christ, nor given to the good shepherd: "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.'

'The Jews were blinded by their own sins and prejudices, which might have been removed in

the day of visitation.' To which I answer, Their blindness and prejudice might have been removed, if the Lord had been pleased to do it. But it pleased him to hide these things from the wise and prudent, and to reveal them unto babes; for so it seemed good in his sight. Yea, the Lord poured upon them the spirit of deep sleep, and closed their eyes, Isa. xxix. 10. Isa. xxix. 10. And the Saviour acquiesced with the sovereign will of his father herein: and instead of removing their blindness in the day of visitation, he made them more blind by his wonderful rays: "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world: that they which see not, might see; and that they which see might be made blind."

As for the bond-children working out their ' own salvation with fear and trembling,' is nothing but talk: their works are like Mr. Skinner's, wind and confusion: the wicked worketh a deceitful work all their thoughts are evil, free or not free: they are in the flesh, and cannot please God: they are without faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin. The works of the flesh are nothing but corruption: the tree is corrupt, and cannot bring forth good fruit; no grapes from these thorns, nor figs from such thistles. And as for their fear and trembling, it is of the same sample as their works: it is the fear and trembling of a criminal in the chains of his guilt, when God's wrath begins to blast his free-agency. "The sin

ners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Isa. xxxiii. 14.

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As for talking of obedience to the law of Christ, summarily comprehended in the term 'faith, in order to final salvation; and comparing the scriptures which maintain the doctrines of grace, with those which assert the necessity of gospel obedience,' is a confused jumble of nonsense, like all the rest of it: and only serves to expose the foolishness of the author. God hath chosen Israel for his peculiar treasure: and "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation they shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end." God's election of them is both the cause of their sanctification and belief. "Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God; for our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance."

To make a difference between grace and obedience is making a difference where there is none. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. Without faith it is impossible to please him. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Where is their obedience then? The elect receive grace for obedience to the faith, Rom. i. 5. The grace of God that bringeth salvation from sin, teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; and to live