the Gospel to the purposes of his own licentious heart, instead of using it as the covenant of grace and dispensation of the Spirit, by which the grace of God, and the Spirit of inspiration, come, must be one of the vilest characters that ever existed, and his state more deplorable than that of Heathens and Pharisees; and, dying so, he can never escape the doleful regions of utter darkness.

'They will then see that they could have done very differently from what they did, and will be 'condemned for not doing it.'

For not doing what the law requires, the legalist will fall under the curse of it; and, as an opposer or abuser of the Gospel, after hearing it, he will undoubtedly fall under the dreadful damnation denounced against hypocrites and unbelievers. No man in his senses can ever charge his sins upon God. Evil cannot dwell with him. "Far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity." "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man" to sin. Though it be said that he tempted Abraham, yet it was not to evil, but to a trial of his faith and love, when he commanded him to offer up his son for a burntoffering, when he intended to accept the will for the deed, and receive him in a figure, but not in the fire.

Another poisonous doctrine, tending to ob'struct the genuine influence of the Gospel, and 'to nourish a secret spirit of licentiousness, is this:

That, as God's love to his people is from everlast'ing, it must have existed when they were sunk ' in sin and sensuality, in as high a degree, and in 'the same manner, as it will when they are brought to glory; and that the sins of believers, therefore, are no evidence at all of their not being interested in the love of God. This igno'rant, shocking doctrine, has been often openly 'maintained, and is still oftener secretly insinuated; and yet how glaring the absurdity as well as impiety of it!

That God's love to his people is from everlasting, cannot be denied; and did exist when they were sunk in sin and sensuality most certainly; but what you mean by its existing in as high a degree, and in the same manner, as it will when they are brought to glory, I do not understand. The Scriptures inform us that God is love, and that he is without variableness or shadow of turning; and Christ says, "Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me." But then it was in Christ Jesus that he loved them, and chose them; yea, he put them into his hands, and gave them life in him; on which account "both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one." He made us accepted in the beloved; and loved us with an unalterable, unchangeable, and invariable love, in him, from everlasting; and commended his love to us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us; when we were enemies, we were reconciled by the death of his Son; yea,

when without strength, Christ died for the ungodly. In this God is said to commend his love towards us; and one would think that his love was manifested in the superlative degree, when he sent his Son, out of his own bosom, to die for

us.

If God's love did exist in as high a degree 'when we were sunk in sin and sensuality, as at any other time, it must be on the account of our being considered, in Christ, objects of God's love and choice, accepted in the Beloved: but, as considered in ourselves, we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others; aliens from the life of God, and enemies in our minds by wicked works; without God, and without hope, in the world; though, at the same time, preserved in Christ Jesus to future vocation. Nor could God take any pleasure in us while in such a state, though he took notice of us, and bid us live in our blood, till our breasts were fashioned, and our hair grown, Ezek. xvi. 6, 7; until the set time for our espousals; at which time his skirt was spread over us, the covenant revealed, and we became his: his love was then perfected in us; though, in Christ, it was perfect toward us from all eternity.

If this be the meaning of the persons you censure so highly, it does not appear to me to be an iniquity to be punished by the Judges; but, if you mean, they talk of God's love to them, and make a profession of Christ, and yet live in sin

and sensuality, they are not worth disputing with, they declare their sin as Sodom, the shew of their countenance witnesseth against them, and every tender conscience will shun them, as they would a fiery flying serpent.

' And that the sins of believers, therefore, are no evidence at all of their not being interested in the love of God. This ignorant, shocking 'doctrine, has been often openly maintained, 'and is oftener secretly insinuated; and yet, 'how glaring the absurdity, as well as impiety ' of it!'

If, by the sins of believers, you mean the old man, the body of sin, under which Paul, and all the children of God, have more or less ever groaned, being burdened with them; this is no evident token of perdition, but rather of salvation, and that of God. The keen sensations they have of their own corruption is a proof of their being quickened: they must be enlightened to see, quickened to feel, and raised to hope, before they will groan for deliverance. I hope, Sir, you are not a fleshly perfectionist? Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from indwelling sin? "There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not" in thought, word, or deed. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In many things we offend all, Mr. Evans himself not excepted. The corruption that works in a real believer's heart is no evidence against his interest in the

love of God; but contrariwise, the struggles of the old man shew the resistance of the new. The Shulamite felt the combat before she was called a company of two armies. Rebekah felt a contest before she was informed of the two nations. But, if you mean a course of sinning, under a profession of faith, being no evidence against an interest in the love of God, it is a sufficient proof that they are strangers to Jesus, who bears that name because he saves his people from their sins. You should have inquired whether they mean the old man of sin dwelling in them, or a course of sinning practised by them, is no evidence against their interest in the love of God; or else you might have represented Paul, from his own confessions, in as bad a light as you have done these.

What is the object of God's electing love, but the communication of holiness and happi'ness? Are not the elect spoken of as elected 'through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and that they may be conformed to the 'image of their Saviour?'

The first object of God's election was Christ; and in him the elect were chosen, sanctified, or set apart; "for both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one." And to these chosen souls the word and the Spirit always come in power. "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord: my Spirit, that is upon

thee, and my words, which I have put in thy