The good hand of God appeared in answering mypoor breathings, at an early period. I was about 18 years of age when I particularly began to watch the hand of God in a providential way. I was involved in a difficulty, although not of my own seeking; yet I had to bear the trouble. I was exceedingly distressed for a few shillings, and it came into my mind to call on the Lord to send it me, by some means, as I had not a friend in the world, to whom I could apply for it. I traversed the garden of the house where I lived, and made my case known to the Lord, urging his care of me, and the early tokens he had given me of his love. The next morning I had occasion to go out on an errand, and, in a very conspicuous place, I saw a one-pound note lay on the ground; and, although it was very windy weather, being in the month of March, yet the note lay still. I could see no one near, to whom it belonged, nor did I ever hear of any one who had lost it. This delivered me entirely from that trouble: I bought a Bible and another good book with the change—this taught me the blessedness of carrying my temporal affairs to the Lord, who has the concerns of all his dear people in his hands, and is the appointed heir of all things to his church.
Soon after this I had a very severe trial to undergo. My arbitrary master had endeavoured to prejudice the Governors of the Foundling Hospital against me, entirely on account of religion; I had to make my appearance before them, to answer for my conduct. I laid this case before the Lord, and beggedhis Divine Majesty to fulfil his gracious promise, in my experience, as he did for his dear servants, the apostles.—“I will give you a mouth and wisdom.” This promise I turned into constant prayer, and the Lord answered me, to the joy of my heart. My adversary was conquered, and I was commended.
When I left my apprenticeship, being separated from my master by a magistrate, after serving him duty and truly for nine years; yet, having two years more of my time to serve, I was left destitute of a home:—relations I never knew, and where to lay my head I know not. I had but three bad half-peace in the world. I well remember leaning against a post, in Moor-street, Seven Dials, and, while my heart was ready to break, I begged of the Lord to direct me which way to go; but, while looking up for direction, it was brought to my mind where to go, and what to do, and there the Lord opened a door in providence. When I had left my situation in the Borough, a person had previously promised me work; but when I went to him, he pretended to have forgot such a promise, and I was again left destitute. I knew not what to do, but the Lord led out my mind in prayer, that he would appear for me; and, in less than ten minutes, I again found an answer to prayer, by a door being opened for me. I found the Lord appear again in a few months after this, in a most remarkable manner: and thus the Lord continually followed me, wherever I went, and manifested his providential care towards me. I was, at one time, brought very low, and all things seemedto fail, to that I was reduced to a sad extremity; when, passing by St. Clement’s church, by the light of a window, I saw some halfpence lay on the ground, which I greedily picked up, and went on blessing God who had appeared for me, at that time. And, as I found the good hand of God in my low situation, I was destined to see more of his good hand in a more eminent manner; and it would, indeed, fill a volume to rehearse the many conspicuous providences that I experienced in my family. When we have been reduced to the greatest necessity, the Lord has sent relief in the very moment of extremity. Having married, as related before, I was completely destitute of furniture; I acknowledge this was imprudent, but my concern was getting my bird before I had a cage to put it in: yet the Lord, in due time, sent us first one article, and then another, in a most surprising manner. A gentleman also sent me a good suit of clothes, with a charge frequently to read the 12th chapter of Luke.
When I first began to preach, it was in coloured cloaths; but a friend soon after sent me a suit of black. When my wife was taken in labour, with one of her children, we had but two-pence in the world, which distressed her feelings; but, looking to the Lord, without naming our circumstances to any, abundance of mercies flowed in a whole month—and, as my family increased, so the Lord increased my income. When leaving the country, I was sixty pounds in debt; but, in a few weeks, the Lord raised me up friends to pay that: and, how often,when we have been destitute of money, of food, and of clothes, has his good hand appeared! Frequently when others have been distressed, I have relieved them, to my own injury, for the time; but the Lord has always amply repaid me. Amongst many instances I will only relate this:—a poor, but good man, was in prison for debt: he sent to me for thirty or forty shillings; I had just thirty, and sent it to him. On the preaching-night satan harassed my mind sorely in the pulpit, on account of my folly; but, as soon as I had concluded my sermon, a lady came into the vestry, and put two pounds in my hand—thus I was paid well. And so I have found it true, that he that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord; and that which he layeth out he will pay him again.
All my days I have been a pensioner on the Divine Providence for every shilling—for food and raiment. Many a one has relieved my wants, when they had not the least idea I was at that moment in extremity. I can only look back with wonder and gratitude at forty years’ experience of superabounding grace; at thousands of displays of a kind providence; and the amazing manifestations of divine care and faithfulness; and, at times, overwhelmed with a sense of covenant goodness, can only say, with David, “Who am I, O Lord God, that thou hast brought me hitherto; and is this the manner of men, O Lord God?”—Oh, for a grateful heart.
Yours, J. C.
I must observe, here, that it is the business offaith not only to be looking to Jesus for salvation, but to be eyeing God, in Christ, as a covenant God, in temporal mercies; and to be perpetually pleading what God is, and what he has promised in the covenant: it is a mercy to see him, as the Father, the begetter of mercies, and to be looking to his care for us. “He careth for you.” His wisdom in managing; his condescension; his free grace; his divine sovereignty; the gracious ends he has in view; the channel of atoning blood, through which all our temporal mercies flow; and the amazing goodness of God in all, both in what isdeniedus, and what isgivenus!
“Good when he gives, supremely good,Nor less, when he denies;E’en crosses, from his sovereign hand,Are blessings in disguise.”
“Good when he gives, supremely good,Nor less, when he denies;E’en crosses, from his sovereign hand,Are blessings in disguise.”
And “All things whatsoever ye shall ask, in my name, I will do it.” This may be ridiculed by fools; but many such have been forced, in extremity, to call upon God to appear in that very providence they have ridiculed; some in storms at sea, and some in trouble on land; the confession of a God of providence has been extorted from the lips of those who have denied him. A great writer remarks, concerning the Persian army, when discomfited by the Grecians—“being hotly pursued, we must needs venture over the great water, Strymon, then frozen, but beginning to thaw—when, a hundred to one but we had all died for it. With mine eyes I thensaw so many of these gallants, whom I had heard so boldly maintainthere was no God, every one upon their knees, with eyes and hands lifted up, begging hard for help and mercy, and entreating that the ice might hold till they get over;” and sure I am, that the character that lives and dies without pleading for mercy, in this world, will beg in vainfor a drop of water in hell.
Yours, J. C.
“There hath no temptation happened unto you, but what is common to man.”
“There hath no temptation happened unto you, but what is common to man.”
To —
The grand adversary of God and man is compared both to a lion and a serpent: under the former character he has raged and roared against the church, in every age, and after every called and quickened believer; but, in the latter character, he has acted his worst part. In this form he assaulted Eve, and in the same he has carried on his works of darkness in this world; and, as he began by deceiving, so he will complete his work by the same.—Rev.xx.
Soon after the Lord had begun his work in my heart, persecution began, hell raged, satan roared; but, through mercy, the ass did not regard the crying of that driver, but was kept in search after life and truth.—Job, xxxix. 5, 6, 7, 8. This having no effect to deter, satan resorted to another method. This was about the time that the wretched TomPaine published his book against the Bible; I never bought it, though thousands did; but, one day, at a friend’s house, I saw it lay, and when I was left alone I read a part of it—this produced no bad effect on my mind at that time; but, shortly afterwards, the infamous passage I had read was hurled into my mind with strange powers. It came like a dart, a fiery dart, nor could I get rid of it for some time; it came very often, and sorely distressed me. I begged of the Lord to remove it, which he did; this cured me for ever of meddling with edged tools. The Lord gave me secret power to rise superior to it; established me more than ever in the truth, and created in my mind an everlasting hatred to erroneous books. I was often entreated to read such books; but no—“A burnt child dreads the fire:” and I am always sorry to see professors so eager to read deistical publications, with a view to see the objections made to Holy Writ. “Let him thatthinkethhe standeth, take heed, lest he fall.” This temptation was, of course, soon followed up with another, such as this—“How do you know the Bible is true?” This came from the devil, and is in the mouth of his own children to this day; and to such I seldom give an answer, except in few words. This reminds me of an infidel in a stage coach, who was letting his tongue run against God and truth, bidding defiance to any man to prove the Bible to be the Word of God: an aged plain country woman replied, “Why, I thinks as how it is the Word of God, because it says, that ‘in the last daysthere shall come mockers,’ and I am sure thou beest one of them.”
Many great and learned men took up their pens in defence of truth, and very ably answered the wretched scribbling Deist. I never read them, but begged of the Lord to shew me the subject himself; which he did, by leading me more clearly to understand the truth, and to see the harmony of every part of it, its doctrines and its precepts, by giving me power to feel and enjoy its consolations, and by leading me to see the reason why such characters oppose it: because it is written, “The wicked shall be turned into hell;” and “He that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him.” And, as these are awful truths, can we wonder at the opposition the Word of God meets with, from men of corrupt minds? They tell us, indeed, it is a cunningly-devised fable, a system of mere priestcraft. If a fable, who wrote it—good men, or angels? Bad men, or devils? Good men or angels could not be guilty of falsehood, in saying repeatedly, “Thus saith the Lord.” Bad men or devils would never write a book to describe their own character, reproach their own conduct, and condemn themselves to everlasting punishment.
The Lord delivered my soul from this snare, by the power of truth, and has made me a living witness, by his grace, of the authenticity of his own Word; so that I may sing—
“Precious Bible, what a treasureDoes the Word of God afford!All I want, for life and pleasure,Shield, or medicine, or sword.”
“Precious Bible, what a treasureDoes the Word of God afford!All I want, for life and pleasure,Shield, or medicine, or sword.”
The best piece I have seen written on this subject, of a modern date, is by the rev. I. Irons, entitled, “The Cloud of Witnesses,” intended as an antidote to infidelity. I beg leave to recommend it to all I know, especially to believers, who are situated amongst the ungodly.
The next attack the enemy made on my mind, was respecting the Sacred Trinity. This temptation, more or less, assaulted me for years; sometimes in such an awful manner, that I never can describe; but I have generally noticed, that diabolical temptations hurled into the mind, have been generally levelled against one or other of the Sacred Persons in the Trinity. These temptations do not arise from the common corruptions of the human heart, although satan does, at times, stir them up; but they are, in general, sent or shot by the devil into the mind.—Such temptations are not the believer’s sin, but satan’s; although he often lays these brats at our doors.
There is a difference to be observed between our sinful nature and such temptations; the former is always with us, but the others are only visitors, and unwelcome ones, indeed—yet they have an awful tendency to distress the soul; and, perhaps, in such an intricate manner, as is impossible to relate. Hence the old question, invented by the devil, andstarted by men of infidel principles—“How can three be one, or one three?” Why, as it respects things in common, it is impossible—but, as it respects the adorable Trinity, I am taught to believe that there are three divine persons in one divine essence. How this can be, neither angers nor men can define; but that it is so, the Scriptures are clear. I am bound to believe it, because God hath said it, and it is at man’s peril to refuse him that speaketh from heaven. The way this temptation sometimes operated, was this:—satan made up, or drew three figures of persons on my imagination, and then asked me how these three could be one? Impossible. And so say I. Such figures, images, dolls, idols, drawn by that artful limner, cannot be one, nor one three. This temptation was aided and assisted by the popish pictures of the Trinity, an engraving of which is put as a frontispiece to Dr. Samuel Clarke’s Bible, and which I consider to be the most abominable blasphemy; one of the characters is represented as a very aged man, with a long beard; another, rather younger, receiving a sceptre; and a third, the figure of a dove: and these are called the persons in the Trinity. This is truly awful; satan himself is the author of it, and man the dupe of his satanic deceptions.
I believe but very few of God’s children escape temptation upon this subject; and I make no apology in saying, that pictures drawn by man, or painted upon our imaginations of either of the persons in the sacred Trinity, is blasphemy. The Lord deliveredme again and again from this temptation, by leading my mind to what God has said of himself, who certainly is the best judge of himself. Hence the question—“To whom, then, will ye liken God, or shall I be equal, saith the Lord? To whom, then, will ye liken God, or what likeness will ye compare unto him?”
The Bible sets forth God under the emblems of fire, water, wind, or air. And what picture can ever be drawn of these, as persons? “God is aSpirit.”—“God islight.”—“God islove.”—And what are all his glorious perfections, but himself manifested in such characters? Holiness, Truth, Wisdom, Justice, Grace, Mercy, Goodness, Majesty, Eternity, Almighty, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient. And what figures can be drawn of this Sacred, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty? I trust this remark will be blest to some characters who have suffered under the same temptation. But, although it has pleased the God of Grace to reveal himself in theOnenessof the Divine Unity; so it is our mercy, yea, our salvation, that he has been pleased also to reveal himself, in his Trinity of persons, under the gracious names, and relative terms in the grand economy of our salvation.
“There are three which bear record in heaven”—the Father; the Word, (as Son of God;) and the Holy Spirit; and thesethreeareone—not merely one person, bearing threenames, but three persons—nor yet three gods, but only one in essence—threein persons, distinct in personality, names, and office—This Sacred Three bear record to the Sonship, Godhead, Divinity, and Dignity of Christ. So they also bear record to the consciences of God’s dear people—that they are the Lord’s. The record of the Father is, “Yea, I have loved thee;”—the record of the Son is, “I have redeemed thee;”—and the record of the Spirit is, “I have called thee.” It is necessary this grand point should be well understood by the Lord’s people, that they may enjoy distinct holy communion with, and give equal glory to, the adorable Author of Salvation.
It was my lot to fall in with, and to be often situated with characters who were inimical to this grand fundamental truth. Swedenborg denied the existence of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Socinians, Arians, and Sabellians, either in one form or another, deny the Godhead of Christ, and the personality of the Holy Spirit. Thus, amongst this motley group, they leave us no God at all. Many have been my conflicts with such; but the Word is so plain upon the subject, that it needs no comment, only by comparing a very few out of the many scriptures of truth, and drawing a very reasonable inference from the plainest testimony. This has been done by an excellent author, the rev. W. Jones; and the great Mr. Macgowan, in his “Twenty Letters to J. Priestly, D.D.”
I will only compare a few texts together, and you will see the beauty of truth. As:—
Isaiah, vi. 5.—“Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.”
John, xii. 41.—“These things said Esias, when he saw his (Christ’s) glory, and spake of him.”
“Therefore Jesus is the Lord of Hosts.”—Isaiah, xliii. 11.
Isaiah, xliii. 11.—“I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me there is no Saviour.”
2Peter, iii. 18.—“Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”
Then Jesus Christ is Jehovah,the Saviour.
Rev.xxii. 6.—“The Lord God of the Holy Prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants things which must shortly be done.”
Rev.v. 16.—“I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify these things unto the churches.”
Therefore Jesus is the Lord God of the Prophets.
Isaiah, xliv. 6.—“Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.”
Rev.xxii. 13.—“I (Jesus) am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
This is too plain to be denied. Christ is the King of Israel, the Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, the first and the last.
Psalmlxxviii. 56.—“They tempted and provoked the Most High God.”
1 Cor. x. 9.—“Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted.”
Christ must be, therefore, the Most High God.
Isaiah, xxxvii. 5.—“For thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name.”
John, iii. 29.—“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom.”
Psalmxxiii.—“The Lord Jehovah, is my shepherd.”
John, x. 16.—“There shall be one fold and one shepherd.”
Christ must be the Lord of Hosts.
Psalmc. 3.—“Know ye that the Lord he is God, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
John, x. 3.—“He calleth his own sheep.”
Therefore, Christ he is the Lord God and shepherd.
John, xx. 28.—“And Thomas answered and said, my Lord and my God.”
Romans, ix. 5.—“Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came; who is over all, God, blessed for ever.”
Christ is, therefore, Lord and God.
Isaiah, ix. 6.—“And his name shall be called, The Mighty God.”
Rev.i. 8.—“I am the Almighty.”
I might here fill a volume of immense size, toprove the same fact; but when God gives a man up to satanic delusion, he generally mounts the scorner’s chair; sets his tongue against the heavens, and endeavours to bring down the Almighty to his proud carnal reasonings.
“Thus fools rush in, where angels fear to tread.”
“Thus fools rush in, where angels fear to tread.”
But, whilst so many are endeavouring to dethrone the glorious persons in the Trinity, or to degrade them, other fools have set upmany; one in particular, whom I once wrote against, in “Zion’s Controversy:” this poor creature insists upon it that every separate perfection in Jehovah is a god. There was also a sect of people in the beginning of the sixteenth century, called Familists, who held the notion that every believer was anEmanuel—was really God; that Christians, wereChristedintoChrist, andGoddedintoGod. Such stupid ideas have neither scripture reason nor common sense in them; but I suppose by the bye, this doctrine was advanced to degrade the essential and eternal Godhead of Christ, as modern Sabellians do, though very high Calvinists in some other points—yet maintain the idea that the Father communicates his Godhead to Christ; and why not to his people? Why not, indeed? Both are Christ-degrading errors. May the Lord deliver his people from them; while conceited, empty-talking,all-knowingprofessors fall into those ditches, out of which nothing short of superabounding mercy, in a miraculous way, can deliver them. “Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth; and it shalt come to pass, that he who flieth from the noise ofthe fear shall fall into the pit; and whoso cometh up out of the pit shall fall into the snare; for the windows from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth do shake.”—Isaiahxxiii.
Being delivered from this awful snare, satan harrassed my mind, concerning the personality and Godhead of the ever-blessed Holy Spirit. Here I was much troubled, but the Lord has promised to be the profitable teacher of his people.—“I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, and leadeth thee in the way thou shouldest go.” I bless his name for all his teachings, although it has been under some very painful experiences; above all, that he has led me to the acknowledgement (not comprehension) of the mystery of God—the Holy Ghost—and of the Father, and of Christ.—Colossiansii.
That the Holy Spirit is God, one of the DivineThreein the unity of the Godhead, is evident, by comparing Scripture with Scripture. I am very sensible that his work upon the heart is infinitely of greater importance than a thousand bare notions of the subject, however clear; but it is a mercy to have our loins girt with truth, the armour of righteousness on the right hand, and on the left; and while the enemies of God are attempting to degrade his Sacred Majesty, his Adorable Person, and some weak Christians stagger at the subject, it is our duty (being delivered from such God-dishonouring conduct), to contend earnestly for the faith, once delivered to the saints.
I am not writing a body of divinity. I have notabilities for that; but only stating those truths which are dear to my heart, and producing a few out of the many Scriptures, to prove the Godhead of the Saviour and the ever-blessed Holy Spirit. A few must suffice here.
John, iii. 6.—“That which is born of the Spirit.”
1John, v. 4.—“Whatsoever is born of God.”
Here the spiritual birth is attributed to theSpirit—toGod.
Therefore the Holy Spirit is God.
Acts, xiii. 2.—“The Holy Ghost said,—separatemeBarnabas and Saul, for the work whereuntoIhave called them.”
Heb.v. 4.—“No man taketh this honour to himself, but he that is called ofGod.”
Therefore the Spirit is God.
Matt.ix. 38.—“Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, thathewill send forth labourers intohisharvest.”
Acts, xiii. 4.—“So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.”
This proves the Holy Ghost is the Lord of his harvest.
Luke, ii. 16.—“And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ.”
Verse 28.—“And he blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according tothy Word.”
This Word was the Word of the Holy Ghost, and isGodandLord, to be blessed and praised.
John, xiv. 17.—“He, the Spirit of Truth, dwelleth in you, and shall be in you.”
1Cor.xiv. 25.—“Godis in you, of a truth.”
2Tim.iii. 14.—“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
2Peter, xxi.—“Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
John, iv. 41.—“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught ofGod.”
1Cor.ii. 13.—“Not in the word, which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.”
Acts, v. 3.—“Why hath satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?”
Verse 4.—“Thou hast not lied unto men, but untoGod.”
1Cor.iii. 16.—“The temple ofGodis holy, which temple are ye.”
1Cor.vi. 19.—“Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost?”
Deut.vi. 14.—“Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Acts, v. 9.—“How is it, that ye have agreed to tempt the spirit of the Lord?”
Matt.xix. 17.—“There is none good but one, that is God.”
Psalmclxxiii. 10.—“Thy Spirit is good; lead me.”
I might mention many more, with a vast many proofs of this sublime doctrine, but I trust youwill be led to read them in the Scriptures, with a grace-taught eye, and rejoice in the truth, as you discover and feel it. I must close this long letter with this verse—
“God is a name my soul adores,Th’ Almighty Three, th’ Eternal One:Nature and grace, with all their powers,Confess the Infinite Unknown.”
“God is a name my soul adores,Th’ Almighty Three, th’ Eternal One:Nature and grace, with all their powers,Confess the Infinite Unknown.”
I wish you were in possession of the excellent Jones on the “Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity.”
Yours, J. C.
“The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies.”“Love the truth and peace.”
“The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies.”
“Love the truth and peace.”
To—
What a mercy for us that all divine teaching is the gracious work of God the Holy Spirit; and when we view, in his own light, whatHeis, asHehas condescended to set himself forth in his own word, we are amazed at his condescension.Heis called the Eternal Spirit;Heis Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent;Heis a person—and what is a person but a living, thinking, acting, intelligent agent? And what we have professed at church, when, perhaps, we did not understand what we said, is a most noble and glorious testimony—“I believe in God, the HolyGhost, the Lord and giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; and who, with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets”—this gracious, divine, and glorious person has engaged to lead all his people into allnecessarytruth, andHewill be faithful to his covenant promises; nor do I esteem it a small mercy to be established in the glorious doctrine of the Trinity, as it is set forth in God’s Word, after my mind had been so perplexed with errors and temptations.
But now another very keen temptation beset me, respecting the doctrine of eternalelection, and its attendantreprobation. This was painted to me, in the most horrible terms, as the most cruel and unjust act, such as could never be attributed to a merciful God. Erroneous books, preachers, professors, carnal reason, and the devil, all combined to oppose it. A very plain reason thatthe doctrine is of God—or else such would never oppose it; if the doctrine was of the world, the world would love its own—but, because it is of God, therefore they hate it. Thousands of tongues and pens have been raised up against it, but these two mountains of brass still stand as firm as ever. The manner in which the wicked would, though varnished with seeming piety, represent the doctrine, is thus:—that to hold the doctrine of election is saying, that the elect will be saved, do whatever they may—and the reprobate will be damned, let them do all the good they can. This is the manner in which theycarnallystate the matter; and, as they are but carnal, and the carnal mind isenmity with God, what can we expect from such thorns and thistles, surelynotthe figs and grapes of truth? Others admit that election may be true, but then we are elected upon condition of our good behaviour; and others profess to believe that election is certainly a truth, but then all others may be saved, if they will, as they have a good chance for it, being in a salveable state (and so they wrap it up). Amidst thisproandcon.my mind was not a little distressed, till the Lord led me into the truth, as it is in Jesus, and gave me to see he had blest me with the Bible evidences of my eternal election of God. I saw from the Word that election was asovereign,holy,wise,graciousact of Jehovah, before all worlds; that Christ’s election was first, as head, and the church was chosen in him, that the head and the body were alike chosen, loved, and viewed as one—and this choice was for the glory of God, for the glory of Christ, and for the holiness and eternal happiness of the church. God chose his people that theymightbe holy, not because they were so, but that they might be so; and he predestinated the same people to enjoy his presence, love, and glory, to all eternity. They are set apartfor himself, predestinatedto himself. “This people have Iformed for myself.” And must not that man be a fool and a madman that does notdesireto know that he was chosen tobeholy, and predestinated to the enjoyment of God for ever? Let such oppose this precious doctrine: but—
“O, may this Bible truth inspireMy soul with sacred bliss;And lane me safe in mansions whereMy chosen Saviour is.”Lyndal’s Hymns.
“O, may this Bible truth inspireMy soul with sacred bliss;And lane me safe in mansions whereMy chosen Saviour is.”
Lyndal’s Hymns.
Would not professors be better employed in attending to God’s Word, which so dearly states this matter, and praying for the enjoyment of the evidences of it in their own souls, than cavilling against it, seeing they never can overthrow this ancient mountain, this eternal hill? The Lord not only opened my eyes to see it, humbled my heart to receive it, but gave my soul the Bible evidences of it. For—
“Though God’s election is a truth,Small comfort there I see;Till I’m assur’d, by God’s own mouth,That he has chosen me.”
“Though God’s election is a truth,Small comfort there I see;Till I’m assur’d, by God’s own mouth,That he has chosen me.”
And every chosen vessel has thewitness, theevidencesof his election in his own heart, when truly converted to God. And these are clearly laid down in God’s Word. There it is said that “Mary hath chosen that good part which should never be taken from her.” But then that good part must first have chosen her. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you. The blessed effect, theevidenceof this choice made known, is a being made willing to be saved inGod’s own way—in the day of God’s own power. This choice, or willingness, is God’s work on the souls of hisownpeople—for them, and these only, are thus made willing to be saved by grace alone. The power of the Word in the heart is an evidence of our election. “Knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election for our gospel, came not to you in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.” These were persons who had received the Word with power, which evidenced their election of God, and which evidences ours also. The effectual working of truth upon the mind, producing light, life, love, power, contrition, turning to God, humility, joy, liberty.These, any of these blessed effects of the Word in the heart, is an evidence of our election.
Faith is said to be the “faith of God’s elect.” Therefore, faith wrought in the heart is an evidence of election. A seeingthatin Christ which exactly suits our state and condition, attended with a renouncing all in ourselves, and a coming to him for all we need. Trusting in him, hoping in him, delighting in him—these are precious evidences of our eternal election of God. Prayer is an evidence also. Shall not God avengehis own elect, which cry day and night to him? The soul-breathing, desiring, thirsting after the favor and friendship of God. These desires going up to Him, as created by the Holy Spirit, in the day of prosperity or the night of adversity, are the precious evidences of electing love. Holiness is another evidence. We were chosen to be holy, and that we should walk in good works. Inwhosegood works am I to walk, but in the whole glorious work of salvation effected by the adorableTrinity, producing in us the love of God? This is divine charity, that rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. And, to walk in Christ, to walk in good works, to walk in wisdom, peace, truth, and holiness, is to walk in love to God, to truth, to saints. This love will produce all its happy consequences in the road to heaven. Christ is the way, holiness is the walk, and walking in this most excellent way is an evidence of election. For we are chosen to this holiness on earth and in heaven; and withouthisholiness, “no man shall see the Lord.” Hence the exhortation, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness; do not boast ye have it,butfollow after it, and your labour of love will not be in vain in the Lord.”
Having these evidences in my mind of my election, and viewing it as an immutable truth, my spirit rejoices not merely in what success I have had in the ministry, but that my name is written in heaven;—but while I have thus, at times, been rejoicing in it, a dark season has succeeded, and satan and his emissaries have troubled my mind about the doctrine of reprobation.
I beg leave to send you a few remarks on this subject, which, I trust, will relieve your mind, as they have mine. The termreprobation, orreprobated, is no where to be found in the Bible. The wordreprobateoccurs once in the Old Testament, and six times in the New, and not once in reference to pre-damnation. But, though the term does not, yet the thing itself is clearly revealled. The awful charactersof God, as a sovereign and a judge, is set almost entirely out of the view of man, by preachers and writers; and when they occur to the mind, it stirs up all the hatred and infernal enmity of the human heart. Here the most meek, innocent, and holy people (in their own estimation) boil with fury and rage; yet it is a truth, that God, as a sovereign, having no other counsellor but his most holy will, has chosen some, and left others. If he found them holy, he left them so; if he found them sinful, he left them so; he did them no injury, it was an act of his own will, who has a right to do what he pleases, and it is impious to askwhy; for so it seemed good in his sight. But the damnation of sinners is in consequence of sin, and, as a righteous judge, he decreed to punish sin; nordoeshe, norwillhe, norcanhe damn or consign any one to hell, but the violators of his own laws. Is not this just? His decree to punish sin does not force men to sin, they sin naturally, and freely, and wilfully; and living and dying, enemies to God, they receive the reward of their crimes. You may ask, cannot God save them? He can; but that hedoesnot, is evident—and that hewillnot, is equally as clear. For he that made them willnothave mercy upon them, and he that formed them will shew themnofavor. Here I must refer you to Sacred Scripture; to Huntington’s “Free Thoughts in Captivity;” Dr. Gill, on “Election and Reprobation;” Toplady’s “Letter to John Wesley;” Coles, on “God’s Sovereignty;” and a little pamphlet lately published, by Mr. Hargreaves,Baptist Minister of Little Wild-street, London, on “Reprobation.” The subject itself is a profound depth.
But here let us bow to his sovereign will, and rejoice that he has given us any evidence that he has chosen us in Christ Jesus.
“For, O, my soul, if truth so brightShould dazzle and confound my sight,Yet still his written Word obey,And wait the great decisive day.”
“For, O, my soul, if truth so brightShould dazzle and confound my sight,Yet still his written Word obey,And wait the great decisive day.”
This is true humility.
Yours, J. C.
“Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
“Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
To —
It was about the year 1791, that Mr. John Wesley died. I was about 11 years of age; much talk was about him at that time, which often arrested my attention—but, as I had never heard the gospel preached, of course I could know nothing of doctrines; but after I had been led into truth, in some degree, some men that worked for my master, where I was an apprentice, lent me some of his books, but finding them so remarkably dull and dry, there was neither pleasure nor profit to me in reading them.—Hearing much also from the same persons, of the controversy between Arminians and Calvinists, Iwas certainly anxious to understand the great difference between them. Reading what each advanced, I knewbothcould not be right. Warmly attached to the doctrines and doctrinal articles of the Church of England, I soon discovered that the system of Arminianism was in direct opposition to those doctrines. This led on to enquiry and diligent search. Acquaintances lent me books of the controversy that had been carried on by the Wesleys, Fletchers, and others, and the answers that had been given by the magnanimous Toplady, Dr. Gill, Mason, and the (at that time) faithful and boldHills. Mr. Fletcher’s works have been since re-published, but our dastardly cowardly Calvinists do not re-publish what was then so ably written in defence of truth; shame to them, to let truth lie bleeding in the streets, and very few dare to plead her cause. The old Gospel Magazine, like the present one, was the excellent means of spreading and maintaining truth, and which I believe is the only one of all our periodical publications, that dare advance thewholetruth.—These books came into my hands, with some of Sir Richard Hill’s works, which I now bless God for, as they have been of especial service to me, in establishing my mind in the truth, as it is in Jesus.
Since I have been in the ministry, the question has been frequently asked me—“What is your opinion of Mr. John Wesley?” I do not like such questions.—He has been many years in the presence of his Judge, and whether saved or lost, is not for man to decide: but, by an attention to works, some ofthem which I shall quote in this letter to you, and the opinions which good men had of them. I leave you to draw an inference. You and I well know, from the Word of God, and the teaching of the Eternal Spirit, that the Sacred Scriptures are the Word of God; and that, adding to, or diminishing from, or perverting it, is threatened with damnation.—Rev.xxi. I do not say that the rev. John Wesley has done either,wilfully, but I beg you to read for yourself, some of his notes on the New Testament, and if you never did before, I think you will blush at some parts of hisexplanations, as they are called. I would quote some of them, but it would fill this letter, in which I want to point out some of the many errors which he held, and which is still maintained by his followers, quite forgetting that “he who loveth and maketh a lie, dying so, shall have his part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone”.—Rev.xxi.
One of the principal doctrines of the glorious gospel of the blessed God, on which the salvation of the church rests, and which can only entitle us to, and prepare us for death, judgment, and eternity, is the meritorious obedience of Christ to the holy law of God. This, by an act of grace, isimputedand placed to the account of the elect church of God, by the adorable Father, and received into the enlightened minds, affections, and consciences of those who are taught by the Holy Spirit. This, and this only, justifies us before God. On this holy thirty-three years’ obedience of Christ, to the law is the solematter of our justification in the sight of a holy God. And can you believe it? But I beg you will read Mr. Hervey’s “Eleven Letters to J. Wesley,” wherein you will find that the latter has ridiculed this glorious foundation of the church asimputed nonsense. Is not this an awful proof that himself, and all such, must be totally destitute of this righteousness.
I will, however, give you a quotation from a pamphlet written many years ago, by the rev. R. H. entitled “Calumny Refuted, and the Dead Vindicated,” p. 9. The rev. writer remarks:—
“Once upon a time we find him, J. Wesley, sitting in the Norwich stage-coach, wrapped in a most profound meditation; the first thing that occurred to his consideration was, whether a person might not be a sincere Christian, and deny thephrase—imputed righteousness?—This he did not doubt. He then advances farther (as the wheels roll on) and asks—if a man may not be a Christian, and deny thething? He directly determines that a personcertainlymay. Thus, at two strides, he completely gets rid of the righteousness of Christ.”
“Once upon a time we find him, J. Wesley, sitting in the Norwich stage-coach, wrapped in a most profound meditation; the first thing that occurred to his consideration was, whether a person might not be a sincere Christian, and deny thephrase—imputed righteousness?—This he did not doubt. He then advances farther (as the wheels roll on) and asks—if a man may not be a Christian, and deny thething? He directly determines that a personcertainlymay. Thus, at two strides, he completely gets rid of the righteousness of Christ.”
The following horrid propositions, which are here transcribed, verbatim, from Mr. Wesley’s “Minutes of the Year 1770,” fully and incontestibly demonstrate the more than popish pelagianism of the man. He says—
“Every believer, till he comes to glory, worksfor, as well asfromlife. We have received it as a maxim, that a man is to do nothing in order to justification. Nothing can be more false. As tomerititself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid, we are rewarded according to our works,i.e.as our works deserve. All that are convinced of sinunder-valuethemselves in every respect. We are every hour and every moment pleasing or displeasing to God, according to our works, according to the whole of our inward tempers and outward behaviour.”
“Every believer, till he comes to glory, worksfor, as well asfromlife. We have received it as a maxim, that a man is to do nothing in order to justification. Nothing can be more false. As tomerititself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid, we are rewarded according to our works,i.e.as our works deserve. All that are convinced of sinunder-valuethemselves in every respect. We are every hour and every moment pleasing or displeasing to God, according to our works, according to the whole of our inward tempers and outward behaviour.”
If this is not high popery, what is? Mr. John was a professed churchman; but how the above doctrine stands, with what the doctrinal articles of that church maintains, I leave you to judge. As they declare, that he must believe thatno goodworkscanbe done, in order to justification, but that we are accounted righteous only for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I could quote more from the above pamphlet, but this is a sufficient specimen of the foundation hope, as expressed by Mr. Wesley, and adhered to by thousands of his professed followers. What a mercy there are others who are building on a firmer basis. I bless God that he was pleased to open my mind to receive the complete perfect work of the dear Redeemer; that he shewed me it was neither my works nor my faith, (as a grace, nor as an act) that could justify me before God. I must have a perfect law-fulfilling righteousness, wrought out by the holy nature and holy life of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the surety of his church—as God-man Mediator—to build on any thingless, is building on the sand, and the dreadful consequences must be—the curse, wrath, and eternal death. Faith is the eye that seesthe sufficiency of his righteousness—faith is the hand that receives; the vessel, or mind, which contains it when the Holy Spirit brings it near: but surely there is a difference between the eye and the object it discovers; between the hand of the beggar and the alms you put in it; or my coat and the hand that puts it on me. The Lord brought my soul into liberty on this point, but I had another struggle in my mind. Soon after this subject had been clearly and sweetly settled, or rather my soul in the perception of it, some of the same party harrassed my mind about persevering in holiness, till I had gained a perfect sinless nature: this was the very thing I wanted; to get rid of sin, to have it totally eradicated, that I should never be overcome by sin, in thought, word, or deed. Oh happy state, this side heaven!—how I did long for it; sin was, and is, my principal trouble.
“Long time I fought, with groans and tears,To drive this rebel from my home.”
“Long time I fought, with groans and tears,To drive this rebel from my home.”
I was told this was to be obtained; I was informed of many who really had obtained it, and was already perfect; why not I,ifI did but persevere. To work I went, and strove hard for it; not to gain the favor of God, I was better taught than that; but, that sin might trouble me no more, and that I might no more offend God by so much as a sinful glance of the eye. To this rubbing off the spot of the leopard; to this washing the black Moor white, I was encouraged by the above accounts of somewho had obtainedperfection.
Mr. Wesley, and some of his preachers and hearers couldprovethat they had known some who were perfect. I could not suppose theseholycreatures would tell lies. But then I wanted to know how far they might be perfect, and how far not; and to satisfy my mind, I obtained Mr. J. Wesley’s tract on Christian Perfection, a paragraph of which I will quote:—
“And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; such liberty, from the law of sin and death, as the children of this world will not believe, though a man declare it unto them. The son hath made them free who are thus born of God, from that great root of sin and bitterness, pride. They feel that all their sufficiency is of God; that it is he alone who is in all their thoughts, and worketh in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure. They feel that it is not they that speak, but the Spirit of their Father who speaketh in them, and that whatsoever is done by their hands, the Father who is in them, he doeth the works. So that God is to them all in all, and they are nothing in his sight. They are freed from self-will, as desiring nothing but the holy and perfect will of God:Notsupplies in want,notease in pain,norlife, or death, or any creature, but continually crying in their inmost soul, ‘Father, thy will be done.’ They are freed from evil thoughts, so that they cannot enter into them; no not for a moment. A foretime, when an evil thought came in, they looked up, and it vanished away. But now it does not come in, therebeing no room for this, in a soul which is full of God. They are free from wanderings in prayer. Whensoever they pour out their hearts in a more immediate manner before God, they have no thought of any thing past, or absent, or to come, but of God alone. In times past they had wandering thoughts darted in, which yet fled away like smoke: but now that smoke does not rise at all. They have no fear or doubt, either as to their state in general, or as to any particular action. The unction from the Holy One teacheth them every hour, what they shall do, and what they shall speak. Nor therefore have they any need to reason concerning it. They are, in one sense, freed from temptations: for though numberless temptations fly about them, yet they trouble them not. At all times their souls are even and calm, their hearts are steadfast and unmoveable: their peace, flowing as a river, passeth all understanding, and they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. For they are sealed by the Spirit unto the day of redemption, having the witness in themselves, that there is laid up for them a crown of righteousness, which the Lord will give them in that day—” What a collection of lies!
“And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; such liberty, from the law of sin and death, as the children of this world will not believe, though a man declare it unto them. The son hath made them free who are thus born of God, from that great root of sin and bitterness, pride. They feel that all their sufficiency is of God; that it is he alone who is in all their thoughts, and worketh in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure. They feel that it is not they that speak, but the Spirit of their Father who speaketh in them, and that whatsoever is done by their hands, the Father who is in them, he doeth the works. So that God is to them all in all, and they are nothing in his sight. They are freed from self-will, as desiring nothing but the holy and perfect will of God:Notsupplies in want,notease in pain,norlife, or death, or any creature, but continually crying in their inmost soul, ‘Father, thy will be done.’ They are freed from evil thoughts, so that they cannot enter into them; no not for a moment. A foretime, when an evil thought came in, they looked up, and it vanished away. But now it does not come in, therebeing no room for this, in a soul which is full of God. They are free from wanderings in prayer. Whensoever they pour out their hearts in a more immediate manner before God, they have no thought of any thing past, or absent, or to come, but of God alone. In times past they had wandering thoughts darted in, which yet fled away like smoke: but now that smoke does not rise at all. They have no fear or doubt, either as to their state in general, or as to any particular action. The unction from the Holy One teacheth them every hour, what they shall do, and what they shall speak. Nor therefore have they any need to reason concerning it. They are, in one sense, freed from temptations: for though numberless temptations fly about them, yet they trouble them not. At all times their souls are even and calm, their hearts are steadfast and unmoveable: their peace, flowing as a river, passeth all understanding, and they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. For they are sealed by the Spirit unto the day of redemption, having the witness in themselves, that there is laid up for them a crown of righteousness, which the Lord will give them in that day—” What a collection of lies!
The above pamphlet is full of such daring impudence; and in one of his sublime hymns he thus sings—
“My cup it runs o’er, I have comfort and power,I have pardon, and what can a sinner want more;He can have a new heart, so as never to startFrom thy ways, he may be in the world asthouart;He may be without sin,allholy and clean;He may be as his master, all glorious within,Without blemish or blot, without wrinkle or spot,Without powerto offend thee, in deed, word, or thought.”
“My cup it runs o’er, I have comfort and power,I have pardon, and what can a sinner want more;He can have a new heart, so as never to startFrom thy ways, he may be in the world asthouart;
He may be without sin,allholy and clean;He may be as his master, all glorious within,Without blemish or blot, without wrinkle or spot,Without powerto offend thee, in deed, word, or thought.”
This is the sublime poetry of Wesley, who has been classed with Dr. Watts as a poet; yea, almost with the psalmist, David, in a recent publication called “The Conference; or, Sketches of Wesleyan Methodism.” The author of which very far exceeds the Wesleys, either John or Charles. But I beg leave to say, the writers of the Evangelical Magazine, very highly applaud the work. I think the following lines on Mr. Wesley, in the above work, fulsome:—
“Thou, too, art gone,sweetleader of the choir,Thou soul of music with a seraph’s lyre;When Royal David made his final will,Sweet fancy added this last codicil—I give to Solomon my crown and throne,This sacred harp shall Watts andWesleyown;Andthouhast touch’d the strings with so much skill,The Hebrew melodist enchant us still.”
“Thou, too, art gone,sweetleader of the choir,Thou soul of music with a seraph’s lyre;When Royal David made his final will,Sweet fancy added this last codicil—I give to Solomon my crown and throne,This sacred harp shall Watts andWesleyown;Andthouhast touch’d the strings with so much skill,The Hebrew melodist enchant us still.”
The propriety of this classification I leave to your judgment, and conclude with one remark more. Finding by all my strivings,thatthat which is born of the spirit is spirit, and can never alter; and that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and can never become any thing else. Reading the word of God it shewed me thatthe causeof all the groans, tears, complaints, sighs, distresses and afflictions, of all the old and new testament saints was,in-dwelling sin; and by tracing the lives of those eminent characters, I found they were sinners saved by gracealone—sinners to the last moment, as it respects their sinful nature: butasthey, and all the church of God, stand accepted in Christ, they are perfect before God; and to that perfection they will arrive at the glorious resurrection, and not before. Seeing this was the case, I gave up all hopes of being perfect in the fleshly nature, and was enabled to rejoice in my perfection in the love of God’s heart towards me;inmy oneness in Christ,inmy complete justificationinhis obedience, andinmy perfect pardon, and cleansing from all sin in the sight of God, as revealed in the law by the great atonement of the God-man Christ Jesus. Herein is the perfection of the Christian, and it is the gracious work of the Holy Spirit, to lead up the minds of his own people to know and to enjoy these great privileges, and not to set them an utterly impossible task, of gaining fleshly perfection, which is amere delusion of the devil. A great writer[229]observed to Mr. Wesley, on Perfection—“You formed a scheme of collecting as many perfect ones as you could, to live together in one house: a number of these flowers were accordingly transplanted from some of your nursery beds to the hot-house, and an hot-house it soon proved; for, would we believe it, thesinlesspeople quarrelled in a short time, at so violent a rate, that you found yourself forced to disband this select regiment: had you kept them together much longer, that linewould have been literally verified in the squabbling members of your church militant.”
“The males pulled noses, and the females caps.”
“The males pulled noses, and the females caps.”
A very small house, I am persuaded, would hold the really perfect upon earth; you might drive them all into a nut-shell.Perfectionandsincerity, as mentioned in Scripture, are synonimous terms, and being made sincere, may you go on to this perfection.
Yours, truly, J. C.
“And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the clean and the unclean; and in controversy they shall stand in judgment.”
“And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the clean and the unclean; and in controversy they shall stand in judgment.”
To —
Amongst the many painful lessons which the Lord teaches his children, perhaps there is none much more humiliating than the carnal enmity of the human heart; all sin in men, or devils, has an enmity in it to God; every man is by nature an enemy to God, to his holy law, to his holy gospel, and to his holy ways and people; and, dying in that state, it is impossible for him to be saved; for, “without holiness no man can see the Lord; but, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” thegreat atonement brought nigh to us in the gospel,applied,revealedandmanifestedto the conscience, purifies the conscience; the love of God, shed abroad, purifies the affections; but the truth, as it is in Christ, purges the understanding and the judgment fromerror, which is spiritual uncleanness, and without being purged away, by the light of truth in the soul, a person is not fit for the kingdom of light, because he is not yet translated out of darkness; but, being in the dark about the way of salvation, he is also in a state ofenmity. Many such are to be found in the church of God, whose proud hearts have never been humbled to submit to God’s truth; and being men of talent, have perverted, carnalized, and scoffed at the great leading doctrines of the gospel; yet mighty sticklers for holiness, love, charity and good works (falsely so called;) their conceptions of God are all carnal, dictated by the flesh, and are opposite to the revealed character of God. Hence the awful charge brought against them.—“Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself, but I will reprove thee.” I was very much astonished, in my younger days, at many persons, into whose company I fell, as they passed for veryholy goodpeople, when some of the fundamental truths of God were spoken of, to see their very countenances redden, and their rage and enmity boil at the very mention of some of the most sweet and awful doctrines of the cross. With all their pretended, delusive, supposedmeekness, they hissed like serpents, particularly at the very mentionof the glorious doctrine of eternal election, and divine predestination to eternal life. Here they lost all patience, like their fathers of old, who listened, and wondered at the general discourse of our Lord; but when he began to talk about God’s sovereignty, they hurried him to the brow of the hill, with an intent to break his neck.Luke4. And so it is now. I observed one thing, namely, that I could see no difference between these great professors, who boasted they were convinced here, converted there, justified here, and sanctified there. I say I could see not the least difference between them, as it respects their religious sentiments or views of God’s word, than the most profane, wicked, worldling, or dead formalist.Thisthen, is an awful proof of their blindness and enmity. Situated as I was in the world, I had often opportunities of hearing carnal, wicked, worldlings talk about religion; and generally observed, that theybroughtup,censuredandridiculedeternal election, and represented it as a most dreadful and arbitrary act; adding, that those who held this sentiment, also believed that God had, from eternity, reprobated and consigned over to hell, the greatest part of mankind; yea, infants who had never sinned, which (they argued) made out God to be a very unjust, and tyrannically wicked; being, yea, worse than Molech. All these sentiments and ideas we expect from an ungodly world; they know no better. God declares that they are blind, and enemies; yea,enmityitself. Such we can pity.But,judge my surprize, whenone of Mr. Wesley’s followers put a book into my hand, entitled “Hymns on God’s Everlasting Love:” finding it contained the very language that these profane and wicked worldlings had been constantly using; where then, exclaimed I, is the difference between the author, the admirers of this work, and the bitterest enemies of God: why, alas! in point of truth, or light, or love,none at all; they are all upon a footing; for, though they may differ in some things of an external nature, I found they all agreed to ridicule the truth of God’s most holy word. Here theHeathen, thePapist, theQuaker, theArminianand the mostprofane, as well as the mostpreciseandmoralprofessor, all unite. The above hymns, as they are called, are full of the most deadly poison, and the most awfulmisrepresentations; and though but consisting of little better than eighty pages, contain more than two hundred palpable falsehoods: no Christian, as taught of God, can read them without shuddering at the base, lying, wickeddeclarations,insinuations, and wilfulmisrepresentations; and, while the author professes so much seeming meekness and pity for the wicked world, and is ridiculing the awful doctrine of reprobation, he himself has the daring impudence toreprobateall the real ministers of the gospel in the following lines:—
“Hear theold hellish murderersroarFor you Christ died, and not one more;Hischildrenlisten to his call,And shout Christ did not die for all.”
“Hear theold hellish murderersroarFor you Christ died, and not one more;Hischildrenlisten to his call,And shout Christ did not die for all.”
You will surely be surprised when I tell you that this was written bythatcandid, meek,holycreature, against those who differ from him in doctrine. The Calvinist preachers, and their hearers, surely owe Mr. Wesley little thanks for his politeness and candour, as he has styled them all hellishmurderers,monsters, and the people in general who receive the truth, thechildrenof suchmonstersandmurderers. This is the man who is reprobating reprobation; and, at the same time, is reprobating all who differ from him, asreprobates. I found, through all his book, his awful enmity to the doctrines of the gospel.—Eternal election, and scriptural reprobation he first scandalously misrepresents, and then holds both up to ridicule, while he asserts God’s holy and awful decrees to be horrible; and that if election and reprobation are true, God is worse than Molech, if he has chosen some, and left others,inthe solemn display of his severity. Hear the language of Mr. Wesley.
“Oh, horrible decree! worthy of whence itcame. Forgive theirhellish blasphemy, who charge it on the Lamb.”“I could thedevil’slaw receive,Unless restrain’d by thee;I could, good God, I could believeThehorribledecree.I could believe that God is hate,The God of love and grace,Did damn, pass by, and reprobateThe most of human race.Farther than this I cannot go,Till Tophet takes me in;But oh, forbid that I should knowThismystery of sin.”
“Oh, horrible decree! worthy of whence itcame. Forgive theirhellish blasphemy, who charge it on the Lamb.”
“I could thedevil’slaw receive,Unless restrain’d by thee;I could, good God, I could believeThehorribledecree.I could believe that God is hate,The God of love and grace,Did damn, pass by, and reprobateThe most of human race.Farther than this I cannot go,Till Tophet takes me in;But oh, forbid that I should knowThismystery of sin.”
And did these holy men, John and Charles, thus talk?—Yes; such were their hearts, and out of that wicked abundance they thus spoke and wrote; and, in these awful delusions, and dreadful enmity to truth, I suppose they lived and died, for we never hear that either of them ever recanted or repented of their awful errors; and I am informed that many Calvinist preachers hung their pulpits in black when the above gentlemen died.—I ask was it forsorrow, or to shew thecolourof their errors? The man that dies in his errorsunrepentedof, must be damned if God be true; and he that errs from the truth must be converted from the errors of his way, before his soul can be saved from death, or the multitude of his sins be covered. I am thankful, however, it was my mercy to be favoured with the sound of the pure gospel, and at times furnished with some excellent books written in answer, and forming a complete refutation of the system of Arminianism. Dr. Gill, Mr. Toplady and others very masterly answered Wesley and his colleagues; and Sir Richard Hill and others, refuted Fletcher; although the Wesleyan Methodists boldly assert that Fletcher is invulnerable, and has never been answered or refuted. This could easily be proved, if Sir Richard’s works were again revived. Gurney likewise wrote many excellent pieces; especially the “Nature and Fitness ofThings,” and “The Perfection of God, a Standing Rule to try all Doctrines and Experiences by;” in which the author says, upon a review of the “Hymns (blasphemously so called) on God’s Everlasting Love.”
“Blush, Wesley blush, be fill’d with shame,Doom thy vile poem to the flame:What tongue thy horrid crime can tell;Put saints to sing the song of hell!”
“Blush, Wesley blush, be fill’d with shame,Doom thy vile poem to the flame:What tongue thy horrid crime can tell;Put saints to sing the song of hell!”
Many, indeed, humbly hope that Mr. John and Charles are now in heaven, singing the song of the Lamb, with all the blood-bought throng. I hope they are; but they must both alter their singing there, to that strange song they sung uponearth. In the hymns we have just noticed, no man can learnthatsong which the redeemed sing there; but the redeemed themselves; and if not redeemed, they cannot sing; if they are the redeemed they will sing of it. But millions dying in awful enmity to God is no proof they were redeemed from hell; and all that are in heaven, or ever will be, are redeemedfrom amongmen. This is the world which he died for. As God took anationfrom the midst of another nation, so he takes a worldfrom the midstof the world. These are theevery menhe died for; not devils, serpents, vipers, dogs and goats; “But ye my flock aremen, and the sheep of my pasture areye, oh house of Israel;” the price of their redemption ispaid—God hath accepted it, and the Holy Spirit has engaged to make it known to all who are interested in it sooner or later; and, having began this work, he will never leave it till it terminates in the glorification of the bodies and souls of all his elect redeemed.
“For how would the power of darkness boast,If but one praying soul was lost.”
“For how would the power of darkness boast,If but one praying soul was lost.”
But that cannot be, while Jesus lives to plead their cause; hemustdeliver up his kingdom in the final consummation. For this is the Father’s will, that ofallhe hath given me I should losenothing, but shall raise it up again at the last day. This opposition to truth was raised originally by Pelaquis, revived in Holland by Van Harmin, Arminius, and brought over to this country in the sixteenth century; propagated by the Wesley’s, and received by so many thousands, because it is suited to the carnal world, the pride of the heart, and opposition to God’s divine sovereignty and justice. This subject, I say, not only drew forth the pens of great men in its defence, but also some sarcastic writings, treating it with the contempt it deserves. Amongst many other pieces, there was one which appeared in the Old Gospel Magazine, supposed to be written by The Rev. R. H—, or Mr. M’Gowan, and signed “Auscultator,” which, as it is printed, I here present it.
There’s a Fox, who resideth hard by,The most perfect, and holy, and sly.That e’er turn’d a coat, or could pilfer or lye.
As this Reverend Reynard one day,Sat thinking what game next to play;Old Nick came a seas’nable visit to pay.
“O your servant, my friend,” quoth the priest;“Tho’ you carry the mark of the beast,I never shook paws with a welcomer guest.”
“Many thanks, holy man,” cry’d the fiend,“’Twas because you’re my very good friend,That I dropt in with you a few moments to spend.”
JOHN.
Your kindness requited shall be;There’s the Calvinist-Methodists, see,Who’re eternally troublous to you and to me.
Now I’ll stir up the hounds of thewhoreThat’s calledscarlet, to worry them sore;And then roast ’em in Smithfield, likeBonnerof yore.
NICK.
O a meal of the Calvinist broodWill do my old stomach more good,Than a sheep to a wolf that is starving for food.
JOHN.
When America’s conquer’d, you know(’Til then we must leave them to crow),I’ll work up our rulers to strike an home blow.
NICK.
An excellent plan, could you do it;But if all the internals too knew it,They’d be puzzled, like me, to tell how you’ll go through it.
JOHN.
When they speak against vice in the great;I’ll cry out that they aim’d at theState;And the Ministry, King, and the Parliament hate.
Thus I’ll still act the part of a lyar;Persecution’s blest spirit inspire;And then “Calmly Address” ’em with faggot and fire.
NICK.
Ay, that’s the right way, I know well:But howlyeswithperfectioncan dwell,Is a riddle, dear John, that would puzzle all hell.
JOHN.
Pish, you talk like a doating old elf:Can’t you see now it brings in the pelf?And all things are lawful that serve a man’s self.
As serpents we ought to be wise:Is not self-preservation a prize?For this did notAbramthe righteous tell lyes?
NICK.
I perceive you are subtle, tho’ small:You have reason, and scripture, and all;So stilted, you never canfinally fall.
JOHN.
From the drift of your latter reflection,I fear you maintain some connectionWith the crocodile crew that believe in Election.
NICK.
By my troth, I abhor the whole troop;With those heroes I never could cope:I should chuckle to see them all swing in a rope.
JOHN.
Ah, could we but set the land freeFrom those bawlers about theDecree,Who’re such torments to you, to my brother, and me!
As forWhitefield, I know it right well,He has sent down his thousands to hell;And, for aught that I know, he’s gone with ’em to dwell.