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fore, entirely wrests it out of the hands of the Armenians; for it asserts, as a fact, that these persons have not a will to come, and therefore there could be no possibility of their coming, unless the covenant of God was pleased to work in them both to will and to do. In the two following passages the original word for will, which our translators have so generally changed into an auxiliary verb, is expressed correctly by the word desire. (See Mark ix. 35; Gal. iv. 21.) The following passages are a few of those in which the word will is improperly made an auxiliary verb, either the word to must be supplied after it, or else it should be expressed desire to, or have a wish to; for in every case the following verb is in the infinitive mood in the Greek :-Matt. xvi. 24; xix. 17, 21; xx. 14, 15, 26; xxiii. 4; Mark viii. 34; Luke ix. 23, 24; xiii. 31; John vii. 17; Acts xvii. 18; Rom. ix. 18; xiii. 3; 1 Cor. xvi. 7; 2 Tim. iii. 12; Rev. xi. 5. In Rev. xxii. 17, whosoever will has exactly the same construction in the Greek as the expression immediately preceding, Let him that is athirst, and as it is also the principal verb will, it should be thus expressed, Let him that will or desires, &c. Similar remarks to the above will apply to the word would in such passages as the following, where the word to should be supplied; or desired to, instead of would, Matt. xiv. 5; xxii. 3; John xii. 21; Acts xxiv. 6; Gal. i. 7. Similar observations might also have been made upon the word can, which, instead of being an auxiliary, ought to be a principal or independent verb, and would be more correctly translated is able, &c. Take one instance, John vi. 44, "No man is able to come unto me," &c. From what is said above, connectad with this passage, it is very evident that no one is able, except he who has the will. J. W. GOWRING.

ANECDOTE.

GOOD old Mr. Lock, Mr. Huntington's Curate, used to speak of an apprentice-boy who had a cruel master, that used to beat him very much. The poor boy, after years of affliction and sorrow, was taken ill, and when near death, sent for his master, who was much surprised, and did not like to go, knowing full well how cruel he had always been to the boy. However, he went, and when the poor boy saw him, he raised himself up in bed, took his master's hand, and kissed it,—at the same time blessing God for the unkind treatment he had rerceived from him; he told his master that his cruelty and unkindness had been the means blessed by God, in bringing him to a throne of grace, as his refuge in trouble, and there he found help and succour. He died in the greatest peace,-ascribing, under the guidance of God the Holy Ghost, his conversion and happy end, to his master's cruelty,

A FEW REMARKS UPON SOME SENTENCES IN PAGES 191-193, OF A BOOK, ENTITLED, "THE ETERNAL:" BY ROBERT PHILIP, MINISTER OF MABERLY

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CHAPEL, KINGSLAND.

(Concluded from page 69).

I AM rather glad that Mr. Philip feels the difficulties of his "creed ;" pray that the Spirit of God may teach him better, and raise him from these "difficulties." As to denying God's oath, at which he seems to tremble, let him take heed that he does not continue to deny God's oath. Any one would have thought that he would have been careful upon such a subject as "God's oath," to have quoted Scripture correctly; but he does not do so. I suppose he takes the passage from 2 Peter iii. 9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." But the words, "all inen," which Mr. Philip uses, is not to be found in it, and any one might see that the word "beloved," used in the preceding verse, and the word "us-ward," used in the verse quoted, mean the "elect," or distinguished from others and that God's long-suffering will be extended, till repentance is granted to them all; and then, woe to the world. I say, let our author take heed, that by making that God's oath, which is not God's oath, but merely a sentence of his own framing, he does not deny what God has positively engaged to do for his people; for He says to his church, "All thy children shail be taught of the Lord, and great shall be their peace" (Isaiah liv. 13), and he will certainly never leave one out, nor damn one that he has so taught. All others he just leaves in their hardened state, shut up in unbelief; and if Mr. Philip's creed is so difficult, it would be more than nousense to imbibe it,-for make the best of it, the person so disposed, would be only changing one difficulty for another; let us rather look at Scripture, as we have it, and not misquote it. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power" (Ps, cx. 3), or Christ's own words, which forms part of God's covenant of grace, "All that the Father giveth ne shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out" (John xi. 37). Solemn and positive, by which the very power and love of God are pledged. Can the above texts mean every creature as all nations?" I think that no one will dare to say so, unless he be an entire universalist-and he must be a great speculatist, for he has no Scripture to support him in it; and speculatists are horrible characters in Mr. Philip's view, as we shall presently see.

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He proceeds, "I am confirmed in these views of the Gospel, because Sovereignty laid down a rule for itself in saving sinners, before Christ appeared as the Son of Righteousness. It was prophesied that he should arise, with healing in his wings;-first, upon them who feared God, and shine so discriminately, that any one could discern between the righteous and the wicked, or between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. Accordingly, we find that when Christ did arise as the Son of Righteousness, he did shine first upon those who had some fear of God; for none of his first disciples were either profligate, or speculative men; He chose, in fact, the best men he could find, for even Judas was no profligate, but rather, a worldly-minded, and revengeful man. Taking, therefore, the Scriptural account of the whole body, given by God to Christ, and chosen by Christ out of the world, then you cannot help seeing, that the sovereignty of both Father and Son gave the preference to sober, industrious, and simplehearted men.'

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I thought it best to give this whole paragraph, with the italics, just as I find it in the volume before me-which volume is written for young people, and particularly for Sunday-school teachers; and it is very greatly eulogized by the "Evangelical Magazine" reviewers, who, I suppose, could never have read it. We know that the divine rule was laid down in eternity, But it was not grounded upon human morals, for Mr. Philip will not have it called merits. He says, "as morals, not as merits." Let us mark the soul-humbling truths of God's word: "" For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth' (Gen. viii. 21). Where is its morality so boasted about? Alas, for our author, that God himself should contradict him so palpably; and the Lord Jesus says, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matt. xv. 19). We may talk about morals, but when the Lord searches the heart with his candle, our morals soon vanish,

Eut in the above paragraph the prophet's words are misquoted, There is no such word as "first," in the text. “But unto you that fear my naine, shall the Son of Righteousness arise, with healing in his wings" (Matt. iv. 2); none others are capable of seeing his resplen. dent glories; He shines upon none but those that "fear his name," and not "first" upon them-for the fear of the Lord in the heart, is one of the first acts of grace, which mark the character of those only, who are enabled to enjoy his gracious presence. That the first disciples had the spiritual fear of God in their hearts, before called by Christ, is unlikely; whether there was among them much profligacy and speculation, is not easily known. Mr. Philip says that they were neither the one nor the other. If he confines himself to the twelve, where does he get their early history? how does he know their early habits? Surely he would never go to the vatican, to search among their legends, for his information. What does he mean by profligate, and speculative? Peter seems to have been a profane man or, he

would not so readily have had recourse to swearing, as he did upon one occasion; and as to "speculative," what they were before their conversion I know not, but they were very often speculative enough afterwards-walking upon water-calling down fire from heaven, or wishing so to do, wanting the chief place in Christ's kingdom,enquiring who should be the greatest,-"These things shall not happen to thee," which produce the rebuke, "get thee behind me Satan ; " "Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"—and many more things might be named, to show that either conversions did not cure them of their speculative turn, or else it made them very speculative.

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Mr. Philip's remarks about the character of Judas, is astonishing. What, is "a worldly-minded, and revengeful man," less criminal than a profligate, or speculative one? who ever heard such a thing? Have we not known profligates, who have been, in other respects, far from injurious to society, nobody's enemy but their own; yea, have had many excellent qualities belonging to them-generous, even to a fault; willing to stand by the oppressed, and defend the defenceless? Look at many in our navy, men of noble minds, men of honour and integrity -open, free, feeling and merciful to those whom they have subdued. We have admired them in many respects, but pitied them for their profligacy. Yet who ever admired a Judas, or who ever before considered his disposition preferable in the sight of God, to profligacy or speculation? Solomon often calls the speculative and profligate, fools. But what does the Spirit of God say by David, of the treacherous Doeg, the Edomite?"Thou lovest all devouring words, O, thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever: he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling-place, and root thee out of the land of the living" (Ps. liii, 4, 5). And what does our Lord say of Judas? "It had been good for that man if he had not been born" (Matt. xxvi. 24). Whilst in his beautiful parable, contained in Luke xv, he brings the prodigal, (whom I suppose Mr. Philip will admit was a profligate), back to his father's house, with a hearty welcome, so that if there were any rule of preference then, our Lord gave it to the profligate.

I do confess, that it is the first time that ever I heard revengefulness, and worldly-mindedness, (especially when existing to such an extent, as it did in Judas), estimated as a less sin than profligacy. I believe the learned heathen, whom Mr. Philip so frequently quotes in his book, knew far better how to estimate the value of morals, than to agree with bim upon that subject. Now observe the sentence- "He chose, in fact, the best he could find." (Fact, or falsehood? which ?) Not the slightest evidence that the apostles were better men than others. Matthew was a publican, of a class generally considered among the worst of society. But let us go a little beyond the apostles, and the statement is as contrary to facts as possible. Was Zaccheus the best he could find? was the poor wretch that had the legion of devils the best he

could find? was the thief the best he could find? was Paul the best he could find? To say no more about the men, what were the women? Was the woman of Samaria the best he could find? Her profligacy the Saviour knew, and her speculations he reproved,-" Ye worship ye know not what." Was the adulterous woman, brought to him in the temple, the best he could find? was poor Magdalen, or the woman in Simon, the Pharisee's house, the best he could find? Cold-hearted sinners thought, as Mr. Philip does, that Jesus was looking for the best he could find, aud therefore said, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who, and what manner of woman this is, who toucheth him, for she is a sinner" (Luke vii. 39); but the Lord in mercy brought the matter to his conscience. May Jesus tell Mr. Philip the same things that he told Simon. The above sentence of Mr. Philip, is contrary also to Christ's own testimony, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Mr. Philip affects to tremble about denying God's oath, and yet he contradicts the Saviour to his very face; He chose, in fact, the best men he could find," says Mr. Philip, "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," says Jesus (Matt. ix. 13). Oh fie, Mr. Philip, for daring to contradict Him, whom you profess to serve. Call in your book, and "go and learn what that meaneth;" then write things that are agreeable to His will. Mr. Philip's statement is also contrary to the testimony of all other persons, friend, or foe, for the opinion was universal, that "This man received sinners, and eat with them (Luke xv. 2).

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But now, the whole is brought to a point; Mr. Philip thinks he has driven the nail, and it only requires clenching, to settle the point for ever. Hear it oh heavens, hear it oh earth, here is the exact rule of God's sovereignty. The difficult point is settled for ever; and could we but destroy the Bible, the controversy would for ever cease, for Mr. Philip says, "You cannot help seeing, that the sovereignty of both Father and Son gave the preference to sober, industrious, and simplehearted men." A miserable Gospel to poor sinners. But Moses will contradict Mr. Philip; "Understand, therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness, for thou art a stiff-necked people" (Deut. ix. 6); and Jesus presents to us a scene in the temple. A Pharisee, sober, industrious, and simplehearted, and a Publican, just the contrary, as his burdened heart proved. But Jesus tells us, "This man went down to his house, justified rather than the other" (Luke xviii. 14). Likewise in addressing the chief priest and elders, who may have been very sober, Jesus said, "That publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you" (Matt. xxi. 31). Paul says, "Not of works" (Eph. ii. 9), whether called merits

or morals.

The Church at Corinth was made up of those, who had been abominable as to their morals, and could have had no preference given to them

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