which are not the children of God, Rom. ix. 8; for I am sure he is no friend to Zion, nor to the testimony that God has given of her; there is not one of that chosen family, not one of that royal household, if taught of God and made free by the spirit of truth, but what would be sensibly injured and disgusted at such free thoughts as these, which are levelled at the sovereignty of God, the counsel of his will, his eternal purpose in Christ, the foundation of Zion, and her eternal establishment. Take heed that ye offend not one of these little ones which believe in me, Mark ix. 42.

Mr. Skinner is for enlarging the bonds of the covenant; the sounding of his bowels reaches to all the offspring of old Adam; the mercy of God, and the death of Christ must follow wherever his free thoughts lead the van; for he supposes that God is just such an one as himself; the Bible is to speak the imaginations of his heart; the thoughts are his own, the voice of God is only to articulate them. He has nothing to offer in behalf of God's elect; no encouragement for the children of promise; it is the cause of old Adam, and of the children of the flesh, that he has undertaken to plead; and no doubt but the Edomites and Ishmaelites will greatly rejoice to see so nervous a logician step forth as their advocate in the great day, when God appears a swift witness against the workers of iniquity. He has taken care to shun the severe spirit of Paul. He has no notion of leaving the curse where God has fixed it; he would rather

bless Moab than Israel; "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha;" nor does he approve of the apostle's narrowness of spirit, who would endure all things for the elect sake only, that they might obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory, 2 Tim. ii. 10. He informs us that he is an advocate for free inquiry into matters of religion; and we may justly reply, that he does not inquire wisely concerning this matter. For as the Bible reveals a blessing and a curse, and mentions children of God and children of the flesh, heirs of promise and heirs of wrath; while the cunning hunter and the plain dealer, the man of the field and the man of the tent, are struggling together for the birth-right and the blessing, the best way is, not to inquire of free thoughts concerning the mystery of election, but to do as Rebecca did, go and inquire of the Lord; and if the answer be, Two nations are within thy womb; the one, a chosen generation, an holy nation, 1 Peter ii. 9; and the other, a people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever, Mal. i. 4: if two manner of people are to be separated from her bowels, one being children of the flesh and the other children of the promise; if the elder in old Adam is to serve the younger in the second Adam; if Jacob is beloved, and Esau hated, Gen. xxv. 23; Mal. i. 2, 3: then the blessing is to be applied to the proper heir, according to the mind and will of God, not according to our free thoughts. Isaac was going to err in this point, but God stopped

him. Upon mount Zion God has commanded the blessing; not on mount Seir, which is Esau; nor upon mount Sinai, which is Hagar and Ishmael. The inheritance is entailed on Abraham's chosen family, on Isaac's blessed race, and on the Israel of God. This is the nation that God owns for his, the nation that he has blessed: "The counsel of the Lord standeth fast for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

For a free-thinker to pretend to entail God's blessing where God has denied it, is no less than daring arrogance; "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his [free] thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help." He is an abomination that justifies the wicked; and he is no better than an abomination who declares that the heirs of promise whom God hath blessed may fall away, and be cursed at last. Balaam, who lost both his life and his soul by attempting to curse them whom God had blessed, never went so far, though the devil helped him; there is no enchantment against Jacob, there is the beloved father; no divination against Israel, there is the elected seed; who can curse Jacob, or defy Israel? "I have received commandment to bless," though we know his free thoughts run in another channel, for he intended to curse; but he is obliged to own God hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. He

hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob," our everlasting father; "neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel," who stand complete in him. I would advise our author to act as Balaam did, listen to the voice of God, and consult free thoughts no more about the matter, seeing it cannot be altered: "And when Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he went not as at other times to seek for enchantments;" he laid the devil's vain help by, and spoke the truth plainly: " He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion; who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee."

Our author takes the whole Bible as the only code of Christian laws; by which he would give us to understand that he belongs to mount Sinai, the bond-woman in the figure, which is in bondage with all her children; and it is clear that the old vail is still upon his heart in reading this code of laws. Had he been a child of light, or an heir of promise, he would have found something in the Bible besides a code of laws; it is a strange will and testament that has got nothing but commands in it. However, the Bible is his code of laws; and we know that whatsoever that code saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped from boasting, and the whole world become guilty before God instead of innocent.

He is willing that men should enjoy their religious sentiments, however they may differ from

his, though he has spent all the free thoughts of his quiver against their sentiments; and he is

6

persuaded that right of private judgment, and

liberty of conscience, are inseparably connected with a day of retribution, when every one shall 'give account of himself to God.' Whether this right pleaded for be human or divine we are not informed; but as divinity is the subject, the right ought to have a divine grant from God; spiritual rights and privileges being included among the good and perfect gifts that come from the Father of light. No man by nature has any hereditary right; nor is any man upon earth empowered to grant any right to spiritual things. Private judgment in spiritual matters, as well as public judgment, ought to be according to truth. For want of light to discern; for want of a right granted from God; for want of knowing the scriptures, and the power of God, wrong judgment proceedeth, Hab. i. 4.

A day of retribution.' A day of repaying what is due to God; a day of giving up accounts to God for every free thought, word, and action; for the doctrines he subscribed to; for the confession he made at his ordination; and for every false doctrine he has advanced; and all this under a code of Christian laws, according to a scheme of free thoughts; God be merciful to such poor blind souls, who darken counsel by words without knowledge, and utter things they understand not. If vindictive Justice makes a demand of Mr. Skinner