'things; for, if we may credit Milton, God's fore'knowledge does not necessitate human actions.' If I foreknew, fore-knowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no less proved certain unforeknown.' To all which I answer, Man is born with his back upon God, and goes astray as soon as born, speaking lies; if left to the freedom of his own will, he chooses his own way, and delights in his abominations but God reserves, this prerogative to himself; "I also will choose their delusions, and bring their fears upon them." Man, if left to himself, will turn aside to his crooked ways; but it is God that will lead him forth with the workers of iniquity, Psal. cxxv. 5. The brutal free-thinker will by natural aptitude ran rusty; but God bridles, him, and holds the reins, checks him at his pleasure, and guides him into those errors that he is to be damned in; "There shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err." God's predeterminate will concerning the wicked, and rebellious man's natural inclination, which needs no impulse nor influence to evil, but that which comes by natural generation, often run, agreeable to scripture, in one channel: "Abraham, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years: And also, that nation whom they shall serve will I judge." For some time a divine restraint lay on the hearts of the Egyptians, and Israel was a welcome guest; but at the time appointed, God turned ye their hearts to hate his people, and to deal subtilly with his servants, Psal. cv. 25; which turn lay in the removal of God's restraining power. Christ was delivered by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God; and the wicked fulfilled the Scriptures who slew him, and it was done according to the natural bent of their will: "Whom will that I release? Not this,man, but Barabbas;" they desired a murderer might be granted unto them. Thus God's declaration to Abraham and Egypt's madice, God's determinate council concerning Christ and Israel's desire of a murderer, run directly in one channel. God declares that the vile person will speak villany, and his heart work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to devise wicked devices, to destroy the poor and needy with lying words, Isa. xxxii. 6, 7; and it is fulfilled in this book of Mr. Skinner's, agreeable to the word of God; so God says, he will work a work in gospel days that men shall behold, and wonder at, and perish, and in no wise believe though a man declare it unto them, Hab. i. 5. Acts xiii. 41; which is fulfilled to a tittle by our free-thinker, who calls the decrees of God a human system, and his own thoughts a detection of error. Mr. Skinner may put what difference he pleases between certainty and necessity. What God declares to be certain must of necessity come to pass. If God leaves a sinner to himself, he must of necessity sin, because there is nothing but sin in him; Satan keeps the palace, works in his heart, and takes him captive at his will; but then both the devil and the sinner are awed, checked, turned, and directed, just as the sovereign Saviour pleases: “Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” Judas, influenced by the devil, and who was a devil, who stood like a bent bow to his mark, was held by the strong hand of the Saviour. Christ knew that himself was the object he aimed at, but he could not perform his enterprise till he gave command: He laid down his life for his sheep: "No man taketh it from me, I lay it down of myself." Hence we read that they often attempted to take him, but his hour was not yet come: "Now when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world,” the devil was let loose, and Judas was commanded to do his office; the supper being ended, the devil having now put it into the heart of Judas to betray him, Christ gave Judas the sop; and then Satan entered into him; "Then said Jesus, that thou doest do quickly." So to this day the wicked bend their bows to shoot at the upright in heart, who are the only butt of their envy; but then God overrules them, so that he either permits his elect to be wounded by them, or he delivers them from the arrow that fleeth by day, just as it seemeth him good. Devils and sinners are both bent in malice against God's elect; but God chooses their delusions, leads them forth, turns their 375 course, and keeps his bridle in their jaws; their free thoughts may stagger some of God's elect, but those that erred shall come to understanding; for the elect shall not be finally deceived. Their thoughts may harden and deceive many, but both the deceiver and the deceived are the Lord's; it is he that leads them away spoiled, and makes them fools, Job xii. 16, 17; yea, there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people causing them to err. Man in his fallen state, if left to himself, cannot act contrary to his nature any more than water can run up hill, or stones fly to heaven; his nature is earthly, sensual, and devilish; and unless he be predestinated to life, and free-grace prevent, he will cleave to the earth, gratify his brutal appetite, end in the devil, and be damned for his earthly, brutal, and devilish actions: "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." If we may credit Milton, the devils had some knowledge of this; for he says, They reasoned high Providence neither promised nor afforded them perpetual support; To free-will they were left, in free-will they stood, while they stood; With freedom of will and freedom of thought they rebelled, and left their own habitation; for which free-will rebellion these aspiring free-thinkers were charged with folly, bound with the chains of their sin, and reserved under darkness to future judgment; but neither free-will nor free thoughts altered fixed fate, which must be resolved into the uncontrollable will of the divine sovereign, as well as in his absolute foreknowledge; prescience preceding fixed fate, according to the Spirit's arrangement by Paul; "Whom he did foreknow, them he did predestinate." The fall of apostate angels must doubtless alarm those that stood; these readily renounced their free-will standing, and accepted confirmation by Christ; hence their submission is called a reconciliation, Col. i. 20; and Christ is called the head of all principality and power, Col. ii. 10. The angels' acquiescence with the divine will, and their confirmation by Christ, must both be resolved into the decree of election, for these angels were elected, 1. Tim. v. 21. One would think the fall of angels and the fall of Adam would be sufficient to bring the doctrine of free-agency into contempt; but this system will never be out of favour nor out of fashion while there is one of old Adam's fleshly race upon earth. Their aspiring in Eden to be as Gods, knowing good and evil, has left such a towering tincture upon their children, that they will ever be soaring aloft, till humbled by grace, or drowned in perdition. Mr. Skinner goes on. 'The plain truth is, God knows what will be, |