odious nature, and the accounts of its fearful consequences; because a burnt child naturally dreads the fire." To this we answer: A burnt child who pleads for the keeping of a burning coal upon his breast, to make him dread the fire, has hitherto been burned to little purpose. Who had ever less to do with indwelling sin and its cursed attacks, than the holy Jesus and faithful angels? and yet, who is more filled with a perfect abhorrence of all iniquity? On the other hand, who has been more distracted and longer torn by indwelling sin, than the devil? and who, nevertheless, is better reconciled to it? Or who is more plagued by the continual rendings and bitings of the lions and vipers within, than those passionate, revengeful people who say, with all the positiveness of Jonah and Absalom, "I do well to be angry," and, Revenge is sweet? Experience, therefore, demonstrates the inconclusiveness of this argument.

4. If the penitent thief properly learned in a few hours "what an evil and bitter thing" external and internal "sin is ;" is it not absurd to suppose, that he must have continued forty years full of indwelling sin to learn that lesson, if God had added forty years to his life? Would this delay have been to the honour of his divine Teacher?

Lastly when Christ cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene, did he leave one or two devils behind, to teach her "becoming shame and sorrow" for sin? And was it these two remaining diabolonians that made her dissolve in tears at Christ's feet, or the grateful, penitential love which she felt for her gracious Deliverer? Is it not astonishing that gospel ministers should so far forget themselves and their Saviour, as to teach, as openly as for decency they dare, that we must fetch our tears of godly sorrow from the infernal lake, and rekindle the candle of repentance at the fire of hell? and that the fanning breath of the Spirit, and the golden, hallowed snuffers of the sanctuary, cannot make that candle burn continually clear, unless we use, to the end of our life, the black finger of satan,-indwelling sin; and Adam's accursed extinguisher,-original corruption?

SIXTH ARGUMENT.-Our author's next argument in

favour of the necessary indwelling of sin during life is more decent, and, consequently, more dangerous. The cloven feet of error delicately wear the sandals of truth; but, with a little attention, we shall soon see that they are only borrowed or stolen. The argument abridged from page 44, and rendered more perspicuous, may run thus: "If we have frequently been slothful, and have not at all times exerted our abilities to the uttermost, why may not God in wisdom rebuke us for it, and make us sensible of that evil by not permitting us to effect what at other times we seem determined, if possible, to accomplish?" that is, by not permitting us utterly to abolish the whole body of sin? "If Samson abuse his strength, it is fit he should have cause severely to reflect on his folly by being deprived of it for a season, and become as weak as other men." Here we are left to infer, that as Samson, through his unfaithfulness, became "as weak as other men" for a season, so all believers, on account of their unfaithfulness, must be weakened by indwelling sin during the term of life.

To this we answer: 1. That although believers frequently give place to sloth and unfaithfulness, yet they are no more necessitated to do it than Samson was to dally with Delilah. 2. If the constant indwelling of sin is a just punishment for not making a proper use of the talent of grace which God gives us, it evidently follows, that our unfaithfulness, and not a necessity appointed by God, is the very worm which destroys our evangelicallysinless perfection; and the moment our opponents grant this, they allow all that we contend for, unless they should be able to prove, that God necessitates us to be unfaithful, in order to punish us infallibly with indwelling sin for life.

As for Samson, he is most unfortunately brought in to support the doctrine of the necessary indwelling of that weakening sin, which we call "inbred corruption ;" and he might be most happily produced to encourage those unfaithful believers who, like him, have not made a proper use of their strength in time past; for he outlived his penal weakness, and recovered the strength of a perfect

Nazarite before death; witness his last achievement, which exceeded all his former exploits. For it would be highly absurd to suppose, that he got in a death-purgatory the amazing strength by which he pulled down the pillars that supported the large building where the Philistines feasted. Nor need I the strength of a logical Samson to break the argumentative reeds which support the temple of error, in which the imperfectionists make sport to their hurt with the doctrine of that Christian Samson who said, “I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me."

SEVENTH ARGUMENT.-We are indirectly told,-for pious men cannot utter gross antinomianism without the mask of circumlocution,—that indwelling sin must continue in us, that " grace may not only be exercised, but distinguished from all that has only the appearance of it. But how is the true grace of God to be here distinguished from that which is but the semblance of it? By its effects, a clear and spiritual discovery of the depravity, deceit, and desperate wickedness of our own hearts.” Page 47, &c. And then we are given to understand, that, lest we should not be deeply convinced of that desperate wickedness, the continuance of indwelling sin is absolutely necessary. This argument runs into the fifth, which I have already answered. It is another indirect plea for the continuance of outward adultery and murder, as well as for the continuance of indwelling sin; it being certain that outward adultery, &c., will convince us of the desperate wickedness of our hearts, still more powerfully than heart-adultery, &c. To what hard shifts are good men put when they fight for the continuance of the bud or root of any sin! Their every stroke for sin is a stab at the very vitals of godliness.

EIGHTH ARGUMENT.-The continuance of indwelling sin, which is, with great modesty in the ingenious author, and therefore with great danger to the unwary reader, called "this warfare," is supported by the following reason: "It is often an occasion to discover the strength of grace received, as well as the truth of it." Page 48, &c. This argument is all of a piece with the preceding, and VOL. VI.

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puts me in mind of a speech which a shameless young debauchee made once to me: "I kept," said he, "drinking and dozing in such a tavern without ever going to bed, or being ever sober one hour, for twenty-three days. I never had so remarkable an occasion to discover the strength of my body, and the excellence of my constitution." However, in a few months, while he continued in the осса on to discover his strength," a mortal disorder seized upon him, and, by removing him into eternity, taught me, that if Fulsome the professor speaks the truth when he says, "Once in grace, always in grace;" Nabal the sot was mistaken when he hinted, "Once in health, always in health." To make the imperfectionists ashamed of this argument, I hope I need only observe: 1. That nothing ever showed more the strength of grace than the conflicts which the man Christ Jesus went through, though he never conflicted a moment with indwelling sin. 2. That the strength and excellence of a remedy is much better discovered by the removal of the disorder which it is designed to cure, than by the conflicts which the poor patient has with pain till death come to terminate his misery. And, 3. That the argument I refute indirectly represents Christ as a physician who keeps his patients upon the rack to render himself more necessary to them, and to show the strength of the anodyne mixture by which he gives them now and then a little ease under their continued, racking pain.

Our author adds: "If those who bear the heaviest burdens are sometimes esteemed the strongest men, they who are thus engaged in this warfare" (I wish he would speak quite out, and say, "they who bear the heaviest burden of indwelling sin") "have that evidence of the strength of grace," &c., "which is peculiar to themselves." Page 49. A great mistake this; for, if we may believe Ovid, when Medea murdered her own child, under a severe conflict with indwelling sin, she "had that" fatal "evidence of" what is here preposterously called "the strength of grace," but what I beg leave to call "the obstinacy of free will." Sed trahit invitam nova vis, &c.: "Passion," said she, "hurries away my unwilling, reluc

tant mind." Judas, it seems, was not an utter stranger to this conflict, any more than to the burden of guilt, when he hurried out of it into a death-purgatory. Nor do I blame him for having "chosen strangling rather than life," if death can terminate the misery which accompanies indwelling sin, and do more, in that respect, for fallen believers, than Christ himself ever did. But, supposing that "the saving grace of God" which has appeared to all men," never appeared to Medea and Judas; supposing these two sinful souls never conflicted with indwelling sin; it will, however, follow, from our author's insinuation, that in case David had defiled half a dozen married women, and killed their husbands to enjoy them without a rival, we should esteem him six times stronger in grace, if he had not fainted under his sixfold burden, like Judas; because, "in this" antinomian " warfare, those who bear the heaviest burdens, are esteemed the strongest " believers; and because "they have that testimony of their love to Christ which is peculiar to themselves." If Satan was to transform himself into an angel of light, could he preach a more dangerous and immoral gospel to an antinomian and perverse generation?

NINTH ARGUMENT.-Our author's last argument in favour of the necessary continuance of sin in us, occurs page 51, and runs thus:-"I will only add, that by this warfare the Lord weans his people from the present evil world, and makes them long for the land of promise, as the land of rest," &c. "I know some will say, 'This is impossible;' and be ready to ask, 'Are we, then, debtors to the flesh ?"" A very proper question; which the author answers thus: "By no means," &c.: "In our flesh dwells no good thing,'" &c. "Nevertheless, he" (God) 'can, and does, make the presence of evil so irksome to the believer, that it makes him ardently long for complete deliverance from it." That is, in plain English, he keeps his patients so long upon the rack of their indwelling sin, that, at last, they are forced to long for death, the great cleanser from heart-iniquity. This argument would have been complete, if it had been supported by these two passages:-"I do well to be angry, even unto death." "In

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