depend on these? Banish these from our minds, and our prospects are wrapped in gloom. We no longer look up to a God hearing prayer, but to an inexorable Being, whom neither prayers, nor intercessions can move. The uncertainty of our being of the elect number, must still cross our minds with inexpressible horror. Notwithstanding the powerful invitations which we may feel, to become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, we still may suppose he has bid us seek his face in vain; and only gives these invitations, to increase our condemnation, and aggravate our final misery.

The justice of his judgments and the riches of his mercy, have been displayed through all generations on earth; and they will be proclaimed in the anthems of the redeemed in heaven.

I shall conclude by appealing to the universal experience of mankind; for I am persuaded that I may assert, without fear of contradiction, that every man who has come to feel the powerful operation of redeeming love, rising into predominance in his own heart, feels therein an extension of good-will to the whole human family, and a desire for the salvation of all; in the language of Scripture: "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and live."* And in proportion as we come under the in

* But what shall we say of such sentiments as the following? Do they not seem to represent the SMALLNESS of the number of those that are saved, as a source of gratification to the elect—and even as enhancing their happiness?

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For by not adopting indifferently the whole world to the hope of salvation but by giving to some what he refuses to others, he by this comparison of his grace, renders it more estimable, and more illustrious." CALVIN, INST. LIB. 3, ch. 21.

"In other cases, the VALUE of a privilege or possession, is enhanced by its SCARCENESS. A VIRTUOSO sets but little esteem on a medal, a statue, or a vase, so common that every man who pleases may have one of the same kind: he prizes that alone, as a rarity, which really is such; and which is not only intrinsically valuable, but which lies in FEW Were all men here on earth qualified and enabled to appear as kings; the crown, the sceptre, the robe of state, and other ensigns of majesty, would presently sink into things hardly noticeable." TOPLADY, PREFACE, p. 8.

HANDS.

And these comparisons he brings forward to, illustrate the "reflections," &c. "of such persons as are favoured with a sense of their ELECTION in Christ to holiness and heaven." ib.

fluence of the Spirit of him, who laid down his life for us, so this love and desire for the salvation of all men becomes powerful in us. And is it to be supposed that our love for mankind, our feelings of pity, commiseration, and desire for their salvation, should be thus enlarged, if the love of God, and the means of salvation, were restricted to the narrow limits which have been supposed, on the predestinarian scheme? It is impossible. Effects cannot exceed their cause; nor any feeling of love or good-will, or desire for the salvation of souls, rise in us, superior to the inexhaustible Source of the love of God in Christ Jesus, from which alone it is derived in us.

Nor is this the only evidence we find within ourselves. And here I can make a similar appeal-whether every man who is capable of rational reflection, does not feel himself in the full exercise of free agency? Is he not conscious of a discrimination between right and wrong ? Does he not feel the solemn obligations of duty? Is there not a conviction on his mind, that a God, all goodness, does not require impossibilities of him; but, in fatherly regard, invites him to love and gratitude, and finally to an inheritance eternal in the heavens? And when, at any time, he has gone counter to the convictions in his own bosom, does he not feel that he is left without excuse-that the grace afforded, the evidences of sin, and ability to resist temptation, were sufficient for him?

We acknowledge unhesitatingly, that God is good, that he is not a hard master, or an austere man, taking up where he has not laid down, and gathering where he has not strawed. And when our minds are addressed with the lan"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure guage: in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live;" Ezek. xxxiii. 11; we may respond with the apostle : "Let God be true, but every man a liar."

Rom. iii. 4.

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CHAPTER IV.

OF THE DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST.

ALTHOUGH the preceding articles have all an allusion and direct reference to Jesus Christ, and salvation by him, (for he is the only means and way of salvation, and the foundation of every Christian doctrine,) yet it seems necessary to say something more distinct and particular, in relation to that divine character.

The Society of Friends, from the beginning, have believed in the divinity and humanity of Christ. The history of his miraculous conception, birth, life, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension, as recorded by the Evangelists, we fully believe.

A few extracts from the writings of some of the most distinguished members of the Society, may probably be the best introduction to this article.

G. Fox, in his Journal, vol. 1, p. 4, [p. 4, fol. ed.] says: "This priest Stevens asked me, why Christ cried out upon the cross: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' and why he said: If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, but thine be done.' I told him, at that time the sins of all mankind were upon him, and their iniquities and transgressions, with which he was wounded, which he was to bear, and to be an offering for, as he was man, but died not, as he was God: so in that he died for all men, tasting death for every man, he was an offering for the sins of the whole world. This I spoke, being at that time, in a measure, sensible of Christ's sufferings."

In a publication about the year 1675, entitled, "A Testimony of what we believe of Christ," he says: "The apostle, speaking of the fathers, saith: Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is God over all, blessed for ever, Amen.' This was the apostle's doctrine to the Church then, which we do witness, both as to his flesh, and as he was God."

G. Fox and others, in an address to the Governor of Barbadoes, Journal, vol. 2, p. 139, [p. 434, fol. ed.] says: "We own and believe in Jesus Christ, his beloved and only begotten Son, in whom he is well pleased; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary ; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the express image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; by whom were all things created, that are in heaven and in earth, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers; all things were created by him. And we own and believe that he was made a sacrifice for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;-that he was crucified for us in the flesh, without the gates of Jerusalem ;-and that he was buried, and rose again the third day, by the power of the Father, for our justification; -and that he ascended up into heaven, and now sitteth at the right hand of God. This Jesus, who was the foundation of the prophets and apostles, is our foundation; and we believe there is no other foundation to be laid, but that which is laid, even Christ Jesus; who tasted death for every man-shed his blood for all men-is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."-"He is, (as the Scriptures of Truth say of him,) our wisdom, righteousness, justification, and redemption; neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given amongst men, whereby we may be saved.”—“He is now come in Spirit, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true. He rules in our hearts by his law of love and life, and makes us free from the law of sin and death."

I. Penington, vol. 1, p. 694, 4to. ed. says: "It is objected against us who are called Quakers, that we deny Christ, and look not to be saved by him as he was manifested without us; but look only to be saved by Christ within us; to which it is in my heart to answer, to such as singly desire satisfaction therein."

'We do indeed expect to be saved by the revelation and operation of the life of Christ within us, yet not without relation to what he did without us; for all that he did in that body of flesh, was of the Father, and had its place

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and service in the will, and according to the counsel of the Father."

In another treatise, entitled, "Flesh and Blood of Christ," vol. 2, p. 256, he says: Now as touching the outward, which ye say we deny, because of our testimony to the inward, I have frequently given a most solemn testimony thereto; and God knoweth it to be the truth of my heart; and that the testifying to the inward doth not make the outward void, but rather establish it in its place and service. God himself, who knew what virtue was in the inward, yet hath pleased to make use of the outward; and who may contradict and slight his wisdom and counsel therein ? It was a spotless sacrifice of great value, and effectual for the remission of sins; and I do acknowledge unto the Lord, the remission of my sins thereby; and bless the Lord for it, even for giving up his Son to die for us all."

William Penn, vol. 5, p. 310, says: "We cannot believe that Christ's death and sufferings so satisfy God, or justify men, as that they are thereby accepted of God. They are indeed put into a state, capable of being accepted of God! and, through the obedience of faith and sanctification of the Spirit, are in a state of acceptance.' And though Christ did die for us, yet we must, through the aid of his grace, work out our salvation with fear and trembling. As he died for sin, so we must die to sin, or we cannot be said to be saved by the death and sufferings of Christ."

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We do believe that Jesus Christ was our holy sacrifice, atonement, and propitiation: that he bore our iniquities, and by his stripes we were healed of the wounds Adam gave us in his fall and that God is just in forgiving true penitents, upon the credit of that holy offering Christ made of himself to God, for us: and that what he did and suffered, satisfied and pleased God: and that through the offering up of himself once for all, through the Eternal Spirit, he hath for ever perfected those (in all times) that were sanctified; who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Vide Rom. viii. 1.

In short, justification consists in two parts, or hath a twofold consideration: viz. justification from the guilt of sin, and justification from the power and pollutions of sin."