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sent Mr. Stoddard as being of another opinion, (p. 35) but let us see whether such a representation be an injury to truth or Mr. Stoddard taught, that natural men have "no sincerity in them." Guide to Christ p. 60, 61. That "their hearts are dead as a stone, that there is no disposition or inclination to any thing that is good, but a total emptiness of all goodness." Ibid. p. 63. That " some of them have considerable shews of goodness, there is an appearance of good desires, &c. but there is nothing of goodness in all this; that all they do is in hypocrisy," Benef. of the Gosp. 73. That "they are acted by a lust of selflove in all their religion: If they are swept and garnished, they are empty: There may be some similitude of faith and love, but no reality, not a spark of goodness in their hearts; though corruption may be restrained, yet it reigns." He speaks abundantly to the same purpose in his sermon, entitled, Natural men are under the government of selflove.

And Mr. Williams himself in his sermon on Psal, xci. 1. describing carnal men, by which he means the same with unconverted men (as is evident through the book, particularly p.. 36) he says, p. 27, 28. That to such ❝ religion looks like a dull, unpleasant kind of exercise, and so different from the sensual joys and pleasures which they choose, that they hate to set about it, as long as they dare let it alone; and would do as little as ever they can at it: That when they durst not let it alone any longer, they set about it, but would fain dispatch it as soon, and as easily as they can ; because it seems to them a miserable, uncomfortable sort of life. Ask your own conscience (says he) see if this be not the truth of the case." Now let the reader judge, whether this be a description of persons whom it would be injurious to represent as having nothing above lukewarmness.

Another thing, which Mr. Williams supposes must be professed in order to come to sacraments, and therefore according to him is what an unsanctified man can profess, and speak true, is, "That they with all their hearts cast themselves upon the mercy of God, to help them to keep covenant." P. 31 and 32. And yet elsewhere he mentions a depending on

Christ for things of this nature, as a discriminating mark of a true Christian. Ser. on Christ a king and witness, p. 19. Under a use of examination, he there says, "Do you depend on Christ to protect you from all your spiritual enemies, to restore you to holiness, to subdue all your heart to the will of God, to make you partakers of his image and moral perfections, and in that way to preserve and lead you to your true perfection and eternal happiness?"

Mr. Williams supposes, p. 36, that the profession men must make in order to come to sacraments, implies real friendship to God," loving God more than his enemies, loving him above the world ;" and therefore according to Mr. Williams, unsanctified men may make this profession also, and speak true; contrary to the whole current of scripture, which represents unsanctified men as "the enemies of God, those that have not the love of God in them, under the power of a carnal mind, &c." And contrary to the unanimous voice of all sound divines, yea, of the whole Christian world. Mr. Williams in the forementioned place blames me,that I had intimated (as he supposes) that the profession which Mr. Stoddard taught to be necessary, did not imply "real friendship, and loving God above his enemies, and above the world." Let us then compare this with Mr Stoddard's doctrine, as that is extant in his writings. He speaks of it as a "property of saving grace, wherein it specifically differs from common grace, that a true love to God prizes God above all the world. Nat. of Conv. p. "That every natural man prefers vain and base things before God." Ibid. p. 96. "That they are all enemies to God, and the very being of God." Ibid. p. 5, and 97. their hearts are full of enmity to God." Ibid. they have an aversion to those gracious actions of loving God, and trusting in Christ, and are under the dominion of a contrary inclination." Ibid. p. 67. " That those of them whose consciences are enlightened, and are reforming their lives, have no love; and that it is a burden to them that they suspect there is such a God, that they wish there was not such an one. And that they are haters of God, and are so addicted to their own interest, that they have a bitter spirit towards God,

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have an ill affection to him, and are adversaries to his felici"That they are

ty." Ibid. p. 97. Three Serm. p. 38, 39. governed by a spirit of selflove, and are wholly destitute of love to God; that some of them do confess that they have but little love to God; but indeed they have not one spark of love to God in their hearts. Three Serm. p. 48. That they set their interest at the right hand of God's glory.....as if God's honor were not to be regarded, compared with their interest, &c. &c." Ibid. p. 62, 63.

So Mr. Williams himself (Christ a king and witness, p. 145.) plainly supposes, that before conversion, men love the world more than God. For, speaking of the nature of the change wrought in conversion, he says, " things are quite turned about, God and Christ are got into the place the world had before." Again (Ibid. p. 18.) he says, " You must know that there is no man who is not either a true subject to Christ, or his enemy. That man who does not submit to Christ as his King and Lord, by bearing true faith and allegiance to him, is the enemy of Christ and his kingdom. Such are all they who will not depend on him, believe in him, give up themselves, and all to him," And again, p. 106, 107. " Man, since the fall,,has a natural unlikeness to God, and hates the holiness and purity of the divine nature." And in his sermon on Isa. xlv. 11. he says, to his hearers, "If your nature remain unrenewed and unsanctified-you are the enemies of God and Christ by wicked works, and an impure heart." But yet now it seems, some of these may profess real friendship to Christ and loving him above the world, and speak true.

And these things are no less inconsistent with what Mr. Williams says in the very book under consideration. He here says, p. 36. "Why should any divine now tell us, that these same professions do not imply that there are any pretences of any real friendship, that they import no pretence of loving God more, yea, not so much as his enemies, no pretence to love God above the world ?" When he himself is the divine that tells us so, or plainly supposes so in this very book of his. For, in p. 8, 9, having mentioned the profession communicants may be required to make, he then says, that

"such a profession contains all that is essential to true religion in it; and if this is the fruit of the love of God, it is true godliness:" Plainly supposing, that persons may have these things without the love of God; as the reader will see more evidently if he views the place. So that the profession must imply real friendship, and love to God, even above the world; and yet must contain only such things as may be with or without the love of God, indiscriminately.

Mr. Williams allows, that in order to come to sacraments men ought to profess a "subjection to Christ with all their hearts, p. 10, and to be devoted to the service of God, p. 49, and to give up themselves to Christ,to be taught, ruled and led by him in a gospel way to salvation." P. 31 and 32. And though he and Mr. Stoddard taught, that it is lawful for some unsanctified men to come to sacraments, yet Mr. Wil. liams supposes it to be unlawful for any to come to sacraments serving two masters; and says, Mr. Stoddard taught that they ought to covenant with God with their whole hearts, and give up all their hearts and lives to Christ." We are therefore to understand Mr. Williams, that some unsanctified men can profess all these things, and speak true. Strange doctrine for a Christian divine! Let us see whether Mr. Stoddard taught such doctrine. He taught that "faith in Christ is the first act of obedience, that any sinner does perform; that it is by faith that a man first gives himself to be God's servant." Safety of Ap. p. 228, 229. That "all those that are not converted, are under the dominion of sin, enemies to God." Ibid. p. 5. That "there is no obedience to God in what they do," who have only common grace; that " they do not attend the will of God." Ibid. p. 7. That" all ungodly men are servants of Satan, and live in a way of rebellion against God." Ibid. 94. That "they are enemies to the authority of God; to the wisdom, power and justice of God, yea, to the very Being of God; they have a preparedness of heart to all wickedness that is committed in the world, if God did not restrain them; that if they were in the circumstances that the fallen angels are in, they would be as the very devils; Ibid. p. 95, that their hearts are like the

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hearts of devils, as full of sin as a toad is full of poison, having no inclination to any thing that is good." Guide to Christ, p. 68. see also Benef. of the Gosp. p. 103. That "they utterly neglect the end they were made for, and make it their bu siness to serve themselves; they care not whether God's glory sinks or swims." Three Serm. p. 62. That "they hate God, because God crosses them in his laws." Ibid. p. 38. These are the men, which Mr. Williams supposes must, and may (some of them) truly profess a subjection to Christ with all their hearts, and to be devoted to Christ; and the men which he would bear us in hand, that Mr. Stoddard taught, might covenant with God with their whole hearts, and give up all their hearts and lives to Christ. Mr. Stoddard taught, that "Men that have but common grace, go quite in another path than that which God directs to.”—That " they set themselves against the way of salvation God prescribes ;" Safety. p. 10. That man in his natural state is an enemy to the way of salvation ;" That " he is an enemy to the law of God, and the gospel of Jesus Christ." Ibid. p. 106.

But yet these, if we believe Mr. Williams, may truly profess a subjection to Christ with all their hearts, and give up themselves to him, to be taught, ruled, and led by him in a gospel way of salvation. Yet if we believe him, we must have the trouble of disbelieving him again; for in these things he is as inconsistent with himself, as he is with Mr. Stoddard. For in his Sermon on Isa. xlv. 11, p. 26, 27, he says to those whose natures are unrenewed and unsanctified, "If you are without Christ, you are in a state of slavery to sin, led about of divers lusts,† and under the reigning power and dominion of your corruptions, which debase your souls and bring them down from the dignity of their nature, to the vilest, most shameful and accursed bondage. And by means of sin ye are in bondage to the devil, the most hateful and accursed enemy of God and your own souls; and are opposing all the means of your own deliverance. The offers of grace,

+ And yet now it seems, some such do serve but one master, and give up themselves to Christ to be led by him.

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