Page images
PDF
EPUB

works of the devil, which St. John telleth us of in the Revelation-the Saints will rejoice and be glad to see Satan, the deceiver of the world, cast out, and the accuser of our Brethren cast down; and then cometh the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; and he will reign with his saints a thousand years. And this is what those that bear the image of Christ, and have the same mind in them that is in Christ Jesus, are predestinated for in the end, to be conformed to his mind and will.

Now I shall come to another observation of Mr. Cooper's. He reproves a minister for calling upon his hearers to believe that Christ died for them, and that he is their Saviour; and he further adds in his reproof, "Surely it cannot be the duty of any man to believe a lie which many who hear the Gospel must do, if they believe that Christ died for them; for I am sure you do not believe the unscriptural doctrine of universal Redemption!"

Now from the Scriptures I shall answer him. Universal Redemption is held out to all returning sinners, that believe in Christ, and trust in him for Salvation. St. Peter saith, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him; for so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light unto the gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth; after this I will return again, and will build the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and will set it up, that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the gentiles, who call upon my name, saith the Lord, "who doth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world, and those the Apostles called Noble, that received the

:

word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were as the Apostles had told them. And the Apostle Paul observes to the Romans, As by the offences of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of ONE the FREE GIFT came to all men to justification of life. For as by ONE MAN's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of ONE shall many be made righteous that as sin hath reigned unto death; even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by JESUS CHRIST our LORD; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him; for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved-for of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. For, as it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to ME, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge thus rather that no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall, in his brother's way, but let us follow after the things which make for our peace, and things wherewith one may edify another; so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. But where is the man who can prove that it is not putting a stumbling-block in the way of mankind, to tell them Christ never died for them if they turn unto him, and that it is but the elect only who will be sayed? But what saith the Apostle Who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? or who hath first given counsel to him? This is impossible for any man to answer, that he hath been the Lord's counsellor, or that he hath known the mind of the Lord;

therefore let not men be judges of his will, but follow after the things that he hath taught them, which makes for their peace. The Scriptures teach us to invite ALL; but if they refuse to come, the fault is their own.

And now I shall come to another observation of Mr. Cooper's, as his books contain many letters respecting ministers, which he has published. In one of his letters be reproves a minister for calling upon his hearers endeavour after faith, and pray that they might be converted; and adds, "my dear friend, you have no warrant for such kind of exhortation in the word of God."

Now here, from his words, we may see the Scriptures are entirely denied by this man; because our Saviour bids them to ask, that they might receive; and seek, and they should find; and he tells the people to pray to the Lord of the harvest'; and he saith, Come unto ME, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. So we may discern through the Gospel, that promises are held out to all returning sinners; and our Saviour invited all to turn unto him: and whosoever asked of him any favours in the days of the flesh, he granted the petitions to all, as they did not ask in vain; for our Saviour said, he came to seek and to save that which was lost; and this was the doctrine our Saviour taught his disciples to preach; and the Apostle saith, The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved; and our Saviour said, whosoever came unto him, he would in no wise cast threm out; and he blamed the people for not coming unto him, that they might have life. So all may discern, from the Scriptures, how they are denied by the Calvinists; and how they deny the truth that the Scriptures contain : so that every one that reads Cooper's books and the

Bible must know that his doctrine is false; and there are some things in his books so very contrary to the Scriptures, and to the Mercies of God, that I shall not bring forward, as they are too bad even to mention for they are full of the most deadly poison to every serious mind; all which I can prove from the Scriptures, and that he hath no warrant for such doctrine as he hath published. And as this false doctrine is gone out in the world, wresting the Scriptures, and denying the truth they contain, I do not marvel that the Scriptures are denied, that they ever will be fulfilled; for as men deny one part of the Scriptures, I do not marvel if they deny the other part, and the words of the Apostle, who saith-There remaineth a rest for the people of God, who are looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeen us from all iniquities: and gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time and we know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time: he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way; then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: then will death be swallowed up in victory: and thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. St. John saith, We do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world; and to them that look for him shall HE appear the second time without sin unto salvation. So that we shall not all sleep, but we shall be all changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Now from the Scriptures that I have brought forward, and ten times the number I could mention, we may see from the Gospel of Christ the promises he made of our redemption, and to cast out the

prince of this World, and how the disciples that were chosen by him confirmed the same doctrine, in faith and belief, unto all their hearers; and who say the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. This is the doctrine of Christ, and his Apostles, who were conformed to his IMAGE in FAITH and BELIEF, that he was the God of Truth and would fulfil the Gospel, according to his own Words, and would fulfil the words of the own Words, an prophets, as he said in the vth Chap. of St. Matthew. Then how can any man say he is predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ, and deny the doctrine our Saviour taught, and his disciples, who were conformed to his image in their preaching and doctrine, and who were strong in faith to believe his words? And from the Gospel we are taught that it is for refusing the love of God in Christ Jesus, and making ourselves reprobates by sin, that we shall be cut off with the reprobate, the devil, for rejecting the mercies that are held out in the Gospel; but the ELECT is MAN; therefore we are commanded to strive to make our calling and election sure, that we may be the elect in the end; for all stands on conditions: if the sinners return from the evil of their ways, the promise of the Lord stands on record, that he will turn unto them, and have mercy on them, and love them freely; but if the righteous man turneth from his, righteousness, and committeth sin, then his righteousness is forgotten. So man's election stands on conditions to the end, which we may discern from our Saviour's words, and the parables he brought in of the servants' waiting for the coming of their Lord: and blessed is that servant who, when his Lord cometh he shall find so doing; but our Saviour calls him an evil servant who says, my Lord delayeth his coming. So here I shall leave the readers to judge for

« PreviousContinue »