"hearts unto him to walk in his ways, and to keep "his commandments, &c."1 "The Lord hath "heard the desire of the humble; thou wilt prepare "their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear." "Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right may "spirit within me.' "I will put my law in their "inward parts, and write it in their hearts." “I "will give them one heart and one way, that they fear me for ever."3 "I will give them one “heart, and I will put a new spirit within them; " and I will take away the stony heart out of their "flesh, and give them an heart of flesh, that they "may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordi"nances and do them." "I will sprinkle clean "water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you: a new heart also will I give you, and put a "new Spirit within you; and I will take away the "heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh; and I will put my Spirit "within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, "and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." "I will pour out upon the house of David and upon "the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace "and supplication; and they shall look to me, whom "they have pierced, and they shall mourn, &c.”— Is there no intimation, in these scriptures, of special new creating grace, taking the lead in the change of character, predicted, or promised? Is there nothing, * 1 Kings viii. 58. 3 Jer. xxxi. 33. xxxii. 39. 2 Ps. x. 17. li. 10. $ Ez. xxxvi. 23-27. Zech. xii. 10-14. 4 Ez. xi. 19, 20. on which our Lord might properly ground his question to Nicodemus, concerning regeneration, "Art "thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these "things?" Is there nothing parallel to the apostle's declaration," It is God, that worketh in us both to "will and to do, of his good pleasure?" And ought this wholly to be passed over, in the history of the doctrines, now called Calvinistick? 3. Justification by faith. Abraham "believed in "the LORD, and he counted it to him for righteous"ness." 991 "Blessed is he, whose transgression is 'forgiven, and whose sin is covered: Blessed is the "man to whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity."" "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquity, O LORD "who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with "thee." "Enter not into judgment with thy ser"vant; for in thy sight shall no man living be jus"tified." "Surely shall one say, in the LORD have "I righteousness, and strength." "In the LORD "shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." "By the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear "their iniquities." (That we who know thee now by faith.'5 "This is life eternal to know 66 thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom "thou hast sent."") "I will raise up unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and pros * Gen. xv. 6. John viii. 56. Rom. iv. 1—5. 9—25. Gal. iii. 6-29. Heb. vi. 13—18. xi. 8-17. Jam. ii. 23. 2 Ps. xxxii. 1, 2. Rom. iv. 6—8. 4 Is. xlv. 24, 25. Jiii. 11. • John xvii. 3. 3 Ps. cxxx. 3, 4. exliii. 2. 3 Col. Epiphany. per; and shall execute judgment and justice in the "earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and "Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name "whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHT68 EOUSNESS." "To make an end of sins," (or sinofferings,)" and to make reconciliation for ini"quity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness."2 "But the just shall live by his faith :" or, "the just "by his faith shall live." "Take away the filthy garments from him: and to him he said, Behold "I have caused thine iniquity to pass away, and I "will clothe thee with change of raiment."4 then justification by faith, (except as explained in a certain manner by Anticalvinists,) must be considered as a tenet of Calvinism: these clear intimations in the Old Testament, especially as connected with inspired comments on them in the New Testament, ought not to have been passed over, in the history of those ténets. If "God 4. The divine decrees, with election, &c. "sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in "the earth, and to save your lives with a great deli"verance: so 'now it was not you who sent me "hither, but God." "As for you, ye thought ❝evil against me: 'but God meant it for good." "I am sure, that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand." "In very deed Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. xxxiii. 15, 16. 1 Cor. i. 30. 2 Cor. v. 21. 2 Dan. ix. 24. Rom. iii. 21-26. 2 Pet. i. 1. 3 Hab. ii. 4. ▲ Zech. iii. 4. 23. iv. 28. Rom. i. 17. Gal. iii, 11, Heb, x. 38. Gal. ii. 26, 27. 6 Gen. 1. 20. 5 Gen. xlv. 6-8. Acts il. 66 "for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power, and that my name may be exalted, "throughout all the earth." "The Lord had ap "pointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, "to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon "Absalom."""I know that God hath determined "to destroy thee; because thou hast done this, and "hast not hearkened unto my counsel."" "He is "of one mind, and who can turn him? And what "his soul desireth even that he doeth. For he per"formeth the thing that is appointed for me; and many such things are with him.” "The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought; "he maketh the devices of the people to be of none "effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all gene"rations." "There be many devices in the heart "of man: nevertheless the counsel of the LORD "that shall stand." "I know, that whatsoever "God doeth it shall be for ever; nothing can be put "to it, nor any thing taken from it."" "A remnant "shall return. The consumption decreed shall over"flow with righteousness. For the Lord GoD of " hosts shall make a consumption, even determined "in the midst of all the land." "The LORD of "Hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought, "so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, 66 Ex. iii. 19. ix. 16. Rom. ix. 17, 18. 998 * 2 Sam. xvii. 14. 1 Thes. i. 9. 1 Pet. ii: 8. 5 Ps. xxxiii. 10, 11. Eph. i. 11. 4 Job xxiii. 14, 15.' "so shall it stand." "For the LORD of Hosts hath Declaring the end from the beginning, and from "ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all 66 my pleasure."—" I have spoken it; I will bring it "to pass; I have purposed it; I will also do it." "Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, "and the LORD commandeth it not? Out of "the mouth of the most High, proceedeth not « evil and good?"4" Thus saith the Lord "GOD: It shall also come to pass, that at the "same time shall things come into thy mind, and "thou shalt think an evil thought; and shall say, "&c."-" Art thou he of whom I spake in old "time to my servants the Prophets of Israel, that I "would bring thee against them ?”—“ He doeth "what he will in the armies of heaven, and among "the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay "his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"— "Unto the end of the war desolations are deter"mined."-" And that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."-" He shall prosper till the 66 Is. xiv. 24➡27. * Is, xxxvii. 26, 27. 3 Is. xlvi. 10, 11. 4 Lam, iii, 37,38. 5 Ez. xxxviii. 10, 17. |