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degrading terms which the language of inspiration makes ufe of, to denote the total apoftacy of all fallen natures, whether of angels or men. I am, however, well. convinced of the truth of what you have afferted in your anfwer to my first letter, that there is not, nor can there be, any good in any creature, but what God communicates; and not only fo; but it is God alone who does by his almighty power preferve and fupport what he freely beftows on his redeemed people.

As to what is mentioned, that the Lord put no truft in his fervants, I think it muft refer to the militant ftate of the church on earth..

Gentlemen, I have carefully perufed your four numbers of The Advocate, &c. and I have found. them not to be dry breafts to me; and I pray that the God and Saviour, whofe truth you have undertaken to plead for, may crown your labors. with abundant fuccefs, and make his truth the favour of life unto life to all who hear it. I have been much edified by the criticifms in your three firft numbers, and I was greatly difappointed in my expectations, when I found none of those edifying and profitable criticifms in your fourth number: but I must acknowledge that you have made fome amends for that defect, in the judicious and pertinent Remarks which you have made on 1 Cor. xi. 27, 28, 29. In those I think you have fully entered into the apostle's meaning concerning the ordinance of The Lord's Supper, with refpect to the defign of its inftitution: and I alfo am perfuaded, that you have pointed out the various forms in which the carnal mind appears, in its moft devout and pious efforts to merit the favor of Jehovah.-But the more it endeavors and exerts itself in thefe infidel acts

of

of piety and devotion, the more confpicuous and manifeft will appear the enmity and rebellion of the fleshly mind against that God which the Scriptures reveal.

As I have found your Criticisms and your Obfervations profitable to myself, I would request that you continue to carry them on in each future number; and The Advocate for Revealed Truth can never be at a lofs for proper materials for his work, because the oracles of God will abundantly furnish him with whatever is needful. My principal reason for requesting the Advocate to go on as he has begun, arises from the glorious hope which the gospel of the grace of God reveals for the very chief of finners, and therefore that not I alone, but many more will receive profit and edification, through the fame means of communicating ufeful knowledge.

And now, Gentlemen, I take my leave for the prefent; but as it may happen that I fhall have occafion to renew my correfpondence at fome future period, I deem it neceffary to declare, that in writing to you, I neither affume the office of a cenfor or a critic: thefe offices I leave for thofe who think themfelves qualified to fill them; but I wish to follow the example of thofe noble Bereans, who fearched the Scriptures daily. And I alfo declare that ever perufed your first number, I have freely given the Advocate both my hand and my heart. I remain, Gentlemen, with the greatest respect, Your fincere friend and humble fervant,

fince I

A FRIEND TO TRUTH.

OUR correfpondent is ftill diffatisfied with our application of Job iv. 18. to the elect angels (page 67), notwithstanding what we have fince advanced

advanced in defence of it (page 164-5): and though we do not view his objections with an eye of jealoufy, as he declares himfelf well affected to the truth which is concerned; yet as we deem it important to afcertain the definite fense of every paffage of the infpired word, we are not unwilling to refume the fubject.

1. His obfervations on the scope of the whole chapter, however judicious in other refpects, must be confidered (even in his own judgment). as infufficient for his purpofe; furnishing, at beft, nothing more than conjecture, and capable of deriving at least as much strength to our fide of the question, if we had need to employ them.

2. Against one of our remarks (the only one. he has attempted to anfwer) he urges the example of Michael the archangel, who durft not bring railing accufation against Satan: but we did not, in that remark, fay that the fallen angels: would have been railed at, had they been alluded to; we only stated it as probable that "the name "Angels would have been accompanied by an "epithet marking their present abasement :" and if fuch an epithet amounted to railing, the New Teftament would not have furnished us with the inftances which we then brought forward.

3. His argument drawn from the common ufe of the word folly in the Scriptures, where it is employed to denote the general depravity of a fallen creature, appears cogent at first fight; but its force vanifhes on the confideration that the remark cannot be extended to the original word, for this verse affords the only inftance through. out the Old. Teftament, of that word's being rendered folly.

4. The fervants of God here fpoken of, cannot we imagine be the members of the militant church, because (as we intimated in our former answer) they are distinguished from them that dwell in houfes of clay in the fubfequent verfe. But were it even fo, can it be supposed that two claffes of beings fet at fo immenfe a distance. from each other, as redeemed men and loft angels, would be fo closely connected and fo ranked together, as (on our correfpondent's fuppofition) they appear in this verse, He put no truft in his fervants, and he charged his angels with folly.

To what has already been faid, we may add, that the fallen angels are not in any other part of the Scriptures ftyled God's angels; on the contrary they are called the Devil's angels, Mat. xxv. 41. and the Dragon's angels, Rev. xii. 7, & 9. We would alfo again direct our friend's attention to what we have offered on this fubject in page 165; and we are perfuaded that when he well weighs our remarks, and compares with them what he has advanced in oppofition to them, he will difcover, with us, a fresh teftimony to a truth which he indeed appears to believe and to love: a truth offenfive to thofe who perceive any excellence about themselves, but grateful to fuch as truft in God alone: a truth too which we hope our friend and ourfelves will hold faft unto the end, working in us, as it does in all them that believe, admiration, and reverence, and thankfulness towards God, knowing that of him, and through him, and to him are all things..

N.

EDITORS.

ON

ON HUMAN METHODS OF ESTIMATING THE DIVINE CHARACTER.

CICERO, the great philofopher of Rome, has

reprehended Homer, for having transferred human infirmities to the Gods, instead of beftowing their perfections upon man. And if we examine the fentiments of modern religionifts, we will find that they have been guilty of the fame error as the poet: they are not indeed perfect anthropomorphites, they do not suppose that God has legs and arms, and ears of the fame fhape as thofe of man; but they have invested him with human paffions, and reprefent him as acting not differently from the weak and corrupt fons of Adam. Their conduct ferves to illuftrate the manner in which metaphyficians fuppofe that we form our notion of God, by attributing to him the qualities we perceive in ourselves. It reminds us alfo of that paffage of Scripture in which God fays to the wicked, Thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch a one as thyself, but I will reprove thee.

Let us examine more minutely the character of fome of the numerous idols of the religious. And in the first place, we can eafily fee that the conceptions which many devout perfons have formed of the providence of God, are founded upon a view of their own limited powers. For as they are incapable of directing the free actions of their fellow-creatures, and are frequently obliged either to alter their own plans according to the conduct of others, or in fome cafes

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