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That he might not do unneceffary violence to the feelings and prejudices of the Jews; and, at the fame time, that he might open to their minds Almighty God's intention of admitting the Gentiles to a full share in the pri vileges of the Gospel covenant; our blessed Lord employed the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. The finner, eager to avail himfelf of any pretext for deferring the amendment of his life, would fain confider the parable as pointing to individual penitents, and the reward beftowed on the labourer, who had wrought but one hour, as an emblem of forgiveness, promised to a late, it may be a deathbed repentance. His hopes are fallacious; as far at least as this parable is made the bafis of them; for it has not any reference to Chriftians, or to repentance at all.

Equally fallacious as the doctrine of faith independant of Chriftian works, to which I have been just alluding; and that other kindred tenet of the abfolute election of individuals to eternal life, and the confequent reprobation of others: fallacious inafmuch as they reft on an affumption, that St. Paul was arguing for a different conclufion from that, which we apprehend to have been the real scope and defign of his epiftles. For, whereas the hypothefis of our adverfaries must proceed upon the opinion, that he was distinguishing

between faith, and works, as parts of the fame difpenfation; the design of the Apostle appears to have been, to diftinguish between the two difpenfations of Mofes and of Chrift: and, whereas in the latter cafe their hypothefis prefumes upon his arguments having a perfonal tendency; he appears in reality to be vindicating the justice of God in the election of nations, generally to be the inftruments of his providence; and more especially of fuch, as he then chofe to be the repofitories of the Chriftian faith.

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9. Much additional light may be thrown upon the subject of our inquiries, by an attention to the time, the perfons, and other circumftances, with which it is connected: as Bishop Latimer remarked from St. Austin, "The circumftances of the Scriptures enlighten the Scriptures, and one Scripture "doth expound another to a man that is ftu"dious, well-willing, and often calling upon "God in continual prayer "."

When the malefactor addreffed himfelf to his expiring Redeemer, (in whom perhaps he had never before had an opportunity of declaring his belief, and whom perhaps he had never before heard or feen;) and in the season of his diftrefs, when his very Apoftles had all

Life of Ridley, p. 452.

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forfaken him and fled, openly confeffed his divine character, and implored his compaffion; "Lord, remember me when thou comeft into "thy kingdom":" our Saviour graciously accepted him, and faid, "Verily I fay unto thee, "To-day fhalt thou be with me in paradise.' But would it not be a moft delufive and mifchievous inference, were we to contend from this for the efficacy of the death-bed repentance of one, who had paffed his life in deny. ing and dishonouring Chrift?

Or because, in allufion to the Jews, who rejected God's gracious offers of mercy, and were therefore rejected from being his people, our Saviour pronounced, that " many are call"ed, but few chofen" are we therefore to admit the predeftinarian doctrine, that a small part of mankind is abfolutely elected by God to everlasting happiness, from which the great bulk are abfolutely rejected?

Or because St. Paul, who was "a chofen "veffel" of Chrift for the propagation of the Gospel was inftantaneously converted to a belief in the truth by a heavenly vision; are we to expect, that the hardened finner will now experience the inftantaneous converfion from his fins, by an irrefiftible act of divine grace?

a Luke xxiii. 42, 43,
Acts ix. 15.

Matt. xx. 16.

Or because the Apostle describes his Gentile converts, previously to their admiffion into the Christian Church, as "dead in trefpaffes and "fins, aliens from the commonwealth of If"rael, and ftrangers to the covenants of pro"mifed" are we now to addrefs a congregation of baptized believers, as unregenerate: thereby stripping Chrift's holy ordinance of its facramental character: and, by an act of our individual authority, annulling the covenant of God?

Or because the holy Spirit operated in an extraordinary manner on the Apostles and first Christians, are we to glory in his irresistible and fenfible impulfes; and to affirm, in the language of Methodism, that "the Spirit is

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visibly poured out in our affemblies;" that "the Holy Ghoft defcends in a glorious man"ner;" that he "comes like a rushing mighty "wind, and moves over the whole congrega ❝tion;" or that "the great God in a glorious "manner fills and overfhadows our fouls;" that "the Holy Ghoft comes upon us, and the 66 power of the Highest overshadows us;" that "we daily experience the outgoings and in

comings of the Holy Spirit in the fanctuary "of our hearts ;" and that "we can feel him "daily filling our fouls and bodies, as plainly

* Eph. ii. 1. 12.

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as we feel the air which we breathe, or the "food we eat?"

If these be errors, as I believe them, and on some future occafion fhall attempt with God's good bleffing to prove them, to be; they arise in a great degree from inattention to the rule of interpretation now before us; which directs us to confider, not only what is faid, but the various circumftances, under which it is spoken: a rule, to the neglect of which fome of the most extravagant peculiarities of Methodism, both in opinion and in practice, may be referred.

10. To the foregoing rules for the interpretation of Scripture, only one more remains to be added; which however is of the moft extenfive application and utility: I mean, that no doctrine, however fpecious, is to be admit ted as part of the Gofpel, which is not agreeable to the general tenour of the whole; in conformity with the prudent decifion of our Church in her 17th Article, that " we must re"ceive God's promises in fuch wife, as they "be generally fet forth to us in Holy Scripture."

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This, as I have already faid, is of the most extenfive application: nor do I conceive, that

* See Whitefield's Works, vol. i. p. 202. 223. 280. 257. 163. 166. 205. &c.

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