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Christ's second appearing since he did not think fit to reveal it to us, we ought to stand in continual readiness for it. For, supposing this system to be true in all points, supposing the tribulation is to begin next year, it will still be impossible to determine whether Jesus will come down in ten or fifty years, so that our Lord's words are true, in all their extent, even now, for that day and hour, and even that year, knoweth no man; yet we expect to see the full cleansing of his sanctuary, by the fire of persecution; the destroying of Antichrist and unbelief his great enemies; the subduing of all nations to his easy yoke; the calling of the Jews; the fulfilling of God's gracious promises to that long scatter ed seed of Abraham; and the bringing of those times when the fear of the Lord shall cover the face of the earth, as the waters do that of the sea. Where is the child of God that dares to say, that all these things must not come to pass before the end of the world; and if so, when should they happen but in the time he has been pleased to fix in his holy Bible? Where is that man that makes God a liar, because he is an unbeliever? Shall the Lord say, and shall he not do? Shall he promise, and shall he not perform? If he has borne with the wickedness of the world so long, not being willing that any man should perish, shall he delay, to all eternity, to fulfil his threatenings? God for bid; the day is fixed, it is foretold; and though the Vision was to be after many days, as the angel said to Daniel, yet it may be fulfilled in a few days for us, who live in the last times.

3. It is lawful, yea, needful, that we and our children, should often think of these things: for "hidden things are for the Lord, but these are revealed for us, and our children;" they are revealed in all the prophets from Moses to John, and more especially in the Revelation of this beloved Apostle Let but those objectors ponder the word Azoka vis, and they will be ashamed to say, that we must not look into those things because they were never revealed unto

us.

4. If Jesus told his disciples, that it was not theirs to know the times when those things should be accomplished, it does not follow that it must be hid from us, who are lar nearer concerned in them than they were; besides, how should they have understood and bore those things, before they had received the Comforter, since they thought them bitter, after they had obtained the divine gift, when they had some knowledge of them? Add to this, that Daniel's vision

was to be closed till the end," and could not be perfectly known till very near the time of the fulfilling of it.

5. It is remarkable, that more books have been written upon the Prophecies these last

hundred years, than were ever known be fore, and all (those at least which I have read) agree that these things will, in all probability, soon come upon the earth. I know many have been grossly mistaken as to the year, but because they were rash, shall we be stupid? because they said, "To DAY;" shall we say, "NEVER;" and cry, “Peace, peace," when we should look about us with eyes full of expectation?

6. I know, that a good part of a hundred thousand Protestants, scattered in France, expect some great revolution, that will turn at last to their good, and reunite them to the children of above 200,000 of their brethren, that were either expelled the kingdom, or forced to leave it, because they "would not take the mark of the beast in their hands or on their foreheads."

Let us not judge rashly, nor utter vain predictions in the name of the Lord; but yet let us look about us with watchful eyes, lest the enemy take an advantage of us, and we lose the opportunity of rousing people out of their sleep, of confirming the weak brethren, and building up in our most holy faith, those who know in whom they have believed. If we are mistaken in forming conjectures, if the phenomena we hear of every where, are but common providences; if these things happen not to us, but to our children (as they most certainly will before the third ge neration is swept away,) is it not our busi ness to prepare ourselves for them, to medi tate on them, and to warn as many people as we can prudently, lest their blood should be required at our hands, were they to fall because of a surprise? Let us pray to God more frequently, that for the elect's sake, he would still more shorten the days of the tribulation, and add daily to the true Church such as will be saved. But let us not for get to rejoice with Abraham in seeing by faith, the glorious day of our Lord; and to hasten, by our fervent prayers, that glorious kingdom, those happy days, when the narrow shall be the way to destruction, when saints raised from the dead shall converse with liv fested, in a great measure, to the material ing saints, and the world of spirits be mani world: in a word, when Jesus will be All in All.

What a glorious prospect is this! let us then often think of these words of our Lord, "Behold, I come quickly, blessed is he that mindeth the sayings of this prophecy." Let us join to "the Spirit and the Bride," who say, "Come:" O let him that heareth say,

Come, and let him that is athirst Come, for he that testifieth these things says, Surely, I come quickly: Amen: Even so come, Lord Jesus." J. F.

London, Nov. 29th, 1755.

LETTERS OMITTED.
To the Rev. Mr. Sellon.
Madeley, Oct. 7th, 1769.

MY DEAR BRother,

I thank you for your letter and books, they came safe to hand, and I shall give you the amount at the first opportunity. I have enquired what the Calvinists think of them, but I do not hear much about it. They choose rather to be silent; a sign that they have not any great thing to object. Mr. R. looked at one here in my house, and objected το Ελεήσω ον αν ελεω. Rom. ix. 15. says Xew is, I have mercy, not, I should have mercy. I observed to Mr. Glascott, it is the subjunctive mood, and may take the sign should, would, or could, according to the anaIogy of faith.

He

I long to see Cole answered; my request to you is, that you would answer him in the cool manner you have the Synod, and my prayer to God is, that you may be assisted for that important work.

I know two strong Calvinist believers, who lately took their leave of this world with, "I shall be damned!" Oh what did all their professions of perseverance do for them? They left them in the lurch. May we have the power of God in our souls, and we shall readily leave unknown decrees to others.

The Lord give you patience with your brethren. The best way to confound them is, to preach that kingdom of God, which they cast away, with real righteousness and present peace and joy in believing: that is poison to the synodical kingdom.

I despair of seeing you, before 1 have seen Switzerland, which I design to visit next winter. Mr. Ireland takes me as far as Lyons in my way..

There are some disputes in L. H. College; but when the power of God comes, they drop them. The Calvinists are three to one. Your book I have sent them as a hard nut for them to crack.

May the Lord spare you, and make you a free joyful soldier of the Lord Jesus; as tough against sin and unbelief, as you are against Calvin and the Synod. The Lord hath over-ruled your leaving S. for good. Let us trust him, and all will be well. Farewell, J. F.

To the Right Hon. Lady Mary
Fitzgerald.

Madeley, July 20th, 1785.

HON, AND DEAR LADY,

We have received your kind letter, and mournfully acquiesced in the will of our heavenly Father, who by various infir

mities and providences weans us from our selves and our friends, that we may be his without reserve. It was, perhaps, a peculiar mercy that providence blocked up your way to this place this summer. A bad putrid fever carries off several people in these parts: two of our neighbours died of it last week; taken in so violent a manner, that I was and my wife, who had visited them, was obliged to offer her up to God in good earnest, as an oblation worthy a son of Abraham. I hope the worst is over, but her weakness will long preach to me, as well as my own. Dying people, we live in the midst of dying people.-O let us live in sight of a dying, rising Saviour, and the prospect of death will become first tolerable, and then joyous: or if we weep, as our Lord, at the grave of our friends, or at the side of their death-beds, we shall triumph in hope that all will be for the glory of God, and the good of I am, my dear Lady, &c. J. F.

our souls.

To Messrs, Hare, Terry, Fox, and Good, at Hull;-and Messrs. Preston, Simpson, and Ramsden at York.

London, Nov. 12th, 1776.

MY DEAR BRETHREN,

I thank you for your kind letters and invitations to visit you, and the brethren about you, should the Lord raise me to any degree of my former strength. I have often found an attraetion to my companions in tribulation in Yorkshire. My desire was in. deed a little selfish, I wanted to improve by the conversation of my unknown brethren. If God bids me be strong again out of weakness, I shall be glad to try if he will be pleased to comfort us by the mutual faith both of you and me. My desire is, that Christ may be glorified both in my life and death. I am glad you wish, that the power of godliness may flourish among the professors of the faith. If I have any desire to live at any time, God is my witness, that it is principally to be a witness in word and deed, of the dispensation of power from on high; and to point out that kingdom which does not consist in word, but in power, even in righteousness, peace, and joy by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of power. I am writing an Essay upon that important part of the christian doctrine, and hope that it will be a mite in the treasury of truth, which the Lord has opened for the use of his people.

Should I be spared to visit you, the keep of a horse, and the poor rider, will be all the burden that I should lay on you; and that will be more than my heavenly Master in. dulged himself in. I am just setting out for

Norwich with Mr. Wesley, whose renewed strength, and immense labours astonish me. What a pattern for preachers! His re deeming the time is, if I mistake not, matchless.

Should I never have the pleasure of thanking you in person, for your brotherly regard, I beg you will all endeavour to meet me in the kingdom of our Father, where distance of time and place is lost in the fulness of him that is all in all. The way ye know,-the penitential way of an heart-felt Faith work ing by obedient Love. In that good, though narrow way, I trust you will help by your prayers and example,

My dear Brethren, your affectionate Bro. ther, and willing Servant in Christ, J. F. To Mr. John Fennel. Madeley, Nov. 28th, 1784.

"DEAR JOHN,

I rejoice to hear that you think of a better world, and of the better part, which Mary and your late mother, another Mary, chose before you; may all her prayers, but above all, may the dew of heaven, come down upon your soul in solemn thoughts, heavenly desires, and strong resolutions to be the Lord's, cost what it will. Let the language of your heart and lips be, at any rate, "I will be a follower of Christ ;-yea, a member of his, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven :" a noble promise this; and of which I have so peculiar a right to put you in mind. But in order to be this happy and holy soul, you must not forget that your christian name, your christian vows, and ten thousand rea sons beside, bind you to turn your back upon the world, the flesh, and the devil; and to set yourself steadfastly to look to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; to your Creator, Re deemer, and Sanctifier.

My dear John, you have no time to lose We have calls here to the young without end; they die fast. I lately buried two brothers and sisters in the same grave.-Be you also ready!-I was some nights ago, praying for you on my bed, in my sleepless hours,

and I asked for you, the Faith of righteous Abel, the chastity of Joseph, the early piety of Samuel, the right choice of young Solomon, the self-denial, and abstinence of Daniel, together with the zeal and undaunt. ed courage of his three friends. But above all, I asked, that you might follow John the Baptist, and John the Apostle, as they followed our Lord. Back earnestly, constantly, back my prayer. So shall you be faithful, diligent, and godly; a blessing to all around you; and a comfort to your affectionate_old Friend, and Minister, J. F.

Short Heads of Self-examination.

1. Did I awake spiritual, and was I watchful in keeping my mind from wandering this morning when I was rising ?

2. Have I this day got nearer to God in times of prayer; or have I given way to a lazy, idle spirit?

3. Has my faith been weakened by un

day?

watchfulness, or quickened by diligence, this 4. Have I this day walked by faith, and eyed God in all things?

words and thoughts? Have I delighted in 5. Have I denied myself of all unkind seeing others preferred before me? And can I lay my hand upon my heart, and say,— "That mercy I to others shew, That mercy shew to me."

6. Have I made the most of my precious time, so far as I had light, strength, and opportunity?

7. Have I kept the issues of my heart in the means of grace, so as to profit by them? 8. What have I done this day for the souls and bodies of God's dear saints?

9. Have I laid out any thing to please my self, when I might bave saved the money for the cause of God?

10. Have I governed well my tongue this day, remembering,-" that in the multitude of words, there wanteth not sin ?"

11. In how many instances have I denied myself this day?

12. Does my life and conversation adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

END OF VOL. II

CONTENTS.

VOL. I.

First Check to Antinomianism, page 3. Second Check, 37.

Third do. 74.

An Address to all candid Calvinists in the Church of England, 115.

Logica Genevensis, or a Fourth Check to Antinomianism, 116.

Do. continued; Part I. of the Fifth Check, being an Answer to "The finishing Stroke" of R. Hill, Esq., 190.

Second Part of the Fifth Check, 207.
Preface to the Fictitious and Genuine
Creed, 221.

The Fictitious and Genuine Creed, 225.
An Appeal to Matter of Fact and Common
Sense, or a rational demonstration of Man's
Corrupt and Lost Estate, 237.

An Address to the Earnest Seeker of Salvation, 295.

Appendix; concerning the Evangelical Harmony that subsists between Living Faith and Loving Obedience, 312.

Dreadful Phenomenon ;-being a particular account of the sudden stoppage of the River Severn, 315.

Sermon on the Occasion, 321.

The Penitent Thief, or a Narrative of two pious Women, who visited in Prison a Highway-man, 338.

A Penitential Office, 346.

Bunyan's Heavenly Footman, by J. Fletcher,

351.

FIRST PART of an Equal Check to Pharisaism
and Antinomianism, Preface to, 357.
Importance and Harmony of the two Gospel
Precepts, BELIEVE and OBEY; and the
fatal consequences of parting Faith and
Works, 359.

Salvation by the Covenant of Grace, 368.
A Scriptural Essay ou the rewardableness of
Works according to the Covenant of Grace,
383.

An Essay on Truth; being a Rational Vindi-
cation of Salvation by Faith, 396.

The Doctrines of Grace and Justice, 433.
The Reconciliation, 437.

Bible Arminianism and Bible Calvinism, 447.

VOL. II.

Scripture Scales, Part First, page 4.
Prefatory Epistle, 5.

The contrary mistakes of Zelotes and Honestus, 13.

They are invited to weigh the Doctrine in the Scripture Scales, 14.

Directions to use them properly, ibid. Section II. General remarks on Free-grace and Free-will, 15.

Salvation is originally of Free-grace, Damnation of Free-will, 16.

Section III. Scripture-principles forming the
beam of the Scripture Scales, 17.
The three chains by which they hang, 18.
A rational account of the origin of Evil, ibid.
Section IV. An account of the Covenant of
Works and that of Grace, 19.

The glory of Christ, of first Causes, and of original Merit, is balanced with the importance of Obedience, second Causes, and derived Worthiness, 20.

Section V. The importance of Faith is balanced with that of Works, 22.

Section VI. The Law is made for Believers, as well as Unbelievers, 24.

It is absurd to make believers afraid of obeying the ten Commandments in order to eternal Salvation, 25.

The Decalogue was a rule of Judgment for Jewish Believers. How far it binds Christian Believers, 26.

The Decalogue is not the Adamic law of innocence, but the Jewish edition of the Mediator's practicable law: This is proved by ten arguments, 27.

Eternal salvation and damnation have two The Blessings of Moses, and the Curses of

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Section VII. Obedience to the law of Christ is [under Christ] the way to eternal salvation, 31.

The sum of the Scriptures concerning the moral law, 32.

Section VIII. Christ's work is balanced with our own.-Christ's Free-grace saves us. Our Free-will subordinately works out our own salvation, 34.

Christ's original righteousness is balanced with our own derived righteousness, 35. Section IX. General Redemption, which is the most wonderful work of Free-grace, is balanced with the obstinate neglect of the Redemption, which neglect is the most astonishing work of Free-will.

All men have an interest in Christ under va-
rious dispensations of grace, till they are
judicially and finally given up to a repro-
bate mind, 39.

There is not one text in all the Bible against
general redemption by price, 43.
Augustin and Calvin at times were carried
away by the Scriptures which assert this
general redemption, ibid.

In what sense Christ did not pray for the
world, 44.

Section X. Some passages, which are gener. ally impressed into the service of boundwill, free-wrath, and necessitating grace, are balanced with other scriptures which explain them, and guard the doctrine of freewill, 46.

How,-of those whom the Father gave to Christ, Judas was lost, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, 49.

Why the obstinate Jews could not believe; and, Why they were none of Christ's sheep, 51.

Section XI. Five couple of balanced propositions to throw light upon Rom. ix. 53. St. Paul does not establish Calvinian Election and Reprobation in Rom. ix. 54.

Section XIV.+ The Anal perseverance of th
Saints, 83.

The Scripture-weights of Free-grace are
balanced with those of Free-will, respect.
ing the doctrine of Perseverance, 84.
Section XV. The doctrine of perseverance is
farther weighed in the Scripture Scales
with the weights of free-grace and free-
will, 89.

Section XVI. Christ's thoughts concerning
fallen believers and apostates, 94.
St. Peter's description of Antinomian apos-
tates, is balanced with St. Jude's descrip-
tion of lawless backsliders, 95.

No hint is given about the certain, infallible
return of one of the multitude of these
backsliders, 96.

Section XVII. The plan of reconciliation be
tween Zelotes and Honestus, 98.
Which of the two extremes appeared most
dangerous to Mr. Baxter,-that of Zelotes,

-or that of Honestus, 103.

The Author's thoughts on that delicate sub. ject, and why he dares not give the preference to Zelotes, 104.

How an unprejudiced gospel-minister steers his course between the errors of Zelotes

and Honestus, 105.

Section XVIII. The doctrine of Free-grace is farther maintained against Honestus by six arguments, ibid.

The doctrine of Free-will is farther maintain ed against Zelotes by twelve arguments, 106.

Section XIX. Zelotes produces his first Ob-
jection to a Reconciliation. He cannot
reconcile man's free-will with God's fore
knowledge and decrees, 108.

The flaw of his argument, 109.
Our Lord is introduced as answering for
himself, and shewing by thirteen remarks,
how his prescience is consistent with our
liberty, 110.

In what sense God raised up Pharoah to The absurdity of supposing, that God canshow forth his power in him, 61.

Section XII. There is an unconditional election of sovereign grace, and a conditional election of impartial justice, 66.

not certainly know all the future events which depend upon the will of Free-agents, because we cannot thus foreknow these events, 113.

Ten Directions to understand the doctrine of Section XX. Zelotes's second Objection to a election, 67.

Section XIII. Our election and calling in Christ, is not a being calvinistically ordained and called to eternal life, from among myriads of men unconditionally reprobated from eternal life, and absolutely ordained to eternal death: but a being

chosen and called from the darkness of Gentilism, and from the obscurity of Judaism, to the comparatively marvellous light of the Christian dispensation, 73. Preface to Second Part of Scripture Scales, 79.

The Reconciler's petition to his opponents, ibid.

Reconciliation. It is taken from the plausi
ble doctrine of bound-will and necessity,
ibid.

What our liberty does consist in, 116.
Some distinctions needful to understand the

doctrines of necessity and liberty, 117.
All men have some liberty in spiritual, as
well as in natural things. There is abso
lutely no natural man [in the Calvinian
sense of the word;] the Scriptures never
mention such a being; just the reverse,

120.

In page 83 this section is misprinted, xiii. instead

of xiv.

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