standard of their lives, and in the supreme desire of their souls. Yet these are the persons whom Doctor Hawker ventures to exhibit, in opposition to every thing that is reasonable, just, and scriptural, as against the law!' Transubstantiation itself does not present either a more palpable or revolting absurdity, than does Dr. Hawker's doctrine, that those who are renewed by the Holy Spirit, who are believers in our Lord and Saviour, and who are brought into fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, are necessarily against the law' of the Lord their God.

SECTION IV.

Doctor Hawker defective in his statements on the Ministry of the Gospel.

In this section our attention is directed, not to another subject, but to the same subject under a different form. I am at issue with the Doctor, not so much in point of fact, as I am on the circumstances attendant on allowed truths. On the personality and agency of the Holy Spirit we are agreed, and that the Gospel should be preached through all the world: but in respect to the circumstances attendant on these allowed doctrines, I believe more than Doctor Hawker does.

To me he appears unscripturally circumscribed, and very defective in the representations which he gives of the gospel ministry.

'Where shall we go,' says the Doctor, 'to what congregation of what are called evangelical churches shall we join ourselves, to hear the person, work, offices, characters, and relations of the Lord Jesus Christ, held up as the alpha and omega, in God's view, and in his people's view, of the salvation of his people?'* Were it not for the awfulness of the subject, a man might smile to hear what very wooing and winning words are made use of by them, to gain upon the hearts of their hearers by human persuasion offers of Christ, yea, pressing Christ upon the congregation, are the chief topics adopted. And sometimes from the great earnestness with which they have worked up their natural feelings to persuade, they enforce the present opportunity as if, should it be neglected, never another perhaps may be afforded them.'t-To preach the gospel, and to proclaim salvation in the audience of all sinners, wheresoever they came, this was the apostles province; and the same will all

* The True Gospel. p. 13. † p. 5.

faithful servants of the Lord do now, who are ordained by the Holy Spirit. For " as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John iii. 14. 15. But here are the limits to human powers. No man can go further. Moses himself went no further. He lifted up the serpent, as commanded, as a type of Christ, that the bitten Israelites might look upon it and live. But we read of no offers nor persuasions, Numbers xxi. 8. 9. Neither did the apostles in their general preaching. If indeed in special cases, (as we shall observe hereafter,) they found their minds directed by the Lord to act in a more personal manner, their history fully explains the cause. But otherwise they were too well taught of God. They dared not to invade the office of God the Holy Ghost. To preach Christ they knew to be their province. To persuade to the acceptation of Christ they knew to be his."*

Appenix, p. 24.

Passing by some other topics which offer themselves, the above statements appear to be evidently contracted and defective, and to proceed from Dr. Hawker's uniform inattention to the moral government of God, and to those obligations which it necessarily involves.

Though, in many instances, it is doubtless far beyond our ability to perceive the perfect agreement of the sovereign decrees and government of the Almighty with our free agency and moral obligation; yet there can be no reasonable doubt, that in the divine economy they are in perfect harmony. The sovereign and moral government of God are both presented to our regard in the sacred oracles. The one has more respect to the end, the other to the means. The one is more secret, the other more plainly revealed. The one forms a ground for our utmost confidence, the other a directory and rule for our conduct. Many divines have made the above difficulty an occasion to respect God in his moral adminstration only, and in their ministry to insist exclusively on those obli