without any further relief, we here bring forward a scheme which opens a door of hope even in regard to multitudes of these. Hence, does the discouraged sinner say, "I have sinned away my privileges, and forfeited the life by my unpersuadableness," there is relief in sovereign mercy. Does he say again, "I have no will to rouse or power to rise,”—there is relief in sovereign Almighty power. Hence

V. It is relieving to the Minister of the Word. Making the universal call, does he complain "Who hath believed our report ?"-the particular aspect assures him, that the Redeemer "shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." Has he reason to complain, in giving the universal call, "Ye will not come to Christ, that ye may have life," he encourages himself that, according to the special aspect," All that the Father giveth him shall come to him." Does he preach the word of the Gospel to every creature in accordance with its universal aspect, and men receive it not?-reflecting on the particular aspect, he is consoled under the assurance, that God's word shall not return unto him void, but that it shall accomplish whatsoever he please."

VI. Whereas, confining the Gospel to its universal aspect with the Arminians, and attributing the event of believing to the wise and good use of our own free will, we minister to vain glory, inasmuch as such a one is wisely persuadable, while the unbeliever is foolishly unpersuadable :-in bringing forward the particular aspect, which attributes such believing to the sovereign will of God, we promote humility, and utterly exclude all occasion of self-glorying. Why? Because God

alone is hereby acknowledged as making to differ. Especially is this the case, seeing we maintain, in the spirit of this hypothesis, that God sometimes makes willing those who of all men had been most unwilling. Moreover, while the Arminian, content with the universal conditional aspect, only depends on his own determination for steadfastness; adopting also this particular aspect, we are led to renounce ourselves, and to depend only on the Lord for such steadfastness.

VII. The Arminian, who acknowledges only the universal conditional bearing of the subject, trusting to his own power of will, is in danger of falling: the Calvinist embracing also the particular bearing of it, knowing that his will and power are of the Lord, and so waiting upon him for that will and power, becomes secure of standing. Which reminds us

VIII. That this scheme, as to its conditional bearing, being taken in connexion with the sovereign grace hereafter to be declared, removes one of the strongest objections to the doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints, as arising from those conditional forms of expression that so often occur in Scripture, such as— "If ye continue in the faith," &c.; inasmuch as it accounts for such expressions, indicating that such perseverance does not imply the setting aside those conditions, but brings forward to our relief that effectual grace whereby such conditions are to be performed.

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CHAPTER VI.

ON THE NATURE OF A PROBATIONARY GOVERNMENT.

By "probationary" here we mean, that God, in his dealings with man, sees fit to prove or try them. That such is the case may be seen by attention to Chap. iii. Part I. And by "probationary government," we mean a method of government under which, whatever favours are imparted, or duties required, or motives offered, man is left to his own will or choice, or " in the hand of his owncounsel, whether he will hear or forbear,-whether he will obey or disobey,❞—and so is proved. Perhaps it will be best understood if we state our meaning in the following propositions :

1. A system of probation requires that man be left in the hand of his own counsel. Whatever means are imparted, or motives presented, whether under a covenant of life upon works, or a covenant of life upon faith, man must be left to the free exercise of his own will; and on the determination of that, must depend both the moral quality and the judicial award of his actions. Hence

2. The revealed form, as well as the real nature of such a constitution, must be conditional. Thus, if a man make a good choice, he is constituted righteous therein, and is rewardable; if he make a bad choice, he is constituted a sinner, and is punishable.*

* We are not here treating of the "secret" unconditional operation of the Spirit on the nature in the objects of sovereign favour ;-that belongs to the system of sovereign goodness, hereafter to be considered in Part II.

3. As a moral system, established with a rational creature for probation, its general law must be that the will be determined by motives, such as are suited to a rational nature. Hence

4. Instructions and commands, promises and threatenings, entreaties and expostulations, warnings and lamentations,—whatever indeed, by exhibiting the natural or appointed connexion of things, is calculated to operate upon the mind in the way of moving it,— must be considered as the suitable and proper motives in such a system.

There is a necessary connexion of cause and effect subsisting both in the physical and moral world. Thus, in the physical world, if iron be thrown into water, it will sink; if a man fall into the fire, he will be burnt: and in the moral world, if a man sin, he will suffer if his thoughts accuse him, he will be uneasy. Now, since man is naturally moved by fear of suffering, or hope of enjoyment, to do this or avoid that, this necessary connexion must be set before him accordingly, and therefore a probationary government must be conditional "If you do this, you will suffer so and soif you do so and so, you will have such and such enjoyment." Hence the conditional form that runs throughout Scripture in urging to choose the good, and avoid the evil, as suited to a system of trial. Thus the Almighty Ruler dealt with our first parents. "If ye eat of the forbidden fruit ye shall die," while the tree of life seemed to say, "If ye do not eat, ye shall live for ever." And between Cain and his Maker after the fall, the matter stood thus, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou

doest not well, sin lieth at the door."

The blessing of the Covenant to Abraham was on condition of keeping the covenant. As to the children of Israel at Marah, no sooner is it said, "There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them," than there follows a condition, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of those diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee." Thus, he meant to prove them by setting before them, in a conditional form, the connexion between obedience and reward. The Sinai Covenant, also designed to prove Israel, was conditional. "If ye will

obey my voice, then ye shall be" so and so. So David to Solomon:-" And thou Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind, for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee; but, if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever." So Azariah to king Asa:—“ Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah, and Benjamin! the Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." And innumerable other places. So in the New Testament, the conditionality is expressed or implied in the following places:" He that believeth on the Son hath life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him." "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth