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have acted freely and voluntarily under great propriety make this demand; but

the divine agency. Joseph's brethren
chose to act in the most unfeeling and
cruel manner, when, according to the
divine prediction and under the divine
influence, they threw him into a pit, and
sold him into Egypt. Pharaoh, whom
God actually hardened, and whom the
apostle refers to in the passage under
consideration, chose to disbelieve the
miracles of Moses, and disobey the ex-
press commands of God. The heathen
nations, whose hearts were hardened,
chose to come out in battle against Is
rael, by whom they were destroyed.-
Judas chose to betray Christ for thirty
pieces of silver, though he was forewarn-
ed of his certain perdition. And the
Jews, whose eyes were blinded and
whose hearts were hardened, chose to
crucify the Lord of glory, and reject the
counsel of God against themselves. In
all these instances of God's hardening
the hearts of sinners, the effect produ-
ced was a free, voluntary choice. He
made them choose to act as they did,
and as there was no resistance on their
part, so there was no compulsion on his.
Compulsion always implies resistance
on the part of the person compelled.-sooner or later condem him for his own
Joseph was compelled to go into Egypt, hardness of heart. The reason is, he is
because he did all he could to resist the willing to be hardened. If sinners real-
overbearing power of his brethren; but ly wished, desired, and endeavored to
God did not compel them to turn a deaf counteract the divine influence by which
ear to all his cries and entreaties, be- they are hardened, then the fault would
cause they chose to gratify their malice || fall upon God, and not upon themselves.
and revenge.
So, sinners are never But this is never the case, and of con-
compelled to sin by the divine operation sequence, they are as justly to be blam-
upon their hearts, because the divine ed and punished, as if they sinned inde-
operation makes them willing to sin.-pendently of God. The divine influ-
It implies a plain contradiction to sup-ence on their hearts does nothing but
pose, that sinners endeavor to resist that make them willing to act, and it is their
power or will of God, by which they willingness to act, which alone consti-
are made willing to do evil. If this tutes their guilt. Their choice is their
were possible, then it would be possi- fault, and this choice God charges upon
ble for God to compel them to sin: but them, and they have no right to charge
it is not possible, that they should op-it upon him. Their sole objection a-
pose the power which makes them wil-gainst the divine agency is, that God
long to act, and therefore it is not possi- compels them to sin, but this objection
ble, that God should, in any case, com-
pel them to act. Hence they have no
cause or right to ask, "Why doth he yet
find fault? for who hath resisted his
will?" Did they really desire and en-
deavor to resist his will in hardening
their hearts, they might indeed with

since they always, cheerfully comply
with his will in hardening their hearts,
they have no ground to complain of
him, though they have good reason to
condemn themselves. Accordingly we
find, that those who were hardened, did
freely acknowledge their own criminal-
ity. Joseph's brethren said one to an-
other, "We are verily guilty concerning
our brother, in that we saw the anguish
of his soul, when he besought us; and
we would not hear." When Pharach
had called for Moses and Aaron in haste,
he said, “ I have sinned against the Lord
your God, and against you." And again
he said, "I have sinned this time: the
Lord is righteous, and I and my people
are wicked." And Judas the son of per-
dition freely acknowledged the criminal-
ity of what he had done under the influ
ence of his hardened heart.
"Then Ju-
das, who betrayed him, when he saw
that he was condemned, repented him-
self, and brought again the thirty pieces
of silver to the chief priests and elders,
saying, I have sinned, in that I have be-
trayed innocent blood." Thus the con-
science of every hardened sinner will

has no foundation in nature, and therefore they are altogether criminal for the hardness of their hearts. This will further appear, if it be considered,

4. That sinners are conscious to themselves, that God does not harden their hearts by compulsion, because they nei

"I mean, that he had governed himself by St. Paul's rule. That great apostle, inspired by God, and immediately directed by the Holy Ghost in all his writings, raised to himself the objection which natural light forms against the doctrine of absolute predestination; he

ther feel his operation, nor any voluntary ||sion, or the least obstruction to their opposition to it. Whenever men are un- moral agency; then there is no room der compulsion, they feel the power that for the supposition of a self determining compels them, and their own desire and power in moral agents, which Arminians inability to overcome that power. Samp- maintain, and upon which they build son, after he had lost his locks, was their whole system. This observation compelled to be bound; and he felt the may be illustrated and confirmed by the power of those who bound him, but ramarks of Monsieur BAYLE, one of the found himself unable to overcome it. most ingenious and learned men that This holds true in all cases of compul- France ever produced. In his life of sion. The person compelled feels a ARMINIUS, speaking of his controversy power, which he endeavors, but cannot with the Calvinists, he observes, "It Overcome. If sinners, therefore, were were to be wished that he had made a betcompelled to be hardened by the divine ter use of his knowledge." To this he operation upon their hearts, they would subjoins the following note, which is exnecessarily feel both the power that ope- tremely luminous. rates upon them, and their own endeavor and inability to oppose and overcome that power. But do they ever feel either of these things? Did Judas feel the divine influence upon his heart, or any opposition to that influence? All that he felt was a willingness to betray Christ|| for thirty pieces of silver. Did Pharaoh apprehended all the force of the objecfeel the power that hardened his heart, tion; he proposes it without weakening or any desire to resist it? All that he it in the least. God hath mercy on whom felt was a strong and voluntary propen- he will have mercy, and whom he will he sity to destroy the people of God. And hardeneth. This is St. Paul's doctrine, it is as true now as ever it was, that sin- and see here the difficulty which he starts ners do not feel, nor oppose that divine||upon it. "Thou will say then unto me, influence, by which they are hardened. Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath They feel themselves entirely free and resisted his will?" This objection cannot voluntary as to all their internal affec- be pushed further: Twenty pages of the tions and external conduct. But if God subtilest Molinist could add nothing to actually hardened their hearts by com-it. What could they infer from it more pulsion, they would naturally feel a than that in Calvin's hypothesis, God will struggle and opposition to his hardening have men to sin? Now this is what St. influence. They would be conscious of Paul knew could be objected against his influence, and conscious of their own him. But what does he answer? Does exertions to overcome his influence. he seek for distinctions and molificaAnd since they never do have this con- tions? Does he deny the fact? Does he sciousness, they know that there is no in part only? Does he enter into any parground for their objection, that he comticulars? Docs he remove any equivopels them to sin. They know that they cations in the words? Nothing of all never felt his power operating upon their hearts, and that they never felt any opposition to a power they never felt. They know, therefore, by their own constant experience, which is the highest kind of knowledge, that God never does compel them to sin, and that their only plausible objection against his hardening their hearts, is absolutely groundless.

this; he only alleges the sovereign power of God, and the supreme right which the Creator has to dispose of his creatures as it seems good to him. Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? All Christians ought to receive a definitive sentence here; a judgment final and without appeal, in the dispute about Now, if God can both soften and har- grace; or rather they ought to learn by den the hearts of men, without compul-this conduct of St. Paul, never to dis

pute about predestination, and at the first motion to oppose it in bar against all subtilties of human wit, whether they offer of themselves, while they are meditating on that great subject, or whether another suggests them. The best and shortest way is, to oppose this strong bank betimes against the inundations of arguments, and consider the definite sentence of St. Paul, as those immoveable rocks, whose foundation is in the midst of the sea, against which the proudest billows cannot prevail, but turn to froth, and dash and break themselves upon them in vain. If ever it be safe to give the mind some exercise on points of this kind, at least we ought to sound a retreat betimes and retire behind the bank I spoke of. Had Arminius acted thus, as often as his reason suggested to him difficulties against the hypothesis of the reformers, or at all times when he found himself called to answer any disputants, he would have taken a perfectly wise and apostolic || course, and made use of the lights of his understanding just as he ought to have done. Arminius was no way pressed to oppose the common doctrine, he did not believe that any one run the haz ard of salvation by following the hypothesis of Calvin. Let us see another circumstance by which he rendered himself inexcusable. To a system full of great difficulties, he substituted another system, which, to speak truly draws after it no less difficulties than the former. One may say of this doctrine what I have said of the innovations of Saumur. It is more vehement and less constrained than the opinion of Mr. Amyraut, but after all, it is no better than a pallia tive remedy; for the Arminians have soon answered some objections, which, as they pretend, cannot be refuted on Calvin's system; but they find themselves exposed to other difficulties, which they cannot get clear of but by a sincere acknowledgment of the infirmity of the human mind and the consideration of the incomprehensible infinity of God. And was it worth while to contradict Calvin for this? Ought he to have been so very delicate in the beginning, seeing in the end he must have recourse to such an asylum? Why might he not as well

begin with it, since he was doomed to come to it soon or late? He is mistak en who imagines, that after having entered the lists with a great disputant, he will be allowed to triumph only because he had gained some advantage over him at beginning. A wrestler, who should outrun his adversary three parts or more of the race, does not win the crown, unless he preserves his advan tage to the end of the course. It is the same in controversies; it is not sufficient to parry the first thursts. The replies and the rejoinders must all be satisfied, till every doubt is perfectly cleared.— Nor is this what the hypothesis of Arminius, nor that of the Molinists, nor that of the Socinians, is able to do. The sysof the Arminians is only fit to obtain some advantages in those preludes of the combat in which the forlorn hope is detached to skirmish; but when it comes to a general and decisive battie, it is forced to retire, as well as to rest be hind the incomprehensible mystery." PHILONOUS.

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Mass. M. M.

Extract from a Newspaper.

A DISTRESSED OLD MAN.

I am one of those unhappy persons, who have been brought up under & minister that has spent fifty years in teaching his people that they cannot love God and from the time I was ten years old, till a few Sabbaths since, I have felt myself not at all to blame for want of love to God, because my minister, whom I have constantly taken to be an understanding and good man, for fifty years upon the stretch, has been sounding this my inability in my ears.— Till now I have had no uneasy feelings respecting my own conduct, during my whole life, though I have had ten thousand respecting the conduct of Adam, and ten thousand times more respecting the conduct of God towards sinners. I have often wondered how an infinitely good God could ever find it in his heart to punish any of his creatures for not doing that, which they could not do ! This has sometimes caused me to hearken to Arminians, at other times to the Universalists, to see if their schemes of religion would not remove this difficulty,

My

either of which I find would effectually more to be seen among the men of the remove it, could I be persuaded that world; the well cultivated farms and they were true!-this has not been, as well fraught stores, the coffers of yet, and probably never will be. geld and silver, have lost all their Language cannot describe the con- charms. I am now in the most retired sternation, the surprise and indignation || place I can get. I am ashamed to show of heart, which I was thrown into, upon iny face to my children and children's the above mentioned Sabbath, at hear-children, to my neighbors and familiar ing a minister gravely and solemnly af- acquaintance, and therefore keep out of firm, that fallen men are endowed with their view as much as I can. But alas! natural powers and faculties to love God, I cannot get out of the view of the omand this was the only reason that God ||niscient God. These things have worn required them to love him, and blamed down my constitution, and the king of them for not loving him. If this be terrors is making fast strides towards true, said I, I am certainly to blame for me. I read, I pray, I weep, I tremble; not loving God, and therefore God may but it is all with a voluntary enmity of with infinite justice punish me accor- heart against God, whom I am now conding to the utmost rigour of his holy, vinced is just. I feel nothing in my way just and good law. For a few moments of repenting, believing, and loving God, I felt myself like a man at his wit's end; but the free choice of my heart: and then I thought this doctrine could not this is like ten thousand daggers plunbe true, after all, for if I was able to love ged into my soul. I know not that ever God, why did I not love him? But up-any was in my situation. I dare not re on more mature reflection I found that veal it to any of my acquaintance. the great difficulty I laboured under, in minister will think hard of me, if I tax loving God, was not seated in the want him with preaching errors. of natural powers and faculties, nor in the weakness of them, as I had always before thought; but in the voluntary opposition of my heart to God. This caused me to view myself, in many respects, in quite a different point of light from what I had heretofore done; I altered my view of God, and of his conduct towards sinners; of myself, and my conduct towards God. Now I could clearly see, as I thought, the justice of God in condemning gospel sinners to a more aggravated punishment than those, who never had the light of the gospel. But oh! what distress did all these things throw me into ! Blackness of darkness forever and ever seemed to be my Soon after the peace of 1783, great just portion from the Lord. I have had numbers of families emigrated from no comfort in hearing my old minister Connecticut to the newly settled parts of go on with his cannots, I dare not tell New-York and Vermont. Many of him that he is preaching souls to hell.- them were deeply affected, when they I dare not tell any body what I feel, knew by experience the loss of religious what horrors upon horrors harass and privileges; when they saw their children torture my mind. Sin now appears to exposed to the danger of growing up in me an evil infinitely greater than ever it ignorance of public religious worship, did before. I see it in all my imagin- and thus of never enjoying the full benations, feelings and actions. I feel my-efit of the Sabbath and its inestimable self an accursed creature. I cannot eat, blessings. As they were occasionally nor drink, nor sleep, nor labour, nor || visited by their friends from Connecticonverse, as I used to do. I choose no cut, some of whom were ministers of the

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I have been your constant customer, ever since you published your paper, and now ask it as a favour that you publish the above, that if I am in an error, some kind hand may put me right.

CONNECTICUT MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THIS Society is believed to be the oldest of the kind in this country, except the Society for propagating the Gospel among the Indians and others in North America. The latter was instituted at Boston, in 1787.

The occasion and origin of the Connecticut Missionary Society are briefly as follows:

Gospel, and as they in turn visited their the commencement of the business, parents and friends, they made frequent than they would have been if no legis complaints of their destitute situation, lative provision had been resorted to. in regard to religious ordinances. These This legislative permission has been recomplaints powerfully excited the Chris-peated, whenever asked for, till the tian sympathy of the friends of religion. present day. During one interval of So early as 1738, some small attempts three years, we believe, (perhaps more,} were made to afford a partial supply of the Society did not ask for the privilege, preaching in the new settlements. The as they had acquired considerable fonds, first plan adopted was this: An associa- and it was feared the people would be ation of neighboring ministers would impatient under the long continued anthemselves supply the pulpit of one of nual call upon their liberality. If we their number, who would labor several might venture to suggest any error, in weeks as a missionary in the new set the proceedings of so venerable a So tlements. This plan was found to be ciety, it would be their yielding to such very inadequate, and was liable to some a fear. We earnestly desire, that a genobjections, which the establishment of a erous annual contribution from every Missionary Society completely removed. congregation in the state may flow into In 1791, the subject was brought be this treasury of the Lord, till all the desfore the General Association of Con-titute places of our country shall have necticut, and was referred to the particu their spiritual wants supplied. far associations, that a permanent system The designs of the Association were of operations might be agreed upon.opposed, both in the Legislature and Accordingly a plan was devised, report-out of it, by certain classes of men, who ed, and adopted in June 1792. It was will always oppose every good thing.— drawn up and reported by the Rev. Dr. Their opposition, however, did not preEdwards, of New Haven, a truly illus-sent any serious obstacle? and is mentiontrious man, whose memory, for his ed here only for the sake of reminding the agency in this business and for many reader, that a Society formed for the other reasons, will be cherished by the sole purpose of communicating Chrispious in succeeding times. tian knowledge to the emigrants to our In October 1792, the Association pe-new settlements, by sending them regutitioned the Legislature of Connecticut larly licensed preachers of the Gospel, to permit an annual contribution to be and distributing among them Bibles and made, by the congregations, for the sup- other religious books, could not escape port of missions to the new settlements. opposition and very decided hostility. The necessity of such a permission was So thorough is the nature of pious and a consequence of a rigid interpretation public-spirited associations now underof an ancient law on the subject of stood, that it is easy to foresee every Briefs; which was supposed to forbid objection which will be made to any any public contribution whatever, unless new institution of this kind. the avails of the contribution were ap- At the contribution in the spring of propriated for the benefit of persons in 1793, the Association received between the town where the contribution was eight and nine hundred dollars. This made. It is now the general opinion, sum has been gradually increased, till that the law was never intended to for- the last year it amounted to about four bid, and that by a fair and liberal con- thousand dollars. The Society has restruction it does not forbid, contribu-ceived handsome donations from inditions for religious purposes. It was well viduals; and the profits of the Connectifor the cause of missions, however, that cut Evangelical Magazine for seven the rigid interpretation was then suppos-years, from 1800 to 1807, made a great ed to be the true one, as the Legislature addition to the permanent fund, which granted permission to have a contribu- now amounts to more than $30,000.— tion, on the first Sabbath in May annu- We hope the annual contributions and ally, for three years; and as the contrithe permanent fund will be greatly inbutions were much more numerous, at creased.

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