SECTION IV. 97 only the moderate men among those who are palled calvinists, and those that are named new- methodists ; as for the high- flyers, or extreme and rigid party-men of either side, I leave them out in my present account, while I mention the little differences among the men of moderation, among whom I reek- on far the greatest part of the protestant dissenters in England, to be at this time, and I hope I am not mistaken in this opinion. Some when they read or pronounce the words :law. or gospel, take them generally in their loosest and largest sense, and so they unite their names, and make them consistent to- géther ; others are ready to take those words in their limited and proper sense, and then they divide them into very dis- tinct things, and will not allow their names so promiscuous a use. Some ministers love to explain the gospel in a more le- gal way, and describe it as a conditional covenant that requires agreements and restipulations from men ; they insist much on vowing and resolving to submit to the commands of Christ, and with a lively zeal and powerful eloquence, they enforcethe duties of repentance, sincere obedience, watchfulness and perseverance ; and shew how much the promises of life, heaven and;glory, peace and daily pardon depend on these qualifications and perform- ances, pronouncing the terrible threatenings of damnation on the impenitent, the unbelieving, and the disobedient, to awaken the secure sinner, and stir up the slothful christian. Others de- light more in representing the gospel as a declaration of grace and free promise ofsalvation to sinners ; a promise of pardoning mercy, sanctifying grace, and everlasting glory to sinful and perishing criminals, and invite sinners to receive all this grace, to accept of this salvation, and to trust in this Saviour, according. to the offers of the gospel: When its truths are revealed, the first sort chose to say, that the moral law of nature in the hand of Christ, commands us to believe them; when its duties are mentioned, they rather say, the law ofnature in thehand of Christ requires obedience to them; and that while the gospel in its proper language promises salvation to believers, the moral law, or law of nature, binds condemnation on the unbeliever,' and the impenitent; but the pure gospel is all grace and mercy: _ ml they preach the. law of works in the perfection of its de- mands and terror of its penalties, to drive sinners for refuge to the,gospel: and they press the duties ofholiness on their -hearers from a comfortable sense oftheir.deliverance from hell, and from gratitude to Christ, as evidences of their faith, as preparatives for heaven, and as necessary, both in the nature of things, -and by diyine appointment., in order to our final happiness. These that fallow the conditional way of preaching the gos- pel, describe the chief act of faith, as a consent of will to submit themselves to him in all-hisoffices; a consent to take him for VW.. 11r. G
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