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rejoice in the liberty of the gospel, is in want of but one thing, and that is power.

Quot. These things are quite incompatible with the reigning love and power of sin. It may fight hard; it may rage desperately; it may, for a time, play the tyrant; but, during this time, the soul, though a captive, is not a slave. The tyrant is detested: and the soul wants nothing but to throw off the iron yoke.

power

Answ. If this fancied saint has no power, he has no faith; if destitute of power, the kingdom of God is not set up in his heart, for that stands not in word, but in power; and, if he is a captive to Satan, he can have no right to rejoice in the liberty of the gospel. Captivity is as opposite to liberty as slavery; nor will any child of God be brought to believe that Satan will shew such lenity to his captives as to let them stand all the day idle. He that is a captive to the devil is a slave; he that is under the jurisdiction of that father will do the lusts of that father. This fancied saint is next set down with Paul and Job; and the promise of the gospel is applied to him, though God has not made bare his arm:

Quot. It is evident, such an one has been taught by Christ, the great prophet, a good degree of self-knowledge: the understanding is enlightened to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the spirituality of the law of God; and therefore the man cries out, with Paul, "I am carnal, sold under sin." And with Job, I am vile! It is also

evident his will is renewed, and his affections in part sanctified, for the evil he does he allows not. Ibid. Nay, he hates it.

Answ. Here is a man renewed in his will, and his affections in part sanctified; and he is also taught of Christ, whose word to the heart is always attended with power, to make the dead live, and the prisoner go free. And yet this man has no power, for he cannot throw off the iron yoke.

Quot. And could he be delivered from the very being of sin, and from the possibility of sinning, it would be the triumph of his heart, and the joy of his soul.

Answ. Thousands in despair, and on the verge of hell, would be glad of this, who never knew the grace of God, and who never will be saved. For, if a man be delivered from the being of sin, he can have no inducement or motion to it; and if from the possibility of it, he is in no danger, consequently in no fear. The saint's obedience is the reverse of all this; he obeys God against the inclinations of self and the enticements of sin.

Quot. If this is the habitual frame of thy mind, gentle reader, thou art one of those happy ones to whom the promise declares, "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace."

Answ. There is one great difficulty which must devolve upon these authors; and that is, to make this gentle reader, who is a captive to sin

and Satan, though not a slave; who, though renewed and sanctified, is yet destitute of power to throw off the iron yoke; I say, it is difficult to make such a prisoner believe that he is one of those happy ones, upon a level with Paul and Job, to whom the promise declares, that sin shall not have dominion over him, because he is not under the law, but under grace: I say, to make a man believe that he has a right to rejoice in gospel liberty, when holden with the cords of his sins; and that sin has no dominion over him while a captive to it; and that he is not under the law, though he has no power to throw off the iron yoke; and that he is under grace, though no salvation from sin has ever been applied to him: this,

I

say, must be difficult work for faith. Maria told Mr. George King that this book contains Mr. Ryland's sentiments; and, if so, I will be bold to affirm, that such a faith never was hatched any where, either in heaven or earth, but at Enfield.

Quot. Thou art not under the law, for Christ hath redeemed thee from it: it is dead to thee as a covenant of works; and thou art dead to it, that thou mayest be married to another husband.

Answ. The antinomianism which this book has all along reprobated; yea, the very doctrine that I hold, and for the preaching of which I am represented in this book as black as Satan himself; yea, the whole of it, is advanced in this last quotation, only we differ with respect to application. Maria applies it to them only to whom salvation

from sin has never been given; who are destitute of power, under the iron yoke, and in a state of captivity to sin. Whereas I apply it to none but those who are born again of the Spirit; who are purged from guilt and dead works, delivered from the reign of sin, and made free by the Spirit; who are no more servants, but sons; and not sons of the bond-woman, but of the free. Thus we agree in doctrine, and only differ in application. This captive, in his iron yoke, is further comforted by many applications.

Quot. And he is the God of grace: he giveth grace and glory. The Father hath blessed thee with all spiritual blessings in Christ.

Answ. This is another difficult branch of faith; that is, for this gentle reader to believe that he is blessed with all spiritual blessings, while he is cursed with the iron yoke of bondage, in captivity to sin, and destitute of the power of divine grace. For my part, I should not wonder if God were to give such authors up to the buffetings of Satan; to be stripped even of their rationality for such ignorant meddling, base handling, and falsely applying, the gospel, and the promises of it.

Quot. Nothing is so great an enemy to heartholiness as unbelief.

Answ. The greatest enemy to holiness throughout this book has all along been the antinomian, for not bringing the believer under the law as his only rule of life. He that holds not this point is,

according to this book, the vilest sinner, and even a child of the devil. And this antinomian, after all, is unbelief. He is the adversary, and the greatest enemy to heart-holiness; and I think, as our opponents have caught unbelief, they ought to let Huntington go his way. If they charge unbelief with all the crimes, then are the children free.

Quot. Nothing is so great an enemy to heartholiness as unbelief: Satan hates it, but he cannot rob us of it; but unbelief robs us of it, or rather, prevents our receiving it. Faith works it in the soul.

Answ. The heart-holiness of a saint consists in his soul being the seat, and his body the temple, of the Holy Ghost; "As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them." Unbelief, we are informed, can rob us of this; unbelief can prevent our receiving this; but faith works it in the soul. Unbelief, therefore, must be more than almighty; and faith, instead of being a work, a fruit, or a grace, of the Spirit, is the worker of the Spirit in us, for he works holiness in the soul. Blessed be Almighty God, who hath opened my blind eyes to see, and breathed eternal life into my senseless soul to feel, the operations of his Spirit, and the dominion of his grace; and to see through the dark and iniquitous designs of such authors, and such arch deceptions, as these! To speak without lightness, and without prejudice, I have read this book till my hair has moved upon

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