be full, affording all manner of store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands, and ten thousands, in our streets; that our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord." God had promised by Moses that they should eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new, Levit. xxvi. 10. And David prays God to send the store promised. And Agur presumed likewise: "Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee; and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain," Prov. xxx. 7-9. But these Old Testament saints had the pre-eminence; it must not be so done in our days, though many of this sort of men take a worse step to get a supply; and others indulge a worse spirit, than that of prayer, in keeping what they have already hoarded up.

I wish Mr. Evans would receive the law from the Saviour's mouth, and lay up his words in his heart, Job xxii. 22. I believe he would find that law to be the law of faith, and that word to be the word of life; and, so far from representing the law of faith as no rule of obedience, he would acknowledge that the everlasting commandment of God calls for such obedience, as it is written,

"Now to him that is of power to establish you, according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ; according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations, for the obedience of the faith."

This circular Letter will never bring glory to God, nor produce any good works in men: nor do I believe that it will ever do honour to the Author, the Judgment of the Association, or the Moderator. I conclude my Address with that distance and respect due to the gentleman and the scholar; and subscribe myself a minister, not of man, nor by man; and, whether a Heretic or an Antinomian, by the grace of God,

I am,

Winchester Row, Paddington,

July 26, 1789.

What I am,

W. H. S. S.

A WORD TO THE READER.

COURTEOUS READER,

Ir is not my intention to justify or vindicate the person, character, life, preaching, or writings, of every one who is called an Antinomian. I will defend no sort of Antinomians but such as are born again of the Holy Ghost, who live under the dominion of grace, and whose conduct and conversation are agreeable to the measure of faith received.

Those who allow of no prayer for temporal things, who allow of any salvation in popery, who deny a second application of the blood of sprinkling, who speak lightly of prayer, and talk of the fatherly severity of God being no punishment to his children, I have nothing to do with; for these notions are as false as the Bible is true.

The point which I insist upon is, that the nature of the law, which is holy, just, and good; together with its requirements, love to God and our neighbour; are secured in the purpose of God, the covenant of grace, the fulness of Christ, and the hand of the Spirit; and are produced in the souls of all God's elect by the operations of the Holy Ghost. And, although the Rod out of Zion includes both the nature and demands of the inferior rod of Moses, yet these two ministrations must not be jumbled together. God hath two

covenants; the one of works, and the other of grace these are called, the law of works, and the law of faith. The one is a ministration of condemnation, the other of salvation. One is a ministry of the letter, the other of the Spirit. One is a voice of words, the other the word of life. These must be kept apart. The law is not of faith, but of works; nor is faith of the law, but of grace. The one was graven on tables of stone, and written on parchment; the other is put in the mind, and written on the heart. The former was a law of the hand, and might be put in the pocket; the latter is put in the mind, and kept in the heart. The former is the strength of sin, the ministration of death, and of condemnation, the latter is the ministration of pardon, reconciliation, righteousness, life, and salvation. He that expects life, sanctification, or perfection, by the works of the law, the reward is reckoned of debt. The law is the labourer's rule; “This do, and thou shalt live." His reward is of works; and if by works, then it is no more of grace. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness: his reward is reckoned of grace, or free bounty; and if by grace, then is it no more of works. In the law, God's will of commandments is made known to the servant, what he will have done, and what he will have left undone; and what may be expected by the servant if the master's will be obeyed. God's will of purpose and of promise is made known by

the Spirit, in the law of faith, to the pre-adopted sons: "Having made known to us the mystery of his will." This good-will of purpose reveals what is to be believed, received, and expected, by the heirs of promise; and all of grace. To the sons it is given to know these mysteries of the kingdom, but not to the servants: "The servant knoweth not what his Lord doth;" to him it is spoken in parables, and the preaching of it is to him foolishness.

These two covenants, these two rules, these two laws, together with the bond woman and the free woman, the child of the flesh and the child of the Spirit, the servant and the son, must be kept asunder by an earnest contention for the faith once delivered to the saints: for there are certain men crept in unawares, who are ever blending these two covenants together by vain jangling, knowing neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. One gospelizes the ministration of the killing letter, while another legalizes the dispensation of the Spirit. One ridicules the sovereignty, impeaches the justice, and contemns the counsel, of his Maker, and debases him to a level with the sinner; while another exalts the free-agency and perfection of the rebel above him. One strips the bond child of his rule, and makes it the only rule of the son's life; another applies God's good-will to the briars and thorns, which are nigh unto cursing, and debases the heir of promise. Thus one dresses up the law, and robs the gospel; the