wives, shall both keep silence in the church; for our faith is not to stand in man's wisdom, but in God's power. Paul never told me to cringe to the heels of old widows, for the sake of a little short stuff to nurse my pride, and indulge my laziness; but bids me beware of that sort of men "which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

The irreverend Mr. Belly of Gravesend, in Kent, had no warrant from Paul, nor any other inspired penman, when he charged the word of God with impurity, and me with taking texts that a modest man would blush at. Paul says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine," &c. 2 Tim. iii. 16; if so, every word of God must be pure, Prov. xxx. 5. Paul never charges a man with endeavouring to swim a city with blood for adhering to, and attempting to declare, the whole counsel of God to sinners. Nor did he ever command the reverend Mr. Pinnershall to call a saved sinner a balloon filled with inflammable air, that was shortly to burst to pieces, instead of the grace of God. Nor did he ever teach you, sir, to take my sermon to pieces, unless you were able to contradict it, or put a better one together.

As far as I am acquainted with Paul, he is altogether against your proceedings, and as opposite to these your doctrines as the Alcoran is to the Bible. He tells us, that all are in the flesh, and bond children, that are under the law; which you say is binding to you. He says that no flesh living shall be justified by the deeds of the law; by which you say you are all to be accountable to God in the great day. You get your food where Paul got his death. You say the law is the food of your minds; but Paul says, I, through the law's commanding and killing power, am dead to the law's empty promise, that I might live unto God, under the Spirit's influence. I am crucified with Christ, by his death in my stead; nevertheless I live, because Christ my life lives; yet not I, but Christ liveth in my heart by faith; "and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God; for, if righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead in vain," Gal. ii. 20, 21. This is Paul's food, though it be not yours.

You establish the law, with all its binding power, upon your own necks, and say you are to be accountable to God by that, which if you are, I say you will be damned; for heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle of the law shall fail. But the saints of God, who are blessed with faithful Abraham, are not under the law, but under grace; and Paul declares of such as have God's love in their hearts, and the righteousness of God on them, that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in them, who walk not after the flesh but

after the spirit, Rom. viii. 1. Paul says that by faith the believer comes to Mount Zion, not to Sinai; to God the judge of all, and to the Mediator of the New Testament, where he is not without the law of love to his reconciled Father, but under a magnified law to Christ, his surety and mediator.

Paul levels the whole contents of the law, as a covenant of works, at such gentlemen as you, who make it the food of your minds, and says, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped," Rom. iii. 19; from boasting, if not with food. Paul knew that God wrought in the saints both to will and to do of his own good pleasure; and that the love of Christ constraineth those that are his, for they receive grace for obedience to the faith; and they find that the grace of God teaches them to deny ungodliness and worldly lust; and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this evil world. Grace destroys the dominion of sin; it reigns not in them, for they are not under the law, but under grace. But these, I find, are doctrines that you know nothing about. Solomon says, that a fool, while he holdeth his peace, shall be accounted a wise But you go on to open your mouth, and I after you to expose your Foolishness.

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honeycomb." Now when he speaks of the word 'you are not to suppose that he excludes the law; ' it would be false, and an antiscriptural idea for

us to entertain in our minds. When he says it ' is sweeter than honey, and more desirable than 'his daily food, he includes the moral law. The 'Psalmist David frequently, and how high, does

'he extol and speak of this law of God? If any person reads the nineteenth Psalm, there David ' tells us that the law is perfect, converts the soul, ' that it enlightens the mind, that it rejoices the 'heart; I say, if any one reads the nineteenth ، Psalm, where David expresseth himself thus con'cerning the law, they would not only be filled ' with impiety, but blasphemy, to suppose that the ' law of God is of no use to us.'

Having chased you out from under Paul's wings, I find you have now taken shelter under the patrimony of Job and David, where I must unkennel you again.

First, with respect to Job. Job knew where to find the law as his friend, which you never have yet. Job knew that the law was against him as a sinner; hence he says, " God hath sewed up mine iniquity in a bag. I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent;" which he could not be if he were accountable to God by the law; for he owned he had sinned, and therefore says, "How should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand." speak of strength, lo! he is strong; and if of judg

"If I

ment, who shall set me a time to plead?" Job saw the contents of God's law, and says, "Put me in a surety with thee;" one that can deliver me from the law, and make peace between God and me; "Neither is there any Day'sman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both." From the curse of the law Job expected to be redeemed, and says, " I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." And by this Surety he expected redemption from the law; and that law, disarmed of its curse and condemning power, he expected to find in the heart of his Day'sman, as the law was put into the ark under the Mosaic economy: hence he calls the Saviour the mercy-seat, where he knew he should be justified and delivered both from the curse of the law, and the vengeance of his Judge: "O that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat; I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. There [namely at the mercy-seat] the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge," Job xxiii. 7. But by your doctrine there is no deliverance; for you frustrate the grace of God, and make void the law of faith.

You say, that the saints are to be accountable to God by the law at the great day. If so, they must perish, for " by the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified." Nor will a saint's best days or best duties stand the scrutiny of the law,