poor, and it is a fact that the poor do understand them, whilst the vain disputers of this world* are bewildered in their own mazes, and, by the just judgement of God, are taken in their own craftiness." (p. 67, l. 24.) + "Now you can speculate, and dispute, and speak with confidence of the justness of your views;.... but, if you hold fast any of the foregoing delusions, you will not find them so satisfactory in a dying hour as you imagine. Doubts like these will arise in your mind. "What if my fancied goodness, which I am blending with my Redeemer's righteousness, should prove a refuge of lies?”§' (p. 80, l. 21.) "If we look to fact and experience, who are the persons at this day that are accounted righteous over much; and are represented as making the way to heaven so strait that none. but themselves can walk in it? Is it among the declaimers about good works that we must look for those persons? No, but among those who renounce all dependence on their own works, and seek for salvation by Christ alone." (p. 76, l. 25.)—Hence, as "what every body says must be true," we learn demonstratively these two things :-first, that all Mr. Simeon's opponents; are very wicked ;-secondly, that he, and those who think with him, are all very good. But Mr. Simeon is not contented with anathematizing his antagonists in his own proper person and authority; he employs * Namely, Mr. Simeon's opponents. This is the passage referred to in the text, (p. 92, l. 15,) and that no part of its beauties may be lost, it may be remarked that the phraseology of it was originally used by the Apostle Paul in reference to the captious and perverse philosophers of the schools of Greece, who opposed the Gospel when preached by himself: of course, then, it is here applied by Mr. Simeon with singular felicity, propriety, and accuracy, to describe the character of such persons as call in question the correctness of his own opinions. "Delusion"-any creed. doctrine not to be found in Mr. Simeon's $ "Lie"-whatever Mr. Simeon does not believe. * a much more tremendous engine to hurl them to destruction, and actually introduces the sovereign Judge of the world as dealing out, at the last day, a sentence of eternal condemnation on all who dare to dispute the accuracy of his tenets.-"It is an easy matter, (he says,) to adopt an opinion, and to maintain it in opposition to the most convincing statements; but we cannot change the truth of God, nor, when we have passed into the eternal world, can we come back to rectify our errors. We may laugh at the new birth, and persuade ourselves that we have no need to be alarmed at the declarations of our Lord Jesus Christ in relation to it, but we cannot make him open the kingdom of heaven to us when once the door is shut; we may knock and say, "Lord, I thought my baptism was sufficient;"+ but he will say, "Depart, I never knew you: my words were plain enough if you had desired to understand them, but you did not choose to let go your beloved lusts; you did not choose to give yourselves up to me in newness of heart and life, and therefore you would believe any lie rather than comply with my word:§ depart therefore, and reap for ever the fruit of your own delusions." (p. 54, l. 23.) It is quite impossible to go beyond this, and here therefore we shall end our quotations, conceiving that the object, which was proposed in citing them, is by this time abundantly answered. We cannot however conclude, without offering Mr. Simeon one parting caution, which is, that, if he should ever hereafter be called upon by his opponents, (as they are by him,) to “bring forth," in "justification" of himself and his opinions, “a work"-" one single work”—and "one that has no defect,' he would not produce that, which he has just published, “An appeal to men of wisdom and candour," for it does not appear * Such as are made by Mr. Simeon, that is. + A speech very kindly prepared by Mr. Simeon, and put into the mouths of his opponents. (see note 15.) Especially with Mr. Simeon's comment. § As interpreted by Mr. Simeon. to be entirely "perfect" even in principle, and still less in spirit. But, to be serious on a serious subject-it is indeed to be deeply regretted that a person, who can speak so reasonably and charitably, as Mr. Simeon does,* on the maintenance of moderation and candour in the management of religious enquiries, should in his own example, and almost in the same breath, have completely violated all the rules, for the observation of which he so properly contends: but it is one thing to inform others how they ought to act, in reference to ourselves, and another to conduct ourselves towards them conformably to such advice. *See note 21. THE END. MODSON, PRINTER, CAMBRIDGE. |