hou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die_, Gen. ii. 17. And you'll say, a judge
does a malefactor no injury in condemning him, when by the law he is
found guilty of death, _and cursed is every one who confirmeth not all
the words of this law to do them_, Deut. xxvii. 26.; and much less the
supreme Judge of all, who can do nothing wrong to any, in condemning
man, _for the wages of sin is death_, Rom. vi. 13. _and hath not the
potter power over the clay_, &c.--And finally, if the first Adam's
posterity be thus naturally endued with a power to do that which is
spiritually good, pray what need was there for the second Adam to die to
quicken his elect, Eph. ii. 1.; indeed we are commanded to repent and
turn from our iniquities, _turn ye, turn ye, and live_, Ezek. xxxiii.
11. and ye _will not come unto me that ye might have life_, John v. 40.
But who, excepting a bold Arminian, will say, that these texts imply a
natural power in man to turn, come or not as he pleases. If this were
the case, the same Spirit of God would not have said elsewhere, _Draw me
and we will run after thee; turn thou us, and we shall be turned_, Cant.
i. 4. Jer. xxxi. 18; _surely after I was turned, I repented_, ver. 19;
it was not before I was turned I repented: No, this command and
complaint only points out our duty, but the prayers and promises in the
word shew us our ability for the performance thereof. And yet after all,
proud ignorant man must needs be his own Saviour, and if God say not so
too, Cain will be wroth and his countenance fall, Gen. iv. 5. _But let
the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth; but we unto him
that striveth with his Maker._

[16] Mr John Dickson in a letter while prisoner in the Bass.

[17] See Josephus _de bello Jud._ lib. v. and vi.; and of this
destruction Eusebius lib. iii. chap. 6.; and the life of Titus
Vespasian.

[18]
Well may we tremble now! what manners reign?
But wherefore ask we? when a true reply
Would shock too much. Kind heaven, avert events,
Whose fatal nature might reply too plain!
---- Vengeance delay'd but gathers and ferments;
More formidably blackens in the wind,
Brews deeper draughts of unrelenting wrath,
And higher charges the suspended storm.

Young's NIGHT THOUGHTS.

[19] Here Christ's crown rights not only became the word of their
testimony, but also the very motto of their civil and military banners,
insomuch as when that gallant Scots army