This, dear Sir, is the triumphant language of every soul that has attained a full assurance of faith. And this assurance can only arise from a belief of GOD’s electing everlasting love. That many have an assurance they are in CHRIST to-day, but take no thought for, or are not assured they shall be in him to-morrow, nay to all eternity, is rather their imperfection and unhappiness, than their privilege. I pray GOD to bring all such to a sense of his eternal love, that they may no longer build upon their own faithfulness, but on the unchangeableness of that GOD, whose gifts and callings are without repentance. For those whom GOD has once justified, he also will glorify. I observed before, dear Sir, it is not always a safe rule to judge of the truth of principles from people’s practice. And therefore, supposing that all who hold universal redemption in your way of explaining it, after they received faith, enjoyed the continual uninterrupted sight of GOD’s countenance, it does not follow, that this is a fruit of their principle: for that I am sure has a natural tendency to keep the soul in darkness for ever; because the creature thereby is taught, that his being kept in a state of salvation, is owing to his own free will. And what a sandy foundation is that for a poor creature to build his hopes of perseverance upon? Every relapse into sin, every surprize by temptation, must throw him “into doubts and fears, into horrible darkness, even darkness that may be felt.” Hence it is, that the letters which have been lately sent me by those who hold universal redemption, are dead and lifeless, dry and inconsistent, in comparison of those I receive from persons on the contrary side. Those who settle in the universal scheme, though they might begin in the Spirit, (whatever they may say to the contrary) are ending in the flesh, and building up a righteousness founded on their own free will: whilst the others triumph in hopes of the glory of GOD, and build upon GOD’s never-failing promise, and unchangeable love, even when his sensible presence is withdrawn from them. But I would not judge of the truth of election, by the experience of any particular persons: if I did (O bear with me in this foolishness of boasting) I think I myself might glory in election. For these five or six years I have received the witness of GOD’s Spirit; since that, blessed be GOD, I have not doubted a quarter of an hour of a saving interest in JESUS CHRIST: but with grief and humble shame I do acknowledge, I have fallen into sin often since that. Though I do not, dare not allow of any one transgression, yet hitherto I have not been (nor do I expect that while I am in this present world I ever shall be) able to live one day perfectly free from all deficits and sin. And since the scriptures declare, “That there is not a just man upon earth,” no, not among those of the highest attainments in grace, “that doeth good and sinneth not;” we are sure that this will be the case of all the children of GOD. The universal experience and acknowledgment of this among the godly in every age, is abundantly sufficient to confute the error of those who hold in an absolute sense, _that after a man is born again he cannot commit sin_; especially, since the Holy Ghost condemns the persons who say they have no sin, as deceiving themselves, as being destitute of the truth, and making GOD a liar, _1 John_ i. 8, 10. I have been also in heaviness through manifold temptations, and expect to be often so before I die. Thus were the Apostles and primitive christians themselves. Thus was _Luther_, that man of GOD, who, as far as I can find, did not peremptorily, at least, hold election; and the great _John Arndt_ was in the utmost perplexity but a quarter of an hour before he died, and yet he was no predestinarian. And if I must speak freely, I believe your fighting so strenuously against the doctrine of election, and pleading so vehemently for a sinless perfection, are among the reasons or culpable causes, why you are kept out of the liberties of the gospel, and from that full assurance of faith which they enjoy, who have experimentally tasted, and daily feed upon GOD’s electing, everlasting love.
But perhaps you may say, that _Luther_ and _Arndt_ were no christians, at least very weak ones. I know you think meanly of _Abraham_, though he was eminently called the friend of GOD; and, I believe, also of _David_, the man after GOD’s own heart. No wonder, therefore, that in a letter you sent me not long since, you should tell me, “that no baptist or presbyterian writer whom you have read, knew any thing of the liberties of CHRIST.” What! neither _Bunyan_, _Henry_, _Flavel_, _Halyburton_, nor any of the _New-England_ and _Scots_ divines. See, dear Sir, what narrow spiritedness and want of charity arise from your principles, and then do not cry out against election any more on account of its being “destructive of meekness and love.”