mate, the only food and means of
their spiritual growth, but as the cause of spiritual life in the
unregenerate by being believed. Now, this appears to me a radical and
fundamental error. Food does not give life, though it sustains and
expands it. What he says of the effects of love, in moulding the soul
to the likeness of the object beloved, is most true; but in order to
the existence of this love, not merely faith in God's love seems to be
necessary, nor the reality of the things promised, but such a new
creation in the soul, as shall see a desirableness in it and them.
As we see in nature, when the heart is engaged by one object of
affection, any demonstration of affection from another, which involves
the relinquishment of it, not only does not give pleasure, but
positive pain, though you know its reality, purity, and intensity; the
fact is, the affections are occupied, and there is no place. So it is
by nature with every man, and while he remains in this state, no
knowledge of love, however real, intense, and devoted, when he sees
its tendency to disconnect him from the only source of known
enjoyment, by the substitution of that which he has no senses to
appreciate, will ever be found available. It appears to me, that the
spiritual immortal generation of the second Adam, the Lord from
heaven, is in Scripture represented to be as real and absolute as the
generation from our earthly head, and only invisible from being
spiritual. It has its proper food, its proper growth. Without being
thus begotten from above, though you could display all the beauties of
him who is the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely, though
you could display all the Father's love to the church from the day he
commanded his gathering it, till this day, it would be as powerless as
spreading the most sumptuous banquet before the dead.

With respect to the general design of vindicating the government of
God from the charge of partiality, which I feel to be at the bottom of
Mr. Erskine's views, I do not see that the Lord has committed it to
us, but, whenever in the Old Testament or in the New, he pleads with
his children against their ingratitude, it is from the specialty of
his love. He does not say to the Israelites, I have dealt with you
after a common dealing with all; but, with what nation has the Lord
dealt as with Israel. So, in the New, he says, "I have chosen you, not
you me." In the prayer of our Lord, in John xvii. in the Epistl