sion, used by R. Barclay the Apologist-they are not only convinced of sin, and inclined to righteousness, but the Redeemer lays hold on them, and would raise them out of their pollutions, and free them from every entanglement, if they, on their part, only will not resist the operations of this redeeming power. But if they refuse to be thus separated from their corruptions-if they resist the hand thus laid upon them in adorable goodness-the consequence must be their own. The blackest crime that marks the depravity of man, is committed in a few moments. Nor was it a protracted period formerly, in which the Jews rejected the Messiah, and put Him to the death of the cross; and this as effectually sealed their condemnation, as if they had been employed in it for ages. And thus it is of all others. If they reject and destroy the life of Jesus in themselves, the act is complete in itself, whether it be done in a short or protracted period of time. They make that separation between God and their own souls, which must continue for ever. How preposterous would have been the idea, that because the chief priests and rulers of the Jews condemned and crucified our Lord in the short space of a few hours, it would therefore have been consistent with the attributes of the Deity, to allow them the opportunity of going over the whole transaction again. And yet it would be as inconsistent with the Divine Character, to permit this to be done spiritually, as outwardly : for it is as really a crucifying of the Lord Jesus, as that which was perpetrated by the Jews without the gates of Jerusalem.

How awful is the consideration of this important subject! to despise and reject the heavenly visitation, and finally destroy the only possible means of salvation! The measure of grace thus given to each individual as the means of salvation, is the purchase of Christ's death. If this is destroyed, is Christ again to suffer in the flesh? or did the

apostle say truly that "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking-for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Heb. x. 27. Hence the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the eternal duration of its consequences.

How short, how fleeting, are the moments of vanity, and how low the gratifications, for which the dreadful penalty is incurred, "Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels!" Matt. xxv. 41. How shocking to reflect with what wild infatuation, thousands are spurning the offers of Redeeming Love and eternal felicity, and rushing headlong, in the pursuit of delusive objects, to the abyss of ruin!

But, on the other hand, it is a cheering, animating reflection, that the Christian warfare will soon be over, "Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me." And how sweet is the responding language"Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" Well might the apostle say: "The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." Rom. viii. 18.

Let us then, warned by the dreadful consequences of disobedience, and animated by the hopes of the Gospel, press through every crowd of difficulties; looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God:" Heb. xii. 2. and who has promised: "To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with Me in my throne: even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Rev. iii. 21.

CHAPTER III.

OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF GRACE, OR, THE POSSIBILITY OF SALVATION TO ALL MEN.

We believe that salvation, through Jesus Christ, is freely offered to all men. The Gospel is emphatically good tidings of great joy-embracing all people in its blessed operation. For "as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin-and so death passed upon all men;" Rom. v. 12. so all men stood (or stand) in need of a Saviour. And as the disease or "death" reached to all men, so the remedy which was provided, reached also unto all. To this the Scriptures bear ample testimony in divers places. For they expressly declare, that, "As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. xv. 22. And "As, by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so, by the righteousness of One, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Rom. v. 18.

The declaration to the children of Israel, as delivered by Moses, in Deut. xxx. 19, is very striking: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." The 18th chapter of Jeremiah, contains the following declaration: "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to pull down, and to destroy it: if that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom,

to build and to plant it, if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them." v. 7-10. The 18th and 33rd chapters of Ezekiel, are almost entirely taken up with declarations of the same kind.

Our Lord himself declared: "God so loved the world, that He sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And, as if to put the subject beyond all doubt, He added: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John iii. 15, 17. "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John ii. 2.

"The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man, to profit withal." 1 Cor. xii. 7.

"That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John i. 9.

As the Divine image was lost by transgression, the means of redemption were provided. And as "God is no respecter of persons," those means must have been applicable to all who stood in need of them. Else the remedy was inadequate to the occasion, which we cannot suppose, and which the apostle strongly disproves. The whole human family stood in the same relation to their Creator. They were equally His by creation, and they were equally in need of his Redeeming Love, without which none could be saved. And as "the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works," Ps. cxlv. 9, He left none destitute of the interposition of his saving grace: "for,' says the apostle, "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." Tit. ii. 11. And, as saith the Scripture, "Christ died for all." 2 Cor. v. 15.

The apostle very strongly reasons from analogy, in Rom. v. that as the effects of Adam's transgression ex

tends to all men, so the benefits of Christ's coming are equally extensive.

If then the premises and conclusion of the apostle are true, it must be admitted that those who never heard the history of Adam's transgression, are affected by it. (Vide Original and Present State of Man.) And who will deny this, since the proneness to sin, and the practice of sin, are abundantly prevalent among those who are destitute of this knowledge? For the grand enemy of man's happiness is not limited in his operations, to any class of the human family. And upon every principle of sound reasoning we must also admit, that the apostle was equally correct in maintaining, that the benefits of Christ's coming were as extensive. If the one was not confined to the historical knowledge of the remotely inducing or procuring cause, why should the other be? The one was a spiritual malady, the other a spiritual remedy. The one originated in the malice of the archenemy-the other emanated from the Love of God. And who will say that the malady could extend to subjects to whom the remedy could not be applied or that Satan, being able to carry on his work without being limited to external means, has completely fortified himself in a large proportion of the human family, by keeping out the historical knowledge of certain facts, without which outward knowledge, the love of God in Christ Jesus could not be extended to them?

We believe that the Power and Goodness of the Almighty are not limited to external means-that, though He condescends to make use of instruments, yet no flesh can glory in his presence. The Divine language through the prophet Isaiah, is peculiarly striking: "I looked, and behold there was no man; and I wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore mine own arm brought salvation." Thus it is that He looks upon those who have none to help them, and thus He interposes his own almighty arm for

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