vain in the wisest of men; and to vindicate the Almighty, he needeth it not. That there is an election of grace we cannot deny ; but how to reconcile this doctrine with that," there is no respect of persons with God," or that "he will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth," when we know, that "he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth," we are in some difficulty. But of this we may assure ourselves, that the ways and dealings of the Almighty with respect to mankind, as well as with respect to the universe at large, must be right and good, and in harmony with all his attributes and divine perfections. Any apparent impropriety of procedure, therefore, must be apparent only, not real, for with the Lord is absolute perfection. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do that which is right ?"-(Genesis xviii. 25,) Is it rational to suppose, that an infinitely wise Being, who so directs and governs the universe, that neither this earth, nor any of the other spheres or planets, have ever yet been known to mistake one second of time in any of their periodical revolutions,—is it rational, I say, to suppose that this all-wise and perfect Being would err only in regard to man, the most noble and intelligent of all his earthly creatures? And that this aberration, so awful in the case of mankind (permitted or ordained) should, as it respected the great bulk of the human race, never be repaired in time, nor in eternity?-It surely cannot be.

I think I can say, with truth, that I have examined the Scriptures, with a mind unbiased with prejudice. I have, to the best of my poor abilities, studied the Divine character, both as developed in Nature, Revelation, and in his moral government of the world: And unless it be on the plan of UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION, I cannot reconcile God with himself, nor with the scriptures, nor with reason, truth, impartiality, and justice. On this plan only, can I perceive a perfect consistency in his character,-his attributes to harmonize, and the scriptures to be intelligeable, and free from contradiction. Under any other view, we cannot possibly receive the scriptures as a whole, and make God in any measure reconcileable therewith? For instance: if all mankind, with the exception of the few elect only, are to be left to the devil for a prey, to all duration, how can the scripture be true which sayeth, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil ?"-(1 John iii. 8.) How can the scrip

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ture be true which say, "God sent not his Son to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved?”. (John iii. 16, 17.) How can it be true that," 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?” (Romans v. 18.) The all here included under the sentence of "condemnation," are expressely the very same all that are included under the "justification of life;"—that is all mankind without exception. Again-how can it be true that "the Father sent his son to be the Saviour of the world?" (1 John iv14.) That he came not to judge (or condemn) the world, but to save the world?" (John xii. 47.) In short, under any other view of the subject, how can he be "the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world?" I know that many who are contented just to think, and to speak, as others do, will tell us, that the salvation mentioned in these and other passages, is confined to what they are pleased to call the elect world. But the term "world," uniformly, in scripture respects the non-elect; in contradistinction from the elect. To confine this, therefore, to what they call the elect world, must be a human invention, no such world being found in the Bible. Yet these persons,

at the same time that they are, themselves, speaking a language at variance with the general scope and spirit of the scriptures-these persons, I say, forgetful of their own ignorance, error, and prejudice, will caution us, with an air of seriousness, "not to be wise above that which is written," as if they expressed nothing, but the unerring word of truth.-But to return :

Under any other view than that of universal reconciliation, how can it be true, that the Lord" shall bring again the captivity of the Sodomite," (Ezekial xvi. 53.) which Sodomites are said to be "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire," (Jude 7.) Again,how can it be true that, "he by the grace of God should taste death for every man," (Hebrews ii. 9.)—" that he gave his life a ransom for all, (Ephesians i. 10.)-that "God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all," and that "through him, and to him are all things," (Romans xi. 32. 36.) If the elect only are to be saved, and all the world besides, not only now in existence, but who have lived throughout all ages of it, are to be doomed to never-ending misery,-how can he be emphatically styled, "the God of salvation,”- "the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins

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of the world?"-How could his birth be announced as good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people?" (Luke ii. 10.) Let us therefore admit the truth of God, that as all things were created for his pleasure, (Rev. iv. 11.); and as " he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.);" therefore, sin and all its consequences must ultimately give place to endless life; because the design of the Creator cannot, nor will it be frustrated. "God our saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim) ii. 3.)," will doubtless carry this into effect, in due time; for," he doth according to his will,”—“ to him, as the Lord liveth, every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and in the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that JESUS CHRIST is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." And, "having made peace through the blood of the cross, by him to reconcile things unto himself, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven," there shall then be an universal subjection, reconciliation, and obedience of all his creatures unto him, "by whom were all things created that are in heaven, and in earth and under the earth, visible and invisible; whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers." From all which it is evident, that the reconciliation will be equally extensive as the creation of God. Wide and extensive as are his dominions, so wide and extensive shall his benevolence be; his goodness and mercy shall be "over all his works," which he hath made.

If then we consider the elect (as the scriptures represent them to be), as only the earnest of the Redeemer's inheritance, or “the first fruits" of a glorious harvest; they" being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that they might be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ," (Gal. i. 12, 13.) in that case we can make sense of those scriptures, which would otherwise be unintelligable, namely, that the "living God is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe," (Tim. iv. 10.) That "he is the propitiation, for our sins (the elect), and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (the non-elect). In this sense we can understand how he " gave himself a ransom for many" (the elect), and also how he " gave himself a ransom for all," or the non-elect.— But, indeed, the very styling of the elect the "first fruits of his creature," (James. i. 18.) "the first fruits unto God and to the

Lamb," (Rev. xiv. 4. and other places), implies a future ingathering of his harvest of mankind. Let those who attempt to overthrow this blessed doctrine, by other passages which they have garbled, to suit their purpose, try what they can make of the following passage, (2 Peter ii. 1.) where we read of men, "who privily shall bring in damnable heresies; even denying the Lord who bought them.” Ver. 3. "Whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." Here we see that men whom the Lord bought are to be subjected to damnation, or the punishment of hell; and since he bought some who suffer dampation, may he not, on the same principle, have bought all who undergo that punishment? Again :-The scriptures uniformly represent the salvation by Christ, as greater than the evil introduced by the fall of Adam; that "where sin abounded, grace did (or shall) much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord," (Rom. v. 20, 21.) In short, that "for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil ;" and how could he be manifested for this very purpose, or how can grace be said to abound much more than sin, if the devil is to retain the greater part of mankind, as a prey, to all duration? According to this doctrine the "reign of sin and death" would be much more extensive than the " reign of through righteousness unto eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord," and the devil would have the victory over the Saviour. But this, though called orthodoxy, cannot be called gospel or good news, or “glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people;" and, blessed be God, it is not the doctrine of the Bible.

grace

To profess to believe, concerning God, that he “taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked," that "his tender mercies are over all his works," (Psalm cxlv. 8, 9.)—and, that “he delighteth in mercy," (Micah vii. 18.) and yet to believe that his redeeming mercy shall never extend to any, but a comparatively small number of his children of mankind, is, to say the least of it, something like an absurdity. And to represent God (as many of the zealously orthodox do), as "calling the countless millions of non-elect into existence, under circumstances which secure their absolute and never-ending misery, while all the temporal mercies he bestows, are only to prepare them as sheep for worse than the slaughter, and all the offers of the gospel a mere mock, to aggravate their

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misery, while he has secured their endless damnation by an irrevocable decree," is certainly any thing but God-like. Such sentiments, however qualified, ascribe to the father of our spirits, the awful procedure of prosecuting a work, worse than that of vanity, to all duration, "as if constrained by a law which he was bound in honour to fulfil; and thus degrading him below the kings of the Medes and Persians, who sometimes, from want of foresight, passed irrevocable laws, in which were involved the lives of their nearest and dearest friends." We have fully admitted that (confounding as it is) no doctrine is more clearly taught in Scripture than that of election. But let the elect be entreated not to regard the nonelect as abandoned by their Creator, and irrecoverably doomed to endless perdition. For, while it is said, he will "save the tents of Judah first," which represent the elect, it is also said he will save the whole house of Israel," which represent the non-elect, (Zech. xii. 17.) What I complain of, as one of the greatest obstacles to "the unity of the spirit," among christians is, a disposition to select those passages, and to view that side of the question only which suit their pre-conceited opinions, and a proneness to carry every thing to extremes. It is a sure sign that one's mind is wrapped in prejudice, when he cannot receive the scriptures as a whole,-when he manifests a disposition to cleave, as it were, to some parts that appear to support his favourite opinions and prejudices, and reject, or enter with reluctance on others that run counter to them.

It has been admitted that there are difficulties, in scripture, which are not easily overcome. Nor can these difficulties, in many instances, possibly be overcome, or reconciled, upon any other ground than that of universal redemption. Why startle at this? or why hesitate to admit a doctrine, at once scriptural, and fraught with such glory to God in the highest, and good will and benevolence to men? The great wonder rather is, that perishing sinners, instead of hailing it with rapturous joy, cling to that of endless torments; which can only be accounted for, on the score of education and prejudice. Those, however, who cannot, or will not admit this heavenly and benevolent doctrine, cannot, as we said, reconcile their scripture difficulties, in accordancy with the general scope and spirit of the gospel revelation. To such, I would say, if you will not admit the truth of God, or rather if you do not yet perceive it, it would be much better to confess your ignorance, than make