transpired! But away with such sophisms, which would an nihilate the infinite knowledge of God, in order to preserve unimpaired the inconsistent "creeds and commandments of men He "whose ey never sleeps," and the range of whose vision is co-extensive with his own immensity, hath not put the eternal interests of his creatures beyond his ken or placed them upon "the hazard of a die." The inful. ibility of his knowledge will secure the end designed by in. finite goodness.

4 The infinite Power of God can bring to a successful issue his purposes of Love towards the human family. Between the several attributes of Jehovah, there must, moreo ver, be a perfect harmony of design and concert of action, or else disatisfaction and discord will ensue in the eternal councils, and imperfection must be allowed there to exist.

A house divided against itself cannot stand." We there fore are compelled to admit that the power of the Almighty will be called into exercise in obedience to this sovereign will and pleasure. What goodness suggests will be consum. mated by the power of God, according to the plans of his wis'dom. That Deity can do all that we believe he will accomplish is not however disputed. His might, it is conceded, is able to do its work and "none can stay his hand." But this is in a physical sense. Morally, it is supposed, God is unable to do every thing he might otherwise do. He 'cannot deny himself. He cannot save the sinner except on his own terms. He cannot forget the claims of his honor and justice and the dignity of his laws. He cannot force the creature to accept his mercy and grace. granted, if you please, and what then? No one pleads for the exercise of God's physical power to perform moral impos. sibilities. Nevertheless, the moral power of God can do all for which we ask by moral means; and we have the assurance too, that the people of God "shall be willing in the day of his power." Let us hear no more then about Jehovah hedging himself about with difficulties which he cannot re'move, as such notions are unworthy the character of an Al mighty and Allwise Divinity.

All this is

5. The immutability of Jehovah is a strong proof of the accomplishment of his original purposes of mercy towards a world of mankind. The Almighty is unchangeable in his na. ture and in his purposes. "He is of one mind and none can

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turn him." "With him is no variableness or shadow of turn. ing." "I am the Lord, I change not," saith he, by the mouth of his prophet. This immutability secures the plans of Deity from fluctuation or alteration. It falsifies the opin ion that the evil deeds of men have compelled him to devise a new and different system of providence from that original. ly instituted. It denies the possibility of God being to day a God of Love and to-morrow a Being of wrath. It renders ît certain that infinite benevolence can never-change to im. placable hatred. If God then is Love, he must ever have been so, and will ever so remain. If God ever loved the the creature he will always love him. If the sinner was ever the object of divine benevolence, from that Love nothing shall ever be able to separate him, "neither heighth, nor depth, things present, nor things to come, nor any other crea ture." The eternal Truth of Jehovah is pledged to bless his creatures, and "God is not a man that he should lie, or the Son of man that he should repent; Hath he said it, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" How strange indeed is it, that an Almighty, selfexistent and independent Being should be supposed to be so influenced by the acts of his creatures, as one moment to be blown into a whirlwind of wrath, and the next, to be placified into kindness and compassion! The thing is impossible. 6. The salvation of all men is consistent with the justice of God. This justice has for its object the removal of eve ry thing which is opposed to the rectitude of the divine nature. It is set to preserve the law of God from violation and to restore it when broken. It is appointed to bring back the wayward and unjust and unrighteous creature to a state of virtue, justice and righteousness, or to make him pure and holy and just. And how can these objects ever be accom• plished on any other supposition than universal holiness and happiness? To send the sinner to an endless hell would on

ly be perpetuating him in injustice and unholiness, instead of purifying and reforming him. For the unjust to be sentenced to everlasting perdition would only ensure the continued violation of the law of God, and forever make it impossible for God's justice to be satisfied. By the supposition aforesaid this attribute of Deity is, moreover, entirely destroyed. It has claims on the singer which can never, by the nature of the case, be fully cancelled. The inflictions of its penalty are being constantly endured, but without advancing a single step towards the satisfaction it demands! We have not so learned the matter. On the contrary, God's justice must be satisfied-his law of love must be fulfilled in every iota, and this being accomplished, it follows as a truth of mathe matical certainty, that no unjust being will continue to exist in the universe, but that all will be brought into willing obedi. ence to the law of love divine.

7. God's holiness will secure universal holiness among the creatures of his power. This perfection cannot be content always to look upon sin and unholiness, but must operate to the removal, finally, of every thing which is radically oppo sed to its own nature. God's hatred of sin will effect the removal of it from his dominions, and his love for sinners will cause him to deliver them from the thraldom of iniquity. So, at least, we judge, unless it can be made to appear that a Being of perfect holiness will suffer a hateful thing always to exist in his presence, when he had the power to remove it. Let it be remembered too that" without holiness no man shall see the Lord.". When then it is discovered by what process God can make any of his sinful creatures fit subjects of his kingdom, by the same process may all eventually be prepared for the like destiny.

8. The salvation of all men is consistent with the glory of Jehovah. The declarative glory of God is supposed to have been one of the designs of the creation of man. As saith the Presbyterian Confession of Faith, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." Allowing this to be true, in what way can man best fulfil this end of his creation? Let the Psalmist answer the question: "Whoso offereth praise glori fieth me," (Ps. 1. 23.) Of the same purport is the language

of Christ to his disciples, in John xv. 8.-"Herein is my Fa ther glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my di sciples," and again, in Math. v. 16, he exhorts them to "let their light so shine before men, that others seeing their good works may glorify their Father who is in heaven." Ac. cordingly, the Christian life best exhibits the glory of God, The branches of the vine which bear much fruit best show forth the character of the parent stalk, and those who abide in Christ, who is the choice vine, and are nourished and protected under the benign influence of his grace and gospel, will produce much of the fruits of righteousness. Thus will the praise or Glory of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be most richly displayed by the creatures he has made. Inseparably connected, however, with the exhibition of "good works," with the bearing "much fruit" and the offering of praise and thanksgiving, is the happiness of those who are thus employed. If any are forever miserable, they cannot give praise to the Author of their existence. The emotion of gratitude is not enkindled on the altar of the heart, unless in return for favors received and blessings enjoyed. Nor can the sinner, who continues in his rebellion, declare the glory of his Maker,, for an Apostle has said, "we have all -sinned and come short of the glory of God,”—implying, that as far as men have sinned, so far have they failed to exhibit the excellence and praise of their Creator; and also, that 'those who are sinners forever, (if such there be, as the doctrine of endless misery suppose,) will forever fail to ensure the end of their creation, which was to glorify God." Now, if this be true, there has been some failure in the purposes of the Almighty! He has been disappointed in one of his objects in creation, and instead of hearing the triumphant shout of a ransomed universe, proclaiming "Glory to God in the highest," the dolorous groans, lamentations and blasphemies of damned spirits re-echo his inglorious defeat throughout the dark and dismal caverns of hell! But such an event is impossible. On the contrary, we have the assurance that universal praise shall be paid to the Most High. “All thy works shall praise thee, Oh Lord."

9. Universal salvation is in accordance with the impartiality of God's benevolence as displayed throughout his works. No where in nature are there traces of a partial God. The sun of heaven shines alike upon the evil and the goodand the rains and dews distil equally upon the just and the unjust. The common blessings of Providence are enjoyed by high and low. rich and poor. All are brought into the world under similar circumstances of natural endowment and possessed of the same means of physical enjoyment. All are fed at the same table-tread the same variegated carpet spread out before them-breathe the same air, and walk under the same glorious star-spangled and jewel-decked firmament. "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." If therefore, God has been impartial in his temporal blessings, why may we not suppose that he will be equally so in the distribution of the "riches of his grace." To use the language of another, "if there is no partiality in the primary and essential gift of existence; in life considered as a whole; in the minor properties and felicities of our natures; in our senses; in our intellectual and moral faculties; in the gratification, of which they are respectively the source; if all these great blessings agree in this important circumstance that they are instruments of enjoyment to all, it must follow that there is no partiality in the distribution of moral and spiritual good."

10. From the nature of man a substantial argument is derived, in favor of his ultimate restoration to holiness and happiness. He is the last and most perfect work of the Almighty, is endowed with superior powers and faculties, made capable of communing with the author of his existence, and to him has been given dominion and superiority over al the rest of the creatures which inhabit the earth. Take this fact in connexion with the admission, that all things of an inferior order to men auswer the precise purpose for which they were created, and it will be difficult to conceive why