power of those discoveries of Christ, which would attract the heart to him.

2. There is a voluntary impotence, the heart being so averse on account of its pride, love of sin and the world, as well as indolence, that the man cannot find it in his heart to go to him to "take his yoke and learn of him."

3. The condemnation is grounded on the latter, inasmuch as the sinner does not actually apply his mind to the things of Christ, to the utmost of his ability; there is not a due improvement of his natural faculties in the use of means for the discharge of his duty towards God."

To conclude.-We see then, that, however man may attempt to evade the criminal charge of disobedience to the gospel, as well as of disobedience to the law, that the reasons of such disobedience lie with himself; and since it is the positive act of his own mind, voluntary, and in stubborn opposition to all the means of information with which he is favoured, and to all the motives by which such means are urged upon his attention; also that, after all, he will neither avoid the hindrances to, or use the helps for belief, we see that he is awfully criminal, and as such condemnable !*

Wisdom has stood and cried-cried repeatedlycried earnestly,-" How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my

*A man is drowning: a kind friend on the shore plunges into the water, and offers his help. Suppose he perversely refused help : would he not be chargeable with his own death?

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reproof: behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." In the case above described, then, can any one wonder at the language that follows? "Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you.-Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.' And why all this? The reason is given a second time: "For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof." And what shall be their punishment? "That they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." And can they find fault with that? Ah! the only relief for a sinner, convicted in his own conscience that such is his deserved fate, and who yet lives crying for mercy, is in that sovereign goodness which in our Second Part we shall declare. But the above is the language of government-of a government equitable-of a government benevolent too-of a government "holy, just, and good."

REFLECTIONS ON THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS.

On reviewing the last two chapters, what must we

say?

1. Let God be justified, although man be thus

condemned. In addition to the TESTIMONY that has been borne for God under the several administrations of his government, heathen, Jew, and Christian, as in a preceding chapter, we would remark as follows :—

"God is love." Yet it is love of that which is in itself lovely, or worthy of love, in the view of a perfect being; but, if we are unlovely, that is our fault, not his "God is love" still. "God is light;" but if we, like owls and bats, withdraw from the light, it is our fault: God is light still. "God is a sun,'

and he cheers and renders fruitful the heart that receives his rays; but if we turn away from those rays, the fault is ours, that we are in a state of gloom and sterility: God is a sun still. The same sun that renders the seed on the good ground fruitful, scorches and withers that on the rocky ground: but who finds fault with the sun for these results? The sun may be a sun, without a spot too, still. All that can be expected of God as an equitable and beneficent King, under a government that is probationary, is, to do all that he can do by way of means and motives to preserve order, and promote happiness in his kingdom. And then, if this fail, blame must attach to the subjects, not to the King. And, "what more could have been done, that he has not done?" If any thing more be done, it must be done, not on the footing of equity, but of sovereign goodness.

2. Let man be condemned, or rather, let him condemn himself. Judged in the court of works by the "law of works," he is found guilty of disobedience. Judged in the court of faith, by the "law of faith" he is found guilty of disobedience there also. Let him

then clear his Creator and King, and condemn himself. Having been proved to humble him, and to make him know himself, let him be humbled and know himself. And since an additional dispensation of sovereign "goodness" is revealed in the Bible, let him seek relief in that sovereign "goodness."

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3. God, as "possessor" and "Lord of heaven and earth" has a right, under such circumstances of man's failure and stubborn disobedience, to shew mercy, or to leave in the hands of justice or equity, " as it seemeth him good," or, according to the good pleasure of his will." After having been dishonoured as an equitable and beneficent King, he has a right to show his power as a gracious Sovereign. After having "endured" his subjects with "much long-suffering," he has a right to “show his wrath, and make known his power" on "the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction;" or, "to make known the riches of his glory" on "the vessels of mercy which he hath afore prepared unto glory." While he says to all in equity, Friend, I do thee no wrong," he may say in sovereignty, "May I not do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”

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4. Man's wisdom is-that is, it is right and good under his humiliating circumstances-to acknowledge that "it is of the Lord's mercies that he is not consumed;" and, instead of vindicating himself, to "put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;" hope in another system of efficacious grace and sovereign goodness.

CHAPTER VII.

CONCERNING GOD'S FORESIGHT OF MAN'S FAILURE AND DISOBEDIENCE; AND SHOWING HOW GOD MAKES SUCH FAILURE, &c. WHETHER IN ADAM, OR IN HIS POSTERITY AS UNDER A LAW OF WORKS" OR A

LAW OF FAITH," TO REDOUND TO HIS OWN GLORY, AND TO THE ULTIMATE HAPPINESS OF HIS PEOPLE, OR OF ALL WHO YIELD TO HIS WISDOM AND WILL.

SECTION I.

On God's Foreknowledge of the Volitions or Willings of Men, and, of course, of the Result of the Probationary System.

We have seen that, although the gospel proclamation is made to all men, inviting them to come, they "all with one consent make excuse," choosing rather to remain in their present condition. Now, that such a temper of mind, and that such inclination of the will, was foreseen by God, even from eternity, cannot reasonably be called in question, if we reflect on the following considerations :

1. That to maintain otherwise, would be to limit Him whose “understanding" is said to be unlimited, or "infinite." Moreover, it is said, that "he sees the end from the beginning ;" and that "known unto God are all his works, from the foundation of the world.” But since his works proceed so much in connexion with man's willings, he must, of course, have known them also.

2. To maintain otherwise would set aside the schemes both of providence and prophecy. Now, it so happens that the very word providence signifies foresight; and if God had not foreseen men's volitions