author, by thedestruction of the Canaanites: and the fall of Jericho is made symptomatic of "the preaching of Gospel Ministers," p. 67. After this, I find nothing relating to our argument, till the period of the Babylonish empire. "There were three great and general overturnings of the world to come after this, before Christ came. The first, by the Persians; the second, by the Grecians; and the third, by the Romans," p. 107. But, instead of connecting these political revolutions with the moral and spiritual welfare of mankind, Dr. Edwards represents them as the mere work of the devil!" God suffered the devil to do his utmost, and to establish his interest by setting up the greatest and most glorious kingdoms in the world, before the despised Jesus overthrew him and his empire," p. 109. This is a curious method of connecting sacred with profane history. Even, when he adverts to the various dispersions of the Jews amongst the Heathen, he does not associate them with any benefits to those who led them away captive. Whilst he admits, that it had a beneficial influence on the ultimate success of the Gospel, and on the preaching of the apostles, he never regards it, as having any beneficial influence on contemporary generations. Thus when he alludes to Cyrus, Darius, or Artaxerxes, as fulfilling the divine commands, he does not speak, as if they or their subjects derived any moral or religious advantages. "It was remarkable, that the hearts of Heathen Princes should be so inclined. It was the effect of his power, who hath the hearts of kings in his hands, and turneth them wheresoever he will, and it was a remarkable instance of his favour towards his people," p. 121.

It is characteristic of all such writers, that, when

they relate such extraordinary facts, they view them, not in their effects on those who were contemporary with them, but merely in their final relation to what might take place some ages afterwards. Thus the introduction of the Greek language, and the translation of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, is viewed by Dr. Edwards, not with any reference to those who lived in the age of the Ptolemies, nor to its general effect on the inhabitants of the east; but merely, as it facilitated the preaching of the Gospel in the age of the apostles, p. 127. I request my reader to contrast our view of the Jewish economy, and more especially of its latter period, with such unfeeling and despotic reflections. Sect. xxix-xlvi.

When we arrive at the close of this period, our author makes the following observation; "God did two things to prepare the way for Christ's coming, wherein he took a contrary method to that which human wisdom would have taken. He brought his own visible people very low, and made them weak; but, the Heathen, that were his enemies, he exalted to the greatest height, for the more glorious triumph of the cross of Christ. With a small number, in their greatest weakness, he conquered his enemies in their greatest glory. Thus Christ triumphed over principalities and powers in his cross," p. 133. All this is very wonderful and unaccountable, on the principle of Dr. Edwards; but it is perfectly reasonable and compatible with our argument. It is not true, that the Heathen were viewed by God as his enemies; if so, he must have hated all mankind, except the Jews. Nor is it true, that the devil had usurped the power and prerogatives of God's providence. Nor is it at all

wonderful, that, when the temporary scaffolding of the Jewish economy was to be overthrown, the power of the Gentiles should be augmented, in the very same proportion, as the power of the Jews was diminished. Such misconceptions shew, that Dr. Edwards has altogether mistaken the designs and intentions of the Jewish polity; whilst they throw an additional lustre on every argument for the salvability of Heathen nations.

We have now arrived at that part of Dr. Edwards's History of Redemption, which comprises the period of Christ's stay upon earth. He begins by shewing the necessity of Christ's taking our nature upon him to act as our Mediator; but, by assuming that nature, he became equally related to all mankind; and therefore, it is a direct argument in favour of universal redemption. The same reasoning applies to his subsequent reflections, and particularly to the last, "that the same world which was the stage of man's fall and ruin, should also be the stage of his redemption." p. 146. If so, that stage is the stage of the world. His second head, which relates "to the fulness of time" at which the incarnation took place, is also far better adapted to a scheme, which embraces the whole world, than which is confined to a part. "There could not have been," as he observes, "so fit a time for Christ to come after the flood, before Moses' time; for till then, mankind was not so universally apostatized from the true God; they were not universally fallen into Heathenish darkness," &c. p. 147. All this is undoubtedly true; but it is equally true, on the hypothesis of the salvability of the Gentile world, and it comes with a far better grace, thar on the supposition,

any

that the remedy was delayed for so many ages, without providing for the intermediate and successive wants of "It pleased God," says this author, "that

mankind.

the curse 'dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return,' should have its full accomplishment and be executed, in its greatest degree, on mankind before the Redeemer came to purchase everlasting life for man," p. 147. Alas! that one who could adduce such a comprehensive argument, should not perceive, that it ought to have led to a conclusion no less compre

hensive.

Thirdly, he dwells on the greatness and importance of the incarnation, "When Christ was born, the greatest person was born, that ever was, or ever will be born," p. 149. But how much greater does Christ appear, as the Saviour of all men, than as merely the Saviour of some elect Christians! and how much more befitting the Creator of the world to become its Redeemer, than to die only for a small portion of his creatures. The same observation applies to the ensuing observation, " that the birth of Christ was noticed in heaven, when the morning stars sang together, and all the host of God shouted for joy,' and, as they sang praises then, so they do now, on this much greater occasion, of the birth of the Son of God, who is the Creator of the world," p. 150. But as the creation was the creation of all men, so, to make this argument good, the redemption should have been equally universal; and even so it was proclaimed by the heavenly host. "Glory to God, peace upon earth, and goodwill towards men." See Sect. xlvii. xlviii.

Again, he says, "that notice was taken of it by the

Gentiles, which appears in the wise men of the east; great part of the universe does, as it were, take a joyful notice of the incarnation of Christ, heaven took notice of it, and its inhabitants sung with joy. The lower world, the world of mankind, does also take notice of it, in both parts of it, Jews and Gentiles," p. 151. All this we have adduced, as forming an integral portion of our argument for the salvability of the Heathen; and we are content to let any unprejudiced reader decide, whether we are not fairly entitled to all its influence. Sect. xlix.

He proceeds to observe, "that the satisfaction of Christ consists in his answering the demands of the law on man, which were consequent on a breach of the law. These were answered by his suffering the penalty of the law," &c. p. 153. But whatever be the force of this reasoning, it applies, surely, far more fully to a scheme, which embraces the whole, than that which is confined to a part. How much grander is it to view the 66 one oblation of Christ upon the cross, as a perfect redemption, propitiation and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual;" (Artic. xxxi.) than to state it, in the special pleadings of this writer. "All that Christ did in his state of humiliation, which had the nature of obedience, or moral virtue or goodness in it, in one respect or another, had the nature of merit, and was part of the price, with which he purchased happiness for the elect." 154.

p.

Still dwelling on Christ's righteousness, he observes, "that every command which Christ obeyed, may be reduced to that great and everlasting law of God, which is contained in the covenant of works; that