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 shall 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 33d chapters of Ezekiel, are almost entirely taken with declarations of the same kind.

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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 3. 16, 17. "He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2.2.

"The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man, to profit withal:" 1 Cor. 12. 7.

"That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 1.9.

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. 145. 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. 2. 11. And, as saith the Scriptures, Christ "died for all." 2 Cor. 5. 15.

The apostle very strongly reasons from analogy, in Rom. 5, that as the effects of Adam's transgression extended to all men, so the benefits of Christ's coming were equally extensive.

If then the premises and conclusion of the apostle were true, it must be admitted that those who never heard the history of Adam's transgression, were 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 arch enemy-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 their salvation. His love, unbounded as his power, leaves no corner of the earth unvisited. "Have they not heard?" saith the apostle, and then answers the question himself; "Yea, verily;" asserting that the message of the gospel had been extended to the very ends of the earth: which could not apply to the preaching of the apostles: nor can it be said to the present day, as respects the outward propagation of the doctrines of Christianity. And yet it was true, of the Grace of God, which brings salvation-which has appeared to all men-and teaches to deny ungodliness, and the world's lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world. These embrace the great duties we owe to God and man. A corroborating testimony is found in Col. 1. 23, where the apostle declares that "the gospel was preached to, [or in,] every creature which is under heaven."

The apostle Peter also, when brought to reflect on the condition of the Gentiles, cut off as they were from many advantages which the Jews possessedthough he had supposed that the divine favour was limited to these outward means, yet when he was enabled to reflect on the situation of this part of the

human family, and to understand the Divine character, he exclaimed-“ Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him." Acts 10. 34, 35. This could not apply to the household of Cornelius alone: nor could it be predicated on the belief of the general diffusion of the knowledge of Christianity, at some remote period of time. For being expressed in the present tense, it applied to the time then present, and including every nation, it certainly applied to those where Christ had not been named. To this also agrees another testimony of the apostle Paul: where he brings into view the Gentiles who had not the law-yet doing the things contained in the law-and proving, from reasoning on facts like these, that they had the works of the law written in their hearts. Where we are to observe that they had not the full knowledge of the dispensations of God to mankind, and yet they had the law written in their hearts. And He who is just and equal in all his ways, has made known his determination to deal with his dependent creatures, according to the means of improvement conferred upon them. Where much is given, much will be required. Hence, "they that have the law, will be judged by the law, and they that are without the law, shall be judged without the law." (Vide Art. Of the Scriptures.)

Having thus touched on the condition of the heathen world, it may not be improper to make a few observations on the condition of infants.

And in the first place, it may be remarked, that that seed of Grace, "which is the purchase of Christ's death," (Bare. Apol. p. 205,) or in the language of the apostle, "the free gift that has come upon all men," Rom. 5. 18, is an operative and redeeming principle. Though, when speaking of moral agents,

we press the necessity of obedience, which leads to works of righteousness-as this is always the effect produced in moral agents, when the principle of divine life is not resisted, yet when we trace effects to their cause-when we go back to the first spring of action, as well as cause of salvation, we ascribe all to the Grace of God, and nothing to the will or works of the creature, when considered as such. The parable of the leaven, hid in three measures of meal, is an illustration of this doctrine. The leaven, by its own operation, leavened and brought the meal into its own nature, and into an activity, if we may use the expression, exactly conformable to the properties and action of the leaven. Here the meal, being a fit subject, and also a passive subject, was brought into the oneness. But all the effects produced, were to be ascribed to the active principle, thus introduced into it. This exactly applies to us, as moral agents.

The salvation of infants depends on the same principle, and differs from that of persons who have attained to years of religious understanding, in no other respect than what arises from the respective capacities of each individual. We agree that every soul that comes into the world, does need a Saviour. We believe also that every soul, as it comes into the world, is an object of Redeeming love. And as we inherit the seed of sin, (Vide Original and present state of man,) so, through Jesus Christ, we are heirs of that seed of Grace, which is the efficient cause of salvation, to all that are saved. If infants therefore receive the one, and we agree that they do, they must also receive the other, as "the free gift that has come upon all men, to justification." This gift or remedy, must be, as the apostle testified, as extensive as the cause it was designed to remove.