world to come. Whereas, it is beceaufe He is no respecter of perfons, that he will treat them differently. At the great and laft day God will fit on the judgment-feat, and difpenfe rewards and punishments among mankind, according to their characters and the deeds which they have done in the body. He will not do the leaft injuftice, nor fhow the least partiality. But, fhould He, at that day, clear the guilty, fhould He adjudge those to falvation who died in impenitency and unbelief, He would not act the part of an upright judge; He would show a partial regard to finners, to the neglect of the glory of His character and the good of His kingdom. What could favour more of respect of perfons, than for God to bestow heavenly bleffedness upon thofe who remain incorrigible enemies to his character and government, and who, during life, have defpifed the riches of his goodness, forbearance and long suffering? That God is no refpecter of perfons, is a conclufive argument against the doctrine of univerfal falvation, and should make all univerfalifts tremble, in a view of the awful confequences of their perfevering impenitency and neglect of the great falvation offered in the gospel.

3. God may form the moral characters of his rational creatures, as He pleases, without being a refpecter of perfons. Refpect of perfons relates to characters already formed, and not to the formation of characters. God's being no respecter of perfons implies, that He will treat all his accountable creatures in an impartial, juft and equitable manner, according to their feveral characters. It is impoffible to fhow refpect to perfons, before they are made, or have any moral characters, either good or bad.

:

God faw it to be neceffary, in order to accomplish his original and benevolent defign in creating the universe, that there fhould be creatures of different capacities and of different moral characters. He faw it to be neceffary, that there fhould be good and evil angels, and good and bad men. Accordingly, he determined to bring angels and men into existence and to form their characters according to his pleasure. He had the most wife and benevolent end in view, in determining the existence and moral characters of all his rational creatures and in bringing them into existence and actually forming their characters, he has no partiality for any one. His ultimate end is, to difplay his own glory and to make a univerfe, which fhall contain the greafteft poffible fum of holiness and happiness. As the great potter, he moulds the clay into veffels of different fizes and fhapes, according to the ufe he intends to make of them. As the potter difplays no partiality, in forming different veffels for different ufes: fo God is no refpecter of perfons, in forming men of different characters for different ends. In

forming

forming the moral characters of his creatures, God difplays his fovereignty in his treatment of them, after their moral characters are formed, He difplays his juftice and his grace, without refpect of perfons.

4. From what hath been brought into view, it appears, that God's being no refpecter of perfons, is no folid objection against the doctrine of election. The Scripture teaches us, that God elected fome to everlafting life, that he might glorify himself in their deliverance from fin and mifery. And in determining the number and the individuals, whom he would fave, he was guided by his own infinite wifdom. He determined to fave as many as it would be beft to fave. And he fixed on the individuals, with a view, not to their good fimply, but to his own glory and the highest good of his kingdom. He had no more refpect to the perfons of those whom he elected, than to the perfons of thofe whom he did not elect. He did not elect fome, because he valued their happiness more than the happiness of others. He viewed the fouls of men, as all precious, all equally capable of happiness and deferving of mifery. He determined to regenerate and fave thofe, whom he faw it would be moft for his own glory or the general good, to regenerate and fave. Hence, there was no refpect of perfons with God, in electing fome to everlafting life. But, had he elected thofe to falvation, whom he knew he could not fave, without injury to the univerfe, would he not have shown a partial refpect to the perfons of thofe finners? Shall not God express more regard for his own glory and the good of his kingdom, than for the happiness of any one or of any number of finful, hell deferving creatures?

THEOPHILUS.

EXTRACT

From the Life of A. J.

I religious, opinion, he was what is
N religious opinion, the was what is generally termed a high

of grace, as too many do ;-while they administered comfort to her foul, they excited her to diligence in duty. Her attendance at the house of God was remarkably punctual. When indifpofition rendered it almost imprudent to ftir out of doors, he could not be perfuaded to neglect the means of grace. During upwards of twenty years, though her family was very numerous, she never fuffered a daughter or a fervant to stay at home to prepare a dinner on the Lord's-Day. Her No. 2. Vol. IIL

G

regular

regular attention to the feafon of family-prayer deferves to be noticed. If a stranger or friend happened to visit them in the evening, fhe would bring the Bible to her husband at the usual time, apologizing by faying, "The children must go to bed; and it would be improper to let them go before prayer." On fuch occafions as thefe, fhe would frequently remark, that parental example might produce fome happy effect on the children in future; and that, if they derived no benefit from it, they should not have to fay their parents lived without prayer. She was favoured, almoft habitually, with an extraordinary degree of confidence in God. Her laft attack was of fuch a nature as to prevent any particular expreffions of confidence or comfort; but her end was evidently peace. On the Friday morning she was feized with a violent pain in her breast: it was fo excruciating, that she could not reft in the fame posture for one minute till fix o'clock in the evening. During thefe agonies, fhe was asked how the felt in her mind. Her reply was, "Oh! I am very comfortable! The Lord is very kind and good to me,-His goodness is above all praife." Her husband then asked her if the family fhould unite in helping her to praise the Lord. "O yes," faid fhe, " praise him, praise him, praise him, for his goodness to me!" After this fhe was fcarcely able to articulate, and was only heard to fay, occafionally, "Very comfortable! very comfortable !" About one o'clock on the Saturday morning fhe became infenfible, and died about eight in the evening. Those who were acquainted with her will teftify, that she was truly "a mother in Ifrael."

LETTER TO A MINISTER.

To the Editors of the MASSACHUSETTS MISSIONARY MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

THE following letter was written to a minifler of the gospel by a youth, who did not defign the publication of it. If you think it worthy of a place in your Magazine, you have liberty to infert it.

REV. AND DEar Sir,

B.

F in this world only Chriftians had hope, they might with

are often expofed to fufferings and perfecutions for the word of truth. They live in a world, which is hoftile to God, to his caufe,

caufe, and to his people. They live among beings, who hate moral light, and the children of light. They have in themfelves evil hearts of unbelief; hearts bent to backfliding. They have a law in their members, warring against the law of their minds, and bringing them into captivity to the law of fin and death.

In fuch circumstances they have need of ftrong confolation. This confolation the Bible and the Holy Spirit afford. Ought not Chriftians to esteem as bleffings, all things that are promifed to them in Scripture? Sanctification, glorification, and the recovery of their bodies from the power of the grave are promised them. These, they readily allow to be bleffings. But is it lawful for them to felect a few things, and call them bleffings, while others, which belong to them as Chriftians, are entirely neglected, or called judgments? If it be faid, that all things fhall work together for good to them, who love God, to them, who are the called according to his purpose, is it not proper to call all things bleffings? In fhort, did it not look af fuming, I would ftate and endeavour to prove this fentiment, 'that all the fufferings endured by Christians, are, in some sense, a part of that ineftimable inheritance, to which they are heirs in confequence of adoption.' This fentiment, if realized, would afford unspeakable fatisfaction to real faints in adversity. If they always felt that they were in the hands of a merciful God, who does not afflict willingly, they would glory in tribulation.

That all things, even afflictions, are bleffings to Christians, is evident from the difpenfation, under which they live. They are not under the law, but under free, rich, amazing grace. The moment they become Chriftians, they are delivered from condemnation, made heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift. God places them in this fituation for the praise of the glory of his grace, which he intends to difplay to the highest poffible degree. If this be true, is it not just to conclude, that they receive from God nothing but grace or favour? If they receive fomething befide favours, it is plain, that they are not subjects of the highest poffible grace, for the highest grace of neceffity excludes every thing but favours.

The experience of the faints proves the truth of the fenti ment. The pfalmift fays, "before I was afflicted I went aftray; but now have I kept thy word." So that he might fafely conclude, "it is good for me, that I have been afflicted." Chriftians in general confefs, that they enjoy more of God in adverfity, than in profperity. Surely that, which leads to the enjoyment of God, may be efteemed a bleffing.

Among the promises of the gospel, thofe of perfecution and affliction hold a diftinguifhed place. In the tenth chapter of

Mark,

Mark, Chrift mentions the bleffings which belong to every true Christian." He fhall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and fifters, and mothers, and childrep, and lands, with perfecutions, and in the world to come eternal life. In the fixteenth of John, he fays,—in the world ye fhall have tribulation." The apoftle tells us, that "he, who will live godly in Chrift Jefus, fhall fuffer perfecution. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come, all are yours." "Bleffed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord. Whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth. I know, O Lord, that thou in faithfulnefs haft afflicted me. If any man fuffer as a Chriftian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf.” Since Chriftians must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God, let them remember, that their light affliction will work out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. What a cheering thought is this. Chrif tians have chofen for their friend, that Being, who governs all things. God has loved them with an everlasting love. This love he manifefts toward them by calling them out of darkness into his marvellous light. He juftiñes them freely, entitles them to his favour, engages to be their God, and to do for them all that is beft. What rich provifion is made for the prefent benefit, and the future glory of the elect. Chrift fays, "fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Paul reafons from what God had already done to what he would do. If he fpared not his own Son, how fhall he fpare any other favour? If he gave his own Son, how shall he not alfo freely give all things? Since juftification was bestowed on them, while enemies to God, how fhall they not receive every other good thing, when they are his friends?

But how difficult it is to live under the impreffion, that croffes and afflictions are real bleffings. How difficult to be unfeignedly thankful for them. How difficult always to rejoice that the difpenfations of Providence toward us are, as they are. But reafon as well as fcripture, teaches us, that it is defirable to live under the government, and to be at the difpofal of a wife and holy God.

How abfurd then must it be to regret the existence of any event which takes place in the world. The rebellious language of fuch regret is, "O, that God would govern better! O that he would alter his eternal decree! O that I had the direction of affairs !?

If it be true, that the Christian receives nothing but favour, is it not true likewise, that the impenitent finner receives nothing but judgment, or nothing but what tends to aggravate his condemnation? This feems to be the fentiment of the Bible.