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himself. And now too, even where the Scrip tures are circulated, men evince their ignorance of what God calls mercy, by disbelieving the tidings of his FREE pardon, and fuppofing that they must do fomething in order to avert his indig nation. These differ from the former only with respect to the nature and quantity of that which is to be done; a difference which is fully accounted for in what the externally diffused light of the gofpel has forced upon their minds, and which but little affects the characters of their respective Gods.

Turn your eyes then to that glorious and only view of the mercy of God, which is fet forth in the revelation of his love to finners; to a people amongst the rebellious fons of men, whom he foreknew, and whom he determined, in the counfels of infinite wifdom and fovereign grace, to redeem from among men, to feparate from an ungodly world, and to make fons and daughters of the Most High.

Behold his mercy, when he chose them in Christ Jefus before the foundation of the world,not appointing them unto wrath, but to obtain falvas tion by the Lord Jefus Chrift, as veffels of mercy, prepared of himfelf unto glory; having predeftinated them unto the adoption of children by Jefus Christ to himself, according to the GOOD PLEASURE of HIS WILL,-that in the ages to come he might Jhew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindnefs towards them, through Chrift Fefus.

Behold his mercy, when he brings them to the knowledge of the truth, fending unto them the Holy Ghoft to teftify of the lowly Jefus, that he is Chrift, the Prince and Saviour; of the reputed child of a carpenter, that he is the Son of the liv ing God; THUS giving them that repentance (or

new mind) which credits the teftimony of his name, and discovers his glory in the face of Jefus Chrift; THUS delivering them from the dominion of the God of this world, and tranflating them into the kingdom of his dear Son; THUS diffufing throughout their fouls juft and lively apprehenfions of his love that paffeth knowledge, fo that it is fhed abroad in their hearts, and caufes them to rejoice in hope of the glory of God; THUS implanting in them every gracious principle, whereby they will be constrained to walk, not as others walk, in the vanity of their mind-and alienated from the life of God; but having their converfation in heaven, as children of light,-as fervants of righteoufnefs,-as followers of God.

Behold the Divine mercy exercised during the enfuing life of believers, while they are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation. HE is their fhepherd, therefore they fhall not want; HE is their fhield, therefore their enemies fhalt not triumph over them. In all their affliction He ministers to them confolation, makes darkness light before them, and crooked things ftraight, for that even in tribulation their hearts are filled with peace and joy. He chafteneth them for their fins, but will not take his loving-kindnefs from them; and calls off their minds from creature dependance, to cleave to Himfelf, the Rock of ages. He ftrengthens them with all might in the inner man, in times of temptation makes a way for them to escape, caufes them to hold faft the profeffion of their faith without wavering,—and leads them in the paths of righteousness for his name's fake. In fhort, the more the people of God confider his dealings towards them, the more will they understand and approve the words of the Pfalmift, All the paths of the Lord are mercy

and

and truth, unto fuch as keep his covenant and his teftimonies.

Behold his mercy, when he calls them not of this prefent world, which is a wafe and howling wilderness, and receives them into his kingdom of glory, where the wicked ceafe from troubling, and the weary be at reft. Long before, they had been bought with a price; and now their Lord claims them as his own, and takes them to himfelf. Ere this, it was undoubtedly true that all things were theirs,-and they were fealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which was the earnest of their inheritance; but now they enter upon the purchafed poffeffion, and hope is fucceeded by full enjoyment. In the world they had tribulation; they were tried, they were chaftened, they were afflicted; perfecution, fhame, and reproach followed their steps: but now God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes, heavinefs and forrow and fighing fhall be no more, and henceforth for ever fhall glory, honor, and peace, reft upon them. In life, they had known in part, and had feen as through a glass, darkly; but now they know even as they are known, and fee their Redeemer face to face.-Bleffed are the dead which die in the Lord! The eternal Cod is their fure refuge and everlasting portion. They fhall find in his prefence fulness of joy, and at his right hand pleasures for evermore.

Once more, behold the mercy of God towards his people, in that stupendous work which exhibits and vindicates his character as the just God and Saviour; in the death of his Son, whom He did not fpare, but gave up freely, as a jacrifice for fin, that, mercy and truth thus meeting toge ther, righteoufnefs and peace thus embracing each other, He might proclaim to the ends of the

earth

earth that Name which is as ointment poured forth, I will be gracious to WHOM I WILL be gracious, and I will fhew mercy on WHOM I WILL fhew mercy. In this one act of mercy we view the fource of all the other manifold mercies of God. This is the foundation laid in Sion, whereupon refts the declaration and fulfilment of all the exceeding great and precious promifes of the gofpel. In the Lord Jefus Chrift, when he poured out his foul unto death, the promised fountain was opened for fin and for uncleannefs. The blood, which was then fhed, cleanfeth from all fin, and avails to the perfecting for ever of them that are fanctified. By his obedience unto death, He hath fo magnified the law, and made it honourable, that the fulness of the Divine good pleasure refts upon him. Had the Father found no object worthy of his complacence, there would have been either no Glory to God, or no Good-will towards men; either his perfections which ftand opposed to fin, had disappeared, or his indignation had burned like fire that none can quench. One of these fuppofitions could not have been realized, and fo there had remained for finners nothing but hopelefs ruin, had not the Son of Man been lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. Now indeed, while we look to the cross of Chrift, we are perfuaded, that all things are poffible with God, and may fay, Who is fo great a God as our God?—that pardoneth iniquity, and paffeth by the tranfgreffion of the rem nant of his heritage ;-for with the LORD there is mercy, and with HIM is plenteous redemption, and HE fhall redeem Ifrael from all his iniqui

ties.

Here we fhall reft a while, (and O that in each reader's breaft, believing admiration would

fill up the paufe,) for Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can fhew forth all his praife? Surely, in vain would time be prolonged, in vain would words be multiplied:

Come then, expreffive filence, mufe his praife." D.

(To be concluded.)

BIBLICAL CRITICISM.

2 PETER, chap. iii. part of ver. 9. The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all fhould come to repentance.

IT is a very common practice to feparate thefe

words from the remainder of the verfe to which they belong, and to prefent them to hearers or readers totally out of that connection from which alone their import can be afcertained, as if they formed an aphorifm, independent of any Scriptures either precedent or fubfequent. By this mode of proceeding, thofe who have adopted it, have found out a fenfe for the paffage, as different from its real meaning, as it is oppofite to the tenor of the Scripture teftimony. As this, however, is the commonly received interpretation, we shall first state and refute it, and then declare that which we conceive the infpired penman intended to convey. The perfons alluded to, fuppofe it to declare the benefits of Chrift's falvation as alike bestowed upon all mankind, fo that in whatever fenfe that falvation is the gift of God to ANY, in the same sense

ALL

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