interpretation this must denote that every man that cometh into the world, every human creature is enlightened with the true light, and, therefore, the dwellers in central Africa, nay even the Calvinists, are as enlightened as yourself, and there is no need at all for the labours of ministers and missionaries, nor even for the more important labours of the "Dew-drop," and the "Day Star," and the "Christian News." It is all labour in vain, mere visionary philanthropy; for if your cannon of interpretation be the only admissible one, nothing is more certain than that "the true light lighteth every man that cometh into the world." What say you to this friend? In all the passages you quote, you can produce no declaration so apparently universal as the one in this verse. If you hold to the literal meaning of the terms, you must maintain that every man that cometh into the world is enlightened by the true light, which is contrary to all fact, but if you limit the meaning of the expressions, "every man that cometh into the world," then you undermine your whole theory; for if these words may be limited, then every other text that you can quote may much more be so. What say you to this? On which horn of the dilemma is it your pleasure to hing? Whether will you follow your theory and reject the information of your senses by maintaining that "every man that cometh into the world is truly enlightened?" Or will you follow candour at the expense of your theory, and allow that the strongest of universal terms admit of being limited? Morris. I have never thought of this before.

Orig. Sec. This is by no means the whole. If the word all and the word world must denote every man, woman and child in all the world, then you must, to be consistent, maintain the doctrine of universal salvation.

Morris. I can never believe in universal salvation. I would as soon believe in a limited atonement, so clear is it from scripture that at last there will be a right hand and a left, some sheep and some goats, some to whom he will say 66 come ye blessed," others to whom he will say "depart ye accursed," and through all eternity there will be a hell as well as a heaven. So that no one believes the bible who believes in universal salvation.

Orig. Sec. But if the words all, and world, denote every man, woman and child of the human race, then if you will allow me a few minutes, I will, I flatter myself, demonstrate this to be a fact, though I do not think so highly of myself, as ever one moment to suppose that I can convince you.

Morris. I should like to hear this demonstration.

Orig. Sec. Remember, it is postulated, that the words all, and world, signify every human being. Well, I shall give you a few examples of proof under each head, from which it will clearly appear that with this meaning attached to the word there is no escaping the conclusion that every human being must be saved. 1 Cor. xv. 22. "For as in Adam

all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." If you insist that the word all, as applied to Christ, must signify every human being, because this is the meaning when applied to Adam, then observe what the words say, 66 even so in Christ shall all be made alive." But to make alive is to save, and, therefore, if the word all must signify every human

being, if there is no help for this, then the passage does not teach universal atonement, it teaches universal salvation-it teaches that as surely as every man died in Adam, so surely will every man be made alive in Christ. Rom. v. 18. "Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life." This just means that Adam is the source of condemnation to all, and Christ is the only source of righteousness to all who are justified. But if you will insist on it that "all men" in the last clause must denote every human being, then it follows that every human being must be saved; for observe what is said, "even so the free gift came upon all men to justification of life." It thus clearly follows that if the expression "all men" denotes every man, woman and child in all the world, then "the free gift" will, as certainly, come upon every man, woman and child in all the world "to justification of life," as by the offence of Adam judgment has come on them to condemnation. If you insist upon the meaning of the word all, there is no help, I am afraid for you, but in again owning that you have never known the gospel until now, and from henceforth, instead of a universal atonement, you must proclaim universal 66 justification of life."-You must proclaim to every human being that he is justified in Christ, as certainly as he was condemned in Adam. Turn now to Rom. viii. 32; "He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things." We understand the apostle to be here speaking of believers, and when he argues that because Christ was "delivered for us all," "all things shall be given us freely with him," the meaning is, that Christ is God's best gift, and they who receive him shall not be grudged any other blessing. But if it be maintained and insisted upon that God delivered Christ for every man, woman and child, in all the world, then it follows that every man, woman and child, in the world, shall receive all other things freely from God,-in other words shall all be saved. You gentlemen of the New Theology must therefore lengthen your cords, you must enlarge your gospel, you must take down the banner of universal atonement, and put up the wide, broad, magnificent banner of universal salvation. I could mention many other texts in which the word all occurs that lead to the same conclusion; John xii. 32; "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me." If it be insisted on that the word all denotes every human being, then every human being must be drawn unto Christ, and, therefore, saved. John vi. 45; “It is written in the prophets they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me." We understand the all to be those with whom he enters into covenant, as the passage from the prophets clearly shews; but if the word all signifies every man, woman and child, in all the world, then every man, woman and child, must be "taught of God." They must also all come to Christ; for it is said, "Every one that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to me." If every man, woman, and child, in the world, is to be taught of God, then every man, woman, and child, must come to Christ, and, coming to Christ, must be saved. It is

thus clear, that if you maintain, and insist upon it, and will be pleased with nothing less than that the word all denotes every human being, then you are only half way at the truth, and instead of quibbling about a miserable atonement which does not atone, you should, at once, blow the trumpet and proclaim the doctrine of universal salvation. And you need not be afraid of your popularity suffering from this doctrine; for to multitudes the doctrine that none shall perish will be more consolatory, even than the sweet waters of universal atonement.

Morris. I have never considered the matter in this light. But I attach fully as much weight to texts in which the word world occurs, and you have not, I think, said any thing to shake my confidence in these.

Orig. Sec. I wish that time would have permitted me to enter upon the subject more fully. That which I can properly spare is already exhausted; but as you call my attention to it, I will refer you to a few texts which shew, that if you understand the expression world to mean every human being, you must maintain that every human being will be saved. John iii. 17; "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." In this passage it is not said, observe you, that God sent his son to make atonement for the world, but to save the world, and, therefore, if you will insist on it that the world denotes every human being, then every human being must be saved. John vi. 33; "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." If the world must signify every individual in the world, then each and every individual must be saved; for it is expressly said of Christ that he "giveth life unto the world." John vi. 51; "The bread which I give is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world." What can the life of the world mean but the salvation of the world? If therefore the world means every human being, then every man, woman and child, have Christ's flesh as their life. John xii. 47; "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." If, therefore, the world signifies every human being, then as Christ came not merely to make a quasi atonement, that leaves it uncertain whether any will ever be at one with God, but came 66 to save the world," the whole world must be saved. If you believe that the world signifies every human being, you must believe that every human being will be saved.

Morris. I do not believe that every human being will be saved. Orig. Sec. You must therefore admit, that, in the passages I have quoted, these universal terms are used in a sense that is not absolutely universal; but if you admit this you undermine your whole system; for if these words may be restricted, you have nothing worth mentioning to oppose to the Calvinist, while he comes down on you with the whole artillery of scripture.

Morris. I do not know what Mr Kirk and Mr Morrison would say to this. I do not recollect of their having looked at the matter in this light. I would really like to know their minds.

Orig. Sec. Why might you not venture to think a little for yourself? Why might you not venture for once to appeal to common sense and scripture instead of Kirk or Morrison? But I observe that you MorriNo. XI. VOL. I.

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sonians have all one rote, and, when it is said, you can go no farther: when you have said your say you are emptied, and can say no more until you pump more water into the empty vessel from Morrison's well, or Kirk's well, and when you can get nothing more, there, you move in a perpetual circle round the same limited space, as if you were tethered, and could move no farther over the field of truth than the small circumference, having for its diameter the length of your instructor's chain. It is a pity you do not consider more seriously the duty and solemn responsibility of private judgment.

Morris. Private judgment! Methinks you are the man to lecture about private judgment! And we are the people to be so lectured! We who have shewn our independence of mind by shaking off the yoke of centuries!

Orig. Sec. It is the light and easy manner in which you have done this, that forbids me to believe it has been the result of solid and independent thought. Independence is far oftener shewn in resisting than in embracing novelties. All history shews that there is often as much imbecility and slavishness of mind in following new movements, as there is in the most bigoted adherence to what is old. But we had better drop this. I have already shewn that your mode of interpretation leads to universal salvation, but I might have gone farther, and shewn that it leads to universal restoration, to the restoration of devils as well as of men. Standing on the letter as you do, to be consistent you must arrive at this conclusion.

Morris. How do you make this appear?

Orig. Sec. According to your literal mode of interpretation what else can be made out of many passages of the word of God? Col. i. 20; "And (having made peace by the blood of his cross) by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven." According to your literal mode of interpretation, what can this mean but that God intended by Christ's cross to reconcile all who were at variance with him among the natives of heaven, as well as all who were at variance with him among the natives of the earth? There are several passages of the same amplitude. But not to detain you with these I shall just call your attention to the following, which, interpreted according to your rule, is inexpressibly stronger in behalf of universal restoration than any passage which you can adduce in behalf of universal atonement. "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Could any terms be stronger than these: "Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth?" If these terms must be interpreted universally, then the whole moral creation will yet do homage to the son of God, men and devils will all be restored to holiness and happiness. But if expressions so very strong as every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth," admit of being limited, then also may all the passages which you adduce be limited, and then where are your arguments for universal atonement?

Morris. I should like to think a little farther upon this, and shall be very happy to meet with you again; which, if we do, I expect you will endeavour to make good your assertion, that our opinions include or imply a denial that Christ's work was really and properly an atonement.

Orig. Sec. I shall have much pleasure, and I do not think I shall have much difficulty in making good that affirmation, provided we have another opportunity of discussing the question.

THE WISDOM AND GOODNESS OF GOD AS SEEN
IN LIGHT.

The knowledge of man, as a finite creature, is necessarily limited. There is a limit to his powers of perception and his means of observation. There is so especially in his present condition, tied down as he is to a narrow locality, and having his spirit clogged in all its operations by the mortal body in which it resides and with which it is mysteriously connected. There are many objects of deep interest of which he cannot obtain a perfect knowledge. He acts a laudable part when he avails himself, to the utmost of his ability, of all the means by which his knowledge of the works of creation and of the great creator himself may be enlarged; but he must learn to be content without a comprehensive knowledge of God, or of his works, for both are past finding out. There are not only heights in the vast phenomena of the distant universe which he cannot scale, and appearances which he cannot explain, there are mysteries in his own nature, in the connection between his soul and his body, and in the influence of the one on the other, which he cannot penetrate. It is, however, matter of congratulation that man may attain, and has attained a very extensive and profitable knowledge of many objects which have in them depths which he cannot fathom. Such a knowledge he possesses of the glorious author of his own being, though his perfections are unsearchable. Man's knowledge of God, as seen in the glass of his works, and especially in the light of the sacred scriptures, though far from comprehensive, may be so blissful as to embody the highest good, eternal life. This general remark applies to light, the subject of the following remarks. Though it has hitherto baffled the keenest search of the greatest intellects to discover the precise nature of this remarkable and invaluable part of the works of God, we do know so much of its nature, properties, and effects, as enables us to contemplate it with interest and admiration, as well as to see in it a bright manifestation of the wisdom and goodness of Him "who commanded the light at first to shine out of darkness."

We do not enter on any discussion regarding the conflicting theories of philosophers, as to the nature of this element, to which we are so deeply indebted as a means of happiness, but simply advert to some of the ways in which the wisdom and goodness of the Creator appear, in what, of this part of his works, is actually known.

Wisdom and goodness are terms, with the import of which we are so familiar, that it is not needful to spend time in definition. Goodness in