approach to the throne of mercy, assured of a welcome reception through the all-sufficient merits of the Redemer. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy milk and wine without money and without price!*

But, although the redemption of mankind be thus unlimited and universal, and although God willeth not the death of any sinner, but rather that all should turn unto him and repent; yet, by reason of the obstinate folly of the wicked, the gracious purposes of the Almighty fail to produce universal salvation. All day long, saith the Lord, have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Enter ye in, saith our Saviour, at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,

and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.* Hence it is evident, that many unhappy persons, whom the god of this world hath blinded, will either expressly reject, or carelessly neglect to avail themselves of, the benefits of Christ's death and passion. All those who are infatuated with the pride of infidelity, and madly defy the living God, exclude themselves with a high hand from the pale of the church; and all those, who, like the devils, believe and tremble; who acknowledge the divine authority of the Gospel, but are strangers to its influence; who live, to use the emphatic words of Scripture, without God in the world, dead in tresspasses and sins; all these, if there be any truth in the plain declarations of our Lord and his Apostles, have no lot nor portion in the Son of God.

* Matt. vii. 13.

How happens it then, that some receive the word with joy, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance; while others either suddenly reject it, or remain alike uninfluenced by its threats and its promises? No man, saith our blessed Lord, can come unto me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him.

But

in what manner doth the Father draw mankind unto himself, in order that they may not perish, but receive everlasting life? The Apostle informs us, that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.†

It is therefore the peculiar office of the third person of the Trinity to bring us unto Christ, and to induce us to accept the pardon which is freely offered unto all. Here we see, that none can come unto Christ without being drawn by the gracious influence of the Spirit.

But many resist that influence to their own destruction in a manner compelling God to declare, that his Spirit shall not always strive with man ; and forcing the merciful Saviour himself to complain, ye will not come unto me that ye may have life. Here we learn the true reason, why so many perish in their sins: they will not accept the salvation, which is offered to them in common with all mankind. God the Spirit draweth them indeed: but they obstinately refuse to follow him.‡

+ I have endeavoured to state this difficult point in that manner, which to myself, at least, appears the most agreeable to Scripture. With the Calvinistic view of the subject I am by no means satisfied: but the Pelagian view of it is yet more exceptionable.

It is certain, that the free-will (that is, of course the moral, not the natural, free-will) which Adam possessed in his state of purity, was lost, at the fall, when he and all his posterity became inclined to evil; hence, as wè are instructed by the Church," the condition of man after

A considerable degree of prudence and eaution is necessary in treating of the operations

the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God:" nevertheless it is no-where asserted in Scripture, that freedom of will is not equally restored unto all men by the preaching of the gospel. Every expostulation of God with the wicked necessarily supposes, that he freely gives them an opportunity of repentance; and that their eternal condemnation is the result, not of an arbitrary decree, but of their deliberately choosing evil rather than good, and their obstinately refusing the assistance of the Holy Ghost, which is equally offered unto all men.

I am aware, that in reply a Calvinist will argue; "If all have free-will equally given to them by the Spirit, if all are equally drawn by the Father, all must equally come unto Christ."

This, however, by no means follows, as we may sufficiently learn from the fall of our first parent. Adam possessed free-will by nature; and, without having the slightest bias to evil, was strongly drawn or inclined by the Spirit of God to that which is good: yet Adam fell. Why then may not those, to whom the free-will lost by the transgression of Adam has been restored on the offer