the effects of sin had extended. Thus, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men; so the benefits of Christ's coming, and what he did, were to be as extensive: being the means of our restoration out of the fall, they reach wherever man needs a Saviour.

And as he came to save the world, John xii. 47, he must be a Saviour to all nations, and in all ages. And he who takes in at one view the past, the present, and the future, could certainly make the remedy which he had provided for all, apply to all-to those who lived before as well as to those who lived after its outward manifestation.

Sin was in the world before the outward coming of Christ; and as he was the sacrifice for sin, it must have applied to all who needed it. Sin now operates where the means by which it was first introduced into the world were never heard of. And, by a parity of reasoning, the remedy must also be offered in such cases, though they never heard of the means by which that remedy was provided.

Immediately after the fall, when judgment came upon our first parents, the promise of the seed was made; and this became an object of faith; even that faith, the power and efficacy of which the apostle so beautifully describes. Then, too, commenced that dispensation of types and shadows which pointed to Christ, and continued to the time when he offered up his life on the cross. By this faith it was that the elders obtained a good report. By this also Abel offered a more acceptable offering than Cain. The apostle proceeds to enumerate the patriarchs down to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as examples of the efficacy of faith; and then says: “ These all died in faith; not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them." Heb. xi. 13.

Our Lord also testified: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad." John viii. 56. Thus, while they had the promises of the Messiah to come, while they were exercised in types and shadows, pointing to those good things-though the things promised were themselves afar off, yet, through faith, they were enabled not only to see them at a distance, but to be persuaded of them, and to embrace them. Thus, in that living faith,

they had "the substance of the things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen," or capable of being seen, but through the medium of this faith itself.

It is not my intention to attempt, in any degree, to remove that veil with which Almighty God has covered those secret things which belong to himself. He has been pleased, in condescension, to reveal to us, that, through our Lord Jesus Christ, the free gift came upon all men unto justification. And we have neither right nor occasion to inquire why or how it was done. But we are bound to believe that it was done; and that it came upon ALL; every age and part of the world participated in the benefits of that one offering, by which he hath for ever, and, as W. Penn observes, in all times, perfected those who are sanctified, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

And this is the testimony of our primitive Friends, and of the Society down to the present day. R. Barclay, in the 5th and 6th Propositions of his Apology, when speaking of the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, says: "Nor is it less universal than the seed of sin; being the purchase of his death, who tasted death for every man : for, as in Adam all die, even so in

Christ shall all be made alive."

The doctrine of that sanctification of the spirit, which we must experience in ourselves, in order to obtain salvation, has already been alluded to in the chapter on the Original and Present State of Man, and in that on the Universality of Grace; and will again be brought into view, in one relating to Sanctification and Justification. But, considering its importance, I am not willing to pass from the present subject, without repeating, that salvation is an actual, and not ideal work. We must experience it, if we attain to it. If we have not the Spirit of Christ, ruling and purifying our hearts, we are none of his. We are bound to commemorate his goodness, to remember with humble gratitude what he has done and suffered for us. But we should still bear in mind, that these benefits and intended blessings will avail us nothing, if we do not submit to the operation of his spirit and power in our hearts. Where much is given, much will be required. And surely much has been done for us all. If the Lord Jesus Christ has offered up his life for us; if, in reviewing the agonizing

sufferings and death of the Immaculate Lamb, we are to consider them as the evidences of his redeeming love, and as designed to obtain eternal redemption for us, how humbling, how tendering, must be the reflections! How strong must be our obligations to love and obey him, who first loved us, and gave himself a ransom for us! How great must be our condemnation, if we become insensible to these powerful motives to gratitude and love! "If a man love me," said he, "he will keep my words, and my Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John xiv. 23. Here the first spring of action is the love of Christ, operating upon our hearts. Obedience flows from that love. This again draws more largely of the divine favour; and ends in an intimate union and communion with God-a sensible enjoyment of his divine presence.

It never was intended by the death of Christ, to purchase for us the privilege (if privilege it can be called) of living without God in the world. He did not come to perpetuate sin, and establish the dominion of darkness, but to finish transgression, to make an end of sin, and bring in everlasting righteousness;" that sin might have no more dominion over us; and to "bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Though Christ has died for us-though he has given us a measure of his gracethough he visits and revisits us with the offers of his love and salvation, yet it is possible for all these favours to pass from us, so 'that we may never realise any advantages from them in the end.

Let us therefore remember that we are bought with a price, and are not our own; that we may not henceforth live unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us, and rose again; that, as he rose from the dead by the power of the Father, so we may walk in newness of life, by the aid and operation of his Spirit revealed in our hearts.

I do not consider it proper to enter upon an inquiry into the divine nature; or how it subsisted in its different manifestations; or how the divinity was connected with human nature; or why this was necessary. The secrets of the divine counsels do not belong to us; and we have no occasion to enter into discussion respecting them. On the contrary, wherever they have been made the subjects

of curious and speculative inquiry, the mind has been in danger of being led, by specious reasonings, into views and sentiments incompatible with those which have been presented to us through the medium of divine revelation; and thus the whole ground of infidelity lies open before those who enter into such inquiries.

On reviewing this portion of the doctrines of the Gospel, we may remember, that no part of the Christian system has been so frequently assailed, or with such varied modes of attack, as this. Here it was that the Jews stumbled and fell. Here the wisdom of the world, from the Greeks down to the present day, has discovered (as it has supposed) much foolishness. Here reason has exerted its powers to penetrate into the secret counsels of the Almighty; and has boldly attempted to bring down even the divine nature to the measure of its own limited capacity.

No wisdom, but that wisdom which is from above, can comprehend the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. And as the divine nature and the divine counsels are abundantly wrapped in deep mystery, the curious have been anxious to discover the presumptuous have been bold to explain -and the sceptical have been ready to deny, those things which mere human faculties never could understand. The means of redemption have opened a wide field of conjecture for speculative minds. But how inadequate must be the most exalted human powers to comprehend the love of God, operating for the redemption of a fallen world! How unable to devise the means! how incapable of tracing them to the accomplished end!

It still remains to be the divine determination, to "confound the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nought the understanding of the prudent." And yet he will, from time to time, reveal to the humble, attentive mind, however simple, all that is necessary for it to know.

It is instructive to remember, that when John saw, in the hand of him that sat on the throne, a book, written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals,

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there was no man found in heaven nor on earth, worthy to loose the seals or to look thereon." Let us then be cautious how we presume to look thereon, or make what lies beyond the seals the subject of speculative inquiry. It is the Lion of the tribe of Judah alone, that is worthy

to open this book, and reveal the deep mysteries it contains. And until he is pleased to do this, all human anxiety is unavailing. And when this great work is going on, it will be progressive, and in due order, from the first to the seventh. And as it is carried on, how every thing is brought down into greater and greater degrees of abasement, till nothing but God alone is exalted, and there is silence in heaven!

But before this state is experienced, there is another state or dispensation to be passed through, a state represented by the most striking metaphors: "There was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by a mighty wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks: Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand!" Where then will be all the idle notions of speculative minds! The very heavens, the imagined righteousness of these, must pass away as a scroll when it is rolled together.

Let us then seek rather to have our minds enlarged in the love of God in Christ Jesus, that we may adopt the language of the apostle : "We love him, because he first loved us." In the effusions of this love, which prompts the filial language of Father, we shall be enabled" to receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child." How striking the comparison! In the little child there are no bold flights of fancy-no philosophical reasonings (falsely so called)—no feelings of its own independent capacities and powers, but all is dependance on the teaching of the parent-all is faith, unhesitating confidence in the counsel and instruction received. In this humble, dependent, teachable state of mind, with love predominating over all, we shall be prepared for the opening of the seals; and,