career they felt from the languishing remains of grace. Are they sure that they can command those few moments on which eternity depends? How often when they lie down upon a sick bed, do they want both the will and the power to ask forgiveness? Are they sure that their promised repentance will bring any thing in its train but horror and despair? Are they sure that their reason will not, in the extremity of disease, forsake them? or, should that remain, are they sure that it will not prove their severe and relentless judge, showing them the opportunities which they have neglected, the mercies they have despised, and anticipating the terrors of a future judgment? Thus restless and uneasy, thus void of comfort, and debarred from hope, without confidence to ask pardon, without faith to receive it, man, under these circumstances, descends to the receptacle of all flesh in the horrors of guilty despair.

What then remains, but to embrace the offers of mercy, whilst mercy remains sure; "for the night cometh in which no man can work." A night of darkness and tribulation, which may overwhelm the sinner in the midst of iniquities, without offering him even a chance of a doubtful and dangerous repentance. The time cometh, and, O Lord, who may abide its coming! While health and strength remain, the season of mercy still shines upon us; but how long that season shall last man cannot know. When the oppor

tunity of repentance is gone, the season of mercy is gone also. And how soon to every man among us this ray of heavenly light may set in dark

ness, who can tell? This night, thy soul may be required of thee; this night the faculties of thy mind may be destroyed; this night the season of mercy may be for ever closed; and "in the grave there is neither wisdom nor device;" no power of forgiveness, nor hopes of pardon-there our doom is sealed for ever.

Viewing then the extent of the mercy of God, in respect to the season of acceptance, as involved in necessary obscurity, let not man complain of the indefinity of pardon, or of the uncertainty of his destiny; the nature of it is clear, the terms are definite, and as far as relates to himself, the extent is clear also. Can we look for greater precision? At this moment is the mercy of God offered to every one who hears me, on the terms of repentance from sin, by the blood of his Redeemer. At this moment, are the ears of the Lord open to the prayers of the contrite sinner. At this moment, is the Holy Spirit ready to invigorate every effort, and to animate every hope. Shall we then complain because we know not how often this gracious offer may be repeated, or how soon it may be finally withdrawn? Shall we murmur that we cannot indulge ourselves in the pollutions of sin, with the full security of future mercy? Such a complaint is an insult to the divine attributes; it is trifling with God.

RENNELL.

ON THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.

SUCH is the commencement of the history of mankind; an era, to which we must ever look back with solemn awe and veneration. Before the sun and moon had begun their course; before the sound of the human voice was heard, or the name of man was known; "in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth."- -To a beginning of the world, we are led back by every thing that now exists; by all history, all records, all monuments of antiquity. In tracing the transactions of past ages, we arrive at a period which clearly indicates the infancy of the human race. We behold the world peopled by degrees. We ascend to the origin of all those useful and necessary arts without the knowledge of which mankind could hardly subsist. We discern society and civilization arising from rude beginnings in every corner of the earth; and gradually advancing to the state in which we now find them: all which afford plain evidence that there was a period when mankind began to inhabit and cultivate the earth. What is very remarkable, the most authentic chronology and history of most nations coincides with the account of Scripture; and makes the period during which the world has been inhabited by the race of men not to extend beyond six thousand years.

To the ancient philosophers, creation from nothing appeared an unintelligible idea. They maintained the eternal existence of matter, which they supposed to be modelled by the sovereign

mind of the universe into the form which the earth now exhibits. But there is nothing in this opinion which gives it any title to be opposed to the authority of Revelation. The doctrine of two self-existent independent principles, God and matter, the one active, the other passive, is an hypothesis which presents difficulties to human reason at least as great as the creation of matter from nothing. Adhering then to the testimony of Scripture, we believe that “in the beginning God created," or from nonexistence brought into being the heaven and the earth."

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But though there was a period when this globe, with all that we see upon it, did not exist, we have no reason to think that the wisdom and power of the Almighty were then without exercise or employment. Boundless is the extent of his dominion. Other globes and worlds, enlightened by other suns, may then have occupied, they still appear to occupy, the immense regions of space. Numberless orders of beings, to us unknown, people the wide extent of the universe, and afford an endless variety of objects to the ruling care of the great Father of all. At length in the course and progress of his government there arrived a period when this earth was to be called into existence. When the signal moment predestined from all eternity was come, the Deity arose in his might; and with a word created the world.— What an illustrious moment was that when from nonexistence there sprang at once into being this mighty globe on which so many millions of creatures now dwell! -No preparatory measures were required. No long circuit of means was

employed. "He spake; and it was done: He commanded; and it stood fast." The earth was at first," without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." The Almighty surveyed the dark abyss; and fixed bounds to the several divisions of nature. He said, "Let there be light; and there was light." Then appeared the sea and the dry land. The mountains rose : and the rivers flowed. The sun and moon began their course in the skies. Herbs and plants clothed the ground. The air, the earth, and the waters were stored with their respective inhabitants. At last, man was made after the image of God. He appeared walking with countenance erect; and received his Creator's benediction as the Lord of this new world. The Almighty beheld his work when it was finished; and pronounced it good. Superior beings saw with wonder this new accession to existence. "The morning stars sang together; and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

BLAIR.

THE FATHERLY GOODNESS OF GOD. BUT instead of leaving us to ourselves, or thus entreating us after sovereignty, either of power or of wisdom, mark how he hath actually proceeded, He presents himself as our Father, who first breathed into our nostrils the breath of life, and ever since hath nourished and brought us up as children who prepared the earth for our habitation; and for our sakes made its womb to teem with food, and beauty and life.-For our sakes