Blessed be God, it is precisely the heart most sincerely touched with a conscious sense of human helplessness, that will seek the further instruction which Revelation affords, and thus taught, will be enabled to say, also, with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold." (19. 25.)

It is at this point, as it appears to me, when the paramount necessity of some means of escape, apart from ourselves, from the state of condemnation in which man is born, becomes apparent to us in its real awe and fearfulness, that the Scriptural doctrine of election, as distinguished from the human subtleties and contradictions with which it has been encumbered, opens upon the christian mind, in its sublimity and simplicity and comfort. "Fear not, I have redeemed thee, thou art mine." (Is. 43. 1.) "Those who have formed a true value of their lost and helpless state," truly remarks Wilberforce,* "will most gladly listen to the sound, and most justly estimate the value of such a deliverance." The manner of which deliverance we now proceed to learn.

In the thoughts we have been pursuing thus far, we have seen God in the Majesty of Omnipotence," Let there be light, and there was light:" of wisdom, "And

* Practical View of Christianity.

God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good!" We are now permitted to contemplate Him, as He has been pleased to make Himself known to us, in His attributes of FOREKNOWLEDGE, JUSTICE, and MERCY.

It is revealed to us, that, " Before the foundations of the world were laid," while God, as we may comprehend, conceived a new creation, and was about to will its existence, while God the Son, "By whom all things were made, and without whom was not anything made that was made,"† was ready to fulfil,-and while “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters," the earth being "without form and void,”- -"God said, let us make man in our own image," and seeing, foreseeing as we should express it, that Adam, being tempted, would fall, predestined, of His own election or choice, and "according to the good pleasure of His will," the forgiveness of his fallen race, through the mediation of divine love in the willing sacrifice of His blessed Son,-the alone way of reconciliation between God and man. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure, then said I, Lo, I come." "Thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thine* help.” (Hosea, 13. 9.)

Here the Prophetic design is laid open to us, that while the Son was glorified "with the glory which He

John 1. and Ephes. 3. 9.

Ps. 40. Heb. 10. 6.

had with the Father before the world was," (John 17.) the wondrous plan of human redemption was predetermined ;-the means by which man was again to be elected into God's favour, if repentant and believing, was predestined; and the decree of divine compassion then "secret to us," was prepared to be made manifest in the fulness of time. 'But now." declares St. Paul," is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith." (Rom. 16. 26.) In these Holy Scriptures which have been "written for our learning," we read this "great and precious" truth which no human wisdom nor intellect could have attained, that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3. 16.) Here is the great Gospel Covenant, predestined forgiveness to "whosoever believeth!" " Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5. 1.) "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1. John 4. 10.) "And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1. John 2. 2.) Thus is explained the pregnant reasoning of St. Paul, "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1. Cor. 15. 22.) "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death

by sin; and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned :—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 unto justification of life ;-As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous." (Rom. 5.) And That One, "Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 5.) For it is written, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4. 12.) "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him, shall receive remission of sins." (Acts 10. 43.) "None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. (Ps. 49. 7.)

Thus does the apostle forcibly declare man's original sin and condemnation foreseen in Adam, and the predestined means of reconciliation and justification in Christ, and in Him only, and on the one covenanted condition of faith in His atoning sacrifice. Human merit, we perceive, as a claim to be reinstated in God's favor, there could be none, for the world was then uncreated; and when created there was revealed to us the lesson, that man's perfect obedience is no more than the service strictly due to his Creator, like that of earthly servant and master (see the Parable, Luke 17. 9), and that "when we have done all things that are required of us, we yet remain unprofitable servants;" so that imperfect and sinning as

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all men are, falling short of the honor and glory of God, and consequently remaining under condemnation, it could only have been by the propitiation of a Divine Being owing no duty, and Himself without sin, The Lamb without spot or blemish,"-" The just for the unjust," that the sin of mankind could be expiated, and forgiveness purchased. St. Paul's energy is devoted to the task of convincing those of sin, who with Pharisaical observances "going about to establish their own righteousness, had not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God," (Rom. 10, 3) and in showing, that although "without holiness no man shall see the Lord," yet that human virtues however excellent, and indispensable as an evidence of Faith, and as such "pleasing in God's sight," (see the 12th Article) do not, and cannot form the ground work of man's Justification.* They are the graceful superstructure of which faith is the indispensable foundation; the goodly fruit which shows. the true quality of the Tree.

* Erroneous views on the doctrine of Justification by Faith only, and not by works, may be instanced, like the doctrine of Particular Election, as one more proof of the waywardness of man in wresting Scripture from its purpose, and dimming its purity with the clouds of human invention, the wisdom of this world. Undoubtedly nothing can be more clear and distinct than the lessons enforced upon the Jews by St. Paul, that their works, their self righteousness, their "having Abraham to their Father," their hollow and heartless observance of the Mosaic law, in which they pridefully trusted, could not save them from condemnation, and hence, too possibly, many an inconsiderate or self deceived soul may have been lulled into false and fatal security, by a few single and ill under