create one solitary divine truth. All that he can do, is to declare the existence of that which may be hidden from others, or relate some circumstances respecting that which does absolutely exist. An absolute truth must, therefore, be presented to the understandings of men, before they can be called upon to believe it, or before they can be called believers for embracing it, or unbelievers for rejecting it. No man can be an unbeliever for rejecting that which does not exist,

We now commence plain argument, by using great plainness of speech. In preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, truth,must be the foundation. If, then, truth must exist before men can be called upon to believe, the question arises, what is that truth, which the second covenant reveals for the belief of mankind? Answer, it is the record. God hath given of his Son. But what is the record? Let John answer, "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." It then follows, that we are to believe that God has given us eternal life, in his Son, before the world began, and unchangeably promised it. Paul says; "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." If we believe the record, we are in the Scriptures recognised as believers, and are saved by faith, and will of course exhibit in our life and conversation, the righteousness of faith.

The great error of many, who read the Bible, consists in supposing there is but one salvation. But there are two. The first is a special salvation by belief in the promise, and the second is our eternal salvation beyond the grave, where we shall be brought to the knowledge of the truth, involved in the promise, and to know shall be life eternal. Faith shall then be lost in certainty. Now, if we disbelieve the record, will that make it false? No; our unbelief cannot alter the truth. Let the record, then, be proclaimed to every creature, saying, God has promised and given you eternal life in Christ, before the world began, and calls upon all to believe it. But suppose they should all reject it, saying, We do not believe one word of it, would their unbelief make the promise or record false? No. Would not then the record prove true? It would. Then, the whole world would, of course, receive that eternal life, which is promised and given them in Christ. No, says the objector, they will not believe. But can their unbelief make God's promise of none effect? Can it put that truth out of existence, and make it a falsehood? We would ask the objector, what will they not believe? Answer; they will not believe, that God has given them eternal life in his Son. Very well; then the whole amount of the objection is, that God has given them eternal life in Christ, but they will not

believe it, and because they will not believe it, they never shall obtain it! Then we must contend (if they never obtain it), that it was never given to them, and if not given, then the record is false; because the record declares, that God has given them eternal life in his Son. It then follows, that their unbelief can make the faithfulness of God without effect, by rendering the record he has given false.

But, says the objector, it ought to be stated conditionally as follows, God first calls upon men to believe, and if they will believe, then Christ will become their Saviour, and then they will receive eternal life in him, and not before. But does not the objector see, that he has stated no truth for them to believe, in order to make Christ their Saviour? I ask, what does God call upon them to believe? There must be some truth presented, before men can be called upon to believe. God calls upon men to believe, what? That Christ is their Saviour? But you said he was not their Saviour, till after they believed. It then follows, according to the objector's statement, that he is not the Saviour of unbelievers. Now, do you not perceive, that if you should call upon them to believe, that he was their Saviour, you would call upon them to believe a lie? that would call you them to upon believe what did not exist? And what does not

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exist, cannot be true. Grant, says the objector, that he is the Saviour of the world, still, as many as do not believe in him, shall never be saved. But how can he be the Saviour of a man he never saves ? Two individuals are drowning in the water; you exert all your power to save them, but fail. Can you call yourself the saviour of those two men, from temporal death? Impossible. In order for Christ to be called the Saviour of the world, he must save the world; otherwise, there is not a shadow of propriety in giving him that name. And John says, (6 We have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, "" "We know, indeed, that this is the Messiah, the Saviour of the world."

In our next, we will conclude this subject, and trust we shall do it to the satisfaction of our readers.

SERMON V.

SALVATION BY FAITH.

[Concluded.]

We now resume the argument in reference to Christ the Saviour of men, as we proposed in our last. We here inquire of the objector,-do you then grant that he is the Saviour of all men, — the Saviour of the world, as the Scriptures declare? If so, we assure you that he will save the number of whom he is declared to be the Saviour. But, replies the objector, he is not the Saviour of any man till he believes. We ask, till he believes what? Why, replies the objector, till he believes that Christ is his Saviour, -if he believes so, it will be so. Let us understand this ;- you say he is not the Saviour of an unbeliever; still he must believe that he is, and that will make him so. Then he must first believe a lie and that will create a truth. This is (as Paul says) "turning the truth of God into a lie." But let us notice the record. "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." Do you grant, that God has given eternal life in Christ to every man? No, says the objector. Very well, then they cannot be called upon to believe it. Finally, says the objector, grant that he has.