pleased to call this phantom? The scriptures say she was possessed with seven devils; but her being a habitation for devils could not recommend her to the love and favour of God; nor could that possibly merit it at his hands. And, as for her body, that was a hacknied vehicle for every son of Belial who chose to hire it. Yet this woman received the gift of gospel repentance, the forgiveness of all her sins; and she loved much, because she was much beloved; as it is written, "We love him because he first loved us." Simon the Pharisee disdained this humble suppliant, and censured the Saviour as not being of God, because he supposed him ignorant of Mary's character; however, the Lord stopt his mouth by bringing him in debtor fifty pence, without a farthing to pay his debts with. But Mary received her full discharge, first, though she owed five hundred. Thus the harlot got the start of the Pharisee; as it is written, Publicans and harlots enter the kingdom of God before the Pharisees.

If we turn to Nicodemus, he is the most likely of any to merit it at the hands of Christ; for he took his part among the council, and complimented the Lord when he came to visit him. But the Lord doth not commend him for these things; and we know he had no other merit to plead, unless we allow that the fear of men, and ignorance of real religion, can be accounted meritorious.

First, there is no merit in the carnal fear of man; for " the fear of man bringeth a snare."

And, as to ignorance, it is never supposed to merit any thing either at the hand of God or man. It merits nothing at the hand of God, because the law allows a sacrifice for the sin of ignorance, which pre-supposes that ignorance is sin instead of merit, Numb. xv. 25.

Pray what did the harlot Rahab do to merit this love of God? Why,' says the workmonger, 'she received the spies with peace.' Yea, but she was a daughter of peace before she received them; as it is written, "And into whatsoever house ye enter, say, Peace be to this house; and, if the son of peace be there, [mark that] your peace shall rest upon it." But suppose there be not a person ordained for peace in that house! Why then peace has nothing to do there; for, if the son of peace be not there, it shall return to you again, and you shall carry it to its right owner. Thus, then, her receiving the spies was only the blessed effect of an eternal cause, which is the eternal council of the Trinity ordaining peace for us in Christ; for thus saith the Holy Ghost to the prophet, Christ shall be a priest upon his throne;" and the counsel of peace shall be between them both;" that is, between the Father and the Son; and thus Christ is our peace. And that Rahab had no merit to boast of but her receiving the spies, is plain; for her very name Rahab is one given by Isaiah to the devil, and to Egypt; and applicable enough, for it signifies, furious pride. This woman was an heathen by nation, a harlot by trade, and a devil

by name; and yet she tumbled into the bosom of everlasting love. Thus the love of God appears to be sovereign, discriminating, and free, in its fountain Jehovah; and it is likewise sovereign, discriminating, and free, in its administrations under the dispensation of the Holy Ghost. But I pass on to my second general head, which is to treat of the length of this love.

On this subject I must be permitted to make an extended, or even improper, use of words.

The dimensions of this love that I am to treat of are fourfold: it is height in a superlative, and depth in an infinite degree; its two axes or poles may be compared to two eternities; and thus we must measure, if I may be allowed the expression, the length. Immensity seems to be its circumference; but our business is with the diameter, which the apostle calls the breadth.

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However, Paul allows that it passeth knowledge; and indeed it is better felt and enjoyed than described; for this pleasing theme has employed, more or less, the tongues and pens of all God's eminent servants for many ages past, and I hope our tongues will never be silent on the subject.

You know, my dear friends, that I am called an enterprizing man; I will therefore venture to say what I find warranted by the word of God, notwithstanding our utter inabilities to find it out to perfection; only let me observe the golden rule, and I will proceed. First, then, let it be noticed that God is love. This love shines from pole to

pole, and is from everlasting to everlasting; as says the Psalmist, "from everlasting to everlasting thou art God," Psalm xc. 2. We will begin with that everlasting which is behind us, and which has the word 'from' added to it; from everlasting; and so travel on till we come to the other external pole, which has the preposition 'to' prefixed. Do not be startled at my adventurous flight, for we are most surely concerned in these two eternities. Let us begin where the scriptures declare God has begun. His glorious footsteps of mercy and love towards his elect are dated from everlasting; as it is written, "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him," Psalm ciii. 17. And the Redeemer's going forth in covenant undertakings for the elect bears the same date, "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting," Micah v. 2.

But to proceed: the first step that the Father took, in the path of love to his elect, was in treating with Christ in their behalf, and appointing him to be their head, their husband, their surety, their mediator, their father, and their brother. But when was this living head, surety, husband, mediator, father, and brother, elected, ordained, and appointed? Why, it is dated from everlasting; as the Saviour declares, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, [Mark, here are his goings forth from everlasting, called the beginning of his way,] before his works of old. I was set up

from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water: before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth," Prov. viii. 22-25. Thus it appears that Christ was elected, appointed, pre-ordained, and set up from everlasting to be future man and mediator; and was delivered to death for his elect by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God. Thus God the Father makes known his electing and everlasting love to his chosen people, in appointing and giving Christ to them before the world

was.

When he set up Christ for our living head he gave us eternal life in him; as it is written, "In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began," Titus i. 2. Christ is the quickening Spirit, that quickens all his redeemed; for he is our life, who has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. In another passage he himself saith, "Because I live ye shall live also." And it must be so; "For, as in Adam all [his natural seed] die, even so in Christ shall all [his spiritual seed] be made alive." But I proceed.

When Christ was set up he was appointed to be the husband of God's chosen daughter. And as man and wife they were viewed one in unior from everlasting; for the covenant of grace is a covenant of eternal wedlock; as it is written, A