the Lip of Truth of himself: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." Will any one attempt to say it is impossible to comply with these terms? Surely our gracious Redeemer would not propose or command impossibilities! and the beloved disciple declares: "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith." 1 JOHN v. 2, 3, 4.

Our Saviour's call being universal, "Come unto me all ye that labour," &c. Why do so few enter the kingdom? Why are "many called, but few chosen?" Because "strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." They are not willing to enter in at this gate that is so strait to flesh and blood; nor to walk in this narrow way; they are offended at the 'cross. When they find that all must be parted with, on which they have set such a value, they go “away sorrowful;" although our Lord so clearly laid down the terms, that if they had but attended to his

declaration and counted the cost before they began to build, they might have been spared the disappointment of not being able to finish. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me." LUKE ix. 23. "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock." MAT. vii. 24. "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand," &c. MAT. vii. 26.

JAMES i. 12. "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." Since "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man, "how can it for a moment be reconciled that he should, by an unavoidable, irresistible decree, predestinate any to sin, thereby making himself the author of sin; for if the creature who is asserted to be totally devoid of all power to resist the decree, is by such decree forcibly and irresistably impelled to commit the sin, surely the author of such decree is to all

intents and purposes the author and absolute cause of all the sin committed, in consequence of his previous decree.

But if it be said that the reprobate sinner, from his own inherent natural depravity, being merely passed by and left to himself by the Almighty, wilfully rejects the offers of mercy and salvation which are made in the Gospel, and which are allowed to be general, I ask, Was there or is there a possibility of his doing otherwise? If this be answered in the negative, then I say, that the foregoing proposition is fully confirmed, and the Almighty is made the absolute cause of all the sin that ever existed; but, if it be answered in the affirmative that there ever was to any one of those, who are [said to be] under the decree of reprobation, a possibility of joining in with the professed mercy, and of embracing the truth as it is in Jesus; then indeed is the Gospel a message of "good tidings of great joy to all people," and the idea of a positive, unavoidable decree, at once falls to the ground; throwing open the arms of mercy, agreeably to the innumerable declarations of Scripture; so that indeed "all that will come may come and take of the water of life freely."

PHIL. ii. 9, 10, 1"Wherefore God also

hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name

of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

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Now if it is thus possible that "every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord," whilst at the same time no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," I COR. xii. 3; and "whose ver shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God; and whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God," 1 JOHN iv. 15—v. 1. Then it clearly follows that there is to all men a possibility of thus believing, of thus confessing, that "the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man' to profit withall," and as they cooperate therewith, as they occupy the talents received, they are made rulers over more; they are enabled to "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling." PHIL. ii. 12. For, "although it is God that worketh in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure," PHIL. 13; and although his power is Omnipotent, yet we have no cause to believe that he worketh in an over-ruling, forcible manner, to oblige men to be saved. On the contrary, the whole tenor of the Sacred Writings points out the possibility,

as well as the danger of rebellion and opposition, with the dreadful consequences thereof.

JOB xxiv. 13. "They are of those that rebel against the light, they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof,"

ISA. i. 19, 20, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it,"

Isa. Ixiii. 10. " But they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit, therefore he was turned to be their enemy."

1 SAM. XV, 22, &c. "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee." Wo to the rebellious children." Isa. xxx. 9.

ISA. xlviii. 18. "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea." Quench not the spirit." 1 THES, V,