way, it could have been no ground of election perfectly harmonize with these objection against his glorious character. things, and is, therefore, consistent with If, contemplating men merely as trans-this manifestation of grace to the nongressors of his law, he had elected some, elect. and determined to give his Son to die Those who urge the objection in quesfor them only, leaving others to perish, tion, against the doctrine of election, without making any provision for them, sometimes concede, and no one, surely, in any sense, he would have done the can reasonably deny, that, had God sent latter no injustice. He might still have his Son into the world, to die, and make appeared glorious in holiness. But, atonement for the sins of all men, and what is contended for is, that, in this had he offered salvation to all men, on case, there could be no grace to the non- the terms on which it is offered in the elect, in the gift of the Savior, in the a-gospel, without doing any thing more to tonement made by him, or in an offer effect their salvation, this would have of salvation to them, through him. And been an act of grace, even though all therefore, that it is evident this is not had refused the offer, and perished in the way, in which he has exercised his their sins. Now, whatever may be the sovereignty, in regard to the redemp-truth, respecting election, so much at tion and salvation of sinners. Because, least, God has actually done. He has according to the scriptures, he has done given his Son to die, as a propitiation this in a way, which is consistent with a for the sins of the whole world; and, gracious offer of salvation to the non-through him, salvation is freely offered. elect. The invitation given is universal. It is When we open the Bible, we there also true, that, this being done, sinners find, that "God so loved the world, that universally reject the salvation offered. he gave his only begotten Son, that They all, with one consent, begin to whosoever believed in him should not make excuses, and will not come unto perish, but have everlasting life." That Christ, that they may have life. Hence Christ" gave himself a ransom for all."if nothing more were done, to effect the That, by the grace of God he should salvation of sinners, they would all certaste death for every man." And that an tainly perish together. Unless God apostle, addressing his christian breth were pleased to make farther displays of ren, says, "He is the propitiation for grace, to these rebellious and ungrateour sins; and not for our sins only, but ful creatures, not one of them would be also for the sins of the whole world."saved. If, in these circumstances, God Accordingly, the gracious invitation were pleased to send forth his Spirit to is addressed to all, indiscriminately. renew the hearts of all men, and to "Come unto me, all ye that labor, and grant them repentance unto salvation, are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."this would be another great display of "Whosoever will, let him take of the grace to all; but it would neither inwater of life freely." And the promise crease, nor diminish, the grace, which is, "Him that cometh to me, I will in he has already manifested, in giving his no wise cast out." We are also plainly Son to be a propitiation for their sins, taught, that, if sinners now perish, it will and offering salvation to them, through be, not because no atonement has been him. This would remain the same.made for their sins, and no door of sal-If, then, instead of sending his spirit to vation opened before them; but, be-renew the hearts of all men, and to bring cause they will not come unto Christ, them into a state of salvation, he be that they might have life. It is 66 he, pleased to send him to renew the hearts who believeth not," who "shall be of part of them only, and to grant salvadamned." In all this, it is evidently tion unto them, leaving others to follow Implied, that there is great grace mani- the natural inclinations of their hearts, fested, even to those who will finally and to continue in their ungrateful re perish, in the provisions of the gospel,jection of Christ, and his salvation;— and in the offer of salvation to them. Un- here is another wonderful act of grace questionably, the scripture doctrine of to those, in whom this good work is ef - e f fected, in which those, who are left to are all his works, from the beginning of their own chosen way, do not share. the world." The election of some unto Still, however, the grace already mani- salvation, therefore, was "from the befested to them, in the gift of a Savior, in ginning." Those, whom God blesses the atonement he has made, and in the "with all spiritual blessings in heavenly offer of salvation to them, remains the places," or things," in Christ," he so same. It is not diminished, surely, by blesses," according as he hath chosen❞ the farther displays of grace, which God them" in him, before the foundation of is pleased to make, in the actual salva- the world, that" they "should be holy, tion of others. What God does for oth- and without blame before him in love." ers, lays no bar in the way of their com- But, though they were "chosen before ing to Christ, and obtaining salvation. the foundation of the world," the choice Nothing hinders this, but the wicked was made in view of such circumstanperverseness and obstinacy of their own ces as God foresaw would actually exist. evil hearts. Now, this representation is Those, who would have it that some not mere hypothesis; it is according to were chosen, not only to salvation, but fact. As has been stated already, men that atonement might be made particuare all sinners, and under condemna larly for them, must admit, that, in mation. Christ has been set forth a propitia king the election, God contemplated tion for the sins of the whole world.―|| men as fallen, and under condemnation. Through him, salvation is freely offer- What is now contended for is, that he ed; and, when offered, it is universally contemplated them, not merely as falland most ungratefully rejected. In viewen, and under condemnation; but, as of these circumstances, God says, con- fallen creatures, to whom salvation has cerning the ungrateful and guilty race, been offered, and by whom it has been "I will have mercy on whom I will rejected. have mercy." He sends his Spirit, to renew the hearts of some, and to form them" vessels of mercy prepared unto glory;" and he leaves others to their own choice, who continue to reject the salvation offered, and after their hard-der of time, no one purpose could have ness, and impenitent heart, treasure up existence, in his all comprehensive mind, unto themselves wrath, against the day prior to another. In the order of nature, of wrath, and revelation of the righteous however, one divine purpose may be judgment of God. Those, on whom considered as preceding another. The God thus has mercy, are the elect.-purpose to give existence to men, for They are "chosen unto salvation, example, must have been prior, in or through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." But, the election is made, not from among men, viewed merely as transgressors of the law, and under condemuation; but, from among men, viewed as having rejected salvation, when graciously offered.-Hence, it is not an election of some, that Christ || determined to create men; foreseeing might die for them in particular, while, that they would fall into sin, he deterin making atonement, others are passed mined to give his Son to die for some by: but, it is an election of some, from of them only; and then made his elecamong all,for whom atonement has beention of the individuals, to whom this famade,and who have refused to obey the calls of the gospel, "unto obedience,and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." But, here some may inquire, What, ther, becomes of eternal election ?— The answer is easy. "Known unto God These different views of the subject assign to election different places, in the order of divine purposes. It is true, the purposes of God, being all eternal are necessarily coexistent. In the or der of nature, to the purpose of giving Christ to redeem and save men. According to those, who maintain that some were elected, that Christ might die for them, in particular, the order of nature, in the divine purposes effecting the salvation of men, must be as follows; God vor should be granted. But, as the subject has now been contemplated, the order is this ; God determined to create men; foresceing that they would fall into sin, he determined to give his Son to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and that, through him, sal- || and it is true, that, in their election to vation should be freely offered, only | salvation; in the renovation of their on condition of repentance and faith in hearts; in being enabled to persevere Christ; and, foreseeing that the gracious in holiness, and in being brought home offer would be, universally, ungratefully to glory, the elect do receive, from the rejected, he said, "I will have mercy fulness there is in Christ, and “ grace on whom I will have mercy," and, ac- upon grace," in which the non-elect do cordingly, chose some 66 unto salvation not share.-Ver. Adviser. through sanctification of the spirit, and belief of the truth." PARTIALITY. An officer of the revenue, rich by oppression, had a son and a servant intimate companions. They would pass the live-long day in conversing about masters and fathers. Masters now-a-days are mere Turks, says Martin the valet, no regard for us;-labor intolerable, threatenings, blows; but of wages, not a word. Do they take us for unbaptized beasts of burden? All true says the son; but my dear Martin, are fathers less The order, first stated, not only leaves no room for any manifestation of grace, in the offer of salvation, to the non-elect; but it gives opposers opportunity to urge against the doctrine of election, arguments drawn from such passages of scripture, as speak of the atonement of Christ as made for the sins of all, and from those, also, in which the invita tions of the gospel are addressed to all with very great effect, if not unanswerably. Besides, it does not well harmon-hard hearted? Incessant chiding, vexaize with the order of events. 66 tious admonitions, tedious lectures.Against the order last stated, no such Can the fools expect we should have all objections can lie. It takes out of the the dull gravity of old age? Does a hands of opposers all arguments drawn young man incline to the army? he is from the universality of the atonement, condemned to the long robe. Crossed and the general invitations of the gospel, he must be in every inclination, as if the and leaves them, in producing these ar-old dotard were to chuse for him, not guments, to fight, as one that beat- he for himself. No! adds he, there is eth the air." For, the universality of not a race of men more intolerable than the atonement, and the general invita- fathers." This was their constant theme. tions of the gospel notwithstanding, sin- Martin, employed in the finances, sucners reject the offer of salvation, and, ceeded, became a tax-gatherer, had a from among those who reject, God has sumptuous house, a luxurious table, a chosen some to salvation: and his pur- grand equipage, and a nation of valets. pose according to election, must stand. The son improved his father's stock, It perfectly harmonizes, also, with the took a wife, and had children. Martin, order of events. Man was created before now rich, became a reputable companbe fell; he fell, before salvation was of ion. They continued good friends.fered, through Christ; salvation was of But what was now their theme? Why, fered, before rejected; and it was re- children and servants. "O the cross of jected, before the Spirit was sent to domestics, says Monsieur Martiniere, communicate "all spiritual blessings" to (for Martin's name was now extended a some, "according as they were chosen full span), thoughtless and lazy; threats in Christ, before the foundation of the and blows are in vain,-thieves, traitors, world, that they should be holy." Ac- liars, they eat our bread and laugh at us cording to this view of the subject, too, to the bargain. Ah! says the farther of the there is the same grace manifested to family, talk to me of children, there's the the non-elect, as to the elect, in the gift real cross, good for nothing boy or girl, of a Saviour, in the atonement, which no obedience.-We fatigue ourselves he has made, by his obedience, and suf- to death for them; but as to gratitude, ferings, and death, and in the offer of sal- your servant. They long for our death, vation. But, when all ungratefully re-watch the instant; and how happy when fuse the salvation offered, God has relieved of a burden." "mercy on whom he will have mercy; A man is a partial judge in his own cause. Full of his imagined superior-|| was entirely free from vanity; and that ity, he loses sight of what he owes to no other mortal had less regard to comothers. Fancying himself on a throne, mon fame and vulgar applause. A to him all must bend the knee. A low gentleman of a peevish temper, but to man rails at his superiors: he is exalt-which self partiality made him blind, ed, loses sight of what he was, and now had a small estate in the neighborhood rails at himself in his former condition. of a nobleman who delighted in hunting. The poor never cease wondering at the If the chace led the hunters into his narrrow views of the opulent, and at fields, he was impatient and discontenttheir want of charity. Give them riched, even without suffering any harm.es, their tone varies; and now not a syl- One time in the bitterness of wrath, he lable but of the respect due to people wrote to the Earl, that there could not of their rank. When such is the prepos- be a greater curse than to be his neighsession even of the lowest classes, can bor. Urged by debt, he offered his esa more sober way of thinking be expec- tate to sale; and the Earl, to be rid of ted from those of high birth? Kings pat him, was glad to give the price deurally are not more depraved than oth-manded much above the value. But er men; and but for self partiality, it change of residence did not change his would be difficult to account why sel- temper. Every new neighbor appearfishness is their ruling passion; with ed to him worse than all the former.scarce any sense of justice, far less of" Strange!" exclaimed he, "that I canbenevolence. not settle any where without finding a Self partiality is the source of mani- "Lord H-." Know thyself, is a diffifold distresses A man infected with cult lesson, especially for a young perthat disease, never thinks he is treated son who is not aware of self-partiality. with sufficient respect: needs there The tutor ought to apply himself dilimore to imbitter his life, and to unfit gently to correct it in his pupil; assurhim for society? peevishness and dis-ing him, that of all vices it is the aptest content render him miserable, in the to raise disgust. Bishop Butler in one very circumstances that make others of his admirable sermons, gives the folhappy. It was a problem among the lowing sagacious lesson:"Do not ancient sages, why men commonly are pretend," says he," that your friend has so well satisfied with themselves, and so any defects; but put him upon thinning little with their condition. Had they tho't what his enemies would say were they of self-partlality, it would have solved to attack his character. Let him bethe problem. A man of that temper ware of what he suspects they would never imagines that his condition equals mention as vicious or defective; not his merit. that he is to suppose them in the right, but that there may be some weakness there which he ought to guard against. This is the true way," adds the good Bishop, “ of making our enemies contribute to our good." If even by such discipline self-partiality cannot be total Self-partiality is difficult to be cured. It is a distemper that a man sees clear ly in others, never in himself; and one will not readily submit to a cure who is not sensible of needing it. The great Cicero is a mortifying instance of this distemper. He was vain of his consu-ly eradicated, it may at least be conlate, and exhorts his friend Lucceius, cealed. In weighing my own opinion who was writing the History of Rome, against that of my opponent, what if I to bestow the utmost energy of his pen should rack my invention to discover in magnifying his exploits. "Make it," what may be urged for him? Frequent says he, a splendid story; for, in relat-practice may possibly abate my self-paring the transactions of your friend, a de- tiality. This lesson is with energy exviation from truth may well be excus-pressed in the following golden rule, ed." Did any man ever betray an ap-"Do as you would be done by." petite for fame more gross and unjustifi- Partiality, checked or disguised, when able? Yet in several of his epistles to || entirely selfish, is allowed full scope Brutus and to Cato, he declares that he when our country is the object, or our 25. mong us confined to our tribe or clan. What inveteracy of one tribe against another! worse than lions and tigers, which spare their own kind, we hunted one another down, and man became the most formidable enemy of man. friend or our religion*. This sort of led the whole Roman people, was a partiality is laudable, if it provoke not our hatred against others. Excited by partiality to their country, the old Romans were flaming patriots. But their partiality was indulged to an ungenerous excess: they became proud, inso-|| lent, intolerable, holding all other nations as brutes and barbarians, the Greeks scarcely excepted. Such partiality is not unjust only, but inexcusable; being an infallible symptom of a mean understanding and of a contracted heart. It must be a bad frame of mind that sets us at variance with our fellow creatures, and foments discord instead of sweetening society. But the bad effects of partiality in hurting others, are not to be compared with its bad effects in hurting ourselves. Every enmity we indulge, is to us a real misfortune: it so far imbitters our chief fund of happiness, which consists in be nevolence and internal quiet. What then must he suffer, who hates every person who differs from him in sentiment. Such is the dismal condition of the bigot in religion, and factious man in the state, objects however of pity more than of aversion. People acquainted with their conntrymen only, are apt to take up a prejudice against the manners and customs of other nations; which tends to narrow the spirit of benevolence, and to lesson their satisfaction in the society of their fellow creatures. Liberal education, and travelling with a view to instruction, are the only remedies. An incident recorded by Herodotus, sets in a striking light the partiality of a nation to its own customs. Darius king of Persia, having an army composed of different nations, demanded of his Greek soldiers what bribe would prevail to make them eat the bodies of their dead parents, as the Indians did. It being answered, that nothing should ever tempt them to commit a crime so atrocious, the Prince in their presence demanded of some Indians, what sum would tempt them to burn the bodies of their parents after death. The Indians intreated the Benevolence, the most estimable of King to impose upon them any thing all principles, may, by a wrong direction less horrible. That this was rank preof our passions, generate malevolence judice in the Indians, will be acknowlin abundance. If we be taught to con-edged by every European. But were fine our good will to our connections, the learned and polished Greeks free and to hold others at defiance; the from that taint? We prefer the Greek man who has from nature the greatest manners and customs, which are familstock of benevolence becomes by that||iar to us, as their books make a capital wrong bias the most zealous clansman, branch of a learned education. The and the most violent stickler for a par-laying of a dead body on a funeral pile, ty; which inflames his aversion to others in proportion. Thus the spirit of faction, opposition and enmity, are by wrong education raised and fostered.Pictures of that kind are far from being rare. Reject only on the state of this nation two centuries ago. The Old Roman patriotism, which comprehend * A very sensible and religious woman, lately deceased, had a great friendship for David Hume the philosopher. When rallied on it, she insisted that he was the best christian of her acquaintance, that she read all his works, as they were published, that to be sure there was a little philosophical nonsense in them ;but still that he was a good christian. 68 For, added she, have I not been intimately acquainted with David Hume since he was a child." appears to us as natural as the laying of it in earth. But let us figure an Egyptian, who, proud of his own country, never gave himself the trouble to think of foreign customs. Embalming was a sacred rite among that people, in order to preserve entire the bodies of their ancestors: the palaces of the dead were little less sumptuous than of the living. What notion would an Egyptian have of a people, whose practice he should be told it was, to throw their ancestors into the fire, or to let them rot in the earth? Yet the sentiment of the simple Indian was the same. Being ignorant of the art of embalming, the rev |