gently seek him; for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, the same Lord over all, being rich unto all them that call upon him.'

Here the apostle starts the great Calvinian objection: But how shall they believe, and call on him, of whom they have not heard?' &c. And having observed, that the Jews had heard, though few had believed, he says, 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,' which is nigh, even in the mouth and in the heart of all who receive the truth revealed under their dispensation. Then resuming his answer to the Calvinian objection, he cries out, 'Have not they' (Jews and Greeks) all' heard' preachers, who invite them to believe that God is good and powerful, and consequently that he is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek him? Yes, verily,' replies he, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.'

If you ask, "Who are those general heralds of free grace, whose sound goes from pole to pole ?" the scripture answers with becoming dignity: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work. Day uuto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech or language [no country or kingdom] where their voice is not heard. Their [instructing] line went through the earth, [their vast parish,] and their words to the ends of the world,' their immense diocese. For 'the invisible things of God, [that is, his greatness and wisdom, his goodness and mercy,] his eternal power and godhead, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made [and preserved,] so that [the very Heathens, who do not obey their striking speech,] are without excuse ; because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.'

This is the gospel alphabet, if I may be allowed the expression. The apostle, like a wise instructor, proceeded upon the plan of this free-grace, when he addressed himself to the Heathens: We preach unto you,' said he to the Lycaonians, that ye should turn

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from these vanities, to serve the living God, who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things therein; who even when he suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, left not himself without witness;' that is, without preachers, according to that saying of our Lord to his disciples, Ye shall be my witnesses, and teach all nations. And these witnesses were the good which God did, the rain he gave us from heaven and fruitful seasons, and the food and gladness with which he filled our hearts.'

St. Paul preached the same gospel to the Athenians, wisely coming down to the level of their inferior dispensation: The God that made the world, dwells not,' like a statue, 'in temples made with hands, nor hath he need of any thing; seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. He hath made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell on all the face of the earth,' not that they might live like atheists, and perish like reprobates, but that they might seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him and find him.' Nor is this an impossibility, as he is not far from every one of us; for in Him we live, and move, and have our being, as certain of our own poets have taught,' justly asserting that we are the offspring of God.' Hence he proceeds to declare, that God calls all men every where to repent, intimating that upon their turning to him, he will receive them as his dear children, and bless them as his beloved offspring.

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These, and the like scriptures, forced Calvin himself into a happy inconsistency with Calvinism : Lord," said he, in an epistle prefixed to the French New Testament, never left himself without a witness, even towards them unto whom he has not sent any knowledge of his word. Forasmuch as all creatures, from the firmament to the centre of the earth, might be witnesses and messengers of his glory unto all men, to draw them to seek him; and indeed there is no need to seek him very far, for every one might find him in his own self."

And no doubt some have; for although the world knew not God' by the wisdom that is earthly, sensual,

and devilish;' yet many have savingly known him by his general witness, that is, the wonderful works that he doth for the children of men; for that which may be known of God,' in the lowest economy of gospel grace, is manifest in them,' as well as shown unto them.

"What! Is there something of God inwardly manifest in, as well as outwardly shown, to all men?" Undoubtedly; the grace of God is as the wind, which bloweth where it listeth;' and it listeth to blow with more or less force successively all over the earth. You can as soon meet with a man that never felt the wind, or heard the sound thereof, as with one that never felt the divine breathing, or heard the still small voice, which we call the grace of God, and which bids us turn from sin to righteousness. To suppose the Lord gives us a thousand tokens of his eternal power and godhead,' without giving us a capacity to consider, and grace to improve them, is not less absurd, than to imagine, that when he bestowed upon Adam all the trees of Paradise for food, he gave him no eyes to see, no hands to gather, and no mouth to eat their delicious fruits.

We readily grant, that Adam, and we in him, lost all by the fall; but Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Christ, the Repairer of the breach,' mightier to save than Adam to destroy, solemnly gave himself to Adam, and to us in him, by the free everlasting gospel which he preached in Paradise. And when he preached it, he undoubtedly gave Adam, and us in him, a capacity to receive it, that is, a power to believe and repent: If he had not, he might as well have preached to stocks and stones, to beasts and devils. It is offering an insult to the only wise God,' to suppose that he gave mankind the light, without giving them eyes to behold it; or, which is the same, to suppose that he gave them the gospel, without giving them power to believe it.

As it is with Adam, so it is undoubtedly with all his posterity. By what argument or scripture, will you prove, that God excluded part of Adam (or what is the

same thing, part of his offspring, which was then part of his very person,) from the promise and gift which he freely made him of the seed of the woman, and the bruiser of the serpent's head?' Is it reasonable to deny the gift, because multitudes of infidels reject it, and thousands of Autinomians abuse it? May not a bounty be really given by a charitable person, though it is despised by a proud, or squandered away by a loose beggar ?

Waving the case of infauts and ideots, was there ever a sinner under no obligation to repent and believe in a merciful God? O ye opposers of free grace, search the universe with Calvin's candle, and among your reprobated millions, find out the person that never had a merciful God: And show us the unfortunate creature, whom a sovereign God bound over to absolute despair of his mercy from the womb. If there be no such person in the world: If all men are bound to repent and believe in a merciful God, there is an end of Calvinism. And unprejudiced men can require no stronger proof, that all are redeemed from the curse of the Adamic law, which admitted of no repentance; and that the covenant of grace, which admits of, and makes provision for it, freely extends to all mankind.

"Out of Christ's fulness all have received grace, a little leaven' of saving power, au inward monitor, a divine reprover, a ray of true heavenly light, which manifests, first moral, and then spiritual good and evil. St. John bears witness of that light,' and declares it was the spiritual life of men, the true light which enlightens,' not only every man that comes into the church, but every man that cometh into the world,' without excepting those who are yet in darkness. For the light shineth in darkness, even when the darkness comprehends it not.' The Baptist bore also 'witness of that light, that all men through it,' not through him, might believe,' pws, 'light,' being the last antecedent, and agreeing perfectly with δια αυτό.

Hence appears the sufficiency of that divine light to make all men believe in Christ the light of the world;'

according to Christ's own words to the Jews, While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.-Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you,' even that total night of nature, when no man can work.'

Those who resist this internal light, generally reject the external gospel, or receive it only in the letter and history: And too many such there have been in all ages; for Christ was in the world, even when the world knew him not: Therefore he was manifest in the flesh.' The same sun which had shined as the dawn, arose with healing in his wings;' and came to deliver the truth, which was held in unrighteousness, and to help the light which was not comprehended by the darkness. But, alas!, when he came to his own,' even then his own received him not.' Why? Because they were reprobates? No: But because they were moral agents.

'This is the condemnation,' says he himself, ' that light came into the world, but men' shut their eyes against it. They loved darkness rather than light, because their works were evil.' They would go on in the sius which the light reproved, and therefore they opposed it till it was quenched, that is, till it totally withdrew from their hearts. To the same purpose our Lord says, 'The heart of this people is waxed gross, their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed' against the light, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' The same unerring Teacher informs us, that the devil cometh' to the way-side hearers, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.' And if our gospel be hid,' says St. Paul, it is hid to them that believe not, and are lost, whose minds the God of this world hath blinded, lest the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.'

From these scriptures it is evident, that Calvin was mistaken, or that the devil is a fool. For if a man is now totally blind, why should the devil bestir himself