the spies, their leader said, "Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes."-Deut. i. 21. 29, 30. The event also proved it to be the secret purpose of Jehovah to establish the kingdom of Israel in the family of David; yet hear the language of Samuel, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, on the supposition that Saul had been obedient to the Divine commandment: "And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."-1 Sam. xiii. 13, 14.

Tyre and Sidon, the Saviour as sures us, would have repented in sackcloth and ashes, if the mighty works that were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in them; and he also says, that if the mighty works that were done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to his day.

Matt. xi. 21. 23.

When Paul was in danger of shipwreck, as he was sailing to Rome, he was assured, by promise, that his life and the lives of all on shipboard, for his sake, should be preserved. No condition was annexed to the promise; it was absolute. Yet this inspired man, who had unshaken confidence in Jehovah's word, when he saw through the sailors' design to escape with the boat, under pretence of casting out anchors, did not hesitate to say to the centurion and the soldiers: "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." From this declaration we may unquestionably infer, that they would have perished, if the sailors' design had been accomplished. What

then would have become of the promise? But Jehovah took care of his own faithfulness. The warning of Paul produced its effect. "The sol diers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off." Thus the promise of God, like his other promises, was accomplished by appropriate means. See Acts xxvii. 22-25.30-32. See also 2 Kings viii. 10. ch. xiii. 19.

3. Our answer can be justified by the certain and infallible connexion which God has established between faith and salvation. "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth on me, shall never die."

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." But I need not cite passages to prove what will not be denied. Now, this infallible connexion between faith and salvation, authorizes a minister of the gospel to assure every individual to whom he preaches, that if he believe he will most certainly be saved. Jehovah has pledged his word, and he can and will fulfil his promise.

4. The nature of the Redeemer's work will justify the reply. In what did this work consist? In his obedience unto death in our nature; or in his active and passive obedience. In regard to the first branch of the Saviour's work, it is manifest, that, while obeying the precepts of the Divine law, in the room and stead of his chosen people, he observed them as perfectly, and his obedience was as glorious, as if he had been acting as the representative of many millions more. And in regard to the second branch, we believe, that the great Redeemer, in effecting the salvation of all who shall be saved, submitted to as much humiliation, and endured as extreme misery, as would have been demanded from him, on the supposition that the sins of all mankind had been imputed to him. He bore the curse of the divine law, the punishment due to our sins: and by the infinite dignity of the sufferer, more honour was done to the penalty of the law, than would have been done

to it by the everlasting punishment of our whole race. Hence while the atonement is definite, being intentionally made only for those given to Christ by the Father to be redeemed by him, it was necessarily, in its own nature and intrinsick value, sufficient for the salvation of every son and daughter of Adam.

Now, on this infinite work of the atonement, are grounded the general invitations and offers of the gospel. In preaching, we are not indeed authorized to tell every man that Christ died specifically for him, or that an atonement was made for him: but we are authorized to say, that the Son of God came to save sinners of our race; that he has, in our nature made an atonement for sin, suited to the case of human sinners, and that in its intrinsick value, it is infinite; and that he is able and willing to save unto the uttermost, all that will come to him. On this basis we invite all to apply to him for salvation, and tender to all the offers of Divine mercy; assuring them that if they will accept the offers made, they shall certainly be saved: for the mouth of the Lord has uttered the promise, and it cannot fail to be accomplished. It will follow, then, that if a non-elect person were to believe, he would certainly be saved.

Let this be further illustrated, by adverting to the covenant made with Adam, who represented all his natural posterity. Such was the nature of that covenant and of his representative conduct, that had his posterity been two-fold more numerous than they in fact will be, the consequences of his disobedience would extend to them the same destructive influence that will reach all who shall actually descend from him. Similar was the nature of the covenant of redemption, and of the work of obedience, done by the Saviour as the representative of his people. Had it pleased his eternal Father to have increased the number given to him to be redeemed, no alteration in his work of suf

fering and obedience would have been required.

In regard to Adam's posterity it is true, that as the number had been determined on before his apostacy, the number could not be increased after that fatal event; because this would have brought evil on immortal beings not originally represented by him, and so an act of injustice would have been done to them. But were the number appointed to salvation to be increased, no objection could be made to the increase on the score of injustice; because they would be made partakers of a benefit, and not of an injury. Besides, were any to whom it was not the Divine intention to apply the merits of the Redeemer's death to believe, they would, by their faith, be brought into a saving union with him; and consequently would come into contact with that blood that cleanseth from all sin, and gain an interest in that righteousness "which is unto all and upon all them that believe." Thus united to Christ and interested in his merits, they would be sheltered from Divine wrath, and be entitled to eternal life. "There is therefore, now, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

In this representation, I do not perceive any inconsistency with the statements made in my former letter. For whatever was said in regard to the connexion between the death of Christ and the Divine intention, it was shown, that, in strictness of speech, the death of Immanuel is not an atonement to any UNTIL IT BE APPLIED; and consequently it follows, as stated above, that it will infallibly produce reconciliation between God and all and every one, without excepting any individual, who shall believe, and thus have its efficacy applied to his soul.

But will it be objected, that, on the ground on which we represent the offers of salvation to be made to the non-elect, they might be made to devils? We think not, for two

139

TER, ON THE SUBJECT OF EARLY EDUCATION.

LETTER VI.

(Continued from p. 111.)

A-, Nov. 6, 1824. Your request, dear Mary, I hasten to comply with; and I give you with pleasure my ideas respecting the education of your daughter. Still, I shall not probably propose a method, materially different from that which I pursued with yourself. Your own good sense may perhaps point out some amendments: and much of what was written on Charles's account will apply to Ellen.

There are, nevertheless, peculiarities in female education, which require our attention: and there are also infirmities, or rather follies, to be guarded against, which are eminently, if not peculiarly feminine. The most predominant of these I take to be, vanity and affectation.Odious indeed do those women become, and blighted is their loveliness, who cherish the one, or practise the other-blasted like the leaves of the rose by the untimely frost, and forbidding as the lily of the valley around the stalk of which the serpent is entwined.

Early place in the hands of your daughter Miss Hannah More's "Treatise on Female Education." Next to her Bible, this may be her companion; and let her read it over and over; and also read it again yourself. You became familiar with the senti

but you will estimate them much better now, as well as those of her subsequent works. I doubt not but they have gone far in elevating the female character above the rate of that ignorance and insignificance, where our sex grovelled a century ago. Six months' schooling was then generally thought sufficient for the education of a woman; and but few could write their names. Their sons must also have been sufferers by this mistaken system, for how could an ignorant female be qualified to educate her children?

Miss More's Lucilla is a character which, from circumstances, but few in our land of liberty and equality can fully imitate. But we shall not suffer in the attempt, if the standard at which we aim is somewhat beyond our reach. We can imitate her goodness, if not her greatness. That the characters drawn by this writer are well delineated is evident, because we can find a strong resemblance of most of them, within the circle of our own acquaintance. Miss Edgeworth has drawn her characters as natural and as perfect, as in the fallen state of our nature they could be formed; but she was sadly unacquainted with the principle of supreme excellence. What are all the moral virtues, if not enforced by the sublime and distinguishing doctrines of the Christian religion ?-nothing more than a body without a soul. If the hearts of your children were effectually under the influence

of these holy principles, you would have little need of the efforts of my pen, or the advantage of my experience.

Barren and stubborn is the soil of the human heart in its native state. It must be cultivated with labour and perseverance. The good seed must be sown and watered with an unsparing hand, or the desirable fruit, pleasant to the eye and useful in life, will never be produced. Thorns and briers, and noxious weeds, will be all that it will yield. When beholding the elegant form and the artless countenance of your little Ellen, who would suppose that an exterior so graceful and charming, could contain a soul by nature wholly alienated from God; a heart, if left without restraining grace, capable of the blackest crimes; and whose possessor, if unrenewed and unsanctified to the last, must, notwithstanding her present apparent loveliness, become forever the companion of devils, and take up her abode in "the fire that never shall be quenched." Well may we shudder at the thought of having given existence to a being of such a character, and exposed to such destiny. O let us never take our children to our bosoms in the fond embrace, without thinking of this! Let this awful thought mingle frequently with our maternal joys; that we may rejoice with trembling, and be stimulated to the highest degree of parental faithfulness. Our children are not given us as mere objects of amusement and pleasure; or only as the heirs of our names and our estates. They are given us to educate for God and for eternity: and for ourselves, if we are faithful, they are likely to become our greatest blessings; if unfaithful, our greatest curse.

Flatter not yourself, my daughter, that your children are by nature better than the most profane and abandoned that roam the streets. If they differ at all from these, it must be by the blessing of God on your faithful exertions; for be assured they received from their parents none

other than a nature polluted and defiled by sin. This you will witness more and more in their wanderings, and in the waywardness of their dispositions. And shall I tell you, these may be but the beginning of sorrows? for if they are not renewed by Divine grace, you will find their hearts more and more hardened in sin; more and more alienated from God; and more opposed to all your pious purposes and exertions. Their conduct, in the mean time, may appear very fair to others, and even do honour to your family, by manifesting the good moral effects of your wise management; and yet you, who are most intimately acquainted with them, and can almost read their hearts, will know their utter aversion to what is spiritually good. However much you may flatter yourself that as they grow up to maturity, their superior advantages will necessarily render them pious, and lovely, and affectionate; alas! it is possible you may yet find, notwithstanding all your heartfelt care, that they have been growing more hardened in sin, increasing their guilt, and fitting for destruction: and in this event, you yourself cannot but assent to the justice of the sentence which condemns them. O that all this may be prevented! and it will be prevented, if they shall, by the grace of God, become early and eminently pious.

It is possible that many years may pass, before the judgment of your children will be on your side; or they appreciate your motives for restraining them from those pleasures, in which too many of their companions are indulged. But you may expect the time will arrive, when their reason and experience and con. science will be on your side, even should they remain unsanctified. This will take place when they, with their too much indulged companions, both enter into active life. Then they will discover the contrast between their own attainments and prospects, and those of their equals, whose mothers were more indulgent and less faithful. They may indeed