of the argument. Bring the question, the all-important question, home, HAVE I ETERNAL LIFE? That you should have this life is to you of infinite and everlasting moment ::-that you should know that you have it, is of as great consequence to your true happiness in time as the other is to your blessedness in eternity. May God in mercy lead you to both the possession and the knowledge, by leading you to Christ!

ESSAY II.

ON THE EXTENT OF THE ATONEMENT, AND UNIVERSAL PARDON.

THE forgiveness of sins, which I consider as the leading and introductory blessing of all that are included in salvation, is one whose general nature there can be no difficulty to understand. It is the full and everlasting remission of guilt; that is, such a pardon as cancels its entire amount, leaving no charge standing to the account of the sinner,—and such a pardon, as shall never be recalled, so as to leave him again exposed to condemnation.-These two attributes of fulness and perpetuity are essential to its real value.

When Jehovah pardons, he pardons not partially, but completely. The act of indemnity includes transgressions of all descriptions and of all degrees,-degrees both of intrinsic turpitude and of circumstantial aggravation. His pardoning mercy

"Blots out all past offences quite,

Nor bears one fault in mind."

Its language is" Though your sins be as scarlet,

they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." “Who is a God,” says the prophet, "like unto thee, who pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast ALL their sins into the depths of the sea.' The completeness of the pardon is necessary, to render it of any real worth. It is true, indeed, that even partial forgiveness we must conceive to mitigate punishment, and therefore to be so far a benefit; since it cannot be, that a smaller measure of guilt should infer the same condemnation as a greater. But oh! when we think of the intrinsic enormity of every sin, considered as a violation of supreme authority, a base requital of infinite goodness, a hateful offence against unspotted purity, and a daring defiance of omnipotent vengeance,-when we think what every sin deserves, as comprehending in it all these elements of evil,-we feel that a partial forgiveness will not suffice. If any of our trespasses were to be left standing against us in the records of divine justice, we must perish; and perdition, even in its lowest measures, will not be lightly estimated by any justly reflecting mind. But it is our happiness,

* Micah vii. 18, 19.

that the forgiveness revealed by the gospel is full forgiveness. It cancels all. It erases every trespass. It puts into the lips of the happy recipient of the blessing the triumphant challenge, "Who shall lay ANY THING to the charge of God's elect ?"

And not less important and essential is its perpetuity. This attribute of divine forgiveness is finely expressed in the terms of New Covenant promise-" I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

I need hardly observe that this is not to be understood literally. No: the divine omniscience includes in it a perfect unerring remembrance of all the past. It is one of the wonders of Deity, every attempt to conceive of which baffles and overwhelms us, that he FORGETS NOTHING! Each of us finds it impossible to retain any thing like an accurate recollection of his own thoughts, and words, and actions, for even a single day. But to the infinite mind there is present the history of every individual of all the millions of the world's population for nearly six thousand years,—a history comprehending in each case, all that has been thought, or felt, or said, or done by him, every moment of his life,—and that too in perfect order and circumstantial accuracy, without the slightest intermixture or confusion! Well may we exclaim, "Such knowledge

*Heb. viii. 12.

is too wonderful for us; it is high, we cannot attain unto it!" But so it must be :-else we might ask the question, and be unable to give it a satisfactory answer, "How shall God judge the world?"-The divine Being's "not remembering" is only a strong expression for his never recalling, as grounds of judicial charge and sentence, the sins which he has pardoned. "His gifts and calling are," in this as in other respects, without repentance." His assurance to all whom he forgives is, "I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins.”

This property of perpetuity is also essential to the value of the blessing, and to the satisfaction and peace of those who enjoy it. How heartless, how distracting would be the most distant surmise, that, notwithstanding the present forgiveness, the time might hereafter come, when God should change his mind, should recede from the engagements of his covenant, should bring our sins again to remembrance, should reverse the sentence from pardon to condemnation, from mercy to wrath! But thus it shall not-thus it cannot be. The forgiveness is that of an unchanging God. He "resteth in his love." He keeps sacred his promise. The act of pardon is written on indestructible materials, which the fires of a burning world shall not consume. The sentence of condemnation has been cancelled with blood, which no chemistry can ever dis