most shining deeds and valuable qualities that can be found among men, though highly useful, and truly excellent, when set in their proper places, and referred to suitable ends, are, as to the grand article of justifieation, treated as nonentities. In this respect, the most zealous professor, with all his laboured performances, stands on a level with the most profane; the apostolic truth addressing all to whom it comes, as guilty, condemned, perishing wretches, leaving no room for preference or boasting, that so the whole glory of our salvation may be secured to that grace which is infinitely rich and absolutely free."

"I think I have now formed some slight idea, my dear Madam," said one of the young ladies, "of that great scheme of salvation which this article exhibits, and I perceive in some measure how the salvation of many poor, miserable, and weak sinners, is secured to them by this divine arrangement: but if such a question is not presumptuous, may I venture to ask, as all men are equally sinful by nature, and equally guilty in the eyes of God, wherefore are not all predestinated to everlasting happiness ?"

"I am not sorry that you have put this question," said the lady of the manor, as it contains a difficulty which might hereafter be brought forward to perplex you: but the true state of the case forbids us to ask any such questions. Of this we are assured, that the Lord will never reject any one who comes to him, because it is written, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John vi. 37.) Thus are we assured that if we are brought to seek Christ, he will by no means reject us; this is enough for us as individuals, and sufficient also for us in all our concerns with our fellow creatures. As to the rest, we are bound to receive the words of Scripture in silence and submission; and it is wisely remarked by Mr. Milner, in his Church History, that 'the common rock on which all heretics have split, is a desire to explain by our reason, the modes of things which we are required to believe on divine testimony only.'

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"No doubt," continued the lady of the manor, much light has been given to us as is necessary for us:

but I think it necessary to point out, especially to young people, that there are many subjects relative to the divine government of the universe, on which we cannot form an opinion, and for which, perhaps, with the utmost light which could be given us, our present faculties are not adequate. Nay, supposing that we possessed faculties capable of forming an opinion of the divine government of the universe," continued the lady of the manor, 66 we still want that knowledge of facts without which no judgment can be formed on any, even the commonest, subject in ordinary life.

"There are many circumstances," proceeded she, “attendant on man's state on earth, which evidently have connexion with events which took place before the foundation of the world. Suppose that any one was to attempt to make a child of four years old understand the debates in a London newspaper-I should conceive that no means which could possibly be used would succeed in making such child comprehend the full meaning of one single speech so reported. And yet this child approaches, in point of intellect, in a considerable degree nearer to the first politician in the House of Commons, than we do to the meanest being without sin. For the effect of sin, in clouding the mind and intellect, is inconceivably great, as I hope to have an opportunity of stating to you on another occasion, from a very valuable old writer upon the subject.

"If, therefore," proceeded she, "it would be utterly impossible to make a child of four years old form a proper judgment of a speech in parliament, how, I ask, can we be supposed able to reason justly upon what is proper in the government of the universe? As I before said, our minds are sufficiently enlightened on all points which concern our salvation: but when we attempt to reason on subjects which do not belong to us, we are immediately lost, and run ourselves into difficulties which sometimes end in absolute infidelity. But in order to state our doctrines and our difficulties in the plainest language, I must premise, that it is understood by all Christians, that there is one Almighty God, who made all things; and that in this God there are three equal persons. Moreover, we understand, that this God is a perfect Be

ing, and of course without sin, because sin is an imperfection; we know also that God made the world, and are assured, that, as he is a perfectly holy Being, the creatures which he made must have come out of his hands without sin.

"Whence then did sin arise? I do not ask," proceeded the lady of the manor, "how it came into the world; for this we all know. But how did it insinuate itself into the creation? or who first conceived it? If you answer, The fallen angels first conceived it-you only remove the difficulty a little further back. Were not the angels holy creatures, living in heaven in the presence of their Maker? How then did they first admit sin into their nature? This is a point too mysterious to be comprehended. If then at first setting out we meet with so mighty a difficulty as this, we may be sure that it is impossible for us to understand all the further dealings of God with his creatures. Hence, from all I have said, it appears that our views are so short, our intellects so narrow, our perceptions so obscure, and our absolute knowledge of facts as they refer to the concerns of the universe so bounded, that we cannot judge why it is proper to do one thing, or why it is proper to leave another thing undone.

"It is often necessary for a mother to correct a child under three years of age; but it would be impossible, absolutely impossible, to make that child distinctly understand her reasons for so doing. I therefore venture to assert, that we know enough of the Lord our God, especially of his love and tenderness for his creatures, to believe that whatever he doth is for the advancement of his own glory; and if for the advancement of his own glory, surely it must also be for the good and happiness of his creatures-since man is never miserable but when he departs from God, and seeks the glory of the creature instead of the Creator.

"It cannot therefore be questioned, upon all these considerations, that our wisdom consists in taking the words of Scripture on this subject in their obvious and literal sense and if the danger of the thoughtless multitude hangs heavy in our minds, let us labour to arouse and

awaken as many of them as fall within the range of our influence to a due regard for the concerns of their own souls. The Lord works by means; and if haply he should condescend to use any one of us as the instrument of bringing some of his creatures to him, we should have abundant reason to glorify his name on that account."

"But," said one of the young ladies, "when we look at the number of persons who live altogether in sin, it is surely dreadful to think how few appear to be in the right way, or are likely to be saved!"

Indeed," said the lady of the manor, " it is a subject of melancholy reflection that we see so few persons, in comparison of the multitude of grown men and women, whom we can reasonably suppose to be in the right way. How few do we see who boldly come forward in the service of God! Where is the man who separates himself from the world?-who joins himself to Christ, and proves, by his holy conversation, that he is an adopted child of God? How small, in comparison of the multitude, are the characters which answer to this description! Is not the glory of Jacob become dim, and the fatness of his flesh waxed lean ?-There are, indeed, a few gleaning grapes left in the visible Church, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries on the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof. (Isaiah xvii. 4, 6.)

"But," continued she, "there is a description of persons as the sand of the sea for multitude, and as the stars of heaven-a description of persons unspeakably dear to bereaved mothers, yea, and infinitely dear to him who said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God; (Mark x. 14;) who having be a early removed from this world of sin and sorrow, not having as yet committed actual sin, are undoubtedly saved, inasmuch as that stain and pollution of nature which they received from their father Adam is not laid to their account, through the infinite merits of Christ, the second Adam. Clothed in his imputed righteousness, these souls are presented with acceptance before the throne of God, and

will to all eternity magnify the effects of that free grace by which they were fore-ordained to triumph over sin and death."

"It is a sweet thought," said Sophia, who had some years ago followed a dear little brother to the grave, "to think that all those little creatures who die in infancy are saved; and that happiness is thus secured to so many who might otherwise perhaps have destroyed themselves by sin."

"I think I have heard," said the lady of the manor, "that at least one-third of the human race die before they are two years old. So that the happiness of one-third of the children of Adam is thus effectually secured; a reflection full of unutterable comfort and sweetness to those parents who are early deprived of the smiles of their infants. Furthermore, perceiving in the case of children dying early and received into glory, that their salvation must needs be effected by the eternal and absolutely free favour of God, as procured for us by the merits and death of our Saviour-we necessarily arrive at the solid conclusion that these souls were fore-ordained to glory before the foundation of the world. Now it is evident that these infants can have done nothing in order to promote their own salvation, and that therefore they are saved through the free mercy of God-notwithstanding which, we cannot apply this doctrine to our own cases, nor be content to enter heaven as little children; but we almost universally fall into the error of supposing that we must do something in order to promote this great work, and so are perpetually endeavouring to bring some good action or other to account, in order to counterbalance the great sum of our unworthiness.

"It is astonishing," continued the lady of the manor, "what enmity the human mind has to the doctrine of salvation through Christ alone!" She then proceeded to give the young people a short account of the nature and signification of grace, as well as of the manner in which its sovereignty is manifested in our election, in our calling, pardon, justification, adoption, sanctification, and preservation until the end. She first stated that the word grace signifies free and undeserved favour and kindness, exhibited in cases where no claim is preferred, VOL. II.

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