generates the hearts of fome, and fits them for heaven; while others are left to perfift in fin, and go down to ruin. In various ways, God does more for fome, than he does for others. It is, therefore evident, that God's being no refpecter of perfons, does not imply that he does for all alike. Neither does it imply that he does not choose one and leave another; for we learn from fcripture, that he does choofe one and leave another. He chofe Abel and left Cain. He chofe Abraham, and left others of his nation and kindred. He chofe Jacob, and left Efau. He chofe Paul, a felf-righteous pharifee, and a perfecutor, and left many others of the fame character. And thus it is now. He comes into a family, awakens, convicts, and regenerates fome, and leaves others. He pours out his fpirit on one town, and brings many into his kingdom; while others are left to remain in ftupidity. God caufeth it to "rain upon one city, and caufeth it « not to rain on another." "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will < he hardeneth.". "Who maketh thee to differ? and what haft thou that thou didst not receive?" the conversion of Cornelias, who was a Gentile, and the circumftances which attended it, he was brought to renounce his former prejudices concerning the difference between Jews and Gentiles, and to fee that God is no refpecter of perfons that he accepts no man, nor bestows favor on any, merely because he is of fuch a nation or family; nor that he fo determines his regards, as to confine his favors to the Jewish nation, or to the natural feed of Abraham alone. But all, who truly fear God, and work righteoufnefs, "who his will in the army of heaven, ' and among the inhabitants of the "earth." Yea, " his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleaf'ure." And we have no other reafon to give, for his choosing ane, and leaving another, than this; "Even fo Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight." And this is fufficient. But what is meant in the text, by God's being no refpecter of perfons, muft be this: He does not refpect, or approve of one, rather than another, on account of From a view of this fubject, we any fituation in life. He takes the are taught, that God never injures high and low, rich and poor, bond one of his creatures, though he and free, according to his fove-leave many to perish in their fins. reign will and pleafure. There-He requires no more of any one, fore he fays; "I will have mercy 6 on whom I will have mercy." Peter had before viewed God as having a peculiar refpect for the Jewish nation, and fuppofed that none could be interefted in Chrift's atonement but the Jews. But by than he is naturally able to perform.. hofe, who have but one talent, anerequired to occupy but one. But the truth is; all mankind are finners, and juftly condemned. No one would have been injured, had falvation never been purchased,. pr offered. It is matter of infi- | fcripture, between the old and the nite gratitude, that God will have new-teftament. It cafts peculiar mercy on any. And fince no one light upon both difpenfations of has a right to falvation; but all the covenant of grace; difcovers justly deferve punishment, he has a perfect confiftency, mutual fuba right to have mercy on whom he fervience and uniformity of defign. will. If God take one, and leave The great end of both being the another-if he take a poor defpifed glory of God, in the redemption heathen, who has not been favor- of finners by Jefus Chrift, the feved with the word of God, and eral things neceffary to the attainleave others to perifh under the ment of this end, are in both conlight of the gospel, he has a perfect tained, though with different de right fo to do for "he is no re-grees of clearnefs and perfpicuity. fpecter of perfons." The character of God, and of We are alfo taught, that thofe the finner, are here opened to are under a mistake, who are op-view-all the duties, which as pofed to divine fovereignty, in re- creatures and as finners, we owe generation. Mankind being all fin- to God as our creator and moral ners, and juftly deferving the di- governor, are pointed out; and yine difpleafure, have no claim to thefe too enforced by all the weight any favor. And being all God's of precept and example, and uncreatures, he has a right to fhow der the infinite fanction of divine favor to whom he pleafes. "Hath authority. not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one veffel unto honor, and anothfer unto dishonor?" So God hath a right to act as a fovereign in the work of regeneration, taking whom he will, fince no one would ever come to Christ, except the Father who hath fent him draw him. Therefore the doctrine of election is the only door of hope for the fallen race of man. For if God had never chofen any to falvation, but mankind had been left to the dictates of their own hearts, there would never one have been faved; but all would have perifhed, notwithstanding all that Chrift has done and fuffered. The chapter is introduced with a view of the weakness and insufficiency of the law facrifices. They had no merit or efficacy but as they typified and refpected the meritori ous facrifice of Chrift. They were only fhadows of good things to come. For, though they were often repeated, even year by year, they could not purge the confcience of the worshippers, nor make the comers thereunto perfect. It was impoffible in the reafon and nature of things, that the blood of bulls and of goats fhould take away fin but in the blood of Jefus there is infinite merit-compleat fatisfaction for fin. When therefore this facrifice was actually made, the types were all accomplished by their antitype-the end of all the law facrifices fully answered, and neither neceflity nor propriety remained for their continuance. No addition could be made to the atonement of Chrift, for by" one offering he hath perfected forever them that are fanctified." To this one great facrifice, this infinite a- | which they had already experientonement of Chrift, the Apoftle ced-that inward ftrength and compoints our views, and directs our fort by which they were fupported faith, as the only foundation of hu- under the most trying outward cirman hope, the all-fufficient fource cumftances; while fuffering all the of every fpiritual bleffing. The reproaches and perfecutions, with covenant of grace, in which ex- which an unbelieving and malicious ceedingly great and precious prom-world could afflict them. Such ises are made, is ratified and fealed by the blood of Chrift, and witneffed to every true believer by God's fpirit, both in his word and by his work upon his heart. The Apoftle then, refting with perfect affurance upon this permanent foundation, infers its practical and important uses to believers. With great animation and engagedness he exhorts his Christian brethren to realize the bleffed comfort of their hope to enjoy the rich and diftinguishing privileges of their juftified ftate, by drawing near to God with holy boldness and full affurance of faith, in that new and living way which he hath confecrated for us. He exhorts them to hold fast the profeffion of their faith, with an unwavering confidence in the faithfulness of God-to cherish in themselves and in each other that spirit of love, of mutual and difinterested good will, which the gospel infpires, and to abound in thofe good works, thofe peaceable fruits of righteoufnefs, which it is defigned to produce. He then holds up to them, in a very folemn manner, the evil nature and dreadful confequences of the oppofite temper and conduct-the aggravated fin of unbelief-the contempt of gospel grace, and the dear bought falvation of Jefus Chriftthat it is moft furely connected with inevitable and eternal deftruction. As motives of encouragement and comfort, of conftancy and perfeverance in the Chriftian faith, he puts them in mind of the happy and bleffed effects of their religion was their comfort in the enjoyment of God, and the hope of his glory, that they were willing to facrifice all their worldly ease, interest and comfort to the gofpelof Chrift, and the promotion of his caufe. They were not only patient and refigned under the injurious treatment of their enemies, " but," fays the Apostle, "ye took joyfully the fpoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven, a better and an enduring fubftance." From their past experience of the grace of God, he draws an argument of encouragement to infpire them with pa tience, and with truft and confi dence in the faithfulness and allfufficiency of God-that he would continue to fupport them under all their future trials, and grant them ftrength according to their day. He reminds them, that their conflicts tho' fharp, would be shortthey fhould foon be crowned with victory, and their faithfulness rewarded with eternal glory. "For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry." And then to fum it all up in a word, and bring the whole weight of his exhortation to a point, impreffed by the united influence of hope and fear-holding up their duty and intereft on the one hand, and disobedience with its evil confequences on the other, he fays, "Now the juft fhall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my foul shall have no pleasure in him!" The manner of this expreffion adds very great folemnity and weight to the paffage. It differs from the phrafeology of the former part of the chapter, and is not the addrefs of one mortal worm to another, even with the advantage of revelation, or the gift of infpiration. It is fpoken in the name of God, and as fuch carries its authority in its very form. As if God, had in his own perfon fealed and attefted the truth of all that the Apoftle had previously declared by the infpiration of his fpirit. It is as if the great God had with an audible voice from heaven, immediately addreffed this folemn declaration to mankind, "Now the juft fhall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my foul fhall have no pleasure in him." If we have the faith which is here fpoken of, we fhall receive it as thus delivered and thus addreffed. It is only with this folemn and believing impreffion, that we can hear the voice of God, fpeaking to us in his word. Here is held up before us a contraft of character and state, and whatever quality is affirmed of the one, is denied of the other. The one lives by faith-the other draws back, and is deftitute of faith. The one is the object of the divine complacency-in the other, God's foul hath no pleasure. If the expreffion contain a promife of life eternal to the believer-it alfo denounces eternal death against the unbeliever. The difapprobation of God, is death to the foul-but his favor is life. "To be carnally minded is death, but to be fpiritually minded is life and peace." Much important inftruction is contained in this fhort paffage of facred writ. It opens an extenfive field for useful meditation, and religious improvement. Almost every word in the fentence is emphatical and weighty. The more clofely we examine it, the more we fhall find it contains.The character of God-the character of the faint and of the finner-the moral affections, conduct and state of each-the hopes of the one and the fears of the other-their common obligations, the divine promise to the Christian, with the time, manner of enjoyment, and particular kind of good promifed, are all here contained in close connection, either expreffed or clearly implied. The inquifitive mind will here find fatisfaction in all these refpects. Suppofing the following questions be put-Who are the perfons, to whom this happiness is promised in the fa cred text? They are defcribed by their moral character-they are at heart conformed to the eternal rule of righteousness, and actuated with love to univerfal being-they are, the juft. What is the fubject of the promife, or the good annexed to the character? It is life. But what kind of life? Is it animal life, the enjoyment of fenfual pleasures, and worldly delights? or, is it the improvement of their natural underStandings in the pursuits of science, and the attainments of knowledge and natural philosophy ? Neither of thefe; but fomething infinitely fuperior to both. It is that life which confifts in the knowledge of God and of Jefus Chrift, exercifed in love, fubmiffion, hope, truft and defire. When, or at what time, may this life be experi enced-this happiness enjoyed ? Is it a prefent or a future good? The anfwer is Now, in the present state of things-in our prefent state of probation; amid all the furrounding evils to which we are exposed; and under all the outward trials and diftreffes, croffes and difappointments which we may fuffer. "Now who fight under Chrift, the Cap tain of our Salvation. NUMBER I. MESS'RS EDITORS, T IT appeared to be the object of the Miffionary fermon, preach thejuft fhall live by faith," &c. He | Prayer, a weapon peculiar to thofe that believeth bath eternal life. "The life which I now live in the fefh" faid this holy Apoftle, "is by faith on the Son of God." But what is the fecurity of the just, for the enjoyment of this life? The covenant promise and faithfulness of God. "Now the jufted at Hartford, on the day of the fhall live by faith." laft General Election, to fir up The enquiry may be pushed a Christians to the duty of extraordiftep further, and a ready folutionnary prayer. The preacher if I miftake not, held up this idea, Are all others excluded from the That there was, perhaps, no way, approbation and enjoyment of God? in which the friends of the Redeem Are there not fome who do not ac- er might do more to advance the inknowledge Chrift, who get from tereft of his kingdom than by prayer. their exemplary conduct their moral It then appeared to me that the lives their kind, obliging and in- thought was juft, and very impor offenfive carriage; and especially tant. But the more I have medifrom their eminent ufefulness to man-ated upon the subject, the more kind, may expect the divine approba-important it appears, that all the be found. tion ? followers of the Lamb fhould be come wreftlers in prayer. The thought has ftruck my mind with force, That prayer isa weapon peculiar to thofe, who fight under Chrift, the captain of our falvation. It is a weapon which they, and none but they ever use. The enemies of Chrift can ufe the bow and the ar The answer is, If any man draw back, &c. let his pretenfions or his virtues be what they may; how ever beloved, revered and careffed by mankind, fo that his praife is the theme of every tongue, and his worth extolled to the fkies ;yet if deftitute of this faith, by which the just do and fhall live-row, the fword and the fpear as well if he have not that holiness which characterizes the faints, he is an abhorrence to God, and infinitely offenfive in the pure eyes of his glo. ry," my foul fhall have no pleafure in him." The holy nature of God cannot approve of fuch a character. It is infinitely impoflible. Godfeeth not as man fecth he looketh on the heart. He is no refpecter of perfons, but judgeth according to truth. Without faith it is impoffible to pleafe God. Whatfover is not of faith is fin. ASAPH. (To be continued.) as his friends. The enemies of A little attention to thofe conteits, which have fubfifted between the people of God and their enemies, will ferve to give us a ftriking view of the great advantage, which the former have obtained over the |