lieve, and boldly assert, that infants of a span long, are in hell!!

We can never appreciate the infinitude of the divine goodness, or in any manner recognize the immensity of 'the sovereign beauty, but by the light of the divine spirit. The same, as the sun cannot be seen, but by its own light. And as the sun, when seen with our bodily eyes, displays our bodily deformity, 'so, when illuminated by the Son of Righteousness, we see at once our own insignificance, as well as the divine goodness; and of course, are filled both with humility and gratitude. Man, without the spirit of God, is like a coal out of which the fire is extinguished;

not offend in doing so, it is from him that all beings derive their origin, it is by hint that they live and breathe."

There is no reading the works of Epictetus, of Arrian his disciple, and of Marcus Antoninus, without admiration. We find in them rules of morality worthy of Christianity.

Dd

or, like a bird whose wings are clipped, so that it cannot fly to its place of rest. The divine love is the fire of the soul, and the

spirit of God the wings of the soul, as well as its light. Hence the apostle declares, categorically, that "unless we have the spirit of Christ, we are none of his." And this spirit is always the same, in all nations, pagan and Christian; and striveth with all men, of every kind and kindred, in order that they may come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved. For God calls, invites, and strives with all, but many shut their eyes against the light, and basely insult their own understanding, and remain in wilful ignorance; yet the light of the spirit, from time to time shines into their hearts, which causes them to palpitate with horror, at the misery and danger of their situation. But when death approaches a soul without the spirit of God, and of course in spiritual darkness, then, and not till then, will its ten-fold misery appear!

which even the tragic muse cannot deline

ate.

"The vale of death! that hush'd Cimmerian vale,
Where Darkness brooding o'er unfinish'd Fates,
With raven wing incumbent, waits the day
(Dread day!) that interdicts all future change!
That subterranean world, that land of ruin!
Fit walk, Lorenzo, for proud human thought!
There let my thought expatiate, and explore
Balsamic truths and healing sentiments,

Of all most wanted, and most welcome, here.
For gay Lorenzo's sake, and for thy own,
My soul! The fruits of dying friends survey;
'Expose the vain of life; weigh life and death;
'Give death his eulogy; thy fear subdue;
And labour that first palm of noble minds,
A manly scorn of terror from the tomb.'

Is death then guiltless? How he marks his way With dreadful waste of what deserves to shine; 'Art, genius, fortune, elevated pow'r!

• With various lustres these light up the world, Which Death puts out, and darkens human race.' I grant Lorenzo! this indictment just :

The sage, peer, potentate, king, conqueror;

Death humbles these; more barbarous life than man. Life is the triumph of our mouldering clay;

Death of the spirit infinite! divine!
Death has no dread but what frail life imparts;
Nor life true joy, but what kind Death improves.
No bliss has life to boast, till death can give
Par greater ; Life's a debtor to the grave,
Dark lattice! letting in eternal day."

a

I would here candidly acknowledge, that there are some sentiments in the epistles of St. Paul, which seem both directly and indirectly to favour the doctrine of predestination ; and many of his sayings are hard to be understood. Even one of his cotemporaries, the apostle Peter, acknowledges this to be the case.

Hear what he says on this subject.

" And account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things ; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they

are unlearned and unstable wrest, as

they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2 Pet. iii. 15, 16.

In order that the reader may for himself see the truth of the above assertion, I will transcribe, or quote some of the doctrines of St. Paul, most difficult to be understood.

" And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things ? Who shall lay any thing to the