mighty is such as you state him to be, and I have no question but that you are perfectly right, how did sin enter into creation ?"

I consider," replied Mr. Dalben," that sin

may be compared, as it frequently is in Scripture, to darkness; as righteousness, on the contrary, is to light; light being an actual existence, and darkness being only the absence of light; holiness or righteousness, for I am somewhat at a loss to find the exact word to oppose to sin, consisting in a participation of the divine nature, and sin being a simple deficiency or falling off from that divine participation."

"You are opening a new view of these things to me, Sir," replied Marten.

"A true one I trust, Mr. Marten," returned Mr. Dalben; " God forbid that I should darken counsel without knowledge."

"But pray go on, Sir," said Marten.

"Probably," replied Mr. Dalben, "the first grand lapse of created beings consisted in the admission of the very principle which you uttered but a few days since, when you spoke of the strength of virtuous resolution to be expected from a well-educated young man."—A smile passed over the features of Marten as Mr. Dalben spoke; it was suggested by the comparison which the old gentleman had so un

wontedly drawn, but Mr. Dalben was too much engaged in his subject to observe it." We can fancy," he continued, "we can imagine the great archangel Satan, never having experienced as we have the weakness and dependance of his nature, glorying first in his imaginary strength-his intellectual powers as far above ours as ours excel those of a new-born babe-the vast capacity of his angelic mind, the swiftness and depth of his thoughts, the extent of his knowledge-which grasped, perhaps, the histories and conformation of a thousand worlds; and we can understand how, in the contemplation of these created excellencies, he might be gradually withdrawn from that spirit of entire dependance which ever must exist between the created and the Creator. And thus, perhaps, the first great branch separated itself from the tree of life, and became the prey of the devouring flames which shall burn for ever."

According to perfect justice," replied Marten; "but where was the exercise of perfect mercy in allowing even one to fall, and fall for ever ?"

"These are subjects decidedly above us, Mr. Marten," replied Mr. Dalben; "yet permit

me to suggest one inquiry. Might it not be possible that it was necessary, for the greater good of the mass of created being-in short, for producing the utmost possible quantum of felicity, that some examples should be made? But I feel that these speculations are beyond us; we are assured that sin exists--that by nature we are separated from God, and that divine mercy has prepared the means of satisfy ing that divine justice, and of so uniting us to God, that neither our own folly, or the powers of hell, shall ever again be able to separate us from him—as in John x. 7: My sheep, hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.' And also we have this verse in Rom. viii. 38, 39: For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.'

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Now, this restoration of man to the Father through the Son, and by the influences of the Spirit, is the great work of salvation, the object

aimed at through all the progress of this work from first to last, and the same process is pursued with each individual who is to be made partaker of these glorious benefits."

66 Are you one of the redeemed? and I doubt it not, my son," said Mr. Dalben. "Omniscience foresaw it would be so, and omniscience decreed it long before you entered into being. Divine mercy provided the Redeemer, and divine justice acknowledged his sufficiency. But inasmuch as this doctrine has its opposers, I am bound, I feel, to give you chapter and verse in corroboration of it. St. Paul thus writes to the Ephe

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sians: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,' &c.--Eph. i. 4-5. And also in Romans: 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.'-Rom. viii. 29. In the due course of time, the manhood was received into the Godhead in the person of our Lord, and he that is infinite in his union with the Father, (for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are one,) by his own infinite

PART III.

M

merits and sufferings thrown into the opposite scale, so entirely overbalanced your finite offences, that your freedom was purchased, and being reconciled to the Father, you entered into being not under a sentence of condemnation, but an object of the divine favour, and one prepared for farther mercies.

Yet was it needful for you that you should experience the anguish of sin, and be made to know the weakness of your nature, in order that the works of the Holy Spirit should have their full exercise in your person.

"Neither do predestination or justification affect us personally; I mean, as regarding our individual characters, until the Holy Spirit commences his work with us. Every saint who is now in glory was born in sin, and, as to his original nature, the child and heir of hell. Much, therefore, is necessary to be done for him, before he is personally fitted for the society of the sons of God; and this work is what God the Spirit has undertaken to accomplish for us.

"And of these divine works, my dear Marten," continued the old gentleman, “we have a beautiful emblem now before us.-Look at that tree before the window, which is bending down with the weight of its fruit. You see the beauty of its form, and the richness of its foliage -there is not a fairer plant in all the garden."