way, he expresses himself as "grieved at his heart," and as repenting that he had made man upon the earth. "Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities," says he to the Jews. And again; "I am pressed under you," says he to Israel, "as a cart is pressed And the eternal Jehovah is

that is full of sheaves." represented as breaking out into such pathetic exclamations as these. "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me and keep my commandments always!" And why? That he might be profited by them? No: but " that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever." And again: "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" "O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!" And, out of kindness to them again, as appears from what follows: "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments!" Why?" Then had thy peace been like a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea." In the same strain does our Lord address himself to Jerusalem: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thee, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!" Nay, at another time, beholding the city, now devoted to destruction, he wept over it, saying, "If thou hadst known in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace: but now they are hid from thy eyes." And the ministers of God are more or less endued with the same feeling. Jeremiah was a weeping prophet; Paul had "continual heaviness and sorrow of heart" on account of the stubbornness of the Jews; and he warned Gentiles every night and

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day with tears. Nor is this kind concern for the sinner's welfare inconsistent with God's will of purpose or eventual determination as to their destruction; for although such language expresses the propensity of the nature, so to speak, of him who " is love," yet it must not be supposed that such benevolent propensity of his nature, in itself considered, is to set aside the wise and holy counsel of his will; which, taking into account the natural bearing and ultimate end of all events, prompts him to suffer this, or effect that, according to his good pleasure," or as "it seemeth him good." So, even amongst men, it is judged right and wise to do many things contrary to our natural will, or will of inclination, for reasons suggested by wisdom and prudence. Such a one is a kindhearted creditor. He lends a sum of money to a fellow-creature in need. Seeing his debtor wasting the property on his sinful appetites,-not only on his own account, but for the debtor's welfare, he advises, and beseeches, and urges him to discontinue such conduct. But the spendthrift stubbornly refuses to hearken, and stops his ear to all his arguments and entreaties. Now, if the injured creditor think it proper to punish this debtor for his ingratitude and contumacy, is it any reflection on the creditor's character as benevolent? Certainly not. Indeed, if he does not animadvert on such conduct by punishing it, will it not appear that he is deficient in his respect for public justice, and in regard to the claims of public order and comfort? Again, here is a judge of a humane and benevolent character. A prisoner is brought before him charged with a crime that affects his life.

He feels compassion for such prisoner, and earnestly desires his acquittal. Yet, when he finds that there is indubitable evidence of his guilt, and considers that he has been contemning the authority of the law, and outraging the rights and welfare of civil society, he will think it both just and wise to leave him to the award and execution of the laws. If he did not so, who would consider such judge as possessing an adequate sense of the importance of the claims of law and justice, or as having a sufficient regard to public order? Apply these things to God the great creditor-to God the great King and Judge,and no longer charge the Scriptures with inconsistency, or the great King himself with folly! No, rather always consider that while man is, as he is emphatically called, "corruptible man," so God is, as he also is emphatically called, "the incorruptible God."

Thus, we have proved, as declared in the proposition, that God has given to man every thing that he could claim on the footing of equity, or expect on the ground of benevolence, in an equitable probationary system of government, designed as a testimony concerning himself and man. Hence, as he said to Israel, so he may say to us, "What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? wherefore judge you between me and my vineyard.” Will it be said, "He might have renewed the will of all men, or by his overpowering grace have subdued and gained over their will;" we reply—that this would have been utterly inconsistent with, and indeed would have annihilated, a probationary system, whose design

was to prove man, and by proving, become a witness for God. Such a system, as has been before shown, must needs be conditional; must be addressed to the human will, and after attempting to influence it by suitable means and motives, must leave it to its liberty. Otherwise man would never show himself at all; God would not have his due as distinguished from man; and then, how could equity, which consists in adjudging to each party what properly and distinctively belongs to him, be displayed? If, after such probation and testimony, the great Creator and King should think proper, in his wisdom and gracious sovereignty, to interpose in favour of man, by such special and effectual grace, as would thus renew his will and overpower his bad temper, that must be under another dispensation. At present, in this part of our subject, we have to do only with God's equitable and benevolent government of mankind, as the great King, holy, just, and good; if he pleases to manifest the glory of his sovereign goodness on such stubborn and rebellious rejectors of his law and gospel, as a gracious sovereign, that is another thing. And that he has done so, we shall see hereafter, and in what way.

SECTION V.

Reflections on the Result of this probationary, but equitable and benevolent Government, as considered in the foregoing Chapter.

From the foregoing chapter we may learn,

1. That disbelief of God, and dependence upon self, is the cause of disobedience to God.

2. That disobedience to God is an "offence" of the greatest magnitude, and that law entered afterwards that the offence might abound.

3. That God, from the beginning, has placed before man the antidote to the poison; and that thus, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

4. That God has taken care to give means of information concerning this fact, and motives to enforce attention unto it, until man has neglected the one, and refused to be influenced by the other.

5. We see that God has done all that he could have done, consistent with his great and wise design in establishing an equitable probationary government, both under the Jewish and Christian dispensations.

6. Man has been proved, both under the "law of works," and the "law of faith," whether under the Mosaic or Christian economy, notwithstanding all the means and motives to induce obedience with which he has been favoured, to be a DISOBEDIENT AND UNPER

SUADABLE CREATURE AND SUBJECT.

ON THE PART OF GOD.

7. We see that thus a testimony is borne for God, as "the incorruptible God," in contrast with "corruptible man," as the one who alone is essentially "GOOD," in contrast with man, who is "vile” and " evil.”

8. A testimony is borne for him also, as the righteous King, in contrast with man as an unrighteous