All these proceed on a principle diametrically opposite to the free and impartial grace of the Father of all. They are actuated by the same spirit with the first Jewish converts, who could not brook, that the favour of heaven should be extended to the Gentiles, and consequently to any of us, their descendants; but would confine the church to the synagogue. But this illiberality was rebuked, not only by Paul, but also by our Lord, in the parable of the thankless and envious labourer in the vineyard: "Friend, I do thee no wrong. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? I will give unto this last, even as unto thee."

If Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, are set down in the kingdom of heaven,2 why should Abel, and Seth, and Enoch, "who walked with God, and he was not, for God took him," and the other antedeluvian patriarchs, be shut out? If Noah, Daniel, and Job, could "save their own souls by their righteousness," why not Moses and the prophets? Why not David, and the pious kings who succeeded him; and all the other Scripture worthies? If all these were saved, there must have been some exceptions from the general sentence of death. Again, if these men, who enjoyed superior light and aid, escaped the general condemnation, surely we may hope, that those virtuous and holy men, (holy according to their

means,) who were the lights of the world, shining in the midst of heathen darkness, will be judged according to the law which they enjoyed; and "accepted according to what they had, and not according to what they had not." God is not a hard master," who reapeth, where he hath not sown, and gathereth, where he hath not strewed."

We seem, then, to have a certainty, that the holy men of the patriarchal and prophetic times survived this life, and enjoyed the favour of God, in another state of existence; and that "many shall come from the east and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." Now, if it harmonize with this fact, to suppose, that the same grace may have been extended to men of distinguished virtue and piety among the Gentiles, who lived before the appearance of Christ; the analogy holds still more forcibly in favour of those, who have existed since; for against them the priority of their existence does not operate. This hope may be warranted by the spontaneous and unbounded benignity of the divine nature; and it will be greatly confirmed, if we meet with faint and even remote intimations of its reality in the Christian revelation. There are, however, I conceive, intimations neither faint nor remote. On any other subject, where there were no prejudices or prepossessions to combat, the assertions would appear not only clear, but universal, and

delivered with particular emphasis. "As in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive." "All flesh shall see the salvation of God." "He is the propitiation, not for our sins only, (not for the sins of Christians only) but for the sins of the whole world." "The free gift came upon all." "God is the Saviour of all men, especially (and not merely or solely) of those who believe." "Christ tasted death for every man." "All, who are in their graves, shall come forth; they, who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they, who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." "He will render unto all according to their deeds." When our Lord blessed the pure in heart, and the meek, he was addressing a great multitude, few or none of whom had embraced, or ever embraced his doctrine. So unreserved are the declarations of Scripture.

What advantage, then, hath the believer? Perhaps, none. If he believe in the Gospel, as he would in any wonderful tale of ancient times, without any further thought about it, he can derive no benefit from his credulity. If he has even made it the subject of critical inquiry, and satisfied himself that it is a true story, and an authentic revelation, but rests there, he can receive no more benefit from his learned investigation, than if his ingenuity had been exercised upon any other question in ancient history. Some may

even be sufferers by their knowledge and belief. If they make no improvement of these acquirements, but remain the same torpid, neutral characters, that they were before; why should they complain, that an honest infidel, "who does by nature the things commanded" in the Gospel, is as much, or more favoured than they? Suppose, that they have even a serious and rational faith in Christ; but, instead of walking according to their vocation and profession, they "blaspheme the holy name by which they are called;" shall not they who thus "knew their Lord's will, and did it not, be beaten with many stripes," while the ignorant pagan shall be "beaten with fewer?" What does it signify, though they have the faith that can remove mountains, and knowledge and eloquence and zeal? If their faith be unproductive of works, "shall faith save them?" If their eloquence be as a tinkling cymbal, and their zeal unattended with, or destructive of, charity; shall they be received into the kingdom of heaven, because they "cry, Lord, Lord!" Shall not such Pharisaical hypocrites receive, on that very account, the "greater damnation," while not only Cornelius, but "in every nation, those who fear God, and work righteousness, shall be accepted with him?" for why should the misfortune of unavoidable and insuperable ignorance of Christianity, operate to their disadvantage? By parity of reasoning, all who die in infancy, or before they

can acquire any knowledge of Christ, will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven.

This scheme does not represent our Lord as a human teacher, like the heathen philosophers, nor as a heavenly monitor only, like the ancient prophets. It ascribes a powerful efficacy to his redemption; an efficacy, not confined to a few individuals, or a party, or a church; to one class of theologians, or enthusiasts, or fanatics; but extending to the whole human race, to every man, "who by patient continuance in well-doing, seeketh for glory, honour and immortality," according to his means: to them it promises, according to St. Paul, eternal life. Thus says St. Paul; and he enforces his argument against the Jews by the case of Abraham.* The promise was made to him while he was a heathen, before he became a member of any visible church; and yet "his faith in that promise was counted unto him for righteousness.:" and the blessing extended to all that believed, though not circumcised; "that he might be the father of all that believe; that righteousness might be imputed to them also; and not only so, but to all who walk in the steps of Abraham."

But the question still returns upon us: "what advantage hath the pious, practical Christian?" This interrogatory Paul puts into the mouth of a

* Rom. iv.