shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust." Mathew xii. 18, 21.

Jesus Christ is our exampler, and it becometh us to pattern after hin-to walk in his footsteps; if so, we shall be careful, and never boast of our state, and not make a public song of our conversion, by telling every person we meet with, that we are the salt of the earth, the children of God. If we have the spirit of Christ, we shall be meek and lowly of heart; and then it is, that our walk and conduct will testify that we are the children of God. But should we at any time be interrogated concerning the hope which is in us, we are then at liberty to give an answer in meekness-as the apostle tells us. "But sanctify the Lord in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you, a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." I Peter, iii. 15. Dear reader let us be careful, and guard against every spirit which differs from the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ; for Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.

CHAPTER V.

THE ILLUMINATION OF THE SINNER.

THE atonement which Christ made upon Calvary secures the redemption of the whole human family. The apostle tells us he tasted death for every man. "But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Yes, Christ hath redeemed us from the

Christ

broken law he became a curse for us. It was written cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree. did hang upon the tree; and now he is to us the tree of life. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree." Adam's sin is no longer imputed to his posterity-the transgression of Adam will damn none of his children-it has been completely answered by Jesus Christ. But it is certain that the mere atonement which Christ made does not eradicate from the heart, that depraved nature which we have inherited from Adam: but as I have already asserted, it is not imputed unto us-that is as long as we remain in a state of childhood, not capable of distinguishing good from evil.-So, then, we may say, all that part of Adam's family who depart this life before they arrive at the years of maturity will be saved, in and through the atonement made by Jesus Christ.

Our Saviour, speaking of the state of little children, declared they are of the kingdom of heaven: "But Jesus said suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." "Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted & be come as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Mat. xviii. 3. We do not read in the Gospel of the conversion of little children. It is evident, since the atonement, that little children are not sinners; they are no where called so in the Gospel. Understand me correctly. By little children, I mean such as have not the use of their reason, and of course, cannot act from motive. It is, therefore sinners that must be converted, because they are such as have committed sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law." i John, iii. 4; and' Paul says "Where no law is, there is no transgression." Rom. iv. 15. It is no where stated in the Gospek

at what age we arrive to a state of accountability.Every one can know this for himself. Some at the age of six years have more knowledge than others at the age of twelve. But let that be as it may-whenever God would have us to account to him for our conduct, then it is that he opens the eyes of our understanding, and he will require of us in proportion to the light and knowledge we receive. See the parable of the talents. Mathew xxv. 14-30.

We read in Mark, the 11th chapter, that our Saviour sent two of his disciples to a certain place, where they would find a colt tied, and that they should loose the colt and bring him; and in the 4th verse it reads-" And they went their way and found the colt tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met; and they loose him." Now this colt may represent the infantile part of the human family. They are tied, or confined, in a place where two ways meet. Now these two ways may represent the ways of obedience and disobedience, the way to heaven and the way to hell; and when the children of men arrive at the years of maturity, then it is that they are untied, or set at liberty, to choose for themselves which of these two ways they will travel upon and the design of their liberation is, that they, by the word and spirit of God, should be brought to Jesus, that he might rule and govern them to the salvation of their souls. But it is a stubborn fact, that we all do abuse this liberty or light; that is we do not walk in the light-we prefer darkness to light-therefore we are called in the Gospel," the children of the night." i Thes. v. chap. By nature we have a carnal mind, which mind the apostle tells us, "is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. viii. 7. Now, this carnal, or fleshy mind is in our very nature, and increascs as we increase in days and years: but God does not

impute it to us until he puts it in our power to overcome the same. Then it is that we are to die to this nature; and if we do not crucify it we shall be damned. There is no alternative; the second death will be our portion : to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Rom. viii. 6. If the atonement which Christ made, as some would have us to believe, exempts the human family from all future punishment, so that there will be no future punishment-then there would be no necessity for the Gospel. The civil law would be sufficient, be cause death would put an end to all punishment. The righteous and unrighteous, the most pious and most profane, would all appear upon an equal footing.

But be not deceived. God is not mocked: "For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap; for he that soweth to the flesh. shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." Gal. vi 7--8. It is certain that the children of men do not reap the reward of all their doings in this life. Now is the seed time, and in eternity we shall reap the reward of our doings. If the reader will seriously peruse the Gospel he will find, that notwithstanding the atonement, the "wicked will be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." ii. Thes. i 9. This punishment will not take place until after the revelation of Jesus Christ. The preceeding verses make it plain. Our dear Redeemer knew that it would be necessary, not only to make an atonement for the first sin that was committed in the world, but also to make provision for those actual transgressions which Adam's family commit since the atonement; for if the atonment puts saints and sinners on a level immediately after they depart this life, then it is not the Gospel, but the sepa

ration of the soul and body, that qualifies the human family for heaven; which is too absurd to admit of discussion. Before the atonement was made by Jesus Christ, he was pleased to give a revelation of his Father's will, which will interests the intelligent part of the human family-such as have an ear to hear, and a heart to understand. We read in the first chapter of the Gospel according to John, that Christ is the true light which enlightens every man that comes into the world. Paul tells us that "the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live scberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” Titus, ii. 11-12. Thus Christ, the sun of righteousness, has risen upon our world to illuminate the dark and benighted children of men.

The enlightening precedes the conversion of the sinner. For as it was in the natural, so it is in the new or or spiritual creation; God separated the darkness from the light, and as this was the work of the first day of the creation of the world, so is it also the first work in the new creation of the heart. "God said let there be light; and there was light." Gen. i. 3. It is the Spirit's office to reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." John xvi. 8. Yea, this blessed spirit strives with the children of men, and would fain conduct them to that fountain which was opened for sin and uncleanness. And one thing in this place is worthy of notice. The Spirit always agrees with the Gospel and never operates contrary. There exists a beautiful coincidence, or harmony, between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the conversion of the sinner each one performs a particular work upon the heart of the sinner, in order to his conversion. "No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him, and I will raise